Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2006 October 27

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October 27

US Army vs USMC

What is the difference between the US Army and the US Marine Corps? The US Marine Corps are the soldiers over in Iraq fighting the land war, what is the Army doing to contribute? Why isn't the Army the main force over in Iraq, the USMC and the US Army seems to greatly overlap. Could someone clear this up for me please? Thanks alot. --Jamesino 00:22, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

The main difference is the US Marine Corps is part of the US Navy. Where did you get the impression that it was only (or mostly) Marines fighting the land war? This site shows the deployment of troops in Iraq: Donald Rumsfeld testified recently that there were 133,000 US personnel in Iraq, of which about 27,000 are Marines, so the US Army and Army Reserve are pretty overwhemingly the major force in Iraq. --Canley 00:47, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

The Marines are not part of the Navy, they are a different armed force. The original concept of marines (which, I believe, started with the Brits), was that they would be ground troops which are launched from ships (as in the WW2 Normandy beach landing). This contrasts with the Army, which may be delivered near the combat area by ship, but are not expected to make combat landings. Thus, Marines might be used to establish a beach-head, then regular Army troops would be brought in once the beach-head was secured. In the US, the Marines have also become a somewhat more "elite" force, and are also sent first into combat in areas that don't involve combat beach landings. The Navy, of course, is only expected to fight on the sea. There does tend to be quite a bit of overlap between the Army and Marines, however, especially when troops are in short supply, as is the case now in Iraq. StuRat 02:48, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

It is not so simple. The U.S. Marines are still part of the Navy (that is why they are the Marine Corps). Both the Navy and Marine are part of the Department of the Navy and they share resources such as legal and educational departments (JAG and U.S. Naval Academy) as well as Marines deploying from Navy ships. Branch distinctions are less important under the modern integrated strucutres. Rmhermen 03:24, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Oh, I got the impression from the news broadcasts. They are saying that "Us Marines launch an offensive at.......", "more US Marines die from suicide bombing at .....". But still both the USMC and the US Army seem like ground troops to me, what is the distinguishing difference between a marine infantryman and a army infantryman? Jamesino 01:07, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

I beleive this may answer atleast some of your questions.--Porsche997SBS 04:15, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

British marines did indeed originate as sea borne soldiers. Every Royal Navy warship of any size had a marine contingent. Today the Corps (within the navy) has developed a unique role. The British marines are now Commandos. Trained for independent action, and specialists in artic warfare amonst their range of skills.-----petirmichel

Alien cross-signal thing

I just saw the horrible Plan 9 from Outer Space, and I found something quite strange in it. When the "aliens" "salute" each other, they quickly cross their arms over their chest and put them down again. This is the same thing that the X-Nauts from Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door do. Is this just a coinidence, or some sort of tribute to the movie? --The Great Llama^{(now on editor review!)} 00:27, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Plan 9 (Ed Wood), is quite famous so I would suppose that the you are right about it being a tribute. You can search google and see if the creators ever said anything about that. --Justanother 01:23, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

I'm not sure this helps...but I've seen that in other movies too...the Oompa Loompas in the new Charlie and the Chocolate Factory do that. My theory: Oompa Loompas are actually aliens that are distant cousins of the Plan 9 aliens. Paragon12321 21:59, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

We just rented that (again), I'll check it out. But since Johnny Depp stars in Ed Wood (film) AND Charlie, I totally can see that. --Justanother 04:05, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

natraj plant?

http://www.dry-flowers.net/products/exotics2.html

I am trying to find information about a plant grown in India called natraj. It is used by florists in exotic arrangements and to support orchid stems. The above URL shows a picture of the product, I couldn't figure out how to import the actual image to this spot.

I don't know if the product is a root, limb, or bark. The product is sold dried, so I can't imagine what the original looks like. It is quite a sturdy stem and is generally sold in lengths of between 24" and 36". It is an inexpensive product $8.00 per stem in Canada.

It may be a shrub or a tree or a vine. I have spent a good deal of time searching the web with no success, other than the wholesale site linked above.

Could you give me some information about the plant or point me in the right direction to continue my search?

Thanks for your help.

