Science	Mathematics	Computing/IT	Humanities
Language	Entertainment	Miscellaneous	Archives

How to ask a question

Search first. It's quicker, because you can find the answer in our online encyclopedia instead of waiting for a volunteer to respond. Search Wikipedia using the searchbox. A web search could help too. Common questions about Wikipedia itself, such as how to cite Wikipedia and who owns Wikipedia, are answered in Wikipedia:FAQ.

Sign your question. Type ~~~~ at its end.
Be specific. Explain your question in detail if necessary, addressing exactly what you'd like answered. For information that changes from country to country (or from state to state), such as legal, fiscal or institutional matters, please specify the jurisdiction you're interested in.
Include both a title and a question. The title (top box) should specify the topic of your question. The complete details should be in the bottom box.

Do your own homework. If you need help with a specific part or concept of your homework, feel free to ask, but please don't post entire homework questions and expect us to give you the answers.

Be patient. Questions are answered by other users, and a user who can answer may not be reading the page immediately. A complete answer to your question may be developed over a period of up to seven days.

Do not include your e-mail address. Questions aren't normally answered by e-mail. Be aware that the content on Wikipedia is extensively copied to many websites; making your e-mail address public here may make it very public throughout the Internet.
Edit your question for more discussion. Click the [edit] link on right side of its header line. Please do not start multiple sections about the same topic.
Archived questions If you cannot find your question on the reference desks, please see the Archives.
Unanswered questions If you find that your question has been archived before being answered, you may copy your question from the Archives into a new section on the reference desk.
Do not request medical or legal advice.
Ask a doctor or lawyer instead.

After reading the above, you may
ask a new question by clicking here.
Your question will be added at the bottom of the page.

How to answer a question

Be thorough. Please provide as much of the answer as you are able to.
Be concise, not terse. Please write in a clear and easily understood manner. Keep your answer within the scope of the question as stated.

Link to articles which may have further information relevant to the question.
Be polite to users, especially ones new to Wikipedia. A little fun is fine, but don't be rude.
The reference desk is not a soapbox. Please avoid debating about politics, religion, or other sensitive issues.

September 6

Rafael and Fernando

Does anyone have any information about these names? Like famous people by these names, the meaning of these names, ect. They're Spanish names. Russian F 02:17, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

PS. I need the answers fast. Russian F 02:24, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Raphael is a famous renaissance painter, and, perhaps even more significantly, one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. :-) StuRat 03:07, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You can find information by looking at articles on those names. --Kiltman67 03:09, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Also, while googling for your answers, I ran across this web site you might find useful. SWAdair 03:11, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Assassins

Are there any known currently working notable assassins? I'm thinking along the lines of Carlos the Jackal and not mafia men or terrorists such as someone who worked specifically for a terrorist organization. You know, just your hired gun sort. Just curious, I'm not looking to knock over a gov't. Dismas|^(talk) 02:46, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I never would have guessed that we have an article List of contract killers. Wikipedia has everything. SWAdair 03:15, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

why are they all men? Jasbutal 03:50, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for that but of those, most were in the mafia and all are either dead or in prison. Dismas|^(talk) 04:11, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Well if they weren't and they were on that list they'd soon be anyway. DirkvdM 07:16, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Go into your local 'bad part of town'. Find someone who looks quite mean/tough and also looks like they're in need of a chemical pick-me-up. Offer them an 'incentive' to solve your current 'problem' (payable upon completion). Unless your target is anyone that matters, it shouldn't be too hard for your man to get up close and personal with blade/claw hammer/crowbar/etc.. The bonus here is that you get to watch (you'll need to tag along with him as he'll probably insist on immediate payment - if you offer him half upfront, there's a chance he'll just piss off somewhere to shoot up and take you for a mug). --Kurt Shaped Box 10:01, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'm not actually looking for anyone... I just wondered if there are any notable ones around. I've always been interested in spy movies and various other undercover operative type movies so I thought I'd ask, that's all. Dismas|^(talk) 12:27, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Sorry mate - I don't move in those sorts of circles. :) If there are any real 'notable' ones around (i.e. guys capable of taking out someone that *does* matter) and they're any good at their profession, no-one will know who they are until they mess a job up. I'd imagine that *good* hitmen (i.e. ones that will do the job properly and remain silent if caught) are very hard to find - and expensive. --Kurt Shaped Box 18:09, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I don't move in those circles either, but I once attended a police training course in Puerto Rico (although I have never been a cop). One of the exercises was to prove the guilt of a guy who'd hired a hitman. We had access to his bank account records, but I completely missed the payment, because I couldn't believe you could hire a killer for such a small amount of money. It was considerably less than a thousand dollars.-gadfium 01:34, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'm afraid you've fallen for the Hollywood portrayal of hit men as glamorous, international businessmen who are incredibly good at what they do and therefore, get paid millions. The reality is that the average hit man is probably semi-retarded and their "brilliant plot" is to knock on the door then beat the guy who answers it to death with a baseball bat, for just enough money to get their next drug fix. StuRat 01:55, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I imagine that most professinal killing these days are done by professional teams connected with a goverment *put on tin foil hat now*. Jon513 18:24, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you. — [Mac Davis] (talk) (Desk|Help me improve)

"Carlos the Jackal" was a terrorist, not an assassan in the way you're thinking about. There was a fictional "Jackal" (in the novel and movie of the same name). Carlos also appeared in a Robert Ludlum, but the real Carlos was a terrorist and not a contract killer.Kevin fraser 01:11, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

drugs + jobs

Almost all employers in the United States give drug tests prior to or upon hiring. It is best to make a decision on which is more important to you... Continue taking drugs, or stop, clean out your system and pass the test in order to secure empoyment.

I'm applying for a fed job. What risks are there for me if they find I used illegal drugs? Jasbutal 04:02, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Maybe you should reconsider applying if you do indeed use illegal drugs. It will look bad and the chances are very good they will find out, as they will probably require a urine sample before allowing you to take up the job. --Proficient 05:34, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

i smoked pot 2 months ago, it's not like I'm going to fail a urine test...but good point in that if I ever try to apply again they might have a file on me. But fuck that, all the ex-prez's smoked . Jasbutal 05:38, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Rather depends on the country. There won't be many (civilised ones) where such tests are done. Drug test#Detection periods says cannabis can be found in your hair up to 90 days after last use. DirkvdM 07:21, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You'll get fired? --Kurt Shaped Box 09:52, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Avoid eating any baked goods with poppy seeds on them, since this supposedly can create a false positive on drug tests. Also breathing marijuana fumes second hand can supposedly create a false positive. If you get caught and later become a politician, radio commentator, or supreme court nominee you can say it was a "youthful indescretion" regardless of how old you were at the time.Edison 15:49, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Say you sucked but did not inhale... or whatever bullshit the dude came up with. Philc _T^E_C^I 16:09, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

"Tried it once, didn't like it, did nothing for me." might work too. --Kurt Shaped Box 18:10, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Of course if the tests are unreliable then not the people but the tests should be regarded with suspicion. And, like I said, any country that allows such tests for job applicants should also be regarded with suspicion. DirkvdM 06:49, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I ain't regarding their money with suspicion! Jasbutal 07:43, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

baseball

Number of pitchers who have hit a home run in their own no-hitter--66.217.130.164 04:21, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I would be surprised if the total was a non-zero number. You would basically have to:

Take all the games played
Divide that roughly in half since pitchers in half the league don't even bat
Take out all the games with a hit by both teams
Then take out all the games where there weren't any home runs scored (just normal runs)

Dismas|^(talk) 05:02, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

According to No-hitter:

Two pitchers have homered while pitching no-hitters. Earl Wilson of the Boston Red Sox hit a home run during his June 26, 1962 no-hitter against the Los Angeles Angels. Rick Wise went one better: in his June 23, 1971 no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds, the Philadelphia Phillies pitcher hit two home runs.

Note that this refers to Major League Baseball only. Remember that the designated hitter rule only went into effect in 1973. –RHolton ≡– 13:23, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

<3 the beat

Why are some people attracted to incredibly repetitive beat intensive music that often lacks any of the melody/structure so common in most other types of music? freshofftheufo ΓΛĿЌ 06:44, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Beats me. (Seriously). JackofOz 07:07, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Boom tsh! tsh..tsh..tsh..tsh. etc.

Its probably because it just, like, yknow, sounds great, yaknowwhatimean? By the way, i love you, dude. Seriously, i expect there may be some atavistic connection to the tribal drumming of our forefathers. Rockpocket 07:13, 6 September 2006 (UTC)\[reply]

And also because it can be fun to dance to. --Richardrj ^talk ^email 07:24, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I recently heard that there is a connection between musical beat and heartbeat. So the beat will affect your mood. A slow beat will calm you down and a fast beat will give you a rush, like you're doing something exciting. A normal heart rate is aroun 70 bpm for men and 75 for women. Note that for adolescents it's about 80-100 bpm. So what's normal for them sounds agitated to adults. If I interpreted the theory right, maybe this should be added to Beats per minute. DirkvdM 07:30, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Thats very interesting, DirkvdM, and would fit in with the atavism theory. One might imagine tribal drumming to precede or follow hunts or rituals where a increased heartbeat would be expected. If you wanted to be Freudian about it one could even make an argument that there is a womb memory of your mother's heartbeat that is envoked by repetitive beats. Consider the old, "give a puppy a ticking clock" technique to comfort it. Rockpocket 07:52, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

But you get some very good music that is fast but you can also get some really shit music that is fast. Isnt the question more reffering to how some songs have crap repeatitive non changing non musical beats, that can be made by people completely barren of any talent, and other are exceptional music. Philc _T^E_C^I 16:03, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Many times this can be subjective. --Proficient 03:31, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I heard it was the drugs you took inclined you to that type of beat-hotclaws**==(82.138.214.1 21:47, 7 September 2006 (UTC))[reply]

I like Dirk's logic. I wonder if my friends that don't like fast music all have low heart rates... freshofftheufo ΓΛĿЌ 05:13, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

success and happiness

what is success and how is it related to happiness?

Success as it relates to happiness has little to do with income. It is common for people to spend their money on things they do not need. Happiness is found more often with those who live far below their means. People who pay cash for a small or fixer upper house and a used car are much happier than people who are in debt with beautiful homes, cars and lavish possesions. Furthermore, people who manage to have enough food, water, and other necessities saved up for about a year or more are more likely to feel happy, successful, and near sress free. It is more about how one percieves happiness and success. It is a state of mind that is derived from being debt free, prepared for any personal disaster, and in service to others. People who are in service to others through volunteer work and donations are generally very happy people.--JosephWisdom 20:04, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Inversely, if you believe your average celebrity moan about how tough their life is now they are rich and famous. Then again, these guys claim a study that shows "chronically happy people are in general more successful in their personal and professional lives." However, they claim it is not always true that "success and accomplishments bring happiness". So there you have it. But, of course, what is really important is what you define as successful in your life. You could always read about success and happiness and decide for yourself. Rockpocket 07:25, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If you're happy about your life, you're successful. If you're filthy rich and unhappy, you've failed. DirkvdM 07:33, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If we try to correlate wealth with happiness, I suspect that somewhere between middle class and upper class would be optimal, with those living in poverty unhappy for obvious reasons, and those with extreme wealth unhappy due to the constant stalking of reporters, risk of kidnapping, and possible guilt over whatever they had to do to get all that money in the first place. StuRat 07:59, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Neither can be quantified, any one at the bottom of the "success structure" they are exposed too, will be completely ungrateful for the fact they are towards the top over all i.e. someone who lives in new york, but does a menial office job who gets paid a decent salary, but is constantly surrounded by people who get paid more and work less, will have little or no thanks for the fact that pretty much the entire population of africa and a lot of south america and asia would kill to live his life. Philc _T^E_C^I 16:07, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

True, you have to measure this in its context. I also largely agree with StuRat (oh shock), in that it's probably the middle class who are happiest. Alas many countries have a severe lack of middle class. Also, the middle class are the most productive part of an economy. But which echelon is the happiest? I suppose not the upper middle class, as StuRat suggests, but the middle middle class (?) because they are furthest from both the problems at the top and at the bottom.

A very satisfying thing is the knowledge that you've built what you have with your own hands. Having earned it (ie having earned the money to buy it) is a more modern economy version for which that principle also works. But I till think that having built something with your own hands is more satisfying. So the ideal would be something close to my grandfather and great grandfather (see Schunck), who, from scratch, built up a company that was the centrepiece of a town. My grandfather had a good start and ended up more at the top end. His father didn't have it easy when he was young, but his achievement was the greater for it. And therefore the satisfaction? I don't know.

Anyway, a problem is that that is not achievable for everyone (we can't all be exceptional) and happiness also depends on the happiness of your surroundings (so giving a little also helps). There is, however, yet another factor. People are different. Some people have a drive to build something big and are happiest when they get the chance (but particularly unhappy when they don't). Others are more laid back and happy with enough to get by. So there is no hard and fast rule as to which amount of what kind of success gives most happines.

Finally, let me point out that all this is about material success, but as I already pointed out above, whether you're happy, for whatever reason, is the best indication for success. So the two are very strongly related. A definitive answer at last. :) DirkvdM 07:24, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Only the richest people suffer from most of the problems of wealth, as it's impossible for them to keep their wealth hidden. Thus, a billionaire is likely to be hounded by the media, stalked by kidnappers, and have "friends" and relatives constantly begging for money. A mere millionaire, on the other hand, can keep their wealth hidden, live a comfortable but modest life, yet never have to worry about financial hardship. StuRat 08:04, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Flow (psychology) causes happiness, it may also result in success if you enjoy your business, as I do.

Sidenote: regarding millionaires - in the UK I do not think the equivalent of one million US dollars is enough for a comfortable life without working, since its onle equivalent to about £500000. A modest house in southern england would cost at least £250000. The £250000 left over would only give you £6250 per year income if invested in inflation-proof gilts at 2 1/2 %. £6250 is less than a quarter of the average income. So if you were a US$1M, you'd be poor! Ha ha. 81.104.12.44 11:14, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Geez, you've really got it bad there. A modest house in the US might cost about $100,000 (although much more in certain areas). StuRat 07:06, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Try living in southern California, mate [1]. True, in Minot, North Dakota, $130,300 would buy you a nice 2,200-square-foot house with 4 bedrooms, 2 ½ bathrooms, a family room and two-car garage. But Where i live, the same house would cost $1,708,333 - over 13 times as much. 100K wouldn't even buy you a studio here. Living in the most expensive market in the US sucks.... Guess who rents? :( Rockpocket 08:26, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Why do you wear your smiley upside down? Renting spreads out the cost (a good idea if you have to live off interest) and keeps you mobile - you can leave whenever you like. DirkvdM 07:37, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Steve Irwin videoclip.

Not to sound morbid, but is it possible the footage of Steve Irwin's death will be leaked and appear on sites like Youtube and Ogrish?

I was waiting for someone to bring this up. I sincerely hope the film never gets seen. Some things should be left alone. --Richardrj ^talk ^email 08:34, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

- Hear, hear! Durova 13:09, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Not unless one of his camera crew or the police investigating his death decide to leak. - Mgm|^(talk) 09:26, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Investigating? Is every death "investigated" nowadays, no matter how obvious it was? —Bromskloss 09:43, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It's certainly *possible* that the clip will be made public in the future. Probably via the usual journalist + police officer 'of negiotiable devotion to duty' route. --Kurt Shaped Box 09:51, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Some would say it's ghoulish or insensitive to want to see such a video, but I guarantee that if it became publicly available, there would be enormous interest in it from his admirers and others, which is hardly surprising. How often have we all seen the Zapruder film of JFK's head being shot away? It seems to be human nature to be attracted to horrific scenes, car smashes, shark attacks, death in any form etc. JackofOz 10:06, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Many people will watch it simply to see an arrogant fool die by the sword he lived by.

That seems a bit harsh, although I do agree that he was rather careless about safety. StuRat 10:33, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'm inclined to agree with the anon. It was only a matter of time before his reckless behaviour towards wild animals for the sake of 'good TV' would lead to a sticky end and leave his children without a father. I know about all the conservation work he did but the guy always struck me as an overly-macho prat. --Kurt Shaped Box 10:46, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

An alternative point of view is that he was gradually being cajoled into undertaking more and more dangerous stunts by the TV companies, and being paid more and more money for taking risks that he might not otherwise have taken. If I were the TV producer who commissioned that stingray film, I'm not sure I would be able to sleep very soundly in my bed at the moment. Yes, I know he didn't *have* to do it, but sometimes it's difficult to refuse risky undertakings when a large cheque is being dangled in front of one's face. --Richardrj ^talk ^email 12:06, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The guy took the ratings and money from the "good TV" and turned it into funds to benefit animals, the environment, and conservationism. He wasn't "macho" in the traditional sense—it was never, ever, about his "conquest" of the animals, it was always about admiring how strong they were, how important they were. His behavior towards the animals was never "reckless", and part of his constant message was that nature was worth respecting. Remember that TV makes things up to look as risky as possible—when he did die, it was because of a totally fluke accident, a one-in-a-million shot from what is normally a non-fatal stinger. It's really too bad he died like this; he did a lot of good work in education and conservation, and his silliness made it all the more exciting for children. As for the video itself; people are often drawn to the macabre, so it is no suprise that people might be interested in it, though I hope it gets sealed away somewhere. --Fastfission 17:24, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Whenever I saw his show, it seemed that his entire 'angle' was to antagonize otherwise-peacefully-minding-their-own-business animals into attacking him and *just* get out of the way of their jaws in time whilst grinning like a fool for the cameras. Based on current reports, it seemed that he annoyed the stingray too. --Kurt Shaped Box 18:03, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

What's ironic (?) is that he was apparently not engaged in particularly risky behavior at the time. This wasn't a case of pushing the limits for good tv. –RHolton ≡– 13:01, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah, getting killed by a stingray is probably about as unlikely as getting killed by a dolphin. Sure it can happen, but no one worries about it. Sure he increased his chances of being killed by an animal just due to his line of work, but that could be said about anyone. A firefighter has a greater chance than most of being killed by a fire but that doesn't mean that they are foolhardy. Nowimnthing 14:38, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If Steve Irwin had been a fireman, he'd be one who deliberately started fires in order to charge in, put them out and emerge as the hero. --Kurt Shaped Box 17:58, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

KurtSB, I don't know where you are or what reports you've seen, but every report I've seen here, including the police media conference, says that there was no evidence that there was any antagonism going on, rather, Irwin was simply passively observing it. Some individuals have speculated he must have antagonised it, but those who've seen the video deny any such activity. (and for the record, I was never a fan of Irwin). JackofOz 20:35, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

According to what I've heard, and unless the story has changed in the last six hours, the ray was being 'boxed in' by Irwin and his cameraman. It's like trapping a rat in a corner - it's not a good idea, no matter how peaceful the creature is suppose to be. --Kurt Shaped Box 20:43, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I would expect everyone involved to deny any responsibility or blame, to avoid being sued by the family. However, as stingrays aren't aggressive animals, you really need to be way too close to them and annoying for them to sting you through the heart. Had he been at a respectable distance, it wouldn't have been possible for them to sting him at all. StuRat 00:17, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Sorry to interrupt all the needless nastiness about the dead guy, but the answer to the question is no. Irwin's manager has said that the tape will never see the light of day. [2] TheMadBaron 20:04, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Unconfirmed reports that it was shown on Queensland TV the night of his death. If so, I would be suprised if it doesn't find its way to the net pretty soon...Downunda 22:18, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I very much doubt that. If that were true, the extraordinary level of coverage his death received would guarantee the video would have been shown ad nauseam by now. JackofOz 22:44, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It would be no worse than the videos of police chasing cars ending in fatal crashes which are shown every day on TV, or the videos of car suicide bombings on the news. Edison 23:46, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

People always find a way of leaking things. I expect the videos to leak out eventually. --Proficient 03:35, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Whereas I expect the footage to be returned to its rightful owner, and promptly destroyed. People do not always find a way of leaking things. People have only ever found ways of leaking those things that we've seen / heard about. Can you find Princess Diana autopsy shots on the internet? Police photographs of Jim Morrison lying dead in the bath? Kurt Cobain sans head? No? That's because they're not there. And that's good. TheMadBaron 09:57, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I wouldn't put it past them to release a 'Crocodile Hunter: The Death of a National Hero' DVD.

Bad standards

Hello. I don't know where this question belongs, so I chose miscellaneous. There are some standards that seem virtually unchangeable, inspite of their relative inadequacy and inspite of improved suggestions at our disposition. I'm thinking of the QWERTY layout on keyboards, the hour/minute/second system, angular measurement, the calendar system etc. My question: Is there a word for these seemingly inefficient yet persistent standards? Thank you. Pat83.77.215.216 09:38, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I don't know if there's a word for it, sorry, but I'm curious what you feel is so inefficient about hours/minutes/seconds and the calendar. As for the QWERTY layout, it's not that way all around the world. Though I know what you're getting at. At this point it would be harder to get everyone to switch over to a differently standardized keyboard layout than it's really worth. Dismas|^(talk) 09:49, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The anon is not the only one to feel the calendar/time measure is inefficient. See Calendar reform, Swatch Internet Time and Decimal time. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 10:26, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

And Dvorak Simplified Keyboard. --Lambiam ^Talk 11:01, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

For many things it's absolutely critical that there be a standard, but what the standard is is totally unimportant. For example, alphabetical order. It would be just as useful if the alphabet was arranged in any other order, but changing from the current order to another order would be extremely painful. The layout of the keyboard is one of these things. It might be slightly better if the keyboard was in alphabetical order, but dealing with the changeover would create all types of problems (for example, touch typists would need to learn to type all over). The French actually tried to change to digital time and dates during the French Revolution, but similarly found that the changeover was prohibitive. StuRat 10:29, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Albatross? --Lambiam ^Talk 11:04, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'd agree with StuRat about the importance of standards, except I'd say a particular standard might be arbitrary, but not unimportant. The chosen standard is what makes the particular order important. Btw, the French did introduce the French Republican Calendar, but abandoned it after 12 years of use. JackofOz 11:40, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you, all, for responding. Dismas asked about which inefficiencies in time measurement I was referring to. CambridgeBayWeather has basically answered this question. Simple operations, such as calculating my age expressed in days, take me forever. Figuring out which date and day of the week it will be 200 days from now makes my head hurt. I may be somewhat challenged, arithmetically, but I have no difficulty comparing or adding, subtracting, and multiplying prices in Euros or figures expressed in units of the metric system. These challenges in calculating time keep our synapses busy and may be desirable. I was mainly curious on whether there was a word for this kind of standard. Pat83.77.215.216 12:54, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I think some people call this the "QWERTY phenomenon". In case you were wondering, 200 days from today will be Sunday, March 25, 2007. – b_jonas 14:02, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Richard Feynman in his book Surely You’re Joking makes the point that sin and cos and tan are not the best way to present a function because it looks like s times i times n. he perfered using symbles simmalar to a square root sign, which make clear that it is a function acting on something. Jon513 17:36, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yes. THe word is traditional (or conventional)--Light current 18:30, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Well, days are the length they are, and so are years, not much anyone can do about that. It's built into fundamental astronomical facts about the Earth's rotation and orbit. I suppose hypothetically you could opt for a 100-day year, or a 1000-day year, but then you'd completely break the correspondence between the time of year and the weather/length of day. --Trovatore 20:58, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you, CambridgeBayWeather for pointing out those articles to me. Though, I still don't mind the current system as I so seldomly care, much less need to know, what day of the week it will be however far off in the future or past. But then I guess that just makes me self centered... I can live with that. :-) Dismas|^(talk) 21:07, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I don't see how you come to that self-flagellatory conclusion. Go easy on yourself, Dismas. :--) JackofOz 22:41, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The transition from a current bad system to a better system is too much of a change to make it worthwhile in the short run. --Proficient 03:37, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Dismas, about the inadequacy of our timekeeping and other units and some possible solutions, see my user page. The keyboard layout could easily be personalised by mapping the keystrokes to characterfs differently. After all, some mapping has to be done, so why not give several options or even let people build their own preferences? A problem is that if you use a computer elsewhere you'd also have to be able to access that or you wouldn't be able to type anymore. But the mapping is done by the operating system, so if the major ones (Unix, Mac, msWindows) incorporate it (plus an option to download a personal layout) that solves that problem. It would be a minor adaption, I assume. The dvorak keyboard appears to be usable with the three big ones, so why not this? I use Ubuntu and it has an enormous amount of layouts, all organised by country (lots of redundancy, I suppose). Dvorak is under the US and UK versions. Not the best way to organise them. I suppose that's because it's a little known phenomenon. Do Mac and msWindows have this? DirkvdM 07:54, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Qwerty kyboard is an extremely intelligent design though, in that no commomly used letter pairs are next to each other in the keyboard, this minimises the risk of typos that pass spell check and editing. I cant see any more logical way to arrange it to be honest. 12 hour time periods, and hours devided into 12ths is also extremely intelligent, allowing for halfs thirds and quarters, a ten based system is actually relatively stupid, but prevailed because we have ten fingers. 60 seconds in a minute because again, it is a good length of time, it is easy to work with because it is about the shortest length of time the human mind can count in without being rushed, and also it fits in 12 groups of 5 into the clock face, back to the extremely sensibile 12ths again. To be honest, the problem is with our counting system having such a crap base, not our timekeeping system being odd. Philc _T^E_C^I 10:14, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It makes too much sense to have your units based on your nubering system, so then we should either change our numbering system and all other units or only change our time-unit(s). The former would be such a big change it would have to represent a huge advantage. And I don't see 'divisible by 2 and 3' as a huge advantage. And tehn there's the convenience that 10³ is almost equal to 2¹⁰.

