Wikipedia:Reference desk/Miscellaneous

September 5

"Clear Lake City and Houston"

Isn't Clear Lake City a part of Houston, Texas or could it be a city of its own. I keep on getting Johnson Space Center mixed up with Clear Lake and Houston. And I begin mixing Bay Area as a city of its own with Clear Lake, Houston, El Lago, and Seabrook. How can I make the difference? --Writer Cartoonist 00:44, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

To quote the first paragraph of the article Clear Lake City, Houston, Texas: Clear Lake City is a master-planned community located in southeast Harris County, Texas and is the second-largest master-planned community in Houston—behind Kingwood. The majority of the community lies in the corporate limits of Houston, while a small eastern portion is in the city limits of Pasadena. The Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center article says The center consists of a complex of 100 buildings on 1,620 acres located in the Clear Lake area of southeast Houston, Texas, USA. The article at Galveston Bay Area, says it is a "loosely defined region" with "NASA's Johnson Space Center [...] located in [its] heart". El Lago, Texas appears to be a separate city, as does Seabrook, Texas. Thylacoleo 02:50, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

Student Policies and Laws

Is it against the law to hold a child after class during his/her break? I am asking because i would think that it is against the law to hold students against their own will, but have heard that the reason is because while a student is in class they are unable to run around and get exercise. the only problem is that i haven't yet found anything that supports either of these. 72.170.91.190 22:58, 8 September 2007 (UTC)student72.170.91.190 22:58, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

—Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.170.91.190 (talk) 03:46, 5 September 2007 (UTC) 

We cannot offer legal opinion, see Wikipedia:Legal disclaimer. If you are concerned with the legality of being held behind after class, you could speak to a head-teacher, who should be aware of what he or she can and cannot do legally. Otherwise seek advice from a lawyer or citizens advice centre. Rockpocket 05:30, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

In state schools in the England and Wales, a minimum of 24 hours written notice must be given to keep a child after the end of a school session (there are 2 sessions a day). I am unaware of the rules for breaks within a session. The Advisory Centre for Education at [1] can give advice on the legality (or otherwise) of English & Welsh school disciplinary measures, and the Local Education Authority (normally the County Council or the Unitary Authority) would also be a good place to ask. It's possibly not a brilliant idea to ask the Head Teacher "Is it legal for you to do what you do?". DuncanHill 07:48, 5 September 2007 (UTC) Addendum My apologies, I misread the original question, and have amended my response accordingly. DuncanHill 07:51, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

You should ask this type of question at Wikiversity, not here, as you will actually get an answer at that Help Desk: [2]. StuRat 06:43, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

OK, not a legal opinion, but the situation in one state in one country (in the manner that I read the question it is a factual question about 'what is the law', not 'give me legal advice on how to handle this situation'). So, with that in mind, I know it is legal to keep a child during their breaks in Victoria, Australia. However there are limits on this, and actual local policies within schools would vary (but still have to be within the legal guidelines). The advice to speak to the Principal or some other senior person if you're interested in one particular school is valid, as they should know both the legal situation in your state/country, and the policy within that particular school. Or perhaps even better, enquire at your state/country Government Education Department (but they generally won't be able to give you local school policies). --jjron 07:49, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

See detention (academia). Is it true that is called "retention" in Oz, or is that a bizarre joke? And how come we can give ansewers on Wikiversity that we cannot give here?--Shantavira|^{feed me} 09:37, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

Because it is not so carefully policed by people who want to avoid a) someone receiving bad advice b) getting in legal difficulties. It is a content fork of these desks really. Skittle 11:01, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

In the U.S., the legal status of students in school is complex. If you really need to know, talk to a lawyer. However, I think you need to step back and think about the situation at several levels, whether you are the student or the parent of the student. First, let's assume that the "punishment" was the result of a perceived "infraction." There are two completely separate issues:

• Is the punishment reasonable, given the infraction?
• Did the infraction actually occur?

Which of these is applies in your case? If you are not too embarassed to state it, what was the infraction, what was the punishment, and why do you think the punishment was too harsh? Are you objecting as a matter of principle, or tactically? Speaking only for myself, I will treat your responses with respect, whether you are are ten year old complaining about a 5-minute detention for an (alledged) missed homework assignment, or a high-school senior being detained to three months of one-hour study-hall for a missed essay. -Arch dude 02:36, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Name of interior parts in a car

Relevant photograph

1. What is the name of the part of an auto that shows P R N D 2 1 which is located underneath the DASHBOARD and above the STEERING WHEEL?

Tech manuals seem to call it the "PRNDRL display", after the positions. Mine notes 'L' even though the display shows 3 2 and 1.

2. Does the handle that is used to change among P R N D 2 1 choices have a special name?--71.105.30.63 05:34, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

Gear shift select lever? --Mdwyer 06:17, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

(Edit conflict):

1. Gear indicator, for example [3]
2. Gear selector or gear shift lever (see Automatic transmission). -- Flyguy649 ^talk _contribs 06:21, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

Thank you.--71.105.30.63 06:31, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

We used to just call it the "prndl", pronounced prindle. Gzuckier 14:14, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

Who are "we"? Dismas|^(talk) 08:48, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

A bunch of dorks. Gzuckier 14:53, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

And a bunch of professional mechanics. The engineers might call it the "transmission selection indicator" but us mechanics used to call it "the PRNDL" which rhymes with "spindle". 66.55.10.178

The impact of media on society and culture

A lot of negativity in the world today is blaming the media as being a large determinant in terms of its influence. If it is actually such a big factor, I'd like to study if it can actually be used as a positive determinant in the lives of people. I would like to know if there is any masters course that can be studied about this - and if so, where is it best available. So far I have come across the MA Critical Media and Cultural Studies, SOAS, London University. --Mithawilliams 08:48, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

I think a fair few UK universities offer masters in meeja studies. Some little googling turns up a number. --Tagishsimon (talk) 09:25, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

UCAS has 971 media studies courses at about 80 different unis[4] (many as combined courses), and 2392 "general media" courses[5]. None of these offer Masters straight away; it seems that you first have to take a BA then reapply and take the MA. Be warned, though; Media studies has something of a bad press as a "mickey mouse subject" and many employers may not look too kindly on it. Laïka 10:43, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

Daaaaaang

Why are there so few Google hits for this spelling of the word, with 6 as? I made a plot so you can see how much it sticks out. —Keenan Pepper 11:30, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

I'm sorry if this is a social faux pas here but I gotta ask.... Why? Why would this even come up? Why bother doing this research to begin with and then make a chart about it? It just seems rather pointless to me is all... Dismas|^(talk) 11:44, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

Sheer boredom and perversion. —Keenan Pepper 18:00, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

This is the most randomly hilarious thing I've seen in months.. That said, probably because six as just looks weird? --lucid 12:07, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

According to our (thankfully deleted) article on the "w00t paradox", the same thing happens when adding extra "0"s to "w00t"; it drops at around 5 or 6, then rises back again. Don't know why though. Laïka 13:27, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

There's no such drop for aaaaaargh, oooooops or wheeeeee. Capuchin 13:38, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

Bananana

Bananana does the same thing, but at around 5 instead of 6, and it spikes at 7. Laïka 13:40, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

I'm sure there's a thesis in this somewhere, any keen postgrads around? DuncanHill 13:44, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

I'm pretty sure there's some work that's been done on this already... :) Capuchin 13:47, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

I can't remember the word they studied though! Damn it! Capuchin 13:52, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

Here we go: [6] Check out "The distribution of variable-length phatic interjectives on the World Wide Web" and "Dissecting the argh-scape". The argh-scape article seems unfinished though. I'm sure I saw a more complete version of the argh-scape paper.. grrrr. (how about grrrrrr? :P). I hope this will kick off some of those better versed in google than I. Capuchin 13:55, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

Magnificent stuff, thank you! DuncanHill 14:01, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

Some people have Waaa(a)aaay too much time on their hands! SteveBaker 14:12, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

This made me literally roll on the floor laughing. —Keenan Pepper 18:00, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

I can't wait for Friday. --Dweller 15:50, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

I'm right here, how can I help? Friday (talk) 15:52, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

Phew! --Dweller 16:01, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

		The Barnstar of Good Humor
		I hereby award this thread a barnstar for being damn hilarious. Goes to show the spirit of Wikipedia-- doing together what would've been mediocre by a single one of us! lucid 16:26, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

Oh my - an award for a 'thread'?! This is unprecedented. Well, we'll just have to share it - move it (carefully, they are quite fragile) from one User: page to another. Let's see: Dismas can have it on Mondays, Laïka gets it on Tuesdays, Capuchin Wednesdays. DuncanHill Thursdays, I'll take it on Fridays, Dweller gets it Saturdays. Argh - what about Sunday? OK - well, on Sundays in January and February, Dismas will look after it, Sundays in March and April go to Laïka, May/June Capuchin, July/August DuncanHill, Sept/Oct, I'll have it, Nov/Dec, Dweller has it. The only problem with that is that over seven years, there will be fewer Sundays in February than any other month - so Dismas will have to take all the extra leap-days for the next 17 years - after which leap days will be allocated to....wait a minute...I forgot Friday...no - not Friday, Friday. Damn! Now I have to start over... SteveBaker 17:23, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

Am I the only one whose first thought on reading this was "Dinosaur Comics"? (Incidently, the link contains a rare example of a 6-"a"ed dang). Laïka 17:29, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

You know something, Keenan. You underestimate yourself everytime.

the word daaaaaang should be one of the top hits on google web search, thanks to you...

By the way, why dang with six a s (as in apple)? Why not five or seven?

Wish you all the best,

User:Kushal_one —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.150.163.1 (talk) 18:42, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

What the !!! I signed the comment... if you are such a smart aleck, try signing this comment! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.150.163.1 (talk) 18:44, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

This is why I keep coming here. Pacific Coast Highway ^{{talk • contribs}} 20:27, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

I especially love the way Steve Baker takes some absurdly trivial question or comment and immediately turns it into a complex mathematical or logical problem and then parses it into the nth degree. Very amusing.--Eriastrum 22:24, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

I agree with lucid; this is one of the most hilarious things I've seen on this ref. desk for such a long time- It does deserve a barnstar!(^_^) --PolarWolf 00:09, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

I can't claim originality on this one - I was thinking of The Simpsons episode when Bart and his friends have bought a hideously expensive comic book and are trying to agree how to share it. Still, I didn't go away completely empty handed ! SteveBaker 01:59, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Dweller's thread of the week. It's an 'out of the box' idea.

Congratulations to all contributing here. Unsurprisingly, given my comment above, you have won the third ever User:Dweller/Dweller's Ref Desk thread of the week award. Good job. Specifically, it's for the thread except for the bit where I lowered the tone. Anyway, well deserved. --Dweller 10:43, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

Hey, jokes aside, this is very surprising. --Taraborn 15:07, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

Village population in the USA

What is the maximum population that you can have for a settlement to in the USA be classed as a village —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.25.19.57 (talk) 11:54, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

Village (United States) may be of some help to you as it varies by state just what makes a village a village. Dismas|^(talk) 11:59, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

The page to this links says 2,500 people. There are plenty of Villages in New York. [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0003-1224%28194604%2911%3A2%3C159%3AHAVITU%3E2.0.CO%3B2-V&size=LARGE&origin=JSTOR-enlargePage ] I've never actually heard of a village in the US. I think most settlements here are either unofficial, towns, or cities. But then, the link above has more info than I do-- unfortunately, it needs sources. --lucid 12:04, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

Village is official in the US (in Michigan at least). I grew up in the Village of Empire (pop ~300+). We had a village hall, a village council etc. --Cody.Pope 12:12, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

Indeed, villages are very common in the U.S. See the link that I posted above. And I grew up in one as well. Dismas|^(talk) 12:37, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

It's funny because I had never thought of small towns as "villages" until I moved from the West Coast to the East Coast. Now I see them everywhere. It is still strange to me — when I think of a "village" I think of some sort of Old World rural setting with thatched roofs and chickens running around, but that's definitely not what they mean in New York or Massachusetts (the two places I have lived where I have seen "villages" while driving on the highway). --24.147.86.187 15:44, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

Just be glad you don't live in the UK, where things can be even more confusing; St David's is both a village and a city simultaneously! Laïka 17:48, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

Some municipalities seem to hold onto the villiage name, just for the homey PR overtones of it. Vail, Colorado comes to mind. It is officially a 'Town', but they call themselves a 'Villiage'. --Mdwyer 21:53, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

Then there's my favorite: The City of The Village of Indian Hill, Ohio. -- Mwalcoff 22:19, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

Subdivisions of Champaign County, Illinois, include a township coterminous with and named for the City of Champaign, and an adjacent rural township also named Champaign. On my way to school I used to pass the first township's office, a little building mysteriously marked Town of the City of Champaign. —Tamfang 01:12, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

New York State has about 550 villages, which are legally defined municipalities. There is no maximum population, but there is a minimum of 500 people. See Administrative divisions of New York. --Nricardo 01:50, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

As all of the above posters are alluding to, there is no single definition of village (or town or borough or city, for that matter) in the United States. Every state defines them differently. In Pennsylvania, there are no legal "villages," even though the state puts up signs at the edge of a cluster of homes marking it as one. Villages are just concentrated areas within a township. But just across the border in New York, villages are legal entities. Just like townships — in the Midwest townships are basically square divisions for measuring land, while in the east, townships are incorporated with governments just like boroughs and cities. Lots of states have towns, but Pennsylvania strangely has only one town. ... So it isn't population that defines what type of community is what, it is whether it has definitive borders and what type of government it has. — Michael J 11:05, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

One minor correction... Several Midwestern states (including Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and Illinois) have civil townships as well as survey townships. But you've got the gist of it -- the semantics of local government is different in every state. -- Mwalcoff 00:58, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

KCTV

Randy Miller is one of Kansas City's most controverial talk radio personalities. He's been fired so many times from varies radio stations due to his choice of programming I'm sure no one will take the chance to hire him again. However, I was surprised to see him doing traffic reports during the weekday mornings on KCTV. I hadn't witnessed any wrong doing or controversial subject matter during his spots in the morning but now he seems to be gone and no one has said why. Is there anyone out there that can tame my curiosity on this matter? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.247.222.30 (talk) 12:35, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

You should read this article. It says that he gave up the traffic reporting on Aug 10th this year..."But I'm still doing the dating game show, and we're starting our second season." - there is more information in that article but you have to sign up to some free service or other to read all of it. SteveBaker 13:55, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

What is the difference between pepper spray and bear spray?

What is the difference between pepper spray and bear spray? I would assumed that bear spray is stronger, but the wiki article says that in many areas bear spray is legal while pepper spray is banned. Are the chemicals different or is it just the container design?

"In Germany privately owned pepper spray may fall into two different categories. Sprays that bear the test mark of the Materialprüfungsanstalt[12] may be owned and carried solely for the purpose of defense against animals. Such sprays are not legally considered as weapons. Sprays that do not bear this test mark are classified as prohibited weapons. It is nevertheless strictly prohibited to carry pepper spray at (or on the way to and from) demonstrations - whether it bears a test mark or not." --Jacobin1949 14:52, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

At least in the USA, the only differences are the size of the can and the label on it: bear spray is typically a 12-ounce can labeled "bear spray", while pepper spray is in a 2- to 4-ounce can labeled "pepper spray" or "mace". --Carnildo 22:46, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

American Pop-Culture T-shirts and the Swastika(lack there-of)

In my studies of WWII via Hitler's KAMPF and Shirer's RISE AND FALL 1/3rd through now, and living 2 blocks from MELROSE Avenue <--T-shirt & Shoe Central of the Los Angeles Shopping Arena, I'm stumped on a highly cultural question of Politically Correctness and just plain wonder. Before the question, I'd like to note what I see a lot of, and that is Imperial Japan's Rising Sun (i've seen slippers coined 'Kamakazi') as well as the Union Jack, also the Confederate Flag(some parts of the country), and lately THE HAMMER AND THE SCYTHE. I just saw one at Nordstrom's by Skate/Surf/Snow company VOLCOM of Stalin's colors. I'm not going to go onto death counts of the representations of these flags at the times of War with the United States., but I find it particularly interesting that company's don't market the Swastika. And if they did, it would shock me. Now that I'm shocked by it, and not the others, makes me even question that. Why is it that we do not see this in Multi-Cultural America, and yet there are all the other Oppressive States as Novelties? I hope for purely science-orientated-objectivism for answers, or at least trying to be. --i am the kwisatz haderach 16:51, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

The obvious one would be that association with a logo synonymous with the holocaust is a step to far, moving from the attention grabbing into the distasteful, whereas the other logos associate with questionable groups and ideologies, nothing as distinct and horrific as the human rights offences committed by the the Nazis. ΦΙΛ Κ 17:07, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

If I had to guess, I'd say that with all of the other symbols, they had been in use both before and after the atrocities that those countries had participated in. It would be hard indeed to come up with ANY national flag that didn't have some kind of unpleasant associations. But the Swastika (at least the German usage of it) was only used during that brief era of horror - not before and not since. So we can see the US flag and worry about Iraq - or we can see it and remember Woodstock. We can see the Japanese flag and think of suicidal aircraft pilots smacking into the decks of aircraft carriers - or we can think of Hello Kitty (OK - bad example!)...but we can't see a Swastika without thinking of Hitler because it has no other associations. Just my take on it though. There may be other opinions. SteveBaker 17:12, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

