Wikipedia:Reference desk/Miscellaneous

September 28

Popular Opera Songs

What are some popular Opera songs? For example: "Memory" from Cats, "Phantom of the Opera" from Phantom of the Opera, Nessun Dorma, etc... Thanks. Acceptable 00:11, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

Toreador, don't spit upon the floor! Use the cuspidor, that's what it's for! springs to mind. DuncanHill 00:15, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

As does Your Tiny Hands are Frozen, from La bohème. DuncanHill 00:19, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

Usually translated as "Your tiny hand is frozen" (literally it would be something like "How cold your little hand is"; the Italian is "Che gelida manina"). -- JackofOz 02:05, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

Cats and Phantom are not traditionally considered operas, though. Other opera songs can be found in Category:Opera excerpts and Category:Arias. From an American opera, you have "Summertime" but the somewhat similar "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" from a musical isn't opera. Go, figure. Rmhermen 00:45, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

When a felon's not engaged in his employment from The Pirates of Penzance is jolly good fun. DuncanHill 01:49, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

"La donna è mobile" (Woman is fickle) from Verdi's Rigoletto and "Non piu andrai, farfallone amoroso" (Now your days of philandering are over) from Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro spring to mind. -- JackofOz 02:05, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

The Flower Duet and Un bel di from Madame Butterfly spring to mind.--hotclaws 09:36, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

The drinking song from la traviata. Algebraist 10:18, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

Give Mozart his due. You can't forget Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen (often called the Queen of the Night aria) from The Magic Flute; it's very recognizable and technically demanding. My old flatmate – a tenor – used to single it a couple of octaves lower in the shower. Perhaps slightly less familiar (but still quite catchy) is the so-called Champagne Aria from Don Giovanni. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 12:44, 28 September 2007 (UTC).

Vesti la giubba, as featured in It's a Hard Life by Queen among others. 79.65.119.193 18:46, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

ABC Classic FM radio in Australia ran a competion last year to find voters' top 100 favourite operatic “moments”. Number 1 surprised me, I must say – it was “In the depths of the temple”, a duet for tenor and baritone from Bizet’s “The Pearl Fishers”. "Va, pensiero" (the Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves) came second. "Nessun dorma" was only 12th. The full results are here. -- JackofOz 23:47, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

Not really an opera, but "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina" has to be up there. Aaadddaaammm 05:03, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

1960s spinning toy by Parker?

Anyone remember this? It was a flat thing that you spun around and a coin would be held in place by centrifugal force. I can't find anything about it on Google. The commercials had a chimp in them. 172.159.25.218 00:54, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

Perhaps Euler's disk? Google will find you sites that sell them. 88.112.51.254 05:47, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

gmail

With gmail, can you check if the receiver of your sent email read it? Kaiilaiqualyn 01:24, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

No. Lauren^whisper 01:42, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

SUPPLEMENTARY question: Can you do that with any mail programme does anyone know please?--88.109.183.227 08:42, 28 September 2007 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 88.109.183.227 (talk) 08:41, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

Yes (in a way) - with Outlook Express you can make the email send asking for a receipt. If the receiver of the email is using Outlook Express, he/she is asked with a dialogue box if they would like to send a receipt to say they have read the email to the sender. If they allow it, a receipt in the form of an email is sent back to the sender. I have not used Outlook Express in a long while and only tested this feature once, so the details might differ a little bit to how I remember them. 203.208.110.207 09:25, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

Yes, with Outlook the sender can request a read receipt, but the reader can instruct Outlook not to send a read receipt (either globally or for a specific message). So if you receive a read receipt you know your message has been read (well, to be precise, it has been opened), but if you don't receive a read receipt you don't know anything. (Sorry, no idea about Gmail). Gandalf61 13:45, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

It's not just Outlook. Most email programs are able to send a request for a receipt. However, it is up to the recipient of the email to set up his email program to either send a receipt when the mail arrives at their computer - or when it is read - or not at all. Because of the rise of spam, and the strong desire not to let the spammers know whether people actually read that junk or not - or even made it through the spam filters for that matter, most systems come configured (by default) with the receipt mechanism set to NONE. That being the case, it's 99% pointless to ask for a receipt since nobody is likely to give you one - so the receipt requesting feature is almost never used. SteveBaker 14:23, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

If you're sending HTML email, you could embed a web bug in the message, such that when the message is rendered, you would see a request for that web bug appear in your webserver logs. In practice, however, web bugs are often in the same boat as return-receipts. Due to spam, many email programs will block the loading of external content. --Mdwyer 00:45, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

If it`s AOL mail, can`t you just click on 'Status'?...You might have to be an AOL member for this...not sure. Also, there was another program 'offered' not long ago that could let you verify whether or not your e-mail was opened/read. If I remember well, it was called, "Didyouopenyet", or something close to that. It gave you 10 free 'checks'. Not sure if that still exists. Thinking about it again for a minute, it might have been 'Didyoureadityet'. Something close to that. Anyone else remember something like this?

I hope that helped, although I didn`t answer your g-mail question. Just trying to help. Dave 64.230.233.222 02:42, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

None of those mechanisms can possibly work without the cooperation of the mail recipient's email program. That's the only part of the system that knows whether the message was read or not. It doesn't matter how the mail was sent or which company transmitted it. If the email reader software doesn't send a reply when the mail is read - then the sender can't possibly know. I would be very surprised if any of those software packages come set up with "Yes, send a return reciept when the mail is read" enabled by default...that would be madness in a world full of Spammers. Web-bugs might or might not work - but they are a very flakey mechanism. Firstly, HTML mail or automatic image loading may have very well have been disabled by the recipient - in which case you won't know when the email was read. Secondly, they'll fail if (as in many cases) the recipient's email system caches images or automatically filters junk mail for him. In that case, the 'thing' that reads the web bug is some server en-route to the user and the fact that the web bug was read proves nothing about whether the mail was delivered or read. Thirdly, some people read their email 'offline' - and again, all of the images have to be cached onto the local machine in order for that to happen - so again, the sender gets a false impression that the email was read when it was not. So web-bugs are unreliable - at best. To repeat my original answer to this question: NO! There is absolutely no way to know whether your email was read by the recipient unless they have return receipts enabled - which is exceedingly unlikely. SteveBaker 13:59, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

That`s twice now that I post something and it comes-out in a 'box' like that. What did I do to cause that? Did I 'click' on something wrong? Sorry for posting that right HERE, just now. I just want to know. Thanks. Dave 64.230.233.222 02:46, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

That happens if you start your line with a space. :) I've fixed it now with the proper indentation. --Masamage ♫ 02:57, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

Thank you. Dave 64.230.233.222 04:07, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

refrigerator costs

how can I find out what the electricity cost per day of my refrigerator is? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.217.195.89 (talk) 03:09, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

Turn off all circuits in the house at the breaker panel or fuse box except the refrigerator. Check to make sure the hot water heater is not on same circuit as fridge. If it is see if there is a switch to turn it off. Take a reading off the electric meter. Go on vacation for a few days or weeks. When you get back take the electric reading again. Get the kilowatt-hour rate off your electric bill. Divide the electricty consumed by the number of hours between readings and multiply by 24 hours and price per kilowatthour. The longer the reading period the more accurate your estimate will be. Do not do this during winter or expect frozen and burst water pipes. If you have natural gas DO NOT turn off the circuits to the gas appliances without having the gas turned off first. Alternatively you may be able to buy or rent an inexpensive inline meter and plug your fridge into it for measurements.[1] Lazyquasar 04:36, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

Check with your local power company. They may rent or lend you a meter as part of an energy conservation project. You might also check with the EPA. Not only may they have the original yellow efficiency tag for your fridge on file, but they also have a lot of educational programs. this link might be what you need. --Mdwyer 05:38, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

Or more generally browse using an appropriate google search. There look to be useful links in that list. --Tagishsimon (talk) 06:21, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

Surely if you went off on holiday this would only give you a resting figure, not general use. Lanfear's Bane 08:47, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

Right, I have on occasion wondered how much effect the opening of the fridge has and what makes the biggest difference - opening and closing it (which creates an air current and an exchange of the hot and cold air) or leaving it open unnecessarily for, say, half a minute, as I sometimes see people do. When I have to take out several things to the sink a few metres away, should I open and close it each time or leave it open? And does it matter if I open and close it fast or slow? Or is that irrelevant to the temperature-setting, another important factor? Or how old the fridge is (a factor often mentioned). If people don't know these kinds of things, then how can they save energy, even if they want to? There should really be an authoritative site that shows what the major sources of energy use and waste in households are. Of course, all these variables make that not as simple as the questioneer apparently thought it was. But there should at least be some indication. DirkvdM 09:08, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

I doubt that it matters much - the cold air in the refrigerator is a lot denser than the warm air in your kitchen - as soon as you open the door, that cold air will flow out of the bottom and be replaced by warm air coming in from above - that'll happen in a matter of seconds. Now your fridge is full of warm air and it's going to take a while to cool it back down again. Whether you repeatedly open and shut it over a short period isn't going to make much difference (although there will be some - I think it's going to be negligable). I'd bet the biggest difference is that all the time the door is open, the light is on. But I very much doubt that air currents caused by turbulance in actually opening the door are as significant as the dense, cold air flowing out of the bottom. I think you should do an experiment. Listen to the motor in your fridge turning on and off (because of the thermostat). When it turns off (so you know the fridge is as cold as it ever is), open the door for 30 seconds and when the motor kicks on again, measure how long it stays on for. That's the amount of time it takes the fridge to get back to the right temperature and will be a reasonably good estimate for the amount of electricity used. Now repeat the experiment only instead of leaving the door open for 30 seconds, open and shut it a few times over a total period of 30 seconds. Compare the two times and you'll know the answer. You should probably repeat the test a few times for statistical reasons - and you might want to do it when your kitchen is hot (eg after you've been doing a lot of cooking) and when it's at its coldest (early in the morning perhaps). Let us know how that goes! SteveBaker 13:31, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

The cold air flowing out instantly makes sense. However, at the bottom of my fridge are two 'drawers' - containers with the opening at the top. Cold air won't fly out of those that easily. Now I also understand why deep freezers open at the top. But then, why aren't all fridges constructed like that? Ok, that's not very practical for everyday use. But then what about drawers such as I have at the bottom of my fridge, but at all 'levels'. That would also make the goods more easily accessible. Concerning your last remark, I don't know what kind of kitchen you have, but mine doesn't heat up from cooking. If the whole room would heat up noticeably, then that would mean the stove is very inefficient. Or you use it inefficiently, such as leaving the flame high when the water is already boiling, or not having lids on the pans. Steve, really, I expected more energy-friendly behaviour from you! DirkvdM 18:31, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

I agree that having drawers in your fridge helps - and chest freezers are certainly more efficient than the upright sort - and indeed they aren't found in kitchens because they are a poor use of 'vertical' space and you can't put counter-tops over them. My kitchen doesn't get outrageously hot - but even you have a lot of things in there that are leaking heat - your kitchen absolutely MUST be getting hotter when you cook - the laws of thermodynamics guarantee it! Perhaps your A/C works harder, perhaps the room is large enough that the heat averages out over a larger volume, perhaps you simply don't notice the temperature rise - but you can't deny that heat is being produced. Worse still, as your refrigerator chills things down when you open the door - so the coils at the back of the thing get hotter. SteveBaker 02:09, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

Airco? What airco? Steve, you disappoint me once again.

The fridge is indeed a good heat generator, but cooling the 1 m³ or so inside down 20 C will heat the 60 m³ of the kitchen up only 0.5 C (counting in inefficiency of the fridge), and a lot of that will be lost to the walls and the rest of the house when the door is open. I'm not counting the solids inside the fridge (the food), but that cold will not be lost when the fridge is opened (unless it is left open after the cold air has moved out).

As for the cooking, that's a little more complicated, but keeping water at a boil requires just a tiny flame if there is a lid on the pot. Most of the heat is used to get it to a boil and it's tempting to put the flame too high. But nowadays I boil my potatoes in the microwave (much tastier result, but requires some experimenting) and that is a whole lot more efficient (I heard this tip from an energy saving consultant). I buy all my veggies (except for the carrots) in a form that only requires reheating, and that also only requires a very small flame for about 10 minutes. I suppose I lose most heat through the frying pan because I am constantly stirring in it, so I don't have a lid on it - that flame is a fair bit higher, and on for about 20 to 30 minutes. If you have an electric stove you are probably not aware of these things. And more importantly (I know this because my mother has one) it is very tempting to not turn it down soon enough, so when you stop cooking, the plate will still be hot and that heat will be lost. DirkvdM 19:08, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

I'm a book source

I'm UFO Headquarters, written by Susan Wright, ISBN is 0-312-97181-8. This even claims that Gene Roddenberry got his Star Trek ideas from attending UFO conferences. Where can this be placed ? 65.163.112.187 07:29, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

You're a book?? I've heard of "talking books" but this takes the cake :)

Seriously, though. if you want to add some material about Gene Roddenberry or Star Trek, try the links, follow the instructions about editing articles, and go for your life. Welcome to Wikipedia. -- JackofOz 07:42, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

So do people call you UFO Headquarters or 0-312-97181-8? Is one more formal than the other? Lanfear's Bane 09:08, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

I think that the OP is asking whether the claim that "Gene Roddenberry got his Star Trek ideas from attending UFO conferences." in "'UFO Headquarters', written by Susan Wright, ISBN is 0-312-97181-8." can be referenced. Can we find a ref for them? SaundersW 09:30, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

Only one, so far is in that book, page 236. 65.163.112.187 00:45, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

Income to Installment Ratio

Who can please explain me what is Income to Installment Ratio and how can it be calculated —Preceding unsigned comment added by Gireesh.puthumana (talk • contribs) 08:38, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

Urination

In the colder weather I need to pee more than in moderate or warm weather but I sweat less. In warm weather I sweat more but I need to pee less that in moderate or cold weather. In moderate weather everything sort of averages out - I pee and sweat a little. It feels that in the cold weather I lose a greater volume of liquid than in the warm weather. Does the body lose more liquid in cold weather than warm? Could I die of dehydration more quickly in a cold, dry environment (i.e. no snow about to get liquid from) than a warm, dry environment? Difficulty: No urine puns. Lanfear's Bane 13:03, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

Your body loses the same amount of water that you drink, in round figures. However there is a phenomenon that causes you to pee more if you are cold, which you may also have noticed when you swim in cold water. If the skin gets cold the capillaries close to the skin contract so that there is less circulation of blood close to the body surface, to try to reduce heat loss through the skin. This means that there is a slightly smaller volume of blood needed and the excess fluid is removed from the blood through the kidneys, and passed as urine. Thus, you probably won't dehydrate faster in dry cold than in dry heat. SaundersW 17:10, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

Strange, as you probably drink more in warm weather Think outside the box 14:34, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

The SAT in the 1970s

Can anyone point me in the direction of the histiry of the SAT throughout the 1970s? Thanks. 24.39.182.101 13:50, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

There's some good history at [2]. -GTBacchus^(talk) 19:14, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

United Nations general assembly

How long the United Nations general assembly has been gathering for? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 124.43.164.149 (talk) 14:56, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

Our article on the United Nations General Assembly has the date of its first session (10 January 1946) as well as a whole lot of other interesting information. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 15:10, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

That's approximately 22550 days ago! Lanfear's Bane 15:44, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

How much of a human body is edible?

Just something I've been wondering.

-- _{Escape Artist Swyer} ^{Talk to me} _{Articles touched by my noodly appendage} 15:49, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

All of it. How much nutrition you get out of a toenail vs. a thigh muscle will be different though. Also, I'm assuming that you're not counting the urine and fecal matter given that they aren't really parts of the body per se. Stomach acids can be diluted but are still edible. Dismas|^(talk) 15:52, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

If you look at the same tissues in another mammal (a cow, say) then anything that's edible in it will very likely be edible in us. (How you choose to define 'edible' is up to you; some people are pickier eaters than others. Dismas also correctly notes that there are tissues that you can cansume that probably won't cause you harm but which don't have much or any nutritional value.) Consider as well that certain diseases are more likely to be transmitted when consuming human tissue; there's no species barrier. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 15:55, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

In particular re that last point, note kuru.

Atlant 16:01, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

There was a guy on the radio a while back talking about how he'd eaten an entire pig - all of it. He's written a cookery book with recipies for all of the various parts[3]. I would imagine the same thing would work with a human. But as Ten and Atlant point out, if a human is doing the eating - there are some rather nasty health implications. Cannibalism is taboo in most societies and in many animal species too. That's no accident - there must be some really good evolutionary drives behind that - because otherwise this source of protein would be more widely exploited.

SteveBaker 16:58, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

See also kuru.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 17:53, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

Look two responses above yours.  ;-) Dismas|^(talk) 18:09, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

I suspect the teeth might be somewhat indegistible. DuncanHill 18:11, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

Depends on what you mean by 'digestible'. I assume preparation is allowed, so grinding them up will make them edible. DirkvdM 18:42, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

Steve, are you sure that cannibalism is 'taboo' with many animals? of course it is with herbivores, but carnivores eat their own kind quite often, I believe. Not quite as a rule, but I don't believe it's all that uncommon either. With humans, I suppose much of the taboo lies in the notion that the body is needed in the afterlife. I, for one, didn't understand the hesitation of the people in the crashed plane in Alive to eat the dead. Ok, the guy's sister is another thing, but I wouldn't hesitate to eat a dead stranger if I would starve otherwise. I think. Of course one never knows until it actually happens. I mean, I once witnessed the slaughtering of a goat I was going to eat and that affected me more than I thought it would. DirkvdM 18:42, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

Carnivores will resort to cannibalism only if there's no other food source available. As noted above, there's a very strong evolutionary pressure against it: the lack of a species barrier means that any communicable disease that your meal has, you will get. --Carnildo 21:35, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

Well, the human digestive system can manage to destroy some diseases. StuRat 01:11, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

That's not really true. Lots of carnivorous bugs eat each other just for kicks or as part of the mating process. And some apes eat members of enemy tribes. --Masamage ♫ 02:59, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

I did say "many animal species" - I specifically didn't say "all" or even "most" - there are certainly exceptions. Also, it's only a taboo - it's likely that all carnivores will eat members of their own species if they are starving to death and there is nothing else available. After all, evolution has designed these animals to avoid cannibalism because of the disease risks - but if the alternative is dying of starvation then clearly that takes precedence over a disease risk. Evolution is clearly going to favor those who avoid disease by avoiding routine cannibalism but who can also overcome that taboo in times of extreme pressure. By 'evolution', in this case we must include 'cultural evolution' (via memes or whatever) as well as genetic evolution - there isn't necessarily an 'anti-cannibalism' gene in humans. SteveBaker 13:44, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

I would think that teeth and bones would be slightly indigestible unless ground up. In that case, they may provide a source of calcium. Also, tendons may be a bit chewy unless cooked right! Hair and toenails fingernails are not digestible and maybe cartilage isnt either.

With regard to cartilage, "Watch it quiver, see it shiver..." -- c'mon, sing along with me! Atlant 19:22, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

If only I knew the tune. Or the brand, for that matter. DirkvdM 08:53, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

Ubiquitous in the US, though nobody eats it. Hmm --froth^t 18:24, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

Somewhat sickening, no? bibliomaniac15 03:33, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

• Tendons are a delicious part of Vietnamese cuisine. They're great in soup. --Sean 22:12, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

Cannibalism is an instinctive part of some mouse species; they eat their own young if the nest is under attack so that all the energy they have expended in raising the young will not be waisted (ie, eaten by the predator). Also, according to this site, rats and mice may become cannibals when their colony population rises rapidly, and their naturally high reproductive rate results in a high mortality of young. Think outside the box 14:41, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

Presumably, the health risks are much smaller when the mother eats her own newborns because any diseases they have are likely to have come from the mother anyway. SteveBaker 15:17, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

Dweller's thread of the week. It's an 'out of the box' idea.

Congratulations to all contributing here. This anthropoculinarianism debate wins the sixth User:Dweller/Dweller's Ref Desk thread of the week award. Good job. --Dweller 22:07, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

Music from flash animations?

Good evening wikipedians! Can someone tell me what music plays at the begining of this flash animation: http://pown.alluc.org/?uid=239 thanks alot, 88.110.203.63 19:10, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

The very start is No Surprises by Radiohead. DuncanHill 19:29, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

Thank you Duncan Hill :D —Preceding unsigned comment added by RobertsZ (talk • contribs) 19:38, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

California Driver's License

I'm a resident of California and have a California Driver's License. It expired on May 10, 2007. When I attempted to use it for identification purposes at an airport in early July, it was flagged as being invalid. How come when my license expires, it ceases to be valid as a means of identification? It's still a picture of me with my name on it issued by the state. I thought that I simply couldn't drive with it. I don't think it has to do with the picture on the card needing to be current, as Californians can renew on-line now using the same picture. - Zepheus <ゼィフィアス> 20:33, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

• Probably for the same reason they want to see a printed-out email for a boarding pass, rather than just a handwritten note with the same information: to give the public the illusion of security. --Sean 22:14, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

• If it's good for ID when it's expired, and you can get a new one without turning the old one in, you can have two (or more) people with one identity. Not the most secure state of affairs.... - Nunh-huh 00:03, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

You're supposed to get rid of expired identification in general, I believe. If it is not officially up to date then the state has not officially vouched for its accuracy. Its value as official identification comes from the state vouching for its accuracy (hence you cannot use non-state issued IDs either). --24.147.86.187 15:50, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

keep your expired DL!.. I was mugged this year and they stole my wallet with my CA ID and bank cards. I had no cash and no ATM or credit card. But with an expired CA ID had in my apartment I was able to get cash out from the bank and get into my safe deposit box. But don't expect a bar (ever heard of someone using thier sister's ID at a bar) or the TSA to let you in with an expired license. It would not suprise me if before long some people will need passports to fly between states because states will not adopt licenses that meet the REAL ID Act. ~~

September 29

juice from concentrate

Why is juice made from concentrate that they add water to? Wouldn't it be easier just to bottle juice as is, than to remove the water and re-add it? Calliopejen1 00:00, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

Water is heavy and bulky. Shipping it is more expensive than it is to remove it, and reconstitute the juice. And some people probably find concentrate convenient.... - Nunh-huh 00:02, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

Incidentally, the Coca-Cola company produces only concentrate. The bottlers in various countries add the sugar and water.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 08:09, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

(And also the CO₂ of course).