--216.221.81.99 01:02, 27 October 2006 (UTC) Sandi Remedios

Bit of a guess here but I think natraj isn't a plant but any dried material with that sinuous smoke-like shape, named after Nataraja. There is probably some plant that is commonly used but I think natraj is simply a name used to describe the shape. MeltBanana 02:31, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for your help... Sandi

Jokes about stupid people

Is it PC to make jokes about stupid people in general and in particular? (i dont mean mentally deficient/brain damaged/mentally disabled etc)--Light current 01:30, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Possibly that depends on the stupidity, and the reasons behind it. I think that it should be, though (although it might be argued that it mainly is an arrogant way of improving one's own feelings of superiority..)... 惑乱 分からん 01:58, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Hard to say, it would depend on the situation and the joke. But if the joke can in any way reflect on a particular race, nationality, etc. then it is definitely not PC. --Justanother 02:06, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Do you also exclude the slow-witted, or the not particularly brainy? Where do you draw the line? Very few people are truly "stupid", and it's not their fault so they should not be made the butt of jokes. Almost everybody does stupid things from time to time, but that doesn't make them stupid people. I don’t usually have a problem with jokes about behaviour, but jokes about genetically inherited characteristics, the effects of brain injuries, and many other things that people can do nothing about can be extremely offensive. JackofOz 02:23, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

How about those ubiquitous dumb blonde jokes ? StuRat 02:27, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Keep in mind that political correctness is very much in the eye of the beholder. People vary greatly in what will or will not offend them. I really can't imagine how a joke about "stupid people in general" would go ("Stupid people are so stupid, they...?). About people in particular, that person himself would quite likely take offense, as would his family, and his friends might too. If you're just making fun of a mutual acquaintance with someone, some people might not appreciate your making fun of people behind their backs, but realistically I don't think most people would find it inappropriate. -Elmer Clark 03:11, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

"You know, stupid people are so stupid, that their general lack in intelligence makes them really dumb!" Haahaahaahh!!! @_@ 惑乱 分からん 03:17, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Personally, I think the problem is that they're mostly so cliched and unfunny... I don't mind jokes about stupid people in general, but they'd somehow need something more, or otherwise being too stupid in themselves... 惑乱 分からん 03:17, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

It seems the world's funniest joke is about stupidity. So is the second funniest.--Shantavira 07:38, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

It's only PC if the people you tell it to get the joke. Otherwise, it's personal. --Tbeatty 09:13, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

But then if they're stupid enough not to get the joke ,then they won't complain because they won't know why it's funny :) Lemon martini 12:14, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Judging by the responses, I realise the question should have been phrased:

Is it PC to make jokes about peoples'(stupid) behaviour or other characteristics as long as youre not referring to their:

• religion,
• race,
• sex,
• sexuality,
• appearance,
• age,
• disability
• (anything else?)

I think maybe there should be a page on what is, and is not, acceptable these days, if there isnt already. I wouldnt know how to start looking. Political correctness perhaps? Any help appreciated. Maybe its easier to say what sort of jokes can be made about people. 8-(--Light current 16:43, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Put in another way, if you tell a joke about a stupid person to a stupid person, they will laugh. No stupid person thinks they are stupid. If you tell them directly they are stupid, then they will punch you in the nose, since they've been hearing this all their lives.... --Zeizmic 16:48, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Yeah but many people laugh at jokes they dont understand, because thats what they think they should do. Not many people have the guts to say 'I dont get it'. 8-)--Light current 16:50, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

If you are making a joke where we all get to feel superior then it is usually OK (ha ha). Just realize that the butt of the joke might rightly have his/her feelings hurt if he hears/reads it. So if you make a joke about some of the stupid posts here it could well hurt people's feeling and create an unwelcoming atmosphere. I find that any joke that relies on the "in" laughing about some others and the stupid things that they do can be hurtful, elitist, and unwelcoming. For that reason they are worse than "not PC". Jokes about the stupid things we ourselves have done are usually OK, even if they obliquely reference a group like "When I was a n00b, I . . ." but I can see how those can easily cross the line too. I think that a simple joke about a person doing something stupid is funny and we all can laugh at it without hurting anyone (which is what PC means, not hurting anyone's feeling though PC is often taken to an extreme), like the joke about shooting the guy because the 911 operator says "First, let's make sure he is dead". --Justanother 16:58, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Yes I like that one. But is it offensive to NRA people say? 8-)--Light current 17:07, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Laughing is about oneself first. Let's create a committee for the preservation of stoopidity. If there were only smart people everywhere, no more jokes would be possible. -- DLL ^{.. T} 17:40, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

