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April 28

Obscure San Francisco landmark

At the very west end of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco is this place called Beach Chalet. The building is historical. Before the place became a restaurant, it used to have a bar run by Veterans of Foreign Wars. Shouldn't there be an article on the Beach Chalet?72.229.136.18 (talk) 01:32, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Why is the building notable? Just having been a bar and then a restaurant doesn't seem very notable or "historic" to me. Has it been cited in some sort of reputable source for its architecture? Dismas|^(talk) 03:45, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The Architectural Heritage Society had this Beach Chalet; ... major contributions made by construction workers during the depression-era New Deal program in the building of the city. ... view mural, mosaics, and wood carvings. and from somewhere else ... Conservation work on the WPA murals, woodwork and mosaics has been completed at the Beach Chalet, a San Francisco landmark located on Highway 1 across from Ocean Beach. The Beach Chalet is under San Francisco Parks and Recreation Department jurisdiction. Conservation, carried out under contract with the San Francisco Arts Commission, was supervised by Anne Rosenthal (murals) and Genevieve Baird (woodwork and mosaics) Sounds like it's a landmark, don't know if that's enough. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_California and maybe http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_National_Register_of_Historic_Places can probably tell you more. --Lisa4edit (talk) 05:48, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Are school bus drivers blue collar workers?

Are school bus drivers blue collar workers? I know they don't perform manual work like digging but take the school-age kids to school. Jet (talk) 03:12, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

This would say they are: http://www.santarosa.k12.fl.us/plans/hrpm/0607hrpm.pdf

EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT PERSONNEL SERVICES The Santa Rosa County School Board blue collar employees are represented by the Southern Council of Industrial Workers, United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, AFL-CIO. THE SOUTHERN COUNCIL REPRESENTS: Food Service Workers Custodians Mechanics Maintenance Workers Bus Drivers Bus Assistants That may not be universally true. --Lisa4edit (talk) 05:21, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

A blue-collar worker does manual work – compare the office environment of a white-collar worker. Julia Rossi (talk) 05:52, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Please remember that both of these are arbitrary terms and not necessarily clearly defined. DJ Clayworth (talk) 14:03, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

quilling

i wanted 2 know if there is any site which shares ebooks on quilling for free? it is very costly 2 buy. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 59.92.162.73 (talk) 09:28, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

You mean quilling the paper craft? Www.mypaperquilling.com is a site with links to other resources. SaundersW (talk) 13:44, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

fake personality

<moved to entertainment desk Julia Rossi (talk) 11:07, 28 April 2008 (UTC)>[reply]

thats were my question whentMakey melly (talk) 13:05, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Letter square problem

I have the following letter square

R J N Y K
G E P U B 
M Q F T S
O A H C V
X L D W Z

And I have the following problems.

1. What letter comes just above the letter just after H?

I have my answer as T

2. What letter comes just before the letter just above A?

My answer is M, im not sure if im right though

3. What letter is midway between G and B?

My answer is P and I think it's right

4. What letter comes between the letter just below A and the letter just above C?

I have my answer as C

5. What letter comes just above the letter that comes just before the letter just below S?

From my reasoning it looks like its T?

6. What letter comes between the letter between R and M and the letter between F and D?

Is it Q it looks like it is?

7. What letter comes just before the letter just above the letter between Q and T?

This 1 looks like its E, but I'm not sure

8. What letter comes just after the letter that comes just above the letter before the letter just above F?

It looks as if it could be P, but again I'm not sure

9. What letter comes just above the letter which comes just after the letter which comes between the letter just above F and the letter just below M?

Is this letter F, I'm not sure though its getting pretty confusing

10. What letter comes just below the letter which comes between the letter just after the letter just above G and the letter just before the letter just below B?

I think this 1 is U but I really dont have that much of a clue

Thanks for the help and sorry to post so many questions —Preceding unsigned comment added by 217.171.129.74 (talk) 14:07, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I find working backwards from the end of each question helps. I got the same answers exept for the following. 4=H, 8=N, 9=P, and 10=F. Though I could be wrong. Fribbler (talk) 15:21, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I got the same corrections Fribbler. What exactly is it you would like help with? Adam (Manors) 15:49, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I agree with those above with the corrections. It's likely a homework worksheet he was assigned at school. Useight (talk) 15:53, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

If you'd check my User:Hadseys userpage Useight, you'd find I'm 17, and am not doing any A Levels that relate to this. Given also that I gave my own opinions its not like you did my homework for me is it. Therefore even if it was a h/wk question it wouldn't matter because I provided evidence I tried to do them myself, as stated on the reference desk guidelines, so what you're getting at I have no idea

I'm not getting at anything in particular, just making conversation. Manors asked, "What exactly is it you would like help with?" I tried to give a likely answer. I'm not insinuating anything, no need to get defensive. Useight (talk) 23:27, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Likewise, there was no need for you to answer a question directed to me. You casting aspursions and not giving an answer to a question you couldnt know the answer to is in my view ample grounds for me to "get defensive"; which in fact I wasn't doing, I was merely explaining the situation --Hadseys 09:52, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Note that "before" and "after" assume the left-to-right, top-to-bottom reading direction of European languages (like English). I guess that might be fair given the alphabet, but it's not the least ambiguous way to state a problem. --Prestidigitator (talk) 19:28, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Sorry thats how the problem was worded, i think its intentionally ambiguous —Preceding unsigned comment added by 77.100.6.191 (talk) 19:31, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Just curious

Has anyone ever survived being sucked (i.e. touching the funnel cloud itself) into a tornado? I doubt someone would make it through something like that, but people have survived under insane conditions before, so it might be possible. --162.39.93.10 (talk) 17:01, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

To me it happened just once, but one uncle of mine from the south survived three times. 217.168.1.93 (talk) 17:40, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Here's an account of one person describing the inside of the funnel. It sounds like the tornado passed over this guy, rather than him having been sucking into it. I've heard of other instances, but this was the only reference I could find right now. --LarryMac | Talk 17:45, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

(That was me, I forgot to log in). So, I guess it's more than possible for someone to survive a tornado. I'll have to check out your link, Larry. Thanks, everyone. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Sapphire Flame (talk • contribs) 18:19, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

It helps if you have something or someone cushion the fall. Clarityfiend (talk) 00:43, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

So all those stories I read in Ripley's Believe it or not about a school bus being picked up by a tornado and the bus was put down on the ground with no hurt, was a lie. Or a Chinese man who was carried by a tornado four miles away from his home were lies as well. -.-

Always

Cardinal Raven

Cardinal Raven (talk) 05:12, 29 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven[reply]

They weren't necessarily "lies", CR. That presupposes Ripley knew they were fake stories but published them anyway. He got his stuff from the pre-internet version of the internet - books, magazines etc that contained anecdotes, stories, lists of trivia and alleged facts. He didn't use the filtering mechanisms we use here on Wikipedia, so any published claim that suited his particular bent was fair game. In an ideal world, he would have had a caveat on each one of his items to the effect that they were not necessarily true, merely published elsewhere. But he did use the title "Believe it or Not", which is not the same as "These Items are Facts", so I think it can be argued he never claimed they were factual. On the other hand he certainly profited from millions of people believing they were factual. Whether that amounts to lying is a moot point. -- JackofOz (talk) 11:49, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

They are lies. Cause when I was a kid my teacher, my father, and my mother told me that they were real stories. I have been living in a lie of thinking that could actually work, but its not true. I have been fooled. Cardinal Raven (talk) 00:23, 30 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven[reply]

The point I was making was that there's a big difference between a lie and an untruth. A lie is where the speaker/writer knows it's not true but says it anyway; untruths include lies, but they also include statements that the speaker/writer believes to be true, but they're actually not true. While all lies are untruths, not all untruths are lies. -- JackofOz (talk) 16:39, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Digital camera, good snapshots

Is it possible to make good snapshots with a digital camera? Some like Magnum Photos.217.168.1.93 (talk) 17:34, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

It depends on the camera. A great many (if not most) professionals have moved to DSLRs. — Lomn 17:55, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The answer is 100% yes. A good read is here (http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/mpmyth.htm) and the links from it. An important factor to remember is that viewing-distance is hugely important to be considered when printing larger-images, and also that the most important point of a photo is the subject the photographer chooses to photograph. Don't confuse this to mean there aren't quality-differences between cameras - there are. They exist in things such as - the options available to you, the performance of the camera over a wide-range of scenarios (such as low-light, too much light, moving subjects etc, wide contrasting colours etc.) all these will alter camera to camera. Not earth-shattering differences, but important ones if you are looking to 'sell' or perhaps even just 'display' your shots in places where they'll get more than a passing glance. ny156uk (talk) 22:27, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for your answers. So far is clear that the resolution of a digital camera is good enough for a good picture. But there is still a question open. I know that a traditional SLR camera reacts instantly if I decide to take a picture and push the button. Are digital cameras also so fast? 217.168.1.93 (talk) 23:31, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, the impression of the reduced response of digital camera stems from the consumer point-and-shoot models, which takes a second or two to autofocus before being able to take the shot. A digital SLR will allow you to snap a picture just as quickly as a film SLR; autofocus lenses will have an option of being able to take the autofocus off. If you choose to do so (manually focus the camera), a DSLR will immediately take the picture upon depression of the shutter. However, if you decide to leave the autofocus on, you will have to press the shutter half-way to allow the lens and camera to autofocus, then press it down fully to take the picture. With a DSLR and any half-decent lens, this process should still, nonetheless, be extremely quick and roughly identical to a film SLR. Acceptable (talk) 02:38, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Look at shutter lag for a bit more on what Acceptable is mentioning. Essentially older digital-cameras did have a problem with it, and some lower quality digital-cameras have a larger lag. If you have a specific camera in mind the site www.dpreview.com is extremely detailed and has a lot of information. ny156uk (talk) 16:57, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Doing discreetly head shots

What is the best way to do a head shot without asking for permission in advance and without being perceived?217.168.1.93 (talk) 17:39, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The usual way is to have a very powerful scope on your rifle so you can stay far enough away to not be noticed. --Sean 19:37, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Or a telephoto lens on your camera. Warofdreams talk 19:57, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Rather interesting that the first response assumed shooting, whilst it was the second that was photography. Wonder which the questioner was wondering about, and also whether there's anything we could read into (socially speaking) about the potentially different take from each respondent. ny156uk (talk) 22:35, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Well, it's no original observation to point out that much of the metaphors and even terms of photography have been taken from hunting. --69.110.41.71 (talk) 07:34, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

And the correct assumption is the latter, the subject is photography (at least based on the previous question asked by that IP). Useight (talk) 23:21, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, I was thinking about shoting pictures not people. Anyway the questions had some hint: 'asking for permission' makes sense in the case of a picture. I suppose the first repondent just wanted to point out that ambiguous sentences can be misunderstood. 217.168.1.93 (talk) 23:28, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Ducking and a good lawyer. If you're spotted you're likely to get whapped and if your photo is spotted (later) you're likely to get sued. Why not ask permission first? --Lisa4edit (talk) 23:33, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Because if I ask permission first people don't look natural anymore. 217.168.1.93 (talk) 00:11, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Don't ask permission right before, ask if "in general" it would be o.k. to take their picture. Also, show them the picture afterward and offer to delete it if they are unhappy with it. That builds trust and they become less conscious of having you around with a camera. --71.236.23.111 (talk) 03:45, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

It also helps if you yell "BOOM, HEADSHOT!"--Dlo2012 (talk) 14:09, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Headshot is a nearly ubiquitous term in video games these days, shooting was the first impression I got as well Mad031683 (talk) 21:21, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Paintball strategy

What are some ways to do well in piantball? БοņёŠɓɤĭĠ₳₯є 20:00, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Easy! Shoot people. Don't get shot. Maybe capture a flag or two. Paragon12321 (talk) 20:37, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Well obviously i ment go a lil deeper then that though. БοņёŠɓɤĭĠ₳₯є 20:44, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Use cover, practice sound tactics. Maybe a tactical shooter type videogame would be good practice, altho in my experience paintball guns are horribly inaccurate compared to any kind of real gun. Friday (talk) 20:48, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Walk in your enemy's shoes and see what would put them at a disadvantage (sun in their eyes?) and where they would look when. The following pages might get you some ideas Distraction Feint Camouflage Ambush and Principles of War. If you'd like some background reading Sun Tzu The Art of War is still the definitive book on combat from what I know. And to think I'm a pacifist :-)--Lisa4edit (talk) 23:54, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

If it's the kind of arena with lots of simple barriers or fences, aim to flank people. Otherwise everyone's just sitting behind their opposing lines, popping off hundreds of rounds that never hit anything. Get up the edge of the field, and you'll find yourself in a position where you can fire on someone from the side instead of in front - they're not expecting it, and they have no cover there. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.187.153.189 (talk) 07:35, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Situational awareness is the key. Don't worry about details like aiming and running fast. Just keep your eyes and ears open, be calm, and wait. Vranak (talk) 17:11, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The best advice I ever got in regards to paintball is stop being afraid to get hit. You never get anywhere if you don't take risks. Also work with your team, have them shoot at the other team to get them to duck down, then you advance and cover them from there. Mad031683 (talk) 21:17, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Build a Trebuchet and launch buckets of paint... Ilikefood (talk) 15:49, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Popularity of Orange and Apple juice

In North America, why is the fruit juice market predominantly dominated by orange and apple juice? Why is watermelon juice almost non-existent? Acceptable (talk) 22:19, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Because oranges and apples are 'every-day' fruits and watermelons are more 'exotic' to the culture of North America in general. For instance apples can be grown just about anywhere in North America whereas I doubt watermelon can, oranges tend to require more sun (as I understand it) but still a sizeable portion of North America can grow it. Also add in that orange and apple are very much the top flavoured fresh-juices in the western-world and you probably have reasons based on economy of scale, learned-desires (maybe we learn to want orange as it's cultural normal in our society) and other things. ny156uk (talk) 22:38, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I've never thought of watermelon as exotic; it's a stereotypical fixture at any summer picnic or cookout. I would think it either is not cost-effective to mass produce juice, or it does not lend itself to juicing at all. After all, we don't see cantaloupe, casaba or honeydew juice either. --LarryMac | Talk 15:00, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Australia has lots and lots of pineapple juice (YUM! pineapple covered donuts too), but there seems to be almost none in the U.S. :-( --Prestidigitator (talk) 04:22, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I like Pomegranate juice, I love peach juice, lemonade is real good, I love kiwi juice, and pineapple juice. I was kinda sad that Cali had so little juice offers for me. It feels good to be back home. Cardinal Raven (talk) 05:09, 29 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven[reply]

Isn't kiwi juice blood? Boomshanka (talk) 05:14, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Ooops. Kiwi the fruit made into juice.Cardinal Raven (talk) 05:34, 29 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven[reply]

Watermelon juice? Watermelon is practically juice already. Vranak (talk) 17:09, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I can think of a couple of reasons, some of which have already been touched on. For one thing, watermelons are, well, mostly water - not a lot of nutrition or even flavour, so two of the really big draws ("tastes great!", "good for you!") wouldn't apply. Watermelons are bulky and take up a lot of real estate to grow, making them difficult to process and proportionately expensive to grow. Drop a case of apples or oranges and a couple might get squished beyond use, but otherwise the whole case could still get juiced - drop a watermelon and it's no good to anyone except the bugs. Apples and oranges have relatively little waste mass on them; a company processing watermelons for juice would have a considerable amount of waste to get rid of. As far as only apples and oranges getting used, I see plenty of lemonade stands in the summer. The local mega-mart has mango, pomegranate, lime, grapefruit, grape, and plenty of other options available. Matt Deres (talk) 17:16, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Maybe because when you make juice out of watermelons, they might suck your juices in revenge. :)--Lenticel ^(talk) 23:49, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Well as someone stated above Watermelon juice isn't really juice its...water.Cardinal Raven (talk) 00:20, 30 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven[reply]

