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January 27

Reference Desk for Entertainment Purposes

Does anyone here read the reference desk solely for entertainment purposes, as I do?

I visit it about once a week; the Misc. desk usually has the funniest questions/responses.

Some of the ideas are fascinating to learn about, but more often than not, the misc. desk makes me laugh more than learn!

Thanks, --67.177.170.218 (talk) 01:10, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

Yes, I pretend to read it for educative purposes, and of course it's entertainment! ---Sluzzelin talk 04:33, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

Oh, yeah, I do that too sometimes. --Ouro (blah blah) 07:02, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

There certainly are some witty folks around here. The funniest page on Wikipedia, though, has got to be Wikipedia:Talk page highlights. Whenever I feel stressed, I always read that and have a chuckle. Rockpocket 07:29, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

Ha! I hadn’t seen that one. Wikipedia:Unusual articles is also quit amusing although not tagged as wikihumor. --S.dedalus (talk) 08:22, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

I look at the new entries at least twice a day. Ok, I know that I should get out more! —Preceding unsigned comment added by Johnluckie (talk • contribs) 11:02, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

It eats up time like nothing else. But it is funny. Gwinva (talk) 20:31, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

2 by 2

Anyone notice the commercials ? They're getting 2 by 2. Too damn stupid and too damn many of them. Just seen a Burger King commercial, and it was idiotic shit. What is the most stupid commercial YOU have seen ? Wikipedia is NOT censored. 65.163.113.170 (talk) 09:01, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

What does "2 by 2" mean? Like it or not, TV commercials are made by people who have worked in advertising for many years. They know what they're doing. That Burger King ad may not persuade you to go in there next time you're hungry, but you can bet your boots it will others, otherwise it would never have been made. And don't post diatribes here. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 09:06, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

THAT IS NOT A DIATRIBE AT ALL ? HAVE YOU SEEN THE COMMERCIALS LATELY ? SOME OF THESE ARE REALLY BAD, SUCH AS ONE SAYING YOU CAN SPRAY SOME SHIT IN A DOG'S WATERBOWL AND IT STOPS THE DOG'S PAINS !!!! 65.163.113.170 (talk) 09:24, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

By the way, 2 by 2 means too damn many AND too damn (whatever you're complaining about). 65.163.113.170 (talk) 09:26, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

Oh, and do not post in all caps and bold, as this is a) frowned upon, b) considered shouting, c) not polite really. And keep in mind that ads (especially tv ads) are made for the less-than-average Joe that needs someone else to decide for him where he should eat. --Ouro (blah blah) 09:28, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

I think he posted in all caps and bold to reinforce the notion that it was NOT A DIATRIBE AT ALL. —Steve Summit (talk) 14:49, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

The ratio of ads to programme time is what is getting much worse. I tune out the sound, look away and by the time the programme has returned I've forgotton what it was all about!--Johnluckie (talk) 10:59, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

Well most '30 minute' shows run for around 22 minutes, so if you get 2 shows in one hour that should make for about 16 minutes of advertising. Advertisers will have a key demographic they are aiming for - what is stupid and terrible to you may be funny/appealing to their key market. Advertisers are aiming at millions of people it's unlikely everyone will approve of them. The most 'stupid' adverts are generally those that try to be funny/have comedy but don't quite get it right (at least in my opinion) - but for me the worst adverts are injury-lawyers and debt-consolidation ones. ny156uk (talk) 13:25, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

Always during lunch. Ads are one of the reasons I stopped watching tv altogether. --Ouro (blah blah) 16:02, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

Is "fairy liquid" ok for washing vegetables?

My wife often uses Fairy to wash tomatoes and other vegetables before cooking them. I am converned however that active chemicals which Fairy is made of can be dangerous for health. I believe that putting that liquid on the tomato skin makes it absorb it and then you can not easily get rid of it by rincing anyway. Could anybody shed some light onto this issue? Is there any real threat or am I just paranoic? 88.112.249.11 (talk) 09:43, 27 January 2008 (UTC)Andrey

I also wouldn't do it, these are chemicals after all. As far as health safety is concerned, better to just wash/rinse them with tap water before cutting/slicing/dicing/cooking. --Ouro (blah blah) 09:46, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

I agree with Ouro - but a splash of ordinary vinegar in the water bowl helps to kill off any predators and freshens the veggies up. 81.145.240.42 (talk) 10:34, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

"Predators"? Corvus cornix_talk 00:41, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

Um, I think 81.145.240.42 meant insects that live in vegetables. 71.220.211.235 (talk) 03:02, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

It probably is a bad idea to wash vegetables with dish detergent—but what does "these are chemicals after all" mean? Water is a chemical too, you know. -- BenRG (talk) 11:34, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

I meant to say they're fairly unfriendly chemical substances if swallowed (any residual traces left on/in the to-be-washed veggies apply). I know water is a chemical, too, but quite safer overall than washing-up liquid, not? --Ouro (blah blah) 11:53, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

Procter & Gamble has set up [a web site] for product safety information. The EU-regulated safety data sheet for the Fairy Original liquid tells that "Repeated exposure to low levels (e.g. residues left on dinnerware) will not cause adverse effects." However, ingestion of the liquid as such can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. In case of ingestion, you are supposed to drink water to dilute the liquid. You can draw your own conclusions on whether you want to raise your intake higher than the level you already get from dinnerware. Personally, I wouldn't worry about it. 84.239.133.86 (talk) 14:22, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

It makes you think who they got to drink it to see what the result would be :) --WebHamster 15:03, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

A modified version of the song I'm forever blowing bubbles quickly comes to mind.--TreeSmiler (talk) 00:37, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

HMM article title has wrong capitalizations I think I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles--TreeSmiler (talk) 01:16, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

Not.--Koncorde (talk) 22:48, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

If your wife really wants to use some sort of soap on fruits and vegetables, I'd recommend hand soap as it's much gentler and much less toxic than dish detergent. —Angr ^{If you've written a quality article...} 18:14, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

News, Wikipedia Praise

Just seen on the news that a rogue satellite will hit this planet. Seen it on FOX News during Obama's speeches, then no futther news on that matter. the satellite has lost power, propulsion. It is due to hit Earth on Jan 28-29, 2008.

Wikipedia is one hell of a website. PLEASE DONATE. 65.163.113.170 (talk) 11:00, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

Rogue Satellite

I just found out on the news that a satellite had lost power, propulsion, and it will impact on this planet on Jan 29-30. I saw this while watching Obama's speech (it was on a strip that is on the bottom of the TV screen). Saw this on FOX News. Appreciate the help. 65.163.113.170 (talk) 11:28, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

All you can do is duck.--Johnluckie (talk) 10:11, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Even something as large as the International Space Station would not impact with the earth if it reentered. It would burn up in the atmosphere. And I don't see how a satalite could "lose propulsion" seeing as it doesn't have any anyway. It's being kept up with a combination of Centrifugal and Centripetal force and for it to fall out of the sky it would need to be slowed down by a fair bit TheGreatZorko (talk) 09:17, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

There is no such thing as Centrifugal Force. It's not a force. 71.220.211.235 (talk) 03:26, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

One hell of a site

This is one hell of a website. It has helped ME. Please DONATE. 65.163.113.170 (talk) 11:28, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

Yes we heard you the first time. I think most of us know about the 'rogue' satellite and realise that it is extremely unlikely to cause any significant damage at earth groundlevel. And most of us agree that Wikipedia is excellent. Richard Avery (talk) 11:52, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

The news about that satellite is hardly secret. I saw it on Google News yesterday, and there are plenty of articles today. —Steve Summit (talk) 15:10, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

The news of the satellite is hardly secret, but info about the satellite is still hush-hush right? --f f r o t h 15:56, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

Supposably, that means you shouldn't reveal those sensitive details you have. --Ouro (blah blah) 15:59, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

Perhaps you want to read something on Wikinews, such as Disabled U.S. spy satellite to fall to Earth. Confusing Manifestation(Say hi!) 05:57, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

how can I use virgin mo bile

Am in Kenya and I want to use virgin mobile, is it possible?please help.am kindly in need.phone no. <removed> serial no.<removed> please connect me to Virgin mobile.YOU CAN CALL ME ON MOBILE NO <removed> KENYA. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.178.100.254 (talk) 11:14, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

Can you clarify whether this will involve my bank details. Richard Avery (talk) 11:56, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

I have removed your personal information - you should not post this on a website as it may fall into the wrong hands. And for goodness sake, don't post your bank details online! Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, and it is unlikely we will be able to help you with anything more than general information. You probably need to get in touch with Virgin to activate your phone for use internationally (from personal experience). Their website is here and there's information about using your phone abroad here. If you're already in Kenya and can't get in touch with them, your best bet may be to buy a phonecard - they're reasonably easy to use. Kateshortforbob 14:34, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

Actually, that's the UK website - the US one is here. And Richard Avery - I'm sorry, I don't know if your question is related to this one --Kateshortforbob 14:42, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

That's OK Kateshortforbob, my response was alluding to the Nigerian scam which this question immediately put me in mind of. Richard Avery (talk) 20:44, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

Making a joke based on someone's nationality (really just his continent of residence) that's not at all related to the question is not exactly appropriate... -Elmer Clark (talk) 05:46, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

Ah... it does, actually. I'd rather have someone (unsuccessfully) trying a scam than someone stuck in a foreign country without being able to ring home! --Kateshortforbob 22:40, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

How many people speak Finnish?

Finland hasn't more than 5 million people in it, and many of them speak Swedish... how many actually speak Finnish? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.225.51.253 (talk) 13:42, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

My 2002 edition of the SBS World Book says 93.4% speak Finnish and 5.9% Swedish (these figures are listed as "official"). A 1972 publication "The Book Of The World" says 92% Finnish and 7% Swedish. A fairly consistent percentage over a 30 year period. --TrogWoolley (talk) 14:23, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

Our Finnish language article says the language has about 6 million speakers, but the figure is unsourced. The Ethnologue entry for Finnish says 4.7 million in Finland and about another 500,000 in other countries. —Angr ^{If you've written a quality article...} 15:28, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

Why only tasteless book covers?

I have been trying to find the book Lolita in its original form for a long time. All I can find in on-line book stores are tasteless new editions with 32x32 JPEG screenshots from the movies scaled to become a "cover". It's insane. I don't even know how that is legal, or how this can be. According to Wikipedia, the original is very tasteful. The same Wikipedia article also shows a "recent cover" which looks really good too, but that one is not available anywhere where I can see. I live in Sweden, so I have mainly looked at local ones like Adlibris.se. Amazon seems to have the same ugly, cheap covers that they couldn't pay me to accept. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.225.51.253 (talk) 16:12, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

Why? Because they draw the eye when they're on the shelf. And it's pointless to print two covers, one for brick and mortar stores and one for online stores. Dismas|^(talk) 16:18, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

If you want to find an old edition of this or any book, you can't look at sellers of new books. abebooks.com (maybe there's an abebooks.se too, I don't know), for example, sells used books, and I bet there are dozens of others who do too. —Angr ^{If you've written a quality article...} 16:30, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

I don't want a USED book! Sheesh! I want the ORIGINAL, printed at any time, unused. Not some cheap remake crap. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.225.51.253 (talk) 16:47, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

I'd recommend getting the annotated edition [1] which, in addition to having a simple, unassuming cover, has a plethora of supplemental information that really expands upon the whole experience. Since Lolita is the kind of book one would (or should at least) tend to read multiple times, the notations are excellent for a second or third read after you've absorbed the flavor of the prose. Poechalkdust (talk) 17:13, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

Used isn't 'remade' it's just pre-owned. Also gotta hope the above is meant tongue in cheek otherwise it's rather mean spirited. Anyhoo here (http://www.fulmerford.com/waxwing/lolita.html#shop) has a lot of different editions. I have no idea which will meet your requirements for cover-quality but they range in cost. This one (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0679410430/waxwing) has a pretty non-dubious cover. ny156uk (talk) 17:07, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

The first edition of Lolita (Paris, Olympia Press, 1955) has a plain olive-green paper cover, with an inner rectangular border of a white line and an outer one of a black chain. Inside them in black capital letters are the author's name, the title, and the name of the publisher. Xn4 18:35, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

P.S. - I've uploaded an image of this and added it to the infobox. Xn4 19:26, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

There's a great "Library of America" edition of Nabokov's works that features Lolita, Pnin (hilarious), and Pale Fire, all great books, in one very fine volume with a picture of Nabokov on the cover. --24.147.69.31 (talk) 19:01, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

Stochastic matrix (few questions)

copy of discussion from RD/math removed by Meni Rosenfeld.

Please do not cross-post (as it says in the guidelines at the top). If you do not get an answer to a mathematical question on the Mathematics desk, it is very unlikely that you'll get one on the miscellaneous desk.

It seems to me that Lambiam has patiently answered your questions. He says above, "State 1: cat in the first box, mouse in the third box: (1, 3)". --ColinFine (talk) 16:49, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

Stochastic matrix (few questions)

Considering the fact that many Reference Desk helpers, don't frequent the Mathematics desk, and I am still confused, and no one has replied for 2 days, I am posting the above question here. --Obsolete.fax (talk) 16:24, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

Don't remove, please discuss in the talk page if you don't agree in the question being here, and state your position there. --Obsolete.fax (talk) 17:17, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

Copying this question here is wrong on so many levels that I don't know where to begin. It splits the discussion to several places which is bad for both you and respondents. It is rude to take away space from this page which makes it harder to follow the other questions. It is vain to assume that your question is more important than those of others and deserves copying, cross-posting and bumping. It is certainly unacceptable to continue this after being told not to. And of course, people who don't frequent the math desk are much less likely to be able to help you. A slightly less offensive way to attract more respondents is to simply place a link to the question, which I will do for you - the question is Wikipedia:Reference desk/Mathematics#Stochastic matrix (few questions). -- Meni Rosenfeld (talk) 17:30, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

Furthermore, in restoring your question, you deleted my response, which is also contrary to the guidelines. Oh, no you didn't: you just crossposted a complete second copy. My mistake. --ColinFine (talk) 17:46, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

Agreed with Meni. It is absurd to intentionally spam a clearly math-related question to multiple desks to try to attract undue attention to it. Despite your request, I am tempted to remove this question (and feel I would be completely justified in doing so), and I strongly suggest you remove it yourself. -Elmer Clark (talk) 05:50, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

History of Clerical Collars

When did priests first start to wear 'dog collars?

86.27.92.178 (talk) 16:32, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

Our article on clerical collars discusses this in some detail. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 16:36, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

Cost-of-living websites

I'm trying to find some good websites for comparing the cost of living in different locations. I've found two reputable sources (http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/costofliving/costofliving.html and http://salary.monster.com/CostOfLivingWizard/layoutscripts/coll_start.asp) but I was wondering (a) which one would you believe if the two of them show substantially different results for the same location and (b) if anyone can recommend additional good-quality websites for this purpose. Thanks so much! --24.211.242.80 (talk) 19:26, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

You might see if the U.S. Department of Labor has a standardized way of doing this on their website. I've used their cost-of-travel estimates for calculating grant proposals and things like that when visiting different cities (it costs a lot less to visit some cities than others)—even that data, while not quite the same thing, would tell you quite a bit in terms of relative cost of living. --24.147.69.31 (talk) 03:24, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

release date for "felix castor : thicker than water" by Mike Carey ?

Hi Im a huge felix castor fan, just finished "dead mans boots" and wondering when the next one is released, it says 2008 so its this year, but does anyone have an idea when? early, late, april, september? any info will help thanks

Rob —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.68.253.24 (talk) 21:11, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

SP Artillery exploding in Iraq

Hi, I came to remember an incident a few years ago, where a TV camera caught on tape some ammunition (or similar) exploding inside a coalition Paladin. Does this have its own article, or are there details mentioned anywhere? It was said that there weren't any casaulties, but I remember the blast looking awfully massive. Thanks in advance. 81.93.102.185 (talk) 23:48, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

Google explosion coalition Paladin. 152.16.59.190 (talk) 03:09, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

January 28

How did they take these pictures?