I am sure that they would find it the funniest. Now if it was "Did you hear about the NRA member . . ." --Justanother 17:39, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Yes of course that would be anti NRA members, but still funny! 8-)--Light current 20:40, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Do you mean that when people say "you're retarded" or jokes about retarded people? The velociraptor 23:25, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

No I dont think jokes about retarded people are acceptable--Light current 23:31, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Mercedes-benz

What are the opportunities and threats of Mercedes-benz SLR Mc Laren?—Preceding unsigned comment added by 61.246.51.163 (talk • contribs)

• opportunities: Fast car (= speedy transportation, fun, status)
• threats: Fast car (= danger of dying, pollution)

do you want more specifics ? Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. -- ExpImp^talkcon 11:19, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

I think he's asking for a SWOT analysis; in other words, he's asking for forces in the market (external factors) that are opportunities/threats for people who want to sell more Mercedes-Benz cars. --Kjoonlee 18:49, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

I don't believe pollution from a Mercendes Benz is much plausible physical threat to a McLaren. X [Mac Davis] (SUPERDESK|Help me improve) 05:02, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

Common quotes

I currently live in Australia. The other day i was thinking of some famous quotations said by Australian politicans, but then i began to wonder-' are these famous in other countries?'. like everyone heard clinton say "I did not have relations with that woman" or Nixon "I am not a crook". What are the quotes by Australian politcans that you personally remember? (PLease don't answer this if you're Australians, nor actually research anything. I am just interested in your opinion".

Cuban Cigar 08:39, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

"G'day mate, fancy another shrimp on the barbie?" <g,d&r> JIP | Talk 10:50, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

I don't know any Australian politicians, besides this Howard-guy.. was he called Howard ? right, he is indeed called Howard. And i don't know a single quote.... After asking 2 of my friends, i believe that it is quite common in Europe to know of no famous quotations of Australian politicians.-- ExpImp^talkcon 11:22, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

I second that - I'm in Europe and I don't know any quotations from Australian politicians either. In fact, I'm struggling to think of anything any Australian politician has done that has became well known in Europe. At the moment all I can come up with is Paul Keating putting his hand on the Queen's bum. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 11:42, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Do they have politicians in Australia?  --Lambiam^Talk 12:29, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Here in the US, I can't think of any famous quotes from an Aussie politician, either. However, if you list some that you consider famous, perhaps they may ring a bell. Note that I can think of some famous British politician quotes, like "Peace in our time" and "We will fight on the beaches...". StuRat 13:02, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

At least you now have a famous quote from an Ozzie religious leader.... --Zeizmic 13:45, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Which quote is that ? StuRat 14:44, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/6090136.stm

That's an interesting quotation in the light of this, which suggests it's the cats that are the problem in Australia.--Shantavira 17:42, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Calls to mind the Attila the Stockbroker poem, Contributory negligence.

"Do you fuck on first dates?" Ok, not a politician, but if he were I bet he would get enough votes for a seat in parliament. DirkvdM 19:05, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

What about the one by the Oz Prime Minister in support of comments made by one of his Ministers the other week in which he (the PM) said on his weekly radio chat show something like, "Muslims coming to Australia are welcome to share in the benefits of being here, but they need to know that in Australia we speak English, not Japanese, not Arabic, but English, and if they want to go home to where they can enjoy Sharia Law, we will not deprive them of that human right. They should also remember that when Muslims come to Australia, it is they who will have to adapt to our Australian culture - Australians will never have to adapt to the Muslim way of life." Sorry for any misquotes but that is the message that he left with me and one I shall repeat repeatedly.

I agree with that quote, and would even go further: "If you want to wear a burqa, stay in a country where that's the custom. If you want to preach global jihad, then go blow yourself up somewhere else." StuRat 05:17, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

And if you're from the US and think people in other countries don't so things the right way, then stay the fuck home if that's the place you prefer so much. DirkvdM 07:12, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

And if you're a disgruntled brit keep it to yourself; none of us shape public policy --froth^{T C} 18:59, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

He's not a disgruntled Brit, he's from the Nether Regions. :-) StuRat 19:38, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