There are approximately 1 billion people who may disagree with SteveBaker's assertion about the Swastika having no other associations than Nazism. DuncanHill 17:57, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

I was VERY careful to say "the Swastika (at least the German usage of it)" - I'm well aware of the Hindu symbol (which actually looks totally different incidentally). SteveBaker 20:11, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

"but we can't see a Swastika without thinking of Hitler because it has no other associations"... in my experience in India, depictions of the Swastika vary enormously, including many versions which are largely indistinguishable from that used by the Nazis. There was a rather ill-tempered debate some time ago about the use of the Swastika on a Hinduism template on WP. DuncanHill 20:18, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

It wasn't obvious to you that I was still talking about the German version? Come *on* - you don't expect me to type it all out in full every time I mention it do you? There is a common literary shorthand - you say something in full the first time and expect the reader to use his brain the second and subsequent times. Duh! SteveBaker 00:05, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

I did not intend any offence, I was merely trying to suggest that the response given managed to exclude a significant proportion of the world's population. DuncanHill 00:13, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

note this bronze Buddha on Lantua Island [LANTAU BUDDHA, CHINA] <--the Swastika on chest, is not the different curved-lined Hindu version with the 4 dots, this is the squared-straight-line one that the Germans also adapted. I know strict Buddhist laws probably are against selling T-shirts at the giftshop, if there is one here. But it is the same fylfot. --i am the kwisatz haderach 21:02, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

It's not the same fylfot. It's reversed. Corvus cornix 17:14, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

We have an excellent article on the Swastika, and its use in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, a synagogue, and numerous other contexts, including this picture which manages to combine a swastika with the hammer and sickle File:Nepal-Communist.jpg DuncanHill 17:41, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Another reason might be that the animus of the swastika -- Jew-hatred -- still exists in the world, while Japanese designs on ruling all Asia, Soviet designs on killing their land-owning classes, and white Southerner designs on keeping black people in chains (and limiting the power of federal government) have all been consigned to the dustbin of history. Nazi chic discusses the issue. --Sean 17:43, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

I don't think most people who wear the Confederate flag, the Japanese military symbol or the hammer and sickle necessarily identify with antebellum racism, imperialism or communism. The Confederate flag, while an offensive symbol to many, is considered by others to be a neutral symbol of the South or a symbol of rebellion against authority. The sun-with-rays, to some people, simply means "Japan." Those who wear the hammer and sickle probably just see it as Cold War retro and aren't aware of the inherent evils of Marxism-Leninism. The Nazi swastika, on the other hand, has only negative connotations. -- Mwalcoff 22:29, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

It has to do with who the various symbols are associated with today. The swastika is very strongly associated with neo-nazi groups: by wearing it, you're proclaiming membership in such a group. The Confederate flag is weakly associated with states' rights groups and racist groups (and rebellion in general), while none of the others has any real associations. --Carnildo 22:51, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

Personally, I find it extremely offensive that the original question lumps in the Union Jack, the flag of one of your country's longest-standing allies, with flags associated with "Japanese designs on ruling all Asia, Soviet designs on killing their land-owning classes, and white Southerner designs on keeping black people in chains", let along Nazi Germany. 80.254.147.52 10:42, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

I disagree (and I'm British). We Brits have certainly committed our fair share of atrocities (our rule over India - wars in Africa, etc) - I don't think the Union Jack should be let off the hook. But then (as I said earlier), you'd find it pretty hard to come up with a flag that's more than a hundred years old that doesn't have some terrible associations for some people - and I include the present US flag in that list. SteveBaker 13:49, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

I agree with you on the second point. But to suggest (as the question does) some kind of parity between Britain and a load of totalitarian regimes is a bit strong, to say the least. 80.254.147.52 13:59, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Actually, I find it a lot more offensive when the masses go along with the violence. When they are essentially forced into it by a dictatorship - it's a somewhat different matter. We shouldn't blame the Iraqi people for the gassing of the Kurds under Saddam - but when the British people were in full support of massacring tribesmen (armed with spears and cow-hide shields) using modern artillery - that was a very different matter. Modern Britain is a fairly peaceful, sane place - but our history is hardly spotless. SteveBaker 14:08, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Put it this way. If the question had been posed by a Briton, and had said "I'd like to note what I see a lot of, and that is Imperial Japan's Rising Sun (i've seen slippers coined 'Kamakazi') as well as the US flag, also the Confederate Flag(some parts of the country), and lately THE HAMMER AND THE SCYTHE", would that have passed without comment? I think not. The question would immediately be discredited by American patriots, and you'd be bringing up the massacres at Sand Creek and Wounded Knee. But stick the union Jack in the list and no-one bats an eyelid. Bloody Americans (in every sense of the word "bloody") 80.254.147.52 14:13, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

I live in Texas (and I'm a Brit). I think you are hugely overstating this - I agree that there are people here who will defend the US flag (and I mean the actual piece of cloth, not just the concept) to a ridiculous degree (from a Brit's point of view)...advocating the passage of laws to make it illegal to burn one in a protest march or even to toss one away in the trash when it's worn out. (Worn out US flags are supposed to be 'retired' with a proper ceremony.) Some people go so far as to object to the US flag being used on 'disposable' items such as clothing and packaging on the grounds that the image would not be properly 'retired'...I think most Brits would laugh at those ideas - we don't particularly care what you do with the flag - it's just a symbol and a piece of cloth. But I would say that those Americans are a small minority - even in Texas. Americans with even a moderate degree of intelligence (such as the majority whom you'll find here on Wikipedia) tend to have a more nuanced view and I doubt that many of them would try to defend the actions of the USA as being in any way 'better' than the actions of the British over the last few hundred years. Both nations have had their moments of shining glory - and also periods of extreme nastiness. SteveBaker 15:46, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Just by-the-by, the proper way to 'retire' a US flag is to burn it! FiggyBee 05:03, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

Yes - but you have to salute it, maybe bring an honor guard of boy scouts to the ceremony - worship it some first...maybe sprinkle goats blood...then set light to it - you probably have to scatter the ashes on consecrated ground at midnight or something. It's not like you can just toss it onto the barbecue and throw gasoline on it. My old, faded Union Jacks get unceremoniously dumped into the trash can. (I hang one outside my house - three feet higher than my neighbours US flag just to annoy them - there is some stupid rule that says the US flag has to be hung higher than all the others...sheesh!) SteveBaker 14:38, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

Pedantry Alert I just felt I should point out that it is a sickle not a scythe in the flag of the former USSR. DuncanHill 14:17, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Great point on the American phraseology of my question. I agree with you one hundred percent. If I was a Brit, in Britannia, I would definitely say 'the US Flag', and being in the US, in a way, I did mention one of our flags (General Robert E. Lee, which many Americans are proud of, including myself, although I am against Slavery of any kind). I'm just questioning the novelty of novelties, rather Novel-Tee's. At the rate of American T-shirt Consumerism, it would be safe to say, considering we walk away from Operation Iraqi Freedom victorious, then the skater kids of lets say 2010 will be skating down an Orange County street with an Iraqi Flag T-Shirt. I don't take away from the atrociousness of Nazi Germany by questioning the swastika, but the lack there-of, and the personal feelings I feel when I see one, namely pain and heartache, and I'm not Jewish, but that I feel sadness by it, and none of the others, well, it makes me question it even more. I don't really have a good answer, and I think many here are great answers. Question away, wikiquestion away. Ahh, a new day, more questions. --i am the kwisatz haderach 15:41, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

What is this salad dressing???

I'm having some problems remembering what this salad dressing is called. It contains salted anchovy fillets, black olives, olive oil, a little vinegar, some ?spices. It's all ground down to a runny paste in a pestle and mortar and sprinkled onto a leafy salad. I saw Rick Stein (English TV chef)make it a couple of weeks ago, maybe it's good for the memory;-)) Richard Avery —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.17.48.100 (talk) 18:47, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

Tapenade or (more likely) Anchoiade? This book extract explains the recipies for both. SteveBaker 00:02, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Yes!! tapenade is the word but anchoiade is exactly what he was making. Thanks Steve;-)). Now, where's that mortar and pestle... Richard Avery 05:00, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

My wife (who actually knows this stuff) says that anchovies are an optional ingredient in tapenade. If you put the anchovies in then it's an anchoiade (which is therefore a kind of tapenade). So either word will do although anchoiade is more precise. SteveBaker 13:41, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Ahaa!! behind every successful man...........Richard Avery 18:21, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Magazine pull-out posters

What's the best way to pull out a "pull-out" poster from a magazine without ripping the poster or breaking the magazine's binding? In this particular case, the magazine and poster are held together by staples. — Kjammer  ⌂ 19:27, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

Use a small tool, for example a scredriver (not your nails) to lever the staples open. Remove posster and squash staples flat again. -- SGBailey 19:29, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

The correct tool being a Staple remover of course! SteveBaker 20:08, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

I find finger nails work better. DuncanHill 20:10, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

Only if they're very sturdy, which varies from person to person and day to day. Don't stab yourself under there, though. It hurts like death. --Masamage ♫ 20:36, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

I'd use needle-nose pliers. —Tamfang 01:02, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

I find that you can gently tug it down unhook and then back up and unhook with some magazines. Other than this the above suggestions work well ny156uk 20:37, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

Only subscribe to magazines with Rubber Cement Adhesive attached posters. It's the way of the future. --i am the kwisatz haderach 20:55, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

Thank you all for your tips. I used a Phillips head screwdriver (a flathead was not available) and one of those twist ties that bind coiled wires together. Fortunately the posters were attached with only one staple. I will keep these suggestions in mind in the future. — Kjammer  ⌂ 23:16, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

Mita DP 580 Laser Printer

Hello. Five years ago, I was printing, using the Mita DP 580 printer until I used up all the toner. I had trouble finding a replacement cartridge. Just out of curiosity, do I replace the cartridge or the toner? Thanks in advance. --Mayfare 20:34, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

A quick Google seems to suggest that this printer uses all-in-one imaging units -- that is, a cartidge that contains an imaging drum and toner. You may be able to find support, still, though Konica Minolta --Mdwyer 21:48, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

I clicked on both hyperlinks, both claiming that they both merged into one company called Konica Minolta. Five years ago, they existed as two separate companies. How can I receive support today? --Mayfare 02:30, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Just because two companies have merged doesn't automatically mean they drop support for products from the two previous companies. Since it's an old printer, they may have dropped support for that reason, but maybe not. Go to their web site and look for a search option where you can type in your printer's model number. StuRat 04:45, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

If it is a replaceable cartridge and you can't find a replacement, then you may be able to recharge it with toner. However the imaging drum inside will be made rather cheaply and will start to show signs of trouble eventually so don't plan on being able to recharge it a large number of times unless you are prepared to live with gradually degrading print quality. There are many companies out there who will refill and renovate your toner cartridges at less cost than buying new ones. I did a Google on 'toner cartridge mita' and there are a LOT of hits from companies that offer that service. SteveBaker 15:32, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Thanks again:) --Mayfare 01:10, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

top speed reverse

Having just chuckled to myself at the stupidty of one of the characters in 2 Fast 2 Furious handbrake turning and then reversing at (seemingly based on being on a 'highway' and not being overtaken) 60mph it got me wondering...What is the top speed an average car would do in reverse gear? I'm guessing something as low as 25mph but don't know. Anybody? ny156uk 23:18, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

Well, my car (a MINI Cooper'S) has the same gear ratio in 1st gear as it does in reverse - since the engine only cares a teeny-tiny bit (due to cooling airflow) whether you're going forwards or reverse - the car will do the same speed in reverse as it does in 1st gear. So my car will theoretically go at 44mph in reverse (as stock) and a little over 55mph since I did various exciting things to it under the hood. That's not true of all cars. The 2004 MINI Cooper with the continuously variable transmission has a software speed limiter to prevent you from going more than about 5mph in reverse (which can be bloody annoying!) because the rather strange transmission of that car doesn't like being driven backwards. Personally, I don't want to be driving my car at 55mph in reverse! But it does prove that in 2F2F (where we assume cars are tricked out to an even greater degree than my MINI), going 60mph in reverse is far from impossible - it is in fact, VERY possible. SteveBaker 23:39, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

On NOTORIOUS B.I.G. video with PuffDaddy called 'Hypnotize' there is a scene where both B.I.G. and P.Diddy are driving a Mercedez Benz in reverse at High Speeds per Camera-POV, although I'm gonna say they are only going about 20 mph, maybe 35 off camera. Although, in truth, it was probably hitched to a truck pulling it at 25 mph. I don't think this elaborates, just another example. --i am the kwisatz haderach 00:05, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Yeah - sure, I don't believe the actors in 2F2F were truly driving the car as 60mph in reverse - there is no way they'd do something that dangerous on a movie set. I'm only saying that my car could theoretically drive 55mph backwards - and the kinds of super-tricked out monsters they were supposedly driving in the movie should make 60mph easily. I don't think they really did it - but it's possible for a moderately tricked out car to have done it at the hands of a mythically great driver - which means that this particular movie moment is believable (the rest of it though...meh). SteveBaker 01:35, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

A British engineer called John Dodd fixed up a car in the 1970s called 'The Beast' with an aircraft engine and some Rolls Royce externals. According to a story that did the rounds in the 1970s (I heard it in the school playground a few times; it may well be an urban legend) it "did 200mph on Germany's autobahns" and "he was arrested for doing 80mph in reverse". There's a bit of discussion about it here: http://www.migweb.co.uk/forums/car-talk/167947-john-dodds-%22-beast%22-any-info.html —Preceding unsigned comment added by 194.66.229.8 (talk) 10:43, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

There was at least one historical automobile transmission that implemented a "reversing gear" that was separate from the rest of the gearbox rather than closely integrated; it could manage all the same speeds in reverse that it could manage in forward. I'm sorry, but I don't remember what car used this gearbox.

Atlant 13:17, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

I seem to remember a Smokey and the Bandit movie where Burt Reynolds did highway speed in reverse in order to be able to hand a six-pack of beer to a fellow motorist out of his driver-side window.  :) --Sean 13:28, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Sure - you are probably thinking of the DAF 600 - it had a Variomatic gearbox (an early continuously variable transmission) with a separate reversing gear. This quirky transmission did all sorts of other strange things - perhaps the most disconcerting of which is that if you are driving fast - with your foot pushed to the floor on the gas pedal, taking your foot gently OFF the pedal would actually make the car go faster!! This is a lethal thing if you don't know about it! Members of the DAF car club in Holland celebrate the reversing gear wierdness by having races in which the cars all have to go in reverse! This was also the case on most steam engines since they typically don't need a gearbox at all, they needed a special means to go backwards - so quite a few of the early steam cars would go just as fast backwards as forwards. Also check out the Bond Minicar - they used motorcycle engines and transmissions - so no reverse gear. To get around this, they had one model where the engine had to be stopped and started again in the reverse direction and another 3-wheeled model where the single front wheel could be turned 180 degrees around like a Bumper car so that the car would go backwards. In both cases the car would go just as fast backwards as forwards. SteveBaker 13:34, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Cheers for the responses, some good knowledge. ny156uk 21:40, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Lats & Longs For Cities

I've noticed lats & longs for cities in Wikipedia. For example, the lats & longs for New Orleans, according to the Google map link, is to be east of Elysian Fields and south of Claiborne. I thought they would be within the Vieaux Carre (French Quarter), especially Jackson Square, or at the location of City Hall, at 1300 Perdido, near the Superdome, for New Orleans. I was surprised to see where it actually plotted out. They were right on the money for Nagoya Field, in Japan. How are lats & longs chosen by Wikipedia for a city?Rossbarranco 23:19, 5 September 2007 (UTC) Ross Barranco

Same as all of Wikipedia's other content: by well-intentioned, usually (but not always) accurate volunteer editors.

If there's a coordinate you think could be improved, you certainly can!

With that said, there are some additional wrinkles in the way data like this is typically added to Wikipedia. Some of it is bulk-added from other databases (such as the ones at http://geonames.usgs.gov/ and http://www.nima.mil/), and if the coordinates in those other databases are coarse-grained or carelessly-chosen, they're not going to map to an "obvious" focal point.

