May 7

Depreciation Recovery Tax

When was the Depreciation Recovery Tax Authorized? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 70.228.84.144 (talk) 01:54, 7 May 2007 (UTC).[reply]

Do you mean the Economic Recovery Tax Act possibly? In which case it's 1981. Or do you mean "Since when do you have to pay income tax on recovered depreciation?", in which case the answer is probably "since whenever they invented depreciation". I can't find a "Depreciation Recovery Tax" anywhere, can you be any more specific (geographically, exact name of the tax, etc)? FiggyBee 06:50, 7 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Canada passes Bigfoot Law, Sean Hannity says its bullshit

Canada has passed a law that will protect BIGFOOT. Sean Hannity got wind of it and indicated that they're "full of it" on his show, which aired at 9pm EDT today on FOX News. Can this be placed in the bigfoot article ? I'd do it myself, but my ISP has royally *bleeped* up. 205.240.146.147 02:07, 7 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

That(Sean Hannity's) comment aired at the end of the show. 205.240.146.147 02:09, 7 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I'd make sure that Hannity isn't full of it himself before adding that. I can find no evidence that a law has been passed in Canada to protect Bigfoot. There was a petition presented in the House of Commons in late March, asking to have Bigfoot designated a protected species, but that isn't nearly the same as passing a law. - Eron ^Talk 04:05, 7 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Fox News got something wrong? You're kidding me... FiggyBee 06:20, 7 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

One other thing, he claimed Al Gore said that the Loch Ness Monster had died of "Global Warming". 205.240.146.147 06:40, 7 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I don't think Sean Hannity could be considered a reliable source for the colour of his own underwear, nevermind issues of Canadian legislature. Rockpocket 21:15, 7 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Sean said that the Canadians are idiots in passing legislation regarding mythological creatures. 205.240.146.147 23:05, 7 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

At least it's not likely to get anyone killed. —Tamfang 00:40, 8 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

And Canadians care. Really we do. Even the polar bears are weeping. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 00:55, 8 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It was mentioned on NPR too - something about using the endangered species act to protect Big Foot. It makes it illegal to shoot or trap them...a pretty harmless restriction for a mythical animal - and if by any remote chance they do exist - a very important piece of legislation. Meh. SteveBaker 01:10, 8 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

By law, any petition carrying a certain number of names received by a Member of Parliament **MUST** be brought up in the House of Commons. The only exceptions are petitions asking for illegal acts to be undertaken (ie pro-pedophilia, etc.). The MP who received the petition had NO choice but to bring it up in the House. On most days there are between 10 and 20 petitions read into the record. This is no big deal. --Charlene 01:24, 8 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Charlene is right of course. It's funny that so many supposedly reputable media sources[1][2][3] ran with the story that this politician himself (Mike Lake) was advocating species-at-risk protection for Bigfoot. I don't know if it was intended like this, but it does seem like an effective (albeit unethical) way to make your MP look really stupid: give him or her a crazy petition to present, and then alert the media. It's interesting that in the House of Commons Journals for the day in question it shows that Lake did not rise and say a few words to present the petition (as is usual), but simply filed it with the Clerk of the House, making no statement. --Mathew5000 08:50, 9 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

After doing a bit more research I am going to reverse myself. It turns out there is no law requiring MPs to present petitions in the House of Commons. See the House of Commons publication Petitions: Practical Guide at page 3: "Nothing in the rules or practices of the House requires a Member to present a petition he or she has received." Also note that under Standing Order 36(4), the MP must endorse each petition he or she presents. However, House of Commons Procedure and Practice by Marleau and Montpetit states that despite not being required to do so, "many Members consider it a duty to present to the House petitions brought forward by citizens" and the MP "is not required to be in agreement with the content of any petition he or she may choose to present, and no such inference is to be drawn". --Mathew5000 09:25, 9 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

On 2007-05-10 the Canadian government tabled its response to the Bigfoot petition (link to HoC Journals). The response is filed as Sessional Paper No. 8545-391-98-01 but as far as I can tell it is not available on the Internet. --Mathew5000 02:45, 12 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Dazzle camouflage

