Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/December 2005

1 December 2005

Hassocks' Camp

A Canadian reader sent the following message to the Help Desk mailing list.

I have a photo (postcard) with the printed date of 1911 and also imprinted with "Hassock's Camp". I believe it was in Sussex, England but would like more details if possible. Some of the men in the photo are in army uniform. One of the men is my grandfather who was age 22 that summer.

I advised her that it may be related to the town of Hassocks near Brighton. However, if you are able to provide more information, it would be greatly appreciated. Capitalistroadster 00:31, 1 December 2005 (UTC)

Social Studies

how are coral reefs formed?

Look at Coral reef -- Dalbury^(Talk) 02:34, 1 December 2005 (UTC)

Soda Can

Why is the standard Soda/Beer can 12 fluid ounces?

No special reason; that's just what it happens to be now, but these things often change over time. You may remember that the next larger size (in the US) of soft drinks was a 16 fl.oz. bottle until it changed to 20 fl.oz. in the 1990s. A company will change the size of their product whenever they think they can make more money that way. They might introduce a 20-ounce bottle at the old 16-ounce price, then when everyone has gotten used to drinking 25% more, raise the price a few cents (most of the price is for the container and handling, not the drink) and come out ahead. That's the way it seems to have gone with soft drinks in recent decades -- with many other products they prefer to keep reducing the size while leaving the price the same.

As to why competing companies will often settle on a single standard size, like the 12-ounce can, that's because the can makers and the vending machine makers can give them a better price if they do that.

--Anonymous, 06:00 UTC, December 1, 2005

Depends on which fluid ounce you mean. Apparently it has been redefined to coincide with 30 ml. That's for 1 fluid ounce, not 12. Is there a mistake in the article? By the way, in Europe it's also 30 ml. Maybe the one is inspired by the other. 30 ml is also the standard beer bottle volume in Europe, and, what's more, all bottles are the same shape, so bottles can be used interchangeably between companies (or how do you say that?). I suppose cans have just followed that. DirkvdM 08:09, 1 December 2005 (UTC)

It's been a wee while since I bought a can of fizzy juice but they were always 330ml in the UK, as far as I know they still are. AllanHainey 13:22, 1 December 2005 (UTC)

The fluid ounce (at least in the US) has not been redefined, though 30 ml is a close approximation. My 12 fl oz can of Coke is 355 ml, for 29.6 ml / fl oz. Similarly, a handy 20 fl oz bottle lists 591 ml, for 29.6 ml / fl oz again. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 14:50, 1 December 2005 (UTC)

I based the fluid ounce thing on the article - point three says 1 fluid ounce is exactly 30 ml. Bottles used to be 330 ml in the Netherlands too, but I thought all of Europe had changed to the standard bottles. Is only the UK an exception? DirkvdM 09:55, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

In the UK, soft drink cans are 330ml and bottles are 500ml almost without exception. You sometimes get very small cans (150ml?) for pick'n'mix selections, but the ones in the fridges are almost invariably 330ml.

Soft drink cans are 33cl in Sweden too, and if I remember correctly, Germany aswell. 50cl cans are reserved for beer in Sweden, though. TERdON 22:55, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

A UK pint is 20 floz, but a UK floz is 28.41ml, smaller than a US one, so that makes 20 UK floz = 568ml not 591ml. Since we have 20, not 16, floz to a pint, this 568ml measure is what is still called a pint for glass milk bottles and also for beer/cider in pubs. Cans of beer/cider are usually 330ml, 440ml or 500ml. Loganberry (Talk) 13:35, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

Boxing, non title bout.

As a kid,I was told that my uncle Eddy Trujillo beat Henry Armstrong in a non title bout, it happened in the thirtys,also,Eddy Trujillos picture was on the cover of ring magazine that same year. All I know is that it happend in the thritys.s Please find out if this infromation was recorded in ring magazine history.Thank you very much for your time and efforts, it is appreciated. T J Trujillo from Seattle

This website has a profile of Henry Armstrong which lists that he fought Eddy (spelt Eddie on the site) Trujillo on August 30, 1932 in Los Angeles, and that Trujillo won in four rounds. --Canley 06:42, 1 December 2005 (UTC)

thank you.

I need to find information on "Responsible Government arrives in Nova Scotia" and im not very good at using keywords to come up with good searches. Help!? Thanks a lot

You might want to read our articles on Nova Scotia and Responsible government, and a Google search for +"responsible government" +"nova scotia" will produce many relevant hits. Among the very first ones are a timeline, a speech by Joseph Howe, and "How our government works" ("our" meaning Canadian here). Now that wasn't difficult, was it? If you are looking for more specific information, you'd have to tell us what exactly you want to know for us to be able to help you. Lupo 07:46, 1 December 2005 (UTC)

bansod communty in maharashtra

i belong to north india. my sister is getting marrried in bansod communty in maharashtra.but we do not know much about it.only thing we know is that they call themseles maharashtrian thakur.we r also also thakur but we call ourself rajput which they dnt. it would be very kind of u to give details of it. thanks a lot best regards sanya guleria

You might start with the Maharashtra article, especially the demographics section, although that does not convey much about the people. You might also try the external links and references at the bottom. Alas, Wikipedia has an article on Rajput, but not on Thakur (or Thakore - you might also try that term for a Google search). I'm curious. I don't know much (if anything) about marriages in those parts of India. I'd say that the guy she's marrying matters most. Or is there something in particular you need to know about Maharashtran culture beforehand? Or, inspired by the Rajput article, is it a caste thing? DirkvdM 08:25, 1 December 2005 (UTC)

Richard Rahls Mother

Does she have a name? From the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind

• Of course she does. Everyone has a name. Whether it's published or whether Goodkind even knows himself is not known to me. - Mgm|^(talk) 09:43, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

Indian cricket

Respected sir,

I want to know the detail facts about indian cricket History specifically about BCCI's inception

and by whom the indian cricket is governed, i,e. by central government or by any other private body? and BCCI is governed by Indian government or by any private body?

And Indian team represents Country or any othet board or Private body?

Please put some light on these Issues.

If You can mail me at (email removed)

Regards and Thanks.

Vinay M Bakale

You might find what you're looking for in the cricket in India article. I've removed your e-mail address to prevent spam. –Mysid 10:26, 1 December 2005 (UTC)

Jewish Biblical Jubilee Year

When is the next Jewish Biblical Jubilee Year.

Mike Poindexter Centerville, TX

If I recall correctly, they happen every 50 years, but because we have no idea what year the first occured (if it did at all) on our current calendar, your question is impossible to answer. Sorry. Superm401 | Talk 15:34, 1 December 2005 (UTC)

According to this site [1], the Jewish year 5765, which ended in October, might have been a Jubilee year. If that's truee, the next one will be in 5815, or 2054-55. But no one knows for sure. -- Mwalcoff 23:57, 1 December 2005 (UTC)

‘12M’ symbol on personal-care products

I have seen a symbol on several personal-care products (from Kingfisher, Palmolive, The Body Shop, etc.) that looks like a small cylindrical container posed sideways, with the cap ajar. On the main body of the container, it is written ‘12M’. Does anyone know what this means? – Kaihsu 13:09, 1 December 2005 (UTC)

Ah, finally found the answer: ‘The PAO [period after opening] symbol, an open cosmetic cream jar, looks as follows: [...] The lifespan is designated in months (M) and appears as follows: for example: [12M] or [24M]. The number of months (M) indicated may appear either inside or outside the symbol of the open cosmetic cream jar.’ [2] I did do some research before asking the question, but now finally found the answer! – Kaihsu 13:12, 1 December 2005 (UTC)

Now also in Wikipedia: PAO symbol. Markus Kuhn 17:19, 13 June 2006 (UTC)

Lost item

Can anyone tell me where I put my house keys? - Ta bu shi da yu 14:15, 1 December 2005 (UTC)

Right there. ナイトスタリオン ✉ 14:18, 1 December 2005 (UTC)

Or perhaps here?. Thryduulf 14:35, 1 December 2005 (UTC)

Try the pockets of the trousers you wore last time you went out. Also check your laundry basket in case they fell out of said pockets when you put your trousers there.-gadfium 21:49, 1 December 2005 (UTC)

Does your cat have a favorite hiding place? - Nunh-huh 23:04, 1 December 2005 (UTC)

They're in the last place you'd think of looking for them. So all you have to do is identify where the last place you would look is, and look there. Perfectly simple. -- AJR | Talk 02:35, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

Remember, the best search engine known to man is a woman. Ask your mom or your wife (whichever is applicable). alteripse 03:12, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

I did ask my girlfriend! She told me it was in the last place I put it. Go figure. - Ta bu shi da yu 06:37, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

• So AJR was correct, she does know where they are. :) = Mgm|^(talk) 09:42, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

When I lose my keys, I look for the nearest magnet. It sucks living nextdoor to an electromagnet shop. I can't wear a belt, jewellery, or invite my multiple-times-pierced metalhead friends over anymore, and have to use plastic knives to carve the turkey. --Expurgator 13:40, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

List all the countries of the world

List of countries. Thryduulf 14:37, 1 December 2005 (UTC)

Help with Russian wikipedia and Donetsk, Ukraine hospitals

I am in need of finding the phone numbers for each significant hospital in Donetsk, Ukraine. However, I don't speak Russian. I've been attempting to use babelfish.altavista.com to stumble through websites in Russian, but the most promising site (www.health.gov.ua) could not be translated by babelfish. I'm running out of options on how to proceed. I thought I might place a question on this at the reference desk of the Russian wikipedia, but I don't have the knowledge to know what page that is. So I need answers to:

1. What is the URL for the reference desk page for miscellaneous questions like this page?
2. Does anyone here know enough Russian to work their way through www.health.gov.ua to see if it can provide a list of significant hospitals in Donetsk (and would you do so please)?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. A close friend of our family is reported to be in a hospital in Donetsk, but we lack any other information at this point. We are trying to find out what has happened to her. Thanks in advance, --Durin 15:23, 1 December 2005 (UTC)

The best place for this sort of question would be Wikipedia:Reference desk/Language; there's generally someone there who can help you translate the page. smurrayinchester^{(User), (Ho Ho Ho!)} 16:01, 1 December 2005 (UTC)

You might want to call your Embassy in the Ukraine. They may be able and willing to render assistance. - Nunh-huh 00:50, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

First, the language of Ukraine is Ukrainian. People there might get upset if you think they speak Russian (although I guess many of them would speak that as well).

• You do not want to go to the Russian Wikipedia accidentally! DO YOU REALIZE WHAT RUSSIAN WIKIS CAN DO TO A PERSON?! If not, ask yourself why the KGB doesn’t want you to know. When you go to the Russian Wikipedia Main Page next, look closely. Notice the radical layout differences. Notice all the question marks in the window title, signifying your browser’s inability to understand the wiki. Notice all the Bs, Ds and 0s in the URL. It adds up to only one logical conclusion. You see, in America, anyone can edit Wikipedia, so in Russia, Wikipedia edits you!

As to getting the number, one possibility would be to just call your long-distance telephone operator and ask if you can get directory assistance for Donetsk, Ukraine, then explain what you want. You might end up reaching a human who lives there and knows the major hospitals, and speaks English. If you can get through to any one hospital in the city, perhaps the person you speak to there will be able to give you the phone numbers of some others.

As to the www.health.gov.ua web site, Europeans often use a British flag symbol to indicate English language, and this site does that: you're supposed to click on the little flag for English. However, the English version of the site may not have everything there is on it. I don't see a list of hospitals on their English pages (and I don't speak Ukrainian either), but they do have numbers for the Ministry of Public Health, so maybe someone there could help you. I may as well copy them out:

• [Phone] +380 (44) 253-52-71; 253-61-65
• [Fax] +380 (44) 253-69-75
• [Address] 7 Hrushevsky st., 01021, Kyiv - 21, Ukraine
• [Email] (Email removed)

I'm guessing they don't work on weekends, so if you're trying that route, you'll want to call before Friday afternoon eastern European time.

Hope one of these things helps.

--Anonymous, 03:42 UTC, December 2, 2005

Frome the above comment: First, the language of Ukraine is Ukrainian. People there might get upset if you think they speak Russian (although I guess many of them would speak that as well).

This is actually funny. In Donetsk they will get upset if you speak Ukrainian. So don't, speak Russian. In Eastern Ukraine, especially Donetsk, Ukrainian is only used by government officials and sometimes not even by them. --Ornil 19:55, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

What you want is this list: http://www.partner.dn.ua/catalog/11/83/ --Ornil 19:55, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

Scientific style guides?

How do I format a sentific research paper?

See the article Academic publishing. There are some links and tips at the bottom. --Canley 05:39, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

what is the distance between israel and the us

That would depend on what cities you're measuring between. The distance according to this site between Washington D.C. and Jerusalem is 5903 miles or 9497 km. Dismas|^(talk) 19:25, 1 December 2005 (UTC)

name of israel prime minister

This info is clearly stated in the article for Israel. Dismas|^(talk) 19:00, 1 December 2005 (UTC)

what is a calligram

The article on calligrams explains this quite well. Dismas|^(talk) 19:52, 1 December 2005 (UTC)

Is Wikipedia a publicly traded company? If so, what is It's symbol?

Is Wikipedia a publicly traded company? If so, what is It's symbol?

No, Wikipedia is a charity, run by volunteers. See our Wikipedia article for details. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 21:41, 1 December 2005 (UTC)

Thank goodness it is not - else rich shareholders, not the users, would control the content, and subvert Wikipedia. -- Natalinasmpf 21:42, 1 December 2005 (UTC)

Quite. Subverting Wikipedia is our job :) -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 21:45, 1 December 2005 (UTC)

Wikipedia would be a poor investment anyway. It makes no profit, can be used for free and all income is from voluntary donations. Not to mention the fact that its value changes almost constantly as information is added, changed and vandalised. You certainly wouldn't get good returns! smurrayinchester^{(User), (Ho Ho Ho!)} 12:50, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

Most importantly, revenue (besides voluntary donations) could never be made. If they ever started charging or placed ads, people would instantly fork, thanks to the GFDL. Superm401 | Talk 22:28, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

Walking

What is the recommended number of steps per day to stay fit. (or get there)?

10,000 Nelson Ricardo 04:58, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

If that's the steps on a stairway that should certainly keep you fit :) . But seriously, how on Earth can you quantify 'staying fit' (what ever that means) in the number of steps (whatever that means)? Walking doens't seem like an efficient way to stay fit. Unless you mean walking in stead of taking a car - that would eliminate the need for doing sports, and would therefore be more efficient. But still it's a bit of a silly question. Depends on the kind of steps you take - putting your back into everyday things seems like the best way to stay fit. DirkvdM 10:00, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

• Only a medical doctor can tell you the recommended number of steps per day to stay fit, becuase it's particular to your health and lifestyle. The recommended number of steps per day to get there depends on where you're going. I recommend Florida. It's lovely this time of year. Mareino 20:23, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

• The 10,000 steps thing is from some public campaign to get people to do some minimum level of exercise. I guess they figured it as some baseline number, that if you did 10,000 steps in some form or another during a day, then at least you would avoid the most common negative effects of lack of exercise. To get or stay fit, would likely require either more, or a certain amount of exercise at greater intensity, and measuring only by number of steps would likely miss a lot of factors important in being fit, such as strength, cardiovascular capacity, etc. In any case it varies depending on one's fitness level at the start and it's always recommended to see a doctor to determine if there are underlying problems that make a fitness program unsafe. - Taxman ^Talk 15:23, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

Submarines

When a U.S. Submarine wants to go to 100feet. IS that 100 feet from the bottom, middle, or top of the sub?

If my Tom Clancy has taught me anything, I would assume that it was from the bottom for a dive and top for an ascent. It would measure absolute difference. User:Articuno1

• I would assume it's the lowest point. Note that it's possible to have extreme circumstances where measuring from different parts of the boat can have odd effects - when the Russian submarine K-141 Kursk sank a few years ago, she was lying at a depth of 108 metres - but had she been stood on end, she'd have towered forty metres out of the water... Shimgray | talk | 15:22, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

what does vocals mean?

Context would be helpful, but in a list of credits (on, say, a recording) it's probably equivalent to "singing". - Nunh-huh 23:02, 1 December 2005 (UTC)

December 2

Bibliography

Can you tell me the Bibliography on taste buds?

Do you mean who wrote the article taste buds? You might want to see Citing Wikipedia, but a list of the specific authors of that article can be found by clicking History at the top of the page. IMO, the major authors of the article are Tristanb and 67.66.33.81. jnothman ^talk 00:48, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

If you mean the sources used by the authors, a (possibly incomplete) list is at the bottom of the page. If you want to know how to cite the article in your bibliography, try clicking "cite this article" on the left navigation bar when you're on the page. Superm401 | Talk 22:32, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

Asian politician who disappeared in Sydney early 1960s

In the early-mid 1960s, there was a minor crisis when an Asian politician (? head of government) who was visiting Australia vanished for some days. He eventually turned up and said something about needing some time off from stressful duties, but the only way he could achieve this would be to disappear for a while. This happened while he was staying in Sydney. Who was the politician, what country was he from, when did this happen, and what happened afterwards? JackofOz 02:08, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

This is probably not that helpful but I seem to recall an English politician do something very similar in the 1960s. A Conservative (whose name I forget) who was considered by some to be leadership material who disappeared one day and thought to have died until he was found in Sydney some time later, saying something very similar to what you have the Asian politician saying. He then tried to return to politics but his behaviour seemed to work against him. I don't know if this rings any bells and if so, perhaps an English wikipedian can help further. --Roisterer 03:28, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

Thanks, that sounds a bit like John Stonehouse who faked his death by drowning while surfing in Miami, Florida in 1974, then later turned up in Australia. The guy I'm after was definitely South-East Asian, possibly from Singapore or Malaysia, and a senior political figure in his country, possibly even Prime Minister. He was on some official trip to Australia, conducted his business, then just vanished before he was due to return. He was missing for three or four days, less than a week, then finally turned up and fessed up. This would have been around 1965, very roughly (I'm relying on my ever diminishing memory here). It was a major story at the time. JackofOz 13:54, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

Hmmm. The Australian politics guru on Wikipedia is User:Adam Carr. He might be able to help if you ask him really nicely. I must say that, while the Stonehouse story is familiar, a similar Asian leader's jaunt doesn't ring a bell. Failing that, you could try posing the question at the Monday message board at John Quiggin's website; the contributors there are a bit more, well, senior. --Robert Merkel 04:03, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

Reverse page numbering. World first?

I have recently helped an author publish his book ('Z' by Jonar Nader) and because of the story we decided to make the page numbers run in reverse (ie. from 400 down to 1). I would like to know if this is a 'world first'. If the question cannot be answered here could someone please put me in the right direction to find the answer. 220.236.180.49 04:00, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

• It's a novel idea, but I think it has already been done by Chuck Palahniuk (author of Fight Club) in his book Survivor. --Canley 05:34, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

Punch strength

Is there any way to measure the strength or force of a person's punch? It would be interesting to know how certain boxers match up in this area, and finding out the current world record.

• Surely this would be a rather simple thing to do, by just putting an accelerometer on a punching bag. I would be really surprised if such a device didn't already exist, though I've never heard of one.--Pharos 07:00, 2 December 2005 (UTC)
  • Haven't you seen Rocky IV? Drago punches just such a machine to measure the force. Not sure if it has a specific name, or if it is common or not. - Taxman ^Talk 15:04, 2 December 2005 (UTC)
    • O yea, they have these machines in boxing clubs and in bars/pubs/amusement parks all the time. Usually you pay a quarter or a dollar or something and punch it and it tells you how many pounds force you produced. As for how dif. boxers match up, I have no idea... -User:Lommer | ^talk 23:15, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

how to reopen an closed vindow?

Use the handle that is generally attached to the window frame (unless you're in prison and the window is barred, in which case you'll probably have to ask a prison guard to open the window for you). Ferkelparade π 08:24, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

...Or if you mean the browser window kind it depends on the browser. In Opera you can just use Edit -> Undo (or Ctrl + Z) open pages pages you have closed in the current session (or retrieve it from the closed window "trashcan"). You can also use the Tools -> History menu to see a list of recently visisted sites. In most other browses you are limited to using the history approach. Internet Explorer have a "log" button on it's main toolbar, wichs opens it's history. In Mozilla Firefox you use the Go menu and pick "History" for the same functionality. --Sherool (talk) 09:52, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

Hard using Wikipedia as a user?

I do not totaly see how I find all the different thing on Wikipedia. Like mail system.

why do the screen got to change when I logg on. I think that is very irritating. and much harder to use.

Do please mail the answear to me. Or I will never find it =)

• I'm not really sure what you're asking. - Mgm|^(talk) 09:49, 2 December 2005 (UTC)
• If the screen layout changes significantly for you when you log in, then you may have a skin other than the default selected in your preferences. The default skin in "monobook", and everyone who is not logged in gets this. It's less likely, but also possible, that you have customised your monobook.js in the past and then forgotten about it.-gadfium 18:19, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

There's no mail system on Wikipedia. 216.43.124.150 19:50, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

Yes, there is. See Special:Emailuser/Superm401. Equivalent links are found on the left navigation bar when you're on other users' talk pages(or just replace Superm401 with their user name in the URL of the above link) Superm401 | Talk 22:35, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

Another Wikipedia user question...-

How to make my own profile? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Brandt (talk • contribs)

In your case go to User:Brandt. If you use the default skin there is a little menu in the upper right corner of every page, your username should be up there, along with links to your talk page, your preferences, watchlist, contribution list and a log out button, so click on your username and you will open your userpage. Once there just write away. Avoid copyrighted images on your userpage, but other than that (nearly) anyting goes there. --Sherool (talk) 09:40, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

confederate flags

Can someone give me a description of the colours of the following: Battle Flag

white------white

blue-------navy blue

red--------????????

Rebel Flag

white------white

blue-------???????

red--------???????

any help would be greatly appreciated

thank you, cookie 18 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.48.113.21 (talk • contribs) . (Mgm|^(talk) reformatted above question)

We have an article on the Flags of the Confederate States of America, although this doesn't actually answer your question perhaps one of the external links will be able to help you. Thryduulf 12:31, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

Amazing question?

What is the greatest question ever asked in wp:rd? --Expurgator 13:42, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

What is the greatest question ever asked in wp:rd? --Expurgator 13:42, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

Perhaps this one? –Mysid 14:29, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

Or, perhaps the one just asked by Mysid? --hydnjo talk 20:16, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

I have a lot of respect for Garrett Albright, and he's claimed the banana peel one as the best. However, if you ask me it comes down the the answers. In that case, this marsupial philosphical answer is best in my opinion.--Commander Keane 11:14, 3 December 2005 (UTC)

What is the PMS equivalent of Honolulu Blue?

• I can tell you two things. One, it's the color that the Detroit Lions wear. Two, this link will give you the color that Benjamin Moore sells as their Honolulu Blue paint. I don't have any imaging programs on this computer, but you can download the picture of the paint swatch and figure it out yourself, I'm guessing. Mareino 20:31, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

Which would be #96D1E7, like this. Ojw 12:57, 4 December 2005 (UTC)

My copy of Photoshop gives the closest PMS color swatch as PANTONE 636 CV. --Canley 02:10, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

Pink Floyd

How did the name Pink Floyd come about? Who thought of it? What does it mean?

Nelson

See our fine Pink Floyd article, it's explained in the history section -- Ferkelparade π 16:30, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

Internet Book Sources

How do I find web sites that search for a specific book from mutiple internet book stores?

Try Google's search thingy, Froogle. 216.43.124.150 19:52, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

Try http://www.abebooks.com/ User:Zoe|^(talk) 04:08, 3 December 2005 (UTC)

Rare Smoking Disease

I have smoked for 30 years and have tried to quit many times with no success. Twelve or thirteen years ago my hands started falling asleep. A Neurologist had a test ran that I was told was very painfull. A needle was put into the wrist to measure to oxygen content. I felt no pain nor the needle. I was told at that time that I had a very rare disease that was caused by smoking and was irreversable and would only progress.Four years ago my feet now go partially numb and my legs are in constant pain. My G.P. states this is imaginary pain and there is no reason for my feet to go numb. What is this disease called? Who do I go to to have this pain stopped? All over the counter pain relievers do nothing for the pain.

Thank you for your help

Still Smoking in California

I checked Google and found these two:

• Peripheral Artery Disease
• Buerger’s Disease

The second one sounds more like your description. (I'm not a doctor, though.) 216.43.124.150 19:57, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

• Dude, get a new G.P. If your G.P. is right and it's imaginary, he/she should at least have referred you to a psychiatrist. If your G.P. is wrong, that's one hell of a misdiagnosis.Mareino 20:35, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

• It isn't quite that simple. Doctors rarely say or believe, "you are imagining your pain." What they may say that is often interpreted that way is, "I can't find a treatable cause and by every measure I have checked your body seems to be in working order" but this is often an unsatisfactory answer and is interpreted by many patients as "you must be imagining or making this up." It is one of the most frustrating types of problems in patient care from the doctor's end of it and it is even worse from the patient's end of it. You might be right that it's time for referral for new ideas or more pain expertise, but that is not what psychiatrists do. The best next step might be a specialist in peripheral vascular diseases if the pain is arising from that, but if she has already tried that, then most big cities and most big medical centers (at least in North America) have "pain clinics" and "pain specialists" who address that specific problem. alteripse 13:10, 3 December 2005 (UTC)

• • Somehow I suspect that you were told to stop smoking. If you indeed have thromboangiitis obliterans (Buerger's disease) the only treatment is to stop smoking. There is no substitute, and you need to consult someone who will help you with stopping smoking by any means necessary (nicotine patchs are probably not the best way for Buerger's patients). Nearly half the patients with Buerger's disease who continue smoking require at least one amputation within 8 years. - Nunh-huh 14:42, 3 December 2005 (UTC)

Albumin

Name four fish or seafood low in albumin and four high in albumin.

It's going to be tough finding out "albumin" specifically. Here's a source [3] for protein content of various fishes (there's not much variation). It wouldn't be too wrong to say that the highter the protein is, the highter you'd expect the albumin to be. But "low in albumin" and "high in albumin" sounds rather subjective. Maybe others have better sources of information., or look in your text to see how it defines "high" and "low". - Nunh-huh 14:48, 3 December 2005 (UTC)

Kevin Mitchel

Kevin Mitchel - Age 12; the youngest prisoner in California history (Incarcerated 2003)

I came across the name Kevin Mitchel in an artical about Stanley "Tookie" Williams. He was listed as the youngest inmate in San Quentin at the age of 12. I can not find any other information about him. Why he was there at such a young age or anything. This may sound kinda lame but I would really like to know what a 12 year old could do to be put in one of Californias roughest prisons. Could anyone asist me?

Felisha

• If this is indeed true, I would expect it was for murder. The US legal system is thougher on minors than most European courts, but I doubt he'd put in such a prison for a mere theft or robbery. - Mgm|^(talk) 22:19, 2 December 2005 (UTC)
• One really has to wonder if it is true; most of the places you will find this factoid are mirrors of Wikipedia. - Nunh-huh 14:52, 3 December 2005 (UTC)

There's an interesting article from Human Rights Watch on the subject "Life without Parole for Child Offenders in the United States" which might answer your question.

Personally, I was quite surprised at some of the things happening in the US legal systems mentioned in that report, particularly how easy it is to be charged with murder without actually killing anyone (e.g. one child who drove his brother away from a murder scene, was charged with murder, and imprisoned for life) Ojw 12:49, 4 December 2005 (UTC)

Demons

I am interested to know if there is a demon named DAMIAN? If so what is his significance?

Answers are not emailed. As for Damian, he's bottlenose dolphin significant for being the subject of many homework questions. (kidding, but do your own homework) Superm401 | Talk 22:41, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

December 3

Music in Nissan Murano Commercial.

Can anyone identify the music in the Nissan Murano Commercial? The one with the birds(animation). Thanks

There is a Nissan Murano Commercial available to download at this site. I can't seem to get the visual to work, but is that the one you are talking about? The sound does work for me, but, unfortunately I don't know the song/music. - Akamad 07:12, 3 December 2005 (UTC)

I couldn't get the visual to work either, but that is the song!! I looked all over but i still can't find a name for it.

Have you tried sending an email to the contact address listed at the referenced website? -- Rick Block (talk) 17:36, 3 December 2005 (UTC)

Good idea!

First person shooter games

I am trying to learn how to play first person shooter games "properly". May I request a spontaneous list of simple tips beginners like me can use? Thanks very much!! --HappyCamper 03:42, 3 December 2005 (UTC)

My advice is to memorise the keys for the game. For example, which number on the keyboard corresponds to which gun, because it's pretty bad when you have to cycle through the weapons trying to find the one you want while you are getting shot. - Akamad 06:54, 3 December 2005 (UTC)

No matter how tempting it is, don't run a long distance to hide while being shot at. Life can drain fast while you are heading for the hiding place, and often you die before you get there. Also, grenade-type weapons work well. smurrayinchester^{(User), (Ho Ho Ho!)} 21:51, 3 December 2005 (UTC)

Get familar with everyones weapons and skills/abilities. This way you will always know what you can do and what you opponent can do. Also, learn to do the one thing the other guy(s) never expect, like running through a minefield. Used cautiously, this can give you an element of suprise. I remeber catching a pair of snipers off guard during an online round of Renegade when I went through a tiberium field (something no one does because it damage's ones health). TomStar81 04:01, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

Do I need to buy a super duper computer with all the neat upgrades and stuff to play well? Also, this mouse thing. I found out the other day that there's "acceleration" and there's "no acceleration". Which one is better? (Not that I ever noticed, but a friend noticed that I tend to overshoot and not aim properly because I'm apparently overcompensating). Thanks again! --HappyCamper 01:27, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

I have never heard of the acceleration thing on the mouse so I don't know about that, but it seems to be a personal preference kind of thing. Another handy hint is to learn about the maps, you don't want to get lost in a map whilst playing capture the flag for example. - Akamad 07:37, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

Anarchist cookbook limited editon

HEy. The anachist cookbook has been banned, but a limited/special edition has been released. Where can I download the book for free?????

Aside: What are ararchists eating these days?--Commander Keane 11:00, 3 December 2005 (UTC)

Spiders? Or wasn't that a deliberate typo? DirkvdM 09:26, 4 December 2005 (UTC)

Name for piece of wood?

Hello, I am trying to find the name for the piece of wood that a gavel hits. Like that in a court room. I have asked a number of people but they are unable to give me an answer. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. Geoff

It's a block or a sound block. alteripse 12:28, 3 December 2005 (UTC)

If you want proof, check here [4] --Tachs 11:25, 4 December 2005 (UTC)

purpose of this page?

is this reference desk supposed to be a free competitor to google answers? why does it exist? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Zzzzz (talk • contribs)

It is serveral things at once.

• It is a place where readers can point out things they had hoped to find on Wikipedia, but were unable to. We can then try to fix those ommissions.
• It is also a place where editors can directly help people, which supposedly gives one a warm feeling.
• And here, editors can (have allowed themselves to) relax a little.
• Finally, its where really uninventive vandals and illiterate people come to mess things up. In fact, hardly anyone bothers ot read the rules. -- Ec5618 16:40, 3 December 2005 (UTC)

I think of it as being like Straight Dope, only run by the Teeming Millions. =P —Keenan Pepper 19:14, 3 December 2005 (UTC)

You could also ask this question the other way around. Note that, judging by the oldest archive, this reference desk started in November 2001 and Google Answers strarted in March 2002. But other than that, this is of general importance for the value of open source. Have any of you guys 'been over to Gary's'? :) Does the paid-for variety give better results? DirkvdM 09:42, 4 December 2005 (UTC)

• Google Answers isn't the only site that provides a service like this, and I doubt they were the first to offer it too. - Mgm|^(talk) 09:56, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

the circumstances of one of Augusto Pinochet's photos

I came across this a while back, and I was wondering what Pinochet was trying to portray here. It was certainly different other photos, and well, the pose is...interesting. Was this a candid shot, or purposely posed this way? I mean, for someone who would rely on propaganda, assuming such a pose could be counter-productive to assuming power. -- Natalinasmpf 18:37, 3 December 2005 (UTC)

• "Counterproductive for assuming power!" I love that. All the proscecutor at his trial has to do is show this picture and keep his mouth shut. It says it all. alteripse 14:03, 4 December 2005 (UTC)
• It's certainly a great photo. I see you've already asked a similar question on the discussion page. Presumably Pinochet's intention is to display his determination and power. As for being counter-productive, it's important to note that the photo was taken soon after Pinochet and the other generals overthrew an elected government - they weren't trying to be popular. Lisiate 22:46, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

Interstate Miles in Indianapolis

I need to know how many miles of interstate there are in Indianapolis total?

If you can't find an answer straight away, first thing to determine is all the interstates that are located within, or pass through, Indianapolis. Then use something like Mapquest or Google Maps to determine the length of the bit between the city limits. --Robert Merkel 03:57, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

Home Conswtruction in Italy

What type of construction is the basic home built witrh in Italy--192.85.50.2 20:51, 3 December 2005 (UTC)

Xbox 360

Is it possible to pre-program and redord TV shows (like a DVD recorder with hard drive) to the Xbox 360 hard drive using only the Xbox 360 Premium (not Windows Media Center ect)? 83.252.72.10 22:33, 3 December 2005 (UTC)

No. the Xbox 360 cannont act as a DVR. (Digital Video recorder, a.k.a. Tivo.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xbox_360#Hardware_specifications

December 4

Inferior/Normal/Complementary Goods

Hi. Please help me understand why companies, economically speaking, should focus on inferior, normal, and complementary goods. Thank you for your help. --66.191.179.243 04:43, 4 December 2005 (UTC)

Please see normal good, complementary good, and inferior good. Superm401 | Talk 09:54, 4 December 2005 (UTC)

Changing sound...

When we fill a water bottle (or any small and a tall container) when the water level rises,the sound of the falling water changes. Can someone tell me why?

Jayant,17 years, India.

The bottle works like a flute, in some respects. The tone is determined by the length of the bottle, which will contain half a wavelength of the sound. As the bottle fills, it is effectively less deep, so that the maximum wavelength decreases, which causes the pitch to become higher.

The exact dynamics are a little complicated, I'm afraid. -- Ec5618 10:28, 4 December 2005 (UTC)

Chatting on wikipedia

Dont you think it would be better if we had a place to chat with one of the guys (or all of them) who answer the questions on this page?? like instead of waiting for a long time.. we could get the answers to some easy questions quickly..we could chat with the other users too... its just a thought...

Jayant,17 years, India

No, this is a part of the Wikipedia project. Thus, it will stay in the wiki format. However, you'll find we answer most questions pretty quickly. If you just want to chat with Wikipedia users, though, try the IRC channel. Superm401 | Talk 10:15, 4 December 2005 (UTC)

Also, getting the answer right may take some time. I've never chatted (in this sense), but I can imagine that it creates some (mild) pressure to come up with an answer faster, which might result in less accurate or badly formulated answers. DirkvdM 10:08, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

Thank You... Jayant..

Hamster names

I'm getting a hamster on Tuesday, but I can't think of any names. I'll probably get a male Syrian. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. Kid Apathy 12:02, 4 December 2005 (UTC)

Cat Toy. Dismas|^(talk) 12:49, 4 December 2005 (UTC)

But I don't have a cat. Kid Apathy 12:56, 4 December 2005 (UTC)

Perhaps our List of Syrians will give you some inspiration? Thryduulf 15:38, 4 December 2005 (UTC)

Nah, I've decided on Toffee, or possibly Fudge. Or Caramel if it's a girl. I'll decide when I get it. Thanks though. Kid Apathy 15:55, 4 December 2005 (UTC)

Or Hobbes, after my recently deceased Mongolian gerbil...he in turn was named after Hobbes the tiger from Calvin and Hobbes, who in turn was named after the philosopher Thomas Hobbes (my gerbil's full name was Thomas Descartes Hobbes). Or Calvin, after his earlier-deceased friend. Just an idea, but go with Toffee or Fudge if you want. But whatever you do, not Cat Toy, a bad omen. Yeltensic42.618 22:29, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

Actually, I called him Finnegan. Kid Apathy 10:41, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

god

is god real- unsigned

No. Kid Apathy 12:16, 4 December 2005 (UTC)

It depends on what you mean by god, real, and is. This is not a smartass answer. The answer will change according to your definition of each of those slippery words. If the answer were as simple as "no" you would not continue to get so many differences of opinion over the last several thousand years. alteripse 14:00, 4 December 2005 (UTC)

Who was it that said shorter words are always trickier than long words? Like, everyone can agree what a "rhododendron" is but no one can agree what "God" is. Anyway I can't believe no one's linked to the Existence of God article yet, it's surprisingly good considering the controversial subject. —Keenan Pepper 15:56, 4 December 2005 (UTC)

This probably has to do with Zipf's law and word complexity. Terms for common ideas are likely to have few syllables and long lifespans, and appear in a wide variety of contexts. ‣ᓛᖁᑐ 16:15, 4 December 2005 (UTC)

I've come to the conclusion that god or God is real for those—and only those—who wish to believe. –Mysid 12:03, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

No, god is a signed real. We need to provide for possible negative deities too. — JIP | Talk 13:31, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

Atheist-existentialist counterargument

How does the atheist-existentialist argument disprove the possibility of a perfect sentient being? ‣ᓛᖁᑐ 16:35, 4 December 2005 (UTC)

By assuming a set of mutually incompatible meanings for the components of the phrase "perfect sentient being". alteripse 12:40, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

Artistic counter-counterargument

"God is a concept by which we measure our pain." ('God', John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band) Mareino 19:05, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

Don the Beachcomber

Recently, while cleaning out my father's house attic, I ran across a menu for "Don the Beachcomber" restaurant located at 101 East Walton Place, Chicago, Illinois (copyright 1941). It is in good condition and perfectly readable. Is there any organization or person interested in this menu? I would rather it find a good home than add to our ever increasing landfills. Does it have any value? Does anybody know what is currently located at 101 East Walton Place, Chicago, Illinois?

• Why dont you try ebay? There are currently two of these menus up for sale [[5]] one of which is from 1941 (I'm assuming its not yours) but they dont seem to going for much at the moment though --Goshawk 16:55, 4 December 2005 (UTC)

• It looks like it's an upscale shopping mall and office building. Using A9's mapping website: [6]

• The Chicago Historical Society [7] might like it, if they don't have one already. I'm not sure how much (if anything) they would pay you for it, though.--Pharos 00:32, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

Preferential emoticons

Why is there a preference to use a particular direction of smiley faces on the internet? For example, I see :-) instead of (-: more often. Why is that? Also, is there software to translate these into meaningful sounds for visually impaired who use the internet? --HappyCamper 16:49, 4 December 2005 (UTC)

Probably this is somewhat due to the orientation of "D".  :-D expresses amusement, but D-: looks like an expression of horror. ‣ᓛᖁᑐ 17:32, 4 December 2005 (UTC)

I don't know about anyone else, but since most things are left-right, up-down, having the smileys with the ":-)" orientation makes them easier to read.--Commander Keane 19:04, 4 December 2005 (UTC)

That's interesting. I never thought about the chirality of the letters themselves. --HappyCamper 22:53, 4 December 2005 (UTC)

Perhaps because the first smiley happened to be turned 90° counterclockwise. –Mysid 12:07, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

Lightsaber information

Greetings Wikipedia,

Hi my name is Mark Himes. I was recently researching about lightsaber information and now I have questions for you. These questions came upon me after reading your page. Hopefully you can answer these questions. I came up with these questions from my curiosity on this subject and the reading that you provided me with. Please be specific as you can, Thanks!!! You can E-mail me back at (email removed).

Questions:

1. Does the recharge socket on a lightsaber last almost forever?

2. Does the recharge socket charge the power cell in a lightsaber when the lightsaber is deactivated?

3. Why do some lightsabers sound different than others? Is it because of the focusing crystals? (What I mean here is when a lightsaber is turned on, off, etc)

4. WARNING!- THIS QUESTION IS DIFFICULT! How come Darth Mauls lightsaber in Episode I was still on after Obi-Wan Kenobi sliced it in half? Did it loose any power? Was it losing power after it was sliced? PLEASE BE SPECIFIC!

I removed the email address, if someone wishes to email this user, it's available in this edit. - Akamad 19:26, 4 December 2005 (UTC)

...which nullifies the effect of removing his email address. –Mysid 12:01, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

I not know all the answers, but # 3 is probably because in making later movies, the special effects people get more creative than they were in making earlier movies. AlMac|[[User talk:AlMac|^(talk)]] 03:15, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

DIN re. car stereo

What does DIN mean when trying to buy a car radio/CD player to make sure it fits your car correctly? Is it the depth the radio goes into the dashboard? Or is it the height that is visible when the unit is installed? Or what?

It's the height. I don't know what DIN actually stands for but a single DIN is the shorter one while a double DIN is about twice as tall. Dismas|^(talk) 22:16, 4 December 2005 (UTC)

DIN stands for Deutsches Institut für Normung - the German Institute for Standardisation. Thryduulf 00:30, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

SWOT or Dashboard Templates

When reporting or communicating to management a company's sales accounts and the "health" of the client, we were asked to fill out a SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunity and threat) or Dashboard analysis for each. I was told the data you collect gets put into a "standard" template. I have found more than enough information around the type of information to collect - but can't find a sample template or layout anywhere. I just want to be able to view one to get a complete picture of this process.

Anyone that may be able to help - thank you in advance for taking the time to respond. 65.7.130.198 19:51, 4 December 2005 (UTC)

Mens Pant Sizes

Why are Mens Pant sizes in Even numbers except size 29?

We do have an article on Metric clothes sizes (which redirects to EN 13402), but I think you are asking about some non-metric standard. You still might find some interest in that article.-gadfium 22:55, 4 December 2005 (UTC)

I think the question refers to american clothing sizes, approximately the inseam length of men's pants in inches. I'm not sure its true though because I have purchased pants in a 31 length. alteripse 00:34, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

After a certain point, supply and demand makes it unreasonable to have, say, pants in a waist size or length of 36, 37, and 38 inches. Also, at these larger sizes, a difference of 1 inch is less than 3% of the total size. So as the sizes increase, they are only found at even numbers. Additionally, most manufacturers have the capacity to accept special orders (for a price!). ESkog | ^Talk 01:36, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

As Alteripse wrote, in America pant sizes refer to waist and inseam (leg length) in inches. It's harder to find the odd numbers, but plenty of places carry them, as a trip to an upscale shopping mall will reveal.Mareino 19:16, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

How to use the V-Mem for psone

I can't figure out how to use my V-Mem for the psone. I got into it once and tried to switch the memory cards around, but now they don't show up at all... I never got the instructions with it, mine came second hand and I can't contact the person... Can anyone help me?

---

welcome to my world man. i can't get it either. if anyone knows this, please post.

December 5, 2005

Spanish speaking country wants to become Rhodes Scholarships member

We have an article on the Rhodes Scholarships, but it doesn't appear to contain anything about Spanish speaking countries. If you know something that ought to be in the article, then please add it - click the edit this page link at the top of the page. Remember though to cite your sources. Thryduulf 00:27, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

• Currently none of the countries whose citizens are eligible for the Rhodes Scholarship are Spanish-speaking countries. However, the trustees of the Rhodes Trust can add countries to the list on a temporary or permanent basis, and have done so from time to time. For example, there were European Community Rhodes Scholarships in the mid-1990s, for which students from Spain were eligible. If you want to provide the Rhodes Trust with the funds to offer Rhodes Scholarships to a particular country, see the Rhodes Trust web site for contact information. --Metropolitan90 09:57, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

Audio problem with .mpg file.