The qwerty keyboard is designed to prevent people from typing too fast by relying heavily on the 'smaller fingers' (pinky and such), so the machine doesnt' get stuck. But we don't use those machines anymore, so that doesn't make sense. Then again, I just noticed it does have the advantage that it is easier to type 'qwerty'. :) DirkvdM 06:15, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah, 'easily divisible by 2 and 3' can't be considered a good argument in favor to change to Base 12. Base 10 is 'easily divisible by 5'. Base 10 might not have many inherent advantages, either, except that for most people, I'd say it's easier to think in Base 10. 惑乱分からん 10:23, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Thats only because you are acustomed to it. Philc _T^E_C^I 17:37, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

True. From a mathematician's point of view. I guess both base 10 and base 12 are about equally arbitrary and "useful" standards. Using fractions, it's about equally difficult to divide 12 into 5, as 10 into 3. 惑乱分からん 14:59, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If instead of 24 hours a day, 60 minutes an hour, 60 seconds a minute, we went to 10 hours a day, 100 minutes an hour, 100 seconds a minute, it would be more efficient, and even a little more precise. Instead of 86,400 seconds a day, there would be 100,000 seconds a day — very nearly the same order of magnitude. — Michael J 17:37, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It is the same order of magnitude.Its very nearly the same number as well 8-)--Light current 03:45, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

10 Hours a day is stupid though, because there are 4 significant points in a day, midday, midnight, when you get up and when you go to sleep. No one ever seems to pay attention to the fact that these times are perfect lengths, it is easy for a human to judge a second, a minute and an hour, because they are the right lengths for us to work with in our head, it is incredibly easy to count in seconds, because we are in tune with these measurements. 2.4 hours is a difficult time to judge in your head, so is 1.44 minutes, and so is 0.8 seconds. And yet these are the standardized lengths of time you intend to use. For example a train leaves the station every half hour, this is a good time, because there is never to longer time between trains leaving, without clogging up the system with too many tains on the same route, to maintain this level of service, they would have to leave every 0.2833333 or something hours, which is just annoyingly awkward. Philc _T^E_C^I 22:39, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I don't think 0.8 seconds are harder to estimate than 1 second. If you think 2.4 hours are difficult to estimate, you could of course divide all the time into decimals to make smaller units that's easier to grasp. Another matter of accustomization. I don't propose a change, I just think that the system we have today is based on arbitrary choices, just as much as the proposal to change it.惑乱分からん 14:59, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Ahh, but they're not random choices. Thats the thing. The most random of all the choices is using base ten as a counting system. Its possibly the worst even number possible. Philc _T^E_C^I 15:39, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Firsst world war

Hello,

I would like to ask the help of anyone in trying to trace my grandad's service in the war. His name is Septimus Craggs and he served the whole war in the Royal Army Medical Corps. Any info would be appreciated. Thank you. --"""

I would start by trying the contact link at the bottom of the Royal Army Medical Corps site. They might be able to help with where to find the information or may even be able to provide it. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 11:30, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

A good place to look is the National Archives website. They have recently digitised the entire collection of WW1 medal records - my understanding is that pretty much everyone who served in that war received some kind of medal, so it's a very comprehensive database. I searched your granddad's name for you and came up with this. You have to pay a small fee and they will send you a scan of his original medal card. This will tell you about what medal(s) he was awarded and maybe some more details about where he served and so on. Hope this helps. --Richardrj ^talk ^email 11:36, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

MySpace information.

I'm doing a speech on MySpace for my class, and I'm having trouble finding the following facts;

-On average, how many hits a day does MySpace have?

-Where is it ranked among website in terms of popularity?

Thanks, Tyler

Try Alexa. Here is their MySpace report [3]. Hope this helps. Skittle 14:22, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

poetry

I'm currently working on a challenging crossword puzzle and I'm hoping for either an answer or directions towards finding the answer. My question is what would complete this clue: Before, to a poet. Three letter answer E E with the middle letter missing. Any idea?

Thanks 68.226.188.185 17:33, 6 September 2006 (UTC)Ellen[reply]

Ere. --Rallette 17:41, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Able was I ere I saw Elba. (Napoleon?)--Light current 18:45, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Where did the term 'El Jefe' come from?

Any help?

It's spanish for 'The Boss.'--24.250.33.247 20:46, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

From Spanish approximation of French "chef" (chief), I guess, ultimately from French sound change evolution of Latin caput (head). (Btw, this is a typical "language" reference question.) 惑乱分からん 22:37, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Unit Unvestment Trust Documents

There were documents on how to set up a unit investment trust on this site. Now i cannot find them. Please tell me where to go to locate that information.

Please reply to me at (email address redacted)

Thank you

Wikipedia's search engine isn't as sophisticated as google's. If you can't find the results you want using wikisearch, go to google and type 'wiki unit investment trust' which is quickest and should work. If that gives you too many answers try 'unit investment site:wikipedia.org' or some combination of these two. Rentwa 21:55, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

This query might help --Tagishsimon (talk)

What two colours make pink?

Serious question

Red and white? --Richardrj ^talk ^email 21:15, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Depends whether you are talking additve or subtractive color formation.(ie paint or filtered light)--Light current 21:58, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

In computer paint software; approximately Red 100%, Green 50%, Blue 50%, I'd guess. (In CMYK Magenta is basically Pink in itself.) 惑乱分からん 22:21, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

In CMYK, about a 35% saturation of magenta plus a 15% saturation of yellow makes pink. Pantone "Sachet Pink" is M=50, Y=5 so there's quite a bit of gamut inside "pink". Sachet Pink in RGB is R=255, G=160, B=191. dpotter 02:18, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

What about the obvious link? Pink. That gives the RGB values 255, 192, 203. Another way of putting that is red plus white (experiment) plus a tiny bit of blue. DirkvdM 08:03, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Disney/Dimension Films

Since October 1, 2005 Harvey and Bob Weinstein left the Walt Disney Company to make their own independant company taking Dmension films with them. Disney still has rights to join in for sequels to Scary Movie, etc.. but does Disney still own the rights to the rest of Dimension Film's Movies (Sin City, Brothers Grimm...)?

This was asked before. Check through the archives. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 23:33, 6 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

September 7

Can cereal be patented ?

I saw an ad for new Fruity Cheerios today, which looks to be a rip-off of Froot Loops. Can they be sued ? StuRat 00:22, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

In the case of serial infringements, I think they could be 8-)--Light current 00:26, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Cereal can only be patent the exact recipe that is used. If it was found that General Mills happened to steal Kellogg's recipe then they could be sued. However, if General Mills was able to just experiment around a little and make something similar, then they're home free. This is why knock-off brands (like Wal-Mart's Great Value series) are able to have their own versions of every popular food product out there. It's always why they never taste quite the same. Of course, I don't really know law, but that's how I guess it works.--SeizureDog 00:48, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

That's not totally true; patent claims can be of many different sizes and scopes (it is not limited to the "exact recipe"). The variations possible would depend on the exact patent claims that were upheld. --Fastfission 14:51, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

For those unfamiliar with Fruity Cheerios, Fruity Cheerios are quite distinct from Froot Loops. They are about half the size, do not have that sugary-coating, and are more fruity flavored than sugary sweet. While Froot Loops are puffed, Fruity Cheerios have a harder, more cheerio-like texture. So the recipe seems to be completely different rather than only slightly changed. Hyenaste ^(tell) 02:33, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

In the United States, patents used to last seventeen years from the date they were granted, but now they last twenty years from the application date. Of course, the recipes for cereal probably change from time to time, but if Fruit Loops were patented when they first came out (I'd guess that was forty years ago) anyone is free to make cerial according to the old recipe.

If a cereal company does not have a patent, anyone is free to experiment until they copy the taste and appearance. --Gerry Ashton 03:55, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

They could declare the recipe a trade secret. DMacks 04:40, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

But that doesn't prevent anyone else from reverse engineering the product. Rmhermen 14:16, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You only want to use trade secrets with recipes that can't be easaily reverse engineered, i.e. soft drink formulas. --Fastfission 14:51, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Froot Loops were introduced in the 1960s; if there ever was a patent on them it has long expired. I don't know of any good reason that cereal wouldn't be patentable. The exact claims of the patent would determine what was infringement or not—if you patented a specific recipe, then a similar-but-different knockoff would be ok. If you patented, "cereal with freeze-dried marshmellows in it" then the patent would apply just to that characteristic (if it was granted) and the specifics of the recipe wouldn't matter. If you managed to slip a patent for "food to which milk would be added before eating" past the Patent Office (stranger things have happened) then you'd have the possibility of a monopoly on the whole industry. --Fastfission 14:51, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If there were legal repercussions for making look-alike or "taste-alike" cereal, I believe the Malt-O-Meal company would have been in trouble long ago. --LarryMac 15:26, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Cure for acid burns on the tongue

Of course, it's really not as serious of a question as it can sound. What I'm referring to is when one eats too many sour foods (like Sour Skittles) and it burns your tastes buds to where it really hurts to eat anything. Does anyone know of any way to counter-act this?--SeizureDog 00:51, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Milk is good for this type of thing, since it contains both water and fat, so is able to dissolve both water-soluble and fat-soluble chemicals, and thus dilute them. Of course, if the damage to the tongue is already done, then you will just have to wait for the tongue to heal. StuRat 00:55, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Neutralize it with a base. --Proficient 03:40, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I hope you just intended this as a joke. – b_jonas 08:01, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Base (chemistry), not the drug-variant of freebase, if that's what you were thinking of. DirkvdM 08:07, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yea, you could chew up a Tums, Rolaids or other antacid and roll it around on your tongue, that might work, too. StuRat 08:12, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah, I considered the whole base thing, but is there any food that is naturally a base? I don't really want to eat medicine. --SeizureDog 21:53, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I think chocolate is somewhat alkaline, as are dark green, leafy veggies, like spinach (that choice is a no-brainer, isn't it ?). The chocolate also contains fat to help dissolve fat-soluble molecules, and you could add some butter to your spinach for the same effect. However, antacids made with calcium carbonate are quite healthy, although they do, predictably, taste like chalk. StuRat 02:41, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You mean like when you eat a whole box of lemon heads? Russian F 11:58, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I use the stuff for teething or mouth ulcers as I'm always doing that-hotclaws**==(82.138.214.1 21:53, 7 September 2006 (UTC))[reply]

I generally find that I can't do anything about the damage that's already been done, though of course you can stop it from getting any worse. If I could somehow eat a Tums while I'm sucking on a lemon (which I love doing) without ruining the taste, I probably would, but by the time your tongue actually starts to hurt, wouldn't most of the acid already have been cleaned from your mouth? freshofftheufo ΓΛĿЌ 04:15, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Lemonheads don't have lemon juice. bibliomaniac15 04:23, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Number of College Student in the US?

Facebook is supposed to have 7.7 million members and be at 80% saturation of the college market. Is that correct? How many college students are in the US? How Many High School Students are in the US? 10 million college students seems low to me. STHayden ^{[ Talk ]} 02:55, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Looks like 14.5 million undergrads in 2003 [4]. Rmhermen 03:30, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Poet G Venora LaMarche

Please add this author to the list of Poets. G. Venora LaMarche has published two Poetry Chapbooks. The first titled "Crazee Lady, Too" and the second is "This Life: Orison of Life" both published by Publish America. The first was released in 2005 and "This Life" is released in July 2006. G. Venora was born 1941 and presently resides in Wichita Kansas.

Hello. Since this is a wiki, you could always create an article - G. Venora LaMarche - on the poet in question yourself. However, i'm not sure she or he meets the notability guidelines for inclusion in wikipedia. PublishAmerica is essentially an author mill and thus the poety may be considered a vanity publication. However, if you can justify his or her inclusion in policy, then please be bold. Rockpocket 07:01, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Song-bird

What is the name of the song-bird used as a symbol for the Kursk Region in Russia? thanks, KN

I don't know but I find this strange. So do we get to shar in the prize? CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 12:15, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Well I wouldn't have said it was a songbird, but if you go to Kursk, click on the coat of arms, then click on the link, then translate the relevant section using Babelfish, you get ... partridge. --Shantavira 11:12, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

In the link above to the original question there is a wma file that you can download. From what I saw the answer is in there, you just need to listen to it. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 13:13, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Identification of a song...

This is a song that I heard on the radio, but unfortunately, muffled. It's a rather heavy song; I would say, it's rock, or even alternative. One lead male singer. These are the notes:

                ||          |           ||
vocals: * * a c ||. d e a c | d * a c  .||
bass:           ||. f------ | d------- .||
                ||          |           ||

The notes just increase from a to e, and then from the same a to d. This repeats a few times. I'm fairly certain the key is A minor. Slight possibility it is in D minor, but I did not hear any b-flats. I've identified the chors which I believe start right at the bar line. There is also some drums...Any ideas?? --HappyCamper 12:38, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Do you know any lines from the lyric? If so you could try searching for them on Google. --Richardrj ^talk ^email 12:49, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

No, I don't unfortunately. I think there is the word "my" or "me" somewhere, but that would not help. The song must be something fairly recent, written after 2000 at minimum if I had to bet. --HappyCamper 13:04, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It would help if we knew the rythm and where the barlines are. (Can Wikipedia render musical notation by now?) Anyway, let me try guessing: It's my life —Bromskloss 13:24, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Okay, I added 4/4 bar lines - and also indicated where the two bars of music seem to repeat a few times. All of them are just quarter notes. The stars are what sounded like rests. It's not It's my life though. I have that song :-) --HappyCamper 16:31, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Keyboard, countour, sing, whistle, rhythm : try [Musipedia] searches. -- DLL ^{.. T} 20:17, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

By any chance could the song be Four Kicks by Kings of Leon? T REX_speak 01:56, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

law 502

Hi. am having trouble finding info on a 1960's-1970's law known among rock'en rollers and bikers. 502 is common number in rock-cafes/bars, and its supposed to mean something about a restricting law having to do with bikers n rock en roll. As my final option i chose to ask you about that 502 "symbol". thank you in advance for your efforts. 193.92.44.132 13:06, 7 September 2006 (UTC)Dimitris[reply]

"502" is (or was, supposedly, in some jurisdiction, at some time) police code for driving under the influence, as in "502 blues (drinkin' and drivin')" by Wayne Shorter. --Rallette 15:53, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Grizzly vs. croc

Which would win in a fight to the death between a grizzly bear versus a saltwater crocodile? Battle Ape 13:13, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I think the stingray would win. --Zeizmic 13:38, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Considering that grizzly bears and saltwater crocodiles occupy very different ecosystems, they would probably never meet. Durova 18:11, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Where's the fight? If it's in the water, I reckon that bear's pwned. TheMadBaron 21:00, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Okay, the arena will have a land area and a water area, but the fight starts on land. So the croc would have to drag the grizzly over there. Durova, I know it would never happen, it's just hypothetical. Battle Ape 01:39, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Because both of them would probably run away, I think you have to tweak the setting a little more. A small, closed (like a valley) area with scattered areas of dry land and murkey water, which is coincidentally home to both a nest of baby croc eggs (and their big assed-mother) and a snatch of bear cubs (and their angry frothy mother). Now, I think you've got a fight. freshofftheufo ΓΛĿЌ 04:08, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hmmmm...I think the bear would win. First, because it starts out on land. Second, the croc would have trouble getting a good grip on the bear through all the fur. Finally, the croc's standard tactic is to drag its victim into the water and drown it. The beasties are about the same maximum weight, so that would be tough. 06:31, 8 September 2006 (UTC)

Who, me freshgavin? :) --Froth 22:28, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

No.

It has to be a closed arena with no other food resources, or they're never going to fight.

The crocodile, generally very lethargic, and capable of surviving for months without food, takes one look at the bear and heads straight for the water. The bear stays close to her cubs. She avoids the water, perhaps for several days. One night, she heads quietly, cautiously, closer to the water in the hope of taking a fish. She stops. She waits. There is neither smell nor sound of the crocodile, so she approaches the waters edge. Splash - snap - drag - roll.... pwned. TheMadBaron 11:12, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Remember though that bears have a sense of smell ten times better than a dog's. A bear can smell a fish underwater a mile away. So the bear certainly knows that the only food around is that big strange thing at the bottom of the pond. The croc has relatively poor senses. So I'd say the bear gets the first swipe and lays the croc's innards open, then the fatally injured croc uses its tail to sweep the bear toward its jaws. The bear takes a nasty injury, but the croc doesn't have the strength to drag it underwater. Croc dies, bear eats dinner, then bear expires from an abscessed wound. Final score 0-0. Durova 13:54, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Now, remember that the bear is in a weakened state, not having eaten for a few days. And the crocodile's skin is made of the same stuff they make shoes out of. And if you want me to accept that a bear can smell a fish underwater from a mile away, I'm afraid you'll have to cite your sources.... besides, a crocodile is not a fish, it's an insect. No, I tell you, the crocodile has the elephant of surprise on her side, and that bear is crocodile poo. TheMadBaron 21:15, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I think the crocodile would win. --Proficient 03:41, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

My source was a U.S. park ranger at a bear safety awareness lecture in Sequoia National Park - not exactly the sort of thing that can be cited, but it's pretty easy to verify online that a bear's sense of smell is far better than a dog's. It would be rather difficult to suppose a bear wouldn't smell another animal that weighed hundreds of pounds. Now the croc can't stray far from the pond so it's really up to the bear to make the first move. I don't suppose it would wait until it's seriously weakened. Also, croc skin counts nil toward deflecting a bear's claws. I have seen a bear turn a fallen log into toothpicks with three swipes. Durova 14:20, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

UFO

What is the latest story for UFOs? Thanks196.200.100.232 13:48, 7 September 2006 (UTC)poppy[reply]

Do you mean the latest news story? Try list of major UFO sightings and the many and various links from there. Otherwise UFO will fill you in.--Shantavira 15:26, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Fifteen Aliens Arrested in Roswell, New Mexico --Shantavira 17:29, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

LOL. StuRat 17:34, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Funniest thing I've ever seen on Wikipedia. Jamesino 01:46, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You not been here very long then?--Light current 01:58, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Incorrect Jamesino 00:38, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Did you not witness the tapeworm incident? THat was the funniest by far IMO--Light current 03:50, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

See that one here: [5]. StuRat 06:47, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Amaniyat

I was looking at Canadian soldiers kill Afghan police officer over on Wikinews, wanted to wikilink Amaniyat, and was surprised there was no article.

Google turns up a mention here, apparently this is the Afghan Secret Police, or National Directorate of Security (NDS). Only mention of the NDS I've found in Wikipedia is at Human rights in Afghanistan.

And to turn this into a question... Who would be a good person to ask about making a stub on this? I was looking for a "request an article" page and wouldn't mind if this was moved to one. --Brianmc 15:43, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Wikipedia:Requested articles would be what you're looking for there. Tony Fox (arf!) 16:02, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks! --Brianmc 16:04, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Desert

I am looking for a world map, but on it should be marked where the deserts in the world is. It is for a project for school. I can`t find it on Wikipedia. Can you please help? Do you know where I can find something like that on the internet?

Our desert article really should have a map showing the location of deserts around the world (but doesn't right now). --Tagishsimon (talk)

Hopefully this answer will be of more use to you.[6]--Light current 16:08, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

This query points towards some maps - the first link might indeed be all you need. IINAL, but there may be an educational fair use justification for appropriating images; and if not, well, in your place I'd borrow the map anyway. --Tagishsimon (talk)

This might also help: List of deserts. Durova 17:56, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If it is for school, you could trace your own map, and mark significant deserts of the world. — [Mac Davis] (talk) (Desk|Help me improve)

Don't forget the cold deserts, unless your project is specifically about hot deserts. freshofftheufo ΓΛĿЌ 04:00, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I can't help but think of ice cream vs hot apple pie. :--) JackofOz 23:33, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Indeed. Do you need both hot/cold deserts? --Proficient 03:42, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Musical form and harmony

THis in not homework! Im doing a study of the musical form of popular jazz songs (standards). I find that the harmony starts usually either with I maj, or IIm7 in most cases. So if the song is in Cmaj, the first chord tends to be Cmaj or Dm7.

What I want to know is: are there tunes which start on chords built on other steps of the scale, like Em, Fmaj etc (in the key of Cmaj agian). If so, what percentage (if any) of songs start on these other steps of the scale?--Light current 16:22, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Well, let's see. I'll omit the rarely sung verses for the purpose of this question, and transpose to C. "What Is This Thing Called Love" starts on Gm7b5. "Nice Work if You Can Get It" starts on E7#5. "Love for Sale", FMaj7. "I Thought About You", F#m7b5. That's all I could find skimming quickly through two fake books; so yes, they exist, and they are pretty rare. Cole Porter is a good place to look, since he quite often didn't stick to more common formats. Can't give a percentage, though I'd guess less than 5%. --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 17:41, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

OK Well thats very useful. THanks JP. 8-)). As you may have guessed, Im trying to work out an easy way of remembering the harmonies of the common jazz standards. THe M8s are of course another task!

"What Is This Thing Called Love" has a fairly inharmonious beginning- I suppose its the b5.
"Nice Work if You Can Get It" yes I can hear it now!
"I Thought About You" I m not familiar with this one.
"Love for Sale" I should have guessed this one as Ive played it. Altho' couldnt that be a Dm7 insted of Fmaj7?

Any more additions will be most welcome. THese of course will be the exceptions to my new 'rule'--Light current 17:53, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Well, my fakebook has Love for sale in Bb, and it starts on EbMaj7. --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 18:45, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I take your word for it: thers not much diff between Fmaj7 and Dm9 except the bass note really.--Light current 23:47, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Finding Ulf and Siw Rosen

I am trying to find a swedish couple Mr and Mrs Rosen, They use to live in: Monrov. 7b 75244 upsala Sweden.

They were my sponsors in education 26yrs ago in a village in the gambia. I want to thank them. My life is very successful because of them.

Regards

Do you speak Swedish? I wasn't able to find Monrov. at all, and casually matching Siw Rosen with Ulf Rosen didn't yield any results either. Sorry. Were they missionaries? —Bromskloss 21:09, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It could have been a typo for "Morgonv(ägen)", an actual street name in Uppsala, (though it currently has another Postal code). 惑乱分からん 22:00, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hmmm, the postal code fits with "Marmorv(ägen)", though. Don't know how much that helps. 惑乱分からん 22:21, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Changing the user profile name

How do I change the profile name to read David E. Mumford instead of David mumford? It's showing up now with a lower case m on mumford. Thanks.

Create a new user name, and copy the text over from the old user name. You will lose the history, but since you only have 3 edits, that's no big deal. StuRat 17:53, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

However, when so copying, please don't commit copyright infringement as with User:David mumford. Thanks! — Lomn | Talk 17:55, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Your user page was flagged as a copyright violation, since you copied your own biography directly from a web site. This is an interesting case, I wonder if there's any "fair use" argument saying you can copy your own biography from a web site without the express written permission of the site. StuRat 18:01, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I really can't see how there would be, since this sort of copyright is more concerned with the presentation of the facts therein rather than what the facts themselves are. Composing a quick autobiographical statement shouldn't be any real effort, though. — Lomn | Talk 18:32, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Wouldn't that be original research? :p --70.61.33.138 13:24, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

What happens if you create an account "David E. Mumford" and then move page "User:David Mumford" to "User:David E. Mumford"? In any case, this seems more a question for the Help desk than for the refefrence desks. --Lambiam ^Talk 15:17, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

This is definitely and interesting situation. --Proficient 03:43, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Value of chemical elements

I noticed that the value of germanium in 1997 and 2000 was provided in that article. That sparked the question: what is the best source for determining the current value of such commodities? Is there a reliable web source for finding this information. I'd like to find a consistent source for updating this aspect of the chemical articles. Much thanks in advance. LeyteWolfer 17:58, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Wasn't this already asked and answered elsewhere ? StuRat 18:03, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Asked, yes; answered, no. Thought it wiser to try and reach potential financial people. LeyteWolfer 22:21, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Tried Johnson Matthey metals

chemical market reporter

Thanks, I'll give those a go. LeyteWolfer 22:21, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yet another obscure song info request

I head this many years ago on the radio, but don't know the group. It goes something like this: A la puerta del sol, ay contigi del mar, wantavorta compensiero y fortadia siem momen (excuse the spelling). After a while, it switches to the English translation. Clarityfiend 20:34, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Try copy-pasting the lyrics into Google. It usually works when I need lyrics. Luigi30 (Taλk) 12:15, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

But after "A la puerta del sol", the Spanish gets messed up, so you better ask for a rewrite on the Language section, first. 惑乱分からん 12:45, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Trying to find back a funny (chibi) image of the Vegeta character from Dragonball

File:WeirdVEGETA.JPG

Hello, as an avatar on my MSN I have a picture of Vegeta from Dragonball. I lost the original though. It is kind of chibi-style. It could be fanart but it is drawn quite well. His outfit is much like on planet Namek when he was fighting Freeza (he is wearing black with a white armor over it). He is walking to the left and clapping his hands in order to remove the dust and makes a funny face like : "Finally got that solved". I'll try to upload a low quality version of it.(EDIT:got one)

I am trying to find the original. Can anyone help? Thanks! (Please tell me if I violated a rule by uploading that screenshot) Evilbu 22:45, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If you have the original file name, throwing that into Google might net you something. Other than that, you're probably out of luck. There is Google Images, but I imagine with a character like him you could be on there a long time searching for a particular image. Mitaphane _talk 00:01, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It looks like fanart, as opposed to an official "chibi print". freshofftheufo ΓΛĿЌ 03:47, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I know about some technology that allows you to search for similar images according to appearance (color, shape, shades etc) but I don't know how and where to use it. 惑乱分からん 12:47, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

"gay"

why is "gay" almost always in the top 10 "most searched" on nytimes.com?

