Wikipedia:Reference desk/Miscellaneous

Wikipedia:Reference desk/headercfg

May 8

Sudan democracy?

Is the political system in current Sudan a democracy? The articles on Wikipedia seems to contradict each other. Jamesino 00:56, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

Per our article Politics of Sudan, Sudan has some democratic forms and processes. For example, it has a parliament. However, most members are appointed by the ruling party, led by the president. It has presidential elections, but, while the ruling party is popular in the country's Arabic-speaking heartland, per the BBC, opposition politicians have been jailed, and opposition parties have boycotted elections, charging the ruling party with vote-rigging. In sum, Sudan does not uphold the same democratic standards as most Western nations. Marco polo 02:25, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

dreams

Somebody once told me that dreams are your "innermost desires" or "most feared" fears. Is this true? Or is it something that your brain just does so that it doesn't get bored during sleep? Any info would be good. thanks! —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 74.211.8.100 (talk) 00:57, 8 May 2007 (UTC).

You might find some info in the Dream article.--Diletante 00:58, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

They can be any of those things you mentioned, and a lot more. They may simply help to resolve ambiguous feelings towards a particular person or thing. Vranak

Thanks for all the info- it really helped with what I was trying to figure out

Part of your brain's job is to conceive scenarios — "what if my chair faced the other way" or "what if I were to hide behind this rock when the antelope come to the river to drink" — and imagine likely outcomes. When you're awake I guess this function is constrained by what's reasonable and relevant, but in sleep it goes a bit wild. That's my guess, anyway. —Tamfang 03:07, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

Agreed, it's your brain's way of running simulations. That's why we often say "let's sleep on it" and come up with a solution after we do. StuRat 05:31, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

From a scientific standpoint the questions of why we dream, how we dream, and the functions of dreaming are all currently unresolved. Quite apart from the science of sleep, Dream Science, thanks in large part to advances in brain imaging technology, is proving to be a very interesting area of study, spawning a variety of theories. Two among the currently popular theories regarding dream functions are: to help with learning and memory (see above) and to resolve conflicts that occur during the day or to deal with traumatic events. It has also been suggested that dreaming has no function and is simply an incidental byproduct(epiphenomenon) of REM sleep. Another view, though one increasingly declining in popularity, is that dreams are a mechanism for forgetting (note how elusive our memories of dreams often are) and that trying to remember them is actually counter-productive to their intended purpose. Anyways, here are a couple cool articles that cover some of this stuff [1] and[2]. The first one gives a decent overview of the subject and the second discusses the so-called Contemporary Theory of Dreaming, kind of an interesting synthesis of the first two theories I mentioned. Sleep tight. -- Azi Like a Fox 07:17, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

Dreaming is very much based in your subconscious, although that does not mean it's exclusive to 'desire' or 'fear'. Almost anyone who's ever looked into Lucid Dreaming could tell you this. And just because it has to do with your subconscious doesn't make it important. In fact, usually it's pretty random. But things such as DR (dream recall) and how often you can successfully LD have been nearly proven to relate to how much you believe it will work- which is rooted in your SC. Some LDrs even report being able to talk to a being most call an SG, or Spirit Guide, and while some people believe it's an angel or something New Agey, many believe it to be a mental incarnation of the subconscious. I highly suggest you check out Wikibooks article on Lucid Dreaming, as well as ld4all.com - LDing or even reading the experiences of LDers will give you a big look into how dreams work -- Phoeba Wright^OBJECTION! 13:02, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

The G.O.D.

How can I get Google to turn up results for "The G.O.D."? When I search that term it gives results for "the god" with no punctuation. 206.124.144.3 01:14, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

First, you might want to search the term in different ways. For example, instead of searching for "The G.O.D." search with different setting (for your search). Another option is to type the entire thing out (eg. "The G.O.D." being The (G)reat (O)rwell (D)ystopia ). If that doesn't work, check your spelling and search engine settings.--User: ECH3LON = )

I believe this is a limitation of Google, however. It ignores punctuation in search terms. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 04:54, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

That's not always true, but it does seem to be true that a series of single letters, like G.O.D. (and also "g-o-d" or "g o d") is always treated the same as if they were run together. This is useful if you're searching on something like NATO, which is also written N.A.T.O.; but it's irritating when you actually want to make the distinction. As Echelon suggests, you have to find other search terms. --Anon, May 8, 2007, 06:00 (UTC).

It is a limitation of Google. A while back I tried to use Google to find all the instances of "U.K." here but it would not take the punctuation into consideration. Dismas|^(talk) 06:28, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

Google treats dots between words as phrase-joiners, just as if you had quoted the words. So searching for the following are equivalent. --TotoBaggins 17:40, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

"the long and winding road"

the.long.and.winding.road

I tried "G\.O\.D" (the slash is an 'escape character' on many systems - it tells the software NOT to use the special meaning of the '.' but to take it literally) - and I got a bunch of hits for "G.O.D" but also "G O D" and stuff like "G*O*D" - but none for "GOD". That should help to narrow your search. SteveBaker 03:06, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

You mean backslash. I've never seen it documented as having any special meaning to Google -- but, good G\.o\.d, you're right! Thanks, another handy trick to know! And here's one in return: in phrase searches you can use * as a wildcard matching any one word (sometimes it matches a few words; I'm not sure when). For example, "the * syndrome" matches things like "the metabolic syndrome", "the Marfan syndrome", and "the nephrotic syndrome". --Anon, May 9, 09:30 (UTC).

Lakes

I heard the MAJORITY of lakes are in Canada. Is that true? seems kind of outrageous to me. so like what, Canada has more lakes than the rest of the world combined? by number, area, volume, or more than one of those catagories. and how's that fair.. they should be obligated to share/export water then!..or do they already?

• I don't have an answer as to the majority of lakes, but as far as sharing water goes, it's kind of expensive to pump water around. Check out the articles Los Angeles Aqueduct, Colorado River Aqueduct, Croton Aqueduct, and others in Category:Aqueducts in the United States. Those aqueducts rely on reservoirs that have billions of gallons of water. If you started tapping into all the small lakes in Canada, you'd have to build a huge water supply system, and you'd end up draining them pretty quickly. Once you drain a lake, fish and other animals can't live there any more. The Environmental impact assessment statements for draining Canadian lakes would probably attract a lot of local opposition, as well. --Elkman ^(Elkspeak) 04:24, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

Lake#Trivia says that over 60% are Canadian (by number, I'm guessing), so it must be true, right? Clarityfiend 04:30, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

Looking at volume, among the largest freshwater lakes are the Great Lakes. Of the 5, one is wholly within the US (Lake Michigan), and the other 4 are on the border between the US and Canada (Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario). Some smaller lakes, like Lake St. Clair and Lake Champlain, are also on the border. So, depending on if you consider these to be "Canadian lakes", or not, you will get very different results. StuRat 05:19, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

No, you won't get "very different" results. We're talking about the number of lakes, and the number actually on the border is small. --Anon, May 9, 9:41 (UTC).

I said "Looking at volume", didn't you notice ? StuRat 01:52, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Could it be the "major" lakes? A.Z. 05:25, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

Don't believe everything you hear (even if heard here).--Shantavira 08:27, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

I dont know but its very posible, a lake doesnt have to be big, an acre of water with a stream flowing in and another flowing out would be a lake, much of the tirain of canada suits perfectly to these types of lakes, on a simulir note an even larger precentage of Irish lakes are found in the one small county, cavan Ken 10:01, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

Lakes are unusual in many parts of the world because, over time, they fill with sediment. They are common only in areas recently glaciated, where sediment hasn't had time to fill them in. Canada happens to include a large proportion of the recently glaciated surface of Earth. Lakes are especially common in areas where the glaciers scoured an undulating surface of ancient bedrock, known as a shield. Such conditions do not exist in most of Siberia, which was glaciated, but where surfaces tend to be steep, recent mountain ranges or flat, sedimentary plains. Earth's largest shield to undergo recent glaciation is the Canadian Shield. It is much larger, for example, than the Baltic Shield, which also has a high density of glacial lakes, but scattered across several European nations. So it is not so surprising that most of Earth's lakes are in Canada. Marco polo 14:23, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

Canada has strict laws regarding water removal;[3] most of their water is trapped in glaciers etc; in fact, the percentage of potable lakes/rivers in Canada compared the world is closer to 7% than 50%, and most of their water, stored in the Great Lakes, is shared with the US, which has a lot of very large water-guzzling cities in the Boundary Waters area (eg Chicago, Minneapolis, Buffalo), so really, Canada struggles enough to hold onto the water they've got. Laïka 17:26, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

Actually, Minneapolis gets its water from the Mississippi River (and filters it in Columbia Heights at this plant). That's getting a bit pedantic, though. The Mississippi is fed by a lot of glacial lakes in northern and central Minnesota, but now I'm getting really pedantic. --Elkman ^(Elkspeak) 19:30, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

Check out this page from the Canadian government. Canada has 20% of the world's freshwater (not 50%+), but most of that is "fossil water" -- left over from the Ice Age rather than renewed each year. Also, transferring water between basins can mess up the ecosystem by introducing invasive species like zebra mussels. -- Mwalcoff 02:47, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

The question asked about the number of lakes, not the total amount of lake water. If you look at a world map, like this one, you'll see that Canada really does have a large number of lakes in relation to its area, particularly in the Canadian Shield, where for the reasons Marco Polo explains above, there are a lot more lakes per unit area than in many other regions. Canada occupies just over 6% of the world's land area; if it really has a majority of the world's lakes, that'd mean there'd be 15 times lakes per unit area in Canada as in the rest of the world. That's a lot, but the more I think about it, the more plausible I think it is. However, I have no idea as to where such information would be tabulated in a manner allowing reliable comparison. --Anonymous, May 9, 2007, 09:40 (UTC).

