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June 29

Has anyone ever seriously considered...

Has anyone ever seriously raised the possibility of transporting seawater to low-lying natural depressions in the Sahara (e.g., in northeast Mauritania and northern Mali, and also close to the Algeria/Tunisia border) as a way of both reducing possible rises in coastlines due to global warming and also encouraging an improvement of the biopotential of North Africa? I realise that it would take considerable energy to get the water there, but there are moderately efficient ways of moving the water - and very cost effective ones when weighed against the potential gains. Grutness...wha? 00:28, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

How is that beneficial to the Sahara? You're basically salting the sand at that evaporation rate. --antilived^{T | C | G} 05:03, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Much of the Sahara was once a sea. That's why salt is still mined in parts of northern Mali. And having an inland sea in that area would affect the climate of the entirety of North Africa, increasing rainfall over much of what would become the area's new internal coastline. Grutness...wha? 10:57, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

In any case, seawater could never be transported on the sort of scale that would make any noticeable difference. See Sea level rise.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 08:47, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Filling the depression in northeast Mauritania and northern Mali to its maximum possible would reduce the oceanic depth by almost half a metre worldwide - about 60% of higher estimates for change during the course of the 21st century. As to the transportation of the water, though it seems unlikely it seems no less po9ssible than several of the other ideas that have been mooted for countering climate change. Grutness...wha? 10:48, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

If it's truly a depression than a simple (massive) syphon would work87.102.86.73 (talk) 11:34, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

For use with a syphon here's a List_of_places_on_land_with_elevations_below_sea_level87.102.86.73 (talk) 11:37, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

also Category:Dry areas below sea level - I think it's a splendid idea ...87.102.86.73 (talk) 11:39, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

You'd have to be careful with areas that already contain fresh water, since adding millions of tons of salt water would create a dead-zone (as happened in prehistory with the Black Sea). and most below-sea-level depressions are so small that no practical difference would be made. Mind you, it might solve the border disputes between Ethiopia and Eritrea! Grutness...wha? 11:41, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

A German guy dedicated his life to a scheme to dam the Mediterranean and turn Lake Chad into a giant sea. See [1]. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 11:54, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Hi. Um, filling all the places below sea level that are dry with water is not a good idea. Consider the Caspian Basin, which is home to about 25 million people (not sure of the exact number). It is below sea level, and may be filled anyway if sea level rises past 25m (see Lake Manych-Gudilo). Also, much of The Netherlands are below sea level, where 10 million live, as well as much of New Orleans, where 1 million live? Filling in the Sahara, which is still dry, might not wet it enough to sustain itself. Also, as sea level rises, natural depressions might naturally be filled, such as some of the depressions in Egypt, The Caspian Basin, The Netherlands, and even underneath West Antarctica and Greenland (such as the 2.5-km deep Bentley Subglacial Trench in West Antarctica). However, this might not help because the land underneath Antarctica could rise, causing more sea level rise, and a high sea level is needed for something like this anyway. Those places you've mentioned are far from the sea, except maybe for the area near the Algeria/Tunisia border. You have to make sure no one lives there first, though. The depression in Mauritania is 600km form the ocean, and only about 1100 km x 500 km x 50m, and the one near Tunisia only 300km x 120 km x 50m, and the one in Lybia/Egypt 300km x 150 km x 100m. The Caspian Sea, on the other hand, has a potential capacity of 1600km x 500km x 50m. Why not fill Lake Chad-Bodele, 300km x 600km x 100m, or Lake Erye basin, 300km x 500km x 200m, or Etosha-Kalahari basin, 700km x 700 km x 300m? Or are those places too dry? It's a plausible scenario, but could unexpectedly have good or bad implications, or could simply evaporate and drain back to the ocean, and cost trillions of dollars? This might protect trillions of dollars in damages that would otherwise have happened, but so would a sea wall around all of the coastlines of the Earth, which would kill millions of species of plants and animals. One problem is, though, either those depressions are very dry or very inhabited, and that could be a problem. Thanks. ~AH1^(TCU) 14:28, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

I don't think anyone was suggesting filing up inhabited places, and they don't necessarily have to be filed to the top.87.102.86.73 (talk) 14:39, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

A massive engineering project I know, but how about a network of canals similar to the Suez Canal or Panama Canals, or the (natural) Bosporus? The canals would need to be excavated to a depth below sea level, so anything with a large mountain range in the way would require either a circuitous route or tunnels under the mountains.

Wouldn't it just drain away? 4.158.219.170 (talk) 22:55, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Hi. In that case, it should be possible to dam the canal, which could both produce electricity and stop or slow the flow of water. Thanks. ~AH1^(TCU) 23:03, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Not if it's BELOW SEA LEVEL... I suppose you meant drain into the rocks below - geological surveying would need to be done first to check for obvious problems like this.87.102.86.73 (talk) 11:02, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Alaska Homesteading

Can someone please explain Alaska's Homestead Program? I looked on the Alaska website, but it confused me. It said you could get "free land", but then said you had to bid on it. Can someone help me sort this out? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.119.61.7 (talk) 00:25, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Thantanology

Thantanology What is it? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.76.178.105 (talk) 04:39, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Googling thantanology comes up with a Did You Mean for thanatology, which, according to the article, is the study of death. Also, please sign questions on the HelpDesk and RefDesk with ~~~~. Paragon12321 (talk) 04:44, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Shampoo

Anywhere anyone can point me to to get sodium laureth sulfate, sodium lauryl sulfate, and ammonium lauryl sulfate free shampoo? Anywhere anyone can point me to to get sodium laureth sulfate, sodium lauryl sulfate, and ammonium lauryl sulfate free conditioner? Thanks.75.152.131.91 (talk) 05:59, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Have you tried somewhere like the Body Shop? Look in health food stores too.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 08:31, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Johnson's Baby shampoo contains none of the chemicals above, according to the manufacturer page here. However, it does contain a lauric acid compound, so beware. --Dr Dima (talk) 08:45, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

By the way, lauric acid is present in milk, so if you are OK with dairy products you should probably (but not certainly) be OK with it. --Dr Dima (talk) 08:54, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Hi. It should be possible to examine the list of ingredients on the shampoo/conditioner, to make sure that those ingredients are not present, or is this too difficult because most have those ingredients (a quick look at my shampoo reveals sodium laureth sulphate)? Thanks. ~AH1^(TCU) 14:03, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Try a search for "chemical free shampoo" at Google. Corvus cornix_talk 21:06, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

There are a few brands around which might suit your purpose, including Duchy Originals. Gwinva (talk) 22:06, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

I get mine from a health food shop nearby. In my experience, the folk at health food shops are good at redirecting you if they don't have the organic/chemical free/GMO free product you're after. Sometimes they'll order it in specially for you. If you're in an urban area there should be a health food shop somewhere nearby. Otherwise, google might help you find one (ask politely :)) Steewi (talk) 01:06, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Boycott shampoo. Demand real poo. 125.21.243.66 (talk) 06:25, 30 June 2008 (UTC)(bored at work)

Hey I use Johnson's baby shampoo (on myself geez). It's amazingh. 125.21.243.66 (talk) 06:27, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Ecover washing up liquid works fine on hair. It is based on vegetable surfactants. Itsmejudith (talk)

dialysis

If a woman with messed up kidneys needs to be on a dialysis machine, then if she gets pregnant will the baby's kidneys filter her blood so while she is pregnant she won't need dialysis? Is this harmful to the child? 79.75.236.52 (talk) 12:48, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

No, because the placenta while allowing transfer of nutrients and oxygen keeps the blood supplies of the fetus and mother separate. Exxolon (talk) 14:39, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Note that pregnancy is rare for patients on dialysis, as the higher-than-normal levels of waste products in the blood interfere with fertility. For a woman able to successfully conceive while on dialysis, the risks to the child are much greater than for a healthy woman. Miscarriages and stillbirths are common. The child will likely be born prematurely. Survival rates for children who are born are often cited as less than sixty percent. (Source). TenOfAllTrades(talk) 14:50, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Also note that there is no way that the baby's kidneys could remove the waste products from the mother's blood. Although unborn babies do indeed have kidney function and urinate, the waste products would have nowhere to go, except accumulate in the amniotic fluid. As the unborn baby drinks the amniotic fluid, this would doubtlessly be harmful to the child. --NorwegianBlue ^talk

1901 "merry olds" American air products fort lauderdale fla.

recently got a 1901 olds replica.made about 1958 in florida.need an intuction manual or any info I can get on this car. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 209.244.30.99 (talk) 14:25, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Oldsmobile? If I remember correctly Chevy owns them. I'd call your local Chevy Dealer (ask for the Parts Department or Service. Not Sales.) Otherwise check Amazon or regularly check eBay. 4.158.219.170 (talk) 22:47, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

General Motors owned Oldsmobile, but the brand was phased out in 2004. — Michael J 01:28, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

I think the question concerns a replica of a 1901 Oldsmobile, not a geniune one.I don't know where to find an owners manual, but I did find a picture/ad for one.

http://www.rodsandwheels.com/rw_classifieds.php?sort=date_added&ad_id=71 cheers, 10draftsdeep (talk) 17:25, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Gold In Rocks

Is gold found inside of rocks or is it just by itself? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.237.109.119 (talk) 14:42, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

What do you mean by "inside rocks"? Gold is found in ore, sure, if that's what you mean. Elemental gold is not usually just hanging out "just by itself"—but sometimes it is, as nuggets, or flakes. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 15:31, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

We have articles on gold prospecting, gold mining and gold extraction — Matt Eason ^{(Talk • Contribs)} 16:17, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Both. Sometimes it is found in nugget or dust form like what you get when your panning. When they mine it it is in the form of veins in the rock. I think all forms of gold were originally in the vein form untill they got broken down. - Mofila —Preceding unsigned comment added by Tyler123459 (talk • contribs) 20:03, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Eve Myles

How would you describe the physical features of Eve Myles, AKA Gwen Cooper? What google search would return results of similar looking women? 79.75.236.52 (talk) 18:08, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

"Striking brunette" (from this page which is referenced in the Eve Myles article) or "sultry" (from this page, also referenced in the same article). Astronaut (talk) 18:25, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Those are rather generic terms. I was hoping for something which would describe her body and facial shape specifically. 79.75.236.52 (talk) 18:33, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

I very much doubt that any exact terminology that would even remotely reliably bring up pictures of similar-looking women from Google exists -- in part because many of the descriptive words are likely to be extremely subjective, and in part because the vast majority of the picture sites out there are not going to use these words consistently when describing the pictures (if the pictures are described at all), which makes it hard, if not entirely impossible for Google to find what you're looking for. Have you considered trying something like Flickr? People use all sorts of categories and tags to describe their pictures, which are often very specific and may therefore be at least a little bit more useful to you. I don't know what those words would be, but if you find them, you're likely to get a lot of pictures of a similar type. It's still not going to be terribly exact, but I think it'll be a little better than Google. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 19:10, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

How about "Eve Myles lookalike"? JessicaN10248 19:24, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

You can search by bust, waist, and hip size at Chickipedia. I don't know how reliable it is though considering their entry for Alek Wek lists her as having a 40 inch bust. Judging by the picture that they have of her, you would think that she must be ten feet tall to have a 40" bust. But they say she's only 5'1". Dismas|^(talk) 20:26, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

You could perhaps describe here racial characteristics as 'dark celtic', but I can't think of a good thing to google to return. Be careful googling for pictures of women with particular racial types, you're likely to get naked pictures. Steewi (talk) 01:14, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Turning safe search on in your Google preferences may help cut down on the number of images of women in the nude that you get... If you're bothered by it... Although, if you're looking for images that best portray their physical features, as you specified, then this may work against you. Dismas|^(talk) 01:20, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Aqua

Most cosmetic products, shampoos, mouthwash, etc. include the ingredient "Aqua". Now, (I hope) we all know that aqua = water, so why do the manufacturers of these products continue using this fake name for a common substance? Astronaut (talk) 18:12, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

They are using Latin names for some other common chemicals too, AFAICR. I think it's scientific tradition of some sort. JIP | Talk 18:30, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

It is an International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients naming convention [2] It may also be used to distinguish between normal water and deionized water. JessicaN10248 18:31, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Wiki knows everything!125.21.243.66 (talk) 06:35, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Geography question

Is there an equivalent to Lapland or Alaska in the southern hemisphere, excluding Antarctica where no one lives? Are there places there where people wish "they were down in the north, where it's warm"? JIP | Talk 18:21, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Tierra del Fuego and southern Patagonia are sparsely populated and have a similar climate. I can't say if the people wish "they were down in the north, where it's warm". Astronaut (talk) 18:36, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

People do live in Antarctica, about 4,000 in summer to about 1,000 in winter, mostly scientific researchers. I would imagine on the coldest of days people at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station wish they were somewhere warmer. JessicaN10248 18:38, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

If you are talking about settlements that aren't "artificial", like the scientists that live in Antarctica, but instead of normal settlements where normal people live, then no, there isn't really a comparison. Svalbard, the northenmost settlement in the world (I believe) is at 78 degrees north, while Cape Horn, the southernmost settlement (not counting Antarctica), is at 54 degrees south. That's more than 20 degrees difference. For comparison, Stockholm (where I live), is at 59 degrees north, and let me tell ya: it can get hot during the summers. And the winters aren't so bad, at least not if you've grown up with them :) One might note that Stockholm is warmer than "it should be", because of the gulf-stream, but the point still stands: it's not like Tierra del Fuego has an arctic climate. --Oskar 22:00, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

The reason why there is no Southern Hemisphere equivalent to Lapland or Alaska is that the corresponding latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere are oceanic or coastal or they are in Antarctica, which is not home to any permanent communities because it produces continental airmasses much colder than occur in the Arctic, where the Arctic Ocean actually moderates temperatures. Marco polo (talk) 00:34, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Puerto Williams, Chile and Ushuaia, Argentina are considered to be the most southerly permanent settlements (not including scientific or military stations). I have heard folklore that women in Puerto Williams go to Puntas Arenas when they are pregnant because it's too cold to give birth there. Steewi (talk) 01:17, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Additional: Southernmost settlements gives you a short list of the most southern settlements. Steewi (talk) 01:21, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Right now I wouldn't mind being up in the north where it's warm, but where I live would hardly qualify as an equivalent of Sápmi (i.e., "Lapland"). Still, it's around 5 degrees Celsius (low 40s F) at the moment and a holiday in Rarotonga sounds very nice. To answer the question, though, Tierra del Fuego, Patagonia, and the Falkland Islands would be the nearest equivalents. Grutness...wha? 01:19, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Salt/Pepper pot

Hi, Why does a pepper pot have more holes than a salt container? --88.104.154.82 (talk) 18:43, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

I have always seen it the other way around. JIP | Talk 18:53, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

I don't think it is set in stone that a pepper pot has more holes. This site for example says that traditionally pepper was more expensive than salt so it was placed in the shaker with fewer holes to reduce usage. However, most salt and pepper pots I've seen have had pepper in the pot with the most holes. As for why this is, I would imagine that many small holes evenly distributed the pepper flavor across the food, whereas salt is usually applied sparingly due to health concerns and the fact that most food is already salted. It might also have to do with grain size, the larger gains going in the pot with bigger holes. JessicaN10248 18:56, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

I doubt that the reason is that logical, it's probably just tradition (and the tradition is probably different in different parts of the world). When the shaker isn't transparent, you need a way to separate them, and the number of holes is a neat way to do it. --Oskar 22:27, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

One could just as easily have put a P and S on the shakers. It seems probably that the different hole configurations came first, and we later used as identification. Plasticup ^T/C 11:58, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Hail Wiki! 125.21.243.66 (talk) 06:18, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

I was taught that it had something to do with humidity congealing the salt, necessitating a larger hole through which to flow - but that may be a lore specific to my latitude. Plasticup ^T/C 12:05, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Yes, and to add to that, if the salt gets wet it will all clump together, so cleaning one large hole is easier than cleaning lots of tiny holes. JessicaN10248 15:29, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Just last week some nutty Council has begun issuing salt shakers with 5 holes instead of 17. They argue that people will thus use less salt. I think they will just shake for longer...?86.209.153.77 (talk) 12:57, 30 June 2008 (UTC)DT

Straw Bedding

If I use straw for livestock bedding do I have to seperate the straw from the manure to make compost or does it not matter? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Tyler123459 (talk • contribs) 19:59, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Straw's an advantage. Manure can be added to compost, or dug straight into garden. Allow manure/straw to become well rotted before putting around plants, however. Check out [3], [4], [5] for starters. Gwinva (talk) 22:19, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

So, in brief, the answer to your question is no, it's better to leave it in. Marco polo (talk) 00:30, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Leaving the manure in the straw is a huge advantage to making good compost. The presence of fungus in the manure will greatly assist the breakdown of the straw to nice crumbly, brown, sweet-smelling compost. Richard Avery (talk) 07:46, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

I think that one of the reasons leaving the straw in is such a huge advantage is that it creates a much better carbon to nitrogen ratio, promoting more complete decay. The straw contains (more) carbon while the manure contains (more) nitrogen.

Atlant (talk) 14:07, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Methods for IDing gold?