Also, some of the data (I think) is imported from associated projects such as http://www.placeopedia.com/ and http://www.wikimapia.org/. —Steve Summit (talk) 03:29, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Does anyone think this might be a good idea for a Wikipedia guideline — to set a standard for how to indicate a city's lat/long? (Some atlases I've seen place the reference at city hall; others take the geographic center.) I'm sure there are several possibilities, and we obviously can't make it policy, but a guideline should at least be discussed. Maybe I'll throw this up over at the help desk. — Michael J 12:06, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Either take it to Wikipedia:WikiProject Geographical coordinates, or have a look on there. I think this issue has been settled by that project; hopefully you'll find documentation & advice there. --Tagishsimon (talk) 12:35, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

• Wikipedia:WikiProject_Geographical_coordinates#Precision says that the larger the object is, the less precise the coordinates should be. It's a bit misleading to say that a city is at XX.0235456 N when XX.02 N would be equally true. --M@rēino 19:52, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

September 6

back problem

i have a really bad pain in my back. Earlier today, i reached down to pick up my daughter, and then i got this really big pain in my back. I know that wikipedia doesn't give any medical advice, but i would just like to figure out what it might be, so i can know what to do. THANK YOU —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.146.75.252 (talk) 00:15, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Please see your doctor, we really cannot offer any kind of opinion or diagnosis. DuncanHill 00:41, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

HAving said that, I will give you a link to our article on back pain, something to read before you see your doctor. DuncanHill 01:22, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Also, to avoid such problems in the future, you need to change the way you lift heavy objects (daughters included). Instead of bending at the waist, do a deep knee bend to pick her up. If she is old enough, she can help you by standing on a chair/sofa/bed when she wants you to pick her up. Meanwhile, don't lift any heavy objects until your doctor evaluates your present condition. StuRat 04:39, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

If you know that we're not allowed to give medical advice - why are you asking for medical advice? If you are worried - see a doctor. SteveBaker 13:19, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

If the pain is confined to an area of your back, then it is likely to be a muscular strain. However, if the pain radiates to other parts of your body (arms, abdomen, or legs), then it is likely to be spinal disc herniation. In either case, ibuprofen is likely to help. A doctor can advise you on dosage. Physical therapy can also be helpful if the pain is persistent. Note that this does not constitute medical advice, which I am not qualified to give. Also, while I have described likely causes, your pain may have some other cause that only a medical professional could diagnose. Marco polo 15:50, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

You know, after a long time of contemplating the theoretical and legal issues of medical discussions on Wikipedia, I must recommend that go to the doctor (and take absolutely nothing from this discussion). You can read up on the subject of course, and the above links may be helpful for that. However, back pain is a very common symptom and you will need a complete history and physical examination (by a DOCTOR) to get an accurate diagnosis. Back pain can be a symptom of very serious conditions that have nothing to do with your spine or back muscles, even if the pain occurred while lifting. You may not even realize that you have other related symptoms to a serious condition without seeing a doctor.
Mrdeath5493 16:30, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

It's true that few, if any, Reference Desk contributors are medically qualified, and that we therefore can't dispense authoritative medical advice, and it's also true that Wikipedia cannot be held legally liable for any discussion of medical issues here. However, Reference Desk contributors are knowledgeable and generally better educated than the populace as a whole, and they may have helpful insights beyond telling the questioner to go to a doctor. This particular questioner appears (from his or her IP address) to be in the United States, where millions of people lack health insurance and cannot afford to see a doctor. In this context, it seems merciless to refuse to give questioners any information whatsoever. Marco polo 17:48, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

There does seem to be rather too much legal paranoia around here. Giving "legal" or "medical" advice is not in and of itself illegal. Holding oneself out as a lawyer or doctor or qualified professional when one is not is illegal. --Nricardo 02:26, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

• If you have a general practitioner who can see you soon, that's best. If not, perhaps a chiropractor or orthopedist could help. --M@rēino 19:58, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

water colors

will water colors stick to white wall? Will they have the same "brightness" as thicker paints? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.217.199.246 (talk) 02:06, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Yes, they will stick, but no, they won't provide as good of a coverage as a thicker paint, say oil based or latex. BTW, you do realize that any attempt to wash a wall with watercolors will result in all the colors running, don't you ? Also, dampness from humidity could do this. So, trying to permanently paint walls with watercolors is a really bad idea. On the other hand, creating a temporary watercolor painting on a wall, say to gain approval before going over it with real paint, would be an excellent idea. StuRat 04:33, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Acrylic paint might be a very good medium for painting on a wall: it is water-soluble before it dries, and after it dries it is permanent. If you dilute the colours with water when you apply them they have a similar transparency to water colours. It is also odour-free, and it will bond very well with white acrylic wall paint.SaundersW 08:29, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

You know, that's given me a great idea... if I did a mural in watercolor, when my lease is up I could wash it right off! And if it doesn't wash off, it'll at least not be too thick to cover again... Kuronue | Talk 21:05, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

my plan exactly, Kuronue, hence the question! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.217.199.246 (talk) 23:00, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

TV/microwave

can it hurt a TV to be sitting next to/on top of a microwave? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 128.101.53.163 (talk) 03:51, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

I'd expect you would get TV interference when both are operated at once. Steam coming out of the microwave might go into the vents on the TV and condense, as well, which might be bad for some components, especially the speakers. So, I wouldn't recommend that arrangement, no. StuRat 04:27, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

about hook of cars!

I've observed many times for majority of the cars there will be a hook on the back of it..! Now my doubt is why do they have the hook sometimes only on back, sometimes only on front, sometimes both sides? Even for costly & imported cars also I've saw that! Why? Temuzion 04:18, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Do you mean a tow hitch ? StuRat 04:22, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

I suspect that rather than the tow hitch/tow bar he's talking about the small hooks often under or through the bumper; there is often one on the back, and regularly on the front as well (don't know about the sides though). These hooks are there to allow the attachment of a tow rope for emergency situations, say if the car has to be towed by another vehicle, or pulled out of a ditch. Unfortunately I don't know what their actual name is, or in fact if they have one (tow point, tow rope attachment point, ...?). --jjron 08:18, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

They're generally on the rear more than the front because as stated, they are often used when pulling the vehicle out of a ditch. And generally, cars go into ditches going forwards and not backwards. In the off-roading community in the U.S., we call them tow hooks. Dismas|^(talk) 08:46, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

I'd reckon there'd be a fair bit of backwards action, given that cars will often go off the road after spinning out of control, so would go off backwards often enough... Anyway, checked my Mazda6 owners manual and it agrees with your terminology - tow hook. (Incidentally, for the record, it has two on the back, and one on the front which you access by popping a cap in the bumper and attaching an eyelet hook in through the hole, to which you then attach the tow rope.). --jjron 14:08, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Yah I also thought that the hook will be used only for pulling it through rope in emergencies...but i expected some diffrent answer which i couldn't get so bye..! Temuzion 10:13, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

We're talking about those wimpy little hooks that are hidden behind a panel in the bumper or (like in my car) that have to be screwed into a threaded hole someplace? Those aren't really strong enough to pull a car out of a ditch or out of other serious trouble. They're mostly intended just to allow the car to be winched up from level ground onto the back of a tow truck. For anything serious you'd want to hook a chain around an axle or something. SteveBaker 13:59, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Please do not use a chain or anything with a hook on the end of it. Go to an auto parts store and get a nylon strap with loop ends (no hooks). They can pull >20K lbs. and are tough! If one does snap, you won't be in near as much danger as when you have broken metal hooks or chains flying through the air. I don't know of a single off-roading club that encourages the use of straps with hooks or chains. We pull our rigs out of some nasty situations and either pull it with a hookless strap or very cautiously winch it. Dismas|^(talk) 03:30, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

The little wimpy hooks on the fronts and backs of all cars, sometimes concealed under a panel, are for transport. As you've probably noticed, cars are delivered on those big trucks, and they are chained down for obvious reasons. The area is somewhat reinforced, in many cars they can be used as a jacking point, and for hauling gradually up a slightly inclined flatbed, but it's not to be construed as a place to seriously tow the car. Gzuckier 15:01, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

On my car, at least (a 1978 280Z), those hooks are strictly for tie-down during transport, not for towing or anything else. In fact, the shop manual for my car instructs the dealer to remove the hooks on the front before selling the car for the first time, so that people won't be tempted to use them for towing, since the bumper and other parts of the front of the car would be damaged. --Steve Summit (talk) 22:19, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Perhaps some of you might want to take this up with Mazda - as I said above, the owner's manual says they're 'tow hooks' and specifically says that's what they're for. I doubt that this is exclusive to Mazda, and I suspect they'd avoid giving that sort of potentially dangerous misinformation in an owner's manual if they are indeed as 'wimpy' as some are claiming. --jjron 08:04, 7 September 2007 (UTC) (BTW I seem to recall most older cars didn't have them, like with my first car from the mid-70s; it was up to your own ingenuity to figure out where to tow from, which for many people was often by using the very dubious method of tieing a rope or chain around what was then the metal bumper bars. --jjron 08:11, 7 September 2007 (UTC))

Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying that these things are wimpy on all cars. Just that they are known (for sure) to be fairly pathetic on some cars - and therefore you should not rely on them without checking the owner's manual first. What you do know (without reading the manual) is that the axles are designed to stay attached to the car no matter what! They get pounded up and down and side to side and take the largest forces in all directions so they have fairly beefy mounting points. So attaching your tow to the axle is likely to be a safest thing to do in the absence of better information. Of course different things apply to towing a car on the road for any distance versus pulling it out of a ditch. For towing a car any distance, you need to be sure that it's going to go straight and that you aren't going to screw something up in the process. Many modern cars can't be towed (for any distance) without damaging them. My MINI Cooper'S can't be towed on it's wheels at all - if you pull it with the front wheels on the road and the engine not running then the transmission fluid doesn't get circulated properly and will overheat (eeek!) - if you raise the front wheels and let it roll on the back wheels then the forces on the rear suspension are applied at an unnatural angle and that can trash your suspension if you do it over enough miles. Different cars have different restrictions - my 1963 Mini can be towed on all four wheels for any distance (so long as you leave the gearbox in neutral). My wife's Mazda can be towed but only if the front wheels are off the ground. So check your owner's manual! (Thanks to Dismas for the thing about the chains though - that's good advice - I stand corrected! In my defense, I have a passion for teeny-tiny cars and the idea of breaking a tow chain when pulling one of them out of a ditch is not a serious concern! But for owners of big chunky trucks and such - yeah, a chain might be a bad idea.) SteveBaker 14:26, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

The difference between a 'Poem' and a 'Song'

A six year old child has asked me this question - What is the difference between a 'Poem' and a 'Song'? One answer that I gave was that the 'song' has a tune/tone/music associated with it, whereas a 'poem' does not have one. That is, you 'sing' a song, but you 'say' (speak plainly) a poem. But I am not sure if the child completely understood it.

Can somebody please help with another explanation.

The explanation does not have to be 100% grammatically/technically correct but should be understandable (at least the concept) by a 6 year old. --Forml 11 04:52, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

I'd go with a song is sung a poem is read. Also songs are accompanied by music whereas poems aren't. I guess the difference is minimal really. ny156uk 07:23, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Apart from acapella (etc.) singing, plainchant and so on :) I can't see what was wrong with your original explanation to be honest, the line between poem and song is fairly blurred - when you think of the number of poems that have been made into songs (I'm thinking of things like 'If') Worm ^{(t | c)} 08:53, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

This line is further blurred by Rapping and the poetry from the Beat Generation for example. 192.9.112.196 10:00, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

This is all good stuff, but I wonder if it's appropriate for a 6-year old. I also can't see much wrong with your original suggestion, Forml 11. Maybe try rephrasing it slightly, eg. "If you just say the words out loud like a nursery rhyme, you're reading a poem; but if you sing them, you've turned it into a song". It's not a minimal difference, and it's a distinction I think most 6-yr olds would have no difficulty getting because kids of that age instinctively get music. [Sorry, ny156uk, but I have a much higher regard for music than that. :) ] -- JackofOz 10:15, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Cats and motor oil

My cat was lying under a car today and when she came in she had oil on her back and head and now she's starting to clean herself. Is it okay for a cat to be licking oil that came from under a car? --124.254.77.148 06:18, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

I would suggest you do something to clean the cat yourself, a good soapy bath perhaps, rather than letting her lick that muck. If she has ingested pretty much any of the oil I'd suggest taking her to a vet to be checked out ASAP, if she's not already sick from it. We can give no medical advice (including veterinary advice), so please seek professional advice if there's any doubt. --jjron 08:27, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

In general car oil is not good stuff - so no. Shampoo your cat soon. OR seek vetenary advice - (which will be may be necessary if you let her lick more). PLEASE WASH YOUR CAT!.87.102.17.39 10:59, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

And, you know cats are known to be prescient. Is it your car? If thats the case, maybe you should fix the oil leak before it gets worse! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.147.37.13 (talk) 13:03, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

engine conversion in a skyline r32 gtr

i was thinking of buying a skyline r32 gtr but want to convert the rb26dett motor to a vq40de motor. i was wondering if this is possible for it to be done and if it will fit into the engine bay of the skyline r32211.31.18.134 08:25, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

We have an article on the Nissan VQ engine which may provide useful background. These are v6's- but according to Nissan_Skyline#R32, they all came originally with inline engines. So, even if it can fit under the hood (it may or may not), at the very least the motor mounts are going to be different. If budget is no object, in theory some amount of custom work could be done to make it work. The question is, is this a good idea? What would you be hoping to gain from an engine swap, and is there some better way to achieve similar results? Friday (talk) 14:39, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Advice about keeping rats as pets

Can anyone lend advice about keeping rats as pets? By this I mean what numbers to have, genders, size of cage and items inside it, perhaps even nutritional information? Thank you in advance. :) 81.93.102.185 14:48, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Have you read pet rat? There are also some useful links at the bottom of the article.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 16:04, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

This is a clear example of what almost two million articles means :P --Taraborn 17:10, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Wikipedia's 2 Millionth Article

Hi. Several weeks ago, I saw an article / page on Wikipedia, in which editors were posting estimates for when the 2 millionth article would surface. Does any one have the link to that page? Thanks. (Joseph A. Spadaro 21:32, 6 September 2007 (UTC))

Wikipedia:Two-million pool. =] HYENASTE 22:05, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

It says something about Wikipedia that our supreme article 2 million-a showcase of the enormous treasure trove of knowledge,of the world around us,the universe,natural phenomena,violent battles,great sporting feats--- and it's about a Spanish TV show hosted by singing ants... Lemon martini 10:42, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

How do you convert PDF into a word document?

How do you convert a Adobe Reader PDF into MS Word. I'm trying to transfer a font through it and I don't know how.--Writer Cartoonist 21:41, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

You need something like this...http://www.investintech.com/prod_a2d.htm - free trial. I'm not sure if Adobe have software like this included in the system - just because that's one of the point of the PDF in the first place - it makes alterations difficult/ensures standard viewing. ny156uk 22:52, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Or spring for Adobe Acrobat Professional, which lets you save Acrobat files in rtf format, which MS Word can open. But what do you mean by "transfer a font through it"? Miyagaya 07:30, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

Surely not Garamond 3. --jjron 08:14, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

This is how I do it:

Open a blank Word Document. Then open the .pdf file. Go to Tools then Select and Zoom then Select Tool. Highlight the part(s) you want and copy. Go back to the blank Word document and paste. You can then highlight and change fonts (or colors, sizes, etc.). Hope this helps.

Assignment On Auckland, New Zealand Property Market

Does anyone know where I can find these things? Thanks

a) Demand-side factors a. mortgage interest rates b. rental yields c. expected returns from capital gains d. comparative returns on property versus other investment alternatives e. tax on income from property investment as compared to tax on other investments b) Supply-side factors a. Amount of existing residential properties for sale b. Amount of new residential properties under construction c. Availability of vacant lots zoned for residential purposes

And Im not asking you to do my homework, I'm just asking where to find infomation that I can do it with. I've already looked. Thanks. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 58.28.172.120 (talk) 22:54, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

This information may be available from the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand. If they don't have it, they can probably tell you where to find it. Marco polo 01:01, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

ISD

What could the acronym ISD stand for in the world of encryption and cryptology? Thanks. Acceptable 23:10, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Well, in this paper (PDF) it means "Information Set Decoding". --Anonymous, 23:50 UTC, September 6, 2007.

Could depend on the context within the paper - see here. --jjron 08:23, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

Things to do when I turn 18?

What are some things I should do when I turn 18? I don't mean go out and buy a lottery ticket, but like, what financial or legal things need to be done once I become an adult? HYENASTE 23:32, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

You could start investing in a pension, start saving for a home, invest in an investment fund. It's recommended that you right a will because in a lot of countries if you die without a will the government has no requirement to pass on your proceeds to your immediate family (though i'm sure it is rare that they don't). ny156uk 23:37, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

Oh no, not rare at all. The estates of people who die intestate in Australia more often than not go to the state (via the Public Trustee), and families often have a court battle on their hands to get any of it. -- JackofOz 00:32, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

In some countries you are required to register for the draft if you are male. (Perhaps in some countries if you’re female as well.) --S.dedalus 23:42, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

You should ensure that you are registered to vote (assuming a voting age of 18 in your jurisdiction). DuncanHill 00:30, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

You may also be required to obtain an official form of identification in some states, and in any case it is IMO worth getting a passport (if you do not already have one). If you do not already have a current account ("checking account"), then I would suggest getting one. It's also worth making the most of the time you still have before you are 18 - in some countries you may be entitled to free or reduced-cost healthcare, if so get your teeth, eyes, and everything else checked out.DuncanHill 00:52, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

In what states are these required? I'm 19 and I've got no government-issued ID; I get frisked when I fly and I can't enter one of the porn shops in town because they won't take my student ID or any combination of things with photos and things with birthdates that share the same name, but I go to the one that knows me across town and I wear REALLY tight clothes when flying, and I manage alright between North Carolina and California. Then again, I already break the law several times a week, so... Kuronue | Talk 21:13, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

I believe in the Nordic countries adults are required to possess some form of state-recognised ID. I used the word "state" to mean an independent geo-political entity, rather than one of the members of the United States of America. BTW - weren't states' anti-sodomy laws declared unconstitutional? DuncanHill 21:33, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

Go out and PAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRTYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!! --Candy-Panda 13:47, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

What country are you in? In the US, if you're male, you have to register for the draft. Corvus cornix 16:15, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

Consider that a couple of hundred years ago, you would have had about 7 - 10 years left to live - so first of all Party as advised by an earlier respondent, then plan on all the things you want to do in your remaining 68 years or so, and remember that all your best memories have yet to happen, so try to ensure they are good ones. Good Luck to you from someone who didn't have a clue what to do with his life when he was 18 - and still doesn't, despite now being 60. But I have no regrets and I wish you the same. Enjoy.81.145.242.139 16:26, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

Contrary to general consensus you would have much longer to live. The reason is that the average-age is brought down hugely due to child-deaths. People who lived to adulthood mostly lived reasonably long. See (http://lifetwo.com/production/node/20070716-dramatically-longer-average-lifespans-fact-myth-or-something-else ) for a starting into this. It's a classic case of averages not telling the whole picture. ny156uk 22:25, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

If you happen to live near the border with Quebec, you could legally get trashed at a bar. Adam Bishop 18:11, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

Buy a lottery ticket. ;) Pilotguy 22:34, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

September 7

Secure Encryption systems

Are there any encryption systems, except for one-time pads, that are absolutely impossible to break? Acceptable 00:27, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

There are no encryption systems at all, including one-time pads, that are absolutely impossible to break, if by "break" you mean simply "recover the plaintext". After all, you might just correctly guess the plaintext, and that would constitute breaking the system.

