Wikipedia:Reference desk/Miscellaneous

Welcome to the miscellaneous section
of the Wikipedia reference desk.

skip to bottom

Select a section:

• Computing
• Entertainment
• Humanities
• Language
• Mathematics
• Science
• Miscellaneous
• Archives

Want a faster answer?

Main page: Help searching Wikipedia

   

How can I get my question answered?

• Select the section of the desk that best fits the general topic of your question (see the navigation column to the right).
• Post your question to only one section, providing a short header that gives the topic of your question.
• Type '~~~~' (that is, four tilde characters) at the end – this signs and dates your contribution so we know who wrote what and when.
• Don't post personal contact information – it will be removed. Any answers will be provided here.
• Please be as specific as possible, and include all relevant context – the usefulness of answers may depend on the context.
• Note:
  • We don't answer (and may remove) questions that require medical diagnosis or legal advice.
  • We don't answer requests for opinions, predictions or debate.
  • We don't do your homework for you, though we'll help you past the stuck point.
  • We don't conduct original research or provide a free source of ideas, but we'll help you find information you need.

Ready? Ask a new question!

How do I answer a question?

Main page: Wikipedia:Reference desk/Guidelines

• The best answers address the question directly, and back up facts with wikilinks and links to sources. Do not edit others' comments and do not give any medical or legal advice.

See also:

• Teahouse
• Help desk
• Village pump
• Help manual

December 28

Wi Fi hot spots in Sin City

I am going to Las Vegas soon, and bringing my laptop for the first time. Rather than pay my hotel for using the internet in my room, I would like to take my laptop around town and plug in where I can access it for free. Where can I do this? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Agastordoff (talk • contribs) 01:24, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

Googling 'WiFi free vegas' gives hundreds and hundreds of sites listing free hotspots in hotels, restaurants, casinos, coffee shops, airport terminals and libraries in Las Vegas. Give it a go.. Nanonic (talk) 01:43, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

Choose your hotel carefully and you might get free wireless anyway. Astronaut (talk) 11:53, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

TANSTAAFL - if "free" it'll just have been rolled into the overall cost of the room. 218.25.32.210 (talk) 01:20, 29 December 2009 (UTC)

True, but on the other hand the true cost of wifi is often far less than the surcharge that may be asked for it when billed separately. Also, since it is a shared resource, the true cost would generally be cheaper if all guests are paying for it than if only self-selected individuals pay for it. Dragons flight (talk) 07:53, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

Portrayals of Italian versus Russian mobsters

Ok, just so you know my background, I grew up in the United States. In American movies and television often the Italian (or Italian-american) mafia is portrayed in a romantic light. Often Italian mobsters are depicted as harmless, almost comic buffoons, all in a good-natured way, in countless movies. On the other hand, Russian gangsters are almost uniformly portrayed as threatening, violent, really "bad dudes." My questions are 1) does anyone agree with these generalizations, and 2) if this is the case, how would you explain why? Torkmann (talk) 02:37, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

There are a lot of Italian immigrants in America, and the movies are often made by Italian writers, directors, and actors. There are fewer Russian Americans, and Russia is a traditional enemy, sort of "over there" where things are always worse. Adam Bishop (talk) 02:50, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

On The Sopranos, in season 3 there was a "Russian mafia" guy "Valery" who had been in the Interior Ministry or Spetsnaz. One of the U.S. Italian-descent gangsters misheard that he was an interior decorator. The guy was practically indestructible, and to me was portrayed in a favorable light, overall. They simply could not kill him, as he was Rasputinesque. The Italian-American gangsters, by contrast, looked like "babes in the woods." Edison (talk) 02:51, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

The Italian mafia are lately depicted as the "mafia we know"—the mafia of the 1930s, Al Capone, etc., real "American" mafias. (Hence, The Godfather is about the Americanization of the Italian mafia, in a way.) The Russian mafia is generally depicted as a post-Soviet phenomena—the result of the end of the Cold War, with a lot of hardened bad dudes coming over from other shores, not Americans at all. They represent something different.

As for reality—I doubt it is true at all. There are no cuddly gangsters, whatever their nationality or ethnicity. One should not confuse such tropes with anything resembling reality. --Mr.98 (talk) 03:22, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

I don't think it's just the Russians anyway. The Albanian mafia, Chinese triad, Yakuza etc are usually potrayed similar to the Russians. While I agree with the premise there are no cuddly gangsters and a lot of TV overly romaniticised and ignores the brutality and ruthlessness of organised crime, some of the American Mafia had some sort of code of conduct/honour. These codes didn't mean they weren't violent but may have sometimes meant they avoided things like killing police officers. While such codes exists for many criminal organisations I think many (including the American Mafia) have started to move away from such things and so it's not something that associated with the more 'recent' organisations in the US. Nil Einne (talk) 11:40, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

I doubt it is "honor" that ever kept mafia members from killing police and civilians—I more suspect that it is an attempt to keep a low profile and to avoid retribution. No business organization (illegal or not) can afford "honor" if it doesn't work with the business model! --Mr.98 (talk) 17:02, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

I think the Italian mob had a slightly different public face due to their involvement in providing alcohol during Prohibition in the US. You can get people to go along with you if you either scare them or are buddies with them. Providing the general public with liquor gave them a big step in the second direction. Matt Deres (talk) 21:13, 29 December 2009 (UTC)

1) I tend to agree with the OP's generalizations. 2) As well as mobsters Italy has long been the source of opera, fashionable styles, high cuisine and such high-profile entertainers as Ol' Blue Eyes (1) and (2). How is a poor Russian mobster to compete with all of that? Cuddlyable3 (talk) 19:36, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

Disco remixes of classical music.

Apart from the famous "A fifth of Beethoven," which was on the Saturday night fever soundtrack (and used in the film), and the not-so-famous "Night on Disco Mountain," also on the same soundtrack and also by Walter Murphy, does anyone know of any other 1970's-era disco remixes of classical music? I once heard a disco-inspired version of the overture to Orphee aux Enfers by Offenbach ONCE but never got any information on it. Any help would be appreciated. Torkmann (talk) 02:43, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

The Hooked on Classics series of classical medleys typically used a sort-of disco beat as a connecting thread. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 04:13, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

Are you looking for something like this? I hope this helps. JW..[ T..C ] 04:17, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

Technoclassix is a compilation; more early techno than disco. Adagio for Strings version somewhere also. Polypipe Wrangler (talk) 10:56, 29 December 2009 (UTC)

A Moral dillemma

I have a situation where I have a friend who is planning to quit his present job( a Govt job) ,to join the corporate world. I find my friend quite inefficient in the way he deals with work and this is a opinion which has been endorsed by all his colleagues. I feel that he may be a failure in his new job too. Should I advice him not to leave the job or should I remain silent?. My friend is quite obstinate and has a exaggerated view of his own abilities!I am ceratin that he will not listen to me! What should I do? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 59.93.241.94 (talk) 04:03, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

That's a matter of opinion, not fact, and the ref desk is not intended to be a discussion board. Here's a couple of questions back, which you might consider: If he fails in the corporate world, will he be able to get his government job back? Also, something to keep in mind: Your tax dollars are contributing to his government salary. Do you want you tax dollars going to someone who's ineffecient? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 04:11, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

What has it got to do with you, directly? OK you are concerned for him, but he must make his own decisions. Try to advise and likely lose out... advise NO. He is a success. You are scorned. Advise YES. He is a failure. You are blamed. Advise caution and deep thought, no more. Believe me I know, from hard experience.Froggie34 (talk) 09:30, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

If you are genuinely certain that he won't listen to you, what is the point of saying anything? --Tango (talk) 14:48, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

An inflated view of one's own competence is the normal human state of being. See, for example, Kruger and Dunning's paper "Unskilled and Unaware of It: How Difficulties in Recognizing One's Own Incompetence Lead to Inflated Self-Assessments". While they found that individuals in the lowest quartile of performance on a task tended to massively overestimate their own ability, no group was immune to a tendency to overrate their competence. In addition to the work Kruger and Dunning conducted, thir paper also provide valuable references to the corpus of psychological study demonstrating our own inflated views of ourselves. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 15:56, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

My understanding from what I've read before, supported by Dunning–Kruger effect is that competent people actually have the tendency to underestimate their ability Nil Einne (talk) 16:05, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

Barack Obama got all the way to the White House by, among other things, reminding his nation of this ("Yes, we can"). -- Jack of Oz ... speak! ... 18:47, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

My understanding (I haven't re-read our articles on the subject) is that competent people accurately assess their own abilities but believe other people's overestimates of their own abilities so underestimate their relative abilities. (Did that make any sense?) --Tango (talk) 19:16, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

Ethically speaking, you really have no reason to discourage your friend, because you are not hiring him. Let the employer decide if he has the abilities they want. Let your friend take the risks he wants to take. It is not a moral dilemma at all. --Mr.98 (talk) 16:52, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

The OP may not be obligated to discourage his/her friend, but I wouldn't say he/she has no reason to. To me, being a good friend is enough reason to offer a word of advice when you think your friend is likely making a bad decision. --71.185.178.230 (talk) 17:59, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

Well, maybe. But people have to make their own decisions and find their own limits. When it comes to employment (and love), I think a good friend lets you figure that out on your own. When it comes to investment, well, maybe then you've got to pipe up every one in awhile. ;-) --Mr.98 (talk) 20:23, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

Incidentally, not everyone in the corporate world works efficiently, and some inefficient people do quite well in the corporate world, based on my observation during years of work for a corporation. Marco polo (talk) 02:29, 29 December 2009 (UTC)

In looking back at this, I'm inclined to agree with Mr.98. Let the guy do what he wants, even if it might be wrong - because it might be right. Maybe he's inefficient because he doesn't like his government job! He might thrive in another job. Don't presuppose what someone else can or can't do. That's bordering on "nannyism". ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 02:33, 29 December 2009 (UTC)

Caution your friend. Note very carefully your own limitation in being able to assess the situation thoroughly, whether you think you are limited in this way or not. Ultimately it is your friend's decision. But you want him to weigh it carefully, so you want to implant the thought, subtly, in his mind that it might not be the right decision. But in fact it might be the right decision. Your concern for your friend means you want him to weigh any potential changes carefully. Bus stop (talk) 03:01, 29 December 2009 (UTC)

"Baron Longueville"

The entry under Richard Longfield states as follows: On 1 October 1795, Richard Longfield was created Baron Longueville, and on 29 December 1800, he was created Viscount Longueville. Both titles became extinct on his death in 1811.