Shave or not to shave

In porn movies almost all woman are shaved between the legs, but in real life almost none who I met were like that. Is there some sort of reliable statistics about these group of woman? And what about men? 217.168.1.93 (talk) 23:53, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Thats weird to me as Almost every girl in my middle school is shaved downtown. So i really don't have any idea how that is. Maybey its changing cultures.БοņёŠɓɤĭĠ₳₯є 00:04, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Maybe you don't know almost every girl in your middle school. 217.168.1.93 (talk) 00:06, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Maybe they didn't have any hair there to begin with...--124.254.77.148 (talk) 13:40, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Hmm, can't find any statistics on pubic hair shaving. Interesting question, though. In my opinion, the porn industry would suggest a higher rate of 'genital trimming' than actually exists. Especially for men. I presume that it is for complete visualisation of genitalia in their films that porn directors/producers insist on this, whereas in real life its down to personal preference. Fribbler (talk) 00:25, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I meant actually that in the porn industry people are completely shaved not just trimmed. In real life people are perhaps trimmed but seldom shaved. right? 217.168.0.126 (talk) 03:08, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Original research here.... Almost every one of the women that I've had the pleasure of viewing naked was completely shaved. A few of the strippers that I knew in college (dated two, so I hung out with a number of them) were trimmed but by and large, the majority were shaved. I would guess it's mostly a cultural thing. I'm in the U.S. Dismas|^(talk) 03:38, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Well an ob-gyn was quoted as saying that about 75% of the women in their 20's she treats go bare in Cosmo. They also said that reported pubic lice cases are dropping. It just seems like it has become more acceptable in the last few years, and I think some women feel prudish if they don't.SunshineStateOfMind (talk) 03:58, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I see a variety of woman. Some with pubic hair and others with not. I think its the woman preference whether she has hair or not. There shouldn't be anything wrong with wanting to make your body look good just as long as you respect your body and don't let anyone mistreat your body.Cardinal Raven (talk) 05:07, 29 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven[reply]

Shaving would seem to go with the overall general aesthetic of un-reality that is a porn flick. Although somewhere I read of women in ancient Greece preparing to welcome home their men by plucking all that away. ewwch, Julia Rossi (talk) 08:36, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

BTW, the question is not only about shaved woman, but also men. 217.168.4.83 (talk) 00:00, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The artist Spencer Tunick has made his name by getting thousands of volunteers to go naked for a mass photo shoot, taking over the streets of a city. He has done this in many countries and for some years, so using his photos and videos to study the incidence of pubic shaving introduces two variables, time and location (national culture). The individuals who volunteer for these projects -- for no money, and at the risk of chill or sunburn or both -- are, I think it is fair to say, less inhibited about the public display of their bodies than the average citizen. Have a look and draw your own conclusion, or, for the brave person taking the right sort of class, propose this analysis as a research project. And tell us your findings!

Another point: the removal of the body hair that appears at puberty can be perceived as wishing to revert to the hairless state of childhood; it should not be automatically equated with an adult desire to display. BrainyBabe (talk) 16:45, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Haven't heard about men shaving there much, but have heard of men trimming a couple of centimetres off so that the penis doesn't get tangled when in a hurry to urinate.Polypipe Wrangler (talk) 12:17, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Ewww! You have to shave the hairs away otherwise they get smelly and sticky. Mine are all tangled and become impossibles to wash if I don't shave them away.Makey melly (talk) 12:54, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Indeed BB. Neotanus tendencies in sexual images. Brrr. 130.88.140.11 (talk) 15:30, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

April 29

Laughing Syndrome

So today I was at the park and a little boy had sat on a ant hill. He started to freak out as the ants started to crawl up his pants and I laughed at him as his mother was trying to help him get them all off. What makes us laugh at others pain? Is it because we aren't experiencing it ourselves?

Thank You

Always

Cardinal Raven

Cardinal Raven (talk) 05:05, 29 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven[reply]

The Laughter article would have you believe that laughing at inappropriate times is an indication of a serious condition. There are other causes. I guess it's the same odd mechanism that makes cats purr when they are very afraid or very happy. --Lisa4edit (talk) 06:05, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The name of this feeling is Schadenfreude (although our article doesn't seem to have much about the psychological aspects). — Insanity Incarnat e 06:16, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Actually not quite, Schadenfreude both in the original and in the English use has a malicious background. An example would be a crook laughing after they'd cheated someone. Or smaller kids laughing when a bully gets beaten up by someone who's bigger than him. I think what Cardinal Raven was describing is laughing at something at the spur of the moment that you'd not find funny if you'd had had time to consider the ethics or if someone had just told you about it and you had not witnessed it yourself. It's more the "pie in the face" situation. --Lisa4edit (talk) 14:13, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

People can't help laughing at inappropriate times if unrehearsed slapstick is anything to go by (someone trips, misses a chair, puts their coffee on a table just as someone removes it, finds ants in their pants, etc etc). I'd say not experiencing it ourselves is a key – the same indignity would take away the fun, fast. It's more unusual for someone to laugh at a tragedy, though. They'd be missing a few social cues. Julia Rossi (talk) 08:32, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Seeing others being bitten by ants is ALWAYS funny. Green t-shirt (talk) 12:10, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and the whole world laughs at you. 206.252.74.48 (talk) 15:10, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Look at it this way. It's bad enough that the little boy was perturbed by having ants crawl up his legs. Do you want it to be even worse, by feeling bad yourself? Be glad there was some good salvaged from the situation from your having witnessed it. Vranak (talk) 17:07, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

And yet, imagine yourself in the boy's position. How would you feel about someone laughing at your misfortune? It would probably depend on how extreme it felt. Some things we laugh at when either there is obviously no serious harm done, or we assume there is no serious harm done (it is my suspicion that "Funniest Videos" type shows help us to make that assumption by adding the media as a buffer--e.g. "if they're showing it as funny, obviously no one really got hurt or it was taken care of, so it must be safe to laugh"). When someone has been seriously harmed, or when we would significantly increase the amount of harm by the act of laughing, hopefully it reduces the urge to laugh right? Would you find it as funny if you found out some kind of allergic reaction later put the boy in the hospital for days? Have you ever witnessed an "is it safe to laugh" pause right after someone has an accident? --Prestidigitator (talk) 19:01, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Good point. How the kid reacts to Cardinal's reaction is important. Maybe he'd start laughing too, if he's a good-natured child. Vranak (talk) 23:41, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

"Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die." - Mel Brooks as the 2,00 year old man. Matt Deres (talk) 18:54, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you all. Thanks for the links. And Vranak all though you could look at it that way I shouldn't be laughing at some kid. Who knows if it were a spider or something more dangerous and the boy's mother wasn't there? I do not feel guilt for it I just don't think its appropriate to do. Cardinal Raven (talk) 18:57, 29 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven[reply]

I see nothing ethically wrong with laughing at a kid with ants in his pants. Then again, this is coming from the guy who's banned from Georgia. Ziggy Saw dust 16:21, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

uzbekistan - "landlocked country"?

its written here in wikipedia that uzbekistan is a landlocked country, but there's the aral sea to the northwest of the country, so how come it's landlocked? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 122.50.248.101 (talk) 10:19, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Actually, Aral Sea is not a sea; it's a huge lake. Abdullais4u (talk) 10:33, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

It's all a question of definition. See landlocked country.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 10:58, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Also, as the landlocked country page points out, Uzbekistan is one of the world's two doubly landlocked countries. Anyway, the Aral Sea is rapidly becoming not so huge. Pfly (talk) 00:27, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The Aral Sea is not even a huge lake now having lost over 75% of it's surface area in the last 50 years. Astronaut (talk) 02:29, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Rationale behind essay type questions

What is the rationale behind essay type questions in exams? Isn't it possible to test the candidate only through choose-the-best, or fill-in-the-blanks type questions? --V4vijayakumar (talk) 12:15, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Writing an essay forces you to actually think, as oppose to just ticking boxes. Multiple choice questions are for idiots. Green t-shirt (talk) 12:19, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

No. Essays test several important skills, such as the ability to string sentences together, to spell and punctuate properly, to construct an argument, to see the other side's point of view, etc. Besides, there are many disciplines (such as history and literature) where knowledge and understanding can't be tested by the types of question you describe. --Richardrj ^talk ^email 12:20, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

And multiple choice questions are decidedly not always for idiots. I took accounting exams and they included multiple choice questions which were incredibly hard. --Richardrj ^talk ^email 12:21, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Most "real-life" applications of knowledge aren't multiple-choice questions. Most require the ability to synthesize among the many things you've (allegedly) learned. Essay questions are better ways to test whether you have that knowledge and the ability to make a new synthesis with it.

Atlant (talk) 12:22, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

As a university lecturer; I want to hear you articulate and debate various points of view and then argue your decision on what is in your opinion crucial Mhicaoidh (talk) 13:15, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I've found that some students who could beat "anybody" at multiple choice vocabulary and grammar tasks, could not put one idea for such simple questions as "What is your favorite food?" into a sentence. It's probably a cultural thing. They grew up learning by "rote learning" and repetition. "Show and tell" is new and strange to them. But in "real life" your boss would not ask you "Did you do a) b) or c)" but rather "What did you do?" Even if your research in academia is sorting things by boxes, at some point you'll have to give a lecture to present your result. --Lisa4edit (talk) 13:56, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Essay type questions are subjective though, teachers can mark you down simply because they don't agree with you, at least with multiple choice you're either right or you're wrong. --124.254.77.148 (talk) 14:17, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Never heard of distribution grading have you? Any grading is subjective. They've had double blind studies and were surprised at the results they got. What about a teacher marking you up because he/she thinks that you are very creative and/or able to write a very good essay and will overlook your horrendous spelling? Have a look over at the language desk where some poor sod had one of those multiple choice language tests. I forget how many people came up with differing correct answers. It's always easy if you know the correct answer. But if you don't know whether they are looking at word type, number of letters, specific letters in or not in the words, letter sequences, same/different, emotion described, situation the words could be used in etc. etc. you'll have to rely on the fact that you have been trained to pick the most obvious choice. I once took one of those "what's the next number tests" because I kept messing them up and could come up with ways to fit most of the "wrong answers" in. Who says a vector calculation solution or points on a hyperbolic graph are "wrong" and x=y2 is "correct". Part of essay grading is structure. That's easy to learn. Once your "roadmap" is o.k. you're almost halfway there. Then there's how well you understood the issue and make your point. Depending on what type of essay exam it is that has a bigger or smaller influence. If the essay is on a subject that's where you score points. (If you argue Pocahontas invaded Australia in a history essay, I don't care how captivating it reads. You're sunk. In an English class it still might fly even if it's off topic.) Even if your teacher says that "writing style will not be graded" or some such. If you write them an essay that reads about as interesting as the raisin count in 200 consecutive bowls of oatmeal then it's not going to go down as well as if you can turn each raisin into a miniature alien landscape. Sorry this got a bit long. --Lisa4edit (talk) 19:39, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

How you think (present content and process information) is not the same as what you know (remember). Both need to be demonstrated. Julia Rossi (talk) 04:42, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

but, I am looking for something against this essay type questions?! :( --V4vijayakumar (talk) 13:37, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

So, when you asked for the rationale behind them, what you meant to ask was 'give me some reasons these questions are a bad idea'? If you told us what you wanted this for, we could help tailor your response appropriately. If it's just because you don't like them and you want to persuade your teacher not to set them, I think you're going to fail. Sorry. 130.88.140.11 (talk) 15:28, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Multiple choice tests are more economical, because you can use "trained monkeys" or simple computer programs to grade them with a template. (There are still a few professions that earn less than teachers. Which never fails to amaze me since cleaning ladies don't fall into that group.) Grading a pile of essays can take weeks, a pile of multiple choice tests a couple of hours. You can standardize result scales. (The current craze.) Essay type questions require a higher degree of language proficiency. Essay type questions require the ability to analyze problems develop strategies and formulate ideas. One can test absorption of a large volume of unrelated material with multiple choice tests. Essay type question are better for testing how well a specific subject area was processed. Essay type questions go back to old Greek styles, multiple choice questions are more modern. Parents and school board members can understand multiple test results. Just for a couple of "advantages/disadvantages".71.236.23.111 (talk) 18:18, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Image permission

Dear Sir or Madam,

I would like to have permission to publish the picture

"Persepolis at dusk which was on your site six months ago in my forthcoming book on architecture and urban planning, whose working title is Preserving the Urbis: Eco-Regionalism in City Planning. If you email me your email address, I can attach the picture for you.

If you grant me permission, please also let me know exactly how you wish to be referenced.

Thank you.

Yours truly,

Homa Djahansouzi —Preceding unsigned comment added by H.djahansouzi (talk • contribs) 14:21, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Hello Homa. Wikipedia is put together by thousands of volunteers, many of whom contribute images under a variety of licenses. Clicking any image in an article will take you to a page which has details of that image's license and the name or username of the person who created it. If your use of the image falls under the terms of the license, you do not need to ask permission to use the image; permission has already been granted. Otherwise, you need to contact the person who created the image. I've had a quick look and I can't find any image called "Persepolis at dusk" on the English Wikipedia; maybe it's this one?. Anyway, let us know if you have any more questions. — Matt Eason ^{(Talk  Contribs)} 14:49, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Why do some banks offer travel packages?

I've noticed that several banks offer their customers the opportunity to join in with travel packages. The customers pay for the trip. I was just curious as to the advantages for banks to do this? How did this practice start.

Midwestgold (talk) 14:50, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

bowler hat

I was just wondering what company makes the bowler hat?Jwking (talk) 15:25, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Walter Wright in Bedfordshire, England still lists what it calls an "authentic bowler shape" in its online shop: see here. -- Ka renjc 15:42, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

For Edward Bates of Jermyn Street, London, see here. Xn4 23:00, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Just in case you were confused about this bowler is not a brand of hat, so many companies might make them. DJ Clayworth (talk) 17:10, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Dumpster guitar

I recently found a busted-up acoustic guitar in the dumpster. The back side (the side opposite the strings, dunno what it's called) was cracked in two, so I replaced it with a new piece of plywood. The sides are broken at a couple points, and I plan to glue them back together with thin strips of plywood, or shims, or something. My question is thus: If I am able to glue the guitar back together without any major obstructions on the inside, will it still work, or will it screw up the acoustics? The neck was fully intact when I found it, and the side with the strings on it was split in half perpendicular to the strings. Ziggy Saw dust 15:46, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The side opposite the strings is called the sounding board, and it plays a pretty important part in how the guitar sounds. The vibration of the body is important so the acoustics will certainly be affected. It'll make a sound, but how nice that sound will be is anyone's guess :) It's worth a shot; it sounds like a fun project if nothing else. — Matt Eason ^{(Talk  Contribs)} 16:50, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The type of wood which is selected for the front of a guitar (mainly spruce, cedar and redwood) and the back / sides (maple, but also quite a few exotic timbers) generate different sound characteristics of the instrument which are then suitable (or unsuitable) for your type of music. Bear in mind that some of these woods are extremely costly (a few hundred USDs) as the trees are endangered and the supply is minimal.

