User talk:APK

How you durrin?

I will reply on this page unless you request otherwise
Please watch this page if you comment
If I leave a comment on your page, I will watch it for a response
This talk page is best viewed with Mozilla Firefox

bored? click here

old school

APK loves equestrians

beauty in the district

Contents

Another thanks

Thanks for reporting the abusive vandal. LadyofShalott 03:16, 29 May 2009 (UTC)

No problemo. ;-) APK lives in a very, very Mad World 04:24, 29 May 2009 (UTC)

To anyone who has my talk page watchlisted...

...I have two questions. (No one has responded at the HD, so I'll copy & paste here.)

1. What is the link for cross-checking the edit history of two users? I've seen it before, but have never used it.

1. I'm fairly sure a BLP is being controlled by one editor (possibly close to the subject) operating at least three accounts. Is there anywhere I can ask for an outside opinion, or is WP:SSP the only place?

APK lives in a very, very Mad World 16:09, 30 May 2009 (UTC)

1. http://toolserver.org/~bjweeks/cgi-bin/wikistalk.py, though there are others (some require keys, though).
2. E-mail (or leave a note on the talk page of) someone who is actively involved in sockpuppet investigations for a second opinion. Tiptoety comes to mind, off-hand, though there are certainly others who are also pretty good at detecting account misuse / abuse.

Isn't it beautiful outside? What are you doing sock-hunting? --MZMcBride (talk) 16:30, 30 May 2009 (UTC)

Mucho grassy ass. I'm not usually a hunter, but somethin' really fishy is goin' on with this article. I don't do fish. APK lives in a very, very Mad World 16:43, 30 May 2009 (UTC)

Care to say what the article is? LadyofShalott 16:45, 30 May 2009 (UTC)

(ec)P.S. Yes, it is beautiful. The District of Columbia Flood of 2009 may be over at last! To me Lady, Bob Wood (author). APK lives in a very, very Mad World 16:47, 30 May 2009 (UTC)

Wow. LadyofShalott 16:59, 30 May 2009 (UTC)

85 categories....and check out the turfing at WhatLinksHere. Wow is right. Maralia (talk) 17:15, 30 May 2009 (UTC)

Have cleaned up some turfing at Bògòlanfini, Tam (cap), WESCO oil, and Bill Huizenga. The remaining links elsewhere seem at least arguably helpful. Maralia (talk) 17:33, 30 May 2009 (UTC)

I've done some culling of the categories. More need to be removed. LadyofShalott 17:38, 30 May 2009 (UTC)

Oh, wow. I was gallivanting around the District this afternoon. Thanks for the assistance. Do y'all think I should open a SSP case? (look here) APK lives in a very, very Mad World 22:19, 30 May 2009 (UTC)

I started one. Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/OddibeKerfeld APK lives in a very, very Mad World 00:06, 31 May 2009 (UTC)

That was fruitful: Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/OddibeKerfeld/Archive. LadyofShalott 03:26, 31 May 2009 (UTC)

Alaska Governor's Mansion picture

First, let me say I'm sorry about the use of the picture on the mansion article: I wasn't paying attention.

As to the rest — it's on Commons, rather than local, and Finavon is always going around cropping these images that need to be cropped, so it won't be long until it's cropped. I deleted because it's substantially the same and will soon be identical. Nyttend (talk) 15:04, 31 May 2009 (UTC)

I'm sorry my message sounded bitchy. It's that time of the month. APK lives in a very, very Mad World 13:52, 1 June 2009 (UTC)

And as well, I wasn't doing like I should have, so you had some reason to be annoyed. Nyttend (talk) 14:47, 1 June 2009 (UTC)

Totally irrelevant to the governor's mansion...

Just a quick question — I was confused by agnostic theism: do you mean that you believe in God, but not sure that he exists? Not trying to evangelise or anything; just rather confused, and would like it if you could sum it up in a few words. Nyttend (talk) 14:53, 1 June 2009 (UTC)

Agnostics believe God may or may not exist. I believe God exists, but that there is no way to prove it. Like evolution, it's a matter of faith.