No. Most of the rest of the world would struggle to name an Australian politician, let alone something they've said. How many famous quotes by Canadian politicians can you think of? What about from the Republic of Ireland? Didn't think so. The advantage of this is that foriegners, as a rule, don't remember our bad politicians either...--Robert Merkel 05:29, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

I'm British and, for many years now, have been amused at the regular outbursts by Mark Latham reported in the UK press. I've forgotten the exact nature ofof many of his memorable quotes, but they usually involve calling someone (usually Howard) an "arsehole" or an "arselicker". The only Aussie political quote i could repeat verbatim, is his reference to the Aussie representatives visiting Bush in the US as: "a conga line of suckholes". Its a quote, i firmly believe, everyone should try to incorporate into their vocab. Rockpocket 07:05, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

Yes, Mark Latham has some classics. As does Paul "Scumbag" Keating, who described Australia as the "arse end of the world" and gave us "the recession we had to have" and said John Howard "slither[ed] out of the Cabinet room like a mangy maggot". Then there's Bob Hawke's "by the year 1990, there will be no Australian child living in poverty" even though "anyone who sacks a bloke because he doesn't turn up for work today is a bum" (after winning the America's Cup). Some others:

• Gough Whitlam's strangled enunciation on being sacked as PM: “Ladies and gentlemen, well may we say "God Save the Queen", because nothing will save the Governor-General. The proclamation you have just heard was countersigned Malcolm Fraser, who will go down in history as Kerr's cur”. But "the fun is where I am!" and "maintain the rage and enthusiasm!" indicates a lighter side.
• Robert Menzies: “I am one of the few men honest enough to say they do not understand women”, and "A man may be a tough, concentrated, successful money-maker and never contribute to his country anything more than a horrible example".
• John Howard: "you must remember that the Australian voter has a short memory span - less than 14 days in most cases". It's great when politicians respect their constituents. Natgoo 10:44, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

But it's true! :) In fact I wonder if there's any basis for this - say if people analysed data from polls at certain times - i.e. the government does something controversial and suddenly drops below 50% support, maybe in two weeks time the polls always jump back to the way they were before or something. --WikiSlasher 13:57, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

Ha ha some good quotes there even ones that I forgot about. And I thought that people would know more about Australia because it was important (at least i think so).Cuban Cigar 12:35, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

I'm excluded from answering, but here are a few quotes that you can read in your spare time if you like:

• Menzies: Australia is British to the bootstraps
• Menzies (toasting the Queen at Parliament House, Canberra): I did but see her passing by, and yet I love her till I die (itself a quote from ?? Robert Herrick)
• Harold Holt: Australia will go all the way with LBJ
• Arthur Calwell: Two Wongs don’t make a White
• William McMahon: I am not a homo (best remembered as screaming headlines that took up the whole front page of a Sydney rag)
• Whitlam: I have not referred to the Democratic Labor Party as whore; I have, however, referred to her as "the prostitute of politics"
• Malcolm Fraser: Life wasn’t meant to be easy
• Keating: Australia is in danger of becoming a banana republic
• Howard: We will never, ever have a GST (spoken in early 1996; in 2000, he introduced a GST over the objections of millions)
• Howard: I want Australia to be relaxed and comfortable
• Howard: The times will suit me
• Howard: We will decide who comes to this country, and the circumstances in which they come.
• Robert Ray: referred to Mal Colston as The Quisling Quasimodo from Queensland.

JackofOz 01:06, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

pontiac hood ornament-help

i am looking for info about a hood ornament-looks like an indiand cheiftan- alabaster with chrome edgeing @ end of headress-looks like it had light inside?

Is it one of these? Anchoress 09:23, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

encyclopedic

How do you rewrite a page so it isn't blatant advertising, and is encyclopedic in nature. see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OHM_Tech_Ltd

I thought this article would be of use as there are probably thousands of test stickers on thousands of pieces of equipment all over the country, so it might help people find out what they were.

Thanks

For questions about editing Wikipedia, it's best to use the help desk. But for starters, see WP:NPOV and perhaps WP:SPAM. Unfortunately, there are an increasing number of articles like that in Wikipedia and it's difficult to keep on top of them.--Shantavira 12:21, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Green Tree Frog

What preys on the American tree frog? And what do they prey on ?

