Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2007 May 24

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May 24[edit]

Myspace blog[edit]

How do I delete my myspace blog? --Candy-Panda 06:52, 24 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Log into your account, click Manage Blog then View Blog. You can then remove the blog entries one by one. --Richardrj talk email 11:32, 24 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Latin sentences in "Goodbye, Mr. Chips"[edit]

Is there someone who could translate these Latin sentences in the book of "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" for me?I tried Latin dictionaries, but spelling of some words are different.

"O mihi praeteritos referat si Jupiter annos......"

"Haec olim meminisse juvabit......"

"obile heres ago fortibus es in aro……"

Thank you in advance for your kindness.61.60.242.186 07:19, 24 May 2007 (UTC)Jenny[reply]

The first two are from the Aeneid:
"Oh if only Jupiter would bring back past years to me" (8.560)
"Someday it will be pleasing to remember these things" (1.203)
I don't think the third one means anything ("obiles" and "aro" aren't Latin words). The book says it is a joke. Adam Bishop 07:38, 24 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]
For the third one, see Dog Latin.--Shantavira|feed me 07:51, 24 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Since it's not there in exact form, and that article is rather confusing, let's explain. It's really a sentence in English, spelled in Latin fashion and distorted a bit to make some common Latin word endings. "Oh Billy, here is a go: 40 buses in a row." (At least "here is a go" is the best I can make of that part.) --Anonymous, May 24, 2007, 09:20 (UTC).
  • "Here's a go" means an amusing or odd thinghotclaws 09:14, 25 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]
"Years ago", perhaps? Hassocks5489 07:42, 25 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Wow, is this a line from a famous "poem"? My Grandma has a poem something like this last line. It went something like this:
Si sinor dir diago
Forte lorres inaro
Demarnt lorres
De mar trux
Fuller pig sin cowsin dux
That's really badly remembered, but I think you get the gist. Aaadddaaammm 10:50, 24 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Sitting in a coffeshop at a university many years ago, I saw a framed motto on a wall, and looked at it , and became sad that I had never studied Latin, which meant that I would never be able to understand and benefit from the wisdom no doubt contained in the paragraph. Gradually it dawned on me what it was, as partially related above:

  • "Oh sibili, si ergo,
  • fortibuses in ero.
  • Nobili, demis trux.
  • Sowatis enum?
  • Cowsendux."

Edison 16:36, 24 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

See also Mairzy Doats, a hit song from 1944 or so. --Steve Summit (talk) 21:40, 24 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks a lot, folks.61.60.242.186 02:18, 27 May 2007 (UTC)Jenny[reply]

That poem has seen many variations, including the one below which dates back to the 1950s or earlier at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School in Blackburn, England. I remember it being handed down from year to year when I studied there in the mid 1960s. John Chamley.

Si emal der dego Forte lorres in aro Demno lorres demis trux Fulo cowsen ensen dux.

This might have orignated as a school age Latin class prank that was carried into college culture as Latin became less popular in lower school.

My roomate had a framed plaque of this in our college dorm in 1976. It makes no sense in Latin. It is a joke where an unknowing guest is asked to read it out loud. The fun of it is to hear their attempt to sound it out with a foreign accent and inflections. The joke is the resolve when the host sounds it out with them in an English accent. This is especially funny in a small group, under the influence of any recreational substances. In the US the "O sibili" version may have been distributed by Spencers gifts and "head shops" of the day. This was during the early 70's novelty Americana revival and blacklight poster culture era, which Spencer's did a lot of.

- O Sibili si ergo, fortibuses in ero. Nobili demis trux: sewatis enim? Cowsendux!

An Oh see Willie version... - O CIVILI, SI ERGO, FORTUBUS ES IN ARO, O NOVILI DEIS TRUX, VADIS INEM, CAUSEN DUX. A differnt one in the same style... - Caesar adsum jam forte, Brutus aderat. Caesar sic in ominbus, Brutus sic in at.

User:Chamberlain 13 December 2012 (UTC)

This is how my father, a Cambridge Classics graduate, taught #3 to me nearly thirty years ago. The form is close enough to recognisable Latin to fool me, after three years of the Cambridge Latin Course, into trying to translate it. Remember that "v" is pronounced as "w". is ab illi, ers ago fortibus es in aro non sed billi demis trux se vatis inem, pes an dux

I say Billy, 'ere's a go Forty buses in a row No, said Billy, them is trucks. See what is in 'em - paysan ducks.

the last line made little sense to me then as I'd never heard of paysan ducks, so I can see that cowsendux/ causen dux would be more memorable.