Christians cite the Bible as proof of his existence, but that's circular reasoning. If a Wikipedia article about Joe Blow was using his own book/website as proof of his notability, we would consider it WP:SPS.

I believe the Bible was written by man, as opposed to God writing it through man. The book contains many analogies which we can use to better ourselves, but it also condones genocide (Numbers 31:1-18), rape (2 Samuel 12:11-12), sex slavery (Judges 21:11-12), human sacrifice (Numbers 31:40), cruel and collective punishment (2 Kings 2:23-24, Joshua 7:1-26), etc..

I'm not an atheist for two reasons: 1) the human body, nature, the solar system, etc. are far too complicated to be the result of a "big bang" or some random accident 2) I don't think we cease to exist after we die.

Do you understand my reasoning? APK lives in a very, very Mad World 17:39, 1 June 2009 (UTC)

And on the other end: Pragmatic agnosticism: Apathetic agnosticism (also called pragmatic agnosticism)—the view that thousands of years of debate has neither proven, nor dis-proven, the existence of one or more deities (gods). This view concludes that even if one or more deities exist, they do not appear to be concerned about the fate of humans. Therefore, their existence has little impact on humanity and should be of little interest. - ALLST✰R▼^echo _{wuz here @} 17:49, 1 June 2009 (UTC)

Yes, I understand your reasoning — thanks for explaining. Nyttend (talk) 19:55, 1 June 2009 (UTC)

I think of the issue as a separation between knowledge and belief. Gnosis refers to knowledge; I am an agnostic because I don't know if any god(s) exist(s). I am an atheist because I don't believe in the existence of any deities. LadyofShalott 20:05, 1 June 2009 (UTC)

(ec)Okay, cool. I told my mom that since I "got saved" at the age of six, she doesn't have to worry about the soul of her heathen child (thanks to eternal security). It seemed to comfort her. APK lives in a very, very Mad World 20:08, 1 June 2009 (UTC)

DC Meetup

Hey APK. Are you planning on going to the next DC meetup? I can't think of anything more awful tho than TGI Fridays in Foggy Bottom. Would much rather drink my dinner instead. Best, epicAdam^(talk) 22:15, 1 June 2009 (UTC)

Howdy. I think so, but a friend wants me to spend the weekend in the Inner Harbor. Are you planning to attend? I've never been to the TGI in Faggy Bottom. Do the tourists eat there? I've grown tired of people visiting from BFE, Arkansas staring me down as they ride around the Circle. APK lives in a very, very Mad World 23:11, 1 June 2009 (UTC)

Not stalking of course, but thought I'd give you a heads up: Foggy Bottom TGI is the worst one in the world (yes, I've been to every one of them). Went to GW and not once did my experience last less than 2 hours and with a completely incompetent waiter/waitress. Oh, and drinks come very slowly and one at a time... :-( wadester16 23:24, 1 June 2009 (UTC)

Yikes. That almost makes the craptastic waitstaff at Afterwords sound competent. APK lives in a very, very Mad World 23:53, 1 June 2009 (UTC)

Hey. Yeah, Bertucci's may be better. I think I may go--interesting to meet up with the DC folks; though, would much prefer if you were there... if only because you're around my age! --epicAdam^(talk) 03:28, 2 June 2009 (UTC)

It got moved from Friday's to Bertucci's. --MZMcBride (talk) 02:56, 2 June 2009 (UTC)

(butting in) Looks like I'm not going to be able to make this one after all. A friend who moved to Germany last year is back in town, but working during the week, so I won't get to see her until a party on Saturday night. Bummed that I'm going to miss meeting you again. I even got my hair did on Saturday :( Maralia (talk) 03:51, 2 June 2009 (UTC)

"butting in" - That's what he said. (drumroll) On a related note, this makes me happy.