Might it have something to do with this phenomenon? freshofftheufo ΓΛĿЌ 03:46, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Because being gay can be considered trendy. Look at Google's Zeitgeist sometime. Luigi30 (Taλk) 12:14, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Neither of those answers are very good. I don't think anyone has the slightest idea why "gay" is a top searched item on nytimes.com. I suppose the more natural assumption would be that people are interested in articles from the New York Times related to homosexuality, but who knows what motivates people. I tried searching for "gay" on it and didn't come up with anything obvious. It also might be something related to the fact that it is high on the rankings—people like you (and me) tried to search for it too, wondering why it is such a high search term. But I doubt that this sort of curiosity can keep a search term very high on its own, since relatively few people are likely to care what are high search terms at nytimes.com. --Fastfission 14:55, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Actually, I was attempting to answer the question. You could ask a similar question, "Why do people often add the word gay when they vandalize Wikipedia?" The answer is simply that "gay" is often used out of context, and wrongly, as some sort of explicit word, and many of the more immature internet users would probably think it just hilarious to have "gay" as one of the most searched words in a list, in the same way they'd probably like to have "penis" or "poopsex" in the list. What Marco Polo says below certainly also contributes to the effect. freshofftheufo ΓΛĿЌ 19:21, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Homosexuality is a phenomenon affecting close to 10% of the population directly (that is, at least this percentage has homosexual desires or feelings at some point) and indirectly affecting their parents and friends, a much larger number. Yet few educational systems offer people any information or guidance on this topic, which is taboo in many countries, at least as a topic for school instruction. So, when this topic confronts people (e.g. they notice feelings of attraction to others of the same sex, or they discover that their child, pupil, uncle, aunt, neighbor, or whoever, has such feelings), they rush to the internet for enlightenment. Marco polo 15:29, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Indeed. People want to find out more about it, use it to insult others, use it for acceptance, etc. It's like a crown phenomena. --Proficient 03:45, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Septmber is what designated what month?

I have a health homework that asks what is designated for the month of september. An example given to the class was that october is breast cancer awarness month. I would be thankful if you could help me out with this topic.

It seems a little silly to me to designate an entire month to a given the amount of diseases that exist out there. But anyway, BCAM seems to be given its designation by the president of the US. See List of observances in the United States by presidential proclamation for other months, weeks, days that have special designations. --Mitaphane _talk 23:57, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

i think its drug and alcohol awareness month Modesty84 03:00, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Let me guess. Is this a US thing? DirkvdM 06:23, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Could be a Netherlands thing, too, as in "be aware of the nearest locations to buy and consume exotic drugs and alcohol". :-) StuRat 06:49, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Well, I know that a) April is the cruellest month, and b) the American Library Associations 'read a banned book' week is always in September. Oh man, I've redeemed myself. You wanna know what September is? Check out THIS site. Pace yourself my friend. Anchoress 11:30, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

BTW I hope I don't have to tell you to independently confirm anything you use from that list. I checked the first one (ADHD month), one that would be useful to you, and it actually is. Anchoress 11:35, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

No, seriously, is this a US thing? I know of mother's day and all that, but I've only occasionally heard of months or years dedicated to one thing as a one-off occasion. I thought that was a UN thing, but I understand from this dicsussion that every month is dedicated to something in the US. DirkvdM 07:46, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Note that most of those silly things are never mentioned anywhere. I suppose if you are with the National Artichoke Board (if there is such a thing) you might put out an ad that says "try an artichoke during national artichoke week !". StuRat 06:35, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It might depend on where you live. --Proficient 03:46, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

CS vs CS2

What are the major pros and cons when comparing Adobe Photoshop versions CS and CS2? Overall, which of the two is better (speed, functionality, loading times, etc...)? Thanks Jamesino 23:30, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Check out Photoshop's release history. --Mitaphane _talk 00:08, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yes but that only lists the new functions. Is there a site with opinions and a direct comparison? Jamesino 01:33, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

CS2 I believe since it's the latest. --Proficient 03:46, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

blushing

I have a problem. I blush at just about anything. I mean, if someone talks to me, no matter what kind of relatiosnship I have with them, I usually get embarassed somehow. Usually the only time it doesn;t happen is when I'm talking to family or guy friends that I'm close to. If I don't know them, it usually hapens. I have already had it happen with 3 girls in the first 2 weeks of school and it was not pretty. I mean, when one sat down next to me in class I did it. I don't try to blush, and it's like uncontrollable. Can somebody help me. What is going on? By the way, I am a freshman. In high school. Thanks.

Have you looked at our page on blushing? It tells you why, but may not tell you how to cure it.--Light current 23:40, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hey, look at this LC- Idiopathic craniofacial erythema it looks kinda like it- Blusher

Yes. It does. Im glad you found that!--Light current 23:56, 7 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Looks like I'm kinda outta luck treatmentwise- Blusher

Dont worry - youll grow out of it!--Light current 00:31, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hope so, thanks for your help LC, its kinda nice on Wikipedia because I can be myself, and I've got a more specific question about this but i gotta go for now, so I'll be back later, and I think you'd be able to answer it. Thanks a bunch, man. :)

"Man is the only animal that blushes. Or needs to." Mark Twain. --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 00:50, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Man (or woman) is the only animal that has a bare face. Is that why?--Light current 02:03, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Arthropods? Good question though. — [Mac Davis] (talk) (Desk|Help me improve)

I have two suggestions:

1) Makeup, specifically a base, would cover up the blush. However, I get the impression you're male, so this might seem "effeminate".

2) ~~Aversion~~ Desensitization therapy. After you talk to lots of strange girls about risque topics the blush reaction will lessen with time. You might just set a goal of talking with a certain number each day, not particularly worrying if you make a good impression. A night club might be a good place to practice. And, a bonus is that a dark room will hide the blush well.

Blushing makes you look shy and inexperienced. This may be a turn-off for some women, but may actually be a turn-on for a few.

StuRat 06:41, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'm not sure I'd go as far as sturat and tell you to talk dirty to the girls, but you should realize that it's really not that big of a deal, and that you'll probably grow out of it soon. And like he said, some girls might find it cute or something. If it's really bothering you, you might (not) want to consider Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy. --Froth (public computer) 13:30, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I think guys blushing is attractive myself-hotclaws**==(82.138.214.1 19:55, 8 September 2006 (UTC))[reply]

Seriously, it is?- Blusher

Note that I used the wrong term, it' actually called desensitization therapy, not aversion therapy, that's something else. StuRat 01:55, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You're male, correct? --Proficient 03:47, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah- 15 years old-Blusher

September 8

SCRIPTS

Are there any good places or websites I can go to buy Hollywood scripts? They don't have to be original, but I want to become a collector. I already have 4 from eBay. And also, what was the most popular movie Eddie Murphy was in?

Thanks

Possibly Beverly Hills Cop? By what criteria are you judging popularity? He was also pretty popular as Donkey in Shrek. freshofftheufo ΓΛĿЌ 03:33, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Just basically the most seen movie Eddie Murphy has been in. BEverly Hills Cop is great! Also, does anyone know about the scripts?

Well I tried this and got some sites that look good. You could try variations on what I entered. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 13:05, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The cheapest solution would be to copy the script yourself. Which should be a cinch if you're a big fan, with a photographic memory. freshofftheufo ΓΛĿЌ 13:18, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Need help in geography of Netherlands

I was given an address:

'S Gravenenhage,

2572 HX,

The Netherlands

I interpret that The Netherlands is the name of a country unknown to an ignorant person like me. Perhaps 2572 HX is their zip-code.

Question-1: What is 'S? Does it mean SOUTH?

Question-2: What is "Gravenenhage"? Is it the name of a state (or province) of Netherlands?

Question-3: What is the relationship between Gravenenhage and Den Haag? Is Gravenenhage a small part of Den Haag? Is Den Haag a small part of Gravenenhage? Are they two nearby cities?

Question-4: If Gravenenhage is a small part of Den Haag, then would it be better to write

'S Gravenenhage,

2572 HX, Den Haag,

The Netherlands

Thank you in advance for your help. I tried several chat rooms without getting anywhere. Twma 03:14, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Though I know nothing about the Netherlands, it seems you must have made a spelling mistake? 'S-Gravenhage is The Hague in English. The 'S appears to be the possessive particle, so it means the same as "de" in many romance languages, or "den" in Dutch, hence you get the common name "Den Haag" from "Den Gravenhage". freshofftheufo ΓΛĿЌ 03:26, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The address is incomplete 's Gravenhage and Den Haag are the same, but the adres doesn't contain a street or house number. A real Dutch address should look something like this (wihtout my sig of course):

Kerkstraat 1,

2572 HX, Den Haag,

The Netherlands - Mgm|^(talk) 04:50, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Maybe 2572 HX is a famous postal code... like 90210? freshofftheufo ΓΛĿЌ 04:54, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

So the correct address should be

street name, number

2572 HX, Den Haag

The Netherlands

Thank you very much for your help. Twma 05:12, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

This might help: [7]. --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 05:30, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Your example certainly answers all my questions already. Thanks with appreciation. This site is better than many chat rooms in Europe. Twma 06:05, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Note that ZIP Code is a US term, the general term is postal code. StuRat 06:33, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

After edit conflict:

A ~~zip~~ postal code for a country? Funny, I heard someone suggest that in a US film the other day and wasn't sure if it was meant as a joke. And now you. Are you from the US too perchance?

Freshofftheufo, that full name would be 'des Graven Hage' (the earl's hedge - don't ask), not 'den Gravenhage'. Also, see Den Haag.

Jpgordon, that address you linked to has the countryname in German, so Twma, don't copy that bit. Oh, and note that you wrote 'S Gravenenhage. Make sure you take out the stammer. :) DirkvdM 06:40, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hmm, I assumed that den had the same meaning as 'S, and I've no idea where des came from, but that's good because that means I wasn't lying when I said I knew nothing about Dutch! Maybe I'll tackle it as my 5th language. ...right after I figure out how to communicate with the trees! freshofftheufo ΓΛĿЌ 07:48, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Too late to do anything now. Final decision has been made under time pressure. Just wish me luck with your blessing. Thanks to all again. Bye. Twma 06:05, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

'Den' is an antiquated version of 'de' ('the'). 'Des' (or 'der') means 'of the'. As in 'the hedge of the earl'. It's also rather antiquated - not sure if it's still official Dutch, but it's still used in a lot of expressions. Or names, like mine - van der Made. DirkvdM 07:53, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

About Edit Wars

I have painstakingly written and re-written the section on the IAU definition of Planet in the article on Pluto many times. Each time, someone has reverted it. It seems that they have no feelings for anothers work, even fair compromises.... I was wondering if someone could talk sense into them? (They left their edit tags on the bottom of the talk page) Alphabetagamma 04:12, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

P.S.: It seems that I have won this edit war for now. Alphabetagamma 04:13, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I think the following comment was the problem:

The above text was copied directly from the IAU website (http://www.iau2006.org/mirror/www.iau.org/iau0602/index.html) at 3:50 8 September 2006 (UTC).

You're not supposed to copy text directly from websites, that is a copyright violation. Also, the section in question is supposed to be a summary of the main article about the decision, not a fully detailed one. - Mgm|^(talk) 04:44, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

And that last bit at least was pointed out to you at the talk page too. DirkvdM 06:46, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Edit wars are not for winning. You should not enter into one at all. If you find that your work is reverted, your first action should be to raise it on the talk page, and try to reach a consensus. Notinasnaid 09:02, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

featured article

there is a featured article on fyodorovskaya icon, i am pretty sure i have seen this picture in a church in poland just out side Katowitse. Wanted to drop a note on the talk page but the option was not there.

I am not sure what you are asking. If you wish to discuss the article, just go to Talk:Theotokos of St. Theodore, and click on "edit this page".--Shantavira 09:18, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

please suitly emphazi your question --frothInClassRightNowAndNotLoggedIn

emphaSi? Is that a briticism? 惑乱分からん 18:08, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Whatever do you mean? :) --Froth 19:57, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I meant emphaZi had teh suitly misspell! 惑乱分からん 12:39, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

This confusing joke has now been suitly nominated for emphazical deletion; see Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/Wikipedia:Suitly emphazi. Sandstein 21:19, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

MOH FRONTLINE

Hi I have just completed Medal of Honor Frontline on the ps2 and am wondering if there is any other way to unlock the cheats other than the passwords found in the magazines and on the net? I have already looked on Gamefaqs and other gaming sites but they only have the passwords. I am looking to see if they can be unlocked through the game like the first two MOHs, any help appreciated.

You could use a PS2 Action Replay to unlock things in games, or whatever the thing's called (I still call them all GameSharks) Luigi30 (Taλk) 12:12, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Any computer that you need external hardware to hack the memory is not worth supporting - anyway if you want cheats try PC games, they've traditionally had more diverse and powerful cheats than console games (excluding of course goldeneye!). Meanwhile I'll continue evangelizing PC gaming anytime the topic is even remotely related --Froth 20:00, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I play both, and there are certain genres I would never use a console for, and certain genres I would never use a PC for, and genres I use both for. (eg Rayman is the only good platformer on the PC (and non PC-exclusive), and it's tough playing FPSes on a console, with the exception of Goldeneye 007.) ColourBurst 00:58, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Size of pages

Is there any way to determine the current size of a page without waiting for the '32k warning' maessage in the edit window?--Light current 15:06, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Cut & paste the text from the edit window into something that'll do a character count; Word or a good text editor. Or into web-based counting tool such as Cut & Paste Character count --Tagishsimon (talk)

How about if you right click on the page then click "properties"? A blank Wikipedia page seems to be about 1kB so deduct that. Of course if there are pics on the page they will make a difference which you don't want to include. --Shantavira 17:35, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I dont get any size indication. Im using Cologne blue skin.--Light current 17:38, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Maybe it depends on your browser. That's standard in IE for all web pages as long as you click a blank area.--Shantavira 19:44, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

IE?! >:( shame on you .. in firefox, its in View Page Info in the page context menu (right click). Right below encoding and above referrer. RD/Misc is 114.83 KB (117,589 bytes) right now. --Froth 20:03, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I must have altered my Firefox copy too much. Apparently I have no such context menu item. - Mgm|^(talk) 20:41, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Right click in any white space on the page, then select view page info. Just like IE except it has a different name (Properties in firefox views the properties of the element - image, button, or in this case the body of the document). It's not likely that you configured it out. Maybe you just misread what I said? It was a bit unclear --Froth 22:33, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If you haven't configured it out, have you now figured it out? :) DirkvdM 08:04, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

eggs and soldiers

My 4 year old daughter would like to know where the term eggs and soldiers come from after having her eggs and soldiers for breakfast this morning. I have searched on the web to no conclusion-help,any ideas,many thanks,Denise

Yup, I got nowhere too, except a suggestion that it was because lines of cut toast looked like ranks of soldiers - "crispy strips of buttered toast were lined up like little soldiers"; and another that when dipped, the yolk formed a soldier-like helmet. There might, I suppose, be some connection with Humpty-Dumpty, who could not be put back together by all the kings's horses & men ... sadly just speculation, no well referenced information --Tagishsimon (talk)

I was completely unaware of this term until reading this question, and I feel I've been deprived lo these many years. We don't seem to have an article on Eggs and soldiers, so, the toast is cut into strips; how are the eggs prepared? --LarryMac 18:00, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Boiled eggs. And the bread isn't always (and shouldn't be, for me) toasted. violet/riga (t) 20:51, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I might be way off, but I came to think of French Toast, which is named akin to "poor knights" in several languages of Northern Europe (likely calqued); British English Poor Knights of Windsor, German Arme Ritter, Danish/Norwegian Arme riddere, Swedish Fattiga riddare, Finnish Köyhät ritarit. 惑乱分からん 18:06, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Still not an answer to the original question, but in my fascination, I found this article which has a nice picture for ignorant Yanks such as myself. --LarryMac 18:16, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The OED doesn't record this colloquial usage in print until 1966, but it must have been around for some time before then.--Shantavira 19:46, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Dipping white bread in eggs? Honestly it's revolting --Froth 20:05, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

There's a fan site but they use toast, bloody heathens. And just in case the soldier cutting machine in LarryMac's link was not enough there is always this. And the I've used the term since I was a kid which would put it before 1966. On the other hand there is this. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 23:46, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Surely toast has a practical advantage over untoasted bread in its rigidity. With fresh bread it would get pretty messy, one would think. Then again, war is messy, so maybe thats appropriate. Rockpocket 06:22, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

My mother used to make little deep fried bread triangles to go with pea soup. She called these 'soldaatjes' or 'little soldiers'. Too similar to be a coincidence, but Googling it doesn't give exactly this variety, although something similar also seems to go well with spinach. And I now remember a smaller variety is also served with gazpacho. That article says it's not necessarily made of tomatoes and that "bread is the ingredient that really identifies a gazpacho". So my mother unwittingly made gazpacho. DirkvdM 08:24, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I have never heard of such a thing, without looking it up. --Proficient 03:49, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

military salute

I think the military salute which is used by many soldiers of a different countries has its origin. I want to know the country of this origin & how it began.— Preceding unsigned comment added by 196.200.102.42 (talk • contribs)

Salute may be of value to you. Dismas|^(talk) 20:07, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

See Emission theory (vision) and Salute#Military_Salutes -- The origin of this salute is unknown. One theory is that it came from Roman soldiers' shading their eyes from the intense light that was supposed to shine from the eyes of their superiors (see emission theory (vision)). Another theory is that it came from when men-at-arms wore armor--a friendly approach would include holding the reins of the horse with the left hand while raising the visor of the helmet with the right, so that one could be recognised. A third theory is that the salute, and the handshake, came from a way of showing that the right hand (the fighting hand) was not concealing a weapon. The most widely accepted theory is that it evolved from the practice of men raising their hats in the presence of officers. Tipping one's hat on meeting a social superior was the normal civilian sign of respect at the time [1]. Repeated hat-raising was impractical if heavy helmets were worn, so the gesture was stylised to a mere hand movement. --Froth 20:09, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

name of cities

I find that in your pages cities like Assab, Barentu and Ghindae are found in Eritrea. Is there any one who can tell me the meanings of these names and their origin?— Preceding unsigned comment added by 196.200.102.42 (talk • contribs)

You might get a better answer at Wikipedia:Reference desk/Language. User:Zoe|(talk) 23:27, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Animal/innovations

I heard that the innovation of Airplane is derived or based from the nature of birds. If that is true, are there any other innovations which are created on the basis of animals nature?— Preceding unsigned comment added by 196.200.102.42 (talk • contribs)

Aeroplanes are not really based on birds - birds have wings which flap, and they have feathers. However to answer your question: yes, many inventors take inspiration from nature (can't think of any examples at the moment). —Daniel (‽) 19:49, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Here's one I know off the top of my head: the teardrop hull shape of modern submarines is directly copied from the body shape of large whales Raul654 18:32, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

radar and bats-hotclaws**==(82.138.214.1 20:00, 8 September 2006 (UTC))[reply]

What bats have is sonar. Sorry, more accurately, echolocation. Anchoress 23:28, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

yes but wasn't radar based on how bats echo-locate? hotclaws**==(82.138.214.1 09:23, 9 September 2006 (UTC))[reply]

No, radar uses radio waves, sonar/echolocation uses sound waves. Anchoress 18:28, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Military camouflage, antibiotics, dams... Rockpocket 06:19, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

As Daniel said, the notion of flying got its inspiration from birds, but the actual implementation is very different, especially with a helicopter. Giders, however, function very similar to the way, say, vultures fly and the use of updrafts may also have been gleamed from birds. I wonder if man would ever have thought of the notion of flying if it hadn't been for birds (natura artis magistra).

I once saw diagrams of the way copulating dragonflies interlock and a coupling mechanism of spacecrafts, which were very similar. I don't know, though, if that was a pure coincidence (convergent evolution?). I think it was developed for a space station. DirkvdM 09:26, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Please give me any other more example of innovations which are based on the notion of animals.

Tunnel boring machines are possibly inspired by earthworms.

XP

Is the abbreviation XP for "experience" in Windows XP based on the use of the same abbreviation in RPGs? Neon Merlin 18:51, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Sort of. XP in role-playing games is more usually eXperience points. However, I'm sure the guys at MS were influenced by the RPG use. — Lomn | Talk 19:32, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

My bet is that marketing people came up with it, and that RPGs play no role in those types of decisions. --Fastfission 19:38, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It symbolizes the face you make when it fails on you :) --Froth 20:11, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Probably more like the face it makes when it fails on you. Vitriol 21:35, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah, I've always considered it funny that Microsoft chose a mocking smiley as part of their OS logo... XP 惑乱分からん 12:17, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Probably not. --Proficient 03:50, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

tribes

which country from africa is a country with the highest number of tribes?— Preceding unsigned comment added by 196.200.102.42 (talk • contribs)

I think that this question is impossible to answer, because there are many different ways to interpret the word tribe. Not only that, but there is no commonly accepted way to draw lines between related "tribes" or ethnic groups. To take an example from Europe, should all speakers of German be considered members of a single ethnic group, even though they may have different cultures and may not be able to understand each others' dialects? Do we consider the people of Liechtenstein a different ethnic group from the German speakers of Switzerland, even though they speak more or less the same dialect and have similar customs? Do we consider Germans in Germany to be a separate ethnic group from Austrians, even though the customs and dialect of Bavaria, Germany, are more similar to those of Austria than to the customs and dialects of northern Germany? What about the ancient "tribal" divisions of Germany, between the Swabians, Bavarians, Saxons, etc? Are these the most important distinctions? The same questions apply in any region of Africa, but with even more ambiguity. Marco polo 19:11, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

ethnic group (nationality)

which country from africa is the country with highest number of ethnic group (nationality)? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 196.200.102.42 (talk • contribs)

See my comments above on the lack of clear lines separating ethnic groups. That said, there is some correlation between language and ethnicity. People who belong to the same ethnic group generally speak the same language. (There are exceptions, such as people from a rural ethnic group who move to the city and raise children who belong to that ethnic group but speak only the language of the city where they were raised.) However, people from different ethnic groups may also speak the same language. (Think of the number of ethnic groups that include speakers of English.) Still, the number of languages can provide a rough measure of ethnic diversity. By that measure, according to Ethnologue, Nigeria is the country in Africa with the largest number of living languages: 510 in all. Marco polo 19:19, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

best computer

If price was absolutely no object, how would you build a gaming PC? Here are two "fences" I'm not sure which side would be better. BTW i don't actually intend to buy it I'm just curious :)

2x itanium montecito processors (dual core, 2 threads per core, 13mb cache per core) OR Some mainstream high-power single processor like AMD 64 FX (is that still in production? I don't buy amd) or Core 2 Duo
NVIDIA's best SLI setup OR AMD's best crossfire setup

--Froth 23:12, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

yea right, there are no games that even exist to utilize even half of the power in that kind of system.

But theoretically for the kind of processing involved in games.. --Froth 23:50, 8 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Try one of these machines. My guess is that there perfermance in a PC gaming role would be out of this world ;) TomStar81 (Talk) 07:37, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I would think that the decentralization of components and non-repetitiveness of the operations would make supercomputers less up to the task --Froth 17:07, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If you're looking for one of the best systems an average person can buy and get performance from, perhaps something like this would be good:

CPU: X6800 Conroe, Mobo: P5W DH Deluxe, RAM: 4 GB G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500), GPU: Quad SLI 7950GX2 or Crossfire with x1900xtx, ... --Proficient 03:53, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Money no object? I'd go with quad dual-core Opterons, 16GB of RAM split equally between all four processors, video cards capable of quad-SLI, and four Raptor hard drives set up as RAID 10. Estimated cost: $15,000. --Serie 23:53, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

September 9

anothe man law

wtf does this mean: "if it's that time of the month for your girlfriend, you are allowed to take matters into your own hands". is this condoning cheating? explain?

btw, this is jasbutal

masturbation --Nelson Ricardo 00:41, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Note that there aren't any real "man laws," just common courtesy and "good man-manners." These two you are confused about are more supposed to be funny. — [Mac Davis] (talk) (Desk|Help me improve)

well no shit mac_davis. No, i didn't realize that there wasn't a man-legislature enacting man-laws. I really thought that I was going to be arrested when I didn't jack off because my woman was bleeding.

I thought intercourse was still possible with a menstruating woman. Jamesino 16:55, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It's absolutely possible, the question is if the two partners will still be willing. Masturbation, on the other hand, is generally possible just about anytime, although perhaps not always appropriate. 惑乱分からん 17:50, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

While menstrating, the girlfriend's hormone levels will be at a low, so not only is intercourse not as desirable (unless you like it bloody), it may not be desired either. Oh, and Mr. Jasbutal: We all appreciate your lofty, casual speech here, but let's put on our friendly hats and answer questions like real, appreciative people! Also, girls don't tend to enjoy being called "my woman" by their man, though I'm sure you're well aware of that as well. freshofftheufo ΓΛĿЌ 18:56, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

"Taking matters into your own hands is an euphemism for masturbation. But, then most men masturbate even during other times of the month. Also, having sex while she is menstruating is pretty common too. Jut put a couple towels down. As for hormone levels, it can me mixed. Hormones are sometimes low, and sometimes they spike high too. Some women are less interested, and some more interested. Also, you are forgetting about oral sex, and anal sex. Besides that, you could probably just give her a nice massage, and still be intimate. Maybe masturbate for her entertainment afterward?