The unique thing about a one-time pad is that the ciphertext provably gives you no information at all about whether you've correctly guessed the plaintext. I'm fairly sure you can't get that property with any cryptosystem whose key length is shorter than the ciphertext (assuming they're in the same alphabet). A cryptosystem with that long a key might as well be a one-time pad, as that's simplest anyway. --Trovatore 00:43, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

If the key is longer than the cyphertext, it's still possible to break it, if the key was not randomly generated. A crucial element of a one-time pad is that the pad is generated truely randomly. --67.185.172.158 06:25, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

Quantum cryptography can be used to generate and transmit a completely random (in the quantum sense) one-time pad - the result is truly, utterly unbreakable. You can't even intercept the transmission of the pad without one of the users finding out that you did that. SteveBaker 20:29, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

Hacking my Hotmail password

Supposedlying I ran a contest with a very large prize asking some of the world's best computer hackers to hack or gain access into my Hotmail e-mail account. Assuming that these hackers are anonymous and do not know me nor my personality and receive no other hints other than my e-mail address of course, how will they go about doing this? Acceptable 01:34, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

There are two different sorts of answers here.

One is that it is actually pretty easy to design an "unbreakable" code -- in isolation. If I post a small scrap of ciphertext encrypted by my sooper seekrit new encryption algorithm, and challenge the world's top cryptanalysts to break it, they'll refuse, even if I offer a large cash prize. The reason is simply that this isn't enough information to break the code. But that doesn't mean it's truly unbreakable, of course -- once I or my cohorts actually start using the code to communicate, then there will be enough information for someone to crack it, if it's worth it to them. (The point is that if you make a hacking problem narrow enough, not even the best hackers can hack it -- but this doesn't mean that they're no good, or that you're smarter than they are.)

But to return to your question: just because you're anonymous doesn't mean they can't track you down. (Remember, all's fair in a contest like this. Your opponents are not going to say, "Oh. Dang. He's anonymous, so none of our attacks will work. We give up, then." They're allowed to attack you from some direction you never thought of. They're allowed to cheat and break the rules.) They could hack into Wikipedia (or ask a Wikipedia admin friend they happen to have) to find out your IP address. Then they could hack your ISP (or just sniff your internet traffic) to notice which Hotmail account you use. Then all they have to do is hack that hotmail account (which will be especially easy if they saw your password while they were sniffing your traffic). —Steve Summit (talk) 03:37, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

There are a number of techniques I'd try.

• I'd look for a cross-site scripting vulnerability in Hotmail that would let me get access to your current session or login details.
• I'd send phishing emails to try to trick you into giving me the password to your account.
• I'd send phishing emails to try to get login details for other accounts you have, and look for a pattern.
• I'd look for security holes in the Hotmail system that would let me take control of the whole system (and, as a result, your account).
• I'd try a brute-force search to guess your password.
• I'd try bribing someone who works at Hotmail to give me access.
• If all else fails, I'd apply rubber-hose cryptanalysis to the problem.

--67.185.172.158 06:22, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

Any password can be brute-force searched, so unless the password strength toggle on your "change password" screen is green (strong), it probably wouldn't take long at all (if you password is "hello", it is a lot easier to crack than "th1s15as3CuR3407Ma!lPaSsWoRd"). Laïka 09:38, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

In all likelyhood the bad guy could figure out the IP address of your PC and (assuming it's a Windows machine) it'll have a bazillion ways in for a determined hacker. Once in, he can install a keystroke monitor and figure out everything you type. From that point on, it's just a matter of time until you next log in to your Hotmail account. Of course if you don't enter your password every time and let the browser remember it instead - then it'll be even easier to hack because the password will be sitting there in a file someplace. SteveBaker 19:20, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

lol scary... Acceptable 16:47, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

...and just one of the many reasons I use Linux. I also run my own mail server so my email password stays within my machine. SteveBaker 15:52, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Entice you to start an account for something else, and see if you use the same password (lots of people do).Polypipe Wrangler 11:43, 12 September 2007 (UTC)

Most Calories in one container?

I noticed that my wedge of cheese had 1100 Calories, and my container of ice cream had 2880 Calories. It seems like a lot, but is there any regular, non-industrial-sized, food product that contains even more Cal than these? HYENASTE 01:38, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

The most Calories (per gram) are fats (9 kcal per g). So technically, a container of oil would be chock-full o' calories (1 litre oil = a bit less than 1 kilogram so almost 9000 kcal per container). Mind you, I don't know that you'd count cooking oil as a food product per se. -- Flyguy649 ^talk _contribs 01:43, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

A pound of butter has around 3200 Calories. anonymous6494 01:52, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

Olive oil has 1,909 calories per cup. You can get 3-liter bottles of olive oil. Three liters is 12.68 cups. So that's 24,206 calories! -- Mwalcoff 03:50, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

I have a five-pound container of butter in my refrigerator. It's got 16,500 calories in it. In my pantry is a 20-pound sack of flour, with 30,000 calories. --67.185.172.158 06:30, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

Well, I don't know about op, but I'd only count food that I can eat without getting sick, so I wouldn't qualify tubs of butter and oil myself. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 02:51, 13 September 2007 (UTC)

My Unanswered Question about the Golden State Warriors

My Question Was How Did The Nba Team "The Golden State Warriors" Got Their Name? I Looked It Up, But I Didn't Find What Could Answer My Question. I Hope You Can Answer My Question. Thanks For Your Help. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.211.141.227 (talk) 04:01, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

Well, what exactly are you trying to find out? Do you want to know why it's "Golden State Warriors", or are you wondering about the "Warriors" bit? The first is just some geographical indication; they were originally named "Philadelphia Warriors", see Golden State Warriors. This site claims they were named "Warriors" after an earlier ABL team also named "Philadelphia Warriors". However, also see [7] (warning: that site is a wiki and even runs the MediaWiki software, but they say their contents were copyrighted[8]). See also [9]. All this leaves me somewhat confused about Eddie Gottlieb's teams. But anyway, they probably chose "Warriors" because they wanted something "heroic" or pathetic. Imagine calling a team "the wimps". :-) But why "warriors" and not "fighters", "winners" or some other term that indicates competitiveness and that has positive connotations in the sports world, I don't know. (I continue to be astonished about team names such as "Ducks", "Young Boys", "Young Fellows", or "Grasshoppers"...) Lupo 08:13, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

• "The Golden State" has long been a popular designation for California and was made the official State Nickname in 1968. It is particularly appropriate since California's modern development can be traced back to the discovery of gold in 1848 and fields of golden poppies can be seen each spring throughout the state. --M@rēino 13:46, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

Maybe the real question being asked is, why aren't they the Oakland Warriors? I would guess that's a marketing thing -- a lot of the country probably has only a vague idea where Oakland is, or their associations with Oakland are too negative (violence or no there there).

Anaheim gets a similar lack of respect (doesn't have quite the same negatives, but not too many positives) which is presumably why the Angels used to be the California Angels and are now the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

I have to say the "The City" jerseys the Warriors played in a few times last season made me wonder. Is there a move planned across the Bay? That would explain the bridge on the jersey, too. --Trovatore 17:33, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

It's not that Oakland has negative connotations. It's just that they want to be considered the team of the entire Bay Area, not just Oakland. It's the same reason we have the Minnesota Twins instead of the Minneapolis Twins, the Florida Panthers instead of the Ft. Lauderdale Panthers and the New York Giants instead of the East Rutherford, NJ, Giants. -- Mwalcoff 23:44, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

I wonder how many of us are old enough to remember the Boston Patriots. —Tamfang 00:32, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

Those jerseys with the bridge that said "The City" were throwback uniforms from the days when the team was the San Francisco Warriors. They wore those uniforms from 1962 to 1971. — Michael J 02:10, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

Then there's the story of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The team was founded as the Los Angeles Angels in 1961. A few years later, they became the California Angels in preparation for a move to distant Anaheim. As part of a stadium-financing deal with the city of Anaheim in the mid-90s, they agree to become the Anaheim Angels. But that didn't have much ring to it from a marketing perspective, so they changed their name to the "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim" a couple of years ago. The "of Anaheim" part, a court agreed, meets the team's obligation to include "Anaheim" in their name, even though most people leave out the "of Anaheim" part. -- Mwalcoff 00:50, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

A folklore question

I'm looking for an article about a group of people in islamic or jewish folklore(it might be somewhere else). The world supposed to end if one of them dies(I think). There are seven of them or possibly three. I don't know anything more so I can't find the article. If you could help I'd appreciate it 134.250.60.235 04:10, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

This might be a (slightly garbled) version of the Tzadikim. Have you been reading Sam Bourne? Algebraist 12:57, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

The Wikilink for that is Tzadikim Nistarim. SteveBaker 14:01, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

That's funny, Tzadikkim worked, and that's misspelt... (I've made a new redirect) Algebraist 19:12, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

3-prong plugs vs. 2-prong plugs

Is there any rule that governs when the grounding pin is included in an electrical device? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Shindo9Hikaru (talk • contribs) 06:11, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

Appliance classes? --antilived^{T | C | G} 07:03, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

Also depends a lot which country you are in. Also, at least in the UK, the earth pin is often not electrically connected to anything; it is just there to open the socket shutters.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 10:05, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

Nonsense!! The earth pin is connected to the safety ground line. Without it the socket would be very dangerous in certain circumstances. Some appliances do not need external grounding, but the same three pin plug is used for convenience.90.14.21.146 14:31, 7 September 2007 (UTC)DT

I think Shantavira means that the earth pin sometimes isn't connected to anything inside the appliance - obviously it's connected to something in the house wiring.

Anyway - the main guideline for requiring an earth is when the appliance has exposed metal parts. There may be other specific rules in some countries - but this is the main reason. The idea being that should one of the live wires come loose inside the appliance, it could touch the exposed metal part and potentially electrocute someone. So these parts are grounded ('earthed' if you are British) and should a live wire short against the outside, a fuse will blow or a circuit breaker will trip before any harm can be done. In the case of low power devices with all plastic exteriors, this is not a risk and the ground wire is often not connected to anything. I have seen some devices with metal exterior parts an no ground wire - but these always seem to have the electrical parts of the device shielded inside a totally enclosing plastic box inside - or they drop the voltage down from mains voltage to 12 volts or less (which is pretty harmless). In the US (at least) it is obvious when a device has not ground wire because you have a two pin plug instead of one with three pins. In the UK (where we have 240 volt mains electricity and electrocution is a much more serious risk), the electrical outlets have little plastic 'shutters' that close over the holes of the two live wires in the socket - those shutters are moved out of the way by the mechanical act of plugging in the grounding/earthing pin of the plug (which is longer than the other two pins for this reason). Hence all UK appliances have to have this gigantic plug with a third pin (which is sometimes made of plastic on devices that are not grounded). SteveBaker 14:55, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

Funny, in Australia we use 240v and have gated sockets, but double insulated devices do not have an earth pin - you just have to shove them in hard! IRT the original poster, only "double insulated" or class II devices may be unearthed. Double insulated generally means that all electrical components must be insulated from the inside of the casing, and that the casing itself must be made of a non-conductive material and must not allow a standard test finger to touch components inside. FiggyBee 01:55, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

It may seem obvious that the third pin is always connected, but, as above, it is only connected when there is need. Otherwise it simply acts to open the protective shutter. Incidentally there are still plenty of older 3-pin sockets in place in the UK that do not have the shutter. Naturally the protected shutter is required on all new installations. To hopefully complete this topic some UK sockets are individually switched, others are simply outlets.86.209.156.111 14:15, 8 September 2007 (UTC)DT

Just saw the above. I have several small appliances (mostly PSUs) in which the earth pin is made of plastic, ergo it is not electrically connected to anything. It is only there to open the shutters, as I said.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 12:53, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Counting bullets

Approximately how many rounds of .22 Long Rifle ammunition are there in the United States? --67.185.172.158 06:14, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

I would think that is such a common calibre and there are so many manufacturers that the question is impossible to answer. I mean nobody keeps count of that sort of thing, but we're talking billions.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 09:56, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

I've been able to find two sources that reference the number of rimfire rounds produced in the U.S., but that includes rounds other than the .22 Long Rifle. One estimate of annual U.S. rimfire round production is 2.5 billion [10], and a more official looking document [11] says there are 2 billion. That's a lot of shooting. 152.16.188.107 04:03, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

Fascinating, I knew we had a lot of guns, but this puts it in perspective. If you look at the number of rounds used to inflict harm on innocent people, vs. the above number, the percent of used to kill people is miniscule(1000's at the worst against billions), although the harm caused is incalculable. If one were to create an index based on # rounds used to kill people(non-military)/#rounds manufactured(available or sold), would that be an index we could use to compare the level of incivility? by city, by township. Just musing. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.142.209.247 (talk) 13:28, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

• Civil War: 1,000 rounds fired per person hit
• WWII: 17,000 rounds fired per person hit
• Vietnam: 55,000 rounds fired per person hit

QED. SteveBaker 15:45, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

SteveBaker makes a good point, but must balance against #rd fired/soldier deployed, which went up by about 75:1, & fact dispersal (number of m² covered/man) between U.S. Civil War & Vietnam went up 160:1 (Dupuy, Numbers, Predictions, & War, Pp26 & 29). Trekphiler 03:06, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

Tangerines and Magazines

There was a song in the mid 90's i think and the lyrics were about a boy that dies his hair and instead of using hair dye he uses tangerines, there is a girl that blows her nose and uses magazines. Can you tell me who sang this and what it was called. Furthermore, does anyone know where I can buy cd's online, useing a maesto card rather than a credit(master/visa/diners) by Mandoza, I am looking for the song 50/50 and Afterlifesatisfaction by The Springbok Nude Girls. Thanks people.:-) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.144.161.223 (talk) 12:37, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

She don't use jelly by the Flaming Lips is the song you want. Algebraist 12:55, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

See also the Ben Folds Five cover of this song -- we have no way of knowing which version you heard, so I thought I'd offer the "most popular" cover. Jfarber 12:03, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

By the way, this song is the best song in the world. Capuchin 12:57, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

^ citation needed --LarryMac | Talk 13:05, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

Of course I would not advocate doing anything of dubious legality, but I hear some people use bittorrents for this purpose, and avoid using any cards at all. SaundersW 16:03, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

Guidelines for hailing a chief

Are there official guidelines for which public ceremonies the President of the USA does not get accompanied by that ridiculous blast of bombastic music? I can imagine it being uncomfortable at state funerals, for example. He must be fed up with it - it's only a 50 year old tradition, why doesn't he just ditch it? Is anyone aware of any surveys of how American voters feel about it? --Dweller 13:00, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

Given the current "Chief", perhaps the theme from the Bozo the Clown show would be a more-appropriate substitution? Heck, even Bozo can probably tell APEC from OPEC, unlike our present Fearless Leader.