• http://www.hnabooks.com/product/show/6266
• http://www.hnabooks.com/images/sites/9/look_inside/Q081099285X/081099285X_s4.jpg
• http://www.hnabooks.com/images/sites/9/look_inside/Q081099285X/081099285X_s5.jpg
• http://www.hnabooks.com/images/sites/9/look_inside/Q081099285X/081099285X_s6.jpg
• http://www.hnabooks.com/images/sites/9/look_inside/Q081099285X/081099285X_s7.jpg
• http://www.hnabooks.com/images/sites/9/look_inside/Q081099285X/081099285X_s8.jpg
• http://www.hnabooks.com/images/sites/9/look_inside/Q081099285X/081099285X_s9.jpg
• http://www.hnabooks.com/images/sites/9/look_inside/Q081099285X/081099285X_s10.jpg

These airplane belly pictures are almost plan view. You can even see the ground-touching areas of the tires.

You can dig a deep and large hole in the ground and hang the Boeing 747 on a very tall tree to take these pictures.

You can put the Boeing 747 upside down, and take the picture from a helicopter.

Well, I don't think these methods are practical.

Did the photographer take several hundred pictures and stitch them together in a computer? -- Toytoy (talk) 03:13, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

Or you could just lay on your back at the end of a runway and take pics of the underside of planes as they land. And seeing that some of these images show landing gear and flaps extended, i'd imagine that's just what he did. Foxhill (talk) 03:26, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

Uncontrollable light condition, engine exhaust, control surface movements, landing gear angle, ... . There can be all kinds of problems. If I were the photographer, I may setup multiple cameras at different places and take as many shots as possible. All these factors may still ruin my pictures. I am skeptical to this theory. -- Toytoy (talk) 04:40, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

No doubt there is a great deal of skill and luck involved, otherwise his work wouldn't be so widely renowned. Some extracts from news coverage - "Jeffrey Milstein, a New York based photographer, has a recent series entitled Aircraft, large-scale photographs that are not of model airplanes but rather of incoming planes outside of LAX [...] Outside the fenced field, he waits for approaching airplanes and snaps crystal clear shots of the incoming beasts."[2] and [3] says the only alteration he made was to replace the sky with a uniform white background. Something he himself admits to - "I take the pictures near the end of the runway, mostly at LAX. I use a 39mpxl digital back on a Contax 645. I use Photoshop to remove the backgrounds, and I print limited edition pigment inkjet prints in 20″x20″ and 40″x40″ size, which sell in my galleries in NY and LA."[4] Foxhill (talk) 05:41, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

My first thought was that they were models, but then I read what Foxhill wrote... takes a lot of patience I believe. --Ouro (blah blah) 07:13, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

I found other photos. [5] [6] [7] [8] Enjoy! Oda Mari (talk) 18:39, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

It's not too hard -- I've taken a few like that myself. You find the landing flight path for an airport, look for a field three to five miles away, and position yourself under the flight path. When an airplane goes by overhead, point your camera straight up and take the picture. With a busy airport, you can spend an afternoon and wind up with a hundred or so candidate shots. --Carnildo (talk) 01:22, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

Falling from the sky

Dear Wiki contributors,

I recall being told that Galileo conducted an experiment where he showed that two balls of different masses fell at the same speed towards the ground. I know this may sound naive but, with that logic, does that mean a 300 lb man can use the same parachute rated for a 180-lb man? If so, then you should also be able to drop a tank from the sky with the same parachute?

Also, I recall reading that terminal velocity for a human body falling is somewhere less than 200 mph. Why then, did Joseph Kittinger reach speeds of 600 mph when he was doing his landmark world-record skydive?99.240.177.206 (talk) 03:26, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

No. Speed is not the same as momentum which is speed and weight. If the parachute is going to change your speed it has to be able to change your momentum.

Joseph Kittinger was skydiving from an astonishing 19.5 miles up. I imagine the air is a lot thinner up there, resulting in a higher terminal velocity. APL (talk) 03:55, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

The air is a lot thinner -- Kittinger needed to wear a pressure suit. See Project Excelsior for more. Also Armstrong Limit -- above about 12 miles the pressure is so low water boils at body temperature. Pfly (talk) 04:42, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

I'm not sure User:APL's explanation makes much sense. What Galileo demonstrated was not that all objects fall at the same speed, but that the acceleration due to gravity is the same for all objects. However, the accelerating force of gravity (which we call "weight") is opposed by the decelerating force of pushing through the air (which we call "drag"), and drag increases with speed. When the forces of drag and weight are matched, that is the terminal velocity, and is the speed at which the object will tend to fall.

Parachutes work by dramatically increasing the drag of an object. When a parachutist opens their parachute, their drag increases so it's much greater than their weight. They then slow down until the drag from the 'chute matches their weight. The greater the weight of the parachutist, the less they'll slow down before reaching their new terminal velocity, because the parachute has to generate more drag (which requires travelling faster) to match the heavier weight.

I hope that makes sense. If it doesn't, I'll have a go at drawing a diagram later. FiggyBee (talk) 09:28, 28 January 2008 (UTC) (edit; here is my dodgy diagram). FiggyBee (talk) 13:52, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

That sounds plausible. So, in practice, are there different-sized parachutes according to the weight of the jumper, or a single size that is adequate for (almost) anyone? AndrewWTaylor (talk) 14:43, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

Yes, different sized parachutes are available. Also, most skydiving parachutes are actually parafoils - as well as vertical drag, they're designed to fly forward through the air and generate lift like an aircraft wing. FiggyBee (talk) 15:07, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

The media isn't doing a very good job of explaining the SocGen debacle

"In fact, Kerviel's first portfolio of financial instruments -- in his case futures -- included genuine operations -- but the offsetting portfolio proved to be "fictitious," the bank said." That's the typical explanation. But I still don't understand how 50 billion euros in positions can be concealed. Are there tens of trillions of euros worth of trades moving through the bank everyday? Help me understand.

66.91.224.203 (talk) 04:58, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

The bank indicates all controls were violated. As far as I understand, he bought positions and then created "faked" sales document to cover himself. That way, although there were a couple of operations, the balance of the bank was unaffected. Electronically, the bank still had the same amount of money, but in reality, that money was transformed into stock positions. According to the bank article here, French presidential aide Raymond Soubie stated that Kerviel dealt with $73.3 billion (more than the bank's market capitalization of $52.6 billion). Remember that he has been doing that, apparently, for over a year, and that the only way the bank noticed was when he forgot to "sell" what he had bought. -- ReyBrujo (talk) 05:11, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

Completed eBay auctions

Is there a way to see results of previous eBay auctions? I know there is a completed listing search on ebay.com, but it only goes back 15 days. Is there a website that will go back further (a free website, preferably)? --71.194.241.127 (talk) 05:04, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

I know of this one, but it's only for past auctions of vinyl records. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 06:23, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

The Internet Archive might work for this if you have a specific URL in mind. Recury (talk) 17:52, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

His Dark Materials and Claims of Evidence for Christianity as the One True Religion

Please reply to this edit only if you are not a Christian. Please reply to this edit especially if you are a reader or fan of the series His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman. By reader I mean both by someone who is reading it or someone who has read it before.

I’ve heard Christians claim that there are “proofs” and “evidences” for Christianity to be the “one true religion”. Those proofs and evidences include evidences against evolution, evidences that God exists, evidences that what the Bible says is true, and evidences that Jesus Christ is God and the son of God. See the articles Proofs Of Christ And The Bible, Fulfilled Prophecy As Proof Of The Bible, Science as Proof Of The Bible, Proofs Of The Existence Of God, Reasons For the Bible, Heaven, Deity, Resurrection, Creation, Baptism,, Evolution: Evidence For Creation In 6 Days, and Ten Proofs That Jesus Christ is the Messiah.

What would readers and fans of the series His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman think about all those evidences for Christianity to be the one true religion? Would they think they are really evidences for Christianity to be the one true religion? Would they think they really mean, tell, show, and prove that Christianity is the one true religion? If not, then why?

What would Philip Pullman, the author of His Dark Materials, as the author of His Dark Materials, think about all those evidences for Christianity to be the one true religion? What would all the different characters of His Dark Materials, especially those on Lyra’s side, think about them? What would the angels Xaphania and Balthamos think about them? What would Lord Asriel, Mary Malone, and King Ogunwe think about them? Would all the actors and actresses who played all the different characters in the movie The Golden Compass, such as Daniel Craig, think about them? Would they think they are really evidences for Christianity to be the one true religion? Would they think they really mean, tell, show, and prove that Christianity is the one true religion? If not, then why? By actors and actresses, I only mean those who are not Christians and especially mean those who play characters on Lyra’s side.

Have Philip Pullman and those actors and actresses heard about those evidences for Christianity to be the one true religion before? Has Philip Pullman heard about those evidences when or before he was writing His Dark Materials? If so, then what do they think about them? Are they convinced? Do they agree with those evidences?

If you are a reader or fan of His Dark Materials, then what do you, a reader or fan of His Dark Materials, as a reader or fan of His Dark Materials, think about all those evidences for Christianity to be the one true religion? Have you heard about those evidences for Christianity to be the one true religion before? Do you think they are really evidences for Christianity to be the one true religion? Do you think they really mean, tell, show, and prove that Christianity is the one true religion? If not, then why?

Bowei Huang (talk) 06:20, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

The reference desk is not a soapbox; The question itself is by no means wrong, but I think you would see better, and more (relevant) answers coming from several christian webforums, especially if you seek the answers of christian people rather than those of anyone else. 213.161.190.228 (talk) 06:54, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

The original poster is not asking for Christians to respond; he is asking for non-Christians to respond. However, the links the original poster has provided are all broken links. This was pointed out a couple of days ago when an anonymous person posted the same links at Wikipedia:Reference desk/Humanities#Evidence for Christianity as the One True Religion?, and the links are still broken. If Philip Pullman or the movie cast clicked on those links, they would be firmly convinced that "Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage". In any event, the Wikipedia Reference Desk is not intended for religious debate along these lines. --Metropolitan90 (talk) 07:37, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

There are many many reasons why a “one true religion” almost certainly does not exist. If you are genuinely interested you can read about these paradoxes: Omnipotence paradox, Problem of evil, Problem of Hell, Argument from nonbelief, Argument from inconsistent revelations, Argument from poor design, TANG, Theological noncognitivism, Argument from free will, Ultimate Boeing 747 gambit, Occam's Razor, Atheist's Wager. If you just want to start a debate, why don’t you take it over to a chat room like Dawkins.net and I and others will be glad to argue the point with you there. --S.dedalus (talk) 07:42, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

• Comment the links provided all seem to work for me. DuncanHill (talk) 10:03, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

(In-dent, in-between-post, hope it is OK) This is 213.161 - I very much misread what was written. My apologies for that. As for the request for specific people to (not!) respond, it makes even less sense to me now. At first and second glance it looked like a dare to Christians, and I failed to assume good intent. :) I'll leave this to other Wikipeds now. 81.93.102.185 (talk) 22:02, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

You appear to have asked no fewer than 21 questions-which ones are we supposed to be answering? You also ask what the actors and actresses would think and then later specify this is only the actors and actresses who are non-Christians-AFAIK I don't recall any of the cast being particularly strongly in support or against Christianity... Also why limit non-Christians to answer?I'm sure for questions asking about the cast's views and Pullman's views himself,then anyone is just as capable of answering.I'm sure there must be a His Dark Materials forum somewhere where you can discuss this-I wouldn't be surprised if there's already a discussion going... Lemon martini (talk) 11:36, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

• Comment A question with the same link spam and the same disclaimer appeared in the humanities desk. APL (talk) 14:20, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

You are correct that this had already been mentioned. I hadn't noticed. I withdraw my comment. However, please do not edit the content of my posts. Thank you. APL (talk) 01:30, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

You said I have been asking too many questions together. But what if now I'm not going to ask you all these questions, I'm just going to ask you two? They are that what would readers, fans, and the author of His Dark Materials think about those evidences, would they agree that those evidences really mean that Christianity is true, and if they wouldn't agree, then why.

But what about now when I'm not asking people what they themselves think, personally think, about all those evidences, I'm asking about what a special particular specific group and kind of people have something specifically in common either think or would think, probably think, about a particular thing, topic, and subject? I'm not asking you now what your personal opinion is now, I'm just asking what is the opinion other people have or would have about something else. By what those other people think, I mean mostly and mainly by what they mostly, mainly, usually, generally, and commonly think, would think, probably think, or would probably think about them.

Those links are part of the the Answers Book, a website by an Independent Baptist pastor called Keith Piper.

Are there any websites about His Dark Materials where I could debate and discuss about His Dark Materials and about it with others? Bowei Huang (talk) 01:07, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

A little more help needed

Having previously inculcated Wikipedia with my requests for information regarding callgirls, I feel I must impose on your kind and generous help once more. After careful consideration of the responses to my previous question, I have decided to arrange a meeting with a local callgirl. Please could any of you whom are familiar with callgirls in the Glostershire, England area please provide me with contact information. Once again I am in your debt in this matter, and I look forward to a speedy and detailed reply. Many thanks, Weasly (talk) 11:34, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

The backs of local newspapers have a wide range of personal services advertised.Although why you'd need a callgirl in Gloucestershire when you live in Berlin is somewhat of a mystery-it's hardly local... Lemon martini (talk) 11:40, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

Thanks you lemon for reminding me to update my userpage. I just came back from Germany yesterday. Thought I would have better luck over there, what with the reputation of German women. But it seems they are as equally unimpressed with me as British gals. Weasly (talk) 12:21, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

Any relation to Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, by the way? —Tamfang (talk) 01:46, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

I can just share my only sexual experience. She was not a prostitute, but it felt very awkward and I was not horny at all. I felt disgusted for days afterwards. She actually came to my place, for free. She was older than me, though. I suppose a young hottie will be better for you. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.225.48.218 (talk) 12:23, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

Please explain how one can procure a callgirl for free. Weasly (talk) 12:25, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

She wasn't a callgirl. I met her on a dating site. The one time that worked. Nobody has replied to me since, and I have now given up on ever finding a girlfriend. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.225.48.218 (talk) 15:00, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

I've heard that joining the Society for Creative Anachronism can help. —Tamfang (talk) 02:00, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

I would recommend caution in your intended activities, Weasly. According to Prostitution, prostitution is illegal in England and Wales. This would make finding an appropriate person more difficult. We would hate to be seen as encouraging illegal activities. Good luck to you in terms of your search for fulfillment, however. (the Australian SCA has the same reputation, to a degree, BTW) Steewi (talk) 02:31, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Alien robots and DuckTales

When I was a kid, I saw an episode of "DuckTales" which I recorded. It was the one where they actually go into (far distant) outer space to some sort of "robot planet" where they melt metals (and Scrooge's coins).

In one scene, Fenton faces the "main frame", which is a huge, stationary computer and the robots' leader, with mechanical arms on the sides. When it realizes that Fenton is actually a human/duck/non-robot, he gets curious and starts undressing him against his will. I was scared but very fascinated by this as a kid, and now I think it may have been my first sexual fetish, despite my very young age. What do you think, and is this fantasy/fetish called something? (Being in control by alien robots.)

Also, while I'm mentioning DuckTales: Is it normal for kids, like me, to think that they thought out, produced, drew and finalized every episode of such animated TV series every week, just in time for it to air on TV? I seriously thought that. :$ —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.225.48.218 (talk) 11:59, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

No clue on the fetish question, but on the latter question, yes, it's common for kids to be totally baffled as to how slick products are produced and to come up with their own explanations. --24.147.69.31 (talk) 13:51, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

I had a quick, non-expert look down the list of paraphilias, which mentions robot fetishism and xenophily (in the sense of attraction to alien beings); perhaps surprisingly, there is no mention of an undressing-related fetish. Hassocks5489 (talk) 20:09, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

There was a time when I understood about actors but not about stuntmen or blanks, so I wondered how all those actors killed on Superman got paid. —Tamfang (talk) 01:44, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

"Is this cartoon going on the air live?" "No, Homer. Very few cartoons are broadcast live, it's a terrible strain on the animators' wrists." Adam Bishop (talk) 04:12, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

At least one animated show - South Park - is thought out, produced, drawn, and finalized every week. -Elmer Clark (talk) 23:57, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Jump from platform that is falling from the sky

If you attach your feet to a big metallic platform which is dropped from high up in the sky with an air plane, and then you jump from it, straight up, a few meters before it crashes into the ground, will you survive? If not, why not? Makes sense to me. Or am I missing something? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.225.48.218 (talk) 12:02, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

I think you're dramatically overestimating the power of human legs. Your jump would only slow you down by 1m/s or less (and some of that would be absorbed by pushing away the metal, of course), so if you were falling at 50 m/s you'd still hit the ground at 49 m/s. FiggyBee (talk) 12:13, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

(after edit conflict) In short, no. It was tested (although with a slightly different setting) in Mythbusters, see MythBusters (season 2)#Elevator of Death. You will be falling at terminal velocity (roughly 195 km/h) and the speed you generate upwards from the platform won't be anywhere near that. - Dammit (talk) 12:15, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

I don't have time to attempt to calculate it now, but intuitively I would expect the terminal velocity of a "big metallic platform" to be significantly greater than that of a human falling free. If so, your impact would be even worse than if you just jumped out of the plane by yourself. --Anonymous, 17:01 UTC, January 28, 2008.

