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April 4

Bank repossessions / recreational vehicle

living in canada,looking for a site that will direct me to canadian bank repossestions?specifically,r.v.'s —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.65.112.10 (talk) 00:12, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

There is this site. Marco polo (talk) 01:35, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

What exactly are you looking for? RVs that have been repossessed (see Marco polo's post above)? Rules about when a bank can repossess an RV? How repossessions are conducted in Canada? What the rights of a person whose item has been repossessed are? --NellieBly (talk) 02:51, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

Also (and relatively importantly), where in Canada? You won't find much being repossessed in Alberta, for instance, and some rules about repossession can vary from province to province. --NellieBly (talk) 03:12, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

If I may, what's so special about Alberta that makes repossessions an oddity? Dismas|^(talk) 04:04, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

Part of it is an extremely strong economy at the moment, including a remarkably low unemployment rate and very high wages compared to the rest of Canada. Convenience store workers in Calgary make on average more per hour than provincial legislators in Newfoundland, according to CFCN News. Unlike housing and groceries, big-ticket items are often priced nationally or regionally, so a smaller percentage of the family's monthly income goes toward such things. That may be why there's a lower rate of default here. Another factor is that repossession and garnishment are both somewhat more expensive and time-consuming in Alberta than elsewhere. Not only does the lender have to jump through more hoops in order to get a judgment or order, there are so many exceptions and regulations as to who can be garnished and for how much (and what can be repossessed) that early repossession like you see in the US may not be financially beneficial to the lender. The rules would, you'd think, make it less viable to lend in Alberta, but the lower rate of repossession makes up for it. --NellieBly (talk) 05:04, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

Oh, my reference is my partner, who handles vehicle repossessions for a financial institution! --NellieBly (talk) 05:05, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

Burj Dubai

Why does this article keep saying back and forth its current height? One minute it says 1,985 ft., the next it's 2,133 ft. like geese! does it keep collapsing or something?Jwking (talk) 04:14, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

No, there's always an edit war going on there changing the height. While the actual height may be different from what Wikipedia has, Wikipedia is about verifiability, not truth. Those height-changers are not providing reliable sources. Useight (talk) 07:38, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

The 'height changers' keep getting their information from the Burj Dubai website. I'm sure they are following along.Jwking (talk) 15:59, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

Wikipedia: Hell of a site

How do I endorse wikipedia? This is a hell of a website. Who gets the accolades? The boss or the workers? 205.240.144.198 (talk) 04:33, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

I say give your standing ovation or accolades to all the active editors. Useight (talk) 07:39, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

Blink blink. Blushes. Thank you thank you. Our leader wouldn't be here without us and vice versa. Verbum sat. Har. Julia Rossi (talk) 08:03, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

He's our leader? I voted for Our leader Lemon martini (talk) 13:31, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

I voted for this guy, but somehow we ended up with that guy. Twice.

Atlant (talk) 16:50, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos. Adam Bishop (talk) 05:33, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

You can donate to the project if you like it. — Kieff | Talk 05:35, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

Nighttime Hard-On and ....

...penile fractures: a man gets these at night. What would happen if he got a penile fracture while asleep?205.240.144.198 (talk) 04:36, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

He would be in quite a bit of pain. Was there something more specific that you were looking for? Maybe the penile fracture article would help? Dismas|^(talk) 04:40, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

The guy is asleep, has a "hard on" while asleep, then SNAP!!!! then a "What the F***!" as he sees a bloody mess and he's in pain. A LOT OF PAIN. Does that happen in real life to people?205.240.144.198 (talk) 06:27, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

"Honey, why am I in such pain and why are you holding that pair of Vise-Grips?"

Atlant (talk) 11:57, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

Complete guess here, but I doubt that it just ever "happens". The guy would probably feel some discomfort before a fracture actually occurred and he would adjust his body while still asleep in order to avoid the discomfort. Dismas|^(talk) 15:20, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

Could such an injury result in a Frankenpenis and a movie career?? Edison (talk) 01:19, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

BTW just as a matter of interest, what is the plural of Hard-on? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.68.238.153 (talk) 01:52, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

I expect that the "s" should follow "on" rather than "hard." It's not like "attorneys general."

Edison (talk) 02:29, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Agreed. Even though I would write hard-on as two words and a hyphen, it's a single word in my head. Steewi (talk) 01:10, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Inspired by Frankl

<sorry, wrong desk>

gaybashing

This question has been removed. Per the reference desk guidelines, the reference desk is not an appropriate place to request medical, legal or other professional advice. If you want a legal opinion, ask a lawyer. --FiggyBee (talk) 10:54, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

This question has been restored. It asks for help regarding a gay-bashing incident, and only incidentally asks a question for a lawyer. The correct means of dealing with the question is to answer it without offering legal advice, not to treat it as an imposition.

me and my son and his boyfriend were at a restaurant tonight and the manager began to bother us and called my son's boyfriend a fagot and rushed us out threatening to call the police. Is this illegal? It happened in Tara Hills, California a bay area suburb. What can i do. Where can i file a complaint with the authorities? Do I have grounds for a lawsuit? What civil rights organizations do I have? This man mocked us for several minutes.Ninapoetiza (talk) 09:50, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

I'm sorry you were treated in such an disrespectful, offensive, and hostile manner. The refusal of a public accommodation to serve someone because he's gay is clearly inappropriate, though finding out what organizations to contact for help is hard. You might want to try asking the Human Rights Campaign to refer you to the appropriate government agency in Contra Costa County to contact. Alternatively, you could visit The Contra Costa County website and try to find someone there who will be more sympathetic than we have been at the Reference Desk. I've stricken out your question about a lawsuit, which we can't answer here - though the answer is clear, and can be provided by the appropriate agency. Perhaps your best bet would be PFLAG - Parents, Families and Firends of Lesbians and Gays - which has several chapters near Tara Hills, including PFLAG Walnut Creek/Diablo Valley at 10 Rancho Diablo Road, Lafayette, California 94549-2722, Phone: (925) 283-8928); and PFLAG Oakland/East Bay at Oakland, California whose email is <support@pflag-eastbay.org> and which has a help line at 510-562-7692. - Outerlimits (talk) 20:49, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

Sometimes the manager is just a guy paid to keep the staff under control who is acting like a petty tyrant on his own, and not in a way representing company policy. If it was a chain restaurant, you might get some satisfaction from finding out (via Google) who the head of the company is and sending him a personal letter of complaint, including the location and date and the manager's name if possible. A copy of that letter to your U.S. Senator and Representative will likely result in their offices also contacting the head of the company. (Actually it would likely go to someone whose job it is to keep the CEO from finding out what is actually going on, and who has an amazing amount of power to offer compensation. Just saying)Edison (talk) 01:11, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

Deoderant

Is an anti-persperend different from a deoderant? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.119.61.7 (talk) 09:51, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

Deodorants kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria. Antiperspirants clog up sweat pores to prevent sweating. FiggyBee (talk) 10:49, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

"Clog up" isn't the right term. "Use certain salts to change the osmotic balance so you don't sweat" is more like it. Aluminum chlorhydrate is a commonly-used ingredient.

Atlant (talk) 11:53, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

In my experience, deodorants try to cover up the smell from your sweat, antiperspirants keep you from sweating to begin with. People like to claim that one is better for you in some sort of cosmic way than the other, but frankly I just use what works for me. There are no substantiated links to any real health problems caused by using one or the other. --Captain Ref Desk (talk) 15:02, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Military aircraft defensive weapons, and laser gadgets

As I live close to an airbase, the thought has humored me: Can I use a laser pointer (or 50+) to somehow get a reaction from the passing military aircraft's laser detecting equipment? I assume most fighting jets are equipped with these? Thanks in advance for your answers. 81.93.102.185 (talk) 14:27, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

You'd get a reaction all right, but perhaps not the one you are looking for. I don't imagine the relevant authorities in Norway would be any more amused. --LarryMac | Talk 14:32, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

We have an article on Lasers and aviation safety. Attempting to harass aircraft is not likely to be appreciated. Friday (talk) 14:34, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

These mention visual impairing, but say nothing about military warning systems. I'm intruiged to learn more about that particular field. 81.93.102.185 (talk) 15:18, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

I suppose it is possible that modern RWRs can detect lasers. If so, they can almost certainly tell the difference between a military LADAR and an idiot with a penlight, and will ignore the latter. FiggyBee (talk) 15:35, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

The History of the Game of Fetch

I am looking for references in literature and art to humans playing fetch with dogs. Since dogs have been around for more than 15,000 years, it would seem logical that fetch is an activity that would have developed fairly early in that relationship. I would like to find the earliest representations of this activity possible. I am also interested in behavioral observations of wolves, wild canines and primates that would seem to foreshadow playing fetch.