Hello, I have a .mpg video file, but when I try to play it, there is no sound, I checked the properties in Windows Media Player, there was a video codec, but no audio codec, is there anyway I can find what codec I need to hear the sound?

You could try another media player. VLC media player works well for me, and its free.--Commander Keane 01:51, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

The K-Lite Codec pack comes with a program called "GSpot" which will tell you the codec required for a given video file.... but once you have the K-Lite codecs, you probably won't need it. TheMadBaron 14:26, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

Mirage os

On my graphing calculator I dowloaded games onto my Mirage os and sometimes when i select a game tp play and click enter it shows a blank screen then goes back to the menu I was just on, how can I fix this problem so I can play the games? Also I accedintally hide 2 of my games and dont know how I can put them back on my Mirageos so that I can play them how could I fix this problem?

It may help if you gave us more information. What specific model of calculator are you using? What version of Mirage OS? What games are involved?

Without knowing these, I would say that one probable fix would be to wipe all of it off your calculator and reinstall Mirage, then whatever games you want. ESkog | ^Talk 04:25, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

She/he is probably using a Texas Instruments TI-83 Plus graphing calculator. Mirage OS is an add-on shell. Unfortunately I don't know the answer to his question. --AMorris (talk)●(contribs) 11:50, 7 December 2005 (UTC) fixed wikilink — flamingspinach | (talk) 07:39, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

Adult Swim Question

Does anyone know the name of the song usually played on Adult Swim they show their weekday/weekend lineup?

• It doesn't look like it's listed in their MP3 section[8]. I'd try emailing them; you know they love getting emails.Mareino 19:25, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

Are you talking about the song that's playing when it says, "All times and music Eastern"? If so, please tell me if you find out what it is, I'm interested. —Keenan Pepper 00:17, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

Coincidentally, this was recently asked and answered at AskMetafilter. I won't try to summarize here because I can't do any better than the linked thread did. Chuck 02:52, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

Yes!! This is the song! Thanks a bunch! I have been trying to find the name of that song for what seemed like forever!

Status of Cape Fear River

Brittney, a Wikipedia reader, has sent an e-mail to the Help Desk mailing list as follows.

Do you know if the Cape Fear River is a mature,rejuvinated,old, or youthful river?

I would be grateful for any assistance you could give her. Capitalistroadster 05:17, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

It depends on which stretch of river she is interested in. Near its source it will be a youthful river, gradually becomming mature and then old near its mouth. It the gradient significantly increases part way through its course it might become a rejuvinated river. Our River article explains this very well in the topography section. Thryduulf 11:44, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

Japanese Translation for a Gundam Fanmech

http://www009.upp.so-net.ne.jp/kanesys/images/galgal_p.jpg

This is a picture of an original Gundam design from Kaneko Tsukasa, the same person who designed the popular Gundam Thrones fan mech. I was wondering if someone could briefly translate explain the text it that picture, especially the pits relaing to weapons, the L.O.W. System, and the strange silver box in the lower left corner. Even a botched attempt would be better than anything I could come up with, as I know nothing of Japanese. Thank you.

Do you happen to know what universe (ie Universal Century, After Colony, Cosmic Era) that this gundam resides in? TomStar81 10:30, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

I really couldn't tell you, it's a fanmech. I believe it's from an original non-cannon universe.

What the hell is this?

File:Ugly Brute Brazil Woodcarving.jpg

and what article could it go in?-- --(U | T | C) 06:01, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

Internet sock puppet? Armoured sock puppets, the next generation.--Commander Keane 09:24, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

That's called a "carranca" (literally, "ugly face"). It's a type of wooden sculpture typical from the central Brazil region. It could probably be used in the Culture of Brazil article ☢ Ҡieff⌇↯ 13:23, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

single family homes in America

I need to know how many single family homes were in America between 1950 to 2005.

By America do you mean the continent (aka Americas) or the USA? (I suppose you don't mean any of the other meanings.) DirkvdM 10:18, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

[9] should have what you need online & free. Mareino 19:27, 5 December 2005 (UTC) fixed link — flamingspinach | (talk) 07:35, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

Old Questions

What happens to all the old questions asked? Are they filed somewhere or if they are not answered within a week are they deleted? Thanks

Old questions can be found in the Wikipedia:Reference desk archive. Dismas|^(talk) 11:43, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

Airport terminal size

I am trying to find the ranking (in size), largest to smallest (1-10) of the Terminal size (not by passengers,or cargo, or land mass etc.) of the United States airports. I have looked everywhere, and gotten everything but the size of the largest TERMINAL. Thanks for your help.

R McCarver

By largest I'm guessing you mean by area (it's good to deifne that precisely for a ranking like this). I have no idea of a top ten, but I'll throw a couple of big ones your way:

• Denver terminal complex - 420 300 m2 terminal complex - reported 1998 (journal, I'll get the the full ref. if you like)
• Kansai is meant to be big, can't find an area though, just that it's 1.6 km long

If you have "gotten everything", share the info you do have, it might make it easier for us to get a solution.--Commander Keane 16:50, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

Nuclear Weapons

The most powerful nuclear weapon ever detonated was, I believe a 50 megaton thermo-nuclear device detonated by the Soviet Union. What was the device's designation, and does wikipedia have an article on it?

Prodego^talk 17:32, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

It was Tsar Bomba. –Mysid 17:48, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

What is the average speed of New Haven Line trains over the Northeast Corridor?

What is the average speed of New Haven Line trains over the Northeast Corridor? (209.137.173.69)

• Go to the MTA website's schedule page and calculate it yourself. Mareino 23:28, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

December 6

Sitcoms

Is there a set list of Sitcom ideas somewhere? It seems like a lot of different shows have the same situations and issues.

You might be interested in perusing the TV Tropes Wiki, which deals with this sort of thing. Chuck 02:36, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

This doesn't tell me anything...I mean i see many sitcoms that use a lot of the same Story lines. Are they going off of a list or something.

No, I don't believe there's a single list. But all writers are influenced to some extent by what they've seen before, and may be borrowing--either consciously or unconsciously--from similar plotlines from other shows. The site I linked to above catalogs some common themes in TV (although it's not restricted exclusively to sitcoms), but I'm not aware of any evidence that there's some master list all sitcom writers are using. Chuck 06:03, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

what is healthy?

I was wondering if it was healthier to excersise before eating? Or is it healthier to eat then excersise?

Thank you

Digesting food costs energy, so when you exercise after eating your body has a problem. That's the 'scientific' approach. You could also listen to your body. How does it feel to exercise on a full stomach? What is your body telling you? DirkvdM 11:03, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

• Dirk's right. You need to give your body to digest food before excersizing. That said, you need energy to excersize, so you need the energy content of the food you eat. So I would say, excersize after eating, but leave some time for digestion. - Mgm|^(talk) 11:28, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

This same logic applies to swimming after eating. The digestive tract requires energy, but the body needs to keep itself warm and active as well. The digestive system doesn't get what it needs, and you get pain. -- Ec5618 22:39, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

obi-wan kenobi

could somesome please tell me why he is also called ben? i remember in the 1970's movies hearing the name once. is this a name he was born with then changed when he went to the temple to train as a jedi? could someone let me know i would greatly appreciate it..thank you...cheryl

If you don't get an answer here, you might also try posting it at the talk page for the article on Obi-Wan Kenobi, where people who contributed to that article are more likely to see your question. Chuck 02:47, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

After the Great Jedi Purge, only a few Jedi remained. The only two that are of particular note in the films were Yoda and Obi-Wan. Yoda went to the Dagobah system to hide out. Obi-Wan went to Tatooine. The reason why Obi-Wan went to Tatooine was to watch over Luke Skywalker since he was Darth Vader's son. Luke and his sister Leia were put into hiding so that they might grow up and overthrow Vader and the emperor. Or so was the hope of Yoda and Obi-Wan. To be able to blend in with the people on Tatooine, Obi-Wan took the name "Ben Kenobi". There's more to the story of course since it's a total of 6 films but that's the basics. Dismas|^(talk) 03:36, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

I've always thought there should be a new entry in the 100 Things I'd do if I Became and Evil Overlord for this - "If I have a son I can't find who might be a danger to me, try looking on my home planet, for someone who shares my last name. And if I find someone who shares the last name of my arch-nemesis there too, take appropriate action." DJ Clayworth 18:48, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

For all Vader knew though, the kids were dead. And his home world was a speck in the back woods of the galaxy so why search there? Also, Tatooine most likely didn't have any sort of phone book or census so how would Vader have known that there was a "Kenobi" on that world? Thinking about this too much, I am. Dismas|^(talk) 23:13, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

Folding a handkerchief for the coat pocket

I am looking for the correct technique for folding a white handkerchief for the coat pocket of my tuxedo. I prefer the more classic looks but I have had trouble in the past with getting the handkerchief to fit properly and to stay in place. Anyone have recommendations?

From searching Google for "handkerchief fold", see http://www.ehow.com/how_18037_fold-handkerchief.html. Seems like this really should be in wikipedia's handkerchief article. -- Rick Block (talk) 04:09, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

The department store, Nordstroms, at one time gave out liturature showing different handkerchief folding styles. You might also check out your local haberdashery. MRLee216.239.160.71 16:59, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

cash budget

How does a cash budget differ from a budget

• In what context? ESkog | ^Talk 04:40, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

• A cash budget is an economic budget and a budget is, um.. Another kind of budget? (ie. food budget etc - thinking out loud here) --Yardan

Asian characters on Wikipedia articles

In many places where I presume there should be Asian characters, my Mozilla Firefox instead displays a long string of ????????. What do I need to download/change in order to see these? ESkog | ^Talk 05:13, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

• You need to download and install a font that allows for viewing of such characters. - Mgm|^(talk) 11:29, 6 December 2005 (UTC)
• And depending on the language, you may need to Enable complex text support. Besides Indic languages, you need that for Thai, Arabic, and I suppose Hebrew. That article also has links to getting the fonts. - Taxman ^Talk 14:23, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

Website

I am trying to make a website for my school. A place to host study guides, notes, etc.. However, I need to find out how to make usernames and passwords. I need to find software like most websites use, software that says "Hello <username>" at the top of every page. Im not advanced enough to make the software myself, but im sure there are many open source projects like this. I just dont knw where to find them. Please help. Any help would be nice. Thank you.

Rex

• PhpNuke is a great content management system. Resources: http://php.resourceindex.com/ & http://www.hotscripts.com/PHP/ - What you basicly need is a content management system. Their pretty easy to setup with a little knowledge of html/php/mySQL & FTP clients. --Yardan \ Talk

I've found that school systems administrators using a Microsoft Windows-based setup often like to use Windows SharePoint Services and/or the Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server for something like this. This works pretty well for something like what you described - if your school is using Microsoft products left and right (such as Microsoft Office). These however are far from open-source, and I'm not suggesting you install them yourself, but perhaps suggest them to your systems administrator to use. Otherwise, I highly recommend plone. PHP-Nuke, noted above, is also known to be a good system. — flamingspinach | (talk) 07:19, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

my cherokee heritage

where can i go and search the rolls for my ancesters

• Quick hint: Google for cherokee heritage. You should find something there. --Yardan 09:45, 6 December 2005 (UTC) \ Talk

What are GPA Scores?

(modified this a bit to seperate from the above question Brian Schlosser42 18:24, 6 December 2005 (UTC)) How are they taken and what do they show? Max possible achievable score?etc... Please,details needed. Thanx in advance.

In my experience in American schools, both secondary and post secondary, the Grade Point Average scale is: A-4, B-3, C-2, D-1 and F-0. Add up the totals for your grades, divide by the number of classes taken, and voila, your GPA. Of course, there are also higher points given in some schools for AP and ID classes, so your GPA could exceed 4.0. Brian Schlosser42 18:24, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

See our article on Grade (education). It differs from country to country. In particular, it's pretty meaningless in an international context to give a GPA score without saying what the maximum is.-gadfium 19:57, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

Ettiquette question

Is it a breach of ettiquette to fart out loud when you're standing at the urinal in the men's room? I say no, that's the perfect place to fart. My wife says yes.

I'd say it depends on where you are. At a football stadium or a stock car race, I'm sure it would be fine. At a fancy hotel or restaraunt, not so much. Of course, there's no authority that decides such matters, so it comes down to would you offend anyone in the situation. - Taxman ^Talk 20:53, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

It wouldn't bother me unless the farter and I were at adjacent urinals. In that case I would think it was kind of rude/nasty. ike9898 22:38, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

Umm.........we are talking about bodily functions in the restroom, are we not? If one can not fart in the restroom, at the urinal or not, where can one fart acceptably? I fart, you fart, we all fart. Better in the loo than at the table. MRLee216.239.160.71 16:36, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

I fart when I want, where I want, and don't give a damn what you think of it.

GPA Scores

I'd like to know what GPA Scores are and when they are taken. What do they show? How are they calculated? What is the max achievable score and what is the average score in the US? Please,details needed. Thanx in advance.

---

16:12, 6 December 2005 (UTC)16:12, 6 December 2005 (UTC)Hasanclk

A confused guy.

• In the United States, grades in classes are given on a range including A (the best), B, C, D, and F (failing). A student's GPA is a numerical measure of these grades. An A is worth 4, B = 3, C = 2, D = 1, F = 0, and all grades are averaged in the simplest schemes, making the maximum possible score a 4.0. Many colleges weight these averages based upon the number of credit hours a class was worth. Often in high schools, some advanced classes are "weighted" courses where it is possible to achieve greater than a 4.0. This can be done in two very common ways: 1) increase the value of an A to 5 (and other letter grades are usually adjusted accordingly) or 2) add a raw value, like 0.1, to the final calculated GPA. I am unsure what the average score is in the United States, but grade inflation is a constant problem. ESkog | ^Talk 17:39, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

Do the letters stand for Average, Bland, Crap, Dismal and Failure? Or is there a reason why E has been omitted? — JIP | Talk 18:05, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

• See also Grade (education)#United States, Canada, England and Wales, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand —Keenan Pepper 18:22, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

The Grade (education) wikilink above claims that "E" is omitted because:

• an F can be turned into an E by drawing a small line at the bottom of the letter
• E traditionally stood for Excellent

I thought it was due to the piecewise nature of the grading. For example, while B>60%, C>50%, D>40%, F can vary from 0-40%. The alphabetical jump representing this difference. Could this be right, or am I deluded.--Commander Keane 22:17, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

Actually, the typical scheme in the U.S. is 90-100%=A, 80-89=B, 70-79=C, 60-69=D and 0-59=F. In Canada, for some reason, you only need 80 for an A, 70 for a B and so on.

If you get 85% of the answers correct on all of your math assignments, you would theoretically get a B. In practice, some assignments (such as a final exam) are worth more than others. In an English class, the teacher might give you a numerical score on all of your essays and average them together at the end of the semseter for a final grade.

In some schools, the letter grades are subdivided into pluses and minuses. A score of 87-89 might be a B+ and worth 3.33 points, while a score of 80-83 might be a B- and be worth 2.67 points.

Compiling a national average GPA would be meaningless, since an A in one school might be easier to get than an A in another. That's why schools use SAT scores and class rank in addition to GPA.

Now if only I could understand the British education system! -- Mwalcoff 00:25, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

Just for completeness, we should mention that GPA means "Grade Point Average". - Nunh-huh 04:07, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

My only query is why you skip the E on the grading scale. The other stuff was interesting though. In Australian universities (the ones I know of at least), my one uses High Distinction, Distinction, Credit, Pass, Fail instead of A,B,C,D,F. Another uses GPA, but with 1 being the best and 7 the worst. I say bring on ISO.--Commander Keane 05:28, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

I've heard of some schools that use A, B, C, D, E, but I always thought most schools went with "F" because "F" means "fail." If you get an "F," you don't get credit for the course and might have to take it again the next year. In some classes, only two grades are possible: "Pass" or "Fail." -- Mwalcoff 01:17, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

Looking for two letter country abbreviations

I am looking for the two letter country abbreviations for:

• The Canary Islands
• Madeira
• Dubai
• Scotland
• Wales

I've looked every where, but can find nothing.

Thank you for your help in advance.

Look at ISO3166. IC is reserved for Canary Islands, but not assigned. I believe Scotland and Wales are part of UK. There do not appear to be listings for the other two.--agr 18:19, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

Madeira is an autonomous region of Portugal (PT), and Dubai is in the United Arab Emirates (AE). Natgoo 22:35, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

This website may be of some interest.--Commander Keane 23:48, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

As noted, Scotland and Wales are part of the UK and do not have their own ISO 3166 codes. It should be noted that the ISO 3166 code for the UK is GB, not UK. This is the only case where a country's 2-letter Internet top-level domain name is different from its ISO 3166 code; in Internet domains, the UK is UK. --Anonymous, 02:50 UTC, December 7, 2005

Im my high school, E is a passing grade for minimum skill/maximum effort. Basically, you're performing like you get an F, but you pass. I've never seen it used, and believe it would only be used if a Special Ed student was taking a normal level class.

Lampard & Redknap

I read that southampton's manager Harry Redknap is uncle of Chelsea's midfilder Frank Lampard. Is Redknap the brother of Lampard's father or Lamapard's mother?

No, Harry and Frank Snr married two sisters (well, one each, I mean) Jameswilson 03:12, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

satin

How is satin constructed?

The Satin article has a basic description, did you want more specific information?--Commander Keane 21:57, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

The Sims 2 Nightlife Grilled Cheese Aspiration

For the Grilled Cheese Aspiration in The Sims 2: Nightlife, what is the second Lifetime Want (after "eat 200 grilled cheese sandwiches" has been satisfied)? Also, does anyone know what inspired the GCA's creation?

The Sims is a very random game. However, in earlier expansions, I have found Sims seem to cook too much Grilled Cheese, and I'd imagine that it grew as a joke out of that, like the gnome and llama references. Reading the article though, it sounds like the best aspiration of all! smurrayinchester^{(User), (Ho Ho Ho!)} 16:39, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

balance???????????????????????

can you balance a egg on your foot?? Maoririder 20:54, 6 December 2005 (UTC) not a trick question.

I just tried it and I could do it easily. —Keenan Pepper 21:55, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

While it's very easy the balance the egg on its side, it is more difficult (ie still possible, but it fell off my foot and cracked) to balance it on its end. --Commander Keane 22:04, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

What kind of egg? A chicken's egg, a ducks egg or an ostrich egg? CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 22:28, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

Wow, you people actualy tried it? That's some dedication for an RD question. Broken S 03:24, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

We should start a club of all the "hard core" RD researchers. We won't rest until your questions are answered! We'll even balance eggs on our feet! =P —Keenan Pepper 05:09, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

You're on BJAODN now. ^_^

‣ᓛᖁᑐ 05:31, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

OK. Using large chickens eggs. It seemed easier with a hard boiled egg than a raw one but that could be just down to the fact that you worry less about dropping it. It's easier with bare feet than with shoes on and almost impossible with winter boots. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 05:44, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

That would depend on what type of shoes, would it not? For instance, with deck shoes with the stitching around the outside on the top of the shoe, it would stay there rather easily as compared to a rounded leather work boot with a steel toe. Dismas|^(talk) 00:51, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

OK I'll bite. If it's not a trick question why did you need to know? CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 07:41, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

SNES RF output doesn't shown on TV

I recently bought an SNES console from eBay, PAL version, with a British power supply, with four games. I replaced the British power supply with a Finnish one I had bought earlier. When I hook the console up to my TV, it powers up, but no matter which frequency I choose on my TV, no picture shows up. The best I can manage is an entirely black picture, which changes to static if I turn the SNES off or unplug the RF cable. Do I have a too old TV or have I bought a faulty SNES? How can I tell? And why is it that a normal NES has RCA output (the double cables with separate audio and video output) but an SNES doesn't? — JIP | Talk 20:55, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

hi. it sounds like your SNES could be faulty - have you tried each of the games? same results? i've had to reset a bunch of times to get rid of the black screen (chrono trigger, looking at you) with older, more often-used games, especially. the best thing to do is to try out the games you have on someone else's functional Super Nintendo to see if they work.

i had an SNES whose power supply died and i got black-screened as well, so i can't rationally eliminate the power supply as the source of your problem.

finally, and i'm not sure on this one(as my only experience with the SNES came in NTSC form), the TV should be set to either channel three or four, which should be selectable on the RF switch itself.

really-finally, is the SNES new-model or old-model? both of them are top-feeding, but the older version should have this flat thing in the middle you push to eject the cartridge. i imagine the older model would be less likely to remain functional.

hope that helps, peace

prisoners educational oppertunities

Help I am doing an essay on educational opportunities for incarcerated individuals and I can not find the actuall budget for Iowas prisons! Every page I go to will not open up. Any idea what the budget is for Iowa-or its budget for education? Thanks --Amy

Try here- http://hrw.org/prisons/states/ia.htm

--P.MacUidhir (t) (c) 01:44, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

Cyclones in Africa

What African Country was by a tropical cyclone in 1999? Thanks

• This site [10] reports of several affected countries Botswana, Madagascar, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique --Tachs 07:45, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

Unknown manga or anime

A while ago i barrowed some movie's and i was hoping someone could help me tracking them down i will give as much information possible so here goes:

i thought but am not sure that the title was 'the legend of the 4 dragon kings' its a story about 4 brothers in the story as the time passes they r getting powers to do things impossible for normal humans at first they do not know why nor how but in time they begin to realise that the are a sort of reincarnation of dragons but some people in the {i think} army have realized the same and whant to use the power for own purpose {as always}. the youngest brother is not in control of his power and it happens that he explodes from time to time sadly this is about all i know about these series i have seen about 16 episodes on 4 video's so if the one reading this can help me please send me an email on Email Removed

thanks for reading and way thanks if u know how it is called and where to find info about it or where to purchase it

greeting from holland Bas/Neoxtao

I believe you may be referring to Sohryuden: Legend of the Dragon Kings. It is distributed here. — flamingspinach | (talk) 07:07, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

7 December 2005

Tower in Niagara Falls

Reader Connie has contacted the Wikipedia Help Desk with a question about the date that a tower built next to the bridge in Niagara Falls was built. She thinks that it is on the American side in Niagara Falls, New York and that it was used in a Marilyn Monroe movie.

I will advise her that the appearance in a Marilyn Monroe movie could help date it. However, I would be grateful for any assistance you can give her. Capitalistroadster 00:07, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

This would be the Prospect Point Observation Tower, which opened in 1961 after 2½ years construction according to this web site. Prospect Point itself was a rock formation in the same area that collapsed in 1954, according to Pierre Berton's book about Niagara; presumably the tower was built to replace it as a viewpoint.

The tower could not, therefore, have appeared in Niagara (1953 movie). The location near the falls where Marilyn Monroe did appear in the movie was a viewpoint near the base of the falls on the Canadian side. According to this web page, this was built in 1951 (or starting in 1951, anyway) as an addition to the Scenic Tunnels, an attraction that allows people to view the falls from behind and was eventually (in 1994 according to this page) renamed "Journey Behind the Falls".

--Anonymous, 02:20 UTC, December 7, 2005

The tower in "Niagara" is the Rainbow Bridge Bell tower. It was built around 1941, from what I've seen. It is on the Canadian side, part of the Customs complex at that end of the bridge. http://www.niagarafrontier.com/bridges.html#b12]Brian Schlosser42 15:45, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

Ah, good point. I forgot that scene in the movie. Of course, if Connie is right about the tower being on the US side and wrong about it being in the movie, rather than vice versa, then the Prospect Point tower would be the one. --Anon, 6:45 UTC, December 9

Awful puns

Why are there so many awful puns in contemporary Australian telejournalism? (Maybe foreign TV news shows as well, I don't know). i.e, just last night Sandra Sully introduces a story about a new eye treatment that might let people do away with eyeglasses, and throws in a bunch of phrases like "left in the dark". And then that ice bar opening in Sydney, "the coolest bar in town..." I mean, I havent' given that many examples because I can't remember them, but there are lots. It's riddled with them. Jesus, WHY? This isn't journalism, it's gimmickry!

I entirely agree. And it's not just TV. The worst offenders are the magazines in the weekend papers. No matter how serious the subject matter may be, the title of the article is virtually always some pun or other. How crass! But worse, how predictable! JackofOz 01:08, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

I don't have a source to cite or anything but at a guess, I would say that it's to give people the feeling that they're being entertained therefore they would want to tune in again to the same station. Also, if the newscasters put forth a bit of humor then people may grow to like them even though they don't actually personally know them. And if you like someone, you're more likely to want to hear the news from them. It's basically brand loyalty. But like I said, I'm no expert. Dismas|^(talk) 01:40, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

My theory: Once one has devised a pun (which must be one of bad, awful, or "oh god, that's so painful I must now kill you" - there is no such thing as a good pun) the punner feels an irresistable urge to share the pun. This is because the punner has already experienced the pain of the pun (and it must cause pain, since it belongs in one of the catgeories I mentioned above) and the punner therefore feels a need to share their pain with others. (N.B.: this is a theory I have just made up, and may bear little or no relation to reality...) -- AJR | Talk 02:35, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

It's probably because you're watching Channel Ten and Sandra Sully. If you want better journalism, switch to ABC or SBS. Dysprosia 02:47, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

I was about to say: It is advertised as the Ten Entertainment Network. jnothman ^talk 02:55, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

Pretty much all news organizations everywhere do this to some degree. It shows how "clever" they are, I guess. (Some are horrible, others worthy of admiration. The New York Post's "Headless Body Found in Topless Bar" comes to mind... ) - Nunh-huh 04:00, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

If you really don't like them doing it but you still want to watch that channel then get everybody you know to phone/email the station every time they do it. I can put up with the puns it's the fact that in North America every scandal is refered to as "something-gate" see Watergate. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 06:03, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

We acutally have an article on this - List of scandals with "-gate" suffix. Thryduulf 12:44, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

It's not just in North America, in the UK they append gate to 'scandals' too, very annoying & utterly nonsensical. The bad puns aren't too much of a problem here though. AllanHainey 08:26, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

See List of scandals with "-gate" suffix.-gadfium 20:05, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

No idea. Do you read the Herald Sun? (Victorian newspaper). On just about every single page, at least one article will have a headline with a pun. It's horrible. I guess it's true that it keeps you interested in a way, since I read it at work during breaks, and often tell my co-workers about the horrible puns as well as the usual dumb stories. Arilakon 10:56, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

It is my belief that puns are used to attract your attention. Annoying in the media? Yes. Functional? Yes. Otherwise we would not be discussing this. True? MRLee216.239.160.71 17:29, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

belguim a part of france

is belguim a part of france.

No, see Belgium. Although French is one of Belgium's official languages. Dismas|^(talk) 00:39, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

Yes. It was once... Trekphiler 18:49, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

religious works influcenced by secular works

has there ever been a religious work that has been influenced by a secular work.

Well, yes. But you must have something specific in mind? What do you mean by "a religious work" and "a secular work"? The differences are not always so clear. (Is Leonard Bernstein's Mass a religious work? Are "folk masses" celebrated in the Catholic Church religious works? Both are clearly influenced by secular music.) We can probably help more if you specify what you're looking for. - Nunh-huh 04:05, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

Any one of thousands of hymns that use popular tunes for the music? (Including the currently seasonally-appropriate "What Child is This" which uses the tune from Greensleeves.) As Nuhn-huh mentions, you need to narrow this question down. Crypticfirefly 06:06, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

Queen of England

I am trying to find out why the Queen of England has two birthdays? I thought it was due to the weather? many thanks===

Well, first off, there is no Queen of England<g>. The person you're thinking of is Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Her actual birthday 21 April probably can be accepted without further explanation. The monarch's actual birthday and the "official" birthday - the day it is celebrated - were identical until King Edward VII, born 9 November, decided that he'd like to celebrate in the summer instead. The "official" birthday is simply a matter of scheduling and can change from year to year. When Elizabeth II first came to the throne, her "official" birthday was the second Thursday of June. After seven years of this, it was switched to Saturday as a matter of convenience. It's now the 1st Saturday of June. It's in the summer at least partially to encourage tourism. She also has other birthdays in other realms... Canada is 18 May, Western Australia 28 September, the rest of Australia 8 June, New Zealand the first Monday in June. (Some of these may have changed, and she probably has other "birthdays" elsewhere.) The "second" birthday is just a designated national holiday. - Nunh-huh 03:58, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

In Canada it's the Monday preceding the 25 May and it's called Victoria Day except in Quebec where it's called fête des patriotes (Commemoration of the Lower Canada Rebellion). From Holidays in Canada. Also see Queen's Birthday. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 05:57, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

many thanks for your help....

Standard

I have noticed on the bottom of a cd drive there are a number of markings. One is the CE standard marking, another is the CSA Standard mark. There is a third, which I have seen on a number of devices. It looks like a backward R joined to a U or L. I could not find what it is. Any ideas? Oliverdl 05:01, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

Check here Underwriters Laboratories Inc. Marks (3/4 way down) and the home page is UL. It's the mark they use in Canada and the US. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 05:50, 7 December 2005 (UTC) fixed link — flamingspinach | (talk) 06:52, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

Weight Loss

I have lost 100 Pounds in 4 months (on purpose). Is that normal?

I'm not a doctor, and the Wikipedia doesn't give medical advice. If you are concerned about your health and your weight loss program, consult your doctor.

That said, your weight loss sounds *very* fast, to be honest, though it obviously depends on how overweight you were in the first place (if you've lost 100 pounds, you must have had quite a lot to lose). See dieting for some of the issues relating to weight loss, specifically yo-yo dieting and the risks of very low calorie diets and fasting). Also, have you determined what your ideal weight is? Being too underweight can be as bad for your health as being overweight. --Robert Merkel 07:25, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

Of course it's not normal. Whether it is good for you or bad for you depends on a lot more info than you provide, as I am sure you realize. Am I being too suspicious in thinking this the come-on line for either trolling or spamming? alteripse 10:33, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

BUSINESS

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT AND A HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT?

• Both are the same, I suppose, the latter being recently coined. As opposed, Labor and Industrial Relations has a different function --Tachs 10:15, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

Hartstein Upper Silesia

David, a Wikipedia reader, has sent the following question to the Wikipedia help desk.

"Hi, I am inquiring about a place called Hartstein in Upper Silesia. can you point me in the right direction?"

The only thing I could come up with was this ancestry.com page see [11] Any assistance you could give would be gratefully appreciated.

Capitalistroadster 10:01, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

From here, Silesia is a little south of east, so yes I can point in the right direction! (Sorry, couldn't resist). -- Arwel (talk) 18:14, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

what is the meaning of "quality of mercy is not strained"? 61.2.70.77 13:11, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

Try The Merchant of Venice and Answers.com. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 13:41, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

I remember getting a detention in school (very many years ago), where I was given that very phrase - 'What is the meaning of "quality of mercy is not strained"?' as an essay title.

I remember the story of a parched traveller arriving in the Australian outback town of Mercy, who goes to the bar and orders a drink. He's offered a nice cup of tea, which he accepts. When he starts drinking it he spits out a lot of fur which was in the tea. On complaining, the barman tells him "I'm sorry mate, the koala tea of Mercy is not strained!". -- Arwel (talk) 18:23, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

I think you are look for a job. They are available here. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 18:35, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

Hats

Why did people stop wearing hats? I spotted a book ther other day that suggests it's got something to do with JFK. Or was it something to do with people growing their hair longer? Jooler 14:06, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

I seriously doubt its got anything to do with JFK - what reason did the book give?

If you look in old photos of the 30's or even 40's in the UK almost everyone (men at least) wore a hat. In the 50's I think it was a lot less prevalent & since then or the 60's less & less people have worn hats. Nowadays it seems most men don't (or at least don't all wear a hat as a matter of course everytime they go out). I would assume it was just changing tastes & fashions though I can't say for sure. AllanHainey 15:52, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

I seem to recall something similar in one of the Imponderables books but I thought it was talking about one of the Kings of the UK. In other words fashion. People copy their "betters". CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 16:26, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

• Well, the JFK story is discussed over at snopes: http://www.snopes.com/history/american/jfkhat.htm --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 17:37, 7 December 2005 (UTC)
  • Ooh. Searching for an answer to this question led me to Hatless Jack: The President, the Fedora, and the History of American Style (ISBN 0452285232) -- sounds like fun, I bet it has some good answers, or at least speculation. --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 17:41, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

Yep that's the book I saw. I had only read the blurb on the back. After looking on Amazon just now, it turns out that the author acknowledges that the JFK story is a myth, but he uses the allusion to the story i nthe books title and cover to sell a book about what would otherwise seem like a very dull subject (well to most people anyway). Apparently there had been a steady decline in the wearing of hats from about the 1890s. But what I want to know is, why is it that at the beginning of the 60s most men (and often ladies) AFAIK wore hats as a matter of course, but by the end of the decade men didn't. Was it the preponderance of long hair? Was it better tonsorial hygeine? Or was it just a cultural shift towards more casual dressing? (A parallel withj the decline of the three-piece suit) Will formal hats (not the dreaded baseball cap) ever make a comeback on occasions other than weddings and Royal Ascot? Jooler 19:06, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

• Well...as a genetically chrome-domed everyday hat wearer, I can offer some speculation. Hats are a pain in the ass these days. Where do you put them when you dine, for example? Other than at fine restaurants, you're expected to hang your jacket (should you have one) on the back of your chair, and do exactly what with your hat? Under the table? On another chair (and hope someone doesn't squish it?) And that's simple. How about on airplanes? Let's see, should I put my fine perfectly blocked fedora in the overhead bin? Yeah, sure (scrunch). Et cetera. Also, hats with any sort of brim are a nuisance when driving (the rear brim often has an unpleasant interaction with the head rests). But I do suspect that the main reason is simply shifts in style. Baseball-style caps have their place, of course. But I prefer a panama or a fedora -- in part because they're not quite in style! --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 19:23, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

Here's JFK wearing a hat Snope. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk)

Can't read, I posted the wrong bit. This is what I ment to post. UK Hat museum maybe someone could vist and report back?

Just speculation, but it seems possible part of the effect is due to selective memory. Did people really wear hats all the time, or was it just part of formal dress, which in the past would have been more likely to have been cought on camera. Camera's and film were likely more expensive then and reserved for special occasions to a greater degree than today. Add that to simply changing fashions and you might have your answer. - Taxman ^Talk 23:29, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

Er.. haven't you ever seen old films and photos of streetscenes from the 1930s etc. Usually nearly everyone has a hat on! We're not just talking about putting a hat on to pose for a photo. Jooler 23:52, 7 December 2005 (UTC) - e.g. http://www.authentichistory.com/ed/1930s/images/1929_panic_on_wall_street.html Jooler 23:54, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

Might there not be several, converging reasons? My beliefs, NOT my knowns, are that before the industrial revolution, hats were important for protection against the weather. The world was agriculturally based. Then as industry sprung up, hats became less important for protection, but people still did as their daddy did, and as was socially/fashionably accepable, continued to wear hats, though smaller in brim size. Along comes WWII. Fashion goes military. Smaller hats. After the war we are now industrialized. formal hatwear for men is Fedora (my personal favorite). But now tract housing, suburbia, and backyard BBQ's are all the rage. Leisure. No need for formal attire or protection from the sun and rain. Baseball style caps (BBSC) become the default hat of choice in the late 20th century. Why? Convienience, leisure, lack of style, comfort, utility. BBCS's work. Easy, cheap, adjustable, colorful, etc. Has anyone noticed that, no matter the sport, baseball style caps are the norm. I would love a return to formal men's clothing (suits, overcoats, hats, etc.) but our penchant for sun and warmth and Hawaiian print shirts, with T-shirts as stand-by are going to continue the hatless style. I think Darwin was right, evolution. Even with hats.

MRLee216.239.160.71 16:02, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

Car Windows

Why exactly does my cars windows frost up on cold mornings, but not others?

I assume you mean not on your house windows. It's because they are too warm. See Frost and Dew Point. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 16:34, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

By others...I meant other days...not other windows. Some days my Cars windows frost up and some days they don't

When the temperature dew point is above freezing dew will form but below freezing frost will form. At cooler temperatures the amount of water vapour required to saturate the air is less. See Dew point and relative humidity. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 17:15, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

At warmer temperatures the air can hold more water vapour than at cooler ones. So as the temperature drops, (and the air is able to hold less water) it's easier, (for the air) to become saturated (the humidity increases). As the air temperature and the dew point get to within 2°C of each other things like fog and dew will form. If the dew point is below 0°C then you will get frost. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 17:54, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

Ansestry

What is the root meaning of the name Rainbolt? --4.255.3.123 16:10, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

If it's English-language in origin, then it means lightning bolt. But it's really important to know the language of origin in order to be certain about the meaning of your ancestor's name. Mareino 22:38, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

the name Rainbolt is not English in origin. It is german ! the german name was Reinbold. Reinbold only became french after german ! . you must break it down like this Rein and bold. Rein means pure .

World War 1

When did World War 1 start?

A little bit after Gavrilo Princip assassinated Crown Prince Ferdinand. Have a look at the World War I article. — JIP | Talk 16:57, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

What are Kilkenny cats?

Try A word a day, World Wide Words and Nursery Rhymes. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 16:30, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

Politics-related questions

• I don't understand the differences between a democracy and a republic, other than the latter not being under the reign of a king. Please can someone explain?
• I have read the article on conservatism, but don't really see where a conservative stands in today's world. For example, could someone tell me in which way the United Kingdom's Conservative Party's policy is conservative?

Thank you,

--anon, 16:49, 7 December 2005 (UTC).

• Republic#Concepts of democracy is probably what you are looking for. Most definitions of a republic require it to be some form of democracy. But a constitutional monarchy, such as the UK, is also a democracy in practice. See Conservative Party (UK)#Conservative image for information on the UK Conservative Party's conservative policies. They have traditionally been social conservatives and Thatcherism was a profoundly conservative system - individualist, broadly monetarist and committed to scaling back social democratic structures such as the welfare state and trade unions. Warofdreams talk 18:23, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

You might be confused by a weird but consistent trope by some on the right (I don't know the origin of it) whose refrain is "America is a republic, not a democracy"; their definition of democracy seems to be one where you can do *anything* provided you get a simple majority of votes. here is an example of such an argument. Nobody else defines democracy in that manner. By most standards the USA is a federal democratic republic.

The way most political scientists use the terms, the words "republic" and "democracy" refer to two totally different areas.

A republic is any country that has a president or like official instead of a monarch. When we say that "India became a republic in 1950," we mean India disassociated itself from the king of the UK and elected a president.

A democracy is harder to define, but basically, a democracy is a country where "the people rule." In most people's definition, this means that people get to choose who runs the state through free and fair elections.

A republic doesn't have to be a democracy, and a democracy doesn't have to be a republic. Canada is generally considered to be a democracy, but it is not a republic. (It is a monarchy under Queen Elizabeth II, just like the UK.) Cuba is a republic, but most people outside of the far left would not consider it to be a democracy. Most people would consider, say, the Czech Republic to be both a republic and a democracy, while Saudi Arabia is neither.

There is a second set of meanings for the pair of words, in which "republic" means government through elected officials and "democracy" means direct democracy through referenda and public meetings. While I have seen these meanings used by a respectable source, the fact remains that most of the time, "democracy" need not mean direct democracy. -- Mwalcoff 01:35, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

As to the British conservatives, their policies in the Thatcher era were conservative in one sense, but radical in another in that they were radically different to the policies that had dominated British politics since the end of World War II. --Robert Merkel 21:34, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

Nowadays, the only countries that aren't Democratic Republics are the ones that say they are. --Mareino 22:37, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

The last time I heard the phrase "America is a republic, not a democracy" was on The West Wing. The implication behind the statement was 'in a democracy the people get to make policy; in a republic they get to choose the people who make policy'. The specific context was the (pretend) President deciding on a course of action which he believed was right, but which opinion polls show was unpopular. I don't think his definition of democracy would be a widely held one. DJ Clayworth 00:09, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

With regard to the Conservative Party, its current policies are in a state of flux as it has just changed leaders. The party adopted its name in the 1830s when it was identified with opposition to reform of the electoral system, although it had reversed that policy by the late 1860s. In a sense, therefore, the party doesn't really have to be 'conservative' and the name is just abstract. However, it does seem to fit in that the general situation in western democracies post the Second World War is that ideologies of the centre and centre-left propose more areas in which the public sector should be involved, while ideologies of the centre-right resist them. It is also still the case, in general, that members of the Conservative Party are less likely to support legal changes which are called for on the grounds of British society having changed; this latter aspect is decreasing in significance. David | Talk 17:02, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

Database Administrator Controls

I am looking for help on DBA Controls. How do you watch or control what the DBA is doing?

I suggest you locate documentation on the Operating System where this is important. In some [[OS}}, there is no need for a human to manage or administer Databases because everything done by a human Database Administrator for one OS, such as for Unix for example, is automated by the computer system on othr OS such as IBM's AS/400 OS/400 recently name changed to iSeries i5/OS for example.

I suspect that a DBA is like a System Administrator or Security Officer, where only another such person can see what that person has done, or is doing. Check out system logs. They usually have links to audit trails of significant changes to how the system's rules are setup, such as triggers, and file reorganizations other than at an application level.

AlMac|[[User talk:AlMac|^(talk)]] 03:33, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

Icecream Manufacturers in the Southern US

Reader George has asked the following question.

"I am looking to install 1000 soft serve machines. I need to research the equipment and ingredient manufacturers. Can you help me find whose who in the business. I am also located in the south of Texas, so a supplier in the south. I am not interested in working with brokers. I am looking for the manufactures to buy from directly."

I have suggested that if he wants a complete list of manufacturers, he might want to go to Google answers. However, I will ask on this board to see if anyone has useful suggestions.

Capitalistroadster 23:58, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

You might look for associations of manufacturers and their membership. I suspect the manufacturers of the hardware, and the suppliers of the food inside might be two different sets of companies. AlMac|[[User talk:AlMac|^(talk)]] 03:35, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

December 8, 2005

Which Witch is Which?

User Diane has sent the following question to the Wikimedia help desk.

Do you know anything about the above mentioned game and if it is possible to get this board game. I don’t know who it was made by, but I do know it was made in the 1960’s or early ‘70s. Please let me know if you have any information on this.

Thank you for any assistance you can give her. Capitalistroadster 00:57, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

Try [http: //homepage.mac.com/planetpm/whichwitch/whichwitchgame.html Which Witch Game] CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 01:06, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

This is the [http: //homepage.mac.com/planetpm/whichwitch/information.html Information] page for the same company. Other than that it seems that you can only find parts for the game rather than the whole game. I assume that she has tried eBay? CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 01:11, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

IATA vs ICAO

What is the difference ,in terms of competences, between IATA and ICAO ? Brgds / Liem TS ,Indonesia

Well the International Air Transport Association is a trade organization formed by the air carriers and the International Civil Aviation Organization is a United Nations body. The ICAO would have more say than IATA as to rules and regulations while the IATA members can consult and maybe set travel prices. IATA would be more interested in making money for it's members than the ICAO. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 05:32, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

'Tiffany network"

Why is CBS often called the "Tifany network"? I always been curious.

see here - Nunh-huh 05:55, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

Csantaver in old Hungary

A reader Thomas has sent the following e-mail to the Wikimedia Help Desk:

"I would like trace back my family tree, how would I go about it? If you could let me know, please. I could trace it back to 1832 Csantaver, Old Hungary. I would like to find out what part of the map it is??? I would appreciate some suggestions please as to how to find out more."