Your legs can produce enough energy to jump about two or three feet in the air if you really work at it. Discounting air resistance, that should be enough energy to counteract a fall of two or three feet. The difference between falling 100ft and the equivalent of 98ft wouldn't really help you. APL (talk) 14:06, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

This analysis is invalid. Work is equal to force times distance, where "distance" is what your center of mass travels during the time it has force applied on it. This is different when you are falling than when you are on the ground. The correct simple solution is in terms of velocities. -- Meni Rosenfeld (talk) 17:02, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

It works if you're Bugs Bunny. —Tamfang (talk) 01:41, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

In "theory" if there was a giant spring attached to the metal platform, and you were standin on top of it, and it was triggered just before the platform hit the ground, and it was strong enough to reduce your speed to zero (increasing the speed of the platform as it hit the ground), then "in theory" you could have a gentle landing. The problem with this theory is that, as Meni says above, work = force times distance, and you don't have much distance to play with, so the spring would have to be so strong that it would crush your legs and cause fatal internal injuries almost as serious as hitting the ground with the platform. The way to survive landing from a great height is to land on something soft which gradually slows you down without any very large forces. One example is a tall leafy tree with flexible branches, and there have been recorded cases of people surviving falls of great distances by landing in a tree. Please don't try this, because trees can not be relied upon to behave in the ideal manner to slow you down gradually. Hitting a solid branch at speed will break your spine or crush your skull. dbfirs 19:27, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

National debts

OK. Maybe I am hallucinating here, but what the hell am I reading? USA and Sweden (and probably many other countries) have INSANE amounts of money "borrowed" (from where?). I don't get this at all. How can there be any other priority than trying to pay these money back? USA apparently has TRILLIONS in debt. This, in my world of raw logic, means that both USA and Sweden should be a third-world countries if they'd just pay the money they owe others.

1. Why did they borrow these amounts? 2. Who lends money to a country? And why? 3. Why am I the only one who is confused about this? If I'm a billionaire who owes several billions to somebody, I am not a billion but somebody who should be living at "minimal existence" terms.

This is madness. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.225.48.218 (talk) 12:21, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

Have you read Government debt? This seems to answer some of your questions (for example the money tends to be borrowed in the form of things like Government bonds and Sovereign bonds). 130.88.151.203 (talk) 12:51, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

Also List of countries by public debt may be of interest. It appears that Sweden isn't actually that high up in the list. 130.88.151.203 (talk) 12:54, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

Loans are a pretty normal part of 99% of individual's financial lives - be it for cars, for houses or for other things. What reason would it be 'odd' for governments to have them? Additionally when you take out a loan to purchase a home you don't focus purely on paying that back as you have other obligations, other wants and needs from life. Similarly government has other priorities and other things to deal with. Loans can provide quick access to funding that may not be possible without changing taxation/stimulating the economy - such loans if well used can actually make the economy grow more quickly and end up having a positive effect on the lives of that country's citizens. Debt gets a bad name (particularly in the current climate) but well managed debt serves a purpose in almost all walks of life - from individuals to businesses with billions of dollars in turn-over, to governments that work on budgets running to the trillions. The basic reasoning is broadly the same, the amount and what it is spent on, dramatically different. ny156uk (talk) 23:56, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

Also 'national debt' is not a 'bad' thing, as if the government is in credit that means the people owe the government. All credit must have a debt back at it. If a country is in debt its because people have been used by the government to do work. Also most counteries debts are way over rated. For example the US debt isn't that bad. A change of government can change things alot. For example Clinton had the US debt $400b profit per year, bush has it 500b loss per year. Getting out of trillions of dollars debt isn't impossible and can happen quickly.--155.144.251.120 (talk) 02:29, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Have a look at Fractional-reserve banking for an introduction to how money is 'created'. --Joe^Talk_Work 18:51, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Noise Pollution

My neighbours upstairs are very noisy. I can hear their every footstep on their laminate floor coming through my ceiling. I live in a ground floor flat. They are above me. What can I do? I live in London. Is there any legal action I can take? Weasly (talk) 12:34, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

Berlin, Gloucestershire and now London; you certainly do get around. Try talking to you neighbour first (if your on a friendly basis, that is) and they'll probably be happy to keep their noise down, if they can. If not then you may be able to take some form of legal action. Acording to this "You can also take legal action yourself through the magistrates court under Section 82 of the Environmental Protection Act. You do not need a solicitor and it need not cost much. You will need to prove to the magistrate beyond reasonable doubt that the problem you are complaining of amounts to a nuisance." Also have a look at these 1 2 3. Think outside the box 13:21, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

Isn't this legal advice? Do we give legal advice now? --Ouro (blah blah) 13:42, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

No, quoting from a BBC article and giving links about noise issues in the UK counts as "legal advice". --24.147.69.31 (talk) 14:57, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

If all you're hearing is them walking about, there is no legal action you can take against them. I guess you'll either have to move flat, get some earplugs, or help them with the cost of a carpet.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 13:56, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

You might talk to your landlord about it, though I doubt they'll care. I am sure there are ways to make the building more soundproof but they are likely expensive. --24.147.69.31 (talk) 14:58, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

You don't say, so I'm wondering if you've actually talked to the "perpetrators" about this. Chances are they'll be reasonable about it, put themselves in your shoes (metaphorically speaking), and do what they can (which may not be much, admittedly) to minimise the noise. I'd be surprised if any legal proceedings could get off the ground if this step hadn't first been taken. And you never know, you might make some new friends. -- JackofOz (talk) 20:21, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

Soft furnishings 'soften' noises so you could try adding a rug to your room/more soft-furnishings. I know it is coming from the ceiling but it should deaden it a little. Also as the above state speaking with the people is the only fair way to (at the least) start trying to resolve the issue, if things persist then you may want to try take it further. You could fit sound-proofing in your rooms but this may be expensive. This problem, however, is the curse of living in apartments/flats that have people on floors above you. It is one of the reasons that ground-floor living is usually slightly cheaper than the higher-floors (that and street-level noise). Good luck ny156uk (talk) 23:51, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

What's the deal with this site?

The online computer store cpumart.com seems at first glance to have invested a lot in its user friendliness. However, at the bottom of the page there are four links on the "Help & Support" category which are all broken or empty (note that the "discussions forum" provides no facilities for posting messages) and have been for several weeks. When I emailed them with questions about this and other things, I never got any response. Does anyone have a clue how can such a site afford to be so sloppy? -- Meni Rosenfeld (talk) 17:13, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

They;re alomst certainly using a generic template for a selling site - and just need to add their logo/product details/colour scheme. The contact details will be there by default - and they forgot/didn't notice/care to change them. All in all that means one less person to employ/hire and no doubt the saving are passed on to you the customer... Why they didn't respond to your e-mail - don't know - maybe it went in the junk if you weren't already a customer - perhaps they only respond to essential mail ? Did you check they were still in business?87.102.67.145 (talk) 13:58, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

I have no reason to believe they are no longer in business (though if their average customer is anything like me, they pretty soon will be!), but don't know how to check for sure. I find it unacceptable that any business would aribtrarily screen legitimate customer requests for support. Oh well. Thanks for shedding some light on this. -- Meni Rosenfeld (talk) 18:43, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

In my experience support questions can take a long time to get a reply (weeks).. 87.102.77.153 (talk) 17:38, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Today's Google logo

• http://www.google.com/
• http://www.google.com/logos/lego08.gif

What day is today? I don't see an explaination on their logo page.

• http://www.google.com/holidaylogos.html

I know Google's founders loved Lego, but is today a Lego holiday? -- Toytoy (talk) 17:32, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

If you mouse over the logo at http://www.google.com/intl/en/ it says "50th anniversary of the Lego brick". —Angr ^{If you've written a quality article...} 17:32, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

Yep. From Lego: "The modern Lego brick was patented on January 28, 1958". -- Meni Rosenfeld (talk) 17:34, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

I read in The Guardian last Saturday that there are 62 pieces of Lego for every person in the world. Presumably this refers to the amount actually produced. Good to see that we have managed our resources so well. And BTW whose got my 62? Richard Avery (talk) 18:56, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

Sorry, I didn't realize they were yours. I will send them right away, as soon as you provide your address and personal identification details such as social security number and credit card number & security code. -- Meni Rosenfeld (talk) 19:01, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

Hey, I got waaaaaaaay more than 62. I wonder whose else's I have? —Steve Summit (talk) 19:30, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

Mine--Johnluckie (talk) 21:40, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

I think I can account for a couple as well. :) bibliomaniac15 05:00, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Why is there no pay version of Windows Live Messenger?

Why can't you opt out from the ads in Windows Live Messenger? I hate those f***ing ads. Customers should have the ability to pay to get rid of them. Especially since it's a Microsoft product... Please think before replying. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.225.48.218 (talk) 17:54, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

I refuse to think before replying. You could use the patch from mess.be, although using it to remove the ads does violate Microsoft's EULA. FiggyBee (talk) 18:29, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

This is what I mean by thinking before replying. I'm not gonna run some random EXE by som guy who runs a pro-Islam Web site. Besides, this is besides the point as I just wanted an official solution. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.225.48.218 (talk) 18:44, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

Pro-Islam site? Doesn't look much like one to me. 83.147.139.108 (talk) 13:13, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

So, as you obviously already know there's no official solution, is this another non-question question? FiggyBee (talk) 18:53, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

I think people are a bit edgy today on the non-question issue. I think it is perfectly legitimate to request general insight about how the world works (my own latest question falls into this category). Suggestions about possible reasons for Microsoft's decision would be appropriate here. -- Meni Rosenfeld (talk) 19:05, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

If this were a free-form discussion forum, then I'd agree without reservation. But it's not, and I don't. --LarryMac | Talk 19:06, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

You could hire a programmer to do the same thing the "guy who runs a pro-Islam web site" did. Disabling functionality is generally straightforward, so it might cost as little as $100, which presumably is in the ballpark of what a "Windows Messenger -- Ultimate Messaging Experience Edition" would cost. --Sean 19:34, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

(Can i ask a side question? Has anyone ever been proseceuted for breaking the EULA by modifying MSN Messenger?)RobertsZ (talk) 21:47, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

I don't think they even have a way to find out if someone's using the patched version. And if they do sue someone, it's gonna be the distributor of the patch, not some random users. I am not a lawyer, but I think you're safe. Admiral Norton ^(talk) 21:59, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

There's always free, open-source alternatives like Pidgin (software) or aMSN, just to name a few. --antilived^{T | C | G} 23:03, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Washing my Face

Hi, sorry this is a pretty trivial question but i can't think where else to ask it without getting useless answers. Basically i have a few spots on my face which dont seem to go, so i want to know if i am washing properly. I usually wash my face when in the shower with a facewash in the morning by getting my face soaked rubbing in the facewash and then thoroughly rinsing it. I dont think there is a problem there, however when i wash at night i wash in a basin n my method may be questionable. I fill the basic full of warm water n 'dunk' my head in so my face is wet and then apply the facewash and once its rubbed in i rinse in the same water then add some more water to rinse my face a little better. I usually wash like this everyday. Is washing this often good? Is the way i wash in the basin helping? Is washing my face in the shower helping? Thanks for any comments

212.140.139.225 (talk) 22:38, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

I heard that first washing with warm water, then doing what you usally do, then ending with cold water is useful. The effect of the warm water is to open up the pores, which can be more thorougly cleaned by your usual method and then rinsing with cold water at the end closes the pores to stop dirt getting in. Although i did hear this from a friend (not a particuarly reliable source) it sounds sensible to me. Also some acne during puberty is perfectly natural, but as always if concerned go see a doctor. RobertsZ (talk) 22:59, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

I would think at night, rinsing with fresh, unused water would be best. If it is acne that you are concerned about, a more effective approach would be to buy some anti-acne cream from a pharmacy. If that doesn't work, see a doctor and he/she will be able to prescibe to you a more powerful anti-acne cream. Acceptable (talk) 00:01, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

I'm sorry to hear you are troubled by this problem. I don't think the way you wash your face will affect the acne to a great degree. It is a good idea to wash your face gently with a good unscented soap and then use a skin cleanser or pharmaceutical anti-acne preparation. The way you dunk your face is relatively unimportant, washing your face in the shower is fine. None of what your doing is likely to make your acne worse. If it is really important to you to have a clear skin then go and see your doctor. Richard Avery (talk) 08:25, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Geta

I realize that this may require some OR but what I'm wondering is if Geta are actually comfortable to wear. They don't seem very comfortable to me. Dismas|^(talk) 22:44, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

I have no original research to offer, as I have never worn them, but Walking in Geta offers some thoughts, a clip, and "Although neither difficult to walk in, nor uncomfortable, they're definitely not your Reeboks!" ---Sluzzelin talk 02:34, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

I've only worn them once, and for a short time. They weren't uncomfortable, as such, but were an entirely different footwear experience compared to the western-style shoes we're used to. I imagine that one would accustom oneself to the feeling relatively quickly. Steewi (talk) 02:47, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Hmm... Thanks! The above mentioned link was interesting, especially so with this statement: Eventually our seemingly infinitely adaptable bodies learn this new (totally unnecessary) skill. Totally unnecessary!  :-) Dismas|^(talk) 03:21, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Pocket Watch Care

I've just acquired a pocket watch from 1903 that runs beautifully, and since I've never owned anything with clockwork before I have the following questions:

1. How often would I have to take my watch to be oiled and such so that it always runs in perfect condition?

2. How do I know when I've wound the watch up all the way?

3. Can I adjust the position of the hands while the watch is wound and running?

4. If the answer to question 3 is "No", is it possible to "unwind" the watch or will that damage it?

Thanks in advance! Chris16447 (talk) 23:01, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

Just from what I've read; 1, every couple of years. 2, you'll feel a distinct increase in resistance. 3, yes. On most watches, you pull the crown (the winding knob) out and turn it to adjust the hands, then push the crown back in. On others, there's a lever somewhere which switches the crown from winding to adjusting. FiggyBee (talk) 23:12, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

If this watch is high-quality or otherwise especially valuable, you will (a) certainly want to take it to a reputable jeweler for assessment and maintenance, who will also (b) be able to answer the rest of your questions!

—Steve "trying not to make jokes about 'the RD cannot offer horological advice'" Summit (talk) 01:11, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Possibly useful to know: if you're ever taken prisoner and held as a POW, you can safely store an antique watch intra-rectally. --Sean 23:19, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

That's very useful advice. I'll be careful to leave anything priceless at home if I go to war. Better than having to hide, say, a vase, however.Chris16447 (talk) 02:25, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

With 2., just dont wind the watch "all the way" and break it.Polypipe Wrangler (talk) 17:55, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

seeking info in lorraine and aaron cohen, sentenced to jail in penang for drug trafficking

hi there,

i have just read a fantastic book called 'arrested development', which is the story of lorraine and aaron cohen, who ended up on death row in a penang (malaysia) jail for heroin trafficking. i am curious as to how they are travelling today and whether they have finally beaten their addiction(s).

I tried a google search but the only link that was of any help was some new zealand true crime book site, which was waaay out of date anyway.

any help or links would be appreciated. lorraine or aaron (or friends/family) if you happen to be reading this (long shot I know!) I would love to chat and swap stories. I was deeply moved by your account. I have taken the wrong path myself on my life journey and am thankful that it never led to imprisonment, but I know from where you speak.

many thanksDavelicious (talk) 23:23, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

Usually contacting the publisher is the first step unless they have a website and list a contact number or agent there. Cheers Julia Rossi (talk) 03:52, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

January 29

Freezing food

Let's say you've got some meat or produce that's supposed to be eaten within four days of purchase. On the fourth day, you put it in the freezer. When you defrost it, does the clock reset -- do you get another four days to eat it? Or do you have to eat it right away? -- Mwalcoff (talk) 00:14, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Well, first of all, those "clocks" are hardly precise. They generally say "best before Jan. 31", not "Must absolutely be eaten before Jan. 31 at 23:59 (UTC) or else you'll turn into a toad." So if it said four days, you probably have at least eight days before it starts tasting really rank, regardless of whether those days are interrupted by a stint in the freezer.