In the UK, (and probably elsewhere) you can actually buy drinks like Coca-Cola as bottles of concentrate (including the sugar - but not the water or CO₂) and reconstitute them yourself using a machine that has a small CO₂ cylinder. This is extremely convenient and allows you to have dozens of flavors of such things at home and not have them take up refrigerator space. Sadly, I've never seen one of these machines in the USA - nor the supplies to refill them. That's a pain in the neck because they are REALLY useful and also save messing around with recycling cans. SteveBaker 13:31, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

It's called a Sodastream. DuncanHill 13:40, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

Thanks to DuncanHill for sending me the link to a store that sells these things in Austin, Texas! Duncan pointed out that you can buy them mail order and in some camping/boating supply stores(!). Not as convenient as having sodastream in the supermarket - but you'll tend to buy 6 month supplies at one go - so it's not a big deal to have to go to a specialist store to get the stuff. The cost of making soda this way works out at about 60c per liter (18c for CO₂, 42c for concentrate) if you can buy the stuff locally - more if you have to buy supplies by mail. The CO2 cylinders are recycled and you re-use the same soda bottles over and over again - so no can/bottle recycling. The biggest problem is the $100 cost of the machine that carbonates the drink. Right now, our local supermarket sells Coke, etc with a 'perpetual special offer' at $10 for three 12 can packs. That's 83c/liter - so at US prices, you need to drink about 450 liters of soda to pay for the machine - but if you have to pay postage to get the supplies and send back the empty cylinders - then supermarket soda is probably cheaper. So you definitely shouldn't do this to save money! But the ability to have no cans cluttering up your fridge (assuming your fridge has a cold water outlet) and a choice of a bazillion flavors - and "saving the planet" - may make it still worthwhile. SteveBaker 14:42, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

With apple and pear concentrate (and probably others) the sugar content is so high that microbes dont grow. So no preservatives are required and health regulations are easily satisfied. Also, fresher fruit juice often contains a small amount of ethanol. Polypipe Wrangler 03:08, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

Most Humorous Question ?

What is the most humorous question that wikipedia has had, so far ? 65.163.112.187 00:47, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

I don't know of any reference desk specifics - but more Wikipedia humor can be found via this link: WP:HUMOR SteveBaker 01:48, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

I remember the "mask" questions. "Is it illegal to kill a man while hitting him with a cactus? What if you're wearing a mask?" Acceptable 04:44, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

Link. I searched for kill cactus mask wikipedia in Google. A.Z. 04:50, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

The square root of France, How do Artic explorers go to the toilet?, Humans driving a ship (by me). And a somewhat humorous answer by me: Turkey Po Out, which was used in an episode of QI. For some more interesting threads (humorous or otherwise) see User:DirkvdM/BestOfTheRefDesk. DirkvdM 09:10, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

Someone ought to create a list of lists of best reference desk threads. A.Z. 20:42, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

You're in luck! One my personal favorites: Wikipedia:Reference_desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2007_September_5#Daaaaaang. --Ybbor^Talk 22:10, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

I'm familiar with Dweller's award. I was suggesting a list of lists of best reference desk threads, such as the following:

• Dweller's
• DirkvdM's.

A.Z. 00:09, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

What does this say?

[IMG]http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o71/Baku-Aoki/book_intro_gogeta.jpg[/IMG]

It is drawn by Akira Toriyama. Can someone tell me what it says? Thank you-Natalie. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.189.57.235 (talk) 03:48, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

You may have more luck getting an answer at Wikipedia:Reference desk/Language. - Eron ^Talk 04:38, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

Do you by chance have a larger version? I can hardly read the kana, it's sort of like trying to translate Shakespeare in 1px. -Wooty [Woot?] [Spam! Spam! Wonderful spam!] 11:10, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

The picture looks like Vegeta in his max-ed out Super Saiyan form in the popular Japanese cartoon Dragon Ball GT. Acceptable 16:23, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

And the text begins doragonbōru. —Tamfang 05:33, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

Tiffany Taylor

What is the real height of Tiffany Taylor? Somesay she is 5'7" and some say she is 6' tall. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 218.248.2.51 (talk) 06:24, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

Well, her playmate data sheet says 5'7" so that is probably correct. I'm guessing that Playboy asks the models to fill in their physical info (or rather has their agent do it), so that info should come pretty much directly from Taylor. Dismas|^(talk) 13:02, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

Which is probably about as accurate as her age and weight --froth^t 18:21, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

Auschwitz

The sign our OP is talking about

The 'B'

At Auschwitz, the B in 'Arbeit Macht Frei' (slogan above the gate) is placed upside-down, what is the story behind this? Or is it just an accident? 88.110.203.63 14:22, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

See our photo of the gate (at right). I can certainly see what you mean. The upper loop of the 'B' is bigger than the lower one. Is it a B or is it a ß? If the latter then maybe this is a common thing? It's definitely a B, not a ß - the other versions of this sign shown here: Arbeit macht frei have normal B's. The inverted B is even mentioned in our article - but it doesn't say why. Weird. SteveBaker 15:11, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

There's even a zoomed in version here. I'm not sure there's a reason behind it — could be an error, could be stylistic, could be related to how they made the letters. My bet is on the latter—it's not necessarily inverted, it might just be using the same upper form as the R and then not have a lot of space for the lower form. --24.147.86.187 15:54, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

I'm betting on either stylism or accident. It's definitely not a ß, because there is no such word as "Arßeit". JIP | Talk 16:08, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

maybe it's just the angle of the camera. parallax or something —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.217.195.89 (talk) 20:45, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

I'm starting to think that the shape of that "B" is just a style. It's not a fluke, because the gate at Sachsenhausen (the link is blacklisted) looks that way, too. I googled for images of the Fraktur typeface, and I found this. The "B" looks a bit like the one in question, which is odd, because apparently the Nazis banned Fraktur in 1941. --Milkbreath 22:31, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

Why did they ban a typeface? A.Z. 22:56, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

I found the relevant Wikipedia section. A.Z. 22:59, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

I don't really think Fraktur's B looks anything like that B, to be honest. --24.147.86.187 03:36, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

I reckon it's just an Art Deco affectation. —Tamfang 05:36, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

Wow, how are articles blacklisted? and why is Sachsenhausen blakclisted? (sorry going a bit off topic, but i dont think there isnt an answer for my original question.) 88.110.203.63 09:13, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

Links are blacklisted, not articles. Look here. I can't imagine why this one is but I'm going to try to find out. And I think there is an answer for your question, but nobody who has answered so far actually knows what it is. --Milkbreath 18:39, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

I don't know what typeface you're all reading this in, but for me the 'B' has a smaller bottom 'half' (well, not really 'half' if it's smaller :) ). As opposed to the edit box, for example, where the top 'half' is smaller, as it usually is. The smaller bottom is less common in modern typefaces, but in Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Jugenstil it was more common, such as here. They experimented a lot with round shapes in those styles, and this might just be an extreme. DirkvdM 06:29, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

To me it looks like this: The top half of the 'B' seems to roughly be the same shape and size as the top half of the 'R' just before it. A font thing. However, if you really really need to know I could one day go there and find out, or mail them with a question (I live quite close to Oświęcim). Cheers, Ouro (blah blah) 21:57, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

the bottom part of the B in question is smaller and has come to the attention of quite a few people in my research i have found that it could just be creativity or something of that nature but it could also have a secret meaning. i have recently contacted the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum acquiring about this piece of information and am awaiting a response. i will be quick to update as soon as possible when i do hear from them.

• I found an article that says it may by possible that the inverted "B" is a warning to the people that arrived at Oświęcim. The article said that the man that created the sign was also a prisoner in Oświęcim and he made the inverted "B" to let people know that "Arbeit macht frei" is a lie.
  • The famous slogan “ARBEIT MACHT FREI” translating to “WORK MAKES YOU FREE,” taunted prisoners with false hope, yet the inverted “B” of the sign, tried to alert new prisoners that life here in Auschwitz-Birkenau, like the “B,” was inverted, insane and upside-down. The Jewish prisoner, forced to produce the sign, ingeniously found a way to give warning. -- Andy -- 24.jun.2008

"The Jewish prisoner, forced to produce the sign, ingeniously found a way to give warning." Do you just make things up? It wasn't even a Jewish prisoner who made the sign.

Dry ice to chill drinks

Is it safe to use dry ice from packaging of chemical products to put into drinks to chill and carbonate them? Acceptable 16:20, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

This website suggests that it's ok if you're using food grade dry ice. I doubt stuff used in packaging is going to be food grade. Friday (talk) 16:29, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

ACTUARIAL SCIENCE AS A PROFESSION

THE RELEVANCE OF MATHEMATICS TO ACTUARIAL ≤≤≤SCIENCE. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 196.207.13.198 (talk) 18:41, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

Our article Actuary says: Analytical skills, business knowledge and understanding of human behavior and the vagaries of information systems are required to design and manage programs that control risk. - I would imagine that beyond simple arithmetic, you'd need a really good grounding in statistics and perhaps a little calculus. Beyond that, a wide knowledge of business and general science. But our article seems very good - you should read that...right after you learn to TURN OFF THAT GODDAMN CAPS LOCK BUTTON! SteveBaker 18:50, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

Squeezing Your balls

Before the kickoff in a football game, the kicker always squeezes the ball before placing it on the tee. Why? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 128.101.53.147 (talk) 20:36, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

make sure it's full of air maybe? if it's not, well there goes your 1 point —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.217.195.89 (talk) 20:47, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

To make sure its perfectly round before kicking? Or maybe to test the pressure?--88.110.150.148 21:42, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

I'm pretty sure the type of football in question isn't supposed to be round. - Eron ^Talk 22:00, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

Maybe it's just for good-luck. Acceptable 23:08, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

It's a test to check the pressure of the ball. These guys spend hours just kicking their balls**!!. They learn how different pressures affect their kicks, etc. They want to know how much pressure their balls have, so they squeeze them. Dismas|^(talk) 04:10, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

Of course it could be one of those actions that have become habitual, like a sort of ritual, one kicker has seen another doing it and so it gets copied until almost everybody is doing it for no good practical reason. There are plenty of other examples in other sports. I can't for a minute believe that the kicker is testing the pressure of the ball, although we can't discount the possibility that this may have been the original, spurious, reason. Richard Avery 13:06, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

oh wow when i heard the title of the question i got a little worried. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.146.114.248 (talk) 22:16, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

Actually, this came about because of the introduction of "K-balls" (that is, Kicking-only balls) introduced to the NFL in 1999 in response to allegations of the home team (which supplies balls for a game) tampering with balls in an attempt to gain advantage. Rather than the used, worn, and otherwise broken-in footballs used during the rest of the game, K-balls are in near-mint condition. They're firmer than a worn ball and still have a factory-fresh slippery quality to them.[4] The squeeze the kicker applies is a last-second attempt by the kicker to soften up the ball for additional kick distance. The degree to which the K-ball is decreasing kick distance, however, is not entirely clear.[5] — Lomn 13:09, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Additionally, the pressure theory is right out. The NFL carefully regulates the pressures of all game balls, K-balls particularly. Balls are as near-identical as the league can manage. — Lomn 13:11, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

printing/mailing online

can I print something and have it mailed to an address all over the web? links? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.217.195.89 (talk) 20:47, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

If you google online printer you'll get all the links you can handle. - Eron ^Talk 21:34, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

September 30

Duck and Cover.

According to the Duck and Cover article, this fairly crazy 'nuclear safety' campaign was still run in US schools into 1980's. This amazes me - I thought it had been utterly discredited by the late 1960's. I lived in the UK throughout this period - we were not given any training whatever in schools. I'm guessing that if it was still taught in the 1980's that a lot of people here remember actually being taught this stuff. I'm curious to discover how people felt about the campaign in these later years - was it all considered to be important? Did everyone think it was a waste of time? I'd actually like some OR responses please. Any memories you may have of this phenomena would be useful. Thanks! SteveBaker 03:23, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

Civil Defense was replaced by more mundate disaster preparation (such as FEMA) in the 1970s. In the 1980s I am pretty sure one was not routinely ducking and covering, though it was a time of high political and nuclear tensions. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, when I was in school in California, we learned to duck and cover as an earthquake drill, and did nothing related to nuclear war. (Note that ducking and covering is not actually a bad idea in the case of nuclear war, though it would not save you if you were directly near a nuclear blast; it was intended to prevent the total number of deaths from things like flying debris, which happens over a much greater area than just the incinerating fireball. It's not totally looney—you could significantly change the number of deaths in a nuclear war if Civil Defense strictures were undertaken—but you're still talking about millions of deaths either way.) --24.147.86.187 03:31, 30 September 2007 (UTC)--24.147.86.187 03:31, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

I was watching one of the earlier video's from the campaign and you see stuff like a family out on a picnic - there is a flash of light and everyone hides under the tablecloth! I really don't think that's especially relevent advice. It goes on to say that even a sheet of newspaper could save you from severe burns. It falls into the general category of "When there is basically nothing that can be done, it's better to give people hope that they have some control over their destiny." - but I was really interested to hear whether the kids of the time thought it was relevent. It's good to know that more realistic advice was being given by the 1970's. SteveBaker 03:59, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

When I was growing up in the late 70s and through the 80s, I knew about Duck and Cover as a nuclear war safety thing only because I've always been rather geeky. I doubt most of my classmates knew anything about it. We did however learn to get under our desks in the event of a tornado if we could not get down to the basement of the building in time. We had drills where we would go to the basement and get in the fetal position with our heads against a wall as well. My wife who was born in the early 80s had never heard of Duck and Cover, the nuke version, until I showed her a YouTube video of it a few years ago. We're both born and raised in the StatesDismas|^(talk) 04:07, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

How do you think this sign made six-year-olds feel?

I can tell you that in the 80s -- even in the early 80s when the Cold War was quite cold -- there was no "Duck and Cover"-type program at my school. We had fire drills and tornado drills, but nuclear bombs were never mentioned. On the other hand, there was one of these signs pointing toward the basement where presumably we would have been herded in case of attack. That sign always freaked me out. -- Mwalcoff 04:16, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

I'd be confused about the arrows pointing in different directions. Dismas|^(talk) 05:39, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

In 1983 a friend's daughter (in Los Angeles public school) was disciplined for refusing to get her trousers dirty in a "drop drill", which I gather was of the same genus as duck'n'cover. I myself have an extremely dim memory of crouching in a prescribed position, at least once, in a Pasadena school circa 1967; and my school had a chart of relevant siren patterns .... —Tamfang 05:44, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

She was probably disciplined for disobeying an order from a teacher, not for opposing the obviously useless drill. --froth^t 06:34, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

Tomayto, tomahto, let's call the whole thing off. The point is that such a drill was held at all. —Tamfang 19:22, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

• Comment. This question has led me down one of those pesky 4 hour rabbit trails.. this time into McCarthyism. Contrasting that page with this one has my blood boiling over that insuffrable polemic. --froth^t 07:38, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

Steve: the early 1980s in the UK were the period of Protect and Survive, the information leaflet referred to in When the Wind Blows. I can highly recommend the latter publication.SaundersW 12:32, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

We had an honest-to-goodness bomb shelter at my school, so no ducking under the desks for us. StuRat 13:11, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

I was in sixth grade in a school in the Washington DC suburbs in 1959. We did duck-and-cover drills, and we did not think they were ridiculous. There was not yet a presumption that a nuclear war would be unsurvivable: that perception grew throughout the 1960's. Until at least the early 1970's, the bulk of the U.S. and Soviet nuclear arsenals were bombs, not missles. The strategy was to use the missles to destroy enemy bombers bases ("first-strike") and to destroy command centers and anit-aircraft defenses to clear the way for the bombers. In this scenario, civil defense actually seemed to make sense. -Arch dude 18:13, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

Wait, how does that make sense? They're being warned to duck and cover if they see a blinding flash, which wouldn't occur due to conventional weapons. And if they're being missile'd to clear the way for nuclear bombers, they're not going to have a lot longer to live anyway. --froth^t 18:56, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

The light should be visible for a much larger area than the immediate death area, which is only a few miles. The blast shock wave travels slower than the speed of light and creates damage over a much wider area than the deadly radiation, the firestorm even slower and over a less predicable but potential even larger area. (Effects of nuclear explosions) Rmhermen 19:50, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

I see nothing crazy about avoiding severe burns from a nuke blast at a distance where you are not incinerated by the initial effects, and of avoiding being fatally cut by flying glass. We live in an era when more and more nutty countries are acquiring nuclear weapons and where suicide bombers routinely blow themselves up. How long until some power-mad "national leader" uses one against his perceived enemies, or until one of the well funded international terrorist organizations acquire one and bring it into their target country as easily as dope and illegal aliens enter, or send it in via ship to a port, or in a cargo container? It is no longer the case that one nuke would mean thousands more were on the way to end the existence of the human race, as it was during the Cold War. Isolated relatively small nuclear attacks could, sadly, become a recurring 21st century phenomenon. The U.S. recently lost track of a number of nuclear weapons when they were supposedly mistakenly loaded on a B52. Do you suppose the former Soviet Union's nuclear weapons guarding is more secure, or that soldiers guarding the weapons are immune to bribery. or that emerging nuclear powers keep theirs any more secure? Edison 20:32, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

For comparison: I grew up in the Netherlands in the sixties and seventies and I have never had, nor heard of, such drills. The only thing that reminded of a possible threat was the monthly sirens-tests, and there was talk about stopping those. I used to joke that any invaders should attack on the fist monday of the month at noon, because that's when the sirens were tested. The threat didn't feel real at all.

Until one day (early seventies) my mother discovered something. An entrance to a set of caves (many of those around Maastricht) had always been closed, but one day it was open, and there all sorts of 'keep out' signs. So my mother walked in (I suppose I got most of my genes from her). Instantly, US soldiers came rushing at her, ushering her out. When she told this, we concluded there must be some military installation there, possibly (nuclear) missiles. Which would be a prime target in an invasion. I should add that there was also an AFCENT base in Maastricht. We decided that if there would be a nuclear attack we'd run outside to receive the full blast, so we wouldn't have to live a post-nuclear world. We didn't take the threat too serious, though, nor did anyone else, at least I can't remember any talk about this or clips on tv or such. DirkvdM 06:58, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Those sirens are actually still in regular use in some parts of the USA. The tornado alert sirens in many parts of Texas and Oklahoma are the very same ones that were set up in the 1950's as nuclear attack warnings. The ones in my local area have started to malfunction (not surprising since they are 50 years old!) and the cost of replacing them is not insignificant. They are incredibly loud. SteveBaker 15:19, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

I vaguely remember that the US government was still trying to sell people on the idea of dropping into culverts and hiding under doors to survive nuclear attacks as recently as some time in the '90s, but I can't find references off-hand. However, this brings me to one of my favorite movies - Ladybug Ladybug, a little-remembered film that should be seen for the paranoia of the times. A small rural elementary school's civil defense system goes haywire and notifies the school that a nuclear attack is eminent. The school tells all of the kids to go home, and the story ends with the kids rushing home to warn their parents of nuclear catastrophe. It starred William Daniels as the principal. The ending is harrowing. [6]Corvus cornix 16:46, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

I know that this is an extremely late edit, but I have something to add. In October of 1962 I was a nine year old grade school student in central Illinois, USA. I quite clearly remember having nuclear attack drills at school during the thirteen days of the Cuban Missle Crisis. The drills did involve getting into a fetal position with our heads touching the interior hallway walls.Chief41074 (talk) 20:36, 29 December 2010 (UTC)

please answer!

why does Melanesia called as Black Island? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.84.188.10 (talk) 05:58, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

Melanesia was so named because the indigenous inhabitants have dark skin. "Mela" is from the Greek word "melas", meaning black. It also appears in words such as melancholy and melatonin. -- JackofOz 07:59, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

What is this font?