Atlant 14:23, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

And hopefully Bozo can tell the difference between Shiites and Sunnis, which the person who is alleged to have stolen the 2000 Presidential election is alleged to not be able to do. Corvus cornix 16:18, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

I'm not at all hopeful. Yesterday, in Sydney at the APEC Conference, he referred to it as OPEC, and to his Australian hosts as "Austrians". [12]. -- JackofOz 01:49, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

Apparently, "Hail to the Chief" may be performed at funerals, if the funeral is for a president, as this source indicates. I doubt that there are official guidelines specifying when the tune should not be played. Probably the president's staff decide when they want an atmosphere of pomp (which you may perceive as ridiculous bombast), and when they don't. I think that the social effect of the tune is to evoke reverence and to confer respect on the appearance of the president. If most Americans felt that the music was bombastic and ridiculous, presidents' staff would quickly cease to have it played. That they don't suggests that most Americans don't find it bombastic and ridiculous. (Note that I have said nothing about my personal perceptions, which are in line with the posts above.) Marco polo 16:38, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

Oh. In addition to Hail to the Chief, there's also Ruffles and Flourishes to contend with. Corvus cornix 16:48, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

I've always found US presidents' use of the Monty Python theme tune both amusing and strangely apt. DuncanHill 21:54, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

There was a controversy about 15 years ago when the first President Bush visited a junior high school. The president's handlers first said the school band could not play "Hail to the Chief," since a group of 11-13-year-olds were not considered good enough musicians to honor the president. That decision was overturned after some negative publicity. -- Mwalcoff 23:48, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

Our articles on "Hail" and the 2 presidents concerned make no mention of this, but the song was banned outright by Jimmy Carter (see [13] and [14]), and its use was limited by George W Bush. ([15]). -- JackofOz 05:25, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

Thanks for responses - particularly interested in the Carter and Bush (snr) information, which implies Bush jnr (or his team) like it. --Dweller 08:50, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Saipan MP

What does the MP in Saipan MP stand for ? Tom Motherway —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.34.110.14 (talk) 13:40, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

I can't (yet) find any references to Saipan MP. What's the context? --Dweller 14:27, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

Google --Tagishsimon (talk) 14:28, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

Thanks --Dweller 14:35, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

According to Northern Mariana Islands, the Internet suffix for Northern Mariana Islands is .mp. I'm assuming that in some way, MP is an abbreviation for Northern Mariana Islands. --14:35, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

Marianas Province, apparently. --Sean 15:01, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

The US Postal Service uses 'MP' as the State/US-Abbreviation for the islands. These abbreviations are always two letters - I guess all of the other relevent M's were taken (eg MI) - hence Marianas Province (MP). SteveBaker 15:08, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

MA, MI, MN, and MS were respectively already taken by Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, and Mississippi, but MR is still available. Presumably MP just copied the traditional abbreviation M.P.; at least, Wikipedia says here that that was the traditional abbreviation, but it doesn't say why. Sean has already cited a web page that says P is for Province, but I don't find anything stating that the Marianas were called a province. I did find a web site claiming that the P was for Pacific, and certainly the Northern Marianas were part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific, so maybe that is correct. --Anonymous, 23:20 UTC, September 7, 2007.

Early games and sports in Kongo

In your entry for the Kingdom of Kongo, there is a section about early games and sports in the Kongo.One game that is mention is called "inclaca" but it doesn't list the source for the game..I wanted to know if u can locate the source for that game..The link is Kingdom_of_Kongo#Early_games_and_sports_in_Kongo —Preceding unsigned comment added by 208.205.78.126 (talk) 17:01, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

This seems unlikely to be true - there is just one Google hit for 'nclaca' - and that's to our article. 'inclaca' (with an 'i') gets lots of foreign language hits - but none in English.

That edit was made to the article by an anonymous editor who has never edited any other article before or since. The only changes to what he wrote were the addition of the W. Holman Bentley book reference and the addition of a 'Who?' tag. Google books cannot find any words like 'nclaca' that I could find - so I'm pretty sure the Bentley book (which claims to actually discuss games played in Kongo) doesn't mention it. On that basis, I have deleted that part of the article. SteveBaker 18:55, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

I located the sources for the game "nclaca"..it is "Leisure and Society in Colonial Brazzaville by Phyllis Martin..The game is on page 100...Other games on pages 102 (hockey game) and pg 103 (football game)

Sources for W.Holman Bentley's games are "Pioneering on the Congo, vol II..The pages for the games are pgs 289-93 wrestling,pg 293 spinning the teetotum, and pg 396 mbadi (hockey), mbele,and antelope game.

Difficult yoga poses

What yoga pose(s) is/are considered to be the most difficult? A link to a picture would be a plus.--The Fat Man Who Never Came Back 17:07, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

A Google search gives this as the first result for "advanced yoga poses" Dismas|^(talk) 17:37, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

There are lots of different yoga traditions, but the full lotus position is impossible for most adults unless they are pretty flexible. The link marked "crossing the legs" has an illustration. (This article could do with a decent image.)--Shantavira|^{feed me} 17:45, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

I'm only an infrequent and mediocre yoga practitioner, but I can do a majority of the so-called "advanced" yoga poses at the above about.com link. There are definitely others that are too difficult for me, but here's a article with a different counterintuitive answer. jeffjon 17:50, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

USAF Air Battle Manager Vision standards?

What are the vision standards for an Air Battle Manager in the USAF? Also what exactly does an ABM do? --Sade22 17:11, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

An ABM has to be physically qualified for aircrew duty. That means an uncorrected visual acuity of 20/200, correctable to 20/20, and perfect colour vision. As far as what they do, we have an article on Air Battle Manager. FiggyBee 02:14, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

Content Question

I have a question that is not necessarily related to Wikipedia, but that I need assistance on if you would be willing to help. On wikipedia and a few other sites, I have seen images that I am uncertain of whether or not they are pornographic or age-restricted. One is the first image on the wet t-shirt contest at wikipedia. How do you know if a an image is considered age-restricted or pornographic in the US.

Thanks, Roger —Preceding unsigned comment added by 139.76.128.71 (talk) 18:45, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

Pornography in the United States and the links therein, especially, the Miller test, might help. Rockpocket 19:01, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

As might Legal status of Internet pornography#United States. Rockpocket 19:19, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

Tobacco Adversiment in Formula One

which are the last grand prix where tobacco adversiment are still allowed? --201.9.47.152 21:03, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

I don't know but Wikipedia has a section about tobacco advertising in Formula One. A.Z. 22:13, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

China. France, too, I think. Trekphiler 02:41, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

DRAGONBALL GT REMASTERED

Will FUNimation release a Dragon Ball GT Remastered set like they did/are producing for Dragon Ball Z? Thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.189.57.235 (talk) 21:49, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

Spoof Articles

I have noticed a number of dubious articles whilst searching Wikipedia, but can anyone estimate the probable number of spoof articles existing here at present?--88.110.43.175 21:57, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

Likely fairly low. Even real articles often get deleted quickly if they can't be easily verified. --24.147.86.187 23:01, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

How low is low? 100, 1000, 10000?--212.139.83.93 23:29, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

It is very difficult to give an estimate, and you would have do fine what a spoof actually is. However, here is an attempt to record previously hoax articles, and Category:Suspected hoax articles point you towards the known suspects at any one time. Based on this its likely that there are not many, probably less than 100, elaborate spoof articles (such as Bishonen's European toilet paper holder) but probably hundreds if not thousands of valid articles but that contain some hoax/spoof information. Rockpocket 00:10, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

I estimate many thousands of total spoofs, but not obvious, funny or elaborate ones, are in Wikipedia at any given time. As an example, consider all the totally unreferenced articles about tiny villages in Europe, Africa or Asia which per their articles no longer exist. In an AFD people will object to deletion on the ground that "all inhabited places are notable" and ignore WP:V which requires 'some' verifiable and reliable source that it once existed, besides the assertion of the person who wrote the article. There have been total hoax articles about individuals, but they lack the claim of inherent notability of villages and get deleted more quickly. I have seen (deleted) hoax articles about U.S. villages and roads, which are more likely to be proved to be hoaxes because of good maps and census records. The ones which got deleted were because the article creator did not add any pretense of reliable sources. Foreign villages (or anything else) with claimed references to actual (rare) books or newspapers (which don't really reference the village, person, etc) are very hard to get deleted, especially if they are in some language which few editors read fluently. Edison 01:04, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

I took spoof to mean a purposeful parody, in that the purpose is to mock or poke fun, rather than simply create non notable articles for vanity or vandalism purposes. Some obscure village isn't much of a spoof, since no-one will ever read it. If we are taking a wider interpretation, then I agree with the newly be-tooled Edison (congrats, by the way) that we would be looking at thousands. Rockpocket 01:14, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

Staring at the new buttons: what happens if I press this one?? D'oh! A good article related to this question is Fictitious entry. Edison 01:17, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

Nice article, though it sounds a bit like a description of the contents of teenage boys' discussions. Rockpocket 01:25, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

SteveBaker Suggests 'Random article' by WikipediA

[Random article]; my question is, how is it random? I mean, does each IP address get a different Random? or are all the Randoms in a select order, from the 1 to 2 millionth? Cheers' y'alls. --i am the kwisatz haderach 23:28, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

That is a good question Help:Special page and Wikipedia:Random do not appear to give any information on the mechanism. You could ask a developer, I'm sure they would know. Rockpocket 23:43, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

If I recall, there was a question about this fairly recently. I can't remember the answer though. It does take some sort of shortcut in order to avoid trying to run a query against the whole database, which is quite slow, but I can't remember what the shortcut is. --24.147.86.187 00:09, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

This thread reveals all. You can see it yourself over here. --Sean 00:16, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

I also just found this: Wikipedia:Technical FAQ#Is the "random article" feature really random? Rockpocket 00:22, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

Visual acuity?

Is there a way to compare a TV screen's resolution to maximum human visual acuity? I'm thinking of the proposed video systems for airliners; how much resolution would the screens have to display to show a pic as good as, or better than, human vision? Thanks. Trekphiler 02:46, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

September 8

password

I accidentally enter my password in the search box at Uncyclopedia and search it. What should I do? Jet (talk) 01:12, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

If you think your password might be compromised (someone might be able to obtain it) then change your password to a new one (and keep a record of what the new one is). Edison 01:18, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

(ec) Exactly. You could change your password pronto, or ask at the Village Dump. They, at least, will have a funnier answer than this one. Rockpocket 01:22, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

It's on a Wikia server. Should I contact the server admin at Wikia? Jet (talk) 01:26, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

Why? If you change your password, the old one will no longer be useful to anyone. Rockpocket 01:38, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

Realistically - I very much doubt that anyone is intercepting and investigating what people type into search boxes - that would be a mindlessly stupid way of searching for passwords. I honestly wouldn't give it a second thought. If you are really serious panic-stricken, change your password - but I wouldn't bother. SteveBaker 02:51, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

Why would it be a stupid way to search for passwords? I often type my password into boxes other than the correct boxes. A.Z. 05:36, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

Because the signal-to-noise ratio would be very poor. Out of 10 million random searches you'd find 1 password, which was presumably not a random search? How would you tell the difference? It wouldn't be worth your time. Plus, you'd have to then be able to match it up with the user name — probably not easy, especially if the user wasn't logged in to begin with (why else would they be typing in their password?). --24.147.86.187 12:41, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

I agree with Steve, there is no way of telling if a word typed into a search box is a password, I have never typed any of my passwords into search boxes - I think I am in the huge majority. Richard Avery 07:40, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

Sometimes I fail to connect with the Tab key in between username and password and I end up typing part of my password after my username in plaintext.. it doesn't happen often and the only risk is from my roommate behind me --froth^t 23:12, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

How is the United States Army organized?

500k active manpower but spread among active 10 divisions? Seems strange. Or are there other structures that personel belong to than combat divisions?

67.170.241.199 10:10, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

Here is a nice breakdown of how it is compartmentalized. The Field Army is made up of 2-5 Corps, the Corps are made up of 2-5 Divisions, the Divisions are made up of 3 Brigades, the Brigades are made up of 3+ Battalions, the Batallions are made up of 3-5 Companies, the Companies are made up of 3-5 Platoons, the Platoons are made up of 3-4 Squads, and the Squads are made up of 4-10 Soldiers. And there is even more complexity beyond that structure—there are additional, special organizational units as well (e.g. Armored Calvary Regiment, Quartermaster Group, etc.). --24.147.86.187 12:37, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

female celebs with 'guys/unisex' names?

Can anyone give me some?

I've got Glenn Close and Leighton Meester so far. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 125.238.30.147 (talk) 13:05, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

Michael Learned. -- JackofOz 13:51, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

Also, our article Given name tells us that "Most names are specifically masculine or feminine, but there are many unisex names as well, such as Jordan, Jesse, Alex, Ashley, Chris, Hillary, Lesley, Rene, Joe/Jo, Jackie, Pat, Sam." That should provide some material for research. -- JackofOz 13:54, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

Then there are those where it's hard to tell: Moon Unit Zappa is one such. Bielle 15:08, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

Reese Witherspoon, Drew Barrymore? And I suppose Nigella Lawson and her sister Thomasina are honourable mentions... Skittle 15:36, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

Jaime King used to call herself James King, but I guess she got tired of being confused for a guy. Corvus cornix 18:03, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

Rene Russo (the feminine form is traditionally Renée). Cameron Diaz is a marginal case: Cameron is a surname (as are Leighton and Glenn, from placenames), and such names are much more often given to boys, but there's no logical necessity for it and there are counterexamples going way back (just yesterday I saw a mention of a duchess, centuries ago, whose given name was Douglas). —Tamfang 18:51, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

I thought of one more - Anne Rice's given name is Howard. Corvus cornix 23:06, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

Add to the list of unisex names Kelly and Carrie/Cary. I also once knew a man named Bernice. Also, Spencer Scott is a woman though the name Spencer is often a male name. Dismas|^(talk) 00:15, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

The current Governor of Queensland is a woman named Quentin Bryce. Also, what about these newfangled given names that were originally surnames, like Madison, McKenzie, Taylor, etc. I can't understand why anyone would name their daughter with a word that ends in -son. -- JackofOz 13:16, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Thank heaven! I'm not alone. Though I'd allow Alison, since -son is not a morpheme there. —Tamfang 04:53, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Lionel Shriver, author of We Need to Talk About Kevin. Telsa (talk) 10:44, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

medical education in cuba

dears, i want an answer of a question related to the medical education in cuba. Does medical education in cuba is up to world level of medical education? how much importance is given to student who has a medical degree from cuban medical institutes in europe, america and in other parts of world if he wants to studies there or wants to job there? what about its curriculum? Is it cmpatible with other courses that are taught in other world universities? Level of practical work ? What about surgery ? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 201.220.222.140 (talk) 14:35, 8 September 2007 (UTC) (Repaired question format to eliminate box.) Bielle 15:02, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

Cuba takes great pride in its health care and with little foreign aid, that'll be mostly home-grown, so the education should be good. Oddly, they're especially good at plastic surgery, I assume for financial reasons, because a lot of rich people go to Cuba to get 'beautified'. Last year or so, Cuba started sending out eye-doctors to cure poor people with eye-diseases, first to its friendly neighbours in South America, and then to other parts of the world as well, but mostly poor countries, I believe, where they are very welcome. How highly regarded a Cuban medical degree is elsewhere (or vise versa, for that matter) I don't know, and I'm also curious. DirkvdM 18:43, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

Canoe terms

What is the term for attaching canoes together in the middle of a body of water? The canoes are not attached together by ropes but by people holding on to the canoes so that they do not drift apart. It serves as more of a meeting place while on canoe trips. Thank you, Joanna and Dave —Preceding unsigned comment added by 121.216.220.208 (talk) 14:38, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

Rafting?

Atlant 22:48, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

Recycling envelopes?