• The American green tree frog article has some information about their diet (apparently mostly insects), and by following a few links from the article, we get to their Amphibiaweb article, at [1], which has a lot of detailed information about them. Feel free to ask if you need help with the proper citation for an assignment, or if you have trouble working through a page that thick. (Category O is apparently "Predators"). -- Creidieki 16:39, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Voldo-walking

A girl in my school walks like Voldo... is this a disease or what? --froth^{T C} 17:02, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

If requesting medical or legal advice, please consider asking a doctor or lawyer.--Shantavira 17:45, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

I'm not asking for advice... --froth^{T C} 20:11, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Yea that was a little trigger happy, IMHO, Shantavira. Sorry though, I can't help with your question. Maybe you could ask her? Aaadddaaammm 02:52, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

You could try asking her. Maybe she has a bad back or thinks it's cool or something. --WikiSlasher 13:59, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

Salt on bricks

Can anyone tell me the best way to remove salt formations from brick surfaces? Thanks

High pressure water hose? Johntex\^talk 18:16, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

It's efflorescence, and our articles are just stubs. You can buy an acid brick cleaner from the hardware store, or you can use muriatic acid. --Zeizmic 20:07, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

• • This is the best overview of cleaning brick surfaces: [Guideline] -THB 03:20, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

Uranium in cigarettes

What isotope of Uranium is commonly found in trace amounts in cigarettes? The Ayatollah 18:46, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Polonium-210 [[2]] . I think our article on polonium was written by a smoker! :) --Zeizmic 20:03, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Can Polonium 210 be used for nuclear weapons? Jamesino 22:05, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Isnt it obvious from our page on it?

Polonium-210

This isotope of polonium is an alpha emitter that has a half-life of 138.39 days. A milligram of polonium-210 emits as many alpha particles as 5 grams of radium. A great deal of energy is released by its decay with a half a gram quickly reaching a temperature above 750 K. A few curies (gigabecquerels) of polonium-210 emit a blue glow which is caused by excitation of surrounding air. A single gram of polonium-210 generates 140 watts of heat energy. Since nearly all alpha radiation can be easily stopped by ordinary containers and upon hitting its surface releases its energy, polonium-210 has been used as a lightweight heat source to power thermoelectric cells in artificial satellites. A polonium-210 heat source was also used in each of the Lunokhod rovers deployed on the surface of the Moon, to keep their internal components warm during the lunar nights. Because of its short halflife though polonium-210 cannot provide power for long-term space missions and has been phased out of use in this application.

--Light current 22:28, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Do I need to point out that polonium-210 is an isotope of polonium, not uranium ? StuRat 02:40, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

Err. Yes good point. I dont think theres any uranium in my cigarettes! But it occurs in uranium deposits!--Light current 02:43, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

Judging by the number of google hits for uranium & cigarette, it seems there is uranium in cigarettes... Or at least people think there is. Dismas|^(talk) 11:47, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

I think the point here is that, even if there is a little uranium-238, it would be far less dangerous than its decay product polonium-210. That's basically because the half-life of uranium is so much longer, and therefore there are far fewer disintegrations per second in the same quantity of the radionuclide. The half-life of U-238 is about four billion years, so if the 138-day number is accurate for Po-210, that means a microgram of Po-210 would expose you to roughly 10 billion times the intensity of radiation that you'd get from a microgram of U-238. Of course the polonium will decay away, whereas the uranium won't, but still, your total exposure from the polonium will be more than 5 million times what you'd get from the uranium over the next hundred years. --Trovatore 21:38, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

Hmm--actually I think I dropped a zero; the calculation I had in mind would give "more than 50 million times" for the second comparison. However I wasn't taking into account the radioactivity of the uranium decay products, or the fact that natural uranium is more radioactive than U-238, so I'll leave it as "more than 5 million" and have lots of margin for error. --Trovatore 04:39, 29 October 2006 (UTC)

Do any nukes actually use Polonium 210? Jamesino 15:13, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

No, see Nuclear weapon. --Zeizmic 15:25, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

wtf is wrong with these gov.'s?

wow, a prime minister's term is over....so people RIOT??!?! What's their problem? just vote whoever's pissing you off out of office. Why can't any country emulate American style benevlonce-thru-$ ?