Thanks you.Elliottolin (talk) 14:34, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

You could look at Wikipedia's article Fetch (game) which has plenty of behavioral observations, although it doesn't provide much information about the game's origins. Think outside the box 15:13, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

Thanks, I started there and it was useful. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Elliottolin (talk • contribs) 15:16, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

Push-ups ... dangerous for girls

My daughter's aikido class gets boys to do full push-ups but girls to push up from knees only. The instructor says he has been informed that it is not safe for girls to do full push ups. When I was at school everybody did the full push-ups without any consequences. Is the instructor correct? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Q Chris (talk • contribs) 15:41, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

Unless your daughter has a broken ankle or something, then I couldn't see any reason to make her do knee pushups other than that they're easier. Seems more like a socialization thing than a sports medicine thing. 70.79.61.172 (talk) 17:16, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

Try googling 'girl pushups' - it's an interesting social phenomenon that I was previously unaware of! FiggyBee (talk) 17:28, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

I do not believe that they're "dangerous for girls" in the kind of categorical sense — rather, they're better for people who are building upper body strength and don't have the kind of muscle mass needed to properly do full push-ups. Like any exercise, doing push-ups incorrectly (or doing the wrong kind of push-up for your ability-level) can be dangerous, and damage the body. Since many girls, especially young girls, do not have the upper-body muscle mass of boys their same age, full body push-ups can be a problem for them. The instructor is half-correct, but over-generalizes — if your daughter has enough muscle development to do full push-ups properly, without serious strain, then she should not have a problem doing them. --Haemo (talk) 17:49, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

I am not going to give medical advice, but would have to tell that push-ups are not the least bit dangerous for girls. Any claim made to imply that would be utterly unsubstantiated. Girls are frequently allowed push-ups with a knee (or two) touching the ground. This is related to a rather simplified view on female physique; girls will by tradition have weaker muscles in different places, from - traditionally - not participating in the same physical activities as boys or men are often assumed to. There are nuances, but a generalization can be made, and is widely accepted in the west, that says females can perform equally in comparable environments. One should, however, not expect the same output of raw strength based on the same amount of the same type of training. Males have a physique better accommodated for this than females. Sorry for not providing references for anything said so far, but I can only point to original research through many an instructor, many a gym teacher and many a fitness center visit. 81.93.102.185 (talk) 19:36, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

In Wikipedia we should generally refer to them as Press ups because that is the term first used about them when the article was written. Edison (talk) 01:06, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

Edison, that's only in articles written in British English, like press up. In articles written in American English, it should be "push up". On the ref desk, we are each free to use our own vernaculars. --D. Monack | talk 17:01, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

Here’s a video of a girl totally owning a guy at handstand pushups! --S.dedalus (talk) 01:35, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

In a recent ad for health insurers including gym fees etc for cultivating fitness I take no notice of the spokesmodels swanking around in the foreground, my attention goes to the small woman happily doing one-handeds in the background. Julia Rossi (talk) 02:41, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

What is the point of removing questions such as "Gaybashing" above?

Moved metadiscussion to talk page. --Milkbreath (talk) 18:52, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

gps in Africa

I'm going to Africa soon. Cairo to Cape Town. I don't know anything about gps but I figure I need a unit. Can anyone recommend something very cheap? I just need to mark points of interest. Assuming the cheap units don't have maps, can I still mark my hotel and use this cheap unit for bare navigational purposes? Thanks a lot.

Lotsofissues 19:31, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

Just a cheap Garmin will do what you want. Other models will as well but I have a Garmin so that's why I'm using it as an example. You can buy maps for various locations although Africa doesn't have much in the way of maps from what I can see at Garmin's Mapsource page. The best thing they have is this which just gives political boundaries, major cities, and major roadways. You don't need the maps to set waypoints though. All you need is the unit. And then you'll be able to get back to your hotel from wherever you wander to as long as you set a waypoint at the hotel before leaving for the day. Dismas|^(talk) 21:25, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

Check with the State Department, too. Last time I looked, some countries (Russia?) frowned on bringing GPS receivers into the country. I should hope that's changed by now, but you should probably check to make sure. --Mdwyer (talk) 21:35, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

Thank you guys for the quick advice. I really need it bad! So does this cheap unit look like it will do the job for me? [1] Will it mark points? Will it allow me to mark my hotel and help me get back?

I don't know about that one, but this one is still not too expensive, and will definitely mark waypoints and help you get back (in the sense of pointing you in the crow's-flight direction). Very nice unit. I dropped mine in some poison oak last summer and took the opportunity to upgrade to the eTrex Vista HCx, which is even nicer. --Trovatore (talk) 23:12, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

mdwyer, I bet the Sudanese government will object to anything. Hopefully the remedy won't be too expensive! Lotsofissues 22:54, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

The one that you linked to, Issues, doesn't specifically state that you can create waypoints but it does state that it has a maximum of 500 of them. So, logically it would seem to follow that you could make them somehow... Dismas|^(talk) 19:10, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

Vegan Diet (I'm going to die)

I read a question above about a boy looking for a good vegan pizza. It seems we are in the same boat. In the sense we have vegan friends. Sadly, my friend has me being a vegan with her because I kinda of lost a bet with her. Kinda....

I'm going to die. I need meat I won't last the rest of this week. I'm going to fall over and die. I need bacon, I need beef, and I need chicken. So, what do I tell her? (And presuming I stick with it for the rest of this week and half of next week) How do I survive?

Thank You

Always

Cardinal Raven

Cardinal Raven (talk) 22:57, 4 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

Tell her that you feel like you are starting to lose energy from only eating plants. Meat provides much more protein. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.119.61.7 (talk) 23:34, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

There are lots of non-meat protein sources. Go to a vegan restaurant and pig out, or by frozen vegan meals at a big grocery. I am more familiar with vegetarian than with all the variants. Seitan with the right sauce tastes like barbecue. Tofu is ok. Then there are all sorts of vegan fake sausage, ground beef, and chicken. Yum! There's nothing wrong with beans and rice, and that allows one to get away from pretending to eat the dreaded animal products. Edison (talk) 01:04, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

I’ve known a number of dedicated vegans. You’re not going to “die,” and if you can’t survive without meat for a couple of weeks it’s probably time to examine your diet anyway. Try reading vegan cuisine, vegan substitutions, and vegan recipes for ideas. --S.dedalus (talk) 01:16, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

Eating just non meat is not the way to go in my opinion, get your protein from meat it is much more tastier —Preceding unsigned comment added by Nick910 (talk • contribs) 03:40, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. That way you'll not be deficient on a particular amino acid. You should pig out as Edison says since cellulose (fibers) and water make up most of this type of food. --Lenticel ^(talk) 05:43, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

The human body has developed over hundreds of thousands of years to be omnivorous. It contains a range of digestive processes to breakdown and utilise all forms of foodstuffs (and other things besides)if you have respect for your body you will treat it as it was meant to be treated. A little of everything and something special on your holy day. Richard Avery (talk) 18:19, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

For quick protein, nothing beats nuts. Then wash them down with some milk (if that's permitted on your vegan diet). Fish and eggs are also good sources of protein, if allowed. StuRat (talk) 22:55, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

Soy milk because unlike "vegetarianism", "vegan" means no animal by-products either. I joined a friend in veganism for six months (maybe it just felt like that) out of curiosity and that she looked pretty healthy. It includes reading the contents of every packet you pick up in the supermarket, making pizzas with lebanese flat bread and there was a nice curry recipe for lentils, carrots, roast potatoes. (I still like that one.) A hard-core friend used to sit in a restaurant with a napkin over his face to avoid the smell of meat cooking, and wouldn't eat there at all in case meat was fried in the same oil. He only sat on furniture with synthetic upholstery. I fell off the wagon for chicken and cheese and didn't look back. It's a world. Julia Rossi (talk) 00:35, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

I might have exaggerated a little. I'm a supertaster so I dislike a lot of vegetables. I dislike coffee as well disgusting bitter junk. But I do like some vegetables my list of preferred vegetables:

Peas

Corn

Edamama

Cauliflower

Spinach Vegetables I will NEVER touch are:

Carrots

Onions

Tomatoes (though its a fruit but I will not touch this ever)

Artichoke

Broccoli There are to many to name.