I have seen elsewhere that he was created Baron Longueville in 1795 - how do you know that this was on 1 October 1795 - and who bestowed the title? The Revd. Thomas Brooke Clarke (1757?-1833) named his son Longueville Loftus Tottenham Clarke (1795-1863) born in May 1795 ... and the 'Loftus' and 'Tottenham' carry associations with the Marquess of Ely who was Clarke's patron at that date. The Longfield-Longueville connection was as meaningful so I have to suggest that knowledge of the 'Longueville' title must have come through rather earlier in the year than October I should appreciate a contact with the source of your article With thanks S.W. Massil (London) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.71.38.200 (talk) 09:54, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

I know nothing whatever of this particular case, but I do know that baronies are sometimes/usually announced before they are formally created by letters patent. A case in point was John Forrest, whose barony was announced in February 1918 but had still not been formally created by the time of his death in September 1918, so he died Mr Forrest, not Lord Forrest; despite the fact that he had been signing his name "Forrest" since February on the assumption that he was now (as good as) a lord. So, by analogy, if Longfield became Baron Longueville on 1 October 1795, it's likely he would have known of the honour some considerable time before this. -- Jack of Oz ... speak! ... 18:44, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

The closest thing I can find is from the London Gazette [1] and the date of record is Oct. 5th: "His Majefty's Royal Letters Patent being received, granting the following dignities, Letters Patent are preparing to be paffed...To the Right Honorable Richard Longfield, and the Heirs Male of his Body lawfully begotten, the Dignity of Baron Longueville...". I can't reconcile that with Oct. 1, the Gazette is/was the official paper of record, so I would be inclined to use Oct. 5th. The Royal Letter would of course have been issued earlier, but I don't see it getting to Dublin Castle in just 4 days. Also, I'm not clear on why the title would be extinguished on his death, presumably he fell short with his lawful begetting of heirs male? Curious that... Franamax (talk) 20:59, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

The Complete Peerage, vol VIII page 129, gives the 1 October 1795 and 29 December 1800 for the creations of the Barony and Viscountcy of Longueville. At the time of the creation of the Barony, Longfield had spent 34 years in the Irish Parliament. Longfield was very wealthy and the proprietor of boroughs which returned eight members to the Irish Parliament, and the CP notes a description of him in 1799 (which was written by a political opponent) as saying that when he spoke in Parliament "perhaps no member of the House .. commands more attention". He was a supporter of the Act of Union and his Viscountcy was one of 46 Irish peerages created a matter of days before Union took place - and that the Viscount subsequently became a Representative Peer. There is also a report that Longfield wrote a letter to Lord Chichester in 1803 demanding further reward for his services to the Government (BM Add MS 33111 fo 170). He died s.p. in other words without any children, despite a 53 year long marriage. Sam Blacketer (talk) 14:19, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

Pen guns

Am trying to find out what these are, and there seems to be a confusion between:

• an improvised firearm made from pen parts, vs.
• a small gun of standard manufacture made to look like a pen.

To wit: under the subheading cryptic firearms, the page on Improvised firearms describes guns made to look like innocuous objects such as a "flashlight, pen, ." In seeking information on the pen gun I've seen references to model names and numbers which seem to be products of standard manufacture, some of which appear (as red links, unfortunately) on the List of firearms page. I don't even know on which Talk page to ask this, but it seems like both articles have only partial information. Is it possible that both types (that I tried to describe above) share the name "pen gun"? How to sort this out? -- Deborahjay (talk) 12:18, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

I assume that you know that the reference was to a firearm, not just to a "Light pen" or Light gun. Dbfirs 14:28, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

Well, here's one on the web, besides the several mentioned as red links on the List of firearms. I would think that an improvised "pen gun" would be made of part(s) of a pen, as a zip gun is constructed of a length of broken-off antenna), not improvised (of what?) to look like a pen. -- Deborahjay (talk) 16:52, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

Sorry, yes, of course, if I had known the period you were studying, I wouldn't have suggested a 1970s invention (light pen). Dbfirs 22:51, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

This video shows a pen gun at 7:17. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 03:11, 29 December 2009 (UTC)

Reducing picture size in e-mail?

I apologise for having already asked this on the Computing Desk but without any response. Maybe better luck here.Please could someone help me? I recently accepted an offer from AOL to have my AOL Broadband service upgraded to include my telephone service at a single all-inclusive monthly charge and so far, I am very happy with both aspects. But the AOL service (called Platinum 2) changed the way my screen works and I have lost a lot of the options I used to have with AOL when sending e-mail. I find that I cannot make any pictures I attach to my e-mails "Fit to Window" as previously. And I cannot reduce any that I receive so that I can see the whole picture on screen. I also used to be able to "frame" each picture and add sub-text to them but no longer. AOL have been unable to help and so I am hoping someone here will be able to help. Thanks in anticipation. 92.30.103.0 (talk) 12:56, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

I think there are two things working against you. First, nobody who doesn't use AOL is going to have the faintest idea of how this proprietary setup works or is supposed to work. Second, at this time of year, many people have decided to spend time with their real-world friends and family, reducing the pool of potential answerers. AOL, on the other hand, should know what you're talking about and they also have an obligation to help you to some degree, even during the holidays. Your best bet is to contact them. If that truly doesn't work out, then give the thread in the Computing desk a couple more days and repost your question there with details regarding 1)how you used to do what you want, 2)what you've tried to do now to accomplish the same thing, and 3)what AOL told you to do and what happened when you tried to do it. If AOL isn't doing what it's supposed to even while you follow step-by-step instructions from their help desk, then it could be that the problem is due to your operating system, so provide that info as well. If any other programs aren't doing what they should, that should also be mentioned. I'm not really a tech guy, but those of the kinds of information people post when they're trying to get a problem diagnosed. Good luck. Matt Deres (talk) 15:13, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

Thanks for that Matt. I'll take your advice and wait for 2010. Though to be fair, the AOL Helpdesk is in India where I wouldn't have imagined there was much by way of Christmas disruption. 92.30.103.0 (talk) 15:18, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

The point about holidays was only in reference to the lack of help here; we're volunteers and come or go at whim - you can and should be able to call AOL at any time for technical support. If they can't or won't give you the service you're paying for, I'm sure there are no shortage of internet service providers in the UK (assuming I've geo-located you correctly). Matt Deres (talk) 19:39, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

Thanks again Matt - problem solved. I did contact AOL (in India) again and this time was told that in buying their Phone and Broadband package they had moved me to a different version of their website that incurred the loss of some features. So, as advised I uninstalled their new version (AOL Desktop) and re-installed my old version (AOL9 VR), and have regained all the features that were missing. And I confirmed with the Accounts Department (in India) that there would be no penalties to my new combined package subscription. So I trust someone else here may benefit from my experience. But thank you for your interest - I am genuinely grateful to you. Have a wonderful New Year in 2010. 92.30.103.0 (talk) 19:47, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

You should mention that at the Computing desk, so that others can learn from it there. Thanks, 99.241.68.194 (talk) 21:31, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

Title font on Computer Magazine

What font is used for the word "Computer" on the cover of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_%28magazine%29 ? 20.137.18.50 (talk) 17:50, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

It's similar (but not identical) to Twentieth Century. Perhaps someone with inside knowledge could comment. Tevildo (talk) 18:24, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

Looks like a pretty dead ringer for Futura Bold to me. The C is dead-on, as is the funny U. Some of the weights are a little different than this one (thicker around the joints of the P for example), but I would just chalk that up to variations in the specific typeface used (different typefaces often have slightly different implementations depending on the foundry that made them). Definitely Futura Bold. --Mr.98 (talk) 20:14, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

It's definately a sans-serif font, and there are many of those. List_of_typefaces#Sans_serif and Samples of sans serif typefaces some good places to start. The unusual way the C ends with vertical lines rather than horizontal leads me towards Bell Centennial as a likely option, though Futura as noted above is another one. --Jayron32 20:19, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

To me it looks like Futura Bold as well. It isn't Bell Centennial, because there is no tail on the lower-case u. — Michael J 00:06, 29 December 2009 (UTC)

why does hair darken with age?

Why does that happen? When I was a child I was blond but now my hair is dark brown. So, why is that? --Belchman (talk) 21:01, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

It's a good question. The article Human hair color notes the phenomenon, but does not explain it, nor does it contain any references that do. The same thing happens in my family. Both me, my brother, and my father's hair darkened with age. Hair color is caused by melanin, and there are several different types of melanin that go into making hair color. Brown Eumelanin imparts a brown or yellow color, black Eumelanin imparts a black color, and Pheomelanin imparts a red color. Your hair color derives from your particular mix of these three pigments. Thus, blonds have brown eumelanin, with out the other two, while brunettes have some of all three, redheads have mostly pheomelanin, etc. etc. So, the likely cause is that melanogenesis gets turned on for these pigments at different ages; so that in the young lesser amounts of the darker melanins are produced, and as one ages, the darker melanins get "turned on". This must be a genetic thing, and not universal, since there are plenty of examples of people who have the same color hair their whole lives, while others (like you and I and likely my children) experience a wide variation in hair color throughout their lives. It would be interesting to get a better biochemical or physiological explanation, since this is what I was able to piece together myself reading the above articles. --Jayron32 21:20, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

I can't answer the question, but will note that a similar situation can occur with the texture of the hair, changing it from straight to curly or vice versa, leading to old wives tales about how something or other caused it to happen. My hair changed around grade three or four (i.e. not tied to puberty as might be expected) and my parents blamed a barber who'd given me a haircut shortly before. My maternal grandfather's hair changed (also at an early age) and since he'd recently been to the seaside for the first time, the "salt sea air" was blamed for the change. Matt Deres (talk) 01:47, 29 December 2009 (UTC)

I suspect that blonde-haired children are more cute than other children and that this is a natural mechanism making them more likely to be protected and saved in the event of disaster. Kittybrewster ☎ 18:35, 29 December 2009 (UTC)

On the same note, someone once told me they thought it was because, evolutionarily, young children are more likely to need to hide from predators and so need better camouflage. That seemed interesting and vaguely reasonable at the time, although I guess it assumes an environment with blond looking plants, like grass or wheat or something. Part of me thinks a more likely reason is that it became a sort of evolutionary indicator for youth, particularly when looking for a mate. Many males seem to prefer females with light hair, perhaps because it indicates they are younger and more fertile, or at least it did before L'Oreal et al. Having such an indicator of age (fertility) would seem an evolutionary advantage for a group. Of course that doesn't explain why young boys have light hair as well. TastyCakes (talk) 19:02, 29 December 2009 (UTC)

It also does not explain why some people do not experience a darkening of their hair, nor does it explain why not everyone is born blond. The OPs question doesn't really ask about evolutionary purpose (which is always a dubious undertaking anyways, since evolution doesn't have any intelligence), but rather on the biochemical and physiological causes of the event. That is, not why hair colors evolved in the first place (which seems to be where you are going) but rather the specific mechanism in the body that causes some people to experience darkening hair color throughout their lives. --Jayron32 20:51, 29 December 2009 (UTC)

Well I'm not sure exactly what he meant by his question (perhaps he could enlighten us), but it seems to me that by looking for a strictly physiological explanation, you are answering the "how" but not the "why". If someone were to ask "why are polar bears white" you could give a pretty good argument that it's so you can't see them in the snow. I think that's a better answer than "they have a specific type of melanin", but it of course doesn't explain why some bears are brown or black. Also, I didn't say that evolution had any intelligence, I said that having a way to judge people's ages more accurately could be evolutionarily advantageous. TastyCakes (talk) 22:06, 29 December 2009 (UTC)

I've heard it said that one possible evolutionary reason why so many gentlemen "prefer blonds" is because blond hair makes it easier to tell whether a potential mate is healthy or not (Why? I have no idea!). That being the case, perhaps children have lighter color hair in order that their parents can better tell if they are healthy. Once the child is old enough to handle that stuff themselves, there is less need. Unfortunately, that's speculation piled upon speculation - so I could easily be quite wrong on this one. SteveBaker (talk) 21:42, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

Specifically addressing TastyCakes' quandry about boys also having blond hair (mine too was much lighter when I was one, and not just because of Hong Kong sunlight) -- remember that the very large majority of genes are equally inheritable by both sexes: the Y chromosome that (usually) determines malehood is only one out of 46 and is markedly smaller than the rest, hence carrying a smaller than average gene complement (which does not, so far as we know, include any influencing hair colour). The two human sexes are basically the same model with only minor tweaks (which non-genetic factors can sometimes over-rule), so nearly all features are common to both, and most of the rest are modifications of the same feature in one or the other direction. The upshot of this is that if a feature-producing gene or gene combination is advantageous to one sex and not disadvantageous to the other, it will usually persist and be present in both. 87.81.230.195 (talk) 01:03, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Alexi Laiho

Has Alexi Laiho from Finnish Metal band 'Children of Bodom' got any children?86.149.0.243 (talk) 21:14, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

This biography suggests that he was married. This interview seems to confirm that, as well as suggesting that he may have one child. I hope this helps. JW..[ T..C ] 04:35, 29 December 2009 (UTC)

A particular handshake.