If you have a qualified luthier in your vicinity, ask his or her advice. If both sounding board and front are broken the internal braces will have been affected and the resonance of the sounding board may be impaired. It may not be worth the effort - a custom made guitar takes more than a month´s work - to repair the instrument only to discover that it sounds like a shoe box with rubber bands. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 17:06, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

A friend of mine has built a few electric guitars. He frequents ProjectGuitar.com and says they have fairly good info. Also, they have a forum so that you can ask questions of other guitarpenters. Dismas|^(talk) 00:18, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks. I've never really owned/played a guitar before, so all this is new to me. Ziggy Saw dust 17:19, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

My guess is that it will sound pretty awful (it probably didn't sound that great to begin with, if it ended up in a dumpster like that), but it could still be an enjoyable project. Making a guitar that sounds nice is no trivial affair, and repairing one in the condition you found that one is probably counter-productive from an audio point of view (would be easier to just buy a new one; it was probably a very cheap guitar to begin with). But as a hobbyist thing to do there's nothing wrong with it, obviously. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 14:38, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Phone with best camera

Which phone has the camera with the most megapixels.

Need a new phone and camera so i thought i would kill two birds with one phone.

Also i am english so no out of country phones

84.13.11.137 (talk) 18:21, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Megapixels are a lousy method of determining whether a camera is any good, though it looks like most camera phones top out around 3MP at present. My understanding is that very few camera phones come anywhere near the quality of a basic point-and-shoot, much less any form of SLR. Going off CNet's best camera phones list, for example, the top phone shown has camera specs on par with the low end of the standalone market. Google searches for "best camera phones" and the like find many such lists. My advice, unless price is no object and you're just determined to combine these devices, is to buy separately. — Lomn 19:12, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The highest megapixels on easily available phones in the UK, is 5MP (Samsung, LG, Nokia and Sony Ericsson all do reasonably stylish models) but it shouldn't be too long now before someone announces something with more. Bear in mind that for the latest phone you usually have to pay for the phone as well as take out an expensive contract. There are plenty of 3MP capable phones available for free with even a cheap contract. Astronaut (talk) 02:09, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

No it's actually a physical limit now, the pixels are smaller than the diffraction limit of the lens and will not give you any more detail when you cram more pixels in, only reduces the amount of light that each pixel receives and consequently the amount of noise and noise-reduction needed. See also the megapixel myth. --antilived^{T | C | G} 08:45, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Most likely, what you will get will be no better than what you have already. Instead, why not donate your money to the "buy mattbuck an SLR camera" fund so I can take better photos for wikipedia articles. -mattbuck (Talk) 15:11, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks guys although my current phone is an N-gage QD so anything with a camera is better. And no I won't be donating to anyfunds.

Banks and appliances

The travel package question above reminded me of a question I had. When I was young, late 70s, many banks in the US would give away free appliances (toasters, toaster ovens, phones, etc.) just for opening an account. This was even the source of occaisional humor in sitcoms and things like that. Why would they do this? Did people actually make financial decisions based on getting a free $20-30 appliance? I'm guessing that this went out of vogue due to having to stock the appliances at the bank, or due to the overhead of having some company send them out and such. How big of a fad was this? (use whatever terms you like to define the size of something intangable like a fad :-) ) Dismas|^(talk) 21:47, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I remember when I was at university, banks offered book tokens or other small inducements to open an account with them. I think the idea was that people were generally more likely to move house than change their bank. When you first open a bank account you just want somewhere to put your money. It's only later in life, when the bank has filled your mail box with crap, turned you down for loans and mortgages, and stolen your money with outrageous fees, that you regret picking your bank based on getting £20 worth of book tokens. Astronaut (talk) 02:22, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I recall seeing on television some banks in the US giving away guns when starting a new account. You make your bed... Boomshanka (talk) 03:40, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Is that with, or instead of a checkbook? :-)--Lisa4edit (talk) 07:14, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Incentives or freebies sometimes are the little thing that influences a decision. If you could flip a coin and choose either one, wouldn't you rather take the one with a toaster. Very few decision are made based on rational analysis. More surprisingly if you think you have made a decision based on rational analysis you are only fooling yourself. They've done a study on that. (Check the online science magazines.) You have made up your mind and then select suitable arguments to support your decision. The problem we have today is that too many people have too much stuff. One toaster is useful, 3 toasters are annoying. --Lisa4edit (talk) 07:14, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

When I started university, I kept my existing account but also opened a second one to help me budget. The choice of second one was, I admit, somewhat influenced by the fact that they gave me a wok. Seven years on, I've just closed that bank account - but I still use the wok :-) 81.187.153.189 (talk) 18:28, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

If you have several banks in one area, they have to compete for business. So years ago, some bank started to give away some cheap gee-gaws, and this brought in more business. So to keep up, the other banks started to give away more expensive gadgets.

It got to the point where the value of the give-aways was getting out of hand, and one of the government agencies decided that it was unfair competition, and decreed that the value of the product had to be deducted from the future interest. So we don't see such promotions much anymore.

Warning, the above is from a faulty memory, is O.R., and is U.S.A.-centric Bunthorne (talk) 04:50, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

US election website

In 2004 I used to frequent an independent non-partisan website that kept track of the current polling for the presidential race. It had the basic red/blue state map with shades of color indicating whether a state was strong or weak for that particular candidate. IIRC the site solicited donations to pay for certain polling data, I remember them saying that they would also cover the 2008 us presidential election. Does anyone know what site I am thinking of? I realize that there are probably several sites that have this information, the one I am thinking of was completely independent and had a nothing-but-the-facts style to it. Thanks, sorry my Q is so vague. --Diletante (talk) 22:52, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Try the superb www.electoral-vote.com -- Mwalcoff (talk) 22:59, 29 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Right now their webserver is giving me a misconfigured mime-type error. I don't think its the same site I was using in 04 though but it looks like a good resource, Thanks -- Diletante (talk)

April 30

Soft boiled eggs for Scotch eggs

Can you use soft boiled eggs to make Scotch eggs instead of hard boiled ones?, Heegoop, 30 April 2008 (UTC)

When you cooked the sausage meat surround, the egg yolk would cook through.hotclaws 11:44, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Actually, the hardness of the egg yolk/whites depends solely on temperature, and not at all on the time it's heated. In other words, you can cook an egg at 65 degrees Celsius for hours and hours, and you will still only have soft-boiled egg (a very nice soft-boiled egg in fact, a delicacy in modern cooking). Only when the temperature gets high (around 100 degrees C)will the egg become hard boiled. Since cooking meat follows the same rules (it's all proteins), you can cook the sausages at a lower temperature as well (say 70 deg. C), so long as you cook them long enough for the egg to cooks through. Of course, this rules out deep frying, because the crust and sausage meat would just soak up the oil. You'd have to bake it in a good temperature controlled oven, and maybe quickly deep fry it to get a nice crust.

It's a lot of work, but you would be the first person to create a Scotch Egg in the style of molecular gastronomy. risk (talk) 11:52, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

your full of crap! the enzymes will denature at sustained temperatures even if they are not particularly high, which will cause the egg to hard boil nevertheless.Makey melly (talk) 12:57, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

No I am not full of crap. You are too quick to judge, and a little rude. The proteins become denatured, yes. That's what the coagulation of the egg whites is in any boiled egg. The point is that egg whites react differently to different temperatures. Hard boiled egg whites are how they react to high temperatures. At temperatures around 70 degrees, the proteins do denature, but form an entirely different structure, which we know as softboiled eggs. Temperature is the only cause of this alignment, which means that if you make sure the temperature stays low, the egg whites will stay soft.

I have in fact tried this myself, by cooking eggs for an hour in very carefully controlled water, and it works. The eggs are very nice, and quite different from what you'd expect from a boiled egg. Of course, don't take my word for it, here is just one source. A similar thing goes for the meat. Cooking meat is largely about the structure that the proteins form, which is caused by temperature alone. Which is why chefs like Heston Blumenthal will cook a roast duck for days, rather than hours. risk (talk) 13:40, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

So why are they cooking them for days then? Whats the point if you could cook for 5 seconds at hight temperature (that is assuming the WHOLE meat is evanly cooked all over) ?Makey melly (talk) 13:44, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

With the eggs, you cook them for an hour to make sure the inside of the egg reaches 65 degrees as well. I assume the reasoning with the meat is similar (with the added benefit that the fat doesn't go anywhere, making the meat more succulent). And the reason for doing this at all (instead of just cooking it quickly) is that the end result is much nicer. risk (talk) 13:53, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

You do want to cook at a high-enough temperature, though, that the growth of pathogenic bacteria is inhibited. Remember the basic rule of food sanitation: "Keep hot things hot and cold things cold." Keep them at room (or body!) temperature long enough, and you'll die when you eat them

Atlant (talk) 17:44, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

That's good advice. I know that salmonella will not survive for more than 2 minutes at 60 degrees Celsius, so you're safe with the eggs, in that respect. But for meat, you should check the minimum safe temperature. risk (talk) 17:50, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

(Just a clarification) I wasn't trying to suggest that 60C is a bad cooking temperature. But even aside from chemical reasons (like what temperature denatures what), one can't keep progressing down to lower and lower temperatures and longer and longer cooking times; one eventually reaches the point where pathogens will just love the medium they're growing in. So, for example, 37C for several weeks would be a truly awful idea ;-).

Atlant (talk) 18:02, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Nuni redux

In reference to an archived question by User:BrainyBabe, I'm about finished reading Nuni by John Howard Griffin. It is not an account of his efforts on behalf of the Allies in the Pacific theater, it is a work of fiction wherein he is the sole survivor of a plane crash and is more or less adopted by a primitive tribe on an island. It is clear to me that he draws heavily on real-life experiences and that the island in question is indeed in the Solomons, one of the Nggela group, also known as "Florida". In his book he uses some of the native language, notably beti for "water", which appears in "A Grammar of the Language of Florida, British Solomon Islands" by W. G. Ivens in Bulletin of the School of Oriental Studies, University of London, Vol. 8, No. 4, (1937), pp. 1075-1110, published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the School of Oriental and African Studies (http://www.jstor.org/stable/3488495). You will need access or to pay for that publication. The word nuni does not appear in that Grammar, unfortunately. --Milkbreath (talk) 02:49, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for doing that! So we have the general location confirmed, but not the specific island. That seems to exhaust the printed sources; I wonder if the US Army or Air Force would be able to provide details of his posting if someone was interested enough to ask them. (He was in the Air Force when it was part of the Army, so I don't know which one would have the records now.) --Anonymous, 03:23 UTC, April 30, 2008.

This has been an amazing collaboration. Milkbreath has won through. (The islands known as Florida are a small group within the dispersed and scattered Solomons, so I think it is fair to say that the exact one doesn't matter.) I thank everyone who has participated, Milkbreath especially, but the tireless Anonymous and several others too. It is good to have a question which stretches us, which relies on facts and research and reading, and a little imagination and lateral thinking too. Drinks are on me! BrainyBabe (talk) 16:10, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Norman Rockwell

Norman Rockwell Boy Scout Set of six prints Set of Six Norman Rockwell Prints - Boyscouts I have a unique set of prints from Norman Rockwell that I found in the attic. It's a set of 6 all of the scenes are BoyScout scenes. They are come in a vanilla envelope with a history of Norman Rockwell on the front and a pic of him. I was wondering what year they came from and how much they are worth. Thank you and all your help is appreciated!!! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.72.30.58 (talk) 04:15, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Here is some information, and pictures of Rockwell's Boy Scout paintings. For general dates: "From 1924 to 1974, in all but two years, he painted calendars for the Boy Scout organization." This site is selling Rockwell Boy Scout prints at between $3.99 and $10.99. SaundersW (talk) 08:53, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Also, the type of envelope is called manila, not vanilla. Dismas|^(talk) 08:56, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Unless the envelope is white, of course, Dismas! Then there is the bacon lot next door where a new house is about to be built. ៛ Bielle (talk) 15:22, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Prostitute vs 'normal' woman

Imagine that you have two choices: go to a prostitute and pay her an amount of $x or invest your time listening to a 'normal' woman and after that do the same that you would do to a prostitute. The amount of money is equivalent to your potential earning in the time for listening to the 'normal' woman.

Does this make these woman equal? 217.168.4.83 (talk) 04:26, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Only in the myopic and offensive way you've defined the women, as vessels that take money as an input and have sex as an output. --69.110.41.71 (talk) 04:49, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I didn't say they take money. In the second case they take listening as input and sex as output. The point is that time = money. 217.168.4.83 (talk) 04:55, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

That speaks of low self esteem if you think you have nothing to offer but money. Interpersonal relationships are complicated, but if no one got more than their money's worth out of them I doubt we'd bother. --Lisa4edit (talk) 07:02, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

So you think just listening to a woman is enough to make them have sex with you?.You are sadly mistaken.hotclaws 11:49, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

No, but it helps. Take into account that I said "Imagine that...". 217.168.0.93 (talk) 12:05, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

In the first case you are in a Zero-sum game. You pay, she pays back with some sort of sexual favor. In the second case you have the possibility of building something new (a family, a relationship, gathering new experiences). I don't see listening to woman as an unpleasant task to get some sex. Both activities are pleasant for me. Paying - no matter for what - on the other hand is always something negative for me (although a necessary evil). SaltnVinegar (talk) 13:58, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

(Ignoring the awful morality/mindset of the question) You appear to be trying put a valuation on your 'time' and wondering whether your time is better spent being productive (i.e. earning money) and buying sex than it is being 'unproductive' (i.e. being a person) and 'earning' sex. Ignoring the social/moral/dubious parts of this we could say... X = potential hour earnings, Y = hours needed to seduce woman and Z = price of hooker... Therefore if X x Y > Z then a hooker is the best use of your resources. If X x Y < Z then seduction is the best plan. It's a awful awful idea but if I were to try be amoral about it that's how you could do your own little cost-benefit analysis. Define X what money you could earn not seducing, Y how long you estimate it takes to seduce and Z the price of a comparable hooker and apply the formula... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 194.221.133.226 (talk) 14:14, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

We can cut to the chase here and say that all people are created equal. What they do in their lives doesn't alter that. -- JackofOz (talk) 14:50, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Perhaps all people are born equal, but we are what we do. To the questiones: the problem in your question is that your are starting fromt he assumption that every relationship is an exchange of something: time for money, money for sex, you name it. However healthy relationships are not an act of accounting. We are changing, developing ourselves, and targeting new fields in a healthy relation. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 80.58.205.37 (talk) 16:58, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

An alternative view (proposed during a discussion of why celebrities use prostitutes) is that you pay not for the sex, but so that the person will go away afterwards. SaundersW (talk) 17:03, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Unless you're a football player, of course. Zain Ebrahim (talk) 18:33, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

That line was used by, although I do not know if it originated with, pop star George Michael, some time after he was outed by a "pretty police" sting. BrainyBabe (talk) 19:26, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Now (again ignoring any kind of ethical/moral dilemma) if we factor in the increased probability of contracting an STD from a prostitute, and the probability that she'll nick your money and run, or have her associate knife you for it, or that she is an undercover police officer in areas where the profession is illegal.... --Prestidigitator (talk) 22:58, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

In most areas throughout the worlds prostitutes are only illegal if they advertise on the street. if my sexy nextdoor neighbor said to me "I'll fuck you for $10" thats not illegal, cause its consent.Makey melly (talk) 13:00, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Actually, it's illegal to have sex for money. The problem with this is that it's hard to define a law wherein it's illegal to buy something that would be legal to get for free. Fex: fucking's legal, selling is legal, but selling fucking is illegal. Thus, it's hard to make a clear boundary between what is and isn't illegal. Ziggy Saw dust 16:16, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Um, no it isn't illegal to have sex for money, not in every country. This is not the US-only Wikipedia. The US is not the world. --NellieBly (talk) 01:44, 7 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

What's that noise coming from my car?