I'm really picky when it comes to food. So I might have exaggerated. My friends vegan diet does not include any meat products fish is no, eggs are a no, and milk is a no unless its soymilk. But i still go on with the vegan diet with her. I'm just picky and I need to get over it. Hey, those dishes look good. Guess I'm going to try me some tofu.

Always

Cardinal Raven

Cardinal Raven (talk) 01:24, 6 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

A tomato is a vegetable and a fruit (these are two unrelated categories). There is no problem with including it in your list of disliked vegetables (other than that it's a shame). -- Meni Rosenfeld (talk) 15:37, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

In a large U.S. supermarket there are probably numerous producuts by Bocaburger and Gardenburger which are officialy labelled "vegan" and quite satisfying to a meat lover. Edison (talk) 02:21, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

I'm not afraid to ask dumb questions. Please tell me what is Edamama? And why have I never heard of it in my entire life? Wanderer57 (talk) 22:16, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

I suspect it's edamame, an Asian soybean dish. Confusing Manifestation(Say hi!) 06:57, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

April 5

Malaria risk in Africa

I was never able to put up a malaria net. I figure in some rooms I stay in, it might be very difficult to put one up. Anyways, I was bitten quite often (literally hundreds of bites) in Haiti. But Haiti was the bush leagues. Kenya and other places must have much more scary mosquitos. Coils are expensive so that's out of the question. 2 coils per night will come out to $8. Multiply that by 100x+!! What's another good solution?

While on the subject, would the kind and knowledgable folk here help me assemble a list?

1. Big backpacker's bag 2. GPS 3. Lots of Energizer Lithium AAs 4. 4 shirts/2pants (packing way too light?) 5. Hand sanitizer (life saver!) 6. A lot of sunscreen 7. Conical hat popular w/ farmers in SE Asia 8. Lots of doxy in 2 bottles just in case 9. Cipro and some over the counter stuff 10. One of those uv water bottles or just a 30 of those purification tablets? 11. Double AA powered digital camera 12. Necklace passport pouch 13. 10 packs of Marlboros

I know I'm still missing something. I know there are a lot of experienced travellers here. Thanks.

lotsofissues 01:59, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

An infectious diseases doctor or someone specializing in travel medicine will be happy to discuss the idea of malaria prophylaxis with you, and can prescribe the needed medication, as well as other health issues arising from travel in Africa. You may want to talk a look at mefloquine- Nunh-huh 02:53, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

The travel clinic prescribed doxy. Lotsofissues 03:40, 5 April 2008 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.130.192.59 (talk)

I don't know if this has anything to add for you, but it looks interesting for travelling light, [2] Julia Rossi (talk) 00:50, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Here are two Africa-specific packing lists. WikiJedits (talk) 18:34, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Are the Marlboros supposed to be for trading, or are you a chain smoker? If it's trading I would have thought good old fashioned US$ would be much better. 199.71.183.2 (talk) 17:19, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Thank you for the lists--very helpful. Reminded me to get syringes. Marlboros are for trading. Plenty of people will offer me tea and food. I'll share w/ them some smokes. Plus, I will encounter peacekeepers in places like southern Sudan so it will be useful for bribery.

Lotsofissues 00:47, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

recently used timbers..

what are the types of timber,which are using now a days in the construction od ledge bettend doors??? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 221.134.236.118 (talk) 13:13, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

The oldest door in the UK, the door to the Chapter House of Westminster Abbey, is such a door and dates back to Edward the Confessor. It is made out of five oak planks, three battens and iron straps. The battens are fully recessed, unusual for this type of door. The age, by the way, was determined using the method of dendrochronology.

Today, ledged and battened doors (optionally braced) are mainly used in rural areas for stables and utility buildings. Clearly, shrinkage and warping of the timber is a problem to be avoided, but otherwise any local wood may be used. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 16:36, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

Is that in the article? I can't seem to find it there and it looks like it would be important (editing hint hint Herr Zoom). Is it the same as a ledge and brace[3] door? Julia Rossi (talk) 00:42, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

It depends what country you are in, and even then local timber may not be suitable. And most timbers these days need to be treated and painted. Pinus radiata is widely used in many countries because it's cheap and readily available, but its not that good... Mhicaoidh (talk) 06:25, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

importance of carpentry in architecture??

. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 221.134.236.118 (talk) 13:18, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

Some relevant articles are:

• Woodhenge, well, not a lot of carpentry there...
• Stave churches
• Japanese architecture
• Chinese architecture
• Log cabin / log home —Preceding unsigned comment added by Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk • contribs) 18:44, 5 April 2008 (UTC)
• Timber framing (Fachwerk) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk • contribs) 18:23, 5 April 2008 (UTC)
• Roof truss --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 16:51, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

Well, yes. It's very important in a building containing timbers, and many buildings do. Warofdreams talk 21:06, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

And even important to insitu concrete buildings that need good, accurate formwork in which concrete is poured. Mhicaoidh (talk) 06:20, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Have you seen the articles carpenter, joiner and cabinet maker? I couldn't find one on pole houses, but you see some on the Australian east coast (except they're quite like woodhenge above). Julia Rossi (talk) 05:05, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Ship names

What do the initials "S.S." stand for in a ship's name?

Leemurray —Preceding unsigned comment added by Leemurray (talk • contribs) 14:27, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

Steamship. Oda Mari (talk) 14:30, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

See the article Ship prefix. APL (talk) 17:47, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

'MV' is motor vessel ( just to throw in my half-penny worth).--Artjo (talk) 05:45, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Not merchant vessel? —Tamfang (talk) 23:26, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

HMS is Her Majesty's Ship86.202.27.130 (talk) 14:46, 6 April 2008 (UTC)DT

...or His Majesty's Ship, depending on the gender of the Majesty on that day. StuRat (talk) 05:00, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

You might enjoy our Ship prefix article. Or, if you're less literally minded, this one.

Atlant (talk) 16:02, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

It's an ill wind that doesn't blow someone in Zimbabwe some good............