With that said, there are a number of factors that affect the answer:

1. Are we worried about the food going stale, or about it being contaminated by microorganisms?
2. If we're worried about microorganisms, are they killed by freezing? If so, we can say the "clock resets". If not, it certainly does not.
3. If we're worried about the food merely going stale, then clearly freezing it does not "reset the clock", as freezing is not generally a way of making stale food taste fresh again. Moreover, depending on what kind of food we're talking about, freezing doesn't necessarily even preserve freshness -- there may be damage due to freezing, particularly if the food is left frozen long enough to suffer freezer burn.

—Steve Summit (talk) 01:05, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Yes and no. Per Steve's comment, 'best before' dates are approximate guides—food that's been properly handled and stored will often still be safe to eat well after the given date (though I've had the odd product that is visibly spoiled 'early'.) There's no hard and fast rule, and you should always be alert for signs of spoilage. (How do you know some minimum-wage slacker didn't leave a shipment of meat out in the sun on the loading dock for a few hours while he took his 'lunch' break?)

Freezing will stop or greatly slow the growth of all microorganisms, and will kill many (but definitely not all) of them. So to an extent, the clock is partly reset. What freezing won't do is eliminate any toxins that have been secreted by foodborne pathogens. Our article on foodborne illness discusses the wide variety of nasty chemicals secreted by or released from the bugs that can contaminate our food. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 14:04, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Electicity from Wood

Is there any type of wood furnace out their that allows you to get electricity for your house? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.119.61.7 (talk) 00:36, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Its done on a commercial basis [9] but I cant find anything on domestic generators. —Preceding unsigned comment added by TreeSmiler (talk • contribs) 01:34, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Google search "home wood burning furnace." -- Mwalcoff (talk) 03:09, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

I tried your google search, Mwalcoff, and it didn't work. The question is about making electricity from wood, not about making heat from wood. --M@rēino 05:35, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

You could always stick one end of a Stirling engine in your furnace, and run a dynamo offf it. DuncanHill (talk) 20:00, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

If you can raise steam from burning wood, you can use any old steam turbine generator to generate the electricity.--TreeSmiler (talk) 22:56, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Densely populated islands

Hi. Where can i find a list of the most densely populated islands in the world? Together with repective data for population density? I can't find an article on wikipedia, nor can i find much googling. kawaputra^torque 05:38, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

According to worldislandinfo, Ap Lei Chau is the world's most densely populated island (60,000 inhabitants per sq km). Malé is the most densely populated unbridged island (40,000 per sq km). The smallest island with over one million inhabitants is Manhattan (only 26,000 per sq km). No real "list" though, sorry. ---Sluzzelin talk 05:55, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

We have List of islands by population and List of islands by area. Cross reference those and you can calculate a List of islands by population density. Rockpocket 05:59, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Actually, this seems to be what you want. Rockpocket 06:01, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

That list is interesting, but very incomplete. It seems to only list islands that are involved with the United Nations Environment Programme. Manhattan, for example, is missing. --M@rēino 14:11, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Yes the list seems incomplete as it also omits Ap Lei Chau. But still useful. Thanks. I may just create that page when time permits. :) kawaputra^torque 15:38, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Joe Arpaio for US President ?!

Has Joe Arpaio considered running for US President ? 65.163.113.170 (talk) 07:50, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

The reason I asked is that some claim a "common sense" approach to crime, terrorisim is greatly needed. 65.163.113.170 (talk) 08:00, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

He appears to be publicly backing Mitt Romney, which would suggest he isn't thinking of running himself this time around. [10] Rockpocket 08:15, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Thank Ghu. Corvus cornix_talk 22:33, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Correlation of Eyeglasses and Presidential Campaigns

Has there been a presidental candidate that usually wears glasses while campaigning? They all seem to start wearing them after they win. --Niyant (talk) 08:56, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Woodrow Wilson, Theodore Roosevelt. Teddy's glasses actually helped save his life by slowing an assassin's bullet when he was giving a campaign speech! Rhinoracer (talk) 13:35, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

• The bullet hit his glasses case (and also the speech itself, which he hadn't yet started giving), but I don't see anything to say that his glasses were in them. Presumably he had them on. --Anonymous, 03:10 UTC, January 30, 2008.

• Also, Truman is wearing glasses in the most famous campaign victory photo of all time. From a historical perspective, it's important to remember that the big alternative to glasses, contact lenses, didn't make major inroads until the development of oxygen-permeable materials during the 1980s. --M@rēino 14:18, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Synchronicity time: Truman's daughter Margaret died yesterday. -- JackofOz (talk) 03:25, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

"Sent a wire"

What does this expression mean? Saw it in a 1960s episode of The Twilight Zone. Does it mean to send a telegram or something? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.225.48.218 (talk) 13:47, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

It means exactly that. FiggyBee (talk) 14:10, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Telegrams were sent by wire, hence the expression.86.200.5.16 (talk) 14:43, 29 January 2008 (UTC)DT

To send a message by telegraph--TreeSmiler (talk) 22:58, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

what's the longest toll road in the world?

I work for a company that manages toll roads, and the other day some of us were trying to figure out what's the longest toll road in the world. The Pennsylvania (U.S) Turnpike (532 miles long in three sections http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_Turnpike) came to mind, but we thought there must be something longer elsewhere in the world. A search of Wikipedia and Guinness Book of World Records failed to turn up any citations. As I continue to research this on my own I thought I'd see if any of Wikipedia's volunteers had any info or suggestions. Thanks.Mearch (talk) 14:33, 29 January 2008 (UTC)mearch

The New York State Thruway is supposedly the longest in the US and the World. FiggyBee (talk) 15:03, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

The International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association has a global list of toll facilities here. Some of the numbers for (mostly under-construction) toll roads in China are much larger than the figures above (4000, 4400, 5200 miles, etc). --Sean 15:11, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Well, all the ones in China on that site that are longer than the North American examples are shown as under construction.. --Anonymous, 00:25 UTC, January 31, 2008.

The spy satellite

Why doesn't that spy satellite have built-in TNT that can be remotely activated?

If no electricity works, it should auto-explode if it doesn't get a signal in 30 days or something. A mechanical one which ticks down and is winded back with an electric arm. If it doesn't, it explodes (its lost).

Why don't they think of these things before firing it up in space?! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.225.48.218 (talk) 15:12, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

The problem with that would bethat instead of having 1 satellite breaking up in the atmosphere, you would add to the already huge amounts of space junk in the atmosphere. Vagery (talk) 15:44, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Additionally, it's all still going to crash. Breaking up the satellite won't meaningfully change its orbit, and all the pieces (some still significantly large) will rain down over an even larger area. The normal "think of these things before firing it up in space" is to reserve some maneuvering fuel for a controlled de-orbit, which was certainly done with a military satellite that the US doesn't want recovered by anybody else. Something went wrong. Oops, things aren't perfect. As for the specifics of why a break-up isn't a solution, badastronomy.com discusses the dangers of both light and heavy uncontrolled pieces. Again, note that the common theme isn't size but control, which TNT does not confer. — Lomn 16:15, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

As has been pointed out, it is more of a risk to have it blow up in space (and potentially damage all sorts of other satellites up there) than it is to let it crash (most of the planet is just ocean, after all, and much of the land area is sparsely inhabited). --24.147.69.31 (talk) 16:58, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

You can drive around the M25 motorway in England for eternity ;D 86.139.90.67 (talk) 20:47, 4 February 2008 (UTC)

Interior volume of an MX-5

Can anyone discover, or work out, the volume of the interior of a 2007 Honda MX-5? The reason I would like to know is because I plan to fill one up to the window-line with rubber ducks. This is a serious question; I currently have a colleague contacting suppliers to price the kind of quantity we would need. Our original plan was to fill the boot only; figures are published on luggage capacity so we know that would have required 150 litres of ducks. Now that we need the volume of the cabin up to the window line, figures are obviously harder to find. I'm hoping the dedicated people here can come up with a convincing estimate so that we know how many ducks to order. 205.205.219.5 (talk) 15:53, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

This google search sems to suggest 46 cubic feet. --Tagishsimon (talk) 16:12, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Isn't the MX-5 a Mazda? My rough count suggests about 1500 dm3 ~ 53 cu ft (but I didn't adjust for your up-to-window-line requirement, it's rather for the whole cabin). And we want a photo when it's done. --Ouro (blah blah) 16:14, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Sorry, yes, it's a Mazda. Thanks for the quick responses here too. Might I ask how you arrived at your rough count? My colleague is somewhat sceptical (having not seen the power of the Reference Desk as I have) about asking some random people on Wikipedia to make this crucial estimate. Being able to reassure him with an idea as to the method would help. As for the photo, I can't promise to be able to take one, but if I do I'll try to make it available. 205.205.219.5 (talk) 17:17, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Well, take first of all the measurements from here. I took the given height and width (reduce the height a bit), and about a third of the overall length of the car. That gave me just above 3000 dm3. But that's a rectangular shape, and the car's interior is nowhere near that - so shave off a bit for the seats, angles and I've come to my estimate. It's rough as pumice, though. Cheers, Ouro (blah blah) 18:03, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

If you want to get a similar visual effect at lower cost, you could fill the footwells and so on with balloons, and then add a thin layer of rubber ducks to cover them. SaundersW (talk) 18:57, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Hmm, that's a very interesting idea - thankyou. The cost of a whole car full of ducks is quite high; we're currently investigating arranging to lease the ducks (or rather, buy with an agreement in place to sell back) but if that proves fruitless then your suggestion might come into play. 205.205.219.5 (talk) 19:58, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

I know we're not supposed to give legal opinions, but I must advise you that's it's against all laws of God and Man to fill a person's car with rubber ducks and not take a picture. --Sean 23:31, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

:-) 205.205.219.5 (talk) 09:59, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Noted. --Ouro (blah blah) 12:59, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

OK, it looks like we might be on for the full-car option. The cost of buying the ducks is, um, high (like thousands) but we've located a wealthy patron willing to put up the cash in exchange for the amount of amusement it will bring him. We're probably looking at a couple of months' lead time to get everything in place, but I should be able to get you a picture. 205.205.219.5 (talk) 15:38, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

In Melbourne on Australia day a charity floats thousands of ducks in a race. Perhaps you could borrow theirs.Polypipe Wrangler (talk) 18:01, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Unfortunately our "welathy patron" has turned out to be not quite as generous as he initially indicated. He's putting up GBP200 (still a very hefty amount) leaving us just over 400 to find (we successfully arranged the leasing thing so the costs aren't as high as they might have been). We're putting in some of that ourselves, and starting to trawl work colleagues for additional contributions.205.205.219.5 (talk) 18:09, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Keepin' our fingers crossed (right, people?) so your duck-filled Mazda works out (for whatever purpose you need it). --Ouro (blah blah) 13:08, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

cats

"There is a bus with 7 girls.

Each girl has 7 bags.

In each bag, there are 7 big cats

Each big cat has 7 little cats.

Each cat has 4 legs.

How many legs on the bus? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.191.136.2 (talk) 17:13, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

None, buses have wheels. --LarryMac | Talk 17:16, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Nice. --Masamage ♫ 17:28, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Dammit! I got this question wrong on an internet quiz a few months ago and spent half an hour doing multiplication, trying to figure out where I went wrong. Grrrrr. Deltopia (talk) 19:37, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Was this an actual question or were you just trying to see if we would fall for it?--Dlo2012 (talk) 17:28, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

For way too much analysis on the time-worn ur-example, see As_I_Was_Going_to_St_Ives. jeffjon (talk) 18:07, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

this is a real question, i have seen riddles on here before and though you people might enjoy this one. there is no bus driver. and the answer is not the same as as i was going to saint ives —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.18.35.90 (talk) 18:11, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

• Alright, if you say it's a real question.... The number of cat legs on the bus is: 4 (cat legs/cat) x 8 (cats/cat family) x 7 (cat familes/bag) x 7 (bags/girl) = 1568. The number of total legs is unknown, because it is doubtful that girls would be left unattended on a bus -- even if the bus is stationary, the girls are still at risk of harm from the unsanitary conditions caused by almost 400 cats in a cramped space. But it's at least 1568 + (7x2) = 1582. --M@rēino 20:51, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

SPOILER WARNING it is in fact ten thousand nine hundred and nintey —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.18.35.90 (talk) 21:10, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Citation Needed! --LarryMac | Talk 21:12, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

I like the one that goes "you're driving a bus with 7 girls, each girl has 7 cats, each cat ... [and so on] ... What color are the bus driver's eyes?". By that time, most listeners have filled their head with enough math to forget that you told them they're driving the bus. --Sean 23:34, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

On the assumption that "on the bus" means "in the bus", the answer is what 86.18.35.90 said. Seven bags for each of the 7 girls - that's 49 bags; each bag has 7 big cats = that's 49x7 big cats; each big cat has 7 little cats - that's 49x49 little cats; that's 49x56 cats in total; each cat has 4 legs - that's 49x56x4 legs = 10,976 cat legs; plus the 14 human legs belonging to the 7 girls = 10,990. -- JackofOz (talk) 03:23, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

For people who were confused, (as I was) the discrepency between JackofOz's answer and M@rēino's answer is that M@rēino forgot to multiply by 7(girls/bus). APL (talk) 04:50, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Why not more vandalism?

Why isn't just about every car everywhere "keyed"? It is nearly impossible to get caught and causes a major headache and annoyance for the owner. I personally have never done anything like that, but less than a year ago, I went out with a hammer wrapped in a plastic bag and was going to smash/damage cars in the middle of the night, being sick of society and humanity in general. But I ended up at home again, having not done anything but walked around. I couldn't make myself do it, even though I had many, many perfect chances with not a soul around as far as the eye could see.