Another option is that you could go out with one of your other girlfriends, or partners. As for condoning cheating, as you suggest -- There is no way to condone being dishonest, or cheating on your partner. Atom 02:44, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Power Pigs

Anyone know what a "power pig" is? My french math teacher talks about it very often. Could it be a french joke? Jamesino 00:39, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Well, what immediately comes to mind for me is Power Pig, the alter ego of Orson the pig from U.S. Acres, a cartoon on Garfield & Friends. But boy would that be an esoteric reference to make. --Maxamegalon2000 02:14, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

In what context does she use the phrase? Just as a general insult, or what? --Aaron 02:21, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

"If you answer this question correctly, you get a Power Pig!" Jamesino 16:51, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Perhaps it's just a nice way of saying a reward, without refering to the cliched 'gold star' or 'brownie point'. —Daniel (‽) 17:15, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Perhaps he's actually saying "You get a power, pig!" freshofftheufo ΓΛĿЌ 18:45, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'm dying to know this myself now. Please ask your teacher and report back to us.--Shantavira 19:26, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Here's a powerful looking pig. Flying_pig--Light current 19:49, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Curious what 'French math' is... do the French do math differently? All the story problems involve baguettes, maybe? 192.168.1.1 20:17, 9 September 2006 (UTC)

By french math, I mean he teaches english math, but he is of french nationality. Jamesino 02:51, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Ah. The English do do math differently. That's why they do maths instead of math (and why "innings" is singular.) --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 05:36, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Maybe they need a French math teacher to help them learn how to count in 20s. freshofftheufo ΓΛĿЌ 09:41, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

No-one should learn that. The French empire has already exported their despicable counting system to the Danes... Enough is enough, we have to draw a line somewhere!! @_@ 惑乱分からん 23:40, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The poster was saying his or her math teacher was French because that may provide context so that one can better arrive at an answer, perhaps. --Proficient 03:55, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Exactly, Thank you. Jamesino 21:55, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Its poor pig shes saying. Sounds a bit insulting. Is her English not too good? THe French for poor is 'pauvre' which could sound a bit like 'power'.--Light current 09:45, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

So, the question is:

Is the term Pauvre cochon a French term of endearment?--Light current 09:51, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The plurality of mathematics

Watch and learn: MATH~~EMATIC~~S = MATHS 8-))--Light current 10:09, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

MATH~~EMATICS~~ = MATH — Michael J 16:24, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

PHYSICS? Tyrhinis 10:25, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Chemistry?--Light current 14:31, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Chemistries? --Optichan 16:46, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

what's with the empiricism???

seriously, what's with people thinking that logical, positivistic rationalism with a healthy tincture of analysis is the solution to everything and the end-all-be-all???

Here are a couple examples that I've seen in the last few days.

Examples:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Reference_desk/Humanities#Philosophical_Argument:_God

"God is omnibenevolent. God is omnipotent. God is omnipresent. God is omniscient. Humans have free will."

"If God is omniscient, then he knows what we will do. If God knows what we will do, he knows our destiny. If God set our lives in motion, he is responsible for causing that destiny. If we do evil things, God is responsible for them since he had the foreknowledge of the events and still caused us."

Is this a joke? Without even looking at his contorted, convoluted arguments, it's pretty obvious that proving the existence of "God" is impossible.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Reference_desk/Science#backlog.3F

"What are the scientific chances that 2 unrelated words would sound so similar"

Where do these people get the notion that science and math can solve and prove everything? Jasbutal 07:52, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Scientists have discovered it is all in the genes. --Lambiam ^Talk 08:49, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

What makes you think that's what they think? Solve everything is not quite the same as the best we can do. Can you think of a better way to explain things than with scientific methods (such as logic)? And why did you put empiricism in the title? That's just one aspect (or method) of science. DirkvdM 09:34, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

all I'm saying is that to avoid all this, the following statement should be drilled into every students head just before the profs/teachers delve into the modern wonders science has created: "There are no absolute scientific truths. There are no absolute scientific laws. In science, there is no truth or fact, just very likely theories that are themselves still approximations." Jasbutal 19:22, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I understand your feeling, Jasbutal, and would answer both the questions you quoted with "we don't know", or "there is no definite logical right answer" - as I would yours. But to be comfortable with don't-know takes a while, and many never feel that way, or simply give up asking. So maybe one should just accept the way thing are, where no harm is done (according to how your philosophy defines harm :)). --Seejyb 13:13, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I guess my questions some time turn into rants... Jasbutal 19:22, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Why specifically tell students that there are no absolute truths in science? Why not just tell them there are no absolute truths? DirkvdM 06:24, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

cause that's not true dirk ;) Jasbutal 17:44, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Absolutely not... ;P 惑乱分からん 23:41, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

OK, I'll bite. Name some absolute truths. JackofOz 09:52, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Michelle Pfeiffer

I thought michelle pfeiffer was a large, belligerent black man who was friends with eminem!??!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000201/

You're thinking of Mekhi Phifer.

Michelle Pfeiffer + Mia Farrow

ok, does Michelle Pfeiffer in "Dangerous Minds" (when Michelle was ~37) look like Mia Farrow in "Purple Rose of Cairo" (when Mia was ~40) ??

http://www.filmreference.com/images/sjff_03_img1276.jpg

http://aili.blogzine.jp/cinema/images/mia-thumb.bmp

incidentally, don't they both kind of look like Catherine Hicks in "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" (when Catherine was ~35) ??

http://www.movieactors.com/freezeframes5/startrekIV26.jpeg

they're all so cute... Jasbutal 08:06, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

International standard of blanditude so no-one gets offended I guess.-hotclaws**==(82.138.214.1 09:27, 9 September 2006 (UTC))[reply]

Cute isn't the word I'd use. They all look like my mom (at 35). freshofftheufo ΓΛĿЌ 18:41, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You heard about MILFs, right? (Although that generally refers to others' moms...) 惑乱分からん 18:59, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

implicit and explicit subsidies - definition

202.164.132.61 11:41, 9 September 2006 (UTC)6456457[reply]

An explicit subsidy is directly giving a business money to do something, while an implicit subsidy is giving them some other benefit which is equivalent to giving them money. For example, railroads received land for every mile of track laid, and they could then sell some of that land. StuRat 11:46, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Stuck at level in Hopmon game

File:Hopmon.png

I bought a copy of this game on CD. It it unconnected with the Hopmon character. A screenshot of the game can be seen at http://www.gamealbum.com/Games/Arcade/HOPMON_223_Review.html

I like the game because of the graphics, but I have become stuck at a level thats only three or four levels into the game. I have to collect a jewel in an area thats patrolled by one or two killer robots, but however hard I try it is impossible for me to move out of the way quick enough to avoid being killed.

I have tried searching on google to find a solution, with no luck.

Has anyone played the game, or is perhaps more ingenious with internet searching than me, and can tell me how to get through this deadly situation please?

I just downloaded the free demo and played the game (for the sake of research only, of course) and I played through the first 6 levels without any problems. I'll assume you were having trouble on the 5th level, though the strategy is basically the same throughout the game (game theory anyone?):

You slow down a little more for each jewel you pick up, so unless you're deliberately trying to make it harder on yourself, collect one jewel at a time. There are a few places with timed traps (e.g. those fireball things) that are deliberately designed to force you to run fast (thus carry little).
Do not destroy any more gates than you need to, unless not destroying one will make it more difficult for you to escape or will lead the enemies more directly to you. This will stop enemies from coming up behind you. Doors should only be destroyed when the enemies are furthest away, or else you'll be in trouble waiting for your gun to recharge.
Go through the level slowly, doing one thing at a time. If there's going to be a lot of bad guys in the next area, stay back in the previous room and pick them off one by one and then hide (a common "strategy" called hit and run). This is really the only strategy you have when you have to wait such a long time for the gun to recharge.

Hope this helps! freshofftheufo ΓΛĿЌ 18:20, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Diamond Rio

It seems that Diamond Rio has written a new Song and only played it a few times and because of it's "Political Incorrectness" it has been ostrisized and the media will not play it . What is it's Name and where can it be obtained? leetoots

It's called "In God We Still Trust", and that nebulous unified entity called "the media" won't play it because it pushes an inappropriate level of political-religious unification which isn't appropriate in a secular country like the United States and has nothing to do with entertainment and all to do with making a political statement. You can find the lyrics at any number of websites which have no problems with violating copyright. User:Zoe|(talk) 17:50, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Although the media don't play it, it could still probably be bought on CD, or if you'd like, obtained in various ways through other channels than the legal ones. No links here, though... 惑乱分からん 19:01, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Blogs

Does anybody know where I could go to find a specific person on a blog? This is assuming that I know they have one but I don't know where. Thanks.

You could stick their name (or pen name) and the blog subject in Google together with the word blog or simply ask their URL. - Mgm|^(talk) 16:44, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Sound

Why won't any sound come out of my speakers?? When using Media player the music is playing according to that but no sounds comes out, and it's not my speakers either because I've tried three different sets now. Basically I think that I've put something on mute somewhere and it's effected my whole computer. Could you please tell me as many different places this can be done on my computer so I hopefully can solve the problem. Many thanks

You can sign your post by typing four tildes. That would give Jozzismint and the current date. - Mgm|^(talk) 16:47, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks alot but that wasn't really my question.

Some Keyboards have a mute button on them, make sure that is not on. I'm assuming that you have a Windows PC, in control panels, there is a sound manager, check its settings. Make sure the connection from your computer to your speakers is tight proper. In windows media player, make sure the mute is not on. Jamesino 16:58, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Well I think this would probablt be a computer/IT question in the first place, but, oh well. First (if using Windows), I would suggest to right click on the little speaker icon in the lower right hand corner of the screen (if it isn't there click the arrow and it should show) and select Open Volume Control. There is a box in that window in the lower left hand corner that says Mute All. If it is checked, uncheck it and the problem should be fixed. If that doesn't work, in that same window there is a help tab at the top. Click it and choose help topics. This might help you solve the problem. If your volume is still not working, click Start and choose Help and Support (this will be right there in the right column of the staret menu if you are using Windows XP Start Menu and not the "classic" start menu. There is a list of topics that you can choose from. If you don't think any of them cover your problems, click the search box at the top left corner and type in your problem. If you are STILL having problems, I suggest calling technical support or calling someone to come over and help you. schyler 17:07, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

In WMP, there is also a little speaker icon which also represents sound level. In the beta at least, it is at the bottom of the window and slightly to the center-right. But there is a level meter, and the further right you go the louder it is, so make sure it is not clicked (mute) or it is not at the very bottom. Iolakana•T 19:20, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You probably already know this, but it's always worth looking at the obvious. There should be a tiny light on one of your speakers. (At least, I assume this is standard.) If it is not lit, then it's a power supply problem.--Shantavira 19:31, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Also, if the little speaker icon is not in the taskbar, go START>Settings>Control Panel>"Sound and Audio Devices" something like that anyway, I'm going by memory. A window will come up and uncheck any "mutes" that are there. — [Mac Davis] (talk) (Desk|Help me improve)

Have you definately plugged your speakers into the Line Out 3.5mm port? Sounds stupid, but my computer has three and I'm always getting them the wrong way round. The front-panel audio connections are the wrong way round even now... besides that, do you get sound from other programs or just your media player? That would tell us if the problem's with the program or the OS/drivers/hardware... Tyrhinis 10:31, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Baseball's Hall of Fame card collection

To the Pro who knows :-)

I have an original, and complete box of BB mini cards. The box reads:

"WHO'S WHO IN THE MAJOR LEAGUES BASEBALL..." presents... Pictures & Records of the Immortals (in the) BBHoF"

They appear to be printed by B.E. Callahan, 328 Jefferson St. Chicago, IL.

The box measures: .75"T x 1.75"W x 2.5"L and contains 52 black and white cards with renderings and bios of Hall of Famers dating back to the 1870s and inducted into the HH in 1945.

It appears as if it might have been sold, at the BBHF as a souvenier in the '50s???

I have shown it to a number of sport card collectors, none of whom have any idea of its origin or value. Having never seen such cards before???

Any information concerning these cards, especially their value, and where they might find a "buyer" will be greatly appreciated.

Know you have my "Sincere THANKS!" for Your efforts!

Roger Morrison, Lindsay, Ontario, Canada

Disclaimer: I'm not a Pro, nor do I know. Nevertheless I'm posting what I consider might be helpful: Here's a google search with several leads. Here's tomfolio's site selling a product that sounds similar to the one you described. ---Sluzzelin 17:42, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Related ebay auctions]. None of those seem to be cards though, and unfortunately none of them seem to be going for much cash. freshofftheufo ΓΛĿЌ 18:30, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I guess that explains why it's called "WWITMLB... presents... Anyways, some of those books are going for much more ($500+) at this site, so you might be able to get something for those cards, if they're in decent condition. freshofftheufo ΓΛĿЌ 18:36, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

reproducable goods

What's the name for goods (like music or software) that it costs the author nothing if you steal it? "digital" fits but I'm sure there's a more specific term --Froth 17:19, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Freeware? Free software? BTW, "stealing" implies a criminal act. 惑乱分からん 17:21, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, that's what i mean. In relation to piracy - as in not free sofware. Free speech as opposed to free beer. I'm struggling for an appropriate word to describe the argument for illegal file sharing that it doesn't hurt anyone because copying of digital media doesn't deprive the author of anything like stealing a car would deprive someone of a car. --Froth 17:33, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

What you're depriving the author of is royalty payments. There really isn't any difference between this and, say, copying a book (with paper and ink that you provide). In this case you're not taking something physical from the author (or anyone else), but the value of the book is not the value of the paper, etc. The general term for the thing of value that's being taken in this case is intellectual property, and I think the argument that it's OK to do this has to be based on an assumption that intellectual property has no value. -- Rick Block (talk) 17:43, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Anyway, you could check out Pirate Party, a Swedish registered political party that mainly strives to reform/remove laws regarding copuyright, patent etc. 惑乱分からん 17:48, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Which would mean authors, photographers and musicians get nothing past the initial payment from whoever buys their work. After that, with no copyright law in place, anyone would simply copy stuff. If that party ever gets their way arty people will suffer financially. As a pro-copyright person myself, I sincerely hope they will never get their way. It may be a pain in the behind, but it protects the creators in the long run. - Mgm|^(talk) 17:54, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

yeah but for 75 years after the author's death; able to be renewed by massive corporations with no hand in its creation??? Let's get some reasonable copyrights for intellectual property. I think that is more what the pirate party is aiming at. Nowimnthing 19:34, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Looking at Swedish Wikipedia, it appears that they will limit the copyright period to five years after the creator's death and, even more notable, legalizing all fire-sharing without commercial intent. 惑乱分からん 19:57, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

'Intellectual property' is about the legal side of it. The most general term is 'information'. Then again, money is also information ... DirkvdM 06:28, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

In that case, I must be misinformed... =S 惑乱分からん 11:41, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The economics term for what you are describing is club good. - SimonP 00:39, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Dirk, when you say "money is information", are you referring to notes, coins and other representations of money? I think so, because money itself is not those things. Money is an energy. How can energy be "information"? JackofOz 20:54, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Energy? Do you mean in the sense that it's a driving force for the economy? Money is essentially information, though. When goods are produced, money is distributed to indicate who gets to get how much of those goods. And that is information. Someone makes an effort (eg produces a good) and gets money to prove that he has done that and thus has a right to get someone else's effort. (Badly put, but you get the point.) DirkvdM 06:34, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

And if you could add up all those bits of money, and all the balances in all the bank accounts in the world, and all the spare cash people have lying around, you'd eventually come up with a total amount of "money" in the world. Which suggests there is a finite amount of money, and humans created it. And that, IMO, would be exactly the wrong conclusion to come to. Just imagine if all that "money" was somehow dematerialised in a split second. What would happen? People would start to barter for mutual interest, and life would go on. Soon, it would become convenient to establish a common medium with which many commodities could be valued, and that would be the new "money". But the new money and the old money were never the essence of the vital force at work, they were just our clumsy way of making an energetic - if you like, spiritual - force appear solid and tangible. That force is not some vague, metaphysical abstract thing. It may not be tangible, but it is very real. There is an unlimited supply of this. As much of it as you can possibly imagine can be converted into tangible abundance in the form of goods and services for all humankind. And when you've done that, multiply it by a thousand. Then, you still haven't even scratched the surface of what's available. It will never run out. The corollary of this is that there's an unlimited amount of money, far more than every human on planet Earth could possibly ever use. Yet the paradox is that the way to access the abundance is to move the focus away from accumulating money and onto the energy itself. This is like standing in a river and trying to hold on to particular handfuls of water, thinking that they are the valuable ones, while an almost uncountable number of other handfuls just go speeding by. The river is the thing, not the handfuls of water. JackofOz 12:19, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The second fourth of what you said makes sense to me. The rest doesn't. You don't need to explain to me what infinity is. :) But the rest would require some more explaining. Sounds like you're talking about some pecuniary god. DirkvdM 06:34, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I never mentioned infinity or god, but it's interesting that you equated what I was talking about with such ideas. The scientists among us would argue there is no such thing as an energy source that never runs out. I beg to differ. These ideas are not amenable to quick or easy explanation. Or any explanation at all, probably. Well, not one that I know about, anyway. Best I can say is, either you grasp this concept, or you don't. If not today, maybe tomorrow, who knows. Happy grasping. JackofOz 07:04, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Unless you believe in a god by faith, you can't stare science down and say "there is an energy source that will never run down" ... it's just stupid (unless you believe in a closed universe or something, in which case I guess the big squeeze could be considered the mechanism for a practically inexhaustible energy source) --Froth 22:45, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Well, you provide two qualifications, which are more than enough for my purposes. I wasn't having a go at science or scientists, just wanting to short-circuit the frenzied discussion I feared would otherwise develop. Perhaps I was unwise to mention science at all. My earlier statements reflect what I believe innately to be so, and they were ultra-scientific in nature. JackofOz 02:26, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

American equivalent of Shakespeare

Was/Is there a famous playwright who/is was just as famous as Skakespeare, but was/is American?

sure, Arthur Miller. Death of a Salesman was the USA's answer to Shakespeare's sappy plays about aristocrats and their hubris. Jasbutal 19:27, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It's impossible to say. Shakespeare lived 450 years ago, there aren't any US writers who have been around that long. We'll know in 400 years or so whether or not Miller is as famous as WS. Anchoress 19:34, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'm inclined to mention Steven Spielberg, although he works in a more modern medium. 惑乱分からん 19:46, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I suspect Miller and Williams will still be well-known in 450 years. {note to Wikipedians working on the 100,000,000,000,000 article Wikipedia in AD 2456: edit/correct this statement as appropiate} -- the GREAT Gavini 20:19, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I think they'll probably be as well known as, say, Ben Jonson or Thomas Kyd, at most. Steven Spielberg is the only person who compares to Shakespeare in terms of both popularity, variety, and (if it's a word) prolificacy, but his relentless sappiness, often flat characterization, dependence on special effects (which will be dated in a few decades), and relentless attempts to go bigger and bigger, to top himself (who watches The Guns of Navarone nowadays?) mean that most of his movies will probably not last a fraction of the time of Shakespeare's plays. The short answer to the original question is, of course, that there is no American equivalent to Shakespeare. zafiroblue05 | Talk 21:40, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

(who watches The Guns of Navarone nowadays?) - oh ha ha zafirolbleu .Jasbutal 21:56, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I think if we're going to include storytellers who work in the medium of film, Alfred Hitchcock is a better choice than Spielberg. For one thing, he wrote more of his movies than Spielberg, and IMO he did a better job of straddling the same fence WS did, between popularity and art. In particular, I think Hitchcock's character development was great, particularly for the era. And while he was born in the UK, he was a naturalised US citizen. So I don't know if he counts. And BTW I know there are other prolific directors who are also writers, Billy Wilder being an example, but IMO Hitchcock is the most iconic. Anchoress 22:04, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hitchcock films will almost certainly last longer than (most) Spielberg films, but I don't think he's much like Shakespeare - he worked almost exclusively in one genre. Spielberg, for all his faults, is much more diverse, in terms of going from the lighthearted (from Indiana Jones to Catch Me If You Can) to the dark (Saving Private Ryan, Schindler's List), from epic blockbuster (Jaws, Jurassic Park) to (rather) small thriller (Duel, Munich), from historical drama (Empire of the Sun, Amistad) to science fiction (E.T., Close Encounters, War of the Worlds), and so on. Hitchcock is comparatively limited. Shakespeare, by comparison, wrote masterpieces in all of the available, totally unrelated, genres (tragedy, comedy, and history). zafiroblue05 | Talk 23:06, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Well if we're emphasising range, Billy Wilder's got as much range as Spielberg, and with way more writing credits and a heap of Oscars, he could bitchslap Spielberg any day. Anchoress 01:12, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'd pay to see that. --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 05:35, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Some of Joss Whedon's scripts, in the first few seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, were up the the Shakespeare standard. Edison 00:33, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

lol, good one edison.

Arguments of quality aside, Whedon is merely a cult favorite only today. It's hard to believe his name will survive for 500 years, if that's what's asked. 惑乱分からん 10:56, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Tony Kushner is also up there. "G. David Shine in Hell" had me in stitches. Raul654 03:37, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Stephen King? 1001001 04:50, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Could you consider that a playwright? Unlike people working for film and TV, King generally doesn't write for actors. =S 惑乱分からん 10:56, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

There isn't one. Shakespeare is the most famous dramatist in the English language - in fact, in all languages. I could toss around names such as Eugene O'Neill, but they wouldn't really come close. Of course, there really isn't any other British writer who comes close. When was the last time you saw a play by Kit Marlowe? B00P 08:55, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You mean like Faustus for example? DJ Clayworth 17:50, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

looking for a movie to watch

Looking to rent a movie like Maltese Falcon with a private investigator who wears a trenchcoat and some femme, and mystery and all. any ideas? Did they break the mold with Maltese Falcon ?Jasbutal 19:15, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Have you tried Humphrey Bogart's other movies? Also look at the fim credit list in the Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid article (which is a brilliant film in itself).--Shantavira 19:37, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Apparently there is even a film called Trenchcoat, but I've never seen it. Anyone know if it's any good?--Shantavira 19:42, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If you just like the style, check out the article about Film noir, including a list of 35 of the most classic movies from the Noir era. 惑乱分からん 19:44, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

thankx. 70.225.165.130 20:05, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Try a movie called The Black Bird. It stars George Segal as Sam Spade, Jr., who has inherited his father's San Francisco detective agency. It's now in a bad part of town, and still employs Effie Perrine (Lee Patrick, reprising her role), Sam Sr's secretary. It was her last film. It also has Elisha Cook Jr. in it. User:Zoe|(talk) 01:29, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

May not be exactly what you first expect, but try The Long Goodbye if you want to see an interesting '70s take on the genre by one of the most notable directors. After that, you might like Trouble in Mind, an '80s take on the Noir genre. 192.168.1.1 07:15 10 Dismember 2006 (UTC)

The Black Dahlia (film) has just been released - it sounds like what you're looking for. Natgoo 09:13, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Chinatown is one of my most favourite movies. The protagonist is a private eye, and I think he wears a trenchcoat at least some of the time.

The writer who wrote the book that the film The Maltese Falcon was based on was Dashiell Hammett and his books are still in print today. If you havnt read any Raymond Chandler yet then you are in for a treat. They are more readable than Hamnett. Both Chandler and Hammett had their novels turned into both b&w and more recent colour films (b&w films are on average better in my opinion). You could look up the articles for Chandler and Hammett and see what films were based on their novels. 81.104.12.24 15:33, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

looking for antoher movie ...

i wanna see gregory peck beat the shit outta someone. recommendatison? (already seen guns of navarone) 70.225.165.130 20:02, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Looking through the article, I find the old Cape Fear movie the most interesting. 惑乱分からん 20:07, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

oooh! 70.225.165.130 20:10, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I haven't seen it, myself, yet, but it's high on my list of movies I want to see sometime. 惑乱分からん 20:13, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The one where he beat the **** of his Oscar contenders, while being a peace-and-justice-lover in the movie itself, was To Kill a Mockingbird (film). JackofOz 00:58, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

seen it. it was so boring I turned into a an african-american septuagenarian while i was watching it. Jasbutal 05:32, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

How about The Bravados? User:Zoe|(talk) 01:32, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Boys from Brazil has one of the most violent scenes I've seen Peck in. - SimonP 00:35, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

tapiers

My father is 72 and in palliative care with cancer. He cant go out and time is against us. My dad is mad about tapiers and I'm desperately searching for a dvd but have had no luck. I've searched W H Smith, HMV, amazon and even London Zoo's website all to no avail. Can somebody please help me? Kind Regards Clair

dunno if you can find a dvd solely about tapirs, but this has a section on tapirs: 70.225.165.130 20:12, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00008OM6C?v=glance

I remember that David Attenborough's programs were great, when I saw them. Which disc contains the tapir sequence? 惑乱分からん 20:15, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

dunno, I assume the first? Do a control-f "tapir", some guy talks about it.

See tapirs for our article, you might want to print that out for him, and follow the links at the bottom for more articles and pics. StuRat 01:05, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

http://www.junglewalk.com/shop/Tapir-gifts.htm has all sorts of tapir gifts-posters,mousemats,etc. I can't see any DVDs,but there are video clips online that he might like. Lemon martini 09:25, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

professional tennis requirements for women and men

I am looking for some explanation as to why men and women play unequal number of sets in professional tennis. Thanks - Franco

I'll tell you, but only if you can get me a pardon after the feminazis arrest me. Jasbutal 20:35, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Actually, I've been wondering why men's and women's doubles matches are only best-of-3-sets and not best-of-5, like men's singles matches. Doubles tennis requires a lot less running, so their matches could be considerably longer. One possible answer is that singles is generally more fun to watch (longer rallies), but in my opinion that's a weak answer. Does anyone have a better response? (Hope you don't mind me asking another question, Franco.)