I have witnessed both Kenyan, Nigerian and Asiatic acquaintances shaking hands conventionally with the right hand but at the same time touching their right elbow or fore-arm with their left hand. It is not a coincidence and it appears to be some form of respect action. These occasions have usually been formal situations between people who did not previously know each other. I have tried searching with Google and the Wikipedia article on handshake is sadly lacking in this style. Can anyone tell me what this style of handshake is called. Richard Avery (talk) 23:09, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

I doubt there is a specific name for this but the difference in handshakes usually denote different levels of intimacy, friendliness or respect. This is nicely depicted in the movie Primary Colors but I cannot find a clip of it, here is an extract from the book describing it. meltBanana 13:00, 29 December 2009 (UTC)

December 29

Candlewicks

Do the wicks of candles contain any poisonous substances, especially ones from say China and Asia, as their rules and regs. aren't as tight as ours?

Thank you.

J. Bridge......... —Preceding unsigned comment added by Jackie Bridge (talk • contribs) 11:48, 29 December 2009 (UTC)

According to our candle wick article: "candle wicks ... may contain a stiff core ... traditionally made of lead, however lead wick cores have been banned in the U.S. ... due to concerns about lead poisoning". Mitch Ames (talk) 12:58, 29 December 2009 (UTC)

This [2] is relevant. Bear in mind that, regardless of how rigorous safety regulations may be in any country of origin (including Western ones), unscrupulous manufacturers may still flout them. Recall the recent problems with melamine in pet foods exported from China to the USA and other countries, and with diluted or adulterated baby milk formula made and distributed within China that resulted in multiple baby mortality, and subsequently the execution of some company executives responsible. Both of these examples flouted the laws/regulations of the manufacturers' country. (Not pointing the finger at China in particular, just examples that stuck in my doubtlessly prejudiced degenerate Western mind). 87.81.230.195 (talk) 23:50, 29 December 2009 (UTC)

There have been horror stories of people who've inadvertently burned lead-impregnated wick candles in their homes. (It seems that the lead makes the candle burn more evenly without sputtering, etc.) The resulting lead poisoning is not a nice thing - especially for children - and in the case that was on the news a few months ago, some people's house had to be demolished because the lead had gotten into every crevice and hollow. Their home-owner's insurance didn't cover them and the evidence of whom they'd bought the candles from had literally gone up in smoke. Not only did they lose their home - but they also had to pay the EPA to cleanup the hazardous waste site they created in the process. This is a sufficiently scary thing that it should make everyone want to check VERY carefully where their candles came from. We know that goods imported from countries with less-than-stringent product safety codes frequently get into the US and European markets without adequate inspections...nobody is out there checking every batch of candles shipped to see what the lead levels are...all it takes is for some manufacturer to switch where they get their wicks from. So you are very much on your own in this regard. SteveBaker (talk) 21:34, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

It would take a hell of a lot of candles to contaminate a house to the point of being unsafe -- burning the occasional lead-wick candle isn't a problem. I suspect either somebody over-reacted, or the homeowners made extensive use of candles for lighting. --Carnildo (talk) 23:33, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

Having to demolishing a home because of lead contamination from a candlewick sounds pretty unlikely. Is there a reference to substantiate the statement? Should we demolish every home where someone soldered a Heathkit radio? I would hate to tell you how many candles with lead in the wick I have made and burned. There are references at Google News Archive that say the US government banned lead candlewicks in the early years of this millennium, and that the fumes from such candles burning would be bad for the health of children or those with lead contamination from other sources. Edison (talk) 02:58, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Far be it from the government to overreact to anything. Presumably the lead threads were to keep the wick relatively stiff. So if it's banned now, what are they using instead? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 03:23, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Crossword help please

Clue: Two part Latin species name (9). Have letters: B - N - D - N - L.Froggie34 (talk) 13:18, 29 December 2009 (UTC)

"Two part" + "Latin" makes me think it begins "Bi...", but that could be a red herring. --Dweller (talk) 13:23, 29 December 2009 (UTC)

Looks to me as if you got the 'D' wrong and the word is "binominal". A red herring would be something like "clupea scarlatus". PhGustaf (talk) 13:35, 29 December 2009 (UTC)

Santa seems to be rather late this year! --Dweller (talk) 13:37, 29 December 2009 (UTC)

Huh. I thought "binominal" was an error for binomial nomenclature, but hey, look at the article. It's binominal, binomial, or binary, depending on who's talking about it! --Anonymous, 20:20 UTC, December 30, 2009.

Many thanks. looks like Dairy Maid ought to be Dairy FarmFroggie34 (talk) 14:37, 29 December 2009 (UTC)

Blue Rose

I have been challenged by my girlfriend to give her a single blue rose that is still alive. I can't dye it and still have it be alive, nor can a rose bush have a single rose. Blue roses symbolize unattainable love, but I know there has to be a way to do this. Any suggestions, however obscure are helpful. Lolita chan (talk) 18:54, 29 December 2009 (UTC)Lolita_chan

Blue Rose gives two possible methods. You can dye a living white rose by injecting blue dye into it, or you can buy 'bluish' natural roses like Blue Moon. Alternatively, have you considered spray paint? DJ Clayworth (talk) 19:02, 29 December 2009 (UTC)

Blue roses symbolize unattainable love - therefore, this challenge might be your girlfriend's subtle way of telling you she's dumping you. I hope not, for your sake. -- Jack of Oz ... speak! ... 19:40, 29 December 2009 (UTC)

According to the article, and as I suspected, genetic modification is yielding something close to a "true" blue rose. Note that to produce this rose requires significant hands-on workmanship. Maybe that's the subtle hint the guy's girl is trying to give him? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 20:08, 29 December 2009 (UTC)

I've never tried it with a rose, but food colouring in the water can change the colour of other white flowers. --Tango (talk) 20:18, 29 December 2009 (UTC)

This might come down to determining exactly when a cut flower dies (or maybe it's dead the moment it's cut from its parent). We can't use brain death to address this thorny issue. If using blue dye doesn't kill it outright - and the fact that it's able to "drink" the blue means something's still going on - then maybe dye is the way to go, as long as you give it to her fairly quickly, before rigor mortis sets in. -- Jack of Oz ... speak! ... 20:41, 29 December 2009 (UTC)

Why would the OP want to give their girlfriend a dye that causes rigor mortis? Cuddlyable3 (talk) 23:40, 29 December 2009 (UTC)

That was a light-hearted allusion to what happens to animate beings after death. Of course, flowers are not animate and do not have brains, but they're definitely alive ... when they're alive, that is - hence my musing about the determination of the exact moment when death occurs to a flower. Is there a scientific way of telling whether a given cut flower is alive or dead? -- Jack of Oz ... speak! ... 06:24, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

"... nor can a rose bush have a single rose." Yes it can - just cut off all the roses from the bush except one. Mitch Ames (talk) 00:47, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

Find a rose of any colour, wait for it to bloom, after it does (but while it is still alive) present her with a "blew rose". Mitch Ames (talk) 01:14, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

more purple than blue and not allowed out of the lab, but read www.csiro.au/files/files/p29z.pdf Polypipe Wrangler (talk) 12:45, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

You could try giving her Pleurosis Hemoroid Agastordoff (talk) 16:43, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

In some country, I think Japan or China, they genetically modified roses to make them blue, but they can't be imported to the UK due to genetic modification restrictions. 81.129.216.86 (talk) 09:39, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

GPS-enabled rescue in absence of cell signal?

Greetings, great and noble people of the Reference Desk! This article describes a couple who found themselves stuck in the snow for three days in a remote area of Nevada, and unable to call for help because there was no cellular service. Then, according to the article, "one of their cell phones sprang to life and GPSed their co-ordinates to 911". It looks like some kind of technology was used that connected to their phones, even without a typical cell signal, and instructed their phones to forward GPS locations? Is the article accurate, and does anybody know any more details of how this works? – ClockworkSoul 21:25, 29 December 2009 (UTC)

Various articles are in disagreement, but this one is more likely to have it right, I think: "[T]hey were unable to get a signal on either of their GPS-enabled cell phones for more than two days. Weather changes seem to have eventually allowed a weak signal to 911, where a sheriff's dispatcher was able to pinpoint their location". That makes sense, I think... – ClockworkSoul 21:32, 29 December 2009 (UTC)

That certainly seems a likely explanation. However, it's worth noting that cellphones use different amounts of power for different kinds of signal - when you are talking, it requires that a large amount of energy be transmitted - and a clear, long-duration signal path must exist. But when the cellphone is merely turned on, it sends a low power "I am here" signal out to alert the nearby cell towers that this phone is nearby. (That's how incoming calls "know" to call up the cell tower nearest to your phone). Since that signal would be re-trying every minute or two - it's possible that it managed to catch a brief break in the weather and when full-blown phone calls would be impossible - or perhaps long after the people were asleep or had given up trying to make calls. This doesn't even require that the phone is "GPS-enabled" because emergency services can pinpoint the location of the phone from triangulating the signal strength from several nearby towers. So long as your phone is turned on - and people are actively searching for you - you can usually be found. SteveBaker (talk) 21:14, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

Would they be able to triangulate it when the signal is so weak though? It seems possible the signal would be barely reaching one let alone 3 Nil Einne (talk) 16:06, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

Virtually all phones have assisted GPS capabilities nowadays. So if they were able to place a call to 911, they'd probably be found without too much trouble. APL (talk) 00:48, 4 January 2010 (UTC)

December 30

Childish oblivion?

I read an interesting article on Encyclopedia Dramatica that claims the name of certain things on wikipedia have been given to mock editors' supposed submission as slaves, drawing on their childish oblivion. Ex: Twinkle, Huggle, Sandbox. Why exactly are these childish terms used to describe these things on wikipedia? --William S. Saturn (talk) 00:10, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

Well, sandbox can mean, among other things, a place drafts can be made in wet sand and easily erased,, so it seems appropriate enough. Twinkle was developed and (I presume) christened by AzaToth, and Huggle by Gurch; both are still active editors so you could always ask them where they got the names from. I'd do it myself but I'm manacled to this oar. Karenjc 00:54, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

The term 'Sandbox' has long been used in computer systems to denote a parallel but non-operational duplication of some or all functions and data, to be used for practising, that will not affect the main system. One example is found within the proprietory commercial database system Maximo. 87.81.230.195 (talk) 14:50, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

Encyclopedia Dramatica is not a source of real information—it is intentionally false in order to be funny. (Sometimes it manages to actually be funny. Often it does not. Such is life.) Don't believe anything you read on it, as a rule. Anyway, "sandbox" was a pretty standard term long before Wikipedia for untested things (see Sandbox (software development)). --Mr.98 (talk) 01:12, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

Yeah, Encyclopedia Dramatica is like The Onion except not as funny, and a less reliable source for factual information. --Jayron32 01:14, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

Yes. Sandbox is so established as a term in computing that, given the local word for the child's toy is different here, it took me many years to realise that it was referencing that. Although the link to the kind you write on seems stronger. Doesn't seem like any infantalisation to me. 86.176.48.114 (talk) 19:41, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

Plumbing

Why does my kitchen sink, upon being backed up, sometimes cough stuff up into my bathtub (located in the bathroom, of course), but my toilet never does that? I mean, certainly, toilet refuse ending up in my bathtub would be much less desirable, but why doesn't the plumbing allow for whatever impermissibility of transfer that exists between my toilet and tub similarly exist between my kitchen sink and my tub? DRosenbach ^{(Talk | Contribs)} 05:43, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

You might learn something by examining your plumbing. My guess is that your toilet has a closer connection to the sewer than your bathtub. I agree that if discarded foodstuffs barf up into your bathtub it's better if they haven't been digested already. PhGustaf (talk) 05:50, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

See this diagram and the tables on that page. Note that in the example figure, the toilet (W.C.) has a separate, large-diameter (three-inch) pipe connecting it to the waste 'stack' (major vertical drainage pipe, three- or four-inch diameter). In comparison, one can get away with narrower pipe (two- or even one-and-a-half-inch) for sinks and tubs, and these other fixtures can often share pipe connections to the stack. If the sink drain is higher in elevation than the tub drain, and if a blockage occurs in one of these shared drain pipes, then wastewater can flow down the sink drain and come back up in your tub. The narrower pipe also makes such blockages more likely.