I was just round at my local recycling point, and being a bit of a sporadic recycler, I had to read through the check list of what could and could not be recycled in each bin. On the paper bin, it said that I couldn't put in my used envelopes - a bit disgruntled, I sorted through my paper bag and pulled out the envelopes. What I'm wondering is, why wasn't I able to? Are they not recyclable, full stop, or do they need to be separated from normal paper (if so, why?), and my council just hasn't provided a bin for this? Thanking you greenily, Icthyos 15:05, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

When I've encountered this at recycling points, they've usually specified envelopes with windows as being unsuitable, because the windows are plastic. I used to tear the window bit out, leaving only paper and glue. However, there might be a different reason in your area. Possibly people commonly use envelopes that have a plastic layer, without realising? Skittle 15:33, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

Usually it would be for the plastic windows. Less likely reasons would be due to the glues in them, and due to the pretty low risk of some type of treated or waxed paper. If it's just because of the plastic windows, I guess they think it's easier to just tell people 'no envelopes', rather than confuse them with different options for different types of envelopes. Many recyclers say they can easily remove the windows during treatment, and therefore accept all envelopes. --jjron 16:31, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

Here's another one: why do the containers here (in the Netherlands) specify 'no cardboard'? And what types of cardboard? Does that include the very thin 'papery' type? DirkvdM 18:48, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

Many even apparently-all-paper envelopes have a thin layer of plastic for some reason. If you lick your thumb and finger and rub it, you can make the paper go away leaving only the plastic. There's no economical way for recyclers to separate the layers. --Sean 19:49, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

My local council (Brighton & Hove City) will recycle envelopes, so long as windows are removed first. AFAIK, this is widespread in the UK> DuncanHill 23:41, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

Here in the U.S., the problem with envelopes is generally the plastic window. What I don't understand is the non-acceptance of pizza boxes as well as plastic grocery bags. Grocery stores will often have recycling bins for their (and other store's) bags but for some reason my local recycling center will not take them. Dismas|^(talk) 00:12, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Well, pizza boxes are made from cardboard and plastic grocery bags are made from, ehm, plastic. :) If you mean putting them in the plastic container, there are two main types of plastic; thermoplastics and thermosetting plastics. From the latter article: "They do not lend themselves to recycling like thermoplastics, which can be melted and re-molded." Maybe bags can't be made from thermoplastics because they're too soft and would sag. There are many variations of plastic, though, and this might again be a policy to simplify things for people. DirkvdM 05:36, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Pretty exotic animals

What real, exotic animals are generally considered attractive? For example, rare species of butterflies, etc... Thanks. Acceptable 17:50, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

"Exotic" literally means foreign, so without knowing where you live, we don't know what you would consider exotic. And "attractiveness" is, of course, highly subjective. I consider the vast majority of animals attractive, and the vast majority are also exotic. And I'm sure there are rare butterflies that are unattractive, like plain brown or something....--Shantavira|^{feed me} 18:22, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

Exotic as in uncommon to North America. Acceptable 18:26, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

That's confusing. Your user page specifies you spent just 'months to days' in Canada and the US, so I assume you don't live there. Or are you Mexican? That is usually not mean6t when people say 'North America' in this context. DirkvdM 19:00, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

Personally I find a sublime beauty in the platypus, but that's me. 38.112.225.84 18:39, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

The most beautiful bird I can see from my window (Netherlands) is the Great Crested Grebe. Especially the mating ritual is fascinating - it goes on for hours. Only once did I see the actual mating, which lasted just about a second; up and over and that was it. And hours of preparation for that. Poison dart frogs can also be impressive. And then there is of course the aptly named bird of paradise. DirkvdM 19:00, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

Many people feel that parrotts, cockatiels, and other assorted birds are quite beautiful. Dismas|^(talk) 23:57, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

Wild cats are popular too. The Siberian Tiger, Snow Leopard, or panther for instance. Some of the most exotic, fascinating, and beautiful creatures can be found in the sea. My favorites are the cephalopods, the poisonous Blue-ringed octopus or Pfeffer's Flamboyant Cuttlefish for instance. See also Claire Nouvian's The Deep - The Extraordinary Creatures of the Abyss. ---Sluzzelin talk 00:30, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

The Panda of course! --Candy-Panda 07:31, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

or what better than a small herd of yak grazing the front lawn. Richard Avery 07:42, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Mongooses are delightful. DuncanHill 08:46, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Oh yes, mongooses. By delightful do you mean in the sense that velociraptors are peaceful? --froth^t 23:04, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Mm, wildcats. Get a puma and impress the interwebs. --froth^t 23:04, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Enjoy the Polar bears while you still can - your grandkids probably won't be able to. SteveBaker 15:37, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Wait, what about the Polar Bear? Would you explain, SteveBaker? --PolarWolf 18:49, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Polar Bear#Conservation Status Skittle 22:43, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Polar Bears are only mildly endangered now - there are still lots of them out there. But as the polar ice retreats, there will come a season when the distance between ice floes grows to greater than the distance a bear can swim. At that point, quite suddenly, pretty much all of the polar bears will either drown or die of starvation. Our usual conservation rules (no shooting or trapping, keeping people out of their terratory, that kind of thing) won't help them in the least. There is nothing we can do that will slow (let alone reverse) the global warming trend within the next 20 years - so the Polar Bears are going to become sad creatures continually pacing up and down in zoos until they become too inbred and finally disappear. SteveBaker 13:31, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Are you kidding? Our grandchildren will have it made! Two of them'll have polar ice caps of their very own around the house- a luxury certainly not available to today's generation. (And maybe when humanity is driven underground I won't get so much flak for never going outside. Keep spraying those CFCs people!) -froth^t 23:08, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Country music and rap music put together

What do you get when you fuse country music and rap music together? Ericthebrainiac 01:06 September 8, 2007 —Preceding unsigned comment added by Ericthebrainiac (talk • contribs) 18:06, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

You might get country-rap Algebraist 18:13, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

Ear ache? Bielle 00:38, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Crap, for short. --Nricardo 05:13, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Grey noise? Stevie Ray Robinson 10:39, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

It would certainly be hard to bear - but the consequent inevitable fusion of Line dancing and Break dancing might be enough to send me over the edge! SteveBaker 15:35, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

WWE wrestlers' Suspensions

Who are the WWE wrestlers that are being suspended due to a WWE-related investigation about steroid use? Ericthebrainiac 02:55 September 8 2007

I did not know anyone was suspended. Try the WWE article or Google News. If you want me to search Google News and come up with a link, let me know. --69.150.163.1 15:12, 9 September 2007 (UTC) User:Kushal_one

Because WWE's events are entirely scripted and all of that juicy on-screen uproar is rehearsed (at their facility in Fort Worth, Texas), it's not at all clear whether these are true cases of abuse or simply a way to add more interest to what might otherwise be a boring retirement or a transfer to another organisation. Competitors are not under any pressure to take steroids in order to win games - because winners and losers are determined by script writers. Furthermore, not all sporting bodies ban steroids - although Anabolic steroids are controlled substances in the US, if the people involved had a legal right to take them, then it's not clear whether that would even have been illegal under WWE rules. Wrestlers in these ridiculous events are allowed to break all of the other rules and get away with it. An Olympic wrestler who hit another with a chair during a match would be out of competition fairly soon I think! In WWE that becomes a 'signature move'. Sheesh! SteveBaker 15:30, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

What is the name of a porch post-top decoration?

I am fixing up my house to sell and want to improve it's curb appeal. I have a plain porch and want to add a decorative wood at the top of the posts but I don't know what to call it. I tried "cornice" but that was wrong. Please help.67.87.66.125 21:35, 8 September 2007 (UTC) [Email address removed for your protection]

It's a type of finial (see also here). --Anonymous, 21:59 UTC, September 8.

NO It's not a finial. A finial is an end of a pole etc. What I mean is a roughly triangular piece of wood which goes between the post and the bottom of the roof over the porch. They go on both sides of the post and may have curlicues or swirls etc. I realize the ancient Greeks and Romans decorated the tops of their columns with Doric, Ionic and Corrinthian tops but what I'm looking for only goes on either side of the post, not all around it. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.87.66.125 (talk) 08:30, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Decorative bracket? FiggyBee 08:41, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

YES Thank you FiggyBee. The word bracket looks like the best term so far. I will check it out in other encyclopedias and find where they can be purchased. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.87.66.125 (talk) 17:32, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Well I checked them out now and they can be very expensive, but at least now I know that they are called brackets. Thanks again. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.87.66.125 (talk) 21:40, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

If you have (access to) a band saw, you could make them.

Atlant 17:19, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

secret agent actions

Have there ever been illegal actions perpetrated by secret agents that have been exposed by the media, similar to the embassy ordeal at the start of Casino Royale? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.217.199.246 (talk) 22:59, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

I recall reading on Wikipedia about a PM's bodyguards assasinating him/her. Acceptable 23:15, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

You might be thinking of Indira Gandhi, but that hardly required exposing. The Watergate scandal is the first example that springs to mind, but the CIA has got up to a lot of dubious activities in its time. Algebraist 23:21, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

• It made a big splash when French secret agents bombed the Rainbow Warrior, a Greenpeace ship participating in protests against their nuclear weapons tests in the South Pacific. See Sinking of the Rainbow Warrior. --Sean 23:34, 8 September 2007 (UTC)
• Also, it seems obvious to some observers that the Russian government was behind the killing in London of Alexander Litvinenko. And the Libyan government eventually admitted to a role in the Lockerbie bombing (sort of). --Sean 23:49, 8 September 2007 (UTC)

It depends on what you mean by "secret agents." See Watergate, for example. -- Mwalcoff 00:38, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

I mean gov't agents on clandestine missions that become not so clandestine by accident. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.217.199.246 (talk) 01:27, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Didn't Israeli agents go to a scandanavian country after the Munich olympics terrorism to assassinate a plotter, kill an innocent Arab and get caught? Then there were the Nixon plumbers and Watergate break in guys who got caught. There were the CIA guys who kidnapped someone in Italy, and the Italian police traced their celphone calls and hotel payment records. It is a risk that clandestine agents take. Remember Mission Impossible:"As usual, if you or any members of your IMF team are caught or killed, the secretary will disavow all knowledge of your existence. Good luck. This message will self-destruct in five seconds." Edison 02:06, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

That would be Operation Wrath of God. There have been lots of books and at least two movies (most recently: Steven Spielberg's Munich. The Israelis set up a covert unit that had a mission to track down the remaining Black September terrorists and kill each of them no matter where they lived. SteveBaker 15:18, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

The Alexander Litvinenko poisoning was probably the most notable recent event. Lots of others are listed in Active measures SteveBaker 03:18, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Another example; Mossad agents got busted trying to obtain phony New Zealand passports a couple of years ago. FiggyBee 08:46, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

you might be interested in reading Family Jewels (Central Intelligence Agency). 89.139.31.12 17:53, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Not particularly relevant, but I just have to remind everyone of the extensive and utterly unlawful wiretapping that has been rampant throughout the Bush administration. The FBI has gotten busted soo many times recently- they just pay the fines with taxpayer money and keep doing it. --froth^t 22:08, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

This is in the US by the way for our many international contributors :) (I just know you all love being referred to as "international") --froth^t 22:09, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Don't forget Mossad and the Lillehammer affair. Rmhermen 05:37, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

dollar general

I just bought a 3.5 oz tube of name-brand toothpaste at dollar general. Is dollar general ever cheaper than other stores for name-brand goods? When? Why?—Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.217.199.246 (talk) 01:29, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

See Variety store#Products and Variety store#Economics. Samw 03:04, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

September 9

praying mantis

i was just wondering if a praying mantis will attack a human? and how can you get rid of one in a house that won't leave on its own? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.57.86.7 (talk) 03:14, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

I've never heard of a praying mantis attacking a human. As a kid I used to pick them up, grasping them from behind, without harm to myself or them. If you're really worried about being attacked while picking one up, you could wear thick gloves - but if you do then be careful of how much pressure you apply. It is easy to misgauge and apply too much pressure when you're wearing thick gloves. Be sure to release it outside your home, as they eat all sorts of insects of the unwanted sort. When I was growing up, if I found a praying mantis egg sac in the woods, I would break that twig off and tie it to a stake in the garden so that the young would hatch in the garden. They are great for natural pest control. 152.16.188.107 03:48, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Shame on me but I have taunted a praying mantis into "attacking" my finger. No, it did not rip my finger off or inject large amounts of venom. (no, I'm kidding they have no venom) It caused a very slight pricking sensation as it grabbed at my finger with its front claws. No pain, but with alarming speed that makes you jump a bit. They are harmless to humans and can, as the previous advisor says, be picked up from behind. But be aware that they are surprisingly soft and easy to damage. An easier way might be to throw a light piece of material over it and then use this to carry it outside. Beautiful little creatures. Richard Avery 07:38, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Coming from the UK where most insects are small and boring, I've been amazed at some of the crazy ones there are here in Texas. I mean, I knew they existed from TV documentaries and such - but seeing them for real is really something else. Stick insects and Praying mantises, things that look just like the leaves of the plants they live on...just incredible stuff. But the Praying mantis is definitely the most cool. That explosion of speed they have when on the attack - after sitting utterly motionless for days at a time beforehand is quite impressive. Fireflies, Terantulas and Scorpions are also extremely strange animals by the standards of British insects. I wonder what drives the evolution of these weird creatures here - but not in northern Europe? I don't think I can recall a single kind of insect that I've seen in UK that I have not seen here (although there must be some). SteveBaker 15:05, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Did you see that question about the household centipede on /S a few days ago? Now that is a fast insect.. also more terrifying than velociraptors IMHO. --froth^t 22:03, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

I've noticed a lot of comments about these "terrifying" centipedes - mainly from Americans. Is there some sort of cultural phenomenon which cause Americans to be disproportionately scared of small harmless things? DuncanHill 11:26, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

I would hazard a guess: In the UK, the most lethal insect is probably the bee (if you are allergic to them), maybe the wasp (same reason). But if you aren't allergic to them, there is nothing serious going on. The only snake you have to worry about is the (almost extinct) Adder and that is shy by nature and can only seriously harm small children. Here in the USA, we have spiders and scorpions that can easily kill humans, super-agressive "africanized" bees that can swarm and kill - and lots more insects that sting and bite, some much more painfully than bees. Chiggers...yeah - not lethal but possibly the most itchy bites you'll ever come across. Mosquito's in UK are a mere nuisance - here they can carry West Nile disease. Ticks that you can pick up walking in the woods carry Limes disease...very nasty. In Texas alone there are half a dozen species of lethally venomous snakes. The UK has extremely 'safe' wildlife - you really don't have to worry about anything like that. In the US, there are dozens of creatures that can cause you no end of problems. I presume that this engenders more caution than a Brit might need to show. SteveBaker 13:18, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

That would make sense. DuncanHill 13:21, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

I don't know about tihngs like lyme disease or west nile, but the sheer quantity of painful crawlies in america has certainly engendered a widespread fear and hatred for all insects. I can't help it- butterflies are pretty flapping around a field, but they're disgusting up close and I'm not going to stick around if it starts trying to land on me. I guess also it depends on whether you grew up in an urban or rural environment.. I know people from rural environments that are astonished at my lack of fear of dogs, but there just aren't any dangerous dogs at all where I grew up and live. --froth^t 22:25, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Note that American dangerous bugs seems to pale in comparison to Australian bugs. They got some creepy scary bugs down under. --72.83.173.248 01:00, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

meeting strangers on MySpace

Is it safe to meet strangers on MySpace? I'm meeting new people on MySpace everyday and I got a message from a user that I inviting to be my friend and she asked about me. Jet (talk) 04:54, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Yes, of course. You should always meet strangers. And get into their cars, especially if they offer you candy. Adam Bishop 05:18, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Generally, it's safe, as long as you don't give them any personal information and don't arrange to meet up. If you do arrange to meet up, I'd bring along friends, meet in a VERY public place, remain in public places, and have a specified time you'll check in with a friend or relative afterwards so if you don't check in, you've been abducted or injured. Kuronue | Talk 05:51, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

After edit conflict:

They're only strangers if you don't know them. So once you've met them, they won't be strangers anymore. Then again, in line with Adam's remark, a conversation I once heard in a film. little girl: "I'm not allowed to talk to strangers." Big guy: "Oh, in that case, my name is Harry. There you go, now we're not strangers anymore." :) But seriously, one should always keep the possibility of bad intentions of other people in the back of one's head, but not let that get in the way of dealing with them. Most people are good. Just use some common sense. Contacts over the Internet aren't dangerous (well, physically, anyway) and if, for example, you agree to meet someone, you might make sure it's in a safe (public) place the first time at least. If your first assumption about other people starts to be that they're bad, then you'll become anthropophobic. I noticed this in the US - people were afraid of each other. Not good. Take the possibility of badness into consideration, but assume goodness. DirkvdM 06:00, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

I remember a similar line from Forrest Gump.. the schoolbus driver tells him to get in or something, same situation. Are you sure that's not what you're thinking of? --froth^t 22:05, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

The Netherlands

Is the Netherlands called "The Netherlands" or "Netherlands"? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 220.233.83.26 (talk) 06:21, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

The state is called "the Netherlands". In some written contexts, the "The" is capitalised. However, it's possible to use "Netherlands", without the definite article, as a synonym for "Dutch". -- JackofOz 06:53, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

If you write Netherlands, you need to write "the". If you write Holland, you do not. --69.150.163.1 --69.150.163.1 15:10, 9 September 2007 (UTC) User:Kushal_one

From Netherlands#Naming conventions - The word Netherlands is sometimes used as an adjective in place of Dutch (e.g. the Royal Netherlands Army). -- JackofOz 03:04, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Romanian Food

i need info about Romania and the types of foods grown and eaten by this country —Preceding unsigned comment added by 59.100.115.13 (talk) 06:22, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

See Romania and Romanian cuisine.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 12:37, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

National Football League Replica Jerseys

I was wondering how a replica jersey should be cleaned. Can it be machine washed or drycleaned.--logger 07:44, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

There isn't a tag with washing instructions inside the jersey? Either on the collar or along one of the side seams? Dismas|^(talk) 10:25, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

If it's brightly coloured, wash it separately (perhaps by hand) for the first few washes.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 12:41, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

The Netherlands

What are the most popular jobs in the Netherlands? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 220.233.83.26 (talk) 08:39, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Economy of the Netherlands might be a good place to start. FiggyBee 08:47, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Choirs

Saw Last Night of the Proms... why do choirs seem always to need song sheets (music) when other singers learn the words and music?86.200.0.185 09:35, 9 September 2007 (UTC)Patsy

This is not entirely true. Many choirs perform without song sheets. Did the choir you saw have a conductor? 81.93.102.185 11:51, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

And the reverse is also true. In a performance of, say, any of Mahler's symphonies with solo voices and choir, or just solo voices, or just a single solo voice (eg. the 4th), the soloists usually sing from sheet music as well as the choir. Also true for Mozart's Requiem, or Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius and so on. -- JackofOz 13:11, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Hi - Yes the choir had a conductor. To be clear, what I want to know is why professional musicians/singers, etc., do not learn their parts. I understand the difficulty for amateurs, of course.86.200.0.185 16:08, 9 September 2007 (UTC)Patsy

I guess the sheer variety of songs that choirs will sing is much larger than most singers (who tend to only sing songs written by them/their band). As a result they may not always no every single word. If you are in a band you will have a set of maybe 35/40 songs that you sing - with the ocassional 'cover' thrown in. As a choir member you may be called upon to sing any number of 100s and 100s of different pieces. You may be lead solo in the song this week but then the same piece you might be backing a week later. Well that's what i'd guess as the reason. ny156uk 18:03, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Where's the 2,000,000th article?