Obviously not everyone has that kind of barrier like I do. So how come the civilized world isn't full of damaged property and basically total anarchy? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.225.48.218 (talk) 19:58, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

There are many theories as to why people perform malicious acts. But I think it's safe to say that most people are reasonably happy with life in general. --Merovingian (T, C) 20:01, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Have a look at natural law and Jurisprudence. Also consider the logical implications of your question: What 'benefit' do people get from keying a car? Randomly being extremely mean to a complete stranger is hardly the actions of a 'normal' person and brings no benefit to the individual doing it - yet it introduces risks such as... you may be found doing it, you may feel guilty for having done it (social conscience), you may believe that by your doing something it makes it more likely someone else may and eventually it may 'catch up' with you and happen to your car. Personally i'd suggest you speak with someone who can help if you genuinely considered randomly attacking other people's property because of your own state of mind - it is certainly not the actions of someone who is functioning in society perfectly normally. ny156uk (talk) 20:37, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

• This New York Times article recently took a swing at the general question of why people exhibit moral behavior even when no enforcement is present. Short answer -- the vast majority of humans appear to be hard-wired for it, most likely because it makes evolutionary sense for a species as extremely social as humans to want to play nicely (or as a Dawkins follower would say, it's The Selfish Gene, not The Selfish Organism). --M@rēino 20:56, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

• And while Richard Dawkins may not believe there's an invisible man watching all the wicked little things one does, enough people do believe that to make a significant contribution to people generally behaving themselves. --Sean 23:37, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Personally I doubt fear of God keeps most people from being bad. I have more faith in the power of civil law to control people than the power of religion. People huff and puff a lot about religion a lot but I don't honestly see it keeping most of them from doing what they'd rather being doing anyway. As a case in point, most people engage in "sinful" behavior on a daily basis, but relatively few engage in behaviors that have high legal consequences and a perceived high chance of getting caught on a daily basis. People have lived in communities before formal religion ever came about -- community rules, norms, etc., are probably much more powerful than the literal threats of scripture. --24.147.69.31 (talk) 02:29, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

In all fairness, the invisible man doesn't have to be God... I speak from personal experience (original research, sorry sorry) that the fear of being caught by somebody is enough to quell my occasional destructive impulse. Poechalkdust (talk) 19:33, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

The basic answer to your question is that on an evolutionary timescale humans that could integrate with a social group well had a higher survival rate and passed their genes on. People who committed random acts of violence became social outcasts and died of. Defiantly something to think about before smashing that window! --S.dedalus (talk) 00:28, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Most vandalism that does occur seems to have a rationale other than causing damage. If you tag (graffiti) a bridge, for example, you can look at it every day and point it out to your friends until it gets painted over. If you key a random car, you'll probably never see it again, and even if you come across it again, you have to look fairly close up to see the damage. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 01:26, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

• I have gained this by philosophy: that I do without being commanded what others do only from fear of the law. -- Aristotle--M@rēino 18:07, 4 February 2008 (UTC)

ebay

Why can one buy an archery bow, including bolts, and gloves on ebay, but not a cross bow? What can one do with a cross bow that one cannot do with a compound bow? also, if a country has very weak gun laws such as uSA, if some one sells a gun on ebay, why can i not buy it in the uk? I need a crossbow! A 1.5kg compound bow, 224km/h mmmm, that'll do. but I would like a crossbow. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.18.35.90 (talk) 21:16, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

In the UK, the Crossbows Act 1987 prohibits the sale to, or possession or purchase by, a person under the age of 17 of certain types of crossbow. (Stones, 8-22660) Section 44 Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 increases the minimum age for sale, letting on hire purchase and hiring of crossbows to 18 with effect from 1st October 2007. I'm going to guess that eBay, being unable to vouchsafe for the age of the bidder, refuses to handle the goods. IIRC, that act was passed after a particular crossbow murder somewhere in London ... I think one part reaction and one part concern about the relative accuracy of crossbows drove the legislation ... you almost certainly do not need a crossbow. --Tagishsimon (talk) 21:22, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Not that it's terribly important, but FYI, vouchsafe is not a synonym for "vouch" :) -Elmer Clark (talk) 00:24, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Thanks. --Tagishsimon (talk) 00:25, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

The crossbow has the same advantage now that it had when it was invented—it takes little skill to hit the target with it. Without at least rudimentary instruction and a bit of practice, you're as likely to hurt yourself as the target with a regular bow. Also, the crossbow can be small enough to conceal easily, and its bolts are relatively small, too. --Milkbreath (talk) 17:27, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

The US might have weak gun laws, but eBay still doesn't risk letting their users sell firearms either, presumably so they don't develop a reputation as some sort of international arms dealer. Recury (talk) 20:33, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Hi

Please kindly I request you to e-mail me some islamic duas for my health, marriage, child birth and conception, labor pain ease, For repentance of sins, for studies, education, protection from Bad jinns and species of all the worlds that can cause harm to me - living , non-living, dead, alive, all non-living, living materials, etc., prosperity, success, Respect, love, care , support, good nature, all the bounties of Allah?

[[Email adress removed to prevent spam. 71.117.47.242 (talk)]] —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.29.18.124 (talk) 21:55, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Perhaps you should talk to your caliph? He can answer the questions better than we can. --71.117.47.242 (talk) 23:02, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Caliph!! Good grief. That title, which confers a unique authority, has not existed since 1924, when the Ottoman caliphate was abolished. Clio the Muse (talk) 23:44, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

Although certain Muslim radicals are trying to revive it...Corvus cornix_talk 23:54, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

To the original poster - the Reference desk probably isn't the best place to ask for religious help. Your Imam or prayer leader may be a better person to ask. Best wishes, DuncanHill (talk) 00:04, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Can this question be considered as a request for "professional" advice? If so, it should be removed. --Taraborn (talk) 00:56, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Let's not go out of our way to find loopholes allowing us to remove people's questions... -Elmer Clark (talk) 03:57, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Anyway, professional advise is permitted. --Masamage ♫ 04:09, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Oops! Shows you how much I know about Islam. Well, at any rate at least I learned something new today, caliphs are to Islam like priests are to Judaism. Haha, next time I will spend a bit more time researching my answer before I post! xD --71.117.47.242 (talk) 05:21, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

January 30

Cold packs

I often need to use a cold pack for various aches and pains and have tried ice (cons: chipping from a large bag, pointy edges), single-use (I'd get through a lot) or my usual, frozen peas (cons: mushy and kind of smelly after a while). Also, I always end up damp, somehow. I recently read about a flax seed-filled cold pack which sounded good, but I'm having trouble finding anywhere that sells them in the UK. However, someone in my family works in a health-food shop which sells the stuff, so I was wondering if it would be possible to make my own. It's quite expensive, but maybe there's a lower grade for non-food use? Or is there something else that would work for me? Wheat? Rice? Ball-bearings? Any ideas?

(Sorry if I don't reply promptly; my WP time may be limited at the moment.) Thanks --Kateshortforbob 00:17, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

AFAIK corn & similar works well, if popped in a bag then into the freezer or microwave - example google search. A UK supplier. --Tagishsimon (talk) 00:21, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

That looks good, Tagishsimon. Thanks for your help, and for finding me a supplier! --Kateshortforbob 22:48, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

What's wrong with my wah pedal?

I have a Dunlop Crybaby, I've had it for a few weeks, and I used it a few minutes ago and my guitar's signal wouldn't go through, and this noise comes out, it's sort of like a siren or bad clarinet playing, or a kazoo play through the small end. What's wrong? Should I return it, and get a cheap auto-wah? Or could I take it to my local music store and have it fixed there? How much will this cost? MalwareSmarts (talk) 00:31, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Sorry to ask the obvious, but did you check the battery? If you want people to estimate the cost of repair, it might help to tell us where you're located. --LarryMac | Talk 01:01, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

If you been using it a lot since you got it, then depending on the current consumption, and the state of the battery when you bought it, it is conceivable that your battery is discharged somewhat. the squealing noise sounds a bit like what you may get with a battery that has gone high internal impedance. Try new battery first.--TreeSmiler (talk) 01:19, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

stereo

Hi. On Panasonic.ca, I found the SC-AK750 Stereo under home theatres. It's 660 watts. Is this the single most powerful stereo (in North America), anyways?Jwking (talk) 00:44, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Is that 110 watts per channel times 6 channels? If so, then the answer to your question is no - here is a Yamaha home theater receiver that supposedly has 140 w x 7 ch (so that might be 980 total?) I don't think total wattage is a big a deal in home theater receivers as it used to be back in the day when we had but the two channels. And we liked it! --LarryMac | Talk 00:58, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Siamese Twins

I actually read this off of a MindTrap card, but it's still a valid question all the same. Is it possible for siamese twins to recieve opposite rulings (e.g. guilty and not)? Any historical cases? I can't imagine how the sentence would be delivered without some miscarriage of justice. --The Dark Side (talk) 01:18, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

There is an old movie, Chained for Life, related to that. I don't think there is a precedent for that. -- ReyBrujo (talk) 02:42, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

This is a bit different, but illustrates the same principle: According to this website, "On April 2, 1865, Union Major General George Stoneman rolled into North Carolina hoping to draft some of the locals, no matter which side they were cheering for, and the names of all males over 18 were put into a lottery wheel. One of the names drawn was Eng Bunker, but Chang refused to go, and since his name hadn’t been drawn, Stoneman couldn’t force Eng either." Lantzy ^talk 02:53, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Another thing I've wondered: conjoined twins can and do have fulfilling romantic lives by "tuning out" of each other's private moments. But sometimes thetwins are united at the pelvis, meaning they have one set of sex organs. My question is, would you be instantly cheating on your spouse just by consummating the marriage? Would it count as polygamy? Is there any precedent relating to that? --Masamage ♫ 05:27, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

I don't think it would be "cheating" since the person would agree before hand. It probably would either be polygamy, or only one of the two people would be considered the official spouse. What about a drivers license? As for precedent read about Abigail and Brittany Hensel - they are about to turn 18, and they have a drivers license. Ariel. (talk) 07:28, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Dear diary: JACKPOT!. --Sean 14:38, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

They have two drivers' licenses, actually. --Masamage ♫ 16:58, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

At least according to TV show QI, the OP's situation did happen with Chang and Eng Bunker. See here for the episode transcript, but I can't find a more reliable source. 130.88.151.210 (talk) 13:57, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

I want to be a jungle adventurer but...

I don't have the balls to be anything more than a dilettante. So what tropical forest will have the least scary bugs?

Lotsofissues 02:35, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Arkansas. Also got crazy hillbillies. 205.240.146.188 (talk) 07:17, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Rainforest Cafe. Or something at Disneyworld, perhaps the Enchanted Tiki Room or the dinner show at the Polynesian Resort.

Atlant (talk) 13:06, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

I don't think Arkansas has tropical forests. Please provide reliable sources. Corvus cornix_talk 18:13, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Perhaps the Daintree River area? It doesn't have as many bugs, but there are some larger creatures to watch out for, such as crocodiles. Steewi (talk) 06:38, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

If sub-tropical will do you, try New Zealand, including, for example, Waipoua Forest. see Te Ara Encyclopedia. As for wee beasties: nothing nastier than a sandfly. If temperate rain forest excites you, then the rest of NZ has numerous examples, including around the famous Milford Track and the almost-impenetrable Fiordland. Gwinva (talk) 21:29, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Bronze skin effect Photoshop

Dear Wiki contributors,

How do I achieve this effect on the hands [[11]] (link is work-safe) with photoshop? The hands look like they have been desaturated and most importantly, a bronze-ish look and glow to them. Thanks. 99.240.177.206 (talk) 02:41, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

I found this comment by the artist:

I desaturated the entire image then painted in color back on the watch and places I wanted it, then put a heavy golden filter over it, to give it the bronzy hue, and also used several overlays of texture

Quoted from this comment.--Bloigen 02:49, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

About Dior

Hello, I am going out on kind of like a report competition and the subject is Buisness. So, I decided to do one on the Dior company. But there was only about designers'(Christian Dior)informations. the competition is in about 2 weeks and I need to be prepared till next week so that I can fix my mistakes and get helps from my teachers.

I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR HELPS!!!! THANKS A LOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! p.s. my e-mail adress is(e-mail removed) so can you send Dior information to here? thanks! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 121.138.50.241 (talk) 08:21, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

It's not a good idea to post your e-mail address as it may encourage unwanted attention. Any info or links will be posted here. I hope your competition goes well. Richard Avery (talk) 08:36, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Actually, we have articles on both Christian Dior and on the company he founded, Christian Dior SA. Unfortunately, neither article is in the best of shape. (Given my near total ignorance of everything to do with fashion, I am not the one to improve either article.) You might also try Yahoo's fact page on the company or the company's official website, particularly the page with corporate and financial details. Marco polo (talk) 19:57, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

How to get another Top Level Domains world wide as .com, .org, .mil, etc...

66.53.214.90 (talk) 08:51, 30 January 2008 (UTC)Any info is greatly appreciated on how to get/apply for another new Top-Level-Domain that will known world wide such that *.com, *.org, etc...

For example, another top level domain name to be: www.-----.xxx where xxx is a new top-level-domain that I would like to get its certified.

Thank you.≈—

Top level domains are created and administrated by ICANN. .xxx has been proposed before; see the article for the history. FiggyBee (talk) 09:36, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Oh, I see you weren't actually suggesting .xxx - still it's an interesting article which helps to explain the processes. FiggyBee (talk) 09:38, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

FiggyBee, Thank you for your information. I will definitely go to ICANN website rightnow...again, Thank You.

"Nothing" character/string in table fields

Is the character/string denoting "null" or "nothing" in a table/output intended for an "end user" (such as a Web page) to be considered a "locale" variable? I suppose "-" is accepted by all cultures and people to mean "nothing is here", no? While "N/A" is an English thing? I have never seen simply leaving the field blank. It always has some sort of "fill character" to show that it is in fact empty. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.225.50.126 (talk) 11:12, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

This comment intentionally left blank. Lanfear's Bane | t 13:05, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

If your table has a visible border, I would think leaving it empty is acceptable. It really depends on the context, since anything you come up with could be valid for certain data sets, such as for a "Table of Common Markers for Intentionally Blank Data Fields". :) --Sean 14:25, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Placeholders are often used if there is some doubt about a blank field. eg. Is it blank because there is no data yet, is unlikely to have data, or could never have data? N/A means 'not applicable', so telling the reader that we needn't even consider that field for the specific example. But a "-" might mean any of the others, or it might mean 0 (zero), or "no result". (or be a field in a punctuation table). I would make a decision based on the specific table you are creating. Which is why you will see different examples, based on location, but also subject. Gwinva (talk) 21:39, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Strange tape recorder

This made-in-Japan Sony stereo cassette recorder/player/radio from the 1990s appears to have the buttons reversed.

Should not REWIND be to the left with arrows pointing to the left and FAST FORWARD be on the right with right arrows? Also, notice that the PLAY button's arrow is pointing to the left instead of to the right.

This confuses me. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.225.50.126 (talk) 11:16, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Another example from commons (Nakamichi RX-505) - Image:Nakamichi RX 505 Front2.jpg 84.69.93.205 (talk) 11:34, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Aren't some Asian languages read from right to left? As symbols then these would make more sense for the user. I have however no idea if the recording / playing mechanism works "in reverse". Lanfear's Bane | t 13:17, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

is it possible that the tape was in fact inserted upside down into the machine? then the arrows would make sense. 83.104.131.135 (talk) 14:38, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

That sounds like the answer. Many tape recorders were designed like that, I used to own one myself. It just looks a bit odd since intuitively we expect everything to travel from left to right. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 14:44, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

I'm not sure but I guess the arrows pointing to the left for Rewind show you the direction the tape moves and the arrows pointing to the right for Rewind show you the direction you want to go. Oda Mari (talk) 15:03, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

I'd never made that connection! Really confusing though. --Bearbear (talk) 20:18, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

fuel economy, DIESEL or LPG

Hi there. I am in the process of buying a second hand 4 by 4. I am wondering which fuel, either DIESEL, or a converted unleaded to LPG would be a better more economically engin to run. I am looking at a new model turbo intercooled motor, I will be doing an equal amount of city driving and highway driving.

Thank you for your time, and any assistance would be much appreciated.

Damien. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Ipl422 (talk • contribs) 12:38, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

• I'll start the ball rolling by saying something obvious -- when dealing with used automobiles, maintenance is the most important factor in fuel economy. A new motor attached to bad parts won't run efficiently. --M@rēino 15:37, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

4 by 4?

