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April 9

Do you eat at a table and not do other things while eating?

Just wondering how many people sit at a table while eating and don't watch tv or use a computer or w/e while eating.--92.251.166.223 (talk) 00:39, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

Well, if there are other people at the table, I talk with them. If not, then I wouldn't eat at the table at all, but in front of the TV and/or computer. StuRat (talk) 00:43, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

It's just my wife and I, so we eat on the couch while watching TV and the dogs watch us while waiting for handouts. Dismas|^(talk) 01:02, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

I only sit at the table if we have guests. We should really try to find some survey results rather than having our own survey, though, since this is a ref desk! --Tango (talk) 01:20, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

You can see some survey figures here. -- Wavelength (talk) 03:13, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

When I am alone (and when I was single) I eat (and ate) in front of the computer always practically. When me and my girlfriend eat together, we eat in the kitchen, where there's no TV or anything. We avoid eating and watching TV or anything at the same time, except for snacks during films. --Ouro (blah blah) 11:47, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

A bunch of Wikipedia editors probably isn't a very representative sample of anything (except Wikipedia editors, I suppose). Still, I almost always eat at a table. When I'm alone, I read a newspaper. Buddy431 (talk) 14:47, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

Wow buddy same here, I was a bit surprised when I heard someone saying most people don't, although I hhavent' seen any actual statistics before now. Thanks.--92.251.159.197 (talk) 16:29, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

If with company, with relatives or visiting people, I definitely prefer to sit at a table and talk (and so it seems do the other people I eat with). However, when alone at home I usually eat in front of the TV (though in my old house, which was much larger than the current place I live, I often ate at the table with the newspaper in front of me). Astronaut (talk) 17:29, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

public access tunnel directly under capitol building for vehicles

My son claims a few years ago he drove directly under the capitol building thru a public access tunnel.

I disagree it was directly under the building. Perhaps nearby under capitol grounds but not directly under building. Who's right.

Thankyou.

(Mrs.) Nancy A. Baughman <contact info redacted> —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.60.182.65 (talk) 02:22, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

Yeah - go to Google maps and type "Capitol building, Washington DC" - scroll over to the left and you'll see that highway 395 goes under the "reflecting pool" to the west of the Capitol building. It doesn't go right under the Capitol building though - so I guess you're right. SteveBaker (talk) 02:42, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

There are, however, tunnels that do go directly under the Capitol building, just not accessible by the general public, except by invitation. See United States Capitol subway system. --Jayron32 03:48, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

(OR) Many years ago (pre-9/11), I was a reporter doing a story in the Capitol. I got lost and found myself down in those tunnels, and it took forever to figure out how to get back. — Michael J 22:08, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

Perhaps you need to be a Stonecutter to access them Lemon martini (talk) 19:38, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

woman

When I am trying to initiate intercourse with my girlfriend, I either cuddle her and kiss her and then try to take her shirt off. Or I start to touch her, well recently, she will stop me and tell me to go to sleep. So I do. Then she will wake me up and yell at me that we naver have sex. I tell her that last night I tried to take her shirt off and she asked me what I was doing so I said I am trying to take your clothes off so we can make love, but you told me to stop and go to sleep so I did, now you are angry because I stopped when you told me to. So my question is, when a woman tells you no stop you have to stop right? If not it is rape, right? I don't understand what I have done wrong, it would appear that she wants me to force myself on her, but I am not going to do that. I am a gentle person and would like to make sweet love, what am I missing here? Does she want me to force her? Maybe a woman can help. This relationship is over, as I ran away this morning and am not going back, but my prev girlfriend only ever wanted sex in the doggy style, I don't understand this either. Please help so I can improve future relationships. Thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 93.186.23.206 (talk) 10:55, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

"'No' always means no . . ..'No' has always been, and always will be, part of the dangerous, alluring courtship ritual of sex and seduction, observable even in the animal kingdom" - Camille Paglia, Source. Though telling you to go to sleep is a pretty forceful "no". —Preceding unsigned comment added by Droptone (talk • contribs) 13:27, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

I would suggest looking somewhere else. You don't need to put up with that crap. There are 3 billion females on this planet. Googlemeister (talk) 14:10, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

Agreed. She's jerking him around, and he was wise to flee. I'm guessing that when she complained, instead of arguing with her about the previous night, if he had said, "OK, let's do it right now," she would have found a reason not to. However, one alternative to fleeing could have been to say, "I don't understand", and put the ball back in her court. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 14:30, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

What Baseball Bugs says about doing it right now is probably very true. She might have some problems of some kind that you should have helped, but there's no way of knowing. But then there is noone who doesn't have problems of some kind.--92.251.159.197 (talk) 16:33, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

She probably needed more romance, like telling her she's the prettiest girl on Earth, who has ever lived, or will ever live, and also in all parallel universes. If you can get through that without cracking up, she may open up. StuRat (talk) 14:41, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

The most romantic, sexiest thing you can do for a woman is clean the house, cook the meal, sit her down with a drink and tell her she means the world to you. --TammyMoet (talk) 15:00, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

I want a source for this. --Ouro (blah blah) 15:33, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

No it isn't, it is obviously a great thing to do but classic romantic stuff is better.--92.251.159.197 (talk) 16:30, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

You wanna source? Try any married woman, or woman who has to look after a home as well as work, kids, big kids (i.e. men)... We don't fall for classic romantic stuff. We know you're only after one thing if you go down on one knee - usually expecting us to do the same! --TammyMoet (talk) 18:59, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

You've got it right. The "traditional" romantic stuff needs to be done also, but it's not enough. Exceeding expectations once in awhile will work wonders. Am I right? :) ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 19:34, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

Well that depends on your home situation, if like most relationships the woman does the housework well then probably. However I clean up after myself and she cleans up after herself and we split hte rest of the jobs such as mowing the lawn (me) and emptying the bin (her).--92.251.159.197 (talk) 19:48, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

And if you did her chores sometimes, especially if she's weary (as with the song "Try a Little Tenderness"), you could score big-time points by doing "her" work for her, as it would exceed expectations. If you have a bright line dividing "your" work and "her" work that's never to be crossed, that's more of a "roommate" relationship than a "love" relationship. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 20:01, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

Welcome to the world of women! Women are not consistent creatures, you just have to accept that. You can try talking to them and trying to understand, but your chances of success are never high. --Tango (talk) 15:15, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

And lest anyone get too concerned, one can say the same thing about men. Human beings are not consistent creatures. Relationships are often fraught. A good relationship is usually the one in which you and your partner are crazy in the same kind of way. --Mr.98 (talk) 15:54, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

Or perhaps in mutually complimentary ways, such as a sadist and a masochist. StuRat (talk) 16:23, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

The one time she came to my house I cleaned it so it was spotless, so I could show her that my house is not as much of a mess as hers, she was 3 hours late and then said that she had already eaten, so I ate alone by candle light, she then also said that she does not want to come to my house as it is to far to travel, I should know I spend every second day at her house and have to do the commute! Later in the relationship I told her I had to work at 6am the next day, so I gave her a 2 hour massage and then stated that I need to go to sleep because I am working, she then started shouting at me that we never spend anytime together, and continued on until 3am. I was then very tired but agreed to go back to her house that night after work, I fell asleep as you do when you have only had 2 hours sleep the night before, she then wakes me up at 4am as she wants to have a cigarette and does not want to smoke alone. And now this stuff above, man I think I have been used! Reading it now, it seems so strange that I put up with all this if only for 1.5 months. She acts like she is a super model, and she certainly is not. The small amout of sex was dreadful, and I am a man so it must have been bad. Well thanks wikipedians, onwards and upwards. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.172.58.82 (talk) 16:29, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

To my mind, she's playing a game called, "You can't win." So, as with the movie War Games, "the only way to win is not to play." I'm also reminded at this point of a Fifth Dimension song called "Carpet Man". You did the right thing by leaving. But I'll also say this - cooking and cleaning for a woman are very romantic things to do - for the right woman, i.e. one who appreciates it. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 17:06, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

Reminds me of Should I Stay or Should I Go, by The Clash: [1]. StuRat (talk) 17:51, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

A very wise man once said (paraphrasing) "If you are in a relationship with a woman, you can be right or you can be happy. But not both at the same time." --Jayron32 18:42, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

Womenfolk and menfolk have different conceptions of what the relationship is. Bus stop (talk) 19:25, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

Bus Stop is hereby given the Understatement of the Day Award. :) ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 19:32, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

Indeed. And on the goals of an arguement within the relationship. A woman's goal is to win the arguement. A man's goal is to not be in the arguement. Those are easily resolved goals as long as the man is willing to always lose. --Jayron32 19:41, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

From My Little Chickadee:

W.C. Fields: "I never argue with a lady!"

Mae West: "Smart boy!"

←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 19:36, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

Funny how most (possibly all except Tammy Moet) of the people here giving us the good oil about the arcane ways of women, are men. Men have always misunderstood women, and vice-versa. That's at least part of the point of being different. (I gave up even trying years ago.) So, I'm not entirely sure their comments, well intentioned as they are, can be completely trusted. But on the other hand, asking a woman to reveal her secrets, or expecting there to be quality information available in a reputable source ... sorry, it doesn't work that way. There's a reason why there has to be this tension between men and women. Harry knew what he was talking about. Inherent uncertainty and unpredictability and confusion are part of the game. It's a woman's biological role to frustrate men - apparently it keeps their sexual energy high or something. Add to that the individual characteristic of being an outright bitch, and you've got quite a problem on your hands. (Not saying your girlfriend is one of those, but some women do take their role as Arch-Frustratrix uber-seriously.) Unfortunately, it's not the sort of problem that anonymous people on the internet, particularly males, can help you with.  :) -- Jack of Oz ... speak! ... 21:23, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

I know. Start calling her Trixie. She'll think it's cute and affectionate. Only you will know what it really stands for. Unless she also reads this page.  :) -- Jack of Oz ... speak! ... 21:26, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

Oh, yeh, that could work. Hey, it's already almost a lost cause anyway. Jerry Seinfeld once said a couple of cogent things on this subject (many cogent things, actually). One is that men and women are like firemen and fire, respectively. Men can be ready at any time, like an emergency. Woman can get really hot, but the conditions have to be right. The other thing he said was that in terms of attracting women, "Honking horns and yelling out the window are [unfortunately] the best ideas we've come up with so far." ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 22:07, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

Headphone clip is broken

The little clip on my headphones which is used to attach the cord to your shirt or jacket so that it doesn't get in your way is broken (see pic, it's blurred but you get the idea). I have still got the other part of the clip but I have failed to glue it back on using superglue. The clip is hardwired to the headphones so it's not possible to buy a replacement part, and I'm certainly not going to buy a whole new pair of headphones just for that. Please provide suggestions as to how I can attach the black plastic bit you see in the picture to my clothes without the clip, thank you. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 14:51, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

Carefully cut apart a pen lid (of the appropriate shape - some rely on the pen body as a 'back', other clips are all on the lid) and manipulate/glue as necessary? Or attach a paperclip/safety pin as necessary? 94.168.184.16 (talk) 14:55, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

If using a paper clip (or butterfly clip), be sure to use a plastic one, as the sharp ends on metal ones might snag on clothing. StuRat (talk) 16:20, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

I would probably glue something like an alligator clip to it with superglue. --Mr.98 (talk) 17:00, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

(ec)A small alligator clip might work. In fact, there's a plastic one on my own cellphone's headset. Less likely to break, I suspect, than the item the OP refers to. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 17:01, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

SIPHON PUMPS

A [SIPHON PUMP] is defined as being a device consisting of a conduit bent and forming legs of unequal length, this conduit has an inline holding canister at the upper bend. The action of pressure of the atmosphere forces liquid up the shorter leg of the conduit immersed in it, while the continued excess weight of the liquid in the longer branch causes a continuous flow. Withdrawal of the liquid at the upper bend is metered when both the outlet and inlet of the siphon are shut off, the canister is emptied of it's contents and shut air tight. The siphon flow begins when the flow valves open and allow for the purging of trapped air below the source liquid inlet. The SIPHON PUMP will withdraw liquid repeatedly from the canister that can be positioned above the source as disclosed in US Patent # 5358000. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.155.114.134 (talk) 16:09, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

Yes, and why have you posted this here ? Do you have a question for us ? StuRat (talk) 16:15, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

Perhaps the OP thinks we should have an article on siphon pump, but a siphon and a pump are different things, so that expression is misleading; we have a comprehensive article about the siphon, which is what he/she means.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 17:18, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

Homosexual male referring to himself as "Miss"?

I just heard Gok Wan reffered to on TV as "Miss Gok Wan". He's male. I would very much like to be reffered to as "Dr." or "Sir", or even better, "Your Highness". I wouldn't get away with that, so why is he allowed to call himself this?--92.251.159.197 (talk) 16:41, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

Freedom of speech. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 16:58, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

"Dr.", "Sir", and "Your Highness" are all titles that only people who have attained a certain status can use. For example, a person needs to earn a doctoral degree at an institution of higher learning to legally call himself or herself "Dr." The titles "Sir" and "Your Highness" can only be used by people who are monarchs or who have been recognized for their achievements by a monarch. In contrast, there are no legal restrictions on who may call himself or herself "Miss". You can call yourself "Miss" too if you like. Marco polo (talk) 17:04, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

If you are going to take seriously anything Gok Wan says then I think you deserve whatever annoyance you receive. Come on, he's almost ficticious! Caesar's Daddy (talk) 07:52, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

I'd like to see your source for there being a legal restriction to calling yourself "Dr." or "Sir" or any other title in the US. If you were to impersonate a doctor or defraud someone, then I could see the issue but simply referring to yourself as a doctor, I've never known that to be illegal. Dr. John seems to get away with it. As well as Dr. Johnny Fever. Dismas|^(talk) 17:16, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

Yes, you can call yourself pretty much anything you want to in the USA, as long as it's not for fraudulent reasons or violates some specific law. I don't think "Doc" Gooden has an advanced degree. (Although he seems to dabble in pharmacology from time to time.) ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 17:21, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

Neither do Dr. Demento, Dr. Dre, or "The Doctor" of Doctor and the Medics. – ClockworkSoul 18:58, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

It's not at all unusual or a recent phenomenon for gay men to refer to themselves facetiously as "girls" or whatever. In the 1960s movie The Boys in the Band, for example. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 17:12, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

Yeah but "Mister", "Misses" and "Miss" convey certain information about the person, so they're being difficult just for the sake of it. If they want to be women let them get transexual procedures done.--92.251.159.197 (talk) 17:33, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

See Self-determination. Ultimately, its up to the person what they want to call themselves. It's not really either your business or your problem. When a person asks to be called "Miss" or "Mister", neither really causes measurable harm to you. So I'm not sure you have a grievance here... --Jayron32 18:01, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

Yes, self-determination. And I call what the OP is saying "nannyism". The late, great Alan King said, "The world is full of little dictators trying to run your life." Those little dictators, as he called them, are often called "nannies". You're being rather blunt by telling the OP it's none of his business, but guess what - you're right. That Gok Wan guy isn't being "difficult", he's just doing what he feels like doing in order to be funny and entertaining. And whether he ever chooses to get a sex-change operation is entirely his own concern. I don't think there are all that many gay men who want to give up their "equipment" - even the gay men who call themselves "girls". ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 18:13, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

I would add gender identity as a more specific article on the topic. -- Coneslayer (talk) 18:15, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

The essence of the OP's complaint is "Why doesn't Gok Wan change something for my convenience?" And that kind of viewpoint is the essence of nannyism. Now, if Gok Wan's TV ratings were to drop off, specifically due to him calling himself that, then he might change it. The best way to get someone to change something is to appeal to their selfish interests. Telling them to change something just because you don't like it is not likely to get any response beyond an MYOB. I don't see anything suggesting that Gok Wan would gain anything by dropping that nickname and/or lose anything by retaining it. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 18:21, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