After driving several miles my car makes all kinds of clicking, or ticking, noises. They seem to be coming from the engine. Even when I open the hood I see nothing moving, nothing obvious that is making the sounds. What is the source? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.55.212.100 (talk) 04:27, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Without access to the audio (and comparison audios maybe) I'd say that sounds like metal expansion to me. When your engine gets warm it does that. It could be all sort of more worrysome things though. Or something trivial like a bolt shook loose somewhere. Also check when you've last changed the oil or if you are low. --Lisa4edit (talk) 06:57, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

You should possibly contact a mechanic. -mattbuck (Talk) 14:55, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

My view is per Lisa4edit ... it's thermal expansion / contraction, a relatively normal occurrance and in the vast majority of cases, nothing to be concerned about. --Tagishsimon (talk) 15:04, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

And be aware that Wikipedia cannot give medical advice ;-) SaundersW (talk) 17:01, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, go see a car doctor. Makey melly (talk) 13:00, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Wait are you being sarcasm?Makey melly (talk) 13:01, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

No, I mean sarcasticMakey melly (talk) 13:01, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Maybe call 1-888-Car Talk - be ready to answer the weekly puzzler though. AtaruMoroboshi (talk) 15:17, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

In my experience, much "ticking" is the sound of semi-lubricated parts (rockers? rocker arms? something just under the head), and it usually means CHECK OIL NOW, not 30 minutes from now.

-- Danh 63.226.147.160 (talk) 21:49, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Car dashboard light?

I am driving a Ford Fusion rental car, pretty new (2007?), and a weird light came on that I couldn't decipher. It basically looks like a bucket with little dots in the bottom of it. I tried to look up the Ford Fusion owner's manual online (there wasn't one in the car that I could find) and it wasn't one of the featured lights—the light I saw fit in the instrument cluster to the right of the battery light and to the left of the airbag light, and in the manuals there is a conspicuous blank spot there (see page 10 of this pdf).

What's this light trying to tell me? It doesn't mean oil, battery, "maintenance needed", or any of the other common ones. Whatever little iconography it is trying to indicate is totally baffling to me. Any ideas? --69.110.41.71 (talk) 05:03, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Is it the "door ajar" icon seen on page 13 of the pdf? I don't see that one on the instrument panel layout, and it sorta has dots in the bottom. — Lomn 05:29, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

No. --69.110.41.71 (talk) 07:34, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Contact the rental company. William Avery (talk) 06:56, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Well, I doubt they'll have the slightest idea. They aren't exactly auto wizards and I'm not really that interested in talking with a guy from Bangalore for an hour trying to explain it to him before he figures out who to call instead, and inevitably they will tell me in the end to either 1. return it early (huge pain and not feasible) or 2. just ignore it unless it breaks (maybe you haven't tried to call a US car rental company lately, but they're all outsourced up the wazoo. It's not something one does casually!). I'm turning in the car in a day anyway (and not using it for much of anything until then) so I'm not panicking about it or anything like that. I'm just curious—its meaning was so unobvious, unless it was trying to say something like "there are rocks in your bucket." --69.110.41.71 (talk) 07:34, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Perhaps it needs a wash?--Shantavira|^{feed me} 07:51, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Could the "bucket" be a poorly executed icon for the windshield and the dots indicating the washer fluid? Is the washer fluid low? Dismas|^(talk) 08:24, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Hmm... I mean, I guess it could be, though I wouldn't know. I haven't used the washer fluid myself. I'll see if it's still on tomorrow and, if so, get a picture of it. --69.110.41.71 (talk) 09:04, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Does your rental company have lots of different makes? One that I used had the same make and model throughout and mechanics who pounced as soon as you return the car, to check it over. They would likely have someone who knows. I see no prob in talking to them, Julia Rossi (talk) 09:56, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Well, you haven't worked with the company I've used (major big company, dozens and dozens and dozens of different cars, call service is totally outsourced, I already had to call once to change a reservation). --69.110.41.71 (talk) 06:41, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Perhaps a non-standard variant of "water in fuel"? APL (talk) 13:12, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I'd ask a mechanic, preferably at a Ford dealer. --Anon, 22:29 UTC, April 30, 2008.

In the 2008 manual, there's a warning light in that location for "low tire pressure" (see page 13), with a picture of a wiggly "U" containing "!". I think it's supposed to be a cross-section of the bottom of a tyre with the bottom flattened. Bovlb (talk) 01:03, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

That's right. I think I forgot about the "!". Anyway I found the same manual earlier today. Anyway, not a big deal (I kicked the tires, they look like they'll get me to the rental agency tomorrow, which is the last I need of the car). Very unintuitive image! --69.110.41.71 (talk) 06:41, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Wheels of fire

Hi, I remember a commercial for chewing gum, probably Orbit, most likely from the early 1990s. A young kid skating through town (steep roads, like San Fransico), high-fiving his friends as he goes. At the end, I think the name of the gum is etched in the asphalt as he continiues towards the sea, possibly with a setting sun. The music is something like "run, run, run, wheels of fire, as the king of the city.... etc". Anyone remembering this? The real question is: Anyone have a link to a video clip of this commercial, or the name of the song? I saw it on Norwegian TV but it looked like it was used internationally. Thanks! Jørgen (talk) 12:34, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Linesmens' flags

In the English Football leagues some linesmen (asst refs!) carry yellow flags, others red and yellow checked. What significance, please?86.209.24.107 (talk) 14:57, 30 April 2008 (UTC)DT[reply]

There's no reference to the colour of the flag in the Laws of the Game. William Avery (talk) 19:36, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

No mention of flags in the laws at all, in fact, strangely enough. I'd say they would just have to be brightly coloured and noticable. But I'm just guessing. --Fribbler (talk) 22:23, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

There may not be in the laws, but there almost certainly are in the regulations of various leagues / competitions. I did some searching for an answer to this question and came across flags advertised as being in compliance with FIFA regulations. But my googling brought nothing from the FIFA site (not that I tried very hard). --Tagishsimon (talk) 22:29, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Yes I tried many sources before turning to Wikipedia. I hope to receive a reply from the Premier League and/or the Referee's Association - but am not holding my breath. Agree (as an ex referee) about the Laws. So I imagine it has to do with seniority. But I'd like to really know.86.197.174.121 (talk) 13:43, 1 May 2008 (UTC)DT[reply]

The Premier League handbook only seems to mention that they're provided by the league itself, ho hum, anyway - the guardian's "The Knowledge" section does have some interestingly plausible reasons here. 86.21.74.40 (talk) 14:41, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Scale models firing shells

Hi. I glue together Shermans and F-15s every now and then, but they remain somewhat static. How would I go about making (or finding a designer and supplier of) an actual firing mechanism, not unsimilar to a cannon? Perhaps to use something akin to a fire cracker to make an explosive shell. Scaller (talk) 19:14, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

How about looking at starter pistols and the like? I once saw a very impressive radio-controlled but steam-powered battleship which fired 8mm blanks in its guns. Assuming that you can't cannibalise an actual starting pistol (probably the wrong shape and size for a model) you would need to ensure you build a sufficiently-sturdy breech to contain the explosion. 86.158.97.36 (talk) 22:38, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Check out our articles "Carbide Cannon" and "Big-Bang Cannon". They use acetylene gas and a spark to make noise. --Milkbreath (talk) 23:02, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Will.....

....locking up the environmentalists guarantee LOWER gas and food prices? A Mark Le Vinne, who is a extremely conservative radio talk show host, and others say that,"You Lock up those damn environmentalists, every damn one, incl. Al Gore, you WILL see those gas and food prices GO DOWN!"

HE and others have said that:

Environmentalisim is a scam and encourages terrorism, thus he and others imply that the RICO statute and the USA Patriot Acts should be used against all environmental groups and environmentalists.
You lock them up in prison and mental hospitals, incl. high profile nuts like Al Gore, and you'll see those gas and food prices go DOWN.
Drill in Anwar and if whats left of the environmentalists try anything, SHOOT them, as in a Martial Law situation.

You should write a article about this firebrand Mark Le Vinne. I have heard him myself, Mon-Fri on the radio myself. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 205.240.144.214 (talk) 20:46, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Damn, forgot sig. Must be getting senile. 205.240.144.214 (talk) 20:48, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Unfortunately proclaiming your extremist views on the radio does not make you notable. DJ Clayworth (talk) 20:49, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I've found the article on here about him. It is Mark Levine, conservative radio talk show host. Maybe the anti-environmentalist commentary should be placed there? MY radio announcer had misspelled his name. Thanks for the help. 205.240.144.214 (talk) 21:37, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

One other thing, are rants like that one above worth placing on his article? Check his website to get a list of radio stations that carry the show, and you'll hear the SAME thing, similar things, worse, tonight. 205.240.144.214 (talk) 21:46, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

"Will locking up the environmentalists guarantee LOWER gas and food prices?" - No, it won't. Environmentalists have nothing to do with it and Mark Levine is an fool for trying to convince you that they are. Recent rises in food prices are due to higher gas prices. Higher gas prices are due to the supply and demand of oil as dictated by world markets and the whims of OPEC. Astronaut (talk) 22:33, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

He believes that once the environmentalists are gone, there will be NO political opposition to what Business and industry want. No "Striped/Spotted Ass lizards" to hinder economic growth.205.240.144.214 (talk) 01:21, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

He and others blame the Spotted Owl crap for destroying the lumber industry in the Washington and the Oregon area. 205.240.144.214 (talk) 01:27, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

This Mark Levine sounds like a fuckwitted idiot. Rises in petrol prices are due, ultimately, to the increasing inavailability of oil. And increasing food prices are due to the increasing inavailability of viable agriculatural land (due to too much/too little percipitation). Ninebucks (talk) 18:03, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Well said! :-). It's unfortunate that you can't write that in his article... Ilikefood (talk) 15:56, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The cost of imprisoning them should make for an interesting tax hike.hotclaws 18:20, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

When you use bold text and CAPS LOCK, your apparent IQ goes down by leaps and bounds. Ziggy Saw dust 13:47, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Bold text and ALL CAPS are used to emphasize what Mark Levine, others of that ilk have said. 205.240.144.214 (talk) 22:11, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

As others have said, supply and demand. Since oil is more-or-less limited (we cannot increase the supply, in the long term), the only way to lower the cost is to lower demand. As owls do not drink oil, and environmentalists are very keen on not driving if possible, or driving high miles-per-gallon vehicles, may I suggest Mark Levine's research may be less then thorough (he may need to hire a biologist to correct his assumptions about the diet of spotted owls, for example). However, that doesn't answer his question - what is driving up the price of oil? If only we could find someone who drives a low miles-per-gallon vehicle... surely not he; surely not he. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Ironmandius (talk • contribs) 04:15, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Shark Attacks

What is making the sharks attack people? Its all over the news RIGHT NOW! 205.240.144.214 (talk) 20:53, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Hunger. --Milkbreath (talk) 20:56, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Are more sharks attacking people than they were before, or are there more reports of sharks attacking people? Sometimes you will find this is a function of news reporting. One shark attack gets lots of press coverage for some reason, and suddenly shark attacks are considered 'newsworthy'. Now any shark attack gets press coverage, even if it wouldn't have before, which makes shark attacks more newsworthy, and so on. DJ Clayworth (talk) 21:12, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I've watched many shark documentaries. They stated scientifically most claimed shark attacks aren't shark attacks at all. Sharks are tasting us, the problem though is that they have razor sharp teeth and our leg is deli thin to them. Sharks do not like humans they aren't part of their diet, but I am sure if driving by extreme hunger then the shark might eat a human.

Always

Cardinal Raven

Cardinal Raven (talk) 21:35, 30 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven[reply]

According to some of those documentaries, they sometimes mistake people for seals, especially if they're wearing wetsuits (the people, not the sharks). After a bite, they realize their mistake and go looking for more nutritious food. Clarityfiend (talk) 22:35, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

"What is making the sharks attack people?" - the fact that people are going swimming in shark infested waters? Astronaut (talk) 22:36, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Have you see Shark attack? There were evidentally 62 reported unprovoked shark attacks in 2006 in the world. It could be there will be more this year. It could very well there will not be. Unless you've heard of 10 shark attacks in the past 10 days or something like that, I wouldn't presume there's anything unusual Nil Einne (talk) 12:18, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The problem with human minds is that they are unable to handle coincidences. Shark attacks are rare, yet, sometimes, rare things happen often, the human mind then tries to find a common reason why these things should happen (which is often beneficial, but is not in genuine coincidences). A similar thing happened in my own country, where a number of suicides occured in South Wales, causing many human minds to wonder what the hell was happening, where as, in fact, there was nothing more insidious than a statistical inconsistancy afoot. Ninebucks (talk) 18:11, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

College

Hello, I just wanted to know which colleges, private or public, in the US have the best writing progams? thanxs —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.230.107.166 (talk) 23:10, 30 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

How would you rate that? That would have to be a terribly subjective measurement. Rmhermen (talk) 03:44, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

By consensus (reputation)? The University of Iowa, John Hopkins and others at this site[1] and[2] for rankings. Here[3] for ghits. Julia Rossi (talk) 05:25, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

You may want to take a look at our College and university rankings article. There are a number of different organizations which produce rankings of universities in different areas. -- 128.104.112.85 (talk) 22:26, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

May 1

advis

i need 2 know what type of teliscope i can get that will mount to the top of my house and work through my computer and see a frog on the ground and see the space station —Preceding unsigned comment added by 161.184.183.174 (talk) 01:20, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I'm pretty sure most low-powered telescopes will be able to see a frog (at a decent distance; not too close) and the moon. I'm not sure what range of telescopes you can attach typical CCDs used in astronomy to, but you might be able to rig something up yourself if there isn't a pre-made one out there that meets your needs (I've known amateur astronomers that have put together their own from digital camera components, but it may not be a trivial project). Most astronomical applications use filters that limit the bandwidth of light detected to a very small range of color, so you might think about an easily removable/replaceable filter arrangement for those close-ups. See photometry (astronomy) and photometric system. --Prestidigitator (talk) 04:11, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I was a bit put off with you wanting to "work" your telescope through your computer and observe close by objects as well as the space station. If you just want to feed the image to your computer then the CCD would work, but if you want to guide your telescope remotely that's a whole new ballgame. On the other hand you don't even have to install a telescope on your roof at all. These pages may be of some help. http://www.skyandtelescope.com/howto/basics http://www.skyandtelescope.com/equipment/basics http://www.skyandtelescope.com/howto/diy http://www.skyandtelescope.com/howto/astrophotography This page has a list of robotic telescopes that can be accessed remotely through the internet. Some you can use as an amateur http://www.hobbyspace.com/Astronomy/astronomy2.html --Lisa4edit (talk) 05:54, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Hi. As for the International Space Station, an average telescope should be able to view it. However, the problem is, the ISS moves across the FOV of the telescope very fast, so you'll likely need a wide-angle eyepiece, and a high magnification at the same time, as well as some kind of tracking device to track its speedy movement. I've seen the ISS in my telescope before, but it's difficult to keep it in my 100-arcmin eyepiece for more than a few seconds, and it appears quite small. It moves more slowly as it enters the shadow of the Earth, but then again, it's also smaller in apparent size as well as dimmer. However, websites like Heavens-Above will give you information on when it will appear, but make sure you enter your location and not 0 longitude 0 latitude as is default. The ISS usually stays in the sky for a few minutes, so you should have time to point your telescope toward it, but usually all that can be seen is a few seconds of it, and not enough time to make out much detail. However, people have succeded in photographing the ISS for almost a minute through a telescope. Hope this helps. Thanks. ~A H 1^(TCU) 15:33, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Important/Historic Master's Theses