I have suggested he look at our Genealogy article and the Hungarian resource linked to in the reference section. If you can help him, it would be greatly appreciated. Capitalistroadster 07:53, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

Using the Shtetl Seeker, the most likely candidate seems to be Čantavir or Csantaver (45°55' 19°46'), now in Serbia, 83.5 miles NNW of Beograd. Various maps at MapQuest, Multimap, and Expedia.- Nunh-huh 08:25, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

Yes, it's Čantavir in Serbo-Croatian, Csantavér in Hungarian in the North Backa District of Vojvodina. To find out more, you're probably going to need to dig up old church records. For that, you'll probably need to go there, although there may very well be copies at the National Archives in Budapest. [12] --130.242.128.121 23:09, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

grams of protein

greetings ! :D how many avarage grams of protein does an averege size chiken egg contain ? thank you for your support ... Randy age 9

According to the Egg Nutrition Center, one large egg contains about 6 grams of protein - that's 3.6 grams in the egg white, and 2.7 grams in the egg yolk. (Obviously this is a rough estimate, and a lot depends on the size of the egg!) - Nunh-huh 08:28, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

Also, according to an article in a recent issue of Mother Earth News, it would vary as to whether the chicken were raised on a poultry farm that keeps their chickens caged up as opposed to one that lets them roam free like a small backyard flock at someone's home. Dismas|^(talk) 11:27, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

indian companies

please, show me list of prominent india based compnies --219.65.190.120

List of Indian companies and Category:Companies of India should give you what you need. Thryduulf 11:34, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

colleges

which is the most prominent engineering college of USA? --219.65.190.120

There are many prominent engineering colleges in the United States. The most famous is probably the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), but there are a lot of other very fine schools. --Robert Merkel 13:31, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

True, MIT's good, but let's give big ups to Georgia Tech, Caltech, Carnegie Mellon, Cooper Union, and Cornell. US News publishes rankings, but you have to pay for the full list and explanations. [13]. Mareino 22:44, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

Song by Stellastarr....

Theres a song by a band called Stellastarr..i saw the video on vh1 last week....But i cant recall the name of the song....i've tried to listen to every song on their latest album but i can't find it.... I only remember a bit of the lyrics and they go something like this....

I can't remember your ....(something) Its too bad for that (or something like that i guess) I cant remember your ....(something) Thank God for that..

And then The Chorus comes... (but i can't remember it though)..

The whole thing just keeps repeating... And on the video the band plays behind glass panels...

I know the details are sketchy..but i will really appreciate it if someone could tell me the name of the song...

Jayant,17 years, India.

• A bit of google searching reveals that the only Stellastarr* track currently on a VH1 playlist is "Sweet Troubled Soul". this post by "Shawn" (apprently a band member?) on their offcial message board gives the lyrics. Although the lyrics are not veyr close to what you posted, they are possible - particularly as the post linked comes with a spoiler warning "For those of you interested in deciphering the words yourselves, or have a clear idea of what you imagine I am saying and wouldn’t want to ever find out". I've never heard of them or their music before reading this post though, so I wouldn't want to comment on how easy they are to understand! Thryduulf 16:09, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

• Well, the "Sweet Troubled Soul" video is stop-motion animation with dolls. I haven't seen the video for "My Coco", but that's their best song, and virtually every line of the song is designed to sound like another line of the song, so it's hard to understand. For example, "I need some help from a little love / I need some help from a little above / And you were there when I was feeling low / I won’t forget you my Co-coco!" -- Mareino 22:51, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

Blue sunglasses..

Why is it not advisable to wear sunglasses with blue coloured glasses?

Jayant,17 years, India.

Who is advising you not to wear them?

-Well..i went for a trekking expedition last year and they told us to get sunglasses to wear in the snow but not blue coloured glasses....And i also read it some where that it is not advisable to wear blue coloured glasses...

Just a guess but perhaps blue does not cut the glare of the sun off the snow and thus Snow blindness would result. This is not sometthing you want to experience. You might also want to read Rayleigh scattering. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 16:36, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

I remember being told that different coloured ski goggles were better for different conditions; one colour for bright sun, one for falling snow, one for fog. I don't remember which colours or why. DJ Clayworth 00:04, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

hmmm....but i already heard those songs.... anyways thanks a lot for the help.....

A small note: I've been wearing blue-tinted glasses full time for about two and a half years. I've yet to notice any ill effects. (I wear them when it is snowing as well.) Trngl999 05:17, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

• Sunglasses have two jobs: one is to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays, and the other is to help you see well in bright light. Almost all sunglasses sold today will protect your eyes from UV rays. But because "glare" from snow or water contains a lot of blue light, blue sunglasses don't do a very good job of cutting that glare. Blue lenses won't actually damage your eyes, but because they don't work as well, you should avoid wearing them when driving or doing something that requires sharp vision. Orange-tinted lenses (sometimes called "blue-blockers") are very good at absorbing this blue glare. That's why most ski goggles have orange-tinted lenses. TheSPY 17:46, 12 December 2005 (UTC)TheSPY

What is the population of ND?

• See North Dakota. Shimgray | talk | 17:30, 8 December 2005 (UTC)
• Or New Delhi. Aren't you glad we didn't just give you a number? -gadfium 21:50, 8 December 2005 (UTC)
• Or maybe you were enquiring about North Devon? Thryduulf 00:46, 9 December 2005 (UTC)
• In other words, please be specific and tell us which country you are referring to when asking a city or country related question. - 131.211.210.16 08:54, 9 December 2005 (UTC)
• And tommorrow it will be different too... ever heard of Birth? It does happen every once in a while you know. --64.105.139.147 21:49, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

pakistani company

which are the prominent pakistan based company? -- Shahinarashid 17:58, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

Wikipedia has a list at List of Pakistani companies. -- Rick Block (talk) 19:55, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

i am trying to decide whether to debt finance or equity finance a lease, which one is better?? thanks...

• What made you think asking complete strangers about financial advise was a good idea? - 131.211.210.16 08:57, 9 December 2005 (UTC)
• Also, please read the instructions at the top of this page. Please make a separate header and question, and tell is what you are trying to finance, what country you live in and what you already tried to answer this question and what your personal idea about it is. The more detailed your question, the higher your chance of a useful answer. - 131.211.210.16 08:59, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

portfolio optimization

What is portfolio optimization?

technical & medical colleges of pakistan

please, show me the list of technical & medical colleges of pakistan ? Shahinarashid 18:56, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

Wikipedia has a list at List of universities in Pakistan. -- Rick Block (talk) 19:54, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

RBD

Can you tell RBD that I said "!Hola!"?

No. —Keenan Pepper 05:57, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

I told them, but they said "إلى اللقاء" - Taxman ^Talk 15:40, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

ipod vs. washing machine - it works, but the battery is shot

I ran my 40 gb 4th generation ipod through the washing machine, it dried out and will work when plugged in to power, but only when plugged in. I think the battery is shot. Can you recomend the best and preferably cheapest way of getting this taken care of? It is still under warranty, but I think that this wouldn't be covered by it. Also, are there longer lasting batteries out there? (Posted by 209.137.173.69)

• Well, the cheapest way is to go to an IPod store and swear up and down that you never ever got your IPod wet and you have no idea how it broke. That would be horribly dishonest, though. You might think about getting a Creative Labs Zen or some other MP3 player that has a removable battery. --Mareino 22:55, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

• Nah, ipods really are that much better, and besides, it's better to support the innovator than the follower. :) Anyway it's possible you didn't kill the actual battery, but instead the charging circuitry. In that case it just needs to be serviced. Besides, apple's battery replacement service is $60. - Taxman ^Talk 15:33, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

• • This method works quite good with rain etc... but if you had it in the washing machine they will clearly see the that the cause is water by locking at the pcb. helohe (talk) 15:35, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

As a point of interest, a Game Boy Advance cartridge of ours was lost for months before we found it in a trouser pocket. That thing probably went though a thousand washes, and the thing worked at still does, perfectly (it's Yoshi's Island by the way). However, I once sat on another cartridge just after swimming in the sea and still wet. It was in a pool of salt water under my bottom. The internal clock broke, although the game was Pokemon Ruby so that may not have been to do with that. Kid Apathy 15:15, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

Mystical

How does the following link work: [14]. I have already gathered a few ideas: it changes the symbols each time so it must make you pick the same one every time. Does anyone know a proper solution???--XenoNeon 20:26, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

• Most of the numbers and symbols are red herrings. Here's the trick: Pick a two digit number. OK, so, now you have 10X + Y, where X and Y are the first and second digit respectively. Now add the digits (X + Y) and subtract from the original: 10X + Y - (X + Y) = 9X. Ah ha. Now look at those numbers and symbols. Every multiple of 9 has the same symbol. All the rest are noise to confuse you. --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 20:42, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

When you add the digits of a number together, the resulting sum is the same, modulo 9, as the original number. So when you subtract the sum of the two digits from the original number the answer must be 0 modulo 9, which is another way of saying that the answer is always a multiple of 9. Also note that the largest answer you can get, when you start with a two-digit number is 81. Knowing this, it's easy to see how they do it: each time you do it, the same symbol is associated with each multiple of 9 up to 81. These are the only numbers you can get from the subtraction, and it's that symbol which appears. Chuck 20:46, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

Ack, too late. You guys beat me to it! :| ☢ Ҡieff⌇↯ 20:50, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

Just look at it mathematically. Consider the number 23. It's the same as 2*10 + 3. So any 2 digit number can be written as 10a+b. What it proposes is that you sum both algarisms (a+b) and subtrac this from the original number, what mathematically gives: 10a+b - (a+b) = 10a-a + b-b = 9a. So in 23 case, you'll have 9*2 = 18. In another words, whichever number you pick, from 99 to 00, the proposed calculations will return a multiple of 9. Now look at the table and take a look at all multiples of nine. They're all the same symbol, and they change every time. But notice, too that the highest number you could pick, 99, leads to 81. That's why all 9 multiples over 81 (90 and 99) are different symbols. ☢ Ҡieff⌇↯ 20:48, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

Travel by horse in ancient britain

How long would it take to go from Tintagel to Edinburgh on a horse if you could only take roman roads or oldr roads? 216.43.124.150 20:34, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

• I bet those guys that were balancing eggs on their feet will love this one. ;) Mareino 22:57, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

There are some factors to decide on determining length of time of long-distance horse travel. The main one is how many horses are available. The limiting factor is not how fast the horse is, but how long it can go without getting tired and needing to eat. That's why enormous distances could be quickly covered by an organisation that kept horses available at different places, and had the rider switch from one horse to another, or pass whatever they were carrying to a new rider. One rider on a single horse would be much slower. DJ Clayworth 23:59, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

Partial answer 4.425 hours. This is based on a horse running at a constant top speed of 40 mph over a straight line distance of about 177 miles. This is a rotten answer as the horse would not be able to keep the speed up for that length of time, nor is the distance a flat straight line. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 00:00, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

Note that Microsoft Autoroute 2002 gives an estimated journey time by car of 8 hours 13 minutes over a driving distance of 508.6 miles. Nationalrail.com gives the quickest journey time by train from Bodmin Parkway (the nearest railhead these days) as 8 hours 52 mintues. Thryduulf 00:35, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

If you're doing this for a story (I'm assuming that's what it is, since you asked about Roman and earlier roads), then try this -

• First, you need the distance in miles.
• Figure out what kind of horse they're riding, including age, then figure out the weight the horse is carrying.
• Find out the horse's normal speed is under the above conditions.
• Calculate how quickly the horse would get there with the above speed.
• Add in time for weather problems, carts, and/or children.

You'll need to measure the Roman roads - if your map has no scale, just trace it out onto one that has a scale and add it up. DuctapeDaredevil 03:20, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

Not forgetting of course that the Roman road system would stop well short of Edinburgh as you'd leave the Empire when you passed Hadrians Wall. -- Arwel (talk) 03:42, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

There might have been some form of road up to Cramond? There was certainly a smallish military settlement there, though offhand I can't think of anything leading to it. Shimgray | talk | 12:17, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

This map gives a known road through the middle of the Borders, running up past Galashiels, and then suggests it extended to Edinburgh though the specific route isn't known. Shimgray | talk | 12:20, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

Then do you know what kind of horse they would have used? 64.198.97.66 17:31, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

Probably a cross between an Arabian and a Welsh Mountain Pony. Google is your friend, in this case. MorganLeFay 02:48, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

elevations

what are the elevations of following cities in greece-mykonos,hydra,napflion, delphi,athens?thank you --205.188.116.131 20:35, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

Do you mean at their highest point, lowest point, at their centre or on average? --Canley 06:55, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

company bios

assuming that it is bad form (or perhaps even discouraged) to place company bios on wikipedia, can someone tell me if there is a wikipedia-like site that does encourage this sort of thing? thank you kindly, ttocsmij--24.97.213.214 20:39, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

Articles on major companies are certainly appropriate. You might want to review the page about Notability, although it doesn't really give much direction there. The page on Importance might also be useful. I'm just one Wikipedian, but my opinion would be that any publicly traded company would be notable enough to have an article. Some, but not all non-publicly traded companies would be notable: a large, well-known one is; a very small company may not be.

Also, you probably wouldn't want to just cut and paste a company's own biography from the company's website into an article. First, that would probably be a copyright violation. Second, we strive for a neutral point of view at Wikipedia, and a company's own description of its history is likely to emphasize positive points while minimizing or ignoring any negative issues. Chuck 21:00, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

P.S. However, a link to a company's history on the company's own website would be very appropriate for the "External Links" section of an article on the company. Chuck 21:21, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

Check out WP:CORP for guidelines on corporate entities. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 22:23, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

Classic toaster guy on the Upper West Side?

There is this guy who sells classic vintage restored toasters on the Upper West Side. I can't remember the name of him, his store or website! Help!

Upper West Side of what? Dismas|^(talk) 22:09, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

New York City. Do you know of another place called the "Upper West Side"? - Nunh-huh 22:27, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

Let me get this straight... Everyone, everywhere is supposed to know that A) New York City has an area called the "Upper West Side" and B)this is the only "Upper West Side" on the planet? That's rather geo-centric of them. Dismas|^(talk) 23:22, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

I said nothing remotely like that. I asked you if you knew of another place, and indicated that the reference was clearly to Manhattan's Upper West Side. - Nunh-huh 01:50, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

• The reference may be clear for people who know about it, but which Upper West Side was my first response too. Just like in articles, you can't assume the answerer knows the same you do. The instructions clearly say you need to be specific (especially when asking geographical questions). 131.211.210.16 09:05, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

So which other Upper West Side did you think it might be? - Nunh-huh 09:31, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

Previous to this question being asked I didn't have any knowledge of any "Upper West Side" so I couldn't even try a few google searches or anything to even attempt to help the person out. Unfortunately though, even with the clue from you that they were talking about NYC, I still haven't been able to find anything of any use. I just found a link to Toaster Central which is apparently run by a guy who "During the week he is located near 76th Street and York Avenue on the east side of Manhattan". Not the "Upper West Side" I'm guessing since it says "east side" but they may be able to help out the original poster. User:Dismas|^(talk) 13:38, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

• Just a further note, and that's who wants classic vintage restored toasters anyway? I mean honestly, how do you expect anyone to remember this guy, if you, the person interested can't. Google is your friend, for something like that. I agree with Dismas on the Upper West Side thing. I mean, Chicago has a "South Side" but so does NYC, I'd imagine --64.105.139.147 21:54, 16 December 2005 (UTC)
  • Presumably the "toaster guy" is a local "character". No, New York City doesn't have a "South Side", and no one has yet named any "Upper West Side" that isn't in Manhattan. - Nunh-huh 21:58, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

overstock.com question

i have a question about overstock.com what was the name of the woman who did the original overstock.com commercial,what is her name,why isn`t she still doing the overstock.com commercials,what is the name of the current women who is doing the overstock.com commercials how old is the women who did the original commercials

• Hee name is Sabine Ehrenfeld; she was born in 1963.--Pharos 12:08, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

looks like dido to me - (unsigned comment by someone who disputes the above answer)

Valley Mississippi

My grandmother's birth certificate states that she was born November 5,1923 in Valley,Mississippi. That said, I have searched the internet and ask m any people but I cannot find Valley,Mississippi. Can anyone help guide me in the right direction? Thanks. Ray Smith rsmith9632@aol.com

Just a thought but is it possible the birth certificate should read Mississippi Valley and just got written up backwards? It's possible if she was born outside of a community. The other thought is, could the community name have got dropped off? As an example, Bigbee Valley is in Mississippi. If the certificate is the original then a mistake is less likely but if it's a later reproduction an error could have crept in. I would try and find old maps of Mississippi and see if there is anything on them. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 01:17, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

Do you know the county of Mississippi she was born in? That might help narrow it down. And it's possible to request another copy of her birth certificate to see if the first was a transcription error. You can print out the order form here and order it; it's possible the long form certificate may be more informative than the short form. - Nunh-huh 02:04, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

Slovak Name Origin

What is the origin of the Slovak surname "Bensko" or "Bencko"? Yeltensic42.618 23:47, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

December 9

Enfield Jungle Carbine Authentication

Reader Tom has sent the following question to the Wikimedia Help Desk.

"I own an Enfield No 5 Mk. 1 Jungle Carbine. I am looking for a source to authenticate the markings on the rifle. Can you help in this."

Any information you can give hime would be gratefully appreciated.

Capitalistroadster 01:08, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

Try [15] and [16]. The second one may be able to help with the markings. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 01:22, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

Tool

Hello. I have a tool that I need help identifying. It look like a long, thin pair of tongs. The whole thing is about 16 inches long. The "tong" part is a metal rod about 3/8 inches in diameter. One end looks like it is meant to grip something round which is about 3/8 - 3/4 of an inch in diameter. On this end, both sides of the "tongs" are the same. On the other end, the sides are different. On one side, the end is round with a nearly elliptical hole about 2.5 inches by 1 inch. The other side does not have a hole. On the other side, the "tong" part stays the same diameter until the end, when it comes to a little knob-like end about 1/4 - 3/8 inches in diameter, the face of which is perpendicular to the plane of the elliptical hole. This end aligns with the middle of the hole on the other side. I have looked on the internet and could not find anything. Any help is appreciated. --Think Fast 01:20, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

Do you have a picture that you could put on your user page? CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 01:24, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

No. I really wish I did, but I don't. Sorry. --Think Fast 01:39, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

• Could you draw a simple diagram in MS paint and upload that? It's hard to visualise from the description. --Bob Mellish 17:08, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

Great idea. Here it is. File:Tool Diagram for Wikipedia Reference Desk.gif --Think Fast 23:58, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

The inward facing teeth remind me of a chip extractor, a tool used to remove computer chips from their holders in a controlled manner (that doesn't bend the little pins while doing so). Here's a picture of one. But that's only a few inches long; I can't imagine what kind of chip would need a 16 inch extractor. SO it's probably not for extracting chips, but perhaps for extracting something else. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 01:05, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

The link appears dead. I get nothing. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 01:27, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

The closest thing i can think of is a pair of fire wood tongs. Try this site for a picture, you'll see what i mean, this tool is slighly different.[17]--Ali K 01:46, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

It reminds me of something used to handle hot coals. The charchoal should rest snuggly in the ring, while the other end can press against it when you close the other side. --HappyCamper 02:50, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

I just did a Google image search for tongs, and then looked through hundreds of pictures of tongs (for which the God of Inventors has an inordinate fondness) and found none even remotely like this. Does it show any wear patterns to indicate where it's held? --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 03:08, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

I could not see much wear, but it seems highly probable that the tool is held at the end with the circle and the little "knob." The other end looks like it is meant for holding something round. (And thanks for looking through so many pictures.) --Think Fast 15:41, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

Yeah, I've used this tool several times. It is used to expand the leather of tight fitting shoes in specific spots. You place the 'nippled' end inside of your shoe/boot that is hurting your foot and the outer ring is outside and opposite. You press the inner part of the shoe outwards to releive the leather. I do not know the proper name of the tool, but we at work called it the boot stretcher. MRLee216.239.160.71 16:10, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

Is that what it really is?! If so, I think this question was asked a while ago, and it should be somewhere in the reference desk archives! --HappyCamper 17:26, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

I can not say for sure, but that is what it looks like to me. Pert near identical. I did not ever figure out the function of the handle crimping/grooved function. MRLee216.239.160.71 18:10, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

I have been watching this topic with interest. I posted an answer to a similar question on 29 May 2005 (#132 What is it?) here. In that case, the tool in question was a "bunion stretcher" or "spot stretcher" for shoes (see a picture here). However, I do not believe that this is the same kind of tool. For one thing, every bunion stretcher I've seen has a round hole about 1" in diameter (not an elliptical hole 2.5" by 1") and a "knob" that's almost as big as the hole (not much smaller as described here). Also, I have never seen a bunion stretcher with the other end being anything other than just regular handles (not tongs, crimpers, grippers, extractors, or anything of that sort). Nor have I ever seen a bunion stretcher with "straight" rods for the arms. I am certainly no tool expert; I'm just saying that if this mystery tool is a bunion stretcher, then it's much different than any one I've ever seen. I do wonder though, if the ball and ring end might be used in a similar way. --DannyZ 20:38, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

Houses in Louisiana

Someone I work with mentioned that people in Louisiana used to be taxed on how much road frontage their house had. The wider the house, the more the tax. Therefore people built houses that were extremely long where all the rooms were basically in a row along one long hallway. Has anyone ever heard of this? Is there any truth to this? User:Dismas|^(talk) 01:37, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

Such a tax was considered by the Cabildo in 1794, but wasn't passed at that time because it was judged to be regressive. I don't know if such a tax has been instituted since (though I can't find it in any obvious Internet place), but "shotgun houses" exist in many places without such taxes. - Nunh-huh 01:55, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

Thanks for the info! User:Dismas|^(talk) 15:38, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

Commercial areas where there is a premium for having a frontage on a street and land behind is comparatively cheap encourages this type of development. Having long narrow buildings maximises space available for the cost and allows more people a frontage on the street. It is very common in the UK from at least the medieval period, and it is still a common factor in the design of modern shopping malls, etc. Thryduulf 16:42, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

What is acute care

A google search yields these. Definitions are directly from the listed sources.

• Treatment for a short-term or episodic illness or health problem.

http://www.premera.com/stellent/groups/public/documents/xcpproject/pvd_gl_a.asp

• Medically necessary skilled care provided by medical and nursing personnel in order to restore a person to good health.

http://www.myinsuranceguy.com/glossary.htm

• Medical care administered, frequently in a hospital or by nursing professionals, for the treatment of a serious injury or illness or during recovery from surgery. Medical conditions requiring acute care are typically periodic or temporary in nature, rather than chronic. top

http://www.healthinsurancesort.com/health-insurance-terms.htm

• care received in an inpatient hospital setting.

http://www.providence.org/Health_Plans/Members/Definitions.htm

• Care that is generally provided for a short period of time to treat a certain illness or condition. It can include short-term hospital stays, doctor's visits, surgery, and X-rays.

http://www.setnlegalservices.org/glossary.htm

Tv Language

When did the word Bitc* become acceptable on regular Broadcast TV?

Which country's regular broadcast TV are you interested in? Thryduulf 09:46, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

Usually when someone fails to mention a country, it's best to assume Merka. — JIP | Talk 09:55, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

I've never heard Bitc* on TV. Perhaps you meant bitch? --Nelson Ricardo 12:00, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

I meant U.S. and the word is bitch (please excuse my language)

I realy dont care if they say that words on tv and here in switzerland they do and nothing gets censored. helohe (talk) 15:27, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

• Good question. The It Hits the Fan episode of South Park is generally credited as the watershed event for the S-word, which was allowed only sparingly before then. The V-chip law technically means that networks can get away with ANYthing short of X-rated shows, so long as they file the proper warnings. No network does that, though, because of the public relations fallout. Mareino 16:47, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

• • Broadcast television is still subject to "indecency" laws. The seven dirty words, which do not include bitch, are still illegal before 10 p.m. But you're still unlikely to hear them late at night due to the probable negative reaction of advertisers and the potential that Congress would enact more-stringent legislation. -- Mwalcoff 17:28, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

• This brings to mind an episode of The Simpsons, where Bart told Marge that Santa's Little Helper was seeing a bitch. Marge told Bart to stop cursing, but Bart said "But Mom, that's what she is!" and showed her the dictionary entry. — JIP | Talk 22:39, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

• • From "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?":

Bart: So, any idea where this bastard lives?

Homer: Bart!

Bart: His parents aren't married are they?

It's the correct word, isn't it?

Homer: I guess he's got us there.

Marge: Mmm...

Bart: [singing]

Bastard, bastard, bastard, bastard, bastard, bastard, bastard bastard!

• • The Fox Network censor asked the producers to "remove seven bastards," according to the DVD.

Mwalcoff 17:28, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

• • • Wouldn't that mean sacking most of the board of the Fox Network?

Type of flower.

Can anyone identify any of the flowers in this photo?

http://img286.imageshack.us/img286/5448/flowers0ru.jpg

The one at the front looks like a Tiger Lilly. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 05:24, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

The white ones look like roses and the rest look like unopened tiger lillies. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 05:31, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

The lilies are specifically "Stargazer lilies" (and they have a wonderful fragrance that is very strong! - and their pollen has a tendency to stain things). The unopened ones are stargazer lilies waiting to happen. I think "tiger lilies" is usually used for orange colored lilies; I'm not sure how they are botanically related, but I think tiger lilies are a wild type species, while stargazers are hybrids. - Nunh-huh 05:38, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

Male/female dogs

I have a 5 yr old male dog, and I'm about to buy a new puppy. Should I get a male or a female? If both are desexed, they won't attempt t mate, will they? Are two male dogs more aggressive than one?

My neutered dog will still occaisionally get "excited" around a female, but he's never tried to mate. I've never heard of two males being particularly aggressive together, especially neutered ones. In fact, male dogs are much more cuddly with humans than females in my experience having had both. — Laura Scudder ☎ 05:54, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

• It has a lot to do with when your 5-year-old was neutered. Generally, if he was neutered after puberty, he'll try. Talk to your veterinarian, though, since she can give you more detailed advice on what sort of puppy would get along with your 5-year-old dog's personality. Mareino 16:51, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

"Associated Foreign Press"

Is there, or was there ever, a news agency called Associated Foreign Press? If so, who are they? If not, where did the name come from? I have seen it cited as a news source several times on the web, and had previously assumed that it was what AFP stood for, but now find out that it isn't.

A Google search shows 496 hits - seemingly too few for a real agency, but too many to be a mistake. If the Associated Foreign Press Home Page is in there, it's nowhere near the top. Surely zdnet, NASA and 'Liberia's Most Trusted News Source' aren't all citing a ficticious agency, but a real agency that doesn't have a web site or a Wikipedia article is quite an enigma. I'm mystified. Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks.

My first theory was that "Associated Foreign Press" would be one of the not-really-an-agency things you get these days; a small organisation putting out paid-for news stories and so on. However, looking at the links, it seems to be people doing exactly what you did - assuming AFP stands for Associated Foreign Press not Agence France-Presse, and expanding the name wrongly.

For example, this quotes Associated Foreign Press. However, this has the same story credited to AFP. Shimgray | talk | 12:12, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

• Why would any organization self-identify as "Foreign"? I would guess that "Associated Foreign Press" is just a mistaken expansion of 'AFP' by someone who has never heard of Agence France-Presse.--Pharos 12:13, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

Thanks guys, it would seem misidentification of AFP is the most likely, but I'm still curious to know how the same wrong name could have been used by so many people - AFP could stand for anything, after all. Did some notable source spread the error? If it spontaneously arrose all over the world, it's quite a strange phenomenon. --Linton 10:10, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

The Golden Globe Awards are run by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Could that be what you're thinking of? User:Zoe|^(talk) 05:26, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

Kannada text problem

Why is Mozilla Firefox not printing Kannada text properly. Its prints square box is showing the text properly. How can I solve this problem?
Thanks in advance,
daya

(Mgm|^(talk) formatted the above question) - Mgm|^(talk) 14:02, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

• Printing is usually done by printers and not browsers.
• Yup. And you never told us if your browser displays them correctly in the first place. If not see Wikipedia:Enabling complex text support for Indic scripts. That page will also give you links on how to get the fonts you need if you don't have them already. - Taxman ^Talk 15:23, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

(In the original version of this post (before formatting), the poster told Firefox shows them correctly. –Mysid 15:53, 9 December 2005 (UTC))

• It probably means that the typeface used for the font is only a screen font and not a printer font. How to fix this depends 1. on the type of computer you are using and 2. the type of printer you are using. One approach is to try and change the font assigned to it to something which is known to be a Postscript font, which generally work on all printers, and away from something which is just a TrueType font, which I have found to be difficult in situations like this. It may also involve installing language-specific printer drivers; one think you might try is downloading Adobe Postscript drivers in the language you need and trying to use those. --Fastfission 17:14, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

thnaks for replay. the firefox browser showing kannada font currectly and i can read it but the problem is printing it prints squre boxs and i checked adobe Postscript drivers for kannada but i did't find and one more thing the konqueror browser prints correctly and shows correctly but i need to print from mozilla firefox browser

thanks daya

country info website

I am very much eager to know about China , India & Pakistan .Can anyone refer such a websites for each above mentioned countries where i can find every thing about that country i.e its government,culture, cities maps,economy, education status,millatry power, cities info etc. I want sepapate website for each above mentioned countries .Please may anyone help me in search of it. Shahinarashid 12:45, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

See our sites for China, India, and Pakistan. --Think Fast 12:58, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

There's also the CIA World Factbook. Just pull down the menu and choose the country for which you'd like some information. And best of all, the info is in the public domain since it's a work of the U.S. government. User:Dismas|^(talk) 13:46, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

Via search engines you can locate the official web sites for each nation which include whatever info their gov wants people to know. C-Span (sorry I not remember precise url link) has connections to US Gov branches ... web sites of Administration, Legislative, Judicial branches ... but also links to similar in other nations, such as THEIR legislature web sites. There you can find what's doing that those nations consider important.

Several newspapers, such as The Washington Post in USA, and The Economist in UK, have directories of info that compete with the CIA Fact Book, such as links to the English language newspapers of those nations.

Via search engines you can also locate directories of newspapers and other publications websites organized by nation ... so for example, you can find news coverage from Iran in English, and see what they are saying about isues that are currently important to them.

User:AlMac|^(talk) 17:56, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

shannon capacity limit

kindly looking for your great help.

what are the possibility of transmitting information when the signal is lower then noise?

Shannon capacity redirects to Shannon–Hartley theorem, so you probably want to read that article. Signal-to-noise ratio might also be of help. Thryduulf 16:35, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

Witches

What Type of thing do witches do? This is for a report at school.

Have you already tried the Wikipedia article on witchcraft? –Mysid 15:38, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

Are you referring to real witches who if memory serves me correct believe in Wicca and/or Paganism or are you referring ot witches in fiction? - Mgm|^(talk) 12:56, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

Unfortunately, what 'things witches do' cannot really be defined in a short space. :) If you find someone who says 'witches do <insert random nonsense here>', more than likely the next 99 people you meet will disagree. As for them being folk who "believe in Wicca and/or Paganism"... that is not necessarily true. It is more common for witches in the present time to not be pagans, wiccans, or anything else of that sort. Witchcraft can be said to be a generic term for a set of talents and skills, usually incorporating herbalism, ritual magic, and other trades- but it is not a religious preference (again, only speaking for the present).

P.MacUidhir (t) (c) 01:59, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

This topic is one where your answers may need to be Politically Correct, with respect to the belief system or ignorance of school administrators for you to get a passing grade. User:AlMac|^(talk) 21:36, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

steve martin irish

is steve martin irish.

According to Steve Martin, his family "was of English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh descent". He himself, however, appears to have been born in Texas. Shimgray | talk | 16:01, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

belize

what is the climate like in belize year round please

See Geography of Belize#Climate. Thryduulf 16:30, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

Atlantic records

I'd like to know the names of officers and key management at Atlantic Records...can you please help me find this out? (email removed as per policy, see top of page)

Atlantic Records is a part of Warner Music Group, having been bought by Warner Bros.-Seven Arts in 1967. According to Warner's website, the chairman and CEO of Atlantic is Craig Kallman, and Atlantic's president is Julie Greenwald.[18] -- AJR | Talk 00:54, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

frog?

http://www.friendsofkeji.ns.ca/images/2004_photo/RMS_48.JPG what kind?Maoririder 17:16, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

Where was this picture taken? There are a lot of species of frogs in the world. Slicing 16:26, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

does anyone know??

wheres the rest of oliver cromwell

i just finished reading sommething called a loop on who2 according to it his body was exhumed hung and beheaded what happened to the rest of him.

From "The Trial of Charles I" by J.G. Muddiman (Hodge, 1928):

"At the suggestion of Colonel Titus, the House of Commons ordered the bodies of these four (John Bradshaw, Oliver Cromwell, Henry Ireton and Thomas Pride) to be exhumed and hung on the gallows at Tyburn upon 30th January, 1661. The body of Pride was presumably not in a fit condition to be removed, for those of the first three only were exhibited on the gallows on that day. At sunset the heads of the three were struck off and afterwards displayed on poles on the top of Westminster Hall, their bodies being cast into a deep hole under the gallows."

He adds a footnote:

"Periodically, a dried-up head, asserted to be embalmed and to be that of Cromwell, is described in the newspapers. It has no claim to be genuine, for the remains of Cromwell's head were thrown down from Westminster Hall when the pinnacle to which it was fixed was rebuilt in 1681. See "Heraclitus Ridens" for 12th July, 1681. After twenty years' exposure to the weather and the onslaughts of kites and crows, little would have been left of the head by 1681. The process of embalming, in any case, would have been no protection against these onslaughts. Moreover, the whole claviculum of the dried-up head has been sawn asunder in the roughtest possible manner, and this certainly would not have been done had it been embalmed."

Hope this helps. David | Talk 22:06, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

If you njoyed this, you might find posthumous execution amusing. - Nunh-huh 05:41, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

the White Stripes and hieroglyphic writing.

On http://www.whitestripes.com/ after the apple, rock imagery, caesar and stuff, then the top loads links to photos/bandinfo/etc..., Do we know what the symbols/hiero's stand for? If anything? Thanks. --Jake

They're Alchemical symbols, not hieroglyphs. --BluePlatypus 19:53, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

• I haven't read them saying this in interviews, but they probably got the idea from Zoso. Mareino 02:51, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

Forms of contemporty cooperation

What are the contemporary forms of business cooperation?

DYOH - please Do Your Own Homework (see top of this page). — QuantumEleven | (talk) 22:22, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

Origin of two phrases

Where are these phrases from?

• "Reaching out into other worlds" (this one always show up as a sound taken from the original source. It appears on the "American Money" song from Cowboy Bebop — the opening theme from the reward show thingy)
• "Oh, the humanity!" (often quoted by several movies, it's been hard to track it down)

☢ Ҡieff⌇↯ 22:58, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

I think "Oh the humanity" uttered by an on-the-spot radio newscaster distraught at the burning of the dirigible Hindenburg in NJ in the late 1930s. It has been turned into a joke in recent years by being applied to trivia, but few people even know where the phrase came from. alteripse 23:03, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

Absolutely. It was Herb Morrison who was the radio reporter (he was covering the arrival of the Hindenburg). It was recorded as-it-happened (the explosion can be heard on the recording), but wasn't broadcast until the next day. - Nunh-huh 23:09, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

I've heard the recording but didn't realize that it was the original usage of the phrase. Interesting! — flamingspinach | (talk) 06:16, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

This site has a streaming video of the crash with the reporting by Herb Morrison. - Akamad 23:14, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

Excellent! Thanks for the answer! Now for the other one... ☢ Ҡieff⌇↯ 14:28, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

Back in the day someone asked a similar question (see Wikipedia:Reference desk archive/September 2004 I#What this dude says?). I gave a link that suggested one of the other phrases in "American Money" ("Deep Thrust Telescopic Probe") came from Lost in Space [19], it's possible that all the snippets came from that source. - Lee (talk) 14:44, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

Did you notice that this "someone" was in fact Kieff, who asked this question as well? :) — flamingspinach | (talk) 19:38, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

Heh. No, no I didn't. Makes you wonder who should have been paying more attention. ;) - Lee (talk) 19:46, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

"Flying Saucer" / "Disco Volador" cooking utensil

I'm looking for a cooking utensil that was popular in Miami during the 1950s and 1960s called the "disco volador" or "flying saucer". It consisted of two slightly concave disks, attached to each other at the edges by a hinge, and having two handles projecting from the opposite edges. Bread would be placed in the concave dishes, and then covered with various fillings. Then, the handles would be brought together, clamping the dishes together, and the whole thing would be heated over a stove until cooked (various items sticking out would be trimmed off). When the handles were opened, a completely enclosed delicious grilled sandwich would be inside. They do not seem to be available anywhere that I can find locally, nor can I find information about them (they are not panino). Please tell me if there is anywhere I can buy this cooking ware. Many thanks. — flamingspinach | (talk) 23:20, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

December 10

Sports

In what year did the Philadelphia Eagles cap have the E A G L E S logo with a yellow eagle bird over the letter A?

The cap is green - the letters are outlined - the cap visor is black.

According to The Helmet Project, the Eagles have had the same basic helmet design since the 50s. It's doubtful they had any helmet design before that. Are you sure you're not looking at the helmet of one of the many college or high school teams that uses the Eagles nickname? -- 70.27.57.22 15:23, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

The question is concerning the caps that are worn on the sidelines, not the helmets. Unfortunately, I can't answer the question. User:Zoe|^(talk) 19:21, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

• If it's an unauthorized cap, it could literally be any year. If it is authorized, though, then someone at the Eagles front office (the phone number is on their website) will be able to tell you. Usually those people are nice, b/c they make their money by being nice to fans. --Mareino 02:46, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

X-mas gift dilemma

What should I get my Uncle? The only thing I know about him is that he likes history and trains. MorganLeFay 02:43, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

My Dad, who is into trains, has large collections of Great Railway Journeys, Swiss Railway Journeys, etc., all on videotape. Lots of trains chugging around scenic places, with endless descriptions of switching yards, locomotives, stations, and jockular tales of railway antics. Normal people would rather die than watch a whole episode, but it's meat and drink to railroad nuts. In addition to online vendors, they're often sold in shops that also sell model railway stuff. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 02:52, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

If he has a computer then I would suggest [Microsoft Train Simulator. I have a copy and can recommend it. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 03:12, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

There are also some other computer games for Railroad enthusiasts, such as Microprose Railroad Tycoon. User:AlMac|^(talk) 21:39, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Many thanks and a happy Chrismahaunakwanzakastice to the both of you! MorganLeFay 04:09, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

How about a calendar with pictures of old trains? Gift certificate to a local hobby store? MRLee216.239.160.71 17:20, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

There are various history magazines ... you can sample them at the magazine section of many major book stores ... you can arrange a GIFT subscription ... at the start of the subscription, they send out a greeting card identifying you as having made the gift, then with every issue, your uncle remembers that you got this great gift. User:AlMac|^(talk) 21:41, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

how to convert .propj files to .ppj files?

I'm using Adobe Premier Pro,btw.202.156.6.54 03:56, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

Places to visit in Russia

Reader Harrish wrote to the Wikipedia Help mail list asking for good places to visit in Russia on his trip there. I suggested Moscow and Leningrad as well as seeing his travel agent and reading a guidebook. I also referred him to the Russia portal. Does anyone have any suggestions of places to visit while in Russia? Thanks for any help you can give. Capitalistroadster 04:29, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

• Leningrad has been called St. Petersberg since the end of the Cold War. But yes, Petersberg and Moscow are usually the two major places listed for visiting, and both have immense cultural resources as their pages explain. These two cities, along with Kiev (now in Ukraine), were the three major cities for most of Russia's history. --Fastfission 05:00, 10 December 2005 (UTC)
  • St. Petersburg is the most commonly accepted spelling, I believe. — flamingspinach | (talk) 06:12, 10 December 2005 (UTC)
• Surely WikiTravel's guide to Russia can help Harrish out here? - Mgm|^(talk) 13:00, 10 December 2005 (UTC)
• What to see very much depends on your comfort levels in speaking and understanding Russian. Generally, any country that was not colonized or administered by the British has the highest concentration of English-speakers in its largest cities, and small towns that are not known for their tourist attractions may have few or even none. Mareino 02:44, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

NW?

Why does Washington D.C use NW as in front of the zip code? --Member 04:45, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

It doesn't. DC Zip Codes are 20001 through 20599 (although all numbers have not yet been assigned). These Zip codes are numerical without any alpha prefix. --hydnjo talk 04:59, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

Well, an NW is always after the adress (oops!). --Member 05:15, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

The "NW" is part of the address. Washington, D.C. is laid out as a series of avenues crossed by numbered and lettered streets. The U.S. Capitol is the center of the city, which is divided into northwest, northeast, southeast, and southwest quadrants. Some addresses appear in all four quadrants! Therefore it is essential to include NE, NW, SE, or SW in the address. - Nunh-huh 05:23, 10 December 2005 (UTC) - We've hidden this information at Geography of Washington, D.C..

Also, it should be noted that the NW is part of the street, not the ZIP code. So an address might look like

John Bayes
101 Wisconsin Av, NW
Washington, DC 20008

— QuantumEleven | (talk) 22:27, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

• Nunh-huh is right. Also, the Capitol is not in the geographic center of DC, so each quadrant is a different size. NW is the largest and SW is very, very small. Also, the east side of DC has very few government buildings (mainly b/c the mall is on the west side) and very few affluent neighborhoods (just random historical growth patterns), so you are much more likely to see a NW address than an address from another quadrant. Writing the "NW" on your letters is still important, though, because some addresses (say, 300 D St) really do occur four times, differentiated only by quadrant and zip code. Mareino 02:40, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

Men vs Women

Does someone know the ratio of male wikipedians to female wikipedians? Any help would be appreciated!--Ali K 07:36, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

I have investigated it and it is probably something like 30:1. Every 1 in 30 user pages I randomly picked initially stated they were women on their user page.--XenoNeon 12:21, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

We do need more female contributors!!! User:Zoe|^(talk) 19:24, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

Out of curiosity, how many fail to reveal gender? alteripse 14:20, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

So anyone not revealing their gender is automatically male? — JIP | Talk 14:35, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

Wow, you really do your homework! Thank you so much! I guess us women are a bit out numbered. Did you happen to know what the most common age for Wikipedians is?--Ali K 13:43, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

Its averaged at about 18. Most people on Wikipedia are students. The youngest Wikipedian is JordanHatch at around 11 and the oldest is a retired computer programmer that is 54 but I don't know his name. And, in response to the thing about not revealing genders, very many Wikipedia users have put something like 'This space has been left blank intentionally'. Most people who Have user pages tell you their genders. I only came across two people who didn't reveal their gender--XenoNeon 15:00, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

From the help desk archives (here)...

From here (a self-included list) the oldest would be CoppBob, born in 1921 and the youngest would be Isabel Santiago, born in 1998.