Where's the 2,000,000th article? I cant find a link to it or anything. -OOPSIE- 12:22, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Seems to be the article El Hormiguero --MoRsE 12:38, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

It's linked from the main page. Dismas|^(talk) 12:40, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

I can't see any link -OOPSIE- 12:46, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

My mistake, the link was taken down due to a possible counting error. Maybe we have the Florida elections committee doing the tabulating. :-) Dismas|^(talk) 12:52, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Maybe we should keep quiet about that. It would be such a pity to disrupt the party going on over at Talk:El Hormiguero.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 13:01, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Who certified the article? I know we were running around like chickens with our heads cut off trying to find 1.5mil, while 1 million came when the counter was still enabled. Anywhere we can find a discussion of who first noticed this? --Ybbor^Talk 13:37, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

This is a horribly messy business. There is always some debate about which article gets the honor. The problem being that an insane number of junk articles are created here all the time - and as we get close to magical numbers like 2,000,000, that number skyrockets because everyone wants to be the person who created that article. Junk articles are generally speedily deleted - but often require more careful deliberation and are more slowly deleted. Deletions may be appealed and articles are sometimes reinstated. But close to that magic number, the number of deleted articles becomes vastly more than the number of articles that stay the course and make it into the encyclopedia long-term. So the number of articles crosses over the 2,000,000 mark - then drops back down again - then up again, then back down again. It can take quite some time for it to actually stay up over 2,000,000 for any amount of time. So - when do you declare a winner? It's a tough call. I think everyone agrees that we don't want to repeatedly bestow the title to articles that disappear soon afterwards. Worse still, any article that does make it to being tentatively crowned as "The One True 2 Millionth Article" immediately comes under the microscope - and the deletionist flock towards it hoping to find a reason to remove it. I guarantee that there are arguments going on about El Hormiguero already - wondering whether the TV show meets the criteria of notability. All in all, it's a bit of a crap-shoot and many articles that were the 2 millionth at the instant they were created will be deleted - many others that were at 2,000,001 when the article just before them was deleted will be considered - but since one of the articles before THAT will inevitably be deleted too, then they'll be back at 1,999,999. Even after we finally decide on one to award the crown to - something earlier on will be deleted. I would bet that if you sorted all the articles in order of age and looked back even as far as the 1,000,000th one on that list - it wouldn't be the same article from one day to the next. SteveBaker 14:51, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

building with mansion at the top

this was in the nytimes some months ago. There was an art-deco mansion, including ballroom, at the top of a skyscraper in New York, and it was sold for 30-40million or something. what building is this in? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.217.199.246 (talk) 15:39, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

No idea but this site (http://www.thecityreview.com/) is very informed about NY. You may be able to find out there. ny156uk 19:06, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

As it's art deco it's either Chrysler_Building or Empire State Building which shouldhelp and if not try List_of_tallest_buildings_in_New_York_City (there's some more 1930's buildings there) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 87.102.77.35 (talk) 12:14, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Here's a possibility; maybe not art deco, but built in the 1920s: There were articles in the New York Times on 14 January 2007 and 10 June 2007 about the penthouse at the top of 1020 Fifth Avenue, owned by the family of Samuel H. Kress since 1925, being listed for sale at $50million. The earlier article mentions that the apartment was called a House in the Sky when it was built, and that its 20ft x 40ft sunken salon was sometimes used as a ballroom. - brian the librarian —Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.125.140.4 (talk) 21:20, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Baseball rules

In what year did major league baseball "rule" that the home team always bats last (if necessary? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.38.131.36 (talk) 16:33, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

The rule stretches back into baseball antiquity. Also, "if necessary" isn't really apt in the context of the question. The home team always bats after the visitors in every inning; it's not a special case of ensuring that they bat last in the game. — Lomn 22:00, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

I can't speak for the earliest years of baseball, because there were many variations of the rules. But on the professional level, when rules were standardized, the chronology went like this:

1871-1876	Coin toss for choice of batting first or last
1877	Home team batted first
1878-1886	Coin toss for choice of batting first or last
1887-1949	Home team had choice
1950-present	Home team bats last

Even though it wasn't a rule until 1950, the last time a home team opted to bat first was on July 16, 1908 when the Chicago Cubs batted first against the New York Giants in a game at Chicago's West Side Park. Also, before 1879, the home team still had to bat in the bottom of the ninth even if it was ahead. (Thanks to research from Baseball Almanac, Baseball Library, Baseball Reference and Retrosheet.) — Michael J 04:52, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Great job, but one thing... in the very first Major League game in 1871, the home team did not bat in the bottom half of the ninth. -- Mwalcoff 07:12, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Read that article again. In the second paragraph, it says "In 1871, the home team would often bat in the bottom of the 9th inning, even if they were ahead. Ft. Wayne did choose to do so on this day, while leading 2-0." And it in the play-by-play it has both teams batting in the ninth. — Michael J 02:35, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

Oh, you're right. I guess what I meant to say is they had a choice of whether to bat or not. -- Mwalcoff 05:20, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

what is meant by "native son"

what is meant by "native son" —Preceding unsigned comment added by 143.111.22.26 (talk) 17:58, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Generally it is a poetic way of saying that a man was born in the certain country or place, with which they are associated, so for example Paul Simon is a native son of New York (and if he isn't, I apologise!)SaundersW 18:06, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

*Bleep*

Is there a standard frequency for bleepers? I'm tempted to make one myself for comical reasons. --antilived^{T | C | G} 19:57, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Well, in lieu of some other kind of bleeper, many studios just inserted the 1000hz test tone that is found in nearly every professional studio. You can download one at the SMPTE color bars article. --Mdwyer 03:57, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Violating monarchy

I read somewhere a while ago about a queen (monarch, not homosexual, nor queen bee) that was raped while in power. Maybe it was a princess, I forget...anyway, are there any monarchs that have been raped while in power? --Montchav 20:03, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Mary Queen of Scots was captured by Bothwell who raped then married her, to become her third husband.SaundersW 20:18, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Boudicca's daughters were raped by the Romans. Clarityfiend 07:01, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Edward II of England is said to have been killed by having a red hot metal tube inserted in his anus, but the story has its doubters. Corvus cornix 15:43, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Frozen ipod

My ipod nano has frozen and it won't reset or do anything. Got any tips on what to do? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mheaver (talk • contribs) 20:49, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Try... http://macs.about.com/od/ipod/a/ipod_frozen.htm or visit the Apple website (www.apple.com !!) for more potential fixes. ny156uk 20:53, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

The Spanish language motto for Volkswagen commercials

What is the Spanish language motto for Volkswagen commercials? --Ericthebrainiac 20:50, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Speed limit enforced by aircraft

Travelling back to school after returning home for the weekend, I noticed some signs along the road in Virginia (US) saying that the speed limit is enforced by aircraft. Allow me to point out my suspicions that this is total BS:

• It would be totally uneconomical- plane fuel is just too expensive.
• It would be extremely difficult to automatically identify individual vehicles from the air. I mean ridiculously difficult. And as it doesn't fall under the massive trillion-dollar defense budget, I doubt the state government could afford to develop such algorithms.
• It would be nearly impossible to measure the speed of vehicles relative to the ground. The plane is moving (at who knows what speed relative to the ground), the car is moving in a different direction, there are all sorts of doppler (and relativistic if you drive as fast as I do :D) effects at work, and on the complications go. Any sort of reliable accuracy is totally out of the question. (ie it wouldn't stand up in traffic court)
• It would be even more nearly impossible to get a good shot of a speeding vehicle's license plate number.

I suppose the crew could assist in a few problems (maybe manually taking a picture of license plate), but it would have to be largely automated- you can't just point a distance finder at a car and get its speed without complicated calculations just to see if that single car is speeding.

Is this just a scare tactic initiated decades ago to sort of inspire a fear of unseen law enforcement or something (like today they might use "speed limits enforced by satellite imagery" for a similar effect)? Or am I totally off the mark and they actually do enforce speed limits from planes x_x --froth^t 22:23, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

In that photo the helicopter looks photoshopped in...Anyway you must be right there can't be any economic/logical policy for aircraft to enforce something that could just as easily (and much more effectively financially and otherwise) by motor vehicles. I would just assume this is a prank/hoax, even as a government attempted 'threat' it is insane. ny156uk 22:37, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

No the copter is real, that picture is taken from my camera phone. (of course it's shopped! o_O) --froth^t 22:45, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

• How very sweet! Wrong as all heck, though. In California, the CHP uses a combination of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft to help enforce speed limits (as well as for other purposes). They're perfectly capable of timing a car as it makes its way past a pair of roadside markers; if they see you taking 10 seconds to go between two markers a quarter mile apart, they don't need radar to calculate you've been going 90mph. Then they'll just call the patrol car: "a red VW is about to pass you; I clocked him at 90." Poof, there's your ticket. The patrol car that got me said, "The pilot told me to tell you, good grief, you're driving a convertible; look up every once in a while!" --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 22:50, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Flatly: "oh". (I assume by sweet you mean cutely naive to expect law enforcement to make sense, or some similar sentiment) But is there any particular reason they need to be burning $100 per hour flying a plane around when you can pay 2 cops $20 per hour each to just chill at each point and call out the color and make of cars as they go by? --froth^t 23:00, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

You might spot the Smokie taking pictures[16] , but you are unlikely to see the Bear in the Air.10-4? Edison 23:13, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

One aircraft can spot speeders for dozens of patrol cars - and it's very much more effective because no amount of radar detectors will help you. $100 per hour might sound like a lot - but the fine for speeding is around $100 - so they only have to catch one or two extra speeders per hour to be cost-effective. It's certainly true that they do this though. SteveBaker 04:06, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

In Chester, England, aircraft traffic enforcement is performed in the "downtime" of the spotter plane - i.e. when travelling to and from incidents. And of course, you forget the cost of clearing up after the crash - that $100 helicopter flight may have prevented a crash which would not only cost lives, but cost the taxpayer on average £1.4 million ($2.8 million) to clear up, investigate and, if necessary, prosecute the driver. As for inability to identify individual vehicles from the air, the cameras on police craft can regularly read licence plates from the air; indeed, some police chase shows actually have to pixelise the plates of cars from helicopter camera feeds, which would otherwise be clear enough to read on television.[17] Laïka 11:41, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

In New Hampshire, we have something like a few dozen "speed zones" scattered around the state, mostly (all?) on the limited-access highways. Smart drivers can spot them; they have a clear inverted-"T"-like marking on the shoulder as you enter the zone, a white bar marking every quarter mile, and another "T"-like marking as you leave the zone. If the zone is in use, chase cars will be stationed somewhere beyond the end of the zone. If you can believe the news articles that appear from time to tume, it's usually no challenge at all for the aircraft to spot the blatant speeders nor to convey an unambiguous description to the officers on the ground.

I do get the impression that in the age of instant-on LIDAR, these zones are used less than they used to be as LIDAR is far less detectable than the lazy-cop's old RADAR unit.

Atlant 17:29, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

September 10

Church cook book

I found a church cook book titled "The Forget~Me~Not Club of St.James Church. The front of the book was gone, I have no idea how old it is, but some of the companies in Quincy were advertised...their phone number were 3-digit and 4-digit numbers. Some...have a letter after the number...example...Insure with HAUTER...LIFE-FIRE-AUTO

                                                 Telephones: Office  430 - Residence 3420-J
                                                 404 W.C.U. Building   Quincy.Illinois

Could you please help me as to where and how old this cook book might be? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.109.254.120 (talk) 00:05, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

You might try searching [http://www.antiqbook.com/boox/top/books61000.shtml ] [18] or you could write them at: [http://www.quincynet.com/explore/worship/ch053.htm ] —Preceding unsigned comment added by Barland1 (talk • contribs) 22:22, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

You could try contacting the phone company in Illinois, and ask if there is a historian on hand. I believe the letter after the number suggests a party line. --Mdwyer 03:54, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Our article on Telephone number explains the format of early phone numbering systems. Also, this document, from 1937, seems to use a similar format to what you described. Have you contacted the church to see if they have a church historian? 152.16.16.75 09:23, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Someone appears to be selling a copy of the same book in an eBay store, and lists its date as "Ca 1920??". You may be able to track down information about the book by contacting the Historical Society of Quincy and Adams County and the Quincy Public Library. The latter appears to own a microfilm of St. James Evangelical Lutheran Church records covering the years 1851-1962. - brian the librarian —Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.125.140.4 (talk) 20:30, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Eco-scam ?

I'm watching Sean Hannity's America, and they're claiming that the whole Environmental Movement is a scam, such as exposing Al Gore and the environmentalists as hypocrites. I was going to donate some $$$$ to Earthshare, but was told that this was a scam and that I'd be supporting terrorists like PETA, ALF, ELF, Earth First! and worse. Is it a good idea to donate $$$$ to Earthshare in view of this ?! Should the Hannity's America statements be incl. in any articles ? 65.173.105.79 01:28, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Wikipedia has an article on Hannity's America which gives some idea about the show's view.--Countincr ^{( t@lk )} 01:38, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

(comment removed- even though I disclaimed frantically not to give money to ecoterrorists I'm still uncomfortable with how my comments might be misinterpreted, sorry) --froth^t 03:52, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

(edit conflict)

See the Wikipedia policy on reliable sources. Hannity has a right to his opinion, but it's just his opinion, and it's his job to be a right-wing blowhard. Earthshare's list of member organizations does not include any ecoterrorist or radical groups. I always wonder at people who say the entire environmental movement is a scam. If I was interested in making money, I'd be much more likely to go to work for a big, polluting company than take a $11/hour job sending out flyers for the Rainforest Alliance. -- Mwalcoff 04:00, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

• If the environmental movement is a scam, I invite Mr. Hannity to eat a fish from my local stream. It might not have three eyes, but it will be loaded with PCBs from an electrical transformer factory that used the traditional "dump it in the creek out back" method of toxic waste disposal. The Sean Hannitys of the world's definition of "freedom" includes that company's freedom to pollute public streams, but not the rest of society's freedom to take their kid fishing. --Sean 13:43, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

• And PETA aren't terrorists. They campaign for the ehtical treatment of animals. I'm not saying the others are terrorist organisations, I've just never heard of them to comment (not being American).212.240.35.42 14:34, 10 September 2007 (UTC)
  • The ELF/ALF/EarthFirst types are labelled as terrorists because they sometimes do stupid things like property destruction in the name of their causes. They have an explicit policy of avoiding hurting anyone. I think it's stupid, counterproductive, and worthy of calling them vandals or criminals, but "terrorist" seems a bit much, considering that real terrorists tend to kill people. --Sean 17:26, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

aaaargh and daaaaaang

I saw your messages above that linked to this site:

http://www.cs.unm.edu/%7Edlchao/flake/argh/index.html

frankly, I think it's massaging data, i mean how could human behavior be so simply modeled with a regression curve? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.217.199.246 (talk) 01:46, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Because people are predictable sheep? I don't see any reason to say that people are particularly difficult to model statistically in general, and his little experiment doesn't seem "massaged" --froth^t 04:03, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Roll one dice - and the number you get is random - all numbers appear equally. Roll 100 dice and add up the numbers on them and probability of each result will closely follow a standard bell-curve with most of the results adding up to 35 350 - very few adding up to 100 and very few adding up to 600. The randomness of a single dice is lost and a simple curve describes the most likely behavior. Similarly with people. The behavior of an individual is certainly too complex to model - but the average behavior of a large number of people may well follow some simple mathematical curve. SteveBaker 04:00, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

100 dice adding up to 35? And boy howdy you hit the nail on the head with my link to Asimov's psychohistory. --froth^t 04:05, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Oops! Slip of the finger. 350! Asimov's phychohistory is bunk though - while the behavior of a large number of people may well be predictable on a one-time basis (if someone sounds the fire alarm in an office building - most people will move towards the exits - but one or two will head back to pick up something from their desks first - this is predictable on a broad statistical basis), the nature of chaos theory means that Asimov's fictional account of it is a long way from being reasonable (if the one person who goes back happens to be the boss of the company - who is also a US presidential candidate - the consequences for society will be different than if it was one of the secretaries who returned. This is not predicatable from statistics). Phsychohistory is a great literary device to make a great story - but it's not remotely real! SteveBaker 12:54, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

How is this modeling human behavior in the first place? It is not the prediction of the likelihood of some response based on a certain stimulus; it is the # of hits on goolge and altavista for keyword searches. How can you be surprised to see such a nice regression when querying such a huge database? (noting how hard it is to conceptualize huge in this instance) Maybe it is predicting how people will spell dang when they have the desire to type it. I'm sure several factors would come into play: misspelling, emphasis, etc. The graph just represents how likely it is to be spelled a certain way with out respect to any of those.
Mrdeath5493 06:11, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

It's important to remember that "how likely" is distinct from "exactly how often" ... in this case it's the latter --froth^t 09:00, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

reminds me of the daaaaaang article where someone said that SteveBaker always over complicates things. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 89.240.69.176 (talk) 14:50, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Modeling phenomena without an underlying understanding of the forces, interactions, etc, is misleading. Kind of like astrology, which is based on modeling of visibility and movement of heavenly bodies with some characteristics of humans. What can you do with it(Sorry astrologers, using you as a whipping boy here). I think people have said, that we can model any thing with a sine-curve, but does that make it a plausible and predictable model? Aggregate thinking being ascribed to individual behaviour treats humans as a monolith, which we most definitely aren't. With the incredible data available, easy access to it, I hope we don't create our own version of astrology, a la, data based, but not vetted by science. Its one thing to say things are interesting, but we should caution people about techniques that can lead to spurious (or unproven) results. Fire away!! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.142.209.247 (talk) 16:35, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Large flocks of seagulls acting oddly

I live in central Canada, quite far away from any large bodies of water, and I've often seen large flocks of seagulls (over 100) circling for hours over a certain area of land where there would be a minimal chance of scavenging food. What would make them do this?