I'm trying to find some examples of Master's theses (or some equivalent) that have had a real impact on their field. The seminal example is Claude Shannon's, where he lays the groundwork for the digital computer, but beside that, I can't find many examples. Of course, most masters theses are either to ambitious and fail miserably, or are so modest in scope that no-one reads them, but there must be some examples of people who got it right the first time. Perhaps not the world changing impact that Shannon had, but some impression on their field. Any thoughts? risk (talk) 11:42, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Are you only looking for Master's theses or also for Doctoral theses? The former would definitely limit the field because not all courses have them. --Lisa4edit (talk) 11:53, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I'm really looking for Master's theses, or the equivalent. A lot of important work (especially in Mathematics and theoretical fields) is published in PhD theses. I'm looking for the kind of thesis that is written as the conclusion of an academic course, but before the student becomes an (assistant) researcher. It's not a strict definition, I know, so feel free to throw anything out there. risk (talk) 12:05, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

People occasionally make important breakthroughs in their Master's work, but it is usually not recognized as such as the time. For example, in Beyond Einstein: Superstrings and the Quest for the Final Theory (ISBN 0192861964) its noted that Vera Rubin's Master's Thesis at Cornell was the first to show "that the faraway galaxies deviated from the uniform expansion of a simplified version of the Big Bang model, [it] was rejected for publication because it was too far-fetched for its time. (Decades later, her paper would be considered prophetic)" Rockpocket 07:37, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Pigs in the mud

Removed duplicate question. Also at Wikipedia:Reference desk/Humanities#Pigs in the mud. Zain Ebrahim (talk) 16:25, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Alcohol

How painful is injecting alcohol into the blood vessels? 89.236.214.174 (talk) 11:49, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Probably just as painful as injecting anything - well obviously not acid, that would hurt like hell - but could / does the alcohol drink is acid-like in that it might burn cause they use it for cleaning desks and such so yes it would probably be very painfully and make you drunk. you might also have reverse osmosis cause the water potentials would become more negative and draw water out of the cells in your body and might just kill you if your unlucky. Maybe not though.Makey melly (talk) 12:51, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

From a previous thread on the topic (Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Science/2008 March 11#Alcohol injection), case reports suggest that injection of beverage alcohol (up to 40% ethanol) produced ["burning pain and local inflammation"], and cautions about "other local and systemic hazards". (Read the full article for details.) Higher concentrations of ethanol or the use of non-beverage alcohols (methanol/wood alcohol or isopropanol/rubbing alcohol) were not discussed, but would likely be even less pleasant.

Incidentally, can people try to use proper sources when answering questions, rather than just taking wild guesses? We're more useful when we provide good answers, rather than fast ones. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 12:59, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

This is original research but I knew someone who spent a couple of hours injecting vodka into his veins.(yes, he was an idiot)It didn't make him as drunk as he hoped.He said it didn't hurt any worse than the sort of stuff abusers stick in their arms like speed or heroin dissolved in lemon juice in fact ,it hurt less..The main pain with injecting is often the bore of the needle, a fine one hurting less than a wider one and how skilled you are at injecting yourself.If you are used to doing it, it doesn't hurt usually.The tournique can hurt more.hotclaws 18:27, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Sex song

Serious question, well serious in that I really want an answer. Are there any pop songs that depict in detail people or animals having sex? Like "he put his penis in, moved it about, came and let out a shout" etc. Preferably they should rhyme. Yes, also if you know of any poems describing graphically sexual intercourse. Its for a "personal project".Makey melly (talk) 12:48, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The Kaviar Sessions by Kevin Gilbert comes to mind. "The sickest,funniest and most spectacular album ever", according to the linked review; I certainly wouldn't disagree with that. Poor Kevin exited this life via auto-erotic asphyxiation, and we conclude that at least in one sense, he knew whereof he wrote. --Tagishsimon (talk) 13:05, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Lords of Acid are famous for their sexually explicit lyrics. Rockbitch is famous for their sexually explicit shows (containing nudity and sex acts), so I bet their lyrics are as well. risk (talk) 13:19, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

For animals: "Animal Language" by Lou Reed is kind of about attempted animal sex. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 01:37, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The Bad Touch, by The Bloodhound Gang, had a somewhat notable music video featuring clips from the Discovery Channel of animal sex. The lyrics are based almost entirely on euphemisms for sex. Steewi (talk) 02:55, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Their "Ballad of Chasey Lain" is also pretty explicit. Adam Bishop (talk) 08:01, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Might want to ask this question on 2/4/7/420/711chan, you'd probably get better answers. Ziggy Saw dust 16:14, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Unfair competition in interpersonal relationships

Isn't it unfair that some people have much more time/money to invest in relationship than others? What can level the playing field? 217.168.3.246 (talk) 14:52, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Not all women are whores. They care about other things aside from money and material things. Think about what you can offer than can't be bought and sold. Ninebucks (talk) 18:18, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Being interestinghotclaws 18:29, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I'm not sure what the concept of fairness is relevant here. Is it "unfair" that I'm in a relationship when you're not? --98.217.8.46 (talk) 01:39, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Unfair in the sense that we all have a right to happiness.217.168.3.246 (talk) 02:24, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

It is not stipulated by evolution that all must be happy. Abdullais4u (talk) 05:59, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

No, it is not estipulated by evolution. A right to live is also not estipulated, however in all societies we have it. 217.168.3.246 (talk) 11:13, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

So what? We should jail those, who reject to love their lovers, thus making these lovers unhappy? Abdullais4u (talk) 13:02, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The question was not intended in this sense. I was asking what levels the playfield. Only. 217.168.3.246 (talk) 14:29, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

You get the answers that people want to give, not merely those that fit your narrow aperture. And you asked two questions, not one, so there's little point in getting pissy when people answer the first of those questions. But if you want an answer to the second question, what levels the playing field is a combination of personal effort - e.g. education, organisation, discipline; and societal effort - e.g. legislation on minimum wages, working hours, access to subsidised housing & healthcare &c. As to the first question, you have not provided any evidence whatsoever that competition in this sphere is unfair. --Tagishsimon (talk) 14:54, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I answered you but you ignored it.You'll find women don't like that which could be why you are not in a relationship....hotclaws 15:33, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

It was never stipulated by a n y o n e that everyone was entitled to happiness. Ultimately everyone should be happy, and wants to be happy, but it's not always possible. Life isn't fair. We can do what we can to make it fair, but you can't blame society for not being something it wasn't meant to be. Ziggy Saw dust 16:14, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

@Ziggy: well, somebody did estipulate that I have a right to pursuit it.

@Hotclaws: I didn't ignore your answer. It was vague but I read it. Why do you suppose that I am not in a relationship? Perhaps I am in an unhappy relationship and wonder how wonderful anything would be if I had the time to invest in a relationship.

@Tagishsimon: Abdullais4u was not giving a proper answer. He was asking a further question. BTW, I am not pissy about the answers, but you seem pissy about me. Anyway thanks for your answer.217.168.3.246 (talk) 18:46, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Locked Inside the Cabinet

Why do we suppress our children with religion? Why don't we let our children discover what they want to believe if they want to believe in God that's okay, if they want to be Jewish that's okay to? Why do we always want to tell our children what is best for them? Why do we try to control children lives and tell them how to live it? Does all this religious control go back in history or is it just now that it is suppressing our children? Most of these questions go to religion. All religion is brainwashing(believe me when I was young my grandmother was an overbearing religious advocate). They tell you how to live your life and to block all your natural instincts(greed is a sin, sloth is a sin). This mostly goes to Christianity, can't people see the conflicting matters in the bible?

Thank You

Always

Cardinal Raven

Cardinal Raven (talk) 15:06, 1 May 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven[reply]

The reference desk is not a soap box, and leading questions designed to provoke discussion are unhelpful. When you have stopped beating your wife, perhaps you could find yourself a discussion forum or chatroom where you can pronounce your views and get people to agree with you as much as you want. 130.88.140.11 (talk) 15:18, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Because people believe that they're religion is absolute truth and that bad things will happen to their children if they don't believe. If you believed that your child would go to hell unless they believed in your religion, of course you're going to push your religion on to them. Mad031683 (talk) 15:35, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Cant relate to this, I and every one that i have ever known, and thats a lot of people spanning North America and Europe, including myself, i have never seen a case of parents suppressing there kids with religion. My parents never did that to me, my wifes parents not to her, and me or her grandparents onto their kids. Not saying that it never happens, but in most cases you see this in the "lovely" middle east, and some compounds in Texas,(hehe). So it sucks that it happens, but it doesn't happen to everyone --Nick910 (talk) 17:22, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Two people in North America and Europe don't meet the same kind of people. I've met a lot that you haven't apparently. Religion is a power game. One generation is trying to pass their value system on to the next. The vehicle is tradition. The force with which this is effected varies. Ideally the next generation can find a balance between handed down tradition and new ideas. Oppression can lead to defeat or rebellion. So all's not lost. Fundamentalism can be found in any religion, as well as in non-philosophical ideologies (e.g. China during the cultural revolution). Not having any value system is a bad idea, too. I have no idea what statistics the above mentioned quote of "most cases" is based on, but I'd really doubt the reliability of that source. Off-hand I could not think of any culture or country in the world where one could not find a first hand or news report on excessive methods related to religion or ideology. The troubles within the Catholic church in the US and elsewhere are well publicized. Funnily enough fundamentalist Christians and fundamentalist Muslims come up with very similar ideas when it comes to evolution, emancipation, dress codes, etc. and the belief that the "others" are very wrong. Traditional Indians find public display of affection between persons of opposite sex just as appalling as traditional Irish. Some native Navajo deny their kids medical treatment just as Jehova's witnesses do. There's much more to this topic, but that already fills several books elsewhere. 71.236.23.111 (talk) 19:31, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

How can you possibly claim that everyone you've ever known has never seen something? Zain Ebrahim (talk) 22:14, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Reference_desk/Guidelines. This question does not belong on the reference desk, nor will a few of the replies. I seem to remember having told you about the guidelines once before already. Scaller (talk) 23:57, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

If you think about technically I was asking for factual answers to my question. The question can be answered with facts. I was breaking no rules if you think about it like that. I see no problem with questioning ones system if ones system can be answered factually. There will be a lot of questions that seem like they are not part of the rules, but they are part rules. You just don't see because you can't get pass the fact that these questions might cause controversy or debates. If looked at the questions in a more factual stance then maybe you would realize I never broke any guidelines. Yes, I broke the guidelines once, but this time I didn't.

Always

Cardinal Raven

Cardinal Raven (talk) 04:38, 2 May 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven[reply]

Spirit. Letter. We do not need to concern ourselves with 'technically'. That is not how Wikipedia works. Please avoid trying to start debates on the desks. There are plenty of places on the internet where people will shout at you, or agree with you, for days and days and days if that is what you want. I suggest you find at least one for when you wish to communicate things such as you wrote at the start of this thread. Thank you. 79.66.2.176 (talk) 05:20, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Hi CR, you might be interested in this[4] and the links at the foot of the page. For me, the issues you raise are to do with the family providing structure for the child's development. It doesn't mean children (like the Flanders' kids vs the Bart Simpson type) accept the influences in the end, but beliefs give a structure to the family's thinking and a framework for their kids' lives – at the start, anyway – whether it's faith-based or non-faith based. Julia Rossi (talk) 06:24, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I can't answer your question because it is loaded with so many prejudices and vague statements.The answer you appear to want is that parents are old meanies and suck....hotclaws 15:36, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I will tell my children what's best for them because they don't really get a second shot at things like not running in front of a car, sticking their head into an oven, licking the electric socket, eccet. Religion can be seen as an extension of this - for example, eternal damnation Christian eschatology and/or Last Judgment are kind of final, and our one go through life is as final on tongues in electric sockets as it is in splintering one's immortal soul. Even the more forgiving Buddhist perspective of reincarnation cycles inclines one towards a path of righteousness. Whether it's a social contract or a burden is a personal matter, best serviced by your choice of imam, priest, or philosopher. For what it's worth, I'm a huge fan of Jesuits. They are huge patrons of education (I cannot cite, but I believe as a population group they have the most PhDs per capita), and my personal and completely unsubstantiated take on them is a faith that does not bear up under the most rigorous scrutiny is no faith at all (so they do a lot of self-scrutinizing). I leave the logic chain to education and its benefits on society as a whole to the economists. -- Ironmandius (talk) 04:26, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

bill gate's house

How come on this article, there used to be tons more information about his house and now its just a quick scroll down the page? I mean, i couldwrite more about my litle house than thisarticle presnts.Jwking (talk) 15:21, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I'm sure you could write more, but would it be notable? The article has come down in length by about 1000 characters in the last year, presumably by the selective removal of non-notable subject matter. If you have notable & referenced information to add, please go ahead. --Tagishsimon (talk) 15:55, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

There was some apparent vandalism yesterday which removed the "Features" section. I have replaced it. Also, it's always good to link to the article you might be asking about, Bill Gates' house. --LarryMac | Talk 15:58, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

You need to make use of the page history function. Only a fool would expect an actual article to be of much use - you really need to dig deeper to find stuff that's been removed. The useful stuff. -88.109.209.81 (talk) 11:54, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

It may have been removed, I would assume that information on someone's house would most likely be unsourced. Ziggy Saw dust 13:50, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Volunteering in Iran

Hey. I'm a British Subject, and I'm considering taking a year out of my studies (also in Britain) to go volunteering abroad. The nation that I have the most interest in volunteering in is Iran. I was wondering if anyone knew of any organisations that organised volunteering expoditions to Iran - a google search of my own has only really shown oppurtunities in medical volunteering, I'm not medically trained, and, indeed, a bit squeemish. So are there are any social/poverty aleviation/educational projects I could volunteer for? Ninebucks (talk) 15:45, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

not so much an expodition as an explosion, but there are a few that can help you blow abroad, er sorry go abroad. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 193.115.175.247 (talk) 15:55, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Why Iran? I can understand that you feel drawn to Iran but you are probably adding a whole level of extra difficulty and danger in choosing that country rather than others. Can I point you at this link too. DJ Clayworth (talk) 18:15, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

(I'm the OP). I'll admit, my desire to volunteer isn't completely selfless. I eventually want to start a career at the Foreign Office, and would consider a volunteering placement quite beneficial. So, in regards to difficulty, I would agree, but danger, I would disagree about danger, Iran is overall quite a stable country. The BBC news link better explains why I've asked WP, I'm looking for an organisation that will really help me help people, rather than the normal schemes in more tourist-y countries that can be more hit-or-miss. Ninebucks (talk) 18:28, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Why not ask the foreign office? If you are interested in a career with them at a later date then they may be able to point you to organisations which will give you relevant experience. -- Q Chris (talk) 18:59, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Why not go to Somalia and alleviate poverty there by being kidnapped and ransomed ? I for one would laugh at your plight. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.86.166.234 (talk) 19:30, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

That's rather cruel. Now, back to the question. Even though Iran isn't currently at war I'd expect a moderate chance of war with Israel and/or the US, since, along with supporting terrorist orgs such as Hezbollah and Hamas, attempting to destablize Iraq, Lebanon, and Israel/Palestine, and providing militants with weapons and training to attack US troops in Iraq, they are also working to develop the nuclear fuel cycle. If, as I suspect, they at some point go all-out to try to build a nuclear weapon, I'd expect them to be attacked in short order, which may not allow you time to escape the country. There are many poor, but safe, countries around the world that you could help. StuRat (talk) 20:36, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Just out of curiosity may I ask the proverbial "With what army?" Going by (OR/nonreferenced)reports of relatives and friends participating in those "tourist operations" (inside euphemism, plse. excuse) currently in progress in Iraq and Afghanistan, the US army is spread more than thin. The Israelis are pissed enough that the influx of missiles from Iran through Iraq to Hamas (or Hezbolla or whatever) hasn't been stopped by the Americans (and Brits) being there. They might be tempted to cut the supply off at the source, but I rather think they wouldn't without backing. They have their hands full keeping things from going from bad to worse at their front door. They're not going to go and send troops through Jordan or Syria to knock at any other. But that's just an opinion.