How can I tell what jewelry is gold and what is imitation? Thanks! 4.158.219.170 (talk) 22:44, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Via the "Acid test". Nitric acid will dissolve silver and other metals but not gold.--Lenticel ^(talk) 23:06, 29 June 2008 (UTC)

Let me rephrase that. How can I figure out if jewelry is gold or not without destroying it if it's not? 4.159.180.233 (talk) 00:55, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Test by water might do the trick.--Lenticel ^(talk) 01:23, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Although it is by no means foolproof, commercial gold jewellery will have a mark on it showing the purity of the gold, either as a number of karats (9k 14k 22k) or as a parts per thousand measure (375 635 925). Of course, any jeweller could put the mark on, and not all gold will have the mark, if it was made by an amateur jeweller or in an area where these marks are not used. Steewi (talk) 01:30, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Not if it's shaped like miniature Eiffel Towers, it doesn't! :) Grutness...wha? 05:35, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

June 30

Royal Navy

After the fairly recent announcment that the seventh and eighth type 45 destroyer will never be built, meaning the number of destroyers will decrese from 16 down to 6, and other continued drops in ship numbers, does the Royal Navy still have the capability to not only protect UK waters but also to project power where necessary? For instance could the UK realistically fight another Falklands war in the near future and win? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.72.61.51 (talk) 01:38, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

That's a question of debate. A well organised small-scale army can be much more effective than a large unorganised one. Realistically it's impossible to say whether or not it 'could' until it 'has' to. What if a bunch of tin-pot dictatorships grouped together and attacked the UK. Could the navy repel them? What about if it was the US attacking? It's all opinion. Less ships doesn't have to mean less ability to defend, but similarly more ships would (at first glance) appear to offer better protection. 194.221.133.226 (talk) 09:33, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

It is hardly a matter of opinion. It is on record that the Falklands War was only just managed, the capacity to ship men materials and equipment that distance no longer exists, so only reasonably local actions can be considered. Then the Chief of Staff just last week warned that the UK is over-stretched to handle two Iraq sized operations. And consider - if the decision was that the UK needed 16 destroyers, how can she now cope with only 6 ? Nobody, of course, seriously expects the UK to have to repel invasion; and she certainly is not equipped to do so.86.209.153.77 (talk) 12:55, 30 June 2008 (UTC)DT

Clearly it's a matter of opinion because nobody knows whether the UK could until it was tested. Yes there are informed opinions based on evidence, but the number of ships a country owns is not going to be an accurate indicator of its ability to repel invasion or to oversee otehr wars. Remember the people on the inside have little to benefit by accepting less amounts of resources, so they will invariably be concerned by reductions. In the modern world is 10 destroyers more going to be worthwhile expenditure? Seemingly not, and whilst that may open greater risk it is, evidently, considered an acceptable amount of additional risk. 194.221.133.226 (talk) 13:57, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

An additional 10 destroyers aren't going to make any significant contribution to the defence. If somebody (other than the U.S.) tried to invade, America would be compelled to send in the USN to squash the threat forthwith. On offence, I'm having a hard time coming up with any situation other than the Falklands (Malvinas) where it could make a difference. Are there any other midsized naval powers that threaten British interests? So, is it worth it to build, maintain and man that many ships for just one potential conflict? Apparently, the government doesn't think so. Clarityfiend (talk) 16:24, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

The United Kingdom has left itself completely dependent upon a declining power, the United States. British interests may well need defending in regions such as the Persian Gulf. And, if the United States were hobbled by domestic economic disaster and unrest and overstretched in, say, the Middle East (neither scenario is farfetched in my opinion), terrorists and pirates (perhaps based in the Middle East or Russia) could decimate shipping to and from the United Kingdom. The UK is of course dependent economically and nutritionally on shipping. It is highly risky for the UK to abandon a commitment to adequate naval self-defense, even if it leaves the government more money for vote-winning expenditure in the near term. 192.251.134.5 (talk) 17:59, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

If the UK suddenly needed destroyers, perhaps they could ask for another Lend-Lease program like the one which began in March 1941, in which the U.S. sent them military equipment on easy terms. And by the way, thanks for finishing the payments in 2006. Or perhaps the U.S. would trade the UK the destroyers in exchange for the right to use British facilities for military bases like the Destroyers for Bases Agreement of 1940. If the U.S is a declining power, then perhaps the U.K. could ask China for help next time. Or perhaps if terrorists and pirates threaten British shipping they could authorize Privateers (like William Kidd) to combat the pirates (though sometimes privateers turn to the dark side). Blackwater Worldwide is an appropriately named company which already fields large numbers of land warriors, and which has trained Naval Sea Commandos for Azerbaijan, to aid their patrolloing of the Caspian Sea. Such a company might wish to add a seafaring anti-pirate service if the dollars were right. If the UK government cuts back too far on military preparedness, they could leave the country in the position of having to appease tyrants as was the case in the 1930's. Edison (talk) 19:32, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Can sound really bend light?

How powerful is sound anyways, that it can bend freakin' light!? Supposedly the Philadelphia Experiment did this. And if that's the case, maybe sound is a little more powerful than we give it credit for, huh?THE WORLD'S MOST CURIOUS MAN (talk) 02:30, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Well, considering that the Philadelphia Experiment is considered to be a hoax, I wouldn't draw a lot of conclusions based on it. Still, sound can be pretty powerful; if you're interested in the subject, articles like sonic weaponry, infrasound and ultrasound may be of interest to you. That's some pretty cool stuff, right there. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 02:37, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Can't different types of gases bend light? I don't think it's that hard to bend light. 4.159.183.112 (talk) 02:38, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Sound is just waves in a medium. Mediums can refract and reflect light. So sure. You could set it up to "bend light". All that really means is changing the direction of some photons, which is exactly what my glasses do (in order to make them better align up with my eye's wonky point of focus). Bending light is not interesting unless it's something that really "shouldn't" bend light under classical theories (like gravity). --98.217.8.46 (talk) 02:54, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Take a look at Schlieren photography. Small variations of pressure in air cause diffraction, and these can be detected. That's as good as it gets. — Kieff | Talk 05:44, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Haha that Philadelphia experiment thing got me LOLing. 125.21.243.66 (talk) 06:31, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

You might enjoy our articles about acousto-optic modulator and acousto-optics.

Atlant (talk) 14:02, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Members of a small group with the same birthday

I’m looking for examples where 2 or more members (but not twins or triplets) of a smallish notable “group” have the same birthday. This would not necessarily be a formal group such as a rock band; it could be a loose association of like-minded people, such as the Bloomsbury Group, or Les Six. The smaller the group the more interesting the coincidence (to me, anyway; because once we start approaching 20 people, eg. some sporting teams, it becomes much more likely that 2 of them will have the same birthday).

Two I know of are:

• The Monkees (4 members) – Mike Nesmith (1942) and Davy Jones (1946) both born 30 December; and
• The Goons (3 principal members) – Harry Secombe (1921) and Peter Sellers (1925) both born 8 September.

There must be others. Any ideas? -- JackofOz (talk) 03:03, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

A group with twins, triplets, etc. in them? (hope at least that much helps) ~EdGl (talk) 03:31, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Fair point. Let's exclude twins and triplets (amended question). -- JackofOz (talk) 03:49, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

During the 1980s, the New Zealand national cricket team's main bowling attack was Richard Hadlee (b. 3 July 1951) and Ewen Chatfield (b. 3 July 1950). Admittedly a cricket team has eleven members, but usually only two or three strike bowlers (FWIW, their top batsman in that era was John Wright (b. 5 July 1954)). Grutness...wha? 05:23, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

I love cricket 125.21.243.66 (talk) 06:29, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Then you'd like the eliminated twins Mark and Steve Waugh. Dang. Julia Rossi (talk) 08:26, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Must the group be notable for something else? This family have three generations with leap year birthdays. Gwinva (talk) 22:27, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

I wonder if that's more or less likely than 3 children born in different years, all on Leap Day, such as the Henriksens of Andenes, Norway: their 3 kids were born in 1960, 1964 and 1968, all on 29 February. Then there's the Cummins family of Virginia: their 5 natural-born children were all born on 20 February, in 1952, 1953, 1956, 1961 and 1966. Both these cases made it to Guinness as well (1986).

Yes, Gwinva, I'm looking for notable, and not closely related, people who are primarily connected by being part of the same group or association, not because of the coincident birthday. This excludes husbands and wives such as Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, born exactly 28 years apart; and Nancy Astor and Waldorf Astor, who were born not only with the same birthday but on exactly the same day, 19 May 1879.

Grutness, your NZ cricket example is a good one; it's expanded my list by 50%, so thanks. -- JackofOz (talk) 01:31, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Competitive Intellingence in organisation's operation management.

I need the answers in details for the following questions.

1. The fields where competitive intelligence is used currently. 2. needs, methods, process, advantages & disadvantages of implementing competitive intelligence in organisation's operation management. 3. Future of CI.

Thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 198.208.159.19 (talk) 04:53, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Our article Competitive intelligence needs attention but it has an enormous number of references and links to help you in your research. There is even a magazine called Competitive intelligence. Itsmejudith (talk) 12:00, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

What kind of shoe?

There are several kinds of shoes (mary janes, high heels, chucks, boots etc.). But what kind shoe was the lady in the 1993 version of Attack of the 50 Foot Woman wearing at the time she became huge? Though I've seen it in the market a lot, I don't know what it's called. 4.68.248.65 (talk) 07:33, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Apart from when she's wearing bare feet, can you describe them or give a link? Julia Rossi (talk) 08:21, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

They're white in color. They're mainly made of cloth except for the sole. Shoes of those kind are usually worn without socks. If you need a link, I think they have clips of the movie in YouTube. 4.68.248.65 (talk) 20:41, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Sounds a bit like a plimsoll. That article says they are the same thing as chucks, but plimsolls in the UK are a different kind of shoe. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 20:56, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Magic trick

Hello, I'm looking for the article on a magic trick which basically consists of the magician making a coin appear behind the ear of a spectator. Could you please tell me the name of this trick? Leptictidium (mt) 08:39, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

It doesn't seem to have a name in wiki's List of magic tricks, but there's Coin magic and google finds how to in wiki howMake-a-Coin-Dissapear-and-Reappear-Behind-Someone's-Ear and how to is also here[6]. It seems to be known as "coin from behind the ear" trick. Julia Rossi (talk) 09:10, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

See also sleight of hand.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 16:28, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Rights, priviliges, and resposibilities of degree

At my college's commencement, the president says, "I confer upon you the degree of _____, and admit you to all its rights, privileges, and responsibilities." What exactly are these "rights, privileges, and responsibilities"? They never told us. Thanks, --219.136.191.12 (talk) 09:42, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

You have the right to write to them and ask. You also have the right/privilege to put letters after your name and to wear the academic gown of a graduate of your college. Your responsibility is to put to good use the things you have learnt. You probably have the right to join an alumnus association, and although their interpretation may be that that carries the responsibility to contribute to the funds of your alma mater that may not be your interpretation. Itsmejudith (talk) 10:09, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

If you went to an old university the 'rights' probably include some anachronistic curiosities.. such as the right to beat a commoner in town on sunday whilst driving sheep through the quadrangle.. etc.. , the privilidges also probably would include similar such freedoms

In general such rights etc would be similar to those that clergymen had, also you are probably expected to 'defend learning' in the same way a member of a knightly order would be expected to defend damsels..

More pragmatically, certain degrees confer a right to practice certain professions (and to use a title)

I guess the place to start looking would be in the charter of your chosen university, and the charters or any associated colleges.87.102.86.73 (talk) 12:14, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Book

I have a Mario activity book made by a company called "Moo Man". But I can't find any mention of either the book or the company anywhere on the internet. Anyone have a link? 208.76.245.162 (talk) 11:57, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Could it be related to Keene Publishing/Moo Press Inc.? Plasticup ^T/C 12:22, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

You might try searching for the ISBN instead. You should find this above or below the barcode which is usually on the back cover.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 16:31, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Math and its impact/influence on/to 21st Century Architecture

Has mathematics had an impact or influence on/to 21st Century Architecture? (in the areas of designs of buildings/landmarks/houses)

I'm very curious about architecture and how its changed over the century. If someone could provide me with some links to some good articles that'd be nice. Thanks

Happysnaps (talk) 12:10, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

See Geodesic dome, although this is more of a 20th century thing. I'm sure others will be along soon to give a fuller answer. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 12:15, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Any building that stands up is likely the result of some successful maths. Plasticup ^T/C 12:25, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

History of architecture is good for well...the history of architecture. Fribbler (talk) 13:14, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

A lot of modernist buildings (eg see Zaha Hadid) probably woudn't be possible without computer CAD programs, and associated structure analysis programs, which rely on maths.. if that makes sense..87.102.86.73 (talk) 13:26, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

I visited London City Hall only yesterday, and it's internal helical walkway (in fact it looked more elliptical) probably took some fancy maths to design. Across the river, the Gherkin, also has an interesting shape, yet has only one curved panel of glass. Astronaut (talk) 03:49, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Of course, mathematics and associated engineering disciplines have always impacted on architecture. The medieval cathedral was never simple, and the Gothic ones were frequently quite complicated affairs. Gwinva (talk) 22:38, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Volunteer somehow with Foster Children?

I used to be a foster child. It was a really, really bad childhood, too graphic to explain here. But I made it through hell and back and now I am doing well for myself. I called my local foster care place here in CT and left a message to request to become a mentor or something. No one has called me back after several messages. Does anyone know who I can call to become a mentor for foster children? I want to help those who need help, the help I didn't get when I was in foster care...--Anthonygiroux (talk) 13:05, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

How about the Big Brothers/Big Sisters organisation? Here? Fribbler (talk) 13:12, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Is there something that is just for Foster Children? Especially in the Danbury, Ct area? --Anthonygiroux (talk) 13:25, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

How about this? (I take it CT is connecticut, USA). Fribbler (talk) 13:31, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Thanks! Fribbler! --Anthonygiroux (talk) 13:52, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Mcdonald's

I'm getting a job soon, but I don't know how much i'll get paid.

How much would my pay check be if I (I'll be 16 soon) get a job at Mcdonald's in Desoto, Mo 63020. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Nikrocorp (talk • contribs) 13:50, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

McDonald US job's site says a crew position in DeSoto pays "$6.50 and up depending on work experience" (I assume that is an hourly rate). When you actually get your job (at McDonald's or anywhere else), your actual rate will be written down in your contract of employmnet or your job offer letter. Gandalf61 (talk) 14:21, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Your paycheck will be the product of your hours worked times your hourly rate, reduced by various deductions - income tax withholding (federal and state), Social Security/Medicare, uniform costs (which should not recur), etc. --LarryMac | Talk 14:47, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Does Medicare (United States) provide cover for children? Zain Ebrahim (talk) 19:40, 30 June 2008 (UTC) Damn! Answer's in the article.

So, if you're making $6.50 an hour and you work 40 hours per week, your gross pay (before deductions) would be $260 per week. Your net weekly pay (after tax and Social Security deductions) most weeks (not counting any one-time deduction for a uniform) would be something like $215. If you work 20 hours per week, you will probably take home something like $110. This is assuming that there are no deductions for health insurance. These estimates could be off by $5–10. 192.251.134.5 (talk) 17:45, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Thanks. 70.130.211.88 (talk) 21:10, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Do we capture references to Wikipedia in Academic Books?

Last year I and a couple of other editors brought the Wonderbra article up to a featured article. Two of the key sources were a couple of books by Henry Mintzberg. Just this year, his new book revisits the Wonderbra story and he cites the wikipedia article as source of information. Is this useful/helpful for wikipedia? Mattnad (talk) 16:37, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Answering my own question, after some hunting, I think I found an appropriate spot here Wikipedia:Wikipedia_as_an_academic_source#Published_2007 Mattnad (talk) 17:33, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Robert Mugabe

Did he undergo surgery for a cleft lip at some point in his life, or is that just a weird moustache? Thanks in advance. 80.123.210.172 (talk) 16:55, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

It is a toothbrush moustache. Fribbler (talk) 17:00, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Club Moscow

There has been a lot of talk here in Finland about Sedu Koskinen's latest club feature, "Club Moscow", featuring topless female DJs. So I decided to go to one. At first, there was only a male DJ playing. But after four hours, he was replaced by a female DJ and two dancing girls. The DJ basically did a combination of DJing and striptease. Now I've never been to Moscow, let alone to the original club nights Sedu Koskinen now claims to impersonate. Are they also like this? JIP | Talk 19:20, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

A google search [7] appears to show that topless DJ's at least exist in Moscow and at most are quite frequent. Fribbler (talk) 22:18, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Do the DJs start out topless or strip as they go along? And do they concentrate only on DJing or do they walk around showing their bodies? The DJ in Helsinki did both of the latter. JIP | Talk 05:26, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Weird flashes from Zen Vision W

I might be going mad, but I think that I have seen for about three to four times the screen of my Zen Vision W extremely briefly, for about a hundredth of a second, flash a bright white, when it's turned off. It happens very rarely, and always when I'm not looking at it directly. Am I just imagining things, or can gadgets with LCD displays do such things? JIP | Talk 19:39, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

I have no familiarity whatsoever with the device in question, but I've at times thought that I've spotted both my cellphone and iPod doing the same thing at times. However, I eventually realized that what I thought was a flash of light from the device itself was actually light reflecting off the glass of the screen when I was putting the thing away; I managed to very turn it very briefly to just the right angle for it to hit my eye. From the corner of my eye, it looked like the screen suddenly lit up for an instant. Could you be experiencing the same thing? -- Captain Disdain (talk)

Doubt you're going mad - it's probably the backlight (if anything) , as I don't know more about the backlight eg what sort it is etc I can't say more - you might get more answers on the science desk. (fluorescent backlights can produce a flash of light when turned of - possibly relating to the power supply for them discharging itself - guess)

As an experiment to confirm of disprove the theory above - try turning it off in a darkened room..87.102.86.73 (talk) 20:58, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

It could also be the interference of other electronic items in the house, but I am not sure on that one kinda depends if its on or not.Cardinal Raven (talk) 01:18, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Thanks for the replies. I think it's one of three things:

1. My imagination,
2. An outside light source reflecting off the screen, or
3. Some sort of static electricity discharging itself.