Does anyone know where I could download a fairly hi-res, good quality colour image of a ship using dazzle camouflage (preferably a plan, rather than a photograph (like here)). Thanks.--Rambutan (talk) 06:52, 7 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

program

i downloaded a program a while ago that allowed be to download 'feeds' from myspace and youtube, which saved videos i watched on youtube and music i listented to on myspace to my hard drive, but i forgot what was it is. can anyone tlel me what it was? thanks. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 125.238.188.11 (talk) 07:22, 7 May 2007 (UTC).[reply]

If no-one here knows, you might get more joy at the computing desk. Algebraist 09:37, 7 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Nicotine Chemicals

Which chemicals speifically in nicotine cause the brain to release dopamine and other stimulating chemicals in the brain and cause the brain to have nicotine receptors? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 67.121.104.121 (talk) 07:27, 7 May 2007 (UTC).[reply]

What do you mean, which chemicals in nicotine? Nicotine is a chemical. Anyway, you probably want our article on nicotine. If what you want isn't there, try the science desk. Algebraist 09:35, 7 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Portugal

Why does Portugal have so poor literacy compared to all other europian countries? Joneleth 10:25, 7 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Hi Joneleth. Portugal's relatively low literacy rate compared to other W. European nations can probably be traced to a variety of social, political, and economic factors, so bear in mind that my answer will undoubtably be incomplete at best. I'd also refer you to the article Education in Portugal as a helpful resource. The high rate of drop-outs the country's educational system suffers, as well as the fairly short nine compulsory years of general education, do occur as fairly obvious factors that might affect literacy rates. Another possible cause, especially of high illiteracy in the adult population, might be the effects of 4 decades of dictatorship, wherein a strong emphasis on educational values and practices was notably absent. Finally, you might find it interesting that Portugal also ranks fairly low in GDP per capita compared to other W. European countries. Hope that helps some. -- Azi Like a Fox 11:54, 7 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

But is the low GDP a cause or effect of bad education? Or some kind of vicious cycle. Always tricky to pin these ones down.137.138.46.155 15:34, 7 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

In other European economies, for several generations, a strong economy has provided opportunities to maintain or improve one's status through education leading to jobs in the professions or in industry. However, in Portugal until the late 1970s, professional job opportunities were limited, and the best avenues to social advancement were religious and military careers. Beyond that, most people's best hope was small-scale entrepreneurship (e.g. buying one's own small fishing boat or piece of land). None of these career paths required much education, and it may be that, due to this cultural legacy, families in Portugal are less likely than in other European countries to stress education. The continuing slow development of Portugal's economy may have made this a vicious cycle, in that job opportunities for educated people are still limited, and the lack of skills in the workforce limits economic development. Marco polo 18:44, 7 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Yea but I mean even Croatia beats them and they have a far worse economy and history. Joneleth 02:04, 8 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Croatia has a worse history in some respects, but, as part of Yugoslavia, there was some opportunity for advancement through education, which could bring a government or managerial post. Because of its low labor costs (lower than Portugal's, for example), Croatia has also attracted foreign investment in recent years. There may be other factors involved about which I am not knowledgeable, such as the pay and status of teachers. If these are low in Portugal, that could also explain poor educational results. Marco polo 14:09, 8 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Why are there so many places ending in "kill" in New York?

Hi,

I am new to the tri-state area, and I can't get over how many towns, roads, rivers etc there are that end in "kill". Is it as easy as it appears at first glance: these are places where people, animals and inanimate objects meet their untimely demise, or is there something else that contributes to this grisly convention?

Thanks!

167.206.240.133 19:11, 7 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

See Kill (body of water). Someoneinmyheadbutit'snotme 19:15, 7 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

My favorite (though not in New York) is Kilkenny. V-Man - ^T/_C 01:00, 8 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, that would be a good alternate name for South Park. StuRat 05:44, 8 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

places called "Kil-" something are very common in Ireland, It comes from the Irish "Cill" meaning church of, therefore Kilkenny would mean "church of Canice" from the Irish "Cill Chainnigh". I can think of at least a dozen others of the top of my head,Killarney, Kildare, Kilbeggan, Killoe, and so on Ken 09:53, 8 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, as Someoneinmyheadbutit'snotme pointed out, "Kill" is a term from the original Dutch settlers.