The exact configuration of your plumbing will of course vary depending on local rules, date of construction, and contractor compliance with building codes, but that gives a rough idea of the principles at work. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 14:33, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

Similar to the diagram above, but the sink and tub drains are possibly a joint drain that is higher in elevation than the toilet drain (in the major drainage). I guess you have possibly a drain clog above the toilet drain.Nevill Fernando (talk) 18:51, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

Thanks! DRosenbach ^{(Talk | Contribs)} 05:50, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

In Britain you have seperate pipes for waste water and sewage, which avoids sewage coming up the plughole if the sewer pipe is blocked, which I see can happen in the American system, particularly with its narrow pipes. 92.24.83.55 (talk) 15:17, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

I have a Melvin Vaniman panaromic photo

I have a Melvin Vaniman panaromic photo of somewhere in San Francisco, the scene is of a small town in a hot springs area, I think the date on the photo is 1902 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 124.186.116.157 (talk) 07:32, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

And what might your question be? If you want us to identify the town, you're going to have to give us more information, or provide a link to the photo. -- Jack of Oz ... speak! ... 07:45, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

There are no hot springs in San Francisco itself. The best-known and probably the oldest hot-springs resort nearby is Calistoga, California. Marco polo (talk) 14:28, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

Maybe the OP could add it to Wikimedia Commons. Sounds like an interesting photo. Some panoramic photos were taken by special wide format view cameras. Later ones had a rotating camera, so it was possible for a speedy individual to appear at both ends of a line of people. Edison (talk) 02:53, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

basketball and height

i've noticed that most basketball players are tall, way tall..... so, i just wondered if by jumping i can increase my height. can i?? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 122.50.133.198 (talk) 13:58, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

Sorry, no. Our article on human height#Determinants of growth and height discusses the factors which will govern your height. Height can also be increased (in many cases) through growth hormone treatment or (more drastically) limb-lengthening surgery. There's a saying among basketball recruiters: "You can't teach tall." TenOfAllTrades(talk) 14:13, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

(Edit Conflict) You seem to be making the common mistake of confusing Cause and Effect (about which see our article Causality). Basketball players do not become markedly taller because they jump a lot, they become basketball players mostly because they are already tall (compared to their age cohort) and can jump well. The same selection effect occurs in some other sports, some of which are mentioned in the next link.

That said, a combination of exercise, good diet and good healthcare does positively influence height, as mentioned in our article Human height (see Section 2 - Determinants of growth and height). Since basketball players are athletes who by definition exercise and almost certainly have a healthy diet and (if professional) good healthcare, they must benefit from these factors, but no more than any other non-jumping athletes, or non-athletes who follow a similar Lifestyle.

In summary, jumping may well form part of a more general Physical exercise regime, which if followed and supported with a good diet (and adequate healthcare) may well help someone who is still growing (i.e. a child or adolescent) to grow somewhat taller (maybe by a couple of inches or so?) than they would otherwise have done so, and may add a much smaller amount to an already fully grown person, but solely jumping, on its own, would not have much effect. 87.81.230.195 (talk) 14:42, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

The trouble is, to put it in layman's language, that your height increases when you jump. But decreases when you land. Tough!90.4.116.70 (talk) 16:04, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

As commented to an earlier question, a way to be taller is always try to be seen emerging from low doorways. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 19:10, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

It's worth noting that while you're right that most basketball players are tall, not all of them are. Skill is an important factor. If you're of average, or just above average, height and are very skillful, you'll still be an asset to a team. Grutness...wha? 23:29, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

Muggsy Bogues. --Trovatore (talk) 03:23, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Though not in that league - in either sense - Paul Henare is under 6 foot as well. Grutness...wha? 23:49, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Parkers TV series on video to buy

I have been searching to buy all the series of the parkers starring -Monique. Can you help me to find out how I can. My email is <redacted> Thank You —Preceding unsigned comment added by 206.251.23.11 (talk) 16:54, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

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 want them to be permanently removed from the page history, please email oversight-llists.wikimedia.org. --ColinFine (talk) 18:58, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

Baseball pitches

What is the highest number of pitches thrown in one single at bat to one player? Googlemeister (talk) 17:06, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

Baseball historian Bill James wrote about an outfielder named Roy Thomas who supposedly got a full count then proceeded to foul off 22 pitches while playing for the Phillies back in the 1900s. Pitch-by-pitch recordkeeping only began in the 1980s, so Thomas' record is considered to be unofficial. More recently, Alex Cora fouled off 14 pitches before homering. Wikipedia's article claims this is the third-longest at-bat since the recordkeeping started, but the source that is provided does not mention this fact at all. Xenon54 / talk / 17:39, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

Well, a Google search yields many results like: [3], [4], [5], and [6]. All of which seem to be just about as reliable as the next. Dismas|^(talk) 17:51, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

As far as I know, this phenomenon has never been kept as an "official" record, and prior to keeping track of individual pitches, any supposed records would necessarily be anecdotal. Luke Appling was famous for fouling off pitches until he got one he liked. In Strikeout#History it mentions that a foul bunt on the third strike was not considered to be a strike until 1894. Without checking to be sure, I would speculate that was a result of the old Baltimore Orioles exploiting loopholes in the rules in order to gain an advantage. They were the kings of the "inside game", what we now call "small ball". Also, the pitching distance had been moved back 5 feet in 1893, which probably gave batters more time to control a bunt attempt, and potentially they could hit foul bunts all afternoon. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 18:14, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

Current President of the United States of America, Barack Obama.

i have a question, what did that child say to President Obama? --Jaoa9103 (talk) 17:08, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

You are going to have to supply more information on what child you are talking about for us to give you a reasonable answer. Googlemeister (talk) 17:35, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

That boy while Obama was getting off stage the boy "said Why do people hate u mr president!@? Its on news articles... --Jaoa9103 (talk) 17:42, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

Could you point us to at least one of those articles? I've tried various combinations of "Obama boy stage" and various other words but don't see anything about any boy talking to Obama. Was this at some event which would help with the search? Dismas|^(talk) 17:56, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

That could have been said about any President, including Washington. Obama's answer, whatever it was, would be more interesting than the question. It likely would have been along the lines of, "Son, it comes with the territory." ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 18:16, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

This is the boy's question and Obama's answer. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 19:06, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

He gave the kid plenty to think about. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 23:54, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

Reluctant though I am to cite Vanity Fair, the President said "That’s what I'm talking about. Terrence, I appreciate that." [7]. Tevildo (talk) 19:07, 30 December 2009 (UTC) . . . . and a whole lot more!! Richard Avery (talk) 22:52, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

The OP asked what the boy said, not what Obama replied. The sound is weak but I think I hear "Why do people hate you (when) they're supposed to love you?". Cuddlyable3 (talk) 01:16, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

True - I would transcribe it as "I have to say - why do people hate you, and why - do you think they're supposed to love you - and - God is love - and..." Tevildo (talk) 02:20, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Why does this kid think we need to love our nation's leaders? I bet most politicians would settle for 50% +1 of the people tolerating them. Googlemeister (talk) 14:31, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

That's part of the point Obama was making to the kid. One way to look at it, though, is that we should love our leaders, but it should be "tough love". A couple of comments from Harry Truman come to mind. One is the well-known, "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen." Obama made it clear to the kid that he can stand the heat - and told the kid he thought he could stand the heat too. The other thing Truman said was, "With criticism comes progress." That one can be harder to swallow. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 14:42, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Wii Backups

I have Sony DVD+R's am I able to use them for PLAYABLE Wii Backups or do I have to uses DVD-R's? --Melab±1 ☎ 19:18, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

Neither. Wii software is copy protected. Comet Tuttle (talk) 19:56, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

Wii games aren't stored on regular DVDs anyway. See Nintendo_optical_disc. J.delanoy^gabs_adds 22:16, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

Called as a witness

This may tread too close to "legal advice", so I won't cry in my soup if it gets removed. I've been subpoena'd as a witness in an insurance case. Arson of an empty dwelling, step out of the house at 4AM to see a 40-foot wall of flames right across the road, attended the scene, checked it out the next day, just normal suburban stuff. :) The case is about whether the dwelling was occupied and my testimony will be "no indication at all that it was". My problem is that saying this will take a day out of my life and I get the princely sum of $20 for taking a day off work. The insurance investigator mentioned in passing during our initial interview "oh, you can get a lot more than that if you do it right".

I'm not really looking for opinions, I'm just wondering if anyone has had a similar experience (and has email enabled) or if anyone can point to decent web resources that discuss possible strategies to get more than the bare minimum compensation for losing a day's work. I'm aware that different jurisdictions may have different ways, Canada is best, or any common-law country too. Thanks! Franamax (talk) 21:52, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

Can you not ask him? Kittybrewster ☎ 22:04, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

Be glad you're getting $20. I was recently a witness in a wrongful dismissal case (Ontario, Canada) and got some measly sum which was meant to cover transport to the courthouse. I believe the cheque was for less than $2 (yeah, two dollars), essentially enough to cover bus fare in the city. More helpfully, I'd follow Kittybrewster's suggestion. Matt Deres (talk) 22:53, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

At the organisation I used to work for in the UK, I had to account for my time on a billing system. As well as all the normal project-related numbers, there were special numbers to be used for things like vacation time, sickness and jury service. When I took a couple of days off as a witness in a court case, I recorded that time as "Jury service" and got a full day's pay from my employer. I was also able to claim expenses from the Crown Prosecution Service (though they were not happy that I chose to drive the 250 km to the court and back, rather than take the very inconvenient public transport). As it happens, my testimony was not required after all - the accused eventually changed his plea to guilty, and us witnesses spent two days hanging around the court drinking coffee. So, maybe my employer was generous, but it is probably worth asking your employers' admin/HR people what provision they make for jury service and whether your court appearence can be counted as that. Astronaut (talk) 00:16, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Do your duty, and be glad you live somewhere with a decent court system. Some day you might need someone to turn up and give evidence for you. DuncanHill (talk) 00:12, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Dude, he's not trying to get out of doing his duty, he's just trying not to get completely shafted for a day's wages (or vacation). The bailiffs, clerks, lawyers, and judge all get paid to be there, why force him to take a loss for something he didn't do? Franamax, a thought occurs to me that if your testimony is really that straightforward, perhaps the court would allow you just to file an affidavit? No harm in asking, anyway. Matt Deres (talk) 00:44, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

(ec) Only you (the OP) can know whether this is just a case of wishing for more money or if the "day out of your life" will cause you material loss that is significantly more than $20. If you have a convincing argument for the latter, propose to the insurance company that instead of attending court you wish to provide a signed affadavit. Whether that will be acceptable will depend on factors that we cannot know, such as whether it is important to the case (whose?) that you be available in court for cross examination, or whether the insurance company see a benefit in knowing in advance exactly what your statement will be. However I advise not negotiating a higher fee with the investigator because in a contested case doubt will be cast on the probity of a witness who seems to be attending for personal gain. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 01:07, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

It's hard to imagine any job (much less a specialized one) that didn't have at least $20 in opportunity costs for a lost day of work. --Mr.98 (talk) 02:43, 3 January 2010 (UTC)

At least some Australian courts will re-imburse lost income. Here's the claim form for the Magistrates' Court of Tasmania, and here's the relevent page from the Federal Court of Australia's web site. Mitch Ames (talk) 02:41, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

I'm not sure where else to go...