It's stupid. what a waste. Let's the hope the UN invades their country and straightens them out.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/10/28/asia/AS_POL_Bangladesh_Politics.php

This sort of thing happens all the time in countries man. It really has a negative effect on international views of the given nation—coups, riots, pretty much all subnational violence. Remember that not every country can vote a leader out of office—in many countries violence is the only way. X [Mac Davis] (SUPERDESK|Help me improve) 04:59, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

What does America and benevolence have to do with each other? Joneleth 05:17, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

If you've never noticed, rioting is a pretty stupid, irrational act in itself; sometimes it's taking protest to the level of stupidity; or other times, it doesn't even have a point. People in the US have rioted because their pro sports won a championship. I think a lot of rioting happens because people are angry and they don't know how to direct that anger toward any benefical means. This isn't a culture thing. In general, all over the world, regardless of culture, economy, or government, you will find rioting happening. —Mitaphane _talk 19:29, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

mmmm, since when was America a perfect model for democracy?! Englishnerd 19:37, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

In my opinion its been a long time since America was a democracy. Joneleth 03:04, 29 October 2006 (UTC)

Good, because it's a constitutional republic. And last time I checked, the UN hasn't fixed anything.--Tbeatty 04:45, 29 October 2006 (UTC)

Last time I checked USA didnt fix anything either, and possibly finding someone worse than yourself doesnt make you better. Joneleth 06:57, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Name Meanings

I'm writing a novel at but I'm unsure about the meaning of a certain name. I believe it is of Japanese origin. The name is Toya (I'm not too fussy about the Kanji combinations to form various meanings) and I found that it could mean Peach Blossom. Is that correct and if not what are the various possible meanings? Thank you for your help! : )

The language desk is probably the better place to ask this. Dismas|^(talk) 20:05, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

One island animal

What's the word for a species of animal or something that lives on one island and not anywhere else? 64.198.112.210 19:11, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

A related term is "insular evolution". That is the process, not a term for such a species. --Justanother 19:31, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

I find them just called "insular species" or "island species". Example here. --Justanother 19:35, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Maybe you are thinking of Endemic (ecology) MeltBanana 20:43, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Endemic is the word. X [Mac Davis] (SUPERDESK|Help me improve) 04:51, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

Counter-strike bullet spread

When you play counter-strike the bullet spread is usually enough that you don't have to be pointing the crosshairs right at your target to fatally hit it. The first shots are usually very accurate, with the bullets usually hitting within a few inches of your target at any reasonable range.. but if you keep firing they can go a dozen feet wide in either direction at far range (it depends on the gun of course). If I find myself forced to "spray-and-pray" I usually think that I have about as good a chance of hitting him if I aim a foot to the right of him as if I aim right at him... but I'm curious to know how far you can take that and still have "about as good a chance." In other words, have any informal studies or whatever been done to test how normative CS:S bullet spread is? --froth^{T C} 20:10, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Not an expert, but that actually sounds fairly realistic in terms of automatic fire - I seem to recall seeing somewhere that most automatic weapons, because of barrel heating and other factors (like the weapon jerking around in the user's grip causing fatigue, and so on) that a prolonged spread turns to scatter pretty quickly. Makes a lot of sense, really. I don't know if any statistical research has been done, but it's entirely possible. Tony Fox (arf!) 22:02, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

The decrease in accuracy, and its magnitude is based on the gun's (also if silencer/flash suppressor is on) real effect on the user. You really can't hold down the trigger on a Kalsih and expect to be that accurate. Pistols take much shorter time to return back to normal accuracy than automatic guns. If you had the reticle on you would notice that when you shoot the reticle jumps to spread over a much larger area than say, if you were crouched and standing still. Spray-and-pray is known on many multiplayer games as being "n00bish" behavior. "Pump, don't hold" is more professional. If you aren't at close range, tapping and bursts is always the best way. I don't suggest ever holding down the trigger with a pistol unless you are just putting on surpressive fire while you are running your ass out of there. X [Mac Davis] (SUPERDESK|Help me improve) 04:49, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

It's not a matter of whether to do it or not.. i'm curious as to the algorithm --froth^{T C} 18:53, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

Are you sure it's not related to this phenomenon? --Maxamegalon2000 18:09, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

Campus proxy blocks youtube sorry :/ --froth^{T C} 18:53, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

That's pretty weird. I'm guessing that the cheats have some negative side-effect. bibliomaniac15 00:06, 29 October 2006 (UTC)

Works Cited

How do I cite this site as a reference?