I think most people are rather missing the point. Wasn't this on Sharon Osbourne's A Comedy Roast last night? In which case, it was the job of everybody there to mock everyone else - especially Sharon, but certainly other comedians are fair game. I could be wrong...but I assumed that was it. Vimescarrot (talk) 18:35, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

I find it a little annoying that he would want this, but only because he's telling me what to call him. My definition of 'Miss' does not include men, so if he wants me to call him that, he can change his name. He has the freedom to want to be called whatever he wants: We have the freedom not to call him that.Aaronite (talk) 18:39, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

And who's forcing you to call him that, or trying to? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 18:45, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

You are. You're massively overreacting, no need to get so defensive, I'm simply asking if this is a common phenonemom, and stating that I don't particularly like it because it's confusing. Similarly I wouldn't like someone calling a pot a pan. I am not suggesting there be legislation or any other crap, which would be absolutely ridiculous, and which is what you are defending against. Surely you would have a problem if I set up a really smelly and noisy meat factory just opposite your home? Does that make you a nanny? No. I also have problems with uptight people such as yourself jumping the gun just because of someone's opinion. Do I find his title odd, confusing and slightly irritating? Definitely. Have I suggested legislation or other action to "force" Gok Wan to call himself Mister? No I haven't. Would I? No, never. If anyone is being a nanny it's you, in your attempts to so vigorously destroy our opinions.--92.251.159.197 (talk) 19:46, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

I'm... what? Forcing you to call him that? No, I'm not forcing you to do anything. You can call him whatever you want to. Now, if he's a personal friend, you should maybe call him what he asks you to call him, as a matter of courtesy. But since you find "Miss" confusing, I have to assume that the two of you are not buds. In fact, why is it confusing at all? He's just being funny. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 19:58, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

During that show there were jokes about him but I assume that wasn't one as nobody laughed.--92.251.159.197 (talk) 20:20, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

Probably not, if it's what he normally calls himself. But you know he's a man and that he likes to call himself "Miss" for whatever reason. So where's the confusion? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 20:24, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

Welcome to the modern age. The issue here is that "Miss Gok Wan" has (apparently) a female sexual identity, and would like to be referenced that way. you are under no obligation to do so, of course, but that's what it is. This is different from being gay - gay men often have a masculine sexual identity with a sexual preference for other males, rather than a sexual identity of being female. title like 'Doctor', 'Sir', or 'Your Highness' are conferred according to particular academic or social qualifications - no one is under any obligation to use those, either, mind you - but sexual identity labels are supposed to accord to the person's inherent sexual identity. You simply disagree with "Miss Gok Wan" about the nature of his/her inherent sexual identity, and the question is: what grounds do you have to disagree with him/her on what sexual identity he/she has? --Ludwigs2 20:44, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

Near as I can tell, the "confusion" boils down to the fact that Gok Wan won't conform to convention. That's not "confusion", it's "conformism". ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 20:55, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

No the confusion in that "miss" and "mister" tell us something about the person, their sex. If I was told Miss Gok Wan will see you now I would expect a female.--92.251.159.197 (talk) 23:40, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

And if, at some point in the past, I had met Shirley Povich and Michael Learned, I might be surprised to discover that the former is a man and the latter is a woman. But I would soon get over it. :) ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 23:54, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

Yes, but conformism is a form of ontological confusion - equating 'what I think is right' with 'what is right'. kind of a pandemic problem on wikipedia...--Ludwigs2 21:03, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

To address the original question:

...I wouldn't get away with that, so why is he allowed to call himself this?

OK, the basic problem is that the premise of the question is false. The OP could, in fact, "get away with" calling himself anything he wants to, as long as it's not being used for fraudulent purposes. Elvis Presley was called "The King of Rock and Roll". Michael Jackson was called "The King of Pop". Neither of those guys had any known royal lineage. Yet they were able to "get away with it", because it was just a nickname. Likewise with "Miss Gok Wan". He is free to call himself that, and others are free to not call him that. Does the OP have any further puzzlements, or is it clear now? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 21:16, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

 In The Short Reign of Pippin IV: Pépin meets a young American who asks, "What kind of king are you?" "What do you mean?" "Well, my father is the Egg King of Petaluma, and Benny Goodman is the King of Swing...." "I am King of France." "The hell you say!" —Tamfang (talk) 16:20, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

There are probably a number of people who have "Doctor" in their name who lack the advanced degrees usually associated with that title.

It's more a matter of force of personality than any sort of conspiracy. If you introduce yourself as "Doctor So-and-so" with enough confidence that no one laughs in your face, then that's your name. (If anyone says "Doctor of what?", honestly answer that it's just an affectation, or vaguely answer "Of life" or some other such question-dodging nonsense.)

"Doctor" is probably an easy one. Introducing yourself as "Miss"(if male) or "King" will be a bit harder, but persevere. Eventually people will just shrug their shoulders and humor you. (See Emperor Norton.)

Sure, it's slightly confusing to dodge convention like that, but there's no law against being slightly confusing! APL (talk) 22:54, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

The funniest thing to me about this complaint is that Gok isn't even his birth name and while it sounds like it may be a male Chinese name to me (although I'm far from an expert), I'm going to guess the majority of British people would have no idea of this were it not for Gok Wan and if it were a female name, I'm going to take a while stab that the OP would still be complaining that Gok Wan should change his/her name. I should also point out that although some of the above statements appear to be presuming Gok Wan has a female sexual identity, this may be the case, but I haven't seen much evidence for this and a quick search isn't providing much supporting evidence. I think people are reading too much into one comment from one show which may or may not have been intended as a joke and we have no real indication that this is how he/she prefers to be identified. Perhaps he/she doesn't even care... Nil Einne (talk) 01:19, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

Hmm. On the Internet, and being upset due to considering the someone's "misuse" of gender identification. 92.251.159.197 is likely to be upset more in future. --203.22.236.14 (talk) 06:26, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

I agree with you, OP. But as you can see, homosexuals are rather untouchable nowadays. --Belchman (talk) 10:41, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

So you think it would have been different if Gok Wan were heterosexual? Nil Einne (talk) 05:51, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

Yea, Damn our liberal society for not stopping people from choosing their own name! Who decided that people should have even the smallest modicum freedom? We need to put a stop to that.

Normally, we would find a way to strip this person of the basic human right to define their own identity, but since this person is a minority we can't. Stupid political correctness!

Seriously though, if it makes you feel any better, If you ever meet this person, you're free to call him whatever you like. I suggest "Doctor". That'll really confuse him. APL (talk) 05:13, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

Did you consider that there may have been an element of piss-taking in the introduction? --TammyMoet (talk) 14:24, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned Dame Edna Everidge (fictitious sex and title). —Tamfang (talk) 16:20, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

Excellent point. For that matter, what about Mrs. Doubtfire? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 16:26, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

Less interesting imho; that character would not expect to be addressed as "Mrs Doubtfire" (what kind of a silly name is that anyway?) by people who know his real name. —Tamfang (talk) 06:39, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

This is not uncommon. The gay community has taken back various terms in a sense of empowerment. It's frequently heard gay men referring to each other as "fags", "queens", and "princesses", "sluts". While these may have positive or negative connotations, they are not used in the homophobic sense. Effeminent men may use "Miss" and "bitch" to refer to each other for the same reason. See sexual slurs. --Kvasir (talk) 22:41, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

Interesting. I think this is a matter of definition. There are proper nouns ("names" for unique entities) and common nouns (words for general concepts). Since proper nouns have little or no conceptual content, a person is free to choose a proper noun to be designated with in his language (John, Batman, Australia or Kmdfjk), though an unconventional choice ignoring the small elements of conceptual content may lead to sneers. Since common nouns do have a lot of conceptual content, s/he is generally not free to choose what common noun people should be applied to him/her - firefighter, drunkard, elephant, pleonasm, woman. In the case of a gay or transsexual person, his/her definition of "woman" may be "someone who identifies as a lady / Miss", while others' definition may be "someone who has a vulva and no penis" (hence including transsexuals but not gays), or "someone with an XX chromosome pair" (hence including neither). Now, a person can't require others to change their definitions of words, that would be an encroachment upon their freedom to define and conceptualize their world - though they may still choose to use "elephant" or "woman" in reference to him/her as a matter of courtesy and as a kind of "idiom", even though they don't regard him/her as being technically an elephant in the literal sense. The issue is complicated by the fact that words such as "Mr/Miss" are borderline between common and proper nouns - they are used as additions to or substitutes of names, and have almost as little semantic content as proper nouns.--91.148.159.4 (talk) 15:56, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Looking for reliable ear buds

My teenager constantly breaks the ear buds I buy for his iPod, often from pulling on the cords. A couple of times he cranked up the volume so high that the speakers went bad. I want to find a set that will last him years instead of months. Is there such a creature? Hemoroid Agastordoff (talk) 17:29, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

Listening to them at the highest possible volume is extremely bad for one's hearing, my iPod Nano is usually set at about at third of max volume.--92.251.159.197 (talk) 17:34, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

I suspect that if you make him pay for replacements, they will last much longer. StuRat (talk) 17:38, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

I'm with StuRat. If he's breaking them, make him buy the replacements. Then, he will work to make them last longer. If that means he has to wait longer because he doesn't have the money right now, then so be it. Last I checked, having a functioning personal music player was pretty high up on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, and as such, I don't expect his health or his psychological well being will be much affected by the lack of an ipod. --Jayron32 17:59, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

My ipod is ALAWYS at full volume and I find this is still not loud enouigh, head phones come and go the best thing to do is buy expensive ones, I have had hundreds over the yaesr but the ones I have at the moment, sennheiser are the best I have ever had, in quality of sound, durability, material, the wire cannot get tangled. brilliant, I do not want to advertise but will never use any other brand again, although I am sure they will not last for ever and I will need to get a new pair at some stage. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.172.58.82 (talk) 18:19, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

Health warning - that kind of behaviour is likely to make you go deaf. 78.147.131.74 (talk) 21:13, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

Absolutely. If he has it up all the way, maybe he's already had hearing loss and is compensating for it. It would be best to get to a hearing doctor and get tested. You can't fix hearing loss, but you can keep it from getting worse. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 23:00, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

You could check out Bose headphones (somewhat expensive) for sound quality and durability, or you find very cheap headphones at most retail stores if you just want to replace them frequently at low cost. good luck, hope this helps...(since you didn't ask for parental advice or the effects of listening to music of high volume.) 10draftsdeep (talk) 20:14, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

I found earbuds at $1.50 a pair in WalMart - at that price, it really doesn't matter how long they last. SteveBaker (talk) 02:32, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

Don't subsidize your teen's future hearing loss. If he is putting them at a level that can blow our headphones, he is listening to them at extremely unsafe levels. Whether or not you care about that enough to encourage him not to do it, you certainly shouldn't pay for replacements. --Mr.98 (talk) 02:32, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

Possible hearing loss is an issue. I suggest you find out why he cranks the volume up so high. There is no substitute to talking with him though if he has hearing loss, you might end up having to shout :-P As for ear buds, putting the financial responsibility on his shoulders might make him take more care of his stuff. Astronaut (talk) 08:58, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

If I were the OP, I'd be quite disappointed with the responses. Apart from 10draftsdeep (and to some extent SteveBaker) nobody is attempting to answer the question, just supplying unrequested parenting advice. I too have the same problem as the OP's teenager, and I am not careless. I pay for my own in-ear headphones, and they all break within a few months. Almost all headphones, regardless of brand, have weak points where cord meets the plug or within the plug. Unfortunately, the more expensive brands may have better perceived sound quality (because for some reason audiophiles are the norm), but I am yet to find any that have build quality as a selling point. /Coffeeshivers (talk) 13:52, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

I'll answer the original question. No. If you simply want a recommendation of durable earbuds without the prescription they last years even in the face of significant mistreatment, it seems obvious from the question even without trying (and once I have tried and seeing the answers here further proving the point) that a simple internet search will provide a much more useful answer. Note that your requirements are clearly quite different from the OP, as the OP requires headphones which can survive 'cranked up the volume so high that the speakers went bad' yet 'will last him years' which I presume isn't you since you said you aren't careless. Also the wording of the OP's question suggestions we aren't simply talking about accidential tugging on the cord but careless pulling so again, not like you I presume. In addition, if the OP provides details which suggest there are much better answers then the ones you asked for, they shouldn't be surprised if people provide those answers. If they don't want such answers, they should use a commecial service which guarantees they won't provide such answers, the RD isn't it. Note that the answers aren't simply 'useless' parental advice. If he has problems with his hearing then getting him tested and the problem resolved may very well be a more effective way of getting him earbuds that will last for years. If the volume needs to be very loud because the earbuds don't fit, then getting buds which do fit similarly may very well help ensure he has earbuds which last for years. (In fact probably so would making him buy them himself or simply talking ot him, but let's not go there.) Nil Einne (talk) 07:18, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

Ear buds do not fit properly into my ear, so I find that if I am using them I must turn the Ipod up to maximum volume. They are not overly loud its just that they are meant to sit very close to your ear. Slightly more expensive headphones (rather than those useless ear buds) tend to be more ruggedly constructed. Look for thick cables (some are even made with a rope-like material) and strong looking construction of the structure. Also get him to try them out to see if he likes them.Jabberwalkee (talk) 14:08, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

I also wear out ear buds at the rate of one every couple of months. I listen to my ipod on my commute for about two hours every day and put them in and out probably at least a dozen times a day. I've started to pre-emptively wrap some tape around where the cord meets the socket, this helps them last a bit longer. I find the buds often split at the seam which I superglue back together. I've considered buying a pair of $100ish synthesizers but even if they last me 20 months instead of 2, which I highly doubt, it'll still be considerably more expensive then buying the ~$7 buds off eBay. The quality of the eBay headphones varies a LOT, I've had decent ones and really crap ones, once you find a place that has decent ones, I recommend buying up 3 or 4 at a time. Vespine (talk) 23:13, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

I got fed up with them breaking and falling out of my ears so bought hook over head phones also called ear hook headphones which have proved to be very durable and comfortable.They cost £5 in a supermarket....hotclaws 15:56, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Stock broker jackets

Why do stock brokers wear those characteristic jackets? 71.161.45.84 (talk) 18:31, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

When there was on-floor trading (which I believe even the New York Stock exchange has finally stopped), brokers from each firm wore jackets of different colours for differentiation and identification purposes. -- Flyguy649 ^talk 18:35, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

And a ref. -- Flyguy649 ^talk 18:36, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

Do they have extra-long sleeves? Clarityfiend (talk) 22:46, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

The system that needs the coloured jackets is called Open outcry which is (or was) generally used in trading financial futures rather than stocks and shares (in London at least). Apparently the London Metal Exchange still uses it. Not my specialist subject though. Alansplodge (talk) 22:58, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

They have not stopped. There's still on floor open outcry trading for the NYSE the CBT and the AMEX, not to mention lots of other smaller boards (Philadelphia exchange maybe? not sure). PvsKllKsVp (talk) 21:03, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

u2 video, dancing with a fan

In which video can we see Bono dancing with a black fan wearing a blue top?--Quest09 (talk) 18:59, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

Possibly I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For. I remember some interaction with people on the street in Las Vegas in the video for that song. 10draftsdeep (talk) 20:21, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

I hoped getting a more direct answer, like a youtube link... :(--Quest09 (talk) 16:38, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

Youtube does have a nice search box. We typically don't post links here that could have copyright violation issues. 10draftsdeep (talk) 13:26, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

Yes, Youtube has a nice search box, however, if the videos are not tagged, the results are nil. Quest09 (talk) 16:31, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

It is not I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For Miss Bono ^(zootalk)☆ 12:40, 26 June 2013 (UTC)

How many people served in both Gulf wars?