Why are they called four by fours anyway? There are two sets of two wheels so surely they are two by twos (two by two equals four)? What does the by mean anyway? The 4x4 article doesn't explain this.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 17:00, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

I once was told that common vehicles are known as 2 by 4 (or was it 4 by 2?) because only two wheels had traction. In the 4 by 4 model, all four wheels have it. Not sure if this is the real meaning, but it worked for me when I was 9 years old, and still works :-) -- ReyBrujo (talk) 17:07, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

See Four-wheel drive#Terminology --Tagishsimon (talk) 17:12, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

(ec) According to four-wheel drive, the first 4 is the number of wheels and the second the number of driven wheels (so a regular car could be called a 4x2). 8x8, 6x6, 8x6 and 6x4 also seem to be in use, no doubt among others. I can't find an explanation of how this usage arose, or what 'by' means in it (if anything). Algebraist 17:14, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Since I didn't see any specific references for that etymology in the article, I'll throw out that my understanding was 4 speeds x 4 driven wheels. But that means my truck is a 5x4. Or would be if the 4WD system was working. I'd love to hear what the OED has to say. --LarryMac | Talk 18:50, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

One thing to consider is how far back the terminology dates. Transmissions tend to have more gears now than they did in the past. Friday (talk) 19:05, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Merriam-Webster's online entry said 1942, but they had no other information. For what it's worth, Wiktionary agrees with my sketchy derivation. --LarryMac | Talk 19:10, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

OR Warning... In the years that I've been off roading with my 4x4 vehicle, I've never heard or seen any part of the "4 speeds x 4 driven wheels" explanation. My take on it was always that it was "4 wheeled vehicle driven by 4 wheels". Dismas|^(talk) 23:31, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

By extrapolation,

• a bicycle is a 2 by 1
• a human is a 0 by 0

The tricky bit is the Milky Way galaxy. Is it a 1 by 1, 1 by 0, 0 by 1 or a nought by nought ? --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 01:17, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

For Larry: The Big OED dates it to 1937, but gives no etymology except that it derived from "four, n", which is not much help. But I guess that means they don't know, as they get very detailed when they can. Gwinva (talk) 21:48, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Cool, thank you. But I'd like to think that was for everybody interested in this discussion. And what the heck, OED? Also derived from "by, prep." I'd wager. --LarryMac | Talk 21:53, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Yep, a wager you'd win. You should write the OED. (and, yes, of course it was for everyone generally, you specifically :-) Gwinva (talk) 22:02, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

NHS

Hi, i recently had a foreign friend who was living and working in the UK, over a few months this person lost ALOT of weight and kept telling my how she was not well, she was pregnant, and had kidney stones. While talking to her, she would just fall over onto ground, unconsious. she was blatantly in alot of pain. now although she went to the local hospital every single day to try to get help, they just told her to take paracetomol and go home. eventually she went to germany, and was rushed to hospital and stayed in there for a few weeks. Then i recently had another friend from the same country, also in the UK, working and paying tax, I knew about the above and so when she got ill i went with her to the hospital, initialy they would not see her at all and told her that she cant see a doctor atall, i had an argument with the nurse, and was quite nasty. We then waited 6 hours and she saw a doctor, he said he did not know what was wrong with her (she had a pool ball sized growth on the neck, and half her face was paralized, but she was in constant pain) They told her to go to a ear nose and throwt specialist 2 towns over. she went and they told her that they too dont know, but they can cut it out and see,maybe its cancer, that would be cool, but over all she should just go home and take some paracetomol. and see her gP. well if the specialist does not know, what will a GP do? SO, my question is... What is wrong with the nHS? we went to the hospital and they told us we cant see a doctor?!?! We all pay tax, why are these people turned away time and time again, I have only mentioned two of numerous cases. Why must people go private to survive, or go to other countries and pay for a service they have already paid for? with all the money pumped into it by the government where does it go? Are the Doctorit exams here adequate? How can a normal minimum wage person get decent medical assistance with out paying? What do people do in other countries? i now have a genuine fear of getting ill. Is everything in the UK as false as it seems? This goes for crime too, this is one of the most violent societies i have ever experienced and i have lived in 5 different countries and this one seems the worst yet they profess to be a world leader, how is this possible? i am also the guy who was on here in Dec begging for phsycological assistance before i snap and kill, well i tried, and am still on the waiting list to see a councellor. and am now looking to buy a Bow or cross bow. Gotta love the NHS. Sorry for ranting and thank you.—Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.18.35.90 (talk) 18:38, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

The reference desk is not an appropriate place for soapbox-style rants, but perhaps National Health Service and publicly-funded health care (often known as "socialized medicine" in the States) will answer your questions as to why the system works the way it does. — Lomn 19:23, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Aside form what Lomn rightly says...The experience of one person (and that which they hear about) is not indicative of the entire service provided by the NHS. It is, where it works, a wonderful system providing medical care for all. Additionally murders in the UK are extremely low as a % of society compared to many comparably wealthy nation. You appear to be viewing society in the UK through the window of your own situation, as opposed to accepting that your experience is not always a perfect indicator of the whole-system. In the UK there were about 800 murders in 2005/06, that compares to around 17,000 murders - that is with a population of barely 5x the amount, so the rate of murder by population is hugely smaller. The UK is, by no means, a perfect society - it is riddled with problems, some of which are systematic failures by governments, others social problems that could potentially be solved rather easily, but as far as healthcare and violence in society go the UK is no more dangerous than its companion nations. ny156uk (talk) 23:49, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Equal opportunity, affirmative action employer

Oxymoron, amirite?!?!?! Bellum et Pax (talk) 19:16, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Only depending on how you define your terms. Equal Opportunity Employment, as legally understood in the US, does not conflict with supporting affirmative action. — Lomn 19:28, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

From the page header: Do not start debates or post diatribes. The reference desk is not a soapbox. Do you have a actual question? --Mdwyer (talk) 19:29, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

I thought it was a real question! Bellum et Pax (talk) 19:48, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

His question (as far as i can tell) is being an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer an oxymoron. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.197.3.211 (talk) 21:11, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Note: that ^ was me. I wasn't logged in. Cryo921 (talk) 21:13, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

I thought the question was as Lomn and 98.197 figured as well. On the surface, and to many people this is the way it is, saying that you give equal opportunity though also encourage minorities to apply seems a contradiction. Dismas|^(talk) 00:02, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

• In order to achieve equality of opportunity, it may be necessary to actively seek out applicants from under-represented communities. That is how I would read the advert. DuncanHill (talk) 00:08, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

Yes, but affirmative action goes further than encouraging applications from under-represented communities. It proposes preferential treatment in the selection of employees. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 08:33, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

It also depends on your scope of "equal opportunity". You can restrict your view to all job applicants being given the exact same treatment in the current particular situation, regardless of whatever differences in opportunity existed in their past. You can collectivise or individualise your view. The articles on affirmative action and affirmative action in the United States give a lot of space to criticism and controversy and include links to other resources. Opinions differ, and there is no clear-cut answer to "Oxymoron, amirite?!?!?!" 77.56.99.133 (talk) 08:56, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

Affirmative action may go beyond encouraging applications. The phrase comes from the observation that it doesn't help much to treat applicants equally if members of the victim class don't hear about the opening. Passive nondiscrimination is a "negative" action (compare negative and positive rights); going out of your way to make up for mechanical bias in the recruiting process, e.g. by targeted advertising, is "affirmative". But that's no contradiction to EOE. AA becomes controversial when, as Richardrj says, it goes beyond that – or when it becomes mandatory; you can't (imho) create a colorblind society by compelling color-conscious actions. —Tamfang (talk) 17:05, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Shopping for Diamond studs

I am searching for expensive diamond stud earrings. I have found a great deal at www.DiamondStudSource.com I would like to know if anyone has experience with this company. Also, I would like to know if I can trust them and if I can rely on the information that they provide me with the certificate. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Yungar (talk • contribs) 21:07, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

I don't know anything about that particular store, but if you are a moral activist, I would be careful to avoid blood diamonds which are diamonds sourced in areas using slavery. Some online dealers are not particularly scrupulous about their source. I hope this one turns out to be a good one for you. Steewi (talk) 06:41, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

Maybe there are forums for diamond jewellery buyers (or similar) that could be of help to you? --Ouro (blah blah) 09:39, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

A good sign is that their website lists a physical address and telephone number for the store. Online retailers who are untrustworthy rarely provide this information. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 10:27, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

De Donde Son

Hey,it`s Me the brother of the guy who gives you all those Physics Questions. I`ve been reading this novel in Spanish called THE GREAT VILLAGE. There this phrase,reapeted again and again for an entire page De Donde Son,De Donde Son.I was,wondering If any of you guys had any idea what that meant I tried Google Translate,but the translation into English didn`t make any since. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.161.61.40 (talk) 23:14, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

I think it means "where are they from?", or possibly "where they are from". --Trovatore (talk) 23:17, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Yes, it's "where are they from?" or "where they are from".--Yamanbaiia^{(free hugs!)} 23:33, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

January 31

Confirming boarding on airplane

Is it possible to call an airline, more specifically Air Canada, and ask if a specific passenger was able to board his/her plane successfully? I'm guessing the airline could check the passenger manifest with the check-in counter or something; but would they be able to divulge this information to just anyone who calls? Acceptable (talk) 00:26, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

No. I've tried this before. All they will tell you is if the flight is on time, but they won't give any personal information. Corvus cornix_talk 03:39, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

Hm, but did you try it with Air Canada? It's at least conceivable that the rules are different between carriers, or at least between the US and Canada. --Trovatore (talk) 03:52, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

It's reasonable that this is the same across further airlines, they won't give you details whether a specific person boarded the plane, just as people usually won't give out any other information, the obtaining of which requires personal presence and identification, for the sake of protection of personal details (like i. e. whether a letter to you had arrived at the post office and is waiting to be picked up). --Ouro (blah blah) 09:37, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

It's reasonable, but is it true? --Trovatore (talk) 18:13, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

I'm not about to start checking whether it is true, but you're welcome to try :) as it stands, it's true enough for me. I suppose one could try and maybe after much persuasion the person on the other side of the line will cave in and tell you, but I don't suppose they should do it. --Ouro (blah blah) 19:41, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

Back in the distant past (1981) I was able to persuade British Caledonian (long since taken over) to tell me that my son was booked out of Dallas for London on the next day's flight. But I doubt it could be done now.90.9.87.253 (talk) 15:45, 31 January 2008 (UTC)DT

A friend of mine had a sorry experience about 2 years ago. A friend of his was coming from Los Angeles to join him in Australia, so he drove to Melbourne Airport to meet him. Living where he did in the bush, this was a trip of about 3 hours, each way. The flight arrived on time, but the friend didn't show. He waited about half an hour in case there was some delay in disembarking all the passengers; still no show. He enquired at the counter to see if the friend was on board the plane, and without any fuss they checked and told him that no, there was no such person registered on board. It may have been a QANTAS flight, but I can't be sure. Maybe the airline staff would have been less forthcoming if he had enquired by phone rather than in person - but he was obviously very worried by this stage, and appeared to be genuine, so maybe they relaxed their normal rules, I don't know. Now my friend's worry turned to distress. However this distress was greatly magnified when he later discovered why the other person had not bothered to call and say he'd changed his mind about coming, but just let my friend go for a 6-hour wild good chase. Needless to say, that "friend" is no longer a friend. -- JackofOz (talk) 21:54, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

Soyent Green Ice Cream?

I haven't edited a page before, so I'm not eager to muck it up, but I'm pretty darn certain that there is no Hagen Dazs flavor called Soyent Green. The prankster may have meant Soylent Green, but that's not really an ice cream either. Would somebody like to fix this? 67.166.93.238 (talk) 03:21, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

It's all good now, next time just click edit on the section you want to fix and remove what shouldnt be there. If you figured out how to post a question here you should be able to remove vandalism no problem.--ChesterMarcol (talk) 03:52, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

Oh.So the chewy chunks in my Soylent Green Haagen Dazs aren't really 'extra caramel' then.Oh dear. Lemon martini (talk) 13:27, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

Is this greatest debate performance ever audio recorded? (repost from humanities)

[12]

David Lange v. Jerry Falwell, Oxford Union 1985

His diction is so immaculate and elocution so flawless--and it sounds to some degree improvised! Have you ever heard any performance that can top Lange?

132.239.90.214 (talk) 06:01, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

This is so arbitrarily subjective (and borderline 3rd-party soapboxing) that I'm not sure it has any place on the Reference Desk. Certainly no objective answer can be stated. — Lomn 06:04, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

No objective answer? We know that. Why did you even bother to say that? Lotsofissues 09:09, 31 January 2008 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Lotsofissues (talk • contribs)

• See the top of the page: Do not start debates or post diatribes. Debates about debates, doubly so. --M@rēino 23:50, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

income taxes

After an employee's payroll taxes are paid, he puts some of his net income (say, $10,000.00) in an interest bearing bank savings account paying 10% interest per year. Then he closes the account after a year, receiving $11,000.00 ($10,000.00,the original investment [or deposit] and $1100.00 interest). Is it correct to assume he will only be taxed on the $1000.00 interest, not the $10,000.00 original deposit and this is "not" double-taxation? --Hippidoman (talk) 07:13, 31 January 2008 (UTC)George

Only the money made on interest counts as an income. So he will be taxed as earning $1,000. The $10,000 was already taxed (as it was net). depending on what country you are in, you may be able to claim inflation, so if inflation was 3%, he might only have to pay tax on 7% or $700. Usually you add $1,000 to your taxable income though.--58.111.143.164 (talk) 11:28, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

Summer Heights High

Where can I download the 7 episode of Summer Heights High?? 220.233.83.26 (talk) 07:15, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

It will cost you $3 to download it from bigpond. I shouldn't think you can (legally) download it for free. FiggyBee (talk) 08:50, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

Identifying a font

What's that font?

Hello,

I am trying to identify one of the fonts that is in use in the Mass Rapid Transit of Singapore. This font is the one the name of the station is written in, but it is different of the one that is used to indicate the way, although it seems to be the same). I have tried a web site (edit section to see url in comment) but without successful outcome.

Here are some links to images in a sufficient resolution, with signages using this font: [13], [14], [15], [16], [17], [18], [19], [20], [21], [22], [23], [24], [25], [26], [27].

You'll notice the font is sans-serif, non-fixed width, very readable, that vertical strokes are smoothed on the top-left hand corner (see letters B, P). I'm really curious about who developed the font, and what its name is.

Thank you much for your help! ♦ Pabix 07:23, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

Looks very much like Tahoma but more rounded. Lanfear's Bane | t 11:11, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

I ran through the questions at Identifont, and didn't come up with anything close. It's an interesting font -- notice the distinctive notch in the capital P, among other features. jeffjon (talk) 14:06, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

WhatTheFont didn't get there either. FYI, I've posted this on the forums there in the hope that someone will recognise it. Angus Lepper^{(T, C, D)} 00:34, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Large organisations which need a lot of signage (and transport companies are the classic example) will often commission their own typeface from a designer - for the quantity involved it can be cheaper than paying royalties on a commercial font. So it's entirely possible that MRT's font does not exist anywhere else. FiggyBee (talk) 04:12, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Edit; the article List of public signage typefaces suggests that the font used by MRT is rotis. FiggyBee (talk) 04:18, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Comparing the image to the various official versions of Rotis turns up a few discrepancies, both in terms of notches and proportions. I'm not at home and thus can't do overlays to directly compare the two fonts, but my eyeball says that Rotis-Serif is not the same font as in Image:Boonlaymrt.JPG. EvilCouch (talk) 04:42, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Hello, I knew about Rotis, but Rotis is used in the MRT for every signage, except station names. Maybe this is a modified Rotis... Thank you all for your help! ♦ Pabix 05:59, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

COLINS HRM MODEL

DESCRIPTION REGARDING COLINS HRM MODEL OR ANY WEB LINK TO IT. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Neekita Choudhury (talk • contribs) 07:37, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

Could you explain in more detail what you mean? A google search for colins+hrm or collins+hrm doesn't turn up anything that looks relevant. 130.88.151.210 (talk) 13:36, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

HRM stands for human resource management. But I too was unsuccessful in locating anyone called Collins or Colins who has a model for it. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 14:18, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

Azim Premji

Sir, I didnot find name of father and mother of Azim Premji? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 59.93.219.245 (talk) 14:57, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

diet pills

can the diet pill phentermine (fastin) interfere with my birth control pill lo-oval 28? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.224.134.222 (talk) 19:29, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

It's likely you won't get an answer - we don't give medical advice - better ask your physician. --Ouro (blah blah) 19:39, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

And if you do get an answer, it will be worse than useless as it won't be given by a medical professional with access to you and your records. Get yourself down to a doctor and ask them. Perhaps the one who prescribed the birth control pill? 130.88.140.119 (talk) 13:44, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Brussels changed their telephon numbers from 6 to 7 figures....WHEN?????

Anybody who can help me???? Al the best, Charlie —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.247.50.178 (talk) 19:42, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

As Liège changed theirs in 1996, I'd guess at least fifteen to twenty years ago if not earlier. You should try and see Telephone numbers in Belgium. --Admiral Norton ^(talk) 22:11, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

Gmod?

I know that gmod is a mod for valve based games, but can I download it for my xbox 360 if I hook it up to my computer? Can I possibly get it for free anywhere?

Thanks! ❦ECH3LON❦ 20:55, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

No. Garry's Mod is for the PC version of the games. APL (talk) 21:11, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

Period After WSJ

Why is there a period after The Wall Street Journal's logo?Mdamedic (talk) 22:14, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

There's no period in the masthead in the infobox in our article, but there is in places like this. I think it's just a question of corporate style, and various companies use it for some sort of effect. It made you notice it, so maybe that's the object. Ansett Airlines planes had the word "Ansett" followed by a big round dot, on their livery - but Ansett is now defunct so maybe the period was an omen. They don't call it a "full stop" here for nothing. -- JackofOz (talk) 22:12, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

Glitch side issue

Can anyone explain how this happened. In my original post [28], I spelled both "There's" ("There's no period ...") and "it's" ("I think it's just a question of ...") with apostrophes, yet they mysteriously vanished and I had to re-insert them. The apostrophe in "... maybe that's the object" was unaffected. -- JackofOz (talk) 22:39, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

Disappeared in this not-so-useful edit. --Tagishsimon (talk) 23:03, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

Mdamedic also seems to have deleted Larry Mac's post [29]. Bit of a worry. -- JackofOz (talk) 23:14, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

National Cheese on Toast Day ?