Anyway, the reason why they men and women play an unequal number of sets is probably the same reason why men and women don't compete against each other in professional sports (although there may be exceptions that I am unaware of). Oh, and if you didn't pick it up in the last paragraph, men's doubles and women's doubles are both best-of-3-sets, so that's equal. It's just singles that it's different (But why? I don't know. Anyone?). —EdGl 21:45, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

it's because they're weaker than men. it's not easy to stand out in the heat for that long .Jasbutal 22:01, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Must be something to do with unequal stamina--Light current 22:04, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

On the other hand, women should have higher pain tolerance. 惑乱分からん 23:00, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

False. women have a higher capacity for love, but a lower pain tolerance...that's the sole reason why men can't give birth. Jasbutal 23:08, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Really? Anyway, it cannot be the sole reason, surely there are some biological reasons in the male anatomy, as well... ;) 惑乱分からん 23:15, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

wait, I mistyped. you're right it's not the reason, that fact that women give birth is evidence of the reason that they have a higher love capacity nad a lower pain tolerance...if that makes any sense at all......Jasbutal 23:28, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I don't want to offend you, but not really... What's the idea? Women grow more attached because they carry the kid inside them for nine months? That makes sort of sense, but that their pain tolerance is lower, because they must go through the painful ordeal of childbirth doesn't make sense at all... 惑乱分からん 01:30, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

nixce logical analysis, i'm defeated Jasbutal 04:08, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Anyways! Women don't run 3/5 ths of a marathon or work 24 hours per week. So the 3 sets for women and 5 sets for men is sexist. But where are these "feminazis" complaining of this inequality? Thanks - Franco

I don't know much about tennis, but perhaps because men are generally stronger than women, they play more? --Proficient 03:58, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Langauge help

moved to Language desk--Light current 09:11, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

battlefront 2 copy protection

Someone in my dormitory unit owns battlefront 2 and on the dvd case it says something along the lines of "this contains software to counter piracy" .. is this some specialty DRM like starforce? --Froth 22:15, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Battlefront 2 contains SafeDisc 4, if I remember correctly. Luigi30 (Taλk) 15:27, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

BF2 has Safedisc/SecuROM protection (not sure which, but it's a modern revision) - thankfully these protections are free of side-effects once you close down or remove the game.

Mints

Why do cold beverages seem colder after eating a mint?--67.172.248.207 22:57, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Evaporating menthol in the peppermint oil creates a sensation of coolness (because the evaporation takes thermal energy from your mouth) --Froth 00:23, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

There was a different explanation recently on the Ref Desk that it only makes it "feel" cooler, as opposed to actually lowering the temp, due to an effect on the "ion channels" of the temperature sensing nerves. StuRat 01:01, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Smoking a cigarette after eating a mint gives a funny sensation - hot and cool at the same time. Like pancakes and ice. :) I suppose menthol cigarettes are inspired by this, but they don't do the trick (actually, I think they're quite disgusting). DirkvdM 06:33, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Have you heard the thing where people say that chewing mints and smoking greatly increases your chance of getting lung cancer? Something to do with the increased saliva build up. I never miss the chance to tell my friends how stupid they are when they do it, but I'm not in any way directing my previous statement at anyone on RD! freshofftheufo ΓΛĿЌ 09:32, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Of course, I knew it. Mention smoking and someone has to point out it's bad for you. There simply are too many people who have this uncontrollable urge to do this. It's an addiction, I suppose. What if the same was done for cars, would that maybe help? Half a million people die each year of cars. A much bigger problem. So everytime one uses the word 'car', someone has to point out that cars are lethal and tell some story about some research someone did somewhere. Or better still, that "people say that ...". I'm not going to do this on my own, though. Or coud I automate it maybe? DirkvdM 06:44, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Number of Active users

Special:Statistics says 2,192,501 users, but how many are active? By that I mean, say, at least 20 non-vandalism, non-user-page edits. An estimate would be fine. Thanks! Reywas92 23:33, 9 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Do you also want to include "made an edit in the past month or two" in your criteria (i.e., do you mean currently active?).—EdGl 00:12, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Sure! Reywas92 01:49, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

(I merely wanted a clarification of your question; I can't answer it for you, sorry! hehe) —EdGl 02:26, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

About 38000 in June. I think this table may give you more answers. [8]--Light current 03:09, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hey, we're on the second most edited 'article' here. DirkvdM 06:42, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

~~How can you get that info from the stats page?~~ ok found it!--Light current 07:06, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It's partly because WP:RD/Misc held the entire RD before it was split up into pieces. freshofftheufo ΓΛĿЌ 09:29, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Ref Desk: Misc --- the most popular page on WP?

No need to count 'sandbox' so its official: THis is the most popular page on WP?--Light current 07:18, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The main language selection page then ? [9] Or do you mean the most popular article ? StuRat 07:28, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Never seen that one before! No, most pop 'article' (in terms of edits) according to the stats.--Light current 09:08, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

There is a (rather new) list that shows the most popular articles by hits, though I'd rather not link it because I believe keeping track of such things is harmful to Wikipedia. freshofftheufo ΓΛĿЌ 09:23, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Please list it. How would that be harmful ? StuRat 10:09, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

here. It tends to change by what happens to be popular that month. so Steve Irwin and Stingray is at the top for september. in august Irukandji jellyfish was number 11 probally because of a Discovery Channel show on them. Sex is always popular. Still, none of the page besides the main page (always on top) has more than 1% of total views, so it seems that most people look at unpopular pages in their respective areas of interest. Jon513 11:58, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'm not really sure exactly why I feel they're harmful. I think the fact that we haven't had them for the past few years is one of the reasons Wikipedia has evolved in the way it has, and I believe the whole concept of hit counting (which can be interpreted as "article popularity") is contrary to the principles of Wikipedia. One part of me hopes that these numbers don't make contributors start thinking that Wikipedia is a popularity contest, and the other part of me hopes that these figures will suddenly stop working because of server load, and are forgotten in the ripples of internet time. freshofftheufo ΓΛĿЌ 14:24, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Though at the same time, I do believe that such figures are valuable and quite interesting for studying Wikiology. I'm a little conflicted about it all. freshofftheufo ΓΛĿЌ 14:27, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Interesting. Seems even Wikipedia can't escape the reason God created the internet. However, what i would like to know is, why the dickens is the Buggery Act 1533 ranked so high. Has it been in the news this month? Rockpocket 02:29, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Buggered if I know 9-)--Light current 00:11, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

IIRC, Buggery redirects there. --Serie 00:02, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

September 10

The James Bond series

After Bond 22, will there be any more James Bond movies? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.18.90.7 (talk • contribs)

I would expect that any series around as long as this one, and as successful, would continue forever, or at least until a series of miserable failures. I would think it would take a world government to eliminate the need for state espionage, and even then there would still be a need to infiltrate criminal organizations (like the Mafia). Also, even if the need for espionage was completely eliminated, people may still retain a historical interest in it afterwards. StuRat 00:53, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Now if you're asking if they currently have another movie planned, that I don't know. StuRat 00:53, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

BBC reported that Daniel Craig is signed up for at least one more movie. 1001001 04:34, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Something that often kills a (tv) series is when one of the main actors quits (or dies or whatever). James Bond is, however, regularly someone else. People have grown to accept that, so that's one major obstruction out of the way. Dr Who is unique in that it is a tv series that has the same advantage. It actually even has a 'decent' explanation for the phenomenon. Something that could kill the Bond movies would be if someone decided to make a bunch of crap Bond ripoffs in such a way that people can no longer distinguish betweeen those and the 'real thing'. Or does someone have the rights to Bond movies? Sounds unlikely.

Actually, I think EON Productions own the legal rights to be the sole producer of James Bond movies. 惑乱分からん 11:39, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Strange you should mention that... there were lots of legal difficulties surrounding Kevin McClory, who essentially co-wrote Thunderball (the novel) with Ian Fleming (it was originally written as a film then adapted into a novel then adapted back again for each film). The legal difficulties involved when it all went pear-shaped were resolved by giving McClory the rights to remake Thunderball (the film) ten years after the official film; he did so, and made Never Say Never Again, which is frankly dire. Since the two companies responsible (EON and Orion Films) have since both been bought by MGM, the whole shebang is now owned and distributed by one company, so it's all locked up. Of course, the Alex Rider series has the potential to overtake Bond... Tyrhinis 10:48, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Funny, btw, the actress playing Moneypenny and others also changed without an explanation, but not so for Q. He was the only constant factor in the series, so when John Cleese started playing him, he was presented as a replacement. Luckily, his name was obviously a pseudonym, so that could be kept the same. DirkvdM 07:00, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I believe that Q was actually based on a real British inventor who designed all sorts of neat tools for spies in the World War 2 era (I don't know his name). One device I found particularly amusing was a rectally-inserted, single-shot zip gun..."now how do I get the guard to stare at my anus while I fire it ?" :-) StuRat 10:05, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I wonder why Ian Fleming never chose to copy that... ;) 惑乱分からん 11:39, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The producers have been the same for all films. I'm pretty sure they bought the rights from Ian Fleming's heirs. - Mgm|^(talk) 08:12, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Boston Red Sox

i have a baseball with 28 signatures.some of the autographs include...Pete Rose,Johnny Bench,Ken Griffey,Ray Knight,Dave Tomlin,Fred Norman.can anyone tell me what year these players played together and where i could get an estimate on what if anything this ball is worth?216.234.126.184 02:06, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Well, Rose never played for the Red Sox, so I don't know why you would think it's from the Sox. Rose, Bench, and Griffey played together with the Cincinnati Reds from '73 to '78, and Tomlin was with them in '73 and '78, so that narrows it down to those two years. All the others played with the Reds for both of those years, so by process of elimination, it had to be either '73 or '78 but without more names, we can't narrow it down anymore. Dismas|^(talk) 04:40, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hmmm... ask an appraiser perhaps. --Proficient 09:31, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The original poster gave me a few more names on my talk page. So I don't have to repeat myself, and in case anyone is wondering but too lazy to go looking on talk pages :-) Here's the text of my reply:

All I did was go to the articles for each of the players that you mentioned starting with Pete Rose since I knew he only played for a small number of teams. Then I just saw that each of the other players were also on the Reds during a similar time period. Just process of elimination. And now that you gave me another list, I went to the first name on that list, Doug Bair. His article says that he was on the Reds in '78 and he made his major league debut in '76. Therefore, the ball could not be from '73. It must be from '78. You could double check with the rest of the names on your list to see if they were all on the Reds during '78 but I'm fairly certain I've narrowed it down correctly. As for the worth of the ball... I'd start going to baseball card shops in your area and asking how much they'd give for it as well as how much they think it's worth. Without having seen it, I can't say whether they would give you much for it. It may just be a printed ball that the players never actually saw. Some company may have printed up thousands of them and handed them out to the first 100, 500, 1000 spectators at some game. Or someone may have worked really hard to get all the players to sign it. Either way, best wishes

After having posted that, I thought of something else. If the signatures are fairly clear, your chances of having the actual signatures on that ball, I would think, would go down. See if you follow my reasoning... If a company is going to print up a bunch of balls then they probably sit the entire team down and have them sign a blank sheet of paper. Take that paper, photograph the signature, send the photos to their printers, then print up the balls. If someone went to the Reds' stadium before one or more of the games to try and get all the signatures on that one ball then they were probably in a crowd with several other fans trying to get the players to sign things (baseball cards, balls, hats, shirts, etc.). The players would probably just scribble their names on the items since they had so many fans waiting and only a limited amount of time before the game to sign stuff. Therefore, the signatures would be more illegible. Just a thought, but either way I'd still get it looked at by a collector. Dismas|^(talk) 09:47, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Obscure sport needed to be identified

One man stands with what looks like an enormous long golf club. The handle of the club is in his hand (obviously) whilst the head of the club rests on some sort of track. On the track, directly in front of the hitter is the ball - In an equivalent position to where a golf ball would be when taking a swing.

The hitter swings the club along the track and whacks the ball as hard as he can, and it flies for miles. I'm also FAIRLY sure there's a man out miles away trying to catch the ball.

[10] - Artist's Impression, if you can call it that

I'm pretty sure the game is Scandinavian in origin, or possibly Dutch. Or somewhere like that. --218.186.9.1 04:08, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

THat artist impression is classic! Is the game called Suicide golf by any chance? 8-)--Light current 04:37, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

wtf!? This is the most obscure thing I've ever heard of. Jasbutal 05:05, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I've seen it but don't know the name... Sorry. I do like the illustration though. Gets the point across which a lot of art these days doesn't do. :-) Dismas|^(talk) 05:08, 10 September 2006 UTC

I think I've seen this sport in a traveling quiz show on Swedish television: (På spåret), if I recall correctly, the sport was played in some Central European country, like Switzerland or perhaps Belgium. 惑乱分からん 11:30, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I found it! It's a Swiss indigenous sport. Check out Hornussen! ;) 惑乱分からん 11:31, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Good article, but it could use some sort of diagram showing how it's played. Now, where have I seen one of those...–RHolton ≡– 20:45, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Looks like an Alphorn - but thats a horn. Ricola... --JimWae 06:32, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for the great answering, chaps, kudos! --218.186.9.1 13:55, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If they hit it that far, it could be astronaut Alan Shepard playing golf on the moon. He said his shot went "miles and miles." — Michael J 16:09, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Flag of the EU vs. Flag of Indiana

Flag of the European Union
Flag of Indiana

I recently noticed that the flag of the European Union is very similar to the flag of the U.S. state of Indiana. Is the design of the former based (at least partially) on the latter? Thanks in advance.

European flag doesnt seem to indicate a connection. Does look a bit similar though.1001001 04:45, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

European union flag simply has 12 stars. Whats with the stars on the other one?--Light current 04:55, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

13 stars in the outer loop for the original 13 colonies, 5 inside them for the next five states, and one large star above the torch for Indiana. 1001001 04:57, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

um....they represent the drivers in the NASCAR hall of fame. Jasbutal 04:58, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

They missed one. 1001001 05:12, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

In that case I dont think theres any more than a coincidental connection between the 2 flag designs.--Light current 05:00, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'd agree with that. With so many flags in the world, there are bound to be coincidences sometimes. The arrangement of stars in a circle on a blue background certainly isn't unique to either the EU or Indiana — the Cook Islands have a notable example of a similar design, although with white stars instead of gold. The flags of Myanmar, Cape Verde, and the US state of Georgia also contain similar patterns, as did the early Betsy Ross flag of the United States. The Caquetá Department in Colombia and Rhode Island in the US both use a circle-of-gold-stars pattern without the blue background. The EU and Indiana flags certainly have similarities, but not more than can be explained by simple coincidence, I think. -- Vardion 06:41, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

certainly, the Libyan flag looks like my backyard Jasbutal 06:56, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It's amazing how much your backyard resembles my billiard table! --Lambiam ^Talk 10:32, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I don't think either is based on each other, irregardless to whichever came first. :P --Proficient 09:32, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The flag of Indiana was adopted in 1917. I don't think there is any doubt which came first. Rmhermen 19:59, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

He was talking about backyards and billiard tables. Proper indentation, please. DirkvdM 06:36, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Forced upholding of the law

Are citizens required to uphold the law (ie report crimes, attempt to prevent crimes, etc?) in the UK?

As long as preventing said crime doesn't put their life in danger, I think they are. But they might not be required to if the criminal involved is a loved one. I'm not sure. = Mgm|^(talk) 08:09, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

No, they're permitted to uphold the law, to a very basic degree, using rights that derive largely from common law. The only circumstance under which they're obligated is (as far as I'm aware) Section 19 of the Terrorism Act 2000 which makes it an offense to know that another person is planning a terrorist act and fail to tell the police. The relatives of the two British men who went to Israel to be suicide bombers where charged under this this section [11], but I think all were acquitted (it's very difficult to prove what someone knew). -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 11:57, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Not really - here is an interesting paper looking at how the duty to report changed after the introduction of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, and comparing the situation in the UK with that of France. It is really only professionals becoming aware of crime through their work who have an obligation to report, unless the crime is treason, terrorism, or a road or traffic offence. According to this paper, only social workers have a legal obligation to report suspected child abuse, but most people working with children or vulnerable adults (such as people with disabilities and mental health issues) will be required to report suspected abuse through their code of conduct. It seems as though UK law relies on a moral obligation to report rather than a necessarily legal obligation. Natgoo 08:58, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

What the anon is describing are called Good Samaritan laws. Unfortunately, the name can refer to two totally different kids of laws. The good kind of good samirtan law says that any person attempting to render assistance to someone in distress is not legally liable -- e.g, you cannot sue someone trying to rescue you, even if they harm you. The second (bad) kind of good samaritan law says that you are guilty of a criminal act if you fail to render aid. This is the kind of law that was made famous on Seinfeld's last episode. Raul654 01:37, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

2 questions

Hi, Wikipedia. I have 2 questions:

1) Where, online, can I find an English-German dictionary? (With pronunciations and all that)

2) Where, online, can I find a scale for a tenor trombone? (With note names, postition names, ect.)

Thanks. Partisan 5 16:27, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I use http://dict.tu-chemnitz.de/ for the dictionary Benbread 17:01, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I use http://www.dict.cc . It even has a voice pronouncing the word. Reywas92 17:33, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I use http://dict.leo.org. --Richardrj ^talk ^email 18:18, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you muchly. Anyone have an answer for question 2? Partisan 5 22:39, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

What kind of scale? Chromatic? At trombone there is a picture of slide posistions and the notes played in its partial. this link, which is from my old band, takes you to where you can download a pdf file of the major scales and the chromatic scale for trombone and euphonium. Happy playing! schyler 23:32, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I just entered 'trombone positions' into Google and the first hit was http://www.yeodoug.com/resources/faq/faq_text/slidechart.html. Google is your friend. ColinFine 23:37, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

History of the manicure

I am looking for any information on where manicures started, how they got started. What kind of products were used when performing a manicure. Tools that were used. What was used when polishing a color on their fingers. I would appreciate any help you can lend me. Thank you Penny--64.50.228.36 17:00, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Manicure by a remote possibility might have what you're looking for. schyler 23:36, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you for the help, but I have already been out to this area. It gives you one sentence of history - which does not help me for a 10 page thesis. I am looking for help to find books that might have more history to them.

I'm sure I read somewhere the Egyptians buried manicure equiptment in their tombs(hotclaws**== 19:54, 13 September 2006 (UTC))http://www.ivillage.co.uk/beauty/skincare/nails/qas/0,,547680_182637,00.html[reply]

there you go,hope it's a start(hotclaws**== 19:56, 13 September 2006 (UTC))[reply]

What can I do tonight?

Nothing on TV. My meat-based friends are all out of town. My cyber-friends never seem to be online on Sunday evenings. My dad doesn't want to go for a curry with me. No money. I don't drink. I don't smoke any more. I don't take drugs. I look at my music and DVD collection and I can't think of anything I want to watch/listen to. Just a boring Sunday night for me. Any suggestions for stuff that I can do? --Kurt Shaped Box 17:08, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

How about existing or breathing? I love doing that. -- TheGreatLlama ^{(speak to the Llama!)} 17:13, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

See acedia and get off your butt. Write an article, read a book and learn something, ask your dad what he would like to do with you, or go interact with someone or some gull you dont know well. You have something that most of the world envies: youth, health, safety, food and shelter. Calculate how many breaths you have left. This is meant in a friendly way. Young people should never, ever complain of boredom. alteripse 17:16, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Fair point. I suppose I could find some free porn to look at too... --Kurt Shaped Box 17:20, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

How 'bout you create an article for the Requested Articles page? Anchoress 17:56, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Click on "random page". There's loads of weird stuff out there that needs a good cleanup. Especially all those commmercial links. Or if you're not going to church with Jasbutal you could always try meditation. --Shantavira 18:40, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

yea, come on kurt, let's go to churhc. Jasbutal 19:02, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

A propos "go to church", check out Big Boi's Speakerboxx album. Nice party hiphop, if you like the band's style. 惑乱分からん 19:31, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

sorry Wak, I need the real thing. Jasbutal 19:44, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It's a shame to dismiss him just because of that... Perhaps you could give the album a chance on common weekdays... ;) 惑乱分からん 19:50, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If you have time left, you can always contribute to Wikipedia. Otherwise, expand your horizons. Reading a book is a good idea. Just take something from the shelf and see how far you get. I wonder what your father wants to do, perhaps you can do the same. - Mgm|^(talk) 19:42, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
You could take up drinking. Or, click on the Random article link over on the left side of the page. Repeat as necessary. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 21:05, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Turn your TV to the FOX channel. Real funny shows on Sunday night. Russian F 22:30, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Or watch FOX News, equally funny and scary, but could hopefully activate you... 惑乱分からん 22:49, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Free porn? That will only eat up 10 minutes in the entire evening! schyler 23:23, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

What?> That long? 8-)--Light current 03:16, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

He never mentioned anything about obtaining "free porn" legally... How much time you're willing to spend on it is another question, though... =S 惑乱分からん 23:27, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Never mind what I said about FOX. Usually, the sunday night lineup is pretty good, but I forgot that it's football season. Stupid football. Russian F 23:48, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Why not download some game demos and give them a go? That should keep you entertained until the shops open. Then, if you've fallen in love with any of the games, buy 'em. Howard Train 23:55, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

When I'm bored and TV isn't an option I find the best thing is a walk or a bike ride. There's a big park downtown about 30 minutes away by train from here, and if I have a free Sunday I often like to just head out there in the afternoon, spend about an hour walking around staring at all the loonies practicing their comedy skits and didgeridoos, and then make my way into the city and walk around some of the busy shopping streets there pretending to have some kind of purpose. I'm the kind of guy that can walk or ride a bike for 12 hours straight without complaining though, so I guess something like that's not for everyone. Another thing I like to do is just head down to the library and save money on air conditioning by using theirs while put my nose in a book for a couple of hours. If there was a University library nearby that I could go to I'd rather hang out there, but as long as I have a little stack of unread English books I can get comfortable. freshofftheufo ΓΛĿЌ 03:16, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Do you not have any other real friends? Why not give em a call or go visit one?--Light current 03:17, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Update: I started looking through my box of VHS tapes and I found a copy of The Exorcist that I'd taped off TV a few years ago. I watched that, whilst eating a tinned pie, then went to bed early. :) I was in one of those 'irritable' moods where I don't seem to be able to concentrate on reading a book or writing anything particularly coherent (jacking in the cigarettes hasn't helped my mood). My dad was at his house filling in a long application form (he just lost his job) and all my real life buddies were already out and I had no money to join them. Just one of those dull nights that we all get from time to time... --Kurt Shaped Box 14:01, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

So you did some exorcising? Thats good!--Light current 15:50, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

what's happened after the first Lord's Supper?

I'm going to a late night Catholic mass today and I'm gonna take communion. Are there accounts of people experiencing the holy ghost, or God in general terms, with their communion (especially their first one)? Jasbutal 18:12, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If you are not going with intent to offend, talk to the priest about your intention before the service. The Roman church is quite explicit in most places about the purpose of the eucharist and who is eligible to partake. Most Christian denominations have an explicit theology around the eucharist and the degree to which other Christians are welcome varies by denomination. You will be quite welcome at the service and if God's grace is extended to you, you will be moved to seek catechism from the priest. Anything else is simply mocking someone else's religion and will strike most people as a betrayal of the hospitality with which you were invited. alteripse 20:06, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

ok fine. so do you think people will be offended if I go alone, keep quiet, and sit in the back? Jasbutal 20:16, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I don't think so, but I'm agnostic/culturally protestant, myself. 惑乱分からん 21:27, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Unless you are Catholic (or belong to one of the very few "approved" denominations), you are not allowed to take communion in a Catholic church. You will not experience anything besides odd bread. --Nelson Ricardo 22:44, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Most congregations would be flattered and welcoming if you sat quietly in the back. You may find the customs confusing: the congregation probably kneels at certain points in the service. If you're interested in learning about Catholicism you might ask about less formal youth group meetings. Durova 00:01, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

To answer your question - no, not really. God isn't primarily concerned about getting people to "feel" him. God is interested in people having faith; responding to him and obeying him whether they "feel" his presence or not. Relying on "experiences" makes for an unsustainable, fanatical Christianity. BenC7 02:36, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

then from whence does this faith come from, Ben? I assume you're not one to denigrate Christianity by trying to "prove" that Christ existed and did this 'n that? Jasbutal 04:09, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Bible says, "Faith comes by hearing, hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 10:17). Faith comes from hearing and reading the word of God. BenC7 10:14, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

In Eucharist you will see that some Christian denominations (Roman Catholics for instance) believe that the bread and wine actually become Christ's flesh and blood through transubstantiation when the priest says the words of institution. It still appears to be bread and wine, but these are the accident while the substance has changed. Lutherans believe the body and blood are in and with the bread and wine, a very slight difference but no less miraculous. The worshippers may indeed feel that they are blessed and strengthned by the Eucharist. Other denominations see it as merely a symbolic remembrance of the Last Supper, like a historic reenactment. Some Christian churches (Roman Catholic, Missouri Synod Lutheran for instance) have closed communion, and one must have special approval to get communion. Some others have open communion, perhaps open to all who share their belief that the body and blood of Jesus are present in the Eucharist or to all who receive communion in their home church. First Communion in Roman Catholic churches follows a period of instruction and preparation. The requirements vary greatly in different denominations. It is best to speak to the minister or Priest if you are in doubt about receiving Eucharist. I have never heard of any minister who was not delighted by the opportunity to talk to you about possibly joining them in worship. Most churches would be happy to provide a member who can sit by you and assist you in following the service. Edison 05:28, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

what to wear to a catholic churhc

I've heard of Sunday best, but does it apply to a college catholic church? Jasbutal 18:21, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Not necessarily. College students have a habit of not following customs. Rmhermen 19:53, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

However, if you are not familiar with the congregation or the priest himself, i would recommend dressing relatively soberly. Wearing a 'let the fucking begin' t-shirt could offend. Rockpocket 20:34, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

turns out you can wear whatever the fuck you want. jeans, shorts, t-shirt, whatever . Jasbutal 04:36, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

While you can wear whatever you like, you probably should wear something similar to what you'd wear to work in an office, merely out of respect for the other people who will be there.