You got your hair did? Ooooo gurl, I got my toenails did and a cute outfit from the DressBarn. The clearance rack at 17th & K was callin my name. APK lives in a very, very Mad World 12:16, 2 June 2009 (UTC)

Are you sure it was the clearance rack calling your name? I could've sworn you got that latest getup from the leather rack... -epicAdam^(talk) 12:37, 2 June 2009 (UTC)

You mean the leather chaps and harness I wore at MAL? Those were on clearance, but it was only because they were used and had a distinct popper smell. I was actually thinking about wearing the harness over my new dress. I'm sooooo on my way to becoming a fashion icon. Eat your heart out, Gaga. APK lives in a very, very Mad World 14:55, 2 June 2009 (UTC)

I'm really surprised you don't have your own fan club. Though, being an APK and all, I'd think you'd be more like Katy Perry... -epicAdam^(talk) 17:44, 2 June 2009 (UTC)

Location change (and reservations made) for DC meetup

We originally considered TGI Friday's in Foggy Bottom as the meetup location, however I stopped by TGI Friday's this evening to make reservations. I was less than impressed, which is consistent with the comments above. The staff was not so helpful, and the menu has hardly anything vegetarian which is an issue for some people. And, they apparently don't take reservations, except perhaps if you call 24 hours ahead of time.

So, I checked out the Bertucci's pizza/Italian place across the street (21st & I St NW). Their staff couldn't have been more helpful, think it will be fairly quiet so we will be able to hear each other, and is a suitable place for us (e.g suitable for Wikipedians under-21, accessible for the disabled, not too noisy, etc.). So, reservations are made for Bertucci's at 5pm on Saturday. I hope you can make it to the meetup. --Aude (talk) 02:57, 2 June 2009 (UTC)

That block has its own article. My fellow WikiProject NRHP members will like that. APK lives in a very, very Mad World 12:16, 2 June 2009 (UTC)

Bertucci's: much better selection. And the block has its own article because GW spent our tuition dollars on a mall one year rather than-you know-programming, academics, and the like. Though I'm not resentmentful at all! Although..... to their credit, it is a very cool buidling. wadester16 13:08, 2 June 2009 (UTC)

D.C. Meetup, Saturday, June 6, 2009

The 7th DC Meetup dinner will be held this Saturday, June 6th, starting at 5 p.m. The event will be at Bertucci's, near George Washington University and the Foggy Bottom metro station. It will follow the Apps for Democracy open source event at GWU. For details or to RSVP if you haven't already, see Wikipedia:Meetup/DC 7. (You have received this announcement because your user page indicates that you live in Maryland, Virginia, or DC.)
Delivered by The Helpful Bot at 19:34, 2 June 2009 (UTC) to report errors, please leave a note here.

Greetings from Estonia

Howdy! I was browsing through some profiles of Wikipedians - while trying to re-categorise my own profile - and stumbled upon your profile in the LGBT Wikipedians category. I was intrigued by the username and then I was surprised in a very positive way to find out that we seem to share a lot in common - from interests and sexual orientation to political worldview. As this does not happen very often I just could not resist the temptation to drop you a message and say that I would be very much interested in further interaction/communication as well as perhaps in co-operation here in Wikipedia. I do spend most of my time working on Estonian version but if something - or someone - motivates me to be more active in the English language version, I am happy to help and contribute.