What is the font used in the YouTube clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry1sjgf7jrI ? (Seen at 00:03 and 00:23) -- JSH-alive ^(talk)_(cntrbtns)^{(mail me)} 06:44, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

It is a form of san serif font. A service like Identifont might help. See this article for more. --Mdwyer 17:51, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

Identifont is not helpful for me now.--JSH-alive ^(talk)_(cntrbtns)^{(mail me)} 08:53, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Conserving the battery life of a watch

I own a slightly expensive swiss quartz watch that I use only for a few weeks during summer. It is now nearly 2 years old and the watch did not come with a manual and I could not find the battery life from the internet either. How many years can the battery last when I turn the watch off during the idle months?. I do not want to open the watch to remove the battery since that might damage waterproofing.

If you use it that little, I'd expect it not to run down due to energy usage, but due to age, instead. I think 5 years is the typical shelf life for such a battery, but it's hard to say without knowing the model number of the battery. CR2032 may be the most popular model, so I'd start there. Incidentally, how do you turn the watch off without pulling the battery ? Does your watch have an on/off switch ? I've never seen that before (because of the obvious issue of having to reset the time when you turn it back on again). StuRat 13:00, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

The watch does not have any on/off switch. Like any other quartz watch, the movement stops when you pull the adjusting button(do not know its name - its on the right side).Does that cut of the power frm the battery to the quartz movement?

Probably not. So the battery may run down quicker than I was thinking it would. StuRat 21:37, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

The above method is used by owners of vintage Bulova Accutron models. Not for battery economy although the batteries are rare but to prevent unnecessary wear during storage. With an Accutron you can hear the tuning fork ring indicating that it is still using the battery. With a Quartz watch (I have just tested) you still hear the tick indicating that the quartz is still accessing the battery. Test your watch. Batteries are cheap anyway. Paul

Batteries are indeed cheap. However, replacing them will surely affect the water resistance. I tested my watch as you suggested and surprisingly heard no tick. it looks like the watch will remain like this till summer.

The batteries in my cheap Casio lasted for about 10 years, I believe. I assume it matters a lot whether it's a hands-watch or with an lcd screen. The latter probably uses up much less power. Also, if there is a light in it, preferably don't use that. DirkvdM 07:02, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

I would have thought that a proper watch-repair shop would be able to replace the battery without affecting the water-resistance. It would be a pretty terrible watch if you couldn't replace the battery without ruining it - if it's a quality watch, the designers will surely have thought of that. SteveBaker 15:15, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Yeah, for one the thread should fit so 'snugly' (what do you call that) that that in itself should be enough. But I believe they can also apply a spray-on plastic coating or something. DirkvdM 17:44, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Wii Adverstiements

Does anyone know the name of the song played in the background of Wii ads, and if so do you know where i can downlaod it? 75.19.69.116 09:47, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

It's called "Kodo-Inside the Sun Remix." It's by the Yoshida Brothers off of their album "Yoshida Brothers Volume II." It's on iTunes.Aquaman590 17:10, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

Thank You. 75.19.69.116 04:32, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Remedies for Insomnia

Anyone that has insomnia would know how annoying it is. I go to bed at 11pm and can't fall asleep until like 3am. And then I have to get up at 7am. So that's only 4 hours of sleep, and I don't have any energy to do anything during the day. So is there any effective remedies to combat insonmia?? (Apart from the ones mentioned in the Insomnia article) Thanks. Oidia (talk) 13:08, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

I will restrict my answer to non-medical solutions:

1) Be sure you aren't consuming any stimulants, like caffeine, during the day, especially after noon, as they make it difficult to get to sleep early.

2) Try exercising to tire yourself out right before bed.

3) Eat foods for dinner that promote sleep, like turkey containing L-tryptophan.

4) Try to eliminate, block, or cover up noises and lights at night, with dark drapes and possibly a white noise machine to drown out crickets, etc.

5) Sex always seems to put people (especially men) to sleep right afterwards.

6) Make sure your bed is comfy. StuRat 13:22, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

• What used to work for me when I suffered from Insomnia was a shower before bed. However, I did find there was a time-limit: if I stayed awake doing other things for about 45 minutes after the shower, the reverse would happen: I'd be wide awake. It seems that the cooling off from the shower stimulates sleep (I read that somewhere).
  

Another tip is to get enough sun. A lot of people don't, and there is a chemical that you get from being in the sun that assists with sleep - I think its dopamine. More than that your body uses circadian rhythms (rhythms of the sun) which affects your sleeping patterns - so in theory if you spend a day in natural light - your body will learn to tell the difference between day and night and you should get sleepy.

Finally, in terms of self-hypnosis, some people have a 'bed' routine that helps them put themselves to bed. For this reason I've read some insomnia advice that says don't use your bed for non-sleeping activities, e.g. watching TV or reading - IF you stay awake doing these things.

I hope some of that helped. Rfwoolf 14:03, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

A lot of people swear by a cup of warm (not hot) milk a short time before going to bed. -- JackofOz 14:18, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

Listening to a favourite story or play can help one relax, and then slip into sleep. NOT a new (unheard) piece, however - that will keep one awake!90.9.87.132 14:26, 30 September 2007 (UTC)DT

I'd say nothing with lyrics, as the language processing part of your brain can keep you awake when active. StuRat 21:32, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

Well, that depends, Stu. A lot of parents will attest that their kids nod off a short time after you start reading them a bedtime story. -- JackofOz 22:01, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

My bedtime favorites include some songs in languages I don't understand. —Tamfang 22:02, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

I drink Jack Daniels. It may not work but its a pleasant folk remedy. Paul —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.86.166.234 (talk) 21:54, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

The point about audio/lyrics is that because they are familiar they need no processing. The familiarity can just sweep over the brain and give it a little to do, but keep it off problem or worry areas. In this instance lyrics are essential. I imagine familiar tunes would have the same effect, but for me it is oral sound that does the trick.86.197.40.148 13:06, 1 October 2007 (UTC)DT

Using information from films is generally a bad idea, but in Fight Club, the doctor sugests, valerian root and plenty of excercise.

Maybe worth looking into? Dont just do it because someone off the internet told you about a film, read up first.88.110.203.63 16:29, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

(FYI, it's probably not a good idea to suggest anything like Valerian root, and considering what else the people do in Fight Club. . .)
If you want to fall asleep at about 11pm every night, stay up all night one day. The next day will be hell (don’t do anything the next day!), but then go to bed at 11pm that night and every night after. The thing that really gets you is if that “bed time” inches later and later so when you really do need to sleep at 11 your body doesn’t feel tired. Also, listen to the BBC until you feel sleepy. I find that what really keeps me awake is when I’m repeating an endless stream of thoughts in my head. Listening to the radio breaks that cycle and gives me something else to concentrate on. Maybe it will work for you too. --S.dedalus 00:05, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

When people (who are not chronic insomniacs) give advice it tends to appear that they think the problems with not sleeping are "you're not tired" or "you're too awake". Because when a typical person says they couldn't get to sleep these are probably the reasons. If you've not slept for a week you are very tired so making your bed comfy or having a shower probably isn't going to help.

As someone who has never taken less than 2 hours to fall asleep I can only say what helps me:

1) Keep to a routine. When I'm working 9-5 and getting to bed at a regular time, I'm much better than on my holidays which are often filled with very little sleep.

2) There is a 'sweet spot' when I can get to sleep, in 3-4 hour cycles. If I normally get to bed at 11pm, and am not asleep by 2am, I probably wont get to sleep till 5am. If I get to bed after 1am, I'll probably not sleep till 5am.

3) Think about nice things before you sleep, not things that require much thought processing though. Remember a nice holiday you had or a nice night spent with your SO, think about the same thing every night. You can even call this meditation.

I don't really believe chronic insomnia can be remedied. But there are certainly things that make it worse. Caffm8 23:29, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

An essential thing to do is to make sure the room you are in really is completely dark. If you can see enough to move about then it is too light. I had same problem, then I made sure room was pitch black with very thick heavy curtains and slept like a log. 80.2.201.6 16:22, 6 October 2007 (UTC)

parapsychology

how do you call a person that can feel something about someone or something just by handlingthat persons jewelry or other personal belongings.Iknow its starts with chro.....thank you for your time in answering this question .Jani —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.10.132.17 (talk) 13:58, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

That would be Psychometry, and the practitioner of it is called a "psychometrist". -- JackofOz 14:21, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

Clairsentience if you believe in ESP clairvoyance etc. Paul —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.86.166.234 (talk) 21:52, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

Hmm, it is unfortunate that someone trained in psychometrics is also called a psychometrist... Adam Bishop 01:11, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Do we know which usage came first? -- JackofOz 00:19, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

The Oxford English Dictionary dates the psychometry derivative from 1854 and the psychometrics one from 1914. The Dictionary also lists "psychometer" as a (now-"rare") synonym of the former and "psychometrician" as a synonym of the latter. --zenohockey 02:26, 6 October 2007 (UTC)

Eleanor Crosses

There are 12 original crosses marking the route that the party carrying the body of Eleanor of Castile from Lincoln to Charing Cross. All seem to be well documented. There are however other replicas not on the route. I am particularly interested in finding out the link between Eleanor and Sledmere in East Yorkshire. There is a replica cross there built in 1890 approximately 600 years after the death of Eleanor. What is the connection between Eleanor and Sledmere ????

As the article eleanor cross says it's a fake/replica - the cross is actually a war memorial87.102.19.191 21:39, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

Just to amuse you, I once heard that a tour guide told tourists on April Fool's Day that the Charing Cross is an early medieval stone church that over the years has become buried until only the steeple prodrudes. While I am dismayed by such unprofessionalism, I admire the creative thinking... it's a very convincing story when you look at the cross itself. --Dweller 12:00, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Colorado River and the Colorado River in Texas

I've looked every where and cant find where the Colorado River in Colorado and the Colorado River in Texas connect. I was thinking that they might connect in New Mexico somehow but I don't know.

link to the Colorado River in Colorado: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_River_(U.S.)

link to Colorado River in Texas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_River_(Texas)

Question submitted by: Kelly

They don't connect. They are two different rivers. (This is why they have two separate Wikipedia articles.) --Anonymous, 17:08 UTC, September 30, 2007.

Freighter cruises

I heard it was to possible to book cruises on big freighters, tankers or other commercial vessels. Would anyone have more info or links to a travel agent that offers such trips? Thank you AK 81.240.113.172 17:16, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

Search google for sailing with "tramp steamer" and apparently "banana boat". Rmhermen 17:40, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

Got it, an even better search term is freighter travel ... don't know what's up with banana boats. AK 87.65.9.22 18:54, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

I regularly travel on Container Ships. Put 'Freighter Travel' into Google, you will be surprised at the number of agencies there are, US and UK who will book you for short trips or round the world voyages (don't call them cruises, it upsets us regular voyagers!) Bon Voyage!--88.111.0.14 06:06, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Yepee I'm doing UK - Buenos Aires in 34 days with an Italian company. 88 would you have any advice about the trip itself (things to bring, things not to do etc.) Thank you AK 81.242.83.238 06:58, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

81, this is too big a request for these pages, feel free to ring me on xxx --88.111.0.14 08:14, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Thank you very much for the offer, I've added a message in the discussion page of your user IP link. AK 81.242.83.238 11:43, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

I've removed your phone number.Do you really want random Wikipedians ringing you up? Lemon martini 12:54, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

If they wanted to talk about this subject, I would not mind at all!!--88.111.120.104 17:06, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

nitrous?

video games for xbox with nitrous? --Ginoeri 17:35, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

Ridge Racer 6? Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas if you're willing to play several hours. --froth^t 19:02, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

Bear-riding

Assuming you could find a bear willing to try it, would it be possible to ride one? I just mean physically possible, not dependant on the temperament of the bear. Their cubs ride piggy-back style, so I'm more thinking of sitting upright, like on a horse. --Masamage ♫ 18:52, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

I read a horrible story years ago (smacks of urban legend) that vacationers in the mountains saw a cute adolescent black bear begging for food. They stopped their car, as tourists inadvisedly do, to take pictures of the bear. It was friendly, so they posed their child on its back, as if it were a pony. Then it loped off into the woods, the child holding onto it. Presumably the bear then had a tasty lunch . Edison 20:22, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

The fearsome bear calvalry fill the hearts of their enemies with dread. Lanfear's Bane 10:50, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Huh...okay. So it sounds like this is the kind of thing a bear could do, but wouldn't, which is what I'm looking for. As opposed to, say, a walrus, which probably couldn't carry a human well even if it wanted to. --Masamage ♫ 20:30, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Umm, your Pacfic Walrus can be about 23 times as heavy as a male human adult. What would be the problem with something that large carrying something so light? Sure, your feet might drag along the ground, but... --Tagishsimon (talk) 17:16, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

My assumption was that there'd be no place to sit that wouldn't be flopping everywhere when the big guy starts moving. --Masamage ♫ 20:22, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Also, it would be kinda wet and you'd slip off - theres nothing to hold onto, only slippery blubber Think outside the box 12:17, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

In The Golden Compass, Lyra rides a were-polar bear. Corvus cornix 21:29, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

I don't recall Ior Ioeak the bear being a werebear.. they were armored, talking bears. Were implies they had human forms. He walked through town as a bear scaring the shit out of people. Kuronue | Talk 15:35, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Launching an ICBM

It is often referred by historians that the Cold War was a war of buttons. In this they are referring to the devastating powers of nuclear missiles. But in modern United States, assuming all the procedures are taken care of, what is the final action for launching a nuclear ICBM? Does one actually press a button? Thanks. Acceptable 20:13, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

In the USA, it used to be two people turning keys at a separation too great for either one of them to reach to turn both. These days, I would expect a computer command...possibly from a remote site. SteveBaker 22:03, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

This interesting article asserts that for Minuteman sites it was indeed two simultaneous key turns as the final action. It was probably different for SLBMs and certainly different for bombing runs. --Sean 22:18, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

It's two keys, of course. Didn't anyone here see WarGames?  ;-) Dismas|^(talk) 01:52, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

So immediately right after the two keys reach the full rotational distance of the keyholes, the missiles launches into the air? Acceptable 01:56, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Codes also have to be entered first, but yeah I think it's the instant the keys turn. My question is how is putting the keys across the room from each other keeping one person from doing it? Couldn't they just tape the key turned with a few feet of duct tape and cross the room and turn the other? --froth^t 04:25, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

"...simultaneous..." 79.65.119.193 06:55, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Didn't I see that in Superman? According to this article the codes in question were set to 00000000 for a couple of years. Just like my luggage. --Mdwyer 04:52, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

I doubt that the missile actually goes "Whoooshhh" the instant the two keys are turned - there must be a bunch of automated steps associated with pressurizing the fuel systems, building up thrust before releasing the launch clamps and that kind of thing. ICBM's are comparable in complexity to satellite launch systems (and indeed, often share the same rocket parts) - and you still need all of the complicated 'countdown' steps. But I believe that the turning of the two keys represents the 'point of no return' - one assumes they thought of all the obvious ways that this could be circumvented - the idea is to slow down the madman in question long enough for conventional security measures to kick in. All the time you are fritzing around with duct tape, there are about 50 big guys with serious-looking guns descending on you. The question you should be asking is why the "Nuclear commit" switch on an F16 or F18 aircraft is just a regular toggle switch under one of those flip-up black and yellow striped covers. SteveBaker 15:08, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Just an FYI: American doomsday missiles have all been based on solid-fuel rockets for quite a long time, to avoid those nasty, complicated, and failure-prone "warm-up" steps that would be implied by the use of liquid-fueled rockets. There probably isn't a lot of delay between "click" and "whoosh"; they don't call the land-based version the Minuteman for nothin'!

Atlant 16:48, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

• The article I cited says there are some initial arming steps, but the key-turns are the final step which actually makes the missiles launch. Since the Strategic Air Command was always much more interested in the survivability of their counterstrike force than that of the nation as a whole, I'd be surprised if there was any undue delay built into the launch sequence. Also, speaking of men with guns, here's an amusing anecdote about letting a TV camera crew into a missile silo:

Former missileer Craig Manson recalled the following discussion during the briefing, "And part of that briefing was, 'If you hear that warble tone coming out of the box up there, then you must turn off your cameras, go to the back of the capsule, turn around and face the blast door.' Now being journalists, they were highly aggravated at this. And Eric Burns said, 'You mean, we can't film what you do?' And we said, 'no.' And he said, 'Well, what will you be doing?' And I said, 'We will be determining whether or not we have to take emergency action under an Emergency War Order.' And he said, 'Well this would be great history. We want to get that on film. We've got to be able to see that.' I patted my .38 and said, 'no' "

--Sean 18:44, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

It's two keys for both ICBMs and SLBMs. The difference is that, for SLBMs, you only need one launch site (the sub's missile control room) to launch the missiles, while for an ICBM, you need two control rooms, each with their two men turning keys.

The full launch sequence for ICBMs is actually quite complicated, and the "turn two keys" step is only the last point of human control. The full sequence goes something like this:

1. The launch order arrives at the SAC missile control bunkers. This order includes a code for verifying that the order is genuine, and a code indicating the launch pattern and targeting.
2. The two people in the bunker independantly check the verification code.
3. The launch code is entered into the bunker's computer. The computer uses this to decide on the targets and timing of launch for the missiles under the bunker's command.
4. The two people in the bunker turn their keys on the launch panel within one second of each other. At this point, the bunker's computer is committed to sending out launch signals.
5. The computer proceeds to send out launch signals to the appropriate silos. If a silo recieves launch signals for a given target from two bunkers within one second of each other, it launches the missile. Preparing to launch a missile takes very little time: by the time the silo door opens, the missile is ready to launch.
6. Over the course of possibly several hours, the computer will launch some or all of the missiles under its control, depending on the launch pattern specified.

--Carnildo 00:30, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Commander of submarine

Generally, in the United States, what is the rank of the commander of an Ohio-class SSBN and similarly, what is the rank of the commander of a Virginia-class SSN? Thanks. Acceptable 20:18, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

His/Her rank is Captain and commands the boat, unless there is a flag officer, such as a Admiral on the boat. He/She wears Colonel's rank insignia, which is a Eagle. See Military Ranks for more info. 65.163.113.182 07:36, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

According to Commander#United_States_Navy (one rank below Captain) they "may command a frigate, destroyer, submarine, aviation squadron or shore installation". Whether a nuclear powered/capable sub would be commanded by the more junior rank is something I'm not qualified to answer. Exxolon 20:22, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

He'd be a full Commander (his XO a LCdr); a Captain would command his Division; a senior Captain (referred to as "Commodore") or junior Rear Admiral his Squadron; & he's called "Captain" by his crew, as SO aboard (from Latin capo, head). And he commands the boat regardless who's aboard; this isn't "Star Trek". (He'd take direction from a SO, but the SO can't give orders to his crew, without him being relieved, first. In the RN, unless the SO is also qualified for sea command, a sea-qualifed ensign could ignore him...) Trekphiler 21:59, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Justify your answers

Is there a name for the justification I see in many movie credits ? There are two columns, the right of which is left justified, and the left of which is right justified, with a fixed amount of blank space between the two columns:

Bearded lady   Bea Arthur
        Pimp   Cedric the Entertainer
  Lady's man   Richard Simmons

It's not center justification, that would look like this:

  Bearded lady  Bea Arthur
Pimp  Cedric the Entertainer
Lady's man   Richard Simmons

StuRat 21:48, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

This is referred to in Robert Bringhurst's The Elements of Typographic Style but not named any better than the description you give: "lists of paired items ... are often best aligned against each other, the left column flush right and the right column flush left." You might say it's a sort of tabular alignment on a repeating element (such as in a list of numbers, aligning on the decimal). iames 23:24, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

OK, thanks, I guess there's just no easy way to describe it. StuRat 20:37, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

I step up to the challenge with a neologism! Call it "gutter justification". —Tamfang 22:14, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Congrats, Tamfang. I think your neologism is (g)utterly justified. :) -- JackofOz 00:18, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Sorry, Tamfang. The Diocese of Richmond beat you to it. [7] It's the only instance Google found. —Nricardo 02:05, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

I can add it to the collection of concepts I've reinvented. —Tamfang 22:26, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

October 1

unions

have unions ever had any proven dealings with the mob? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.217.195.89 (talk) 03:34, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Proven, I don't know, but if there is a mafia somewhere, then they will run all sorts of businesses, and inevitably get to deal with unions. Or do you mean the other way around (your question suggests it)? And what kind of dealings do you mean? It seems to me the mafia is just the sort of thing unions would want to fight (very bad working conditions, to put it mildly). But if they could take them on is an entirely different matter. In such a situation, bribes would be a likely outcome, I suppose. DirkvdM 07:07, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Here's an account of a report that the Teamsters no longer have dealings with the Mob, which indicates that they once did... SaundersW 10:41, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Jimmy Hoffa, need we say more. Rmhermen 12:57, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

I'm saying nothing, OK...NOTHING. :-) SteveBaker 15:59, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

I thought that was just a film. And a bad one by the way. I stopped watching after about an hour. DirkvdM 17:46, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

No, it was real. I live in Detroit, where he disappeared. Whenever they tear down an old building or dig up an old street, we ask "Did they find Jimmy Hoffa ?". StuRat 20:34, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Detroit? I thought he was buried in the end zone of the Meadowlands. Corvus cornix 16:20, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Contempt of court

Can a defense attorney be imprisoned just for representing a guilty client? This seems to support that.. what exactly happened there and why were the attorneys found in contempt of court? --froth^t 04:22, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

This page says that "using the criminal justice system to reinforce the government's contention that communism was outside the law had its drawbacks. There were few laws under which the offenders could be tried, since being a Communist was not a crime, and the statute of limitations precluded most espionage prosecutions. As a result, the charges that the cold war defendants faced--usually perjury or contempt--often bore little relation to the presumed offense for which they were on trial." A.Z. 05:25, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Wasn't the lawyer for one of the Guantánamo prisoners prosecuted for quoting her client in public, on the theory that she might be passing coded messages to his allies on the outside or some damn thing? —Tamfang 06:57, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Putting McCarthyism aside, it is illegal in most jurisdictions for a lawyer to mislead the court by defending a client who they know to be guilty. If you tell your attorney that you're guilty as charged, but want to plead not guilty anyway, they'll either pretend they didn't hear you, or refuse to represent you. The one exception to this is if you think the prosecution can't make their case (in which situation the defence will offer no evidence and their entire case will be "prove it"). FiggyBee 15:13, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

If what you say is true, I'm really amazed. Could you please provide some source for it? As I understand the concept of having the right to an attourney, you shouldn't have to lie to them, it's their job to use their better understanding of the law to argue your case, no matter what you did. Is this an effect of the American view that each case has a guilty/not-guilty verdict, rather than it being the court's job to determine the truth about the event in question and give an appropriate sentence? /85.194.44.18 19:05, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

It's not just an American thing; it's the case in all common law countries as far as I'm aware. While it is the lawyers' job to "use their better understanding of the law to argue your case", that doesn't extend to presenting false evidence on your behalf. Note that even if your lawyer finds out you're guilty and stops representing you, attorney-client privilege still exists; they can't tell anyone why they've resigned from the case. FiggyBee 22:08, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

By an attorney telling the court that you are not guilty, when the defendant has already confessed to the attorney, the attorney is committing perjury/ It the attprney does not speak, but allows for the defendant to comment, then the attorney is suborning perjury. 141.238.20.224 21:46, 1 October 2007 (UTC) Lexington Landon Hunter Esq

Clarification: To the people implying it is illegal for a lawyer to "defend a client they know to be guilty" ... these answers are either a tad over-simplistic, or flat-out incorrect (not sure which because they don't specify enough information to be evaluated properly). In most U.S. jurisdictions for example, an attorney has a duty to zealously represent the interests of the client. This includes thoroughly pursuing any legitimate legal claims necessary to secure a favorable outcome for the client, regardless of whether the client personally claims to be "guilty" to her attorney.