Calories to Burn[edit]

What is the average calorie loss for 15 minutes of:

  • Jogging (8km/h)
  • Swimming
  • Riding a bike
  • Sexual Intercourse
  • Gymnastics
  • Basketball
  • Baseball
  • Badminton

I understand that each of the above activities have many possible varieties and conditions at would affect calorie loss, so I just want a rough idea what there is. Crisco 1492 13:20, 24 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Try this calculator which lets you input your weight, and a large variety of exercises, and calculates approx how many calories you'd burn. --Maelwys 14:03, 24 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Alegedly sex uses 360 calories per hour. Or it could have been 360kJ per hour.

Use the calculator. its not perfect but its much better than estimates that would vary wildly if you ignore weight.
Cool, I didn't know they had a calculator like that. As for the sex, I'd lean towards calories. Kilojoules are just too small. Thanks. Crisco 1492 01:37, 25 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

If it was 360 calories, that would be just under 100 Kj. Say it's 80kJ/hour :) That's only just over 1 each minute :( But 360KJ is 6 perminute :) Both of these are quite small :( So maybe it was 3600 :? Someone check my maths, just in case :(

Area of a quadrilateral[edit]

My oops, this shoud have been asked at /Math so I moved it. Sorry, hydnjo talk 20:15, 24 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Which is bigger[edit]

Cannes or Toronto? in terms of a) attendance and b) number of films and c) hype/media attn —Preceding unsigned comment added by 209.53.181.70 (talkcontribs)

See Cannes Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival. This source says Cannes showed 999 feature films and 50 short films in 2006, against 300-400 films for Toronto, according to our article. Quote in the Toronto International Film Festival: In 1998, Variety magazine acknowledged that "the Festival is second only to Cannes in terms of high-profile pics, stars and market activity." Quoted by the National Post in 1999, Roger Ebert claimed "...although Cannes is still larger, Toronto is more useful and more important...."
I think the answer to all three of your questions in Cannes. --Tagishsimon (talk)
I don't know about a) or b), but certainly in terms of hype and media attention, Cannes is the more important of the two. I live in the United States, where you would expect a film festival in Toronto to be more influential than a festival in a small French town. However, I had not heard of the Toronto film festival until I saw this question. On the other hand, I have certainly heard of Cannes, and awards at Cannes are used to market films in the United States, whereas awards in Toronto, if there are awards, are not. Marco polo 20:33, 24 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]
I think you misunderstand Ebert's conception of importance -- hype and media attention are irrelevant. Vranak
We're talking about the promotion and marketing of films, and you say that hype and media attention are irrelevant. Please explain, Vranak. JackofOz 22:35, 24 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Social importance has nothing to do with volume. Revenge of the Sith: promoted massively, huge audience, absolutely unimportant film. American Beauty, lower-profile, very important film. Vranak
We all answered roughly simultaneously, so I had not seen Tagishsimon's comments. I would not be surprised if Toronto had a larger attendance than Cannes, since Cannes is a relatively small city with limited and rather expensive accommodation, whereas Toronto is a large city whose residents can easily attend its festival. Marco polo 20:36, 24 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Toronto is probably more important or central to the American film industry, and it's not surprising to me that Ebert would say it is more important. Which films get nominated for Oscars is often determined by their reception at Toronto, whereas Cannes films often (not always: see Pulp Fiction or Apocalypse Now) get little play in America, even if they win the Palme d'Or (top prize). In fact, in terms of prestige, the biggest festival after Cannes is probably Venice and then maybe Berlin. Toronto is just the biggest and most prestigious North American festival. zafiroblue05 | Talk 04:04, 25 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Jury[edit]

Who are the jurors? proffesionals that do that for a living (like lawyers), people chosen at randome? people related to the case (although i doubt this one cause that could cause bias)? how much are they paid? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 209.53.181.70 (talkcontribs)

Does this question go with the previous, regarding film festivals? --LarryMac | Talk 20:09, 24 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]
See Jury --Tagishsimon (talk)

Libraries[edit]

Where can I find a list of libraries in the U.S. and Canada that have a million or more books? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 209.53.181.70 (talkcontribs)

The ALA has a list of the top 100 U.S. libraries: [1] The smallest has 2.7 million items. Rmhermen 20:47, 24 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]