Continually doing the minimum that you can get away with, and not taking others' sensibilities into account, is probably not the way to go. B00P 09:12, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

200 lbs woman

How does a 200 lbs woman look like without her clothes on, especially bikini?

You might google BBW, and see what comes up... 惑乱分からん 19:42, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It depends on 1) how tall she is, 2) what kind of muscle tone she has, and 3) her body type. If she's 6-foot-2 and muscular, she might look average, if larger in all dimensions. If she's 5-feet with no muscle tone, she'll probably have fat on her hips, abdomen, thighs, legs, and arms. I have a very good female friend who's a little over 200 pounds, but she's tall, athletic, has a large frame, and a large bustline. She looks like a very curvy woman with good muscle tone, and she has almost no cellulite. 65.96.181.140 21:08, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Try looking up the WNBA player profiles and the biographies of professional beach volleyball players. They tend to be tall, sometimes 200 pounds or near that. Also Google "large sized models" - these are beautiful women who earn their living posing for fashion catalogs for larger sized clothes. Durova 23:53, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I was raised thinking metric, still finding imperial confusing. Anyway my sister is about 186 cm/80 kg (About 6'1"/175 lbs I guess), she doesn't look fat, so I guess it's not too strange if tall and muscular women could reach that weight without particularly much body fat. 惑乱分からん 01:23, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Bikinis don't count as clothes these days? JIP | Talk 13:17, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I interpreted the query as a wish to see a topless woman weighing 200 lbs... =S 惑乱分からん 15:02, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

This is rather like asking 'How long is a piece of string'. It depends on her height. If she was 6' 6" she'd probably look stunning. If 4' 0", like a fat slob. Look at Body Mass Index--Light current 00:26, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Whooah, 6'6" is a tall woman, indeed... 惑乱分からん 00:46, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah I said if--Light current 02:01, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Now when I get to think about it, 4'0" is also very short... =S 惑乱分からん 09:54, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

OMNI Television 2006 World Cup Matches

On OMNI. 2, most of the matches were commented in Chinese. Why couldn't comment games that deal with Iran in Farsi, Japan's in Japanese, South Korea in Korean, and Tunisia and Saudi Arabia in Arabic?

Which World Cup are you talking about? Soccer? Anyway, to try to anser the question, I'd guess the Chinese is a larger market group. The answer is probably money. 惑乱分からん 19:45, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

My guess is that they'd have to translate it and they don't have the resources on hand to do so (whereas with language programming you don't have to do this, because the programs are usually in another language.) Also, I'm not sure which OMNI segment Iran and SA are supposed to fall under. ColourBurst 14:49, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Miles per gallon

What automobile, available in the USA, will go farthest on one gallon of gasoline?

The US Energy Department says the Honda Insight with manual transmission, which gets 60MPG in the city and 66 on the highway. The worst are the Bugatti Veyron (8/15 MPG) and the Bentley Arnage (10/14 MPG). -- Mwalcoff 22:57, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

That must just be cars, because there are trucks far worse than that. StuRat 01:33, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

For consumer pickup trucks, there doesn't seem to be any worse than that. The Dodge 1500 SLT got 11 mpg overall (called the worst) from Consumer Reports in Jan 2006 but officially it gets 14 city/19 highway. Rmhermen 02:15, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I should think an Hummer H1 would have been much worse, but I suppose that's off the market now. I would also think a fully loaded Chevy Suburban (3/4 ton with a 8.1 L Vortec V8 engine) would also be worse. StuRat 06:44, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

A sherman tank gets 1/2 mile per gallon ;) Raul654 01:34, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah, but try fitting in a parking space without having to file insurance claims with the people on either side. :-) Dismas|^(talk) 01:43, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Make sure they are sitting in the car at the time. Problem solved. Raul654 02:14, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I believe Smarts are designed to be fuel-efficient. A modified version is available in the US. You'll be driving cheaply and can still say yo drive a Mercedes. (Well, a car by the sister company.) DirkvdM 07:05, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Oh, and the car I was really thinking of is the SmILE, a car designed by Greenpeace to demonstrate how fuel efficient cars could be if car manufacturers wanted them to. See http://archive.greenpeace.org/climate/industry/reports/smile.html. It has a fuel consumption of 29 km/l or 78 m/g. One drawback. It is not for sale. :) However, if this is the best Greenpeace can do, then the Honda Insight is pretty impressive. DirkvdM 11:31, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Surely the worst mileage in the world has to belong to the brilliant Tesla Roadster? It gets no miles to the gallon... Tyrhinis 10:59, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Editing confusion

I edited the List of Stoner Rock Bands by adding Dave Matthews. Afterwards I realized that there was a note on the page saying address the talk page if changing this list because this is only a list of artists with wikipedia's pages but DMB does have there own page. Im confused.

What? Anyway, if you added Dave Matthews band, and they have their own Wikipedia article, I fail to see that you have done anything wrong, on the contrary, you have added an entry to the list. 惑乱分からん 21:24, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Not sure if this is what you're asking, but you make a link to another wikipedia article by enclosing the article title in square brakets. For example: [[Dave Matthews]] results in Dave Matthews. If what you put in square brackets does not have an article, it will show up as a red link (or, if you've changed your preferences, as a link with a question mark after it). As you can see, Dave Matthews does have an article, as does Dave Matthews Band.–RHolton ≡– 12:38, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

list of websites

looking for a list of websites like this one http://www.stewielive.com/ where you type in a command to "control" someone. There's also the burger king chicken one but I forgot the site. I enjoy messing around onthese, is there a list of them? Jasbutal 21:06, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You might like www.killfrog.com. It's a lot of fun.

The Burger King one? Try The Subservient Chicken. Crazy Fox (T|C|E) 02:08, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

difference between research and theory

what is the difference between research and theory?

We won't answer your homework questions for you but we can point you in the direction of answers about research and theory. Dismas|^(talk) 21:59, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If you don't know the difference, you obviously didn't do much research yourself. - 131.211.210.11 07:24, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Although that's just a theory... ;) 惑乱分からん 15:01, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Didn't all theory start as research of some kind?--Light current 21:56, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I doubt that... It sounds incorrect... 惑乱分からん 23:48, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

What sounds incorrect? And why? 8-|--Light current 23:53, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I might have misunderstood something, but can't you (theoretically ;)) construct a theory on the basis of just assuming that's the way anything should work (for example)? 惑乱分からん 23:58, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yes. Its called philosophy- more precisely Metaphysics--Light current 00:01, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

radio station

What are the guidelines for starting an article on a radio station? I mean, like, can I just start it or do I have to get it approved?

Look at an article on another radio station. Base your article on that. If you are a user on Wikipedia, you can just start any old article. You just have to make sure there isn't already an article on the subject. And that it's appropriate. Russian F 22:34, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Even better, look at several, and see how they are structured and what they cover. If you are lucky, they will all have the same, helpful, structure, which you can adopt. If you are unlucky they will all be arranged differently (or have no structure at all), and you will need to devise your own structure. Then you could go back and edit the other ones to match your excellent arrangement. ColinFine 23:42, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I don't think there's any consistent structure (which would be nice). IMO, this is how not to do it.--Shantavira 08:17, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Specific Retro Show

I think it was called "Pappy's Paint". Some old guy went around his puppet forest and taught kids how to draw and paint. Could anyone try to help me find some sources? -MF14

Man, I loved that show so much... Russian F 23:44, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

castling on opposite sides in chess

I've noticed in chess, when players castle on opposite sides, there is some kind of a paradox about the impact of defensive pieces in front of the king. Most writers (eg. Keres and Kotov in The Art of the Middle Game), say that these pieces present targets for the enemy pawn storm. But I have seen many games, especially Sicilians where white castles long, in which one player (usu. white in the Sicilian) uses the defensive pieces and a pawn thrust to actually blockade the pawn storm. Are these blockading possibilities merely special exceptions, or is there a good general rule behind them? The Mad Echidna 23:08, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Do you mean castling queenside instead of castling kingside? Castling queenside is somewhat less common, partly because more pieces need to be developed before the move can take place. In casual games it may be less frequent because, as with the en passant rule, some players are not aware that this move is legal. I believe there are more opening lines that castle kingside. From my own playing level (very good casual player, get creamed in rated tournaments) I tend to castle on whatever side of the board offers better defensive possibilities: if my kingside pawns are already in play then I tend to castle queenside. I'll also castle queenside if it offers the potential to place the queenside rook in control of an important file. In terms of chess theory this may hinge on the wisdom of developing the queen early in the game: that's a very aggressive (and often reckless) style of play that happens less often at higher levels than among novices. Durova 23:35, 10 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

This is a deep subject, in itself. The way that someone Expert and above would look at it is different than less experienced players. What I teach beginner to intermediate players is that 1)Castling is very important in protecting the king. 2) Control the center (directly and indirectly) 3)develop knights and bishops quickly, 4)Castle.

If you get in a position with another player of roughly equal strength/rating, and you castle on the same side (queen or king) then you both have to hold back your protective pawns on that side, and develop some kind of attack in the middle/center, or on the other flank (opposite to castled side.) Now, if you are in a game where you cross castle (opposite sides) then both opponents will throw their opposite side pawns at their opponents castled side (the pawn storm you speak of). And, whomever is fastest, often/usually wins. SO, unless you can look far enough ahead to be pretty sure that YOU will have the advantage in such a situation, it is just better to make sure that you castle on the same side as your opponent. Playing a beginning player, he will sit, not knowing what to do, as your pawn storm progresses. Playing an intermediate player or higher, and they will storm their pawns at your king, in return. One the pawn storm race is started it is an unpredictable mess.

The purpose of an opening like the Sicilian is that it is an asymmetric opening, rather than a symmetrical opening. This can (sometimes) give Black a better opportunity than a balanced symmetric opening (where white has the slight advantage of having moved first). I don't feel that (IMO) there are proportionally more opposite castling games with the Sicilian, versus, say, a symmetric opening like the Ruy Lopez.

A strategy of throwing your pawns forward to block an oncoming pawn storm (in an opposite side castle position) is one of many. One of the characteristics of this position, is, as you point out, that decveloped pieces in the path of the pawn storm attack can be targets for the pawn on the way. Generally speaking though, this leaves a middle game where your king is exposed, and your opponents king is well protected. This is almost always a loss for the player with the exposed king. The exception to this kind of situation would be where you want/need an active king in the center, and the open king can get there faster than the protected one. (This would be say, if queens had been exchanged, as well as many major pieces - endgame, or late middle game). Atom 19:13, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Detailed information on horse guardian road fatality by truck nassau ny 1970's

I am doing research on deaths of roadway guards for horse trailers by trucks and cars . I am interested in the details (legal, medical and otherwise) and outcomes for the queens/nassau, new york area in the early 1970's. Where would i go to get this information and not just general statistics?

I don't understand the question, what are "roadway guards for horse trailers" ? StuRat 01:30, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Have you gotten in touch with the mounted division of the NYPD? Or the Belmont racetrack? Or horse farms/riding schools in Nassau County? Durova 01:59, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

September 11

Steve Irwin

I was reading the article on Steve Irwin. I was wondering what religion he was, if he did believe anything. I know that it was his own personal business and probably no one will really know other than his own family. Thanks for any information. Van00:23, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

There has been no mention of Irwin's religious beliefs in any of the voluminous coverage of his death here in Australia. If he was a member of any organised religion, he and his family have kept very quiet about it. --Robert Merkel 02:53, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Australians generally do not talk to strangers about their religion (or lack of). When I said "strangers", I do not just mean non-Australians. Strangers include other Australians as well.

On the subject of religion in Australia, do you know there are about 400,000 chinese in Australia in 1996 but only 3815 "Chinese Traditional Religion" which consists of Taoism (2,981); Ancestor Veneration (653); Confucianism (578); Chinese Religions not further defined (257). So either the chinese in Australia are completely non-religious or they are all die hard christians. 202.168.50.40 23:34, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

What's the statistics for China, itself? It hasn't stricken me as a very religiously devoted country. 惑乱分からん 00:04, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Statistics for China which being a communist country from 1949 to ???? is officially non-religious. However lately there was a relax in political policy to allow religious observations by its citizens. 202.168.50.40 00:08, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Isn't China officially still communist? (Their status in practice is a completely different discussion...) 惑乱分からん 01:11, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

baseball field question

This is just a question that was brought up to me and now im trying to get an answer for it, Should the fences on any baseball diamond in the nation or world whether its major league or even just t-ball be tight to the ground on the bottom so nobody can get a foot caught under the bottom pipe support and the ground and get a broken ankle or foot. What is the correct answer or specifications or rules to this question?

I doubt there are any rules for "every" field especially considering as there is not even a rule on how far the fences are. Rmhermen 02:05, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

This seems to me to be nothing to do with baseball, but rather to do with the local regulations on safety and ~~excessive~~ precautionary measures. ColinFine 12:55, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Major League Baseball makes no specification as to the construction of fences (see Rule 1.04). However, there is a rule concerning how far the fences are; however, said rule has leeway rather than a single fixed value. — Lomn | Talk 13:57, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Why do all my cactuses die?

All of my potted houseplant cactuses die the same way: they get soft and dark green and they fall over and go flat. Their base sort of dies first. Why do they die? I don't water them much, only like once a month (and only like 2tbsp). These particular cactuses died after they were repotted: File:Thedeadcactusses.JPG The one in the bottom right has died, the one in the bottom left has started dying in it's base.(I realize that it's supposed to be 'cacti', but I prefer 'cactuses')

Could be a number of things. Temperature? Sunlight? Repotting procedure? You could try leaving them in the thing you get them in from the nursery and see if they still die. You could also try leaving them outside to see if that makes any difference. BenC7 02:40, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I've heard they do best in very sandy soil; from the picture your soil looks kind of loamy. Don't know if that's important enough to mean the difference between life and death, though. --Allen 04:59, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Which species of cactus do you have? 惑乱分からん 07:02, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, it looks to me as though the soil needs to be much better drained, with the addition of plenty of sand or fine gravel.--Shantavira 12:17, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Cactuses is quite acceptable for the plural of cactus[12]. Cacti is another word for it, which takes the original Latin form. In English though, both are fine. - Rainwarrior 02:29, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

catholics

if you don't know already, I went to a Catholic mass to see what it was like, to try and learn some things about Christianity, and to meet the cute ,clean, Catholic girls (is it so wron g to only want to date prima materia ???)

oh ,I forgot to add, this isn't homework. Jasbutal 05:03, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Questions:

1. what's with the cross on the staff that they kept moving around the Church, in and out, aisle to aisle? I'm familiar with the cross, but why were they walking around with it at what seemed randome times?

2. what's the point of singing stuff?

3. greater than 75% of the mass was singing ! wtf, the priest only talked for like 5 min on the Bible. why so much singing !?

4. one of the reasons I came was to take the eucharist, because that's the whole point of why Christianity is a living religion, because the sacrifice of Jesus actually happens every day and every week. It's not just confined to 2000 years ago .

can i just go protestant and take it there!? They'll give the supper to anyoone.

5. I f catholics barely even talk about or read the Bible in Chruch how do they learn about ti? just reading it on their own? Do they have bible studies like the protestants?

6. if I go to an orthodox church, will all the shit be in Greek? fuck that.

7. What's with the red light on the staff they carried around with the cross sometimes?

8. do any churches do Gregorian chant? That' sthe only signing I want to do, forget these egocentric hymns and egocentric songs like "AMazing Grace"

9. The priest talked about the "Culture of Death" (something the pope talked about on youth day or somethign) is this a common Catholic perception of the current American/Western culture?

10. he said that a personal intimacy with the God and Jesus was possible. I thought catholics were famous for saying that the only way the comman man can communicate or "get to" God/jesus was by proxy through the Priest!? ??

I'm pretty sure Orthodox churches hold services in whatever language is most convenient for the parishoners. Catholics definitely have Bible study just like Protestants. Not all Protestant churches have the Eucharist, and of those that do, they have different requirements for who can receive it. At some, anyone can receive it; in the Episcopal Church, you have to be baptised in the name of the Trinity but you don't have to be Episcopal. (Like the Catholics, of course, they don't actually check.) I don't know the answers to a lot of your questions. I'm curious to know about that red light on the staff; I went to a Catholic church as a kid and I don't remember that. Maybe it was a safer alternative to carrying a burning candle on a staff? You might be interested in reading Mass (Catholic Church). --Allen 04:57, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

1. and 8. The cross is just a symbol. The movements were probably not random. (I can only remember it moving when the priest comes in or leaves?) 2. Singing is a large part of how the church members participate in the mass. Gregorian chant is used (see that article which describes chants like the Alleluia, Agnus Dei and Kyrie) perhaps you didn't recognize it or perhaps as a college service, a very modern liturgy was used? In some churches, the priest, cantor and choir seems to do almost all the actual singing (although the parishioners are encouraged to sing as well.) 3. Catholics are known for short sermons although there has been increased focus since Vatican II. Protestant sermons are generally much longer. (In Catholicsm the central point of the Mass is the Eucharist, with the singing secondary and the sermon least important. In Protestant church, generally the sermon is most important - although in some, and more recently, it is the singing that is most important in the average service. The Lord's Supper is not part of every service but is central when it is.) 4. Protestants would emphatically disagree with this statement and even the Catholics interpretation is more subtle (Eucharist (Catholic Church)#Transubstantiation) 5. Catholics are perceived to study the Bible less than Protestants but home Bible reading, Bible studies and church classes outside of Mass do occur. 7. Another symbol (Jesus as the light to the world.) 10. Catholics believe in a personal relationship with God (such as prayer). The priest has certain roles to fulfill (such as absolution and consecration of the Eucharist) So perhaps communicate - no; get to God, yes. Rmhermen 05:45, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

appreciate the response, Rmhermen. The wiki article tells us a lot about transubstantiation but not why it's done. In regards to that, I was doing some googling just after I asked this, and check this out: "In the Eucharist, we don't merely "remember" the death and resurrection of Christ, like we remember some historic event. Rather, the Eucharist is a living memorial that makes Christ's sacrifice present anew in every parish community which offers it at the hands of a bishop or priest."

from http://www.kofc.org/publications/columbia/detail.cfm?id=2273 Jasbutal 05:57, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

appreciate the response, Rmhermen. The wiki article tells us a lot about transubstantiation but not why it's done. In regards to that, I was doing some googling just after I asked this, and check this out: "In the Eucharist, we don't merely "remember" the death and resurrection of Christ, like we remember some historic event. Rather, the Eucharist is a living memorial that makes Christ's sacrifice present anew in every parish community which offers it at the hands of a bishop or priest."

The "Why is it done" is simplest and applies to any Christian church: because Jesus said "This do in rembrance of me." (Luke 29:19) Our Eucharist article gives: "Eucharist is therefore understood to be not simply a representation of Christ's presence, or a remembrance of his Passion and Death, but an actual participation in the Sacrifice of Christ, the manifestation, in the present, of an event that occurred once for all in time. The Eucharist makes present that one sacrifice, not a different sacrifice." You can see how this differs from "the sacrifice of Jesus actually happens every day and every week." Rmhermen 06:12, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

so you're saying an element of the eucharist is that we sacrifice ourselves during it, just as Christ sacrificed himself to the Father? Is this the meaning of Galatians 2:20?

also, I honestly don't understand how "the manifestation, in the present, of an event that occurred once for all in time." is different than "the sacrifice of Jesus actually happens every day and every week."!?? Jasbutal 06:23, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

from http://www.kofc.org/publications/columbia/detail.cfm?id=2273 Jasbutal 05:57, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

From a non-Catholic: 1. Sometimes they Process. It is a symbol of salvation through faith in Christ. see http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12448a.htm for Catholic info 2. Psalm 150: Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament! Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp! Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with crashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord! 3. See 2. 4. You raise good points. 5. Catholics have traditionally not been really big on weekly Bible study compared to some Protestant denominations, but traditionally they had a great deal of Christian education in the catechism before first communion and learned a great deal of doctrine as developed by church theologians. 6. Some people have indeed heard a fair amount of Greek in Orthodox services. 7. A long burning light may be the Sanctuary Light, a sign that Christ is present in the tabernacle or church. 8. Gregorian chant are in Latin, which I thought went out of Catholic church liturgy after the Second Vatican Council, but the Gregorian Chant article says it is still fine for Catholic worship. There might be choirs in some Catholic, Lutheran, or Episcopal (Anglican) churches which do Gregorian chants on occasion. 9. Culture of death: perhaps he was echoing the Catholic Church's opposition to abortion or capital puinishment. 10. The more "evangelical" protestant churches speak of "accepting Jesus as your personal savior" and being "born again" to receive salvation. I expect Catholics who are devout feel they too have a close relation to Jesus.

You are asking good questions. I strongly encourage you to "church shop," something many college students do as part of their exploration of life. Perhaps the Holy Spirit will lead you to a particular church. Edison 06:08, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Gregorian chant is a musical style. It isn't all in Latin - and many Catholic churches still use at least some Latin. The Kyrie for instance is Greek. Vernacular (local language) translations are used primarily. Rmhermen 06:19, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hmmmm, my first impression, by reading that, is that you should change your definition of dating material. It'd seem you're heading for disappointments... =S 惑乱分からん 07:06, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

~!?? explain how! The vigin Mary was prima materia...I'd date her. Jasbutal 07:14, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Having gone to a Catholic grade school for eight years, I don't see any issue with wanting to check out the women. Those starched white shirts and plaid skirts that the female students wore were... nice! Yeah, nice. :-) Dismas|^(talk) 09:32, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Would it be sacrilegous to talk about Mary's assumed connections with Roman soldiers? I just think it's silly to choose a girlfriend on such a matter as intact virginity, and, as a personal opinion, I would guess that girls who think it's important to keep their virginity until marriage in a Western society must be one of the most neurotic and hysterical persons you can find... (Maybe I shouldn't start this...) 惑乱分からん 14:38, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

well, sorrz if this sounds harsh but I could find a word or two for girls AND bozs who have had a sexual )and I mean real sex..) partner or two or three before the age of 21. Hell, before the age of 30! Weäre not rabitts, people, weäre human and we can show a little dang respect for something that is so universallz important. ßßJASBUTAL

If you still care, I'd show respect to a virgin girl. I just don't consider it to be that important. 惑乱分からん 23:56, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You go to church as a part of your relationship with God, to connect with others who also have a relationship with God, and to learn more about God. It is not about checking out girls. If you are going there for that reason, you're going for entirely the wrong reason. If you want to learn about God, start by reading the New Testament. BenC7 10:11, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

ben's the type of guy who walks out of a woody allen movie and asks himself "was that supposed to be funny?" Jasbutal 12:57, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

...but then again, so is Woody Allen. :-) StuRat 13:23, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

So are many... Btw, Match Point was good. 惑乱分からん 14:44, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Some people experience Hamlet as a murder mystery, and watch all the way through trying to figure out who does the killing. Edison 19:18, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I am wondering about your paedophilic adiction to virgin Catholic schoolgirls right now. — [Mac Davis] (talk) (Desk|Help me improve)

As immature as I might consider an attraction for virginity to be, I must admit it doesn't in itself necessitate pedophilia (which, strictly speaking, is an attraction to children not yet reached the age of puberty, not to be mixed up with ephebophilia, attraction to adolescents who haven't yet reached full adulthood). 惑乱分からん 00:53, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

davis ..>! ?? ooooooooooooooh....I get it.....davis is jealous now that's he got some competitioN ! did you not catch that I'm a college student goign to a college church with college girls? Jasbutal 03:45, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

BTW, if you wanted answers to the 'how do Catholics get to know the Bible' question: having been brought up Catholic (do not ask my current beliefs) I found I knew a lot of it better than Protestant friends. This was because, as well as the 3 readings from the Bible every week (Old Testament, New Testament, Gospel) and the responsorial psalm every week, there were the antiphons and Gospel acclamation, meaning I tended to know verses. Because the cycle of readings repeats every three years, by the time you're a teenager you're recognising and remembering bits word-for-word. The Homily (like a sermon) is varying lengths depending on the person giving it (not always a priest), and often looks at how the different passages from the Bible read that week link together, and how they relate to the present day. Skittle 11:16, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Australia (continent) is wrong

moved to talk:Australia (continent) --Light current 00:03, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Video/computer game design process

In your page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_design#Video.2Fcomputer_game_design_process under the title Video/computer game design process you say "Game design begins with a concept: some are original inspirations, while others are client-mandated, often as part of a broader marketing campaign." But what is "client-mandated"??? Thanks

Client-mandated means that your client (a movie company, a fast-food chain that wants to use a video game for marketing purposes, or whatever) has some definite requirements of what they want the finished game to look like, and your job as a game designer is not so much to come up with clever ideas of how the game could work but rather to bring the client's ideas (which may or may not be good) to life. Say you're designing a video game as a tie-in to some movie franchise (like designing the latest Star Wars game). In such a case, the movie studio will have a very definite idea of their target audience and of the image they want to project, so they will give you a pretty definite list of what can and can't be done in a video game. On the one hand, it will be pretty much impossible to just design the game you want to design - on the other hand, you can profit immensely from established brand recognition, and you won't have to worry too much about marketing your game. -- Ferkelparade π 10:00, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Peoples' Democratic Partiy of Nigeria

Please i would like to know the contents of the PDP of Nigeria — Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.206.136.83 (talk • contribs)

See People's Democratic Party (Nigeria) and also this website (Search first – it's quicker) --Shantavira 14:17, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Use the little box on the left side of the screen to do that. — [Mac Davis] (talk) (Desk|Help me improve)

Raw Spinach and your teeth

Can eating too much raw spinach be un-healthy for your teeth?