Being that the two wars were relatively close together, is it known how many people served in both? As in were on the ground in Iraq both in 1991 and 2003? 188.223.41.225 (talk) 23:14, 9 April 2010 (UTC)

Well, those wars were 12 years apart, and the number of active military personel who serve 12 years is actually quite small. Secondly, and this is becoming a problem with this current war, that number is even smaller when some of those years are spent in active combat duty; the U.S. armed forces are having a hard time finding qualified people to serve in the Captain or Sargeant ranks since those ranks generally require 4+ years of experience, and most people that end up in heavy combat don't re-up after their first contract expires. I don't know the actual number, or even how to find it, but I suspect that its not that large of a number, relative to the size of the whole military. --Jayron32 05:02, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

One who served in both wars was Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti, general and Commander in Chief of the Iraqi Mujahed Armed Forces. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 22:01, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

That's true, although saying he "served" in both wars understates matters a tad. :) I would think a number of career officers on all fronts might have been in both of them. I suspect the OP might be more interested in actual combat troops who were in both. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 13:14, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

I would imagine (and I have no evidence to support this) that someone who stayed in any company for 12 years would be promoted a fair bit if you consider the number of ranks in the army, so most of the combat troops who hung around may not still be combat troops. 91.85.138.48 (talk) 19:32, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

April 10

rigoletto concertina

I picked one of these rigoletto concertina up the other day anyone know the history of this? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.140.117.169 (talk) 00:40, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

Have you tried looking at the WP article concertina which contains a paragraph about the history of the instrument. Richard Avery (talk) 07:24, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

Continental Divide in the Eisenhower Tunnel

Does anyone know if there's a sign marking the Continental Divide in the middle of the Eisenhower Tunnel? I've never been closer than the Loveland Pass, and I don't have all night to use Street View through the tunnel; please don't bother doing it yourself just to answer this question. Nyttend (talk) 00:45, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

This youtube video is someone driving through the tunnel (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNWur19vjBk) maybe that'll be a quicker way for you to find out? ny156uk (talk) 08:17, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

I don't think so. I've driven through it before and I don't remember any sign. But I wasn't looking, and it's possible that they've added one too. PvsKllKsVp (talk) 21:01, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

This may be a tad nitpicky, but isn't the continental divide on top of the mountain? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 21:54, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

Well, the location where the road passes under it could still be marked. I also don't recall seeing such a sign when I've driven through there, but that wasn't any time recently. --Anonymous, 22:13 UTC, April 10, 2010.

Thanks for the video; it's definitely faster than Street View. Yes, the Divide is on top of the mountain (picture), but I was asking about a sign underneath, as Anonymous suggested. I went to the Divide a year ago (my only time that far west :-), so now I'm quite glad that my friends agreed to go up to the Loveland Pass instead of through the tunnel :-) Nyttend (talk) 01:19, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

Creative Industry/Engineering boundary

Is there a clear boundary between creative product design and product engineering? Im assuming that the creative industry use market research etc to come up with new concepts for products while the engineering industry turns concept into reality. Thanks. Clover345 (talk) 11:40, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

The creative people can design something elegant looking that won't work at all, then the engineers design something functional, but butt-ugly. Eventually they compromise and come up with a reasonable product. StuRat (talk) 12:50, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

There is no really clear line between functions whilst a new idea is being thrashed out. Obviously each has its own speciality, but separation occurs after the proposal is operational. i.e. There is no point designing a brilliant campaign if the product specs are not known. Equally it is silly to produce a super product and then discover there is no market. So, wherever the concept originates it has to be a team effort to get it successfully on to the market. And, incidentally, there should not be a compromise. This suggests that some factors are given up in return for others. The whole new product development process should be one of co-operation.Froggie34 (talk) 13:45, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

It's totally going to depend on the industry. Take the car industry, for example - the creative folks (mostly) make non-functional (and typically, impractical) "concept cars" - which are either ignored or used only to 'inspire' the actual product. To contrast that - look at the video game business (which is what I do), and the creative and engineering people are completely working together every step of the way. SteveBaker (talk) 15:38, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

Lost contacts

Most of my friends are contacts that I know exclusively online...via Wikipedia, online games, random introductions...It has occurred to me a few times that any of them could die and I'd never find out. Or...Would it be possible for me to find out if they'd died? How much information would I need, and what would I need to do? Vimescarrot (talk) 12:17, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

If you knew their real names and their cities you could either check obituary records or contact their local coroners. Other than that, not a whole lot. Wikipedia does have a page on Wikipedia:Deceased Wikipedians, but it is certainly incomplete. --Mr.98 (talk) 14:30, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

If they are from the U.S., and you know their names and they are distinct, or your know their names and locations, you can use the social security death index.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 14:36, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

Thanks...How often/when does the social security death index get updated? Vimescarrot (talk) 14:49, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

And is there an equivalent for the U.K. and other countries? Vimescarrot (talk) 17:20, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

Sorry, no idea and no idea. I will say that names come up fairly quickly after deaths though, in my experience.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 01:23, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

Ok. Cheers. This should come in useful. *bookmarked* Vimescarrot (talk) 09:54, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

This happened to me last year, there was a Wikipedia editor who I used to chat with on a fairly regular basis. One day her contributions just stopped, with no indication that she was leaving the project or anything. I've often wondered if she just stopped editing for some reason or if something serious happened to her. No way of knowing. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 08:10, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

I knew someone whose brother apparently looked through his computer history and posted a message to the forums he moderated. Obviously someone's social networking (e.g. Facebook) profile is likely to show you if they've died. This Guardian article discusses the problem of lingering profiles and mentions one possible way for your contacts to be informed if you died. AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 09:18, 15 April 2010 (UTC)

Heidi Illustrator William Sharp

I would like to find biographical information about the particular William Sharp who illustrated the 1945 Grosset & Dunlap Illustrated Junior Library edition of "Heidi" by Johanna Spyri. I have this book,(given to me on my 10th birthday in 1945). Your article about "Heidi" shows an illustration that does not match the style of the art work in my copy of the book. Apparently yours is the original book and mine is a later edition. "AskArt" online research information includes four persons by the name William Sharp, but it is unclear, and seemingly unlikely, from the art examples provided, whether any of the four is in fact the illustrator of the book I have. Sites providing information about Grosset & Dunlap, Inc. are not helpful because that company has devolved into a mass-market paperback business, apparently with no archives of the company's earlier publications. 98.248.63.139 (talk) 16:14, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

I did a few searches for him at a newspaper archives site (subscription required) and was able to confirm that he (this William Sharp) also illustrated a book called Five Little Peppers and How They Grew but nothing else. Maybe you or someone can run with that cross-referencing detail to find more.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 17:27, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

This site http://www.artfacts.net/en/artist/william-sharp-125751/profile.html#Biography (subscription required) seems to have a biography. All that can be read without it is that he was born in 1900 in the Austro-Hungarian Empire in Lemberg (now Ukraine), left Europe in the era of the Third Reich and died in 1961 in Forest Hills, New York City. Apart from illustrating childrens books he seems to have developed a sharp pen for the social, racial and political reality of the Cold War period. The Queens Museum in NY seems to hold a collection, so maybe you can contact them for help. --91.113.80.216 (talk) 21:07, 10 April 2010 (UTC) Oops, --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 21:14, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

A used-book search turns up (along with some false hits) other books that he illustrated, mainly in the 1940s, including the Heritage Press edition of Rousseau's Confessions and A Treasury of Stephen Foster. Deor (talk) 21:24, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

This site http://lambiek.net/artists/s/sharp_william.htm has a very short biography (studied art in Lemberg, worked in Berlin, left Nazi Germany in 1934, etc). --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 22:13, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

How to catch a wabbit

I want to know how to catch a rabbit with household items. I can't be doing stuff like buying guns, professional traps, or other things not normally found in a household. I don't want to wait in hiding for a long time or have to dig holes or anything like that. So basically I'm looking for a trap I can build without a lot of time spent out of household items. And no, to those "funny people" (wo)manning this desk, the answer "Lie in the grass and make carrot noises" is not helpful. Thanks 68.248.227.64 (talk) 17:51, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

Hey, dat always works on me, Doc! ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 18:15, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

Well, what "rabbit-proof" items do you have in your home that could be used to hold the rabbit ? A milk crate might work, so you could set it up with some bait under it and a stick holding it up, tied to a string. Then wait and watch and pull the string when he goes under it. You'd then need to run out and put some weight on it before he can get a paw under the edge and lift the crate enough to escape. Putting a car floor mat under it would also prevent him from digging his way out. However, what do you plan to do with the rabbit ? If you plan to take it out to the woods and release it, for example, then you need some way to seal off the bottom better, during transport. StuRat (talk) 17:59, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

My cat catches rabbits. The last one he caught he brought into the house, unscathed if a little nervous, and released him in the junk room. When I eventually found said bunny, it was a piece of cake to pick him up by the scruff of his neck and put him in a shoe box. I held it closed while I walked to the woods at the end of the school yard and released him there. However, if you'd like to eat the rabbit, may I recommend a piece of wire bent into a noose and placed at bunny head height along the rabbit run?--TammyMoet (talk) 19:06, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

Say I wanted to keep the rabbit as a pet, or eat it. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.248.227.64 (talk) 19:22, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

Or both Lemon martini (talk) 19:37, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

Well, if you want to keep it, you'll need a cage. Unless you already have one at home, you'd better buy one first, so your not stuck watching a rabbit under a milk crate. You could also use some types of cages as traps, like ones that have doors which slide up and down. StuRat (talk) 20:27, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

just as an aside: wild rabbits are not quite as lovable as the over-bred, super-tame decorative rabbits you get in pet stores. they are wild rodents, and can be a bit bad-tempered. --Ludwigs2 20:59, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

That's not to say that the domestic rabbit is always peaceful; I had a Black Satin buck from shortly after his weaning until his death, and he was rather unpersonable — try to coax him out of the cage (without hurting him) and he'd scratch painfully, and the only time he ever got out by himself, he returned happily as soon as he'd eaten a bit of grass less than one rabbit length away from the door of the cage. Nyttend (talk) 01:24, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

A student of Latin was flattered when his companions invited him to join their rabbit hunt. As the party lay in hiding a rabbit appeared and the student shouted Illic a lepus!. His companions chided him for frightening the rabbit away but the student protested "How could I have known the rabbit understood Latin?". Cuddlyable3 (talk) 21:32, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

Either that student was blonde or named Ole. Or both. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 22:54, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

Rabbits arent rodents their lagomorphs :). But doesn't waiting to pull a string when a rabbit enters a trap count as waiting? I think I'd be there for a while before a rabbit came to sniff the bait. 68.248.227.64 (talk) 00:28, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

Soft drink can rabbit trap --203.22.236.14 (talk) 01:07, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

That link relates the story of a redneck kid who kills tame rabbits at his college and ends up with 28 bloody pelts in his dorm room. This behavior resulted in a visit from the cops, which was somehow a surprise to him, but certainly not to me. StuRat (talk) 04:14, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

Assuming you don't want a live rabbit - Snare trap says that a snare is by far the simplest - and the most effective. All you need is a length of thin, flexible wire. SteveBaker (talk) 02:24, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

Dust bunnys can of course be easier to catch. Bus stop (talk) 03:39, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

I don't know if I should tell you this as its probably a horrible way for a rabbit to die, but you could make a snare from a piece of wire, such as picture wire. The rabbit is held in terror with the snare cutting into it until you find it and kill it. Snares are also bad because they can catch other animals, perhaps foxes or cats, and if caught by a limb then they may lose the limb. 84.13.169.129 (talk) 11:01, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

This is somewhat touched on by SB already but also since the OP seems to have rather diverse plans on what to do with the rabbit this may not be a good idea. Ignoring the cruelty which you mentioned and possible illegality (which you didn't but the article discusses), this also may not be a good idea if the OP wants the rabbit for a pet. Nil Einne (talk) 18:27, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

It would be cruel to keep a wild rabbit in captivity, unless you have a very large enclosure. If you must, best to buy a domesticated rabbit that has been in captivity from birth. And, given the size of rabbits and their natural prediliction to run about, keeping them in the average rabbit hutch seems cruel too. 78.149.114.89 (talk) 19:28, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

questions and answers

why can't a browser give a direct, plain, English answer to a plain English question? Are we waiting for an artificial inteligence to emerge? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 89.240.89.112 (talk) 18:14, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

Given the trouble that many of us humans at ref desk have interpreting questions from users, it shouldn't surprise you that a machine would have even more trouble figuring it out. Sometimes you can go into google and type a simple question and it might take you to the right place(s), or at least get you in the ballpark so that you can do narrower searches. Do you have an example of a question you're wanting to ask the browser? Or is this just a general observation? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 18:17, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

Agreed, the problem is that most people aren't at all clear when they ask a question. Consider your Q, which is better than most, but still not perfect. You didn't capitalize the first letter, which may confuse an AI looking for the start of the sentence. You used the wrong term, "browser", instead of "search engine". You also spelled "intelligence" wrong. Now a human has no problem figuring out what you meant, in this case, but an AI might. Ask Jeeves, now Ask.com, did try that approach, but they had limited success. StuRat (talk) 18:28, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

See http://www.google.com/help/features.html. -- Wavelength (talk) 18:37, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

Wolfram Alpha thinks it can... --Belchman (talk) 18:40, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

Maybe we should turn over some of the crazier questions here to that program and see what it can come up with. Even keeping it simple, I wonder what it would do with Bill Cosby's question, "Why Is There Air?" ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 18:46, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

Wolfram Alpha was prepared for that one, including Cosby reference! see here ---Sluzzelin talk 20:38, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

Yes and no. The original context was Cosby's girlfriend, a philosophy major, asking the question. It wasn't really about the scientific origin of molecules. It was about the great "whys" of the universe, or whatever. It was also Cobsy being silly. The next question to ask would be, "How much wood would a woodchuck chuck..." and see if they have a canned answer or if they "think about it". ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 22:14, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

I asked it, "Who will win the pennant in 2010?" and stumped it.[2] Back to the ol' drawing board! ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 22:18, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

It couldn't handle the bunny question above either. --203.22.236.14 (talk) 01:30, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

Maybe I am using it incorrectly, but it was unable to supply the answer to "Which football team won Superbowl XVIII?" It was however able to provide an answer to the woodchuck question. Googlemeister (talk) 16:29, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

Now that was entertaining...Certain search engines have predictive capabilities-if a question has already been answered,it assumes you will want to go to it again and so will make suggestions. I typed in 'Why is there air?'-on having reached 'Why is there a' it gave me a helpful list of possible alternatives.Top was 'Why is there a dead Pakistani on my couch'. Go on try it :) And no,I haven't a clue... Lemon martini (talk) 19:42, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

Artificial intelligence research used to be more oriented towards recreating human levels of intelligence (which is necessary to be able to answer questions in general). Around the time of the first AI winter, it became clear that, for the foreseeable future, no real progress can be made towards that. Currently research in those areas is focused on more limited tasks. Paul (Stansifer) 21:11, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

The BBC published a story on this on the day before this question: Why machines do not understand human speech. They don't spend much time asnwering their own question before opting instead to big up some Palo Alto Research Centre work. Still. It's almost apropos. --Tagishsimon (talk) 23:50, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

Until machines become smart enough to "read between the lines", as humans do, they will remain stupid machines. Decades ago, a teacher told us that humans were smart, slow and inaccurate; whereas computers were fast, accurate, and stupid. It remains ever thus. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 01:42, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

See http://www.answers.com/. -- Wavelength (talk) 04:30, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

Why do horses get more jittery and unruly after eating oat bran than after wheat bran?