The thing is, most of those lakes are very small. Think of Yellowknife, that has something like a dozen large and small lakes within its city boundaries. All those lakes on the maps are only the larger ones - for every lake on a decent map there are half a dozen too small to be shown. It's amazing if you fly, because there's a lake every couple of miles. --Charlene 13:15, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

i believe that canada has the majority of lakes, it certainly could have scotland's share as there is no lakes [4] in scotland :) Perry-mankster 13:28, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

u.s. cities

Which U.S. cities has four teams of four major sports leagues:NBA, NHL, NFL,and MLB? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 76.64.130.94 (talk) 03:27, 8 May 2007 (UTC).

US cities with teams from four major sports.--droptone 03:38, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

Contacting Midway

For the past few weeks I've had a bit of an idea and I was wanting to contact Midway Games West specifically, mainly because it had to do with an idea for a Rush game. I was wishing to e-mail a suggestion letter to them, and see if they would contact me back. However, I am unsure how to contact them formally. Something that would get their attention. May someone assist? Just so-you-know my age is 15.Thank yous. --TV-VCR watch 04:46, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

• Hmm, it seems Midway Games West is defunct. Bah!! Perhaps just Midway Games, or, more personal, Ed Logg? --TV-VCR watch 04:50, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

This page lists their contact information. --TotoBaggins 17:44, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

Which email do I use for what I was wanting? And who does Ed Logg work for now (i.e. Atari, Midway or something)? Thanks. --TV-VCR watch 20:35, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

(As it happens, I work for Midway - but this answer is in no way related to that fact).

Let me tell you this about the industry in general (not any one company - just in general) - and I'm sorry if it seems harsh: Games and toy and movie companies won't take ideas that people just send them in out of the blue. They won't pay for them - they won't read them - they don't want them - they don't tell you where to send them - if they get them in the mail, they go straight into the shredder without anyone with any creative control ever even knowing they arrived. The studio where I work doesn't even have the name of the company outside the front door because we don't want people dropping off ideas in the front lobby or accosting staff on their way through the parking lot with ideas!

The reason is that if you happened to have an idea that's even vaguely like something they are already doing - or have planned to do in the longer term - then you are going to claim that it was your idea - and that they ripped you off - and then there will be big ugly law suits and negative publicity. The fact is that games ideas are everywhere - there is absolutely no shortage of them. The problem for games companies isn't getting the ideas in the first place - it's deciding which of them can be built on time and in budget and which will sell well in their target demographic and on which generation of game console. So - please - don't send them to us - or to anyone else! I've seen the process that games companies go through to work up a new game, it's a science. It's never, ever, about someone sending in something clever - it being turned into a game and winning fame and fortune for the person who had the idea. (Probably the last time that happened was in 1985 with Alexey Pajitnov and Tetris - and that ended very nastily!).

If you have a passion to see your idea turn into a real game, I advise learning to program and to do artwork and to make it yourself. This sounds tough - but it's possible - that's how I got into the business. SteveBaker 02:58, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Picture Postcard

Dear Sir/Mam;

I have a picture postcard that shows a platform worker at Kettering,Northamptonshire rail station releasing a basket of pigeons. Picture was taken in early 1950s and worker looks like my late wife brother as he worked there at this time and also did release pigeons. What I need to know,if possible, is the name and address of who and where printed so as to contact them.

THE BELOW IS WHAT IS PRINTED ON THE CARD

Real Photo Print Commemorative issue 2 No. 1 Basket of pigeons for release at Kettering.

Published By Rail Photo Print in association with Avon-AngliA Publications & Services

Thank you very much for any and all help that you can give me with this sarch.

Frederick W Knippel

Unable to sign with tildes as none on my keyboard. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 67.0.210.251 (talk) 05:34, 8 May 2007 (UTC).

Hi, it helps not to put spaces or tabs in front of your lines, this is what creates those annoying boxes. Also if you don't have tildes on your keyboard you can simply PRESS the Sign your username: at the bottom of the edit screen, hope that helps you out:) . Vespine 06:22, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

I did find an old address for Avon-AngliA (Avon-Anglia Publications, Annesley House, 21 Southside, Weston-super-Mare, Avon BS23 2QU), but they don't appear to have published anything since late 1980s, so they've almost certainly gone out of business. I also found a reference to Rail Photo Print here [5] which suggests that they were still around in 1987, but may have been in trouble: If you can find a copy of that magazine (BackTrack, issue 3, volume 1, 1987) it may have more information.

Otherwise, I'd say your best bet is to get in touch with someone who works in railway-related publishing (eg Ian Allan Ltd), and maybe you can find someone who knows someone who knows someone... Good luck. FiggyBee 13:49, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

United airlines seat reservations

Due to equipment changes on some united flights i am taking in june i have to reserve new seats because of the different aircraft. Is it possible to call united by phone and reserve actual seats.--logger 06:56, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

I don't see why not. Marco polo 14:24, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

Ask them----petitmichel

British government

The name of Cabinet members in the ruling party British gouvernment 1980 —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Ejmcisaac (talk • contribs) 10:45, 8 May 2007 (UTC).

See Thatcher Ministry#Cabinet May 1979–September 1981. FiggyBee 12:31, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

Buying a bag

Hello, I recently bought a Zoom MRS 1608 digital recorder. I now wish to buy a bag for it however the only place I can find one is at [4] This site however does not cater for Uk esidents. Does anyone know where I can get a: World Tour Strong Side Gig Bag for Zoom MRS1608CD. Or any other relevant info thanks . —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 81.144.161.223 (talk) 14:07, 8 May 2007 (UTC).

Hm, I could've sworn I answered this... But since I can't find my answer in the archives, I'll yell it out again. I found a product similar to your request (sorry, not the same brand, although IMHO it makes absolutely no difference) on eBay here. For future reference, the digital recorder you need a bag for is usually referred to in the United States as a mixer; hence the eBay search for "Mixer bag." ^_^ V-Man - ^T/_C 02:49, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Thank you very much. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 81.144.161.223 (talk) 12:33, 11 May 2007 (UTC).

van halen lyrics

the song goes like shaking, snapping her fingers or something...I can't find it :(... whats the name guys!? plz! —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 75.68.232.99 (talk) 17:21, 8 May 2007 (UTC).

Are you thinking of Eddie Money's Shakin' ? --LarryMac 18:16, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

probably! I' gonna check! thank u!

omg it is thank u so much!

Happy to help :-) --LarryMac 20:23, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

Countries with "Democracy" in their title

Is it true that no countries which have "Democracy" in their title are (as!) democratic as most western nations? I was looking for a list of these, actually. 81.93.102.185 18:56, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

We have an article (with a list) at Democratic Republics. Additionally, List of countries has the full official name of all countries. FiggyBee 19:39, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste are real democratic republics; although Freedom House only rates them "partly-free",(see this image) they do hold democratic elections.(see this image) The only completely free (ie; comparable to the democracy associated with Europe or the US) Democratic Republic according to Freedom House is the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe. Laïka 21:22, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

The Helleniki Democratia is a free democracy, but for some reason its official name in English is the Hellenic Republic, not Democracy. Algebraist 10:33, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

One could hardly expect it to use the Latin word republic. —Tamfang 21:57, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Re.:Mars > Censorship: Richard C. Hoagland

Why is Richard C. Hoagland's name verboten in the Mars article ? This can only give HIM more ammunition to claim that a conspiracy is going on. HE claims that the reason that most, if not all of the probes sent to Mars are being destroyed by a alien intelligence and/or by a automated defense system. Why is THAT also verboten ? 205.240.146.147 20:42, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

All someone has to do is place his name in the article, planting a trap for Wikipedia, then it gets removed, springing the trap, when he/she notifies HIM that Wikipedia has been found to be part of some kind of conspiracy. 205.240.146.147 20:45, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

Someone could've asked this, but would be VERY RUDE about it. 205.240.146.147 20:55, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

Who, or what, is HIM? Is this a serious enquiry? --Bielle 21:24, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

He is mentioned in Cydonia (Mars), a more pertinent article for him. There isn't enough space in Mars to mention every theory about it; that is what sub-articles such as the one above are for. Laïka 21:26, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

Wikipedia is in the business of writing about the truth - we don't have to report on every minority-held crackpot theory. Please read WP:NPOV#Undue_weight and Wikipedia:Neutral point of view/FAQ#Pseudoscience to see our policies. Specifically: "If a viewpoint is held by an extremely small (or vastly limited) minority, it does not belong in Wikipedia (except perhaps in some ancillary article) regardless of whether it is true or not; and regardless of whether you can prove it or not." SteveBaker 01:42, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

• The BEMs do it so they are not found out.hotclaws 09:38, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Who blanked the MARS article ? There is no longer a article there. 205.240.146.147 23:19, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

According to the history, it was AndrewJ, or something like that, and it's been fixed. --LarryMac 23:22, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Wikipedia Editing

Why do you allow other people to edit your work here on Wikipidia? Couldn't somebody give false information? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 70.243.223.73 (talk) 21:27, 8 May 2007 (UTC).