--Commander Keane 17:28, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

It's possible though that some users are misrepresenting their sex. User:Kate of Kate's Tool is in fact a male. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 17:34, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

So basically, there's no way to know, even approximately. —Keenan Pepper 18:05, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

Having met Kate at a London wikimeet a few months ago I can verify that he is definitely male, but I don't think he's 'misrepresenting his sex' so much as using a name which most people associate with the female. But there are others who are deliberately vague. The only way to know for sure would be a random survey - perhaps this would be an interesting project. I find the median age is probably mid to late 20s. David | Talk 18:53, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

I was going of what I knew. I was somewhat inaccurate as someone else told me those facts.--XenoNeon 18:14, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

• According to the New York Times article this past week, lots of the low-profile people on Wiki are librarians. Since (in the USA at least) that profession is maybe 80% women, I think that the numbers may be more balanced than the user pages would indicate. --Mareino 02:34, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

I can verify that, at least in a small way- five of my colleagues (that I know of, anyway) edit at Wikipedia and Wikisource. All five have user accounts, but none of them have anything on their account userpages. Three of the five are females, all in their 30s.

P.MacUidhir (t) (c) 02:52, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

Ancient huge oak tree in DAX, France

I am looking for information, document, picture, photo etc... about an ancient huge oak tree, known as the "chêne de QUILLACQ", supposedely one of the oldest on earth, located around or in the city of DAX, France. This tree was cut down sometuime last century. Yhanks for your help.

From what I can gather, it was a tree planted by the Moors more than 2000 years ago and mysteriously cut down in the 1920s:

"The Oak of Quillacq was one of the woodland specimens most remarkable of our area. Located in a wood on right bank of Adour, one allotted, with this monument nature, two millenia. With breast height, his circumference was 9 meters and the pad of its roots extended on a perimeter of 25 Mr. Objet of worship and of piety, one had baptized it "Tree of the Fairies". A source to which one allotted to cure the evils of the eyes ran in its fork. Its disappearance goes back to 1920. A pilgrimage took place in the night from the 23 to June 24, celebrates of Jean-baptiste Saint." (translated version of the tourisme landes site).

La France pittoresque also had an article in their 4th quarter 2004 issue, and I found a pic of an etching of the tree about halfway down this page. Hope this helps - you've piqued my interest now! Natgoo 12:01, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

The Moors could not have planted it 2000 years ago. They came to France briefly many centuries later. alteripse 14:18, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

Hey, you're right. It must have had significance to the Moors for some reason. Natgoo 14:35, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

Wrestling

The Wrestling performed on WWE is fake. But what is fake and what isn't? Is the drama fake, the injuries, etc.It doesn't say in the WWE article.--XenoNeon 08:52, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

It's fake in the sense that it is scripted, the bouts are choreographed, the outcomes are pre-determined and some of the hits are fake. The injuries, however, are generally real. A surprisingly good book on the topic is Mick Foley's autobiography Have A Nice Day, and the doco Beyond the Mat is also quite good. Natgoo 12:43, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

Why do tickets to wrestling matches cost hundreds of dollar per piece and are hugely popular if the outcomes are pre-determined? Does the audience treat it like theatre instead of sport? — JIP | Talk 14:35, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

Well, yes. It's known as Sports entertainment, and has been described as the equivalent of soap operas for men, providing the same sort of plots, allegiances and drama for a predominantly male audience. I've just found the Professional wrestling article, which has lots more info. Natgoo 14:41, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

Thank you very much; do you not think that we should have a world wrestling organization that conducts proper wrestling and not just demonstrate it in the Olympics and other major spotring events???

what exactly do you mean with that? i assume there are real wrestling organisations in america. and i don't think that the wwe and such are suddenly gonna reform into that kind of wrestling, it's just not interesting enough to watch. Boneyard 14:17, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

European military bases in the US?

The US have many military bases in Europe (how many, by the way, and how many secret ones might there be?) and I assume this is a part of NATO agreements. But I've never heard of European military bases in the US (or Canada). Do any exist? DirkvdM 10:39, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

CFB Goose Bay probably the closest thing. The US bases in Europe are generally a legacy of the Second World War, and then later Europe's position on the front line of the Cold War, so I wuoldn't expect it to work the other way around. Morwen - Talk 14:50, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

The Royal Navy had naval units based in Canada & Newfoundland for some time post-war, which may count. There's also the British Army Training Unit Suffield in Alberta, on CFB Suffield; it's nominally a locally-controlled base, as with most US airbases in the UK, but it's a permanent garrison. There's also odds and ends of NATO training detatchments around in the US, but not operating whole bases. Shimgray | talk | 16:58, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

Hmm, for a presence today a legacy of WWII is a bit lame and I don't see how Europe was more on the frontline of the cold war than the US. Ideologically it was even less at 'war' than the US and that might actually be the reason for the discrepancy. Imagine a European country or the EU putting up a military basis in Florida to guard against the 'threat' of Cuba :) . And anyway, the one in the Ukraine (which is what made me wonder) is more recent.

When I said 'Canada' I didn't think of the UK. There's a still warm historical connection between those two countries, which would explain Suffield. And training detachments going abroad is normal routine I believe and not quite the same as a permanent basis.

When I Google 'europe "military base" usa' all I get is about US military bases outside the US (and one built by Columbus in Tahiti :) ). Doesn't Europe have any military bases outside Europe? If so, why do the US have so many? DirkvdM 20:41, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

(not an expert on this, but I'll give it a shot anyway) As Morwen pointed out the reason for US bases in Europe is historical - a relic of the Cold War. Operating a military base (especially ouside your country) is expensive, so you don't build unless you need it, and there is nothing that a European military base in the US could accomplish which one at 'home' couldn't, so none were built. As for why the US has so many overseas bases, that's partly due to US foreign policy, which often calls for military intervention (or at least 'presence') in many different parts of the world. Many of these date back to the Cold War, at which point the US armed strength was vastly greater than that of any European power, so they were building most of the bases. European foreign policy since WW2 has relied much less on military intervention (and/or they never had a standing army comparable with the US), so there was no real need for overseas bases. — QuantumEleven | (talk) 22:36, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

Going from memory, the United Kingdom has military bases in Cyprus, a semi-permanent base in Brunei and sovereignty over the base at Diego Garcia, as well as a garrison on the Falkland Islands. France has a major base in Djibouti and a smaller one at N'Djamena in Chad (and a large force in the Cote d'Ivoire, even when that country is not in a state of near civil war). In other words, nothing like the outreach of the United States, but not zero. Physchim62 (talk) 17:49, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

In regards to the UK, you're looking at East of Suez as the critical political concept. Also note the semi-permanent Army base in Belize. Besides what you've already mentioned, the RAF has small detatchments based at Ascension Island (to support the Falklands), and there's a few other deployments of varying levels of permanence - in the Gulf, for example, since 1990 - plus RN "fixed patrols" which may or may not be based out of somewhere besides the UK, I don't know. And, of course, there was Hong Kong until recently.

But think of it this way: the biggest military powers, by expenditure at least, are the US, the UK, France, China, Japan, Russia and Germany (in no particular order); of those, Japan and Germany have no overseas deployments for historic reasons, and Russia and China have not actively tried to get overseas basing rights. So that only leaves three, and the US has had a much more forward deployment than the others... Shimgray | talk | 19:26, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

European Countries may not have bases in the United States, but they have stationed troops in the United States for various reasons. I know that Holloman Air Force Base in Almagordo, New Mexico, usually has a number of German fighter pilots present, mostly to train with U.S. Forces. I would imagine that there are other bases in the U.S. where this sort of thing is common. TomStar81 03:12, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

As Europe gets built up, they are losing wide open spaces that air force pilots can train over, but the USA still has a goodly bit of under developed land, such as the national parks, deserts, etc. So long as foreign military may use US bases for such training, they have no need for their own base on US soil. User:AlMac|^(talk) 21:46, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Air bases in Wales

Coincidentally, I need to ask whether there are any American air bases in Wales. --Shantavira 11:58, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

In preparation for your imminent question on Scotland, I'll put a link to RAF Machrihanish here... (To defend the off-topicity, it does show that some US bases have "RAF" in their name). There are also some US locations at ECHELON that might be relevant (depending on how you define air base) Category:United States Air Force bases doesn't help much yet. Ojw 12:36, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

There are no USAF bases in Wales at present. The USAF used to operate out of RAF Sealand in the 1950s but has long since given it up. The main US air bases in Britain need long runways for logistic transport or long-range bombers, which few of the Welsh airfields have. David | Talk 13:36, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

As I suspected. Many thanks. --Shantavira 13:58, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

Gerberas

I understand that you can buy fake gerberas, for use as decoration. I live in Perth, Western Australia and i was wondering where i could buy them. If you're from Perth, please help! Any suggestions are welcome.--Ali K 13:41, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

I'm sorry: I don't live in Perth, I live in a town in Lancashire, UK but I should think you can buy fake gerberas in florist; a rather big one or a home interior decorator shop. I cannot give you a more specific answer, i'm afraid.--XenoNeon 15:14, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

Thanks for your help, but i was really after a specific store or chain of stores, hence asking for help by fellow West Australians.--Ali K 12:25, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

working capital

what is working capital? what are its determinants?

• Start at our article Working capital. Then follow the links off that for more information. Hope this helps. ➨ ❝REDVERS❞ 15:26, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

countries that have never had a female leader

besides the united states can you name for me three countries that have never had a female leader.

Why three countries? Is this your homework? Well, East Timor comes to mind. — JIP | Talk 16:37, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

You need to define what you mean by leader. As an example Australia's head of state is Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom who is female. But the head of government is the Prime Minister and they have never had a female prime minister. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 17:03, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

Australia has had a few female Premier's though --Ali K 04:59, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

Any three Arab countries. -- Mwalcoff 17:15, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

Any three North American countries, except Canada for about six months. --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 21:55, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

Well, Canada's governor general and official head of state are both women. Both Panama and Nicaragua (if we consider those countries to be in North America) have had female presidents. -- Mwalcoff 02:13, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

Obviously, a much shorter list would be countries that have had a female leader. JackofOz 22:15, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

But unless you define "female leader" that list would be just as hard to come up with. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 02:20, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

chart number ones for the usa from 1950 to present day

Ive typed in various different ways to try and find this myself but i cant seem to find what im looking for can you help me please.

As the subject heading says im trying to find all the number ones for the USA from 1950 to present day..list form would be good :)

I look forward to seeing if anyone can help me .

Thanks very much :)

(p.s. ive never used this site before )

Assuming you're talking about music singles, please see List of number-one hits (United States). -- Rick Block (talk) 18:13, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

And also welcome to Wikipedia! - Akamad 22:20, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

latin name for marijuana

Cannabis. —Keenan Pepper 18:01, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

There are between one and three species - Cannabis sativa and possibly Cannabis indica and Cannabis ruderalis - Guettarda 19:46, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

Ruderalis is not quite potent enough to classify as marijuana. Although some might actually prefer that. Many have started to hate the potency of nederwiet (hey, no article on that? well, Dutch sinsemilla then), saying it's no fun anymore. DirkvdM 20:46, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

• (see Sinsemilla) --hydnjo talk 21:13, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

martin sheen in gods and generals

i saw a martin sheen in the major motion picture gettysburg and i was surprised to find out that he wasn`t in the sequel why wasn`t he.

Because Gods and Generals doesn't appear to be a sequel to Gettysburg. They both have the same subject matter and the same director (and, according to IMDb, the same release year) but that's as far as it goes. There are also many reasons why an actor doesn't appear in a sequel - contractual; other commitments; a personal dislike of some aspect of the previous production; money. You might have better luck by trying a Martin Sheen fan site like this one. ➨ ❝REDVERS❞ 19:22, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

Both movies were made from books written by Jeff Shaara as well as having same subject matter and the same director. They did not come out in the same year. Gettysburg 1993, Gods and Generals 2003 Rmhermen 20:22, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

Looking for other Wiccans in Michigan

I was wondering if there were any Wiccans in the area i just moved to. Ludington michigan.

About.com has a page of links for Wiccans in Michigan generally. I'd advise following those links (or nearby links) and seeing if you can find organisations near to Ludington. The page is here. Hope this helps. ➨ ❝REDVERS❞ 19:42, 10 December 2005 (UTC)

It's probably worth pointing out that the "Wiki" in Wikipedia comes from the Hawaiian word for "quick", and has no connection with "Wicca"! -- Arwel (talk) 23:22, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

There happens to be a Wiccapedia, though it seems to be an almost totally useless web portal. [20] Is Wikipedia trademarked? ‣ᓛᖁᑐ 01:16, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

I believe so, by the Foundation. Shimgray | talk | 11:23, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

It should also be noted that Wikipedia is not a meetup site, and this is not a precedent-making posting for others who want to meet people of similar persuasions, religions, interests, etc., anywhere else. User:Zoe|^(talk) 00:12, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

• Meetup.com, on the other hand, is a meetup site, and they have a Witches Meetup Group in Muskegon, which may or may not be close enough for you. --Metropolitan90 08:11, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

A "New Deal Coalition" was dominant from around 1932-1968. Is a coherent new Republican coalition, consisting of what in Kansas are called "Mods" and "Cons," emerging?

Please DYOH - Do Your Own Homework. — QuantumEleven | (talk) 09:25, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

December 11

Bloglines

I wondered why some feeds, when aggregated to Bloglines, are horribly outdated (for instance, the latest item for "MediaWiki Project News" RSS feed in Sourceforge.net, in Bloglines, is "MediaWiki 1.4beta1 released", released August 2005)? Thanks. 61.94.149.23 00:58, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

coin collecting

what is the meaning of spcimen set?

If you look here it will tell you what a specimen is and here is an example of a set. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 05:19, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

Ranking of countries according to Real GDP, per capita

I'm having a very hard time finding a list of countries ranked by Real GDP, per capita. Why is it so terribly difficult? I mean, it's surely possible, right? Why doesn't Wikipedia have it?! Is there some sort of consensus against it or something? I need it urgently. -- Natalinasmpf 05:08, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

Try the CIA World Factbook. Rank Order - GDP (purchasing power parity), Rank Order - GDP - per capita and Rank Order - GDP - real growth rate. Now you can create the list for Wikipedia. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 05:24, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

Doesn't contain the information I need - PPP is different from Real GDP. -- Natalinasmpf 05:25, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

The second link should be the one. It's GDP, per captia. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 05:29, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

But I need it in Real GDP, not nominal. Thanks anyway, I'm just very frustrated over the lack of such a list. -- Natalinasmpf 05:31, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

Whereas nominal GDP refers to the total amount of money spent on GDP, real GDP adjusts this value for the effects of inflation in order to estimate the actual quantity of goods and services making up GDP. The former is sometimes called "money GDP," while the latter is termed "constant-price" or "inflation-corrected" GDP -- or "GDP in base-year prices" (where the base year is the reference year of the index used). See real vs. nominal in economics.

You should be able to use the info Camebridge gave you when you can find out what the inflation was in the years you're looking at. What's your base year? - Mgm|^(talk) 11:23, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

I wanted to compare 2001 (and 2004 as well) the per capita Real GDP of all countries, ranked in order. I don't know how to use this information to organise for every single country. I mean, isn't there a list that already calculates all of this beforehand? -- Natalinasmpf 00:55, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

Numbers for any given year data across countries should be comparable. Not a lot of countries had major inflation 2001-2004; the US, in particular, had very little, so that if you are using PPP (which you probably should be, if you are talking real GDP: exchange rate is a very nominal measure of value, unless you are doing foreign exchange), that is usually given in US dollars, and all you'll need to do is to make a small adjustment for the inflation of the dollar in that 3-year span. -- Jmabel | Talk 02:37, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

japanese fuso bus

we have a mitisubi fuso 1985 bus and we can't understand the writing on the dash board above the speedometer.

Can you take a photograph of it, and show us? We can't read minds. -- Natalinasmpf 07:34, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

If you get a photo why not check over at Wikipedia:Japan-related topics notice board#Participants. One of them should be able to help. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 18:01, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

what is the K-12 is?

See K-12. -- Natalinasmpf 08:15, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

Belongings of KIA soldiers

Are the diaries of soldiers killed in action returned to their families along with other belongings? I imagine a diary might have sensitive information in it, which the military wouldn't want released... -- MegamiX 08:18, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

The U. S. Army's publication AR-638-2, section 20–6, says: "Safeguarding military information: All documents and any sealed material in the PE (personal effects) will be reviewed to ensure proper safeguarding of military information. Classified material and material warranting classification will be withdrawn and submitted to the intelligence officer for review and proper disposition. Material suitable for release will be returned by the intelligence officer for disposition as PE." At which point, according to the [Vice Chief of Staff Army] website: "Shipment of Personal Effects: When a Soldier dies on Active Duty, his or her personal effects are shipped to the place of residence of the authorized recipient, if the recipient did not reside with the deceased soldier." The complete text of the speech wherein this appeared is here. HTH Her Pegship 07:36, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

how did he

hi, my question is the following : how did michael jackson turned white ? .. thank you

He claims to suffer from vitiligo. David Sneek 09:29, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

Exactly what i was going to write, you beat me to it!--Ali K 09:33, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

Yes, a rare form of vitiligo that in addition to the destruction of the skin pigmentation, resulted in the modification of his bone structure, nasal cartiliage and labial tissue. Brian Schlosser42 19:42, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

And a cloaca named Bonnie Danadeuce. - Nunh-huh 15:35, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

Escape from Witch Mountain

who played the young girl in Escape From Witch Mountain? --13:17, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

Do you mean the 1995 or 1975 version? In the 1995 version, i think Elisabeth Moss plays the girl named Anna. Could this be her?--Ali K 13:28, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

I assume you mean Escape to Witch Mountain? In 1975, the character was Kim Richards, who also had a role in the 1995 TV version, in which the character was, as Ali K said, played by Elisabeth Moss (though the characters' names were different). User:Zoe|^(talk) 21:50, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

Ranch Entrance

Many ranches and acreaged properties have a structure that you pass under to enter the property, often with a quarterboard naming the propery. It is usually two vertical poles with another pole placed horizontally on top, similar to the pi sign (π). I have heard it called entrance, arch (not technically correct), gate, etc. What is the correct terminology for the structure itself? My horse, cattle, and sheep contacts are not able to agree.

Thank you, MRLee216.239.160.71 15:15, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

• Is it an estate gate as this site [21] suggests? --Tachs 07:54, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

the worst jobs in history

during anicent times what were the ten worst jobs in history,what were the worst jobs in history during the middle ages and in your opinon what are the worst jobs in mordern times.

Do your own homework - if you need help with a specific part or concept of your homework, feel free to ask, but please do not post entire homework questions and expect us to give you the answers. Perhaps you could search Google and find out more about the Channel 4/Discovery Channel TV series your homework is based on. ➨ ❝REDVERS❞ 15:48, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

If that's a homework question, then a teacher somewhere needs shooting. TheMadBaron 17:34, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

Why? The topic seems both legitimate and interesting. Fredrik | tc 17:44, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

It may be an interesting question but it's very opinionated. I would not want to be a swamper on a sewage or water truck but others don't seem to mind. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 17:52, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

Yes, but the person has to justify his or her argument. That's the whole point of history. -- Natalinasmpf 18:09, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

Some would say that the worst job in history is to be a history teacher; others would say that they prefer that to being unemployed. Physchim62 (talk) 17:54, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

My opine? Telemarketers. MRLee216.239.160.71 17:58, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

Tony Robinson made a TV series (and wrote the accompanying book) entitled The Worst Jobs in History [22]. I can't remember most, but one was urine collector (the urea was used to make gunpowder, I think). The book (same title) is still available. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 18:22, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

Also see the Channel 4 page. --Shantavira 08:55, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

I believe Henry VIII (and probably not only him) had a 'royal arse wiper'. The big perk was that he got the rest of the day off, so he was actually envied. :) DirkvdM 21:34, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

Yes, we have an article about it. --Shantavira 08:55, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

Urine collectors were also used by leather tanners. User:Zoe|^(talk) 21:52, 11 December 2005 (UTC)

Jizz mopper is probably the worst job of modern times. Proto t c 14:23, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

• Worst job in ancient history: slave. Worst job in medieval history: slave. Worst job in enlightened history: slave. Worst job in the contemporary world: slave. --Mareino 15:00, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

I don't think "slave" would be condsidered a "job" by most people. Worst situation to be in in general? Sure, no doubt. But few people choose the career of slavery, and I think the discussion is centering on worst voluntary careers. Brian Schlosser42 19:50, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

• Armpit Sniffer has to be up there. This is a job working in the research department of deoderant companies. Herostratus 15:22, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

When it comes to bad situations of course something like the nazi concentration camps or a wartime situation in general is (potentially) worse than slavery. But if we restrict it to occupational situations I'm not sure if slavery is generally worse. A slave may mot be free and suffer all sorts of abuse (depending on the nature and whims of the owner), but at least slaves are valuable property that needs to be kept healthy. How did 19th century factory workers fare in comparison? They weren't prone to the same sort of abuse (to the same extent anyway), but they were only free in name; where were they going to go and how would they survive? And there may have been less care om the part of the employers concerning their health. If they got injured (on the job, most likely) they simply lost their jobs because there was a big enough pool of other workers. So less 'social security', so to say. Of course 'factory worker' can be considered a job. And there must be modern equivalents. I vaguely remember something about silver (or what was it?) mines in Brazil. And sulphur mines are pretty dreadful too (in Indonesia?). DirkvdM 09:10, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

Travel Blogs with Photos

Where can I find travel blogs/journals or a collection of travel photos (preferrably of East Asia)? I'm more interested in the photographs than the narrative. Thanks!

A former wikipedia contributor runs a site at http://www.photojpn.org/. -- Rick Block (talk) 02:45, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

December 12

DVD Technology

When will DVD players and DVD's becone obsolete Technology?

Current DVDs and DVD players aren't as good as HDTV. Expect another generation soon (like in 2006). Please see HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc. -- Rick Block (talk) 02:39, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

• Hard to answer, since they are not yet even obselescent. - Jmabel | Talk 02:52, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

Is the blu ray being developed to phase out regular DVD? What about my DVD collection?

It's unlikely that yur DVD collection will be affected, since the Blu-Ray players will most likely have DVD capability too, likewise with HD-DVD. - Akamad 06:11, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

• Some people consider cassette tapes obsolete now we have CDs and DVDs. I still think they have their uses, so nothing really becomes obsolete. Video tapes are still in use as well, so I doubt DVDs will be obsolete any time soon. - Mgm|^(talk) 08:51, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

DVD's themselves will likely not be obsolete for decades, as they'll likely remain playable in whatever successor player comes along. But DVD players themselves will be obsolete in 5 years or less. And if you think that nothing really becomes obsolete, I challenge you to find film for my collection of antique cameras and 1960's and 70's era Polaroids, or ribbon and paper for my 1920's era adding machines and typewriters... :-) Brian Schlosser42 20:05, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

If you want it, and it's been made before, there are people that can make it for you again. You may just not want to pay what they would charge :) - Taxman ^Talk 20:51, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

Help me solve this crossword puzzle!

After 3+ hours, I am almost done but have 4 clues left.

Clue: The organisms inhabiting the surface layer of a sea or lake. Answer: _l_n_c_n

Clue: Places where alcoholic drinks are made Answer: w_n_m_e_

Clue:Consisting of yellow or red form of hydrated ferric oxide Answer: O_h_r_u_

Clue:Waterway in brittany, NW France (the name is two words, both five letters long) Answer:_i_e_ r_n_e

Thank you!

Lotsofissues 02:37, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

Are you sure you other letters are correct? Because "plankton" and "brewery" suspiciously have the right number of letters (but don't fit). Enochlau 02:48, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

You might be right about plankton. The clue that generated the c (third from end) was "relating to divination by the movements of mice" The answer is the adj of myomancy. Which would be spelled myomancic? (my assumption) myomantic? (I am certain the answer ends in a c). Thanks for spotting this possibility. Lotsofissues 03:00, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

Yes its plankton. Lotsofissues 04:06, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

ochrous? alteripse 03:33, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

Yesssssss! ocherous!!! Thank you. My dad (Ph.D in chemistry) and I were looking for a hour and were nowhere near succeeding. Lotsofissues 04:05, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

There is a canal in brittany called d'ille et rance. Perhaps it is some variant of that? --DannyZ 06:17, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

Or does RIVER R_N_E lodge anything loose? - Nunh-huh 09:21, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

The River Rance perhaps? It's in Brittany. Natgoo 12:38, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

• The most famous river in NW France is the Seine. Open question whether Normandy and Brittany are "close enough" for this puzzle. --Mareino 15:05, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

My guess is no, as the question explicitly asks for Brittany and gives the letters as _i_e_ r_n_e. Natgoo 16:23, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

I'd agree with Natgoo; List of rivers of France seems to say that only Rance could fit that pattern. smurrayinchester^{(User), (Ho Ho Ho!)} 16:31, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

Thank you guys, I was finally able to complete the impossible to solve Financial Times polymath crossword. Lotsofissues 22:15, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

Casa Editrice Maccari (CEM), via Trento 53, CP 120, 53100 Parma.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I hope that you can help me please.

I have been trying to contact the above Publisher for some time.

The telephone and fax no. is: 00-39-0521-771268

If I try to phone this no. I get an answering machine from the Telecom Italia. The fax no. doesn't work either.

Would it be possible for you to supply me with the correct telephone/fax no. for this Publisher please?

I await your reply,

Thank you in advance,

Yours sincerely

EILEEN COCKROFT (Ms)
Secretary/Assistant
Source Management

Tel. no: 31-20-4853201
Fax no: 31-20-4853214
e-mail: (email removed)

• Are you sure the publisher is still in business? Why are you trying to contact them. - Mgm|^(talk) 08:54, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

• Try missing off the zero before the area code: "00-39-521" not "00-39-0521". A Clue: your number in the Netherlands, "31-20" wopuld be specified as "020" for in-country dialling but you (correctly) are not specifying it in your number for unternational dialling; Italy (like most European countries, with the possible exception of Spain) is just the same. Tonywalton  | Talk 12:40, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

AUSSIES

I'm not sure what it's all about, so does anyone know the reason for the surfers attacking foreigners in australia lately? is it a new sort of terrorism or just a civil tiff? are things under control now? are there any cases of servere bodily harm done to victims? i'm a bit concerned as it is not a common attitude of OZ nationals to behave in such a manner and unfortunately the situation is not as well publicised in my country.(i vacationed in australia twice so im really shocked!!!)ME--168.209.97.34 09:45, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

According to the news here in Australia, this attack on foreigners was indeed performed by surfers and youths. They were targetting citizens who did not appear to be Australian. The Prime Minister of Australia has expressed his feelings of uttermost disgust and said that all Australians reglardless of race should be treated with respect. I am not sure if things are under control now, although police have been making several arrests. I was, too, shocked to learn of this behavior as it does not normally happen in Australia. Mind you it was a small amount of people expressing their (racist) thoughts, and the majority of Australians do not feel the same way. --Ali K 10:10, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

I am surprised it made such an international wave. Essentially, it is difficult to pull together a multicultural society, where people whose families have been here for a generation or two more may have a sense of elitism or posession; others who have arrived from overseas due to problems there may well rather be where they come from. Ultimately, tensions that started at home became violent as some groups (according to police including some Neo-Nazi groups) of this former group of Australians targeted persons of Middle Eastern origin; in retaliation, there was response in riots, property damage and graffiti. Immigrants and locals anywhere tend to make gangs; and gangs are often centred ethnically and thus an entire ethnic group blamed when a gang member purportedly does something wrong. So it may not be typically Australian, but even Australian society has many difficulties with multiculturalism. jnothman ^talk 10:33, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

The racial tensions were probably there for a while, but the catalyst for the riots was the bashing of a couple of lifegards on the 4th of December, by a group of Lebanese appearance. This led to riots targeting Lebanese people (well actually, pretty much anyone of Middle Eastern appearance was attacked). Which then led to counter-riots and will most likely go onto counter-counter-riots. And it certainly isn't common Australian behaviour. Check out 2005 Cronulla race riots for more details. - Akamad 10:58, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

WOW,that seems kinda hectic! i read the link u provided and i am totally amazed by the perplexity of the entire situation.Do you think this negative behaviour will rub off on the neighbouring New zealand?i have family there but they said that nothing has happened there yet? how far do you think ozzies are willing to take this? are their actions justified in any way? do you think it would affect their tourism stats for the near festive season? are these rebels aware of the stigma they are now attaching to their wonderful(now sceptical)country? which until now has been one of the top tourist attractions? my heart goes out to all rebels for their inability to see the inhumanity of their acts(and how it will affect them in the long run)as well as the victims of this cruel example of "The Beast"(Lord of the Flies)your views will be highly appreciated...ME--168.209.97.34`

I don't think it would have any direct implications on New Zealand. As for affecting tourism, these incidents to date have been confined to the beach areas, which are popular tourist destinations. I was out and about in the CBD today, and I saw nothing of it, so it appears confined to those areas. Australia, while being the multicultural place it is now, is probably still coming to terms with its identity, with immigrants having widely varying levels of attachment to their originating cultures. Enochlau 13:42, 12 December 2005 (UTC

apparently the oz police now have the right to lockdown areas of austrailia?? and ban drinking|alcohol! is this gonna work? has it been implemented yet. for how long will this restriction be? it would be nice if Ali K or Enochlau could give me a low down on the happenings. me--

Origin of Flea Market

Why are Flea Markets called such?

A quick glance at the Flea market article gives this: "The original flea market is likely to be the Marché aux puces of Saint-Ouen, Seine-Saint-Denis, in the northern suburbs of Paris, a large, long-established outdoor bazaar, one of four in Paris, that earned their name from the flea-infested clothing and rags sold there". Please search wikipedia before asking questions here. Natgoo 12:32, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

just a thought!if you have been to a flea market or at least a Capetonian one you would soon realise that there is'nt even enough space for a flea to jump bcos the place is totally too crowded!!!.--168.209.97.34

The major Dutch flea market is the Waterloopleinmarkt in Amsterdam. The 'island' this is on (Amsterdam is partly a collection of islands named with the suffix '-burgh') used to get flooded a lot and was therefore called Vlooienburgh (after an ancient version of the modern Dutch word 'vloeien' which means 'to flow'). In modern Dutch 'vlooien' means 'fleas', so I've long wondered if that may be the origin of the Dutch word 'vlooienmarkt'. Which i nturn might have led to the English version (it wouldn't be the only English word of Dutch origin). I can't find any source to back this up, but it sounds too good not to be true. If it this is not the origin it's certainly a big coincidence. DirkvdM 09:32, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

how do I get the zest from an orange?

Use a sharp knife (be careful), or, even better, a potato peeler. There are specialised tools for this, but they're expensive. Proto t c 14:20, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

Expensive? I had quick look on ebay and the cheapest zester was about 3 American dollars, i don't know where you are from, so i didnt know which currency to quote you in. Using a zester is probably the easiet, most affective way of zesting an orange ( and not to mention safest!)--Ali K 14:50, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

• As with just about all culinary tools, there's a wide range of prices, with themost expensive generally being exteremely durable but only cost-effective for professional chefs (who need to, say, zest 10,000 oranges per year). You can also zest with a cheese grater, by the way. --Mareino 15:08, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

Right, a cheese grater is what I use. I dunno about using a knife or even a potato peeler as the first respnder says, sounds hard to me. Herostratus 15:18, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

• Just make sure you get only the top of the peel. The white part is very bitter. TheSPY 17:55, 12 December 2005 (UTC)TheSPY

• One of those zesting tools with four holes on the tips is cheap and works pretty well, once you've got the angle right. Graters are easier, but also tend to take off some of the pith (white layer). A microplane grater is probably easiest, takes off a thin enough layer that you won't get any pith, but they are quite pricey. --Bob Mellish 18:02, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

Or get one of those really nice zesters that barefoot contessa uses :-) --HappyCamper 18:55, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

Shareholders and Directors of Corporations

I was wondering if there is a way to determine if a specific individual has any shareholdings or is a director/principal of a CCPC, a closely held corporation registerd in Ontario?

Thankyou, Elizabeth Walker CGA

When a corporation is registered, the registration info ought to be accessible to the public, although you may have to go to some government office to see the data ... it might not be on the Internet. Depending on how closely held, and the laws of Ontario and of Canada, some data may be private (not available to you) in the absense of what a lawyer can ferret out. User:AlMac|^(talk) 21:57, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Shower door glass

How do I get hard water stains off

My guess is with a really tough shower cleaner or it might pay to clean them while you are actually in the shower and the glass is fogged with steam.--Ali K 14:43, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

• Look in the local supermarket or hardware store for cleaners that remove calcium, which is often the main component of hard water.--Mareino 15:12, 12 December 2005 (UTC)
• Lime-Away works pretty well, though it's nasty to work with; you have to be careful not to get it on clothes, skin, or other surfaces that might be stained by it. android79 18:31, 12 December 2005 (UTC)
• For a low-tech solution, try a scouring pad; it scrubs away water spots and dried soap.

And maybe scratches the glass. --Anon, 09:31 UTC, December 13, 2005

I think he means sponge with scrubber on the back. NOBODY is foolish enough to try steel wool on glass, are they? Cernen 13:50, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

Why buy some agressive stuff when a milder and probably much cheaper solution is likely already in your house. Try vinegar. I'm surprised that the use of removing calcium isn't mentioned there. Recently I used it to remove a fairly thick layer of calcium deposits on the tap in my bathroom. I wrapped toilet paper around it and poured vinegar over that. Considering the thickness of the layer I had to leave it overnight, but after that the calcium pretty much washed off (after some persuasion by a brush). I suppose the chemistry of this is fairly easy, something with Ca2+ reacting with acid. Anyone? DirkvdM 09:52, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

Depends. IMHO, WD-40 would probably do it, but I'm not bold enough to try it on glass (it is a lubricant, after all, and would probably smear...) so...maybe you could try a shot of WD-40 and then cleaning off the remainder with a scouring pad and a lethal Windex-Lime-Away vinaigrette. (I think it's fair to note that I didn't take chemistry in college, so be warned! You may find yourself shouting "OH NOES!! MY SHOWER!!" if you do that. I take no responsibility for melted glass doors. ^_^) Cernen 13:50, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

Corporate executives -real estate

How can I get a list of the executives in the top 500 corps that make the decisions about corporate real estate transactions. I would also like to have their email address.

Forbes magazine had an article a few months ago about the largest corporations in the USA that are NOT traded on the US Stock Market. Privately held corporations are not required to make listings of executives available to the general public, but you can often find this kind of info in places like Thomas directory because companies trying to do business with each other, lead to such info leaking out. There's also listings like US Chambers of Commerce which is just their membership, not all companies. User:AlMac|^(talk) 22:00, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Your best bet is probably to budget a few thousand dollars to buy the information from a mailing list broker. User:AlMac|^(talk) 22:02, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

dinosaurs

DID DINOSAURS EXIST BEFORE NOAH'S DAY? I HAVEN'T READ ANYTHING ABOUT THEM IN THE BIBLE

That used to bother me when I was about 8 years old too. You will have to make a fundamental decision whether to believe many other things about the physical universe that are not mentioned explicitly in the Bible. Good luck. alteripse 15:19, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

Well they certainly didn't exist after Noah's day. And they certainly existed. (You might find Young Earth Creationism helpful) DJ Clayworth 15:40, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

You haven't read about automobiles or computers in the Bible either. Does this mean they don't exist? — JIP | Talk 19:03, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

• Whoever the leader at your church is should be able to answer this question in detail for you, but here's how I understand it. Even the newest parts of the Bible were written almost 2,000 years ago. There was a lot that people didn't know back then! There was very little of what we'd now call the sciences of archeology and paleontology, which try to learn things by digging around in the ground and comparing what we find with what we know about the rest of the world. Dinosaurs died out long before civilization began, so you'd never know about them without lots of scientific work. If you think about how little we know about the world 2,000 years ago, it makes sense that no one wrote about dinosaurs in the Bible. Most Jews, Christians, and Muslims believe that God came up with all of the ideas in the Bible, but he gave those ideas to otherwise ordinary men to write down. It's hard enough understanding the important parts -- loving everyone, rejecting violence -- so you can understand why the Book of Genesis explains the creation of the world in such simple terms, with no dinosaurs, evolution, Big Bang, or any of that other stuff that requires science to understand. Religion only explains why we're here, and how we should treat each other. All the rest you'll have to look outside the Bible to learn about. --Mareino 19:49, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

You might want to read creationism more generally, which describes a whole different range of ways by which people reconcile their religious beliefs with science's current understanding of the world (such as dinosaur fossils). To cut a long story short, many people, perhaps the majority if you take a global perspective, who identify as Christians think that those parts of the Bible aren't to be taken literally; some others claim that scientists have got it completely wrong and the literal word of Bible is right. There are also many other people who aren't Christians (they believe in some other religion, or none at all (see atheism and agnosticism)) for whom the Bible is just another book and so they don't really care what the Bible says on the matter. Personally, I fall into the latter camp; I don't worry about the discrepancies between the Bible and science any more than I worry about the discrepancies between the rainbow serpent story and science. But I can't tell you what to believe. It's something you'll need to figure out for yourself. --Robert Merkel 01:47, 13 December 2005 (UTC).

Well, i can tell you that Noah did not created an ark, and the real question should be : did noah existed ? the answer is : the bible is a story, there are no magical beings and no one speaks to god, or for god, there was never a huge boat discovered that held all te species of both sexes, thats imposible, and if god wanted Noah to save the earth to make a big test, he SHOULD NEVER started the huge flood in the first place,and besides noah is a human, and all the other living creatures that were saved by him are animals that exist today. Now you do the math : Dinosaur before Man, Noah equals Man, Dinosaurs before Noah , Noah never created an ark, ark does not exist, Bible Made it up. Boom im out! :D

Well, what a sweeping philosophical statement. Logically speaking in terms of analysing it scientifically, there is very strong evidence for dinosaurs, and a lot of good evidence (as well as against) the existence of a supernatural entity in philosophical terms. -- Natalinasmpf 08:44, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

Does the bible mention

• Unicorns
• Dragons
• Specific kinds of plant life and flowers

When it mentions other creatures collectively, without listing them all, can that mean any animals, birds reptiles etc.? User:AlMac|^(talk) 18:03, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

Fie; we all know it was the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Cernen 13:55, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

Idaho wine grapes

--Could you please tell me what type of wine grape vines will grow in this area? the elevation is about 3400 feet. the planting zone is a 4 although it has gotten to -12. Grapes do grow here but I would like to try some wine types. white would be good.----- Beatrice Shatto area code is 83530

Your best bet would be some of the French-American hybrids have good cold hardiness. List of grape varieties shows many of these. Seyval Blanc, Vidal Blanc and Vignoles are popular white varieties. Rmhermen 22:34, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

Wikifun

You guys seem good at solving problems. Can you solve any of the Wikipedia:Wikifun problems? Dmn 16:27, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

We're not allowed! Because of the fact that we can answer questions here we've been banned from over there. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 18:16, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

Huh? I've not heard that before. Natgoo 19:29, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

Well it's true, there's a cabal that monitors it. Why just after typing in the above answer my hard drive crashed on my home computer. I've now moved to a secret location to finish this. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 21:40, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

You poor thing. I hope it's somewhere warm with fruity drinks. Natgoo 23:28, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

the fastest shoot(Kick)

hi

I am talking about soccer(football). I heard the the speed of a kick or shoot of one player can measured interms kilometre per hour. If this is true , whose kick or shoot is the all time fastest shoot? & how many kilometres per hour it travels?

I tried looking for it on some record sites as well as google, but I couldn't find a relible source. But my grand father was a professional soccer player in Iran around 50 years ago and a few years back he told me about this guy nicknamed Hammer, whose shots exceeded almost 80 Km/h, but I'm not sure if this is accurate. He also told me his shots were so hard that it injured some goalies and hence they made him this leg cast and made him not use that leg to shoot. --(Aytakin) | Talk 22:35, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

You heard the the speed of a kick or shoot of one player can measured interms kilometre per hour. Is there a speed that can't be measured in km/h? :) DirkvdM 10:06, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

I don't know what the record is. But Sky Sports in the UK used to measure particularly thunderous shots, and I definitely remember one from a Sheffield Wednesday player (maybe it was Ritchie Williams) clocking 89 mph (which is about 142 km/h). Matt Le Tissier had one around the same speed once, also. Proto t c 11:04, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

---

Well if a soccer ball travels 80 km/h then the guys that were injured were 3 month old children, that an aprox speed of 49mph, and if a shoot or kick is 142km/h it would still be hardly to belive that some one would get hurt, being an aprox 89 mph, in baseball they get hit with a real hard ball at those speeds on the legs and no bones broken yet, with a soccar ball its doubtfull, the only time there have been broken bones speeds have ranged over 120mph when the ball got right of the bat after hitting a 102mph fastball, but in answer to your question so far there hasnt been a contunious record of the speed, but an unoficial one was given, in france, by a player named Ramses Saint Martin who kicked a 96 mph aprox(154 km/h ) soccer ball , thus giving him the number of the same for the frenchman's team, he was the teams high-shool free kicker in mont blanc, but a freak accident took his life, and never made it to national or international recognition.

Sprinkles

I'm busy making cookies (biscuits) from scratch. How do I get the sprinkles to stay on top? It's really annoying as they keep falling off. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 17:48, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

They need glue or moisture of some sort. Any sort of dampness or frosting should do it. (like I've ever baked a cookie...) alteripse 18:23, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

What kind of sprinkles are you using? the little rainbow colored "jimmies" or non-pariels or something altogether different? Brian Schlosser42 20:15, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

You could try pressing them down into the dough a little (or a lot). —Keenan Pepper 20:25, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

I was using the rainbow sprinkles. Also, as per alteripse's answer how do I get several thousand superglued sprinkles off my fingers, face and out of the keyboard? Have you ever tried glueing each sprinkle to a cookie. The frosting worked but the picture in the cookbook shows them without frosting. Keenan Pepper are you saying I should cook the sprinkles as well? CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 21:28, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

You should cook them into the cookie. Press down a little before you put them in the oven. They should come out all right, if a little crunchy and carmelized. Brian Schlosser42 21:53, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

You could try using some icing. Hundreds and Thousands tend to stick well to that. smurrayinchester^{(User), (Ho Ho Ho!)} 15:34, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

Adding the sprinkles before cooking worked as does the icing. I was too lazy to ice cookies. Thanks all. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 22:42, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

WD-40. May render the cookies, sprinkles, and frosting inedible, but damn if it doesn't smell good. Also, will work wonders for rustproofing your oven (though lord knows why you'd need to do that; it doesn't really get wet in there, does it? And isn't WD-40 flammable? Hmmm...) Cernen 14:10, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

Rock band "Fuse" lyrics

Can you tell me the lyrics to the Fuse song "Across the Skies?" Thanks!

Lyrics are copyrighted, and Wikipedia cannot post them here. You might search in a search engine for "Across the Skies" fuse lyrics. Zoe (216.234.130.130 21:45, 12 December 2005 (UTC))

journalistic ethics

Suppose the editor of a major U.S. newspaper (call him/her A) writes an article defending a convicted child molester (call him/her B). Suppose someone (call him/her C) who has studied the court documents from the case quite thoroughly writes a letter to A rebutting the claims. Suppose A, instead of publishing the letter, forwards it to B in the state penitentiary and includes C's home address, which is not otherwise on public record. Suppose B then writes to C, who fears to open the letter because s/he's afraid it might be deliberately contaminated with tuberculosis bacteria or somesuch.