A woman who owns a stable and has been taking care of 15 horses for about two years (And thus, to me, seems fairly experienced), she told me that the horses do get noticeably more jittery and unruly after eating oat bran than after eating wheat bran.

1. Have you seen this claim, or something similar, stated as a fact in any authoritative book about horses?
2. Have you yourself experienced something like this, or something similar, about (your) horse(s)?
   If so, then how, by what words, would you describe the effect of oat bran on a horse?

I intend to search, in scientific research reports, to find out the reason why behind this phenomenon. Therefore I need as many keywords, facts and observations as possible.
Could you please help me?
--Seren-dipper (talk) 20:01, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

wikt:feel one's oats probably isn't scientifically helpful, but shows that it's a widely observed phenomenon. 66.127.52.47 (talk) 04:48, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

That expression was new to me, and therefore VERY helpful! Thank you!  :-)
--Seren-dipper (talk) 03:39, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

[3] uses highstrung, [4] uses hot (also [5] I think) while [6] uses heated, [7] + use fizzy; and [http://www.wowhorses.com/horse-feed-behaviour.html uses hyperactive behaviour. [8] has relevant discussion and [9] + [10] relevant research. Perhaps also [11] although only very minor. Also while not directly relevant to the question [12], [13] and [14] may be of interest. Also you may want to look into the research of Dr. Paul McGreevy. I have no particular interest in or experience with horses and found these all from the description you provided (well some from 'oats wheat horse' or 'oats wheat horse behaviour' but mostly 'oats horse behaviour' since it appears to be oats in particular that are singled out as the issue) so you probably already have enough to start your research Nil Einne (talk) 06:51, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

Yes! :-) I now have plenty! Thank you very much!
--Seren-dipper (talk) 03:39, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

One war in the whole 20th century?

I once heard about someone who claimed that instead of stuff like WWII, spanish civil war, korean war etc there was just one war 1914-89. DOes anyone know where I can read more about this? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.251.158.90 (talk) 20:46, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

The claim may relate to teaching of Jehovah's Witnesses that the current world era, or "system of things", entered the "last days" in 1914. Jehovah's Witnesses' doctrines on the End Times, are explained in detail in their literature. For example, they teach that the Greek word parousia, often translated as 'coming', means 'presence'. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 21:17, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

Or more in the mainstream, this[15] or this[16] "The War of the World; 1914-1989" by Niall Fergusson, Allen Lane, 2006. Alansplodge (talk) 22:15, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

Ah yes this book is what I was looking for, not that Jehovah's Witnesses thing. Thanks to both of you anyway--92.251.158.90 (talk) 22:47, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

See also the short twentieth century. — Kpalion^(talk) 08:05, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

Is the airline industry considered part of public transportation?

Is the airline industry considered part of public transportation? We pay fares to ride an airplane and airports are like transit malls. WJetChao (talk) 23:50, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

Well, there is a small section on the subject within the public transportation article. The wording of it is a little odd, but it seems to suggest that what we consider "public transportation" is schedule-driven; that is, the bus stops, picks up whoever's there, and leaves. It doesn't wait long. You could think of several differences. One is that public transportation as we think of it is unreserved, "first-come, first served". Airline bookings are reserved in advance, whereas bus and commuter train are "show up and board". If that makes sense. So in that sense, AMTRAK would not be "public transportation" either. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 23:58, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

FFS. The whole industry isn't, but scheduled passenger services are clearly well within the definition of Public transport. See p1 & p2 in that article. --Tagishsimon (talk) 00:05, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

Not all busses are show-up-and-board; Greyhound encourages buying well in advance, and you pay far more for a ticket if you buy for that day instead of buying a week or two ahead of time. Nyttend (talk) 01:25, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

Yes. Greyhound would not fit the standard definition. City busses would. Assuming there really is a standard definition. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 01:38, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

Our Public transport article provides a reasonable definition: "a shared passenger transportation service which are available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as Taxicab, car pooling which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement." In what way would Greyhound not fit that bill? And then the article provides sections on Airlines, and Buses and coaches. There's no assertion that public transport = turn up & go, contrary to the repeated direction of your assertions. --Tagishsimon (talk) 02:02, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

I'm going by what the lead has to say about it, whose examples all seem to be the "turn up and go" variety. Yet later on it talks about airlines and such. So don't blame me for the article being unclear and self-contradictory. I am at this point uncertain as to just what the term "public transportation" is supposed to mean. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 04:46, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

Uh are we reading the same article? (Quick check in the history suggests it hasn't changed much.) From the lead (second and third paragraph):

Public transport modes include buses, Ferrys, trams and trains and 'rapid transit' (metro/subways/undergrounds etc). Intercity public transport is dominated by airlines, coaches, and intercity rail. high-speed rail networks are being developed in a many parts of the world.

Most public transport runs to a scheduled timetable with the most frequent services running to a headway. Share taxi offers on-demand services in many parts of the world and some services will wait until the vehicle is full before it starts. Paratransit is sometimes used in areas of low-demand and for people who need a door-to-door service.[1]

How exactly does this imply that it all are the turn up and go variety? Most of the examples for intercity transport are clearly not the turn up and go variety. Even in the first sentence of that paragraph, buses, ferries and trains are not always the 'turn up and go' variety. Note also key words like 'include', 'most' etc.

The article is no FA but the lead seems decent enough other then some minor issues (like the capitalisation of ferrys and the non capitalisation of high speed which I've fixed). It first gives a resonable definition of what public transportation is that Tagihsimon has already mentioned. It then goes into more details, including giving examples.

Nil Einne (talk) 06:13, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

Common carrier is a more precisely defined term which the OP may be interested in. FiggyBee (talk) 01:37, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

April 11

Is this a boil, a wart, a bite, something else?

I know there's a restriction against medical advice, but hopefully asking what this inflammation could be doesn't really count. If anyone could clarify it for me, it'd be great. http://imgur.com/B8683.png 202.10.95.178 (talk) 03:02, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

<Removed questionable diagnosis Nil Einne (talk)> See your doctor —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.248.227.64 (talk) 03:08, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

It could be anything. None of us here are dermatologists. See as noted above, go see a doctor. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 04:48, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

Removed questionable diagnosis from 68 Nil Einne (talk) 08:09, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

Most effective bike lock

What is the strongest type of bike lock? With these sorts of things they get better if you pay more but is there a design which is the strongest? Thanks. Chevymontecarlo. 10:09, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

Good article here going through pros and cons of the different lock types.Dalliance (talk) 10:34, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

http://www.whycycle.co.uk/safety_and_security/bicycle_locks/

Great! Thanks! :) Chevymontecarlo. 10:44, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

One problem is that the wheels of a bike come off easily. So, you don't want to just chain the wheels. If possible, chain the frame to a heavy object. (You may also want to chain the wheels to that object, to prevent people from stealing them.) StuRat (talk) 13:48, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

You might recall Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) in All the President's Men, in which he had a bicycle tire next to his desk. This supposedly reflected Bernstein's real-life habit of detaching his front tire as a deterrent against theft. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 14:05, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

That wouldn't prevent someone from tossing the rest of the bike into a truck and adding a wheel later. I'd also think that unscrewing the wheel several times a day would result in stripping the threads, eventually. StuRat (talk) 14:12, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

Quick release --Phil Holmes (talk) 16:59, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

So you think one really long lock or multiple locks would be more effective? Chevymontecarlo. 16:08, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

All the things I've ever seen have recommended a shackle/D-style lock as the most secure. Cable and chain locks can be removed "easily" with a bolt cutter applied to the cable/chain, whereas someone needs a metal saw and a bit of time to cut through a shackle lock. (The bike shop salesman where I purchased my bike referred to cable locks as "suburban locks" - that is, enough to keep a bored kid from riding off on it, but not enough to stop a determined thief.) The normal recommendation is to attach the bike to the rack through the frame and the back wheel (because the rear cogset and derailleur are valuable). Higher end shackle locks sometimes come with an additional cable, which is long enough to loop through the front wheel as well. I've also seen people detach the front wheel and pair it alongside the rear before locking with the shackle. Other things to possibly worry about are the handlebars and the seat, which often can be easily removed, along with bags, lights, expensive pedals, etc. - But practically, your best bet for security lies in social factors, not massive numbers of impenetrable locks. Parking your bike in a visible, well lit location, with a number of people around works better than spending $50 for an 'extra lock. (The first lock is a social factor too. Other people know that a person going at a lock with a bolt cutter or hacksaw is a thief, whereas a person just walking up and riding off could just be the owner.) Having a bike not worth stealing/you can afford to replace works well too. If you have a $2000+ race bike, you may want to rent a bike locker or bring the entire bike inside with you (if permitted). The benefit of an inexpensive bike is that you don't end up looking like Mr. Bean, taking parts of you vehicle with you, lest it get stolen. -- 174.24.193.122 (talk) 18:15, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

The advice I've heard is that the two major sorts are chain+lock and U-lock. Use whichever is least common on expensive bikes in your area. Theives can easily break a chain+lock with heavy bolt cutters; they can easily break a U-lock with an car jack. It is unlikely that any one criminal will carry both.

The other advice I've heard is use a cheap lock and ride an old bike. --Polysylabic Pseudonym (talk) 02:25, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

What happens if the reason you see the lock on expensive bikes in your area is because all the expensive bikes using the other kind of lock have already disappeared? Nil Einne (talk) 18:35, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

OP: Your first sentence asks a significantly different question than the section title, i.e. strongest vs. most effective. There's good discussion on strongest above; for the other, the most effective lock needs only to be better than the one on the bike next to yours. DaHorsesMouth (talk) 23:45, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

Oh, and per DaHorsesMouth above, one of the best things you can do with bike car our house security is ensure yours is better secured, less attractive or less valuable than the one it's (parked) next to. --Polysylabic Pseudonym (talk) 02:29, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

"I don't have to outrun the bear. I just have to outrun you." --jpgordon^{::==( o )} 03:56, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

Property

Are any of the following houses real? By that I mean bit just sets on television shows, can you tell me who they are owned by and whether or not it would be possible to but them, Nile's house from Fasier, or Frasiers apartment, alternativley the beech house in Two and a half men. Thank you —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.3.145.145 (talk) 13:22, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

The way it normally works is that they use a real house for external establishing shots, while the interior is all shot on a set (some scenes "right outside the door" are also done on set). Thus, the real interior may not match the set. There have been movies shot inside real buildings, but they often need to rip out walls and such to make room for the cameras. In the movie Taxi Driver, they tore up a building for an interior shoot and it almost collapsed on them, due to loss of structural supports. StuRat (talk) 13:41, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

Typically, for TV at least, you can tell that the interior shots are done on a stage, especially when filmed in front of a live audience. The stage sets are often much "roomier" than the real places. One example is Cheers. On the night of its last first-run episode, the show's players were in the real Cheers bar's interior, and it seemed very cramped. In short, it seemed like a real bar. With movies, there is more flexibility. In Field of Dreams, the interior of the house was used, although it took some remodeling to make it work. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 14:03, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

Also, when using a set you only see 3 walls, since one wall is absent for the cameras. They could have a duplicate set with the missing wall or they could alter the existing set, if necessary, but time and money constraints rarely allow for this. StuRat (talk) 14:17, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

For films that actually contain a stage and an audience, they often film it twice: once from the audience viewpoint, and again from the stage viewpoint with the audience in the background. They are of course edited together to make it appear it's all happening at the same time. Another example of indoor and outdoor sets would be Stanley Kubrick's version of The Shining. The exteriors were done at Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood in Oregon. That was the first fakery, as it was supposedly set in Colorado. Second, they had interiors of some huge establishment. Timberline Lodge is actually small and cozy inside. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 15:19, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

I believe the snow scenes in The Shining were done in a studio near London. Perhaps the interiors were as well, although they look very convincing. 78.147.232.11 (talk) 12:35, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

See this thread [17] for Frasier Crane's apartment. The view from the window implies a location on Queen Anne Hill that is apparently parkland (i.e., the place where the picture was taken to create the set's background), the theoretical address is on the other side of downtown. In other words, it is not a real place. Acroterion _(talk) 19:50, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

White after Labour day

Oft times in american shows one hears the frase uttered that one should not wear white after labour day, why not? Please explain. Thank you —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.3.145.145 (talk) 13:24, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

Fashion. StuRat (talk) 13:36, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

Or more helpfully meltBanana 16:17, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

In the film Serial Mom, Kathleen Turner's character kills Patricia Hearst's character for wearing white shoes after Labor Day. Woogee (talk) 21:45, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

That may be the best answer: you don't wear white shoes after Labor Day (note post-Webster spelling) because Serial Mom might kill you. —Tamfang (talk) 00:23, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

What I have always wondered is, when are you supposed to start wearing white again? New Year's? Spring? Adam Bishop (talk) 02:06, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

Memorial Day. --jpgordon^{::==( o )} 02:53, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

Memorial day or After only. Never after Labor day. According to Richard Blackwell. 66.162.230.244 (talk) 23:19, 9 May 2022 (UTC)

Japanese knife/cleaver

Anyone know what this knife is? --jpgordon^{::==( o )} 18:57, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

We have an article Japanese knives. Bus stop (talk) 19:06, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

Did I miss the picture of this one? I wouldn't have asked if I'd been able to find it easily. --jpgordon^{::==( o )} 19:14, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

No, sorry. I was just pointing it out in case anyone else wanted to be made aware of it. "Mac" Japanese knives are great. I have this "Original Series" with rounded tip and hole for hanging. Very good for preparing vegetables. Bus stop (talk) 19:17, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

I couldn't find angled knives or cleavers with similarly shaped blades on any of the Japanese kitchen knife sites I scanned. Could it be a gardening hatchet? If you do a google image search for "Japanese hatchet" you get some similar tools (some of them on survival-kit sites). ---Sluzzelin talk 05:23, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

Ah ha! Indeed, it seems to be one of these; the scabbard in this picture looks exactly like mine. The thing is wonderfully balanced; I think I may very well chop a branch or two with it. --jpgordon^{::==( o )} 05:42, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

I think I have seen Japanese fishmongers at fishmarkets use it to chop off the heads of larger fish.--Saddhiyama (talk) 08:42, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

The name of the knife is 鉈/なた/nata in Japanese. Oda Mari (talk) 09:06, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

Isn't that just generic for "hatchet"? --jpgordon^{::==( o )} 00:45, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Hotel electronic key cards.

Is it true that these cards have embedded into their magnetic strip enough information about the client such as his/her name, address, room number, arrival and departure dates, bank account details etc., so as to allow an unscrupulous staff member to scan those details and use them for identity theft or fraudulent purposes? And if so, it would therefore be unwise to deposit the keycard at Reception upon departure? Thanks. 92.30.55.2 (talk) 19:35, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

No, they don't. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 19:41, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

"Yarmouth Roads" on board ship?

I sail occasionally on a square-rigged sailing ship. On my last trip, I did some painting work for the first time. The locker in the fo'c'sle that held the paint brushes and sundry related items was known as "Yarmouth Roads"; this was written above the door. I was told that this was the traditional name for such a locker on board ships.