If you think you would be interested in an overseas colleague / acquaintance, feel free to drop me a line or two at sevsuv(at)gmail.com. Thanks for your time and attention! -- Sacerdos79 (talk) 15:49, 5 June 2009 (UTC)

Thanks for the note. If you'd like to work on the Embassy of Estonia in Washington, D.C. article with me, that would be nice. 8-) It's a topic that would probably be of interest to both of us. APK lives in a very, very Mad World 17:19, 5 June 2009 (UTC)

(random side note) While researching the embassy's history, I found an old Washington Post article that connects the building with Augustus Saint-Gaudens. A marble bust named Freddie had been discovered and was on display at the Landon School. Sadly, no one knows where Freddie is now. APK lives in a very, very Mad World 17:45, 5 June 2009 (UTC)

FPC

Considering the quality of images you take, and the interest in the medium, I'm surprised you don't take part in featured picture candidates. I've learned a lot about photography there and have even gotten a couple FPs out of it. Any interest? wadester16 18:40, 5 June 2009 (UTC)

Well, the two experiences I've had with FPC weren't that great. I was on a WikiBreak and unaware of the US Capitol nomination. I wouldn't have submitted the image to FPC. APK lives in a very, very Mad World 19:16, 5 June 2009 (UTC)

Didn't mean to tear you apart there. :-) But yea, it takes more than a pocket digi camera to make FP, but the photography you do see leads to inspiration and the drive to do better. Taking part also teaches you about the technicals. (Admittedly we're in need of some !voting bodies as well). Your choice; I just thought you'd be good for it and enjoy it. wadester16 21:31, 5 June 2009 (UTC)

Stop

Stop removing my edits on the mariska hargitay page... have you nothing better to do than to go around deleteing people's edits? You will be reported if it happens again. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 173.171.45.33 (talk) 19:53, 7 June 2009 (UTC)

173.x.x.x warned about 3RR and sourcing from IMDB. As far as I'm concerned, this is a BLP issue and reverts of this editor's inappropriate sourcing are exempt from 3RR. Acroterion _(talk) 20:18, 7 June 2009 (UTC)

I believe the editor has removed the IMDB ref, which duplicated another ref (whose validity I haven't checked). You should probably avoid reverts on this article apart from obvious BLP violations. Acroterion _(talk) 00:17, 8 June 2009 (UTC)

there is another IMDB cited artifact on the same EXACT page, so don't spew that crap at me... i don't want to hear it. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 173.171.45.33 (talk) 20:35, 7 June 2009 (UTC)

If IMDB is being used to source anything on the article, that should also be removed. IMDB is not acceptable as a source. LadyofShalott 03:40, 8 June 2009 (UTC)

To the IP - That's why I was reverting; IMDb can't be used on BLPs and I told you that several times. Notice that I didn't revert when you added more sources? That was someone else. So take a chill pill. APK lives in a very, very Mad World 03:44, 8 June 2009 (UTC)

OMG

He does: User:James von Brunn, not surprisingly. I found it when I did a spot-check of his name on Google today. --User:AlbertHerring ^{Io son l'orecchio e tu la bocca: parla!} 19:42, 10 June 2009 (UTC)

o-m-g. I added it to the article, right after I picked my jaw up off the floor. APK lives in a very, very Mad World 19:43, 10 June 2009 (UTC)

Look. APK lives in a very, very Mad World 19:45, 10 June 2009 (UTC)

Never mind, it's been oversighted. But not before I took a screen shot of it. APK lives in a very, very Mad World 19:46, 10 June 2009 (UTC)

I saw it before it was closed. Charming fellow, no? Methinks he left when he discovered we wouldn't let him get away with spewing his venom around here. --User:AlbertHerring ^{Io son l'orecchio e tu la bocca: parla!} 20:01, 10 June 2009 (UTC)

Care to upload the screenshot? This is extremely interesting. wadester16 20:08, 10 June 2009 (UTC)

Will someone delete it/Is that against WP policy to upload an oversighted page? APK lives in a very, very Mad World 20:13, 10 June 2009 (UTC)

Upload it Wikipedia (not commons) under GFDL, cropping anything out that gives away your operating system or browser. All Wikipedia material is explicitly licensed under GFDL, whether deleted or not. If anyone gives you a problem, blame me. wadester16 20:21, 10 June 2009 (UTC)