Did A breach any journalistic codes of conduct or ethics? Does C's planned lawsuit have any good grounds? What if C's fears about the letter s/he received turn out to be justified? (S/he's sent it to the proper authorities for testing—the prison didn't bother to check its contents.) Is A then criminally liable?

This is not hypothetical (I know C), but I'd rather not give any details until after the lawsuit. (I will say that C is not me, despite the matching initial. :-) —Charles P. (Mirv) 18:37, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

The journalistic ethics question isn't the important one because journalistic ethics are simply idealistic unenforceable "guidelines". You really need to know (1) what safety risks were reasonably created to C, and (2) what legal recourse or protection C has. Possible risks might include harassment by mail or by internet/email or by third party such as as lawyer, or perhaps physical attack if the prisoner ever gets out, is into revenge, and thinks C was responsible for causing his original conviction or extending or aggravating his punishment. However a medical risk from a prisoner transmitted by a letter is so vanishingly improbable that importuning authorities about it will undermine her credibility. (2) I don't know what her legal recourse is for the transfer of information from journalist to prisoner. It would be best determined and explained by a lawyer (IANAL), but if she sent it to the editor for publication (i.e., public dissemination), the lawyer may not be very impressed. I have to say that the story as you present it makes me wonder what important pieces of info are being omitted or described in a way that might change my responses or view of this. All three characters sound pretty unsavory from your story. alteripse 19:14, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

B was arrested and convicted for molesting young boys, allegedly at gunpoint. C has a young son.

C has also faced threats and defamation in the past for writing about other such criminals, which probably accounts for the paranoia about the letter. As for the transfer of information, well, I've yet to see a newspaper publish details of letter writers' home address—usually they just give the city and state, and C's address in that city and state is not in public records.

C is, of course, looking for a good lawyer; I'm just curious about how the case might turn out. —Charles P. (Mirv) 21:35, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

Perhaps extended discussion here is not appropriate but one has to wonder (1) why a journalist had "defended" the convicted prisoner unless perhaps there was another side or a mitigating factor or an unjust aspect of the trial, (2) why someone not a party to the original transgression or trial thought it her business to "examine" the court documents and send a letter of disagreement to the newspaper. People disagree with editorials every day but dont expect anyone to attack them for it; hence it sounds like something is missing. (3) why someone is worried that the prisoner is going to attack her if all she did was write a letter expressing an opinion that disagreed with the journalist and agreed with the jury; that happens all the time too. (4) why a journalist would forward such a letter to a prisoner; it is such a bizarre thing to do that again the story sounds incomplete. You can call me excessively skeptical but most of the described or putative actions of all three people (especially C) don't make sense unless there are important missing pieces. alteripse 02:44, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

What happened to the biography that was supposed to be written about Malcolm Forbes about 10 years ago aledging that he had a secret homosexual lifestyle?

And who was the biographer?

Could it be "Malcolm Forbes: The Man Who Had Everything" by Christopher Winans? Published in 1990. - Akamad 09:04, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

Animal genitalia

what do you call animal genitalia ? is it the same as humans

I would presume so, yes. I've heard of male genital organs in non-humans being called penises, at least. — JIP | Talk 19:02, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

• If the animal is a mammal, then all of the parts match up, although many people only use the technical terms when talking about animal genitalia, since using slang words to refer to animal genitals can sound a bit silly. If the animal's not a mammal, you can usually use the same terms, but some animals reproduce differently enough that their organs require a different set of words. --Mareino 19:53, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

Birds, for example, have a common orifice, the cloaca with which they excrete and reproduce, more's the pity for them, I suppose. Brian Schlosser42 20:23, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

Danny Bonaduce calls his "Hermione Gingold". Just in case someone asks. [23] - Nunh-huh 03:22, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

Danny Bonaduce has a cloaca? Maybe that explains more than I thought it would...Brian Schlosser42 15:13, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

I've heard dork as being originally used to be a whale penis (possibly an urban legend?} although the word has since slipped into slang usage. The breasts of a cow would also be udderly different from those of some other female mammals... --carlb 21:16, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

If eighteen year olds are considered teenagers

Are eighteen year olds considered teenagers?

Yes, by definition. However in many jurisdictions 18yr olds are legally adults so people sometimes make a distinction at that line calling 13-17 teenagers and everyone else adults. So if the distinction is between adults and teenagers, your answer may be sometimes not. It depends on how careful the person is being. - Taxman ^Talk 20:21, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

Our article Category:Teenage_Wikipedians says that you can add your name if you are between 13 and 19. I guess we call Wikipedians teenagers by definition. --Ali K 03:05, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

• Technically speaking, a teenager is someone aged 10-19. Being a minor or not is not relevant in this case. "teenager" is based on age, just like twenty- and thirty-something. - Mgm|^(talk) 10:01, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

How can an 11 year old be a "teenager"? Teen-ager implies 13-19. I'd say 10-19 could better be described as "adolescent". Saying that 12 is a "teen" is like saying the year 2000 was in the 90's. Brian Schlosser42 15:16, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

See also tween for the younger ages. Rmhermen 18:05, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

I know this is silly(you'll agree) but Ramona Quimby in Beatrice Clearly's book "Ramona's World" considers herself a teenager when she turns 10.She calls herself a "zero-teenager".

-\

Not according to 18 year olds. Cernen 14:15, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

For Your Consideration

I clicked on one of the "for your consideration" ads online promoting movies from universal pictures. The link was www.universalpicturesawards.com . I RSVPd online for a screening, but it asked for a Academy Member affiliation. Are these screenings open to the general public? I successfully signed up, though I don't know if I'll actually be able to get in come the day of the screening.

Ads/spam are not allowed on Wikipedia. Where did you find this? DirkvdM 10:09, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

booker

I AM A BIG WRESTLING FAN AND I JUST WANTED TO KNOW HOW MUCH COULD A BOOKER MAKE, A GOOD BOOKER?

See bookmaker. -- Natalinasmpf 06:31, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

And please don't write in all capitals - it's the written equivalent of shouting... — QuantumEleven | (talk) 09:03, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

A wrestling booker is not a bookmaker. In wrestling parlance, a booker is the man who arranges matches, handles the advertising, decides who will win the matches, etc. I don't know how much a good one would make. Probably not that much, at all, unless they're hugely successful and pull in lots of T-shirt sales. Proto t c 11:06, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

Annual US Military Recruiting

Question: What is the total average number of the new soldiers recruit to US Army each year? How many from the total recruit to US Force and Navy?

Answer:

Hard to say, but assuming that the rate of new soldiers remains more or less the same it would be in the tens of thousands. According to this report, in 2004 the number of recruits was over 77,000. I know the average age of an army recruit is 19, so figure the number of 19 year olds fresh out of high school, independent, and in need of cash. My guess work would assume that the number would be lower for the navy and air force, since they do not need a large number to project force. TomStar81 03:25, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

Looking for website URL where man promises to cut his thumb off if given donations.

i came across a site a few months ago where a man promised he would cut his thumb off if he was given 50,000$ worth of donations by christmas and document the whole process. anyone have the URL? thanks chris

http://www.cutoffmythumb.com/ --Think Fast 01:49, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

aww, there's no update. :( looks like he didnt do it.

What is this????? help me!! everyone please look closely and give me a guess...

http://ebiomedia.com/gall/eyes/images/NHeye.jpg ahh a big blurry eye what is this?? i got more {{underconstruction}}Maoririder 21:34, 12 December 2005 (UTC)thanks where is this?? http://img.groundspeak.com/cache/b611ae38-9333-4138-9942-3e517ef8c6b9.jpg you guys and gals help me before??

I get a 403 Forbidden error for the first link; sorry I can't help with the second one. —Keenan Pepper 03:15, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

I also got a 403 error link for the first, and like Keenan Pepper I don't know what the second one is. TomStar81 03:16, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

Looks like mooring masts for the Mother Ship! Harken! It arrives! It is an omen!

P.MacUidhir (t) (c) 02:11, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

Any idea (other than on the beach) where it is. Looks like a scarecrow. If the thing to the right is for drying fish then it could well be a figure for scaring off birds. We have similar stuff here in the summer. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 02:28, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

bubba gump

today i heard about a seafood restrurant called bubba gump which is named for the forest gump character what i want to know is does it deliever.

Yes. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 21:45, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

I totally agree. Enochlau 22:14, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

See here for home delivery information. --Metropolitan90 05:46, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

worcestershire sauce as marinade

Does Worcestershire sauce have the right balance of acid and oil to be used as a marinade?

I often use it as a marinade on beef, caribou and have also used it on polar bear. I have not tried it on chicken or pork. However, as to the balance I could not say. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 22:30, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

You've cooked a polar bear, but can't make the sprinkles stay on your cookies? I guess the Sorbonne has gone downhill since my salad days...Brian Schlosser42 15:20, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

But did the sprinkles stay on the polar bear? Enquiring minds wish to know! Tonywalton  | Talk 14:30, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

It depends on what you want from your marinade. Worcestershire sauce certainly contains a wonderful variety of flavors, so if you like the taste it will work well as a flavor enhancer. It seems to me that you're more worried about tenderizing, however. On that front, worcestershire does contain a fair amount of vinegar and could probably have some mild tenderizing effect, but not much. This is hardly the fault of the sauce, though: The notion that acidic marinades are good tenderizers is generally not true. They simply can't penetrate very far into meat, so the most they can do is tenderize the surface and a bit beneath. And leave them on too long - you've got mushy meat. So don't use worcestershire if you need to tenderize meat; cook it differently. -- George 06:00, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

secret european prisons in the us

iam a postal worker there is a rumor going around that several european countries are operating secret prisons in the us disguised as ordinary buildings where torture is performed[proably because are laws are loose when it comes to that sought of thing] i want to know what do you think about it and if you think there is any truth to this rumor.

There have been reports that the CIA has a number of secret prisons in Eastern Europe where they hold terror suspects. See this Washington Post article. You seem to have heard it backwards.-gadfium 23:58, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

Oh my goodness, Americans torturing prisoners in secret prisons in Europe? But Americans have always been the good guys! For example, in the Middle Ages, when various European nations fought bloody wars about religion and butchered innocent people just because they believed in the wrong god, the United States was not involved in this at all! — JIP | Talk 06:54, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

• They're just rumors. As long as no real evidence surfaces, I'm not going to worry. - Mgm|^(talk) 10:06, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

Well, there's always Guantanamo Bay, so there's plenty to worry about. Make sure this winter you don't wrap a scarf around your head if you have an middle-eastern face and are carrying a daypack in your hands. Very suspicious. Especially if it consequently turns out you've been to Whereveristan somewhere in the past. DirkvdM 10:15, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

The main issue here is cia flights through Europe (plane number N379P with several aliases and longterm-leased to the US government) transporting untried prisoners to countries where they are likely to be tortured, like Egypt, Syria and Jordan. So that part is not about the cia actually torturing but facilitating torture, which, one might say, comes down to the same thing. Whether these prisons are officially US owned is a relatively minor point. Anyway, certain non-torture treatises specify that one is not only not allowed to torture but also not allowed to extradite people to countries where they are likely to be tortured. It could be that the US haven't signed such treatises (sounds probable), but European countries that have are now presented with a problem if the cia uses their airports for such transports. Even Sweden, one of the last countries one would expect this from, has let the cia have their way in some cases. If even they do that, what can one expect of other countries? Part of the problem is that for certain flights (which includes these flights) the passengers don't need to be specified - only the number of passengers needs to be given, so it's hard to find out the necessary details. DirkvdM 11:55, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

Addition (I'm watching a documentary on this). Words of former cia agent Robert Baer: "There's a rule inside the cia. If you want a good interrogation and you want good information, you send the suspect to Jordan. If you want them to be killed or tortured to death, you send them either to Egypt or to Syria, never to see them again." (a variation of this can be read in [24]).

Me again. Just heard on behind the news show Netwerk. If the US practise torture, then the above would mean that the Netherlands cannot hand over people like Wesam al D to the US because that would make the Netherlands an accessory to what ever happens to these people. Judges of the International Court of Justice (such as Blekxtoon) are considering exactly such a stance. And Dutch coalition party D66 and projected biggest party PvdA say it would at present be unwise to extradite prisoners to the US. That should have quite an impact, placing the US at a level with nations like Syria and Lebanon (in this respect, that is). In the words of D66 minister B. Bakker: "The US have in recent years built up a credibility-problem, which is firing back at them all over the world. Because they claim to stand for democracy and human rights, while they themselves violate them. First it was the death penalty and now it's the treatment of people who haven't been tried yet. [...] This affects their moral authority." I'm not sure if he meant to say that the US violate democracy, although a case could be made for that, but that's not relevant here. DirkvdM 15:45, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

Our article is at CIA prison system.-gadfium 21:30, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

See below Yes, here in Belgium, I too have heard that European governments are operating secret prisons on US soil. European law is quite clear on the subject of torture: it is in all cases forbidden. US laws are, of course, much laxer, and consequently, as I understand it, a secretly chartered Airbus ferries prisoners from the Middle East to locations in America for more intense interrogation than could be tolerated on European soil. I'm told that the facilities include a number of retired Cold War American military bases that are now disguised as public universities. Fort Ord in particular is named in these rumours as a facility where internationals from developing countries are tortured by a secret team of CIA agents disguised as humanities professors and amateur surfers, who subject them to endless discussions of their body piercings, ambiguous sexual orientation, what they did in the 60s, and their day trades as well being forced to attend student government meetings that drastically exceed the limits stipulated in the Geneva Convention. This is in clear violation of ordinary human rights and here it would represent a serious breach of the European Convention on Human Rights, but because of loopholes in the law and ambiguities in the scope of executive authority, the European government is able to operate outside the rules by cooperating with American regimes that have less judicial oversight, concern for human rights or democratic safeguards - like California, a state presently under the control of a former European national. Fortunately, such flights have to transit Canada, which is investigating whether or not its much stronger human rights code is being violated by European overflights bound for the US, so there is some hope this sort of thing will be exposed. --Diderot 22:10, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

Technically speaking, U.S. law (note the singular) is not more lax. There was a reference earlier in the thread to treaties which prohibit Extraordinary Rendition (The official US term for sending poeple to be tortured elsewhere); the US signed the relevant treaty and duly ratified it as provided under the United States Constitution, toward which all proper Americans (including me) have an attitude approaching reverence. Hence, under that same Constitution, it is an integral part of United States law; for further info, see the Constitution. In the same treaty is the list of special circumstances in which the use of torture is not unlawful: "No extraordinary circumstances whatsoever". Quite unequivocal. Dandrake 03:08, 14 December 2005 (UTC) Now as the application of the law ---- Sorry, I just ran out of time, somebody is knocking very very loudly on the

Diderot, do you have a link with information for the Europeans being sent to the US?

Sure, try here. --Diderot 22:42, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

Ohhhh! I really fell for that didn't I? Hope you didn't look at the history to see who made the unsigned edit. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 03:28, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

Well, that was obvious. I was in doubt for a moment because Diderot has been a serious editor here for some time if I remember correctly. But I wonder what the sarcasm is about. It gives off the impression that you don't take the subject seriously. I'd say it's serious enough not to joke about. We're not just talking about human lives but about slow painful deaths. What are you mocking? DirkvdM 08:39, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

I've striked-through (struck-through? strikken-through?) the sarcastic bit because it sort of gets in the way for serious readers. DirkvdM 08:43, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

Oh, come on! The whole point is that it's difficult to imagine Europe using the US in the way that it's all too credible for America to use the eastern European EU states. Only the aluminum hat and black helicopter crowd could believe that the EU (or UN, or the Anti-Christ) operate secret overseas prisons on US soil - as the original question asserts - while it's all too easy to believe in the US acting that way. Besides, I thought that comparing Fort Ord (now, California State University, Monterey Bay) to the former Soviet bases alleged to hold American prisoners was a neat bit of humor. Certainly, the CSU system has its moments of sheer torture. It should have been an obvious joke just from the suggestion of student government meetings that violate the Geneva Convention.

Jeez, this is far enough outside of the main article space that I'd have thought a little humor wasn't entirely out of line. As for this is a serious subject and shouldn't be joked about - no, this is a serious subject and should be the object of endless ridicule. Americans process contempt from abroad as a sign that they are right and everyone else is wrong. Ridicule, however, they have a much harder time avoiding. They hate looking like idiots. Serious inquiries and solemn discussions on this subject will - I assure you - lead absolutely nowhere. The power to stonewall is far to great. There will be no scandal, no one will lose their voting rights in Brussels, and Washington will produce nothing but non-denial denials as is its standard practice. There will be no accounting, at least not until the issue is too old for anyone to care about. On the other hand, pointing out that this is exactly the kind of behavior that Europeans - and even Canadians - do not do, and making the point that the US is rapidly turning into the world's richest third world country - that has some effect at least. --Diderot 09:16, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

A problem with discussing this way is that facial expressions are missing, which usulally give major pointers for listeners. So especially sarcasm can easily be misread. The fact that CambridgeBayWeather first didn't see it was sarcasm and that I consequently didn't get the purpose of your sarcasm illustrates this quite nicely. Now 'the US is rapidly turning into the world's richest third world country' - that's a sarcasm that can't be misread. :) DirkvdM 09:58, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Suspected and accused terrorists have been labeled as unlawful combatants, because they not wear a uniform of a foreign nation power, recognizable to those fighting the terrorists. As such, US leadership has declared that such individuals fall outside the protections provided for

• prisoner of war (only applies to enemy combatant ie. soldier sailor airman of an enemy nation
• civilian resident of a nation militarily occupied by a foreign power
• person under arrest by law enforcement suspected of violating some rules of the criminal justice system

There is some precedent. Spies and Saboteaurs in a lawful war, such as WW II, were typically in civilian clothes, and if caught, had no legal protections from any kind of abuse by their captors.

Another scenario is young women enslaved by prostitute rings, some of them arriving in USA through immigration smugglers who insist that they work for the smuggler organizations to pay for their transportation. If any of them manage to escape, some go to the police, who refuse to help them, because the police assume the girls deliberately chose the prostitution lifestyle, where rape is not a crime. User:AlMac|^(talk) 22:21, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

You're talking about 'proven' terrorists. This is mainly about people suspected of some affiliation with or plans of terrorism. DirkvdM 07:18, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

I am not talking about "proven" terrorists. I am talking about people suspected of being terrorists, that get tortured by people who lack the education to know that a forced confession can be anything the victim thinks the torturer wants to hear. In the Abu Graib photo scandal it was revealed later that 99% of the people in that prison were probably innocent, who got there from mass roundups where some (war) crime had occurred and they arrested everyone who was within miles of the event. User:AlMac|^(talk) 18:10, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

December 13

NFL Players

Where can i find a list of the 2006 NFL Free Agents?

Hopefully, this is what you're looking for. - Akamad 06:32, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

Evie Tornquist-Karllson records

Princess a reader sent the following e-mail to the help desk.

"You wrote a very tiny article about Evie and you had a list of her songs from the seventies. I would like to know how I can get a hold of her songs. I have been trying for a very long time."

A Quick Google showed that records by this artist are not for sale currently on the Internet. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how she could obtain them. Thanks for your assistance.

There are some of her records available for sale via GEMM.com —Slicing 08:49, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

Crane illumination

I'm looking to find a set standard for night time operations using a 60 to truck crane. i"ve searched through OSHA and ANSI and have found none. I need to know what lights are needed on the crane in particular the boom part of the crane used in hoisting operations for night time use. I'm working for a contractor in Iraq for the coalition forces and need help finding an answer, thankyou Eugene Lynch.

This is a very interesting question! OSHA standard 1926 specifies minimum illumination levels for construction sites (see subpart 1926.56 for details), but that's just a general indication of ambient lighting levels required. But that doesn't specify the specific lighting rules for cranes. The section on cranes and derricks 1926.550, notes that all cranes must meet ANSI standard B30.2.0-1967, that standard document is of course only available from ANSI for money. But if you've checked that document and haven't found anything, I'm as stumped as you are. You could try contacting crane manufacturers; additionally, in my own country (Australia) trade unions in the relevant area tend to be very aware of the safety rules (they being amongst the heaviest lobbiers for them). So if you know of a relevant union you might try contacting them. Finally, maybe you could try contacting OSHA and asking them?

Keep safe and I hope you can find the information you're looking for. --Robert Merkel 13:28, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

BLASTS!

Are the London Aviation Fuel blasts an accident or an attack as broadcasted in my country? A i understand the blast shattered windows of houses and buildings. was anyone injured? are the blazes under control? it would be cool if you could keep me updated with the truth. Thanx!ME

We have a very good and comprehensive article on this: 2005 Hertfordshire Oil Storage Terminal fire. The causes are not yet clear, but it appears to have been an accident. (aside: Wikipedia is a global site, you may need to be more specific if you're talking about "my country"...) — QuantumEleven | (talk) 09:07, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

• If you heard a report when information was scarce, they may have jumped to conclusions. - Mgm|^(talk) 10:08, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

And the conclusion to jump to these days is terrorism. People are going nuts over that, seeing terrorism all around them, which might be worse than terrorism itself considering the socially disruptive effect and the low total death toll of terrorism. Which is basically the goal of terrorists - not so much the attacks themselves but the ensuing fear it instills in people. If you look at it this way, the media are the biggest terrorists. DirkvdM 10:37, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

All too true. Steve Summit (talk) 15:17, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

Los Angeles county map with city labels

I noticed some Wiki articles for various LA County cities have a map of the county with city borders, like this:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/22/LA_in_LA_County_map.png

Is there anywhere I can find a map exactly like the one above with all of the cities labeled? --Rc251 09:46, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

Shannon capacity limit

Base on Shannon capacity limit,what are the possibility of transmitting information when the signal is lower than the noise?

Thank you,

--ELITE,

Elite, see Shannon-Hartley theorem. Is this a homework question? --Robert Merkel 13:04, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

Possibly homework as I answered the exact same question a couple of days ago [25]. Thryduulf 22:49, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

Satsumas

What is the difference between a satsuma and a tangarine?

I think satsumas have a milder taste and less seeds. The skin is also a lot easier to remove than a tangerine or orange.--Ali K 13:56, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

That's so weird. I looked this up four days ago. See satsuma. --Think Fast 21:18, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

Christmas Carols

What is the total number of Christmas songs that have ever been written? Thanks. cb1233

I doubt anyone is keeping count of them. –Mysid 13:15, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

And it even depends on what you call christmas. If you mean the celebration of Jesus, that has to go back 2000 years and some songs may have been song throughout that period. If you mean the celebration of the winter solstice that the date was based on then you'd have to include several cultures, such as the Romans and the Germanic tribes. And I assume there will have been plenty songs for that occasion. DirkvdM 08:48, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

Five. Or at least, that's what it seems like, since the local radio station which is playing all Christmas songs though Christmas seems to play the same five songs over and over again. Zoe (216.234.130.130 23:03, 14 December 2005 (UTC))

sexiest woman alive?

whoMaoririder 17:11, 13 December 2005 (UTC) asap sexiest??Maoririder 20:17, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

How long is a piece of string? According to the collective taste of FHM readers in 2004, it was Halle Berry [26]. But ask n men the question and you'll get at least n + 1 answers. Whatever floats your boat; personally the airbrushed Playboy blonde bimbo look (whatever the actual intelligence of the woman behind it) who make up the majority of that top 100 isn't my thing. But it obviously is the thing of a lot of British lads. --Robert Merkel 22:00, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

Tina Fey. —Keenan Pepper 23:14, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

Every year, there seem to be more guys into chicks who wear glasses. Is this one of those Generation Y things? Or is it just geeks? --Diderot 23:18, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

No, Tina Fey is just hot. There are plenty of ugly women who wear glasses, and plenty of hot women with good eyesight — just not as hot as Tina Fey. —Keenan Pepper 23:42, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

Angelina Jolie, Cindy Crawford, Sarah Michelle Geller, Cameron Diaz, Jenna Jameson and Britney Spears are always farily popular choices. Proto t c 15:16, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

Audrey Hepburn?Maoririder 16:33, 14 December 2005 (UTC) does anyone think gwen s??

Audrey Hepburn: A sexier woman dead than any woman alive!Brian Schlosser42 18:31, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

Scarlett Johansson? Yeltensic42.618 06:53, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

My wife. Physchim62 (talk) 17:37, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

I agree :-P --Robert Merkel 00:58, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

Location of Regions in Spain in relation to cities.

I have a list of 100+ cities in Spain. Though I can relatively easily find the Province in which they are located (in Spain), I do not know how to locate the name of the Region in which the cities and/or Provinces are located.

Is there some form of directory which can assist me,please?

I'm not sure what you mean by "regions", but see Autonomous communities of Spain. 216.234.130.130 18:47, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

King of Pain

Like from 'Three Septembers and a January' The Sandman: Fables and Reflections, but for real. I know he is real, becuase I found a mention of him in an old book at the library. Unfortunately, I didn't bother to check it out, and now I can't find anything about him online. Help? DuctapeDaredevil 20:12, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

I remember from somewhere that he was a friend & contemporary of Norton I, by the grace of God Emperor of those United States, Protector of Mexico & San Francisco nutcase. I think he was a tramp who made a living by charging people to allow them to hit him with a 2 by 4 or similar. An early version of Bumwars. AllanHainey 14:37, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

I think the one I'm looking for sold painkillers. DuctapeDaredevil 17:02, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

I'm not finding much online either, this may require a trip to the library. But to start you off . . . . According to a San Francisco geneology website about the "Barbary Coast," the "King of Pain" sold aconite liniment and was a contemporary of "Emperor Norton," but doesn't give his name. I came across references to "Minard's Liniment" as being called "King of Pain" but it sounds like too big of a company to have been associated with the San Francisco guy. I suggest checking books on early San Francisco history. The source of the Barbary Coast website info is cited as a book The Barbary Coast by Herbert Asbury, published in 1933. You might be able to track the book down, I see that my own local library has a 2002 printing of the book listed as "The Barbary Coast: an informal history of the San Francisco underworld". Crypticfirefly 05:45, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

Thanks, I've got him now. And I figured out who the guy with the 2x4s was, too! DuctapeDaredevil 16:02, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

Who? AllanHainey 09:35, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

what is a parallelogram

what is a parallelogram.

A parallelogram is a quadrilateral (a shape with four sides) which has opposite sides parallel and equal in length. See parallelogram. You might want to try the mathematics section next time too. Enochlau 22:32, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

(This is not a personal attack on you, Enochlau, but a general comment). There's not much point in asking questioners to check the article first next time, if we've already given them the answer this time. If one editor gives in this time, somebody else will give in next time. I think we need to be evolving towards a standard policy that whenever the answer is quickly available in an existing article, the best we should do is point them in the right direction, but not just give them the answer. This breaches the very rules we give questioners at the head of the page, and we should not be complicit in such breaches, otherwise why have the rules at all? JackofOz 02:45, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

Then why not just delete the questions that can be answered by reading an article? That rule needs to be tossed out, or else the reference desk will devolve into a hodge-podge of esoterica. If we're not willing to answer the questions as they're asked, why do it at all? I think lots of people use the reference desk as a standalone feature, and not as part of the 'pedia proper. Just linking to the article makes us look arrogant. "Don't waste our time with simple questions, we only want to debate egg balancing and why people don't wear hats anymore" (to name two recent lengthy discussions. Don't get me wrong, the weird and wild questions are great, and should be kept, but we should be willing to deal with simpler questions, too. Brian Schlosser42 18:41, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

the oldest retail chain in america

what is the oldest retail chain store like sears or jcpenny in the united states.

Federated Department Stores dates back to the 1820s in its Lord & Taylor division, but it wasn't founded as a chain. Montgomery Wards started out in the 1870s as a mail order business, but it didn't become a chain until the 20s. Kresge - later Kmart and now a part of Sears - was probably the first to break out as a chain, starting around 1900. However, if you're really looking for the first general retail chain store in America, it's unquestionably the Zion's Co-operative Mercantile Institution - founded in 1868 to sell goods wherever Mormons lived, and now mostly rebranded as Macy's. --Diderot 23:00, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

The Northwest Company claims to be the oldest retailer in North America, here and here. The Hudson's Bay Company has been around for over 300 years as well. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 00:34, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

December 14

When did American Airlines use DC-10's to serve Buffalo, NY??

I would like to know when American Airlines used DC-10 airplanes to serve the Buffalo International Airport in Buffalo, NY. I believe it was in the late 1970's and early 80's but cannot find any source to confirm the time frame.......... can you help me???

Thank you.

--69.105.97.193 00:10, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

Acording to our article on American Airlines DC-10's where used between 1972 and 2000, but doesn't specify when they where used to serve Buffalo Niagara International Airport. Maybe you can find someone at Portal:Aviation that is more knowledgable of these things. --Sherool (talk) 19:51, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Didn't AA stop using DC-10's after their little "Oops-I-Crapped-My-Engine" incident in Chicago back in the 70's? Cernen 14:22, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

inslaving native americans

i saw a documentry about slavery this morning and what i want to know is why didn`t the white settlers in slave the native americans instead.

They did, and Amerindians enslaved each other, too. (Good times all around.) Check out [27] and [28], both of which have a bit to say about it. Your local library will also probably have several books on Amerindian slavery. -- George 00:21, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

Most of the enslaving of indians by white settlers happened in South America. White settlers in North America weren't really that into enslaving people. They preferred to buy them, already enslaved, from the real entrepreneurs of African slavery, the Arabs and other Africans, who had developed commercial slavery of Africans centuries before anyone in Europe dreamed of an American colony, and who are continuing to do it across North Africa 150-200 years after the Europeans and North and South Americans decided it wasn't so nice. alteripse 01:48, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

But also in South America blacks were imported for slavery. I vaguely remember somethigna about plantation-owners complaining the indians weren't strong enough. But there may something else to it. They may have not understood the whole concept of plantation work (at least the ones who lived in the jungle) or they may have been too proud - when you take someone to a completely different environment it's easier to break them, so Africans would have been a better choice. Also, there may not have been enough indians to be found - South America was probably very densely populated and the jungle inaccessible. DirkvdM 09:02, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

Certainly Africans were imported to South America. My point was that there was a major difference between North and South America in the magnitude of efforts to enslave the Indians by European settlers, which was the point of the question asked. There were a number of large-scale efforts early in the Spanish and Portuguese settlement of South America to enslave Indians for long-term labor, especially in the mines of western SA. I don't think most were economically self-sustaining, but I do not know of any attempts to do so on a comparable scale by the English, French, Dutch, Scandinavians, etc who colonized North America. I suspect population density was one of many factors to which we can attribute this difference. alteripse 12:54, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

In most cases the native americans who were enslaved used to run away (at least in Haiti & the earliest British American colonies) as they knew the country & all their friends were still hanging around. After a while the colonists got sick of this & started importing africans who weren't as able to escape & live off the land. AllanHainey 14:42, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

Also, the Native Americans were dying out from diseases brought over from Europe, so they brought in African slaves to replace them. The enslavement of Indians mainly occured early on in colonisation history, the Spanish and Portuguese came before the other Europeans, and South America was mainly colonized by them, so that may be why native enslavement was mainly there. Yeltensic42.618 17:12, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

• Check out the book/TV show 500 Nations. The English were not above enslaving North American Natives, either. It's just that (1) if you enslave someone too close to his home, he'll run away, (2) North American Natives were almost completely unequipped for Eurasian diseases like smallpox, so they often died before they could perform much labor, (3) they got surprisingly good at defending themselves (see Pontiac's Rebellion). --Mareino 23:10, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Pontiac's Rebellion had nothing to do with slavery though. Read Bartolomé de Las Casas for a first hand and negative description of Indian slavery by the early Spaniards. Rmhermen 22:21, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

Detail please; a whole book on American Indians is a little vague. Can you give us an example of an attempt by the English to enslave Indians in the North American colonies? Thanks. alteripse 00:12, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Friction Index

Does anybody know what is the minimum required friction index (CRFI/JBI) for a empty B737 (200 series), on a 5000 ft (1524 m) gravel runway that is reported as 100% compact snow and gravel mixed and assuming no wind. If possible the readings for temperatures above -15 ºC (5 ºF) and for temperatures below -15 ºC (5 ºF). Normally I would call the airline dispatch and ask but I think they would give biased information. This is not a homework question. Thanks. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 00:19, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

The Long Winter, by Laura Ingalls Wilder

How can I find out how many words there are in The Long Winter, a book by Laura Ingalls Wilder?

(e-mail removed)

According to this eBay listing it has 67,928 words. I just did a Google search for "The Long Winter" by "Laura Ingalls Wilder" "word count". Dismas|^(talk) 01:40, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

Type it up in Microsoft Word and use the Word Count feature. --Optichan 21:05, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Ancient Man

How did ancient man figure out they needed water to survive?

How do you think birds know they need water to survive? Knowing how to drink water came long before "figuring out" anything. alteripse 01:38, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

seeking food and water, mating, raising young and for some species other things like grooming, fighting, or migrating are instinctive. A bird doesn't need to "know" to seek water any more than you need to "know" that you want to get it on with that hottie in your class. Your body tells you. -lethe ^talk 03:04, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

help with a joke

Okay, I've heard a joke several times that I don't get. The joke goes:

Q: What do you call a man without arms and legs on your doorstep?

A: Fair warning.

So what's the deal?

Perhaps the idea is "next time it'll be you with no arms and legs"? Doesn't seem like much of a joke to me. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 13:00, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

I think Finlay is right on both counts, it's to give that idea, and it's not very good at all. The punchline I was actually expecting was "Matt", as in a welcome mat. There are a lot of these "without arms and legs" jokes around. Dismas|^(talk) 13:54, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

Possibly that's the joke: you expect the punchline to be 'Matt', but you get a more macabre answer instead. After all, jokes are meant to make you nervous. Kid Apathy 14:56, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

Yes, I think the idea is that this guy has been dismembered as a warning to you, which is why he's on your doorstep. Or it may be an example of Anti-humor. *goes off to make Antihumor redirect* — flamingspinach | (talk)

I think I get it. It means who ever is crazy enough to cut off a persons arms and legs and put them outside as a doormat is some one you should stay away from - hence the fair warning.

Where the fuck has WarioWare: Twisted! gone?

Gotta love gratuitous swearing. Anywho, why hasn't WW:Tw come out in Europe yet? Kid Apathy 14:00, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

I have no idea, but Game Boy systems and games don't have regional lockouts, so I'd recommend buying the American version somewhere online. —Slicing (talk) 21:37, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

Yeah. No fucking regional lockouts, no fucking PAL/NTSC to worry about; try to find the North American version. --Optichan 21:01, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Addis Ababa's houses

Years ago I was told Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, has a city address system that's totally different from the rest of the world's (e.g. 123 Whatever Road, Whatever City). I am not sure if that information is correct. Am I wrong? -- Toytoy 14:30, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

A Google search on "addresses in Addis Ababa" turns up this page and this message-board page, both with statements that street addresses simply are not used. If you want to get to a place, you ask for directions in terms of landmarks; mail is sent to post office boxes. However, this page quotes a book called Africa on a Shoestring (1995 edition) as saying that "there's little point giving ... street addresses as the roads have more than one name and people commonly know them by quite another. To add to the problem, the fetish for renaming streets renders all addresses obsolete overnight." Same effect, but not quite the same thing.

It actually isn't true that addresses everywhere else in the world number buildings along a street. They don't work that way in Tokyo.

--Anonymous, 02:17 UTC, December 15, 2005

For different systems, see house numbering. Warofdreams talk 14:24, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

capital of england

London. D'oh! Kid Apathy 14:37, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

This is not a search engine (please read the message at the top). Here is your place to ask questions to be answered by humans. Typing England into the Search box on the left of your screen (as it also says at the top) would have given you the answer in about three seconds. And if you really don't know the capital of England, then you need help. — QuantumEleven | (talk) 14:41, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

He could have meant in the year 974 in which case it was Winchester. Chelmsford has also been the capital but only for a year. There is a case for saying that the capital is really Westminster as that's where all the administrative buildings are. David | Talk 14:57, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

Hmmm... "England" is not a jurisdiction with a government, so it can't actually have a capital. The capital of the United Kingdom, of which England is a part, is most assuredly London. Scotland and Wales each have parliaments and governments, and therefore they have capitals. The traditional capital of England would be London, aside from the exceptions noted by David. Ground Zero | t 15:12, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

That's actually wrong. Edinburgh, for example, has been the capital of Scotland for a very long time, whereas it only acquired a parliament in the last ten years. Likewise with Wales. England has had just as much government as Scotland for the last three hundred years, and both have a capital. DJ Clayworth 22:24, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

• Without a government governing an area, what designates a city to the "capital" of that area? Ground Zero | t 22:57, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

A royal or governmental proclamation can define a capital. Wales had no formal capital declared until 1955, but that was 45 years before the Welsh Assembly was created. -- Arwel (talk) 23:51, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

There has been a major (and ongoing) debate about this very subject on Talk:England. We shouldn't be recreating the wheel here. JackofOz 00:06, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Managed services

Does anyone know if the term 'managed services', which seems to crop up frequently nowadays in business contexts, is just another way of referring to outsourcing? Or is there a distinction between the two terms? There are articles on this site about each of these topics, but the definitions provided do not make it clear (at least to me) whether the two terms are actually distinct or synonymous.

Thanks for any help you can offer.

Marion

• Business practices evolve over time. Offshore Outsourcing in timely services, such as telephone customer service and catalog sales, has been made possible by dramatic strides in Internet communication speeds.
  • Have you ever had someone phone you to try to sell something where it sounds like the caller is not conversant with your native language, or able to answer questions about the product, only able to read from a script? This is evidence that the sales person may be from a foreign nation, connected by high speed communication phone lines, which is cheaper than hiring someone in this country to do the work, but in time such individuals may be replaced by more sophisticated computer systems that can also pretend to be real people at end of phone line.
  • Have you ever had occasion to call tech support for some product and get someone who sounds like they are very ignorant of the product and how it is used? This can be because some companies have a legal obligation to provide customer support, but no requirement that it be good support, that works satisfactorily for people who have paid for the product or service.
• If the Internet was not so fast and convenient, we would not have nearly as much offshoring of White-collar worker jobs and Pink collar work.
  • • • Another way businesses save costs of doing businesses, thanks to the Internet is the support of Telecommuting, sometimes called E-work or Telework, where people can do their work, without having to be at the offices of their employer.
    • Offshore outsourcing of Blue-collar worker jobs started long before that for white collar, because it not matter if commodity products are in the pipeline for weeks or months.
      • The blue collar dimension has not received as much public controversy as white collar, because blue collar was hit earlier with automation which is outsourcing work from humans to machines, which white collar workers, whose jobs were not yet threatened, saw it as an improvement to replace unsafe working conditions with machines doing the drudgery work. White collar work has been the backbone of the Middle class whose future existence is now threatened, so that except for a privileged few, most of us are headed towards only being in the Lower class, or Working class, taking whatever jobs left over from what can be off-shored, such as service and construction jobs where some of the work has to be done where the customers are, such as working in a fast food store, or on a road construction gang.
    • Another kind of Outsourcing is to use Penal labour. In the USA, inmates can have jobs for companies, that are able to provide them work whose processes do not give them access to materials that could be used as weapons or help them get into mischef. This work costs the companies about 30% less than would have to be paid to people in the free open job market, and much of the money goes not to the inmates but to victim compensation funds. This practice of having work done by inmates has come under some criticism when the inmates are also offshore, and not subject to labor laws like onshore, but even people outside the prisons are similarly abused, such as child labor.
  • Rapid growth in what can be done with the Internet has also given rise to ASPs (Application Service Providers) which are conceptually like ISPs (Internet Service Providers), except that they also take care of managing all your computer software and data on their servers, which means if they go out of business, tough luck on you having business continuity access to your data. This is a form of Outsourcing, which can be Offshore or Onshore.
• The terminology used to describe business activities also evolves. Managed services is terminology that existed long before Offshore Outsourcing became controversial.
  • Managed services is SERVICES and I think this article on Wiki is a stub, in which it has been defined but needs more work.
  • Outsourcing and Offshore Outsourcing is both for PRODUCTS and SERVICES and for a company to set it up so it is working properly, they may need the services of some management consultancy specializing in the topic.
    • thus Managed services is a sub-set of the Outsourcing concept.
      • I disagree with the Outsourcing article statement that EDS was the first company to do Outsourcing. I think it goes back a lot longer in history before that. Look at how long it has been that companies use outside Auditors for example to check their Accounting records. That practice has got to be centuries old. Some people might call this by other terminology, such as vendor services.
    • There is also a Wiki article on Offshoring.

User:AlMac|(talk) 22:31, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Thanks for all this. Really I was just interested in a point of terminology rather than the political aspect, but very interesting even so. --Maid Marion 10:32, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

Spike Jones Records

Can anyone tell me where I might find the old Spike Jones record about " Grandma's Lye Soap "

Paul Low 4860 Hawkins Rd. Richfield,Ohio 44286

It appears to be called "It's In The Book (Grandma's Lye Soap)" and the lyrics are here. Check and see if this is the same song you are looking for. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 16:23, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

And then, try eBay or any of a number of online used record retailers. -- Rick Block (talk) 18:13, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

largest thing in the world?

?Maoririder 16:33, 14 December 2005 (UTC) building?

The Earth. Kid Apathy 16:42, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

See largest organism for living things. — Jeandré, 2005-12-14t16:45z

For structures see list of largest suspension bridges and world's largest buildings. — Jeandré, 2005-12-14t16:48z

Also see User talk:Eequor/Reference/Magnitude. ‣ᓛᖁᑐ 17:00, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

There was an entry on RinkWorks's "Things People Said" where someone went to a geography book store and asked for a life-size map of the world. The salesman told them "We only have one, and it's in use right now". — JIP | Talk 06:35, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

I believe that record is held by John Holmes ;) -- Pakaran 06:02, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Filming without permission in the UK

I know someone who attends dance classes at their UK school, and the teacher was going to film them. They said no, it's illegal to film us without our permission, and the teacher said OK. A few days later, they were in trouble because, apparently, it was not in fact illegal. Who's right? Note that it wasn't a public place, it was a private dance studio.--84.51.149.80 16:57, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

Would this help you at all? Also I don't see why anyone would be in trouble for saying that, it was just a misunderstanding. IIRC in most places it is illegal to publish photographs of people without their consent, but to take the photographs is allowed. This is just what I recall, though. — flamingspinach | (talk) 19:55, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

In the common law, there is generally no right to privacy. I can stick a camera over the back fence and film my neighbours all I like. It's only when it becomes a private nuisance does it become tortious. Enochlau 22:52, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

There was a court case on Merseyside in the last month when two council workers were accused of using the council's CCTV system to ogle a woman who was naked in her own house. They were acquitted. -- Arwel (talk) 23:58, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

http://www.sirimo.co.uk/media/UKPhotographersRights.pdf TerraGreen 19:16, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

Fear Factor food?? asap.

is it real insects and pig guts and stuff? if it is that stuff is tough? asap.Maoririder 17:36, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

Unless there's some sort of enormous coverup, the gross stuff on Fear Factor is indeed real. Whether it's "tough" I can't say, but people eat all kinds of things and I can't imagine bugs are too much worse than some of my least favorite "regular" foods. Snurks ^{T C} 19:49, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

• Don't forget there's several cultures where snacking on insects is quite normal. It just happens to be on Fear Factor because it seems to call out an aversion in a lot of people in the Western world. - Mgm|^(talk) 20:53, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

That is true. In Malaysia we have durian as "The King of Fruits" because of it's delicious taste and our country is well-known for it, but in Fear Factor they treated it like just another bowl of pig's intestines. I've heard that foreigners can't stand durian and it seemed that Fear Factor contenders can't stand it either. They were just taken by the bad press the durian recieves in other countries. It's just one of those things that are misunderstood by outsiders, like muslim prayers. Whatever it is, when durian season comes around, you can bet that the durian will be the highest on most Malaysians' shopping list.