I'm curious, and trying to find some reference or information about this, but a few minutes' googling hasn't turned up much. Most results are for the geographical location (which as it happens I live near, and can see no obvious link to a locker for paintbrushes), although I did find the term used to describe a large bunk in the stern of a fishing smack which provides a kind of precedent. Can anyone find anything more? 93.97.184.230 (talk) 21:53, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

This provides an explanation, albeit based on supposition: Yarmouth Roads is a mooring ground, and one will find the odds and ends of shipping moored there, especially during downturns in trade. The locker is named after the geographical feature because all odds and ends in the ship end up in it. --Tagishsimon (talk) 23:15, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

Excellent - thankyou. 93.97.184.230 (talk) 11:22, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

Prying an iPod out of its case

Resolved

I bought a 1G iPod touch from someone, but it's been crammed into a 2G case. The ill fit has been getting on my nerves, and I'm determined to get it out. However, "a little elbow grease" just can't seem to cut it this time. How can I get this case off? The bottom can be taken off, but the top shows no signs of moving. I'm not averse to breaking the case, but I don't want to damage the iPod.--The Ninth Bright Shiner 23:12, 11 April 2010 (UTC)

Try a hair dryer -- it won't hurt anything, but acrylic has a high expansion coefficient. Might be the equivalent of running a jar under hot water to loosen the top. --jpgordon^{::==( o )} 02:52, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

Doesnt pointing a hair dryer to something damage its electronics due to the ionisation of the air? That's what I thought. --Ouro (blah blah) 06:45, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

Due to ionization ? No. The heat could be a problem, though, if the electronics get too hot, especially if the device is on at the time. I'd also remove the batteries, first, so they don't expand and leak. StuRat (talk) 14:07, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

Though, given the original question, is unlikely for two reasons, only one of which is unique to the OP's situation. --jpgordon^{::==( o )} 14:31, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

Well, the hair dryer didn't work. I tried to expand on the idea by leaving the iPod (facedown) in my car, where it could soak up a large amount of heat; but then, it was too hot to handle. I tried injecting milliliters of water into the space between, to act as a lubricant, to no avail. I was trying some hare-brained scheme with knives when my mom took it from me. She then proceeded to hammer the sides of the case with the knife...and it worked. I have no idea how she always does it. Regardless, thank you for your advice!--The Ninth Bright Shiner 00:59, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

I'm amazed you didn't destroy it. StuRat (talk) 04:07, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

April 12

ayers rock

There used to be a book at the top of ayers rock how do I find it and is it possiable to veiw it???

Yes, there was such a book. Apparently it's no longer there, mainly because climbing Uluru is considered culturally insensitive and is officially discouraged, and so having any sort of incentive to climb would run counter to that.

As for the whereabouts of the book, assuming it still exists, maybe you could contact someone at the Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park. -- 202.142.129.66 (talk) 02:39, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

There was such a book, and I've got a picture to prove it. (Well it's a picture of the page with my name in it, just after I signed it in 1987.) Mitch Ames (talk) 09:32, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

Country of van

Resolved

Hi, I'm trying to add a description to This photo. I know it's a Ford Transit ambulance, but I think the writing on the side is in Italian. Can anyone help? What country is this van from? Chevymontecarlo. 06:12, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

The writing on the side says "spitalul clinic de copii". That is Romanian for "Children's Hospital." (AFAIK). ^Avicenna_sis @ 06:14, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

Thanks a lot. I'll put Romania :) Chevymontecarlo. 06:16, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

Note that Romanian is also spoken in Moldova. — Kpalion^(talk) 08:25, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

If you want to be even more specific, the city seems to be Oradea, as the particular hospital is identified as the Spitalul Clinic de Copii "Dr. G. Curteanu". Deor (talk) 12:19, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

OK, I have added the city to the description. Thanks. Chevymontecarlo. 15:38, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

Thoes Small Icons What Are In Line With The Title

like on protected, spoken and featured pages

when mediawiki:sitenotice is being used, they stay in line with the title

on my wiki, they dont stay in line (see here)

iv coppied

• Common.js
• Monobook.js
• Common.css
• Monobook.css

to my wiki but it just wont do it, i dont want to use "demospace" because i want to use my own custom icons

how do i get it to work?

-Sghfdhdfghdfgfd (talk) 10:25, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

You might try this question on the computing reference desk. Deor (talk) 01:33, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Fun / Weird / Use and unuseful information

on 4chan they are known as info thereads, saved a lot of them, very interesting, can they be used at all?

-Sghfdhdfghdfgfd (talk) 10:30, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

"Used" as in "Used to make wikipedia articles"? Not likely. We have high standards for notability and (especially) we require that any fact that is likely to be disputed must be backed up with solid references in mainstream media (books, reputable newspapers, scientific journals, etc). The threads you refer to are highly unlikely to be any of those things. So, it's almost certain that this information is pretty much useless to Wikipedia. SteveBaker (talk) 13:57, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

Nuclear waste

Is it possible and/or feasible to send our nuclear waste into the sun? One could just launch a rocket loaded with the stuff with preset coordinates and launch, no worries. If this is possible why is it not done?

think it would be because of cost and time. how much would it take to bulid something for 1 use, the fuel to power it to the sun and how long it would take the rocket to get to the sun. it takes about 8mins for light so it would take a long time for a rocket -Sghfdhdfghdfgfd (talk) 12:35, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

How long it would take to get to the sun is irrelevant. It's not like we have to wait for the first one to hit before we launch the second. :) FiggyBee (talk) 12:45, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

See Radioactive waste#Space disposal Nanonic (talk) 12:36, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

(ec) Because;

A) The world's nuclear programs produce thousands of tons of high level waste a year. Just putting that much material into orbit with current technology (ie, no space elevators) would cost trillions of dollars. Pushing it out of orbit and towards the sun would cost vastly more.

B) The world's best expendable launch systems currently have a failure rate of about 5%. The consequences of 10 tons of high level radioactive waste exploding in the upper atmosphere are unknown, but it wouldn't be pretty...

FiggyBee (talk) 12:43, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

But those practical concerns aside, once (if) we have a reliable cheap method of getting stuff to orbit (such as a space elevator), launching nuclear waste into the sun becomes a reasonable option. — Lomn 12:57, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

...which is a fairly tautological statement. "Once it becomes practical, then it can become reasonable." But it's nowhere near practical, so it's not reasonable. --Mr.98 (talk) 13:02, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

Fair point, so I'll clarify the intent. Once orbital launches are safe and cheap, "shooting something into the sun" is an effective means of disposal. The problem isn't that nuclear waste falling into the sun is in some way unsafe. Contrast with "launching nuclear waste to Mars". — Lomn 13:07, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

Agreed. --Mr.98 (talk) 13:50, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

Disagreed. An orbital launch requires a speed of 18,000 mph (8 km/s). Escaping the Earth requires a speed of 25,000 mph (11 km/s). (If you haul something to a higher enough altitude first, as in a space elevator, of course the speed requirement is lowered but not the energy requirement.) But to launch into the Sun not only requires escaping the Earth but also requires canceling its orbital velocity, which is 66,600 mph (30 km/s) -- a much bigger deal. Some sort of gravitational slingshot trajectory might be able to reduce the energy requirements but would require active control for course corrections. In any case, today's waste may be tomorrow's fuel, which argues against such irrevocable disposal. --Anonymous, 19:11 UTC, April 12, 2010.

[18] says that the cost to launch 10,000kg into low earth orbit is well over $100,000,000. That's only to low earth orbit - to get out to geostationary orbit is about twice that - and prices for an orbit to get you to the sun could only be higher than that. So let's go with $100,000 per kilo of waste...versus digging a hole in Yucca mountain and dumping it there. But much worse than that is that both commercial and NASA launches have a failure rate of around 2% to 5%. So when your rocket (containing 10 tons of radioactive waste and a few hundred tons of highly explosive rocket fuel) fails...what are the consequences? Recall the shuttle disaster when the thing exploded on the way up to orbit...that was a pretty big bang. My guess is that the consequences would be about 1,000 times worse than a 10kg "dirty bomb"...which is to say "utterly devastating". Since we'd need to make well over a hundred launches a year to do what you suggest with current rocket technology, we'd have between two and five major nuclear accidents every year! It would be vastly cheaper about as harmful to simply dump the raw waste in a big pile out in the middle of New Mexico someplace! This is SO impractical that it's hardly worth discussing. SteveBaker (talk) 13:53, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

Before you go sending nuclear stuff toward the sun, watch Superman IV. :) ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 19:11, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

How about disposal on the ocean floor ?

If we were to dump nuclear waste in the Mariana Trench, in containers designed to dissolve quickly, would it be sufficiently diluted by the ocean to become "safe". I realize that this would be a political and PR nightmare, in any case, but I'm just asking about the scientific merit. StuRat (talk) 14:02, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

Have you considered breeder reactors?124.171.232.30 (talk) 15:31, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

Well, if your material was denser the water, I don't see how it would circulate to any great extant. Googlemeister (talk) 16:06, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

You mean like NaCl does not circulate to any great extend? Of course the idea has a certain movie potential "Atomollusc - Death from the Deep Deep!" ;-) --Stephan Schulz (talk) 16:33, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

Japan had a plan to do exactly that, except they were going to use long-lasting containers. See Challenger_Deep#Possible_nuclear_waste_disposal_site. --Sean 17:48, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

I believe the Godzilla movies used nuclear weapons testing as the source of Godzilla, so they could have even more plot fun with this. StuRat (talk) 17:54, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

So, would the radioactive elements be at detectable levels if diluted in all the world's oceans ? Would they be dangerous ? StuRat (talk) 17:54, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

You can put it in the ocean, but it is not without its risks. On the whole the idea is that dilution and isolation would be sufficient to keep it from appreciably affecting humans, which is probably true if you only consider water transport, but there are concerns that localized contamination could work its way up the food chain. There was already a lot of dumping of low-level nuclear waste in the 1940s through the 1970s, but it has basically stopped (apparently) in the 1980s, and is banned by of the Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter, of which the US is a party. The major argument against it is that if something did go wrong with the waste (if it turned out it was making its way up the food chain, etc.), you can't get it out again. This lack of ability for retrieval is one of the main arguments against it as a long-term strategy. --Mr.98 (talk) 23:15, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

Sailing down the Mississippi

Ok, I and my missus are retired and we have loads of time on our hands and are not terribly short of funds, though we are not terribly rich either. We have travelled extensively across many continents and cultures, by land, sea and air. And we are looking for something different for our anniversary next year, after my wife has undergone some surgery to both feet (she is a chronic arthritic and can't walk far). We have done conventional cruising and don't particularly like it (lots of stuck-up would-be-celebrity-types). And I have just finished reading James Michener's Centennial for the umpteenth time, and I have this obsessive notion to sail up or down the Mississippi. But all I can find on the Web are local 3 hour dinner cruises or one day lecture cruises out of St. Louis or similar. Is there any way I could arrange a whole river trip? Any advice welcome. Thanks. ps. We are in the UK.92.30.49.161 (talk) 12:46, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

I'm not advertising anything, and this isn't completely on the Mississippi, but here is a 14-day river/canal cruise from Chicago to New Orleans. The current economic situation seems to have hit this sort of travel hard; at least two companies have suspended operations on the Mississippi. There really doesn't appear to be much available at this time. Deor (talk) 13:37, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

Note that the coasts of the Mississippi are heavily industrialized, so you may see lots of barges and factories. I'm sure there are pleasant areas, too, but it's not all pretty. StuRat (talk) 13:53, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

It's not that bad; most of the industrialization is in the neighborhood of major cities. Deor (talk) 14:16, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

Then there are the old, abandoned, rusting truss bridges, which are downright hideous. StuRat (talk) 14:59, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

Depending on how much work you want to do, I believe that you can rent houseboats and cruise the Mississippi yourself. Buddy431 (talk) 14:21, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

Here's one such place that claims not to have any range limits. There are probably others. Buddy431 (talk) 14:22, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

Navigating the Mississippi—what with the commercial traffic (all a lot bigger than you are), negotiating locks, and such—does require a certain amount of knowledge and experience, and a person on a vacation of limited length may not want to be spending much of the time engaged in piloting a boat. Plus, the place you linked may not have a range limit, but it does appear to have a maximum time limit of seven days for returning the boat to the starting point, which would restrict you to, oh, less than a hundred miles upriver and downriver from its base in La Crosse, Wisconsin. I can't imagine that there are any companies that would allow you to rent a boat for an extended one-way trip, but I could be wrong. Deor (talk) 14:54, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

I interpret the Q as asking about cruises, not boat rentals. StuRat (talk) 14:58, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

If, given the lack of cruise options and loads of time on their hands, the posters wanted a real adventure, they might consider purchasing a powerboat in Minnesota and using it to travel down the river to New Orleans, where they could resell the boat. (Given the depressed economy in New Orleans, though, they might have better luck reselling the boat up the coast in Mobile, Alabama.) However, navigation of the Mississippi is known to be challenging. There are currents, shifting shoals, and considerable commercial traffic, as well as locks. I probably wouldn't consider it without some past piloting experience on a large river. Marco polo (talk) 18:25, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

Bible

Is there any christian religion that follows the rules set out by god in the old testament, where it states that one should not cut the hairs on the side of the head. Please note, christian, not jewis, and if not why not?

I wouldn't be surprised to find that there's some small sect somewhere trying to (pardon the pun) religiously adhere to Old Testament law, but no major flavors of Christianity do. As for why, the New Testament repeatedly de-emphasizes slavish adherence to the list of laws. I expect there are graduate-level seminary courses in this question, so I prefer not to add my own personal rationales here. You might consider going to a local church or two and asking the pastor, though -- I'd bet it's not too hard to find a few who'd have the conversation. I will note, though, that I often wonder: "do I skip the rule for <x> because it's not necessary or because it's not convenient?" It's an interesting issue. — Lomn 13:04, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

The United Pentecostal Church International does, but based on passages in Corinthians, not because of the Old Testament (the laws of which no longer needs to be followed because they were fulfilled by Christ). Rastafarians, if you count them as Christians, follow the Old Testament rules about cutting hair. Adam Bishop (talk) 13:11, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

Probably some of the Jews for Jesus crowd would satisfy those conditions. APL (talk) 17:55, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

I suppose the OP cites Leviticus 19:27 Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard. Ye hath Moses' word that the Lord spake that unto him. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 22:35, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

Regarding the "why not" part of the question: See Acts 10 for a vision of Peter's, which is used to justify both eating formerly unclean foods and the admission into the church of formerly unclean people (i.e., non-Jews). The presence of non-Jews in the community at all was a big deal, law-wise. Also, some of the Pauline epistles cover the superiority of faith to by-the-letter law, and his discussion of circumcision might be relevant, too. (See Romans 4, for example.) Paul (Stansifer) 03:30, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

GM Crops

Is the following assumption right or wrong, please feel free to pick holes in my theory. If rich companies creat GM seeds and sell them to farmers to grow GM crops, okay. The insects that feed on them will by evolution need to get stronger to feed on them. Then poor farmers that do not have the money to buy the GM seeds will have inferior crops with super insects. This will thus increase the starvation problem in the 3rd world. Thanks

Sure, it's a plausible scenario, but I should note that you can strip out "GM" from that whole paragraph and it'll still be just as valid. Wired ran an interesting piece in February on a new strain of wheat rust that's skipped past the developed "immunity" in the world's major wheat strains. The point here, though, is that those wheat strains were hybridized traditionally some 40 years ago -- no direct genetic modification occurred. — Lomn 13:39, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

(ec) Well, it's a bit like saying that modern housing practices have (or will) resulted in a bunch of super termites to eat them, which will then wipe out the old-fashioned kind of houses, increasing the rate of house-lessness in the third world. Matt Deres (talk) 13:42, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

It depends:

A) If the GM crops are insect resistant by producing some chemical which the other crops also produce, but in lower quantities, then you are right.