I've tried all the search engines that I know. I'm looking for a place where I can fully read all of this doujinshi, but I can only find like five pages of it total. Here's the link to the title and author of the thing, but this is all I got. I actually have no idea whether or not Wikipedia is a good place to ask this, or if this is even in the appropriate section, but I've hit a dead end. Can anyone help? <(^_^)> Pokegeek42 (talk) 23:03, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

The link you gave just goes to a main page, not a specific page on anything. I'm an "assume good faith" kind of guy, but I have to wonder why you wanted us to go to the site rather than just giving us the author and title you were looking for up front. In any case, unless the piece has been released to the public domain, we're not going to be able to help you. Have you tried Amazon or other online bookseller? Matt Deres (talk) 23:21, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

In fairness to the OP, he did supply the URL for the title page of the publication he's talking about. The website redirects to a licence agreement interstitial webpage before taking you to the address he provided. --Tagishsimon (talk) 00:55, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Okay. Thank you, then. <(^_^)>Pokegeek42 (talk) 23:58, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

Just to clarify, the title is "Cherry", the author is Kobayashi Yugo, and the publication date is 2008-08-15. I'm afraid I don't know how one would go about purchasing a copy, though. Tevildo (talk) 00:50, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

You may find help at www.manganews.net that has a forum and a search engine (supposed to cover 49 publishers). Cuddlyable3 (talk) 01:27, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Looking at the very page you linked, Pokegeek, it has no publisher and is found in no collections. It looks like maybe it's a fanwork distributed at a convention. As such, your options are:

1) Find it for sale somewhere like ebay, assuming one of the few people who has a copy wants to sell it and chooses to do so somewhere you can see and afford it.

2) Find it uploaded somewhere: more likely to be available to torrent than hosted somewhere. This would most likely be illegal, and you would have to take all the usual risks you take with torrenting (potential viruses, malware, etc).

3) Join an online community which is likely to have people who own a copy. (Is there a community associated with the site where you read 5 pages?) Ask around to find someone who does, then see if they will lend or sell you theirs. You can probably increase your chances if you also own something they would want to borrow or buy, but in any case this is probably your best bet.

You'll probably want to find an online community to discuss this stuff with anyway. I'm sure you don't need to be told about web safety, but I'd be remiss not to give the compulsory recap: don't give out your real name, address, phone number, city, school, etc. Don't upload or link to photos of yourself or your friends. Don't meet up with people you've 'met' online until you're a bit older, and even then meet up in a crowded place with lots of witnesses.

Probably best not to tell people how old you are either, although they'll be able to approximate it if they're paying attention. Depending on the fandom, you might even want to keep your gender under wraps until you've snooped around the community a little. Have fun! The internet is one of the best things to happen to fandom. 86.176.48.114 (talk) 01:28, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

I'm guessing that you can get a copy on this site for 600 yen, but you'd need to know some Japanese to navigate the site. Marco polo (talk) 01:49, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Maybe you could go to sites like onemanga or manganovel. They have a big collection of stuff there... 117.194.225.138 (talk) 06:35, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Wow. That helps a lot. Thanks, guys. <(^_^)>Pokegeek42 (talk) 15:29, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Mangafox.com is another site you might like. 195.35.160.133 (talk) 12:19, 5 January 2010 (UTC) Martin.

December 31

Time at the Supermarket?

Are there any studies out there that show how much time the average person spends each week at the supermarket? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.134.236.111 (talk) 01:22, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

It would certainly be skewed by all the people who do not visit the supermarket -- perhaps averaging the time supermarket-goers spend there would be more useful. DRosenbach ^{(Talk | Contribs)} 05:41, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

New Year colours

What are some colours commonly associated with New Year's day? Intelligentsium 02:22, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

New years, in my culture at least, doesn't have any colour associated with it. It's often celebrated with fireworks and spectacular displays, so if you're trying to think of a colour scheme, sparkles, multi-colours or shiny things might be a theme you could work off. In terms of other cultures, for Chinese New Year, red is a common colour because of its association with good fortune. Steewi (talk) 03:34, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Many Christian churches have Liturgical colours; in many western-rite churches (Including Roman Catholic and many Protestant churches), January 1st falls during Christmastide (the time period between Christmas Day and the Epiphany, aka the 12 days of Christmas. The traditional liturgical color for this time period is White. --Jayron32 04:31, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

I would say silver is common among New Years decorations at the party store but I don't know of any deep association of colors like for Christmas and Easter. 75.41.110.200 (talk) 16:48, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Midnight blue seems to be common. Woogee (talk) 21:21, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

I would say tartan because of all the Scottish connections with the celebration....hotclaws 23:24, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

Tartans come in many colours. Red, green, blue and black would be the most predominant ones. -- Jack of Oz ... speak! ... 20:26, 2 January 2010 (UTC)

Clock with second hand

It seems that, in the popular conception, the exact position of the minute hand on an analog clock with a second hand is independent of the number of seconds past the last full minute. This despite that actual analog clocks (rather than animated images of such clocks) typically do not behave in such a fashion.

See here: [[8]]

Also, in the movie "Law Abiding Citizen", when a "real" clock was counting the seconds to 6:00, the minute and second hands behaved in precisely this manner.

Why is this? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.37.236.124 (talk) 04:34, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

It depends entirely on the construction of the clock. Some clocks "click over" a full minute only after the second hand passes the twelve, and some move the minute hand gradually in 1 second intervals between each minute, much like the relationship between the minute and the hour hand. It really just depends on which kind of clock you have. --Jayron32 04:38, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Really? And what kind of clocks would those be? I have Asperger's syndrome; I pay attention to these things, and I'd think I would have noticed by now. Your run of the mill cheapo wall clock or alarm clock certainly would not do something so fancy as making the hands behave differently for one specific second out of the minute. I have owned a number of watches with hour, minute, and second hands, and none of them seemed to treat the last second of the minute as "special" in this manner, either. (I am ignoring the "extra" dials on a watch with more than basic timekeeping functions.) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.37.236.124 (talk) 04:52, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

You'll often see it in public clocks (at railway stations etc) where all three hands are controlled by a central source. Tevildo (talk) 04:58, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

• In certain countries, that is. The railway stations where I remember encountering this type of clock are in Switzerland and at least one of Germany and/or Austria. Specifically, the second hand sweeps the complete circle in 58 seconds, not 60; then it stops for 2 seconds and in the middle of those 2 seconds the minute hand jumps forward. Being used to the type of clock where the minute hand advances continuously, or to digital clocks, I always find it a bit misleading.
• I will also note that in many clocks that have a second hand and a continuously advancing minute hand, the two hands are not really coupled. It's entirely possible for the minute have to be 1/3 of the way, or other random amount, from 20 to 21 past the hour while the second hand is pointing straight up. In other words, the second hand is provided only in case you want to time something in seconds, and not for showing the complete time accurate to the second. My impression is that this is more common than clocks where the hands actually are coupled. --Anonymous, 06:28:10 UTC, December 31, 2009.

I tried to find a real one on youtube but was unsuccessful. I know I've seen it before, for sure in Back to the Future, but that might have been contrived. (You can see it at about the 15 second mark of this trailer:[9]) ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 05:18, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Yes, there are clocks whose minute hands jump once a minute. But unless they have second hands as well, they are irrelevant to the point I am trying to make. BTW, I went to one school which had a master clock system, with no second hands on the slave clocks, in which the slave hands would jump once a minute (when the system was working); and another school which also had a master clock system, but with second hands on the slave clocks, and in which the slave hands (all three of them) would move continuously except from time to time during a synching operation. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.37.236.124 (talk) 05:29, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Doing some quick research, I found that the Omega X-33 watch apparently has a second hand that "ticks" every second and a minute hand that "ticks" every 30 seconds. Not exactly what you are looking for, but it isn't a "continuous motion" minute hand. You're looking for a similar set up, but where the minute hand "ticks" every 60 seconds. If you can make a watch do it twice a minute, I suppose you could make it work once a minute. --Jayron32 05:42, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

I don't think it's a matter of purpose as much as it's a matter of function. In order to get the hour hand from number 3 to number 4, for instance, the small hand could either make a jump at once or move gradually over the course of an hour -- the latter scheme is probably easier to work into the gears, seeing how jumping an entire number at once would require a sweep of 30º of the face at one time. To make a minute hand jump 6º is much more easily worked into the gears. DRosenbach ^{(Talk | Contribs)} 05:48, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

My kitchen clock cost me, I think, $7.95 at Fry's a couple years ago. It syncs itself to WWVB every day or two, so it's within an RCH of the correct time always. The minute hand jerks every fifteen seconds. If I weren't retired, I'd actually care about time intervals shorter than a morning. PhGustaf (talk) 05:57, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Tommy Chong, from an old Cheech and Chong bit: "I'm not into time, Man." ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 09:44, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

FWIW, the minute hand on my Casio watch moves forward every 20 seconds, so it does vary considerably from one manufacturer to another.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 08:50, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

There is actually a specific term for the differences in how the hands tick off time, whether it is done continuously or in discrete units. We even have some kind of mention of it in an article, I recall. But I can't remember the term itself! Someone at a good watch store would probably know. It was invented in the 19th century. It is not as easy as continuous movement but was considered more fashionable. I was once asked to look it up, and I did, but that was probably a year ago. --Mr.98 (talk) 13:42, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

I would think there is. My first stop was at the clock article, but it didn't seem to lead to an answer. I went looking for Big Ben and other clocks in google, but it seemed like all the clips started just as the clock was starting to chime noon or whatever, so it wasn't possible to tell. However, maybe someone here who lives in London could say with some certainty whether the minute hand "sweeps" or "jumps". ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 13:47, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

In answer to the original question, I agree that there are two factors in the faulty perception of real analogue clocks. The first is simply a lack of observation by those at the opposite end of the Asperger's spectrum. The second is the influence of digital-drive clocks over the last forty years (including the master-clock system which was the earliest digital drive with analogue-type display). Strictly-speaking, I suppose that all clocks have a digital drive, though those sychronised to 50 or 60 Hz appear to have smooth movement. I remember watching (more than 50 years ago) the movement of the minute-hand of a grandfather clock where the tiny jumps each second were visible. The Big Ben clock is driven by a pendulum and escapement, so the tiny jumps every 2 seconds will be visible at close quarters, but from a distance it appears smooth. Perhaps film clocks deviate from reality just for dramatic effect. Dbfirs 14:12, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