Moreover, even representation that is potentially subject to sanction is excusable if the "defense was initially presented to the court as a good faith argument for the extension, modification or reversal of existing law or the establishment of new law" (See e.g., F.S. §57.105(2)) . If it were "illegal" to represent "guilty" clients, it would be impossible to make a good faith argument that the law was unjust in the first place. (See also FRCP Rule 11, Legal confidentiality for other important clarifications). dr.ef.tymac 22:19, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Okay, yes, over-simplification or possibly misleading construction - I've been trying to think of a better way to put it. The significant phrase is know to be guilty; obviously, if there is a valid defence in law for the client's actions, then there is a valid defence in law for their actions, and that can be argued. The problem only arises when the client is asking his lawyers to present evidence which they have admitted is untrue. I should probably also stress that I'm coming at this from a Commonwealth background rather than an American one. FiggyBee 22:37, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

I don't believe a plea counts as testimony, or even any sort of assertion of fact. It's basically just saying "I'm going to insist that the people meet their burden of proof". Even if a lawyer knows 100% for certain that his client factually committed the act alleged, he can still plead "not guilty". What he can't do is assert that his client did not factually commit the act; he would try rather to show that the prosecution had not met its burden.

Disclaimer: I'm not any sort of lawyer; this is mostly from my extensive experience watching TV legal dramas. --Trovatore 23:47, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Oh, actually I see above that you've addressed this point to an extent. That looks right except for the part about not presenting a defense. As I understand it (again mostly from TV) you can still present a defense; it's just that your defense won't say "I didn't do it". Rather it will attempt to poke holes in the prosecution's case -- show that there are alternative explanations of evidence, impeach prosecution witnesses, that sort of thing. Is that really not allowed in the UK? That would seem very strange to me. --Trovatore 00:03, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Certainly, they will still challenge the prosecution's evidence, and cross-examine the prosecution's witnesses. They just can't (okay, let's say shouldn't, because I'm sure it happens) call their own witnesses and build a defensive case based on evidence which they know to be rubbish. FiggyBee 07:13, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

You seem to be talking about cross-examination. I'm talking about a direct case. As I understand it, they're perfectly free to call their own witnesses to cast doubt on the prosecution's case. For example, if the prosecution used PCR evidence, the defense could call an expert witness -- during its direct case -- who would argue that PCR was unreliable. If the prosecution had eyewitnesses, the defense could call witnesses who would say the eyewitnesses were drunks or had a grudge against the defendant. As I say, I'm no lawyer, but I think this is all perfectly allowable even if the defense lawyer knows with all humanly available certainty that his client is factually guilty. What he can't do is call his client as a witness and have him claim to be factually innocent, or argue in his closing that his client is factually innocent. --Trovatore 07:20, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

That sounds about right. What I should just point out that in criminal cases there's a very high burden of proof on the prosecution, and the defence relying entirely on the flimsiness of the prosecution case is not at all uncommon; so if anyone's ever watching a criminal case and notices that the defence lawyers haven't introduced any significant evidence, don't take that as a sign that they know their guy did it! FiggyBee 07:32, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

See also False confession. --S.dedalus 23:41, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

I read the first half of these responses, but got bored, so forgive me if this has already been said. A lawyer (or anyone else for that matter) cannot lie in court. They can definately represent a guilty client - they could get them off on a technicality, for example. Aaadddaaammm 01:41, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Yes, that was addressed starting at the part that says Clarification: above. dr.ef.tymac 16:27, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

OK so back to the original link, those lawyers were just convicted of whatever the judge could think of, just because the judge didn't like that they were representing communists? So the only reason they were convicted of contempt of court is because the judge's witness is all that's required to convict someone of that, so the judge just slapped it on all of them and warned lawyers not to help people accused of being comminists? As in, it's not a fault in the law, just a fault in the judge --froth^t 17:53, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Sounds messy doesn't it, it's worth noting that in many jurisdictions, the duty to zealously represent a client applies even if the attorney might personally suffer negative consequences for doing so, it's part of the fiduciary duty. That's why we have Appellate review. dr.ef.tymac 01:26, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

south park's portrayal of canadians

why do they have their heads split in half? nationalistic symbolism? consistency? other reason? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.217.195.89 (talk) 05:03, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

To distinguish Candians and normal people? Also, as an interesting addition, Saddam Hussein is also drawn in the same fashion. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 128.101.53.147 (talk) 05:15, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

From Terrance and Phillip: Terrance and Phillip are geometrically-figured with small beady eyes and Pac Man-like heads which flap up and down whenever they speak. This may originally have signified they were a crudely-animated series within another crudely-animated series, but was quickly retconned into a distinguishing feature of Canadians (other notable examples of this include Kyle's adopted brother Ike and the episode It's Christmas in Canada). Lanfear's Bane 10:48, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Auto vs Manual

Which is the more common for cars, auto or manual transmission? I'd guess manual, but does anyone know for sure which is used more? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.208.110.207 (talk) 08:51, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

That depends on your location. In the States, autos are much more common. Europe has more manuals than the States but I don't know if there are more manuals than autos. Dismas|^(talk) 09:34, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Surely it has to be manual when all the non-advanced countries are taken into account.86.197.40.148 13:02, 1 October 2007 (UTC)DT

Actually it's more likely to be the other way around if you take 'non-advanced' countries into account. You should have a peek at the manual transmission page. They tend to use older cars which would not be fitted with automatics and because a manual is cheaper and more efficient, including when it comes to fuel economy and requiring less maintenance. Lanfear's Bane 15:38, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

It's not "advanced" versus "not-advanced" countries. It's driver qualification laws. In the UK, there is a predominance of manual transmission cars - and the reason is a rather subtle one. When you take your driving test in the UK, if you take it in an automatic, your license does not cover manual transmission cars. Here in the USA, you can learn to drive in an automatic - pass your test and then immediately go out and drive a manual - this is INSANE - but it's the law.

So in the UK, if you learn in an automatic, you have to drive only automatics for the rest of your life (unless you re-take your test). If you take your test on a manual, you're OK to drive automatics though. Because that's a rather nasty restriction, almost everyone learns to drive manual - take their test in a manual - so they have freedom to drive anything in the future.

This means that driving schools only very rarely have an automatic car in their fleet because few people want to learn in them (it's mostly disabled drivers who take the automatic-only test) - so it's almost impossible to learn on an automatic even if you wanted to. As a result, most nervous newly qualified drivers prefer to drive manual because that's what they are used to - so most cars sold to these people are manuals...then when they come to buy their next car, they've become so used to driving manual that they rarely want to swithc...and so on up the chain...to the point where VASTLY more people drive manual than automatic.

This demand also makes manuals much cheaper than automatics (in general) - so that pushes yet more people to drive manuals. I drove for nearly 25 years in the UK before moving to the USA - and the first time I ever drove an automatic was when I came here to Texas! SteveBaker 15:57, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

I'm sure that's a factor, but I'm not sure it's as simple as that. We have the same restrictions in Australia (Automatic Licence vs "Proper" Licence) yet we have a relatively high proportion of automatics. I suspect another factor is the size of cars; cars in the UK and Europe are on average smaller than those in the US or Australia, and you really need the extra oomph a manual gives you in a smaller car. FiggyBee 16:20, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

I've taken the liberty of paragraphing Steve's contribution.

From my point of view, the point Steve makes was a non-issue. Why would I want a license to drive manual-transmission cars when those are obsolete technology? I was trained in an automatic, took my test in an automatic, was originally licensed to drive only an automatic, and even after for some bizarre reason that restriction was removed from my license, I've never driven anything else.

Of course the view that manual transmissions are obsolete is not universal, and that's part of why the original question was a good one. However, I have no idea of the answer to it. --Anonymous, 16:38 UTC, October 1, 2007.

Many driving enthusiasts are anti-automatic, considering it to be 'lazy'. Personally I just prefer manual because I feel like I have more control. I can be driving in 4th gear, low-revs/unresponsive and that's fine - but I can then drop it into 2nd/3rd, picking the revs up quickly and perhaps getting me that switch of pace I need to get by something/feel a bit of power from the car. Entirely preference, but certainly every single driver I know in the UK owns a manual car (though automatics are strangely popular in the big-luxury vehicle market). ny156uk 16:44, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

(ec) It doesn't sound like you know what obsolete means. Manuals are still widely used on new cars. As for why, well, wouldn't it be nice to know you could drive someone else's car if you needed to? Why purposely make yourself unable to drive certain cars? Even if you have no intention of ever owning one, it may be useful to know how to drive one. Friday (talk) 16:46, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

I've traveled around the world and I only noticed a predominance of automatic gears when I entered the US. I didn't pay extra attention to it or anything, but if automatics were predominant in a country I surely would have noticed, because where I come from (the Netherlands) there are virtually no automatic transmissions. Concerning the 'oomph', I noticed that in the US when I bought a car there (actually a truck, a Ford F100, but in the US that seems to count as a normal car). It had a staggering 7 liter (!) engine, yet it's acceleration was quite sluggish because it had an automatic transmission (retrofitted). This made me wonder why on earth someone would want to exchange a manual for an automatic transmission. The only good reason I heard was that with an automatic you can put your arm around your girlfriend while driving. :) Of course, that requires a bench like the F100 had, so the argument even only applies there. DirkvdM 17:57, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Another possible factor in the higher number of auto transmissions in the USA is the fact that petrol (gasoline) is much cheaper there than elsewhere. The difference in efficiency won't make a huge difference economically speaking to your average USA driver. In the UK where petrol is around £1/$2 a litre the difference makes a manual much cheaper to run over time. Exxolon 20:18, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Dirk, there are some very powerful vehicles with automatic transmission and engines far smaller than that, so I don't think it's the issue there. That truck was most likely geared for hauling and towing, as many trucks are. Was it a diesel by any chance ? Those are always geared that way, and have relatively low horsepower (but high torque), in any event.

I started on a manual, but said "screw this" as soon as I had to start at a traffic light, heading up a steep hill, with cars right on my bumper. This seemed to require one foot on the gas pedal, one on the brake pedal, and my third foot on the clutch pedal. I now drive an automatic. StuRat 20:18, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

It wasn't a diesel (although it did 'diesel' (verb) often, but that had to do with bad 'distributor' adjustment). But is was owned by a park ranger and fitted with an extra heavy rear axel, so it may have been geared for torque, although I don't know what means, really. DirkvdM 18:28, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

That means it has low gear ratios, meaning the wheels don't turn much per engine cycle. This makes it slow, but great for hauling and towing. StuRat 19:56, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

For what it's worth, the same low gearing that's good for towing is good for acceleration. You're sacrificing speed for increased torque. Friday (talk) 21:21, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Maybe for low-end acceleration, but for highway passing the low gearing certainly doesn't help. StuRat 05:44, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

This is called a Hill start (which we don't have an article on!) The correct way to do one is to use the handbrake (parking brake) once you've stopped. Once you're ready to move away you apply revs to the engine and bring the clutch up to it's bite point so the car is just trying to move, then release the handbrake and raise the clutch all the way and apply more throttle. It takes practice to get the timing and pedal positions correct! Exxolon 20:32, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

That would use both feet (gas pedal and clutch pedal) and both hands (steering wheel and parking brake). But Americans must leave at least one finger available, for communication with other drivers. :-) StuRat 20:43, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

A hill-start, as described by StuRat, is part of the driving test in the UK. You start on a hill by using the handbrake, not the footbrake. DuncanHill 20:33, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

I've never known anyone who does it that way, except perhaps temporarily while learning. Once you're competent with a manual, I don't see why you'd want to use the hand brake. Or maybe this maneuver is more common in the UK for some reason? Friday (talk) 20:35, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

How else could you do it? If the gradient is only slight and you're fast you can release the footbrake and engage the clutch/throttle fast enough to avoid rolling back. On any kind of steep hill you'll want to use the handbrake! Exxolon 20:41, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Maybe they just don't have steep enough hills any place I've driven, but I've always just taken my foot off the brake and then immediately let the clutch out enough to start moving forward. I'm sorta surprised to hear the handbrake trick described as a common technique- I've only heard it suggested for people who are still learning. Friday (talk) 20:47, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Hill start = you are parked on a hill, and have to start. You have to have the hand-brake on in order to be parked. DuncanHill 20:57, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Do they actually care what order you release which brakes in? If it were me, I'd release the handbrake as soon as I had the normal brake on and was ready to go. Friday (talk) 21:03, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Then you would fail the test. And probably screw up the gears, and possibly roll into cars behind you. Why on earth you you move from parking with the handbrake to sitting still with the footbrake? That's not ready to go, that's ready to stop! And it reduces your ability to control the car. The clutch alone is only good for a little power; it's not going to keep you paused on the hills where I learnt. 79.65.119.193 21:20, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Not real sure what ya mean. What I do is standard practice, as far as I know. Yes, you don't want to hold your car in place by slipping the clutch- that's what brakes are for and you wear your clutch needlessly to use it that way. Friday (talk) 21:38, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

There are a number of techniques that instructors teach to learners, knowing they'll probably ignore them once they've got their licence. These include: stopping at red lights; obeying the speed limit; and indicating when leaving a kerb, changing lanes, or turning. -- JackofOz 22:07, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Oh Jeez...let's spell out what you're supposed to do with a manual transmission car at a stop-light in slow, careful steps.

1. When you stop - press on the clutch and the footbrake to stop the car.
2. Pull on the hand brake.
3. Put the shifter into neutral.
4. Gently release the clutch. Don't take your foot off of the foot brake.
5. When you see the lights are about to change: (Be observant! Watch other cars!)
6. Push in the clutch. Put the car into 1st gear.
7. Pull up on the handbrake a little to release the ratchet and push in (and hold) the button on the end.
8. Release the foot brake and move your right foot over to the gas pedal.
9. Apply a little gas to make sure the car won't stall.
10. In one smooth move (takes practice) release the clutch, press the gas and push down the parking brake.

    (Beginners - and people on ridiculously steep hills - can gradually release the clutch until they feel it 'bite' and the nose of the car pitches slightly forward before releasing the handbrake - but this is one of the reasons why driving school cars all have knackered clutches).

My sister is a UK driving instructor...I'm very sure that this is what you do to pass your test in UK.

It sounds complicated - but it quickly becomes second nature - you don't even have to think about it. There are three common errors that people make:

• Many people don't bother putting the car into neutral - they leave their foot on the clutch. This will wear out your clutch thrust washer...don't do that.
• Some people take their foot off the foot brake - those are the ones that die when someone rear-ends them and pushes them out into cross-traffic - the hand brake isn't always enough because in most cars it only brakes the rear wheels and those are often lifted from the road when you are rear-ended - resulting in you having nothing holding the car!
• Some people don't bother with the parking brake at all - balancing the car on the clutch...these people get to replace their clutches much more often than the rest of us.

SteveBaker 22:32, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Interesting. I've never sat with my foot on the brake whilst the hand-brake is on, never realised it wouldn't serve the purpose as well as the foot brake. I used to be guilty of the first point, but then found (to my annoyance) that replacing the thrust (bearings?) is not fun, nor particularly easy! ny156uk 22:51, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Yeah - in most cars (not all), it uses a separate system to the foot brake so that it can act as an emergency backup - and because hydraulics are not good for holding the brakes on for a long period because master cylinder pistons leak a little. The hand brake is typically a cable system and often only operates on the back wheels for simplicity and cheapness. When you get rear-ended, your back wheels can easily come off the ground - and for that critical moment you have no hand-brake! SteveBaker 22:36, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Wait, now you're suggesting people do this every time they stop? Bizarre. What's the advantage of using the parking brake versus not? Am I crazy or is this totally not a common practice in the US? I'm sure I was never taught to do this by my driving instructor. We were taught parking brakes were for parking, not stopping (except in an emergency of course). Friday (talk) 22:54, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Yes. Every time. The advantage of the parking brake is that if you look through the sequence I've described, there is never a time when the car does not have brakes on. If you do it with the foot brake alone, there are times when you have no brakes - so you could roll backwards or (much worse) forwards. SteveBaker 22:36, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Our traffic light article links the use of the handbrake at red lights to the four-phase lights sequence. It says "In many of these jurisdictions, such as the UK, it is customary for drivers to select neutral and/or use the handbrake at red lights; the additional phase <the read-and-amber phase immediately before green> gives the driver time to select first gear or release the handbrake before the light turns green". In the UK, I was taught to apply the handbrake if you are going to be stationary in a traffic queue for more than a few moments, and to absolutely always apply the handbrake if you are at the front of the queue at a red traffic light. Gandalf61 23:25, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Yeah - in the UK we have a red+amber phase on traffic signals between red and green which tell you to get ready to go. In the US, there is no such thing. However, you can see cars coming from the sides stop - and that's a clue to let you know to get ready to go. But in any case, the high prevelance of people running red lights in the USA means that you'd be unwise to hit the gas right as the light goes green if there are cars coming from the left and right still. SteveBaker 22:36, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

You aren't crazy Friday. I drove a manual (in the US) and never used the handbrake while driving, and until now have never heard of anyone using it in such a way. In the US the handbrake is often called the parking brake or emergency brake because thats the only time we use it, In many cars (automatics) it is acutally foot activated. When doing a hill start I would just try to be quicker when going from brake to gas, sure I'd slip back some but only a tiny bit. You'd have to be in an extremely tight spot for this tiny rollback to matter IMO. As SteveBaker explains it, the advantage to using the handbrake is that you can eliminate the rollback because you don't release the brake until you've already got your foot on the gas. -- Diletante 00:18, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

I used to own a (US) Ford Ranger pickup that had a left-foot-operated parking brake - and it was a manual gearbox! Thank god we live in Dallas which is F-L-A-T - so no hill starts required. I was very happy to be rid of that crappy truck. (It was also the only vehicle I've ever driven that would go fast enough to drive the needle off the end of the speedometer!) Some US cars force you to apply the parking brake using your foot - and to release it with a handle you pull on...even worse!

In an automatic, it's less necessary to use the parking brake at the lights or for hill starts because you have an automatic clutch. The problem with "going quickly from brake to gas" is if the car stalls or you screw up and miss the pedal or something. This is also much more of a problem on a manual where poor clutch control will stall the car - and on a steep hill, that's possible even for an experienced driver. Then you'll roll back a lot further while you 'unfluster' yourself and hit the brake. What's worse in lots of cars is that when the engine stalls, you no longer have power-assisted brakes - so you have to push down REALLY hard. If you're used to driving new cars - you'll be in deep trouble the first time you drive a 'clunker' that vapor-locks and stalls one time in three when you stamp on the gas.