They could, yes. And it happens. But sooner or later the false information will get spotted and removed. Have a look at Wikipedia:Overview FAQ#How do you know if the information is correct.3F. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 21:45, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

Allow me to add some emphasis: "Why do you allow other people to edit your work here on Wikipedia?"...the you in that sentence is the same as the other people - all of us here are "other people". The only reason there are 1.7 million English language articles is precisely because the Wikipedia site allows anyone to edit it. The "us" who are writing it are the "others" whom you suspect ought to be locked out. The articles are (mostly) written by large numbers of people who come along and make teeny-tiny improvements - they aren't "our articles" - they belong to everyone. "Couldn't someone give false information?" - Yes. Emphatically so - they do it all the time. Fortunately there are more people - and more persistent people - interested in the truth than there are ill-informed people putting bad information in out of ignorance and idiots who but bad information in 'for the hell of it'. Mostly, bad information is spotted within minutes of it being added - and it gets corrected really quickly - sometimes it doesn't - but that's sufficiently rare that we still have a better accuracy score than the best non-free encyclopedias on the planet. Weird - surprising - remarkable - but true. Wikipedia pretty much "just happens" - it emerges from a sea of chaos just because most of humanity has a passion about passing on knowledge. SteveBaker 02:01, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

There is lots of page with wrong stuff in it. They are the low-profile ones that not a lot of people edited yet, or the articles that are hobby horse for extermists on both sides so it is a see-saw of argument back and forth and the page never "stabilizes". Don't take my word for it, just search for "the neutrality of this article is disputed" or "unencyclopedics" in the text. And those are just the ones people noticed! NoClutter 02:13, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

The beauty of it is, the more important an article is, the more frequently it will be viewed, and the quicker any inaccuracies will be fixed. Gross inaccuracies that lay dormant in an obscure article for months are no great concern. Vranak

This is a good question, what are you all doing on my wikipedia anyways? How did you get into my internets? 213.48.15.234 08:19, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Through the series of tubes. --Charlene 13:09, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

WHAT TUBES??? I THOUGHT THIS PLACE WAS A BIG TRUCK!?? 213.48.15.234 13:11, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

No, no - you're thinking of the InterWeb. SteveBaker 19:39, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

OMG - we have an article about that: Interweb. SteveBaker 19:41, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Redirecting to a website

I'm sorry that I have to bug you guys with my clinically brain-dead questions, but I really have to know something.

How in the world do I redirect to any website of my desire? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 12.18.90.138 (talk) 23:11, 8 May 2007 (UTC).

It is unclear exactly what you are trying to do, maybe you could clarify your query a bit? The short answer is you configure the webserver or webpage to tell the requesting browser to go to another site. Http_redirection#Techniques has some info. This question would have been more appropriate on the Computing Desk. -- Diletante 23:20, 8 May 2007 (UTC)

And, in case you meant "how do I provide a link to a site outside of Wikipedia from within Wikipedia", do this:

See this link: [http://www.google.com/].

To get this:

See this link: [6].

StuRat 03:57, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

May 9

White tie dinners in the U.S.

It was reported that President Bush’s white tie dinner for Queen Elizabeth this week was the first of his presidency. How does that compare with the number of white-tie dinners at the White House during other recent presidencies (Clinton, Bush Sr., Reagan, Carter)? In other words, how frequently on average did those presidents host white-tie events? Also, if the White House has not hosted any white-die events in the past six years, have there been others in Washington D.C. (at embassies, or whatever)? One of the things I am curious about is Laura Bush’s comment that most of the guests would have had to rent their formal wear for that dinner -- how could there be a large enough supply if there is so little occasion for its use? --Mathew5000 00:53, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

For the last, white tie is relatively common at one Southern function: the wedding. Most formal rental outlets have enough stock to tide them over the hundreds of formal weddings that take place every Saturday in the summer months, so one White House banquet would hardly be a big deal. I'm also guessing that Laura Bush may have been misinformed about whether the attendees needed to rent white tie, especially since many of the attendees are in the diplomatic corps where such banquets are much more common. (And to me it rang a bit false - "gee shucks we're just regular folks here" from a woman whose Christmas party dress is known categorically to have cost $6,000?) --Charlene 01:35, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

milk and eggs

Do cows and chickens have to be artificially inseminated in order to produce milk and eggs? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Themightym (talk • contribs) 00:59, 9 May 2007 (UTC).

Neither cows nor chickens need artificial insemination to produce milk or eggs. Cows do need some kind of insemination to become pregnant, and they must become pregnant and give birth in order to produce milk. They can be inseminated artificially or naturally by a bull. Chickens do not need any kind of insemination at all in order to produce eggs. Most eggs for human consumption are infertile and are produced without any insemination. Marco polo 01:22, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Furthermore, chickens will lay eggs at roughly one a day for any of the egg laying breeds. That is breeds that are generally raised solely for their eggs. They will lay that egg a day for several days, take a break for a day or two, and then start laying again. These periods of egg laying are generally referred to as "clutches". The length that a clutch lasts depends on the bird. If you were to dissect a hen you would find the next day's egg almost completely formed, the following days egg behind that which would be smaller and much softer, and the next day's and so on behind that one. Each of them successively smaller and smaller. Dismas|^(talk) 04:13, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

How is there room for the rest of the chicken with half a dozen eggs in it?

Only the next egg is full-size; the other ones are smaller, and since they don't have a hard shell yet they can be squished together a bit. One of the benefits of living on a farm are the unlaid eggs from slaughtered chickens. They have a creamy taste all their own, and they're mainly yolk. (Also that chickens raised on small farms generally have more exercise and a better diet, and their eggs taste better generally.) --Charlene 13:04, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

The yolks of the eggs are a much richer color as well. I don't have the issue handy but I think it was in Backyard Poultry magazine that they printed an article on the nutritional benefit of eggs from chickens that were allowed to eat grass, seeds, bugs, etc. as opposed to cage raised birds who only ate grain. The nutritional analysis was surprising to me. Not that there was a difference but that the difference was such a large one. Dismas|^(talk) 13:14, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

That makes me glad that I'm not a chicken! It doesn't sound like very much fun. Adrian M. H. 18:37, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Value of 1912 Brazilian contos de réis in austrian or American currency.

A real estate transaction in 1912 at Rio de Janeiro quotes a price of "15 contos de réis". How much was that in Austrian Krone (or US$ if that is easier)? <puszta>

Searching on Google for "historic exchange rates" and "brazil", the best I could find was this page, which goes back to 1916 for Brazil and 1913 for Australia, but does not have 1912 for either country. In 1916, rounding to cents, one US dollar was worth 4.21 Brazilian milréis or 7.95 Austrian Krone. According to Brazilian real, one conto de réis was equivalent to 1,000,000 réis or 1,000 milréis, so in 1916, 15 contos de réis would be about $3,560 US or 28,300 Kronen.

But of course 1916 was wartime, when exchange rates often change rapidly. In 3 years from 1913 to 1916 the Krone dropped enough that the US dollar was worth almost 3 Kronen more. I can't guess how stable Brazilian money was at that time. Perhaps searching for the Portuguese equivalent phrase to "historic exchange rates" would produce better results. --Anon, May 9, 02:40 (UTC).

This page has the exchange rate for 1912. Mil means simply one thousand, so one conto de réis is 1,000 mil réis or mil mil réis or 1,000*1,000 réis or one million réis. A.Z. 03:18, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Dog <- aspirin?

NoClutter 02:00, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Many web sites, and also Aspirin#Aspirin in pets, say that aspirin can be given to dogs but it is more dangerous than it is to humans (and still more dangerous to cats), so don't think of doing it without advice from a veterinarian. --Anonymous, May 9, 22:46 (UTC).

Reading the question differently, I do not believe that aspirin contains dog parts of any kind. V-Man - ^T/_C 03:19, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Reading the question as a diagram, I believe it should be Aspirin -> Dog. I've never heard of a suppository aspirin. -- Phoeba Wright^OBJECTION! 03:29, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Aspirin has been available in suppository form in the past (according to my 1992 CPS) but nowadays you're more likely to find 5-ASA, a derivative of salicylic acid, in suppository form. It's is used in the treatment of proctitis, Crohn's Disease, and other inflammatory bowel conditions. --Charlene 12:59, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

It looks like "Is a dog less than negative aspirin?" I think the answer would be "No" or "Undetermined". Edison 04:10, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Definitely no, as negatives are always lower than positives.

But what if Dog or asprin has a negative value to begin with? FiggyBee 17:12, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Asprin has a negative value as it is a poisonous chemical :] HS7 19:53, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

In the body, aspirin is degraded to NAPQI. NAPQI is toxic. Most animals (eg. us) have an enzyme to detoxify NAPQI, but dogs don't. Moral of the story - if your dog has a headache don't give it aspirin, give it something else. That lecture was a long time ago, so I could have made some mistakes, or I could be confused with something else. Be warned! Aaadddaaammm 01:38, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

legal drug use for self-experimentation

Is it possible to get a permit as a private adult citizen of USA for one-time use of controlled substance such as LSD? If yes, how. If not, why not, and then what is a good substitute (if any) to conduct this research. NoClutter 02:04, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

No, it would be abused (look at painkillers), Lucid Dreaming is the closest you can get to a trip without drugs. -- Phoeba Wright^OBJECTION! 03:27, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

What "research" exactly would that be? In some U.S. jurisdictions you might be able to legally use peyote as part of "bonafide religious ceremonies" and if you happened to be a member of the Native American Church its religious use would be much less legally ambiguous. Salvia divinorum is still legal in many if not most U.S. jurisdictions and produces some rather interesting effects that might be along the lines you're interested in. If you happen to reside in the state of New Mexico per an Appellate Court ruling[7]the growing of psilocybe containing mushrooms from spores does not appear to be illegal(however, I am not a lawyer, this is not advice, and a professional should be consulted in all legal matters). Non-pharmacological possibilities to achieve altered states, in addition to lucid dreaming, have, in the past and present, included some forms or combinations of sensory deprivation and fasting. -- Azi Like a Fox 05:48, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

I am licensed to have cocaine, cannabis and a number of other narcotics for experimental use. Indeed, just today I used ketamine in an experiment (though not on myself, obviously). Our license permits us to use them in a defined, controlled manner, and the amount of each of them is logged and reported back the the authorities. We also can only keep them at a single named location and always under lock an key.