My first watch, a cheap timex with the red and blue semi-circles and 5-minute markings, had a second hand and a minute hand that moved on once a minute. I know because I used to watch it really closely, so I could tell people the exact time. I used to wait until it had just ticked over, and the second hand was at the top, then match it to Big Ben at the beginning of the news. So, watches certainly exist that behave this way. It is true that most clocks I've watched do not. 86.176.48.114 (talk) 15:16, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

A lot of the clocks I've noticed (here in Australia), the second hand moves 1/60th of the distance between each 'minute mark' every second... interesting stuff. — Deon^talk 15:41, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Most everything that happens in Australia happens wrong. It's about Coriolis force working backward. PhGustaf (talk) 15:49, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

It's negated if the clock is lined up with the south pole. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 21:42, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

How old was the Timex watch? I have never seen a clockwork watch behave like that, but my first watch was a long time ago! On all the clockwork clocks and watches that I have ever taken apart, the minute hand is directly geared to the second hand (if it exists) and to the escapement, so that it moves a tiny amount every "tick" (varying from a fraction of a second to two seconds in the case of the Big Ben Clock). Digital mechanisms (with analogue displays) behave in various ways depending on the design. Some have cogs and behave exactly like a clockwork mechanism, others move pointers by a pulse which can be at any chosen interval. ... and you are looking at the face of Australian clocks from underneath! Dbfirs 17:58, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

It would have been bought about 1992 and was battery-powered, rather than wind-up. That battery lasted about 8 years. I could take the glass screen off using a suction cup and poke the little hands. It had a lively tick that I used to listen to at night, trying to train myself to count seconds. Ah, I loved that watch :) 86.176.48.114 (talk) 01:45, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

I grumble at the current notion of an "analog" timepiece. Every clock since the water clock has just accumulated ticks of one sort or another (the conceptual distance between escapement ticks, tuning fork ticks, and crystal oscillator ticks being nil) and shown the count somehow. I find pointers easier to read than digits, but that's just me. PhGustaf (talk) 18:52, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

I gather that what you're saying is that every clock is "digital" in the sense that it counts something. And about digital clocks, i.e. with the numbers, it has been argued that recognition of what time it is takes longer, because you have to process it. Because typically you don't really want to know that it's 10:27 and 39 seconds. You want to know if your late for that 10:30 meeting - and a traditional analog clock will tell you "faster" than a digital clock will. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 21:42, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Do you have a reference for that, Bugs? I've been making the same claim for years, but while I've found a few blogs and other unreliable sources that echo it, the only formal paper I saw on a quick google was this, which at first sight seems to contradict this. I don't think it does so, because I don't think they actually tested for the criterion that you (and I) think is most important - a sort of fuzzy comparison, but it doesn't support our case either. Some hard evidence would be very welcome (and could go in our sadly lacking digital clock article). --ColinFine (talk) 22:32, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

It's something I read years ago. It could be outdated, because digital clocks are so pervasive nowadays; especially the younger generations, who would be used to it. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 22:56, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

I think that nearly everyone agrees that analogue displays are quicker to read. I haven't found any academic research but, for example, the maufacturers, Stack claim: Stack believe that an analogue display is still superior in imparting some data quickly and accurately. The human brain can process information from analog displays far quicker than digital displays. An analogue display can tell you at a glance WHERE a value is, a digital display can only tell you WHAT the value is. This is why they are still used in cars and aircraft, even though the underlying information feed is more often than not digital.
There is an interesting discussion (with a pointer to references) at The Interactive Design Association and a Google Books reference in Basic Ship Theory Dbfirs 09:18, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

Michael Jackson

I am a big fan of michael jackson since childhood, was discussing with my friends about all the allgations that were charged on him regarding child abuse, just wanted know to that did he ever admit that charge if yes, then in which interview or where would i find that if its written somewhere. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 145.228.59.66 (talk) 09:55, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

He never admitted to child molestation, and I have gotten to be of the opinion that those charges were false - cooked up by parents who wanted to make money off Michael (some of whom did), who was certainly an eccentric character but that's not unusual among artists. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 10:04, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

So right....... i was giving the same opinion to my frens, i believe the same thing.. thank u so much... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 145.228.59.66 (talk) 10:21, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

I should point out that he did admit to sleeping with kids. But not to touching them inappropriately. I think there was an interview he did with a British TV guy in which he talked about that. That interview was attempted to be used as evidence when he was brought to trial. But it didn't fly. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→

10:26, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

If u can give any idea which year that interview was done with him, that would be helpful

The journalist was Martin Bashir, and the interviews took place in 2002-03. See Living with Michael Jackson. Tevildo (talk) 10:44, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Ya beat me to it. It's mentioned in the Bashir article and also in the Jackson article, in connection with the most recent trial. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 10:47, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Perhaps this goes without saying, but since Baseball Bugs gave the only answer, I'll point out to the OP that very few people actually know what happened between Jackson and those kids. BB's "answer" is pure speculation, and shouldn't be taken seriously. The Wikipedia reference desk is not the place for people's personal opinions. Staecker (talk) 14:48, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Let's put it another way: There is NO EVIDENCE that Michael Jackson ever molested anyone. Supposition that he did is equally speculative - and the famous trial resulted in a "not guilty". ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 14:53, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Yes. There's evidence that he acted in a way that most people consider creepy and inappropriate with other people's children, without apparently realising how this behaviour was viewed. We have no evidence either way as to whether he molested anyone. On the one hand, he did pay parents off who took him to trial, but that could as easily be because of the damage to his image. On the other hand, we all saw how sure people were that he was lying about the skin disease, whereas the coroner tells us that it was all true. The court of public opinion is cruel and often inaccurate. The overall picture from things like the Bashir interview is of a man I wouldn't trust alone with children, but not because I think he'd molest them or do anything on purpose. 86.176.48.114 (talk) 15:04, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Paying off parents can also be a lot cheaper than an actual court case. I am sure his lawyer's would have taken in a lot more money than he paid off the parents with. --98.217.71.237 (talk) 19:27, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

• I have heard it said that the mafia asked him for money failing which they would ruin him by falsely accusing him of child molestation. He didn't respond so they carried through their plot. There is a blind musician whom they also threatened (don't know what with) as a result of which he has written no more music. Kittybrewster ☎ 17:39, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

Castle Identification

I have seen a picture of a big castle on the coast or an island that I can't find anymore. I think the island is really rocky and there are huge boulders in the ocean with waves crashing around and a huge castle on top of the cliff/island. I thought this was a pretty famous place, but I can't seem to find it in my searches now. It's not Mont Saint-Michel, though it looks kind of like that place. Any ideas? Tex (talk) 16:20, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

If you had a photo or perhaps painting, that might aid us in determining the specific castle. I have found a few that might meet your criteria, but two of the possibilities I found are currently in ruins. Googlemeister (talk) 16:29, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

(ec) There's St Michael's Mount and Lindisfarne Castle for starters, although neither castle is huge. Mikenorton (talk) 16:34, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

(to GM) Yeah, unfortunately I don't have any idea how to find the picture again without knowing the name of the castle so I can't show it to you! (to Mike) I don't think either of those two are what I'm looking for. It might be Mont Saint-Michel, but my memory has waves crashing around it and this looks like very shallow water with no waves. I think the island and rocks were blackish if that helps anyone. Thanks again. Tex (talk) 16:38, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Was it a photo then? And did the castle seem in good condition? Googlemeister (talk) 16:42, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Almourol Castle perhaps? Googlemeister (talk) 16:46, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Yes, I saw a photo of this place and it appeared to be in very good condition. At least it wasn't in ruins or anything. The Almourol Castle isn't it, either. I did a google image search and did not see what I'm looking for after looking through hundreds of castles, so I may have just imagined it. Thanks for trying. Tex (talk) 16:49, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Could it be Bamburgh Castle? Marco polo (talk) 18:24, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Hi Marco, nice try, but that's not it either. Any other ideas? Tex (talk) 19:43, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

At high tide in stormy weather Mont Saint-Michel is surrounded by waves. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 01:01, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

IIRC the castle from the Tintin comic The Black Island is a drawing of a real castle. Perhaps it could be that one? --Saddhiyama (talk) 01:11, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

How about this castle - Eilean Donan Castle in Scotland? Astronaut (talk) 02:28, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

... or Dunnottar Castle, also in Scotland. Astronaut (talk) 02:46, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

Castle Stalker, AKA the Castle Aargh? Acroterion _(talk) 04:24, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

My first association was also the Tintin cover suggested by Saddhiyama . The French article on L'Île Noire mentions Phare de l'île Noire (facing the Château du Taureau) as well as the Île d'Or, the Vieux-château de l'Île d'Yeu, and the Lochranza Castle as possible sources of Hergé's inspiration. Another one I thought of is Mont Orgueil (See here for a more dramatic illustration). ---Sluzzelin talk 10:34, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

Dunvegan Castle perhaps? Tantallon Castle described in the book Guide To Castles In Britain as "one of the most famous and romantic of Scottish castles". There is also a listing on the internet somewhere of every castle in Britain. Despite Hamlet, I'm not sure if they also have castles in Scandinavia. There are some in other countries, including the Crusader castles. Can you describe what the windows look like - where they normal-sized windows or little slits? Was the top crenelated? Was there anything between the castle and the sea - rock or grass? Did the castle have towers - how many? What sort of shape was it? Round towers or square towers? How big was the castle? Could the picture have been a photo-montage or a fantasy image of some kind? Was the castle in good enough condition for people to be living in it? The problem is that the same castle will look very different according to the direction it is photographed in, including looking complete from some directions and ruined from others, being above a cliff or on dry land. The Wikipedia photos of castles tend to be taken from the car-park rather than from a boat at sea looking onshore. One of the photos of Tantallon Castle in the distance in the Wikipedia article looks like what you have described. 78.146.210.81 (talk) 12:22, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

These Wikipedia articles support the notion that Scandinavians have castles: Castles in Norway, List of castles in Sweden, List of castles and palaces in Denmark, List of castles in Finland. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 18:22, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

Well, of course there are Scandinavian castles. Shakespeare (whoever he was) set Hamlet in Elsinore. -- Jack of Oz ... speak! ... 19:01, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

Boy, you guys are good. Unfortunately none of those are the one I'm looking for! Mr. 78.146, I wish I could remember more details, but it seems to me the castle was right at the edge with only rocks between it and the ocean. I don't remember how many towers or what the windows look like. I'm beginning to think I just saw a rather dramatic picture of Mont Saint-Michel, but I can't seem to find the picture I'm remembering. I'm 99% sure it was a real castle, not a fantasy pic or anything. Oh well, you guys have shown me a lot of interesting castles, so I guess this little excersize was worth something! Thanks! Tex (talk) 02:05, 2 January 2010 (UTC)

Tintagel..??..hotclaws 21:11, 2 January 2010 (UTC)

how much?