Spinach stains the teeth. Ask your Dental hygienist. --Zeizmic 15:33, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If you don't wash it first. Anchoress 17:06, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

This has worried ref desk visitors before Wikipedia:Reference_desk_archive/Science/2006_July_9#Spinach MeltBanana 19:31, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

POSTUM

HI PLEASE HELP WHERE CAN I FIND POSTUM FOR MY MOM OUR AREA CODE IS 38261 THANKS SARAH

Do you mean zip code ? And what's postum ? StuRat 16:22, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Did you try calling supermarkets, like E W James & Sons Supermarket? --Lambiam ^Talk 16:36, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hello Sarah. If you do not have any luck calling the grocery stores in your area. Try health food stores for similar cereal beverage products. If you still have no luck, contact me at gaspdesign@earthlink.net and I will purchase a jar for your mom and send it to you. Coffee flavor or original?--JosephWisdom 20:18, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Question about job position - service coordinator / executive assistant

I want to know that who is senior - a service coordinator or an executive assistant? What are their job profiles?

You need to ask the company concerned. All these words have a range of meanings, and in this context sometimes no meaning at all. A 'service coordinator' might be a fairly senior person who is responsible for organising a company's entire after-sales service. On the other hand, it might be a junior person who tracks what is going on in one 'service' (whatever that might mean in the industry concerned). An 'assistant' is usually quite low-status; but an 'assistant director', for example, may be almost at the top of the hierarchy. It is impossible to tell the answer to your question without knowing the company concerned. ColinFine 23:39, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Commercial break in Pro Football Game

Can anyone shed some light as to why there is a commercial break after a kick-off in a NFL game? Is there any reason why after the kick-off(takes about 30 seconds or so), a commercial break occurs? This doesn't happen in college football games.

Money. The networks trust that anybody who sat through the commercials prior to kickoff will likewise sit through a round of commercials prior to the next play. — Lomn | Talk 18:21, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Im glad I'm a assoc football fanatic as if I had to watch ads for a minute every minute as you guys seem to have to put up with in american football, I would get fed up so quickly. Philc _T^E_C^I 20:29, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

What do you call the jerseys if not "watch[ing] ads... every minute"? It took me years to realize that Brits weren't actually rooting for "Carlsberg." — Lomn | Talk 21:36, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The NFL's TV contract says there are supposed to be five commercial breaks per quarter. Generally, these are taken after punts and scores. They can also put in some ads during injury timeouts and replay challenges. However, if there have yet to be enough stoppages of play, they can add extra ads after the kickoff. If you go to a game, you'll see a guy on the sidelines with bright orange elbow-length gloves. His job is to inform the refs with hand signals whether there will be commercials at a given stoppage of play. The ridiculous number of ads during NFL games is one reason I think college football makes a better sport. -- Mwalcoff 22:53, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The refs are informed about the commercial breaks? Bloody hell, what on Earth for? DirkvdM 06:51, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Because the leagues make a tremendous portion of their money from TV deals, the games are paused while the networks show commercials.— Lomn | Talk 14:50, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I had a good laugh once, when I watched some series on tv in the US. There was this introductory scene, then the tune, and then ... a commercial break! Before the story had even properly started! I never bothered to watch US tv after that. When a US guy was over at my place and we watched a US series on public tv and there wasn't a commecial break where one was obviously intended by the makers he was highly surprised. He couldn't imagine tv without commercial breaks. Judging by the fact that, for example, 24 (tv series) episodes last only 45 minutes in stead of one hour, I conclude that 1/4 of tv time in the US is wasted on commercials. Or are there other stations as well? Does the US have public stations? And are they watched? DirkvdM 06:48, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, the US has the Public Broadcasting Service, which is quite good. Unfortunately, they do buy commercial programs from the UK, at times, then they have to find something to fill in for the missing time. They tend to use ads for themselves as filler. The commercial channels seem to have figured out that they lose viewers if they show commercials before the show starts. The latest method is to have one show end, and the next begin, with no commercials, credits, or even title sequences in between. They still have plenty of ads, but now they wait until they figure you are "hooked" on the new program before they run them. StuRat 07:00, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You're right, Dirk -- about 1/4 of TV time in the U.S. is taken up by advertising. To Americans, this is the only logical way to do it. Generally, governments in the U.S. only get involved in providing a service if it's of public benefit and the private sector can't or won't do it. The government subsidizes educational and cultural programming on PBS because the private sector won't do it, or at least won't provide it without commercials. Americans would find it ridiculous for the government to be involved in showing something that is nothing but entertainment, like 24. We do have subscription channels like HBO that do not show third-party commercials. We don't have anything like the TV licenses that they have in Europe. I find it crazy that British people have to pay £131.50 for the BBC if they want to watch any television station, even if they hate the BBC. The U.S. government's subsidies for public broadcasting come out of the general budget but amount to less than $5 per household. Different strokes, I guess. -- Mwalcoff 23:18, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It happens at the start of each half in (soccer) World Cup matches too, Dirk. Thats why the ref and players are to be seen hanging around till the ref gets a signal to blow for the kick-off. Jameswilson 22:51, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

That's fairly different - there is a half time break anyway, so of course they are going to show ads at that time. They don't stop DURING the half though. Although, I did watch them on SBS (Australian government funded broadcaster) which generally only shows ads between shows, so Aussies may be luckier in that regard. In cricket they show one ad (30 seconds) after each over (while the bowlers/fielders change ends), and Australian rules football's coverage (in Australia only, obviously) is (currently) divided between two channels - one of them shows uninterrupted quarters, and the other shows ads after each goal - a source of many complaints! -- Chuq 02:43, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The teams and leagues have to make their money one way or the other. When you watch hockey on Czech TV, there are no commercials during periods, but you can't see the puck because of all the ads on the ice and the players' uniforms. In the U.S., the only ads on players' uniforms are the logos of the clothing manufacturers. There are also no ads on the playing surface, although the NHL, NBA and MLB now have ads around the playing surface. I don't like all the interruptions for commercials any more than anyone else, but I don't know what the alternatives would be, other than defiling uniforms and fields with ads or showing the games on pay-per-view. -- Mwalcoff

Mwalcoff (4 posts back), having no commercials is not the same as having the government handling the programming. In the Netherlands, there is competition between broadcasters. They get allotted time depending on their popularity. This used to be measured in a rather stupid leftover from the verzuiling (pillarisation), based on the sales of their programme magazines. That has changed now, but I'm not sure how.

About the use of commercials (any kind anywhere), they're the pits for the free market system. The way that is supposed to work is that people 'vote' for good products by buying them (dollar voting). So their choice is supposed to be based on the quality of the product, not how much money the company can waste on commercials. And has to becuase else they couldn't compete. This not only eats at the basis of the free market system, it is also a threshold for new companies that can't afford big commercial campaigns and thus holds back innovation and hampers competition. DirkvdM 05:07, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I don't understand. How do the networks make money if they don't show commercials and don't get money from the government? -- Mwalcoff 05:37, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You could tape it then fast forward through the ads at your leisure(hotclaws**== 20:13, 13 September 2006 (UTC))[reply]

school of thought

what school of thought is it called when one desires to have his/her virginity "lost" by another virgin ? ßJASBUTAL

AssumptionsÖ ß )I mean virgin in the traditional sense....ya weirdos) ß n ot talking about marriage here ß I am talkiong about love in the casual but not immature sense ß i am not talking about myzself...itäs just a freind iäm worried about ß sorry but mz kezboard is all fucked up

Islam. --83.245.29.27 18:44, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

good one. Jasbutal 23:36, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Actually, I guess that in muslim countries, the female virginity is considered much more important than male one. Tradition of bleeding the bed sheets and all that... 惑乱分からん 23:52, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It seems you accidentally installed a German keyboard layout. Are you using XP with a "DE" sign close to the lower right corner? Then, click on it and change it to "EN". 惑乱分からん 23:52, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

i dunno, it was a shared PC and I've since left it. peopel are always messing with those things. Jasbutal 03:49, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Could you give me some details about your friend, and the relationship he's in. Nothing personal, just stuff like his age, his girlfriend's age, how long they've been together, their views toward each other etc. Might help us understand the issue better... 惑乱分からん 00:58, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

"he" doesn't have a girlfriend at the moment, I was just wondering what his school of thought would be classified as. He's just a tad bit disappointed when the girls taht he dates have already been there done that. He believes it's important (not a stipulation, but still important...), in order to be intimate with someone, to not have a lot of baggage and expectations from past relationships and sex leads to this. Jasbutal 03:49, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Possibly idealist. ;) 惑乱分からん 10:00, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Instead of losing your virginity, you could always misplace it... --Dweller 14:25, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Samurai and Ninja

What is the difference between a samurai and a ninja ?

Try Samurai and Ninja. ColourBurst 20:47, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If there was a fight between a Samurai and a Ninja..... (forget it. The ninja has a harder shell doesn't it?)--Shantavira 09:12, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

But the samurai hops better... 惑乱分からん 10:08, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Looking for the film "Flame of Persia"

Hello, I am looking for the documentry "Flame of Persia" (1971) which was the 2500 year anniversary of fthe Persian Empire. Does anyone know where I can get it? For more info on the film : [13]

Thanks --(Aytakin) | Talk 21:09, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Improving my strength further

I've been for 2 years in the gym and already have a decent form. However, I'm somewhat stuck at this point... Can anyone recommend me some kind of powerlifting routines or something useful for my purposes? Thanks.

What kind of body shape do you have now, and what kind of body shape are you striving for? What kind of training are you practicing, how often do you do it, and what kind of diet do you follow? 惑乱分からん 23:53, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

This might be a good time to stop lifting, why don't you... find another hobby? Maintain your look of course, but maybe you can learn a new skill or help somebody? — [Mac Davis] (talk) (Desk|Help me improve)

Take a bike to work in stead of a car, take the stairs in stead of the lift, that sort of thing. Build up muscles that are actually useful and do it without spending time or money on it (actualy saving some). Clever, eh? Of course, if you want to look puffed up and ridiculous, use the stuff at the gym. DirkvdM 07:00, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

This is the kind of question you should be asking a trainer at the gym, that's what they are there for. Describe what you've been doing up to this point, what you would like to achieve, how much of a time committment you're willing to make and so on. The trainer should then be able to work out a set of exercises with you. It's much safer and better doing it like this, as you'll be focussing your efforts and there is much less risk of injury through improper exercises. — QuantumEleven 07:30, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Clipping Mask vs Normal Layer mask

In Adobe Photoshop CS, what is the main difference between a clipping mask and a normal layer mask? In what situations would you use which one? Jamesino 22:18, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

A clipping path is a vector-based path, you would use it where you want a straight line, a precise mathematical curve or a hard edge to the object. A layer mask is pixel based and can use transparency, so you would use it for soft "faded" edges like a photo montage, or for fine detail like hair. --Canley 03:42, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

How many people in World trade center on 9/11?

Hello. How many people, were in the world trade center, when they were hit by the planes in 2001? I heard in a film as many as 6000. Yet I read that 2000+ people died there.

Thank you very much, Catherine Fowler

See September 11, 2001 attacks#Fatalities. Total 2,973 confirmed deaths stemming from all four hijackings, of which ~2,600 were people in the World Trade Center towers. Just under 2,000 of those were at or above the areas where the aircraft hit; the other 600 were presumably killed when the towers collapsed, and included about 400 rescue workers. Shimgray | talk | 23:20, 11 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The number who were in the Towers waas much higher as most of them successfully evacuated: "On any given day, some 50,000 people worked in the towers with another 200,000 passing through as visitors." World Trade Center. Rmhermen 00:00, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Also take a look at Survivors of the September 11, 2001 attacks. It claims 16,000 - 18,000 World Trade Center complex at the time of the attack. It does not appear to say how many were in the centre it'self though. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 00:06, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

This is a good time to whip out one of my favorite graphs[14]! I remember that week on the news they were saying 12,000 deaths. Eventually it went down to nine, six, and four thousand, and I guess it is 3000. — [Mac Davis] (talk) (Desk|Help me improve)

Mac, that graph is not a good example to quote becasue of the different dates. More info comes out later, and I would say the lter estimates are probably more accurate.--Light current 01:57, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Not only that, but (unlike the WTC attacks) the situation with Chernobyle is a lot more confusing. If someone at the WTC was crushed, or killed by falling debris, or incinerated, it's fairly obvious that they were ultimately killed by the terrorists. On the other hand, if someone lived 5 miles from Chernobyle, and a decade later they got cancer and died - is that a Chernobyle-related death? Raul654 05:29, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

According to the NIST report:

- South tower, above impact -- 2,600 people, 619 deaths
- South tower, below impact -- 6,000 people, 11 deaths
- North tower, above impact -- 1,355 people, all died
- North tower, below impact -- 7,545, 107 deaths -- Mwalcoff 02:07, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Which gives a total number of 17,500 in the two towers when they were hit and shows that only 15% of the people in the Towers died. I never realized that so many escaped from above the impact zone in the South Tower. I had remembered something vague in the "dozens" area. In a related note, USA Today estimated that about 200 jumped or fell out of the towers to their deaths. Rmhermen 14:47, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

That's how many people were above the impact level when the first plane hit. Most of the nearly 2,000 survivors on the top of the south tower had probably begun to leave after the first attack. I forgot to add that another 54 people, not including emergency responders, were at unknown locations in the building when they died. Thirty of them were known to have been below the impact zones, but it's unknown which tower they were in. 421 emergency responders; 18 people who were outside or in other buildings; and 17 people whose whereabouts at time of impact are not known died. As horrific as 9/11 was, it could have been much worse. Had the attack happened in the middle of the day, had the first tower not stood for as long as it did after the attacks or had many people in the south tower not have begun to leave after the first attack, many more people would have died. On the other hand, had the first plane's impact not blocked all three stairwells in the north tower, the death toll might have been far lower. -- Mwalcoff 23:06, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I didn't catch what you meant. I think you understood what it was implying. It doesn't incorporate the IAEA, WHO, and some of the Soviet studies, but they are all less than 60 deaths, and around 20 due to acute exposure. The bar graph for estimated cancer cases and deaths looks about the same. — [Mac Davis] (talk) (Desk|Help me improve)

2004 Idian Ocean tsunami (answer as soon as possible please!!!)

When did the tsunami end? I can't find in the article.

You mean:

when did the tidal wave end OR
when was the disater officially declared over?

--Light current 01:54, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

A tidal wave is actually an entirely different type of wave, though that term was frequently misused to mean tsunami, until recently. StuRat 03:43, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

According to 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, the last death occured in Port Elizabeth, South Africa on December 26, 2004 (the same day as the tsunami started), some 8000 km away from the source. Do you need the time of day ? StuRat 03:49, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

december 26th, 2004. I was there. Jasbutal 03:51, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Do you have a wet t-shirt to prove it? DirkvdM 07:05, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Also see Timeline of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. StuRat 04:03, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

September 12

Pineapple

Where was the pineapple plant first discovered and then grown commercially.

See Pineapple. Dismas|^(talk) 01:50, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Value of Sig Sp 2340

What is the value of a Sig SP 2340, new still in the box76.2.249.203 02:10, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Why not call a local gun shop? Or try Google to see what others are selling for? Dismas|^(talk) 04:07, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Saw his/my butt

moved to language desk--Light current 03:56, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

72.1.206.176 19:10, 12 September 2006 (UTC)== Coin Collecting ==[reply]

Coin Collector Question

I'm a new coin collector and I was wondering if I should just stick with regular coins, or if colored coins also appreciate in value the same way regular coins do. For example the 2006 Silver Eagle coin comes as the regular coin, hologramed, and colored. Thanks

I'd stay with the basic coins. The fancy ones are just an excuse to overcharge you. StuRat 06:52, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It's your hobby, you tell us. What do you like? I collect coins of all the countries I've visited. Real souvenirs. DirkvdM 07:07, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

My father used to do that, as well. It was a funnier hobby before the Euro came to be, though. 惑乱分からん 10:03, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The value of old European coins (non-euros), have increased in value and rairity since the introduction of Euros right?

Rarity, probably. Most were exchanged for Euro. I found some old Francs, recently, although I doubt they would have gained any particular value. 惑乱分からん 20:14, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

jim

what has two legs on the way up a hill but has four on the way down?

The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain? Not sure how that would change the number of his legs, though. DirkvdM 07:12, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

This better be good!--Light current 07:34, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Is there supposed to be an answer? There's a joke where the punchline is that this riddle has no answer, except in the joke it's usually three legs on the way up.--Rallette 08:31, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

A man? He'll have two legs while he's young but once he gets to be "over the hill" he may have a walker or some such thing which can be counted as an extra two legs? Dismas|^(talk) 09:00, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

A pregnant woman? Howard Train 09:14, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Haha, nice one, although perhaps the woman has to walk down the hill quite slowly to give the legs a chance to grow out... ;) 惑乱分からん 10:04, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Easy, a person who choped off someones legs at the top of the hill and carried them down. Jon513 12:45, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

A rescue worker?

How to tell if a woman has fake blonde hair?

This will be weird, but if a woman has different colored eyebrows than her hair, could that be an indication of fake color hair? (That is, assuming she does not color her eyebrows too). Example: if someone has blonde hair but brown eyebrows.

AskMen and similar Web sites do not have this information.

In my experience, no. I have blond hair on the top of my head and brown hair everywhere else, with one exception. I'll leave the location of this second blond patch to everybody's imagination, I think. Howard Train 09:17, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

A real blond, then? ;) 惑乱分からん 10:06, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Why dont you say: Your hair looks nice. Is that your natural color?--Light current 10:08, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Because that question is grammatically wrong. There's no such thing as 'Youre hair', but other than that it's a good suggestion. - Mgm|^(talk) 12:32, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

But since most people don't have a stick up their ass when speaking, it's a good way to approach it. --Charlesknight 12:37, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Whats a stick up the ass got to do with it? 8-?--Light current 12:58, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Would that not possibly be offensive? Anyway, this makes me think of an old Reiser joke.

An unsightly man dressed only in a couple of old underwear shouts at different girls passing by:
-Hello, fake blonde! -Hello, fake blonde!
(Person passing by...) -You'll never find a girlfriend that way.
(Man in underwear contemplating for himself...)
-I know that...
-...but the chances are practically zero anyway. 
At least this way, If I'm lucky, a girl could show off her pussy to prove me wrong.

Anyway, Reiser's humor not for everyone... 惑乱分からん 10:19, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

OK Say. Your hair looks very nice. Do you color it at all?--Light current 10:58, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

OR: how do you get that fantastic color (grovel grovel)--Light current 11:45, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

No, the "is that your natural color?" is the safest one. I have a relatively unusual color of hair (it is a mix of a few colors at once) and get asked that all the time, and I always take it as a compliment. I would never take the others as a compliment—the first one would make me wonder if I was being accused of having graying hair, the second just sounds like you couldn't believe that it was natural. I'm a guy, but I doubt it would be much different for a woman. (For the record, my eyebrows are not the same color as the rest of my hair. I don't know why, but that's just the way it always as been. I've never dyed my hair.) --Fastfission 12:45, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

And after you ask this woman if that's her natural hair color, why not ask her if she is pregnant or just fat ? :-) StuRat 13:03, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

One of the best compliments(?) I heard was: 'You dont sweat much for a fat girl, do you?' 8-)--Light current 13:30, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'm still having trouble with Reiser's "a couple of old underwear". What exactly does that mean? JackofOz 12:57, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It's (they're) very similar to a trouser. 8-)--Light current 12:59, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Err ... I'm having trouble with that response too. JackofOz 13:01, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You have to think surreal. Im sure you can 8-)--Light current 13:27, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Sorry, mixed up "pair" and "couple", either it's because I'm ESL, or because I wasn't thinking. Anyway, Reiser works mostly in a deliberately dirty style similar to old Robert Crumb and British Viz comics. 惑乱分からん 13:12, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Oh, I see now. Funny how we use "pair" for single garments like trousers, but never "couple", even though both words relate to the number 2. JackofOz 13:19, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Certain ethnic groups never have natural blonde hair, like blacks and Orientals, for example. Others only rarely have natural blonde hair, like the Italians and Spanish. Of course, the most obvious clue to a dye job is different color roots. Unless the woman is meticulous, her roots will eventually show. StuRat 13:03, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

(after edit conflict) Dyed hair is usually the same shade all over. If you look closely, natural hair tends to have all sorts of subtle variations. And of course you can see the colour of the roots only a few days after dyeing.--Shantavira 13:04, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Heh, I had a bad dyejob about six weeks ago. It was supposed to be bright red all over but after a couple of weeks, it turned ginger on top. Now I have people commenting on my 'natural' ginger locks (for some reason, my beard looks the same shade next to it, even though it actually isn't)... ;) --Kurt Shaped Box 14:07, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

A good color job with highlights can be very hard to detect even after several weeks. Basically if someone with light skin and mousy brown hair is willing to spend $100 a month, you'll never know it. Durova 14:34, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Except that they never buy you a drink?--Light current 15:58, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I used to have my hair dyed platinum blonde for a lot less than a hundred a month, and everyone thought it was natural, even with my roots showing. Because it matched my complexion so well, people just didn't notice the roots. I would have been very offended if anyone asked me if it was my real colour; to me it is a very personal question, like asking my weight or what kind of underwear I wear. IMO if a person is close enough me to warrant that piece of private info, I'll tell them myself or they'll figure it out just by hanging around with me. If they don't know me that well, then they don't need, and certainly don't deserve, to know. Anchoress 16:37, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

About 5 years ago I overheard a lady who had long, movie star quality blond hair say to her friend "My husband just doesn't think hair can be worth $300 a month." Yeah, a bottle of hydrogen peroxide is about 99 cents on sale at Walgreen, and Q-tips for touch up of the roots are about 2 cents apiece.Edison 17:36, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Just because some people pay $300 for a colour job doesn't mean a good salon treatment has to cost that. I went to a supercuts type place that happened to have a brilliant colourist. That doesn't mean it was comparable to doing it myself with an overdose of Sun-In. Anchoress 18:55, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

To a fake blonde: "Why are you dying the roots of your hair black?" —EdGl 22:29, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

"My hair is naturally blonde, with naturally dark roots." StuRat 05:09, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

OK, this is a picky point, but hair can't be blonde. A woman can be blonde, if she has blond hair. --Trovatore 05:13, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Concise Oxford says that "blond" can refer to hair, or complexion, or a person (esp. a man), and "blonde" can refer to a woman, or a woman's hair. JackofOz 06:56, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

This is what happens when we borrow words from a language with word genders (French, in this case). StuRat 13:47, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

For the record, naturally coloured head hair (in men an women) can be different in colour from body hair (including eye brows). Quite why this is is not known, but there is a strong correlation, for example, between being heterozygous for a loss-of-function allele of MC1R and having reddish body hair only. While those homozygous for the same allele are more likely to have have reddish body hair and red head hair. Rockpocket 06:21, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Agreed. My beard is a different shade to my natural hair colour. Brown, while the latter is blond-ish. --Kurt Shaped Box 07:06, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I used to do research in the field of human hair colour and, during worshops and meeting with the public and the like, i would get red-haired parents asking me to explain the genetics of it all. Often they would point to their teenage or pre-teen daughters standing next to them and ask, "what will it mean for them when they got one red-haried gene from me and none from my spouse". On informing them, their daughters would inevitably turn as red as i predicted their pubic hair would be. Rockpocket 07:18, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

My Preferences

After logging on to Wikipedia, why can't I change my preferences?

I don't know. Works OK for me at the moment. Do you get a message saying your changes have been saved? Did you remember to Wikipedia:Bypass your cache? Otherwise try closing and restarting your browser.--Shantavira 14:57, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I had this problem with some preferences. When I used a different browser (Mozilla) it did work. I believe it had to do with having Java (script? applets?) enabled. DirkvdM 05:17, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Surfing

What is the meaning of gnarly and when was it introduced in the sport? Thank you !

Move this to language section? It seems to have been derived from gnarl, anyway. 惑乱分からん 15:15, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Dude, that question was, like, totally tubular ! :-) StuRat 05:05, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Tubular? Doesn't ring a bell. DirkvdM 05:19, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

1970 TV Show

From what 1970's television show about the public school system did the currently playing theme song come?

What? 惑乱分からん 16:38, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Is this from one of those DVD games with quiz questions? Because it's kind of pointless just writing the question out ad verbatim when we can't hear the 'currently playing theme song'. Karma Llama 17:04, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I can think of two 1970s television shows about public schools: Room 222 and Welcome Back Kotter. The latter had a memorable theme song (and a very young John Travolta in its cast). Durova 17:25, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hey! The theme to Room 222 is memorable too. It's still taking up a few of my precious neurons. God, I'm old. Clarityfiend 17:31, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

And don't forget Schoolhouse Rock. StuRat 05:02, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

uk mp3 downloads... best sites??

Hi, is there any fuss free uk mp3 download sites that you can use in a one off way. i.e. pay for one track only and not have to join? I used TESCO the other day and it was great but not to many rare jazz tracks that I'm after.

Failing this how about other sites abroad (im worried about using my visa card for overseas transactions as the bank charge a quid a pop).

I cant use itunes as I have windows 98!!

Have a look at this site - it's based in Russia, very popular because it's a lot cheaper than iTunes, but its legality is disputed - see the article at Allofmp3. --Richardrj ^talk ^email 07:30, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

how about scrap the costs all together and download limewire from www.limeire.com.... free application that provides free music software pictures and videos.... but be carefull especially with software that you download from there..... they may contain virus's and other spyware that can potentialy arm your computer pulo 13:45, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Internet Archive contains high quality free and legal music. Mostly from recorded concerts. Jon513 16:49, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

adding copyright info to images

what's the best way to do it, when you load the image? can it be done after the image is loaded?

i'm adding art from the manga eyeshield 21, i'm using images from chapters not yet released in america...

how to do i mark it up so it doesn't get deleted.