B) If the GM crops are insect resistant by producing some chemical which the other crops lack, then the insects would just develop a resistance to that chemical. Therefore, this would have no effect on their ability to eat other crops, only on GM crops. StuRat (talk) 13:47, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

Your basic contention, that if farmers adopt a monoculture they will open themselves up to major dependence on seed suppliers (because even GM monocultures will probably eventually run into problems), is probably correct and is a common argument against GM crops. That's not necessarily an argument against GM crops altogether, but it is an argument against monocultures, which are often associated with GM crops. --Mr.98 (talk) 13:54, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

An insect species cannot evolve new characteristics instantly. If and when the new "super insects" eventually appear they won't necessarily want to eat the pre-GM crops their ancestors ate. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 22:22, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

It's not so much an issue of "super insects", but rather of inadvertent artificial selection by killing the insect larvae that have no resistance, while the larvae with resistance likely will survive to reproduce. With corn (maize), for example, where you plant GM crops, you also plant a portion of conventional corn, to provide what's called a "refuge" for bugs that have little or no resistance to the insecticide toxin being produced by the GM plant. So if your crop gets infested, you'll still have a decent yield, but you'll also ensure some genetic diversity in the insect population. That's the theory, anyway. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 23:06, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

And it doesn't have to be something related to the original GM modification. Let's say you replace all your places with Super Corn that defeats the Nefarious Corn Eating Beetle. Great! Except then one day the Asian Corn Blight happens to migrate to your country and takes off like crazy. It turns out that it happens to afflict Super Corn especially hard, just coincidentally. Well, heck. Now all of your Super Corn is Blighted. If you had less of a monoculture, that might set you back but not be a disaster, because your other varieties of corn might be more (coincidentally) resistant to the Blight. But since you didn't, now you have a total destruction of your corn crop. These aren't just hypothetical examples—monocultures in general have led to this sort of thing in the past, and it's not something you can predict. It's an argument against any monoculture, not just GMOs, but the widespread domination of GMOs makes it all the more likely that you'll end up with monocultures, as the argument goes. --Mr.98 (talk) 14:45, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

What is this car?

Hi, I am trying to add a description to this picture. Can anyone help me identify the car in the picture? It looks like a Toyota or Mazda, but I'm not sure. Chevymontecarlo. 15:36, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

Well, it says Mazda on the hood, if that helps...! --Mr.98 (talk) 15:42, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

[after edit conflict] Looks like a series 4 Mazda RX7 to me, compare Google Image search. -- Ferkelparade π 15:44, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

2nd gen Mazda RX-7, Series 5. That's actually the pic from the article: Mazda_RX-7#Second_generation_.28FC.29. StuRat (talk) 15:45, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

OK I'll add that to the description. Thanks. Chevymontecarlo. 15:55, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

A Capella Group?

So, I have this song on my iPod of an A Capella group doing a "remix" of Deck the Halls. I'm almost positive it is a professional group, as it sounds studio edited, professionally done, and I swear I just remember knowing they were a professional group. I can't find them on the internet though, as all my searches on every plane bring up endless results of amateurs and covers. So, I'm hoping someone here could recognize, or maybe point me in the right direction. The song is unique, as it actually portrays a recording session where two British men are the studio workers, trying to get the group to do different sounds for the song. They go from the 40s to present, then go back to the "gregorian chant" version at the end, and the British guys get continually more annoying. Any help would be MASSIVELY appreciated, as I want to revisit my old music days and find more of their stuff! Side note: if you here a song that sounds like this, stress on the British guy's phrase "Shall we?" is emphasized more and more throughout the song; its a dead give away for the group I'm looking for. Thanks in advance! Hubydane (talk) 18:49, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

Sounds fantastic. I look forward to viewing it when someone tracks it down. Edison (talk) 01:48, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

I remember hearing that as well! But unfortunately, I now join you in frustration of not being able to find it. 10draftsdeep (talk) 13:25, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Ok, is there any chance this could be King's Singers? They did a version of Deck the Halls but the sound clip is too short to determine if it is the same one. [19] 10draftsdeep (talk) 15:09, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Deceptively close on the King's Singers, but the song (and group) I'm thinking about has pauses between decade sets, where the studio workers discuss random, hilarious things. Our search continues!Hubydane (talk) 16:09, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Are there any clues on your Ipod? How is the track titled...and how long is it? I'm grasping for any clues possible. The "shall we" is starting to haunt me! 10draftsdeep (talk) 16:30, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Just for Edison: The Swingle Singers recorded "Music History 101" which is "a trip through Music History to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" treated as a Gregorian Chant, a Medieval Round, a Madrigal, a Bach Chorale, a Schubert Lied and many other styles including jazz and rap."[20]. It's on Anyone For Mozart, Bach, Handel, Vivaldi?. ---Sluzzelin talk 22:36, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Clues from iPod: simply titled "Deck the Halls - A Capella" with album Unknown. My track is 6 minutes 55 seconds. I uploaded the file here to help the search. Hubydane (talk) 14:08, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

April 13

Hemp powder

how safe is hemp protein powder? any side effects? Will taking affect drug testing?

This sounds like medical advice, which we are not allowed to give. It's possible the hemp article will have some info on that, though. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 02:26, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Psud whinging about Bugs jumping to conclusions about medical advice

It's no more medical than "how safe is soap? Will washing myself with soap have any bad effects?". They're not asking for a diagnosis, prognosis or even about an illness or disease. --Polysylabic Pseudonym (talk) 03:44, 13 April 2010 (UTC) And further to that, see Kainaw's criterion: "Can the question be answered completely without providing a diagnosis, prognosis, or treatment advice?" Diagnosis: None requested. Prognosis: (likely outcome of an illness) Nope. No illness mentioned. Treatment: Nope. Bugs, I suggest you add the Kainaw's criterion link above to your favourites and refer to it before labelling a question as medical. sorry bugs, bee in my bonnet regarding people incorrectly marking questions as medical, legal etc. --Polysylabic Pseudonym (talk) 04:18, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

To the OP: According to this newspaper article it's very unlikely that you could consume enough hemp protein powder to trigger a positve drug test result. See the article for details. I can't find anything claiming that it is dangerous (in comparison to other protein supplements) --Polysylabic Pseudonym (talk) 04:18, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

This FAQ should be helpful (though of course it's from a manufacturer of hemp protein powder.) --jpgordon^{::==( o )} 04:19, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Help identify flower

Hi. What flower is this? Flower size is about 3cm, grows in a plant. רנדום (talk) 05:31, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Um, never seen a flower grow in an animal before. Don't they all grow in plants? Seriously though, your flowers look like Saintpaulia, aka "african violet". --Jayron32 05:35, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Thanks, I added a close up picture to the article. רנדום (talk) 05:43, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

What flower is this?

See the picture here. The bird is a Palestine Sunbird, but what flower is it? . רנדום (talk) 06:17, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Can't nail down the exact genus or species, but it looks like it may be some type of "primrose", which is a HUGE family of plants, see Primulaceae. The size and shape is something like Primula veris (aka cowslip) but the color is different. You'd have to browse through all of the various Primulaceae to find a good fit. It may also be a type of Anagallis, aka "pimpernel". Or something else entirely. --Jayron32 06:31, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Hmmm, it doesn't look like any of the above. Here are more pictures of the flower. Any idea? רנדום (talk) 07:16, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Can't name it myself but I suggest you sign up to Flikr and post it on the 'Unidentified Plant' group. I'll be surprised if it not identified within 24 hours. Richard Avery (talk) 13:53, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Which park is the Imperial War Museum London inside?

Yesterday I went to the Imperial War Museum London, and it's inside a park. What is the name of this park?--Editor510 ^{drop us a line, mate} 07:05, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

I think that would be Harmsworth Park, (properly The Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park) in the borough of Lambeth. Viscount Rothermere, proprietor of the Daily Mail, presented it to the then London County Council for use as a public park in memory of his mother, Geraldine Mary Harmsworth. It was opened in 1934 and in 1938 a children's lido was added. In the park is a section of the Berlin Wall and a Soviet War Memorial.Richard Avery (talk) 07:47, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Looking again I find there is all the info you need in the WP article Imperial War Museum, look at the section labelled 'Relocation'. (and sorry, it is Southwark not Lambeth) Richard Avery (talk) 13:44, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

How did Viscount Rothemere get it? Surely it must have been the grounds of the Bethlem Royal Hospital not long beforehand? Alansplodge (talk) 07:57, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Don't know, but Here and here is some more information about it. Ghmyrtle (talk) 11:01, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

PS: According to this site, "the main part of the institution [Bethlem] remained in Southwark until after the 1914–18 war, when the Governors decided to build new premises in rural surroundings. The removal to Monks Orchard at Addington in Surrey was sanctioned by Act of Parliament in 1926. The freehold of the old site was purchased by Viscount Rothermere in 1930 and vested in the London County Council for the formation of a public open space, to be known as the Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park in memory of his mother." Ghmyrtle (talk) 11:08, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

What a nice fellow. I take back everything I said about the Daily Mail. Thanks. Alansplodge (talk) 12:46, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Playing MMORPGs

I've got a new broadband connection, but my service provider allows only 1.5 GB of download/upload per month. I want to start playing online games, especially MMORPGs like World of Warcraft etc. Do these games require a lot of data exchange? Will it consume a lot of my download rations? How many hours of games like these will I be able to play on an average, without running the risk of exceeding 1.5 GB data usage? Thanks in advance... 117.194.230.102 (talk) 10:41, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

1.5GB a month seems like a painfully small allowance, but games generally don't use much bandwidth for normal play. Consider that when you're playing the game it's the equivalent of you browsing random wikipedia articles continually. Perhaps 12-30 KB/s, unless you're doing other things like in-game file transfers or something that will consume a lot more bandwidth. If this wasn't helpful, try asking at the Computer Reference Desk for better answers. 82.44.54.83 (talk) 10:44, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Using those speeds, I get some 18-35 hours. That's only half an hour to an hour a day; even less when you consider other data transfers. To appreciate just how low 1.5 GB of download/upload per month is, that works out to about a half hour of a standard definition DVD movie. StuRat (talk) 12:24, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

The IP resolves to India, if anyone was wondering why anyone would have such a harsh limit. I would agree that this is too low to game effectively. On the other hand, it would allow you to moderate your gaming! :) There's always a bright side. Also, it seems common (with the ISPs I have had) to tolerate use that is slightly in excess of the limit; say 150% or so. This is somewhat dependant on culture, I think, and so I can't urge you to try to use more than your allotted share. 88.90.16.251 (talk) 13:08, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Look for games designed for dialup users. Those will move less than 7 kilobytes of data per second, giving you at least 60 hours of playtime a month. --Carnildo (talk) 23:23, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Since I come from NZ where 5GB caps are about average IIRC and 1GB not unheard of, I thought there must be some actual experience and testing for this. Sure enough [21] [22] [23]. And eventually [24] where someone from Blizzard gives 6 Kb/s download, 3 Kb/s upload. This gives about 4 megabytes per hour which is many hours of playing time. However this is an average, if you spend a lot of time raiding, in cities with lots of people etc you may find yourself using more. Also a key point highlighted in some of the other forums posts, the patches are likely to add up to quite a lot. (If you do decide to play WOW make sure you disable the P2P option for patches, same of course with anything else that distributes patches in that way.) Of course other internet activities can add up to a lot too, I have a 15 GB peak cap which I (well household) always go over and then spend NZ$1 /GB for the extra so I have some experience. (And the RD is often ~500k IIRC.) On the other hand I also know from experience with some friends that if you don't actually use the internet that much particularly for bandwidth intensive things like viewing video, 1.5GB/month isn't actually that low (their cap is 5GB but AFAIK they don't even get close most of the time, not sure how much they spend but it may even be under 1GB). P.S. While there's such thing as a fair usage data plan here, most connections have hard data limits, if you go over your limit you're either limited to 64kbps or you pay more. I'm not sure but perhaps there's something similar in India. Nil Einne (talk) 23:47, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

If you don't think those limits are low, you must not download movies. StuRat (talk) 04:03, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

Experiment on copper (I) chloride

Exaplain why? (a)A layer of liquid should cover the salt in the funnel at all times. (b)The product has to be preserved in a tightly stoppered sample tube. (c)Is it necessary to wash the product with alcohol before drying

Please do your own homework.

Welcome to the Wikipedia Reference Desk. Your question appears to be a homework question. I apologize if this is a misinterpretation, but it is our aim here not to do people's homework for them, but to merely aid them in doing it themselves. Letting someone else do your homework does not help you learn nearly as much as doing it yourself. Please attempt to solve the problem or answer the question yourself first. If you need help with a specific part of your homework, feel free to tell us where you are stuck and ask for help. If you need help grasping the concept of a problem, by all means let us know. --LarryMac | Talk 11:02, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Wikipedia article is at Copper(I) chloride. This will give plenty of information on your topic. Graeme Bartlett (talk) 10:47, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

management information system (computer)

What is Simon’s framework for decision-making? How does it help in MIS design?

Please do your own homework.

Welcome to the Wikipedia Reference Desk. Your question appears to be a homework question. I apologize if this is a misinterpretation, but it is our aim here not to do people's homework for them, but to merely aid them in doing it themselves. Letting someone else do your homework does not help you learn nearly as much as doing it yourself. Please attempt to solve the problem or answer the question yourself first. If you need help with a specific part of your homework, feel free to tell us where you are stuck and ask for help. If you need help grasping the concept of a problem, by all means let us know. --LarryMac | Talk 11:02, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

You might start by reading our article on Herbert Simon. 87.81.230.195 (talk) 13:41, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Indeed. From some Googlation, it would seem this question (which appears verbatim in the assignments of a number of Indian MIS courses) refers to Simon's rather sinister-sounding 1965 work The shape of automation for men and management. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 13:48, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

gettin a manifesto

so hey I been reading in the paper about the new labiur and conservative manifesto and their covers and I was wondering if I could get one sent to me by post as I cant sit down and read those thing through n full on the computer!! i live in england if that a thing but when I go to their website I just told to read online ; I want the book to know how to vote!! Salza boo (talk) 11:36, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Well, here are the online versions. You could print them from there. If you don't have a printer, you could maybe go to a place that does, like a friend's house or library:

The Labour Party Manifesto: [25].

The Conservative Party Manifesto: [26].

In an interesting example of Conservative Party values, they are willing to sell you a copy, but not to send you one for free. However, if I go to the page to buy it, my Firefox browser goes down. (Read what you will, about their competence, into this.) StuRat (talk) 11:48, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

When it comes to who to vote for the manifestos are a reasonable guide, but remember that they are just some vague promises and only some of them will ever be put forward in parliment. Once in power, many manifesto promises are quickly forgotten. Also, it won't take long for each party to send leaflets telling you all about their candidate in your constituency.

As for how to vote, if you haven't already done so, you will need to register to vote before 20 April 2010 - your local council will be able to tell you how to register. Assuming you haven't requested a postal or proxy vote, you will receive a voting card through the post telling you the location of your polling station (usually a local school). On 6 May you visit the specified polling station, where your identity will be checked and you will be given a piece of paper listing the candidates. You go into one of the small curtained booths and put an "X" in the box next to the one candidate you are voting for. Fold the paper in half, return to the desk and drop your voting paper into the ballot box. That's it. Astronaut (talk) 12:31, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

pocket money in india

how much pocket money does an indian kid aged 17 get on an average per month?

Are you asking about allowance from their parents ? I'm of the opinion that there's a wide range of wealth in India, based on geographic and other factors. Can you be more specific ? StuRat (talk) 12:14, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

No need to gloss "pocket money", since it's a perfectly understandable term in large parts of the world. Clearly there will be differences, but you seem not to have noticed the words on average in the OP's question. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 12:48, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

I need to understand a Q before answering it, and I don't know if they meant money received from parents or from other sources. StuRat (talk) 14:11, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

"Pocket money" means money received from parents. That's what it means. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 07:46, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

Perhaps where you live, but here it means "any money you have in your pocket, regardless of the source", as in: "I like to keep $20 in pocket money, in case I need to take a cab": [27]. You seem to repeatedly make the mistake of thinking that the def you use is the only, universal def of a word or term. I will update Wiktionary:pocket money, accordingly. StuRat (talk) 17:43, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

Yes, but it's worth noting that "average" may not be useful. Borrowing some numbers from India#Economy, the overall Indian economy is either the 12th largest or 4th largest in the world, depending on some factor I don't understand. That looks pretty good (and raises our estimate for average pocket money). However, India is also the most populous nation in the world. It's per capita GDP is 140th -- that drastically lowers the pocket money average. That income is also hugely skewed -- over 40% of the population lives on less than $1.25/day. It's safe to say that teenagers in that bracket have no pocket money to speak of. So what "average" do we want to know? The mean of the whole country? That's skewed low by the poverty line but probably doesn't represent much of the actual population. The median? At least it's a real person, but who knows how representative. The mode is all but certainly the pool of $0. Or, as I think more likely (and as StuRat is suggesting), do we want the average for some subset of India, and if so, what subset? — Lomn 13:26, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

(Edit Conflict) I suggest that, although it would be theoretically possible to calculate an average figure, it would probably not be very meaningful. The very concept of "pocket money/allowance" is rooted in a "western" pattern of family, culture, and society followed by only a small fraction of, if you like, "westernised" Indian citizens, anomalously wealthy by average Indian standards.