So who is it that benefits from Robert Mugabe's continuing and persistent presence as President of Zimbabwe? How can his bankrupt regime continue in power after having ruined the "bread-basket" of Africa during his 28 year "reign", without the support of vested interests. So without naming names, what institutions are these supporters? 81.145.241.245 (talk) 18:22, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

The article on Robert Mugabe is a good place to start. It has quotes from supporters such as Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia, and covers Mugabe's past record, including successes. In addition, support comes from Army veterans who are often favoured by government policy. They also feature heavily among the beneficiaries of land reform in Zimbabwe, who have reason to support Mugabe. Warofdreams talk 21:22, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

And some old-timers may remember Mugabe fondly as a hero who worked to end colonial rule. StuRat (talk) 03:33, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Not joking here, but is that true? Are there many still alive? He has a ba-ad rep, so I'm wondering who's around beyond the military and government circles. Julia Rossi (talk) 05:39, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Please Julia, you make me feel ancient. The events, such as the Lancaster House Agreement of 1979 and the Zimbabwean parliamentary election, 1980, that led to the end of white minority rule in Rhodesia, happened less than 30 years ago. For more details, see History of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, Joshua Nkomo, and Ian Smith. Many of us who were around in 1979 have no intention of kicking the bucket for quite a while yet. The same is true in Zimbabwe, their current tragic life expectancy notwithstanding. I's not like the US is about to forget anytime soon about the Vietnam War, which was long over when these events took place. --mglg_(talk) 21:30, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Maybe what Stu meant was that there are people who remember his early days, when he was indeed considered a hero by many. Those early actions can't be erased, just as Hitler's good deeds are acknowledged alongside all the bad stuff he did - but whether people remember Hitler or Mugabe "fondly" is a moot point. -- JackofOz (talk) 23:21, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Sometimes it's much simpler than that. In a radio interview on the CBC a few days ago a Zimbabwean voter said simply "I'm voting for Mugabe because he gave me this land.". Plenty of people can benefit when a government hands out favours. I'm also pretty sure Mugabe is attempting to pass the blame for Zimbabwe's failures onto someone else, and somebody almost certainly believes him. 199.71.183.2 (talk) 17:16, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Sorry mglg, I was just dazzled by Mugabe's birth-date and the media image of his death-rate government and needed that context. Thanks, Julia Rossi (talk) 23:55, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

I wonder if there's a general trend of leaders, who once were "hereos", becomming evil in their old age. Romania's former leader Nicolae Ceauşescu also comes to mind. With Castro, on the other hand, he seemed to be at his most evil right after the revolution, when he ordered mass executions. He had actually become less evil in later years. StuRat (talk) 11:34, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

Fake or not?

Could someone who is experienced at photoshopping please tell me if this picture of Avril Lavigne is a fake. I hope to god it is, because if thats her nipple, I am going to have some seriously bad dreams tonight. 79.75.223.210 (talk) 18:51, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

Looks too far up the breast to be real. Looks fake to me. --Captain Ref Desk (talk) 19:14, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

The comments on the site you've linked to appear to agree [4] D0762 (talk) 19:27, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

Looks like poor Photoshopping, unless she has Supernumerary nipple like this female [5] (not sure the term applies to the latter). Edison (talk) 19:41, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

Or wishful thinking. Julia Rossi (talk) 00:46, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Legality

I understand possession of a nunchuku is illegal in California. I train with nunchukus in my karate arts classes. I do posses wood and metal ones. Is it possible to get arrested for transporting my nunchukus back and forth from training ground to home? And what would happen if I were to leave state would I be able to take my nunchukus with me? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.143.3.182 (talk) 18:56, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

Can we give legal advice? D0762 (talk) 19:04, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

The type of legal advice a lawyer gives (like whether to plead out a case), no. But asking what the laws are in California is a legit question, as you don't need to be a lawyer to answer that. StuRat (talk) 03:26, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

You know, it clearly states all that in the California penal code. I don't have that with me though.. Neal (talk) 20:20, 5 April 2008 (UTC).

Thanks, I'll just look up the California penal code and read it. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.143.3.182 (talk) 20:59, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

On http://www.uplandmacenter.com/nunchakulaw.html it says:

12020. (a) Any person in this state who does any of the following is punishable by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year or in the state prison.

(1) Manufactures or causes to be manufactured, imports into the state, keeps for sale, or offers or exposes for sale, or who gives, lends, or possesses ... any nunchaku ...

(b) Subdivision (a) does not apply to any of the following:

(3) The possession of a nunchaku on the premises of a school which holds a regulatory or business license and teaches the arts of self-defense.

It would seem that both transporting the device(s) and keeping it (them) at home may be an offence in some jurisdictions.

This is not to be interpreted as legal advice. It is a response to the hypothetical question "Is it possible...", as posed by the querent.

I suggest that the school where you are training in martial arts should (possible must) give you appropriate advice on the options available.--Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 22:48, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

Ask your school about the necessary licences to cover you. Julia Rossi (talk) 00:44, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

April 6

Housecats

What is the largest breed of housecats? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.119.61.7 (talk) 01:33, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Maine Coons are quite large, as well as being very effective mousers. Edison (talk) 02:18, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

I had always thought Tonkinese were big cats.Cardinal Raven (talk) 03:13, 6 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

According to our article they are only medium sized. I'd go with the Maine Coon. StuRat (talk) 03:22, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Well you obviously haven't seen my Tonkinese. He is about the size of a Maine coon. And he isn't chunky. He started as the runt of the litter and then turned into a monster on me. But he is my monster to love. I think that Maine coons are ugly cats. Why would anyone want one?Cardinal Raven (talk) 03:42, 6 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

Your particular cat may have been atypical for the breed. I think Maine Coon cats are cool. They seem to have nice personalities, too. StuRat (talk) 04:32, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Norwegian forest cat as well. Skittle (talk) 08:45, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Maine coons are only okay when it comes to personality. Other than that they are too fuzzy, their meow isn't very cute, and they look ugly just like that Norwegian forest cat. I've always been a short hair cat person. And my cat meows at you for calling it atypical.Personally the only reason Maine coons are the largest cat is because of all that fur.Cardinal Raven (talk) 15:01, 6 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

No more personal attacks on Maine coons. I had one for many years, and she was a remarkable cat. Edison (talk) 04:20, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Catfight! Clarityfiend (talk) 05:43, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

As she waould say, "NeeeAIRHGH!!!"

Most worrying thing

If the human race has to worry about something, what should be the thing that they worry about (and try to prevent) most? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.68.238.153 (talk) 01:49, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

This is entirely subjective and generally unanswerable. I will, however, note that "should worry most about" and "should try to prevent" do not necessarily go hand-in-hand. — Lomn 02:00, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Climate change comes readily to mind; AFAIK, it's the most imminent threat to the habitability of the planet. NeonMerlin 02:11, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Personally, I'm most worried about my car falling apart, but, the human race as a whole, hmm, maybe World War III. Useight (talk) 02:31, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

I hate to sound like a skeptic, but the majority of the human race would probably worry about themselves more. Not necessarily that everyone is evil, but innately, humans on a whole are pre-occupied with self-sustainment. --^LaPianísta! 03:10, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

I think the thing that humans worry about the most is climate and gas. If those things didn't exist other humans.Cardinal Raven (talk) 03:15, 6 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

I still think nuclear war is the primary threat. This threat may have reduced somewhat with the collapse of the Soviet Union, but this is far from permanently eliminating the threat. Eventually just about every country will have nuclear weapons, and then various terrorist organizations, too. The only question is for how long we can prevent this. Biological weapons may be a close second, as deadly diseases for which we have no treatment could also be unleashed. In comparison with these threats, global warming is only a minor concern. StuRat (talk) 03:19, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Why do you think every country will eventually have nuclear weapons? The rate of nuclear proliferation is not very fast and has more to do with politics than it does technological change. Non-state actors acquiring nuclear weapons is problematic but is hardly world-ending, and is incredibly preventable from a technical point of view. The hardest things are political, not technical. The collapse of the Soviet Union has if anything worsened the nuclear threat from the point of view of international stability and security of nuclear materials, IMO. --Captain Ref Desk (talk) 21:59, 12 April 2008 (UTC)

Maybe we should worry about another Great Depression. It really is turning out like that now a days. People are losing a lot of money. A lot of people were laid off just last year.Gas prices are getting extremely high. Taxes are eating money away. But even if we had a Great Depression we would all have to worry about other humans. Is that human going to block my chance of survival, is that human against me, should I trust that human or is he going to wiggle money out of me, etc. I think in a situation like that we would have to worry about a lot of things. Even a nuclear war we would have to worry not about the nuclear war itself, but if we survive we have to worry about those other humans who need to survive. Survival of the fittest is in our instinct.Cardinal Raven (talk) 03:46, 6 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