See Wikipedia:Citing Wikipedia. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 22:00, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Ask questions about using Wikipedia on the Wikipedia:Help desk please; the reference desk is for questions about anything else. X [Mac Davis] (SUPERDESK|Help me improve) 04:41, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

List of chemicals used in Tabboco related items.

I'm trying to find out the list of chemicals that are in Cigarettes, Cigars, hookahs, chewing tabboco, et cetera, but I'm tired of the false stuff that Truth.com and PhilipMorris claim. Any websites with an [i]actual[/i] list? The velociraptor 23:23, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

I can certainly see why the tobacco companies would lie, but why would truth.com ? StuRat 01:04, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

Finding a list of ingredients ranked by quantity is difficult. Anti-smoking sites like Truth.com tend to list every compound or element that has ever been found in tobacco with no indication of the relative risk each causes or even if each is commonly or rarely found in tobacco. A long list of scary chemicals is more effective than a shorter list. Rmhermen 01:11, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

Truth.com gives info in a very biased manner, same with tobacco companies. You'd need to find a medical research type institution to get actual, factual results. For example, there was a commercial by Truth.com that talks about cyanide being in cigarettes. That's a very trace amount, but if you look at the article on cyanide, it's found in food too. And we don't even know if it's a harmful type. Like, I can start a campaign saying salt is bad for you, because it contains sodium, and chloride, both very toxic to humans! But of course, we know salt is not toxic like that. That's what Truth.com does, imo. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 01:30, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

Yes they are. Believe it or not, but some people sometimes make typos or evne spelling mistakes! Yes, shocking! This does not mean that they are bad people to the very core, however. Aaadddaaammm 02:49, 28 October 2006 (UTC) - - For the benefit of those that don't understand Aaadddaaammm's comment please see this edit which was reverted by the poster. --hydnjo talk 20:55, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

Stickshifters!

Any tips on driving a manual transmission such as uphill in traffic???

dont. :D

You've got two choices, neither of which are very pleasant, uphill in traffic is nasty - you can either put on the handbrake until there's a significant gap ahead of you, move into it, put the handbrake on again, and repeat in spurts, or you can just balance the clutch with the accelerator. Bear in mind that if you ever stop you will need to activate the handbrake to perform a hill start. The first of these options is mechnically best, but will lead to honking from anyone behind you, while grinding the clutch permanently will allow you to move very slowly, but will slowly damage it. Generally speaking, the slower the traffic the more appealing option 1 is - you should never rest the car using the clutch bite as a brake if you can possibly avoid it. --Mnemeson 01:24, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

Yeah. Get it down to the lowest gear it'll handle without laboring. Then if you're forced to halt, crunch into the lowest gear that'll give you the accn you need! Also sound your horn at the bastard in front! If it don't clear him, it sure as hell will give you satisfaction 8-) --Light current 01:59, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

1) Put your first foot on the brake.

2) Put your second foot on the clutch.

3) Put your third foot on the accelerator.

...perhaps this is why Americans prefer automatics. :-) StuRat 02:32, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

Fortunately, we Europeans evolved third legs ;-) Although strangely, the French took sole command of the reputation for being good lovers. --Mnemeson 02:38, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

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i hate automatic transmissions and only drive sticks- they get better acceleration, have far fewer mechanical problems and can contribute to increased fuel efficiency and quick deceleration in combination with the brakes. driving on hills can be tricky but is easily mastered on even the steepest hills with a little practice. obviously practice is best done on the steepest hills you can find in the least traffic, but here's a couple tips.

1) use the same foot for the gas and brake even when you're stopped. practice getting your foot off the brake and onto the gas pedal quickly; it's impossible to manipulate a hand brake and the gear shift at the same time; it's a bad option. this means your vehicle WILL roll backwards slightly, but this is normal and to be expected.

2) don't step off the brake and onto the gas until you have enough room to move forward. when you do, give it plenty of gas, so you don't have to bear down on the gas pedal to synchronize the pressure plate, but rather sort of let off the gas as the pressure point is reached and the clutch starts to grab. if you let the clutch out too fast, with too much gas, you might chirp the tires a bit but at least you're not rolling backwards. with a little practice you'll find out how to balance the gas pedal and clutch pedal. with enough gas, you can smoothly let out the clutch and not stall the motor while the pressure plate spins up to speed. don't worry about "riding the clutch", just try to put the vehicle into motion smoothly.