As you can see from the 'Economy', 'Demographics' and 'Culture' sections of our article on India, some 70% of the Indian population live rurally, and will be making a living from agriculture at, or at little above, the subsistence level. Very many urban dwellers will be working in shop-floor service or manufacturing jobs at low rates of pay (hence the cheap textiles and other manufactured goods that India is able to export to the richer western world).

In these circumstances most Indian minors will probably not only not be receiving pocket money, but will be working for some hours of the day in agricultural labour, or in urban industries, or in some cases begging, in order to make a contribution to the pooled labour and income of their family (if they have one). I also suspect that for most of the (culturally very varied) Indian population, a 17-y-o would be socially and economically considered an adult. Obviously, in a population approaching 1.2 billion, the small proportion of families who do follow a lifestyle that includes the giving of pocket money to their 17-y-o offspring may still represent a sizeable number, but using them to calculate an average figure for the population as a whole would be misleading (and the figure would be tiny), as would any comparison to that of countries with different demographic, etc, patterns. 87.81.230.195 (talk) 13:35, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

I'm a 17 year old from Ireland and I get no pocket money at all, and never have. My parents just buy what I want, so long as it's not ridiculously expensive or I want something every other day. I work during my school holidays for money.--92.251.147.169 (talk) 18:21, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

That's nice to know, but how is it in any way relevant to the question at hand? -- Jack of Oz ... speak! ... 19:29, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

British Law

NOT LEGAL ADVICE. LEGAL INFORMATION. I don't know about other laws, but I think in England all evidence you wish to rely upon in court must be given to your opponent boforehand. Or something like that, I think. So my friend had this hypothesis, that I think that would work, for people to get around that: surely you could just give it to your opponent just before you enter the courtroom. Then you would have stuck within the law but they would be pretty unarmed and you would win, particularly if they had given you thier evdence way in advance. Neither of us have courtcases, or have had courtcases, so our knowledge is based mostly on general knowledge and courtrooms in movies. But would that work? Or have the courts thought of that already and put some time boundary in place? Thanks for any info you can provide. 86.185.145.173 (talk) 13:56, 13 April 2010 (UTC

As I recall, the other party could just appeal to the judge and get an adjournment. You'd only succeed in delaying the trial and irritating everyone (including the judge). - Jarry1250 ^{[Humorous? Discuss.]} 14:00, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

A continuance, yes. StuRat (talk) 14:06, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

You learn something new every day. Me more than most. - Jarry1250 ^{[Humorous? Discuss.]} 14:12, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

I learn something new everyday, too. Unfortunately, I have to forget two or three old things to make room. StuRat (talk) 19:19, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

I wish you hadn't said that - now that I know the frequency at which you learn and how many things you have to forget, I no longer know the square root of 1764, I don't recall what a "lubbock" is and I've forgotten what the other thing I forgot was. SteveBaker (talk) 00:38, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

See disclosure (the same as "discovery" in the US). StuRat (talk) 14:06, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Generally you can only introduce evidence late (I'm not sure what the deadline is, but it is more than just a minute before the trial) with the permission of the judge and the judge will only give that permission if you only just got the evidence (and couldn't have reasonably got it before) and if it being late won't unduly prejudice the other party. Lawyers are very clever people, so if such a scheme would work, they would all be doing it (sometimes they do try such things, but not routinely). --Tango (talk) 14:14, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

(The US article is Discovery (law)). A court will set a date for disclosure to be complete, which may be followed by a bit of to-and-fro between the parties who allege that they want more info, or more time, or that the other party's disclosure requests are unreasonable. That time is weeks (or for complex cases months) before the trial date; information disclosed after that time is generally inadmissable. If a party were to suppress or withhold material that was subject to the discovery order, and the court believed they'd done it with intent, that party could be considered in contempt of court. If the matter withheld was particularly significant, and the withholding obviously and wilfully egregious, the withholder could be charged with perverting the course of justice, an exceedingly serious crime. In general the legal manoeuvres practised by TV lawyers, with dramatic last-minute disclosures and confessions, are hopelessly at variance with natural justice and with the somewhat glacial pace of modern court proceedings, and would result only in Perry Mason losing, being disbarred, and probably chucked in jail. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 14:21, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Deliberately withholding evidence is part of what got Mike Nifong his career change. (American law, obviously.) ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 15:04, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

See also Ambush defence, a thing which judges dislike greatly. --Tagishsimon (talk) 19:37, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

In family law that is certainly not the case. The opposition can bring up anything they like. Kittybrewster ☎ 21:27, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Is that civil or criminal? Or something special? I think we're talking about purely criminal trials here. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 21:45, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Water Solar Disinfection

If I was to hold a sample of pathogen-laden water in a clear, plastic water bottle and expose it to a day's worth of sunlight, how effective will the Sun's UV rays be in killing some of the pathogens in the water? Acceptable (talk) 14:21, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Not much - those pathogens have been living in the top layers of the lake, stream, or sea from which you drew the water, bathed in a comparable amount of UV that they'd get in the bottle. It's all too easy to get a nasty cryptosporidium from a fast-flowing, inch deep, mountain stream. If you were looking to have the Sun sterilise water for you, you'd probably want to use a solar still, not a bottle. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 14:27, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

I drink water from back the mountains here regularly, I've never caught anything.--92.251.147.169 (talk) 22:42, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Not a very useful anecdote. So, what happens when you take your water collected in a high stream, away from industrial and agricultural pollution (you hope) and put it in a plastic bottle, then incubate the bottle at a comfortable temperature for a day or so. The water's sure to have small numbers of bacteria, fungus, alge etc. Given time and nice temperature some of those (which might be pathogenic) might grow or reproduce enough to become an infection risk or toxic. --Psud (talk) 07:24, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

I think you’d be better off asking this question on Wikipedia:Reference_desk/Science.--Aspro (talk) 14:37, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Actually, this is an effective and cheap method of purifying water. I just saw this recently in either Nature or Natural Geographic. The key was to lay the closed clear plastic bottles on a metal surface in the sun for several hours. I'm looking for the ref. -- Flyguy649 ^talk 14:46, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

The World Health Organization is very interested in this area of water treatment. They have published a document entitled Water Treatment and Pathogen Control which may answer your questions.--Aspro (talk) 14:50, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

I saw it in the current National Geographic Magazine, April 2010, p28. The article states that "6 hrs in the sun will kill viruses, bacteria, parasites in the water making it safe to drink." The program is called SODIS, and look! We have an article. -- Flyguy649 ^talk 14:52, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Portable water purification - I have added the above publication to the ‘further reading’ section.--Aspro (talk) 15:01, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Can a glass bottle be used ? (As a plastic bottle may leach chemicals into the water when exposed to heat and UV light.) StuRat (talk) 16:25, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Glass is opaque (or partially so) to parts of the UV spectrum. Also, this process requires the use of PET bottles, not polycarbonate. See Solar_water_disinfection#Cautions for links to refs. -- Flyguy649 ^talk 16:32, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Alice Bailey

Is there a religion based on the writings of Alice Bailey specifically A Treatise on Cosmic Fire. I realise she is a Theosophist, but is this a religion, and alot of Theosophy is, well, tripe. But I am very intrigued by her writings, is this a religious movements? Any enlightenment on the subject would be appreciated. Thanks

Temporarily Insulating a room

I live in a room that is about 16 square meter in the groundfloor, whose two sides are directly exposed to the outside. Heating works as expected and it is below the window, but the room is a bit cold. The culprits are 3 glass structures. One is the door and the other is a "window" like rectangular space, presumably to allow more light in the room and the other is an actual window itself. The door and the window closes well and there is no heat leakage on the metalic part. The door however, leaked cold air in the frame where the glass meets the metal. I taped this "frame" area, and it has helped a bit. Glass feels cold on all 3 structures. Iam wondering if covering the glass with styrofoam or anything that insulates (even opaque material)can help litigate my misery. Since it is a rented room, iam not allowed to permenantly alter anything or bore or cut stuff. Iam allowed to paste stuff using adhesive tape that can be removed. Please give me a few ideas. I do not know why I cannot tolerate cold, it could be due to the fact that my body temperature is slightly above normal right from the birth.

The "poor man's window insulator" is to buy sheets of the thickest available plastic sheeting at your local hardware store and tape it up inside the window with masking tape, creating a seal. Disadvantage of course is that you won't really be able to get a view out of the window anymore, and it looks like you have thick plastic sheeting in your window. Comet Tuttle (talk) 18:00, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

I have the same problem and use the same solution, a 3/4" "Foamular 150" Styrofoam sheet, which I place in the window, so it's supported by the sill. This insulates far better than plastic sheets, especially when dealing with single pane windows. I had to cut it to fit inside the frame, then taped it up along the bottom and 2 sides (I skipped the top, since cold air won't rise). That window, right over my bed, was the coldest spot on the wall, now it's the warmest. I use white Styrofoam sheets, but you can use pink if you're a girl (or want everyone to think you are). I placed the ugly side with the labels and warnings on it pointed inside, so they will be covered by the drapes, and everyone outside will see a flat white surface, difficult to distinguish from drapes. While I can't see out the window, plenty of light comes through it. The tape does occasionally come loose, but I replace the tape and it's good for another month or two.

You should buy the Styrofoam well in advance, and let it sit outside or in a garage, since it stinks, due to outgassing, when new. Measure and mark it carefully, and cut it using a utility knife, again outside or in the garage, since this will generate a lot of Styrofoam balls which will stick to everything, via static electricity. The factory edges will be much smoother than you can get using the knife, so place it with one of the smooth edges down on the sill, so it seals better and is supported better. And, fair warning, cutting Styrofoam makes the proverbial "fingernails on a chalkboard" sound, so be prepared. :-) StuRat (talk) 18:11, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

It's been a long time - but many years ago, in an emergency - I found that using sheets of kitchen cling-film over the door and window frames to create an air-gap between the cold glass and the air of the room helped a lot. It works in a similar way to double-glazing. It has the advantage that if you stretch it tight, you can still see through it perfectly well. SteveBaker (talk) 18:37, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

You can cut styrofoam using a hot wire gadget, which plugs into a power outlet. They should be available at art-and-craft stores quite cheaply and allow you to shape the panels without mess. Essentially the gadget melts its way through the panel and you avoid the electrostatic foamdust which clings to anything. Googling should find a supplier in your vicinity. --88.117.1.3 (talk) 18:57, 13 April 2010 (UTC), whoops --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 18:58, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Wouldn't that make a horrid burning plastic smell ? StuRat (talk) 19:01, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Who cares? At least you won't be freezing your patootie off. Bus stop (talk) 19:13, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Well, if you cut it with a utility knife, instead, you'll still have both your lungs and your patootie. And, if you wear hearing protection, your eardrums won't be assaulted, either. StuRat (talk) 19:16, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Or an iPod playing some VanHalen to keep out the noise :) Googlemeister (talk) 19:33, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

At least in my area (Eastern Massachusetts), it's possible to get plastic film for exactly this purpose from the hardware store. It may very well be the same material as the plastic wrap Steve suggests, but it's sized to fit windows, and comes with double-sided tape to help you mount it. You use a hair dryer to warm it up to stretch it taut, and it's pretty much invisible. Paul (Stansifer) 02:12, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

The exact same product is available in the UK from some DIY stores and works very well - I've had some up for over 15 years. The most difficult part of the job is getting the frame surface smooth and clean enough to take the tape bond firmly (new paint, though apparently dry, tends to shear under the tension). 87.81.230.195 (talk) 15:37, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

Plumbing: faucet: replacement parts

Is there a standard system for identifying the correct washer (and other replacement parts) for a particular faucet, enabling a person to go to a store and buy a supply of the correct items, instead of removing old parts and taking them to a store for matching with new parts? (By analogy, a person can buy replacement batteries of the correct type by looking for AA, AAA, C, D, 9V, or whichever type of battery is required, instead of needing to take an old battery to a store for matching with new ones.) -- Wavelength (talk) 20:43, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

I know the plumbing sections of DIY stores (who cater to the occasional rather than professional plumber) sell packages of washers in all of the common configurations (I think the one I looked at in the UK had at least five different kinds). That way one could be sure of having the right kind when one opened the tap. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 20:56, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

You're also much better off going to the do-it-yourself store with the parts in your hands and your hands all grimy and with dirt on your pants — that way you get the real machismo experience. Bus stop (talk) 21:03, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Yes, but to do that with a tap washer you need to firstly turn off the water (often to the whole house) ; then disassemble the tap and extract the washer ; then drive to the DIY store, find the replacement, buy it, drive home ; and only then fit it. That leaves the house without water for potentially an hour or two, for a five minute job, which 'er indoors isn't going to like. Washers are ludicrously cheap, so having a few wasted ones (which you'll stockpile anyway, in the delusion that you'll find them next time) is of little cost. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 21:11, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

In the past I have taken a photo (digital) of the part required and shown it (using the camera) to the sales person - it worked well both times I did it. OK, washers aren't very photogenic, but the part that they are attached to and an appropriate measurement ought to be familiar to any reasonable plumbing or DIY centre. Richard Avery (talk) 07:53, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

Another trouble with tap washers is that they often disintegrate when you try to remove them (either into several bits or into many), so you're taking a bunch of lumps to the shop. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 13:19, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

Wavelength, a standard pack of UK tap washers is detailed here; it lists five different types, each in several diameters. I would guess that washers used in other places like the US or China may be of yet more designs. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 13:19, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

Rose tea

I'd like to buy some rose tea in the UK - but not the Twinings brand. Does anyone know of any other brand name available in the UK please that does not use artificial flavours?

I had some Twinings brand rose tea years ago and it was wonderful. But I've just tried some "limited edition" rose tea from Twinings now, and its not very nice, like boiled sweets really. Very expensive, and very disapointing. Its also in those horrible little bags on a string things. Twinings have made the catastrophic mistake of putting artificial flavours in their speciality teas, and they are vile. I predict disaster. Thanks 89.240.34.241 (talk) 21:16, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

I would assume Whittards do it - they're a tea company and popular enough to have high-street stores. I'd be surprised if Marks & Spencer don't also do it - at least in some of their large food-stores. Taylors of Harrogate are probably worth a check too. There'll be plenty of smaller brands that do them as well i'd expect. ny156uk (talk) 21:59, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

In terms of teabags Whittard does have rose tea:[28] In ingredients it just says "flavouring", not sure if that is artificial or not. This shop [29] has ceylon tea with "natural rose flavour". If you are happy to use loose leaf tea (and I can testify that it really is worth the extra effort) Whittard does that as well and here are some links to other places: [30] [31] [32]. You can even buy "pure" dried rosebuds from here to mix with any other tea leaves you like. 131.111.185.69 (talk) 22:04, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

At that last link there are both pink and red rosebuds available. A site with that attention to detail is definitely going in my bookmark list.131.111.185.69 (talk) 22:08, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Google is your friend. --Tagishsimon (talk) 22:40, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

I don't really like these type of teas myself so I have little knowledge, but I know that my Mum really likes the Harrods Rose Bud Tea, so I guess it would be good. Though I don't know of the ingredients. It comes in a pink cubic tin that I can't seem to find on their website. 86.176.97.98 (talk) 07:38, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

The problem with the Twinings tea is that as well as having unpleasant and unconvincing artificial flavours, using them in place of rose petals means you don't get the wonderful fragrence that was the best part of drinking the tea. Its a pity that Twinings are now using sub-standard ingredients, while keeping upmarket pricing as well. Its like the Titanic going to meet its iceberg. Perhaps I should grow some roses specifically to make rose tea - I imagine putting the rose petals in a bag with some tea and leaving it there for a few weeks. 89.242.91.98 (talk) 10:39, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

Taylors of Harrogate state on their website that their rose petal leaf tea contains real pink rose petals. And it's available to buy online. Warofdreams talk 12:01, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

Philadelphia Eagles/ Robert Morris University (Illinois) Eagles- Same Logo?