Atlant 13:43, 8 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

[4] Online Etymoogy dictionary cites 1639 for the American use to mean "stream" from Dutch "kil" from Middle Dutch "kille" meaning riverbed. After 9/11, the rubble from the World Trade Center, with some human remains mixed in, was taken to the ironically named Fresh Kills Landfill for sorting. Edison 15:02, 8 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

origin of the word and usage of a bedpan?

I have done about as muc research as i cna think of, i ccannot find any connection between the common word "bedpan" and the age old term "chamber pot" so if anyone out ther can find out the who, what,when,why of the origin of the now common usage of the word bedpAN I WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATIVE.

THANK YOU VERY KINDLYU,

DUKE —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 75.183.249.125 (talk) 20:31, 7 May 2007 (UTC).[reply]

I'm not sure I understand your question. Bedpan seems fairly basic - a pan used in bed. It is not quite the same as a chamber pot. Why do you think there should be a connection? --LarryMac 20:36, 7 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Are you maybe thinking of those copper pans that people filled with hot coals from the dying fireplace and slid into the bed to get it warm? My grandmother had those - I think she called them "Bedpans" also. SteveBaker 01:31, 8 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I heard of them being called bed warmers. Otherwise, seeing hot coals in a "bed pan" could lead to confusion "just what have been eating, exactly ?". StuRat 05:40, 8 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The questioner seems to be looking for origin of the term bedpan as an excrement receiver, not that the contents wouldn't be steaming warm for a while. Nothing in the Online Etymology Dictionary. OED anyone? Edison 14:56, 8 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Original OED gave etymology as "cf. MDu. beddepanne". Definition #1 was "A pan for warming beds; a warming-pan." with quotations going back to 1585, and definition #2 was "A chamber utensil constructed for use in bed." with one delightful quotation: 1883 Flor. Nightingale in Quain's Dict. Med. "Bed-pans should have Carbolic powder in them lavishly." The 1976 OED Supplement provides three earlier quotations, going back to 1678. --Mathew5000 10:17, 9 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

fastener used in self-assembly furniture

What is the name of the fastener system commonly used in self-assembly furniture to join two pieces of wood at right angles. It consists of two parts, a long basically cylindrical section up to a few inches long with a small screw-thread on one end, a long plain section and a 'head' shaped similarly to the end of a jack plug at the other end, this screws into the first piece of wood. The other part is shaped not dissimilarly to a cable drum (asside: why do we not have an article or a redirect here?) and fits into a circular hole in the second piece of wood. The long part of the fastener is inserted into a pre-drilled hole in the second piece of wood at right angles to the circular hole containing the second part of the fastener. When the two bits of wood are together, the second part of the fastener is rotated (e.g. with a screw driver) which grips the neck of the first part of the fastener, securing the two pieces of wood together. I have tried searching under every description I can think of and have browsed every article in category:fasteners and category:screws and not found it. Without being able to identify it more succinctly than above searching has not been particularly fruitful! Thryduulf 21:55, 7 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Knock-down Fasteners may be one name for them, I am not sure but I think i recall them being called cam-locks in the last piece of furniture i assembled. -- Diletante 00:10, 8 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The term "cam-lock" is actually used in the reference article you provided to help describe knock-down fasteners. Dismas|^(talk) 06:35, 8 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Bribes

In the US, are all bribes illegal, or is just illegal when it comes to government and police? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 75.111.190.135 (talk) 23:31, 7 May 2007 (UTC).[reply]

Bribes are generally frowned upon, whether it is parents bribing children to behave well or suppliers bribing employees to purchase their products. In the latter case, your job may be at risk, even if there is no legal penalty. Of course, if the bribe is big enough (Elect me and I will double the minimum wage!), everyone will call it something else, and there is no problem at all. --Bielle 02:08, 8 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Tips could be called bribes ("give me good service and I'll make it worth your while"), and are entirely legal. StuRat 05:34, 8 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Disagree with basic premise of StuRat's observation -- as our article on Tipping makes clear from the start, the social custom of tipping is in many (I daresay most) cultures and situations set up so that people tip a baseline number regardless of service quality, except in very extreme cases. This American Life's show on 24 hours in the same diner demonstrates, anecdotally, that in that setting, at least, better service and attention has little to no effect on tipping amounts in the vast majority of cases.