One important consideration about Ninbucks' trip is: Are you laddie (boy) or are you lassie (girl)? Being a girl would add a whole lot of extra complication. Apart from that there are many websites that explain some cultural differences one is likely to encounter. Read through some of them and see if you could cope with that with a smile on your face (boy) or staring at the ground (girl). No, customs for girls are not as draconian as they might appear to untrained eyes, but they will create a lot of friction and misunderstandings and are definitely very different in some respects. I haven't been myself, but a colleague has and I had a couple of students from there. My colleague said that the less "baggage" (preconceptions and opinions) you bring the better you fare. (The local plumbing will take some getting used to for one.) Lisa4edit (talk) 21:40, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I don't think it's such a wacky idea, and certainly more worthy than my thoughts of going on a ski trip to the Iranian Caucasus mountains. I would hope that if you went as a volunteer, with an open mind and stuck to what you were volunteering to do (probably best to stay away from religion, politics and sex), you would be left alone by the authorities. Astronaut (talk) 00:50, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Sorry, but since way too many people around me are attending funerals these days or coming home to the hospital, someone suggesting we go on yet another adventure hits quite a nerve. An open mind was what I was trying to promote up there and a willingness to be surprised and proven wrong. There are just as many differing levels of views of every fact and facet of life there as there are here. It's just that we usually live in our own little bubble and don't think much about things. It's a good idea to become aware of things on "your side of the fence" before you start climbing over it. Going somewhere with the idea that "It's bad there, I'll go fix that," can easily lead to the whole endeavor becoming a total mess. Only in an exchange of ideas and with an understanding of peoples situation and desires can you achieve something. This may all be phrased a bit too general but I didn't really want to write half a chapter with examples. What usually gets one in a foreign environment are not the big issues, though, but the little things. Example you are asked to describe your favorite food and describe barbecue pork ribs in great detail until you notice your host getting paler. You enter a room full of people. Do you introduce yourself, do you wait to be introduced do you ignore females present, bow, shake hands, smile and wink at them? An elder voices a very controversial opinion? Do you argue against it, do you nod and say some noncommittal sentence acknowledging his life experience? Can you live with sharing your sleeping place with goats and fowl? Do creepy crawly things in your food or bed bother you? None or all of these questions may apply. There will certainly be more. If our traveler can approach all these situation with the attitude that he/she is a guest and a student of the local culture and things aren't bad in the same way they are bad at home, that's a huge step towards having a successful journey. Gotta run. Good luck.Lisa4edit (talk) 03:41, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Have you checked the Travel pages of the Foreign Office? I'm not saying don't go, I have friends who've enjoyed it, but be careful in travelling to Iran. AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 14:52, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Rest assured, I don't intend to enter Iran with the intention of overthrowing the government... that would be a tad foolish. @Lisa4edit: I am a laddie, which probably makes things a bit simpler. I understand that cultural sensitivity is a must, and, at the risk of sounding like I'm only wanting to do this in order to add to my CV, its something that I want to be able to prove I can show. Ninebucks (talk) 15:57, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Turkish pepper

I have looked all over for a particular type of Finnish/Danish candy called Tyrkisk Peber. i have found a few websites that sell the bagged candies in the US (always at ridiculous prices), but I am interested in finding the canned variety. Does anyone know of a seller who ships the canned product to the states? Alternatively, since my primary intention is to flavor my vodka, I would be happy to know if salmiak spirits are available anywhere in the US. Tuckerekcut (talk) 15:56, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

On a web site there is a hint, that IKEA sells something called Läkerol Salmiak in its various stores. Another chap (mind you, he is Finnish) suggests the local pharmacy / chemist. From what I read, it seems to be an acquired taste, to put it rather mildly. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 16:39, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you for your comment, Cookatoo. IKEA does sell some salmiak licorice, and indeed I have found some sources for various "salty" licorices in the states. I am looking for a very specific brand, though, as stated above. Again,I may find ammonium chloride at the pharmacy, but that's not exactly what I'm looking for. Tuckerekcut (talk) 17:01, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

You might ask on its article's talk page: Talk:Tyrkisk Peber. We really do have an article on everything. --Sean 18:12, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Wow, there is, indeed, an article on everything. Warning: Reading it may cause instant omniscience and require copious medication of wodka and Turkinpippuri! --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 19:10, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I much prefer the article on Life, the Universe and Everything. AtaruMoroboshi (talk) 19:13, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

For those without an affinity for vodka. This candy will clear your sinuses and work much better than the sweet lozenges one usually finds, on a sore throat if you catch a cold. The IKEA stuff is not the same you'll understand why it's named Turkish Pepper once you try it. (Warning: non-resourced OR :-) 71.236.23.111 (talk) 19:56, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Oh God, that stuff. The first time I tried it I almost got into an automobile accident. Never again. Never. 206.252.74.48 (talk) 20:08, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

"Until you know how it will affect you don't operate machinery." Side effects include bulging eyes, utter disbelief, temporary nerve damage in the exposed areas. Side effects are not generally mild but appreciated by some later. ;-) Lisa4edit (talk) 20:48, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Did you know you can find that flavour hidden in many sweets in Scandanavia? On a visit to Sweden, I bought back some caramel lollipops for my sister's kids which they accused me of hiding "Marmite" in :-)) Astronaut (talk) 22:47, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Smuggling Marmite into the country disguised as lollipops...

Tusk, tusk, are there no limits to the devious inventiveness of the criminal mind? --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 23:44, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

If you are just looking for the flavor, a French liquor called Pernod might do it for you. It has an anise taste that's quite similar and since it has 40% proof you should probably skip the vodka. Lisa4edit (talk) 20:54, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

United Airlines Flight 93 - entry question

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Airlines_Flight_93

"It had 182 seats but was carrying only 37 passengers (including the four hijackers) and seven crew members: two pilots, the captain Jason M. Dahl and his first officer, LeRoy Homer Jr.; and five flight attendants. Because one passenger had booked two seats, some early accounts said there were 38 passengers on board. The four hijackers were seated in first class."

doesn't that = 44?

your SUMMARY indicates: Fatalities 45

who am i missing? thank you SweetBecca (talk) 18:23, 1 May 2008 (UTC)SweetBecca[reply]

The number of passengers in the article is given as 38 (two lines above the number 45 for total casualties). 38 + 7 = 45. The German WP has 37 passengers. It would be a matter of finding a suitable reference for a definite figure of the number of passengers before an edit is made. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 19:04, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

thanks for your comment/reply. "Because one passenger had booked two seats, some early accounts said there were 38 passengers on board" seems to indicate a contradiction on the same page. the wikipedia information about the memorial http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_93_Memorial agrees with numerous other sites that the total number of casualties = 40 victims + 4 hijackers SweetBecca (talk) 19:34, 1 May 2008 (UTC)SweetBecca[reply]

In which case I suggest you edit the article United Airlines Flight 93 to correct the number of passengers. Don´t forget to state in the edit history the reason for your modification. Be bold (unless, of course, you want to be italic). --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 20:08, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Hold your horses. I had a quick look through the other languages for that article and the Dutch, French, Suomi (Finnish) and Swedish articles had 37 passengers and 44 fatalities. The Italians had 38 - 1 in their text and 37 in a template box. The Portugese had only 38 in the text but 37 in the box. The Spanish article has 40 passengers (?) The Polish and German articles finally solved the mystery: One of the passengers had been pregnant and some sources count the unborn child as the 38th passenger. So depending on your view on that subject both numbers are correct. This sounds like a case for the conflict resolution board. Lisa4edit (talk) 20:41, 1 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Would it be too tasteless to cound unborn children as 1/2 fatality? Logically it makes sense... 217.168.3.246 (talk) 00:40, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

May 2

Social interaction and money

Isn't it terrible to think that all social interactions are stained by money? Even if you want to go to church you have to perhaps buy a bus ticket...Is there any place where money is not allowed? A hippie community or similar? 217.168.3.246 (talk) 00:42, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

There's Burning Man. -- BenRG (talk) 01:15, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Start from Barter then go to Gift economy Lisa4edit--71.236.23.111 (talk) 08:19, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

BTW, I wouldn't say that it is a terrible thing that almost anything costs money. That guarantees that you have to do some form of productive work before you have fun. In the the countries that I know (US and Europe) there is always some way of obtaining some money (charity, scrapping metals, McJob or any other menial job).SaltnVinegar (talk) 12:05, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Not really. The whole point of the capitalist labour market is that there aren't as many jobs as workers, otherwise there would be no competition. So, potentially through no fault of their own, there are some people who are simply unable to find employment. Ninebucks (talk) 15:59, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Right, some people will not be able to find a real job, but they would be able to obtain some form of money (not necessarily cash in the hand), take care of a dog, volunteer for food, listen to a free concert at the park, and much more. SaltnVinegar (talk) 19:19, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

You could always just try to persuade everyone whom you would otherwise pay (the bus driver, for example) that they should just work for you without staining the interaction with money. --Sean 15:20, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

There are certainly communities where money is unnecessary within the community, mostly religious ones. The communities themselves usually use money to interact with the rest of the world, but within the community the social interactions should be 'unstained' by money.

Of course you could also question whether interaction with money is always a 'stain'. Is money necessarily bad in itself, or just the way it is used? Even our most famous quote on the subject, in full, reads "For the love of money is the root of all evil." DJ Clayworth (talk) 17:27, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The premise of this question, like your earlier question about the unfairness of competitive advantage in relationships, is deeply flawed and broken. Since when are "all social interactions ... stained by money"? You give the impression of having one supersized chip on your shoulder. I hope you can get rid of it; but you don't, in my view, help yourself by trotting out these nonsense assertions. --Tagishsimon (talk) 17:46, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

IMHO that is exactly the flaw in your mindset. You are starting from the assumption that everything costs money (false!) and that money is a stain (false!). If you take the bus for free someone else is paying for you. And how would you feel working for free? In my opinion that is a stain. On the other hand you do help yourself expressing these nonsense assertions, since it can be analyzed by a third party. SaltnVinegar (talk) 19:37, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Who Wants to be a Millionare?

Does the government have enough money to give the whole entire world of people a million dollars? If not how much more money would the government have to collect before giving the whole entire world population of people got a million dollars? Just an interesting question that I thought and I became curious.

Thank You

Always

Cardinal Raven

Cardinal Raven (talk) 04:49, 2 May 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven[reply]

The Government? The Government? What? Many governments don't actually have any money at all, running permanently in debt in a fashion that is, apparently, the foundation of modern capitalism. Or something. In that sense, they could just run up more debt and withdraw as much money as they wanted. In fact, if they control the mints they could just print out enough dollars to give everyone a million. This would probably be simpler if they were the government of a country whose currency was called the dollar but worth very little, as the mints would be geared up for printing notes for large numbers of dollars. In practice, printing enough money, or withdrawing enough money, would probably destabilise the economy and result in many people having much less money in real terms than before they were given a million dollars. And the distribution costs of giving every person in the world (more than 6 billion people) at least one note would be startling. 79.66.2.176 (talk) 05:16, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

If everyone suddenly received a million dollars, inflation would probably be a nightmare, everything would suddenly be incredibly expensive, and the value of a dollar would likely be very little. Useight (talk) 05:56, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Just to answer your question in the most simplistic possible way: the bill would come to about six thousand trillion dollars; the United States government (which I assume has the biggest budget in the world) spends about 3 trillion dollars each year, borrowing much of it. Short answer: no. --Sean 15:42, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Well, first of all, "the government" isn't really definitive universally. No one government controls the entire world. And if the US government wanted to give everyone a million dollars, they could, because they're the ones who make the money. The problem would be inflation. This is because the more of something there is, the less valuable it is. This is the reasoning behind taxes. The goal is to not introduce more money into the economy, it's to keep it constant. Ziggy Saw dust 16:14, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The US government could give everyone a million dollars? ^{[citation needed]} please. Zain Ebrahim (talk) 16:20, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Of course they could. They printed more than 8 billion notes last year, and could just as easily start printing million-dollar notes and distributing them to anyone who asks. Perhaps using them as Coke bottle labels would be an effective technique to get them to every person on Earth. --Sean 16:30, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I was referring to the admin issue. If a bottle of coke is less than a million dollars then everyone would start buying coke insanely until the price is driven up to (just) more than a million dollars and at that point using this as a distribution method would be pointless because you'd need a million dollars before you buy your bottle. Zain Ebrahim (talk) 16:36, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Sean, Then they would be in the position of having to Buy the world a coke. It would be an interesting problem getting precisely one copy of the million dollar bill to everyone on Earth. It'd be hard enough to do in "1st world countries." APL (talk) 18:51, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Raven, assuming they don't cheat by printing new money, where do you expect them to get the money? APL (talk) 18:51, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Money tree. Solves everything.71.142.208.226 (talk) 19:04, 2 May 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven[reply]

Money doesn't have to physically exist any more, they could give out quite a lot of their $1,000,000s by just adding that much to each persons bank account, which just involves typing a different number into a computer. Although, I suspect someone would still need to give a big pile of gold to each bank, for some reason.HS7 (talk) 19:33, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Hyperinflation might make interesting reading. --Carnildo (talk) 20:31, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

1 million US dollars for each and every person on earth would require 6500 trillion US dollars. If all the money in the world was added together from all sources (including cash, stocks, gold reserves, private bank accounts, etc.) and converted to dollars I strongly suspect it would easily exceed 6500 trillion US dollars. Of course, if you were talking about giving everyone 1 million Zimbabwean dollars, it would only cost the world a total of about 25 million US dollars :-) Astronaut (talk) 20:42, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I think we've established that the money exists (or can be printed) but it would not be possible to get it to every human on the planet. Electronic bank transfers won't work either (as at 2001, there were 17 million South Africans without bank accounts [5]). Zain Ebrahim (talk) 23:57, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Currency "is a unit of exchange." Let us suppose that just you and me exist in the world, Raven, and I have a lovely orange tree grove, and you have a lovely herd. Well, you get mighty thirsty, so you say, "Gosh, Ironmandius, wouldn't you be so kind as to let me have an orange?" And I say, sure, buddy old pal, help yourself. But then I say, "Gosh, Cardinal Raven, I have a craving for steak." If you decline, I later have reason to decline to give you any further oranges, and THEN we develop a barter system. Otherwise, you've already agreed that an orange and one of your flock are exchangeable. We can call it barters, dollars, or moomooloos, but my orange and your cow are both worth one of them.