Well, it smells bloody awful. You have to get over that before you can eat it, which is when you learn that something that smells so bad can actually taste really good. The comparison to pig's intestines is certainly apt in smell, if not in taste. The fact that 'foreigners' don't immediately like it is far more likely to do with the fact that it stinks than any sort of misunderstanding. Natgoo 00:12, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

i have a spider question..

http://members.gaponline.de/pedxing/images/old/spider_01.jpg what kind is this? old spider??Maoririder 19:35, 14 December 2005 (UTC) asap free guess.

Could be a brown recluse. My answer: Ugly. Cernen 14:32, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

What can you tell me?? http://theimaginaryworld.com/baggies03.jpg

http://theimaginaryworld.com/baggies03.jpg banquet was old food.

This web page [29] which links to the picture says that it is the front of a Banquet TV dinner box from the 1960s. --George 20:53, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

what is this blurry thing?? http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v405/cannon_will502/079_79.jpg free guess.. thanks Maoririder 19:54, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

places??

http://www.angelfire.com/blog/sonikalchemy/dogcookie1.jpg cookie store in belgium?? free guess..Maoririder Where is this need to pinpoint [[ ]]

Maoririder 19:59, 14 December 2005 (UTC)http://www.linaracing.com/pics/1999-maine-forest-unknown-offcourse2.jpg thanks

What is this a scene of? ASAP please..

http://www.silentera.com/info/img/UnknownFilm1.jpg i got more.. where is this?? http://mywebpages.comcast.net/scaevolatn/images/unkcity.jpg

Maoririder 20:04, 14 December 2005 (UTC) thanks.. i need [[ ]]

Why are they grining???

http://memory.loc.gov/learn/features/inaug/images/swornin.jpg NOOO!! what is your thoughts on the image of gwb and group grining because they know they have us...

If I had to make a guess, I'd say the people in the image are grinning because they are either being sworn in as President of the United States (in one case) or family and friends of a person who is (in the other cases). --George 20:50, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

I'd be more shocked if he was crying during his inauguration than smiling. smurrayinchester^{(User), (Ho Ho Ho!)} 21:00, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

Google Maps

Why does Google Maps/Earth display some places such as Indiana [30] in grey? It seems odd that the greyness stops at the state border but I can't find any mention in the FAQs. smurrayinchester^{(User), (Ho Ho Ho!)} 20:59, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

I suspect that the data Google Maps has from satellites that have mapped Indiana simply looks that color. If you zoom in more you'll see that there is much greater detail and color variety, but that all the colors have something of a gray-ish hue. Bad luck, in other words. --George 21:05, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

Indiana looks 'grey' on Google Maps because it's mapped entirely in hi-res, as opposed to the greenish color that you get using low-res photography on farmland. As for why Indiana gets the honor of high-res photography (I believe Massachusetts is too), I'm not sure. Snurks ^{T C} 21:06, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

Google Earth/maps's imagery for Indianapolis and the surrounding metropolis is USGS urban-area orthographic aerial photography (as opposed to the mad leprechaun-green Landsat-7 satellite imagery that's used for the surrounding area). The USGS is overflying the 133 largest cities in the US, taking 30cm resolution images in strips around 2/3 of a mile wide. The areas they've done include the SFBay area, Providence RO, Springfield MA, but I can't find anything else in NY or MA. For other metropolises Google Earth/Maps uses a variety of commercial imagery sources. You can browse the USGS imagery (in a slightly raw-er format) using NASA World Wind. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 01:37, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

I should mention that Google maps use a lot of different sources, including the ones mentioned above. This is one reason why it is virtually impossible to allow the use of GoogleMaps images on Wikipedia, as only Google knows who the copyright owner is and they don't always say! Physchim62 (talk) 17:44, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

crouching tiger,hidden dragon [a true story]

is the movie crouching tiger,hidden dragon a true story.

No. Certainly not. Coughing Tiger, Hiccup Dragon was "based on the fourth novel in a pentalogy, known in China as the Crane/Iron Pentalogy by Wang Dulu (王度盧; pinyin: Wáng Dùlú)." -- Toytoy 22:13, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

Do you mean that Chinese people didn't used to be able to fly through the air like that? Zoe (216.234.130.130 23:08, 14 December 2005 (UTC))

Western critics would say no, but I would maintain they would. Old pugilistic books often tell of special techniques that require lots of training to channel energy into elevating oneself. But I can only tell you that after watching lots of dramas. But it seems to be quite a recurrent theme, so I think it has some basis in fact. -- Natalinasmpf 01:03, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

With all possible respect, being a recurring theme in drama doesn't make something true. DJ Clayworth 16:32, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

But just because we don't have anything written down on paper doesn't mean that it isn't true. China's history is long and uncharted.

sure, but still it is very doubtful people could fly and fight like that. Boneyard 11:29, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

What's a comfort rise?

What is a comfort rise? It's apparently found on performance clothing for women (Hind compression shorts, for example) as well as some jeans in conjuction with gussets (which definitions and descriptions can be found). A telephone representative at the company said it feels better on the hips, but what is it really?

The "rise" is the cut in the crotch. A "comfort rise" would be clothing cut looser in the crotch so as not to impinge on the anatomy too tightly. Zoe (216.234.130.130 23:09, 14 December 2005 (UTC))

Puns

Why are we supposed to groan when we hear a pun? It is said that the better a pun is the louder the groan.

It's akin to a groan of pain because your sense of language is offended and even hurt by the abuse of words. I would say the worse a pun is the louder the groan. —Keenan Pepper 06:10, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

I read a science fiction short story once which contended that all real jokes were created by aliens, and the only jokes created by humans were puns, and therefore the aliens had purposely bred humans to consider puns bad humor, so that they groan when they hear them. Can't remember the name of the story or of the author. Zoe (216.234.130.130 16:27, 15 December 2005 (UTC))

Was that by Isaac Asimov? —Keenan Pepper 16:31, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

In terms of pun quality, I'd say that "better" and "worse" are much the same. I'd suggest a scale which goes something like: Bad -> Worse -> Apaling -> Painful -> Excrutiating -> "Oh my god, I must now kill you". Whether causing murderous rampages is a sign of high quality in a pun or not depends on your POV. Although it might be disapunting to have one of your own puns blamed for someone's death. -- AJR | Talk 01:32, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

the story you mentioned was by Isaac Asimov, it is called Jokester

Thanks! I've been wracking my brain. User:Zoe|^(talk) 03:33, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

You groan so people know you got the pun. (It isn't required but then neither is laughing at a joke; but like not wanting people to think you didn't get the joke you problably don't want people to think you didn't understand the pun.)RJFJR 16:16, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

December 15

Fish of the great lakes

What are the breeds of fish that can be found in the Great Lakes?

Here is a nice website sponsored by the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute listing many (but not all) species of fish found in the Great Lakes. Crypticfirefly 05:52, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

That link shows all the major species which are commercially or recreationally fished as well as 4 major "harmful" invasive species. Most of the small fishes are missing from the list. Rmhermen 17:27, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

• Alernatively, if you are referring to any Great Lakes outside the US, specifying a country would help in getting the answer you want. - Mgm|^(talk) 11:16, 15 December 2005 (UTC)
  • There are bodies of water referred to as the Great Lakes outside Canada and the US? While there are other large lakes in the world, I believe that the specific group of lakes that form "the Great Lakes" are uniquely identified by the term.
    • See Great Lakes (disambiguation). I'd never heard of any of the others, but then I live in North America. --Anonymous, 09:07 UTC, December 16, 2005

Mexican song lyrics

Reader Sylvia contacted the Wikimedia Help Desk with the following question.

"Hi, I am looking for the lyrics for Tierra de Mis Amores, song from Guanajuato Jalisco Mexico. Please let me know if you can help me. It starts with the words Entre Sierras y montanas y bajo un cielo azul."

A quick Google by myself failed to find anything. If you could help her, it would be greatly appreciated.

Capitalistroadster 02:49, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Is this it?

Entre sierras y montañas y bajo un cielo azul, como en una inmensa hamaca bañada por el sol. Está mi tierra, tierra de mis amores, tierra bendita, tierra que me vio nacer.

Allí donde yo amé con febril locura, allí donde me amaron por vez primera, donde tuvo su cuna un idilio breve, bajo el mágico soplo de la primavera.

Tierra de mis amores y mis quereres, donde viví feliz mi juventud, siempre te guardaré en mi pensamiento, un recuerdo de amor y gratitud.

Más al paso de los años todo aquello ya borró y mi tierra, en su seno, a mi amor cobijó, mi Guanajuato, yo solamente quiero un rinconcito para descansar en él.

Allí donde yo amé con febril locura, allí donde me amaron por vez primera, donde tuvo su cuna un idilio breve, bajo el mágico soplo de la primavera.

Tierra de mis amores y mis quereres, donde viví feliz mi juventud, siempre te guardaré en mi pensamiento, un recuerdo de amor y gratitud.

--Elliskev 15:29, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Spotted ringtail . . . thing?

So, I came across a photo of an animal that looks very strange and very pretty. The problem is, I have no idea what it's called. I tried browsing for the same scientific classification ringtails fall under with no luck. Does anyone know what this is? Is it even real?

Seems to be a spotted genet (for which there isn't yet a wikipedia article, but if you wait a few minutes I bet someone will create one). -- Rick Block (talk) 05:16, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Furthermore, there are Small-spotted genets (Genetta genetta) and Large-spotted genets (Genetta tigrina). They belong in the family Viverridae. –Mysid 07:34, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Thank you very much! =^^=

Aye, it -is- very pretty and very strange. But the lines are much too soft and the background nowhere near plausible enough to be a photograph...looks like CG to me. Cernen 14:39, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

Christmas Greetings

Around this time of year, people, particularly men, are often heard to say things to others like "All the best for Christmas if I don't see you in the meantime". This seems to suggest that they think wishing someone well for Christmas is something that should be done no more than once. Why would they think that? What would be wrong with wishing the person well today, and if they happened to meet again before Christmas, wishing them well on that occasion as well? Would this imply some undesirable or inappropriate level of male-to-male familiarity? Or is there some other explanation? JackofOz 05:11, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

I always thought the idea was "just in case I don't see you in the meantime", i.e. it's probably superfluous but it couldn't hurt anyway. —Keenan Pepper 06:04, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Yes, there are various forms. But why superfluous? These days, the Christmas season seems to last for about 3 months, starting in October. You know what I'm talking about - shop decorations, office parties, the whole commercial/corporate thing. So why, during that whole period, it would be inappropriate to wish a particular person "Merry Christmas" more than once, completely eludes me. Is telling your partner you love them more than once during the entire course of your relationship considered superfluous? If you wish somebody well, you would wish it today, tomorrow and forever, not just on one day of the year and only say it because of some perceived social obligation. Or am I being naive? Is the so-called "Christmas spirit" really just some chimera that we all pay lip service to but do not believe for one second in our heart? I suppose for a lot of individuals that is sadly true, but I have a greater faith in humanity than that. JackofOz 22:02, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

XML

I want to know how does XML work and what are its applications.

                                     sayantan ghosh
                                     --06:25, 15 December 2005 (UTC)06:25, 15 December 2005 (UTC)~

See XML. Enochlau 06:26, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

As Enoch says, that's a good source. I can also recommend "How to use XML" by J.Shelley, published by Babani, ISBN 0-85934-532-7 as a good primer, taking you from "What's XML?" through XML schema design. As for its applications, they are many and various. Tonywalton  | Talk 12:44, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

HookWorm

hookworm? -- Nunh-huh

Mischa Barton

hey I heard Mischa Barton was dating a Cisco Adler, but apparently she's also dating James Hunter, who is she really going out with?

• Mischa's official site reported yesterday (December 14) that she and Adler laughed off rumours about an engagement, while officially confirming they're together. They list their source as Female First. - Mgm|^(talk) 11:21, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Shareware motorbike game.

I'm trying to track down the title of a game I used to play, I'd appreciate any help. Here's what I can remember about it:

1. It was a 2D motorbike game.
2. It had platforms hovering in the air.
3. It involved collecting all the apples in a level, then getting to the end.
4. It was shareware.
5. It included a level editor.
6. It existed in 2003.

Never mind - it was "Elasto-mania". ----Wander Panic!!

Unless you had answered the question yourself I would have said you meant Action Super Cross... TERdON 00:52, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

Harvest Moon

1. Which "Harvest Moon" titles have pigs?
2. Are there any HM games that go forever? (In the first one, your Dad would come home, etc)
3. Which HM title is the best, in your opinion, and why?
4. What is the difference between Friends of MT and More Friends of MT?

1:I don't think any Harvest Moon series game features pigs yet, but Harvest Moon: Magical Melody features a pig on the front cover, so that one probably will.

2:Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town lets you play forever.

3:I've only played Wonderful Life so I can't say.

4: More Friends is exactly the same as Friends but you play as a girl instead. (I don't see why they don't just release 1 version and you select the gender) like some versions of HM.

smurrayinchester^{(User), (Ho Ho Ho!)} 18:11, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

swinging arms....

Why do most people swing their arms while walking? I mean i've tried to walk without swinging my arms and i've found that you could get used to walking without swinging your arms. Can you tell me why people swing their arms even while running??

Jayant, 17 years,India

Because of momentum. Walking and running while swinging your arms to and fro allows better distribution of your weight, resulting in a more efficient motion. It's an interesting question that should really have someone knowledgable in kinesthetics answer it. Incidentally, kinesthetics should really have its own article, and not forward to proprioception. Proto t c 16:48, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

There was an episode of Seinfeld about this. One of Elaine's coworkers never swung her arms and it really bothered Elaine. (In case you're not familiar with Seinfeld it's mostly about them exaggerating tiny flaws of other people.) Elaine said it was "like she's carrying invisible suitcases". —Keenan Pepper 16:51, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Allright....Thanks a lot...

Try wearing a Neru Jacket, and join your hands behind your back.

You actually swing your arms out, to counter act swinging your other leg out. Swing out right arm, and swing out left leg. Now, try swinging out your right arm and your right leg? Feel the diffrence? Artoftransformation 03:30, 17 December 2005 (UTC)----

Pillow under the head???

Why do most people keep a pillow under their head when they sleep?? I've never kept a pillow under my head ever since i remember. i mean..is something wrong with me?? Or is it perfectly fine to not to keep a pillow while you sleep??

Jayant, 17 years,India

A pillow provides extra support for the head, which many find comfortable. Let's see... yup, this is even mentioned in our articles on beds and pillows. --David Iberri (talk) 16:53, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Then is my case of not keeping a pillow Perfectly allright??

It's probably fine as long as your spine isn't in an awkward position. Do you often wake up with a sore neck or back? —Keenan Pepper 17:03, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

No,i feel fine after i wake up. Actually i tried to sleep with a pillow once and woke up with a sore neck. i usually sleep flat on my back or sometimes on my right side. Can you try it out and tell me if its allright to sleep without a pillow?

It's just fine to do that. It's a comfort thing. (I always end up shoving my pillow onto the floor.) MorganLeFay 18:00, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

A physiotherapist, whom I was seeing about rsi told me that I should try sleeping without a pillow (which would facilitate sleeping on the belly) but it gave me a cramped neck. I suppose it's largely a question of what you're used to, like squatting in stead of sitting cross-legged. I did master that, though, being forced by the toilets I encountered on my travels. DirkvdM 07:25, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

K..thanks a lot..By the way..which RSI are you talking about. I clicked on the link and a whole list of stuff came up. Its not important anyways. I was just wondering. And also which places have you travelled?

I've had pains all over my arms, but now it's only my shoulders (with a constant dull and occasional sharp pain), which is why sleeping without a pillow might have helped. But ultimately the best remedy turned out to be taking a daily half hour walks, while letting my arms swing freely. Some people have commented on how funny I walk, but the pain is gone permanently, as long as I keep that routine up, so I don't care what people think (as usual :) ). I've travelled mainly to Africa, Sout East Asia and Central and North America. But this is a reference desk, not a chat forum, so let's leave it at that. DirkvdM 08:50, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

Well, I think we sleep with the pillow under our head because it is comfy that way, yes, ever so good

Which Language to think??

In which language do babies think? I mean when we think our thoughts come out as words in english or whatever language we are used to right?? Then how do babies (and for that matter ancient men like neandrethal man, who had no language) think??

Jayant, 17 years,India.

Perhaps in mentalese. David Sneek 17:07, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Ha ha...I know the question's a bit stupid.but its been really bugging me. Sorry if i wasted your time.

It's a very interesting question. I bet Noam Chomsky would have something to say about this. —Keenan Pepper 17:14, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Cool link!!! Thanks a lot.

A neat experiment is to try to think without using words for as long as possible. The more complex stuff you think about, the harder it is, but it's possible, especially with spatial reasoning. You can find your way through a maze without using words at all. —Keenan Pepper 17:21, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Wow!!! Did you try to do it? I tried it just now and i got a head ache. Can you give me some tips to think that way?

Babies don't think in any language. They think in pictures and symbols. And so do adults. Language is a construct that overlays symbolic representations from the subconscious. We've been tricked into believing we think in some language or other, but we don't. JackofOz 00:49, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

...I don't know about you, but I definitely think in English most of the time. —Keenan Pepper 02:20, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

William S. Burroughs wrote that language is a virus from outer space. Sort of relevant, I guess. Crypticfirefly 05:09, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

I have often come across the assumption that language is required for thinking, but I've always thought that very strange. I suppose that when thoughts become conscious they cristalise in the form of words. But conscious thought is just the tip of the iceberg. Below that there's a whole bunch of connections being made, of which only the ones that are consistent with each other become conscious. At least, that's my little theory. Maybe babies start talking when their thoughts start to become conscious. DirkvdM 07:35, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

People think in different ways. Richard Feynman once conducted a rudimentary experiment on this, he found that he couldn't speak or write when counting in his head (& still keep a consistent & regular count), he asked a bunch of other people to try this & found that some could. When asked they described their mental process of counting as picturing the numbers coming along regularly after each other, rather than mentally counting out in words the numbers as Feynman had been doing. This is a bit anecdotal (indeed it was in one of his books of anecdotes) but seems to indicate that different people think in different ways. AllanHainey 08:47, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

So..what it means is that our thought are really pictures or something else in our sub-consicious but when they come out we imagine them as words. But then how can we think words such as "of" , "or","is" and lots of others which cannot be pictured?

There was a theory (not widely-subscribed, I don't believe) about 200 years ago that all babies think in Latin, and if raised in a sterile environment would grow up to speak perfect Latin. Remember studying the experiments in high school...very weird Sherurcij ^{(talk) (bounties)} 11:17, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

There have been several experiments to discover a supposed original language. The evidence seems to suggest language ability only arises from exposure to language (see Language acquisition and Feral children), although Nicaraguan Sign Language is extremely interesting. ‣ᓛᖁᑐ 14:55, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

Perhaps the most appalling experiment to discover an original language was carried out by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick in the 13th century. He ordered that a group of orphans in a foundling hospital not be spoken to by the women caring for them, to see what language they would spontaneously speak (Hebrew or Greek were leading contenders). Not surprisingly, they spoke nothing recognizable. I tried to find an authoritative source for this story as it probably belongs in our article, but all I found were two allusions to the same story with no source detail-- at least I wasn't imagining having heard it once. alteripse 00:25, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Thanks a lot..

Too many questions...

Is there any limit on wikipedia to the number of questions one can post??

Jayant, 17 years,India.

No, but there is a limit on the number of question marks, which you are rapidly approaching. =P —Keenan Pepper 17:05, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Oh..Sorry bout that..Lol..thanks anyways...

death to smoochy?? asap if you can.

what was the costume robin williams was wearing it looking like a dinosaur or a dragon costume. asap. Maoririder 18:24, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

• In Death to Smoochy, Robin Williams played the character of Rainbow Randolph, who wore a white suit and rainbows. Edward Norton (as Smoochy) and Michael Rispoli (as Spinner/Moochy) both wear rhinocerous costumes in slightly different shades of purple. (ESkog)^(Talk) 22:25, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Beetle Unknown??

http://members.mrtc.com/anvk/bugs/020619-031s.jpg help me out please.. Maoririder 18:23, 15 December 2005 (UTC) nice picture unknown orange beetle?? http://www.biggamephotography.com/naturephotography/GB%20Collection/orange%20beetle.jpg

thanks Maoririder 18:25, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

That is a weird beetle, what the hell is it?

therft charges

I am just wondering if anyone knows how long my theft charge is going to be on my records and what I can do about it affecting my chance to get a good job.I am only a misomedos.

Without knowing things like what country you are in, and what exactly you were convicted of, it's impossible to answer this. As for your emplyment chances, maybe it would be better to talk to someone at a careers advisory centre, or whatever your local equivalent of the job exchange is. DJ Clayworth 19:55, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Could be in perpetuity, forever, so you want to be careful it stays only one charge, and not multiply. User:AlMac|^(talk) 01:59, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

Usually after 3-10 years you can apply for a Pardon from your federal government - I'm taking a random stab in the dark that you're young, so that likely seems forever...but taking it from a guy who was arrested four years ago, it passes a lot sooner than you'd think :) Sherurcij ^{(talk) (bounties)} 11:14, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

Yes, if you are a minor, then when you reach adulthood, your record as a minor is often sealed, but like in the TV shows, you get into trouble again, and perhaps the seal can be breached. The key is that some places in USA, the third offense can send you to jail for life. In some states there are people with life sentences for minor stuff like shop lifting, because it was their third offense ... they are considered to be professional criminals, that are no longer desired to be part of law abiding society. User:AlMac|^(talk) 18:18, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

Most of the time, in the US, they'll ask on job applications (varies from state to state): "Have you been convicted of a crime in the past x years?" While the criminal charge might stay on your record forever, you can answer no to this question if x < the time since your conviction. (Of course, if you were only CHARGED and not CONVICTED, there's a difference there, too.) And, if you go to apply at a small business, they generally don't do criminal background checks, soo...if you're that worried, only apply at places that probably have only one location in the civilized world. Cernen 14:48, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

Looking for the names of 2 "Italian" actors

HI folks, I'm looking for the names of 2 actors. I remember seeing them in a couple of "b" movies in the early eighties. I think they are Italian One of them is of heavy build over weight even, and had a beard. Very similar to Brian Blessed (British actor), this guy never spoke much. The other guy ws his stooge he is slim, blue eyed and blonde haired. They never spoke english but I remember them in some cowboy film can't remember it's name either ( old age on my part). I really would like to know what they are up too now. Just curious. Human nature I suppose?

Carlo Pedersoli and Mario Girotti. Lupo 08:39, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

The Corporate Environment

HI,

I am experiencing my first "REEL" corporate job experience. Upon being hired I became so busy with having to learn my trade that I never "REELLY" socialize with anyone. By the time I realized the social factor, Now I've started to see that I am being overlooked when it comes to "Good Mornings", "byes", and/or 'Lunch", is it too late for me? Am I already labelled?, Should I start looking for another job?, I am so unhappy now, I find it hard to get up in the morning, Just a feeling of dread that I can't just shake off, I hate having to deal with this on a daily basis, No one ever told me that it would be this hard, I wish college had prepared me for this, any suggestions will be appreciated. Thank You.

If you like the job then I would suggest that you make the effort to be social. You could perhaps start with a general "good morning" etc to everyone even if at first they don't reply. Also try and start up a conversation with the person that works closest to you or that you have to talk to most often. Ask them for help in meeting others in your work place. Suggest that you are shy about meeting people and could use some help with introductions. You could explain that you were so busy trying to learn the job that you feel bad about not getting to know people sooner. If you have a lunch room/coffee room then you could always make cookies and leave them with a note telling people to help themselves. Leave out stuff that people might be allergic to like peanuts, etc. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 01:03, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

Karolina

I know Karolina is used in Russian, Polish, Czech and Scandinavian countries, but I'm wondering if it's commonly used in The Netherlands. Thanks.

Why is it so FREAKING cold?

I'm freezing!!!!

[To not make this look like vandalism:] Is there a reason for the recent cold streak in the midwest region of the US (and why it happened so swiftly)? — Ilγαηερ (Tαlκ) 23:16, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

• I assumed that it's just been a mild Nor'easter. I recommend bundling up, running to the library, and checking out the Farmer's Almanac to see if they cover the meteorology behind why some winters begin colder than others. --Mareino 23:22, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Where in the midwest because it looks pretty mild to me. It's -34 °C (-29 °F) here and dosen't feel too bad. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 23:40, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Err, it ain't cold in the Midwest. At least not cold for the middle of December. It's actually quite balmy. android79 23:47, 15 December 2005 (UTC)

Because you're not in Darwin, Northern Territory. this is the forecast. It's basically exactly the same for the next few months. Then they have the "dry" season, where it's hot and dry every single day for months... --Robert Merkel who is also freezing in Melbourne where it's a miserable 19 Celsius (66 Farenheit) ;)

Pretty warm here, too, and I am from the Northern Hemispere (Amsterdam) :) . Actually, up to now, worldwide, 2005 as a whole is the second warmest year ever (with 0,48 C over the 1961-1990 average), after 1998. Furthermore, the 10 hottest years since 1901 are all after 1988 (that's 10 out of 17 years!). Seems like global warming is setting in even faster than was predicted. But part of the expected climate change is less predictable weather with wild local variations, so if you are in cold local spot that isn't surprising. DirkvdM 07:49, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

I must agree with DirkvdM. Although many places are getting hotter than normal weather we are on our third year of below normal temperatures. In fact I don't think we even got up to 20 °C this summer. What we have seen in January/February is instead of a few days of -40 °C and colder is a week or more of it at a time. However, a few years ago we were setting record highs several times a year. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 08:49, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

I hereby jackassedly refer you to Climate of London. Cernen 21:21, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

The Midwest US is experiencing a several weeks-long cold snap. Here in Detroit each day in December has averaged 5 to 20 degrees F below average and snowfall this season is running at 3 times average. But we need to recognize that the average is made of days above average and days below average. The average is by no means a normal or expected temperature. Of course a 300% value is really starting to push the thin edge of the distribution. Rmhermen 21:40, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

December 16

Correct form of US Military address and others

Hi :)

I have a few questions. Hope someone/anyone can help.

Consider the following scenario: There are 5 men in a room. They are interrogating a civilian. They are: 1. Lieutenant General George McIntyre 2. Major General William Schumann 3. Major General David Henderson 4. Rear Admiral Kirk Armstrong 5. Captain James Lindsay

Question 1 In the course of your conversation (not formal introduction) would you address numbers 1, 2, 3 as simply General McIntyre, General Schumann, General Henderson? Or would you have to differentiate (especially between 1 and 2) and address them fully as Lieutenant General McIntyre and Major General Schumann?

Question 2 In the same scenario as above, Lieutenant General McIntyre is talking about 2 men: Lieutenant McKenzie & Lieutenant-Commander Sutherland. Both are in the Navy. In the course of the conversation could you simply call them both Lieutenant McKenzie & Lieutenant Sutherland or again must you distinguish and use their full ranks when talking about them?

UNRELATED TO THE ABOVE SCENARIO Question 3 Would the Navy allow a Commander to physically lead a mission (i.e. get down and dirty on the 'battlefield')? I was under the impression that high-ranking officers are not generally 'allowed' to go on missions.

Question 4 a. What is the possible youngest age for a person to be a Commander in the Navy? b. Same question but this time to be a Lieutenant-Commander in the Navy?

Hope someone can help me out. Thanks Sam.

Sounds like you're writing a book, story, or script? My knowledge of this is from TV (JAG), movies (A Few Good Men) and the Internet, so hopefully someone who really knows about the US Navy will correct me if I'm wrong.

1. According to the article General, Major and Lieutenant Generals would indeed be addressed in informal conversation as "General ...".
2. No. McKenzie would be called "Lieutenant McKenzie" but Sutherland would be "Commander Sutherland".
3. Depends on what you mean by "mission". This being the Navy, it certainly would not be unheard of for a Commander to be in command of a ship/sub/flight squadron which goes into battle.
4. One of the US Navy's youngest ever Commanders was Cmdr Harley Hall of the Blue Angels. He was a Commander at 32 I believe, may have been promoted even earlier. I have read something about a 23-year-old Lieutenant-Commander, but that may have been fictional.

--Canley 03:02, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

states

how many states are there in the Unites States of America?

Try United States. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 00:50, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

How many Senators are there? Artoftransformation 03:25, 17 December 2005 (UTC)--

Try United States#Legislative Branch. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 10:09, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

How many stars on the Flag? Artoftransformation 03:25, 17 December 2005 (UTC)--

Try Flag of the United States. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 10:09, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

logo types

HELLO I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE 5 LOGOS USED IN GRAPHIC DESIGN, I KNOW ITS TRADMARKS, COMBINATION MARKS, LOGOS, AND PICTIGRAPHS I JUST NEED ONE MORE.

The article Logo says there are three main types: Combination (icon plus text), Logotype/Wordmark/Lettermark (text or abbreviated text), and Icon (symbol/brandmark). A logo can be a trademark, but not all trademarks are logos so I wouldn't call that a "type" of logo. A monogram is a type of logo, but strictly speaking it's a kind of logotype. A slogan can be used as part of a logo or branding, but that's also a kind of logotype or combination. --Canley 02:13, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

Caps lock Sherurcij ^{(talk) (bounties)}

reconstruction and the war in iraq

what are some of the things that post civil war reconstruction and post saddam iraq have in common. explain in the simplist way possible. iam not doing my homework.

Which civil war are you talking about? One could presume you are talking about the Iraqi civil war, but you could just as easily mean the American Civil War. --Canley 02:42, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

Well, America has had its fair share of civil wars, but he probably means the one in the US because the period known as reconstruction is about that. All very confusing, also that a general term like 'reconstruction' is used for the article on one specific meaning. But if there are no other meanings to dismabiguate to, I supose that will do for now. Which doesn't answer the question, though, sorry (that will teach you to be specific :) ). DirkvdM 07:55, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

• If we're talking Iraq 2003-present and Dixie 1865-1880, then the obvious comparison is that both were under USA military occupation, and the military was propping up the civilian government. In both cases, the regions saw the worst terrorist movements in their entire history, with the most famous group in Dixie being the KKK. In both cases, it's hard to tell whether the majority supported the occupation, but in general the more powerful someone was before the occupation, the more they resented it (no surprise there), but because the USA did so little to remove the powerful class, these resisters tended to be very influential members of the community. In the South, for example, virtually all the freedmen loved the new government, but since many of the former slave-holders were still quite wealthy, they could make their voices of dissent heard much easier. --Mareino 14:48, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

Me granddad says to watch Lawrence of Arabia, but he says that about EVERYTHING when it comes to the middle east. It might be helpful? Cernen 14:52, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

a personal question

which, according to u, is best, LOVE OR ARRANGED MARRIAGE? i have read that love marriages ends up at divorce and arranged marriages are mostly made up of compromises! so which one is the best in ur opinion? kindly explain

This Reference Desk is for people to seek information and facts, not personal opinions. However, you can read the "Proponent's view" section in the Arranged marriage article if you want. --Canley 02:35, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

this chapter overview from a psychology textbook briefly hints at what the psychologists have to say on this topic - that at least some studies suggest that arranged marriages work at least as well as love marriages. That said, to make a marriage work in any culture requires compromise; people who remain successfully married in my own culture, where all marriages are "love marriages", generally work hard at maintaining their relationships. For what it's worth, however, I'm certainly not volunteering for my parents to pick my life partner...--Robert Merkel 06:05, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

How about staying single? It's the only way to guarantee you won't get divorced. --Nelson Ricardo 18:37, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

Please ask U. Artoftransformation 03:24, 17 December 2005 (UTC)--

Need a musician with a good ear Volume three

Alright, wikipedians, this is 67.160.39.151 again with another request~!

You probably don't remember me, but good God do I remember you.

Long story short, I need a tab to the TMBG song "Boat of Car"

I need a tablature of the horn section, I don't care the format, sheet music is fine, guitar tab is also acceptable, but I can't play guitar, so I would have to work it out note by note. also, a straight textual representation of the note names would suffice. I just want to know how to play the riffs, etc...

http://www.wnyc.org/stream/ram.py?file=studio360/studio070503c.ra&start=%2214:58.4%22&end=%2216:11.6%22

^ A link.

Thanks, GO NOW.

67.160.39.151 03:14, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

Merry Christmas~!

You might get better results placing your request on the TMBG wiki. TheMadBaron 04:48, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

alright, but still, it would be great if someone from wikipedia could help me out 67.160.39.151 18:45, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

Upmarket national real estate site for the United States

Can anyone recommend a real estate site where one can look at pictures of expensive houses for sale all over the United States? Preferably one where there are plans of most of the houses. This is purely for personal curiousity. In the UK there is a site called primelocation.com which features ads from most of the upmarket agents throughout the country, but I'm having difficulty finding U.S. sites which feature a large range of premium houses. In the absence of a national site, what about ones that cover California or Texas? CalJW 06:41, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

For obvious reasons, owners of expensive houses are reluctant to publish detailed plans of their property on the web. And in real estate, competition is fierce, so I doubt whether there is a site that collates information from the huge number of real estate dealers. --Shantavira 14:05, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

A lot of them aren't. I've seen complete plans for a house in Holland Park, London that's currently on the market for £25 million. There are also plans on many of the listings on the New York Times property section, but that is mainly focused on New York. CalJW 19:51, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

Maybe I'm not wealthy enough, but I don't think that there any upmarket-only real estate brokers that operate on a geographic area any larger than one or two cities. The mass-market leaders are quite happy to position themselves as capable of selling expensive homes, though. Most of them are members of the trade association Realtor[31]. --Mareino 14:53, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

Actually www.mls.com gives a huge number of properties for sale in the US. It's not restricted to 'upmarket' but you can search by price as well as location. I expect that some really prestigious properties are not listed there, but you should get something. DJ Clayworth 18:25, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

Thanks, I'll try it out. CalJW 19:51, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

Sysop in wikipedia..

How can i become a sysop on wikipedia? Or anyone who can control atleast some of the stuff on wikipedia..

Jayant, 17 Years,India

You already control some things: the text in the pages of the article. Sysops, or administrators, have no more authority than you, but do have a few tools that let them do things you can't so far. After you make 1000 or so good edits to the articles, people will begin to consider that you should become an administrator, and you'll be nominated and approved (unless you've ticked a lot of people off or been really nasty!) And that's it. Done't think about it now, do 1000 or 2000 edits, and think about it then. -Nunh-huh 10:06, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

1000 or 2000 edits? Cool.. I am gonna start now. but will the people know that its me whos doing the edits?

They will if you create an account first. David Sneek 10:29, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

I've now done over 3000 article-edits and no-one has nominated me yet :( . I don't think I've ticked off too many people :) . But there's probably another reason. My edits are spread over almost 1000 pages (you can check all this here). And the subjects vary wildly. I don't spend enough time in one spot for the 'locals' (those who stick to a small set of related articles) to notice me. Of course, one can ask to become an admin, and I wuld probably get it. But I don't see how that would help me much in my work (all the important editing is still possible without this status), and I'm trying to get my life back anyway (I've done all this in less than a year, so that's about 15 edits per day - and mine are usually 'big' edits), so I won't be applying. In short, what I'm saying is what Nunh-huh said. It's not such a big deal. Don't worry about it. But most of all, don't edit for the sake of editing. Just start reading in Wikipedia and you'll automaticallycome across things you can help out with. So learn and teach, depending on which fits you most. DirkvdM 09:26, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

Supplementary question: How do I count my edits? --Shantavira 11:59, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

With the edit counter. David Sneek 16:50, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

collating company collateral to create an intelligent database

Hello: i am at the beginning stage of collating a huge amount of data scattered all over my company in order to create an actionable intelligent database to be used by Sales/ Delivery / Sourcing and finally clients. the data collation and parellely creation from the said departments comprises of case studies/ whitepapers/ capability documents etc. which is the best way to start so that the system created can integrate with a full fledged intelligent database structure subsequently. thank you203.99.42.133 10:59, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

Data Mining. The structure is called a relational database. Go find a software engineer to do the datamining, and design the indexing system for a relational database system like Oracle or MSSQL. Artoftransformation 03:23, 17 December 2005 (UTC)--

• You might read up on Artificial intelligence or Expert systems, which tend to either be complete flops or tremendously successful in building [[business rules] that computers can recognize to identify exceptions.
  • In the area of computer security against insider crime, software is being marketed which learns from standard patterns of co-worker data processing to rapidly detect exceptions to those rules, and notify someone of suspicious behavior when it starts.
• It is important to have a relational database system for data mining or business intelligence that can operate off of the existing company computer systems, to minimize need to aquire massively costing new resources, and be perpetually up-to-date with your existing data as it grows.

User:AlMac|^(talk) 15:48, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

Jayant

Since I find myself knowing more about a 17-year old's sleeping habits than I know about my brother...I am struggling with the question "Is Jayant left-handed? Also, what are his favourite sports?" I hope that Wikipedia is able to help me with this! :) Sherurcij ^{(talk) (bounties)} 11:28, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

Hey, is asking too many questions on wikipedia a crime or something? Or are you really serious about the stuff you just said?

Jayant, 17 Years,India (P.S. I am right handed and i enjoy playing basketball and table tennis.)

Nah, just a little bit of fun :) (By the way, when responding to somebody, if you put a : in front of what you say, it will indent it as a reply...similarly, if it's a reply to a reply, use :: - you can see how many to add, just look on the 'edit' page how many the person before you used! :) Also, I would highly encourage you to create an account, it will let you keep track of things better! :) Sherurcij ^{(talk) (bounties)} 14:03, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

Thanks for the tip. And i do have an account.

And can i also know where you are from? I dont think it's mentioned on your page.

If you use ~~~~ it will automatically sign & date your posts with your account name. AllanHainey 16:08, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

I know that you could sign your name that way. And I do read the instructions given at the top of this page. And I sign my name that way because I am used to it and its different.

Maybe you could still use your 'Jayant, 17 Years,India' by changing what your signature appears like.--Ali K 03:09, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

Yup, you can change it so that's your signature :) ALso, I'm Canadian btw Sherurcij ^{(talk) (bounties)}

Tiger, Il Dottore

please, can somebody help me? i need to know, which sport personality or sport team was called Il Dottore and Tiger. it is not one personality or team.

Try Valentino Rossi#Nicknames for one example of "the Doctor" and how about Eldrick Woods. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 18:01, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

British Christmas TV shows

What Television show holds the record as the most watched Show on Christmas in Britain?

One example after short googling: [32]. –Mysid 13:41, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

I suspect a 1970s Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show would be a likely strong contender, though it wouldn't surprise me if it was Coronation Street or EastEnders. James Bond films used to be quite popular at Christmas, until they got over-repeated, and The Great Escape of course, which was traditional Christmas viewing. I don't think the Queen's Speech would ever have counted, even though when I was a kid she used to be on all three channels simultaneously - in our house it was the cue to bring out the Christmas cake and mince pies! -- Arwel (talk) 00:20, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

My Name....

Can anyone else use "my name" as a subject/heading in Wikipedia?

Jayant, 17 years,India

• In a talk page, or something like the Reference Desk that's basically a structured talk page, yes. In an article, no, unless of course you do something newsworthy, like play for India on the Summer Olympics basketball team. Of course, we all have to be polite on these talk pages. I think that Sherurcij was just being friendly and Wiktionary:gregarious, and a bit curious as to why you sign your name "Jayant, 17 years, India", instead of the computer-assisted form (type ~~~~) that most other people use. I happen to like the way you sign your name. :) --Mareino 15:03, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

Thanks a lot. Finally someone that likes something I do. And I have a question for Mareino. How can i know more about you? I mean its just a general question.

When we (type ~~~~), unless our signature is broken, you get a link to the pages on that person, who may have volunteered info about themselves, assuming they are a registered member. You can then get to their talk pages and ask friendly questions about them, like how old are you (some adult women who are really like age "57" may reply "21"). User:AlMac|^(talk) 18:26, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

what is the capital of south africa

capetown.

The question should be "what are the capitals of south africa". The country of South Africa has three. See South Africa CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 18:05, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

shaq versus kobe.

who wins? i got kobe just amazing. (posted by Maoririder)

Depends on what the competion is. Hand-to-hand combat, I go with Big Aristotle. One-on-one basketball, I go with Kobe (Shaq can't dribble or defend the perimeter very well). As a team member, though, a good center is a lot harder to find than a good guard, and Shaq seems to be a better leader. --Mareino 18:36, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

Alwaleed bin Talal

Please furnish me the correct and complete mailing address to make contact with Alwaleed bin Talal. I wish to contact his business firm .

• It's probably best to Google for his business name to find details like this. - Mgm|^(talk) 10:43, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Car Trouble

What can ruin a car so badly you'd need to replace at least 80% of the parts? (excluding a crash or fire). DuctapeDaredevil 17:28, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

Rust --86.144.85.25 18:06, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

Prolonged immersion in water, contamination with a radioactive substance, many years of neglect leading to systemic rust, prolonged use in a caustic environment (limekilns, the wet bit of the beach). -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 18:09, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

Do you have something in mind? :) DirkvdM 09:34, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

I owe someone a Secret Santa story. None of these are quite quick enough for my liking, so I'll just have Magneto visit, as it's X-Men universe. DuctapeDaredevil 02:04, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

laundering a duvet

I once read that most down or feather duvets should be dry cleaned. If a duvet appears to consist of neither, would it quite safe to stick it in a washing machine? I also read that sometimes this is impossible because of load considerations. How full is too full for a washing machine? thanks --86.144.85.25 18:06, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

There should be a label of somesort on the duvet that gives cleaning instuctions. I have a duvet that can be washed but yours might be different. If you have a front loading washing machine then a single bed duvet might be OK. However, you can't get stuff a double or larger duvet in my loader. However, I have washed the double bed duvet in a top loader without any problem. I suggest you look on the duvet for the cleaning instructions and look at the instructions that came with the washing machine. If you can't find them then take it to a dry cleaner and see what happens. 18:16, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

Thanks. I forgot to say the label has faded completely so I've lost all washing instructions. --86.144.85.25 18:19, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

Many laundromats have large size washers and dryers. These things are huge! When I need to wash something like a blanket or a sleeping bag that is not 'dry clean only' then I go spend an hour or so at a laundromat. A 05:40, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

ryan atwood.

what will happen to him in the end he either dies or goes away. (posted by Maoririder)

(For those who don't know, Ryan Atwood is the name of the main character on The O.C.). The correct answer to your question, Maoririder, is no one knows. I very much doubt that the writers will either kill him off or have him go away, though. Why can't they just have him go to a local college? --Mareino 18:44, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

free speech in a novel

hi guys, i'm from a latin american country and i wonder what can i write in a novel: like band names, famous people names and critique political groups and presidential candidates for the coming elections in my country, WITHOUT being killed! by our probably dictatorial next leader who is a military oficial...my gosh i'm scared but i feel like i should do it no matter what... thnx

Your question has already been answered in the Humanities section. --Shantavira 19:44, 16 December 2005 (UTC)

Actually, I didn't successfully answer the question, which is specifically here in the Humanities section, for anyone who wants to try answering it. --Mareino

Write your book, but release it under a pseudonym. It depends on whether you want your voice, or the money. It's possible you could have both, but you can probably protect yourself by writing anonymously, but then it will be harder to collect money from people buying it. Tough decision, good luck. What country are you from, anyway? -- Natalinasmpf 00:16, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

I'm from Peru,and yeah, i want both things, and i want to find the way of getting both, because with the money, then i'll have the chance of being heard without having to use a pseudonym, since i'll aford to move to another country...also i'm a female, and i'd rather publish my book under a male name, since i dunno... haha by the way, u rock Mareino :) thnx a lot 4 being so nice!