There are instructions when you upload images. However, the first and foremost rule is that the upload must be legally permissible, and from the description provided, I really don't expect it will be. Do you have the permission of the copyright holder? — Lomn | Talk 20:01, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

What about fair use? 惑乱分からん 20:19, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You can also add a copyright tag after the upload (in above example, add {{fair use}}. You can also change it, but you're not supposed to change it to something more restrictive, unless you made a legal mistake. DirkvdM 05:23, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

As the question is here, I uploaded this image recently, and I would claim it's fair use (although depicting a trademark toy). How should I label it? 惑乱分からん 12:02, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I don't see how that can be fair use when we already have Image:LEGO minifigs.jpg. In any event it doesn't seem like it should be that hard to get as many pictures of legos as you want - why resort to fair use. Jon513 16:48, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

There are two different types of minifigs. The image I uploaded is of the old pre-1978 type, and I didn't find any prior images on Wiki depicting them. Anyway, I just wondered how I should label the image. 惑乱分からん 17:16, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Lungs

Hey could you tell me how many bronchi there are in each lung? thanks

We have an article bronchus. DJ Clayworth 17:34, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

our article on bronchus has the information you need. Unfortunately, I can't tell from your question exactly what number you want (what we should be counting). However, I suspect the answer to this "homework question" is _2_. I'll leave chastizing you up to the regulars here; I'm too knew at the desks to do it. Fastfinge

Originally there was some nonsense on top, so I'm not sure on how serious the user cares for the answer... 惑乱分からん 18:16, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Country Music TV Shows

I want to list The Wilburn Brothers Shows 1963-1974

Go ahead. In case you don't know where, thy The Wilburn Brothers. If you want to make a separate article, just type in the name in the search box and click on the red 'create this article' link. DirkvdM 05:26, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

USA SUCCESS

why is that usa has so much money or financialresources as compared to any other nation where ot can afford to pump in so much money or global presence.... what is the source of money?

See Economy of the United States. To put it shortly, an enormous abundance of natural resources and labor combined with a society(and its government) that heavily promotes a free market economy. --Mitaphane _talk 19:07, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If you read carefully in Economy of the United States, you will also see that the United States has a subtantial current account deficit. If you look at the list of countries by current account balance, you will see that the United States has by far the largest current account deficit in the world. The current account deficit is about 7% of the size of the entire U.S. economy. What this means is that the United States consumes about 7% more than it produces. In effect, the rest of the world lends that 7% back to the United States to cover the difference. So, part of the to answer your question is that the United States is able to maintain its global presence because nations with current account surpluses, such as China, Japan, and Saudi Arabia, continue to accept growing U.S. debts. In the event that the creditors of the United States were to stop lending it money, or if they were to sell their U.S. debt, for example for political reasons, there would probably be a global financial crisis, and the "financial resources" of the United States would be greatly reduced. Marco polo 19:59, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Of course, wrecking the US economy would also destroy their economies, by denying them their current lucrative export market. StuRat 05:00, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

True, though if the US economy were in recession, say, dramatically shrinking that lucrative export market, and/or China had a financial crisis of its own (not hard to imagine), and the US then went to war against, say, Iran, with which China has made deals for access to oil, one could imagine China dumping that US debt to impede the US. On the other hand, a financial crisis that wrecked the present precarious prosperity of the US could happen even without action by one of the creditor nations. A flight by private investors would suffice. This could happen if the US Federal Reserve was perceived to be ignoring inflation. Such a scenario is not far fetched. But my point was that while the past prosperity of the US rested on a combination of territorial expansion, rich resources, military and technological superiority, and business acumen, its present prosperity rests to a large extent on the kindness (or transient self-interest) of strangers. Marco polo 14:40, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

In other words, as long as the Chinese want to artificially hold down their currency, Paris Hilton continues to party! --Zeizmic 20:11, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah, that seems like a valid analysis... 惑乱分からん 20:17, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Also note that WW2 played a major role, leaving the US as the sole industrial country without heavy infrastructure damage from bombing, etc. This put the US in the economic lead. StuRat 05:00, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Being a capitalist country is hardly an explanation. Most capitalist countries in the world are poor. (The reason being that most countries in the world are capitalist and most countries in the world are poor.) If you look at rich and poor countries in the world and their history, the strongest correlation is that the rich ones were rich to start with (and vice versa). Money makes money. The US started off rich, with money from Europe. And Europe got rich at least in part by stealing from their colonies. So the US is rich through stealing and borrowing. :) (Can someone think of a way to add 'begging' to this?) DirkvdM 05:31, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

But Spain was far richer than the American colonies at one point, now it's much poorer, so what happened to all their wealth ? StuRat 13:34, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Spanish wealth was in the form of gold and silver mines, which eventually ran out. Further, importing all that gold and silver into Europe reduced the value of those metals, and to top it all off, the Spanish government spent all that money on wars rather than infrastructure. --Serie 23:13, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Also, there are plenty natural resources in such a big country (oil being a big one). DirkvdM 05:36, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Oh, and of course the size is also an obvious explanation if you compare wealth per nation, not per capita. The EU is slightly richer, but only because it has a slightly bigger population. DirkvdM 05:41, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

cerebellum

I am 60 years old, I just had a new Cat scan done , I had a stroke in 1973 and my last Cat scan was done in 1973 but now my doctor says my cerebellum is getting smaller, I have been having balance problems and have been falling down alot lately and I cannot understand all the words in your articles and would just like to know in simple terms what is happening to me,I have been seizure free since 1980 but now my lip and tongue are going numb about everyday like they did just before I had a seizure years ago. I am on phenobarbitol and Dilantin.

Probably best to see the doctor first. If its a problem in your jaw etc, he may refer you to a 15 Maxillofacial_Surgeon. Or you could do it the other way round: get the dentist to check your jaw etc, then he may advise going to the doctor. Hope this helps.--Light current 22:10, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

You need to talk to your neurologist and ask him to explain things until you can understand them, and you need to tell him about your mouth numbness and be sure that it is not a sign that you are about to have a stroke. Strokes in the area of the cerebellum can cause it to shrink, and this can cause balance problems. But only your doctor can tell you if this is what is happening to you. - Nunh-huh 06:27, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

By my calcs, you were around 27 when you had your stroke. That's quite unusual and indicates that you have some underlying medical problem which may now be contributing to your current prob. Consult a doctor and be sure to tell him all about your medical history. StuRat 12:57, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Squier Affinity Strat guitar questions

Just got a sweet Squier Affinity Strat for only $70, slightly used. My two questions are:
1. The action is a bit high. Anybody know how to lower the strings? Do I have to remove the strings in order to change how high they are?
2. What exactly is "Affinity"?
Thanks! NIRVANA2764 19:46, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If yours is like mine the bridge elements can be moved up and down on little screw-threaded feet. You certainly need to take the strings off first. But then mine is way over a decade old, so yours may be very different. Caveat: some guitars, particularly cheap ones like a Squier, don't have the bridge, body, and neck all lined up terribly well, and lowering the action may cause the strings to buzz against the frets. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 21:33, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I don't know much about eectric guitars, but I believe this problem could also be caused by the neck being 'bent', which could be resolved by adjusting the neckscrew (or what is that called?). DirkvdM 06:22, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It's called the truss rod. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 09:38, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, you need to take the strings off. If the bridge can't be moved, or if lowering it causes the strings to buzz, then lowering the action might still be possible, but the frets would probably have to be removed, and replaced.... don't do this - it's a job for a specialist. Take it to a small guitar shop and befriend the proprietor.... TheMadBaron 09:26, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I believe the proper term for this process is "dressing the frets" (which comprises "stoning" them down and then "recrowning" them so they have a nice finish, although some places just call the whole process "stoning"). You're quite right to say that this shouldn't be done by someone who doesn't know what they're doing, at least on any guitar that's worth keeping. That said, my first guitar was a pretty crummy Palmer accoustic, which had an action like a Yugoslavian cheesegrater. After a while I filed the bridge element down and scraped down the resulting buzzy frets with the blunt edge of a stanley knife. With a capo on the 2nd fret it now plays quite nicely. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 09:38, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

With a Strat-type bridge, it should be possible to lower the action without removing the strings. The guitar will go horribly out of tune after you lower the action, but that's easily fixed :) Leaving the strings on allows you to directly check the action and see if you've lowered it too far (you will probably need to replace the strings after this because the movement of the bridge will abuse the strings pretty badly and they will probably break very soon after, but if you adjust the bridge right before you were going to change strings anyway, that's not a problem). If the strings start to buzz, you can usually adjust the truss rod a bit forwards so that the neck is bent slightly forwards (carefully, the operative words here are "a bit" and "slightly" - and you *will* need to remove the strings for that). As a rule of thumb, the neck should be perfectly straight without strings; the tension of the strings will cause it to bend slightly forward, and you should be able to set a comfortably low action (although I've also owned a couple guitars over the years that were impossible to adjust to anything near comfortable).

As for the second part of the original question, Affinity is the cheapest line currently produced by Squier, entirely produced in China and using rather cheap wood and hardware. However, I've been pleasantly surprised by their quality - I got an Affinity Tele a couple of months ago as a backup guitar, it doesn't compare to my original Fender, but it's definitely the best guitar I've ever seen in that price range (just above €100) -- Ferkelparade π 10:03, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

70s circular educational aid

Does anyone else remember a "system" from the 1970's in North America you could buy for your children to help teach about various school subjects (vocabulary, math, science, history, etc.)? It had a unique gimmick in that it was in the form of a roughly circular plastic apparatus about 10" (25cm) in diameter, brown or burgandy in colour that you could slide giant (thick paper) disks into and it would show a question in one window and the answer in another. You would then rotate the disk for another question. I also seem to recall you could buy expansion packs for it. I'm also guessing it was sold mail order or by direct sales. I would love to pick one up for nostalgic reasons, it made learning fun (until I discovered the Apple ][, which made Zork fun). 192.41.148.220 19:47, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

cyanide poisoning

I read your article on cyanide poisoning, and Leonard Lake wasn't included in the article. I think he should be. Thank-you for your attention. dale

A) What article on cyanide poisoning? B) It would be unencyclopedic to list every single person who's died of cyanide poisoning in an article about cyanide poisoning. In a List of people who have died of cyanide poisoning it might be more appropriate. C) Thanks for pointing out the Leonard Lake article; it's dripping with POV and lacking sources, so I tagged it for cleanup. Anchoress 20:38, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

That would be cyanide, which contains a very short list of people who committed suicide with cyanide. - Nunh-huh 04:12, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'm always glad to see that people are still on the alert! :) --Zeizmic 21:24, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Martha Stewart Mag and a House?

I heard somewhere that Martha Stewarts mag built a house and is now giving it away. I was wondering if anyone had any more info or where I could get a sign up for that. Thanks!! --Zach 21:26, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

here or a link from the top right here, entitled Martha Stewarts Ultimate KB home giveway. I can't believe you made me go there. --Tagishsimon (talk)

Haha, sorry. I forewarded this to the person who was too shy to ask it here. I swear some people are too scared to ask questions. Thanks!!!! --Zach 23:22, 12 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Likely story ;) Rockpocket 06:15, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

spinal stenosis

What are symptons,and/or are there any cures?

Ahem, the article Spinal_stenosis exists however it does not cite it's sources. So be warned. You could always try Google though. Deltacom1515 01:57, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

September 13

Cut Brakes

If someone was to cut your brakes or drain your braking fluids from a typical family sedan, like in the movies, is it still possible to stop with your handbrakes? Jamesino 00:25, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You're better off changing gears down first to slow the car down. --Asterion^talk 01:13, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Maybe for a little bit, but after that I would expect the emergency braking mechanism to break. Pardon that awful, awful pun. Deltacom1515 02:01, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

In a manual-transmission car, you can. Downshift to the lowest gear to use engine braking to slow the car down, then once you're going as slow as possible, slowly apply the parking brake to bring the car to a stop. For an automatic transmission, it might not work: since you can't force first gear, you won't be going as slow when you apply the parking brake. --67.185.172.158 04:01, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Most automatics I've used do have a "2", which limits the gears to first and second, and a "1", which limits the gear to first. These are normally used on hills, but can be used for emergency braking, too. StuRat 04:52, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Suppose the car doesn't have that. What would happen if you put it in reverse? You'd screw up the gear, but would the car stop and how sudden would it be? DirkvdM 06:25, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

In the case of a manual (before we come to an automatic) you'd have great difficulty getting it into reverse - as the teeth of the opposing gears touched (travelling quickly in opposite directions) they'd smash together, forcing the two apart. With enough yanking on the gearstick you might be able to keep them together, in which case they'd smash big chunks of one another, a violent process that would certainly consume lots of the car's kinetic energy. But I'd be surprised if you could pull the stick hard enough to keep that process going for more than an instant, and you'd have to steer with the other hand and hope the gear selector mechanism (which is surely much weaker than the hefty gears themselves) wouldn't break first. Worse, in a front-wheel-drive car, there's a good chance the car would spin around. As to an automatic, I don't know if it would even let you put the transmission into reverse: the servos that move the years are unlikely to have enough power to keep them together in this circumstance, and the little computer than runs them is unlikely to try (for fear of ruining gearboxes in less urgent circumstances). -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 12:35, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I've had my brakes go out on me before; I was able to coast into a parking lot at somewhat of an upward angle which slowed me to the point that I felt comfortable putting on the emergency/parking brake, which stopped me. I think if you tried to put on the parking brake at any speed you'd risk causing the car to spin in some awful way, though I don't know that for sure. --Fastfission 22:37, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Selecting a doctor

The normal advice for how to select a doctor after you move to a new town is to ask friends, family, and co-workers for advice. In my case, however, I don't have any friends I know well enough to know their views on medicine, the only coworker whose view I know sees homeopathy as the cure for all life's ills, and my uncle has never heard of the germ theory of disease. How should I go about selecting a doctor, short of throwing darts at a phone book? --67.185.172.158 03:28, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You appear to be in the U.S. See if there's a doctor-referral service in your phone book. Failing that, you can try your health-insurance company to see who is on your plan. If you're on an HMO, there may not be that many options. -- Mwalcoff 04:07, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'd test them out. If you don't like how one treats you, find another, until you find one that's at least "good enough". StuRat 04:48, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You could walk up to any healthy-looking really old people you see, and ask them who their doctor is.... only you might have to repeat the question a few times, and you might have to shout, and they might not remember.... TheMadBaron 09:38, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Does the area where you live have any local community-type websites? If so, you could post a message on the forum asking for recommendations. --Richardrj ^talk ^email 09:48, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

i want to read articles by swaminathan s ankaleshwar aiyar

10 th september times of india sunday times article by swaminatha s aiyer i want to read and print

Be patient and you might find it on the Swaminomics page soon. September 9th's article is already there.---Sluzzelin 06:02, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Tabon man, Negritoes, Indonesians, & Malays

What are the differences or similarities of the Tabon man, Negritoes, Indonesians, & Malays in terms of 1) ancestors 2) physical features 3) way of living 4) descendants? Thank you.

Perhaps our articles on Tabon Man, Negrito, Indonesia, and Malay people might help. But I don't think "Indonesians" is an ethnic group, so it'd be hard to make sweeping statements about the disparate people with that nationality. See Category:Ethnic groups in Indonesia for a list of the ethnic groups in Indonesia. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 12:19, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

arab palastine

Some one was recently telling me that the palastinians were the underdogs of the middle east and were viewed so by the rest of the arab world until 1945 and the establishment of Israel. Is this true? how were they viewed before the israel palestine conflict began, and what country existed in this area before the establishment of Israel? Thanks

Read Palestine and linked history articles for descriptions of status between Ottoman collapse and founding of Israel (roughly 1918-1948). alteripse 12:14, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

the color of Noob Saibot is black or is the color of the shadow??

Ok, the shadow in mortal kombat is black (0, 0, 0), but this is the reason of why i am asking this. If for example they changed the color of the shadow to green, the character color would remain black or change to green, to him remain hidden??

I don't understand you completely, but as far as I know, basically any color could be made transparent, if you just program it beforehand. 惑乱分からん 14:20, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Famous Wikipedians.

Are there any famous people with Wikipedia profiles? Like, does Dick Cheney have a profile? Musli Miester 13:49, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

User:Jimbo Wales springs to mind. JackofOz 13:56, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The most famous person I have ran across in my years is William Connolly at User:William M. Connolly. — [Mac Davis] (talk) (Desk|Help me improve)

That William Connolly link is a dud. Perhaps you mean William E. Connolly? --Richardrj ^talk ^email 14:04, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

No, it's User:William M. Connolley / William Connolley. --Fastfission 20:26, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

(after edit conflict) See Category:Notable_Wikipedians and Wikipedia:Wikipedians with articles. You won't find Dick Cheney on these lists, but there are a few surprises among our members. -- Ferkelparade π 14:02, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Sorry, that would be William M. Connolley and User:William M. Connolley. — [Mac Davis] (talk) (Desk|Help me improve)

Inquiry

Dear Sir

I am looking for a suitable machine which can read the radiation dosage from the film badge or TLD this machine can read the X-ray Gamma ray and neutron from the film badge or TLD which used by the workers

kindly advice me with a suitable machine to do the above analysis if available in your company and if not please direct me to the suitable suppliers to such a machines

regards

Hussam Shabban General Manager Doha Laboratory Doha- Qatar Tel ##censored##

A very complex field. There are lots of vendors that do this. At my work, they have a huge infrastructure to do this. You don't usually get any vendor advice (advertisement) here. --Zeizmic 14:10, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Nuclear instruments doesnt exist! Try a trade directory such as [15]--Light current 14:18, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

What about film badge readers? Nope. Film badge does exist! 8-)--Light current 17:18, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

love

How do i know that how much my family loves me?

Use an 'eighing scale' (from Science ref desk). --Zeizmic 15:26, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

How well do they treat you? Rentwa 15:33, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Love knows no measures. People's expressions of love may vary with factors as - their own personal experience of life, of you ; your own self-love ; &c. -- DLL ^{.. T} 19:36, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If your family provides you with food, shelter and basic needs and is always in your business... it is usually a sure sign that they love you very much. If you live in the United States, you may find that a majority of families have difficulty showing affection and/or emotion. My advice? Print this question out and give it to them or place it where you know they will see it. They will see the importance of it to you and either be alarmed that you even have to ask... or possibly laugh it off because they do not know how to convey their love to you or each other. Even in families where there is neglect and abuse... there is almost always love. Try to focus on how much you love them. That is much easier to control. Another thought... When you have children of your own, remember how you feel now and make sure to let them know often with both verbal indications "I love you." and actions... spending time with them... listening to them. --JosephWisdom 20:33, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

This is a much wiser answer. alteripse 23:13, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Wellesley Unit, World War I

I am seeking the date when the Wellesley Unit arrived in France in WWI, and any additional information which may be had on it. Lanayre Liggera

If you are referring to Eric George Wellesley, of the 8th (Service) Battalion, this site: [16] suggests the battalion arrived in France on the 26th of August, 1915. - Akamad 15:23, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Personal Property Taxes

How many states impose a personal property tax?

What's personal property tax? Anchoress 15:30, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

And in which country? Does the property tax article help you?--Shantavira 18:32, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Probably the person asking the question means U.S. states. Personal property taxes are taxes on property other than real estate. Typically, these taxes apply to tangible assets such as cars, other vehicles, boats, and planes. Our property tax article doesn't list or give a count of the states that impose this kind of tax. I did a quick bit of web research and couldn't find a comprehensive list or count. However, my research suggested that a majority of U.S. states, but not all, levy some form of personal property tax. In some states, there is no state personal property tax, but individual counties or municipalities may impose one. Marco polo 19:40, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Are you thinking about things like the percentage-of-market-value component of the auto registration fee in California? Because I don't think that's a personal property tax, strictly speaking. Of course it's intended to be such a tax, in effect. But you're not liable for the tax just because you own the vehicle; you're liable for it only if you want to be able to operate or park the vehicle on a public highway. --Trovatore 23:40, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Comics meta

Could someone define comics meta for me? I'm on a school computer, so all things blog are blocked, and evidently that's where atll the good definitions are. 64.198.112.210 15:30, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

What do you mean? If you are talking about http://meta.wikimedia.org , it doesn't seem to have particulary much information about comics... 惑乱分からん 17:20, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Perhaps you are referring to Comics Metaphysics or Metafiction? Either way, read the Meta article.Phelan talk 00:38, 14 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

aluminium

Moved from Wikipedia:Village pump (technical)

what is tangential modulus ? what is the tangential modulus value of aluminium — Preceding unsigned comment added by 59.163.146.11 (talk • contribs) 14:24, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Is this another name for shear modulus?--Light current 16:50, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Unanswerable question. The tangent modulus varies along the stress-strain curve. And aluminum has an awful lot of alloys. --Zeizmic 19:40, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Home based businesses that really work and think tanks

I have spent countless dollars over the years investing in "Get Rich Quick", Motivational and Self development courses. With so many scams and con artists on the internet... and with so many people needing to work at home due to illness, disease and other reasons... (or just having the desire to be self employed from home) I am desirous to know if there is a place on Wickipedia that sifts through all the garbage and scams to provide real knowledge to people who desire to work from home via computer, telephone, etc.

I myself have a great deal of knowledge I would like to share. I worked for many years trying to develop a center of communication for people to brainstorm, test and report on various businesses conducted online or at home. It was my goal to provide people with a place to go for honest information with honest reporting about success probabilities and the true earnings that could be realized from various and diverse businesses conducted from home using a computer, a phone and business/investment programs that really work.

It would be a great way to help provide income and knowledge to people wanting or needing to work from home without going broke on all the scams and money grabbers out in the world.

The same question would apply to investments that are safe and brainstorming think tank areas to help solve the world's problems as it relates to human needs (health, nutrition, safe water, protection from the elements and war.)

Global warming, overcoming intolerance worldwide, protecting our future generations.

Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, not a collection of original research. Sorry. Wooty 19:51, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Any ideas on how one would go about developing/creating a site much like Wikipedia... only geared towards providing answers and a forum for these types and other questions addressing the needs of the world and individuals? I would very much like to shift my projects to a more public forum which would consist of research, brain storming, think tanks, humanitarian aid projects, answers to questions that would help people regarding employment, investments, home ownership, preparing for disasters, best sources for purchasing food and necessities for storage, goals and gauges for financial contributions to worthy projects (x amount of dollars and hours are needed to construct a well for drinking water in Zubofoe. You may contibute financially by 'clicking' here'. You may arrange to volunteer by going to this site. And so it would be with as many problems as the world would choose to take on.) as well as visual puzzle style models of projects showing what has been done... what is left to do, etc.

I have spent years trying to find the right method of delivery for this project. I would very much appreciate and invite like minded people to participate in this grand undertaking. I believe the internet is the best vehicle for this much needed project. Please email me at <email addr removed> with the word "PROJECT" --JosephWisdom 20:56, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

There is no hope of sorting good from bad on this. The only good 'get rich quick scheme' is selling your scam to other people. This is, unfortunately, fundamental economics: low barriers to entry ('Anybody can do it!) mean that everybody is going to do it, and the value goes right out the window. I mean, if you really had a great 'stay at home' 'no skills needed' 'tons of money' job, would you tell anybody? (btw, have I got the formula for success! Send money!) --Zeizmic 22:13, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Wheat and chaff

Is it the Ref desk's opinion that if students were to be able to attend the same lecture twice, they might gain a greater understanding of the subject matter? (I know I would have). Or is the current practice intended to separate the wheat from the chaff?--Light current 20:02, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

That "or" makes the whole statement terribly loaded. Anyway, it's fairly clear that repeating information improves understanding/recall/some other appropriate phrase. However, the "current practice" is more likely a question of balance: if only one lecture is sufficient (or provides an adequate framework for further study), then twice as much material can be covered per amount of time. — Lomn | Talk 20:46, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Im not intending to load the question. Im just interested in the general view on this.--Light current 20:53, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

From my experience, the best way to REALLY learn a subject is to have to teach it. Edison 21:04, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Ill agree with that (altho I havent done any formal teaching)--Light current 21:17, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Lectures are useless! I slept through all of mine and look how much money I make answering questions here.... --Zeizmic 22:16, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Too much! 8-)--Light current 22:21, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Where can I buy a Hezbollah T-shirt online?

I'm looking for something with Hezbollah's logo on it, or "VIVA HEZBOLLAH!" or something like that. Anyone know of a good website that sells decent quality shirts? No, I don't want to start a debate about my politics, thank you.

There's gotta be some stores in Lebanon that has them. If you have relatives living there, you can ask them to find the stores phone number for you and you can order a few via telephone. Jamesino 23:48, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Feeding google with 'hezbollah' and 't-shirt' yielded 643'000 hits. The first hit is a site selling t-shirts. Seeing how easy this was and noting your comment on not wanting to start a debate on 'your' politics (which implies that you're conscious of the offense some people might take at seeing links to Hezbollah fan-article sites posted at the reference desk), I find it difficult to assume good faith. Please google it yourself. ---Sluzzelin 23:49, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Now that would be a good 'stay at home' business! Wonder how long it would last, though. --Zeizmic 23:52, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

This was the second Google hit for "hezbollah t shirts". There's both pro/anti Hezbollah and pro/anti Israel stuff there, so everyone who cares can probably find something to piss someone else off in the street with... --Kurt Shaped Box 23:57, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Adrenaline makes you run faster?

Does a shot of artificial adrenaline, such as one from an EpiPen, help you run faster in sprints, such as the 100m-400m? Jamesino 23:50, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah, but you'd fail the urine test. --Zeizmic 23:53, 13 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

September 14

CS2 speed

Jamesino 00:13, 14 September 2006 (UTC)Is running Adobe Photoshop CS2 slower than running Adobe Photoshop CS, both on a 2.93GHz, 512mb RAM computer?[reply]