It happens when the device has been turned off for hours, not immediately after turning off. JIP | Talk 05:26, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Got any energy saving electric bulbs? I think I've seen what your describing from those too (usually after I go to bed - at night - switch of the lamp etc..) - some backlights are fluorescent.. Still no idea if i've imagined it myself though.87.102.86.73 (talk) 13:42, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

It's work noting that once a fluorescent light starts up it's a cascade (see Electron avalanche) process - which would explain why it flashes, and not glows...87.102.86.73 (talk) 13:44, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Terms & Services

Hi, I was curious to see if anyone here would know how much a lawyer would charge to write Terms and Services for a website. Just a rough estimate is fine :) Thanks!!

I don't think you'll be able to get a rough estimate without describing the purpose of the terms. I've had clients (in the UK) who have had terms and conditions created for anything between £300 up to £2000 depending on how complex the T&Cs were. Cosmic joker (talk) 22:07, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Do you even need a lawyer? I've noticed that the terms for many sites are very similar in content, so perhaps you could copy the terms from a website in the same area of business and the same jurisdiction and modify them yourself to suit your site. Astronaut (talk) 04:19, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Though unless you got permission to do that, you might run into copyright issues. ···日本穣^{? · Talk to Nihonjoe} 19:13, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Train into London Victoria

I was on the train into London Victoria a week or so ago, and when we arived at Victoria the driver talked over the intercom and said "Please remember to take all your belongings with you when you leave the train, especially if your a government minister with top secret documents in your breifcase." I know what this is in relation to and that it was a joke, but could the driver have gotten into trouble if someone had reported it or the boss had heard it? Plemis monter (talk) 20:19, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

I suppose that depends on his employers' sense of humor, but it's not too uncommon for things like this to happen. At least here in Finland you can hear train or bus drivers or other people in similar positions to occasionally do things like that, and I've heard similar things when traveling in other countries as well -- several times in a British train, as a matter of fact. It's also not uncommon for airline pilots to have a little fun every once in a while. I'd imagine most passengers find it entertaining. I certainly do. Of course, if an employer has strict regulations in place that forbid this sort of thing, that may be another story, but there's certainly no law or custom that forbids people in customer service from making jokes in Britain that I know of -- or, I suspect, anywhere else. Good thing, too; it'd be a step towards a more boring and banal world. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 21:00, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

I've heard the driver of a train from Kuopio to Helsinki make the announcement of the train's journey in a very laid-back and jocular way. But in the capital region, the announcements are always all business. JIP | Talk 05:47, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Oh, it's not that uncommon to hear pretty surprising announcements in the Helsinki local trains or trams. In fact, just a couple of months back I was sitting in a tram and the driver announced over the PA system that he was new at the job, told us his name and said that he was glad to meet us, and that he was sure we'd all become very close friends during the coming months, because he knew what it was like on the other side of the fence, because just recently he was just like all of us, and he wasn't going to let the fame go to his head. It sure made my morning a little less miserable. =) -- Captain Disdain (talk) 12:22, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

If you work on the tube, it could land you a pretty cushy job... — Matt Eason ^{(Talk • Contribs)} 08:58, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Specifically this was a reference to a recent case of a government minister who had not done precisely that i.e. remembered to take his top secret documents with him when he left the train. See [8] DJ Clayworth (talk) 21:04, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Yeah, I know, and I think that so does the original poster ("I know what this is in relation to"). I doubt that makes the driver any more or less likely to get in trouble for it, though. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 23:48, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

You knew, and the original poster knew, and so did DJ. But let us not forget the whole rest of the audience (like me). --LarryMac | Talk 12:35, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

I've heard a streetcar driver in Toronto announce stops in humourous ways, including pointing out all the local sights you might want to see if you get off at that stop. Usually they just announce them as if they are bored and falling asleep though. The subway drivers sometimes used to be more lively until the stop announcements were all replaced by the friendly Bombardier lady's voice. Adam Bishop (talk) 07:06, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

The Daily Mail said yesterday that 130 laptops have been lost by Ministers and Civil Servants in 2007 alone. So the driver was recording his own protest in the way the British do it best, withy sarcasm.86.209.25.112 (talk) 10:17, 1 July 2008 (UTC)DT

At what age

At what age do you become too old to know better? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Migglebiggle (talk • contribs) 20:21, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Wade Hayes released the album Old Enough to Know Better in 1995 at age 25 or 26. According to the title track, he was at that point simultaneously "old enough to know better", yet "still too young to care". That, therefore, sets an upper limit on the age threshold of not more than 26 years of age. I cannot comment on any reliable source describing when one does become old enough to care. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 20:28, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Oops--misread the question. Not sure about 'too old to know better'. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 21:26, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

When Senility kicks in? Zain Ebrahim (talk) 21:17, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Having been there, I wish to replace the above term with rigor mortis.

When I get to the latter, I will attempt a post mortem message to the RD as to my thanatological aspects. I hope this thread will be in the archives and not the penulatimate one. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 21:58, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Starting to sound like the promise of a penultimatelaminate, Cooky – somewhere in infinity is possible. Julia Rossi (talk) 06:47, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

I requested a CD on ShipIt and it was not approved

I requested a 64-bit Ubuntu 8.04 CD but I was denied. Two month ago, I request one Ubuntu 8.04 and one 8.04 Kubuntu CD. One month ago, I ordered a Ubuntu 8.04 Server CD and I was accepted. Now, I ordered a Ubuntu 64-bit CD and I not not approved. What should I do? Should I wait for the next release of Ubuntu? Jet (talk) 21:45, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Yes, you should wait for the next release of Ubuntu. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.41.139.85 (talk) 22:16, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

It's still quite a way to the next release. Why do you NEED a CD anyway, can't you just download it? --antilived^{T | C | G} 08:31, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

The "Green" Home

I had watched a show earlier about unusual homes. Basically it was about people who made houses of recycles, old tires,etc. Then a thought came into my mind. Is there any structural safety in making a home out recycle soda cans? I mean by structural safety if you are living in earthquake country, would your house survive the earthquake? Is it really practical to make a house out of recycle cans and other stuff? Is this something everybody should do? Should a giant city like New York, for example, tear down there buildings and remake them with recycled cans, tires, etc?. Thank You. Always. Cardinal Raven (talk) 22:48, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Well, the thing about a house built out of cans is that even if it falls down on you, it's not likely to do that much damage simply because cans are very light. It's a far cry from being hit by a slab of concrete. I don't know what kind of a "green" homes you saw in the show, so I can't really comment on them, but generally speaking, it takes pretty specific circumstances for building materials like this to be viable. Obviously, a house built out of used tires or cans is going to be fairly small -- the material isn't strong enough to support a lot of weight, so you couldn't build multi-story buildings, let alone actual skyscrapers from them. Also, they may not be that great for emergencies -- a house built out of cans isn't likely to hurt you, but a fire in a house built out of old tires would probably be a pretty bad deal, as anyone with any experience with tire fires could probably tell you. Also, there are questions like insulation and plumbing -- New York, since you bring it up, gets pretty cold winters, and a wall made out of cans or tires isn't going to keep the heat in efficiently. And finally, even if materials like this would be taken into consideration with future construction, what would be the point of tearing down the existing buildings? That would only consume a lot of time, money and energy.

Still, things like this may well be viable choices in suitable environments -- if the weather is generally nice and other circumstances are suitable, and the construction is sturdy enough, why not? I mean, a lot of the wooden buildings people live in certain warm climates are pretty flimsy, but they're sturdy enough for that particular environment. Still, you should know that recycling materials like this may not be as efficient or environmentally friendly as one might think -- if the end result consumes considerably more energy than a more traditional building would, in the long run that'll definitely be worse for the environment. I guess it really depends on how solid the planning for a project like this is. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 23:45, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

Yes, I agree a green home may not be a bad thing. But we could hardly build a house made out of recycled cans in tornado country, we can't build a tire house in fire country, etc. Second, I don't think certain people are ready for a green home. Certain people are addicted to materialism and money a green home may not suit. Of course you also did point out we also have to find materials that are good for the environment. So it isn't necessarily the fact of the green home it's what the green home is made out of and where is it made.Cardinal Raven (talk) 01:14, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

It's worth noting that some of the comments above seem to have neglected to realise that people who make houses out of recycled cans usually start by filling them with compacted earth for structural stability. This increases the ()otherwise virtually nil) insulation and soundproofing of the buildings. It would also have considerable bearing on both the tornado (safer) and earthquake (riskier) concerns. There are certainly plenty of sites out ther willing to provide advice either through their websites of by emailing questions (a quick google found the likes of this site and this site, for instance). Grutness...wha? 04:20, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

You can build a home from recycled materials, but don't expect a shack made of old tyres and cans to be earthquake proof. Whenever there's an earthquake in some third-world country, it is always the poorest in their shoddily built temporary shacks who suffer the most. Astronaut (talk) 04:30, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

That depends entirely on the building material. In the first world, expensive brick houses will fare far worse than middle-class wood-framed houses. --Carnildo (talk) 22:26, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

I may have misunderstood the question (where you may have meant "is it possible to build walls from alumin[i]um soda cans"), but I started to think about the more-general topic of "how would one use aluminum cans in all of the structural elements of a home". I came up with two possibilities:

• Melt down the cans and make ordinary structural elements (I-beams, metal joists, and the like) out of the aluminum. These would be quite light and strong so they'd be structurally efficient (little dead load compared to their strength). They'd also be highly corrosion-resistant, leading to a long life even in harsh environments.

• Maybe it would be possible to crush the cans in such a way as to interlock them into three-dimensional tesselations? Perhaps you could form domes, arches, and other structural elements using these interlocking cans? It probably won't be as strong as the first option, but it seems closer to achieving your goal without the possible cheat of melting down the cans.

Atlant (talk) 19:28, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

July 1

enrollment as a lawyar in uttar pradesh(under allahabad high court)

Hello sir/madam,i am a fresh law graduate,i would like to become enroll myself in uttar pradesh,under allahabad.i would like to know the proceedure of my enrollment as a lawyar,i would like to know how much money is required for my enrollment,i have passed my LLB from Gauhati University,ASSAM...please give the reply of my queries....thanking you... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 117.201.49.205 (talk) 10:36, 28 June 2008 (UTC)

I suspect, based on your question, that you found one of our over 6 million articles and thought we were affiliated in some way with that subject. Please note that you are at Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia that anyone can edit, and this page is for asking questions related to using or contributing to Wikipedia itself. Thus, we have no special knowledge about the subject of your question. You can, however, search our vast catalogue of articles by typing a subject into the search field on the upper right side of your screen. If you cannot find what you are looking for, we have a reference desk, divided into various subject areas, where asking knowledge questions is welcome. Best of luck.

However, I did some research for you. Wikipedia has some useful articles in Category:Allahabad. Also, you might like to contact the Allahabad High Court (official site: http://www.allahabadhighcourt.in/indexhigh.html), or the Faculty of Law at Allahabad University (official site: http://www.allduniv.ac.in/).

Good Luck. Astronaut (talk) 04:44, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Arguing with Referees in Soccer/Football

In international soccer/European football matches such as the recent Euro 2008, players from different countries are frequently seen arguing with the referees. What language do the players and referees speak while exchanging dialogue? Obviously if both the players and referee speak the same language, then that is not a problem, but what if a Japanese-speaking referee was marshaling the game between Germany and Spain? Acceptable (talk) 00:03, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

It's english, generally. You can hear them sometimes and lip read their "filthy talk" other times :-) . Fribbler (talk) 00:06, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Also I suspect that often they are just babbling at the ref in their own language, regardless of whether or not it can be interpreted word for word it's generally easy to get the idea of what they are protesting about (hand gestures go a long way). 194.221.133.226 (talk)

The most effective language is universal... it is coloured red or yellow.86.209.25.112 (talk) 10:12, 1 July 2008 (UTC)DT

I also wondered what language Matarazzi used when provoking zidane into headbutting him. 125.21.243.66 (talk) 10:31, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Those insults were levelled through the medium of Italian. Zidane can speak the language having played in Italy for a number of years. Fribbler (talk) 10:38, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Oh, thank you! I always thought it was in English. Wiki's great. 125.21.243.66 (talk) 10:51, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Identify a form of mahjong

Please help me identify a form of mahjong which I was shown informally by a Chinese lady.

• Four players
• Only 128 tiles used (dots, bamboos, characters, winds, red dragons; no green or white dragons)
• Each player starts with 16 tiles, except first player starts with 17
• One tile is removed from wall and placed on top of wall; the three other tiles that match this are used as jokers
• Hand must consist of suited tiles only; winds and red dragons are treated as "flowers" (i.e. set aside and replaced from wall)
• Winning hand = 5 melds + 1 pair
  • by "meld" I mean either a chow (run of 3) or a pung (3 of a kind); presumably kongs (4 of a kind) are also allowed but this did not come up

What are dragons? I know how to play Canton mahjong at a basic level, and can't think of any tile that can be possibly translated as "dragon"... --antilived^{T | C | G} 08:30, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

This is what I mean by a "red dragon". See mahjong tiles for more info.

social studies

Peruvian flag has this animal that lives in mountainous regions. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Akash2008 (talk • contribs) 06:35, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

In the article, Flag of Peru and Coat of Arms of Peru, I spy with my little eye, a Llama. Julia Rossi (talk) 06:43, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

The llama is a quadruped. Grutness...wha? 09:02, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

business or company

What meant by an incorporated company? or what is meant by Inc. in yahoo inc.? Sang048 (talk) 07:27, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

See Corporation. --Allen (talk) 07:31, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Sex over time

Is it easier to get laid nowadays that it was say 100 years ago? Are people more willing to "give it up" as it were and do the nasty than in previous historical incarnations? Why is this? Cadon Monrel (talk) 09:40, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

I think for the first time in human history whores are out of work. Too many sluts these days, makes whores jobs harder when they could get it for free. The reason: Myspace.

I'd agree. I read a report which said whores in Germany were taking to other professions like caring for the elderly in old age homes because of diminished career prospects. Hail Wiki! 125.21.243.66 (talk) 10:26, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Perhaps what has changed is that we've moved from the more 'puritan' age into a more liberal age sexually. The only way I conceive of it being easier today than before is that there it is easier to travel and find someone willing to, but I doubt that people give it up 'easier' in the past - what I think has changed is the willingness of people to discuss such matters publically. Roman times, Greek times and etc. are all littered with examples of sexually liberal behaviour - it's really just that there seems to have been a period in the 1800-1900s that was more puritan/prudish than other points in history.194.221.133.226 (talk) 10:37, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

It should be noted that sex has both less consequences today than it did in the past. Pregnancy is very easy to avoid if one really wants to avoid it, one can choose when and with whom one reproduces much more reliably than anytime in the past. Additionally the transmittal of STDs can be mitigated greatly with proper use of prophylactics, and of those STDs, many more are curable than in the past as well (yes, AIDS is the big exception, but even the spread of that can be greatly mitigated with the proper use of prophylactics). So some of the great taboos and good reasons for them that developed around sex have lessened. Women are less likely to regard it as totally forbidden, because unlike in the past, they're not likely to produce a child from casual but protected sex.

At least, in the West. I've no idea about other places.

Again, I think 194.221 is right though that it isn't the case that it went from total abstinence to the present. There has always been a lot more sex going on than people thought was appropriate. But it is remarkable that in a world with the pill and latex—both late-20th century inventions—how much about sexual consequences has changed. I do suspect than most people have vaginal intercourse with more partners today than would have been the case 100 or 200 years ago. However it's worth noting that there are other ways to "have sex" than just vaginal intercourse.

Of course, just because abilities are there doesn't mean attitudes change. Notice the above determination about "sluts", which is really just a form of the old way raising its hackles, however meant to be a joke.