However, my license is not issued as a private citizen, but as a scientist at an accredited institution in the USA. I very much doubt you would have any success submitting a proposal for "personal research" purposes (though back in the 60s and 70s NIH scientists such as John C. Lilly used LSD on themselves. Those were the days.) Rockpocket 06:21, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Not that I would ever suggest such a thing, NoClutter, but people have been known to conduct such research without the proper permits. --killing sparrows ^(chirp!) 07:25, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

dreamachine and Salvia divinorum. No idea if the machine actually works, Salvia is legal most places, but not all. Also, while the effects of both have been described as trancelike the experience will not be like the 8-10 hour odyssey of LSD. With the exception of the machine you will also need an experienced babysitter to keep you out of trouble if you do decide experiment. 161.222.160.8 00:12, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

A Dog's Life: The Autobiography of a Stray

How does Stream (Mother) die? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 75.36.217.147 (talk) 02:30, 9 May 2007 (UTC).

Did you try looking at The actual article? V-Man - ^T/_C 03:21, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Dang! The article doesn't say. Perhaps we are never told. It might be worth bearing in mind that fictional beings never really die because they are never really born. It all happens in the writers' imagaination, and in the imagination one can achieve anything but there are also lots of gaps.--Shantavira 12:20, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

"Remember kid, there's heroes and there's legends. Heroes get remembered but legends never die."[8] V-Man - ^T/_C 03:00, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Dragon Rider

How does firedrake lift Sorrell and Ben at the sametime? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 75.36.217.147 (talk) 02:34, 9 May 2007 (UTC).

Because it's a movie. Luigi30 (Taλk) 12:57, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Inkheart

Why does Dustfinger(silvertounge's old friend) come to Silvertounge's front door at the beginning of Inkheart? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 75.36.217.147 (talk) 02:38, 9 May 2007 (UTC).

why not?Coolsnak3 00:12, 12 May 2007 (UTC)

Bittorrent and Lobbying

I know that organizations like the MPAA and RIAA keep tabs on some public trackers and send out warning letters to ISPs to protect their respective intellectual properties (movies and music). If I recall correctly, the end user typically just gets a letter in the mail and nothing happens legally. What are they doing nowadays and what about rumors of students paying thousands of dollars to settle out of court for illegal downloading? Were they involved in major piracy rings or something? Also does any organization do the same but for video games or applications (warez)? --froth^t 04:01, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

BSA for software and ESA for video games Coolotter88 10:45, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Usually, no companies are as strict as the RIAA (Although, Ironically, my "Stop Torrenting, Thanks" letter from comcast was sparked by downloading a Tom Cruise movie. Silly Scientologists and their lawyers), but yeah. Usually, a company will sit on a torrent, collect IPs, then contact those ISPs and tell them to warn the user. The RIAA has stopped going after end downloaders somewhat to focus more on the people distributing them, since going after everyone under the sun illegally downloading would be both insanely expensive and a horrible PR move. Sort of like how drug possession is just a fine in a lot of places now, and the sellers are the ones the police are really out to get. -- Phoeba Wright^OBJECTION! 14:06, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Well I don't know about it being expensive- the RIAA makes a killing on out-of-court settlements, and probably nearly as much from cleaning out the 1% of people who refuse to settle. But impractical, yes. By the way, I've known actual scientologists on wikipedia so watch your tongue :x --froth^t 20:28, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

? (White student unions)

Should White Student unions be in schools?Zakaerckis 04:24, 9 May 2007 (UTC) Zakaerckis

I believe opinion questions should not be asked at the Reference Desks. Rather, you should pose at one of the many discussion forums on the Internet. Elaboration would most likely help any possible responders. Splintercellguy

• No,all students should wear black and be as EMO as possible.hotclaws 09:41, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Are there any schools with white student unions? What country are we talking about? Perhaps in a country where white students are a racial minority and traditionally discriminated against, a white student union would be useful and appropriate. -FisherQueen (Talk) 12:23, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Since when has racism been appropriate be it black or white student unions. Joneleth 22:49, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

What is a "white student union"? Is there such a thing as a "black student union"? A.Z. 00:20, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

• At some schools, yes. My highschool had a Black club, a Chinese club and a Tamil club, at the very least. Although there were a lot of white people in the Chinese club ... WilyD 02:46, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

I understood those kinds of clubs to include people who are interested in that particular culture, in no way excluding other races. Of course, nobody really seemed interested enough to make a White people club. V-Man - ^T/_C 03:17, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Wikipedia should have an article on that. I would read it. A.Z. 03:47, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

What, on Culture clubs, or White people clubs? V-Man - ^T/_C 04:00, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

It's an interesting question. If the club were called an Anglophile club (sit around eating crumpets for "tea" while staring at pictures of the Queen ?) it might be "acceptable" to most, or even a "European" club (a club for the "in" continent ?). However, any use of racial terms, like "white" or "Caucasian", in the club name is likely to be deemed unacceptable by most, even though a club with "black" in the name would be deemed to be acceptable. StuRat 03:59, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

... by whom? dr.ef.tymac 04:05, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

By Black people. Further, if the club is staffed by black people, it is acceptable in the United States to refer to it as a N***** club. V-Man - ^T/_C 04:08, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

If your answer reflects serious sociological and linguistic research, let's have a look at it. In the meantime, I welcome your response as the newest member of the "zero-credibility club". dr.ef.tymac 04:20, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

My response has as much credit as the Wikipedia articles I linked to; however, now looking at it, the part in N***** that I was referring to is unsourced... I wonder where one would find a source about how it is okay for black people to call themselves n*****s? Anyone who has heard rap likely knows what I mean. V-Man - ^T/_C 02:41, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

Uh, the Black club was really only for Black people (I doubt they could de jure exclude non-Blacks, but they did de facto) - the Chinese Association didn't care, and the Tamil club didn't care (but they watched tamil movies as their only activity - so uh, no one tried). In University I don't know much about the racial clubs - I occasionally went to the Vietnamese Association meetings, but only to pick up some chick (who was also not Vietnamese). WilyD 04:25, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

It's been tried (unsuccesfully). You may be interested in reading[9] or even [10]. (I am not sure they are the same White Students Alliance, I just used google, but I remembered a story on it a while back. Cyta 07:30, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

What do you think is the best approach to use in forming and developing the East africa economic co-operation?

– —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Sarakibs (talk • contribs) 15:39, 9 May 2007 (UTC).

The reference desk has a policy of not answering 'homework' questions. If you were a little more subtle you could ask this in such a way as not appear to be doing homework...The best approach would be one of international trade, stable governance and eliminate conflict. ny156uk 17:37, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

This doesn't look like obvious homework to me, so I will answer. However, as my answer will require speculation, I will answer here: [11]. StuRat 19:58, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

stock screener

looking for a stock screener that can sort by the percentage of stocks that have been sold short. THanks. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 76.199.4.203 (talk) 16:24, 9 May 2007 (UTC).

Hmm lets wikilink Sold short to see if there's an article, because I have no Idea what sold short means --Khunter 21:34, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

LOL, the Java version of the Yahoo Finance stock screener @ http://screen.finance.yahoo.com/newscreener.html provides a "short ratio". I would be concerned that this data couldn't be provided in real-time from the exchanges though, so it may not take into account short term swings (like when say... DNDN crashed today...)

NByz 05:31, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

omlette

i have a trivia question.who knows which american couple had an omlette named after them.they guy was addicted to painkillers and they no longer are together. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 212.49.74.210 (talk) 16:26, 9 May 2007 (UTC).

I don't see anything on List of egg dishes. Jon513 19:07, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

I've just gone through three pages of omelet dishes but didn't find a thing. Could this be an omelette dish that's named differently in Africa than it is in the West? (Your IP is from Kenya, so I'm assuming you're in Africa.) --Charlene 22:06, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Could be a reference to Mr and Mrs Benedict from NY - Eggs Benedict - but not sure about the painkiller story. Sandman30s 11:32, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

commercial bee pollination

Does anyone know when commercial bee pollination started becoming popular? I know the ancient Egyptians used bee's honey and what not, but when did they start purposely setting them in fields waiting for them to pollinate??? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 71.138.26.59 (talk) 19:04, 9 May 2007 (UTC).

According to the Honey_bee article bees were first domesticated by the Egyptians during the time of the pyramids, over 4,000 years ago. -Czmtzc 20:26, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

What types of bees did most of the pollinating in the Western Hemisphere before the importation of the European honeybee? Corvus cornix 21:44, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

That might be a question for the Science desk. --Charlene 23:04, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Deseret. V-Man - ^T/_C 03:20, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

How does that answer my question? Corvus cornix 18:05, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Hm. Looking at the article, it neglects to mention that the Jaredites brought the bees over with them at the time of the Tower of Babel. Sorry to leave you hanging! V-Man - ^T/_C 02:55, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

I don't know, but my economics professor used to have a professor when HE was an undergrad that used the honey industry as an example of an "externality" (a cost or benefit not reflected in market prices). He believed that the Honey bee owners provided an uncompensated service to gardeners through pollination, until he noticed in the Yellow Pages that many Honey farmers were actually selling these services, thereby 'capturing' the externality.