I suppose one could still say that in SOME cases, OVERtipping functions as a kind of bribery, but even there, except in the VERY rare cases where someone actually SAYS that they will give more for better service, there is neither guarantee nor assurance that better service results in more cash. In sum: I don't think it counts as bribery if there is no social contract, even if such contracts are not stated out loud. Jfarber 13:03, 8 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Indeed. I wouldn't call tipping "bribery", because it is paying someone to do something that is their job anyway. You're just showing your gratitude (or, in America, obeying social custom). FiggyBee 18:07, 8 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

However, consider the case of a taxi driver promised a generous tip in exchange for getting the customer to the airport on time for a flight. This may involve an extra effort on the part of the cabbie, quite possibly involving breaking traffic laws, in exchange for money. This sure sounds like a bribe to me. StuRat 04:57, 9 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Bribery, to me, has negative connotations and suggests some violation of ethics at the very least. It would seem to depend on how loosely or strictly you want to use the term; one person's bribery is another person's incentivizing. -- Azi Like a Fox 05:43, 8 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Generally, you have to be bribing a government official for it to be illegal. But Wikipedia doesn't give legal advice. Also, other things that are bribery-esque might be illegal, but not strictly speaking bribery (for example, it is illegal to pay someone to commit a criminal act). FiggyBee 12:25, 8 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I cannot speak for any other editor, but if you want exceptional editing,for a few $$$ this editor will be happy to type whatever you want :) Lemon martini 12:30, 8 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Wikipedia:Reward board#Money is the place for you. ^_^ V-Man - ^T/_C 02:29, 9 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Wow thanks.I had no idea that place existed.Amazing what you can learn round these boards :) Lemon martini 09:58, 9 May 2007 (UTC) *off to get mitts on cash*[reply]

sports

Why baseball, basketball and football are the only sports that is mostly played by African-Americans? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 76.64.137.191 (talk) 23:47, 7 May 2007 (UTC).[reply]

Are they? V-Man - ^T/_C 01:02, 8 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I'm not entirely sure I follow the question. Are you asking "Why are most baseball, basketball and football players African-American?" or "Why do African-Americans prefer to play baseball, basketball and football?"

Incidentally, according to this, only 8.5% of major-league baseball players are African-Americans. Carom 01:12, 8 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Baseball, basketball, and football are certainly the most popular U.S. sports, so it is not surprising that they are popular among African Americans. Soccer is still a somewhat exotic sport in the United States, and many players are of immigrant origin. The sport has some popularity among educated Americans (probably of all races), but hasn't caught on very widely. As for hockey, tennis, and golf, these sports all cost money to play frequently. (Unlike parts of Canada, where lakes and ponds may be frozen over for several months a year, most hockey players in the United States have to play in indoor rinks.) African Americans' lower incomes, on average, may explain why these sports are largely, but not exclusively white. (There are after all the notable cases of the Williams sisters and Tiger Woods.) Marco polo 02:12, 8 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Boxing, sprinting? [5] Rockpocket 06:21, 8 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Baseball has recently celebrated Jackie Robinson day but was dismayed to find that recently, the number of African-American men entering the sport has dwindled down to less than the average population.hotclaws 08:24, 8 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Many of those of African descent living in the Caribbean (part of the Americas last I checked) seem to have a great liking for cricket. Algebraist 09:35, 8 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Anson Carter, Grant Fuhr, Jarome Iginla, Willie O'Ree, Gerald Coleman, Cobi Jones, Jamar Beasley, DaMarcus Beasley, Tim Howard, Mamadou Diallo, Freddy Adu. Corvus cornix 21:32, 9 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

May 8

Sudan democracy?