When is National Cheese on Toast Day this year? I haven't missed it already, have I?

Atlant (talk) 22:47, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

Well, last year it was the 19th of April. So I don't think that you have missed it.--Dlo2012 (talk) 22:58, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

Anybody know when this year's big day is?

Atlant (talk) 13:16, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

metroid prime 3

I was just wondering what the reception was for Metroid Prime 3 from Famitsu. I looked on the article, but i didn't find anything from Famitsu. Thanx in advance wikipedians.--Dlo2012 (talk) 22:54, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

Never mind, i just found out that it hasn't been released in Japan yet. sorry

http://kotaku.com/347318/metroid-prime-3-dated-for-japan-took-long-enough--Dlo2012 (talk) 17:15, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Resources on doing a radio show

I'm starting my on radio show and I was wondering if anyone knew of any websites that gave ideas, and instruction to first time radio hosts. I particularly looking for help with talk radio, but DJ or radio drama instructions would help too. --Gary123 (talk) 22:59, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

Heres a link that might help: http://www.ehow.com/how_2041933_radio-show.html. Ehow teaches you to do almost everything!--Dlo2012 (talk) 23:40, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

Are police officers sarcastic ?

I just seen a Law & Order episode in which officers arrested a environmentalist.

• Environmentalist:" This is a wasteland!"
• Police:"Then you ought to see Riker's Island." (as the guy was being arrested)

This was part of a Arson and someone got killed in that episode. 205.240.146.242 (talk) 23:34, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

So what's the question?--Dlo2012 (talk) 23:42, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

Are police that sarcastic in real life ? 205.240.146.242 (talk) 23:53, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

Some will be, some of the time. "The police" are not sufficiently homogeneous to enable a simple yes-no answer. Doubtless most police forces will espouse professional values, which would tend to preclude the use of sarcasm. But police are a) human and b) often dealing with horrible people, which makes the use of sarcasm occasionally understandable. So. No good answer to your question. --Tagishsimon (talk) 23:57, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

• Very few people in real life, police officers included, are as consistently sarcastic or witty (wit being a more accurate term for the Riker's joke than sarcasm) as their fictional TV counterparts. That's one reason why TV is entertaining. --M@rēino 23:57, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

Police can be sarcastic and/or funny at times. I have listened to them on a scanner. Once i heard them talking about some kids fishing at some intersection. This was an intersection not even near a river so the other officer came on and said "Well, If they are fishing there, i bet they are having a hard time catching anything. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.210.143.173 (talk) 03:23, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

True story: Guy in California gets a letter informing him he had been caught speeding by photo-radar and had to pay $45. The letter included a photo of his car speeding. The guy's a bit of a smartass, so he takes a picture of $45 in cash and sends it to the police department. A few days later, the guy gets another letter from the chief of police. It contained one thing: a photo of a set of handcuffs! Verified by Snopes. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 04:45, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Well if you do want to find sarcastic police officers, i recommend watching the show speeders, which is basically what the whole thing is about.--Dlo2012 (talk) 16:36, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Go ahead and laugh about this pizza question.

Okay, I left a frozen pizza in the car (which was hot) for around 26 hours, and I'd like to know if it's still safe to eat. Anyone know? Thanks in advance. *stomach grumbles* · AndonicO ^Hail! 23:47, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

NO! Its spoiled. 205.240.146.242 (talk) 23:54, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

I wouldn't. --Kurt Shaped Box (talk) 23:55, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

Unless you left your car outside in a freezing winter night, I wouldn't take my chances. bibliomaniac15 23:57, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

Aww. :( Too bad, now I have to find something else to eat... · AndonicO ^Hail! 23:59, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

Have you considered ordering a pizza? Pizza shop pizzas are usually nicer (IMO) than frozen pizzas anyway. --Kurt Shaped Box (talk) 00:01, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

What, out of interest, do we think the problem will by now be, which will not be solved by a ten minute bask under a hot grill? Salmonella? (Maybe I can put you off food altogether. Maybe not; I'm hungry too :( --Tagishsimon (talk) 00:02, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

The problem is that many food born pathogens release toxins into the food which are not broken down by cooking. Don’t take the chance. If food's been sitting out at room temperature for more than about two hours it’s usually not safe to eat, even if cooked. I’ve had food poisoning before and it was the worst I’ve ever felt. --S.dedalus (talk) 04:21, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Thanks for saving my life guys. ;) Ordering a pizza is more expensive around here, and they taste like greasy cardboard, but maybe I can do that... · AndonicO ^Hail! 00:03, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

I'm sorry S.daedelus, I can't let your remark go. "If food's been sitting out at room temperature for more than two hours it's usually not safe to eat, even if cooked." This is a tad misleading. I eat lots of things that have been at room temperature for way more than two hours, bread, cheese, eggs, meat from the freezer, cream cakes, fruit, and so on. I suspect many other people do as well and do not suffer any negative health consequences. Maybe you were referring to prepared frozen products? Richard Avery (talk) 08:08, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

He was most likely referring to a defrosted-then-cooked meal, or anything prepared for your average lunch (i. e. cooked, boiled, fried, baked or whatever suits your tastes) and left to wait for you. I also wouldn't touch this. Most of the stuff you described (like eggs or fruit) can of course be left lying about without harm for a certaim time, however I keep most of these things in the fridge. --Ouro (blah blah) 10:21, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

It all depends on the person, I can eat things that make other peiople very sick like spoiled fish, stomach of iron i guess. But it does depend on the individual, I sujest eating some, than giving it an hour or so, if you feel okay, eat it all mmm good luck. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.191.136.2 (talk) 12:50, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Ouro is correct. Food safety#Basic practices --S.dedalus (talk) 22:45, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Well, if anyone is interested in the result: I went back to the supermarket and bought the same pizza again. · AndonicO ^Hail! 23:18, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

February 1

Lost my iPod

I lost my 16GB iPod touch a few weeks ago. Is there anyway I can recover it? Like if the person who found/stole it access the internet with it, is there any can locate them or something? I know the serial number of my iPod too, so could I contact Apple and get them to locate it for me or something? I live in Canada bt the way.. THanks! 71.18.216.110 (talk) 00:31, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

I wish you luck, but I'm not over-hopeful. The following couple of links might give you a better idea of the territory you are in: Google: "finding lost ipod" How to Find a Lost Ipod. --Tagishsimon (talk) 02:15, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Federal Refund Checks

If and when we get those federal tax rebate checks later this year, will they have to be reported as income on next years taxes? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.210.143.173 (talk) 03:20, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

No. A tax rebate is not income. --Tagishsimon (talk) 03:27, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

The Senate version of the rebate promises to give $500 to everybody who earned at least $3000 from Social Security, whether they had to file taxes or not. Since that wouldn't be a tax rebate, would it be income? Corvus cornix_talk 04:01, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

According to the very compelling publication Automatic Fiscal Policies to Combat Recessions by Laurence S. Seidman [30], the IRS letter which accompanied the last of these rebates included a sentence "You will not be required to report the amount as taxable income." I'm guessing the same will pertain this time around - it looks as if some non tax payers were included in that last round. --Tagishsimon (talk) 04:14, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

True Magazene

I have been left a collection of True Magazene from my father and wondered if they were worth anything and if so to who. It starts with one from 1938 I believe and then skips a lot of yrs to 1949 or so and just about every one after that up to the 1970s. I want to say it goes to 1975 but would have to dig them out to see for sure. Some of them are in good condition considering and some are pretty rough. I remember him getting them in the mail and he would kill me for touching them without his permission, but I would sneak around and read them later on when I was old enough to appreciate them. I liked the articles for the most part but after all it is a mans magazene. thanks for any info 71.49.11.134 (talk) 04:51, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Best thing is to take them to a shop that sells old newspapers and magazines and see how much you get for them. Also look on eBay and see how much they are going for. I would say it's unlikely you're sitting on a goldmine, though. Rarity value depends on scarcity, and there must have been thousands of copies of this magazine printed, many of which will still be around today (especially the later ones). --Richardrj ^{talk email} 06:30, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Something that can often be done with magazines which are still published is check the classified ads at the back of a recent issue. Some magazines, such as Private Eye, are popularly collected, and people advertise which issues they have, or want, in the classified ads. 130.88.140.119 (talk) 13:36, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Sunflower seeds harmful?

aRE SUNFLOWER SEED SHELLS HARMFUL TO CHILDREN? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.48.36.123 (talk) 07:07, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

It depends in which context and the age of the child. If a child has swallowed some sunflower seed shells then they are harmless. The seed shells don't contain any poisonous substances. They will probably pass through the child unaltered because they are a woody material that humans are unable to properly digest. For a very small child sunflower seed shells could be dangerous if inhaled. Richard Avery (talk) 07:56, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

The Reference Desk cannot give medical advice. If you are in any doubt, please see a doctor or contact your local Poison control center (in the US, call (800) 222-1222). Bovlb (talk) 08:55, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

may 2nd again

i had a few days ago inquired on a question about may 2nd.i changed the world as we know itand may 2nd is my day?what is it and why? i was directed to an article on all events that occurred on may 2nd.the only relevant one was the fall of the Berlin wall.so did the world war end on may the 2nd or what.coz i thot the fall of the Berlin wall marked the end of the world war. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 212.49.84.64 (talk) 07:15, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

You don't mean the fall of the Berlin Wall, which divided Berlin into two parts from 1961 to 1989. That event was related to the end of the Cold War. What you mean is the fall of Berlin in the Battle of Berlin during World War II. That was May 2, 1945. There were still some German armies left after that, but they surrendered a few days later on May 8, ending the European part of the war. However, the Japanese part of the war continued until August 1945. --Anonymous, 07:50 UTC, February 1, 2008.

My bro was born on the 1st of may so by the 2nd my world had certainly changedPerry-mankster (talk) 23:10, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Legal?

In the UK, is it legal for a gas company to break into your house to read a gas meter? Seraphim ^Whipp 11:31, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Ironically enough, a meter reader has just come to my house. I asked him the above question, and he said that only with certain permits, and only after following a number of stages, can a gas company legally break in. Seraphim ^Whipp 11:59, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Coincidence doesn't necessarily amount to irony.--The Fat Man Who Never Came Back (talk) 15:55, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

The Reference Desk cannot give legal advice. You may want to consult a solicitor or your local Citizens Advice Bureau. It is possible that either you or a previous owner has granted the gas board an irrevocable right of entry or easement. Bovlb (talk) 15:56, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Asking whether something is legal is not necessarily asking for legal advice. --24.147.69.31 (talk) 16:12, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Indeed, but it's not the asking that's problematic so much as the answering. IANAL. TINLA. Bovlb (talk) 16:25, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Exactly. If one of our wikipedians were to make a mistake and answer incorrectly, the person could get into some serious trouble for just taking some legal advice from us. This could result in a lot of unnecessary chaos that could've been avoided.--Dlo2012 (talk) 16:42, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

He already answered the question himself so the point is moot. 64.236.121.129 (talk) 17:21, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

I'm a she! :) Seraphim ^Whipp 17:29, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Answering incorrectly about whether it is legal for a company to do something is not going to get anyone in trouble. It's not the same thing as someone saying, "Oh, should I just push my neighbor's car out of my driveway?" and then doing it. Don't mistake asking about laws with asking for legal advice. They're not the same thing at all. The questioner was clearly not asking for legal consultation. We can give all sorts of answers regarding laws on the books, common interpretations of rulings, and so forth. We do it every day on all aspects of the encyclopedia—think of all of the legal issues involved in properly tagging photographs! Just because it is legal doesn't make it off-base; it's only a problem if we are advising someone in how to handle their own personal affairs. --24.147.69.31 (talk) 17:25, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

As 24.147.69.31 says, I wasn't enquiring to take action; it was purely a whimsical wondering. Seraphim ^Whipp 17:29, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

The prohibition on giving legal advice is important, but I can't see that it actually affected whether your question was answered, so I'm not sure what we're discussing here. Bovlb (talk) 21:17, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Yes, but only after some serious LEGAL shit has happened, sue me if i'm wrong - the previous answer is not a legally binding response and should not be taken as such, mankster, perry does not represent wikipedia and is in fact a burnt out acid case, man - i work in a local social work dept and have to work with various companies along side 'service users' whom sometimes don't pay ther bills —Preceding unsigned comment added by Perry-mankster (talk • contribs) 23:21, 1 February 2008 (UTC) oopsPerry-mankster (talk) 23:23, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Mastodon

In Moby Dick, who wins the whale or the man? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.191.136.2 (talk) 13:29, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Sounds a tad homework-y, but I'll say Herman Melville wins in the end. 206.252.74.48 (talk) 14:15, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Try page 214, if you're desperate. Richard Avery (talk) 15:48, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

A fox chases a rabbit. If the rabbit wins, the fox loses only one meal, but if the fox wins, the rabbit loses its entire life. This disparity is the problem in deciding what it means for the man or the whale to "win". You can read the last few paragraphs here, but they won't tell you who won without reading the whole book. --Sean 16:57, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Have you read our article on Moby-Dick? The plot summary tells you what happens. As for Mastodon, that's a very different animal.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 17:13, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

The heading is in reference to the band Mastodon and their album Leviathan, which is based on Moby Dick. --Joelmills (talk) 03:48, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

Crappy old movie filter effects

Why is it that every single "old movie" filter effect I have ever seen looks like total fake shit? How hard can it be to simulate some changing in light etc., instead of simply making it black and white with some random lines at random frames? This pisses me off. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.225.50.29 (talk) 14:00, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Perhaps the point is not to make it look real but to make it obvious. —Tamfang (talk) 16:24, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

superbowl gambling

How much, in total, will be spent gambling on the 2008 Superbowl? How much, in total, was spent gambling on the 2007 superbowl? I am at school and cannot access gambling sites, but I need this number for a class.

Thanks --Omnipotence407 (talk) 14:03, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

CBS suggests "Americans will throw down more than a half a billion dollars on the [2008] game (legally and otherwise)." [31] ESPN agrees, noting that "more than $400 million dollars will be gambled on Internet sites this year... [and] an estimated $100 million will be wagered in Sin City." [32] The Morning Sentinel cites "one gambling expert" estimating that $8 billion was wagered on the 2007 Super Bowl. [33] Thats seems pretty high compared to the other sources, but may be a global figure, while the other appear to refer to Americans specifically. Rockpocket 20:01, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

significance of flags outside hotels or inns

rows of colourful flags are seen outside hotels and resorts or a potentail site for their construction, varying in number and color..are they jst a gimmic or do they signify something? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 122.168.61.182 (talk) 14:13, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

They're a gimmick which signifies that the hotel appreciates that travellers from foreign lands may be customers. --Tagishsimon (talk) 14:47, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

You might guess that if you see a eg spanish flag outside they will have staff who speak spanish etc (or maybe not)87.102.12.64 (talk) 15:07, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

You might be encouraging rash & wrong guesses. --Tagishsimon (talk) 15:20, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Actually, I think this question may be about those small triangle-shaped flags tied in a row, which I also see at many car dealerships. I believe they are simply for decoration. 206.252.74.48 (talk) 15:57, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Perhaps. I think such strings of pennants would be called bunting ... not something I'd associate with a hotel I'd care to stay in, but as in most things, YMMV. I'm thinking in terms of flags on poles, fwiw. --Tagishsimon (talk) 16:04, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

What is the point of Coke Zero?

As far as I can tell, Coke Zero is 100% identical to Coke Light but in a different can and targetted towards young, retarded males (judging by the commercials).