There is, as you can imagine, a whole lot of academic work on the history of sex, because there is a whole lot of academic work on just about any topic. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 11:34, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

I have a problem with all the above responses as they all sound, to me at least, text-book-ish. They all sound too as though they have been written by 17 year old puritans. I think that most kids today are influenced by rock-concerts; teen-mags; and celeb-mags, which to me at any rate, give a distorted sense of values and practice to young yet-to-be adults. What a shame. And what a shock those kids are in for when they are in debt, in mortgage crises, in shortage of morality guidelines whilst their parents are away sunning themselves before death. C'est la vie. 92.20.117.56 (talk) 23:45, 1 July 2008 (UTC

Trust me 92.20, we 17 year olds do not "read" teen magazines. We just look at the pictures. :) But seriously, for teenagers who love to read, fiction is preferable, but some of us do read about global issues. The other 95% of teens dislike reading and avoid it at all costs. The Reader who Writes (talk) 02:13, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

And I don't know if I was being included in the group of "17 year old puritans", but I am neither 17 years old nor a Puritan. My main point was that in this day and age enhanced sexuality is not necessarily something that carries long-term physical consequences. And personally I think that "most kids today" think about sex exactly as much as "most kids in the past", the only difference being that they might be actually acting on those urges more often. And thankfully, most of us do outgrow the shortsightedness of our teen years, a period whose "distorted sense of values" has been lamented for centuries and yet somehow, in the end, we all grow up enough to lament it. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 14:00, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Q: Why do the natives throw the virgins into the volcano? A: Well, they're not going to throw the sluts away! :-) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.119.114.114 (talk) 14:23, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

lol Nice little dog (talk) 15:39, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Corporate Video

How to make an innovative corporate video? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 202.69.10.222 (talk) 09:41, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

By being innovative yourself, of course! Anything else would be false advertising, wouldn't it? --antilived^{T | C | G} 09:50, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

My old company once made a corporate video in which they laid down rails to move the camera thingy on and videoed the employees working. I "starred" in it as they videod me entering the office and going to my desk to work :P. There were other things in it like a message from the CEO, praise from clients etc. Hail Wiki! 125.21.243.66 (talk) 10:23, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

"The one where they let a film crew in" has been a standard episode in soap operas from, I think, M*A*S*H onwards. You could make a corporate video about what happened when you tried to make a corporate video ... Gandalf61 (talk) 13:36, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Baked. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmtXaZ_HhBg 81.187.153.189 (talk) 22:55, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

What does the word assessment mean?

Manager would like for me to do an assessment on my manage and include any information concerning the avau=ilability of resources, relationship. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.213.146.150 (talk) 10:11, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Assessment means gauging, measuring, estimating or otherwise finding out the quantity or degree of something. You could also look up a dictionary. Could you please restructure your question so that we can better "assess" what you are asking? Oh, and Wiki knows everything! 125.21.243.66 (talk) 10:19, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Sounds as if your manager is asking you to give them a performance appraisal - this may be part of a 360-degree feedback process. There should be a form that you just fill in. Best thing is to ask them to tell you more about what they want - it is not a test ! Gandalf61 (talk) 13:31, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

See! 125.21.243.66 (talk) 14:15, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Inspirational individualist films

Is there a list of inspirational individualist films somewhere? Like Fight Club, I am legend, Into the Wild. Mr.K. (talk) 10:57, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Cast Away leaps to mind. Plasticup ^T/C 12:53, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

For someone who keeps their head while everyone else doesn't, there's The Shawshank Redemption. Julia Rossi (talk) 13:17, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Rocky????--Endless Dan 13:39, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Continuing a theme, how about Rambo? Rmhermen (talk) 13:53, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Hell, what about Over the Top?? Every single dad should watch that movie.--Endless Dan 14:00, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Million Dollar Baby, though it gets somewhat depressing towards the end. Forrest Gump too. 125.21.243.66 (talk) 14:16, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

I guess the OP is asking for a whole list of all of them. 125.21.243.66 (talk) 14:20, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Million Dollar Baby would be good if Mr. K was Mrs. K. --Endless Dan 14:27, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Haha so I guess we should stick with Rocky :-) 125.21.243.66 (talk) 14:29, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

LoL, I was just sayin'. --Endless Dan 14:33, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Help with the initials of bands

a) DJ, MN, MD, PT
b) RT, KC, BY, PD
c) SF, BM, KE, M
d) ST, JP, TH, BW, JK

All refer to the initials of band members within these bands. GreekHeroine (talk) 15:02, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

First one - Davy Jones, Mike Nesmith, Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork, i.e. the Monkees. Trying to get the others... this is a fun game... --Richardrj ^{talk email} 15:19, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Apparently c) is incomplete and is supposed to be SF, BM, KE, MF, NB, which makes it Westlife. Strike that one off, then.GreekHeroine (talk) 15:31, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Westlife, eh? No wonder I didn't get it. Is this "Boy Bands from the Sixties to the Present"? I've racked my brains and I can't get the other two. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 15:35, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

No, the larger list is pretty much standard fare bands, Beach Boys to the Cure, Fleetwood Mac and what have you. There's a peppering of contemporary outfits like the White Stripes and Outkast too, if that's at all relevant. GreekHeroine (talk) 15:41, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

d) would be Aerosmith. Friday (talk) 15:44, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Matchbox Twenty for b). Gantpupo (talk) 16:00, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Solunds like an interesting quiz list... where is the original? I wouldn't mind trying my hand at the others! Grutness...wha? 01:07, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

how long is a piece of string?

Is there a witty answer to this question? It annoys me when people say this and I want a snap response to bark back at them. Thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by Nice little dog (talk • contribs) 15:38, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

I did hear one once, from the British comedian Stewart Lee. He gave the question and then pulled a piece of string out of his pocket, saying "Well, this one is 12 and a half inches" or whatever. Pretty funny, I thought. Of course, you'd need to carry a piece of string around with you at all times to make this retort work. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 15:48, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Other retorts include "Twice the distance to its middle". Splash - tk 16:22, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Who says what? What bizarre situation would call for an expression like that? What does it mean? Matt Deres (talk) 18:19, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Is that a retort, Matt, or do you want to know about "how long is a piece of string"? Fribbler (talk) 18:35, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

No, it's not a retort at all. What the heck does it mean? Wiki doesn't even have an article for it, so I've gotta think it's a strictly regional kind of thing. Matt Deres (talk) 23:52, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Matt, it began as a facetious/idiomatic answer to an unanswerable question, or one where the answer is variable, to show that the question is impossible to answer. "How much does it cost to build a house?" – "[You might as well ask] how long is piece of string!" It might be regional, but it's pretty common. 95,700 ghits. Being a well known idiom, it is now also used as a cliched question, completely out of context, just for the sake of asking a stupid question. Gwinva (talk) 00:16, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

I like Splash's suggestion. It is witty while at the same time nonchalant. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Nice little dog (talk • contribs) 18:32, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

When I'm asked this question I usually reply "Twice as long as one half its length". Get's em every time!--80.176.225.249 (talk) 19:37, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

The expresion means, the answer is unknown eg, how long does it take to write a post? depends on how much you choose to write, therefore a sarcastic answer would be... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.18.33.2 (talk) 20:10, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Good day. If anyone asked me that question I would answer simply: "As long as you want it to be."I hope I have helped. I'm sure my answer isn't as witty as others, but it still works. Have a positively wonderful day.Rem Nightfall (talk) 21:29, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

"No shorter than the Planck length". --Sean 14:15, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

I also say 'twice the length of half of it'Avnas Ishtaroth (talk) 02:10, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Depends on how fast its traveling in the direction of its length. (relativistically speaking)

Meaning of an idiom

Hi! I am not native :) and am eager of the mood or atmosphere of the following idiom: Beware! Someone is about to read the riot act to you. Is it funny? Is it friendly? Or official? Is it well-known for everybody? Thanks, --Zimmy (talk) 16:42, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Conveniently, we have an article on the Riot Act—there's a section lurking down at the very bottom that addresses the question: Riot Act#"Read the Riot Act". Cheers! TenOfAllTrades(talk) 16:59, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

(ec)It means "Someone is about to shout at you", generally for doing something wrong. The idiom comes from an old British law: Riot_Act#.22Read_the_Riot_Act.22. Plasticup ^T/C 17:00, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

My problem is not the meaning (we have also an article in Hungarian), but the atmosphere of the idiom. Pls. read again the second part of my question. --Zimmy (talk) 17:28, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

OK, the title was a bit misleading. --Zimmy (talk) 17:30, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

It can be friendly, threatening, funny or (rarely) official. It depends on context, and tone. In the exact example you give above I'd say it's friendly advice that you've done something that somebody will get worked up over. Fribbler (talk) 18:23, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

I've only heard the idiom used in reference to something outside of the immediate conversation. That is, I've never heard someone say, "I'm gonna read you the riot act now!" In my experience, it's usually used as a gossip term, as in "Boy, he sure read me the riot act that day!" or "Did you hear about Jane? Her boss really read her the riot act over being late every day." That kind of thing. It is widely known among fluent English speakers, so far as I can tell. I would not say it to the person whom I'm planning on yelling at, unless it was completely clear that the entire situation was in good humour. Matt Deres (talk) 18:26, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

I can't say I've ever heard this expression in an American English conversation. That may not count as "fluent English" for some people, though. --Several Times (talk) 19:48, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

I speak American English and am quite familiar with this expression. --LarryMac | Talk 20:04, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

The article claims it long ago passed into history, but I have personally been present when a policeman informed a crowd via loudspeaker that they were unlawfully assembled and would be arrested if they did not disperse. Sounded a lot like the description of the "riot act." They didn't and most weren't. Edison (talk) 21:18, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Reading the riot act isn't a threat to arrest, it's a threat to use deadly force. Algebraist 08:24, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

British English and never heard the term, nor read it. Danny252 (talk) 22:31, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

I call it neutral - it doesn't imply humour necessarily, or familiarity, but it is colloquial, and its only use in formal situations is if you are literally going to read them the Riot Act. Steewi (talk) 23:51, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Thanks a lot for the help. --Zimmy (talk) 09:10, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Would you find this or maybe any other idiom or proverb apropriate in the title of this template?--Dami (talk) 10:17, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Arabian Football Player Is Taken by the angel of death

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVjzSTIPOc&feature=related

found this while looking at Slayer music. What really happened during this incident, maybe some football fan can help us out. who is/was this guy etc etc etc Thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.18.33.2 (talk) 20:07, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

There is some 'information' in the youtube video description on the right. Unfortunately this is the only information I could find; copied and pasted word for word (even in other languages) on hundreds of sites. No reliable sources, and the video is too short to see what happens before hand or afterwards. Could be a seizure, a heart attack, or just a really nasty tackle. One thing it ain't is the Angel of Death. He's too big of a football fan to interrupt a match like that. :-) Fribbler (talk) 22:27, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

The Angel of Death is a bigger fan of the real football. :P Useight (talk) 02:13, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

There is scant information on our article about Abdulrahman Al Shoaibi. Nanonic (talk) 06:35, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

If it WERE the Angel of Death,I'm sure he would be booked for entering the pitch without the ref's permission,and the team that claimed him would have 12 players... Lemon martini (talk) 09:21, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

The New Age Has Risen

Good day. Lets talk New Age medicine for a second. Why do people think new age medicine works? I mean some work such as acupuncture for lower back pain, but I am talking about the crazier stuff. Such as the Chinese new age medicine Ti Ti (I think that is how its spelled)where they can rewrite your energy flow so you can heal better, but they don't physical touch you. Why do people want to believe that this stuff will work? Thank you for taking your time to answer my question. I really appreciate it. Have a positively wonderful day.Rem Nightfall (talk) 21:37, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

There's a sucker born every minute... There's hundreds of reasons, mistrust of mainstream medicine, misunderstandings of science, desperation to be cured when mainstream medicine fails and even just religious devotion. There's also the placebo effect which can lead to people feeling better and telling everyone they know that it works. While few to none of these methods stand up to scientific evaluation, most people don't care about this or know what it means. Some of the practitioners genuinely believe in what they are doing while others are the worst kind of con men, taking advantage of people in a desperate situation. -- Mad031683 (talk) 23:28, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Once again, Rem Nightfall, you seem to have mistaken the Reference Desks for some kind of discussion forum. That is not the case, we are not here to talk about "what people believe and why", except, perhaps, at a very basic factual level. Please keep this in mind. --LarryMac | Talk 12:53, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

and have a positively wonderful evening :) 125.21.243.66 (talk) 13:22, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Good day. I'm sorry. I'll be more formal next time then. Because when I talk about "what people believe" I am talking "why they believe." I am always curious about people and their thought process and I'm always looking for that proceess. I guess my questions aren't formal enough so they get misunderstood for something else. I apologize for this and I will word my questions in a better way. Mind you I am not trying to make excuses. I want to follow all the Wikipedia rules and the reference desk rules. I want to make this place a wonderful place. I will try even harder for that goal. With that being said have a positively wonderful day. :)Rem Nightfall (talk) 15:28, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Michael Shermer's books, including Why People Believe Weird Things (ISBN 0805070893) may be of interest to you. -- Coneslayer (talk) 18:33, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Rem, further to Larry's point, would you care to edit mainspace a bit more than you do? There is a massive backlog on articles to be wikified. It would be great to have some more help there, or maybe you would like to join the WP:ICU. Very friendly people and a collaborative atmosphere. I love reading reference desk questions and replies and contributing now and then, but there is a lot more to this encyclopedia. Itsmejudith (talk) 21:50, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

I don't think it's appropriate in any way for you to tell Rem how he should be spending his time on Wikipedia. There's lots of things to be done, but we don't require any individual to do all of them or any of them. Do you go around mainspace talk pages, telling article editors that it's time for their shift on the Reference Desk? If you wish to discuss your philosophy further, feel free to start a discussion on the talk page, where you'll reach a more complete audience of Ref Deskers (some of whom do a lot of editing, and some of whom don't). -- Coneslayer (talk) 00:37, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Good evening. All right Itsmejudith I'll edit some articles. I'm just a bit embarrass. Since I'm only in high school and only know so much. My knowledge is limited and I'm scared of putting the wrong thing. I can rewrite sentences though and I can change wording around. I'm really good in English, okay in science, really okay in history, and terrible at math. So I'll try my best. To make Wikipedia a better place of knowledge is my goal. And I will reach it by helping out the articles. I hope I can help. Have a positively wonderful evening. Here I go.Rem Nightfall (talk) 23:17, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Hi Rem, you might find the articles Energy therapy, and Energy medicine interesting, but as to why people believe or not, I have no answer. IMO only, wikipedia's a huge place and personally I'd say take your time getting used to it. If you make a few mistakes, someone will fix them. I went to ICU and it strikes me as not the easiest way to begin since it needs some surgical researching on not too central topics. You'll get used to phrasing the question in a way that pleases the desks by looking at the more basic ones. Ex: Why do some humans readily trust practices that are unverifiable, such as... etc. Users User:Mad031683 and Coneslayer are on the money. Cheers, Julia Rossi (talk) 23:46, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

I think the reason people believe in things that may not work or are unproven is quite simple. We all believe in what it makes us comfortable to believe in. Same for disbelief. That's what keeps us sane.

That said, I think the question is not exactly appropriate for this setting as stated above.

Ruairí Óg the Rogue (talk) 02:30, 8 July 2008 (UTC)

Merchant Marine Act of 1928

Working on the APL article, and on the APL website this act is mentioned (see http://www.apl.com/history/html/timeline_02.html - 1920s page, under 1928 quite obviously!). Wikipedia doesn't have this act, but has a Merchant Marine Act of 1936 when searching for "Merchant Marine Act". The link to the Jones Act on that page links to another Merchant Marine Act - but in 1920, and none are listed in between. Does the 1928 one exist, and if so, is it notable and/or worth having an article on? Danny252 (talk) 22:04, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Yes it exists. It was known popularly as the Jones-White act: see here. Looks like an article to be created to me.... Fribbler (talk) 22:16, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Righto, will put in a blank link to that and an article request. Thanks Danny252 (talk) 22:18, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

July 2

Can you use any style of jump in high jump?

I was watching this:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=nnIyjqcOUr8&feature=related

10 seconds in surprised me with how high he got. It appears as if it's 2m - 2.5m. With good high jumping shoes and small style adjustments it could be even better. Would this be allowed? --81.100.112.56 (talk) 00:47, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Saying that any style is acceptable may run afoul of issues, but you may certainly use unconventional techniques in the high jump. The Fosbury Flop hasn't always existed, for instance. I should also note that the gymnastics surface in the video appears quite springy, which isn't the case for the high jump. — Lomn 00:55, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

On further investigation, that style would be disallowed. High jump competitors must take off from one foot. — Lomn 01:01, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Thanks! --81.100.113.139 (talk) 21:03, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Branislav Ivanovic = Brother of Ana Ivanovic?