How much did Nolan Ryan pay for the Round Rock Express in 2003? Googlemeister (talk) 16:31, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

There are a couple of figures at the bottom of this site, which is the closest I've found thus far. If it helps your search, Ryan didn't purchase the Round Rock Express, he (and some other investors) purchased the Jackson Generals and moved them to Round Rock. Matt Deres (talk) 19:31, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Ah, here we go. $5 million according to this LA Times article. Matt Deres (talk) 19:33, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

wiki database

I am planning to start a site related to cooking tip and recipes.I would like to know from where i can download the latest dump of Wikipedia .The link that is already available from your site is confusing for me .I am in need of sql dumps on cooking alone if possible else on the whole with other subject(articles).can you please give me a url that will help me download the database directly. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 122.164.200.80 (talk) 16:44, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

http://download.wikimedia.org —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.44.54.145 (talk) 17:38, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

And would you prefer to download from Wikipedia or Wikibooks:Cookbook:Table of Contents? Nanonic (talk) 18:09, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Pirates and Ninjas

What caused the whole pirate and ninja phenomenon to break out? Was there one defining thing (Television show, etc), or did someone just think it would be a cool idea if a pirate and a ninja fought? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.101.15.164 (talk) 20:25, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

See Pirates versus Ninjas. Comet Tuttle (talk) 20:36, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

January 1

Lowest temperature possible with 90% humidity

I need to maintain a minimum of 90% humidity in a controlled environment for a research project. What is the minimum temperature that will allow the test environment to maintain 90% humidity?Silasalbert (talk) 03:29, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

Er - I think you have a slight terminological misunderstanding here! The amount of water the air can hold is indeed less at lower temperatures - but when we talk about "90% humidity" we mean ninety percent of the humidity that the air could theoretically hold at that temperature. So 90% humidity air at 1 degree Centigrade is pretty dry air - but 90% humidity at 38 degrees is like breathing soup! So I guess you can have "90% humidity" at any temperature above freezing...at which point the term becomes somewhat meaningless. SteveBaker (talk) 04:14, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

Even below freezing there is a equilibrium vapor pressure [10]. So one can continue to talk about the "humidity", though in practice no one does. Dragons flight (talk) 04:27, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

Thanks for the prompt responses. I'm still grasping for undersanding.Silasalbert (talk) 02:14, 2 January 2010 (UTC)

If you want 90% relative humidity at 0 degrees Celsius, make the dewpoint -1.44. At -20 C, make the dew point -21.21. At -100 C, make the dew point -100.48. At -200 C, make the dewpoint -200.04. At -273C, make the dew point -273.03, per [11], which also cheerfully calls for a dewpoint of -273.18, lower than absolute zero, at absolute zero(-273.15), for 90% RH. Edison (talk) 05:33, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

As the other posters have pointed out, there's no _theoretical_ lower limit. The _actual_ lower limit will depend on your environmental chamber, and you'll have to look in at the manufacturer's datasheet to find out what that is. Heraeus-Vötsch's range can regulate humidity between 10 C and 95 C (see page 4 of the datasheet), and other manufacturer's ranges will be similar. Tevildo (talk) 12:54, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

Age of loss of virginity in the UK

I read somewhere (thestudentroom.co.uk I think) that 75% of people are virgins at 16, 50% at 18(?), and 25% at [i forgot]. Can anyone help? Thanks and happy new year. 81.129.216.86 (talk) 06:48, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

People lie when asked about such things, so such statistics are very unreliable. 78.146.210.81 (talk) 11:15, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

True. However, this survey suggested that the proportions are about 70% at age 16, 30% at 18, and 8% at 20 - a broadly similar breakdown to this one. Ghmyrtle (talk) 13:07, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

I would refuse to answer such personal questions, so those who do answer may be an untypical subset. Even if the surveys are similar, then it just shows people lie in the same way on average. 92.24.83.55 (talk) 15:06, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

only 8% at 20? I find that very unlikely. There's a lot of uncool, unpopular, or plain ugly people out there, more than 8%.Aaronite (talk) 16:55, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

Yes...because you'd have to be one of those subsets to possibly be a virgin...Anyway, some people have mentioned self-selection and sampling bias, which I may as well link you to. Vimescarrot (talk) 17:27, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

It's not "loss" of anything, instead it's gaining something about which Queen Victoria allegedly said Oh Albert, this is far too good for the ordinary people. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 18:13, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

Oddly enough Vic said this to Al when he was in the can. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 18:23, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

Car key remote

Is there a machine which would enable a thief to flip through car key codes so as to unlock strangers' cars? Rather like a radio receiver flipping through the air waves looking for valid transmissions. Kittybrewster ☎ 17:20, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

It's probably possible, but: the number of total codes is probably quite large, to the point of making such a brute force attack pretty pointless. The car itself can probably only evaluate only one code at a time, which cuts down on the possibility of parallel attacks. And if the car has any kind of delay in evaluating codes (e.g. 1 second per code or something like that), then you're talking about it taking thousands of years to hit the right one. Now all of this is speculative, but assuming the people who made the key codes had any serious interest in their security, and didn't want it to be trivial to unlock all cars, they would have implemented at least one of the above safeguards. (See Brute force attack for a general discussion of the problem.) It is probably easier to just break a window and hot-wire the thing, but I wouldn't know about that. ;-) A far more useful and clever tool would be one that intercepted car codes as people locked or unlocked their vehicles—though there are probably safeguards in place to make that more difficult too (the lock code is probably different from the unlock code, for one, and the infrared signal is probably fairly directional, for two, and if they were really interested in security it would be some sort of challenge-response system that would prevent against interception so easily). Now, of course, all of this might be wrong—it would hardly be the first time that a commercial enterprise used really bad security mechanisms for something important—but that would be fairly surprising, as most of this stuff is Security Thinking 101. --Mr.98 (talk) 18:36, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

In my experience (in Australia), car alarm/immobilizer remotes use radio, not infra-red. Also they use a rolling code to prevent replay attacks. Mitch Ames (talk) 00:33, 2 January 2010 (UTC)

Unless there's something in or about that specific car that the thief really, really wants badly, he's going to spend his time busting into unlocked cars. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 19:43, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

Not necessarily at all, Bugs. Yesterday's copy of my local daily newspaper, the Southern Daily Echo, carries a police warning about a current spate of thefts from cars in Fareham both locked and unlocked. ". . . Many of the [13] vehicles were broken into, but a number of cars were left unlocked." Someone broke into my own car a few years ago by putting a brick through the front nearside window (though nothing in it proved to be worth stealing). 87.81.230.195 (talk) 22:47, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

Typically, thieves are going to go with the path of least resistance. "Typically", though, is not the same as "always". ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 13:56, 2 January 2010 (UTC)

Windows don't offer much resistance to bricks. Since nobody pays any attention to car alarms it isn't really any more difficult to steal from a locked car as an unlocked one and there are far more locked ones. Therefore I would expect most cars stolen from to be locked. --Tango (talk) 15:21, 2 January 2010 (UTC)

See KeeLoq for (alleged) and (theoretical) vulnerabilities in one (fairly old) device. Tevildo (talk) 23:23, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

Two Mercedes cars were unlocked, stolen from and relocked 2 nights ago in Chelsea, London. Within 1/2 mile of each other. How? One of them had been done twice before. Kittybrewster ☎ 10:48, 2 January 2010 (UTC)

And the lesson to be learned there (which I learned through bitter experience) is to keep any valuables in the trunk, and keep the trunk release locked, assuming it uses a conventional key. That will protect better against the low-tech thief. There are no guarantees, though. So here's another question: In the KeeLoq article it mentions a higher level of incryption. Is it possible or practical to have one's car re-keyed with the higher encryption level? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 14:01, 2 January 2010 (UTC)

Not in-situ. MicroChip's range of security devices have the algorithm hard-wired into the chip - they can't be re-flashed or anything similar. You could, of course, replace your existing central-locking system with an OEM model that has a more secure form of encryption. Tevildo (talk) 19:41, 2 January 2010 (UTC)

Paul Biedrzycki

Is Paul Biedrzycki notable enough for an article in Wikipedia? --Aiden —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.230.211.127 (talk) 18:35, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

You probably know more about him than we do. Read up on the criteria at WP:Notability (people) and see if he meets our standards. If you have any questions after that, feel free to ask again here or at the help desk. —Akrabbim^talk 21:18, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

Note that a simple Google search demonstrates that there is more than one plausible candidate with that name. Do you mean the Milwaukee health official, the film director, or someone else? 87.81.230.195 (talk) 00:06, 2 January 2010 (UTC)

Hardly a "film director" www.imdb.com gives the guy credit as "Stills Photographer" on just one movie - YouTube suggests he produced a rap band's video. So, no - I don't think anyone of that name has sufficient notability. The Milwaukee health official seems somewhat more notable - but I don't see anything there that would warrant an article. SteveBaker (talk) 02:54, 2 January 2010 (UTC)

Recent featured pic

In a recent featured picture of the USS Annapolis which is was taking part in the 2009 Ice Excercise, there's some strange formation of marks in the background of the shot... It's multiple straight lines forming almost a "Tv aerial" shape in the ice...

I was wondering if anyone had any idea what they are? I assume they are part of the Excercise, but I can't think what they would be used for... They seem very random to me, and very pristine.. If they were part of the Excercise I would expect the area around them to have been scuffed by multiple men running around or something...

Thanks... Gazhiley (talk) 19:19, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

Perhaps the centre of this cross with arrows pointing inwards marks the position that they were supposed to emerge through the ice. Mikenorton (talk) 22:04, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

I thought that, but I would hope they have a higher level of accuracy that that! Plus why so large an area covered? Why not such a simple cross? And it's so sharply marked too, almost as if it's meant to stay a while, which would not work with it just being a target for surfacing... Ta for your input though... Gazhiley (talk) 23:01, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

I was thinking more of it being to allow a visual check from the air, rather than for the submarine itself to use. Mikenorton (talk) 23:08, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

I would _guess_ that there was another submarine - er - parked? moored? - there, which has submerged, leaving a straight gap in the ice which is in the process of freezing over. However, this is just a guess. Tevildo (talk) 23:28, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

The marks form a symmetrical cross, each arm with 4 inward pointing chevrons, as far as I can tell and allowing for foreshortening. Mikenorton (talk) 23:51, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

I'd certainly guess that either another submarine came up there previously - or perhaps the Annapolis made two attempts - the first one merely cracking the ice - and the second being successful. If you pushed up against the ice with a fairly small object (such as the conning tower) - the resulting cracks could easily be roughly symmetrical. But this is all guesswork. SteveBaker (talk) 02:44, 2 January 2010 (UTC)

The marks are man-made from the surface, nothing else would produce such straight lines, most fracturing (as seen around the conning tower of the Annapolis) is pretty disorganised. There appears to be a track extending from the left-hand end of the leftmost arm of the cross. This US Navy report [12] describes this as a joint exercise with the Applied Physics Laboratory Ice Station(APLIS), so I'm guessing that they made the marks. APLIS is established on a drifting ice floe about 180 nautical miles north of Prudhoe Bay. Mikenorton (talk) 12:01, 2 January 2010 (UTC)

something untoward in the food

If you find something untoward in the food served to you by a host, is it proper to speak up about it? Or should a guest just remain silent and shunt the offending entity off to the side and cover it with mashed potatoes so as not to cause anyone any embarrassment? Bus stop (talk) 20:09, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

What kind of untoward thing are you thinking about? If it is something that could have contaminated the food and made it dangerous, it is important to speak up to avoid anyone else being poisoned, however that is an unlikely situation. --Tango (talk) 21:59, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

I usually make a joking mention of it (pet hairs are not uncommon when there are many pets in the house), but if it was really dangerous (eg: glass, plastic, metal, ice in cooked-from-frozen food, etc.) I would definitely mention it to the host.