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

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

dreams

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

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

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

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

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

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

From a scientific standpoint the questions of why we dream, how we dream, and the functions of dreaming are all currently unresolved. Quite apart from the science of sleep, Dream Science, thanks in large part to advances in brain imaging technology, is proving to be a very interesting area of study, spawning a variety of theories. Two among the currently popular theories regarding dream functions are: to help with learning and memory (see above) and to resolve conflicts that occur during the day or to deal with traumatic events. It has also been suggested that dreaming has no function and is simply an incidental byproduct(epiphenomenon) of REM sleep. Another view, though one increasingly declining in popularity, is that dreams are a mechanism for forgetting (note how elusive our memories of dreams often are) and that trying to remember them is actually counter-productive to their intended purpose. Anyways, here are a couple cool articles that cover some of this stuff [6] and[7]. The first one gives a decent overview of the subject and the second discusses the so-called Contemporary Theory of Dreaming, kind of an interesting synthesis of the first two theories I mentioned. Sleep tight. -- Azi Like a Fox 07:17, 8 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

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

The G.O.D.

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

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

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

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

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

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

"the long and winding road"

the.long.and.winding.road

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

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

Lakes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

u.s. cities

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

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

Contacting Midway

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Picture Postcard

Dear Sir/Mam;

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

THE BELOW IS WHAT IS PRINTED ON THE CARD

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

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

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

Frederick W Knippel

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

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

I did find an old address for Avon-AngliA (Avon-Anglia Publications, Annesley House, 21 Southside, Weston-super-Mare, Avon BS23 2QU), but they don't appear to have published anything since late 1980s, so they've almost certainly gone out of business. I also found a reference to Rail Photo Print here [10] which suggests that they were still around in 1987, but may have been in trouble: If you can find a copy of that magazine (BackTrack, issue 3, volume 1, 1987) it may have more information.

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

United airlines seat reservations

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

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

Ask them----petitmichel

British government

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

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

Buying a bag

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

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

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

van halen lyrics

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

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

probably! I' gonna check! thank u!

omg it is thank u so much!

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

Countries with "Democracy" in their title

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

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

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

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

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

Re.:Mars > Censorship: Richard C. Hoagland

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wikipedia Editing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Redirecting to a website

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

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

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

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

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

To get this:

See this link: [11].

StuRat 03:57, 9 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

May 9

White tie dinners in the U.S.

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

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

milk and eggs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dog <- aspirin?

NoClutter 02:00, 9 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

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

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

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

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

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

Definitely no, as negatives are always lower than positives.

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

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

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

legal drug use for self-experimentation

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

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

What "research" exactly would that be? In some U.S. jurisdictions you might be able to legally use peyote as part of "bonafide religious ceremonies" and if you happened to be a member of the Native American Church its religious use would be much less legally ambiguous. Salvia divinorum is still legal in many if not most U.S. jurisdictions and produces some rather interesting effects that might be along the lines you're interested in. If you happen to reside in the state of New Mexico per an Appellate Court ruling[12]the growing of psilocybe containing mushrooms from spores does not appear to be illegal(however, I am not a lawyer, this is not advice, and a professional should be consulted in all legal matters). Non-pharmacological possibilities to achieve altered states, in addition to lucid dreaming, have, in the past and present, included some forms or combinations of sensory deprivation and fasting. -- Azi Like a Fox 05:48, 9 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

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

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

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

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

A Dog's Life: The Autobiography of a Stray

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

Template:SpoilerDid you try looking at The actual article? V-Man - ^T/_C 03:21, 9 May 2007 (UTC) Template:End spoiler[reply]

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

Dragon Rider

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

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

Inkheart

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

Bittorrent and Lobbying

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

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

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

?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This doesn't look like obvious homework to me, so I will answer. However, as my answer will require speculation, I will answer here: [13]. StuRat 19:58, 9 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

stock screener

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

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

omlette

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

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

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

commercial bee pollination

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

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

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

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

APUSH test comming up!!

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

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

Vibrations in new cars

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

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

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

dogs

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

Ummmm...they don't. Shindo9 Hikaru 00:44, 10 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

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

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

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

Cutting Ones

What is, or who are, Cutting Ones? Neon Merlin 23:58, 9 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

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

May 10

Fonts.

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