Maybe not applicable to what you're doing, but an interesting anecdote...

NByz 05:27, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

APUSH test comming up!!

alright...so I just took a practice exam at school and would love to see why i got the answers wrong that I did so I can better study for the AP test this Friday. I have searched all over and I know they have released it but I can not seem to track one down. can anyone help me find the 1984 version of the APUSH test. If you can find others it would help as well. I really wish to knew what i made a mistake on. Thank you so much!--Kittycat rox 22:03, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Did you ask your teacher? Splintercellguy 00:23, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

yes but she said she couldn't release it because another teacher may use it. never mind though....i begged her to let my borrow it till tommarow and she let me. thank anyway.--Kittycat rox 21:52, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Vibrations in new cars

Why is it that when both windows are down in my car (2005 hyundai sontata), and it is going at a reasonable speed (50+ mph), a strong sound / vibration can be felt in my ears which can sometimes become painful if the windows aren't rolled up. I've heard other people complain about this too with other cars. It also doesn't seem to happen on older cars- only cars made in the last 6 or so years. 68.231.151.161 23:43, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

The mechanism is air pressure changes brought about by turbulent airflow. I can only postulate that there is a relation between the aerodynamic design of the car and the amplitudes and frequencies generated for various combinations of open & partially open windows. If you're right that this is associated more with modern than older cars (and that for me is not proven) then we can speculate that increasingly aerodynamic cars tend to give rise to the frequencies / amplitudes you find disturbing. (Not much of an answer, I grant, and I'm sure there are n other factors to take into consideration.) I recognise your description and have encountered it in at least a couple of reasonably contemporary cars when rear windows are partially open & front are shut. --Tagishsimon (talk)

I can sympathize. If I drive my 2003 Chevy Avalanche at highway speeds with the sunroof open, the low-pitched vibration is deafening. Wouldn't you think they would have tested this before selling them ? StuRat 01:41, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

I've always thought of that as a sort of Helmholtz resonance, but with two windows open being the requirement, I'm rather puzzled as to the explanation; the article is a good read, at any rate. V-Man - ^T/_C 03:36, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

It isn't that much of a concern, I believe, since the expectation in newer cars is that you will be driving with the windows rolled up; doing so increases fuel economy, if I recall correctly. Have you tried experimenting with different window configurations? For example, I've found that when my sunroof is open, I can greatly reduce the noise by slightly opening the back windows. Rolling up/down your windows in various ways should stop the vibration. --Philosophus ^T 09:38, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

It's still nice to have the option to roll down the windows and/or sunroof, on nice days to quickly cool a car that's been baking in the Sun and, of course, after the family spends the day at the 5-alarm chili festival. StuRat 02:35, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

I thought I might add that my guess about this is that it is caused by the slanting in newer cars, which causes the front windows and sunroof to act like intakes. If there is nowhere for the air to flow, you get messy turbulent flow, increased pressure in the car, and so on, which probably causes the vibrations. --Philosophus ^T 09:41, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

I have also noticed this phenomenon. I was going to suggest Sympathetic vibration. Vespine 03:42, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Windows down or up?

The owners manual for my MINI Cooper convertible says that if you open just the front section of the roof (which - in effect - gives you a sunroof) then opening the rear windows just an inch or so gets rid of the noise. It really works. So check your owner's manual - maybe it has similar advice. SteveBaker 11:17, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

The phenomenon is the same as occurs in a whistle, and is discussed in that article. --169.230.94.28 19:06, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

dogs

Why do dogs like cheese? 68.231.151.161 23:44, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Ummmm...they don't. Shindo9Hikaru 00:44, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

My 2 dogs will eat anything, including cheese. I think a more pertinent question would be "Why do some dogs like cheese, but others don't". JackofOz 00:47, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

It depends on a number of factors. They typically will eat anything you throw at them, which is why it's important to keep their allergens in mind. // Pilotguy radar contact 00:54, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

For the record, my dog loves cheese. And broccoli. And arugula. And potatoes, grapes, peanut butter, and tissues (for blowing your nose). And junk mail. So yeah, dogs eat almost everything. - AMP'd 01:29, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Grapes are bad - don't feed them to your dog! SteveBaker 11:13, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

It's true that dogs will eat just about anything, and not just food, which is why I've removed everything from rocks to corncobs to tampons from their stomachs and intestines. But here's a heads up on the grapes, AMP'd. --Joelmills 02:46, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Wow, "A trend was seen as far back as 1999." That's so long ago. (I was imagining the ancient Egyptians using grapes to fend off jackals, or something? It shouldn't be such a difficult thing to discover, you'd think) V-Man - ^T/_C 03:38, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Dogs are generalists - a bit like humans. Although their digestive system is that of a carnivore they'll eat a wide range of foods including lots of things (like grapes and chocolate) that are very bad for them. But just like humans, they have personal preferences. Both of my dogs both love cheese but like most mammals, they are probably lactose intolerant - so keep it down to small pieces just to snack on. One of my dogs likes nuts - the other spits them out. Neither will go near broccoli. They are individuals and they aren't entirely stupid (although...). SteveBaker 11:13, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Mammals are lactose intollerent? I thought the whole point of being a mammel was to drink milk.

Most adult mammals are lactose intolerant. Aaadddaaammm 22:13, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Yea if you stop drinking milk the enzyme you need to break it down with stop being produced and you become lactose intolerant. Joneleth 23:18, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

That's absolutely not the case. It has nothing to do with stopping drinking milk. It's totally hereditary. Some people lose the ability to produce lactase between two and five years of age. It doesn't matter if they stop drinking milk or not before that. --Charlene 00:05, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

This subject came up before...Lactose intolerance is interesting. The way it's supposed to work in nature is that baby mammals produce the lactase enzyme and can drink and digest milk just fine - it's necessary that they can do that because immediately after birth, milk is the only food they have - that's the defining feature of a mammal after all! But in order to ensure that the baby is weaned off mothers milk and onto solid food, there is a genetic signal that turns off lactase production at some appropriate age which varies from species to species. This is evolutionarily sound since mothers milk is going to be needed for the next litter of babies and you don't want the older and stronger offspring muscling in on mommas' milk supply. Hence lactase goes away and the young animal starts getting uncomfortable stomach pains after drinking milk - which prompts it to start looking for other food. Isn't nature wonderful? So lactose intolerance in adults is the norm for almost all mammals.

In humans things have changed and most of us are not like 'normal' mammals. Sometime in the last ten thousand years we invented farming and started keeping and milking domesticated mammals like goats and cows. With that technological change, it became advantageous for adults to be able to digest milk. In times of famine it is better to drink milk from your animals than it is to slaughter them for meat. The occasional (rare) genetic mutant who didn't have the gene that switches off lactase production at age 3 or so would have a natural advantage in difficult times and would tend to survive by drinking milk when his neighbours had no choice but to kill off their livestock. This provided enough survival pressure to allow us to evolve lactose tolerance in adulthood. Now we are at a point where so many people have this mutation that us adult milk lovers consider the few remaining lactose intolerant people as having some kind of genetic defect - when in fact the reverse is the case! But since many societies no longer have the kind of survival pressure that allows evolution to select for lactose tolerance in adults, and lactose intolerance is merely an inconvenience, it's likely that intolerant people will have no problems passing on their genes and humanity will continue to have a mix of tolerant and intolerant individuals in the future - just as we have a mixture of eye colors and skin tones no matter what latitude we live at.

But I don't think domesticated dogs have had the same evolutionary pressures. In times of hardship and famine - nobody would be feeding cows milk to their dogs (particularly because almost none of them could digest the stuff). So dogs won't have been able to evolve like we did. So I'm pretty sure that a large majority of adult dogs are lactose intolerant. Which (to cut a long story short) is why they may not like cheese. However, they eat a lot of other things that aren't good for them - so it's possible that your pet may not know to avoid the stuff. Hence don't feed your dog a lot of cheese (although small amounts aren't likely to do much harm).

SteveBaker 11:12, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

Cutting Ones

What is, or who are, Cutting Ones? NeonMerlin 23:58, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Can you give us any context? All I can find at the moment is what appears to be a use of the term to classify a set of tools that have cutting faces. --Tagishsimon (talk)

"Ones who cut?" V-Man - ^T/_C 03:41, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

May 10

Fonts.

Can anyone recommend some clean-looking nice fonts that look good at small sizes (10 - 12) like Arial, Tahoma, Verdana, Times New Roman, etc? Down M. 02:43, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Comic Sans is nice and clean even at 10 pts. A lot of books are done in Garamond and Palatino. Bielle 06:51, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Helvetica and friends? Skittle 14:45, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

I'd suggest Georgia, which was created specifically to be easy to read in smaller fonts. I'd avoid Comic Sans unless this was something private (within the home) or for children - many people consider Comic Sans unprofessional. --Charlene 23:54, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

There are people who think a "Hotmail" email address is unprofessional, too. The Comic Sans font itself is clean, with a little pizzazz. You don't have to tell anyone its name. 05:36, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

I like Trebuchet MS; it's a smart but easy to read font similar to Arial/Helvetica but with sharper corners. Gill Sans also works well, but it does tend to remind British readers very strongly of the London Underground. Comic Sans has irregular kerning, so words written in it tend to look a bit funny.Laïka 10:32, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

Fear of getting older

Is there any available knowledge about the fear of getting older? Not the fear of getting old or the fear of dying, but the fear of becoming an adult? A.Z. 02:45, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

I can't find anything that splits it that finely; Gerontophobia is the closest I can see. However, "fear of growing up" and "fear of becoming an adult" garner many results, so I'd say you're on to something... V-Man - ^T/_C 03:57, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Thank you! I'll definitely check the results. A.Z. 04:11, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Peter Pan syndrome ? StuRat 06:54, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

That article actually contains the assertion "Teenagers ... are also usually attracted to older women." A.Z. 01:56, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

What about the fear of just becoming "not young" (like if your in your 20's or teens)? basically, getting older?