So then the next day passes us by, and you say, "Gosh, golly, you know that cow I gave you? That was an awful lot of meat, and you can eat for a week. But I have used up my orange, and want more." Now, either you re-price your cow, I re-price my orange, or we cease to do trade. But I want meat, and you want oranges, so we will eventually trade (of course, in the real world, lots of people have cows and oranges, so if we don't come to something vaguely approximating a fair trade, I just go to someone else, and you go thirsty)

If I suddenly said I had 5,000,000 moomooloos instead of the 5 oranges I actually have, what's stopping you from saying you have 7,000,000 moomooloos for the one cow you have? No matter how many moomooloos we print, there are only so many oranges and cows that we can be trading with them. It is my sincerest hope that someday economics will be taught using Ironmandians as currency -- Ironmandius (talk) 04:36, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Anzac

Have any World War soldiers died on Anzac Day? My grandfather was one and he died this Anzac Day. Interactive Fiction Expert/Talk to me 05:30, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, see [6][7] for examples. There were lots of veterans and only 365 days in (most) years. Therefore there is a 1 in 365.25 probability that any expired veteran died on Anzac Day. Rockpocket 06:44, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

In fact, it would be exceptionally unlikely that any day exists on which a World War veteran has not died. As above, the odds are 364/365 that one vet didn't die on a particular day. Boost that to 1000 (dead) vets, though, and only 6% of the time will a vet not have died on a particular day, though the odds that any one such day exists are much higher. Jump to 10000 vets, though, and the single-day odds have plummeted to 0.0000000001% - a virtual certainty. Go to a million vets, still well below the true number, and it's 1 preceeded by 1200 zeroes. — Lomn 14:16, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

the "ladies"

What is the origin of, when someone says something like "I'm good with the ladies", the word "ladies" being spoken in a deep and sexy tone?Makey melly (talk) 09:17, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I've always assumed it was in reference to Barry White, the baritone "Walrus of love", who would would give spoken introductions and interludes in his songs in a similar tone. See Barry White#Musical style. Isaac Hayes had a similar style, parodied by Chef from South Park. Rockpocket 16:54, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Public Transport

Which is the largest metropolitan area, town, village, hamlet and/or city absolutely without ANY public transport of any kind?

Which is the largest metropolitan area, town, village, hamlet and/or city absolutely without ANY private (for example taxis) or public transport of any kind? Please give an explanation of your conclusion in regards to private transportation. Thank you.68.148.164.166 (talk) 09:43, 2 May 2008 (UTC)68.148.164.166 (talk) 09:45, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Well, obviously there has to be some kind of private or public transportation, i.e. roads, if not governmentally maintained, then there has to be a space between the buildings that you can walk through at the minimum. Ziggy Saw dust 13:57, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The town in which I live, on the order of about 1000 people, does not have a taxi company located within its boundaries. Yet shuttles are available for the elderly to get to various places in the nearest city. Also taxis, will come out here to pick people up to go to the airport, the mall, etc. Would this live up to your definition of not having public/private transport? If so, the largest city is probably one that is very close to a major city, a suburb, which has a large population but just doesn't happen to have a taxi/shuttle service located within that town/city/etc. Dismas|^(talk) 18:45, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Does not having any private transport include not having cars, because then it might be Sark, although I think I remember they have a tractor there, so I'm not sure if that would still count.HS7 (talk) 19:26, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

It depends on what you mean by "any." There are many American counties that have more than 100,000 people, yet have no scheduled, fixed-route public transit. However, they receive federal and/or state public transit funds, so they use the money for "on-demand" transit services, which is basically like a public taxi service. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 23:04, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

For the U.S., Arlington, Texas "is the largest city in the United States not served by a comprehensive public transportation system." --Bavi H (talk) 03:43, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Feminism and childrens' surnames

(Note: this question may not conform to the acceptability guidelines so delete at will.) I have a question relating to Double-barrelled names. Don't the couples consider the impact it will have after 3 or 4 generations when they become 8 or 16 barrelled? Based on my definition of "fair", the only option would be to toss a coin for the first child and alternate thereafter. Has this been known to occur? Do any feminist groups propagate this? I do realise that siblings with different surnames may be weird. Zain Ebrahim (talk) 11:37, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Well, I have a friend whose name is Percival Oliver Woodworth Smith-Stern-Wallace-Vanguard-Proctor-Jones-Westington-Gamble-Wales-Cobbler-Whitman-Kinville-Devinton-Robinson-Miller-Goodman...he hates his parents... Ziggy Saw dust 13:54, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The nobility have been double-barrelling for a lot longer than feminists have been around. As the article states, they tend to abbreviate (i.e. not mention some of the surnames).

I think it's assumed that descendants will drop as many surnames as they feel is necessary. AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 13:56, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I was under the impression that triple-(or more)-barrelled surnames were prohibited. And that when an individual may potentially have more than two surnames, they (/their parents) must simply select two surnames from those available? Ninebucks (talk) 16:03, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

That could only be a local legal thing though. I've looked and haven't found any such restrictions in the US or UK systems. AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 17:49, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Sir Ranulph Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes is generally known as Ranulph Fiennes. SaundersW (talk) 18:58, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

In Spain and Latin America, everyone has two last names, taking one from their mother and one from their father. (So in one family the father would be Jose A B, the mother would be Maria C D, and the son would be Felipe A C.) This could be a way to resolve the problem. 140.247.225.117 (talk) 00:16, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I don't think it's a viable solution because I'd still have to decide whether to give my child my father's or mother's surname. It looks like a coin toss is inevitable. Zain Ebrahim (talk) 00:26, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

There's a tradition in some areas in the U.S. to give the firstborn child/son the mother's surname as a middle name. In Sweden you have an option between modern or old naming a son would be (Father's first name)-son, a daughter would be (Father's first name)-dottir. If your father was named Gent Johanson you could choose to be Zain Johanson or Zain Gentson. BTW I've met a lady from South America who has 4 surnames with a "di" in the middle. Lisa4edit (talk) 06:18, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I've always wondered about the parents of Leone Sextus Denys Oswolf Fraudatifilius Tollemache-Tollemache de Orellana Plantagenet Tollemache-Tollemache. Surely they could have taken pity on him, presumably having suffered the same surname problem themselves, and christened him Dave? -- Ka renjc 11:28, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

See the article on the unfortunate Leone: his parents deliberately inflicted the name on him. SaundersW (talk) 21:16, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

My favorite long name is Juan Vicente de Güemes Padilla Horcasitas y Aguayo, 2nd Count of Revillagigedo, though I don't know how much of it is "double barrelling". Pfly (talk) 07:31, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

other countries

This is from the language desk but I wanted to know the answer cause this wasn't a question but a side comment: "does Toronto have a problem with "extreme national" groups, like the BNP in London? I here a lot about racism in the UK, USA, and Australia but not much from Canada."195.194.74.154 (talk) 12:32, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I would hesitate to say a definite "no", but I would say that it is not nearly as prevelant as in the UK. Canada, especially Toronto, is hugely diverse and an enormous fraction of the population are immigrants or children of immigrants, which makes it really hard to get a "send them all back where they came from" movement going. DJ Clayworth (talk) 17:21, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

There used to be the Heritage Front. However, for various reasons, neither Canada nor the US has a real political party dedicated to racism that actually runs for office and wins seats and what not. Mwalcoff (talk) 23:00, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

In the US, that's because it's a two-party system, and, like Kodos said, voting for a third party is considered "throwing your vote away", which prevents the establishment of any serious third party. That being said, there are certainly grounds for calling the Republican party racist. -mattbuck (Talk) 23:42, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Toronto doesn't have any mainstream groups like that, but casual racism is as prevalent as everywhere else. I think there are occasionally religious rallies against homosexuals though, if I am remembering correctly. Bizarrely, though, there used to be a white supremacist group, the Northern Alliance, active in London, Ontario. Adam Bishop (talk) 08:32, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The US Vice President's title

After office the US President is still called "Mr President".

Does the Vice President also keep his title?. Is he "Mr Vice President"?

No! Of course not. If he's no longer in office he's called Mr or whatever he was before (lord, sir, etc)Makey melly (talk) 16:21, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

RogueTrooper42 (talk) 12:33, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I've noticed a trend toward calling former Presidents "President ______". The Daily Show did it with Jimmy Carter a week or two ago and I remember hearing Bill Clinton being called President Clinton recently as well. Recury (talk) 17:22, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Supplying references rather than opinions is useful when answering questions on this reference desk. Former_Presidents_Act and [[8]] indicate the terms are "former president" and "former vice president" but not President or Vice President as these are reserved for the incumbents. This convention is often ignored by the media Mhicaoidh (talk) 22:11, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Nice try, but we still don't have a reference. The Wikipedia article is unreferenced, and the external link it presents is to some BrainBank, who cite nothing at all. The actual "Former Presidents Act" says nothing about the title, unless you mean that the mere fact that it has "Former" in the title means something. I'm still looking. --Milkbreath (talk) 22:23, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Yes it is difficult to find a good solid reference! I take section f of the Former Presidents Act to be the terminology for such people; "As used in this section, the term “former President” means a person, (1) who shall have held the office of President of the United States of America, (2) whose service in such office shall have terminated other than by removal pursuant to section 4 of article II of the Constitution of the United States of America; and (3) who does not then currently hold such office" But I agree its not definitive as to form of address Mhicaoidh (talk) 22:37, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

crystal skull

A long time ago I was told that there was a crystal skull (like the ones featured on SG1 or Indy Jones) that was in some mueasum somewhere. The main thing about it, according to the teller, was that no cutting tool could cut it. Lazers, knives, diamons etc. Nothing. Is this a true story or are they full of crap?Makey melly (talk) 16:20, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The article crystal skull suggests a little of column a, a little of column b... - Eron^Talk 16:22, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Not to be confused with Damien Hirst's For the Love of God. AtaruMoroboshi (talk) 16:27, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

A) Diamond is (or at least, was) the hardest substance known. B) Diamonds routinely have serial numbers etched into them using lasers. Now draw the correct conclusion to your question. ;-)

Atlant (talk) 17:56, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

service charges for food and beverage

what resorts or hotels that are 4 or 5 star in the united states include service charge in the bill as many as i can get and the % percentage

Avril Lavigne b-sides

Why are so many of Avril Lavigne's songs, the so called b-sides, not on any of her albums, DVDs or singles? They don't seem to have ever been officially released, and instead just float about on youtube etc. Where can I buy / download these tracks? xxx User:Hyper Girl 17:24, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Well a look at B-sides suggests that these are songs you wouldn't expect to find on the album/main feature, but that may be available elsewhere - say on an EP or a Single. I know when I was young Blur (Band) used to do 2 versions of the same single with different B-sides - I used to buy both just to get their b-sides. I suspect your best place to look is either her official site, iTunes Music store, or perhaps something like Amazon if the artist has released an album of b-sides. ny156uk (talk) 22:09, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Because they are not very good. Ninebucks (talk) 21:02, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Chilling soft boiled eggs

Is it safe to chill soft boiled eggs? Heegoop, 2 May 2008 (UTC)

Of course! Do you mean will they become solid? Fribbler (talk) 23:45, 2 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Depends on whether you're going to use a fridge or liquid nitrogen. :) Zain Ebrahim (talk) 00:49, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

If you are worried about Salmonella They are found on the shell of the egg, so whether the center of the egg is fully cooked or not shouldn't make a difference. --Lisa4edit (talk) 06:00, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

That is incorrect; salmonella can be within the body of an egg. Our article at chicken egg flip flops on the issue, but the reference cited here states explicitly that salmonella has found a way to infect the ovaries and thence can be found inside the egg itself. In any event, there's no problem with chilling soft-boiled eggs; it would be much worse to leave them out on the counter. Matt Deres (talk) 21:05, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for that info. Mine was obviously out of date. Sorry. Lisa4edit (talk) 07:45, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

May 3

adding a totally new article

I still cannot find out how to do this...I want to add the bio of an emerging jazz artist and cannot figure out how? Jeanne O'Keefe Personal details removed —Preceding unsigned comment added by Twinjok (talk • contribs) 00:01, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Please see Your first article.

Make sure the subject is notable enough to have their own article.
Find references
Make sure no article on the subject exists under a different title by typing the subject into the search box to the left (←) and clicking 'Search'
Type the page name in the search box to the left (←) and click 'Go'
Click 'Create this page'
Create the article, including all your references, making sure you adhere to the Manual of Style and our article layout
Be aware that Wikipedia deletes thousands of new articles for failing to adhere to our policies and guidelines. New articles by new users are at extra risk of deletion, due to new users' unfamiliarity with our rules. Consider gaining experience by editing existing articles before attempting to create new ones.

BUT, if the subject is "the bio of an emerging jazz artist" please be sure the subject meets the notability requirements for musicians otherwise the article will be speedily deleted (ie. within minutes).

Hint: It could be a good idea to develop the article in a subpage of your userpage. For example click the following red link to begin a "Music Bio" page there: User:Twinjok/Music Bio. That way, it won't get speedily deleted while you're working on the finer detail and getting the references in order. When you're done, you can request other editors to review the article, and the completed article can be moved into the main encyclopedia namespace.

Astronaut (talk) 00:13, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Please do NOT include contact details in your questions. We are unable to provide answers by any off-wiki medium and this page is highly visible across the internet. The details have been removed, but if you wish for them to be permanently removed from the page history, email this address. Astronaut (talk) 00:17, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Is There Anybody Out There

I was in a club the other day and heard this awesome song. It had lyrics like "Woooooah Woo Wooo Woah Is there anybody out there?" and would probably be classified as a dance track. Does anyone know what it is (I may not be 100% accurate on the lyrics)? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 58.166.80.4 (talk) 01:28, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Is There Anybody Out There? - iTunes - 99¢, now that's awesome!. --hydnjo talk 01:53, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for the reply, but it's not the Pink Floyd song. It's much more upbeat, and has a somewhat strong drum backing to it (but less than most other club songs). I've had a look at the other ones, I don't think it's the cover (the song I heard is distinct to the Pink Floyd one) and it's not the DJ Junior one. I couldn't find much information on the "Ode to the Wall" mention, is this what you meant when you said "the wall" in your edit summary? 124.183.145.239 (talk) 02:46, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

No, I was referring to the original release of the song on The Wall album. --hydnjo talk 03:02, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Perhaps a release from one of these bands? --hydnjo talk 03:27, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Could it be The Scissor Sisters' cover of Comfortably Numb - "Hello (hello)... Is there anybody in there?" with plenty of Whoohoo-ing. Rockpocket 07:59, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Or perhaps Electro Illusion's cover of Rockpocket's suggestion. --hydnjo talk 11:25, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

"Is There Anybody Out There?" by apparently non-notable UK hitmakers Bassheads, perhaps? -212.139.108.231 (talk) 13:13, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

New Project

Myself and several other editors have been compiling a list of very active editors who would likely be available to help new editors in the event they have questions or concerns. As the list grew and the table became more detailed, it was determined that the best way to complete the table was to ask each potential candidate to fill in their own information, if they so desire. This list is sorted geographically in order to provide a better estimate as to whether the listed editor is likely to be active.