Death--Artjo (talk) 05:42, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

A large Near-Earth object (such as an asteroid) would be a global disaster if it crashed into the Earth.--86.149.49.161 (talk) 09:06, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Bad driving hotclaws 10:28, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Global Warming may be dangerous, but there is NO WAY that it will kill off humanity. Life is, in fact, remarkably good at surviving. If you want to be terrified, read this section about the even that killed off the dinosaurs. Life survived that. It even survived the Permian–Triassic extinction event, which was even worse. If life can survive that, I think human beings will survive anything Global Warming can throw at us. I the only thing that will be able to end human life (excluding the death of the sun, and, you know, the heat death of the universe) is a big-ass asteroid. Maybe some horrific disease. Maybe. --Oskar 19:13, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

We have seveal articles that list things to worry about Risks to civilization, humans and planet Earth is a place to start. -Arch dude (talk) 23:22, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

1. 1 threat? Other humans, which has been true for, oh, about 2 million years, & shows no signs of abating. Trekphiler (talk) 23:37, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Yes, but only recently have humans developed the ability to kill off the entire human race, via nuclear winter after nuclear war. StuRat (talk) 04:37, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Me.You'll soon find out why,but then it will be too late.There's no way to stop me!You're doomed,all doomed! Lemon martini (talk) 12:44, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

You might enjoy this article on how to destroy the Earth. I personally am with StuRat that nuclear weapons are the main threat; I will be shocked if there isn't a full-scale nuclear exchange in the next couple of centuries. We're just too darn stupid even before you throw nutball religions into the mix. --Sean 14:21, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. - JFK

Fear is the mind-killer - Dune

If you're worried, you've already failed at life. So keep stoking your fear and paranoia with as many delusional thoughts as you can wrap your head around. Eventually you'll reach critical mass and have an epiphany, and stop worrying altogether. Or not. But taking something to the extreme can be just as good as methodically trying to rehabilitate yourself. Vranak (talk) 19:36, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Fear is the mind killer - Adam Freeland Admiral Norton ^(talk) 22:09, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

All you gotta ask yourself is: what type of event would wipe out most of the human race for the longest possible time? Then you have what we should all be worrying about over any thing else. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.76.170.42 (talk) 00:06, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

There's no use worrying about vague and uncertain catastrophies. First of all, if an asteroid did hit the earth, you'd be better off not knowing and enjoying your life as much as possible in the interim, rather than counting down the days to your demise. Second, while you're using all your brainpower trying to work out the most likely way to die, you'll be ignoring the actual world, and might do something stupid like drive off a cliff, or ignore something insidious like a musty odor in your home that slowly ruins your lungs. By looking for catastrophe you create catastrophe. See self-fufilling prophecy. Vranak (talk) 19:55, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

But you're forgetting to include the odds of such a thing happening. Giant extinction-level meteors strike Earth every 100 million years or so, and could wipe out the human race, but the chances of this happening anytime soon are extremely small. Nuclear war, on the other hand, isn't all that unlikely and gets more likely with each new nation or terrorist group that acquires nuclear weapons. StuRat (talk) 02:50, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

No terrorist organisation has ever acquired nuclear weapons, and the only country I could ever see using nukes is north korea, though there could also be some india-pakistan dispute.--Jaeger123 (talk) 13:58, 12 April 2008 (UTC)

Several points:

1) You don't actually know that no terrorist org has yet obtained nuclear weapons. They would be likely to keep it secret, at least until they were able to deploy them in a such way that they could not be destroyed.

2) Even if they haven't yet, that certainly is no guarantee that they never will. On the contrary, as more countries have more nuclear weapons, it becomes increasingly more likely that some country will give them to whatever terrorist org they think will do their bidding for them, or simply sell them for cash.

3) I agree that North Korea is the most irresponsible nation that currently has nuclear weapons. However, even "responsible" nations, like Israel, may use them if they feel they have no other way to survive.

4) As more nations get nuclear weapons, such as Iran, more irresponsible nations will have them, such as Iran. StuRat (talk) 19:10, 12 April 2008 (UTC)

1. There's no evidence that any have and no reason to believe it has happened. 2. There are strong practical reasons why a nation state would not sell weapons to non-state actors. It is very easy to tell, in the wake of a nuclear explosion, exactly where the fissile material was manufactured. No country would be stupid enough to sell off a nuclear weapon to an unpredictable group; they'd get the blame for it quite quickly. --Captain Ref Desk (talk) 22:08, 12 April 2008 (UTC)

Hmmm. Answering the OP literally: total annihilation of everything you love while you're forced to watch followed by excrutiating torture, forever, alone.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 03:24, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

Humans, as species with advanced mental capabilities, first of all may think about purpose of life. Other problems include bad instincts, degradation, fecundism, etc. Abdullais4u (talk) 21:49, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

Fraternities near Trent

What fraternity houses are within walking distance of Trent University? NeonMerlin 02:10, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

There are apparently no fraternities at Trent. Canadians generally do not care about frats, and Trent is not really big enough to support any. There are some at Western and Toronto, at least, but it was still unusual to meet anyone who was in one. Adam Bishop (talk) 08:57, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Illusion

Is life an illusion? Are our physical forms a manifestation of spiritual aura? Is life after death just a way to explain the physical form going back into its original spiritual aura form? Is time just an illusion? Is there really no such thing as time? Is it just something we put up to make life feel like its moving? Is there really such a thing as reality? What if reality really is just another hologram? Another manifestation of another being. What if reality and life are really living beings created as non-moving objects by our illusions of the world and reality?

Thank You

Always

Cardinal Raven

Cardinal Raven (talk) 04:01, 6 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

These aren't questions we can answer. I suggest you listen to a Moody Blues album ([6]) and contemplate the answer for yourself. StuRat (talk) 04:25, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

You may like to start with our articles on topics such as reality and time to see how philosophers have approached these areas. Warofdreams talk 04:38, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

One sense is sufficient to establish that something real is responsible for the sensation. Of course, that doesn't ensure that we'll correctly identify what it is that is responsible for that sensation.

If someone tells you that men can never perceive reality accurately, ask him how he figured this out and whether this claim constitutes accurate perception of reality.

If someone tells you that you can never be certain that other people have minds, tell him you would think about what he said but you can't be sure that anyone actually said it. Neal (talk) 04:50, 6 April 2008 (UTC).

Sounds like Reality in Buddhism might be helpful. Julia Rossi (talk) 05:30, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Articles on sensation and perception would be worth reading - we think we see the world objectively but actually have quite a subjective and curtailed view of the universe which of course affects our notions of "reality", life, time and space. Mhicaoidh (talk) 06:08, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

No, brains in vats doesn't work.
There is no such thing as a spiritual aura. We are matter acting on matter. Our brain is "us."
No, upon death we cease; see above.
To some extent.
No.
To some extent.
Yes.
Again, brains in vats is a dead end.
Incoherent.
Also Incoherent.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 06:28, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Now that Fuhghettaboutit mentions it, brains in vats is like the self trying to understand itself, a supposed impossibility; but having fun is possible, so if theorizing is your thing just dive into anything starting with Quantum mechanics and play! Your world is the one you live in and furnish. ; ) Julia Rossi (talk) 09:43, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Solipsism adresses some of the issues. 200.127.59.151 (talk) 13:02, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Let me clear up what I meant about spiritual aura. I believe matter, atoms, and all the physics of life is our soul. It is what drives us to live. When we die the parts of that persons matter, atoms, etc. are absorb by other people. That is what I mean about spiritual aura. Let me clear up the last question. I also believe that the thought or the need to live and survive is suppressed in some living creatures.Therefore those suppressed lives and survival instincts are what makes our cars. But all of this is mindless thinking from reading to much science fiction, to many quantum theories, and to many weird shows. My mind is a bit messed up now. Makes me think of life way to much and way to differently to actually be acknowledge as it being that way. Since this mindless thinking is just a theory.