I suppose gerontophobia would be the term, although the older you get the more you realize that "young" doesn't end at 29. It's not like you wake up on your 30th or 40th birthday suddenly massively changed. I wonder if younger people automatically (and very wrongly) assume that getting a tiny bit older means becoming not as able physically, so there could be a fear of being disabled in there as well. --Charlene 23:57, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

running and coughing

I was running the other day and noticing some lung congestion. Anyway, I coughed up something and was able to breathe easier. However, when I inspected what I coughed up, it looked like a small pinkish blob along with half-centimeter long piece of something browish that looked like a boiled onion skin. Does anyone know what that stuff is? Thanks. Gatorphat 04:45, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Are you kidding? Go to a doctor and describe when you first noticed it etc. It could be a bacterial infection, result of air pollution, or even something more serious. It never hurts to get a blood test.

NByz 05:24, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

GET YOUR ASS TO A DOCTOR !!!! 205.240.146.147 06:27, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Did'nt want to scare you, but check out whats in the "Lung" and/or the respiratory articles. 205.240.146.147 06:38, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

...and we aren't allowed to give medical advice. So go see a doctor. If it happens again meanwhile - keep whatever you cough up in a sealed container for the doctor to examine. SteveBaker 11:07, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

It might just be mucus, but you should see an MD the first chance you get, as it could be something much more sinister. -- Phoeba Wright^OBJECTION! 14:45, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Does telling someone to visit a doctor count as giving medical advice? Or is that the main exception we use? V-Man - ^T/_C 03:05, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

Telling someone to get to a Doctor isn't medical advice, it's just common sense advice. A surprisingly large amount of people nowadays will trust random people on the internet for medical care nowdays, and if they need to be told to go see a professional, it's better to hear it from those random people than EMTs -- Phoeba Wright^OBJECTION! 09:08, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

Getting started with sushi

I am not very familiar with sushi, I might have tasted a bit once or so. What are a few names of dishes a beginner like myself could order? I'd like things that aren't too advanced for my simple taste and perhaps go reasonably well together. Also I want to avoid making a fool of myself (as in "You ordered shrimp and salmon, how dear you?!"). Thanks. —Bromskloss 07:39, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

If there are conventions about ordering combinations in sushi, I don't know about them, but perhaps others will. As for types of sushi, if you read up on the sushi article, you'll see a description of different types. As a general rule, not too many maki sushi rolls contain raw fish, but some do; most raw fish is in sashimi, which is considered part of the 'sushi experience', but some pedants like to say 'sashimi isn't sushi! It's Sashimi!'. So when you order maki sushi, rolls made with seaweed, rice and fillings, the 'fillings', other than tuna and salmon rolls, are usually either cooked seafood, vegetables, egg, or occasionally fruit (pickled plum, and avocado if you call that a fruit). I recommend that you probably won't be disappointed with dynamite roll, california roll, tuna and salmon rolls (unless raw fish really squicks you; most people who like sushi like these rolls), kappa maki if you like cucumber (it's a good palate cleanser), and avocado roll, yam roll and veggie roll (if they have them). If you're a little more adventurous, a lot of people like octopus (order it spicy) and eel. Tomago is a tiny omelette in or on top of rice (this serving style is called 'nigiri'), and inari is sweetened deep fried tofu in a maki roll, or sometimes puffed and stuffed with rice. Anchoress 08:37, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

I'll second the recommedation for california rolls. I don't like the stereotypical fish taste, so I was hesitant to try sushi and I found the california rolls to be very good. If you're going with some friends or if you're not trying to impress a date by looking worldly with your knowledge of sushi, then there's no harm in just asking your server or the chef if it's prepared in front of you. The first time I had sushi, I just explained that I didn't like a heavy fish taste and the sushi chef was able to make some good suggestions. Dismas|^(talk) 08:45, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Oh, and how could I forget to recommend the BC roll??!! Anchoress 08:47, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Be sure to go to a good restaurant, too. There is considerable variability in sushi quality, even with California rolls. I far prefer the California rolls that have crab instead of imitation crab, for example. --Philosophus ^T 09:34, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Sashimi is raw fish. Sushi is the preservation of fish in rice and seaweed. "Maki" are sushi rolls - and I highly recommend you don't buy those "large" rolls you see on sale as fast food - rather get the much smaller maki. These days sashimi uses a very high standard of raw fish which are supposed to be free of parasites and checked by the sushi chef. As for the sushi these days, the whole process has been corrupted into using things like tereyaki chicken in your sushi rolls - or cooked fish. A lot of westerners get hooked into this without ever really experiencing the wonderful taste and texture of raw fish with the various condiments (soya sauce, ginger, wasabe, mayonnaise, etc.). Most of the people I know --for whatever reason -- don't like raw fish, and you too may find you take issue. I on the other hand love sashimi. Might I recommend that you begin by tasting salmon as your first raw fish because salmon isn't very fishy at all, and is also an 'oily' fish, and all in all gives you the perfect 'texture' of raw fish for your experience. You can then try dipping it soya sauce, putting a little bit of fresh washabi (no sachets) and dunking it in a little bit of mayonnaise. If you're anything like me you should love it. Moving back to sushi, if you find you're not a sucker for raw fish then you're going to have to settle for the various other concoctions that are still very favourable: smoked salmon, cooked tuna, avacado, etc. As you can imagine sushi conisisting of smoked salmon with avacado, mayonnaise, and cream cheese (a major corruption) should be very nice indeed. As your sushi tastes expand and you grow fond of raw fish, then I would suggest you try the less palatable raw fishes that your sushi place may have available. Good luck, and enjoy! Rfwoolf 09:29, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Thanks for your replies. I'm not particularly freaked out by raw fish, so I don't mind trying that. I just don't want to offend anyone or otherwise do things that are considered wierd. So, have I understood this correctly, you order several different... things, not just one type? How many of them makes for a lunch? Are there something poisonous, overly strong, overly expensive or unorthodox combinations I should avoid? —Bromskloss 11:37, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Nope, just order what you want. The only potentially dangerous sushi product is fugu, but very few restaurants in the whole world serve it. An adult can probably eat anywhere from two to four or even five maki (rolls) in a sitting (most maki sushi rolls are six to eight pieces), and think of each sashimi as being the equivalent of about a third of one roll. It's nice to get a variety; one raw fish, one cooked seafood, one veggie, and a couple of nigiri (rice with non-fish toppings), and a couple of sashimi. Edited to add You might want to just order a combo - most Sushi restaurants have them. And I used to work in a sushi restaurant, and a very common combo for sushi 'newbies' was: 1 dynamite roll, one BC or california roll, 1 tuna or salmon roll, 1 kappa maki, and 1 tomago or inari nigiri. If you are feeling adventurous, try the squid or eel, or clam or other shellfish. Anchoress 11:50, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

I just want to take a moment out to talk about my experience with sushi. I had tried sushi once, long ago, and I didn't like it, I believe due to the seaweed wrap. I was at a video game convention, and since it was for an Asian game, of course their snack booth served mostly plastic sushi boxes. Well, I bought a box, and took it up front, to go watch a dev talk that was coming up. I nibbled on the sushi, still didn't like it very much, so I decided to try this vegetable off in the corner. I tried to pick it up with my chopsticks, but the damn thing was pretty squishy. After a little bit of rotating my chopsticks around, I finally got the green blob of whatever it was in my mouth. I still haven't gotten that damn taste out out my mouth, I still have that horrible flavor every now and then. Moral of the story? Know the difference between food and sauces. Just because you can drink a bottle of ketchup doesn't mean you can stand a bite of (what I think was) wasabi -- Phoeba Wright^OBJECTION! 14:55, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Yes, be very cautious when applying wasabi, it can be very spicy. I find a single drop is all I want. For those unfamiliar with it, the best comparison is horseradish. StuRat 15:22, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

"Wasabi" is to "horseradish" as an RPG is to a popgun. It is an efficient way to clean out your sinuses, though. Bielle 05:29, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

On your first visit, order three salmon nigiri, miso soup, ebi sunomono, and a dynamite roll. Very accessible. If the salmon is good quality it will be delicious, if not you will be put off sushi. Good luck. Vranak

The key to good sashimi or sushi is fresh fish. If you want a good experience, be sure to go to a sushi bar that is busy, because a high turnover and popularity correlate with freshness. I strongly recommend against prewrapped sushi from the supermarket or ordering sushi in a Chinese, Thai, or other Asian restaurant because they tend not to know what they're doing with sushi, and the fish is likely not to be very fresh. Fish that has been sitting around can cause food poisoning, but I have never had any stomach upset after eating at a busy sushi bar. Marco polo 20:55, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Thank you all for your sushi help! —Bromskloss 08:58, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

I can't resist adding to this since I adore sushi. While I enjoy a california roll as much as the next guy, they really are the egg foo young of sushi. I can't stand the rolls with mayo. <shudder> First, make sure that you are going to a real sushi place that has Japanese people in it. Avoid "Asian fusion" places - they will give you some bizarre concoction that has no resemblance to Japanese sushi. You want your first sushi place to be good, so if you don't like it you know you don't like sushi, as opposed to the sushi in the place you ended up.