If you consider yourself a very active Wikipedian who is willing to help newcomers, please either complete your information in the table or add your entry. If you do not want to be on the list, either remove your name or just disregard this message and your entry will be removed within 72 hours. The table can be found at User:Useight/Highly Active, as it has yet to have been moved into the Wikipedia namespace. Thank you for your help.

P.S. - Sorry for posting this here, but I didn't want to post on everyone's individual talk page (I started to, but I felt like I was spamming everyone). Useight (talk) 03:03, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

You might be interested in considering whether you could merge this aim with the already well established Wikipedia:Adoption and Wikipedia:Help desk. Just a thought. Rockpocket 07:49, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Access to electronic texts in library

Does someone know of a -public or open for all- library where I can login with my laptop and have access to scientific electronic texts? SaltnVinegar (talk) 11:59, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Sounds unlikely—subscriptions to said texts are extremely expensive (PLoS as the exception, of course—which doesn't mean I think it's a great idea). --98.217.8.46 (talk) 14:11, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Some university libraries, especially public universities, will let members of the local public have access to the library, or purchase access for a small yearly fee, and often this includes at least the right to log onto the library's own terminals and access the electronic materials there. --Delirium (talk) 15:31, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Economies of oil-producing countries: Saudi Arabia and Norway

In Norway, there's the debate about using income from our oil industry to directly fund such things as hospitals or other weakspots of the budget economy. I've read up on the economy of Saudi Arabia (particularly #diversification), but could not quite understand how come the Saudi Arabian economy has not been run straight into the ground; as I understand economics, a sudden and major squirt of money will easily cause inflation. The economies of Norway and Saudi Arabia are quite different, but what makes it impossible for Norway to use the income from the oil economy in as direct a manner as the Saudis have? I have a hunch that a poorly educated population versus skilled foreign workforce is an important factor in here, but I am not quite able to place it. Did (or are) the Saudis pay(ing) foreigners to erect modern industry, so the Saudi to-be educated population could work there? Scaller (talk) 16:06, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

One answer, perhaps overly simplistic, is that countries like Saudi Arabia do indeed have large inflation problems, so haven't found a magic way to avoid the issue. --Delirium (talk) 16:30, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The indexmundi listings here (Saudi) and here (Norway) don't show any real issues, and an inflation between 0.8 to 1.6% seems rather negligible. Of course the recent sharp change in Saudi inflation (375% more in one year) can be debated, but my question is about a lot longer timespan. It is only recently that the Saudi economy has gone properly haywire; before the nineties there was still progress, without oil barrel prices quite comparable to those nowadays. Scaller (talk) 17:14, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

An economics expert could probably tell you more, but I think you may be dealing with figures that can't really be compared. The following model just might give an idea of what could be going on. Imagine a sheik in "Sandy Arabia" earned $101 million a year and none of the rest of the 100 inhabitants had any income. Next lets say every one of the 101 inhabitants of "Noway" earned a million a year. The per capita income would then be the same for both countries. Let's say our sheik could afford 101 Ferraris and each of the inhabitants of Noway could afford one. If you compare the gross picture inhabitants of both countries can each afford a Ferrari, but only in Noway could each also buy one. I tried to look for "income distribution" statistics for Saudi Arabia and came up pretty much empty [http://meria.idc.ac.il/journal/2003/issue3/jv7n3a2.html#The Economy�s Non-Oil Tax Base]. Apart from that, the two economic systems are not comparable. A large part of the Saudi Arabian economy is based on government monopolies and limited competition in the market. The fact that the population is moving from mostly nomadic agriculture to settled untrained labor/job seekers is putting a huge strain on local economic policies. Eventually the government can not provide enough jobs and finance the deficit and things go downhill fast. Lisa4edit (talk) 07:35, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I'd imagine that immigration pays a role, Saudi Arabia has a lot of immigrant workers who cannot get permanent residence (I think. There may be some information in Demographics of Saudi Arabia). The problem in Norway is that if you spend a lot of money on hospitals and roads, that will inevitably "crowd out" other sectors of the economy (construction work will be more expensive, for example, so more workers will be drawn to construction, making it harder to get people for other types of job). This spiral also leads to inflation, and immigration helps cut a part of the feedback. Also, Saudi Arabia's oil reserves are vastly larger than Norway's, and are expected to last longer. Jørgen (talk) 09:05, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Menopause website

Has anyone used MenopauseRx educational website? 192.58.204.226 (talk) 16:42, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Yes. According to Quantcast, the "site reaches approximately 16,164 U.S. monthly uniques." [11] The demographics indicate that 74% of users are female, and 69% are over 40 years of age. It appears as though the site does indeed get frequented by its target audience. ---Sluzzelin talk 18:41, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Swarm Photographers

Frequently on TV, when high-profile individuals are leaving or entering a court house, a swarm of reporters and photographers can be seen taking pictures and videos of them. In North America, does one need some sort of "press-pass" to be legally swarming the individuals and taking their picture? Or can anybody just walk up and take pictures? Acceptable (talk) 17:38, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

This would fall in under "legal information" (as opposed to advice), but you should not act on these matters based upon unreferenced "yes" or "no"s. :) Scaller (talk) 17:59, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

If they're on public property, as far as I know anyone who wants to can swarm away. Mangostar (talk) 18:57, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Look at these Privacy laws in the United States, First Amendment to the United States Constitution#Freedom of speech and Freedom of the press#United States Lisa4edit (talk) 05:55, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Chicken Feed

If I were to not feed my chickens commercial food what would I feed them? These are ingredients for feed I found in a book: wheat meat, corn meal, oats, fish meal, dried milk, ground seashells, salt. Would it be okay if I took out the dried milk, seashells, and fishmeal? I pretty much want to be able to make it all myself so I don't have to pay to much. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.119.61.7 (talk) 20:35, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

All those items are high in calcium; they're probably recommended so the hens can lay eggs with solid shells. Cutting out all the calcium would seem to be an invitation to malnutrition for the bird and/or deformed/easily cracked eggs. Matt Deres (talk) 21:10, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Where do you live? If the climate is suitable, you can allow your chickens to free range during the spring, summer, and fall and depending on your locale, the winter as well. The chickens would probably still desire some more calcium such as from ground seashells or even milk. And you don't really have to worry about milk that's gone bad a bit. We give our chickens clabber quite often since we have a friend who owns a cow that they hand milk. Dismas|^(talk) 21:18, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Would you be able to feed a chicken egg shell? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.119.61.7 (talk) 02:11, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The dried milk, fishmeal etc. is also needed as a source of protein. You can supplant that with Earthworms. 3 possible sources for those: mail order, attach a car battery to stakes put some yards apart in the ground (NOT RECOMMENDED, but some line fishermen do that, if you are a minor, DON'T) or start a Compost pile. They will congregate there and you can start your own breeding program in a barrel or even a bucket from there. Add vegetable scraps and rotate the barrel at regular intervals. Or you could breed Cricket (insect). They eat those. Many other insects also work. My gramps used to feed his chickens eggshells, so I'd say, yes. 7% hydrated lime works as a substitute. They also need tiny pebbles (very coarse sand) for digestion. Chopped up fresh Dandelion leaves are also an excellent source of calcium. Chickens like fresh stuff like berries and lettuce. Lisa4edit (talk) 05:15, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Dialogue between Merry and Pippin

I need some samples of dialogue between Merry and Pippin as presented in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Preferably from the books, but script from the movies are OK, too. I'd just leaf through the series myself looking for scenes involving the two, but I don't have enough time on my hands. I just need perhaps a scene or two primarily from the point of view of the two hobbits, with a lot of speaking between them, preferably funny. It doesn't have to be one giant block of text, it can also be from various situations throughout the books. If it helps, I'm trying to make about an eight minute duo for high school speech where a friend and I act as them as well as narrate. Thanks, False Tournament (talk) 23:35, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I haven't yet memorised the entire book, so I'm not of much help, but I did rather like their conversation just after the destruction of Isengard, where they were sitting there chating, eating and smoking when the others came across them. I can't actually remember whether that was from the book or the movie though.HS7 (talk) 11:41, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

ZOOM H2 question

Hello all you clever people. Can you anser me this. I just bought a zoom h2 recorder. What I want to know is, when you have it connected to the power supply, does it charge the internal rechargeable batteries or do you have to charge the outside. Thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.76.218.136 (talk) 23:44, 3 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Did it come with instructions? Look somewhere under batteries or power supply there. --Lisa4edit (talk) 04:43, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

May 4

HOW ?

Those who do not believe in GOD, how do they explain law of conservation of energy and law of conservation of matter? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 201.220.222.140 (talk) 00:55, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Using physics? Of course, many people, whether they are religious or not, are unable to explain these laws. Warofdreams talk 02:33, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Does this count as soapboxing? If not I have a follow up question; how do those who believe in God explain the conservation violations caused by magically making things? Paragon12321 (talk)

The whole point is that only a Supreme Being could explain what they see as deviations from the laws of physics. Creationism generally focuses on discrediting scientific explanations of our origins. When belief is on your side, you don't have to explain everything in terms of lawa they same way scientists do. Generally, Creationists will say "The law of conservation of matter and energy was established after Creation was complete and cannot be applied prior to that, because matter and energy are both objects of Creation." Naturalists would say, "The totality of matter and energy has always been the same, the Big Bang simply saw a change from energy to matter". Rockpocket 08:08, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Digitigrade bipeds

Would that even be possible? They stand on a smaller area than plantigrades, and probably the "tip-toe" stance would strain the muscles more than plantigrades. I'm guessing it would be pretty hard just to stay balanced for a while. 24.6.46.92 (talk) 02:59, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Birds spring immediately to mind, they are digitigrade bipeds; perhaps by bipeds you were wondering about heavier creatures such as mammals. Mhicaoidh (talk) 03:22, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Have a look at Terrestrial locomotion in animals and macropods. Kangaroos look quite digitigrade when they are at speed.Mhicaoidh (talk) 03:34, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

And "traditionally bipedal dinosaurs have been viewed as strict digitigrade walkers" according to this academic paper [12] whereas reptiles are apparently plantigrade (until they pick up speed!). cursorial relates to that. Mhicaoidh (talk) 04:07, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Cookies or bars

Which was invented first, Cookies or bars(like brownies, special K, and lemon bars)?

Cookies - see the history section of that article. Rmhermen (talk) 03:21, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I need this question answered ASAP.......thanks

I am seeking employment and the position I am applying for, has a questionaire attached. I must answer 10 questions so the person hiring me can get a better feel for any seriously interested candidate. The question I am stuck on is: "if you could get rid of any of the US states, which one would it be, and why? Can you believe it? And this is a position for a dental office a manager. Thank You for your help. Maybe you can help me in the direction of where this is going. JudieJudith Stew (talk) 04:44, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The state of nerves?--Artjo (talk) 06:43, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Thats a seriously inappropriate question and in my country you wouldnt be allowed to ask it, as your answer could be seen to reveal your personal views on all sorts of things such as politics, religion and so on. The dental firm is a business therefore I would avoid giving a direct answer eg Vermont! New Jersey! and instead discuss your reasoning, after all the job you are applying for is manager. Perhaps the state that contributes least to the US economy? mind you I'd imagine such an impoverished region would be full of dental problems and thus need your dental service. But would they be able to pay for it? And that would be your problem as manager; so then start talking about your skills... Mhicaoidh (talk) 07:03, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Florida: the biggest player in the US sugar industry contributing 21.4% of the total (from sugarcane and beets combined) sugar produced in the United States. Get rid of Florida, the simplistic theory goes, and the price of sugar goes up, sweet foods that rot teeth get more expensive and less people will buy them. Thats great if the goal is to improve the teeth of the nation, but the ultimate consequence of that could be less business for the dentist. Thus perhaps you should choose the State that contributes the least to the US sugar or high fructose corn syrup industries!

Alternatively, you could be controversial and say "Iraq: because since its acquisition it has cost the rest of the country $3 trillion to maintain". A pretty clever choice if the dentist is in San Francisco, less so if it is in Texas. Rockpocket 07:33, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

You could say "Get rid of the United States.", but that means that Mexico and Latin America loses its Health coverage and has to sponge off of Europe. 205.240.144.214 (talk) 07:55, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Why don't you sign your posts anymore, Martial Law ? And why is it most racist attacks are anonymous? Mhicaoidh (talk) 11:41, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

For your info, this government site lists state by state oral health reports and might interest you [13] Mhicaoidh (talk) 08:33, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The question is probably intended to test your wit. Whatever you do, don't propose a serious answer (unless, perhaps, it's related to dentistry as above; that would at least show you had done some homework).--Shantavira|^{feed me} 09:36, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

God Being an Angel

Please reply to this edit only if you are not a Christian.

In the novel The Amber Spyglass of the series His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman, God, the Authority, is false, fake, and fraud, not really God or a god, but is actually an angel. Could it be possible that God is false, fake, and fraud, not really God or a god, but is actually an angel, in reality, in the real world, in real life?

When the story His Dark Materials said that God is not really God or a god but is actually an angel, it meant and was talking about the Christian god. But Christianity is just one of the many different religions that exist in the world today. There are so many different religions in the world today. There are some people who claim and believe that Allah, the god of Islam, is false, fake, and fraud, not really God or a god but is actually an angel. Did you know that? See section 29 in page 20 of the article Islam - A Case Of Mistaken Identity.

Bowei Huang (talk) 06:12, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

It is possible that a Christian God is false, fake and fraud in "real life". He could, in reality, be an angel or he could, in reality, not exist. It is also possible that an Islamic God is false, fake and fraud in "real life". He could, in reality, be an angel or he could, in reality, not exist. The probability of each of those possibilities is a matter for debate elsewhere. Rockpocket 07:05, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Why are we still feeding this one? BH is setting up for the one true religion on the Humanities desk again. Julia Rossi (talk) 08:53, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Bowei, this is not a good question. There are many different beliefs regarding god/gods. We may think of a religion as a set of beliefs. So when you ask "Could it be possible that God is false...?", you need to specify which set of beliefs you're refering to.

Asking the refdesk whether it knows that some people believe that the muslim god is false is not appropriate and doesn't belong here.

Zain Ebrahim (talk) 11:06, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Why does it cost Ford a billion dollars to develop a car but Tesla Motors can pop one out on $40 mil startup?

Lotsofissues 13:27, 4 May 2008 (UTC)

TENZE

i'm a 21 year old young kenyan.i recently got hired on one of the biggest call centres in Africa.I'm currently doing transcription services for the company.i'm just about to end my training and i'm to hit the live floor, where i'll be doing live messages in the next few days.We are doing canadian voicemail transcriptions.First question,Anybody know a site i can go to or a tutorial i can download to learn how canadians speak.Cos their accents is so fast, i make lots of major errors.Question two-Incase i do a trnscription wrongly is there someone who checks my messages before they go to the receipient?Cos where i work only three to five messages are checked daily.And you do like 30 messages daily. 3.I want to learn about the canadian culture.Not the general stuff like provinces,cities..i want the grassroot stuff.Like the hottest band, The hottest mall, clubs, roads.Common stuff i'm likely to encounter while doing my transcriptions.PLEASE HELP>

April 28

Obscure San Francisco landmark

Are school bus drivers blue collar workers?

quilling

fake personality

Letter square problem

Just curious

Digital camera, good snapshots

Doing discreetly head shots

Paintball strategy

Popularity of Orange and Apple juice

Shave or not to shave

April 29

Laughing Syndrome

uzbekistan - "landlocked country"?

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