Always

Cardinal Raven

Cardinal Raven (talk) 14:58, 6 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

The human brain is the end result of million and millions of years of evolution. It's complexity, its structure, is directed by our genes and is built from trillions of atoms. These arent "special" atoms, they're just atoms; it is the structure and organization of those plain everyday atoms that results in the brain, and it is from that, working with the rest of our bodies, that gives us consciousness. When we die, the organization that makes up our brains immediately starts turning into goo. In very little time, the brain is just constituent atoms. Those atoms may enter somewhere back into the chain of life, or not, but they are no different than any other atoms. If you want to call those atoms, when they are in that complex working structure, a "soul", as opposed to the religious idea of a spiritual soul that is something more than just matter, and inhabiting our matter as a vessel, so be it, but then you are either using that word in a way that robs it of any of the meaning normally attached to it, or imbuing matter with some numinous quality that it cannot have.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 23:07, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

If "life" were an illusion or a well devised computer simulation, I can't think of any test you could conduct to disclose the fact. A psych professor once opined, "Yes, life could be an illusion. But I imagine that if I imagined I stopped going to work, then I would soon imagine the department stopped paying me, and then I would imagine I was cold and hungry." Edison (talk) 04:17, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

If life were a computer simulation, I would be interested in the hack codes to increase one's bank account. Edison (talk) 04:19, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

It's true that it's untestable, but here's a statistical argument: there's only one universe, but if we're in a simulation on God's Linux box, there could be almost infinite copies of it running (depending on how much RAM He has), so there's only a ${\frac {1}{\sim \infty }}$ chance that we're the real thing. :) --Sean 14:29, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Cardinal Raven, may I humbly suggest that you are suffering from what could be called lexicographical reification. You're taking words like reality, illusion, physical manifestation, spiritual aura at face value, as actual things that exist in the real world. They don't. They're just words, and words are only useful for conveying understanding. It seems to me like your brain is running around in circles trying to come to some sort of conclusion with regard to myriad metaphysical concepts. This is fruitless. Go for a walk! Best regards, Vranak (talk) 19:42, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Jimbo Wales

What is the role Mr. Wales plays on Wikipedia these days? Is he still running the daily oversight of the encyclopedia? What kind of powers does he have? JeanLatore (talk) 04:54, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

I'd say his contribs page is a start. Neal (talk) 11:01, 6 April 2008 (UTC).

Technically Mr. Wales no longer runs Wikipedia directly, though his word is often treated as law when it comes to policy decisions (when he chooses to weigh in on them), but this is a question of tradition more than formal authority. He is a member of the board of trustees of the Wikimedia Foundation, the organization which operates Wikipedia, though it is only in very extreme situations (e.g. relating to legal practices) that they weigh in officially on content or policy. I would sum it up as saying he has a lot of informal influence, though he doesn't do much in terms of daily oversight. --Captain Ref Desk (talk) 14:49, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

He is also a sort of ambassador to the world, he travels a lot, makes speeches, is interviewed by journalists as a Wikipedia representative. Corvus cornix_talk 20:50, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

And head of the Rachel Marsden Fan Club? ;) Lemon martini (talk) 15:23, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Did Tata get the deal of the century (so far)?

Jag AND Land Rover for just $2.3 bn. That sounds like a deal too good to be true?

Lotsofissues 06:38, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

When you compare that to the sale value to what Ford payed, it certainly seems like a good deal. However, those companies have some disadvantages, like lower quality when compared with some of the newer luxury brands, like Lexus and Acura, from Japan especially. Those cars and trucks also tend to be gas guzzlers in a market where gasoline prices are spiralling. That, combined with people no longer thinking of them as luxury brands but rather as Fords or, even worse, Tata Motors cars in disguise, means those brands just won't sell like they once did. Therefore, the brands are worth less than before. StuRat (talk) 15:20, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Yeah, $2.3 bn, but when you consider that they both probably still come with Lucas electrics (""Lucas -- the Prince of Darkness") ...

(Yes, I know, Lucas Industries plc -> LucasVarity -> TRW, but that wouldn't have been funny.)

(Yes, I know, my joke wasn't very funny anyway.)

Atlant (talk) 16:11, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Does every car come with a paternity test? Jamie Madrox 23:43, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Using mobile

Is it very harmful if we use the mobile phones, while it is lightening? If it is yes can I know the reasons? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mufleeh (talk • contribs) 12:50, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

No. Lightning is not attracted to a cell phone in any meaningful fashion. If you're standing out in the middle of a field during a thunderstorm to get better reception, though, that's risky (but not because of the cell phone). — Lomn 16:08, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Or if you're in the middle of nowhere and you have to hold it up in the air above your head to get a signal. or is it just radios you can do that with?HS7 (talk) 17:23, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

A cell phone is, fundamentally, a radio, so this can be helpful. Multipath and other signal degradation issues can exhibit strange behavior. — Lomn 19:37, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

I saw a news story a few months ago (sorry, no cite) to the effect that although using a cellphone does not make it more likely that you will be struck by lightning, it may increase the injury you suffer if you are, because the conducting materials in the phone will make more of the lightning current flow that way. The story described cases where people suffered burns mostly in the area where their phone was. But I don't know if there are statistics to say whether this is a meaningful contribution to the (very real) risk of lightning injury. --Anonymous, 21:21:21 UTC, April 6, 2008.

I've seen similar stories related to iPods and etc. in lightning strikes. --Captain Ref Desk (talk) 15:02, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

The iPod thing can be explained by the headphone cord. It is a path to ground more conductive than the human body, so the lightning will try to follow it. The same thing can probably explain the cell phone injuries, too. You're holding your hand to your ear. If you get struck on your head, you've now given the electricity the choice between your neck and your arm. If it chooses your arm, it's going to look like it went for the phone. --Mdwyer (talk) 22:57, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

National Forest Land

Is there any way to buy national forest land? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.119.61.7 (talk) 13:54, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

• This, of course, depends on what country you live in, but a national forest is, by definition, publicly owned. Even if you country allows it's purchase, there will be a sea of red tape and environmental restrictions. Paragon12321 (talk) 15:59, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

I'm assuming you mean U.S. National Forests from your IP. According to this "It is nearly impossible to buy national forest land, or to sell land to the Forest Service." But the site does detail so called "deals" between developers and national forests, where trading pieces of land appears to be a common workaround. D0762 (talk) 16:53, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

The traditional method is to spend a fraction of the money you would have used to buy the land to simply lobby for legal permission to clear cut it, remove its mountaintops, dump your toxic sludge in it, or whatever it is you were planning on doing had you bought it. That said, you might be interested in this fascinating program where you can live on state-owned land in return for doing restoration work on the property. --Sean 14:39, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

• In the UK, National Park land is nearly all privately owned and you can easily buy some, but there are strict planning restrictions if you want to change use or build anything there. (Not what the question asked, I know) 78.32.74.48 (talk) 19:47, 12 April 2008 (UTC)

Finding bond prices

Trying very hard to do my taxes using turbotax. I need to value of a particular bond on a particular date. I have spent the past hour trying to figure out how to find historical information on this bond, given in my 1099 under the description: "CALIF HFA REV MFH TARA VLG APTS A B/E FNMA /R/ 7.150 120124 DTD 110194" I need its value as of October 15, 1996. Any help appreciated.--151.202.36.112 (talk) 16:12, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Carp Fishing

Where should I fish for carp and what bait should I use? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.106.20.20 (talk) 16:45, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Where are you? I used to get them on cornmeal and molasses in slow-flowing fresh water. Pretty big hook, fish the bottom in the shallows with a bobber. They'll mouth it, so give them time to take it. --Milkbreath (talk) 16:53, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Why fish for carp? All bone. Edison (talk) 19:02, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Help.