Vranak offers a good choice above. I would say that that, even more than salmon, maguro, bluefin tuna, is the vanilla of sushi. It's entirely inoffensive, unless of course you really do hate sushi. It comes in several grades, by which I mean fattiness, maguro is the basic, while toro is the lowest quality slice from the fatty belly, then chu-toro, and o-toro. O-toro can only be found in the best restaurants and you pay through the nose for it, but a pair of chu-toro nigiri is affordable and can be found in a good restaurants. A decent bit of chu-toro should be of sufficient grade that you won't have to chew - put it on your tongue (I don't like soy when eating a delight like this) and it should slowly dissolve like a pat of butter. I second the choice of miso soup and sunomono (pickled vegetables). Since a plate of toro will destroy your wallet, filling out the plate with salmon, maguro and maybe ebi (boiled shrimp) nigiri would be a decent choice. A roll to fill you up is a good suggestion as well - dynamite rolls are a fine choice, though I tend to fill up on kappa-maki (cucumber rolls) - filling and impossible to do wrong. There are any number of dishes that I would avoid on the first try - mackerel (saba) is very very fishy (though I love it too), while uni (sea urchin) is an acquired taste that requires multiple sittings fresh from the ocean before one comes to anticipate the next tasting. Similarly, the texture of raw fish egg throws many people. Go easy on the wasabi. Try not to lose your rice in the dish of soy when you dip the nigiri with your chopsticks; you're getting a thin coating, not soaking the nigiri.

So... taking Vranak as a model, my suggestion would be 3 types of nigiri (chu-toro, salmon and boiled shrimp), miso soup, sunomono, and I guess the dynamite roll, since this dish needs a bit of livening up and kappa-maki is boring. Mmmm... hungry now. - BanyanTree 11:44, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

Cashing a cheque made out to your "other" name

A few months back I did some very minor acting work for a new agent of mine and when I signed up I created a stage name for myself, like "Bert Adams" (just an example).
In this fabricated example my actual name was "Adam Bert Clark".
My agent (who should have been more professional and asked me who I wanted the cheques made out to) has sent me two cheques both made out to "Bert Adams".
In your experience, and using your knowledge, how do I get the bank to allow me to cash the check? How can I prove that I, Adam Bert Clark am indeed Bert Adams?

(Yes in real-life my stage name consists of my middle name followed by my first name with an added 's'
Thank-you 138.130.23.133 09:16, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

• You should get back in touch with the agent and get them to make a new cheque. If you want to receive cheques made out to your stage alter ego, you need to open a separate account under that name. - Mgm|^(talk) 09:19, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

In the 'olden' days (before rampant identity theft), it used to be possible to get a rider put onto your main bank account allowing for cheques made out to another entity to be deposited into yours. I'm not sure if that's still true. I personally think it's very unlikely that you'll be able to cash those cheques. Better bite the bullet and get them re-drawn in your proper name. I had a similar problem when I used to get cheques made out to my company name, when I just had a personal bank account. I alleviated the problem with a line at the bottom of all my invoices saying, "Please make cheques payable to 'Anchoress W. G. Queen'". Anchoress 09:25, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Anchoress, if you have a bank account payable to "Anchoress Wikipedia Google Queen," I will PayPal it so hard. V-Man - ^T/_C 03:23, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

• You probably still can, though it might depend on how much your bank values you (ie, how much you have held there) --Philosophus ^T 09:30, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

• You might want to just try depositing it, or talk to your bankers (after all, the names are similar). In my experience, I've had checks written out to different names and have had no problem depositing them; I'm not sure whether this is because my bankers know about the situation and have flagged my accounts, however. I also am in a bit of a different situation - I have photo IDs and significant documentation under both names, and can prove myself to be either one. --Philosophus ^T 09:30, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Philosophus has made a good point. I have to remember that I'm in the identity fraud capital of the world; not every banking institution is as paranoid as those in Vancouver, Canada. Anchoress 09:32, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Can you sign the cheque over to yourself? Write 'please pay Adam Bert Clark the full amount' on the back and sign it (as Bert Adams), then deposit it in your account. You shouldn't have any trouble - I've had several friends who've had to do this on occasion after changing their names. Natgoo 09:40, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Hmm no apparently not, because the cheque/check is marked "Not Negotiable". 138.130.23.133 09:50, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Bummer. Unless you have a program with a photo of you next to the name Bert Adams, or are particularly charming to bank tellers, I think your only option then is to contact the agent and get the cheques redrawn. Natgoo 10:53, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Well, it can't hurt to talk to the bank first, if they're easier to get to. --Anon, May 10, 22:50 (UTC).

If it's marked Non-Negotiable, it is not a negotiable instrument, meaning it is not a check. You cannot cash it.anonymous6494 00:10, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

I thought that was the case also, but footnote one in our check/cheque article seems to indicate otherwise - "many countries have provided by a combination of law and regulation that all cheques should be treated as crossed, or account payee only, and are not negotiable." It seems that there are very precise terms in use for these financial entities. --LarryMac | Talk 00:50, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

I can only speak for the United States, but you cannot cash a check (or what appears to be a check) if it is marked 'Non-Negotiable'. anonymous6494 03:42, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

Korean Air Lines Flight 007

To my surprise, this morning, I discovered that a copy of a FAA certified radar map I uploaded had been removed along with my comments. Are those who have an interest in hiding the truth from the public still at work? I've been on this project for 23 years. This ranks among the most blatant acts of propaganda I've encountered. What, if anything, to do? (My Contributions still hold a copy of the map.) RAllardyce

The content was moved to Korean Air Flight 007 conspiracy theories per the discussion at Talk:Korean Air Flight 007. In other words, there is no conspiracy. — Lomn 14:47, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Ah they've got to you too to stop you from talking :) Lemon martini 12:20, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

Wikipedia colours

Is it just me, or did, a few minutes ago, nearly all the unvisited links with something on them on Wikipedia go a sort of maroon colour to you? If it is not just me, does anyone know why this change has happened? --It's-is-not-a-genitive 15:31, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Happened to me too. I'm guessing someone screwed around with the monobook skin where they shouldn't've -- Phoeba Wright^OBJECTION! 15:33, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

• You're right! I'm glad that it's back to normal... I thought that it might have been a policy that I somehow did not manage to see, from some bright spark who thought that it would be good to have links to pages that are there and links to ones that are not there nearly the same colour. I could never get used to a maroon Wikipedia. It's strange how small things can change so much. --It's-is-not-a-genitive 15:41, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

For more information/discussion, see WP:AN#Everything going red! and the subsequent topic.

Also, WP:VPT#Redlinks that aren't.

Atlant 16:50, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Thanks a lot for those pages, Atlant! --It's-is-not-a-genitive 15:51, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

Soup

Who invetned soup?

I am quite sure the invention of soup predates any exisiting records and couldn't be credited to one individual. The soup article actually has some good history. Vespine 22:28, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Yes, boiling food in water would be an obvious and convenient way to cook something for any couture with the capability to heat liquid. S.dedalus 00:45, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

...which requires fire and the ability to contain boiling water. I don't think most types of pottery can handle that, so soup might not have been possible until the invention of metal pots in the copper age. Copper mining dates back to around 6000 BCE (in North America), so I would speculate that a Native American was the first to make soup. StuRat 02:17, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

Yup, 'cos there's no copper in Africa, Stu... --Tagishsimon (talk)

None that was mined by 6000 BCE, AFAIK. StuRat 03:46, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

Brother Cadfael was often seen to be heating and boiling mixtures in clay pots; Ellis Peters wouldn't lie to us about that, would she? Seriously, fired clay containers can certainly be used to boil water for cooking, for example, the common crock pot.

Atlant 12:23, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

If you have fire, you can make soup in a large sea-shell - or the skull of a large animal - even leather or carved wooden containers will work if you know how. But I don't see why you couldn't boil water in even unglazed pottery. Remember - the water inside can't get over 100 degC - that's cool enough to stop most materials from bursting into flames. As for leather or wooden containers - one way to boil water in such a container (that might catch fire if you put it directly into the fire) is to heat up rocks in the fire and toss them into your container of water. That way the container never gets in contact with the flame and since the water doesn't get over 100 degC, you are unlikely to damage the container. Our ancestors weren't stupid. I bet they were making soup within a month of figuring out how to tame fire. Cooking food is a tremendous survival advantage - it makes tough, inedible foods edible and it kills off undesirable bacteria - so even mildly spoiled food can be consumed safely - we can expect the great minds of the time to have been working hard on clever solutions. On a recent Survivorman episode, the guy made soup in his hat using the 'tossing hot rocks in until the water boils' technique - so I know for sure it works. SteveBaker 03:43, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

Food can also be cooked in other ways, such as on a spear. I would expect pottery or sea shells placed on a fire to shatter, not burst into flame. After all, I don't think they had Corningware at the time. :-) 03:46, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

Um - so how exactly do you make pottery? I take clay - shape it into what I need - then I toss it into a really, really hot oven to 'fire' it. Why on earth would putting it on an open fire with water in it (to keep it at 100 degC) make it automatically disintigrate?! SteveBaker 03:49, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

It's not about how high the temperature gets, but rather how evenly the temperature is distributed. Kilns are typically designed to heat slowly and evenly, while placing pottery on an open flame causes huge temp variations. This leads to uneven stresses which cause the pottery to shatter. Also, the temperature of the water will be limited to 100°C, but the outside of the pot could be much hotter, as ceramics are excellent insulators. Try taking a cereal bowl you don't want anymore outside and put it on the grill, and stand way back, wearing goggles. You will see what I mean. See thermal shock. StuRat 03:54, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