Looks like the user page has been restored (for now). Someone keeps removing the fact he had a WP account. APK lives in a very, very Mad World 20:40, 10 June 2009 (UTC)

I asked for temporary semi-protection, but User:Stifle said no...right before he nominated it for deletion. Coincidence? If there's anyone watching my page that doesn't have an agenda, can you protect the article for 24 hrs? APK lives in a very, very Mad World 21:27, 10 June 2009 (UTC)

Only just got back to my computer. Doesn't look like it really needs protection; few reverts, really. But let me know if you think it's warranted in the future and I'll give it a serious consider. wadester16 02:07, 11 June 2009 (UTC)

Not to be ghoulish, but do you want to try for a picture of the museum today, O DC photo-maven, to illustrate the article? I work just around the corner; I can try and pop out on my lunch break, or right after work, to get one. Think it would be of some value? --User:AlbertHerring ^{Io son l'orecchio e tu la bocca: parla!} 13:53, 11 June 2009 (UTC)

I have a few pix (not very good ones) from last year, but it would help to have a wider view of the surrounding area. BTW, today's WaPo has a lot of good info that can be used. APK lives in a very, very Mad World 14:01, 11 June 2009 (UTC)

YES! I was just about to ask the same thing. The current photo of the place is terrible, and doesn't even show the actual architectural characteristics of the building (it shows that red brick building on Independence as much as it does the museum). I would suggest getting a straight-on shot of both sides from across their respective streets. Not sure what the weather's like in DC today, but if it's not the great, I'd say wait until it's a sunny day. Blue skies make all the difference in a landscape shot. wadester16 14:06, 11 June 2009 (UTC)

Unfortunatly, Flickr doesn't have much of a selection of free images of the place. wadester16 14:10, 11 June 2009 (UTC)

Well, my point about today is simply that it's closed in honor of the guard who was shot, so if I got a photograph for the infobox it could be captioned "View of the museum the day after the shooting" or some such. Sure, on a sunny day I can try for better general views. (Besides which, the chance to finally trump the great APK at getting a DC-specific shot is awfully tempting...I swear, every time I photograph something and think I should put it in an article, I find that you've done a superior job. :-) ) --User:AlbertHerring ^{Io son l'orecchio e tu la bocca: parla!} 14:16, 11 June 2009 (UTC)

Thanks for the compliment. (sends AlbertHerring $20 through PayPal) ;-) If you can get a pic today, that would be great. I can't go over there until late this afternoon. In the "reaction" section, should we add statements made by Obama, the Israeli embassy, ADL, and CAIR? Also, this might be relevant: "Police said they found a notebook in the suspect's possession that apparently contained a list of District locations, including Washington National Cathedral. Police bomb squads were sent to at least 10 sites to investigate. Security was also stepped up at Jewish schools, synagogues and community centers in both the city and the suburbs, as a precaution against the possibility of copy-cat attacks, officials said. Law enforcement authorities stressed that they believe Von Brunn acted alone, and said they did not have any evidence that other sites were at risk." APK lives in a very, very Mad World 14:24, 11 June 2009 (UTC)

OK - I'll shoot (sorry) for sometime this afternoon. Not sure about my lunch break, because I also have to eat at some point. But I might have enough of an afternoon break to manage. Worst comes to worst I'll try and swing by on my way home this evening - I leave early enough that it should still be light.

As to the reactions and the notebook, I think both are certainly valid to be included in the article. Especially since this isn't your run-of-the-mill everyday DC shooting.