Is Branislav Ivanovic the brother of Ana Ivanovic? Both are Serbian people with the same surname, but t is not stated on their articles about their relationship. So are they realy siblings?--203.124.2.18 (talk) 03:58, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Possibly not - the Ana Ivanović article says she has "a younger brother, Miloš", which slightly suggests she has no other siblings. Also, she was born in Belgrade whereas Branislav Ivanović was born in Sremska Mitrovica.--92.40.81.160 (talk) 08:23, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Ivanovic is a very common name in Serbia. Going on the name alone, it would be highly likely that they're not closely related. -- JackofOz (talk) 11:35, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Indeed, just like Yankovic: Jelena Yankovic and Weird Al Yankovic are not related. Or maybe......14:29, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Yes, we have to be careful with language with this subject. All humans are ultimately related to each other, so you can't say that any two people are "not related" without engaging in terminological inexactitude. What we're saying is that 2 people with the same surname do not necessarily have any identifiable or close blood or marital connection. I see 3 scenarios:

Identified and close: e.g. siblings

Identified and distant: e.g. 23rd cousins 18 times removed (which means that for all practical purposes they're not considered to be related, even though they actually are); or

Unidentified: because of our lack of genealogical skills and/or the absence of relevant records, they might have no identifiable relationship at all. But this is not a reason to believe that such a relationship doesn't exist. We just haven't found out what it is yet, and may never be able to find it. -- JackofOz (talk) 17:39, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Ivanovic is like Johnson, isn't it? --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 21:10, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Guava

I have a guava tree in my kitchen garden. However it is attacked by bats which eat away all its fruits . How do I get rid of the menace? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Sumalsn (talk • contribs)

I imagine 'getting rid of the menace' would be much more difficult than protecting your tree. This may appear naive but you ought to be looking for some sort of net that you can put over the tree when the fruits begin to ripen. This assumes your tree is small enough to cover easily and the cost of a suitable net is within reason. Richard Avery (talk) 06:58, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Hi Sumalsn. In some places bats are protected by law. Here in the UK "all bats are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Acts, and even disturbing a bat or its roost can be punished with a heavy fine." I don't know whether there are similar laws in India but it might be worth checking in case you were thinking of taking action directly against the bats.--92.40.81.160 (talk) 08:32, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

If you can't net the whole tree, try plastic bags or netting over the bunches of fruit. Julia Rossi (talk) 11:14, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

or glass-bottles then you could have a guava-fruit in a jar thing like those apple/pear in a jar things you get! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 194.221.133.226 (talk) 12:40, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Dragon/Knight Riddle

A dragon and knight live on an island, which has seven poisoned wells, numbered one through seven. If you drink from a well you can only save yourself by drinking from a higher numbered well. Well number seven is located at the top of a high mountain, so only the dragon can reach it. They decide the island isnt big enough and they have a duel. Each of them brings a glass of water to the duel, they exchange glasses and drink. After the duel, the knight lives and the dragon dies. Why? I've asked a few people and they don't know XD Any ideas are much appreciated. Thanks, KiloT 14:01, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Are we allowed to assume that the dragon doesn't bring water from well number one? Zain Ebrahim (talk) 14:10, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Okay, I think we're allowed to assume that the knight is cleverer. Hint: if you were the knight, what would you bring in your glass (knowing how the dragon would react to what it expects you to bring) and how would you prepare for what you expect the dragon to have in its glass? Zain Ebrahim (talk) 14:19, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Here we go - We'll assume that the knight thinks the dragon is going to give the knight from well 7, so just before the duel the knight drinks from the well numbered 6, poisoning himself (and keeping a little extra to give to the dragon), then when the dragon givs the knight well 7 water to drink this cures the knight, allowing him to live. On the dragon dying stance i'm going to say that the dragon was far too tired to go back up to well 7 (it's a long way you know) after already being up there once, so didn't get the antidote and died. -Benbread (talk) 14:28, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Why would the dragon bring the only drink that would cure the knight? The dragon would surely bring a drink from well 6 because it knows that it can always reach well 7 but the knight never can, therefore by making the night drink well 6 the knight will never be cured, whereas the dragon can just go to whichever well is required after drinking the first drink and be cured. Am I missing something (sorry just reworded my answer a bit)? 194.221.133.226 (talk) 14:43, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Oh wait I see - if he pre-drinks a well then the higher-numbered well has no poisoning affect - only acting as a cure? If that's the case then the knight must simply pre-guess the dragon's choice and pre-drink from a lower-numbered well, that way provided the dragon brings a higher-well number down he will be making what was a poison a cure, and then whatever he gives the dragon would require the dragon to go get a drink from a higher-well. The problem here is like benbread said we have to assume that there isn't sufficient time for the dragon to get the cure (since he can access all the wells). Not a good riddle i don't think 194.221.133.226 (talk) 14:50, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

If the knight brought a higher numbered water than the dragon then on exchange he would drink from a low value glass. A drink from a glass leaves content, so the knight at once grabbed the glass the dragon has drunk from. This is a higher number than the one he drank from. So he is saved. AND this is a dual not a drinking contest, so the knight used his weapons to prevent the dragon reaching a well - or perhaps just killed him outright.86.197.172.94 (talk) 15:14, 2 July 2008 (UTC)DT

Good day. The knight could have brought the water from the higher numbered wells. That would seem more likely, at least to me. So the knight grabbed water from a lower level well and a higher number well knowing the dragon would probably get water from a low level well. Then during the duel the playing field is equal you have two glasses of poison and one glass of cure. Either that or the dragon brought a higher level well water thinking the knight would only bring lower levels. Even so I think that there were two glasses of poison and one glass of a cure. I hope I have helped. I know sometimes my answers can be a bit confusing so I hope this one isn't. Have a positively wonderful day.Rem Nightfall (talk) 15:41, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

At this point I'd be more interested to see the purported "solution". Much as Benbread has laid out above, I see no answer that assumes rational players without stepping into "one has time to get poisoned and then cured, but the other doesn't." — Lomn 16:37, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

I think I figured it out: Before the knight comes to the duel, he drinks from Well 1. The dragon chooses to give him the water he knows the knight isn't going to be able to cure, i.e. from Well 6, which actually cures the knight. The knight gives the dragon normal (i.e. not from any of the wells) water. The dragon, convinced he is poisoned, drinks from Well 7, gets poisoned, and, since there is no well higher than 7 with which he could cure himself, dies. 80.123.210.172 (talk) 16:44, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

A brilliant answer. I am convinced. Plasticup ^T/C 17:02, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

I'm not. Where does the non-poisoned water come from? The dragon knows good and well that the non-poisoned salt water doesn't require a drink from Well 7 to cure. — Lomn 17:05, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

It doesn't say anywhere that there aren't any other fresh water sources on the island. The knight and dragon don't normally drink from the poisoned wells, they're just doing it for the duel. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 80.123.210.172 (talk) 17:11, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

In that case, we're just adding silly content to change the parameters of the riddle to fit a proposed solution. Alternately, we've abandoned the notion of rational actors. Why can't the dragon engage in the same trickery? "The knight is smarter" is wholly uninteresting. — Lomn 17:15, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

I'm adding silly content because the riddle is completely idiotic. There is no viable solution that I can think of without adding content. Is this just some elaborate hoax? 80.123.210.172 (talk) 17:19, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

(Rm indent)Yes, the riddle is flawed. The answer I had in mind is the same as 80's above (except I said that the dragon will give the knight water from well 7 - same thing, really). We have to assume that the dragon is silly and would expect water from some well. And I used the fact that they're on an island to assume that there's an abundance of non-poisoned water (it would have been quite obvious if the asker spellled this out). But I'm pretty sure that that's what the asker had in mind. Zain Ebrahim (talk) 17:30, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

I don't think the riddle is flawed at all. The fact that they "live" on the island proves that there must be drinkable water for the knight somewhere. I don't think that qualifies as added content; on the contrary, the only way we could have a situation without a drinkable well is if the riddle specified that there was no such thing or at least said that they'd recently been stranded there somehow. I came to a similar solution and I think it's a lot more sensible than the crap that often gets floated around as "riddles" on the net. Matt Deres (talk) 18:14, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

I agree that the existence of non-poisonous water as well as the dragon's ability to taste salt are clutching at straws. I called it flawed because we have to assume that the knight is cleverer and riddles usually specify if the players are not rational or not equally intelligent. But now that I think about it, the riddle did mention that the knight won so the assumption is not unreasonable. Zain Ebrahim (talk) 19:01, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

My chief problem with an answer like that (specifically, the knight being more intelligent) is that it eliminates the notion of a singular answer. Once disparate intelligences are supposed, why not just say that the dragon was dumb and brought well 1 water? Or that the knight attacked the dragon's vulnerable throat when it tilted its head back to drink? Or that the knight had, in fact, spent years in Australia developing an immunity to iocain powder? All of these "solve" the riddle, and all alter the premise less than adjusting the central puzzle of the riddle by introducing unspecified water sources. — Lomn 19:35, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Fair enough, but I still prefer the given answer. The riddle is specifically designed to seem to favour the dragon (having access to well #7), but states clearly that the knight won the duel. The "good" answer should account for the result while only playing with the variables given (in this case, the order of drink). While you feel that the outcome removed the possibility of a singular answer, I think it's provided the single reasonable answer. Having the dragon be stupid and bring water from well #1 would only account for the knight surviving, not the death of the dragon. The dragon can only be killed (I think) if it is tricked in the manner described. Matt Deres (talk) 20:50, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Well, we could assume that the duel involves standing around until one of them falls over dead (maybe you only have 30 seconds to drink from another well and they only have the two carrying vessels), in which case the only way to protect oneself would be to pre-drink. If that's the case, then the knight raced to Well #1 as soon as the duel was called, camped there to keep the dragon from pre-drinking from it and from bringing it to the duel, and then left with a glass of its water at the last second, hoping that the dragon wouldn't sneak out of the bushes and fly to the duel faster than he could run. He also must hope that the dragon didn't collect water before the duel was called.

I don't buy the argument that there must be drinkable water somewhere on the island. We could say that the knight's morning routine is to take his glass over to Well #1, fill it, walk to Well #2, drink Well #1's water from the glass, then immediately drink from Well #2. And likewise for the dragon. --Prestidigitator (talk) 20:13, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Doesn't anybody have a problem with the dragon bringing a glass of water to the duel in the first place :-)} ?? Once you accept that, then 80.123 and Matt Deres have the basic keys. Ignore the knight for a moment; he's adequately dealt with. Then:

• What is the only scenario in which the dragon must die -- i.e., the only scenario in which there is no antidote? He has to drink from 7.
• The knight can't give him water from 7, therefore he has to drink it himself.
• If the knight gave him water from 1-6, drinking 7 cures him. Therefore, there must be nontoxic water on the island.

No other scenario forces the dragon to die, right? --Danh, 63.231.163.123 (talk) 23:33, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

The other scenario that forces the dragon to die is that it drinks no water after the duel drink. Actually the answer is that the problem needs to be stated much better. For example, must the second drink be consumed immediately after the first to cancel the toxic effects? Nothing in the problem actually stated that the successive drink from the higher-numbered well didn't also need to be cured, so a simple interpretation of the problem statement leaves them both doomed as soon as they take their first drink, for where is Well #8? This doesn't seem to be a very useful assumption, but I think the one about the duel drink being their last (before the life/death determination) is a reasonable one, and gives a sure answer to the problem as well (as I stated above). --Prestidigitator (talk) 08:33, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Toast vs Bread: Calories

Whilst making some toast this morning, as if often the case, my mind drifted away from the charred wheat product i was about to indulge to more serious matters: Namely, which has more/less calories and is "better for you", Toast or Bread (commonly known as antitoast)? Here's my reasoning; When being toasted the bread is exposed to heat which causes the bread particles to become excited (and here's where my theory could be proved null) and presumably an exothermic reaction occurs, probably to do with all that tasty tasty starch being reduced to carbon. But then i though, what about warm toast? Warm toast is generally much hotter than that of the human body so energy in the form of heat must be transferred to the body, resulting in additional energy (just as drinking lots of cold water burns calories). But then, as the smoke alarm started to sound i was struck with a third conundrum; What about the increased hardness and general crunch-factor of toast, surely that would result in more energy being required to process and therefore less calorie gain? It's a dilemma, Wikipedia, so i'm hoping some toast connoisseur could spread some light on it. (Get it, spread? eh?) -Benbread (talk) 14:15, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

As per [9] there's no difference in the calory content of bread and toast. Hail Wiki! 125.21.243.66 (talk) 14:23, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

The calory content of bread/toast doesn't change based on weather it's crunchy or soft, or warm or at room temperature - it only causes a negligible change in the calories consumed to ingest it. Toasting doesn't convert starch to carbon, it only dehydrates the bread somewhat. Hail Wiki! 125.21.243.66 (talk) 14:25, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

But what if you're a particularly bad chef and whilst cooking set the toast alight due to overcooking resulting in a completely charred mess that has been extinguished due to there being nothing left to burn? Hail Benbread (talk) 14:33, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Hmmm... that would be interesting. AFAIK that should cause a decrease in the caloric content, since some of the oxidation that was supposed to happen inside the body occurs outside and the residue on ingesting doesn't give that much energy (or may even be undigestible). 125.21.243.66 (talk) 14:37, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Something else to ponder [10]. --LarryMac | Talk 14:59, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Haha LOL 125.21.243.66 (talk) 15:46, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Toast absorbs more butter or margarine than bread - that's part of the point of toast. So your total calorie intake will be higher if you choose toast. On the other hand if you don't like bread as much as you like toast, you might be tempted to spread a lot of nutella, jam or lemon curd on the bread, in which case that would be the higher-calorie option. Itsmejudith (talk) 21:44, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Zune

I have the old model 30 GB Zune. I use it at least 6 hours a day, every day. I usually have it connected to my PC via USB so the battery is always charged. I am now noticing something strange. The battery life at the corner of the Zune is red. I have never seen this before. Can someone tell me what this means? I don't have access to the internet (outside of Wikipedia..), so I apologize for what may be perceived as lack of foot work on my part. --Endless Dan 15:04, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Make sure that you have the device connected to a high-power USB port. For optimal charging, the Zune device requires at least 500 milliamps (mA) of power. Frequently, USB ports that are located on the front of a computer and on some USB hubs are low-power, 100-mA ports. Typically, the high-power, 500-mA USB ports are on the back of the computer. Additionally, when you suspend the computer or put the computer to sleep, high-power USB ports may be switched to low-power, 100 mA mode.

from zune.net - one possibility87.102.86.73 (talk) 15:18, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

What do the 'charging icons' say? eg from zune.net again

• The device displays the home screen or full-screen charging icons. See Resolution 1.
• The device displays the home screen, follow these steps. See Resolution 2.
• The device displays full-screen charging icons. See Resolution 3.

87.102.86.73 (talk) 15:21, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Since you use the Zune so much, it's entirely possible that the battery is simply not working at the efficiency it had when the device was new. The fact that you let it charge continuously may also be contributing to the issue; I know that some other electronic devices such as laptops may lose some battery capacity if they are continuously being recharged. --Several Times (talk) 19:48, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

What is it called?

What is it called when an image is placed on a black background, usually with a white border, and a funny caption below it? I see this a lot of websites and forums. What it it's origin? Examples: [11] [12] [13] 79.75.179.174 (talk) 17:29, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Motivational poster. --Sean 17:54, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

I think you may be looking for LOLCats. DJ Clayworth (talk) 17:59, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

You are definitely looking for the image macro, or a specific form of it at least. --Several Times (talk) 19:41, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

I don't think LOLCats came before Yotsuba's motivational posters, and I wouldn't be surprised if there's ones that came before that too. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 20:30, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Since the OP mentioned that it has a funny caption, it is perhaps a demotivational poster- a mock of motivational posters. Acceptable (talk) 04:56, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

They are called Successories, both the motivational and funny ones. Peace. ReluctantPhilosopher (talk) 06:14, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

Are dogs prostitutes?

could I say that dogs are prostitutes, since they like us as long as we provide shelter and food to them, but they never provide us with food and shelter? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 83.59.90.236 (talk) 17:57, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Not unless they are having sex with us... DJ Clayworth (talk) 17:58, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Well in that case my dog is definately......eh....you could say it was a parasitic relationship. But since we benefit (by getting affection), it could be symbiotic moreso. Fribbler (talk) 18:01, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Temple Grandin, an animal behavior scientist, has said that dogs have probably lived in a symbiotic relationship with humans from the time that we bacame humans. They provided protection and probably assisted in hunting for food and in protecting crops. They also "provided shelter" by driving off animals or people who might have decided to take our shelter for their own use. In more recent millenia they have continued to serve in hunting, protecting, herding, and in search and rescue, as well as being trtained as service animals such as guide dogs for the blind. "Symbiotes" or employees would thus be a good descriptor of many dogs throughout history. There are also dogs which just provide companionship. See also "Eulogy of the dog," [14] by George G. Vest, September 23, 1870, 1 U.S., Congress, Senate, Congressional Record, 101st Cong., 2d sess., pp. S4823-24 (daily edition). Try substituting the word "prostitute" for "dog" in the passage and see if it makes as much sense. Edison (talk) 18:17, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

In any case I don't know how you'd get "prostitutes" out of them. Prostitutes refer specifically to sex workers—the return of sex in exchange for resources. "Happiness" and "sex" are not the same thing. --Fastfission (talk) 19:44, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Sort of, except you don't have to pay dogs to have sex with them.87.102.86.73 (talk) 20:06, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

example http://www.meancheese.com/pictures/bangkok/dogs3.jpg note the url - bangkok QED.87.102.86.73 (talk) 20:09, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

what about pimps http://blog.meevee.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/11/21/dogs.jpg you bet.87.102.86.73 (talk) 20:10, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

They do provide food. Heck they even fight for your country. As for me, my dogs and I have a symbiotic relationship. We feed and take care of them while they provide companionship and an early warning device.--Lenticel ^(talk) 21:20, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

I take it you mean "prostitute" figuratively as in "a person who misuses their talents or who sacrifices their self-respect for the sake of personal or financial gain" – as if a dog might be a careerist speciesist opportunist. If you make it wider, there's an economy of exchange in there, companionship, protection, hunting skills and alarm notice for food and shelter and a reasonable amount of exercise. So there were times when breeds were kept to provide food as well. In Animals in Translation, Temple Grandin says wolves likely taught humans to co-operate with each other, and that dogs fit into human groups because they're a pack animal that expects a pecking order with allocated responsibilities. You'd have to ask a dog if it's been a fair exchange. A lot of the time it looks like sacrificed self-respect to me. Julia Rossi (talk) 06:12, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

I don't think dogs have a concept of self respect.87.102.86.73 (talk) 12:10, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Why not? They are reasonably intelligent. Plasticup ^T/C 12:23, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

animals

do animals have heart attacks like humans do? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.76.197.50 (talk) 19:40, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Yes. Well, only those with hearts. Mammals also have cancers, diabetes, glaucomas, etc. Plasticup ^T/C 19:55, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Videos on iPod

Does anyone know how many Megabytes a 25 minute video takes up on an iPod? I want to download an episode of Family Guy from iTunes, but I have a 4 GB Nano and I don't want to download the episode if it takes up to much space. Thanks! Grango242 (talk) 20:21, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

It should fit. Entire DVDs are often under 4 GBs. --Endless Dan 20:44, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

I think the OP was worried about one episode taking up too much space, not whether it would fit. If you don't get a good answer here, try the Computing desk. Zain Ebrahim (talk) 20:52, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

In my experience, 45 minute shows (i.e. episodes from full-hour slots) take up about 350 MB. I expect that a 25 minute show (which is probably more like 22 minutes if we are talking about a show from a 30-minute slot) would be about 175 MB. Plasticup ^T/C 21:04, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Thanks a lot! Grango242 (talk) 01:15, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

What's that song?