I'm a law student in the US. As I understand it, your country is in a transitional period. My advice: Find a liberal lawyer in Peru and ask him/her about the law in your country. Your problem is a very subtle one - there's no way to know what to do without being a highly educated Peruvian. Good luck. --George 09:18, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

Scandahoovian

What is a Scandahoovian? This is a pretty common term and seems to deserve an entry.

Seems to be a word referring to a person of Norwegian and Swedish descent living in Minnesota, Iowa and such states. If you feel including the concept will enhance the encyclopaedia, then why not create an account and start the page? Natgoo 00:27, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

December 17

Why are all the leftist European leaders losing power, but Bush is attacked in the media as having few friends?

Why are all the leftist European leaders losing power, but Bush is attacked in the media as having few friends?

Are there substantiations for both of these claims? -- Natalinasmpf 00:14, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

Hard to say. Perhaps the movement just is towards the middle? My impression has been that even leftist american politicians would be considered far-right in Europe, and vice versa. TERdON 00:58, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

I share this 'impression' as a Canadian, where the furthest Right party would be considered left of the Democrats (though Nader of course is a special case, more akin to Canada's New Democratic Party. Sherurcij ^{(talk) (bounties)} 14:04, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

A further point to consider is that, surprising though it may be to Americans, politics in foriegn countries doesn't entirely revolve around their senior politicians' relationship with the US administration. This is particularly so in parliamentary systems where there's no separate vote for a president elected in substantial part for their foriegn policy expertise. Schroeder's poor election performance has a hell of a lot more to do with Germany's lacklustre economy (and, more specifically, the high unemployment) as it does with his stance on GWB, which remains extremely popular over there judging from what I saw on my visit in 2004 and what I've read since. --Robert Merkel 02:46, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

Yes, I was also thinking that the questioneer was thinking about Germany (and possibly France). In the UK, labour party is in power. Which, ironically, is Bush's best 'friend', so the assumed link may not be too valid. Another issue is how 'leftwing' they still are, but, as TERdON pointed out, even European right wing is left wing from a US perspective. And Spain has a left wing cabinet. The Netherlands has one of the most rightwing cabinets ever, but as a result the polls show that if elections were held now, the pure leftwing parties would have an absolute majority, which would be a first in Dutch history (and Dutch left wing is real left wing, despite what people say about the PvdA). For the rest I'm not sure, but I want to know this, so I'll do a little research (and maybe base an article on it). I'll be back! DirkvdM 09:54, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

And here I am again. I've looked through the politics articles for the European countries and made a rough estimate of how left/right the party politics are. Alas, for many countries, oddly, the composition of the coalition (if any) isn't given and I didn't make such a detailed study of it (yet), so the list below is very tentative, sometimes just based on the distribution of seats and the description of the biggest party (or parties). Feel free to correct it if it's wrong. Like I said, this could be made into an article, although terms like left/right are rather pov. A different terminology would make more sense. The proposed article should preferably also show the development over time, giving an overview of the shift in politics of European countries (and of course this shoudn't be limited to Europe).

Albania	centre-right
Andorra	right (free market liberal)
Armenia	?
Austria	left
Azerbaijan	?
Belarus	? (fraudulous elections)
Belgium	centre-left?
Bosnia and Herzegovina	? (nationalist SDS)
Bulgaria	centre-left?
Croatia	?
Cyprus	left (communist AKEL)?
Czech Republic	centre-left (minority coalition because the communists weren't included? - unclear)
Denmark	centre-right
Estonia	centre?
Finland	centre-left
France	left?? (haven't figured out the system yet)
Georgia	centre-right
Germany	centre-right
Greece	centre-right
Hungary	?
Iceland	centre-right
Republic of Ireland	left
Italy	centre-right
Latvia	?
Liechtenstein	?
Lithuania	left (technocratic, former communists)
Luxembourg	left
Macedonia	? (parliamentary elections only given for 1998)
Malta	centre
Moldova	left (communist)
Monaco	?
the Netherlands	right
Norway	left (red-green)
Poland	?
Portugal	left (at first I thought Porugal had no right-wing party to speak of, but that turns out to be the 'Social Democrat' party :) )
Romania	left
Russia	right?
San Marino	?
Serbia and Montenegro	? (unclear what's what)
Slovakia	?
Slovenia	?
Spain	left
Sweden	left
Switzerland	centre-right
Turkey	right
Ukraine	?
United Kingdom	left
Vatican City	yeah, right :)

It seems that there is a reasonable balance between left and right, but even if there were more right-wing governments, those would generally be more centre-right, due to coalitions. It should be noted that usually there is a major centre-left and a major centre-right party and if another party becomes the major party that doesn't necessarily mean a big shift in politics (although exactly that might happen in the Netherlands in 2007). It usually isn't a winner-take-all system like in the US. Most (democratic) countries in the world have parliaments and coalitions. But the fact that the coalitions aren't mentioned in the articles really drove me nuts. That's the best indicator of the politics of a country. The prime minister is often given, but that's just a figurehead with no extra power. I suspect that, as with most of the English speaking Wikipedia, most edits are done by US citizens, who can't wrap their heads around there not being a single person in power :) . An example can be found in Danish parliamentary election, 2005, where the second sentence states that the PM got most seats, when of course it's the party that gets the seats (one person can occupy just one seat :) ). Towards the end I started giving up if I didn't find the info quickly. I'll have to research this later a bit more, but some help will be appreciated.

I now suppose that a list of coalition parties (plus major other parties) would make more sense, possibly with a very short description of its politics, if possible. I've already done something similar in Politics of the Netherlands#Seats per Party, and tables like that would make sense for all countries. Of course in the overview it shouldn't be so extensive. But for the required research a better source is needed because Wikipedia doesn't seem to give this info yet. Or have I been going about this the wrong way?

An interresting thing I noticed is that communist parties seem bigger than I thought they were, especially in Eastern Europe. DirkvdM 16:23, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

I'm rather doubtful of some of those classifications - Austria for example has a Socialist president, but the Chancellor who actually runs the country is Christian Democrat (and his first administration was in coalition with the neo-fascist FPÖ). I wouldn't characterise the Irish government as left wing either - both the traditional governing parties, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, would be classed as Christian Democratic, though FG is more likely to form a coalition with the Labour Party - there are relatively few policy differences between them, the main distinguishing feature between the parties and their supporters being which side their fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers fought in the Civil War of 1922-23 (FG supporters backed the winning side, which is why FF has formed most of the governments ever since). -- Arwel (talk) 01:08, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Like I said, the left/right classification is rather vague and the table isn't based on extensive research (yet), so if you see an error feel free to correct it (and possibly use better terminology).

Also, I based the table on coalitions. But that's a personal choice because those represent 'true democracy' to me. But of course that is a misrepresentation (it was also 'laziness' on my part) because many countries have (elected) presidents who have some of the power (possibly sometimes even most). So, again, feel free to correct the table (and possibly include info on which part of the government holds how much power, although that might get a bit too extensive for a table). European governments sometimes include a king, but I dont' think any of them hold any actual power, so that aspect can be ignored. And then there are oddities like the Vatican....

Who a party has formed a coalition with doesn't say that much about the party. They may be forced by the outcome of the elections (although it can happen that strange things happen when a party refuse to form a coalition with another major party, as seems to have happened in the Czech Republic - if I understood that correctly). A coalition party has to make a choice which aspects of its program it wants implemented and then leave the rest to the coalition partners (roughly speaking). So a centre party may end up participating in a left- or rightwing program, depending on the election results and coalition formation. Which is the way it should be, if you ask me, giving a nice balance between the desires of the population. But then you didn't ask me. :) DirkvdM 09:50, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

It's also possible of course that the relationship with the US is not primarily about left/right politics. Recently it's been about Iraq, which really transcends regular left/right policies. For example the UK (left) joined in while Canada (leftish) didn't and Germany (rightish) didn't. DJ Clayworth 16:38, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

The question is predicated on the fallacy that politics around the world are defined on the same one-dimensional continuum as the United States. Any sort of political classification of this many states would require considering opinions both on international politics (where leaders may share or differ from the American Left or Right) and also on internal politics within the individual country. (which the American Left or Right may have no opinion on). -72.144.236.150 05:20, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

vegg. and non-vegg,

what is best vegetarian or non-vegetarian?

See Vegetarianism#Motivation for arguments for and Vegetarianism#Criticism for arguments against, and decide for yourself. —Keenan Pepper 00:51, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

If you're a cow, vegetarianism is good. DJ Clayworth 16:20, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

etch-a-sketch

Hello, this is KeeganB. When did they stop putting mercury in Etch-a-sketches?

Right after they stopped beating their wives. Etch-A-Sketch, first marketed in 1960, contains beads and aluminum powder, not mercury. - Nunh-huh 00:47, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

Yeah, how would a mercury Etch-A-Sketch work? The aluminum powder works because it sticks to everything but can be scraped off in a thin line. Mercury doesn't do that (it's a liquid), so if Etch-A-Sketches ever had mercury they would have had to be very different. I suspect it's a hoax or an urban legend. —Keenan Pepper 00:56, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

The manufacturer states that Etch-A-Sketches have never contained mercury. (Even though they frequently appear in mercury alarmist sites as "mercury containing"). - Nunh-huh 01:04, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

It would be quite outrageous if a toy would contain mercury. Kids have a habit of breaking things and mercury is poisonous. DirkvdM 10:00, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

LA Lights shoes (and their knockoff variants) have mercury switches in them, don't they? I don't see any adults wearing them anymore, and my 4-year-old sister has about two or three pair of the light up shoes; another one of those 90's fashion trends that died, thank God. Cernen 21:16, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

• No mercury in LA Lights (or their knockoffs) according to this patent. Why did you think that mercury would be allowed in such a product? And besides, a mercury switch wouldn't work as this application requires pressure sensitivity and not orientation sensitivity. --hydnjo talk 21:44, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

Besides which, mercury is far too valuable to waste like that! -- Arwel (talk) 01:12, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Idea for content

There should be an area where students can upload class notes to share with other students.

Interesting proposal, but we already have talk pages, and class notes sound kind of copyvio/unreferenced-ish. However, this really should be at Wikipedia policies, guidelines and proposals.

This would be outside the current policies on what is appropriate for Wikipedia, see Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not (specifically the section titled Wikipedia is not a free host or webspace provider). -- Rick Block (talk) 01:19, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

Just use a free web host and you can achieve the same purpose. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 01:33, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

I use yahoo groups just for this purpose. Create an email just for that class... Artoftransformation 03:17, 17 December 2005 (UTC)--

del.icio.us - like journaling software

Hi, I'm looking for a journaling software that would operate like this: 1) I tag an entry with keywords in the style of del.icio.us 2) I can then click on that heading and have all the entries with that heading displayed in printable format Is there any software that can do this? I have wikidPad which sort of allows tagging, but only displays pages with a certain tag in a sidebar.

Thanks a whole bunch y'all. Mjklin 02:42, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

wordpress blog software has tagging. -Yoink23 23:10, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

busta rhymes brother

About busta rhymes brother, Brodie Edwards, is it really his brother because busta has smith for his (real) last name so how are they brothers? also how does Brodie look like, is he like busta? and where could i find a picture of him?

• Maybe his brother changed his name, or perhaps their mother remarried before the youngest brother was born which got him the last name of a different father? Just a guess. - Mgm|^(talk) 10:48, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

inflation

Try the article on inflation.--Ali K 03:01, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

Erections

Hey there I was wondering because I had just read a book 'How Hedley Hopkins did a dare, robbed a grave, made a new friend who might not have really been there at all, and while he was at it committed a terrible sin which everyone was doing even though he didn't know it'by Paul Jennings. There was a scene where Hedley, a young boy of 12 or 13, had an arection of because he was thinking of ladies in the nude and sperm just came out. I heard that had happened in different things like TV shows. But I have erections some times, and when they happen sperm doesn't happen unless I actually masturbate or have sex, I'm confused Sorry I didn't know if this question was allowed

Any honest question is welcome at the Reference Desk as long as it's not easily answered by searching Wikipedia (and it's not obviously a homework question).

You are correct that orgasm and ejaculation usually take much more stimulation than an erection, and the scene in the book does sound weird. Maybe it wasn't semen, but pre-ejaculate? There can be a suprising amount of that. —Keenan Pepper 06:28, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

That said, there is anecdotal evidence that some men can ejaculate without any physical stimulation at all; The Guide to Getting it On tells of a man with such a capability. --Robert Merkel 08:43, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

It's a perfectly good question. Ejaculation happens to everyone.

There are three possiblities, I think. One, as Keenan Pepper said: it was pre-ejaculate. Two, as Robert Merkel said: a very small number of men can ejaculate just by thinking hard. This is very, very, very rare though. Three, and more likely: Was this a wet dream? It's very common for men to ejaculate at night while they're asleep. You didn't say if Hedley Hopkins was asleep or not.

One last possibility: This is just a story and has nothing to do with how real men in the real world work. Much of what you read is not quite how it works in the real world. --George 09:34, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

Particularly Paul Jennings, if it's the same guy I'm thinking of; his stories were the basis of the wonderful Round The Twist children's television series. They regularly featured the magical and fantastic in a very humorous manner. --Robert Merkel 11:58, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Hard fingertips..

I play guitar a lot. After i play sometime i find that the tips of my fingers become hard. Can someone tell me why?

Jayant, 17 Years,India.

You're getting a callus. This is a good thing: I play the banjo, and I have calluses on all my fingers. --George 09:40, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

Oh..Thanks a lot. I was really worried.

On all your fingers? Including the right hand (assuming that's what you pick the stings with)? Do you pick with your bare fingers? Without long nails? On a banjo? And what about your left thumb (or isn't that a finger?)? DirkvdM 10:06, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

Oh fine: On all my relevant fingers. You know what I mean. :-P --George 21:52, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

Missing Words...

Sometimes when i write something I miss out some words. I dont even realize that i missed them. I only see my mistake after i read whatever i have written. Can someone tell me why i miss the words while writing? And also why doesn't it happen when I am typing (i am a fairly fast typer)?

Jayant, 17 Years,India.

I'm familiar with that. Perhaps it's because you can think faster than you can write; while your hand is still busy making the letters for one word, your mind has already picked the three of four or more words to follow. So it's tempting to jump ahead and skip a few words. David Sneek 10:56, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

I never met (or in this case, read about) anyone else who does this. But I just skip all my 'n's. - Del

This happens for me when I am writing, typing (on computer keyboard or more old fashioned thing).

I am a computer programmer. I sometimes have keying errors ... I call them "el typo" ... the kind most disturbing to me is when I key in a logic that is diametrically opposite to what I meant to key ... for example

• WHEN VALUE_A is EQUAL to ZERO
• WHEN VALUE_A is NOT EQUAL to ZERO

I meant to key one, and I actually keyed the other. I sometimes not see this until I am trying to figure out why the software testing did not get the right results.

Many years ago I had a job supervising a room full of people doing data entry on punched card machines. I learned that different people had patterns of errors.

• The mind has a string of characters to key, for words spelled correctly in our minds, but some words have the letters in the wrong sequence when they get typed. Some words more often than others. I think it has to do with whether the person has learned touch typing (your hands not looking at keyboard while you type), whether we looking at a screen while we type or write, so we see mistakes as they happen, and fix them right away, and placement of keys on keyboard ... the signal to press this or that key, relative to how far we have to move fingers to get to that key.
• Some word gets repeated, doubled up, and we are less likely to notice when the first is at the end of a line, and second at beginning of a line. User:AlMac|^(talk) 09:08, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

Sneezing at the sun...

Why do most people sneeze when they look at the sun? It happens to me lots of times.

Jayant, 17 Years,India.

That was asked before. See Wikipedia:Reference_desk_archive/Science/November_2005#scientific_reason. This is in the archives of the science ref desk (see archives link above). DirkvdM 10:11, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

Photic sneeze reflex. —Keenan Pepper 19:39, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

who designed 'google'

See Google. David Sneek 14:21, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

hockey player

Could anyone tell me where Daniel Tkaczuk a Former Barrei Colt and Calgary Flames draftpick is now playing. And if there is any chance he will return to the NHL ---66.225.171.88 15:38, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

Try Hockey database (popups) and 2005-06 stats. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 18:15, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

my atlantis el dorado theroy

hi im that same guy who said atlantis and sodom and gommorah maybe one in the same i was watching an episode of digging for the truth on the history channel about the search for el dorado [the city of gold]and i came up with a theroy could the lost city of el dorado and the lost city of atlantis be one in the same could el dorado have been the mythical lost city of atlantis be one in the same could the term city of gold been a metaphor for its advanced technologies and could the conquistodors were searching for a city that had technologies that would enable spain to become the most powerful nation on earth.

• That's nice. See WP:NOR, WP:NOT, grammar, and punctuation. --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 16:40, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

It sounds like you're ready to write a History Channel show! alteripse 19:28, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

I'm quite sure I've read that El Dorado is supposed to be in South America, while Atlantis is somewhere in the Atlantic ocean, so I doubt they could be the same. – B jonas 13:14, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

What the **** is this thing?

http://gamecenter.globo.com/GameCenter2/foto/0,,3078331,00.jpg Maoririder 16:34, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

• Well, it says "GSCube" on it; why not Google for "GSCube" and see what you get? --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 16:37, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

can you tell me please? Maoririder 16:38, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

If you learn how to effectively use google, you'll be able find out nearly anything like this on your own (without asking anyone else to help you). Is there some reason you can't use google? -- Rick Block (talk) 16:44, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

i thought reference desk could help me on wikipedia i like you guys trying to figure things out. thanks Maoririder 16:45, 17 December 2005 (UTC) iam not dumb just need help.

The reference desk can help you. Jpjordan is trying to help you learn how to use Google like evryone else on the planet. --Nelson Ricardo 17:58, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

"Give a man a fish and he'll be able to eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he'll be able to eat for a lifetime." - Somebody's proverb. And just because you "like you guys trying to figure things out" doesn't mean that our one and only job is to sit on the net answering questions. So if you can find the answer yourself it'll give you more time doing things that you'd rather be doing and we'll be able to have more time for other people who actually need their answers for some purpose. Dismas|^(talk) 22:22, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

"Light a fire and you'll be warm for a while. Set yourself on fire and you'll be warm for the rest of your life" --frenchman113

I think it's a ****. DirkvdM 08:15, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

http://cma.zdnet.com/texis/techinfobase/techinfobase/+owo_qr+_WX__v/zdisplay.html

Its a GSCube. Really. Read the help file at google or ask a libraian.

"16 PlayStation 2s in one box." Next Question Please... 08:56, 18 December 2005 (UTC)-- Looks like a gamecube knockoff! Crap

check it out.

http://www.actaonline.org/Images/whats_new/order_rising_sun_05_2005.jpg Maoririder 16:43, 17 December 2005 (UTC) what is it?

Try Order of the Rising Sun. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 18:23, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

Swift Boat Vets picking on Kerry.

http://www.theonion.com/content/files/images/onion_news3021.frontpage_thumbnail.jpg Maoririder 16:44, 17 December 2005 (UTC) why did they do it? democrats only. http://www.jewishworldreview.com/images/sharon_bush_smile.jpg whats so funny. Maoririder 16:46, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

BUSH RANCH wow lots of space to create something?? http://cryptome.org/bush-ranch-02m.jpgMaoririder 16:50, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

Clockwork Orange? song? DJ Tiesto?? or Lords of Acid??

Please help it is a good song need help?? Maoririder 17:01, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

Try Clockwork Orange. I assume that you are referring to the third but you might mean the second. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 18:12, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

According to this persons MP3 playlist it's by Lords of Acid. The other google hits look much the same. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 18:52, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

Johannes kjarvalv??

http://www.exporevue.com/images/magazine/889safneign_kjarval.jpg who is he Björk has a song named after him/her?? Maoririder 17:09, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

Right now the best suggestion I can give is to google Björk and sign up for one of the fan sites that has a forum and ask them. I might be able to find out in a few days. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 18:52, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

why cant you?

Because I have no interest in Björk and really don't want to sign up for another forum. I belong to way too many as it is. Which album is it on? CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 20:36, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

Because you want to know the answer, not CambridgeBayWeather? Really, Maoririder, most of these questions you could answer yourself using google. Natgoo 21:14, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

Nutella

I just noticed on the back of the nutella jar, where it says "do not refrigerate". Why not? -Tim Rhymeless (Er...let's shimmy) 17:32, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

Cold Nutella is hard to spread. If you don't mind that, there's no reason not to refrigerate it; it won't cause any irreparable damage or anything. —Charles P. (Mirv) 18:06, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

I second this. I have put Nutella in the refrigerator and it was fine after it, except a little hard to spread. Although it might not have been real Nutella, probably only some cheaper clone. – B jonas 13:07, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

Though, if you're using Gnutella, you may find it easier to take your computer out of the refrigerator first. (Sorry; couldn't resist, Charles.) Cernen 20:36, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

Must have been invented by a gnu, or agonother gnu. JackofOz 21:45, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

Well they are the gnicest work of gnature in the zoo, w-hat w-hould you expect from them? (With apologies to Flanders and Swann.) -- AJR | Talk 01:34, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Exactly. Good to find other F&S aficionados. JackofOz 05:34, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Well, if your hard drive is failing, that might not be such a good idea. Remember, a cold PC is a happy PC! --Sam Pointon 07:14, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Geography

How high is Mount Kilamanjaroo?

I refer you to Mount Kilimanjaro. — flamingspinach | (talk) 20:57, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

That would depend on how many hits it's had. DuctapeDaredevil 02:09, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

The Office Space Incident

Greetings, fellow wikipedians and those of you who may not be but can still answer my query. I had...shall we say...an "episode" last night and took my fried Epson Stylus C82 out to the garage for a little meet and greet with my 8 lb. axe. Being...shall we say, only somewhat angered, I took liberties with it a la Office Space and forgot to remove the inkjet cartridges. Now thar be a smattering of CMYK all over my garage floor, metal hammock thing, and plastic shelves. WD-40 does not seem to aid matters; figuring it lifts oil like a seasoned thief, I tried it to no avail. I'm going to try a Comet scrub later today, but I honestly haven't got a clue as to how I should try attacking these "blood stains." Dwarves say that blood doesn't come out of masonry; I'm sort of hoping that because this is a rented house, that isn't true...any ideas? Cernen 21:14, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

LIE. Tell the person that you rent the house from that there was an accident with the cartridges. They were faulty and broke open when you dropped them. Then offer to paint the floor. Buy the paint and do it yourself as it will be cheaper than what she/he would charge you. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 21:42, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

That's a much better lie than I came up with: (The cartridge ran into my axe. It ran into my axe nine times....) - Nunh-huh 02:58, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

The epson came apart in three. Not very sturdy printers, ne? Cernen 07:24, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

I've removed stains from concrete with a 50% bleach solution. --hydnjo talk 22:00, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

I would have recommended a naptha-based lighter fluid. Possibly the greatest solvent known to man. - Ridge Racer 05:59, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Where would you find such a thing? Cernen 07:24, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Well, in the USA they sell it at gas stations, and other general stores etc.--Ridge Racer 07:43, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Tomorrow, I plan to go actually try this stuff. All of it. (I was much too lazy to scrub the Comet off the floor; it's way too damn cold.) Cernen 14:34, 19 December 2005 (UTC) Turns out, I freaked out way too much. Comet + elbow grease seemed to do the trick. (Water also helped.) Thank you for the suggestions, and should I ever need to smash another printer to bits, I'll know exactly what to do. ^_^ Cernen 08:53, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

I'm scared of Scientologists.

They might mind-control me! Don't let them, please Kid Apathy 21:53, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

Too late you're under their power. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 22:18, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

As long as you don't star in any movies with Tom Cruise, I think you'll be fine. --George 00:35, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

It's OK Kid, they can't make you do anything that you wouldn't have wanted to do anyway. --hydnjo talk 04:40, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Whoa! Thanks for the advice, George. That was a close call. They almost had me. Ground Zero | t 14:28, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

Slug

I've asked this over at the slug page and at several university web sites but I've got no answer. How do slugs survive over the winter in the arctic? I know that flies, etc lay eggs that can survive the cold but is it the same for slugs? CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 23:57, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

• Wait... do slugs actually live in the arctic?--Pharos 19:24, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

In one place at least otherwise I would not be so interested in the answer. About 12-15 years ago when I lived in Holman, Northwest Territories we went berry picking. About 10 miles out of town I was sitting picking (eating) and lifted up some moss and found about 6 slugs. All were very small, less than 2 in (5 cm) each. As far as I know no one else has ever seen any. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 23:23, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Well, they're probably dead by now. --Optichan 22:08, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

Liver

Is there any creature that can eat Polar Bear liver and not die? CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 23:57, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

The article says it's just because of Vitamin A, which is toxic in large doses, but it's also a vitamin, so a small amount of Polar Bear liver should be good for you. —Keenan Pepper 00:16, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Not a chance! I don't think anyone would give me the liver even if I asked for it. Just about everyone in the arctic knows that the liver will kill you. I was thinking more of the foxes and ravens. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 00:44, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

You cook polar bear, don't you? Cernen 02:23, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Yes. Now that I think about it I've never heard of anyone eating raw polar bear. Hmmm, I wonder why, as seal, caribou, fish is all eaten raw. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 02:30, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

I think you should not eat it because raw polar bear muscle is a great source of trichinosis if I recall correctly. Other ascaroids may lurk in the liver. Either would put me off polar bear. alteripse 13:55, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Well, I'm a polar bear but you ain't gettin' anywhere near my liver. JackofOz 05:31, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Thanks for the link. I learned something new today. But I'm still interested in liver. 07:29, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Do polar bears ever feast on each other? Zoe (216.234.130.130 18:47, 20 December 2005 (UTC))

December 18

CTY award

What is the name of the award that the Center for Talented Youth gives kids (7th and 8th graders) who score above average (I think—in any event, very well) on the SAT? --zenohockey 00:29, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Never mind; I found it: "State Award." Sounds prestigious, no? --zenohockey 01:28, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

I'm sure it's nowhere near as prestigious-sounding as the Presidential Fitness Awards that Bill Clinton handed out. 67.150.208.73 02:07, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

I once got the Presidential ACADEMIC Fitness Award, during the reign of Bush I. I expect my appointment to the National Academy of Sciences to come any day now...Brian Schlosser42 15:51, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

finding the way of the samurai

I have been reseaching the samurai and it is this small detail that i have yet to find. Based on the traditional ways, how would a samurai strap the katana on his person in armor and traditional dress?

I`m mostly busy on exams and would appreciate anyone taking the time to email me the details. Thank you.

Removed your e-mail address - as noted at the top of the page, you shouldn't post your e-mail as it can be picked up by spammers. Unfortunately, I don't know the answer to your question. :) --George 05:44, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Go and watch 'The Seven Samurai.' They didnt strap them, they tucked them in their belt. At least as far as the movies. I will consult a refrence book on Samurai Armor. 08:40, 18 December 2005 (UTC)--

According to Katana, it depends on the time period:

";Classification by mode of wear

Before 1500:	Most swords worn suspended from cords on a belt, blade-down. This style is called 'jindachi-zukuri', and all daito worn in this fashion are 'tachi'.
1500 - 1867:	Almost all swords are worn through a sash, paired with a smaller blade. Both blades are blade-up. This style is called 'buke-zukuri', and all daito worn in this fashion are 'katana'.
1876+:	Due to restrictions and/or the destruction of the Samurai class, most blades are worn jindachi-zukuri style, like Western navy officers. Recently (1953+) there is a resurgence in buke-zukuri style, permitted only for demonstration purposes.

Do Swiss banks provide the same security outside of Switzerland?

Hello, Swiss banks are known for their confidentiality policies, anonymous banking, and security. But as I read their anonymous banking is possible under some Swiss law. I was looking into it and I visited a page for the biggest bank in Switzerland, UBS AG. I visited their website and I saw they had a location in my city in Canada. Now I was wandering if they still could provide the same services here as they do in Switzerland. --(Aytakin) | Talk 04:10, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

If you have an account at a Canadian branch of a Swiss bank, they're subject to Canadian banking laws. In any case, anecdotally, Swiss banks are no longer quite as secretive as they once were; see Swiss bank. --Robert Merkel 10:36, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Having done a tad bit of research on this subject before (I was at one point obsessed with foreign banking policies...I obsess over many various things), I can tell you that generally, unless you have a LOT of money, Swiss banks won't touch you. (That's generally why swiss banks aren't often referred to as banks but as "wealth management firms.") But Swiss banks are generally more confidential in Switzerland where the banking laws are, well, very very stringent. Cernen 12:39, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Thanks, Really helped

Recursive image

A question over at RD/Math got me to reading the Recursion article where there is an example of a recursive image. Well, that brought up a childhood memory (sixty years ago in my case) of the illustration on a common household product. It was an image of someone holding the same product on which was an image of someone holding the same product on which ... and my young imagination was captured. Can somebody identify the product so that I can go to sleep tonight? --hydnjo talk 04:19, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

What country do you live in? CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 05:14, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

I suppose this is used a lot, but here's a can of Droste chocolate milk powder. This is a Dutch product and in the Netherlands it's called the 'Droste-effect'. I wonder who came up with this first, though. DirkvdM 08:39, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

We even have an article on the Droste effect. —Keenan Pepper 09:44, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Silly americenteric me - it was in the US and wasn't Droste, that picture doesn't ring a bell. Yay, I didn't know it (Droste effect) was named, my product used the same concept of course - thanks y'all. --hydnjo talk 12:28, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

A Dutch product, how fitting is that! :-) --hydnjo talk 12:38, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

I'm not American or Dutch, and yet after reading this I suddenly think I might remember the answer, having seen a picture of it somewhere. I think it's Morton Salt. I think their slogan is/was the wordplay "When it rains it pours", and the box illustration showed/shows a girl holding an umbrella and pouring salt from a box, on which the illustration showed a girl holding an umbrella and... --Anonymous, 05:52 UTC, December 19

I Image-Googled 'morton salt' and get that picture, but without the recursion.

So it's even called 'Droste effect' in English. Silly 'Dutchfugic' me. What's the opposite of megalomania?

I wonder why the writing is in Dutch and Thai.

And how is it fitting that it's Dutch? Are we known for our recursive attitude towards life? :) DirkvdM 07:41, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

YES! It was Morton salt. The Dutch connection is because M.C. Escher, the Dutch artist, used recursion in some of his works (see Escher and the Droste effect). Thanks to all who helped cut the SRR (shampoo-rinse-repeat) loop that my was going on in my brain about this. :-) --hydnjo talk 16:31, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

Vache qui rit cheese (laughing cow!) pictured a cow wearing a box of that cheese as earrings. That was in France. --Harvestman 20:20, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

Perhaps there are more products out there - enough to start an article! --hydnjo talk 00:54, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

User:DirkvdM wondered who came up with this first. I suspect it was the Dutch mathematician M.C. Escher. User:AlMac|^(talk) 16:00, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

I doubt that Escher was the first artist/mathematician to use this concept but there is a nice link to an Escher/Droste site three four posts up. --hydnjo talk 16:18, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

Randal Pinkett's birthdate

Need birthdate of Randal Pinkett

Best I can do is this contact Randal page. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 05:10, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

1971

The year would be right I did see somewhere that he was 34 but the Randal Pinkett article is missing the date. Which I assume is the point of this question. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 17:53, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

etch-a-sketch redux

Hello, this is KeeganB. This is a followup to my earlier question about etch-a-sketches. How did the rumor that etches-a-sketches had mercury start?

A quick search over at Snopes doesn't turn up anything, so this probably isn't a generally rumored rumor. Anyway, I think that in your case it may be one of those Black box deals. (A new/interesting product comes out on the market and someone think it HAS to be something hazardous to your health) Like the rumor about bubble yum and spider eggs. - Ridge Racer 06:10, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Maybe because it looks like mercury. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 07:48, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Do you think it looks like mercury? Honestly, I don't, because it's black, not silver.--Ridge Racer 08:02, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Black lines on a silver (aluminum) screen. For some people it may have been possible that they didn't know that aluminum could be turned into a powder. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 17:47, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Ridge's original explanation makes the most sense to me--tons of rumors about deadly toxins seem to crop up around unusual products. The Coke and Pop Rocks rumor springs immediately to mind, as does the rumor that liquid-center golf balls were filled with poison. (Both false, btw.) Add to that the fact that parents probably didn't want kids cracking open their Etch-a-Sketches and downing the grey stuff like cotton candy (and therefore being far less interested in debunking a mercury myth) and I think there's a fair explanation, if an unsatisfying one. Jwrosenzweig 08:05, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

For those living in London

I recently went to London, and took these photos from the London Eye (click for larger image):

File:Unidentified London Building1.jpg File:Unidentified London Building2.jpg

Does anybody know what they are? --Alexs letterbox 06:21, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

The picture on the right looks like the treasury (left hand side building), to the right of it partly out of the picture would be the Foreign Office. The left picture is not important as it's the only one not marked on the "in-flight mini guide". Both pictures are taken facing west. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 06:43, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

The building on the left is the Royal Horseguards Thistle Hotel -- Mwalcoff 17:24, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

The same building as the Thistle Hotel is also Whitehall Court, a mansion block. On the right is indeed the Treasury in the centre of the picture; in front of it are the two Norman Shaw buildings where I used to work; to the right is George Gilbert Scott's "Government Offices" (now the Foreign and Commonwealth Office), and behind it can be seen the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre and Methodist Central Hall. David | Talk 12:13, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

Muscle mass & weight loss

At what age will a person start to lose muscle mass and weight due to hormonal changes?

This sounds like a Wikipedia:Reference_desk/Science question. Cernen 07:30, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Weight training and heart disease

How long should a person train in weight per week in order to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by 23 per cent?

A) at least 30 minutes or B) at least 55 minutes or c) at least 80 minutes ?

Didn't you ask this before? Do your own homework. —Keenan Pepper 06:45, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

• If you get multiple choice answers, chances are you can look this up in your course book, or refer to your notes because it has been mentioned during class. If you don't know, ask your fellow students for advice. - Mgm|^(talk) 10:57, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Weird file extension

This page [33] has some nice examples of Altai throat singing which appear to be normal MP3s, but they have the file extension ".tbg", which I have never seen before. Anyone know why? —Keenan Pepper 06:52, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Well, the filext.com database doesn't have a relevant entry for that file type, but it plays ok in my winamp. I would say just rename them and move on.--Ridge Racer 07:06, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Possibly as a simple attempt to stop you from downloading and playing the file. Nothing will open it by default but Winamp and Media Player will play them if told to.

That sounds like the most probable explanation, but kind of a stupid thing for them to do.--Ridge Racer 07:27, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Just like me forgetting to sign again eh! CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 07:31, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

According to http://filext.com/detaillist.php?extdetail=TBG this suffix denotes "TeamBG" files, whatever they may be (something to do with a games engine). It sounds like Ridge Racer has the right of it and someone has chosen a "random" suffix. Quite possibly from "TarBaGan", the name of the website, in fact.

Aargh, This "forgetting to sign" thing is catching… Tonywalton  | Talk 12:58, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

names

can you suggest me some names starting wiyh b and ending with z

Boz, as in Boz Scaggs. How many letters? :) DirkvdM 10:08, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Boaz--Pharos 10:13, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Bez smurrayinchester^{(User), (Ho Ho Ho!)} 10:53, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Or Biz, as in Biz Mackey -- Mwalcoff 17:14, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Baz is a moderately common short-form of Barry, for what it's worth. Shimgray | talk | 18:08, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Joan Baez, the Portugese name Beatriz, the Gaelic name Buzz (village in the woods) (or Buzz Lightyear). Just google "baby name" and search but I hope you enjoy pop-ups. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 18:15, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Benz, as in the last name of the person who created the car. --(Aytakin) | Talk 19:10, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Quite impressive; theres Baz, Bez, Biz, Boz and Buzz, in fact, all the vowels! Who knew B*Z was so common? smurrayinchester^{(User), (Ho Ho Ho!)} 21:54, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

If we're accepting last names, David Boreanaz occurs immediately, and I cannot doubt there are a number of other examples not yet mentioned. Forgive my impertinence, but why would such information be of use? :-) Jwrosenzweig 08:01, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

Here's a complete list of all words and names beginning with b and ending with z.

P.S.Biz Mackey? Maybe that's where Biz Markie got his name. --Mareino 15:17, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

health

(no question posted)

Well I do have Diabetes mellitus but other than that my health is good. Thanks for asking. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 23:55, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

"You aks yo mommanem I aks huh how she durrin." Cernen 12:11, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

Where did Jim Carrey go to college, or did he not go to college?

Jim Carrey Oops! No, he is apparently a high school drop-out.--Ridge Racer 16:19, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Birth and death rate

What is the world wide birth rate and death rate per minute?

• World population estimate for July 2005: 6,446,131,400
• Birth rate: 20.15 births/1,000 population
• Death rate: 8.78 deaths/1,000 population

It's quite easy to do the maths from those - ~130,000,000 births/year, and ~56,500,000 deaths. Divide those by 525,960, and you get, roughly speaking, about 250 births a minute and about 110 deaths per minute. Shimgray | talk | 16:58, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Library legal question

suppose i go to a library and the librartian and i try to check out a certain book which is obscene does the librarian have the right to refeuse to gave me that book.iam not doing my homework

In the U.S., obscenity is illegal, so the chances are your local library doesn't carry any obscene books. If it is merely "indecent," I don't know what the ACLU would say, but the librarian certainly would be violating the standards of the American Library Association. -- Mwalcoff 17:11, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Not qutomatically. If they refuse to lend a book to one specific person, yes, that's dodgy. However, the book may not be for circulation out of the library (it's an odd way to deal with sensitive material, but I've known it happen), so they'd not let it be lent, or it may be that the library has regulations that a certain class of material may only be lent to adults - and we don't know who the original poster was or what the material was. Shimgray | talk | 17:35, 18 December 2005 (UTC) [I am not a librarian, but I play one at job interviews]

If I'm not mistaken, the ALA is officially against "adults-only" book loans, although of course the association's position is not legally binding. -- Mwalcoff 01:39, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

In September 2005, Japan's National Diet Library restricted access to 120 books which it owns legally, but which can no longer be made accessable to the public after the revision of laws concerning child pornography. Those who wish to look at those publications must provide their name, address and reason for the request. TheMadBaron 02:25, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

In the Netherlands we have adult sections too in libraries, they're just not about obscenities or anything (actually, it's everywhere but the children's section :) ). But more seriously, a law here says that if a shopkeeper has anything on display he has to sell it if asked. I don't know if that applies to libraries, but it would make sense. Anyway, why would a library carry a book they don't want people to see? Well, maybe they didn't check well enough, but then that's their mistake. DirkvdM 07:53, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

It's quite possible that he's able to see it, but not to borrow it, which is what he asked. Go to your local library and ask to borrow the twelve-volume encyclopedia and see what they say :-) Shimgray | talk | 11:25, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

Question, if the book was utter filth, would the librarian be okay in refusing to loan it to a person under 18/16/whatever? Proto t c 10:56, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

population of wailua

Next time check Wailua, Hawaii D'oh! As of the 2000 census, they had a total population of 2,083 people.--Ridge Racer 19:14, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

sports in paraguay

Is the sport of field hockey playing in paraguay? If so what kind of sticks do they use?

• Scotland is the world champion in elephant polo, despite having no elephants to practice with and lacking any particularly good polo skills. In short: most sports are played all over the world (some just less in a specific country than others). I'm sure some people play field hockey in Paraguy and I don't see why they wouldn't use regular sticks. - Mgm|^(talk) 19:58, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

There is a direct link from the field hockey to a website that can answer your questions.--Robert Merkel 20:56, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

• Pedantically speaking, there are elephants in Scotland - at least one at Blair Drummond, off the top of my head. Used to be one in Edinburgh, but I think she died. 'Course, they're not much use for practice... Shimgray | talk | 21:07, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

How do you get the elephants to roll after you hit them with the sticks and don't they get a bit irritated? CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 23:55, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Geography

How far is between New York and San Fransisco?

Try Surface Distance Between Two Points of Latitude and Longitude. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 19:35, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

You could always ask Mapquest if you're looking for the distance by road. (I know for a fact, though, that if you want to drive there, you take I-5 to I-90, and I-90 from I-5 is a 6 hour drive, so it'd be a better idea to fly there, unless you're into long boring road trips along shoddy undeveloped countryside. ^_^) Cernen 15:16, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

Joe Morgan

A long time editor for United Press.

Jow went to Knox College where he met Jeanne Murray.

Joe and Jeanne had 3 children Ann Morgan (gear), John Morgan, and Patrick (Pat) Morgan

• I didn't know that. Now what's your question? - 131.211.210.10 08:35, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

John Morgan

Born 24 February 1944. Attended Knox College, Cooper Union (BArch) and Princeton University (MArch)

Hi, it looks like you're trying to start a new article. Read the Help:Starting a new page article first (also, you will need to sign up for a user account). Please note, you should also read the article Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not, as vanity articles or articles about non-notable persons may be deleted by popular consensus. --Canley 00:39, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

Copyright info for Bibliograpgy

where do i get the copyright information for my bibliography????

For a Wikipedia article???? Go to the article's page and then click on the link on the left in the box where it says "cite this article" or some similar phrase.... Dismas|^(talk) 23:20, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Birds

I would like to be able to tell apart different species of birds in Southeast Texas, Port Arthur area. Thank you. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.200.116.69 (talk • contribs)

Please don't shout. -- Ec5618 23:51, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

If you go to this hyperlink -- http://www.aves.net/the-owl/blnk-usa.htm -- you will find a list of birdwatching groups in Texas. I make no guarantees of the usefulness of any of them in particular, but surely one or more will have the info you need. Jwrosenzweig 07:57, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

December 19

Afghanistan

What was the name of the US citizen captured in Afghanistan fighting with the Taliban?

John Walker Lindh. --Canley 00:24, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

lol

lol

@ u n00b--Ridge Racer 01:37, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

'tis I! The ubx-N! And all I have to say is...

n00bthis person is a n00b

finding the way of the samurai 2

thank you for the answer of how a samurai would put the katana on, you said they tuck it in their belt. however my report needs more detail, by which method would they wear their belt or what is the way they tie their sash around their waste?

According to the Katana article, that style of wear was called 'buke-zukuri'. A Google search for that term should yield some detailed information. --Canley 02:21, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

Also, consult Obi (sash). -72.144.240.70 04:39, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

Where did Ben Stiller go to college?

• He spent nine months at UCLA studying film [34]. --Canley 02:55, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

Porn movie in Academy award

there is any porn movie that went to acadamy awards (dont need to be a winner movie)???