Also, I've seen other large flocks of gulls "migrating" (they were all flying in the same direction, in any case), but completely silently. Is this natural behavior?

205.200.133.133 01:52, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Go to Linda Moulton Howe's website and report this. Sounds bizarre to me. 65.173.105.79 02:04, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

(remember RD regulars, always AGF --froth^t 03:32, 10 September 2007 (UTC))

I have also seen this circling behavior and can confirm its validity (and strangeness). I live in Seattle and I have observed groups of, perhaps forty gulls, circling a false front on a clothing store near Pike Place Market. The birds did not appear to be feeding or engaging in mating behavior. They flow continuously in a clockwise direction and I watched them until my bus came (maybe half an hour). It was quite puzzling, especially by their almost precise repetitiveness. Perhaps the birds were sick in some way? If anybody has an idea about this I too would be very interested. --S.dedalus 06:12, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

If they weren't doing much flapping, they just would be riding a thermal. Easier and safer than hanging out together on the ground.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 08:19, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Yes, see our article Thermal. Also, while they are coasting around up there, they can keep an eye out for sources of food. Incidentally, if you take a look at Herring gull, you will see that these birds have adapted to life in inland cities. Also, they will migrate out of areas that experience cold winters (such as central Canada). Marco polo 19:57, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Yep, sounds like a thermal to me. They get a free ride and a free look-see out of it - possibly fun too. On the other hand, it wasn't flying ant day where you live, was it (or a 'whatever fat, flying bugs your have where you live emerging and swarming' day)? The gulls here circle en-masse and have a huge feast round here on that particular day of the year, plucking the ants out of the sky like they're going out of fashion. --Kurt Shaped Box 20:37, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Well, that seems to fit. Isn’t kind of odd to have a thermal so near a building though? Perhaps whatever heating or cooling systems they have on the roof was creating an updraft? --S.dedalus 22:14, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Might not necessarily be a 'thermal', as such. Wind hits building, wind is diverted up side of building and over? --Kurt Shaped Box 22:23, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Yes, here is a map of the location. The gulls were circling the entry way of Ross Dress for Less I believe. --S.dedalus 06:08, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

Academic field nicknames?

Economics is known as "the dismal science". Are there any other academic fields with nicknames? - RedWordSmith 04:47, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

I've heard of physics referred to on a number of occasions as "the Queen of Sciences". --jjron 11:01, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

What about taxonomy being disparagingly and incorrectly called "stamp collecting". --jjron 11:07, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Actually, the exact quote is from Rutherford, and goes "All science is either physics or stamp collecting.". Laïka 11:23, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Gauss said "Mathematics is the queen of the sciences ..." - see Wikiquote. Gandalf61 11:09, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

In the UK at least, geography is often compared to "colouring in" Capuchin 11:36, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Geography was traditionally a rowing degree. DuncanHill 11:40, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

I like the quote "If it moves, it's biology. If it reacts, it's chemistry. And if it doesn't work, its physics!" :) Exxolon 21:37, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Introductory books about Australia and New Zealand

The local English-language bookstore has one or two compact, informative books in English about the US or Britain that could be digestible and interesting for somebody intending to study for half a year or longer in that nation, with chapters on the government, the sexes, class, immigration and ethnicity, youth, the mass media, sport, culture, etc. (One about Britain has the misleadingly grandiose title of British Civilization.) But nothing analogous for Australia or New Zealand, let alone both, was in stock. Web searches have got me nowhere. Nothing essayistic, theoretical or polemical, please; compactness and up-to-date-ness are musts, and organization into digestible chunks would be most welcome. I'd be very grateful for author/title combinations (or ISBNs) of a few options, which I'd then look up. -- Hoary 07:52, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Are the Lonely Planet or Rough Guide type books along the line of what you are after, or do you want something more academic? They are a good place to start. The Lonely Planet guides for example are quite thorough on many aspects of the country, pretty accurate, usually up to date, compact, and fairly cheap. They should be easy enough to find and have variety - for example there's one on Australia overall, plus I believe separate ones on each state if you want that extra detail. --jjron 11:21, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Thanks for the reminder. Yes, I'm familiar with both series, though I haven't seen the Rough Guide to Australia. I presume that the LP guide to Australia will be accurate as it's an Australian production and has gone through a number of editions. But there are two problems: it's dismayingly fat, and the great majority of it is about (a) what to see and how to have fun in Australia, rather than (b) how the place ticks. (Oh, and the reviews at amazon.com suggest that it's a turkey.) There is something titled Australia - Culture Smart!: a quick guide to customs and etiquette, which sounds a bit shallow but promising. -- Hoary 14:57, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Having never been Down Under I can't comment on its accuracy, but Down Under by Bill Bryson is the sort of book I would take if I did go to Oz. DuncanHill 15:15, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Many libraries use the subject heading "Australia--Guidebooks" for travel guides on the region. You can see a representative sampling using the WorldCat national library catalog: [19] If you enter your zip code, it will show you holdings in your local libraries. --Bill Pardue, Arlington Heights Memorial Library [20] —Preceding unsigned comment added by Billahml (talk • contribs) 15:31, 10 September 2007 (UTC)--Billahml 15:33, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Thank you both for your comments, but but but I'm not after a guidebook, or something that's "easy reading" (though I might have to settle for the one or the other). Instead, I'm after something that's very informative, compact, and not too difficult. Here's the British model; it's marketed as an area studies "textbook". -- Hoary 06:48, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

Bryson is very entertaining (with a number of errors and exaggerations mind you), probably worth reading before you come, but not what Hoary's after. Sorry, can't think of anything to match that British book, but if you'd like me to look next time I visit some decent bookstores around Melbourne in a couple of week's time, drop me a note on my talk page. If you have any specific questions I'd be glad to help out where I can. --jjron 08:39, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

Israeli footballers and Sabbath

Having settled down to watch the England-Israel Euro 2008 qualifier,I noticed it was starting at 5pm Saturday (well before sunset) which seemed rather odd. Would playing in a football match be considered 'work' on the Sabbath? Do Israeli league football matches take place on Saturday and if so would they have to move about to accommodate sunrise/sunset times? Lemon martini 10:56, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Interesting question. You might find these links interesting. Apparently professional football is mainly played on Saturdays in Israel. The Israel Cricket Association has a special cricket league for those who don't play on the Sabbath. — Matt Eason ^{(Talk &#149; Contribs)} 11:33, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Plus, it's unreasonable to assume that all Israeli's are hard-core religious types. All sorts of services (electricity supply, airports, telephones) have to be kept running on Sundays - there are people working at these places throughout the country. SteveBaker 12:44, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

And by Sundays you mean Saturdays... ;) FiggyBee 07:04, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

NOT A NEW QUESTION

DEARS, I asked a question on reference desk on 8th september and this question is present with a title "medical education in cuba" (article 5.4). I am very thankful to DAVID who made a favour upon mi by answering to this question. But I need much more informations. I request you to try to give mi as much informations as possible because it is very very important for mi. I dont know who has more information about this topic, if you know some one who can answer this question in a better way, plz get him attended to this question. I will be very thankful. thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 201.220.222.140 (talk) 12:45, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Earlier this year Venezuela began honoring Cuban medical degrees. There remains much doubt in the US regarding Cuban trained MDs. Many doctors fear that the education is skewed by the socialist/political rhetoric and that given limited access to resources their doctors are not trained properly. In general the feeling is that if you want to practice to medicine in a under-developed nation, a Cuban medical degree may be right for you. If you want to practice in the US, you should probably consider other options.
Librarians - Ask us, we answer.
Find your local library at: http://lists.webjunction.org/libweb/Public_main.html Ktg2 14:00, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

I always thought that Cuban medicine and, by extension, Cuban doctors, where pioneering and used world leading technology? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.41.139.85 (talk) 03:35, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

And you believed that Cuba is a haven of social equality and freedom of speech as well, I suspect. It depends on your definitions of "pioneering" and "world leading" but it is hard to think of a single Cuban innovation or discovery adopted by the rest of the medical world since 1960. alteripse 03:50, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

hey, no-one likes a smartass mate. Judging by Healthcare in Cuba they do ok, esp considering US embargoes... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.41.139.85 (talk) 04:47, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

rave

I'm wondering how raves get started and people are invited to them. It seems like if you just told your fellow ravers, the cops would eventually get wind of it and raid the rave. How does this work? --MKnight9989 14:45, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

• There are usually postcards and flyers in head shops and attached to utility poles. Raves are not in themselves illegal (in most places). There are many places where fairly harmless illegal activity takes place and the police only occasionally bother to investigate (bars popular with underage drinkers, crackhouses that the neighbors aren't complaining about, law offices that pad their billable hours, etc.). Police involvement usually follows a complaint, not individual initiative. --Sean 17:32, 10 September 2007 (UTC)
• Answering the first part: they're generally started by a promoter who will rent a space for them, arrange for the music setup, advertise, etc., and then charge admission to make back his/her investment. --Sean 17:34, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

De ja vu

Hi! Anywho... I just read the article on deja vu and then looked at the discussion which told me to go here instead of posting there. I had a deja vu last night whilst i was eating chicken pie and my brother was talking about some star wars stuff. The week before i was playing warhawk and i had one. The article said " formal studies 70% of people report having experienced it at least once". So does anyone else think its wierd except formal studies and my mum??

Thanks helpful wikipedian guys. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 89.240.69.176 (talk) 14:47, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

This desk isn't for opinions especially, but I've had De ja Vu many times, I thought it was just me. Until a friend said "Whoa I just had a da ja vu" and I thought "What?". I always assumed it meant something posh or extravagant like "You think your're to good for public school? Well de ja vu!". ::Manors:: 16:51, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

I have never had it; I had no idea the numbers were so high. o_o Now I have to interrogate my family and friends, because none of them have ever mentioned it either. --Masamage ♫ 18:50, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

The important thing to remember is that the strange thing is NOT that the exact same thing happened to you twice (it probably didn't) - it's that your brain is (for some weird reason) telling you that this exact thing happened to you before when that is clearly not the case. Plenty of people have reported deja vue events that could not possibly be repeated. SteveBaker 19:41, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

I've had both "kinds": something really does happen twice despite astronomical chances against it, or it's just a trick of the mind and it had never happened before. I get the feeling a lot during dreams for some reason. --froth^t 22:31, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Who is Matha Amrithananthamayi

would like to know more...pls help —Preceding unsigned comment added by 202.164.130.111 (talk) 15:49, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

I haven't been able to find much online, but she appears to be a spiritual and humanitarian leader from Kerala. DuncanHill 16:00, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Same here, I guess she isn't especially popular. Good name though. ::Manors:: 16:46, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

2 Millionth Article

Does anyone know the exact date / time of the 2 millionth Wiki article? Not to mention, the title? Also, where / how would I go about finding that info on my own, if I did not come to this Ref Desk for help? Thanks. (Joseph A. Spadaro 18:35, 10 September 2007 (UTC))

I found it by looking at Wikipedia:Two-million pool. Tentatively credited is El Hormiguero, at 4:21 UTC on September 9, 2007. Someoneinmyheadbutit'snotme 19:35, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Quadratic formula

How do i show that this: $x={\frac {-3\pm {\sqrt {(5^{2})-4x-3x2}}}{2x3}}$ = two thirds or minus five thirds —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.36.182.217 (talk) 19:22, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Suggestion 1 -- move over to the Math Help Desk at Wikipedia:Reference desk/Mathematics. You are certainly more likely to fare better there than here. (Joseph A. Spadaro 19:24, 10 September 2007 (UTC))

• sorry i thought WP:RD/M redirected to the maths reference desk —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.36.182.217 (talk) 19:27, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

No, that's WP:RDM!--Shantavira|^{feed me} 07:53, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

PS3 wikipedia

Hi guy, I'm using my ps3 to write and review questions but its made much more difficult by the fact that i can only read 3 words a line due to bad text wrapping can an admin fix this or do i demand too much... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 89.243.21.81 (talk) 19:40, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Anyone can do most anything on wikipedia, not just admins! A bunch of plain text and <h3> tags date back to the beginnings of the WWW; if your PS3 is having problems displaying it then chances are you'll have similar problems with almost every other website. Can you be more specific about your problem? --froth^t 22:34, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Yeah, sounds like a problem in the PS3's browser, not the site. If the PS3 can't do anything correctly with style sheets, and doesn't know when to ignore them, then it really can't be helped on this end. --72.83.173.248 00:54, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

Recyclable?

Are the lids to jam jars, salsa jars, etc. recyclable? They seem to be some kind of metal, but they're weird and coated, so I'm not sure. --Masamage ♫ 22:56, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Yes. Most food tins have plastic coatings, little different from those found on the lids of jars. I presume it all gets burnt off when the things get melted. --Tagishsimon (talk) 23:42, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

Hm, okay. Thank you! --Masamage ♫ 06:11, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

Biology Display

I'm doing a display board for a biology class and need to choose a topic. The topic should be interesting for passer-byers, i.e. lots of pictures and colour. The topic choice is extremely broad and anything that has a slight amount of relation with biology is acceptable, such as genetic disorders, animals, plants, etc... What would guys recommend? Thanks. Acceptable 23:52, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

A lot depends on what grade-level you are and how broad or narrow of a topic is allowed. But I will tell you the first idea that came to my mind — other people can input what they think and you will have to choose one. My idea is, a comparison of flora and fauna in two parts of the world which have different climates. You could say, "Location A is is warm and wet, and it has these animals and these plants. By contrast, with cold dry weather, Location B has different types of animals and plants such as these." Maybe in the middle you could put the life forms that are similar in both areas, even with different weather. — Michael J 02:57, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

Effects of psychoactive drugs on humans and animals? --froth^t 03:38, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

September 11

toyota tundra model truck 2005 model

where is the connextion at for the computer code reader ? also how does a person turn off the amber "maint required " light ? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.145.235.189 (talk) 03:49, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

The connections are usually under the dashboard on most vehicles. And unhooking the ground cable from the battery and then putting it back on after about a minute will generally make the light go off. Though if there is still a problem with the vehicle, the light will come back on once the sensors see that problem again. Dismas|^(talk) 05:13, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

Chartered Accountant

a person of the education of F.Sc.(pre-engineering) from Pakistan wants to become a Chartered Accountant, either it is a right choice. What are your comments in my opinion.Thank You. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 58.65.200.225 (talk) 05:14, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

If that's what this person really wants to do I see no reason why they should not. You might wish to read our article on Chartered Accountants.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 08:11, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

Inscription on my glasses

On my glasses there is a small inscription on the right arm that reads "M6420 /45 6057 48៛20 ↓ 140" can anyone tell me what it means? --Candy-Panda 06:26, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

It's probably the catalogue number of this particular model of frames. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 08:20, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

The 48៛20 is a measurement - something to do with the width of the frame, and possibly the bridge (nose) width, the 140" (inches?) looks similar to a arm length measurement in mm, most frames may come in different sizes. The rest is probably the frame reference number ie style/colour83.100.251.220 08:51, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

From (http://www.nuglasses.co.uk/faq.asp) "If you have a pair of glasses that fit you well, you can buy another pair the same size by reading the size on your existing glasses. It is usually shown on the inside of the arm or sometimes on the nose bridge. There are three numbers, the first number is the diameter of the lens from the bottom left corner to the top right hand corner, the second is the width of the bridge across the nose and the third is the length of the arm, all in millimeters."

So your glasses should have 48mm width lenses, 20mm 'nose' width, and 140mm arm length, so "M6420 /45 6057" is almost certainly the style description. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 83.100.251.220 (talk) 08:57, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

Wow thank you for that description! --Candy-Panda 09:32, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

Alfred Schwarzmann

Wasn't Alfred Schwarzmann,a German gymnast in 1936 olympics, a Jew(can say by his -mann surname)?How could he become a Fallschirmjager diring the world war II?218.248.2.51 08:44, 11 September 2007 (UTC)Ecclesiasticalparanoid

The name doesn't make him a jew. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 83.100.251.220 (talk) 09:04, 11 September 2007 (UTC)

Fascination

I really get fascinated whenever I think about scientific geniuses like Neumann,Feynmann etc...I feel inferior when I compare myself with those brilliant minds.I wonder how can they think so fastly whereas I can't do so?I keep proposing this silly theory that if I will stress on increasing my intellect and I.Q then I will beget an offspring who will be more intelligent and brilliant and this will continue till the limit of human intellect is reached (just as Jews do).I find this idea too silly even to discuss with my friends ,genius is natural, right?Neumann and Feynmann co. didn't force it but Neumann was cool because he was a very brilliant guy at the same time he was a Hedonist and would gaze at female legs.Even I am a silent rouge like him but without the brilliance component.Please help me out of this inferiority complex. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 218.248.2.51 (talk) 09:10, 11 September 2007 (UTC)