It's dangerous...don't do it...if you have a hand brake, use it. SteveBaker 22:36, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

You've probably never been to San Francisco. DirkvdM 18:28, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

I learned to drive in Brighton in the UK - not quite as bad as SF - but definitely a good place to learn the importance of good hill-start technique! I drove for a couple of weeks through downtown SF - it's an amazing place to drive - one of the greatest cities in the world IMHO. SteveBaker 22:36, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Going somewhat more off-topic, LA traffic scared the shit out of me. You mentioned people in the US running red lights. I'll raise you people passing on the right, which gave me a scare several times (good thing I come from Amsterdam and have a habit of not assuming others to abide by traffic laws - but passing on the right on a highway was new to me). On top of that, turn-offs (or what are those called?) are not always on the right side, as they are on European highways. They can be anywhere. Driving on the 'fast lane' you may find yourself being on a turn-off lane. At which time you want to quickly move to the lane to your right, in which case it is very wise to first check if someone isn't passing you there. Nerve-wrecking. I decided to choose for survival and left the next day (and got lost in Beverly Hills I believe). DirkvdM 08:01, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Search for a special glue

I am looking for a special glue to bonding polyurethane to steel . could anyone help me?Chavosh 11:06, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

I couldn't recommend an individual brand but you could start at Category:Adhesives here [8]. Lanfear's Bane 11:14, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Is this stainless steel ? If not, I'd expect it either to have a thin layer of oil or rust, either of which will be a challenge for any adhesive. Another concern is the coefficients of thermal expansion of the steel and polyurethane. Unless they are close, I'd expect problems during temperature changes. A type of adhesive that stays tacky might work, in this case, since it would allow the two materials to slowly move relative to one another. This won't be acceptable for many applications, however. StuRat 20:05, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

I know there are flexible glues used to bond gaskets to cylinder heads which might work?hotclaws 09:48, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

[9] (excellent site! Thanks JeffJon!) says LePage's Metal Epoxy, J-B Weld or Faststeel Epoxy Putty if you have gaps to fill. It also recommends cleaning and roughing up the surfaces as much as possible. SteveBaker 19:41, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Question about Pulau Sekudu

I have read from wikipedia that the area of pulau sekudo is 3.5 square kilometers, hence, I have a few questions to ask... Does pulau sekudu have any forests or vegeation growing?? and is pulao sukudu suitable and big enough for having an adventure learning campsite?? Thanks. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 219.74.131.183 (talk) 12:06, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Just having a look on Google Earth, Sekudu looks to be a rather desolate little sand and rock outcrop. It might be interesting for a short boat trip but for a camp I'd say Pulau Ubin looks like a much better idea. FiggyBee 16:48, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Of course, this depends entirely on what kind of adventure you have in mind. On a tiny island like that there can't be much to do, unless you focus on the sea. If there are sharks, the adventure might be even more than you wished for. :) DirkvdM 18:01, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Solvent

I am looking for a product that I can buy online to clean the dust, grease and rust off small peices of metal, the machinery I wish to clean is the Floyd Rose locking system on my guitar. I also wish to purchase a grease of some sort to protect it once i put it all back together. Are any of you able to help me? thanks guys. 81.144.161.223 12:43, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

WD-40 should cover all this. Lanfear's Bane 12:48, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

You can actually buy guitar cleaning fluid - I bet it's overpriced and no different from some domestic cleaning fluid or other. But I agree - WD-40 is your best bet. It's an oil that'll dissolve grease, float off dust and displace water - it'll also lubricate the parts and leave them with a fine coating of oil that'll go a long way to preventing more rust formation in the future. It also comes in a spray can so the oil can get into the small gaps and crevices in machinery like this. It's unlikely to actually remove rust but it'll make it look a whole lot better. Rust removal is tricky - a trick that us car restorers sometimes use with irreplaceable parts is to soak them in something like 'CLR' (A commercial Calcium/Lime-scale remover for bathrooms) - but that's pretty agressive stuff and you might want to try a small, unimportant part like a screw first! Do that AFTER a first WD-40 treatment and be sure to wash them carefully afterwards, dry completely, then treat with WD-40 a second time. You'll want to wear rubber gloves - CLR is nasty stuff. But rust isn't just something coating the metal - it's actually eaten away at the metal. So even if you remove the rust, you still have eaten-away metal that will never look 100% like new. I guess most guitar parts are chrome-plated, so if the rust (which is iron oxide) has formed, it probably broke through the chrome and removing the rust will still leave blemishes in the chrome. SteveBaker 14:54, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

You also get a wee straw type object that you can attach to the can of WD-40 to improve accuracy when spraying in small gaps / areas. A gentle scrub with some wire wool might remove the rusting if it is not too heavy and will smooth the area. The WD-40 will then help prevent further rusting. Lanfear's Bane 15:31, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

I wonder what's in that CLR stuff you mention: from your description, it sounds a lot like it might be a solution of phosphoric acid, which is commonly used for rust removal. —Ilmari Karonen (talk) 19:17, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

I don't have any of the stuff at home right now so I can't check. But that got me thinking. There was a piece on Mythbusters a while back testing myths about Coca Cola - one of which was that it could remove rust from chrome car parts (they found that it could). Since phosphoric acid is one of the principle ingredients of most soda drinks, that suddenly makes a whole lot of sense! So perhaps we should suggest that the OP soaks his guitar parts in coca cola. SteveBaker 13:10, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

I have removed rust from parts by soaking them overnight in what we call paraffin and you might call kerosene depending where you live. I'm assured by experts that this does not work as the hydrocarbon in question is a non-polar solvent and rust is an ionic compound. Be that as it may, the rust and the solvent don't seem to be aware of a problem. (From the article, it seems that kerosene in Sri Lanka also behaves this way.) SaundersW 19:59, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

WD40 is 'parafin' in a can - really.87.102.43.162 11:55, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

No - really not. Check out WD-40. SteveBaker 19:36, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

micro nano pico

What is the source of this system: Deci(10-1), centi (10-2), milli(10-3), micro (10-6), nano (10-9), pico (10-12), femto (10-15), atto (10-18), zepto (10-21), yocto (10-24) ? In what language/s is it? Thanks! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 156.56.174.130 (talk) 13:22, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

The language is typically either greek or latin depending on the unit (e.g. nano is from the Greek, centi from the Latin. See International System of Units for a table with all the prefixes and links to their articles, which will tell you the origins. - Eron ^Talk 13:26, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Interesting - I had assumed each SI prefix was derived from either Greek or Latin, but I now know I was wrong. Without giving too much away, exceptions include femto- and atto-, and there seems to be some dispute over pico-, on which our article disagrees with Wiktionary. Gandalf61 13:45, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Chambers Dictionary has pico- deriving from the Spanish, as does Wiktionary. DuncanHill 18:28, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Yes, Wiktionary and Merriam-Webster also say Spanish. Our article said Italian, so I have fixed it. Gandalf61 12:55, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Music from flash animation

Does anyone know what the music in this animation is? http://pown.alluc.org/?uid=277 , thanks alot88.110.203.63 17:02, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

It appears as if it were sampled out from a movie or something, but i'll be damned if i have any idea which movie it was. --Ouro (blah blah) 12:40, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

It's the remix of Lux Aeterna from Requiem for a Dream used in the The Two Towers trailer. — Kieff | Talk 23:47, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

Thats it, thanks alot, (sorry i am the OP and i forgot to log on when posting first time) RobertsZ 16:42, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Asking for receipts in Ireland and being regarded as having 2 heads?

Just got back home to Scotland after visiting Ireland (the Republic) for 2 weeks. Was impressed by the standard of housing and car ownership, but couldn't understand the appalling standard of non-urban road surfaces (abysmal). Prices to me (a UK resident) were truly scary, especially food in supermarkets, alcohol, and restaurants, but understand that taxes are very high in Ireland compared to UK. But what really puzzled me was the apparent acceptance by the Irish shops, restaurants, petrol stations etc., that receipts were never given, unless firmly requested, and then were offered in hand-written form only, and many businesses refused my plastic credit and debit cards, dealing exclusively in cash, again, with no offer of a receipt for goods purchased. I can't believe that the Irish Government are unaware of this suspiciously double-book-keeping scam, but am curious here to discover whether I am being unfair in my assessment of Irish economicss at ground level. Interested in responses. Thanks. 81.145.241.146 19:09, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

I'd guess that it's a result of the high tax rate, which inevitably leads to transactions "under the table". It might be so bad that companies which declare all their transactions can't compete and go out of business. StuRat 19:56, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

I can't imagine it is a result of high-tax, I thought they had one of the lowest tax economies around don't they? Taxation in the Republic of Ireland. Of course it could be a desire to exclude themselves from tax, and also keep themselves out of the system (or at least a portion of their sales). It looks like VAT is quite high going all the way to 21%, but not sure why they wouldn't give receipts - was it a particularly remote area? ny156uk 21:05, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

If they give receipts, then there is proof of the transaction, so they had better report it and pay taxes on it or risk legal problems. StuRat 00:58, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Irish_pound#Hidden_inflation. Guy I know finds it cheaper to book a flight to England and have a weekend out drinking with friends over there than in Dublin. Also why I no longer book my holidays out of the South, used to save a fortune on the exchange to the punt. Lanfear's Bane 11:07, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

October 2

Business community involvement

I am loking for businesses in cumberland county that are activly involved and also donate into the community. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.2.87.69 (talk) 00:03, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

You'll need to tell us which Cumberland County you are asking about. -LarryMac | Talk 00:07, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Agreed, there's a gap in the info provided. StuRat 00:52, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

The questioner's IP address indicates a location in North Carolina, so presumably he/she is asking about Cumberland County, North Carolina. Even so, the question is too vague to answer. It isn't clear what the businesses are supposed to be actively involved in. While it would be possible, maybe, to go through the annual reports of all corporations in the county to see what charitable contributions they've made, that would be a massive research project beyond the scope of a Reference Desk editor. A more efficient way to get this information would be to approach the fundraising staff of organizations with which the questioner thinks businesses should be actively involved and to ask them which businesses actually do contribute. Marco polo 02:01, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Or he/she could just contact the Cumberland County Business Council located here which appears to be that county's Chamber of commerce. If Marco polo has the correct locality, this should be enough. If not, search for ("chamber of commerce" and "cumberland county" and "__name__") (where __name__ is the state, province, arrondissement or whatever-else-it-is you happen to be asking about). dr.ef.tymac 22:05, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Strongest Glue

What is the strongest glue/adhesive in the world? Strong in respect to all the tests mentioned in Glue. Thanks,. Acceptable 00:29, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

For what sort of materials? --Carnildo 00:40, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Paper, metal, glass and plastic. Acceptable 01:12, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Across that range of materials, I doubt there's a single "strongest" glue unless you mean "the best compromise product that could glue any of those materials". Cyanoacrylate ("Superglue") glues are pretty strong on non-porous materials, though, with epoxy glues being good on a wide range of materials including porous materials.

Atlant 12:11, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Some very dedicated glue fans have compiled just such a list at thistothat.com. Want to know how to glue fabric to wood, or styrofoam to glass? They've apparently tried it out. jeffjon 13:30, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Exercise machines and calories

So I was at the gym today and I was on the exercise bike. The bike keeps a counter of calories. What I want to know is what that number means. Say it displays 100 calories, is it saying that I've burned 100 calories, or is it saying that it would take 100 calories of energy to turn the wheel as fast as I have for as long as I have. If it is the latter, than I assume that I've burnt more than 100 calories, since no doubt my body is not that efficient.

It would be great if anyone could answer definitely. Thanks in advance.

129.100.207.128 03:02, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

I can't say for sure, but I think it's saying you've burned 100 calories. Note that there's a built-in incentive for the manufacturer to overestimate this value a little bit. There is really no practical way to figure out your calorie balance except by tracking your weight over time, and adjusting your exercise and eating habits accordingly -- in theory you should be able to add up the calories you eat and subtract the ones you burn, but in practice there's so much error in both figures that except in extreme cases you won't even know if the difference is positive or negative.

On the plus side, though, exercise raises your resting metabolism rate. Especially if the exercise is a little on the intense side. So the contribution of the workout may be greater than just the calories you burn while you're physically on the bike. No one here, of course, can advise you on how intense exercise can be and still be safe for you personally. --Trovatore 05:46, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

What did the trainer/supervisor tell you when you asked him? Richard Avery 07:52, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

Washtub bass

Which is it, strings on a washtub or a single string attached to a pole? The article is very unclear --froth^t 03:27, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

The washtub bass, as played by legendary early twentieth century jug bands and kitchen bands to the present, has a piece of wood (like a broom handle) resting abgainst the bottom of a waashtub (like hinged), which can be pivoted to alter the tension in a string also attached to the bottom of the tub, altering the pitch by a few notes to allow harmony. Edison 04:11, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY/ SAMPLING

WHY MIGHT A RESEARCHER USE QUOTA SAMPLING INSTEAD OF STRATIFIED RANDOM SAMPLING —Preceding unsigned comment added by 200.32.219.26 (talk) 05:14, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Do your own homework. The reference desk will not give you answers for your homework, although we will try to help you out if there is a specific part of your homework you do not understand. Make an effort to show that you have tried solving it first. Also, Caps Lock is not cruise control for cool. In fact, it is considered quite rude. Lanfear's Bane 11:02, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

But a good place to start your research might be to read Quota sampling and Stratified sampling. SaundersW 11:22, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

LOL the cruise control part was cool. (note that my lol is in caps lock) --Kushal^{Click me!} write to me 19:02, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

WWII Bombing of Nazi prisons and camps

Apart from Operation Jericho, the attack on Amiens Prison are there any other instances of the allies attacking a prison or camp ?

I ask as although it might not destroy materiel it could save lives and cause immense trouble for an occupying force.

Thanks

Paul —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.86.166.234 (talk) 06:32, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

There was a single small attack on Auschwitz-Birkenau that had little impact. I don't remember if it was planned or not, but Primo Levi writes memorably about enjoying it as it happened, in Moments of Reprieve. --Dweller 11:55, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

(EC) Bombing is not exactly known for it's accuracy and would be more likely to have a detrimental effect on the population of the camp than the security or the infrastructure; in other words the captives would be much more likely to suffer than the captors. Plus they would probably be put to work to repair any damage done and would suffer doubly. Camps are also often in remote, difficult to access or 'hidden' locations. Lanfear's Bane 12:14, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

That's true of carpet bombing, but dive-bombers can be accurate enough to hit the perimeter defenses. Unfortunately, even if the prisoners escape from the camp, there is little hope they would escape the country to freedom. Thus, such a tactic would not help the prisoners much, but could harm the enemy, as they would need to pull troops from the front to hunt down the escaped prisoners. StuRat 18:57, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

See Task Force Baum for details on another prison camp attack, this one by land instead of air. StuRat 18:57, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Gestapo headquarters both in Denmark and Norway were bombed by the RAF. These facilities housed prisoners as well. However, the rationale for these bombings was not just to ease prisoner escape, though that may have been one of the reasons. The Danish bombing was a success, while the later attack on Oslo was a failure.Asav 15:50, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

Recycling bags

The two large chain grocery stores near me will both take plastic grocery bags to be recycled. They have a drum to put them in near their doors. The smaller mom & pop grocery store that I normally go to does not take these bags back for recycling. What I don't understand though is why neither of the local town recycling centers will take these bags. What is it about the bags that the recycling centers don't like but the stores do? I hate those bags, so I always request paper instead but the question still bothers me. My locale is the U.S. state of Vermont. Dismas|^(talk) 12:12, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Plastic recycling does cover some of the difficulties of recycling plastic. You also have to take into account the location for recycling this material - large supermarkets can ship material around more easily than mom and pop who might have to travel a distance to recycle when the supermarkets lorries will be gathering centrally. Mom and pop might pollute more driving to the recycling centre than they save the environment by recycling. Also the larger supermarkets will have a much better volume of material to work with, it might take mom and pop years to gather a sensible amount to recycle. The supermarket may also recieve tax breaks by encouraging recycling and it is also good for their public image. Many offer you a penny back for every bag you re-use - this will also possibly save them money. In the Republic of Ireland you have to pay for your plastic bags to discourage people from taking more than they need. Many supermarkets also sell sturdy 'bags for life' than can be used over and over for a small price. Do keep in mind that they do all this for one reason - profit. Lanfear's Bane 12:24, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

My issue isn't with the mom and pop places not taking them. I can understand the back end of things may be overly expensive, complicated, etc. for them to do the recycling. What I'm curious about is the recycling centers turning them away since that's what they do... they recycle. I'll take a look at the article. Dismas|^(talk) 14:14, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

In my local area (southwest England) the equivalent to "mom and pop" will take the plastic bags from big supermarkets and use reuse them by giving shopping in them to people who don't bring their own shopping bags. Charity shops (goodwill stores) are also happy to take and reuse supermarket bags. Reuse is even better than recycling! SaundersW 12:29, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

I don't know, but it might be that recycling plastic bags loses money. As such, it would be an expense that recycling centers and mom-and-pop stores can't afford, but that big chains can take as a deduction from their corporate taxes. Also, the cost would be lower for a big chain due to economies of scale. Marco polo 15:16, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

We're still not answering Dismas' main questions, which is, why do town recycling centres not take plastic bags? (I have not a clue; I'm going to guess that there is not a market for them, as there is for much of the other things that do get recycled. I am, too, suspicious of supermarkets that take back their bags. I hazard a guess that many will "recycle" them into the general waste stream, making their customers feel good, but not actually achieving any recycling.) --Tagishsimon (talk) 15:19, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

There is no cabal! I don't however doubt that this is a possibility. There are literally thousands of stories along those lines and as SaundersW points out reusing is much better than recycling anyway and you eliminate the possibility of all your hard work going to waste only for some evil corporation (pretend there are good ones just for the sake of comparison) just to dump the recycling material anyway. Reduce, reuse and recycle in that order. Lanfear's Bane 15:35, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

The problem with recycling anything is getting enough volume of the recycleables to make it worth building a factory to do the work. It's likely that there aren't enough bags returned in one city to make it worthwhile - and it's very likely that whichever kind of plastic the bags are made from is incompatible with other plastics that there are facilities for. However, the supermarkets have trucks going back from the supermarket to their local distribution center and from there back to headquarters - they are large and empty (on the return journey) - so it's easy for them to have someone dump the collected bags onto a truck once every few weeks and have all of the bags from all of the supermarkets in the entire country arrive back at one central point. Once you have an entire country's worth of plastic bags as feed-stock, it's well worth building a factory to recycle them. The Mom & Pop stores don't have access to that kind of infrastructure - so they can't do it either. SteveBaker 16:09, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Well here's a link to a site that looks at product-lifecycles as a whole to compare the green-issues of them (http://www.ilea.org/lcas/franklin1990.html). Which bag-type to choose depends on recycling rates of it V its compartive. Strangely plastic comes out above paper unless paper is receiving pretty good recycle %. Certainly the reason may be that recycle-centres may focus on certain things. There has always been a big split between garden-waste and household-waste at the skips i've been to and nowadays it's getting more focussed on recycling other goods too - perhaps it is just waiting for them to be able to manage this (or it may seem of low importance if the superstores are doing it for them?) ny156uk 16:32, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

I don't know if this is true, but I have heard that it is difficult to handle plastic bags in the sorting facilties. They dump everything onto a conveyor belt and workers pick out particular kinds of recyclables. The plastic bags don't stay on the belt they just blow around. Why paper doesn't have the same problem, I don't know. -- Diletante 16:34, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

[10] suggests it isn't usually profitable (although it's obviously a POV site). [11] mentions one iniative including some details of how they are recyled and another iniative [12] although I didn't see any details on how they are recycled. Remember that ultimately recycling centres should only take things they have a market for. (Rather then taking and dumping which I've heard happens in the US although I don't think it happens much here in NZ) One of the things I guess is that with plastic bags it's not so much the mass or amount of space they are taking up in landfills which are a concern but their specific environmental effects so reducing their usage may seem more appealing then recycling Nil Einne 19:57, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Sometimes, municipalities will only accept category "1" (polyethylene terephthalate) and "2" (high-density polyethylene) plastic for recycling. Presumably, these types are easier or cheaper to recycle than categories 3-7. It's possible that it's cost-effective for a big grocery-store chain to recycle millions of the bags but not for your local town government to recycle hundreds. -- Mwalcoff 01:38, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

Bypass

Why do we want a bypass?

faster travel, getting cars away from the centre of town. --Tagishsimon (talk) 13:09, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

"It's a bypass. You've got to build bypasses." --LarryMac | Talk 13:36, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Brilliant catch o_o --froth^t 18:18, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Why do we not want a bypass? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 60.52.98.68 (talk) 12:59, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Don't want to see those fields & trees disappear under tarmac, don't really support the aspirations of car drivers to get home five minutes early. Those are the normal pro and anti views. --Tagishsimon (talk) 13:09, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

To reduce the risk of death from coronary artery disease. Fair enough IMO. All these people that protest about bypasses should buck up their ideas and leave the poor surgeons alone. Lanfear's Bane 13:40, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

See also Swampy. --Dweller 13:49, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Some suggest it is bad for businesses in the town that the road 'bypasses' - meaning there is a lot less throughput of people, making it less likely people will stop. Others might argue that it makes the town more desirable and pedestrian friendly thus making it a better (i.e. more enticing) area for business. It can also be argued that there is an impact on house-prices as quieter main-roads through towns often make people value the homes more (lots of people want the 'quiet life of a town' but with the bypass-connectivity to big-cities). There are many more pros/cons besides this (build cost, land disruption, loss of green-land, movement of traffic burden to next un-bypassed town etc etc) ny156uk 16:24, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Are you talking about any bypass in particular? Nil Einne 19:46, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Perhaps to improve cardiac perfusion. Edison 05:30, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

We need bypass surgeries so that your brain gets blood supply when the doctors are operating on your heart replacing your old valves. --Kushal^{Click me!} write to me 19:00, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Sprites

How do i make a sprite comic/get sprites? (Iwas looking for ones from video games etc) - 81.158.75.136 13:56, 2 October 2007 (UTC) (Q moved by Dweller 14:01, 2 October 2007 (UTC))

You mean the little 2D animated images that are used in old-fashioned 2D video games? Well, of course many of these are going to be copyrighted - so mostly you can't get them legally. However, there are a heck of a lot of OpenSourced games out there - and for them, you can grab the sprite images fairly easily by getting the source code from the game. A good place to look for such things is Happy Penguin. However, (just like Wikipedia), there are a few rules about what you can do with the artwork from the games - but usually they are not to onerous. Just be sure to read the licensing conditions for whatever you need. SteveBaker 15:58, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Oh - and if you want to make your own - just use a regular paint program with the image resolution set WAY down low. I've used 'The GIMP' to do that (it's free and supports animations as well as still images) - but probably you could use Photoshop or something like it. SteveBaker 16:00, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

On windows - using 'paint' with zoom set to 800% works well.87.102.43.162 18:37, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Yeah - for a one-off stationary sprite, that's fine - but if you want to animate them then you need a paint program with 'layers' and some way to switch the layers flip-book-style and to replay the layers as if they were frames of a movie. I know GIMP can do that - I strongly suspect Photoshop can too - but GIMP is free and Photoshop is $$$. SteveBaker 19:29, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

If you want to go truly "old-skool", try Deluxe Paint. It was very popular for these purposes back in the '90s. —Ilmari Karonen (talk) 20:01, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Jeez - only if you are VERY VERY DESPERATE! I didn't think that thing ran on anything modern! But why use a 22 year old tool? GIMP is free, it's modern, it runs on everything and it's a superb tool for the job. But if for some reason GIMP is no use, check out: List of raster graphics editors, Comparison of raster graphics editorsand Category:Raster graphics editors. SteveBaker 22:12, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Try looking for "sprite sheets" that may help. Well known characters frequently have them. Sifaka ^talk 01:27, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

I wouldn't dream of using DPaint for photography editing work, but for editing pixel-by-pixel, indexed colour graphics, precisely such as sprites, it is close to the perfect tool. In DPaint, you can get that exact pixel to have that exact colour much, much faster than in the GIMP. It also has many useful features, such as fully customisable monochrome or multicolour brushes, pattern and gradient fills, snap-to-grid painting and a perspective feature. The GIMP has many features that are more complex but they are often also more abstract. In DPaint, you can get down to the pixels. JIP | Talk 17:24, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

http://bobandgeorge.com/Other/FAQ.html Kuronue | Talk 15:51, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Is there other kinds of leave besides FMLA and disability?