I don't think that it is likely, due to the eligibility rules for the academy awards. They don't bar pornography per se, but they have a lot of small rules that generally only apply to box office movies and the like. To see what I am talking about look here [35].--Ridge Racer 05:20, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

• Midnight Cowboy was X rated at the time when it won the Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture in 1969. In 1971 it was re-rated and given an "R" rating, though. I'm pretty sure it is the only X-rated film to win an Academy Award, much less two of them. A Clockwork Orange was nominated for a Best Picture in 1971 when it too was rated X, but it did not win. --Fastfission 05:24, 19 December 2005 (UTC)
  • Different people define pornography differently, but no unambiguously porno movie has ever been nominated for an Oscar. The only other X-rated films I can think of which have been nominated for Academy Awards, besides those mentioned above, are Last Tango in Paris and Adalen 31. --04:37, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

dis song page

What happened to the dis song page,i couldn't find it anymore. if theres still a link, could you get for me please?

• Do you mean Dis Pater (music)? CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 05:23, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

Kendra Wilkinson

I saw your article on Playboy's Kendra Wilkinson. I was wondering if you could tell me if she has ever used her karate in a real life fight, and what belt she is. Thank you.

AJ, Ohio <removed email - see instructions at top of this page>

• If she followed the rules of her Sensei, she didn't use Karate in a real life fight unless it was to defend herself. - 131.211.210.10 08:39, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

The Doctor's Companions

Why is it that most of the Doctor's(in Doctor Who) companions are female not male?Is it because the Doctor likes beautiful girls and women?

As our article on Doctor Who notes, the Doctor has generally kept his hands off his companions, the only exception being a brief one in the 1996 telemovie. He's no Captain Kirk :) From a scriptwriting and producer's perspective, having female characters in science fiction television is a good idea for a number of reasons. Having female characters offers dramatic possibilities not available if all the characters are men. It also gives female viewers somebody to identify with. Finally, if the companion is young and attractive it gives male viewers somebody to drool at. Witness Seven of Nine in Star Trek:Voyager, for instance. --Robert Merkel 05:48, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

Don't forget the doctor kissed Rose in the last episode of last year's season as well. I don't think that qualifies as keeping his hands off her... - 131.211.210.10 08:40, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

shortest day of theyear

Try June solstice or December solstice. Depends on where you live. Also just ask once. Thanks. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 06:57, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

does a person have chlamydia if they do this

Well this is kind of embarassing but a friend of mine had performed a sexual intercourse with his furniture(mostly a couch)and said it was for practice or something. then one day, he told me he had a burning sensation in urinating. then i read about those STDS types and a little something about chlamydia and it said you could tell you have it if you had a burning sensation in urinating. My friend is a virgin so its real confusing, so could you tell me if he has chlamydia?

Medical advice can't be given here, especially since there are so many questions a medical professional would need to ask in order to diagnose (not to mention tests). If your friend has a persistent burning sensation when urinating, I think he should absolutely see a doctor -- that's the only answer you're likely to get here. All I will add is that, to the best of my knowledge, a human being who has no sexual contact with any other human beings (but who does have sexual contact with a couch) is unlikely to have contracted chlamydia as a result. I would be so bold as to imply that a human being who has had no sexual contact with any other human beings will be unlikely to contract chlamydia from any piece of furniture they become intimate with. I hope your friend seeks medical attention very soon. Jwrosenzweig 07:50, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

• Like Jwrosenzweig, I will reiterate that seeking medical attention is the best thing your friend can do. I suspect it's a urinary tract infection rather than an STD. - 131.211.210.10 08:43, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

Mostly a couch? What is it about the couch that is so particularly fetching? - Nunh-huh 08:47, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

Perhaps this is someone who didn't realize http://www.furnitureporn.com is simply parody. -- Rick Block (talk) 18:10, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

Secondly, I would add that your friend shouldn't let his embarrassment stop him going to the doctor. For one, doctors are professionals who have seen it all before, for another, they are obligated to keep things confidential, and finally embarrassment is considerably less important than one's health. --Robert Merkel 09:46, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

dis song page part 2

no not that, its a page that has a list of dis songs by rap artist(s) and explaining certain things about their feud and what do they mean in their songs(or somethin like that).

Ah then you want List of lists of songs. Happy hunting. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 08:04, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

I would recommend the article Hip hop rivalries instead. --Metropolitan90 04:22, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

What is the history of the street "Shannon Lane" in Kerrville, Texas?

I am attempting to find the history of the street Shannon Lane in Kerrville, Texas. I need to know when it was named, after whom it was named, and any information about the person after whom it was named.

Thank You.

Need to Know

"Shannon" being a fairly common name I think your best bet to get an answer to this question is to ask Ms. Valorie Diamond from the History Center of the Butt-Holdsworth Memorial Library in Kerrville, Texas. Lupo 12:34, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

...the Butt-Holsworth Memorial Library. That just made my day. I am so easily amused... Shimgray | talk | 12:36, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

india contamination

Hi, I'm planning a trip to India. On looking at my atlas I noticed that there is an area in north eastern India marked for radioactive contamination. It's difficult to ascertain exactly where this contamination is. According to the small map it looks like it is somewhere in Rajasthan, possibly near Jodhpur. Any info. on this would be appreciated. Regards. AC

What kind of atlas are you using that marks radioactive contamination? DJ Clayworth 15:48, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

There's lots of uranium mining in the area, and in Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Meghalaya. If you plan to go through that area, remember that the groundwater is contaminated with naturally-occurring arsenic, so be careful with your drinking water. Natgoo 18:13, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

I went to India with a pathologist who had grown up there, and her rules for drinking water for everyone in her family (including herself as she'd lost all her resistance) were roughly:

• No untreated tap water
• No ice except at hotels that cater to foreigners (same as above no tap water requirement)
• No returnable coke bottles

So arsenic isn't even terribly relevant if you believe in her rules. Besides, I believe most of the danger from the asenic contaminated groundwater is longterm. — Laura Scudder ☎ 22:16, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

I am actually from India. And I know for a fact that there is an area of about 10 square km(bout 16 square miles i guess) near Jodhpur in Rajasthan. But you shouldn't worry about it. The authorities wouldn't let you go any where near it.You should be quite safe.

Jayant, 17 Years,India.

And about the stuff about the ground water being poisoned with Arsenic, I dont think we, the people in India are so foolish to mess up our own water. As long as you drink Mineral bottled water you should be quite safe.

Jayant, 17 Years,India.

Hi Jayant - if you follow the naturally-occurring arsenic link, you can read many articles about the naturally occurring arsenic found in much of Bangladesh and parts of India nearby. Natgoo 22:02, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

talc

hello... my question is : does talc or baby powder really changes the colour of your skin if applied in heavy ammounts or period of time (white) and if it does is it permanent ? ** danny age 9 :D

No. TheMadBaron 13:17, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

Yes it can but not on a permanent basis. See Gold bond powder scroll down to the Product Presentation and read the first paragraph. Also see Talc PDF look at the bottom of page 5. This is from the National Teacher Training Institute. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 13:23, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

ABOUT SHARES AND DEBENTURES

COULD YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN ME DETAILY ABOUT SHARES AND DEBENTURES OF STOCK MARKET

You would do well to try and read over Stock market, it tries to give a detailed explanation that is simple to understand Sherurcij ^{(talk) (bounties)} 18:31, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

Marketing Systems

What is an Order Management System (OMS)? Direct Market Access (DMA)? Who are the major vendors/players in these?

Have you used Google or any other search engine? Gartner has good definitions of systems and relative market share. User:AlMac|^(talk) 02:21, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

OMS and DMA

What is an Order Management System (OMS)? Direct Market Access (DMA)? Who are the major vendors/players in these?

This sounds suspiciously like a homework question. -- Natalinasmpf 00:14, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

Fish Industries

I have looked all throught the Internet with no luck at all. I can't find a list of Fish Industries in the East Coast, can you please post a list of as many as you can.

Please and Thank you. East Coast of Canada.

Try Seafood News from Canada and click on Canada at the European Seafood Exhibition. This will give you some information. However, they may not all be from the East Coast. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 21:59, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

Thank you so much!:D

Where did Rick Moranis go to college?

• I tried numerous combinations on Google: 'Rick Moranis'[s] alma mater', 'Moranis attended', 'Moranis studied [at]' 'Moranis'[s] college'... but the only link that I got was, bizarrely, to smut :|. It seems like he never went to college, or, if he did, he's very quiet about it. 15:39, 20 December 2005 Iinag
  • Ah well it seems that he must have gone to college here based on this. He attended the same school as Geddy Lee but I can't find that either. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 10:44, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

Where did Steve martin go to college?

It's in the article at Steve Martin. (California State University at Long Beach) --Think Fast 23:01, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

Where did Dave Chappelle go to college?

For all these please check the articles. If it's not in them then follow some of the external links and see if they have the information. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 23:25, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

December 20

BBC World Service

What is the name of the melody now played by the English language BBC World Service (I listen to it via syndication on Minnesota Public Radio) on the half hour and hour with the news updates? Thanks EdwinHJ | Talk 07:42, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

Try Lilliburlero. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 08:06, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

If you go here you can hear the melody which should help to see if it's the same tune. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 08:12, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

film re-makes

what exactly is a film re-make?how do you define it?

Well I would say that it's when you take a book like King Kong, make a movie - King Kong (1933 film) then make a second one - King Kong (1976 film) and then a third - King Kong (2005 film). Also look at Remake. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 11:32, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

Rochdale

Are their any users present on Wikipedia that live in Rochdale, other than me?--XenoNeon 12:02, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

If there are, then they're not identified as such, but keep an eye on Category:Wikipedians_in_Manchester (includes Greater Manchester). There's also a good chance that some of the editors of the Rochdale article are native - you might want to ask on the talk page. TheMadBaron 12:22, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

You want the 4th floor, third door on the right and mind the cat, she got loose again. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 12:43, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

Extracting the contents of a CD in the form of an ISO

Wikipedians,

I have the Age of Empires III Collectors Edition and to avoid damaging the original CD, would like to know how I could extract the contents of the original CD in the form of an ISO and burn it to a recordable CD.

I would simply like to avoid any risk of damaging the CD and don't trust no-CDs.

Thank you,

--anon 12:26, 20 December 2005 (UTC).

Try google "iso ripper". But it probably against the law. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 12:43, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

Even if he doesn't distribute it? I would think that most countries would allow a person to make a back up copy for themselves. Dismas|^(talk) 13:19, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

It depends. From what I understand it's not illegal to make a back up copy but it's illegal to circumvent the copyright protection on the CD. However, that may apply only to music CD's and that's based on a US magazine article. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 13:46, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

I remember trying to burn a copy of AoE II- it has strong copy protection (I coudn't use Nero to make an iso of it for some reason). I'm sure AoE III has some too. Broken S 14:01, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

Regarding illegality: If you are in the U.S., you might want to take a look at the Digital Millenium Copyright Act. It criminalizes the distribution of devices/programs that can break copyright protection, but it also provides, "Nothing in this section shall affect rights, remedies, limitations, or defenses to copyright infringement, including fair use, under this title." Some have argued based on that language that so long as you can break the copy protection yourself (without getting a "ripper" from a third party), you can use the fair use defense to make a back-up copy. But others disagree. I suggest that you write to your congressman and complain.

And let them know for sure that you're doing something that may be illegal? -- Миборовский ^{U|T|C|E|Chugoku Banzai!} 23:01, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

Using the toilet in space..

How do astronauts use the toilet when they are in zero-gravity on a spacecraft? I mean in situations where there is no artificial or natural gravity.

Jayant, 17 Years,India.

You can use Google to search for space toilet and get lots of sites with detailed information. One of the links you will get is this one from the History channel and this one from NASA which has a video. --hydnjo talk 15:04, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

Thats Awesome!! Thanks a lot.

Jayant, 17 Years,India. 15:06, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

My signature..

I know this may not be a relavent question but why are people so concerned about the way i sign my name at the end of my questions?

Jayant, 17 Years,India.

Because if you sign your name properly, people can click on your name and then go to your userpage. If you just do it freeform, you can't, people would have to guess your username or look at the page history... Morwen - Talk 15:08, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

The way to do it easily is explained on your talk page. --hydnjo talk 15:11, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

By the way can you please tell me how to create my own userpage in wikipedia? I wanna create one now.

Jayant, 17 Years,India. 15:33, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

• Hi, Jayant. It's as easy as clicking on the User:Jayant412, and writing what you want, and submitting it will make your user-page. If you want assistance to add yourself to any user categories, or to put some code in, then just ask around. Iinag, 15:43, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

Thanks a lot..

Difference in supply voltage..

Why is the supply voltage in the houses in USA about 110V while in India, where i live, its about 220V? Will there be any difference in the way electrical appliances, which are made for their respective voltages, work?

Jayant, 17 Years,India. 15:13, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

When AC electricity was being pioneered, there was very little concern for global compatibility, so various locales adopted their own standards. The US, for example, is actually on a 120V standard, but most equipment in that voltage range is designed to operate from 110-120V. Relatively little equipment is made to operate natively across the entire 110-240V spectrum, and plugging a low-voltage device into a high-voltage grid generally causes spectacular failures. Also, the frequency of the systems vary. Most 110-120V systems operate at 60 Hz, while most 220V systems operate at 50 Hz. Finally, some devices use multiple phases to achieve greater voltages: the 240V referenced above is found in most US stoves, where the 120V is doubled. All that said, the underlying principles of AC electricity remain identical regardless of specific implementations. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 15:52, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

Oh...Thanks a lot...

• You may find this List of countries with mains power plugs, voltages and frequencies interesting. --hydnjo talk 20:42, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

Stuff floating around..

Whenever I look at the sky in the day time, and when its bright, I see lots of stuff floating around in my eyes. They are kind of transparent, usually in circular in shape or boot-shaped, and the most annoying thing about them is that they move in the same direction in which I move my eyeballs. And I have about 30 "spots" floating around on my last count. On the google search it said that the stuff could be protein deposits on the lens of the eye (or somewhere) and that they would disappear in some days. But i have some "spots" that have been there at the same position for some months now. Could someone tell me what they are?

Jayant, 17 Years,India. 15:25, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

Floaters. TheMadBaron 16:49, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

Oh..Thanks a lot..

opening ports

i know just about nothing about ports, however i need to open ports 6112-6119 and 4000 in order to play warcraft 3 online. how do i open these ports? i am behind a private ip address and a router. thanks for all your help

Start with the manual and/or help files for your router, which will address this. Barring that, you'll have to tell us what router you're using. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 18:40, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

the router im using is a linksys wrt- something.

Rex

Again, get the manual that came with the router. The linksys routers have a web interface to them for changing settings like this. Point your browser to the ip address of the router and enter the needed passwords. If you don't know the password it is possible to reset the device to it's defaults, and most of the default passwords for those routers are easy to find. I'm sure you could find it from a web search. - Taxman ^Talk 19:01, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

I'd recommend taking a look at portforward.com. — flamingspinach | (talk) 22:42, 26 December 2005 (UTC)

strongest coffee

A friend and I were talking about the strongest coffee (same amount). I think it is espresso because of the very high pressure and the resulting thickness. Is that true?

Lorenz from Vienna

Well, our coffee article states that espresso is the strongest form of coffee so, yea. That is unless you also consider alcoholic coffee.--Ridge Racer 18:08, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

What are stockjobbers?

This article, Big Bang (financial markets), claims that the Big Bang was caused by the "The abolishion of the difference between stockjobbers and stockbrokers". However, that comment makes no sense without an article on stockjobbers, and there doesn't seem to be an article. smurrayinchester^{(User), (Ho Ho Ho!)} 17:40, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

• Although over here in the UK a stockbroker can be a stock-exchange operator who only deals with brokers, in the sense of the article, a stockjobber is an underhand, exploitative stockbroker. iinag 19:50, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

What is the Highest Linked page?

I asked myself earlier today "What is the Kevin Bacon of wikipedia articles?". If we were to build a small world graph of articles to a specific article... what would be the middle? I know that articles are updated often, and this would change. But wouldn't it be awesome to make a dynamic search? this is for questions about other things besides wikipedia please post your question on the help desk next time.

~~Stark from Seattle

Check out Special:Mostlinked! — Lomn | Talk / RfC 19:59, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

Sounds like you might also be interested in http://tools.wikimedia.de/sixdeg/index.jsp. -- Rick Block (talk) 22:47, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

Midsommer Murders

What is the strange instrument that plays the theme music for this show? Rmhermen 21:06, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

Try IMDB and scroll down to the trivia section. Then see Theremin. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 21:19, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

History of Anarchist Peak, British Columbia

Why is Anarchist Peak in British Columbia so named? Are there any web or paper resources about its history?

Chris S

--82.33.73.159 22:24, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

There were so few Google hits on "Anarchist Peak" that I guessed that its name must have another form. It turns out that it is also "Anarchist Mountain" or "Anarchist Summit". If you search on "Anarchist Mountain" together with words like "named", you will find that it was apparently named either by, or after, a settler named Sidley whose political views were considered anarchistic (even though he was a justice of the peace!). --Anonymous, 03:10 UTC, December 20, 2005

There's also a reference of a ranch owned by Fred Lawless : http://www.michaelkluckner.com/bciw3anarchist.html

WWII

What's the difference of the Panzers?They all look alike,but they must be different.I've a picture of the PanzerI,PanzerII,PanzerIII,and PanzerIV,they all are alike.I think its the armor,but not sure,thanks for any answer.

                                 --68.222.113.233 22:52, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

See Panzer and the links in the table at the bottom of the article for the details of the different models. Dismas|^(talk) 23:10, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

December 21

movie stars

is there a listing of movie stars killed in action during world war 2

There are 539 hits for the google search site:imdb.com "World War II" biography. Browsing through these would be your best bet, as it lists every Bio page that mentions WW2. Link to the google search. Taiq 13:53, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

The Last home of the Virgin Mary

I Was station at Izmir and traveling around I thought I seen her last home is this true. Thank You

They've got one there. [36]. There's also rather a nice one, of older provenance, at Loreto. - Nunh-huh 00:32, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

Halloween Crabs

I need to know some info about Halloween crabs. There isn't much online about them.

--70.60.169.114 01:21, 21 December 2005 (UTC)Khristie Wagner

Googling for +"halloween crab" gives 688 results. Scientific name seems to be Gecarcinus quadratus, family Gecarcinidae. Googling for the scientific name yields 908 hits. Lupo 09:52, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

And by now someone has created a small stub article about them at Halloween crabs. Thanks, guys! Lupo 14:03, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

Mexico Locations

Hello, good evening, over the next two weeks I would like to go to Mexico for certain reasons. I have done some research but I cannot yet find a suitable location. I was wondering if anyone knew of any locations which met the two following criteria:

1.) Near the coast 2.) Extensive guitar trade. I would like to purchase a higher quality guitar while in mexico because I do not want to sepend big $$$ here

3.) preferabally this location will be near the border to some extent. I live close to Arizona and I'd like to drive to this location

Thankyou for your help, it is appreciated

• Perhaps you'd be more succesful posting your query to [WikiTravel. - Mgm|^(talk) 09:02, 21 December 2005 (UTC)
• The Fender factory is in Ensenada, which is in Baja California; close to the border and the coast, huge company... Deltabeignet 19:42, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

Beer

When you drink a can of beer, how long does it take for its effects to wear off? --HappyCamper 01:33, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

I have heard you can detox about a unit of alcohol (about one beer) an hour. Guettarda 01:41, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

This site might provide you with what you need. I don't know how accurate it is though. - Akamad 06:57, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

Effects? from one can of beer? or do you mean how long for your body to clear the alcohol from your system. AllanHainey 08:24, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

• There's also some variation depending on how you commonly react to alcohol. Some people get drunk with one can, others can drink 6 and still look and act sober. - Mgm|^(talk) 09:04, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

• Phrased that way, it depends. A common rule of thumb is that the human body can reduce the Blood alcohol content by 0.1 per mille per hour. But that's just a typical average figure, actual rates vary and may be higher (up to about 0.2 per mille per hour) depending on the physical constitution, weight, and state of the liver of the drinker. Lupo 09:42, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

• Perhaps drinking beer often could build up a sort of "immunity" to the effects of alcohol. Our driver normally drinks a bottle or two of beer, but is still sober and alert enough to drive a car without swerving or doing those things drunk drivers do (I haven't seen it myself, as I am as yet unwilling to give up my present life). It also depends on the normal nature of the beer drinker. Alcohol acts, in some ways, like a truth serum, in that it represses inhibitions and temporarily lowers the "social boundaries" we create to be able to act appropriately (drunks usually say obscene things, for example). If the true nature of the drinker is belligerent, then that normally suppressed character comes out. If the drinker is naturally shy (as opposed to his publicly gregarious character), then the effect of the alcohol on him will make him quiet. (I think. Correct me if I'm wrong) Igor the Lion^(Roar!) 11:18, 21 December 2005 (UTC)
  • Just pointing out that one bottle of beer would not make someone too drunk to drive legally in most countries (although a few have very strict anti-drink driving legislation with regards to the mg of alcohol in the blood). That being said, the responsible, safe and recommended thing to do is to not even risk having one drink before driving. Proto t c 12:37, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

The responsible, safe and recommended thing to do would be not to drive a car at all, given the fact that (I believe) some 95% of road kills are caused by sober drivers. And they've killed over 25 million people so far. You don't need to be drunk for that. DirkvdM 19:39, 23 December 2005 (UTC)

Meaning/origin of popular internet .gif

I've seen this gif many times and comes in different forms. It is an animation of the three men in a car bobbing their heads in different direction, I don't want to be left out! Where does this picture originate from? examples: http://myspace-909.vo.llnwd.net/00351/90/93/351383909_m.gif http://img462.imageshack.us/img462/5326/eb3ow2bn.gif

I think it was a Saturday Night Live sketch, where the main characters are continuously bobbing their heads like that in response to "What Is Love" by Haddaway. Frencheigh 05:03, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

One of them is Jim Carrey, as I remember. They end up going to a prom, and doing the same thing, and then to a funeral wake. Proto t c 09:38, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

The skit's called "A Night at the Roxbury" or "Butabi Brothers"; it ran a few times on the show and was developed into a full-length movie. The main characters are played by Will Ferrell & Chris Kattan. Jim Carrey might have been in one of the skits when he was a guest host, but I don't recall. --Mareino 19:59, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

thanks guys. damn i love this website.

"CEEB" code

The College Board has codes that identify all schools that it knows about, and I was thinking of adding the CEEB codes of schools to their respective Wikipedia articles, but then I realized I didn't even know what it stood for. (And that there is no CEEB article nor any reference to CEEB codes I can find) Does anyone know? Phoenix-forgotten 02:49, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

CEEB is an acronym for College Entrance Examination Board, which is apparently an earlier name for the College Board. -- Rick Block (talk) 04:50, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

See CEEB, College Entrance Examination Board (both redirects) and new addition to College Board. Thanks for the info. I had also seen the CEEB and wondered what it was. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 11:55, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

Motorcycle / F.A.R.T.S.

I'm looking for information on Leon Moss who founded LEDAR Racing developments in the early/mid 1970's. He died about 15 to 18 yrs ago. At the time he was working on a project for Kawasaki Motor Corp. involving Fresh Air Ram Technology Systems (or F.A.R.T.S.) I have only ever seen one reference in print to this system(do not remember the source, a book on motorcycle tuning/performance?) similar systems are now in use by many major manufacturers and I am unable to find any relevant material/links on the web. Thanks PJ

You could try asking here. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 05:35, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

I must say, that is a very unfortunate acronym. - Akamad 06:53, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

Aye. But imagine if there was a Super HEPA Air Ram Technology System. They'd call it SHARTS, which is even more unfortunate. Esp. when used in a public place. Cernen 08:44, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

Rather off the subject but could someone explain the "SHARTS" thing to me? Does "shart" mean something somewhere that I'm unfamiliar with and therefore having a hard time seeing why it would be so unfortunate? Dismas|^(talk) 11:00, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

The little bit I read at the above link (or another one) was from someone who knew the man and said that he had a sense of humour and that's why it's called FARTS. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 09:34, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

Paula que buena estas

Hello, this is KeeganB. I've been trying to find the lyrics to "paula que buena estás" but Google and other search engines haven't worked out. Does anybody know of any good Spanish lyrics sites or is this a lost cause?

Hi, KeeganB. Looking on Google.es, I only found one link in Spanish to 'Paula, que buena estás', and that was to the National Library of Spain. One of the song's interpreters, Lorenzo Barcelata, only appears 9 times alongside 'líricas', and all of those links are about as useful as short shorts in South Georgia. That's unfortunate, because the high number of mentions on English sites, compared to the relatively few on hispanophone websites, is rather intriguing. Iinag 13:02, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

How old?

How old is Aglaia Mortcheva? I was just wondering. I do not want to ask her myself could somone for me?

( Email adressed deleted by editor)-Taiq]] 13:48, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

I don't know who your talking about but please don't post Email adresses or other sensitive information on Wikipedia. Deathawk 18:49, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

Still confused!

Do you know a source where I can learn more about Aglaia Mortheva? Like what she looks like and when she started art and stuff. She is such a great artist, and I would like to know more about her.Can someone ask her for me?

You could try here she has a contact email. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 10:16, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

Need help getting stain out!

I really have a problem on my hands! I am 11 years old and I spilled a grape juice stain on a white carpet. It was in my bedroom but i want it out of my rug! The internet is not giving me anything to get it out. HELP!

Oh dear. If it's a rug, try taking it to a dry cleaners. If it's too big, or you can't afford that, then try warm water with some lemon juice in, and scrub like crazy before it sets. Proto t c 09:37, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

Also try here and use the drop down menu for grape juice. And if it's too late do the same as I suggested above. LIE. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 10:32, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

I've had good results getting red wine stains out of carpet by using Resolve carpet cleaner. Be sure to read and follow the directions. Chuck 16:07, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

You may also be able to place another rug on top of the part of the rug that has a stain. It doesn't fix the problem, but it defers it until after you've received christmas gifts. - CHAIRBOY (☎) 18:27, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

• I'm pretty sure that you could be of use to an advertising agency, possibly for BASF or Welch's White Grape Juice.--Mareino 20:02, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

hair

hello , this question states the following : how many avarage human hair poors are in the avarage scalp ?

Take a look at the results of this Google search. Dismas|^(talk) 10:58, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

Are there flash animations also available for physics concepts such as pendulum/ double pendulum?

It would be great if you can tell me whether some flash animations are available for physics concept for better understanding? Is there any specific reasons why almost no animations are available on wikipedia as animations really help in grasping the concept better. Whether wikipedia has some storage size restrictions? Regards Rahul

There aren't a lot of animators about here I'm afraid. I'd love to learn how to make flash animations myself but can't affords the software :-( Anyway to fine flash animations on google type filetype:swf in the search window (swf = shck wave flash) So for example to find pendulum animations type "pendulum filetype:swf" into google. Theresa Knott | Taste the Korn 19:35, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

Not many flash animations, I'm afraid, but there are plenty of Java applets explaining physical concepts. Try Googling for the concept you want plus "java applet", ie: pendulum java applet. ☢ Ҡieff⌇↯ 21:50, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

WHO list of Medical Schools

{edited by User:AlMac|^(talk) to improve readability)

Respected Sir/Ma,am,

I am Dr. Irfan Rehman presently under going my post gaduate training in traumatology and orthopaedics at RYAZAN I.P.PAVLOV STATE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY, in Ryazan ,Russia.

I would like to know if this institution is listed in the WHO list of medical schools around the world and whether the masters degree that we will be receiving at the end of our course will be recognsed in the european nations. I have completed my basic medical degree(MBBS) from Medical College,Calcutta in 1999.I would be very obliged if you answer me this querry....thank you.......Dr Irfan Rehman.

Try WHO List of Medical Schools and you should be able to see if it's listed. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 22:23, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

New Orleans Syndrome

Is there going to be any Medical study on the people who spent days and weeks in the toxic, disease ridden water following the Katrina Disaster. Would they call it "New Orleans Syndrome" or "Katrina Syndrome" Or something else? (posted by 68.117.16.64)

• I expect you'll hear both terms; you'd have to be an expert in memetics to know which one will dominate in the popular culture. They might just call it cholera, of course. --Mareino 20:05, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

• I don't think that would really count as a "syndrome"... — flamingspinach | (talk) 23:57, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

• Interesting question. Out of any 10,000 people, perhaps several hundred will develop hard to explain recurrent or chronic physical or mental complaints within the next 6 months. If those 10,000 people have just undergone an unusual experience X, a certain percentage will assume that there is a causal relationship between their unusual experience and their new symptoms. That's all it takes to get this kind of "syndrome" started. You can multiply the numbers by 10 if there is an apparent chance that someone will give you free money if some media people, celebrities, or politicians become convinced there might be a causal relationship. alteripse 00:43, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

weather

what was the hottest day in england 1776? (posted by 63.231.49.62)

• Well, July 4, 1776 got a lot of English politicians in hot water. --Mareino 20:08, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

Ba-dum tshhh! —Keenan Pepper 20:15, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

The best I can find is this or you could try and search UK Met Office. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 22:33, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

Milk flavors

I could use some help! You see, I am joining a food contest and I am going to give the public 10 diffrent flavored mik recipies! But you see, they cant be classic milk flavors ike chocolate,strawberry and vannilla milk. They have to be exotic flavors, like lime and orange! Can someone give me a link or a recipe of a flavored milk! Remember they have to be milk flavors, not milkshke flavors. My contest is this friday, please help me out.

What a weird contest! The only advice I can give you is don't use anything acidic like straight lemon or lime juice, because that will curdle the milk. I'm thinking peppermint could be nice... maybe butterscotch... —Keenan Pepper 19:53, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

Oh, here we go: http://www.recipesource.com/side-dishes/beverages/milk/ —Keenan Pepper 19:54, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

Hair color help!

I was going to a party and decided to dye my hair pink for fun! When I got home to take it out, it would not come out! I do not have enough money to go getit died brown again! But I have got a job interviewwith this job i want and i still have pink hair! Please, give me something to make it come out!

What does it say on the dye bottle? Is it permenant, semipermenant or wash in wash out? Is it one of those spray on hair colours? Theresa Knott | Taste the Korn 20:04, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

What kind of job is it? If that happened to me I would just go to the interview with pink hair. Pink hair and a suit. —Keenan Pepper 20:13, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

There are couple of hair dye remover products that you can buy that will do it. You have to dye your hair back to your desired color afterward though, really.--Dakota ^{? e} 16:57, 23 December 2005 (UTC)

This exact same thing happened to a friend of mine. She had incredibly porous blonde hair, so the dye went in really far. She took it up with the haircare company and got some free dyejobs to get it back to normal. Though you may attempt washing several times with shampoo. (My friend used the temporary dye, and it still stayed in.) --70.51.173.32 05:38, 26 December 2005 (UTC)

You could also try covering it with the thickest black hair dye possible. -Tim Rhymeless (Er...let's shimmy) 09:08, 27 December 2005 (UTC)

Ogres

Does anyone know anything about the appearance of the ogres in C.S Lewis's novels? Are they similar to mythical ogres or not? I'm tyying to improve the ogre article and I would wish to know. Thank you very much in advance.--XenoNeon 20:31, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

It's hard to find anything as to how they looked. Most of the references are to the movie or the game. The only other sites just tend to mention them in passing. I would suggest that you post the question at Talk:The Chronicles of Narnia or Talk:Narnia. If you find out let us know. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 09:56, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

9/11 a battle

do the september 11th terriost attacks qualify as a battle.

Terrorist attacks are generally not viewed as military battles; however, there is no objective standard to apply. — Lomn | Talk / RfC 21:57, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

Well our aticle on Battle give some definitions. Basicaly a battle is usualy considered an an instance of combat between two or more armies. So I'd say 9/11 was "just" a series of terrorist attacks, there where no real combat involved aside for some brawling in one of the planes as I understand. --Sherool (talk) 22:06, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

Somehow the consensus on our 9/11 article is that it doesn't qualify as a terrorist attack even if that is what it is commonly referred to as. - Taxman ^Talk 18:33, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

First ogres, now a battle. Queen rocks! DirkvdM 19:46, 23 December 2005 (UTC)

A song in the movie: Collateral

Hello, I was just watching the movie, collateral. You know the one with Tom cruise and Jamie Foxx. Anyways, the scene in which they are in club "Fever" there is a dance song playing, does anyone know what it is called? Thanks --(Aytakin) | Talk 23:26, 21 December 2005 (UTC)

This link has the soundtrack listing, but it doesn't say which songs are from which scenes. I saw the movie, but I can't remember the song right now. You might go to the imdb page at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0369339/ and scroll down to the bottom, where it talks about "IMDb message board for Collateral (2004)" and ask them (you have to register with imdb to use their boards). Zoe (216.234.130.130 00:56, 22 December 2005 (UTC))

Thanks alot, once I looked at the soundtrack list I knew at first sight, which one it was. I can sight a Paul Oakenfold from a km away. --(Aytakin) | Talk 02:22, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

Can you update the Paul Oakenfold article to include this information? Zoe (216.234.130.130 17:50, 22 December 2005 (UTC))

No problemo! --(Aytakin) | Talk 21:09, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

December 22

free telecommunications to/fro india

I will be spending one month all over india for vacation. What is the best way for me to carry a temporary mobile phone that will be inexpensive to american callers, dependable and personal? I am vaguely familiar with the idea of a "chip" to buy and install in some cellular phone. Does anyone have any recommendations? Thank you. doctoroll

The cheapest solution for American callers would be for you to get a US-based cell phone that works via international roaming in India. However, this will be quite expensive for you (Cingular, for example, would be as much as $2.50/minute.) You may also look at renting or purchasing a prepaid phone in India (which would include a SIM card -- the chip you're thinking of), which will likely be a much cheaper per minute option, but will be more expensive for the caller and more difficult to dial (as it will have an Indian telephone number.) In fact, if you receive calls with this cell phone, it may not cost anything for you, only for the caller. The dependability of either of those solutions will be based on the dependability of the Indian wireless phone network. Another option is to get a satellite phone, which isn't really cheap for anyone. Check out Telestial for a good one-stop shopping place for a phone and SIM card that you can get ahead of time. Also, read this article for more information. kmccoy (talk) 14:14, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

For what it's worth, India's cellular telephone network is quite developed - more so, I'd say, than that of the United States in terms of its usage as compared to land lines. It's rare to see public telephone booths in India since almost everyone above a certain income level (certainly including those who are able to travel "all over India") seems to have a cell phone. — flamingspinach | (talk) 08:48, 25 December 2005 (UTC)

Yes. I'd advise you to get a prepaid SIM card for, say, Rs.1322 (~ $30) from one of the leading players like AirTel or Hutch. This would typically last your one month stay and is pretty reliable. -- Sundar ^{\talk \contribs} 08:56, 25 December 2005 (UTC)

Today there is a sim card good for more than 100 countries including India. See it here: International Cell Phone Jdulaney 10-12-7

What is the meaning of life

See meaning of life or The Meaning of Life. -- Fredrik | tc 01:33, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

42 CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 03:24, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

In Dutch I'd say "de zin van het leven is de zin in het leven", but that pun doesn't work in English alas, so I can't help you. DirkvdM 19:48, 23 December 2005 (UTC)

"He who dies with the most toys wins" - bumper sticker.

"Stop unwanted Seismic Activity" - another bumper sticker, but located in the peoples republic of Berkeley, CA. Artoftransformation 17:29, 24 December 2005 (UTC)--

Laser Computer Game

There was a simple 2-D computer game I used to play in the mid-90s that involved redirecting a laser light around various obstacles using mirrors, so that the light hit a target. It was kind of like the Incredible Machine, because first you set up the configuration, and then you pressed the "run" button to see if it would work. Does anyone remember the name of the game, and perhaps where I could find it? -Jian

Have also answered this on the Science Reference Desk, but it sounds like Deflektor, which came out in the late 80s and was available on various platforms such as the Spectrum, C64 and Amiga. You can download a simple version for the PC here or here. --Canley 03:18, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

There's a free clone called MirrorMagic, which is a great way to kill some time [37]. --Robert Merkel 12:35, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

Is there other porn actress like this actress??

In wikipedia section of Ava Devine someone wrote "Unlike most pornstars, who maintain an onscreen persona separate from how they act in real life, those who know Ava in real life claim that she is as horny offscreen as she is on. She has been referred to as a "complete nympho" and "a true giver and the purest form of slut." Tales of her misdeeds often include the seduction of and fornication with complete strangers..." "...She has been known to even astonish her coworkers with her promiscuity, and cameramen have commented that "you can't get within two feet of her without your crotch being groped." Her honest love of sex is most likely the cause of her success, as her performances constantly push the boundaries of what is acceptable in porno..."

Is there other porn actress like this?? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 201.50.212.159 (talk • contribs)

Frankly, I'd be a bit skeptical of that article. Its claims sound a little too much like it's feeding the fantasies of pornography watchers (that is, the actor is really "into it" and isn't just doing the film for the money) - I even wonder whether the person responsible for adding this material is doing so for commercial motives.

As to whether other actors in pornographic films are genuinely much more enthusiastic than the average person about sex, you might read this article at salon.com (note: no explicit imagery or profanity but probably not a great idea for reading at work), or this other article at salon.com (same applies) about two actors in porn films who, according to the male writers, *very* enthusiastic about their sexuality and not just on camera; the second article had an amusing follow-up purportedly from the woman concerned (which I can't locate) decrying the author but confirming her enthusiasm for sex. How credible any of these stories are, is for you to decide. But don't kid yourself; a number of famous porn stars are perfectly blunt about their motivations for performing and it wasn't out of any great enthusiasm for sex: read our article on Traci Lords for instance. --Robert Merkel 04:28, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

I can't give you a scientific answer - there is very little good research on many aspects of professional porn actors - but I've worked in the adult industry and met a number of adult actors. Certainly there are plenty of female adult stars who enjoy sex a lot and have it off-screen more than the average person. Chloe springs right to mind. However, this is probably a small minority: Remember that most women who appear in adult movies only do a few scenes to make money, are not seeking a career in the field, and so are probably not all that different from you or me. But yes, to answer your question, there are others. If you're interested, you should consider frequenting adult industry sites like AVN. --George 03:44, 24 December 2005 (UTC)

what chloe you are talking about??? I searched and there are many chloes.

Photoshop help

I'm not sure if this sort of thing belongs here, but I'm desperate. Could someone with Photoshop please cut the person out of this picture and paste them onto a white background for me?

http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/3198/zelda5uh.jpg

Have you tried downloading the free GIMP and doing the job with that? It may not have all the features of Photoshop, but it's perfectly adequate for the simple task you wish to perform.--Robert Merkel 04:36, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

Oh yes, and it's entirely probable that you are engaging in illegal copyright violation. Have a nice day. -72.144.239.31 04:56, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

ImageShack® is hosting that Zelda pic. They host for you to be able to share with friends. Rules say :

"All files are © to their respective owners". So if the image is put on a non-commercial site, there might be no problem. In Wikipedia, things are different as the policy is very strict. -- Harvestman 11:32, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v41/TheMadBaron/zeldaTMB.jpg

Europe

What is the southernmost capital of Europe?

Check Europe#Territories and divisions and you can see what countries are in Europe and what countries have part of their land in Europe. From there you can pick the one that best fits the answer you need. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 07:06, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

Looking at a map, I would guess whatever is the capital of the island of Crete, might be one candidate. Maybe Cyprus. User:AlMac|^(talk) 10:25, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

It depends on what you count as Europe. I would guess Nicosia, capital of Cyprus. Sputnikcccp 19:27, 23 December 2005 (UTC)

Looking at a map, I second it's Nicosia. Valetta, the capital of Malta is more to the north. – b_jonas 16:17, 25 December 2005 (UTC)

Monkeys

What do we call the young one of a monkey?

--61.1.225.211 07:03, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

According to this site, baby monkeys are simply called infants. - User:Akamad ^{Merry Christmas to all!} 07:16, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

This site also states infant, but also lists sucklinga and yearling. - User:Akamad ^{Merry Christmas to all!} 07:18, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

shooting star

what is a shooting star?

Other than what is linked from that page it's also a song by Bad Company on the Straight Shooter (album) but the one you are probably looking for is Meteor. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 09:12, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

What is this kind of logic called?

"If some doctors are tall, and some doctors are men, doesn't that mean that some men are tall?"

In various IQ tests I've come across these kinds of questions, and they have me confused every time. I want to know what they are called, and if there is an article about their kind on Wikipedia (I'd go there already if I knew what they were called) so I can learn to properly solve them.

DarkPhoenix 09:21, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

Try Deductive reasoning. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 09:36, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

Set Theory involves drawing overlapping circles of possibilities. User:AlMac|^(talk) 10:28, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

The above is an example of a logical fallacy, because the conclusion doesn't follow from the premises. Specifically, this one is the fallacy of the undistributed middle. The ones you see on IQ tests are not usually fallacies, though. A similar statement that is valid would be a syllogism. --Anonymous, 10;45 UTC, December 22.

I was going to go for that one, but since you've beaten me to it, can a question be a fallacy? It isn't a statement, is it? Also, indeed it doesn't mean that some men are tall. So the thing the question asks about is true. That's two! Any more logic questions? DirkvdM 20:00, 23 December 2005 (UTC)

Thanks for your answers, guys. I think I kind of got it now. :) DarkPhoenix 12:35, 24 December 2005 (UTC)

hi

Try HI, Greeting or high. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 09:34, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

Strasbourg, France and November 22

I just returned from a wonderful visit to Strasbourg, France and during my time there found a street near the center of town named "November 22". I cannnot find any indication of the significance of that date to Strasbourg -- I asked several intellectual locals to no avail. The date is significant to me because it is my birthday and also the date of JFK's assasination and I wanted to know its significance to Strasbourg.

Can you help or tell me where to look?

Thank you for your help.

• 1890 - Charles de Gaulle, President of France (d. 1970) but not in Strasbourg.
• 1943 - Lebanon gains independence from France.
• 1602 - Elisabeth of France, Queen of Philip IV of Spain (d. 1644)
• November 22, 1794 Strasbourg Alsace-Lorraine, prohibits circumcision and wearing of beards

But nothing really to do with Strasbourg. The most likely one as a guess would be the first. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 12:20, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

Whoops I wasn't finished. The last was from here. One would hope that they have not named a street to clebrate some anti-Jewish law. It would however explain why no one remembers why the street has that name. Maybe you could find out from someone there how old the name is. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 12:24, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

The "Rue du 22 novembre" commemorates November 22, 1918, date on which French soldiers put an end to the "Soviet of Strasbourg". That seems to have been initiated by soldiers of the German Kriegsmarine (I would suppose a detachment was stationed on the river Rhine?) who rebelled when some of their commanders, in particular Ludendorff, didn't want to accept the defeat and capitulation of Germany in World War I and wanted them to fight on. The renegade soldiers at Strasbourg sought and got support from the local population and declared a communist free state. If you can read French, see [38] and [39]. It appears that such "Soviets" sprung up in November 1918 all over the Alsace. Looking for more sources; maybe I can even find some English ones. Lupo 12:43, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

Flags of the world has an English summary of the avove French PDF. Lupo 12:48, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

See also Alsace Soviet Republic (the very last link on Special:Whatlinkshere/Strasbourg!), which gives the very same PDF as its source. Lupo 12:54, 22 December 2005 (UTC)

...and which was created just two days ago... Hmmm... Lupo 12:57, 22 December 2005 (UTC)