OK, I'm not sure you're allowed to answer questions like this, but it's the only place I can think of to ask. What should i do if I think that someone on an internet chat room has taken an overdose to try to kill themselves. they're too far away for me to do anything, I don't know where they live and I don't even know if they have or it's a really bad joke. Is there anything I can do?HS7 (talk) 17:21, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

In reality, not a whole lot. You could contact an administrator for the chat room and see if he/she can trace the other user to a static IP, which might at least give you a localized area to do an online address search (if you know their real name). Or you could try contacting another one of the person's online friends in the hopes that they are also real-life friends (uncommon in a chatroom, but possible). In practice, it's a pretty remote chance that you'll get through to someone before the person is dead. Also consider: if they really want to kill themselves, they probably wouldn't advertise it, right? Matt Deres (talk) 17:49, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

I'm quite sure noone on the website knows them in real life. And they weren't advertizing, they were saying goodbye to their friends. :( I'll see what I can do about getting the administrators help, not that she's online much. HS7 (talk) 18:39, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

You know, let suicidal people be suicidal people.. You'll just have to social engineer with this someone if you don't want them that way. So, is this on IRC? Neal (talk) 01:31, 7 April 2008 (UTC).

OK, a second question here. They claim to have taken 20 morphine tablets. I don't know much about drugs, so I was wondering if anyone here could tell me if that's an amount it's possible for someone with a very ill father to find, and whether they could even take that many at one time. And also is that enough? How likely are they to survive something like that. And how likely are they to be able to do that and then write about it on the internet in two seperate places with perfect spelling both times? Or would they be barely able to consentrate and make lots of typos?HS7 (talk) 22:23, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

You know you shouldn't trust what people say on the internet. Sometimes they stay this stuff to get attention. Maybe you should stop worrying about it so much. Its not very likely that they would survive. If they are living and telling the story they probably haven't taken any. They would be in the hospital by now and wouldn't be telling you the story they would be fighting for their lives.The most likely they have taken is zero.71.143.3.182 (talk)Cardinal Raven —Preceding comment was added at 03:31, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

They're not still telling the story, they came online to say what they had done and then left again. but I really hope you're right.HS7 (talk) 04:57, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

If the person is telling people he/she planes to kill herself then there is at least a moderately good chance the person is engaging in suicidal gestures and ideation. You could try to contact him and try to get him to call Samaritans or a similar crisis hotline. 120 mg of morphine is potently fatal.[7] I have no idea how easy this would be for such a person to obtain. --S.dedalus (talk) 04:56, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

To those of you saying this is a joke - not necessarily. Questioner, I would advise you to do what you can (such as contacting the administrator as you said you planned to do). Better safe than sorry. -Elmer Clark (talk) 07:37, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

I doubt anyone will read this again, but in case anyone does and cares at all, it turns out the whole thing was just a rather late April fools joke. Which was a bit annoying, but at least she's OK.

And people don't seem to have got that she just went online and said she had taken an overdose and then left again. She wasn't there talking about it or saying she was going to do it later.

Anyway, thanks for all your help. HS7 (talk) 10:35, 13 April 2008 (UTC)

Question

I have been wondering about this for a very long time. Although I have never once lied to a police in reality, but I have lied to a police online while playing Halo 3. So here's the question, When is it okay to lie to the police? SlaveofBetrayal (Talk) (UTC)SlaveofBetrayal

I can't answer the legal aspect, but from an ethical POV, probably never. If you're in a situation where you think you ought to lie, being silent is usually the more ethical response. It varies from place to place, but many jurisdictions maintain at least lip

service to the standard of allowing you access to legal counsel (i.e. a lawyer) who could more properly advise you on the legal side of things. It is foolish to lie to your lawyer. Matt Deres (talk) 18:16, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

I can think of plenty of situations in which lying to a policeman would be the morally best choice. For example if the policeman is trying to enforce an immoral law, and by lying to him you can impede him in doing so. (From my libertarian perspective, a fairly large percentage of laws are immoral, so out of consideration for my own skin I'm not likely to live up to my highest ideals here except in extraordinary circumstances.) --Trovatore (talk) 21:49, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

My guess was that the guy you lied to online wasn't actually a policeman, but was impersonating one, which is illegal. If you run into an actual policeman, I'm not sure, so this is not my legal counsel!, but I think you have to give them your name, but aren't required to tell them anything else. Useight (talk) 19:03, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Not a legal counsel: I suppose the ethical answer (as opposed to the legal one) depends on one's ethical system. A situationalist or a consequentialist would probably be able to come up with some very good reasons for which one might reasonably be expected to lie to the police (e.g., hiding Jews in your attic in 1941). A deontologist-kantian, however, would say that lying is always wrong, and there is no situation in which it would be exceptable. A virtue ethicist might ask what other factors are playing into the net effect on your character. Pastordavid (talk) 23:50, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Hmm, I'm a deontologist, and I think it's morally correct to lie to anyone against whom you would have the moral right to use physical force. That includes the police, when they're trying to enforce a law that the state has no right to impose. --Trovatore (talk) 02:43, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Trovatore, that's not very deontological of you. At least it hardly holds up to a universal moral standard derived from reason that "if they're allowed to use force, I'm allowed to lie to them". Kant would have stated that as their right to use force is essentially a result of a social contract,authorised by the government as agents of the people, you're certainly not allowed to lie to them. Although Kant would also have stated that lying is wrong all the time as it leads to logical contradictions. 81.96.161.104 (talk) 23:19, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

I think you misunderstood me. I didn't say "if they're allowed to use force I can lie to them". I said if it's moral for me to use force against them, then it's also moral for me to lie to them (physical force being the most morally problematic thing that exists).

I am not a Kantian. I'm more a Lockean or Thoreauvian. Not that I know what Locke or Thoreau would have said on this specific issue. But I certainly do not accept that the state has any moral authority whatsoever as "agents of the people". There is no people; there are only people (individuals). --Trovatore (talk) 05:43, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

Very illegal in the US apparently. --S.dedalus (talk) 01:20, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

You're right, I misread your post, sorry. But I still don't see how as a deontologist who presumably believes in the moral supremacy of one ideal/duty, you could justify lying to anyone, let alone using physical force. I have to admit to being ignorant of Thoreau's writings, but it seems problematic. And your point about the state seems a little bit moot if youlive in a western democracy, where the governments continued existence is essentially due to the will of the people, and therefore their ability to delegate power is valid. Personally, I consider myself a Kantian both politically and ethically. I don't live up to Kant's high standards, but his arguments about the primacy of reason and the individual appeal to me. 81.96.161.104 (talk) 21:51, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

I believe in a natural right of self-defense, which includes physical force. As far as the bit about western democracy, that argument doesn't work unless you accept that the majority has the right to dictate the behavior of the minority. I do not accept that in general -- I accept it only when it flows out of the individual right of self-defense belonging to the individuals making up the majority. --Trovatore (talk) 00:35, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

When they are on or off-duty? or are they always police. Julia Rossi (talk) 02:12, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

I wouldn't want anyone to rely on this, but I think this sort of criminal charge can apply only to lying in connection with an official investigation. Professing your love to a cop, when you don't really feel it, is as far as I know not illegal anywhere in the US. --Trovatore (talk) 02:59, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

I would absolutely, 100%, not trust anyone claiming to be a cop on X-Box Live. (Or the Playstation Network, for that matter.) Under no circumstances would I give them any information at all unless they could provide their full name and the police department that they work for. Even then I would not communicate to them via XBL, I would call directory assistance (411) and have them connect me to the police department he mentioned.

If the cop was legit, the department will be able to connect you with someone who can deal with the problem.