3) remember that the vehicle in the rear is found at fault in the vast majority of collisions, and unless you rolled your car half a car length down the hill backwards, they'll be found at fault if they're so far up your backside you roll a few inches or a foot into them.

LOL, just go ahead and ram into the guy behind you, then ! StuRat 17:52, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

4) relax. the goal is to step off the brake and onto the gas, and let out the clutch all in one fluid motion. in practice, this means your left foot is releasing -toward- the pressure point (using the play before the clutch engages) while you're stepping down on the gas pedal. by the time the pressure point is reached, you're already gassing it up.

5) if you're really very new to a stick shift and not comfortable with someone on your tail, you can turn on your hazards before a car comes to a stop behind you. they'll think you're car's disabled or something, and be much less likely to ride your bumper- they'll think they might need to swerve around you, and leave themselves some room.

good luck and PEACE -inf

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Have donkeys ever been trained to drive stick shift?Edison 17:16, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

I live in Edinburgh Scotland UK where we have zillions of US tourists - at least half of the 10% of the US population of 300 million who actually own passports and venture outside of America must visit us every summer and autumn and at least half of them (7.5 million, or so it seems from the slow-moving traffic they create), just have to hire a manual transmission car. Watching them trying to master the manual gear changes, especially going uphill in slow moving traffic is so funny. And then they encounter the fact that we drive our cars on the Right of the car but on the Left of the road, and it gets hysterical. And then they approach a roundabout (Rotary) with maybe 7 or 8 exits each controlled by traffic lights that MUST be obeyed, even when no other car is in sight, and the entertainment is indescribably funny. And then when they do park they have difficulty finding the parking brake. Here, it is called the handbrake because that's how we operate it. But US tourists can't find it because they have their parking brake on the floor back home so it can be used by their redundant foot. And then when they go for petrol (gas), and have to do it themselves because we don't employ attendants to do it for them or us - we have to do it ourselves, and can't find the filler cap because it's under the bonnet (hood), or in the boot (trunk) they go apoplectic (get real mad). And they can't understand why all our paper currency (Bills) are all different sizes and colours with different images on them, and are issued by different Banks in Scotland and The Royal Mint in England and are all fully interchangeable. But the greatest laugh of all is when they go to the cash desk to pay for their fuel and the attendant charges them (currently)£4 (equivalent to about $8) per gallon and the tears really begin to flow (theirs not ours, we are used to it). And you thought that changing gear in a manual gearbox going uphill behind slow moving traffic was the real pain? Just speak to someone from the US who has been here and hired a car. And yet --- they all come back again so maybe the adventure and different car culture experience is worth the effort - and the expense.

They may have difficulty in finding a rental car that has an automatic transmission there. And even if they drive a manual at home, an unfamiliar manual is harder to drive than an unfamiliar automatic, since that brings up issues like the number of gears, gear shift pattern, and how soft the clutch is. Also note that self-serve gas stations are the norm in the US now. Full service is quite rare. StuRat 17:49, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

Put your right foot on the brake, and let out the clutch with your left foot just enough that you can hear by engine rpm that it's starting to bite. When you're intimately familiar with the sound of your car it's easier than with a strange car, but usually then you can go from the brake to the gas with minimal slip-back. As you press on the gas then let out the clutch the rest of the way. With practice it becomes easy. When I bought my first stick-shift car I took it to a deserted hilly area at night and just did it over and over again until I got it.

I'm one of those weird people (at least in the U.S.) who prefers stick shifts; currently I'm driving a six-speed rather than a five. You have better control, acceleration, and economy, and it gives you an excuse not to answer the phone. Antandrus (talk) 17:53, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

Get a car with a hill-holder. Would be a nice option on all stick-shifts. --hydnjo talk 20:38, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

One final tip: if you're an American abroad who can't find an auto transmission vehicle to hire, and you're not confident with a manual, hire a diesel if you have a choice. Not only will it be much cheaper to run, diesel engines are much less likely to stall. And, finally, it's not that hard. If you can't master a manual transmission, IMNSHO you lack sufficient coordination and concentration to drive a car safely. --Robert Merkel 22:13, 29 October 2006 (UTC)

They may have had sufficient concentration if they could pay attention to the road, instead of having to pay attention to shifting in a strange car. StuRat 22:34, 29 October 2006 (UTC)