<thanks for your vote of confidence on this desk, but off to entertainment it goes[15] because.. 1) there is an ent desk for a reason and the quality of questions there should be maintained and 2) it's generating debate (um-ah!) Julia Rossi (talk) 08:08, 3 July 2008 (UTC)>

Non-profits most profitable prophets

Since many non-profit organizations give exorbitant salaries and other benefits to their senior staff, this seems to bypass the spirit of the law, if not the letter. Recent examples include the Red Cross, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and, of course, a whole range of televangelists orgs which seem designed solely to enrich their leaders by collecting money "for charity" and instead using it to buy luxury cars (Creflow Dollar), private jets and mansions (Kenneth Copeland), etc. So, is there any jurisdiction which imposes a limit on how much money can go to individuals who run the "non-profit" orgs ? StuRat (talk) 23:59, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

In the USA, large non-profits make their finances public via IRS Form 990, so donors can decide whether the administrative overhead is excessive, just like with public companies. Most non-profits run on contributions of (presumably) informed donors, so I don't see the problem. --Sean 01:02, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

What makes you think Blue Cross Blue Shield is a non-profit organization? --LarryMac | Talk 01:04, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Well, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan is a nonprofit, read the 4th sentence in the "Mission" statement on their page: [16]. I'd just assumed this meant all of them were, but maybe not. StuRat (talk) 03:03, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Wellpoint, which owns/operates BCBS plans in 14 states is clearly a for-profit, publicly traded company. It's not clear to me what the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association is - the article says it's a federation, and their website doesn't really give any clear indication. --LarryMac | Talk 13:13, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

It's clearly impossible for the large organizations, like the American Red Cross, to use only volunteer labor. So they're going to have to hire truck drivers, janitors, HR staff, and so forth to operate. Should the truck drivers be paid a competitive (market) wage for their labor? How about the Oracle admin? The middle-managers? Upper management? At what point in the organizational hierarchy should the pay become sub-market, and what effect will that have on the quality of people you hire? (There may be independently wealthy, brilliant people who want to "make a difference" and will work for free. They'll make great Board members. That doesn't mean they'll take on the upper-management lifestyle of constant travel, long hours, etc.) -- Coneslayer (talk) 01:18, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

I never suggested not paying people at all. If you want me to draw a line, I'd say US$100,000 a year in salary and other compensation is a reasonable limit. I would think there are many CEOs raking in millions a year who would like to retire from their current jobs and lead a major charity, for little or no compensation, as their way to "give back" to the community. After all, many of these "charities" collect money from people who can barely afford it, so asking the CEO of the charity to "get by" on a six figure salary hardly seems like an unfair sacrifice to expect. StuRat (talk) 02:48, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

The article Non-profit organization warns not to generalize "about the comparative cost of a "nonprofit" versus "for profit" organization; there may be internalized profit in a nonprofit organization" since the distinction is between a company that pays shareholders (profit) and a nfp company that pays stakeholders (profit redistributed in other ways). A charity is something else. In Charitable organization it says, "Charities are all non-profit organizations, however, not all non-profit organizations are charities." Then there's misappropriation and some CEOs notoriously walk away with multiples of 7-figure payouts when a company fails spectacularly, so they don't look like the types to reduce themselves to working for 6-figure peanuts. Julia Rossi (talk) 06:24, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

That's a good distinction. I also question whether granting tax-free status to non-charities who pay their execs millions makes sense, but let's limit this discussion to charitable non-profit orgs for now. StuRat (talk) 13:20, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Julia makes an important point. Harvard University, for example, is a non-profit but not a charity. If the president of the university makes $100k, what do the deans and department heads make? How about the faculty? How will you attract faculty to the schools of business, law, and medicine, given their opportunities in the private sector?

Assuming you meant to limit the discussion to charitable organizations, the same reasoning holds. Suppose you're a talented mid-career Oracle DBA, in charge of the Springfield Datacenter of the American Magenta Cross, making $90k, in line with the for-profit sector. Your boss retires and you get the good news: You've been promoted to Manager of National Database Operations! It's a lot more travel, and your Blackberry will be surgically implanted, but don't worry... you'll be raking in $95k for the trouble! What do you do? What do you do?

The same goes for the CEOs and other upper management. CEOs are interchangeable in the modern business world. Whether that's a good idea or not, it's the reality—you don't have to be a "car guy" to run Ford. If the market rate for a CEO of you org's size is $5M, then what do you expect to get for $100k? Your question seems like it presupposes that the charity can dictate salary ("asking the CEO of the charity to "get by" on a six figure salary hardly seems like an unfair sacrifice to expect") but they simply don't have that power. Employees have excellent mobility between the for-profit and non-profit sectors, so the charities are competing in the same labor market as the for-profits. -- Coneslayer (talk) 11:20, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Of course the charity has the power to set the salary of their executive staff to be whatever they want. And certainly there are some people willing to work at a reduced salary for a good cause. The only issue I see is if there are enough quality people around to fill all the positions needed. I would guess that there are, but have there been any surveys asking people if they would be willing to work at a reduced salary for a worthwile cause ? Also, even if the CEO isn't quite as experienced, the extra millions the charity gets to keep and avoiding the PR disaster and resulting withholding of donations from paying millions to a CEO may well be worth it. StuRat (talk) 13:11, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Many of the world's problems disappear if you get to postulate a large supply of capable people willing to work at below-market rates for a good cause. Given the continued existence of these problems, I dispute the existence of this labor pool. -- Coneslayer (talk) 14:00, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Solving all of the world's probs would take millions of such people, while only hundreds are needed to lead major charities. I believe there are hundreds, but not millions, of such people. Also, I can't blame people who barely make enough to survive as is for refusing a pay cut, but can find fault with millionaires who refuse a pay cut for any reason. StuRat (talk) 22:22, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

The discussion seems to have drifted from my question, whether any jurisdiction currently limits the compensation of executives at non-profits, to a more general discussion of whether such a law would be good. Can we get back to the original Q, please ? StuRat (talk) 13:11, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

July 3

Another musical question

<moved to entertainment desk[17] because we can't have original posters creating new desk purposes without consensus. And for optimal results! Julia Rossi (talk) 08:16, 3 July 2008 (UTC)>

Nixon Road?

Could someone please tell me where this is? maybe someone could google it? --TheGreenGorilla (talk) 01:03, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Want to give us a town, city, county, state, province, country? --LarryMac | Talk 01:06, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

San Francisco California? i just pulled that out of the air. --TheGreenGorilla (talk) 01:08, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

[18] --LarryMac | Talk 01:13, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Mugabe opinion

will he lay down his arms if US threatnes to invaid? --TheGreenGorilla (talk) 01:37, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Probably not. If the US threatened to invade it'd probably get a LOT of opposition — people are not exactly happy with the US as the "interventionist" state, either domestically or internationally. Mugabe would probably try to encourage that, and bank on the fact that it would be easier for the US to do nothing than to start yet another unwanted war. (And the US probably is stretched too thin militarily to possibly open up a new front in a totally different region.) Anyway, there's no casus belli for starting a war with Zimbabwe—they don't endanger US security at all, there's no way you'd be able to sell something like that to Congress or the public without the "mushroom cloud" fear. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 01:52, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Last time I looked, Zimbabwe has nothing the U.S. needs, so just like the Sudan, Bush may talk, but he won't do anything. Clarityfiend (talk) 03:27, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Sudan does have some oil, so that might give Bush a reason to invade there. Then again, no matter where he decides to invade, his co-President Dick Cheney will get some lucrative no-bid contracts for his Haliburton buddies, and he'll receive "payment for services rendered" as soon as he leaves office. StuRat (talk) 04:03, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

The only possible military intervention will be from the African Union, which may or may not work. Intervention from non-African countries would just play right into Mugabe's anti-Western-influence spiel. Plasticup ^T/C 11:54, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Yes, but there are more important issues than whether Mugabe gets to claim that his country would be paradise if not for Western influence. To the American public, establishing true democracy is important, while to Bush and Cheney raiding the public treasury to enrich themselves and their defence contractor buddies would be the goal. So, it would be a win-win situation for all. StuRat (talk) 13:39, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

If Mugabe's propaganda machine is given any more fuel the invading forces could well find themselves "installing democracy" on another unwilling populace. We all know how well that works. Plasticup ^T/C 13:49, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

"To the American public, establishing true democracy is important" — I personally doubt this. The American public cares about something called "true democracy" only in very inspecific ideological terms (most would not really know how to answer truthfully the question of whether the USA was a "true democracy"). They are not interested in wars in the name of "true democracy" unless they feel threatened. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 15:52, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Eric Shinseki: Ranger?

Was Gen. Eric Shinseki (Ret.) a member of the U.S. Army Rangers? A Ranger Tap is clearly visible on his uniform, but the article does not mention him serving in the Rangers. Thanks. Acceptable (talk) 02:41, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

He would only have to completed the Ranger's 2 month training course to recieve the Tab, and not have actually served in the Army Rangers. You will see most (all?) top US generals have it. Have a look at the other Chiefs of Staff in the template at the bottom of his article. Fribbler (talk) 11:41, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Michelle Obama and Mccains wife relationship?

what do you think of this? --TheGreenGorilla (talk) 04:41, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

they seem to be getting along with one another. clarify i didnt mean other type of relationship. --TheGreenGorilla (talk) 04:58, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

This sounds like a discussion topic, not a reference question. Plasticup ^T/C 12:22, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

oops --TheGreenGorilla (talk) 12:23, 3 July 2008 (UTC) srry

Well-known people on WP

Are there any well-known/famous people who are known to have accounts on wikipedia...apart from Jimbo? --212.120.246.239 (talk) 07:42, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

User talk:RichardDawkins. I believe it's really him. :) Zain Ebrahim (talk) 07:46, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

No, that's just outmoded superstition with no objective evidence to support it. ;-) DJ Clayworth (talk) 14:12, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

See Wikipedians with articles and Category:Notable Wikipedians. Best of luck in finding many household names in those lists, though. My favourite is Nicholson Baker. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 07:50, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

What is the largest bird in Europe?

--TheGreenGorilla (talk) 07:49, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

did you know this answer? Well, here goes, the Great Bustard. Julia Rossi (talk) 08:47, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Chicago: 360 N. Michigan Ave.

Is the London Guarantee Building (near the Michigan Avenue Bridge) the same thing as the Crain Communications Building? I asked at Talk:London Guarantee Building but haven’t received an answer. --Mathew5000 (talk) 08:56, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

They certainly have the same address. Here's Crain in Chicago:[19] and here is the London Guarantee Building: [20]. Couldn't tell you how much of the building is occupied by Crain, but they appear to have their Chicago offices there. Fribbler (talk) 11:23, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Further delving shows me that as of 2001 the building is wholly owned by Crain Communications and has been renamed accordingly. Fribbler (talk) 11:25, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Thanks, Fribbler. I noticed in Google Streetview [21] that the building had "CRAIN COMMUNICATIONS" over at least one of the entrances, and I thought it was in the same place as the London Guarantee Building, but I couldn't figure out why the Wikipedia article did not mention it. --Mathew5000 (talk) 12:31, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Yes, I walk by the building every day and can confirm that the Crain name has been stuck onto the London Guarantee Building. Deor (talk) 19:30, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Colouring Text

I am groping in the dark to find the right code for the colour "red" in my user page. Can anyone point me to a place that lists all the colour codes used in Wikipedia?? La Alquimista (talk) 11:24, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Wikipedia:Colours suggests you can just use the HTML code "red". I haven't tried it out though. Fribbler (talk) 11:28, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Web colors. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 11:28, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Top 10 most famous Wikipedians?

Hi, a previous question reminded me of the time when I tried to browse through the Wikipedians with articles page, but soon gave up because it's just too long and I didn't find anyone I recognized by name. So I'd like to ask, who (in your opinion, I guess) are the most famous Wikipedians of them all? Are there any well-known celebrities or not? The only one I actually know of is Stephen Colbert, but that's sort of a given; and Richard Dawkins as mentioned before, probably. (And you know Jimbo never counts :D ) Thanks in advance, Kreachure (talk) 14:05, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

(Edit conflict.) Do you mean wikipedians famous on wikipedia or in the "real world"? · AndonicO ^Engage. 14:12, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Real World, surely. The only two I know on the list by name are Peter Hitchens the journalist and John Romero of ID games. Fribbler (talk) 14:15, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

I would think that Ted Allen would be one of the best known among the general public (but he's not active). -- Coneslayer (talk) 14:18, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

An American public ;-) Fribbler (talk) 14:20, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

It's not exactly a list of household names, is it. The only ones I've heard of, apart from the ones named above, are Nicholson Baker, Galen Strawson, Jakob Nielsen and Nigel Short. And I'm thrilled to see that Charles Ingram has an account (*cough*). --Richardrj ^{talk email} 14:27, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Real world, definitely. I'd rather wait a little while until Wikipedia gets more popular to start asking for celebrities from Wikipedia :) Anyways, I found Grant Imahara from Mythbusters. Cool... probably. Kreachure (talk) 14:42, 3 July 2008 (UTC) Weren't some country's royal family editing their article, identified by the IP being from the palace? Edison (talk) 18:45, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

To readers of books, Poppy Z. Brite and Christopher Cerf, among others, are fairly well known. And Roger Ebert has edited WP, though not for a while. Deor (talk) 19:23, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Mark Cuban, who only edited his own article (no surprise). I guess most of them are too busy doing stuff that we can write about. Clarityfiend (talk) 23:14, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Elizabeth Moon seems to have edited some of her own stuff in the past. --Masamage ♫ 23:23, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Bamber Gascoigne is pretty well known in the UK. You can see a long list of articles whose subjects have edited Wikipedia at Special:WhatLinksHere/Template:Notable Wikipedian. Warofdreams talk 23:38, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

User:Prz = Phil Zimmermann. --Mathew5000 (talk) 23:50, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

I recently wrote a stub for Myer Fredman, who has a username of the same name but is not active. He's famous in my world, but I wouldn't be surprised if the mob have never heard of him. -- JackofOz (talk) 23:50, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Squeek-squeek, I'm wheeling out the only one I know I can find, Mike Dash aka User:Mikedash. Julia Rossi (talk) 02:34, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

Well, Richard Borcherds, known on Wikipedia as user:r.e.b., is one of the most famous people in the world. (Except, perhaps, among non-mathematicians.) Michael Hardy (talk) 02:41, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

Philip S. Khoury and J. Philippe Rushton are pretty famous to me. But come on, seriously, the most famous is obviously Mike Godwin! Adam Bishop (talk) 12:35, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

Dont forget Weird Al--omnipotence407 (talk) 12:52, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

There are a fair number of people I'm came across who have edited their own articles or talk pages (and perhaps one or two other minor edits). E.g. User:RichardDawkins. If you count these you probably have quite a few candidates Nil Einne (talk) 14:40, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

Richard Stallman, who among other things founded the Free Software Foundation which created the license Wikipedia uses, edited as User:Rmstallman. Graham87 17:02, 5 July 2008 (UTC)

Diamonds

At what tempreture do diamonds melt? If they sometimes come out of volcanoes, then the temp at which they melt must be hoter than magma, so what temp is it?193.115.175.247 (talk) 15:20, 3 July 2008 (UTC)Zionist

According to Diamond, "Above 1700 °C (1973 K / 3583 °F), diamond is converted to graphite". -- Coneslayer (talk) 15:24, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

So at what temp does graphite melt? And what is the average temp of magma? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 193.115.175.247 (talk) 15:39, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

For all your melting-point-of-graphite needs, heres a table from "the world of carbon": [22]. The Magma article gives a temperature range of between 700 and 1300 celcius. Fribbler (talk) 15:55, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

And for all your science needs, there's[23]. Just saying, Julia Rossi (talk) 02:28, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

Horticultural advice?