As is well known, a potter can manipulate several technical choices in order to improve a vessel's thermal shock resistance (Amberg and Hartsook 1946; Bronitsky 1986; Kingery 1955; Salmang 196 1; cf. Searle and Grimshaw 195 9; West 1992), including (1) clay composition; (2) temper composi quantity, size, and shape; (3) wall thickness; (4) vessel size and shape; and (5) firing temperature. We propose that surface treatments, both interior and exterior, can also affect the thermal shock resistance of traditional, low-fired, clay cooking pots. Aronson, Meredith et al. "New Perspectives on Experimental Archaeology: Surface Treatments and Thermal Response of the Clay Cooking Pot," American Antiquity 59(2)

The earlier home cooking style...seems to have been primarily boiling by placing oven-heated clay balls in baskets or skins and grilling or roasting directly in the oven. Later...there was the addition of ceramic cooking vessels, concomitantly with fewer clay balls. This reflects more boiling of meats and plants by direct fire cooking using pottery and perhaps less emphasis on toasting and drying. Atalay, Sonya and Christine A. Hastorf "Food, Meals, and Daily Activities: Food Habitus at Neolithic Catalhoyuk," American Antiquity 71(22)

—eric 05:16, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

I live in the American Northwest, and now that I think about it I have heard that the native peoples would heat water with hot rocks. If I remember correctly, it can even be done in special baskets that are woven so tight that they are water proof. Soup then could theoretically have been made well before metalworking. S.dedalus 04:33, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

I'm not sure where to put this comment. There are places (near volcanos, for instance) that have really hot water lakes where --I think-- you could make soup one hundred thousand years ago. A.Z. 04:46, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

But how would you contain the soup ? You need some way to get it out of the steaming hot pool to a place where you can let it cool enough to eat it. Perhaps something like a sheep stomach would work, if you don't mind your food turning into haggis. StuRat 04:58, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

I would use, let me see... a large sea-shell - or the skull of a large animal, perhaps? I would use small bones to manipulate the containers, so I wouldn't get burned. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by A.Z. (talk • contribs) 05:09, 11 May 2007 (UTC).

Flawless victory. V-Man - ^T/_C 05:34, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

old wives tale

if a cat drinks a bowl of milk with a asprin disolved in it willl it harm the cat —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Rjw73 (talk • contribs) 23:34, 10 May 2007 (UTC).

That's not an old wives' tale. Cats can only tolerate very small amounts of aspirin. Even a baby aspirin can be too much. If you've done this or someone you know has, your cat should see a vet within the next hour. --Charlene 23:48, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

Yes, definitely see a vet immediately if this has happened. 325 mg (5 grains) of aspirin can be lethal to a cat [12]. --Joelmills 00:11, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

And milk isnt good for cats either, most cats cant digest the lactose (sugar) so this can ferment in their digestive tracts and cause diarrhea Mhicaoidh 08:13, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

Or just let it die and buy a new one. Zain Ebrahim 09:09, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

May 11

Mouthguards

What is the point of the part that sticks out of a mouthguard? All I know is that you can tie it to a helmet. --The Dark Side 02:17, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

that, and acting as a handle, are the points. --Tagishsimon (talk)

love

Is there a name for when you love somebody alot but they don't know & it will never work out? is it "unreciprocated"? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 74.211.8.100 (talk) 02:49, 11 May 2007 (UTC).

I think secret is the word you are looking for. Unrequited or Unreciprocated love is love which is not returned (but is presumably known). --Tagishsimon (talk)

It is difficult for love to be such (among the many definitions of the word) if it is unknown or returned; "having a crush" may be a more appropriate term (Here relinked through Wikipedia's tubes to Limerence). V-Man - ^T/_C 03:30, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

I think that's called stalking. And I'm only half kidding ;) Vespine 05:40, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

I don't think that's love; it is an infatuation Sandman30s 11:45, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

That's unrequited love. - Atlant 12:27, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

I refer you to my previous answer. --Tagishsimon (talk)

which side of bed

Which side of the bed do most men or women prefer to sleep on? I'm particularly interested in cultural / national differences too. Results may be affected by which side the bedroom door is located. (Please define left and right as well: in bed or looking at it). Mhicaoidh 08:13, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

Most people I know naturally sleep on the right side of their bed (assuming their head is at the top of the bed, they're on the side furthest to the right from anyone looking at them from their feet up, like | .*.|) every couple I've seen (which is only 2-3), the woman sleeps on the right and the man on the left (using the above definition), but then in those cases it's also the woman's home/bed. While it's certainly no study, I think this question has far too many variables. Door location, room layout, bed size and type (one side might just be more comfortable), etc. etc. might influence it, so it would be hard to draw any real assumptions from a study. -- Phoeba Wright^OBJECTION! 09:03, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

After my parents moved house, I was surprised to discover they had swapped sides. They told me that it was traditional for the man to sleep on the side nearest to the door, which makes sense. I am a man and I personally prefer to sleep with the lady to my right, but that might just be a psychological thing. My mother has always been deaf in her right ear, so I always need to be standing (not in bed!) on her left. I am not aware of any studies on this but it might be interesting to find out more.--Shantavira 11:09, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

I think it's pretty much random - there isn't a tradition or we'd all know what it was and the question would not have been asked - and there obviously isn't any logical reason to prefer one way or the other - so each couple must figure it out for themselves - and there is no reason for there to be a common preferance. FWIW, I take the left side of the bed - I have no clue why. SteveBaker 11:22, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

I'd be very surprised if there was a cultural or national preference. What you do in your bed is entirely private. My wife sleeps on the left because the baby's cot was once there, and she used to lean over and stick the bottle in the baby's face in the middle of the night :) But that was long ago, and I guess we are creatures of habit and we have stuck to our sides. Sandman30s 11:40, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

Which side has the shorter walk to the toilet? I think you'll find that very mundane factors make the choice. -Atlant 12:30, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

I agree with all those saying there is no "cultural norm" for this kind of thing. Probably because there is no real way for the rest of culture to find out what everybody else is doing (they don't really discuss it in the latest magazines or anything), so nothing to set the standard by. In my case, my wife and I have switched sides several times. When we moved, when we vacation, or even when we just rearrange which wall of the bedroom our bed is on, we might end up on different sides depending on what "feels right" in the new situation. --Maelwys 13:01, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

I prefer to sleep on the top side of the bed. Corvus cornix 18:14, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

I always sleep on the side furthest from the door, lamp or TV and when possible, closest to a wall. Down M. 18:29, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

stereotypical factory roof shape

Have you noticed that for instance in cartoons or illustrations, factories are always the same shape, that is with a sort of sawtooth roof made of right triangles. Does anyone know the reason for this?

thanks --WhiteDragon 11:06, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

Swedish road sign Industrial zone

I have no answer, just an image for everyone's viewing pleasure. —Bromskloss 12:04, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

There are other images that would be much more pleasurable to view ;) Whilst it is a very fine roof,it is rather boring.Can't it dance or something? Lemon martini 12:22, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

This is a clerestory roof. The vertical parts of the sawtooth are windows and they admit natural light, saving on the need for artificial lighting.- Atlant 12:31, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

I think there are (or were) structural engineering reasons, to do with the relative ease of designing load bearing roofs over large areas. --Tagishsimon (talk)

I see no structural advantage of such a roof profile. It is to allow matural light to enter from angled windows. Edison 13:22, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

It would allow rainwater to run off them rather than collecting, which would also help wash away all the soot coming from nearby chimneys. Laïka 13:47, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

What stops rainwater collecting in the ridges?Zain Ebrahim 15:14, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

The roof is slanted so that it all drains into gutters. Laïka 15:24, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

In addition, even without gutters, the rain water would more tend to flow off one side and just leave easily evaporated pockets on the roof than to form large enough puddles to cause a problem. Water always takes the path of least resistance. -- Phoeba Wright^OBJECTION! 15:26, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

It just happens to be the common pictogram for that thing. ny156uk 18:09, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

Fallow land

What portion of the land mass of earth is not build on or farmed? But rather is left fallow and wild. Thanks —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 81.144.161.223 (talk) 12:32, 11 May 2007 (UTC).

Makes a difference if you are talking about fallow, as in not farmed but arable, or if you just want the amount that is unfarmed, including unfarmable. The whole continent of Antarctica is unfarmed, and basically unfarmable. Also Greenland.--killing sparrows ^(chirp!) 17:53, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

Raising orchids

How to raise Phalaenopsis orchrids and make them bloom? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 208.20.44.194 (talk • contribs).

The Phalaenopsis article has some info about that here. Skarioffszky 13:05, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

bmt

can i contact bmt center in departement of pediatrics— Preceding unsigned comment added by 217.53.83.41 (talk • contribs)

Probably, but we could be more specific if we knew the country/city and the name of the hospital or medical centre. Bielle 15:22, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

Also, BMT is, I believe, shorthand for "Bone Marrow Transplant," so I concur that more information is probably warranted. Carom 17:41, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

When I saw BMT, I thought of the sub sandwich that Subway restaurants used to carry. BMT stood for Boston-Manhattan Transit, if I'm not mistaken. So the pediatrics reference threw me off entirely. Dismas|^(talk) 18:05, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation, actually. --LarryMac | Talk 18:18, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

Arrest

If someone presses criminal charges, and the police investigate, how do they decide whether to make an arrest or just let the person be summoned to court? --76.106.15.180 18:21, 11 May 2007 (UTC)