I am diagnosed depressed and know that I can get FMLA. But I have not been at my job a year and have been advised by my doctor to have some kind of back up plan for the days that are horrible and unworkable. Are there other kinds of legal leave out there? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 170.220.2.13 (talk) 18:15, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Suck it up and do your job or quit, I'm depressed too but I don't expect someone to pay me not to work. Man It's So Loud In Here 21:29, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

For someone who is clinically depressed "suck it up" is not helpful - anyone who has been through it would never have said that.

FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993) is unpaid leave for people who are seriously ill - and it allows you to take up to 12 weeks leave over one year - but only if you are physically unable to do your work (the word "physically" is a concern here) - and crucially, only after you've worked there for a year. If your doctor says that you qualify then you don't get paid for the time you take off - but the company shouldn't be able to fire you when you don't come to work.

So you need to somehow hang on until your first year is up. That means using your normal paid sick days and your vacation days judiciously - don't take a sick day unless you absolutely, utterly have to. I suppose you might be able to claim that your depression is a work-related injury and try for Workers' compensation - but that sounds like a hard thing to prove. What remains is to discuss it with your management and hope that they value your skills sufficiently to tolerate you taking unpaid leave. Depending on the nature of your job, they might be better off if you don't come to work on 'bad days' rather than paying you to do substandard work. But you've got to understand that if you are in any way replaceable - they may not be ready to negotiate - especially if they know that you'll potentially disappear for 12 weeks as soon as your first year is up.

Other possibilities include using 'flex-time' - build up hours of work on your good days (eg work a 10 hour day when you can) - head home early or come in late on bad ones - some companies don't mind that. Another thing that can help is if you can telecommute. Often you'll find yourself able to work at home when you can't stand going into the office. But again, it depends on the flexibility of the company. —Preceding unsigned comment added by SteveBaker (talk • contribs) 22:05, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

It can take a long time to find the right medication - but when you find it, it'll turn your life around. Good luck - I feel for you. SteveBaker 22:01, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Have you considered Vitamin P? I find it a little variable fom day to day but on the whole I am happier and it can also help regulate mood. (This is not medical advice.) Lanfear's Bane 08:21, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

Writing 'This is not medical advice' in a teeny-tiny font doesn't prevent it from being medical advice (and bad medical advice at that). People's tolerance for and benefit from various antidepressants varies wildly - and there seems to be no good way to predict which one will work the best at the outset. I know someone who had to try a dozen different treatments over about a year before finding one that worked for her. The trouble is that it can take more than a week for the drug to build up enough in your body to kick in - then you need a couple of weeks of taking the stuff to evaluate how well it works and what side-effects you're going to get - and if it's no good, you have to wait a couple of weeks for it all to flush out of your system before you can try a different one. So you can really only try one drug per month - and if it's really the 10th one that works - you'll spend a year trying to figure it out. Prozac is not a magic bullet for everyone - just take a look at side-effects list in our article. SteveBaker 16:03, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

For those that dont know clinically depressed can have severe physical reactions such as loss or difficulty of speech, limited movement, headaches, lethargy and aches...so yes there a few times that I am unable to PHYSICALLY work. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 170.220.2.13 (talk) 15:12, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

Yep - you, I and your doctor know that - which is why he says that FMLA applies. However, your management may not understand. SteveBaker 15:54, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

Steve, have you considered that "It can take a long time to find the right medication - but when you find it, it'll turn your life around", and your later post, which is focussed solely on medication, could also be construed as medical advice, and not necessarily good advice. There's a lot of debate about the best way to approach depression, but my own experience showed me that drugs alone are not the answer. They may relieve some of the symptoms, but they can never treat the underlying cause. I had one doctor say to me that (words to the effect of) "far too many doctors immediately prescribe medication for depression, but it should rarely be the first step and never the only step". -- JackofOz 05:06, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

High Deductible Health Plans and Health Savings Accounts

I would appreciate if someone could direct me to a source that could confirm that if funds are withdrawn from a health savings account to pay for eligible medical expenses, the amount withdrawn is credited against the deductible of the High Deductible Health Plan, and therefore reduces the deductible (or could possibly eliminate the deductible) for remainder of the plan year. Thank you Allouez 18:35, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

I don't think it works that way. Any expenses you have subject to a deductible should be submitted to your insurance company (preferably by the provider of service). They will then have a record of what you are going to have to pay "out-of-pocket." They don't really care where you paid it from, although using an HSA is probably the best idea. e.g. I had lots of lab tests done early this year, which the lab first said were worth $410. The negotiated charges with my insurance company brought that down to $49.13. I had to pay $13.46 for one test that wasn't covered, so my "in-network annual deductible" of $2500 was reduced to $2486.54. The balance ($35.67) was covered because I get $500/year worth of preventive maintenance (of which I now only have $464.33 left). I actually paid the $13.46 from my own checking account, because I am stupid and didn't use the debit card they gave me for the HSA. I'll figure that out at tax time. --LarryMac | Talk 19:06, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Thanks LarryMac. Excellent example and it cleas up a lot for me. Allouez —Preceding unsigned comment added by Allouez (talk • contribs) 21:18, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

north america

about north america. What is the mane of this culture area? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 204.69.4.81 (talk) 20:26, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

They vary, but the mullet is traditional. --Sean 20:35, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

From north to south, the major regions of North America are Canada, the United States, Mexico, and the Central American countries. There are significant cultural differences between these regions, and substantial variation even within them. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 21:03, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

The United States and Canada (or Canada except for Quebec depending on your definition) are part of a culture area sometimes called Anglo-America. This region occupies most of North America, but part of North America lies within Latin America. Marco polo 00:56, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

Women

there are only three types of women in this world, what are the types. it does not have to do with race, color or personality. can someone please help me. i cannot find the answer if my life depended on it etro---- —Preceding unsigned comment added by 151.196.108.226 (talk) 20:37, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

This is rather an odd question, as women like to think that they are all unique human beings, rather like men do. However maybe you are looking for something like Triple Goddess. SaundersW 20:43, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

There are various sorts of classification schemes by which one can divide people (or just women): social, scientific, religious, ethnic, economic.... There are also hundreds of jokes that start off with the line "There are only three (or two, or four) types of people (women) in this world...". You're going to have to be a bit more specific for us to take a shot at your question. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 20:58, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Ah, yes: There are 10 types of people in the world - those who understand binary and those who don't. SteveBaker 21:32, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

What about the other 1000 ... ? (Joseph A. Spadaro 03:51, 3 October 2007 (UTC))

This is unanswerable - there must be an infinite number of ways to map an arbitary grouping of unique objects according to an open set of criteria. Women who drive big cars, women who drive small cars and women who don't drive cars. I think we need a LOT more to go on here! Was this division made by a particular kind of pundit? In what context is the question asked? SteveBaker 21:32, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Or you can just go to your favorite Google-search-syntax-compatible-but-not-necessarily-google-because-they-aren't-the-only-game-in-town search engine and submit the following search verbatim:

   "there are only * types of * in the world those"

Using this approach, you might actually find the joke for which this line is the set-up, which may well be what you're after. If not, at least you'll have plenty of stuff to trawl through. dr.ef.tymac 21:56, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Update: (see Milkbreath's post below instead, it has a better search query). dr.ef.tymac 22:25, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Interesting question, and an excellent straight line. Hippocrates mentions three kinds of women and says they are bred by the three possible combinations of "male" and "female" seed from the mother and father. There is an Irish proverb, "stubborn as a mule, unruly as a hen, gentle as a lamb". I found these by googling on "'three kinds of women' joke". I only looked at the first few hits. --Milkbreath 22:02, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Those who can count and those who can't? FiggyBee 01:15, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

Hmm, I believe that three Archetypes of women universally found are the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone. Many productions of Macbeth draw on this-- as does Neil Gaiman inhis Sandman comics. Rhinoracer —Preceding signed but undated comment was added at 10:14, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

Indeed. Aren't they also represented in Norse mythology by the Norns? Certainly in works based on Norse legend, they tend to work that way. Of course, these archetypes probably tell you more about what roles women were generally expected to fill than about women themselves. (I know we all know this, but it probably needed saying anyway, particularly given some of the 'hilarious' comments posted...) Skittle 23:53, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

only 2, those who will sleep with you and those that wont

...and those who fall asleep on you. Clarityfiend 18:04, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

No, 3: those that will sleep with me, those that won't and those I haven't met yet. DirkvdM 08:12, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

The third set intersects with both your first and second sets, if I read you right. --Kushal^{Click me!} write to me 18:57, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

I don't know what the 3 types of women are, but I know what the 3 types of men who fail to understand women are - young men, old men and middle-aged men. -- JackofOz 10:11, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

HAHA. Good one JackofOz. --Taraborn 09:04, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

October 3

Rangers Champions League Jerseys

Why was the Carling logo on the jersies of Rangers FC blacked out in their game against Lyon in the Champions League? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.36.181.218 (talk • contribs)

It was because of French regulations on alcohol advertising, apparently. FiggyBee 01:23, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

This was the same reason that when the Welsh rugby team was sponsored by Brains brewery, when they played in France their shirts said "BRAWN" instead of "BRAINS". -- Arwel (talk) 18:33, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

Seminal Fluid

Does the amount and colour of seminal fluid produced by a male human remain the same throughout life or does it reduce with age and eventually run outWilliamlumsdon22 09:36, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

See the article on semen, first of all. From what I know, no, the amount that a male is able to produce does not remain the same throughout life and could probably even vary on a day-to-day basis, depending on the physical health of a peron. As for the colour, no idea. --Ouro (blah blah) 12:36, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

It should be clear to white (or maybe slightly yellow at the start if there's a bit of urine mixed in). Other colors could indicate medical problems and you should see a doctor, particularly pink or red, which could indicate the presence of blood. StuRat 13:18, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

But of course nothing you read here can be taken as medical advice, because we are not permitted to offer that. Edison 13:44, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

At age 74 I assure you the quantity and quality decline sharply. Also the desire!!! Make the most of youth.86.200.131.52 16:37, 3 October 2007 (UTC)oldman

Speak for yourself !! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 88.111.120.104 (talk) 16:52, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

maybe u should give your arm and your penis a break for a while —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.210.12.37 (talk) 22:38, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

you can say that again. --Kushal^{Click me!} write to me 18:56, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Category:Recipients of the Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)

Pleased that iv found some information but it only lists the people from letter B-W HOW DO I GET PAGE A and the other listings PLEASE —Preceding unsigned comment added by 213.122.47.130 (talk) 10:38, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

The list you see is all there is in this category. No Wikipedia articles in this category are indexed under A or under X, Y or Z. Gandalf61 10:50, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

Mapping Johnny Appleseed

My in-laws have shared that their northern Michigan stand of Wolf River apples were planted by Johnny Appleseed. They live near Curran, Michigan, which seems a little far north to me for his travels. Is there a map, or other account of all the places he visited?

Signed, Netwaggie —Preceding unsigned comment added by Netwaggie (talk • contribs) 13:51, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

Our article doesn't mention him going to Michigan. Rmhermen 17:31, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

You could try the sources and external links included in our article Johnny Appleseed, but I agree that his activity seems to have been focused on the Ohio River basin. Marco polo 17:49, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

This Harpers article says he traveled on an "old Indian trail that led from Fort Duquesne to Detroit", so it is possible. Clarityfiend 17:55, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

Not likely, if this is the Curran, Michigan in Alcona County some 200 miles north of Detroit (with no road connections) This area was settled after Appleseed died. Rmhermen 01:30, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

sewing machines

i am trying to locate a technical manual for a consew sewing machine model number cm3-602. can you help?—Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.54.92.149 (talk) 14:42, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

1. [13] seems to be a good place to start your search.
2. I get a bazillion Google hits for 'consew cm3 601' - but none at all for 'consew cm3 602'. Are you SURE it's a 602? At the very least, I'd take a look at the 601 information - when two machines of any kind only differ in the last digit of a big complicated serial number - you can usually bet they are almost identical.
3. Don't put your email address here - we don't reply by email.

SteveBaker 15:03, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

Hang on, won't people just not see that then wonder why they got no responses to their question? Vitriol 19:36, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

Possibly. Or they'll call back. We don't reply by email. Their providing us with an email address should not force our hand in this. See the third point on "how to ask a question" at the top of the page. --Tagishsimon (talk) 19:52, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

The OP didn't specifically ask for a reply via email - (s)he just dumped the email address into the question for no obvious reason. SteveBaker 19:58, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

yes the correct model is cm3-602 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.54.92.149 (talk) 20:38, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

Well, as I said - I could find not even one mention of the 602 - and a ton of mentions for the 601. In all likelyhood there is only some minor difference between them. If I were you, I'd definitely look at the 601 manual and see if the thing sounds like your machine. It may even end up describing the 602 in the 601's manual (maybe it's "The 600 series sewing machine" or something). But really, that's the best I could come up with. Good luck! SteveBaker 19:08, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Finding @ on a Spanish Keyboard????????

Last time when in Spain, I couldn't work out the keystroke(s) for @, when sending e-mails. But I eventually managed to deduce it lives alongside 2 other characters (unlike my UK Keyboard where it only has a ' for a neighbour). But I am returning next week for a holiday and can't remember what the Spanish keyboard looks like, and how to select the @ from it. Thanks in anticipation. 81.145.242.105 15:23, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

Yeah - '@' is next to '2' on a Spanish keyboard (not above it as on a US keyboard) - I forget how you get to it though.

If all else fails, you can always hit NumLock then hold down the Alt key and type the decimal ASCII code on the number pad and then release Alt. The ASCII code for '@' is 64. This method allows you to type absolutely any character on absolutely any keyboard. If you forget the ASCII code for '@' (and you can't get to ASCII to find out) - then find another '@' on the screen and do a copy/paste! SteveBaker 15:50, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

I'm pretty sure you hold 'alt' and strike '2', or it may be 'alt gr' and strike 2.Richard Avery 18:19, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

If we don't get a better answer here - you might try the Computer ref desk - or possibly even the Language ref desk. SteveBaker —Preceding signed but undated comment was added at 19:54, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

Richard Avery is correct - you should press AltGr and 2 to get @. Steewi 02:03, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

is Cirrus a credit card company?

Perhaps our Cirrus (interbank network) article will answer your question?

Atlant 16:49, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

Major League Soccer

The Major League Soccer page says that the league is organized by the USSF and the CSA, but does the CSA have any say over how MLS is run? 71.36.181.218 19:10, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

Is there a report on the news like this?

Is there a report on the news where there was a neighbor's dog that literally swallowed a cat whole? Can I read about it? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Sirdrink13309622 (talk • contribs) 19:18, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

No, there is not and no, you cannot. But here's[14] a story that mentions a dog swallowing a bra. --The Fat Man Who Never Came Back 23:36, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

Would have to be a big dog and a very small cat... Think outside the box 12:14, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

• Had the cat swallowed a bird to catch the spider which wriggled and jiggled inside her?hotclaws 08:56, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Girl

There's this girl at my school that I like. I heard she likes me. We're acquaniances and I don't know if she likes me. She's always with her friends and if she rejects me I don't want to be embarrassed in front of a group. How do I ask her out?--71.30.198.180 21:29, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

The reference desk is for factual questions. You may find a chat room or forum more suited to this question. Friday (talk) 21:31, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

God invented girls to embarrass boys and thus help to toughen them up into MEN. Enjoy the experience and learn from it - don't think you are alone !!!!!!!!!!!! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.145.242.105 (talk) 22:14, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

you really shouldn't be asking people at wikipedia, because they will tell you that this is a place for factual questions, when in fact, they just don't have any experience. but wat the guy above me just said is true, but i can't say that for Friday. I say that you should go for it, an indirect approach will be just as bad, so just go up to her and ask her out, if she says no, then oh well and then you move on. But if she says yes, act cool and don't scream yes or she'll change her mind. i would like to help you with the rest but i'm not hitch. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.210.12.37 (talk) 22:32, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

Just go up to her and make casual conversation and ask her out. It's not that hard. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.210.98.23 (talk) 22:40, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

Wait, you just heard that she likes you? Make sure she does, first? You don't have to ask her directly, just have a normal conversation (don't jump in asking her out) and see if she does. In Wikipeida, you might get away with that and say it's a primary source, but don't gamble on it in real life. --142.132.6.236 23:00, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

Leave her a note that says DO YOU LIKE ME PLZ CHECK ONE [ ] YES [ ] NO. I hear that's all how the hip kids do it. ;-) Anyway in my experience the best approach is to just think about it constantly and do nothing until you get to college and you'll find that the social situations are generally much more relaxed and you can all talk about how much you hated high school and how crappy people are at that age. --24.147.86.187 23:46, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

Um, don't listen to this guy. He forgot [ ] MAYBE --froth^t 18:19, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Also you misspelled PLZ (pls) and LIKE (leik) --froth^t 18:21, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Don't wait for her to ask you out she's probably waiting for you! If you don't want to ask her out in front of her friends just go up to her at her locker, make casual chitchat, then just ask her out. If you're not brave enough to ask her out in person you could just slip a cute note inside her locker (although there's a chance she could show it to all her friends). But whatever you do DO NOT get one of your friends to ask her out for you. Girls (I) hate that. --Candy-Panda 10:50, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

If your a girl make sure she also like girls, otherwise it could cause a scene. Check out who she looks at in class, if she stares at other girls in the class etc. If shes obviously into guys, and like queen of the school and enjoys all the guy attention then you may wana re-think. But if shes shy, maybe then you gotta chance. Good luck!!! Hyper Girl 12:41, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

As I think it was George Costanza once said (i paraphrase as forget the wording) after asking a girl out on the phone...She said yes? What did you do, I got off the phone as fast I could...(Jerry) exactly, it's like robbing a bank. You got get in and get out quick. What do I mean by this? Well the point is, if you go up and ask - no mater what the outcome, get outta there asap once you've done. ny156uk 16:26, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

My advise would be see what you have to lose and what you have to win and try to see whether it is a good gamble. Sometimes, you cannot jump on every chance you get. --Kushal^{Click me!} write to me 18:54, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