As I was researching the internet, I stumbled upon Robert Morris University (Illinois) Ice Hockey Website. I could not help but notice that their logo is the same as the logo of the Philadelphia Eagles, the only difference being the eagle is different in color. Follow these links to compare the logos:

http://www.robertmorris.edu/athletics/menshockey/chicago-gold/

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m228/manda42687/Philadelphia-Eagles-Logo.gif

This launched a discussion as to who stole the logo. I was able to find that the Philadelphia Eagles changed their logo in 1996, but found nothing on the Robert Morris University logo or when they began using it. Who designed the logo and which team used it first?Lisamp2 (talk) 22:32, 13 April 2010 (UTC)Lisa

"Stole" is a rather harsh interpretation. Assuming it isn't sheer inadvertant coincidence, given the obvious popularity of the eagle emblem in USA sports, whoever adopted it second may have been paying a deliberate sincere tribute or hommage to the prior user, perhaps because of some connection between the two clubs. In Heraldry (from which the use of such crests or emblems arose) it was and is common for a junior associate, relation or cadet to someone with an existing coat of arms to adopt (under the auspices of the relevant Heraldic Authority) a similar design with minor alterations or 'differences', often a change of 'tinctures' just as in this instance. 87.81.230.195 (talk) 15:26, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

Lighted LED Halo

Where can I buy materials that I can make a halo (for a costume) that lights like LED? --Reticuli88 (talk) 22:38, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

An annular ring of transparent plastic would act as a Waveguide and so could be made to glow. One could be made from "casting acrylic" bought from and art shop. Silver or gold sparkles could be mixed into it. This would be easier than persuading your actresses/actors to be ever-so-good and saintly to the point where they develop their own halos. --Aspro (talk) 22:58, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Get a number of LEDs and wire them in series and form into a halo shape. Connect to battery via a resistor of suitable value. This will then be a halo that looks like lit LEDs (because it is lit LEDs).--79.76.163.157 (talk) 23:25, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

Nah - forget LED's - those are so 1980's. Do a Google Search on Electroluminescent wire. It's the PERFECT stuff for this - and you can buy it in kit form with all of the electronics and everything. It's relatively new material and not many people have seen it - so it'll definitely impress the heck out of most people. SteveBaker (talk) 00:06, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

Awesome idea, Steve! I found a distributor online and it is surprisingly inexpensive! Thanks? --Reticuli88 (talk) 13:05, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

April 14

how many lubbock can you fit in a pool??

Dandy Fleur (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · filter log · block user · block log)

how many lubbock can you fit in a pool??

That's odd - I could have sworn that "lubbock" was a species of fish - but neither Wikipedia nor Google seem to turn up any hits for that. Is there maybe an alternate spelling? SteveBaker (talk) 00:24, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

Wasn't it happiness, in your rear-view mirror? --Trovatore (talk) 00:27, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

Hey, watch it, Mac! Or Buddy. Whichever it is. :) There seem to have been quite a few people with the surname "Lubbock", as well as the city, but I'm not seeing anything about it being a fish. The closest I can think would be maybe "haddock". ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 00:41, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

Don't forget pollock. PhGustaf (talk) 01:01, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

Depending on the size of the pool, all ten of them? Dismas|^(talk) 03:36, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

If a lubbock is like a halibut you can probably fit more than you think in that loop. Bus stop (talk) 03:52, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

A very bad taste OP http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Barrymore#Death_of_Stuart_Lubbock Dalliance (talk) 08:39, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

And rather obscure. Nine years ago??? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 09:27, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

The OP is user:Dandy Fleur, with only one contribution so far. I wonder why sinebot didn't get him. Buddy431 (talk) 14:45, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

Good question. He's a brand new account (see userlinks I just added at top) and posed the same kind of question farther down the page. I've advised him to stop it. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 16:22, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

Bank cheque present etiquette

I have a tricky etiquette question. It’s not really reference desk fodder, but I know of no better place to ask.

Close to 2 years ago, I gave a member of my family some money for an important birthday. I’m not in regular contact with them, I know little about their lifestyle or interests, and I had to travel interstate to the party, so all in all I thought a small token gift plus some money was the most practical option. The money was in the form of a bank cheque. They seemed very appreciative when I gave it to them. So far, so good.

A month or so ago, I got a letter from my bank, saying the cheque had never been presented, and the funds were being returned to my account. Now I have a problem.

I’m loath to discuss the matter with the person, for fear of embarrassing them. They may have mislaid the cheque or it may have been accidentally destroyed, and I can understand them not wanting to contact me to ask for the money again. Or it may be sitting in a bottom drawer waiting for them to get around to banking it (which would be fruitless now, but they don't know that); or they may even have been offended by it. These last 2 are much less likely, but you never know. What if they finally bank it, and discover the cheque has been cancelled in the meantime? They may well think it was of my doing, and I’ll then become the Indian giver from hell, in their eyes.

If I just send them the money again, that’s also likely to embarrass them. I could do it under cover of a letter where I acknowledge these things sometimes happen in even the very best of families, and it’s no big deal. But maybe they never wanted the money to begin with, and deliberately chose not to bank it. Better to know this before I do anything. But that involves asking them if there was a problem, and if there was but they didn’t want to talk about it, then I’m creating a new problem by forcing the issue. And you know me, I never force issues. :)

Or maybe they'd go "What a godsend, I really need that money. I’d completely forgotten about it. Thanks so much for letting me know. How quickly can you get it to me?"

Or maybe they’d totally forgotten about it, but don’t need it at all.

But whether they need it or not is really beside the point. I gave it to them, I wanted them to have it, and nothing’s changed as far as that’s concerned. I feel that I should at least suffer pangs of guilt if I’m going to get to keep the money. Silly, I know, but that’s me.

Maybe I should just shut up, do nothing, and treat it as a windfall gain, on the principle that it was their responsibility to bank it before they had a chance to lose it. And it was, as I say, almost 2 years ago now and nothing’s been said. But that still feels pretty mean and penny-pinching to me.

If I don’t make some attempt to either get the money back to them or at least discuss it with them, it’s almost tantamount to never having given it to them in the first place. That’s certainly so in monetary terms. My gestures of travelling to be at the party and handing over my present can never be erased, though, and maybe that’s all that really matters in the end. “It’s the thought that counts” (he rationalises).

So, what, if anything, to do, and how to go about it, or not? I’d appreciate any helpful perspectives on this. Maybe I’m making a mountain out of a molehill, maybe not. -- (JackofOz =) 202.142.129.66 (talk) 00:07, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

I don't think you should do anything. The check won't be honored by the bank if they do ever present it - and that's not your fault. Perhaps they don't need the money - maybe "the thought was what counted" - maybe they think you need the money more than they do - or maybe they simply forgot all about it - maybe they were so amazed that you gave them money that they framed the check instead of presenting it! If you really feel bad about it - wait until the persons' next birthday and buy them something extra-special. Gift-giving is about the moment...if it drags on, forget it. SteveBaker (talk) 00:14, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

We need another ref desk, called "Dear Gabby" or some such. :) In my opinion, you're overthinking this. If it were me, rather than playing any guessing games, I would simply give them a friendly call or letter and advise them that a check you gave them 2 years ago was never cashed, that the bank has nullified it, and ask them what they want done about it. I don't see why it would be all that embarrassing - probably just a good laugh. If nothing else, it's an excuse to contact them, assuming you're on good terms with them. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 00:37, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

I agree with Steve. I don't think you have any further obligation. If you had given them some other sort of open voucher, say a book token, and they had not used it, for whatever reason, you would not have thought about it. When one gives a gift it is behoven on the receiver to take care of it if they want to use it. When you gave the gift it no longer was your property or responsibility. OK, I understand your kind concern, but life is not a perfect process and as Steve suggests there will be another time for you to rectify the situation. Richard Avery (talk) 07:44, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

Jack, you've got no duty to do anything about it. If you want to re-send a cheque, I wouldn't expect anyone to be embarrassed by a note with cheque attached saying "bank told me cheque wasn't cashed, in case you've misplaced it, here's a copy". I personally would tend to resend the cheque if it was for a younger relative, but forget about it if it was for an older one. --Psud (talk) 08:01, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

And if the significant birthday was a 21st or lower, I (as a 32 year old) would definitely resend the cheque. (but I'm probably overly sentimental) --Psud (talk) 08:03, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

I would do nothing. If ever in the presence of the person again I would mention what subsequently transpired. That would include even being in the phone presence of the person, but more applicably in face to face presence. I wouldn't make a special phone call to address this. Only if on the phone for some other reason or no reason at all would I eventually mention it. And if in the company of the person at some point in the future, I think it would be an appropriate topic of conversation to bring up. Bus stop (talk) 08:54, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

If the bank cancelled the check, then its due to procedure, in this case is highly likely that if they try to cash the check their bank can see that it has expired. Joneleth (talk) 16:00, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

Robozzle

Does anyone know where I can find solutions (direct solutions not hints) to Robozzle.com ? Joneleth (talk) 11:26, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

De Javu

Recently when experienceing Dejavu I have found that if I am quick I am able to remember forwards, so that I will be able to know what is going to happen in the next 3 seconds or so. Is this a normal reaction to the phenomenon? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.172.58.82 (talk) 12:34, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

Yes, in my experience, but we call it predicting not 'remembering forward'. You are not remembering anything, it just feels as though you are. Caesar's Daddy (talk) 15:21, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

Humans are habitual creatures, we have often been in the exact same situations before that we are in now, if the current situation feels close enough to a prior one you get such strong predictions about whats going to happen that it feels like a memory. Joneleth (talk) 15:56, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

what kind of economy china is?

what kind of economy china is? wheather it is mix-economy, marx... or what??? and wheather there where any other econonmy policy in china before 1970? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Spatel4patel (talk • contribs) 14:26, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

If by "China" you mean the People's Republic of China, then we have an article on it: Economy of the People's Republic of China. We also have an article Economic reform in the People's Republic of China that explains how they're different now than they were before the 1970s. If you mean some China other than the PRC, then check the disambiguation page Economy of China. Buddy431 (talk) 14:41, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

I think it's a safe bet that anyone asking about Taiwan will call it Taiwan (or maybe Formosa). An exception would be people from China, and they aren't likely to post such a Q here, as they already would know the answer. StuRat (talk) 15:50, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

how many dando can you fit in a doorway??

Dandy Fleur (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · logs · filter log · block user · block log)

hello I a keen gardner and am working on a garden with Taraxacum or dando as I prefer to call them, how many could I get up against my front door??  (Unsigned comment added by Dandy Fleur (talk • contribs) 15:24, 14 April 2010 (UTC))

Most "keen gardeners" I know will do anything to have Taraxacums removed from their garden... --TammyMoet (talk) 15:27, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

I think that's more than enough weak puns about untopical celebrity-related deaths. Warofdreams talk 15:57, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

I added the userlinks at top here, and also advised the user to stop posting these kinds of questions. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 16:23, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

SNEAKER TYPE SHOES WITH "EITHER" COMPOSITE, OR "STEEL-TOES......

I WORK AND STAND ON MY FEET 8-12 HOURS A DAY. WE ARE REQUIRED BY osha TO HAVE TOE PROTECTION ON OUR SHOES. IN THE PAST, AND EVEN NOW, STEEL-TOED SHOES WERE THE MOST COMMON OPTION FOR TOE PROTECTION FROM HEAVY OBJECTS.

SOME SHOE MANUFACTURERS NOW ADVERTISE "COMPOSITE" TOE PROTECTION. I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE ASTM STANDARDS FOR SHOES THAT MEET OSHAS' REQIREMENTS.

mY QUESTIONS ARE: A. WHAT ARE ASTM REQUIREMENTS? B. HOW DO THEY COMPARE COMPOSITE TO STEEL-TOED SHOES? C. WHAT COMPOSITE TOE SHOES MEET ASTM STANDARDS. D. WHAT SHOES MANUFACTURERS OFFER COMPOSITE TOES SHOES THAT MEET STANDARDS; AND DO THEY PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION TO POTENTIAL BUYERS?

THANK YOU R.K.CLICK (email address redacted) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.28.245.45 (talk) 17:04, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

Please don't use all caps. StuRat (talk) 17:37, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

I've removed your email to prevent people from spamming you. Hopefully someone will be by to give you a more complete answer, but I can provide you with something regarding question 3. The key thing to most safety footwear (in terms of OSHA regs) is to simply see the rating for the shoe/boot. For example, in Canada, footwear is given a rating by the CSA and this rating system works the same for composite and steel. In my particular workplace, I'm required to wear "green tag" CSA-approved footwear; what material that footwear is made of makes no difference - just the rating. To answer your 4th question, I would say that virtually all safety footwear manufacturers will have lines of composite safety enhancements. Even the old-style steel "shank" that used to be required for construction and many other high-risk activities has largely been replaced with a rather neat composite layer which bends like rubber but blocks punctures better than steel. I would contact a nearby safety footwear store and ask them to send a rep over to talk to you or your company. In my experience those guys necessarily have a great understanding of local regs and can walk you through any odd corners. Matt Deres (talk) 17:23, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

Spending a day in Kraków...

I have done some queries on the Deutsche Bahn website on how to get from Kraków to Spittal an der Drau, and found a perfectly suitable train: it leaves Kraków at 10 PM, and arrives in Vienna at 6 AM the next day. Then I have to change trains once again in Villach, and I'll arrive at Spittal an der Drau before noon.

The problem here is that I have to check out from my hotel ten hours before the train leaves. What am I supposed to do in that time? I will be carrying the bulk of my luggage in a big backpack, with only my essential documents and my camera in lighter packages. Can I leave the backpack at Kraków railway station in some sort of storage locker for ten hours and then come pick it up later? JIP | Talk 18:04, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

There are storage lockers as well as a reliable luggage storage service. I don't know how much they cost, but surely not a lot. I think there is some kind of a tourist information facility at or near the station to provide you with a map, and if not, there is a fixed map nearby to guide you to the Old Town, Wawel and Kazimierz for a walk. If you need any more help or info regarding Kraków you may contact me directly via my talk page. Cheers! --Ouro (blah blah) 18:38, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

I spent a couple of days in Kraków in September 2009. I found the Jewish history in the Kazimierz district interesting and had a wander around the Old Town with the Market Square at its centre (the Sukiennice was closed for renovation, though it might have since reopened). There is also an extensive tram & bus system if you want to see something a little too far away to walk. In the evening, I had no trouble finding places to eat and there are plenty of bars. I particularly enjoyed the candle-lit bar/restaurant "Dawno Temu na Kazimierzu" at Szeroka 1 in Kazimierz. Astronaut (talk) 19:03, 14 April 2010 (UTC)