In my backyard we have planted four sweet basil plants. The two nearest the house are doing great—constantly perky, lots of big, fresh leaves, constant regeneration of removed leaves. The two a little further our are doing lousy—droopy, yellowish, not very many new leaves, nothing very large. Both receive pretty much equal amounts of water and sunlight. Both were initially planted in soil with fertilizer.

What might explain the differences between the two? What ought I do in order to help out the struggling pair? I don't have much of a green thumb, so if this seems obvious to those who do, I apologize... thank you. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 15:47, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

What country/climate are you located in? Fribbler (talk) 15:51, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Oh, sorry. USA, New England. Very hot and humid in the summer, occasional thunderstorms and heavy downpours. (And obviously in the winter everything dies. That's fine. We just grow in the summer.) --98.217.8.46 (talk) 16:32, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Plant lots more basil seeds quickly. You will then be able to pick the leaves, even make pesto, before the fall/autumn. It should grow very quickly in hot and humid weather. As with some other herbs, it is a good idea to make weekly sowings so that you always have some at the right stage for picking. Itsmejudith (talk) 16:55, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

We aren't planting seeds, we're working from plants (seeds are too problematic for me). The four plants all came from the same source at the same state of health. Yet two do very well and two do not. That's the question I want answered. Even two plants produces more than enough to make pesto at the end of the year—I know how to pick th leaves off to stimulate production. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 18:22, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

If I were you, I would consider if the ground is different for the two that are struggling, I would consider pulling them up *VERY CAREFULLY* and putting them in a different location, or else "work" the soil. This is where you take a spade or a gardening claw and "agitate" the ground around the plants. It the ground is too hard and dry, the roots won't spread well, and the plant will suffer. Soil acidity can also be an issue. I don't know off the top of my head what acidity is right for basil, but you could probably look it up at www.homedepot.com or something similar. The soil may not seem to be different, but it can change a lot within even a foot or two depending on what (if anything) was planted there before. Happy Gardening! Xavier —Preceding unsigned comment added by 139.76.224.67 (talk) 20:07, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

I keep my basil plants in pots indoors. They are VERY thirsty and need watering two or three times a week, but if I've forgotten to water them, they will perk up in a couple of hours when eventually watered. I suggest you examine the soil drainage around your plants. Astronaut (talk) 22:40, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

I'd give you some advice, 98.217, but I've always been told that you can lead a horticulture but you can't make her appreciate it. :) -- JackofOz (talk) 23:44, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Recession and prices - I am puzzled.

I always understood that western governments favoured spending their way out of a recession. Yet here we are surrounded by rising oil and fuel prices, rising food costs, rising mortgage and interest charges, and gloomy forecasts about the credit crunch and low investor returns on the world stock markets. Yet the people who are sitting on the capital that could be used to fuel a spending boom so as to get the economy going again are doing exactly that ie. sitting on it. On a more local note, I have been looking today at holiday costs (I live in the UK where the weather at present is very poor, unstable and unpredictable) and am surprised (having just returned from Tenerife where there is massive unemployment due to the downturn in construction and tourism)to see that despite the generality of increased consumer concern about the economy, most of the bigger holiday companies are charging an arm and a leg for a basic 14 day bucket-and-spade trip to the sun. No wonder the resorts were 40% down on seasonal trends. So what am I missing here? If I owned airplanes, or hotels, or jetskis, or bars, or restaurants that depended on bums on seats to survive, but which were all sitting idle, you can bet I would cut my costs to rock-bottom to entice the worried customers in and spend what little they dared on giving themselves a bit of fun; and me a decent income. Or is that too simplistic for our esteemed leaders? 92.17.189.128 (talk) 16:32, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

The airlines are badly hurt by fuel prices, and the restaurants by food prices. You can't cut your prices much when your input costs are skyrocketing. -- Coneslayer (talk) 16:57, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Edit conflict: Prices already are rock bottom. You said yourself that fuel costs are soaring. This is not a typical recession. This is a recession combined with surging commodity prices. Your complaint about unemployment exemplifies the problems of a recession (slow economy) and your complaint about trips costing too much exemplifies the problems of rising prices (inflation). If the government tried to spend its way out of the recession we would see even more outrageous inflation - which would just make things worse. The best "solution" is an increase in foreign investment, but with xenophobia ruling America and current account deficits in all of the afflicted countries, that savior is ruled out. You can thank the last decade of decadence for that. Plasticup ^T/C 17:01, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Regarding why people with capital are not investing, if you had a billion dollars of treasury notes, what would you do with it given all this volatility? Btw, the US has passed this act. Zain Ebrahim (talk) 17:19, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

One of the things about capitalist economies is that people get to do what they want with their money. Taking the big picture it may make sense to spend in order to get the economy going again. But looking from the point of view of an individual it doesn't make sense. What happens if you spend lots of money and nobody else does? There is still a recession, but now you don't have any money left.

Incidentally Western governments have not tended to spend their way out of recessions since the days of Thatcher and Reagan. DJ Clayworth (talk) 17:47, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

OK - I accept much of what goes before, but if the future looks so bleak, with no sign of a silver-lining on the edges of the current and looming stormclouds, are we maybe looking at the prospect of another "inspired" war on - now let me see - Iran, to loosen the taps on the oil-wells and also to boost production of US Arms and Munitions? I would have preferred building say a Hoover Dam across the Colorado River but somebody already did that.92.17.189.128 (talk) 18:25, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

How would attacking an oil-producing nation increase oil production? Plasticup ^T/C 18:42, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

That is actually a good idea. I had a similar idea that the U.S.A. can accomplish -- that is to utterly destroy a large oil-consuming nation to decrease global demand. China comes to mind. JeanLatore (talk) 18:49, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

I disagree with your use of the word "accomplish". Zain Ebrahim (talk) 18:52, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

But we've already accomplished so much! Someoneinmyheadbutit'snotme (talk) 19:02, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

I think the UK is still not in a 'technical' recession yet is it? Isn't it 3 months (or quarters?) of negative growth that's required? Anyway the problem with your idea is that the travel companies (and other companies in general) need to ensure they turn a profit. They can sell some units for under 'cost' provided they make an overall profit, but whereas during a positive economic climate it is easier to find people who are less sensitive to price, as the economy turns gloomier people tend to become more price-sensitive. Traditionally we see luxury goods sales drop in these times - holidays are (to many) a luxury that can be forgone. Personally i'm interested in how this economic-climate will affect fair-trade/eco/green sales - are these things going to suffer as people feel the pinch and try to save costs, or will people's desire to help/buy 'ethically' strong enough to survive a gloomy economy when cheaper alternatives are available during a time of need? I'm not sure, but I wouldn't be amazed to see a sizeable slow-down in what has (in the past decade) been a extremely fast growing market. 194.221.133.226 (talk) 08:48, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

I echo the OP's puzzlement. Say there's a travel company with an unsold holiday whose normal sale price is £1,000. At that price, I wouldn't buy it. But if the travel company reduces the price of the holiday to £500, I may well buy it. And yet the point being made by several posters here is that the company would never do such a thing. But why on earth not? If they reduce the price, they make £500. If they don't, they make nothing. Why do they act in such a counterintuitive fashion? --Richardrj ^{talk email} 21:23, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

It may be that the company incur more costs selling that holiday for £500 than never selling it at all. If they don't sell it then maybe they pay nothing to the hotel/airline/other companies, yet if they do sell it they pay fixed-costs to those (as per an agreement) thus sometimes it makes more financial sense to not sell the holiday than to sell it. The risk of not-selling the holiday will be that in the future hotels/airlines/etc. will be more careful about how many seats/rooms/etc. they allocate your firm because they cannot trust your occupancy rates. This could be entirely incorrect but logically a sale isn't automatically better than no sale. I doubt that the tourism industry is seeing a major drop-off in occupancy rates, because I doubt that they will have expected this summer/holiday-season to be as high-volume as the last. Their 'buyers' will surely act on information/research in deciding what expectations to set for their sales during that year (certainly the business I work in takes into account many factors in considering it's expected sales-volumes/growth for the year.) ny156uk (talk) 21:38, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

You meant "...yet if they do sell it they pay Variable costs...", right? Fixed costs are incurred regardless of the sale. Zain Ebrahim (talk) 21:59, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

Yeah sorry, I was thinking fixed more in-terms of that when they fill a room/seat they pay a pre-agree price to the firm (e.g. I'll take 250 nights between July and August in your hotel at a room rate of $10 a room - or something similar) ny156uk (talk) 22:17, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

Pop culture since the mid 1990s

has anyone else noticed that not that much has changed in pop culture, music, fashion etc, (at least for white people) since the mid 1990s? JeanLatore (talk) 18:44, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Nope. My experience has been quite the opposite. Plasticup ^T/C 19:20, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

how so my friend? JeanLatore (talk) 19:26, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

The following were undeniable catalysts for several revolutions in pop culture since the mid 90's, especially for 'white people': Backstreet boys, Pokemon, Britney Spears, Columbine massacre, Google, 9/11, iPod, Paris Hilton, Iraq War, Youtube, Social networking, many new TV shows since the 90's which are too many to be listed by me here, and a million other things that I don't have the time to list here but nevertheless prove to us that pop culture changes in an almost weekly fashion nowadays, and in fact much faster than in any other era of contemporary history. Kreachure (talk) 20:01, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

You left off Wikipedia. Corvus cornix_talk 21:28, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

the macro-differences are miniscule. Compare 1986 with 1996. Then compare 1996 with 2006. Furthermore, most of the songs on "new rock" radio these days are regularly 15 years old. I doubt back in 1985 the "new rock" stations were playing stuff from 1971 still. But that's what we have with Pearl jam, nirvana, stp, smashing pumpkins, etc still all over the new rock radio now. Fashions are pretty similar to the mid 90s, esp. for young women. JeanLatore (talk) 20:15, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

I take that to mean pop-culture is more nostalgic today than it was then, and also as a testament to how good those acts were. If you think the internet hasn't caused a huge change in popular culture, then I don't know what to say to that. You-tube, myspace, iTunes and peer to peer networks have all had enormous impacts on pop-culture. -- Mad031683 (talk) 20:38, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Retro is a significant part of modern pop culture, but it's not the core or the majority of it. Kreachure (talk) 20:41, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

Retro is great, at least I enjoy it. I still play games on my NES and Nintendo 64, listen to 90s music, and I'm wearing a Pokémon t-shirt right now. Useight (talk) 00:55, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

I was just thinking about this. The Simpsons episode "Homer's Barbershop Quartet" aired in 1993 and had all kinds of hilarious 80s references -- Rubic's Cubes, Baby on Board signs, Geraldo Rivera opening Al Capone's vault, etc. There was just so much quintessentially 80s stuff. Recently there was an episode that took place in the mid-90s. It just wasn't that funny, and not just because The Simpsons isn't generally as funny as it used to be. The 90s just weren't all that different in terms of pop culture. Emasculated R&B pop on the radio, Seinfeld on TV, Super Mario games on the Nintendo. Technology has changed greatly since 1995, but not culture. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 01:45, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

(outdent) The online things are the biggest changes over the past few years - social networking, online free media (legal and illegal), instant messaging and pop-forums brought the internet out of Mom and Dad's basement and into the valleygirl's bedroom. In the mid 90s, chatting online was (stereotypically) for slashdot worshippers, tech staff, creepy cybersexers and roleplayers. Now it's for cool people, tweens and OMGLOL! fans. The reason it doesn't seem like so much change is that we've lived through it (and many of us as our forming, teenage or young adult years. It's not so noticable. Steewi (talk) 06:30, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

I find this Youtube video reminds me of how much technology has changed culture in the last decade, but maybe that's just me. 86.141.89.124 (talk) 22:41, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

sleep loss

Is there a link between sleep loss and brain damage or cognative impairment? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.23.66.167 (talk) 23:05, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

I don't think you can get serious brain damage from a lack of sleep, but you do function best by getting right around 8 hours of sleep. Its not good to get much less, and its also not good to get too much sleep. Grango242 (talk) 01:17, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

Ask a doctor. Wikipedia cannot give medical advice 4.158.201.138 (talk) 02:40, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

Who was asking for medical advice? --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 04:03, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

The answer is yes (especially cognitive impairment), and in a big way. Sleep deprivation sums it up pretty well. Kreachure (talk) 22:48, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

July 4

Gold from Mountains

Does ore or gold nuggets come down from a mountain or hillside and end up in the streams or rivers? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.157.147.26 (talk) 00:07, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

Yes. See gold and Wikipedia:Reference_desk/Miscellaneous#Gold_In_Rocks Plasticup ^T/C 00:17, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

So, initially it is embedded in the sides of mountains and hills and then through circumstances it falls away or down the hills into the streams (is that correct?), is that why it is so often found in streams and rivers? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.143.241.13 (talk) 13:14, 5 July 2008 (UTC)

From the UK: Aliens or Hoax ?

From the UK:Aliens or Hoax? Just what is this, real aliens or CGI?65.173.105.131 (talk) 05:46, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

Neither. Your own link explains that these are humans wearing masks. This is a form of advertisement, see viral marketing. --Dr Dima (talk) 06:08, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

Thanks man. Can this be placed in any appropriate articles?65.173.105.131 (talk) 06:15, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

Probably not notable enough for that at the moment. This has already been discussed on the desks, see here. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 08:01, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

getting solution

what are the steps involved in finding a solution in any area?11:31, 4 July 2008 (UTC)59.93.112.77 (talk)

Assuming this isn't asking a stupid question on purpose. The steps involved to finding a solution are a matter of logic: First understand what you want to achieve, second detail what you need to do to achieve that - ideally in a step-by-step process. Try to break things down to their important parts and work on solving each of those in-turn. Obviously to cover all 'solution finding' you must be quite generic but different business-theories exist on solving different problems. 194.221.133.226 (talk) 12:15, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

Wikipedia like Question

I love Wikipedia but I would like to try something new do you have a suggestion on where i can edit freely about just about everything type of encyclopedia? thank you --TheGreenGorilla (talk) 12:51, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

How about an internet forum? Personally, I enjoy giveupalready for a more discussion-based internet experience. Plasticup ^T/C 13:08, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

I think there are alternative Wikipedia-type encyclopedias where you can write about anything (the only example I can come up with is WikiPilipinas). Try searching on Google for similar, non Philippine-centric encyclopedias. --Sky Harbor ^(talk) 13:19, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

sky i found zilch sorry but thanks --TheGreenGorilla (talk) 13:35, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

Maybe you are looking for Encyclopedia Dramatica? I am not sure what type of thing you are looking for. Plasticup ^T/C 13:42, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

Uncyclopedia [24] welcomes people to edit the hell out of articles with humor being the goal, as well as being a "giant mass of misinformation." There you can add nonfacts to articles such as Uncyclopedia's Thomas Edison article [25], to supplement the present nonfacts such as that his first invention, when he emerged from the womb in 1147 was a steam powered rattle, or that Edison's electric distribution system lost out to Tesla's alternating current system because Edison had "Electricity men" deliver batteries door to door each morning, or that he invented the electric chair to treat hemorrhoids. Edison (talk) 15:15, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

There is also everything2. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 18:40, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

And H2G2. 86.141.89.124 (talk) 22:34, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

Wikia is what you're looking for, it hosts wikis on just about evrything, most of them don't have as stringent writing policies as us.--Serviam (talk) 12:41, 5 July 2008 (UTC)

Or get yourself some free web space and write whatever you like. It's what the world wide web is for, after all. -Hence Piano (talk) 14:06, 5 July 2008 (UTC)

What is eye salt?

I have wondered this for years and never found an answer. Anybody here know? Thank you. --Freiberg, Let's talk!, contribs 14:53, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

The Plica semilunaris of the conjunctiva located on the inner corner of the eye produces Rheum, also known as as "matter," "sleep," "crusties" or "eye boogers" according to Discoverymagazine.com [26]. It has the function of keeping grit out of the eye so it does not irritate the cornea or sclera. It is a combination of mucus , tears , dead skin cells from the eyelids, leaked blood cells, and dust from the environment. Edison (talk) 15:01, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

Never put salt in your eye...never put salt in your eye...PUT SALT IN YOUR EYE. Adam Bishop (talk) 04:53, 5 July 2008 (UTC)

Roasted chicken

You can buy roasted chickens in a plastic pouch which arent cut up in supermarkets these days. What I was hoping someone could tell me is that if it is safe to buy the roasted chicken, keep it in the kitchen then re-heat it in the oven when I need it warm again? Thanks, 86.145.104.228 (talk) 15:21, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

Does "in the kitchen" mean "in the refrigerator"? If so, I'm sure it will be fine. Plasticup ^T/C 15:44, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

No because you need to let the chicken cool before putting it in the refrigerator. 86.145.104.228 (talk) 15:50, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

Well, yeah, but it's certainly safe to buy the hot roasted chicken today, let it cool down, then put it in the refrigerator and then re-heat it and eat it, say, tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. Of course, you don't want to leave it lying around in the kitchen unrefrigerated any longer than you have to, but it's really no different from any other type of leftovers, and I would expect it to stay edible just as long as any other type of chicken dish as long as proper refrigeration is maintained. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 17:17, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

To be honest the more often you re-heat/cool the product the more likely it is to go off/food poisoning/etc. However that all depends on the conditions in your kitchen, AND how it was when you bought it..