October 4

Stacy Arthur

I'm not really sure where to ask this as it pertains to an article but I'm also looking for references for said article so I thought the ref desk would be better... So, I'm just gonna ask... I'm trying to find a source for a bit of info that was in the article for Stacy Arthur. I removed it as it didn't have a source but I'd like to find a source. The info was that Arthur's husband was killed by a deranged fan shortly after she appeared in Playboy. So I went looking on the net and found a discussion between some fans that mentions a Entertainment Tonight report. The link to the online synopsis is dead. So after searching a bit more I found several references to a newspaper called The Cleveland Plain Dealer. But all I have is these links from the Cleveland Public Library: [15] [16] [17]. So can I use those as a source? I mean, I can piece together that her husband was killed by a fan named James Lindberg. And judging by those links, it happened in Oct/Nov 1991. So would this be a suitable source? And if not, or even if they can be, can anyone find a better source? Thanks for reading all that... Dismas|^(talk) 01:27, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Blackwater employee salaries

With all the attention Blackwater USA has been getting recently with their mercenary soldiers, I've been wondering, approximately how much does a medium-level Blackwater operative make in Iraq per year? EDIT: as well, what was Erik Prince's rank when he dropped out of the Navy? Thanks. Acceptable 01:57, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

this page tells a story of one recieveing $365,000 (about a thousand per day). It also says that provided you stay in the country for at least a year, the money is tax-free.this blog Notes the pay varies from 500 to 1000 USD per day, so somewhere wround $182,000. If you're looking for a "medium-level," let's use an arbitraty number of $750 per day, leading to a slarly of a little under $275,000. this page notes that the US government pays Blackwater security agents $1,222 per day when it needs them. For comparison purpose of all this, those sites are quoting $36,000 to $96,000 for an officer, or "$51,100 to $69,350 a year in salary, housing and other benefits" for a "top Army sergeant". --Ybbor^Talk 02:14, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Flywheel

Hi, i would like to have a brief, very simple description of a FLYWHEEL. This is for a High School Reasearch Assignment, and I will be very greatful for contributions. The Wikipedia and Simple English Wikipedias are too confusing. Pls help, thanks. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Erzhaosong2000 (talk • contribs) 03:43, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Please see question asked of you at Simple:Talk:Flywheel — User:ACupOfCoffee@ 06:11, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

It takes energy to get a wheel (any wheel) to rotate. If there is little friction (good bearings) then it will keep rotating a long time. When energy is needed, it can be taken from the wheel again. So it is a simple mechanical means of storing energy. The amount of energy stored is a function of the weight and the speed of rotation - making a heavier wheel rotate faster takes more energy. Another factor is the radius (size) because the further from the axis a part of the wheel is, the more energy it takes to make is rotate (can't think of a better way to say this). In the formula in the simple Wikipedia article, these are represented by M (mass), $\omega$ (angular velocity) and R (radius). Combining the two equations there gives $\omega$²MR²/4 (those equations could do with some more explanation if this is supposed to be 'simple'). A fly-wheel is not just any wheel, but specifically designed to store energy. So it should be heavy and/or rotate fast. For example, some buses have a fly-wheel that is used for stopping and starting. When the bus stops (eg for a traffic light), the fly-wheel is connected to the wheels, so the rotational energy is transferred to it, so the bus will slow down while the fly-wheel speeds up. Then, when the bus has to start driving again, it is connected again and the energy is transferred back. Of course, you wouldn't want to lug a heavy wheel around on a bus, so it is made of a lighter material that can withstand extremely fast rotation. Did that help? If so, I (or you) could add it to the article. DirkvdM 08:50, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Brief and simple description? A flywheel is a heavy wheel that stores energy by spinning. You store the energy by spinning the wheel, and extract the energy by having the wheel spin something else. (As Dirk says, it could spin very fast instead of being heavy, but you wanted simple) Kinder Surprise used to have a range of tiny flywheel-driven cars, which were useful for understanding this. If only I still had one... 79.65.119.193 10:19, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Ah, yes, those were cool. Funny, by the way. The name is a combination of German and English, but it was an Italian product. (Called Ferrero - I wonder if they also had Ferraris :) ). DirkvdM 18:47, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Erzhoasong, once again, could you please tell if my explanation (or the anon's) helped you? I'm especially interested in this case, not just because I want to improve the article, but also because I like to reduce things to their simplest form and wonder if I succeeded. DirkvdM 06:24, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

the colors and thier meanings of Italy's flag

For a school project I need to know the meanings of the colors of the Italian flag(ie) red is for , white is for, and greens is for??????????? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.217.55.183 (talk) 04:29, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

See Flag of Italy. 75.121.168.218 04:47, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

The short version of which is "<shrug> nobody knows". SteveBaker 20:56, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Tomatoes, cheese and spinach? DuncanHill 21:13, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

We don't need such flippant answers. The green is obviously pesto. —Nricardo 23:17, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

For pizza Margherita it's Tomatoes, Mozzarella and Basil, but that's from the flag to the pizza, instead of the other way around. -- 72.33.121.200 19:18, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

electric locomotives,traction,signalling-the working principles

header 1	header 2	header 3
row 1, cell 1	row 1, cell 2	row 1, cell 3
row 2, cell 1	row 2, cell 2	row 2, cell 3

Is this the most enigmatic "question" ever? -- JackofOz 04:50, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

And did you deliberately add to the confusion by not indenting your post? It now looks like you asked the 'question'. Are you aiming for an aura of enigmaticism? DirkvdM 08:54, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

No. Yes, I guess it does (now fixed). No, my existing aura is more than adequate for that purpose. -- JackofOz 10:08, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Somebody fill out the table, for crying out loud. --Ouro (blah blah) 11:37, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Perhaps electric locomotive, traction, and railway signal will be of aid. — Lomn 12:53, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Possibly the answers were supposed to go it the table provided?87.102.94.194 15:21, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Oh! It's a table! I thought it was a map of a really small prison. SteveBaker 18:59, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

co-operation agreement

Does Jahangir Nagar university have co-operation areement with the university of oslo in Norway? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.189.224.2 (talk) 05:56, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Dunno, I couldn't find anything like that - but they have a seriously awful website. Their webmaster clearly doesn't know the difference between local filepaths and URL's - so the page probably looks great from his computer - but nobody else on the planet can see it! [18] ! SteveBaker 19:23, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Wikipedia equivalent of "set"

Out of pure, banal interest, I was wondering what the Wikipedia equivalent of "set" is. In other words, in the OED, the word "set" has the most different definitions of any word. What Wikipedia disambiguation has the most pages pointing away from it? Batmanand | Talk 09:23, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Single letter disambiguation pages, such as A (disambiguation), are very long; Do the links have to point the a page with the same name as the disambiguation page, or just any link in general? --antilived^{T | C | G} 10:40, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

I was thinking, as with dictionaries, that they have to be pointing to the same word or phrase. Batmanand | Talk 13:14, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Then I give you ... John Smith. --Tagishsimon (talk) 13:26, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

• The answer is "Greatest Hits", with 299 articles. The first legit one (different meanings, rather than just being a glorified category) is "Big Brother", with 89. For the hell of it, I downloaded all the titles from Special:Allpages and counted which titles were most commonly disambiguated with parentheses. Here are the ones with 30 or more: User:TotoBaggins/Articles with 30 or more disambiguators. --Sean 17:25, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

  Most of the "Big Brother" entries are just versions of the reality TV series in different countries, though. I'd say the highest legit one in your list is probably "Angel", although the count for that does include several songs, films and fictional characters. And just what the heck is it with Romanian rivers named "Valea Mare", anyway? (Answer to self: apparently Râul Valea Mare means "Big Valley River" in Romanian, and also apparently Romanians aren't the most creative of people when it comes to naming rivers. Also, it seems a user has been going around creating stubs on every river in Romania here.) —Ilmari Karonen (talk) 23:54, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

I think that would be the List of albums titled Greatest Hits page. -- JackofOz 23:59, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Cycle ball in America

I search clubs for Cycle ball in America. I play this sport in Germany, but there must exist some clubs in America. In this List I found two player from USA (Berry Charles / Yarbrough Kavin) but I don´t know where the are come from. Many thanks for every information. -- sk 12:30, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

I think that this sport is virtually unknown in the United States. After some web searching, I could find only a few mentions of the sport as something strange that is played outside of the United States. In fact, I don't think that the sport has an established name in the English language. In the web, I saw it called "cycle ball", but also "bike ball" and "bicycle soccer". If it ever became popular in the United States, it would probably be known at first as "bicycle soccer". If there are American players, my guess is that they learned the sport in Europe and played on European teams. Marco polo 17:03, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Not quite the same, but since Marco responded, it's now completely on topic: Bicycle Polo. jeffjon 18:41, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Now that you mention it, I'd completely forgotten about that sport where you knock Marco around a field with a bent stick. :-) SteveBaker 18:52, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Unfortunately, they haven't forgotten that sport at my workplace. :-) Marco polo 16:07, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Cycle polo and Cycle ball are different sports! I only search clubs for Cycle ball. -- sk 08:27, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Gold tooth

What is the procedure for putting in a gold tooth? And how does it hold in there? I couldn't find an article on it. Keria 15:27, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Are we talking crowns or 'grills' here? You could have a peek at the article on both, they both cover methods of installation. Lanfear's Bane 15:32, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

See also Dental implant Rmhermen 15:46, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

B.Sc.

For the first time in my life, I have an academic degree. I am a Bachelor of Sciences. What can I actually do with this degree? I have absolutely no interest in pursuing an academic career, I want to work in software development in privately- or state-owned companies. JIP | Talk 17:17, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Basically you can get a job that requires a B.S., that's pretty much the point of it --froth^t 18:20, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Yep - there are lots of non-academic jobs that require a BSc before they'll even glance at your resume...especially in the field of software development where it's very tough indeed to get a job without having a degree. Is there any specific field within Software dev that takes your fancy? (I used to develop software for flight simulation - and nowadays I work in computer games - perhaps I can offer you some needed advice or answer questions about the practicalities of these kinds of careers.) SteveBaker 18:48, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

I have got three jobs in software development without any academic degree. The first two by posting a Usenet message asking for a job. For the first, I got one reply, for the second, I got two. The third was by actually asking the company, which I got to know through a former co-worker who also works there. From what I've learned, in software development (particularly in the down-to-the-dirt coding I'm interested in) experience is much more valuable than official degrees or qualifications. At least in the private sector, I have never worked in the public sector. JIP | Talk 19:09, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Ah, so that's what the last bit of your question was about. I was already wondering what third option there might be. Btw, I'll refrain from making jokes about the abbreviation, because I'm sure they've all been done already. :) DirkvdM 06:34, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

To a point, you're right. In terms of what is actually valuable to a company, experience is critical - being a good programmer is all about having a million little snippets of code in your head that you can drop down onto the page without thinking about it. You can't teach more than a few hundred of those snippets - the rest is all down to experience. However - in terms of getting a job - you've got to get your resume seen and get yourself at an actual interview before your experience can really show through - and when 50 people apply for a job and the human resources people have to cull it down to 5 to come for an interview, they cull pretty brutally - and people with no degree get culled out soonest. You can sometimes get a job by happening to know someone or by being in the right place at the right time - but that's not a reliable way to find work. I honestly don't think that jobs where you program on the bare metal are any different. The work is certainly a heck of a lot easier than fighting with a gigantic pile of middleware and operating system (trust me, I've done both) - but even so, I think most employers work the same. It's not about the engineering - it's about the human resources people. Personally - as a programmer who has been a team leader - I'd settle for experience over a degree anytime (assuming programming is the only skill required - of course that's not often the case). SteveBaker 12:00, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Machine guns

How do belt fed machine guns get rounds into the chamber? After the first round is fired after you place the round on the belt has always confused ForeverDEAD 17:37, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Belt (firearm) has some info and an illustration. Not sure whether you're asking about the belt specifically, or autoloading guns in general. See also Semi-automatic firearm. Friday (talk) 17:40, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Belt-fed machine guns include a mechanism to move the belt along, bringing the next round in the belt into place to be loaded in the chamber. They use the energy of the recoil from the first round to open the chamber, eject the round, and feed the next one in. - Eron ^Talk 17:49, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Thank you, I knew how normal box fed worked just belt confused me ForeverDEAD 18:28, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Did Sir Roger Casement have a sister who became (or already was) a Catholic Nun?

I was brought up and educated in the North East of Yorkshire in England some 60 years ago, and have always believed, though I know not from what source, that one of my teachers in my Primary School (York Street Infants' School) who was a Nun who lived in a local Convent belonging to The Sisters of Mercy there, was the sister (sibling) of the renowned and executed-for-treason Irish Freedom Fighter (during the Irish Easter Uprising), Sir Roger Casement (the Knighthood being subsequently withdrawn by the then British Government). I have researched many online web pages about Sir Roger, but can find no mention of the Sister. Any info. would be most gratefully received. Thanks for any help forthcoming. 81.145.241.198 19:24, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Correction - I have just been informed it was not Sir Roger Casement - it was instead James Connolly,another Irish Easter Uprising martyr, whose sister Elizabeth subsequently went on to become a teaching Nun in my Primary School. Thanks anyway. 81.145.240.116 23:14, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Jolly Ranchers and Windows

Ok.. so me and a few friends went rolling and one of my friends decided to stick the jolly ranchers onto a few windows by licking them and placing them onto the windows.

We were told by someone else that all it would do was cement itself to the window but after awhile it would just slowly fade away with a lot of water.

So I was wondering if jolly ranchers really do any harm to windows. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.245.76.224 (talk) 20:53, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

From what I know, no. It's just sugar (etc.) and the window is made of glass, so no harm done, other than annoying the person who owns the window :) --PolarWolf ( grrr... ) 21:28, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

It sounds weirdly pretty, if one was deliberate about color choice. --Masamage ♫ 21:32, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Well... The girl who's window we put jolly ranchers on was really mad about it. Like really. (she didn't know it was us who did it.. long story. lol) and a few of her friends and her were saying that the saliva was acidic and could break the windows (haha) and one even said that putting saliva onto open wounds could cause you to get infected or die (which he said he saw on some educational show). yeah.. I have REALLY smart classmates let me tell you. lol.

But the girl's mom is upset about it and I think it might be because it left behind some of the coloring on the windows because i know they got the jolly ranchers off. But I don't know.

It might be a nice idea to offer to clean their windows as a way of apologising. DuncanHill 22:47, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Well, saliva is not really acidic to any degree that can affect glass (I don't know its ph off hand but it can't be very high or you'd know it if it, say, got on your hands, etc.). Perhaps her friends were mistaking the fact that saliva contains enzymes which can break down food with the fact that it is acidic. In any case, it's probably a mess to clean up, but I don't think it can permanently damage the glass. Some soap and hot water should take it off with a bit of friction. --24.147.86.187 23:06, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

The average pH of human saliva is around 6.5. That's considerably less acidic than rainwater. FiggyBee 01:24, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Thought experiment: What to they make laboratory flasks and test tubes out of? Glass maybe? So how resistant to acid do you think glass is? No, there is no conceivable ingredient in candy that's going to eat away at a window. It's going to go away as soon as there is enough water around because most of whats in the candy dissolves in water. The only possible way it could harm the window would be some kind of bizarre thermal thing where maybe the glass wants to expand or contract and the candy doesn't or something - which could just maybe crack the glass - but I really seriously doubt that. SteveBaker 12:06, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Creating pages in a different way

Is it possible to create the same page but in a different light?

Remember, what looks good to me, is also looking good to you. Ericthebrainiac 22:04, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

I'm not sure what you mean (or why you are linking so many words), but if you are asking, can there be two versions of a page on the same subject in Wikipedia, portraying it in different ways?, the answer is "no, that isn't supposed to be allowed," but as Wikipedia is large and decentralized you can sometimes get things of that nature, and there is always going to be case that articles will have different slants depending on the specificity of the subject matter (an article on IQ differences among races is going to spend a lot more time presuming IQ differences of some sort than an article about the social construction of race would; in theory these are not at all incompatible but in practice the articles get edited by different editors, people with different agendas come along, and even a well-disciplined, good-faith effort towards NPOV will lead to two apparently contradictory articles). But in general Wikipedia's organizational policies subscribe to something of a nested-but-atomic theory of knowledge, whereby any given thing should be represented once specifically but be part of a series of nested articles of greater and lesser specificity and/or greater and lesser divergence from topic. If that makes any sense. Very short answer: don't make duplicate articles with difference slants. --24.147.86.187 23:03, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

The one case I am aware of that takes different approaches to the same topic is General relativity vs. Introduction to general relativity. Unless you're dealing with something as complex as space-time however, this probably isn't necessary. --Ybbor^Talk 01:41, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

About that second line, browsers are not wysiwyg, so no. DirkvdM 06:37, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Hydromorphone abuse?

I hope this isn't a medical question. After surgery of a broken foot, doctors prescribed me some pills Hydromorphone painkillers. Seeing as the name contains part of the word "morphine", I became curious. What is the difference between hydromorphone and morphine that inclines doctors to prescribe to me hydromorphone instead of morphine? Per mass, how does hydromorphone compare with pure morphine in terms of potency? Thanks. Acceptable 22:54, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Of course it's a medical question. You mean you hope it won't get deleted. DirkvdM 06:41, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

It's a medical question, but it's not a medical advice question - it's not describing symptoms or asking for a diagnosis or course of action. It's just asking for information that could be found in a pharmacy reference book. Anyway, our article on hydromorphone seems to contain most of the answers. Gandalf61 09:50, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Polystyrene foam

My laying hens love eating styrene foam.Is it harmful to them and can it be harmful to humans by eating the eggs or flesh of the poultry? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 202.61.206.171 (talk) 23:07, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

You may want to read the relevant section of our Polystyrene article (but note that it's uncited, so take it with a grain of salt). That said, since it is commonly used to package food, I doubt it'll release anything acutely poisonous. As for what it does to the chickens, I'd recommend asking a veterinarian. I wouldn't really expect it to be good for their health, though. —Ilmari Karonen (talk) 00:08, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Original research warning!! I have had chickens for a couple years now. In the last house I lived in they pecked away at the foam insulation that skirted the house. They didn't seem to be affected by it and neither were the eggs. They stopped doing it when we moved. We also had to replace those panels before we got hosed on our security deposit... but it was cheaper to replace the panels. Dismas|^(talk) 03:50, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Some foam peanuts are actually cornstarch even though they look like polystyrene, so they are edible (but rather bland).--Shantavira|^{feed me} 10:14, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Polystyrene is not in any way biodegradable - which means that the chickens can't digest it. This is both good news and bad news. It means that you aren't going to suffer from eating eggs or flesh from these chickens. However it's also not good news for the chicken because it can't digest the plastic. There was a piece on NPR the other day about some kind of seabirds off on some remote island whom researchers were concerned about (I don't recall the details - sorry) - they discovered that the young birds had their stomachs partially filled with plastic which just sat there because they couldn't digest it and it didn't pass out of their gut naturally. This reduced the volume of the bird's stomach and prevented them from getting adequate nutrition. So I think you should keep the plastic away from the chickens if you want them to remain fat and juicy and to lay decent eggs - but I don't think you have to worry for your own safety. SteveBaker 12:16, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

• They were talking about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. As for the chickens, maybe you should give them a supply of small stones, which I believe they like to eat as a kind of digestif. Presumably the instinct to do so is what's got them eating your styrofoam. --Sean 13:03, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Chickens will naturally seek out those "stones" from the ground if they aren't kept in cages and have access to dirt. For those kept in cages, they need some form of poultry grit (we probably don't have a link to that since it would be a dict def at most) in order to help digest grain. Grain and grit are mixed together in the chicken's gizzard. The grit helps break down the grain into more digestible pieces since chickens don't have teeth to chew their food. Dismas|^(talk) 13:54, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

value of a book

what is the value of the book called the rosary by Florence L. Barclay first edittion purple hard cover. excellent condition 1911 printed by G.P.Putnam's sons New York and London the nickerbocker press and it has been signed on the inside cover using old ink well ink and feather in fancy style writting and it reads as to Mrs Margaret Higgins from George april 22/11 thank you hurmit2003 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.69.233.123 (talk) 23:44, 4 October 2007 (UTC)

Is this it?

I don't think there is any way for anyone here to find a good answer for this question. I would take the book to a specialist at book valuation. The book isn't signed by the author - so I doubt it has any special value in that regard. Some people collect first editions though - so that might add to its value. But since the book was published in 1909 - and yours is dated 1911 - it's hard to see how it could be a first edition?!? We have an article about Florence L. Barclay and about the book The Rosary - which was a best seller in 1910. This page has much more information about printing runs and publishers. You need an expert to value it though - perhaps it's worth emailing the address at the bottom of that website? SteveBaker 12:26, 5 October 2007 (UTC)everything that describes this book in the 20th century american best sellers research matches the book I have. it has a linnen cloth sticthed over the book to protect the purple book. yes the picture you asked if it was the book I have. it is the same book but my book is in better condition it is not all warn out.and the dates on it is the same it was published in 1909 but the writting sighned in the front cover to mrs margaret higgins from george has 1911. you have to see it to belive it. thank you hurmit2003 the only difference I see is my Book has embroided floral design made like a frame around the tital and author on the front cover.