Oh...and you're quite welcome to the compliment. It's always nice to see folks doing good work for DC on here. (Speaking of which, I really must get off my duff and start that article on Banita Jacks I've been meaning to write...) --User:AlbertHerring ^{Io son l'orecchio e tu la bocca: parla!} 14:30, 11 June 2009 (UTC)

Right - couple of images added. I'm not sure how great they are, but I think they'll do. Maybe tomorrow, if it's not raining, I'll try and get a picture of anything that's been left in tribute. Can't guarantee it, though. --User:AlbertHerring ^{Io son l'orecchio e tu la bocca: parla!} 02:47, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

Muchas gracias. (side note: I'm about to lose my fucking, goddamn patience with a certain editor. I'd like to get the article as stable as possible for a GA nomination. /end vent) APK lives in a very, very Mad World 14:08, 13 June 2009 (UTC)

Dude...

...[1] I wrote that article. It was my first ever Wikinews article! --Jayron32.talk.contribs 02:37, 11 June 2009 (UTC)

Good work on the article. So sad. Three fatalities and several critically injured. I hope the plant can address safety issues and eventually reopen. That would be terrible if hundreds of people are left without a job. This is the third plant explosion in recent NC history. One of my sisters worked near the West Pharmaceutical Plant. She said the walls shook and it sounded like a bomb had been dropped. APK lives in a very, very Mad World 10:54, 11 June 2009 (UTC)

I live like a mile from the ConAgra plant, but was away from my house when the explosion occurred. I did a followup article just yesterday; the company has agreed to continue to pay the displaced workers indefinately, so they will not be losing their paychecks. Additonally, they have set up a $100,000 United Way fund to provide additional assisstance. Yes, I am definately praying for the families of those affected. It is quite a sad situation, but at least the company has stepped up and appears to be doing the right things. --Jayron32.talk.contribs 17:29, 11 June 2009 (UTC)

Daguerreotype collection

I think you'll enjoy this site: [2]. LadyofShalott 16:42, 11 June 2009 (UTC)

Gracias for the link. The first person I noticed was Clarissa (aka Clara) Harlowe Barton. APK lives in a very, very Mad World 18:04, 11 June 2009 (UTC)

I saw that one too! :) LadyofShalott 18:11, 11 June 2009 (UTC)

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum shooting

Hi, I started a new discussion here about whether or not the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum shooting article should be categorized as terrorism. Please feel free to join in. ← George ^[talk] 00:21, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

DC stamp

Hey APK -- as another DC wikipedian, would you mind weighing in on Wikipedia:Files_for_deletion/2009_June_12#DC_stamp_2003.jpg? Thanks! -- Autopilot (talk) 13:59, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

Hello. I'm afraid they're correct. According to WP policy, the image would have to be used in an article specifically about the stamp. I'm sorry. :-( APK lives in a very, very Mad World 19:34, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

I disagree!

At 09:15, 9 June 2009, you undid a minor mod I made to the "List of United States cities by population" page. You said it screwed up the layout - actually, what it did was make the layout more accessible!

To have to manually scroll down past that column of pictures to get to the table of cities on that page is ... well, let me just say it's bad user interface. All I did was provide folks a convenient way to skip directly to the table without having to do all that scrolling.

I trust that you wouldn't have wiped my edit without some reason - would you tell me what it is, so we don't get into an undo/redo/undo/redo... loop? What do you have against making access to the page easier for people?!?

Gymnos (talk) 11:18, 13 June 2009 (UTC) Tom Davis Gymnos (talk) 11:18, 13 June 2009 (UTC) tmd@tom-davis.org

You don't see the large amount of white space? Look at the difference. APK lives in a very, very Mad World 11:30, 13 June 2009 (UTC)

REPLY: Yes, I did see the enormous amount of whitespace; it fills most of the width of the page for most of the list of city images. My objective was to allow a reader to easily skip past that [semi-]interminable vertical array of images, directly down to the table. I'm afraid I don't understand the point you're trying to make from the note you left above.

Hmmm; could we continue this conversation off-line? You're so popular that this topic has nearly scrolled off "the edge of the world" in just a few hours. Could you please send whatever reply you have to me at "tmd@tom-davis.org"? Thanks.

- Tom Davis (user ID 'gymnos')