It is a different matter in a restaurant, they have cleanliness standards to uphold and regular inspections should be carried out. So a couple of months ago in a restaurant, I found an earwig - dead, and well fried - under the fried fish I had almost finished. It didn't upset me too much, but I did complain to the waiting staff who seemed pretty horrified and quite apologetic. However, I was surprised to later learn that we didn't get a discount. Astronaut (talk) 23:57, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

If it's something like a (head)hair in the food that won't make you not finish the meal, you can just subtly pick it out and continue, leaving that portion to the side, even if it's a little bit gross. With a good friend, you can make it a joke, but not at a formal dinner. If it's a formal dinner, or you don't know the host well, discretion is best, and the default reaction. If it is something like you've noticed that the meat is off, then mentioning it is possibly better than condemning everyone to food poisoning. Generally, etiquette says that avoiding embarrassing the host is of high importance, so it would take something that might later cause embarrassment (i.e. making others ill) for you to draw attention to it. If you still wish it drawn to the host's attention, it's best done privately, after the meal. If the untoward thing makes the whole portion of food inedible, a polite excuse of a food allergy or intolerance can get you out of that course. Steewi (talk) 02:00, 2 January 2010 (UTC)

Coat of Arms

Does anyone know where one can look to locate their family Coat of Arms ( Family Crest) Norwegian ancestry ? lundofwi at core dot com —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.208.57.91 (talk) 21:14, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

In what country would it have been matriculated? Kittybrewster ☎ 21:49, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

Families don't have Coats of Arms, individuals do and they are inherited by another individual when that holder dies. Unless you have some reason to believe you are entitled to a specific Coat of Arms, then you almost certainly aren't. --Tango (talk) 21:54, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

Tango's is a particularly British point of view that is correct for Great Britain (and perhaps Ireland) but not elsewhere. In other European countries, including Norway, burgher arms are an accepted tradition. The tradition of burgher arms has been widely adopted in the United States, even by families of British descent. For help with arms that may exist for a Norwegian family, you might try searching this site or contact the Norwegian Genealogical Society, which should have more authoritative information. Marco polo (talk) 22:37, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

That article on burgher arms isn't entirely clear, but it seems to be talking about individuals rather than families (except for one mention in the lede). --Tango (talk) 23:14, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

(Edit Conflict) Nothing in the Burgher arms article explicitly states that they do not, once granted/adopted, generally follow the same rule of inheritance as Tango describes, though in unregulated jurisdictions varying practices are likely; perhaps someone with appropriate confirmatory citations could amend it?

That article could also be read as wrongly implying that in Britain arms are still restricted to the upper classes, whereas for many decades anyone of good character (i.e. without a criminal conviction or similar 'black mark') has been able to apply for a grant of arms. Incidentally, one of its citations ([5]) is to an incorrect page number, and I cannot immediately find the intended material in my copy of the volume, though I will continue looking.

Finally, it is quite possible that the OP has some traceable armigerous ancestor(s), and might therefore be able under his/her current heraldic jursidiction to apply for a new grant of arms suitably differenced from them. 87.81.230.195 (talk) 23:30, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

You need a little more than a clean sheet to get arms in the UK, but not much. Any university degree will do it, for example. You also need £3950 to burn - you have to have the heralds at the College of Arms design it and, as you might expect from such a monopoly, they have high fees. [13] --Tango (talk) 00:46, 2 January 2010 (UTC)

Since the College of Arms has no significant income apart from the fees, they don't seem to me inordinate, but YMMD. Note that the Lyon Court's fees [14] (applicable only to Scots, obviously) are somewhat less, at £1,926 for non-corporate arms with crest and motto. 87.81.230.195 (talk) 03:10, 2 January 2010 (UTC)

Having read this dialogue, I stand somewhat corrected. It seems that in Norway, too, coats of arms belong to individuals and not families, although apparently there aren't many Norwegian individuals "entitled" to coats of arms. Nonetheless, it is quite common for Americans to adopt or display a "family" coat of arms. I guess that from a European point of view, most do so "illegitimately". Of course, the United States is not Europe. Marco polo (talk) 03:26, 2 January 2010 (UTC)

I don't know if I'd call it "illegitimate", just "unregulated". It can only be illegitimate if there are legitimate ones, which there aren't. --Tango (talk) 14:25, 2 January 2010 (UTC)

It could at least be considered in poor taste, considering that most USAians with any interest in heraldry could legitimately apply for valid arms from an ancestral jurisdiction (The College of Heralds, for example, will consider applications from anyone of English, Welsh or Northern Irish descent).

It would become illegitimate if they should visit the jurisdiction from which their 'usurped' arms originate (assuming they then used them there), and in the case of Scotland (where the Lyon Court is still a functioning arm of the criminal judiciary) they would be liable for prosecution, fines and the confiscation of anything marked with the arms in question. Using another's arms amounts to impersonation, and may be deemed to involve obtaining money, goods or services by deception.

Moreover, if one does have an armigerous forebear, many heraldic jurisdictions recognise regular systems of 'differencing' by which slightly modified versions of the forebear's arms are deemed appropriate for and usable by the descendent in question, which they will advise on and which may not require full, or any, rematriculation fees. 87.81.230.195 (talk) 17:24, 2 January 2010 (UTC)

As far as I can tell from their website, the English College of Arms (or Heralds, as you call it) doesn't care about your descent. They will grant arms to anyone, anywhere as long as they are considered eligible (from their website, linked above: "There are no fixed criteria of eligibility for a grant of arms, but such things as awards or honours from the Crown, civil or military commissions, university degrees, professional qualifications, public and charitable services, and eminence or good standing in national or local life, are taken into account." - it sounds like it would be easier for someone from the Commonwealth to be considered eligible, but that isn't a requirement). I think you need to be reasonably closely related to the armigerous forebear (or heirs thereof) for differencing to work - if you have to go back more than 2 or 3 generations then you would end up with a complete mess. However, our article on Cadency did lead to me to this part of the College of Arms website which seems to say all sons of a bearer of arms inherit the arms and the use of differencing is optional (daughters inherit the arms for their own lifetime, but can only pass them on to their own children as a quartering and then only if there are no surviving male heirs). That does somewhat contradict my first statement in this section - while I was correct that it is individuals that bear arms, the same arms could be used by a whole family. --Tango (talk) 18:14, 2 January 2010 (UTC)

The Norwegian wikipedia has an article no:Slektsvåpen, i.e. family coat of arms, which briefly discusses whether these should be regarded as personal coats of arms or family coats of arms. Translating from that article:

A family coat of arms is usually a coat of arms that someone themselves have aquired/created, and that their descendants have continued to use. This was done in the middle ages, in later centuries and by many heraldry-interested persons today. Family coats of arms have not been a priviledge for nobility - at least not in Denmark and Norway.

The borderline between a family coat of arms and a personal one, can raise several questions*. Most family coats of arms were first used by one person, and later used by their descendants and/or other relatives (for example the nephew of Tordenskiold). *This sentence doesn't read particularly well in the Norwegian version (a borderline asking questions); I've tried to keep the translation faithful to the original. None of the relevant statements are sourced. --NorwegianBlue ^talk 14:50, 2 January 2010 (UTC)

White working class of London

Where is the white working class area of London? I had been told it was South London, but there are many immigrants and gentrification. Others said Ilford/Redbridge, but I have found this is not a "traditional" white working class community. It has also been suggested to me that there really isn't such a place in London anymore--that the north of England was the only spot where there is a strong majority of white working class people. I am curious to find such a community to compare it to the rest of London where I am living for six months. Thanks. I have a reference question (talk) 22:52, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

Traditionally, the East End of London was the working class area (and would have been predominantly white). I'm not sure what it is like today... --Tango (talk) 23:01, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

This review of a revised version of Family and Kinship in East London, discusses whether the local authorities in Bethnal Green discriminated in housing either for or against Bangladeshi immigrants as against the white inhabitants: Kin Outrage from The Guardian, 25 April 2007. As a traditional dockside place for arrival, the East End has seen Huguenot, Jewish and Commonwealth immigrants. The British Union of Fascists under Sir Oswald Mosley led provocative marches in the Jewish areas of the East End in the 1930's. See London's East End: Point of arrival (1975-6) by Chaim Bermant (ISBN 978-0025100909). —— Shakescene (talk) 23:30, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

The prevailing wind in London is westerly, which means that the industrial areas concentrated on the east of London and therefore homes for the workers are similarly concentrated there. However there are many working class areas outside the east, and in any case almost all of the inner city has seen substantial population shifts so that there are many non-whites living there. For the few places where there is a substantial working class population and the population is almost all white, try looking in the London Borough of Havering: South Hornchurch ward is 94.5% white (London average 71.2%) and has a workforce that is only 20.1% professional and managerial (London average 34.3%). Gooshays ward (a council estate on the far side of Romford) is 96.4% white and 18.0% professional and managerial. Sam Blacketer (talk) 23:42, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

I believe the most common wind is from the south-west. The factories, and hence the working class areas, concentrated in the east I would imagine because they could more easily transport things along the Thames, and hence around the coast or abroad, and that is where the docks were. Which reminds me - a solid working-class area may still be Dagenham which is said to have or be the largest council-estate in Eirope. Some years ago the place in Britain with the lowest proportion of graduates was I recall Basildon - but that is a commuter suburb rather than London proper. 92.24.69.222 (talk) 00:37, 2 January 2010 (UTC)

(Edit Conflict) Personal Observation -- My recent visits to the area (in which my father was born and raised) suggest that its population now has a very substantial Commonwealth Asian (Indian, Pakistan, Bangladeshi) component as well as other 'non-white' and 'white non-British' communities, but not necessarily that they are now in the overall majority, rather that the area is much less racially/culturally homogenous and is 'patchworked' on a small scale. The Jewish community (with which my father's family were quite closely associated socially, professionally and possibly by some descent) seems now much less evident.

The UK Office for National Statistics obviously collects relevant information via the decennial UK National Census and otherwise - the OP could pursue enquiries through the web pages linked from those articles, but there may be restrictions on the availability of some of the most recent data. 87.81.230.195 (talk) 23:58, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

Should perhaps have said that my information is from the 2001 Census. The website to go to is this one although it can be a bit complicated. Sam Blacketer (talk) 00:10, 2 January 2010 (UTC)

Find the Middle Point between locations

Is there some of website that mashes with Google Maps and allows me to find the geographically middle point between 2 or 3 locations? Acceptable (talk) 23:36, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

Like http://www.geomidpoint.com/ perhaps? --jpgordon^{::==( o )} 02:40, 2 January 2010 (UTC)

It doesn't work so well on my old PC. But I wonder how it would deal with entering two points that are on exactly opposite sides of the globe? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 13:52, 2 January 2010 (UTC)

I just entered the north and south poles and got the answer: "The center of the earth". Personally, I would have preferred "Error. No unique midpoint exists for antipodal points.", but each to their own. --Tango (talk) 14:29, 2 January 2010 (UTC)

They opted for humor over a factual answer. Because, based on that premise, any point-to-point of more than a very short distance should be subterranean! The right answer for the north and south poles would be "the equator", and for any other two points would be some particular great circle. That might require some extra programming, though. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 14:38, 2 January 2010 (UTC)

In the case of the equator or a meridian, they could give that line as an answer. For other great circles, it would be very difficult to describe (not impossible, but it wouldn't be easy to understand for most people). That's why I would just have not given an answer at all. --Tango (talk) 15:27, 2 January 2010 (UTC)

I wonder if it gaves the same straight-through-the-earth answer to any opposite points or only to the poles. An easy example would be the points where the Greenwich meridian and the international date line cross the equator. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 15:44, 2 January 2010 (UTC)

Yes, it gives the same answer. --Tango (talk) 16:00, 2 January 2010 (UTC)

January 2

Fireworks from airplanes

Do airplanes or airports take special measures during bonfire and new years eve when there are loads of fireworks being let off? Like low flying aircraft or those coming into land? Or do fireworks not effect them at all. Also, are there any cool videos of fireworks on new years eve from airplanes I could watch, I'd love to see the sky below erupt into light at midnight from above —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.44.54.145 (talk) 20:04, 2 January 2010 (UTC)