Laying an egg

Does it hurt when laying an egg? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 88.109.121.209 (talk) 01:22, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

I doubt anyone here has any experience... FiggyBee 01:29, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Aw c'mon, dont be a chicken! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 88.109.121.209 (talk) 01:53, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

That's interesting. It's probably something that can be studied; whether the pain receptors are active during egg-laying, or whether the critter gives signs of being distressed. I don't know the relative size of egg to cloaca, but since it hurts a lot when humans give birth, it probably hurts at least a little for egg-laying creatures. (Except, you know. Fish.) --Masamage ♫ 06:02, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

I thought about that too at first, but I believe that humans are somewhat of an exception here because of our big heads, combined with the way we walk; a larger opening would require a layout of the pelvis that would make walking upright more difficult. Not sure about the second bit, but the big head is certainly a factor. However, chickens are also exceptional in that they are bred (ie not 'natural'). In casu to produce very big eggs, which is rather similar to the big head thing. Might an indicator be how many chickens die during 'childbirth'? DirkvdM 06:51, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Said opening gets much, much larger during childbirth, of course. Most of the worst pain is from the contractions, not the actual birth. --Masamage ♫ 17:20, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Corollary: Perhaps it could be compared to childbirth? The opinions are divided as to the objective level of pain that is inflicted upon the mother, maybe it's similar? (oh, just read Masamage's answer above to the end) --Ouro (blah blah) 08:31, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

I don't know the answer but maybe this anecdote can help somebody determine whether it is painful or not. I saw once on TV a huge chicken egg, it appeared to double in width an average one. It looked really massive. After showing the egg, the farmer showed the ass of the prodigious chicken. The animal had the anal sphincters completely destroyed. --Taraborn 09:19, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

• That chicken's doing it wrong. --Sean 13:04, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

That's not something you want to read whilst having your breakfast :( Lemon martini 11:15, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Regarding the whole chicken vs. human debate, humans can only have one child every nine or so months. That's assuming they become pregnant immediately following the birth of the previous child of course. But chickens lay an egg a day (roughly, I know they take a day or two break between laying clutches). Their bodies are used to poppin' one of those out more often than a human is a child. The first couple may be hard for the chicken but beyond that I would think it becomes old hat. Although, when a chicken first starts to lay eggs, the eggs aren't as large as they will eventually become. When a chicken first starts laying eggs, those eggs are only half the size of eggs that they will lay once they mature fully. I've even checked our nest boxes here at home to find eggs no larger than a robin's egg (maybe an inch long). Dismas|^(talk) 13:44, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

• I agree. Also, eggs are much more "vagidynamic" than small humans. I recently watched an egg emerge from a chicken (into my hand!), and there was no visible difficulty or straining, and the chicken didn't make any noise. I don't believe it was painful. --Sean 13:58, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

They will occaisionally cluck when it's done but that's about it. Dismas|^(talk) 14:20, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Army field surgeon vs hospital surgeon

How does a US army field medic (corpsman?) compare with a general/trauma surgeon found in US hospital in respect to years of experience and general quality? Thanks. Acceptable 01:29, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

A corpsman is a Navy medic. But a field medic or a corpsman is like an EMT. A surgeon is a doctor with several additional years of training. Rmhermen 02:34, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

On a battlefield, would an Army field medic be certified to perform surgery on injured soldiers? Acceptable 15:48, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Women heads of government in Islamic nations

A woman holding the premiership of an Islamic country seems like a contradiction. Yet, it's happened in places like Pakistan and Indonesia. Given the suppression of women in public life in these countries, how is it acceptable to men that they lead the country? 75.36.37.72 01:53, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

See Women and Islam#Women and politics and also Female political leaders in Islam and in Muslim-majority countries. It is interesting that there is also a historical precedent of Islamic women involved in politics, for instance Aisha, Ume Warqa, Samra Binte Wahaib, Razia Sultana, Delhi Sultanate, and Shajar al-Durr. Never the less there is a disputed Sunni hadith, , which condemns a woman’s involvement in politics. --S.dedalus 02:10, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Where did you get that quote? The article says the hadith says "people with a female ruler will never be successful". Which is not quite the same. And if you want worse stuff said about women, you might as well look at the bible - stoning and such. The decisive thing here is that these scriptures are very old, written in a period with completely different beliefs. DirkvdM 07:25, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Defensive much? :) Given the quote you provided I'd say S.dedalus' paraphrase was fairly accurate, or at least a logical extrapolation; saying it's not quite the same sounds like hair-splitting. Given the initial question, your comparison to the bible is a bit of a non sequitur and sounds like trying to change the subject; though if you're arguing that both religions contain elements of sexism and misogyny, I wont disagree. Finally, considering that many adherents of these religions believe in their scripture's inerrancy (or some variation thereof) I'd hardly say that being able to view them in their historical and cultural contexts is "the decisive thing". According to many, many people we are talking about the "Living Word of God" not some cultural relics whose outdated notions of sexual equality are easily cast aside in favor of a more enlightened view. 38.112.225.84 13:57, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Suppression of women in public life in 'these' countries? Which countries? Indonesia? Where did you get that idea? Have you been there? You must have some very strong indications for this (which I haven't seen when I was there) because the one indication you present goes against it. Or are you just falling for the hype? I know it takes a strong mind to resist that, but think about it. Apart from what you've been seeing on tv, what do you really know? You know that these countries have had a female leader, something that hasn't happened yet in many of the 'advanced' female-friendly countries in the West. Instead you might wonder why that is. Take the biggest example, the US. There has not been a single female (or black, or gay, or ... ?) president yet and the congress only has 16% women. Don't believe the hype. Women are second rate citizens the world over. And in as far as religion is a decisive factor, it's not quite unique to to islam. If fanatic christians were scrutinised as much as fanatic muslims, that would also open up a pile of filth. Recently, concerning islam, the handful of bad muslims get all the attention, while the handful of bad christians get more and more votes. DirkvdM 07:14, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Again...I agree the original questioner seems to be falling prey to the seemingly common inability of many Westerners (read: Americans) to distinguish between various Muslim countries, groups and ideologies. Careful reading up on the subject would indeed help allay some of these misconceptions. A country with a predominately Muslim population does not necessarily mean the government is a fundamentalist theocracy or follows, for example, Wahabism.

In this context, saying that, "women are second rate citizens the world over", is rather disingenuous. While in a general sense one could argue the truth of this statement, it does not follow that therefore all countries' treatment of women is equally bad. Women here in America, for example, have much greater freedom, equality and opportunity than their counterparts in, say, Saudi Arabia. So, soapboxing aside, I'd agree with you that the questioner has much room to expand his knowledge of Islam and its various incarnations both political and religious. 38.112.225.84 14:13, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

• FYI Dirk: in English there is a distinction between "second rate citizen" and "second class citizen". The former means that the women are citizens of poorer quality, while the latter means that their citizenship (rights, etc.) is of poorer quality. --Sean 14:54, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

• I think it's unfair to jump on the questioner just for adding Indonesia to the mix, when it really is a curiosity that a place like Pakistan, where the situation for women is indeed horrible, can elect a female leader, while places like the US and France, where the situation for women is incomparably better, have not yet managed to do so. --Sean 15:09, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

The sailing schedule in 1967-1968 for the Italian Line passenger ship Cristoforo Colombo

My family (Margaret MacNeil, Mary MacNeil, Dennis MacNeil, Susan MacNeil, Katherine MacNeil and an employee Mafalda Bergamo, sailed on this ship to return to the US after several years in Italy. They would have arrived in New York City in June, 1967 or 1968. I'm wondering if any of the passenger manifests from the Cristoforo Colombo are available for reseach. I realize that it is too much to expect that they might be online, but if there is an archive available I'd appreciate any contact info available. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.204.241.238 (talk) 02:17, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

• The sailing schedule is easy to find, or at least the arrival and departure dates from any ship are; the New York Times online archives include logs for all ships. I searched for "Cristoforo Colombo" in 1967-1968 and found, for example, that it arrived in NY on June 14, 1967, and departed for Gibraltar the following day. Passenger manifests, I have no idea. --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 15:14, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

how'd this guy get off so light?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Thomas_Sweeney

would court records tell why? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.217.195.89 (talk) 04:20, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

He was convicted of Voluntary manslaughter not murder. In the US that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. This leniency is presumably because voluntary manslaughter is carried out under “circumstances that would cause a reasonable person to become emotionally or mentally disturbed.” --S.dedalus 05:49, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

That is a federal sentencing guideline for trials in federal courts. Sweeney was convicted in California court where the maximum may be different. (This link says 11 years max.[19], this one says 16 years[20]) Rmhermen 06:57, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

I found: "193. (a) Voluntary manslaughter is punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for 3, 6, or 11 years." from CALIFORNIA CODES PENAL CODE SECTION 187-199 [21] The short sentence is for mitigating circumstances, the midle for ordinary, the longest for aggraved circumstances (like previous violent convictions). Rmhermen 07:04, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Planning for a bleak future

Assuming a worst case scenario in the future where:

1. Global warming has reached or exceeded predicted levels.
2. The rising sea level has reached or exceeded predicted levels
3. War, rioting, and economic chaos are universal (perhaps caused by dwindling oil supplies).
4. Worldwide communication and transport are restricted or nonexistent.
5. Epidemics of diseases like Bird flu, Smallpox and Ebola are common.

What would be the best and safest geographic location to be at? Sources would be appreciated, but are not required. Thanks --S.dedalus 06:34, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Global warfare and disease epidemics? The moon would be my favourite. FiggyBee 07:02, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Haha! I promise I won’t sue Wikipedia in a hundred years if I die from a combination of mob violence, drowning, Ebola, and heatstroke as a result of bad advice. :) --S.dedalus 07:05, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

War, rioting and economic chaos have always been a part of human societies. We actually see less of the first two in the West since WWII (demonstrations are nothing compared to riots in the times of kings and all-out capitalism). So the West is a good place to be now. Worldwide communication and transport have never been as big as they are now. People complain too much. We've never had it so good (materially speaking, at least). Concerning diseases, I don't know if they're more common these days (and am curious). On the one hand we have better medical care, but on the other hand overpopulation and increased intercontinental transportation and in the case of lifestock inbreeding and huge monocultures are good breeding grounds for epidemics. I don't know which of these is a stronger factor. Which leaves global warming. And there again, it's best to be in a rich country, which has the means to fight the effects of it. DirkvdM 07:47, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Antarctica? --Masamage ♫ 07:51, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Damn, I now see I've misread the question. You're asking 'what if'. But the answer remains the same, I suppose. Be where the money is. Or maybe not? You are in part talking about the breakdown of what those rich societies are built on. So maybe somewhere where people aren't dependent on it and can still 'live off the land' would be better then. Yesterday I watched a documentary (tribe) about the Penan, some of whom still live as hunters/gatherers. They're also very friendly and welcoming people. Their habitat is largely destroyed, though. Transportation breaking down would be a real saviour for the little remaining primary lowland rainforest. But the disaster would then have to strike very soon, before that is also gone. And of course we couldn't all go there, but I doubt if many would want to (thinking they're dangerous savages, the opposite of which is true). Of course there is one problem with your question. If worldwide transportation has broken down, how would you get there? DirkvdM 07:57, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Anywhere as long as you are Emperor of the World. 81.241.103.75 08:12, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Let's see. You'd want a large, easily defended, self-sufficient, impregnable structure, well above sea-level, with its own water supply, and protection against biological and chemical contamination. Sounds like Cheyenne Mountain to me. Gandalf61 09:35, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

1. Global warming has reached or exceeded predicted levels. - So not close to the equator.
2. The rising sea level has reached or exceeded predicted levels - Inland and 30' above sea level (at least)
3. War, rioting, and economic chaos are universal (perhaps caused by dwindling oil supplies). - So you need to be away from where other people are likely to be - and yet be self-sufficient so you can survive economic chaos.
4. Worldwide communication and transport are restricted or nonexistent. - Since you need to be away from the rioting, this may actually help you stay away from those people.
5. Epidemics of diseases like Bird flu, Smallpox and Ebola are common. - If civilisation has collapsed, forget about modern medicine - so, again, you need to be far away (and out of reach) of other people.

So an otherwise more or less uninhabited island - at a reasonable distance from the equator - high enough to stay out of the way of rising sea levels - but with enough arable land and a sensible enough climate to make subsistance farming possible. Tricky. Islands that are high enough above the ocean to avoid the rising sea levels tend to be pretty rocky - which is not good for farming. This is really a problem in general because most fertile land came to be that way because of being in the flood plain of a large, sluggish river...sadly, those are the places that will be under the ocean if there is a large sea level rise. Another problem is that an awful lot of other people are going to be having the same idea - so the really good places may turn out to be battlegrounds anyway. For that reason, it might be worth looking for someplace livable - but sub-optimal. SteveBaker 12:42, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Also, a lot of answers will presuppose some kind of survivalist skillset, so if you're lacking in this area you might want to brush up. If you are truly worried about such scenarios I'd also stress the importance of preparation; it's never too early to start caching :). Personally, I'm looking at the Desolation Sound as my post-apocalyptic destination of choice. All the fish and game you could want for, with extremely remote locations, many accesible only by boat. 38.112.225.84 14:21, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

That could be a good choice. I've often considered the interior part of New Zealand's South Island - perhaps the area around Wanaka as a possibility. - Eron ^Talk 14:37, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

I've been thinking along similar lines for a few years now. I disagree that survivalism is a realistic option and would counsel against a very remote location. No individual or family can really be sulf-sufficient in maintaining tools, equipment, and anything metal, and it would be extremely difficult for a single family to be really self-sufficient in food and clothing. For this reason, I think it would be wise to seek not just a relatively safe location but also a community that is likely to 1) welcome strangers and 2) stand together in providing community security and mutual aid. Of course, if you have a couple hundred friends with a diverse skill set, you could found such a community, but this is not an option for most. Given these criteria, I think that the best choice would be a small town in a somewhat isolated location, but not a small town that is too insular or tight-knit for an outsider to become a part of the community. In terms of avoiding nuclear fallout, a location in the South Pacific, such as New Zealand, is probably ideal, and it has a tradition of immigration that probably works in an immigrant's favor, particularly if the immigrant can manage to look and more or less act like a native New Zealander. Because New Zealand is VERY far from everyone I know and love and because it would take some effort for me to immigrate to New Zealand legally, I personally am considering a locale in Canada that I prefer not to name. Marco polo 16:24, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Tell us!!!! (P.S. I was just kidding about Desolation Sound area, it would be terrible place to retreat to, I meant the Yukon) I agree that a hard-core hermit style survivalism scenario is not optimal for the reasons you list and a few others to boot. Nevertheless, certain skills, many of which roughly fall within the rubric of "survivalism", would be indespensible to a required self-sufficiency (individual or small-community wise) in the proposed scenarios. Skills which are notably absent for many of us used to modern convenience. Also, an extremely important factor which you should not neglect to consider in lurid detail is: Choosing the right mate(s) to repopulate the planet with. Think, birthing hips, etc... 38.112.225.84 17:41, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

world

What is the length of the English Channel in kilometers?

• What is the world's oldest known city?

• Who was the first Republican President of America?

• Which country is known as Sugar Bowl of the world?

• Name the founder of Red Cross Society? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 202.124.160.211 (talk) 09:44, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Question 2: Damascus. Question 3: Abraham Lincoln. Rhinoracer 10:30, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Question 1 The boundries are too blurred to define the length.--88.111.120.104 12:39, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

You really should do your own basic searches before coming here. All but one of these answers can be found with the simplest of Wikipedia searches.

• Henry Dunant founded the Red Cross (it's right there in Red Cross.
• The greatest quantity of sugar comes from Latin America, the United States, the Caribbean nations, and the Far East (that's in Sugar). I couldn't find any references to "The Sugar Bowl of the World" that seem pertinant - but if I had to guess, I'd say Barbados.
• The English channel is 560 km (350 miles) long (that's from English Channel) - I agree with 88.111.120.104 that the limits of the channel are ill-defined, but that's a reasonable figure.

SteveBaker 12:55, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

The answer to question three could have easily been found in the introduction to Republican Party (United States). Dismas|^(talk) 13:05, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

I'd be careful about Damascus. It's generally regarded as the oldest continuously inhabited city, but I'd bet there are ruined cities that are older and that are known to us. -- JackofOz 14:56, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Isn't the oldest city Jericho? Rmhermen 15:08, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Ur of the Chaldees anyone? DuncanHill 15:50, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Don't forget about Çatalhöyük. -- 72.33.121.200 19:09, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Hey, questioner, are you going to make a donation to WP if you win the quiz? 86.17.50.12 17:58, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Well done 72.33.121.200 how could I have forgotten Çatalhöyük! DuncanHill 19:14, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

What does a trader do, really?

What is it really a trader (a stock trader, say) does to earn their living? It's obviously not simply pushing the buttons and clicking the mouse, so I conclude that they are actually taking decisions of what to buy and sell. But how can educated decisions be made in a few seconds (cause that's often the case, right?)? One might then imagine that they set up rules for themselves in advance to make the decision easy, like "When the price exceeds this value, I sell." or "When this quantity that I calculate goes below this other value, I sell.". If that is the answer, all those trades could (and should) be handled by a computer instead. So, what do they do, really? 130.237.48.27 10:58, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

What you're sort of describing is day trading and not everyone engages in that type of trading. People like stock brokers do make trades but they do it after quite a bit of research and requests from their clients. Perhaps those links will help you. Dismas|^(talk) 13:02, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

They have to read company prospectuses, research the past record of the company, looks at annual investor reports, look at market trends in their business sector, investigate their competitors, what technology is doing to their market, the track record of their managers, the state of pay in that sector of the market, the probable cost of raw materials in the future, etc. They aren't making decisions in a few seconds - they've already figured out which stocks to watch for and what they are worth. The 'snap decisions' are likely to be based on research they did in advance 'just in case'. Setting up those rules can often now be automated - you can certainly set up automatic buy and sell orders that are triggered on a specific set of conditions. However, "When the price exceeds the value" entails you knowing what the "value" is. Also, it's not the value NOW (because that's just the price) - it's the value at some time in the future that matters - and worse still, it's not just a matter of whether it'll be worth more - it's a matter of whether the time it takes to grow by a certain amount will exceed the probably return from other ways to invest the money. I think you are dramatically underestimating the work that is involved in doing this well. SteveBaker 13:08, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

(After edit conflict) Yes, a stock trader definitely does a lot more than just pushing buttons. A professional stock trader spends a lot of time watching the markets and talking to their counterparts in other firms, to work out who is likely to want to buy stock X and who is likely to want to sell stock Y. Trades themselves involve a degree of negotiation, so developing working relationships with other traders is important. Although a trader may work within a set of objective rules most of the time (although they may not be able to articulate them), a good trader will also recognise exceptional circumstances in which they should ignore the rules. A trader may occassionally be taking rapid, almost instinctive, decisions, but their instincts are based on years of experience - like a racing driver, airline pilot or surgeon. And even in more automated, humdrum and run-of-the-mill markets, it is often cheaper for a firm to hire a bunch of junior traders than to develop and maintain complex computer programs. Gandalf61 13:18, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Not really deja vu

Have you ever come across something that you hadn't heard of before twice in a really short time? It seems like this happens to me a lot, but I've never heard anyone mention it. Like I had never heard the phrase general practicioner to refer to a doctor before one day and I read it in some news story the next. Is there a word for this? Recury 14:48, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

I would have to go with coincidence, though you might be interested in the article synchronicity. 38.112.225.84 14:51, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

I absolutely recognise what you are saying. It has happened to me many times – too many times for me to think they are coincidences. I guess our minds are more likely to take notice of "general practicioner" after we have been introduced to the concept than before. I too would like to know what it is called. —Bromskloss 15:10, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

• I agree. This happens to me all the time after learning new words. I think the brain must just fill in an unknown word from context, much the way we fill in our blind spots from context. Another example is when I've bought a new car, I start to see that same model everywhere I look, whereas I had previously not noticed them at all. --Sean 15:20, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

I love coincidences and I hope there is a name for the effect Sean describes, I am very familiar with it. I love 47's and my house number is 23. Favourite one recently was lamenting in work how I had never been paintballing - fifteen minutes later my wife phones up and asks would I like to come paintballing with a group from her work. Also last night discussing the most inappropriate song for the DJ to accidently switch to during the bride and grooms first dance - later back at someones house, the third song of a random selection of a large .mp3 collection, the upon decided song. Lanfear's Bane 15:52, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

• From cognitive psychology, there is the recency effect, or it could be a form of "priming". Perhaps you see the word "osteopath,"(a type of healthcare practitioner), in a news story, and later in the day you see the term "general practitioner" (a basic family doctor). Each term is stored in memory, "primed" by the recent exposure, and at a higher level of activation than 20,000 other words or terms in your entire passive vocabulary, of all the words you may have seen at some previous time. Many of these words are not ones you would use, and you may not be sure of their meaning, like "defalcate" or "hemiola" (of course for some Wikipedians these may appear in every other sentence). The next day, you see "general practitioner" again in a news story (for instance discussing the profession of the mother of disappeared 4 year old Madeleine McCann). It is already simmering at a high level of activation, and the additional exposure makes it "pop" in some phenomenological way which feels a bit like deja vu. You don't see a recurrence of "osteopath" and its activation level remains below the "deja vu" level of activation, and gradually fades back into oblivion. Your brain pays attention to words which recur, does not pay attention to the ones which do not recur soon after the initial priming, and it seems like an amazing coincidence that the word, person, song, whatever recurred. The non-recurrence of all those other terms is ignored. Edison 16:51, 5 October 2007 (UTC)