What does "full taste" mean? It sure as hell doesn't taste anything even remotely in the same universe as original Coke, so is that a plain old lie? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.225.50.29 (talk) 18:48, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

A glance at the Coca-Cola Zero article, peppered with some original research of my own, has led me to conclude that Coke Zero is a (destined-to-be-short-lived) marketing ploy targeted toward males (mostly, but not necessarily young and "retarded) who find the idea of Diet Coke distasteful. These males believe that diets are for girls and that Diet Coke tastes palpably inferior to regular Coke (a premise which the TFMWNCB rejects). Naturally, these males must be convinced that there is a less-girly alternative that purportedly tastes exactly like regular Coke but has no calories. That's the idea, anyway.--The Fat Man Who Never Came Back (talk) 19:00, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Well diet-coke and coke-zero taste different. The idea (as i understand it) is that coke-zero is the same flavour as coke, unlikely diet-coke which, lets be honest, tastes awful. ny156uk (talk) 19:01, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Additionally, Coke Zero is likely a late response to Pepsi ONE, which contains the same type of artificial sweetener.--The Fat Man Who Never Came Back (talk) 19:10, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

From what I can tell from the articles, the both use aspartame as sweetener. Some people don't mind it, but some people find that it tastes bad. If you're noticing a bad, un-Coke-like taste, that may be it. I like Coke quite a bit, but I don't like drinks with aspartame- I'd rather just drink water, which is less interesting but doesn't taste bad. Friday (talk) 19:11, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Diet soft drinks have always contained aspartame. But newfangled diet sodas such as Coke Zero and Pepsi ONE also contain Ace-K. That's what I was referring to.--The Fat Man Who Never Came Back (talk) 19:14, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Always is a long time. Aspartame wasn't approved for use in carbonated beverages until 1983. Prior to that, drinks such as Tab and Diet Rite used cyclamate and then saccharine. --LarryMac | Talk 21:44, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Indeed, Diet Coke was marketed as the first diet soft drink that (to Coke lovers) was good enough to include the word Coke in its name, and that was because aspartame was now available whereas its predecessor, Tab, had had to use other sweeteners. --Anonymous, 00:02 UTC, 2008-02-02.

From what I see, Diet/Light Coke has no (real) sugar, Coke Zero has no sugar and no calories. That also means that Coke Zero is about as unnatural as a drink can get. What hath we wrought? 206.252.74.48 (talk) 19:16, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

errr... water. Zero calories. Zero sugar. All natural. 161.222.160.8 (talk) 00:05, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

And then there's Diet Coke Plus ... Corvus cornix_talk 23:15, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Coke zero does not get you high, (i know cheap laugh, i'm sorry)...Perry-mankster (talk) 23:27, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

I always assumed the point of Coke Zero was to be the coke equivalent of Pepsi Max. That is, a low/no calorie cola that is not viewed as girly, and thus is acceptable for men to buy and drink. The slight flaw in this, I feel, is that Pepsi Max is very tasty in its own right and Coke Zero just taste almost like Coca-Cola. That, and the ad campaign for Coke Zero is awful. Pepsi Max managed to sell itself as tasty first, low calorie second, which I suppose is what Coke did with Diet Coke, but Pepsi didn't feminise their campaign. And all of this is an example of market segmentation, which we probably have an article about. Rather than trying to produce one product that will do for everyone, it can be more profitable to target a market segment with something closer to what they want. Spaghetti sauce is, I believe, a favourite example of this. Some people want chunky sauce, some prefer smooth, and you'll please more customers and sell more sauce if you target different sauces to the different groups, rather than selling one semi-chunky sauce. Skittle (talk) 16:30, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

Well duh, Market segment. Not a particularly good article though. Anyway, Coke Zero is supposed to taste closer to Coke than Diet Coke does, and uses a different sweetener, and is not viewed as girly. Pepsi Max is a lovely drink that is tastier than normal Pepsi and is not viewed as girly. Coke Zero is still being sold, so I assume the tactic worked, but I personally see much more point in Pepsi Max :) Skittle (talk) 16:39, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

What is paper shredder oil?

Having searched from Google to Wikipedia to try and understand exactly what paper shredder oil is made of I have come up empty. If anyone knows and will share the specification or maybe how to make some at home.

Jim78418 (talk) 19:07, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

I believe it's just a light machine oil. --Carnildo (talk) 20:48, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

My manual recommended using vegetable oil. I don't think that is a good idea, since it will go rancid and start smelling. The benefit of store-bought oils is that they come in a bottle that makes is easy to apply. --Mdwyer (talk) 00:02, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

I appreciate the feedback. I was thinking about using 3 in 1 oil as it is good quality and light. Not sure if it's cheaper than buying the stuff they have in the store. Seems to me you can take a cheap something, put a name on it and then sell it for much more than it's worth. Since I couldn't find anything on the internet about it I start to wonder what it really made from.

Jim78418 (talk) 00:29, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

WD40 lubricates everything.--Johnluckie (talk) 07:42, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

Not quite everything.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 08:26, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

Eating/drinking with headphones -- different taste?

When I eat or drink something while listening to music or something in headphones, the taste seems less distinctive and more vague. Is this all just in my head? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.225.50.29 (talk) 19:18, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Since the organs of taste, smell and hearing, along with the processing apparatus for same, are all in your head, I'd have to assume so. Algebraist 22:31, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

The Big Tall Wish

I just watched The Big Tall Wish. I expected the Wikipedia article to say something about "magic negros", but it does not. Instead it praises the episode. Hmm. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.225.50.29 (talk) 19:27, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

What specific criticism of the episode were you expecting, and do you know of any published sources that voice this criticism? (Alternatively, what sort of bias are you accusing the article of?) If you have something to say then just say it, innuendo is just pointless.

(In any case, Ref Desk is not the best place to ask for an article to be fixed.) APL (talk) 21:33, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Don't "magic negroes" generally direct their magic towards (usually authoritarian) white people? As The Big Tall Wish contains an all black cast, if the article is correct, this rules it out of inclusion in the category. 81.159.218.124 (talk) 21:36, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

'Ethical' Behaviour?

In my younger days before iTunes Music Store existed I would download songs from Napster - I came to use it as a bit of a 'radio' station, trying just about anything. As a result I have extremely diverse taste and a rack full of CDs i've purchased of artists i've found. At the time I felt 'justified' because no 'download single song' service appeared to exist. This all changed with the introduction of the music store and I have not used any free-download services since. Now this is reasonably questionable ethically speaking (there always existed legally importable CDs to get my music etc.) but I wondered if anybody else experienced similar ethical policy? Additionally I am, to an extent, in the same boat with some tv series. I will happily buy them on DVD but some shows are 'region 1' only and my dvd player is not region-free (nor do I wish to make it so). As a result i'm stuck unable to get all the series on DVD but still want to 'watch' the shows (oh and they're not on UK Satellite tv currently). Again does anybody else get this un-ethical ethical dilemma? Oh and I don't want legal advice just wondered about the ethics and would like input from fellow well-rounded people like yourselves. ny156uk (talk) 20:11, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

mary jane research question

Medical question removed. See the marijuana article for a general overview, but the Ref Desk is not suitable for providing specific effects and symptoms of marijuana doses. — Lomn 22:41, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

what is the name of this building?

http://web.mit.edu/facilities/photos/construction/Projects/stata/1_large.jpg —Preceding unsigned comment added by Dreftymac (talk • contribs) 23:52, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Stata Center. --24.147.69.31 (talk) 23:56, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Yep. Here's the web page that that image is used on. --Anon, 00:05 UTC, 2008-02-02

February 2

Is there a unique kind of paper?

Just wondering, is there some kind of paper to write on that is clear and see-through so you can put it on something like a TV screen and trace with a pen or pencil? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Sirdrink13309622 (talk • contribs) 01:43, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

yes. Tracing paper. You can buy it from specialist supply shops for artists, architects and designers. Check your local yellow pages or ask at a university book shop. Gwinva (talk) 01:53, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

Tracing paper is not totally clear, but it's clear enough that you can trace anything with fairly high contrast. If you need something still more transparent, you could use a plastic sheet such as the "foils" for an overhead projector and write on it with a fine-pointed marker. --Anonymous, 02:02:08 UTC, 2008-02-02.

Or, for nostalgia or giggle value, use an authentic Winky Dink screen tracing kit. —Steve Summit (talk) 03:52, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

Waxed paper and a permanent marker may do in a pinch.

Atlant (talk) 17:46, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

What is the point of the stock market?

If I had a big company, I would never want people having shares and getting money that I could have. What is the purpose of stocks? They pay a tiny ONE-TIME fee and get percentage of the profits for eternity? Insanity.

Also, what determines the stock value of a company? I don't get it. A magical number that changes somehow. And why do people scream a lot in stock exchange places? Sounds like a real mess and exactly the place where I would not want to be. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.225.50.29 (talk) 02:41, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

Stock is used by a company to raise capital. Say you had a company and needed to build a factory. You could issue stock, selling part ownership and rights to future earnings in exchange for capital now. Alternatively you could borrow the money; determining which is the prudent decision is the subject of corporate finance.

Paying dividends on stock is not insanity. If you were to offer me $100 today in exchange for a dollar a year for the rest of time, I would certainly take it, since the dollar I pay you 74 years from now is worth very little today (another concept in finance, called an Annuity (financial contracts)).

A stock is worth exactly what somebody will pay you for it, just like anything else. That's how the market prices you see in the newspaper or on a financial website are determined. But its value is really the present value of all of the future dividends that stock will pay. Of course this is not known precisely ahead of time, which accounts for stock prices fluctuating.

The article on the stock market covers why people are yelling at the stock exchange itself.

anonymous6494 05:20, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

Fixed your link. --Anon, 07:15, 2008-02-02.

What I don't understand about the stock market. The owner must give away control of the company for eternity just so capital can be raised one time only? 66.91.224.203 (talk) 14:14, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

The owner is selling part-shares in his/her company. Selling things tends to be permanent. Algebraist 14:23, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

The owner isn't selling to make money. The money is supposed to be for the business? So again how can the owner accept such a high cost of essentially getting financing? Losing total control of the company forever. Lotsofissues 14:40, 2 February 2008 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Lotsofissues (talk • contribs)

Look at it this way ... You want to start a factory, but have only half the required money. So you team up with your friend who provides the remaining half, and you both share ownership. It's a win-win situation for both. The end objective is making money. In this case, there would be no factory in the first place had the first person insisted on sole ownership of the factory. ReluctantPhilosopher (talk) 16:21, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

And the answer to Loi's question is that often they don't. Becoming a public company is not appropriate for every business, and there are a lot of companies - including quite big ones - that are not traded on stock exchanges. FiggyBee (talk) 16:41, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

Can I put my thoughts on to Wikipedia?

What I meant was could I put some information on to Wikipedia?

Signed, Catapult-1423 —Preceding unsigned comment added by Catapult-1423 (talk • contribs) 02:48, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

You can put most anything you want on your user page (although there are limits). I see you've registered a user name, but have not yet created your own user page. Maybe that's the next step, as the most appropriate repository for your thoughts. -- JackofOz (talk) 03:32, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

As for actual articles, any relevant information you want to put on must be sourced. Paragon12321 (talk) 03:36, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

That's not quite true...it's certainly nice if it's sourced, but it really only needs to be verifiable. -Elmer Clark (talk) 17:28, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

Latin auto-translator

Where is an automatic translator (like AltaVista BabelFish) that can translate English-to-Latin and Latin-to-English? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.220.211.235 (talk) 02:53, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

Latin, unlike english, is a heavily inflected language - the form that words take depends a lot on their role in the sentence and other context. So an automatic translator that was anything near accurate would be very difficult to construct. If you want a general english-latin dictionary, I can recommend William Whitaker's Words, but you'll need some knowledge of latin grammar to be able to make meaningful sentences, or to make sense of translated latin. FiggyBee (talk) 03:33, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

Over at the Latin Wikipedia they have something called a Taberna - a place where Wikipedians hang out of sorts - if you ask nicely they will probably be able to help you. Cheers, Ouro (blah blah) 07:21, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

As la:Vicipaedia:Latinitas says,

Cum lingua Latina haud facilis sit, machinae interpretes commentationes aliis ex linguis in Latinam convertere nequeunt.

or, "As the Latin language is hardly easy, machine translators cannot translate text from other languages into Latin." —Keenan Pepper 15:25, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

Russian is also a highly-inflected language, at least as much as Latin, but both Babelfish and Google have English-Russian options. I don't remember enough Russian to know how well they work. AndrewWTaylor (talk) 16:06, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

Jumping into Sulfuric Acid

Recently, I came across this excerpt from [[34]]:

A physician we interviewed recounts the story of a laborer in Africa who worked around vats of sulfuric acid --one of the most caustic forms of acid. The man fell in one day. He quickly leapt out, but was covered in sulfuric acid, which immediately began to burn him chemically. In a panic and excruciating pain, the man ran outside. By the time his coworkers caught up to him, the man had essentially dissolved.

Suppose the vat of sulfuric acid is 100% concentrated, how long really does it take sulfuric acid to kill and completely dissolve a human? I'm guessing it would take hours or days, but the article seems to imply that it is instant. Is it correct? Acceptable (talk) 04:09, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

I'm not sure about how fast you would die, but from my understanding, sulphuric acid will do two things to you: denature the proteins in your body, making the damage irreparable, and react with the water in your body to create very, very severe burns and dehydration. I doubt the veracity of the story, but needless to say, falling into sulphuric acid will definitely screw you up big time. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Bibliomaniac15 (talk • contribs) 04:17, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

I must point to WP:BEANS here-we do not take responsibility if you decide to jump into a vat of sulfuric acid to see what happens and dissolve.We may award you an honorary Darwin Award Barnstar though... Lemon martini (talk) 13:36, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

Save your self the trouble of experimenting; watch the end of Robocop where Emil (Paul McCrane) drives the van into the vat of "hazardous waste" and then dissolves before our eyes. Extrapolate from that. It's probably close enough.

Atlant (talk) 17:54, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

I literate ?

why does art and design student study literature? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 218.111.50.206 (talk) 06:34, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

Good question. Ah, so your words will impress clients in the same way your beautiful designs will. It's weird but how well you write or express yourself gets respect... or not. The more reading and writing you do, the better you can communicate and that counts in the final product. Just my opinion (and experience) ; ) Julia Rossi (talk) 11:26, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

Hay

How many square bales of hay can you get of an acre? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.119.61.7 (talk) 17:48, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

if you stack them on top of each other, id imagine you could get alot —Preceding unsigned comment added by 128.101.53.138 (talk) 19:53, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

Slaughterhouses

In what way do they kill animals in a slaughterhouses? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.119.61.7 (talk) 17:50, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

It varies, but according to slaughterhouse a knockout electric shock followed by exsanguination is typical. Algebraist 17:55, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

(ec) You may find our article on Slaughterhouses informative. Cattle are usually stunned/knocked unconscious/have their brains scrambled by a Captive bolt pistol and are then bled to death. It is assumed that the animal feels no pain as it isn't conscious. Chickens and other birds are stunned by hanging them upside down and then either putting an electrode in their mouth to knock them unconscious or by dipping them in a trough of water with a current running through it (in mechanised slaughterhouses). They are then either bled from the mouth using a scalpel or (in mechanised) decapitated to bleed out. 86.21.74.40 (talk) 17:58, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

World Tour

hello,

basically if i were to do a 'world tour' (eg go everywere!, see everything etc) for many years where should i go...any suggestions, are there any websites for this sort of thing, anyone done a similar thing,

thanks, --The world tour (talk) 18:24, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

Well, that would depend on a lot of factors. But generally you'd like to stick to places where your genre of music is popular, and play in major cities (to draw the biggest crowds which leads to bigger profits) of industrialized countries. You probably won't be touring much in third world countries (unless you're doing humanitarian work for good publicity) or countries such as Saudia Arabia and North Korea. You'll get better responses from smarter people in a while; I just gave you a quick response. Cheers --Emery (talk) 18:37, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

Oops! Misread the question. xD --Emery (talk) 18:51, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

I read this as more of a holiday-tour question rather than music world-tour. If i'm right then sites like (http://www.thetravellerslounge.co.uk/planning/) and http://www.travel-nation.co.uk/roundtheworld/planning/ and http://www.gapyear.com/rtw/ or http://www.travel-library.com/rtw/html/faq.html. Hope you have fun. The places i'd suggest as 'vital' to see on such a tour would be... Tokyo, Sydney, New York, Rio De Janeiro, Paris, Rome and London. ny156uk (talk) 18:44, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

Baltimore, Maryland Greatest city in the world. BonesBrigade 18:46, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

1,000 Places to See Before You Die? Clarityfiend (talk) 18:47, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

Dogs

Has Ivan Basso still got his dog Birillo? -- Leptictidium (mammal talk!) 18:49, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

Spike Lester vs. Chuck Palumbo

How are Spike Lester and Chuck Palumbo similar and different from each other? Ericthebrainiac (talk) 20:00, 2 February 2008 (UTC)