Personally though I have no issues buying that pre-cooked chicken you described (the type that is found in the fridge section, not the sort that is still hot when you buy it), and re-heating it in a microwave or oven. 87.102.86.73 (talk) 18:45, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

I would tend to keep it in the fridge, and eat it fairly rapidly though.87.102.86.73 (talk) 18:46, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

I think the confusion about re-heating chicken (and other fowl) (once cooked) is more widespread than might be imagined. The problem is that many chickens, when slaughtered, carry a strain of salmonella poisoning, which, when heated to the recommended levels, for the recommended duration, is killed off; hence, salmonella-free cooked chicken (or fowl), and unless the carcase is re-connected with another source of salmonella poisoning, it is perfectly safe to eat, either immediately, or soon thereafter, whether cool, or hot after re-heating. So yes, you may safely put it into the fridge for a day or two, so long as it is kept away from any other cooked or raw meats, or eggs for that matter, after which it may be re-heated whole, or in slices, or in chunks for say a casserole type dish. And clearly, given that it should already be salmonella-free, and further given that it will be re-heated to a temperature that will be hot enough, for long enough, to provide a tasty and nourishing hot meal, it will still be perfectly safe to eat. But will my wife believe me? No chance. If it isn't eaten the same day as purchsed, it goes in the trash can.92.16.245.183 (talk) 19:37, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

The tricky part is in the "free" part of salmonella free. Obviously, it's possible to completely kill off the bacteria, but I don't know if it's a good idea to assume that they're all dead, when it could be that the bacterial load has simply been reduced to the point where there's not likely to be infection - if eaten while still hot. A single germ of something is not going to make anyone but the immuno-compromised sick, so it's perfectly safe to eat, but left at the wrong temperatures (which will happen during repeated cooling and heating cycles) that single bacterium could multiple to dangerous levels without coming into contact with anything else. I'm okay with cooling store-cooked poultry and re-heating the next day, but I wouldn't do the trick more than once or for more than one day; those conveniently warm birds are usually the leftover whole raw chickens nobody bought on the shelf the week before. Matt Deres (talk) 20:19, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

Dog breeding = animal cruelty?

Are there any notable groups that oppose the practice of purebreeding dogs altogether, contending that selectively breeding animals into (what are, in my mind) grotesque shapes and sizes results in genetic defects and serious health problems for these poor animals? I am the only one who views this practice as cruel? (I'm not looking to start a debate/diatribe--I am merely wondering if there any known organizations who share this view). Please also note that I'm not interested in the distinction between "responsible," licensed breeders and the shadier, puppy mill sort--I am talking about moral and philosophical opposition to purebreeding in general.--The Fat Man Who Never Came Back (talk) 17:39, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

If it's philosophy you want then I'm sure Peter Singer is opposed to the practice. You could see what the RSPCA in the UK has to say about it, but I doubt that they have denounced purebreeding per se. Itsmejudith (talk) 17:46, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

There certainly are see Dog_breeding#Criticism and Dog_breeding#Genetic_defects as well as the linked http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,163404,00.html

Biologically, this is just asking for trouble. For one thing, the characteristics judges and clubs have decreed to be gorgeous can themselves be bad for the animals' health -- huge heads on bulldogs that make it difficult for them to be born naturally, for example, or the wrinkled skin on Shar-Peis that sets them up for rashes. For another, the best way to produce a puppy with a specific look is to mate two dogs who have that same look. As with any species, though, the closest resemblances are found among the closest relatives. So breeders often resort to inbreeding, the mating of brothers and sisters or fathers and daughters. Or they "line-breed," having grandparents mate with grandchildren or cousins with each other. "If we did that in humans," says Mark Derr, who wrote a scathing indictment of America's dog culture for the March 1990 Atlantic Monthly, "we'd call it incest."

suggest you read it all, obviously it doesn't take a genius to come to the conclusion that "there are moral questions arising from a practice that increases an animals pre-disposition to genetically inherited diseases"..

'Notable groups' certainly includeds 'many vets', Search for "anti pedigree" for more details. eg http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/real_story/3797783.stm

If you were looking for an organisation set up to oppose this I'm afraid I can't find one, maybe here would be a good place to start http://www.naiaonline.org/articles/archives/nobred.htm

I think it's more general to use the less condemming tone of 'let's not make pedigree our only concern and thus show some restraint in breeding for the general welfare of the offspring'

Personall I adore Dachshunds but I wouldn't encourage it..(they suffer from spinal problems Dachshund#Health) 87.102.86.73 (talk) 17:58, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

Most animal rights (as opposed to animal welfare) groups are against breeding dogs for human enjoyment or use in principle. This includes groups such as Animal Aid. However, in practice they tend to promote a more pragmatic view and focus their attention of issues of cruelty and abuse, largely because much of their human resources come from people that "love animals" and hence tend to keep them as pets. As any successful organization knows, it doesn't pay to piss off your patrons. Most of these groups do advise, if people wish to have a dog, to take a mixed breed rescue dog from a pound.

There are people that maintain a strict abolitionism philosophy, though, such as Gary L. Francione and Roger Yates. These guys are totally against any human exploitation of animals as pets and spend as much time criticizing other animal rights groups for take a "new welfarist" approach as they do promoting their own ideas. I don't believe there is a well organized group mainstream that has formed their ideas yet, though. Note however, that it isn't the issue of pure-bred vs nonpure-bred that they are working on, its more one of any pet ownership. Rockpocket 18:54, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

Bribery

Do abrahamic religions forbid bribery? 89.146.76.39 (talk) 17:59, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

Yes. Exodus 23:8. --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 19:12, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

But what of indulgences? Could they not have been construed as bribes? The church certainly accepted them for a long time!

Atlant (talk) 21:26, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

Indeed, and some others thought so too , see Indulgence#Protestant_Reformation

The false doctrine and scandalous conduct of the "pardoners" were an immediate occasion of the Protestant Reformation. In 1517, Pope Leo X offered indulgences for those who gave alms to rebuild St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. The aggressive marketing practices of Johann Tetzel in promoting this cause provoked Martin Luther to write his Ninety-Five Theses, protesting against what he saw as the purchase and sale of salvation. In Thesis 28 Luther objected to a saying attributed to Tetzel: "As soon as a coin in the coffer rings, a soul from purgatory springs"

87.102.86.73 (talk) 21:32, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

MIscapped FAcebook PRofile

I just registered for a Facebook profile, and accidentally capped the first two letters of my last name. Is there a way to fix this? --Ye Olde Luke (talk) 21:55, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

There is here. It looks like you will have to make a request, and Facebook will have to review it.--omnipotence407 (talk) 22:36, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

That did it. Thanks! --Ye Olde Luke (talk) 23:37, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

Calling a whole computer a CPU

How did that start? 67.169.56.232 (talk) 22:27, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

See Synecdoche. It's a pretty standard device. Consider also "screen" for "monitor". Matt Deres (talk) 00:33, 5 July 2008 (UTC)

Not to be confused with Schenectady.--The Fat Man Who Never Came Back (talk) 02:56, 5 July 2008 (UTC)

Hardy har har. —Keenan Pepper 05:43, 5 July 2008 (UTC)

July 5

Foreign Aid

Which countries do not receive foreign Aid? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Dwestgate (talk • contribs) 00:45, 5 July 2008 (UTC)

Do you mean foreign aid from a specific country, or from any country? Over what time period? I am sure that every country in the world has accepted aid from another country at some point in its history. Plasticup ^T/C 03:42, 5 July 2008 (UTC)

What kind of foreign aid? Developmental aid, disaster aid, food aid, military aid? The U.S. received disaster aid in the form of search and rescue teams, etc, during Hurricane Katrina a few years ago. Would that count? The U.S. provided a military presence in Iceland from 1941-2006. Would that count? Rmhermen (talk) 13:35, 5 July 2008 (UTC)

I think we can safely say that countries that don't exist anymore no longer recieve foreign aid. --Ye Olde Luke (talk) 16:47, 5 July 2008 (UTC)

NCHS Life Tables

I'm sorry, currently? I'm curious because in my research I want to compare it to national debt. Economic Aid.—Preceding unsigned comment added by Dwestgate (talk • contribs) 05:07, 5 July 2008 (UTC)

When are there no tables past 2004? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Wikindeling (talk • contribs) 04:32, 5 July 2008 (UTC)

I accidentally delete a friend on YouTube and I added the user back

I accidentally delete a friend on YouTube. I was rushing and thinking about the OU (kosher). I accidentally click the "Remove Friend" buttin and I addedthe user again. I'm afraid the user will reject (denied) me. What should I do? Should I pray for the user to add me again? Jet (talk) 04:46, 5 July 2008 (UTC)

Well if they are your friend why not call/speak/email/text them and explain this. I'm sure anyone who is a friend wouldn't consider this anything more than a little odd - it's hardly like it takes effort on their behalf. ny156uk (talk) 07:53, 5 July 2008 (UTC)

If I may be so bold, I feel our friend Jet is a member of the well known and well loved Reference Desk band of trolls. See Wikipedia:Reference_desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2008 January 1#How to be a YouTuber's friend when s/he denied me to be her/his friend on YouTube? for a similarly silly question. These sorts of questions amuse me, but I doubt other Reference Desk regulars appreciate them.--The Fat Man Who Never Came Back (talk) 17:59, 5 July 2008 (UTC)

Couldn't get a answer on Humanities or Entertainment

Is 大戲, or Cantonese opera, in A flat Major?68.148.164.166 (talk) 06:06, 5 July 2008 (UTC)

child development

 pyshical,social and cognitive aspects of growth of a child aged between 2-3yrs

——— —Preceding unsigned comment added by 41.220.225.10 (talk) 08:22, 5 July 2008 (UTC)

Yes, they definitely all exist. That is, if you mean "physical". I'd suggest you have a look at some of Wikipedia's articles on the subject, such as child development. Either that or actually ask a question. Grutness...wha? 09:01, 5 July 2008 (UTC)

Garden Party Games

We are organising a traditional English garden party and would appreciate suggestions for activities suitable for adults. Along the lines of: guess the weight of the cake; how many sweets in a jar; what is the time on a watch sealed in a package. In each case the winner takes the item as a prize. Thanks in advance for the (hoped for) avalanche.86.209.28.131 (talk) 14:59, 5 July 2008 (UTC)DT

Instead of "guess the weight of the cake", why not have "guess the weight of the hostess"? (Prize: the hostess). Or maybe you don't want to go down that road. ;) You could try pass-the-parcel (prize: whatever's in the parcel), or croquet (prize: the croquet set, though it might not be easy to get hold of in the Paris area). Also, here's a link to games played at Butlin's in the past.--87.252.35.195 (talk) 18:29, 5 July 2008 (UTC)

If you play at garden parties, you might want to consider this article.

Atlant (talk) 21:03, 5 July 2008 (UTC)

How much money will a music artist typically make off an album?

For example, 50 Cent's Get Rich or Die Tryin' sold 12 million units worldwide, and is $9.99 on iTunes. How much money out of that $120million (if its the same price everywhere) does 50 actually see? How much does a music artist typically make from the sale of an album? Thanks. 70.105.164.43 (talk) 15:11, 5 July 2008 (UTC)

Well, first of all, whatever 50 Cent makes off an album of his, it's probably not going to be what a typical artist makes from an album. There are a number of reasons for this, the chief among them being that 50 Cent is not a typical artist; he is -- at least in terms of popularity -- an exceptional one. Secondly, much of the sales took place outside of iTunes, and a new album in the stores tends to cost more than $9.99. It's also possible that the royalties are different for an online sale than they are for a store sale. Thirdly, to (kind of) answer your actual question: I don't know exactly how the royalties for sales work out for artists, but of course the idea is that the artist gets a percentage of the sales. However, there are a lot of factors that affect this.

Naturally, the percentage varies depending on how good a deal you've got (50 Cent presumably has a pretty good deal, at least these days, as he's a very popular artist and therefore has obvious leverage in negotiations), but in addition to that, the actual performer isn't the only one getting a cut of the profits. Usually, the person who wrote the song also gets one, and so does the producer, and as it's not uncommon for there to be numerous song writers or performers on a CD, things can get a little complicated, with lots of people getting little slices of the profit. So a big factor in this is how much of the actual creative work the artist is doing himself. I wish I could provide you with some typical numbers here, but, well, I can't; I tried to look things up, but couldn't find anything definite.

Also, bear in mind that a successful album also spans singles and music videos, which can be a pretty significant source of income, and all sorts of merchandising, which tends to bring in a lot of money for successful artists. These things go beyond the scope of your question, but you may want to take them into consideration anyway. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 19:52, 5 July 2008 (UTC)

Flashes from Zen Vision W

The flashes from my Zen Vision W, which I told you about earlier, are real, not my imagination. I've just seen one while looking directly at the device. The screen flashed a solid light gray for about a tenth of a second, while the device was turned off. What is the cause of this? JIP | Talk 17:33, 5 July 2008 (UTC)

Weekly Universe

Is there a article on the article Weekly Universe?65.173.105.131 (talk) 19:24, 5 July 2008 (UTC)

Well, if you searched for "Weekly Universe" and came up with nothing, I guess not; if it's of enough notoriety to be included in wikipedia (in other words, something enough people would find noteworthy, etc.) then cretae one.209.244.187.155 (talk) 19:54, 5 July 2008 (UTC)

ferdinand maximillion, i have one of his walking sticks.

hi there, im new to your site and found lots of information on maximillion, my quistion is i have one of his walking sticks do you know who would be interrested in it, ie a musume. if you can help please let me know many thanks. terri —Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.9.201.125 (talk) 19:26, 5 July 2008 (UTC)

Women bodypainted topless

Why do so many female body painting models (not all of them though) go topless while being painted? The idea is to present the most of one's body to be painted, not necessarily all of it. They're already wearing panties while painted, surely a thin top covering just enough of the breasts to be decent wouldn't hurt the effect that much? JIP | Talk 19:52, 5 July 2008 (UTC)

• Killjoy. --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 20:55, 5 July 2008 (UTC)

You may be missing the point, which is simply that body painting is about painting the body, not tops -- small or otherwise. Whether that's a reasonable distinction or not can be argued, of course, but then you might just as well ask why some people want to play specifically a Fender Stratocaster rather than, say, a Gibson Les Paul, even though you can play the same songs on just about any guitar: the answer is simply that the end result or the process itself is different, and details tend to matter quite a bit in art. Also -- I know I'm stating the obvious here, but anyway -- people like titties, and a lot of people like showing their titties, either for fun, for art, or for money, or all three. That's by no means a factor in all cases of topless body painting, but it's certainly one in a lot of it, especially when done for commercial purposes. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 21:18, 5 July 2008 (UTC)

The Captain speaks the truth. Also, in some cases there's an artistic point to be made about the nature of the naked human body. I've seen several body-paintings that look just like clothes if you don't look closely (and then suddenly, it's like, "Hey, an aureola!"). This gives the artist a way to comment on nakedness and the clothedness. Mostly, though, it's about the honkers.--Oskar 22:36, 5 July 2008 (UTC)

Visiting U S need to buy oxygen Maryland area. Resident of British Columbia

I'm hoping to visit my great niece for four days July 31 to Aug. 3. I'm 91 and use oxygen therefore can only go if I can buy the commodity and have it delivered I will of course get a doctor's prescription, if in the event I can't buy it then I shall have to cancel air and accommodation and probably never see her again.. I would deem it a favour to be advised of the cost, thank you in advance. C. Baker —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.69.101.26 (talk) 21:31, 5 July 2008 (UTC)

There appear to be a number of firms providing home care medical equipment including oxygen. Here is a contact for a company which serves Maryland, having a medical branch in Linthicum Heights, MD 21090 (sorry, I am European and know nothing about the state).

I hope a local USian across the pond can advise you on the cost. A Californian supplier charges around USD 60, but this clearly depends on the volume. I hope you will enjoy your visit with your grand niece. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 22:34, 5 July 2008 (UTC)

Come on, oil don't come in "barrels" anymore, do they?

Why do people measure oil prize in barrels? It makes no sense to me, oil hasn't come in barrels since like the There Will Be Blood times, has it? I mean, you get it out of the ground, into a pipeline, into a tanker, then to a refinery, from there to tank car and finally to a gas station. I probably got that chain wrong, but the point is: at no point in the chain is the oil in a barrel, right? So why are people reporting "Oil hit $100 a barrel!" instead of reporting "Oil hit 85 cents a liter"! (or, if you're a silly American, "Oil hit $3.22 a gallon!")? I realize that it's a tradition, but it's not like we prize the cost of wheat in sheafs. --Oskar 22:31, 5 July 2008 (UTC)