In the much, much, more likely case that the cop was phony, they will probably be very interested in knowing the gamertag of someone impersonating one of their officers. APL (talk) 02:35, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

That's not to say that cops don't play games like anyone else does, of course. And of course, nothing I just posted is legal advice at all. (I'm a computer programmer, not a lawyer.) It's just what I would do. APL (talk) 02:39, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Lying to a police officer during an investigation might qualify as "impeding a police investigation". This charge would mainly apply to witnesses, as it's rather expected that the actual criminal would lie, and the sentence for the crime is typically far worse than the penalty for lying, if any. Interestingly, the police frequently lie during investigations, say by claiming to have witnesses or evidence they don't have, in order to get a confession under false pretenses. This is legal, as far as I can tell. Quite the double-standard. StuRat (talk) 04:21, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Push-ups and pull-ups

How many push-ups and pull-ups is a good level? How many should I do to look like Bruce Lee or Jean Claude van Damme? 217.168.3.246 (talk) 18:53, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

A lot, that's for sure. Useight (talk) 19:01, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Thanks! I have already thought that it must be a high number. 217.168.3.246 (talk) 19:10, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

I'm pretty sure that the number would be relative to your own body type. I would recommend more than just pull ups and push ups, because they only work on specific muscle groups. A gym or a proper workout website might be able to recommend a good routine for complete muscle development. Both Lee and van Damme have/had slim, athletic body types, rather than just developing big muscles. Developing large muscles will require a different workout to developing strong but smaller muscles. Steewi (talk) 01:26, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

In the Bruce Lee talk page, his book says he could do 50 1-hand pull ups, though some suspect it's more like 17. Jet Li clearly could do 10 1-armed pull ups in a fast pace in a movie. As for push-ups, well, Bruce Lee could do the 2-finger push-ups and such. There are world records for consecutive push-ups and such. Neal (talk) 01:34, 7 April 2008 (UTC).

Would it be in extremely bad taste to point out that the most effective way to look like Bruce Lee would be to die? Yeah, I suppose it would. --Trovatore (talk) 06:26, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Looking totally ripped like Bruce Lee has a *lot* to do with having very low body fat. --Sean 14:44, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Help with my story plot

I am writing a short story based in the UK. Could anyone give me a credible reason as to why a respectable Ivy-league educated American man would end up as a tramp in central London please? (Someone who is not a drug-addict or alcoholic). Thanks 80.0.106.237 (talk) 20:20, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Perhaps the character is on the run from the law; something happened shortly before he graduated college, and he had to flee. Maybe he was falsely accused, or maybe it was a heat-of-the-moment thing. He would thus have the education and intelligence of an Ivy League grad, just not the degree. Or, have you read the book/seen the movie Into the Wild? Sometimes people just choose to live like this because they see it as romantic or adventurous. I don't know about the London angle, but something could be worked out. AlexiusHoratius (talk) 21:16, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Perhaps the character thought it would be useful research for a book, along the lines of Down and Out in Paris and London? Warofdreams talk 21:24, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

That sounds more like pretending to be down and out. But I love the concept: the guy is slumming in London to research a book in which a character is slumming in London to research a book in which... --mglg_(talk) 21:37, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

What if he lost his identification while pretending to be a tramp in London? There would still be ways of dealing with this problem, especialy if he had friends back in The States who knew what he was doing. Still, it could become dificult, and what if things went wrong back home, perhaps a tragedy, or perhaps a greedy relative who would prefer that the 'tramp' not reclaim his true identity. APL (talk) 02:24, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

I think "on the run from the law" clearly offers the widest range of possibilities. He could be wanted by the ordinary police or it could be a border-security thing, like he expects to be arrested at the airport as a suspected terrorist if he tries to return. But he can't get a legal job in London because he entered the country as a tourist (and maybe he's already stayed too long and he's now an illegal immigrant), and if he went on using any credit cards or bank cards he might have to access money he has at home, he'd be traceable. So what else is there but life as a bum or a thief?

As to the plot element "thought it would be useful research", you will want to avoid borrowing too much from the movie Sullivan's Travels, which combines this element with the "falsely accused by the law" one. --Anonymous, 21:39 UTC, April 6, 2008.

Interesting - I haven't seen that one. I suggested it, as it rather seemed that Orwell was pretending to some extent - he certainly was very short of money and suffered many privations, but it wasn't clear why - particularly in London - he couldn't call on his friends and family to assist him. Warofdreams talk 21:45, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

FEAR NOT. For I a Cardinal Raven is here. I myself write stories so I can help a lot more. Running from the law though gives you a range of things its been done before. Lets not make he runaway. Could you tell me the genre of the story you are writing? Science fiction I would say he would get involved with an extraterrestrial or even a time dimension situation and people think he crazy. Something about ordinary life maybe he fine no more sense in living. Like he has lived it all and experience it all, but he hasn't experienced being poor and begging for money. Horror you could make him a serial killer. Or maybe he isn't the tramp maybe he has an alternate personality and that alternate personality is a tramp. There is so much you can do. I can help more. Tell me the genre and I can help real well.

Always

Cardinal Raven

Cardinal Raven (talk) 22:16, 6 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

This is a bit autobiographical, but here goes. I am in fact an Ivy League educated American. (I'm not sure how respectable I am.) I almost did this. I got a summer job working for an American tour company working as their liaison with London hotels and tour operators some years ago, at age 21. I fell in love with the city and considered staying on after the summer job ended, come what may. (In fact, I decided to hitchhike to Greece, but that is another story.) Although I have an Ivy League education thanks to generous stipends, my family doesn't have money and wouldn't have been able to support me. I can very well imagine not being able to find legitimate work, due to a lack of the proper papers. (Actually, the American tour company employed me there illegally.) I would have had to fall back on odd jobs washing dishes, perhaps collecting recyclables, or whatever. Under those circumstances, I suppose that I would have gotten over being in love with London and would have borrowed the air fare from my family (as I did to get back from Greece). However, a love interest might have changed that. If your protagonist has a lover in London, he or she might be willing to live life as a tramp to be near his/her beloved. Marco polo (talk) 01:13, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

A psychotic episode might give the impetus to a life-changing event such as that. I have heard of cases of phds and other well educated people on the streets because of something like this. It might not fit with your cahracter, though, because the psychotic issue would have to be somewhat ongoing. You would need to research schizophrenia, paranoia and perhaps the nature of different types of hallucinations. Steewi (talk) 01:30, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

You might find help with this at the Livejournal community little details here. They have everyone from cops to heraldry specialists to doctors. --NellieBly (talk) 02:59, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Here is quicky of my alternate personality plot:

I woke up in the streets again. Like I always did every morning. I didn't know why exactly. I wasn't a man to be begging for money on the streets. I was the man lending money to other people. Hence forth, I wore nice suits and ties. I lived in a clean house that was to big for one person. Everyone knew me as James Living the wealthiest man on the planet not James Living the man who begs for money like some tramp.

And then the other personality the tramp:

I woke up in a suit and tie. Did I sneak into another persons house? Did I steal again just to stay warm like I did every night? I walked out the window the sun was no where to be seen how long was I out for. I had know name. I just stole names. Like Saxon today my name was going to be Saxon the greatest magician just to swindle a bit of food off the wealthier people.

Or something like that. Its not very good, but I hope it helps a little.71.143.3.182 (talk) 03:21, 7 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

For a plot "ripped from today's headlines", how about a visitor who gets amnesia ? Always a favorite of fiction authors. StuRat (talk) 04:07, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

He saw his girlfriend die,under a Tube train and went into shock?He said he'd live as a tramp for a bet then couldn't get out of the situation? Someone stole his ID and committed a crime? hotclaws 06:08, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Perhaps he saw himself as a modern day Francis of Assisi and took a vow of poverty. Gwinva (talk) 09:39, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

I would suggest that your ivy-leaguer just paid for a tankful of UK petrol without realising that the cost would bankrupt him, his family, and his friends; make him sell all his worldly goods and pawn his watch etc; and put him on the streets of London singing Ralph McTell songs. 81.145.240.146 (talk) 09:57, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Assuming you want him to retain the knowledge he gained at university, an option like identity theft or being framed for a crime (or a combination of both) would work well. Or he could have discovered something that sort of set him on his way to London but he spent all of his money and lost credibility amongst his peers in the process. Science or historical revisionism would be good topics forhim to be investigating, they'd seem less 'conspiracy theorist' and perhaps a bit more philosophical about the nature of truth. If you want to take the Bourne route and go for he doesn't really know who he is but is talented, then a mental breakdown would be pretty good. A really severe one. Look into mental disorders and pick one. You could even combine both, sohe suffers a mental breakdown while following his research obssessively around the world. There is a whole worldof options open to your character, depending on what sort of story it is. 81.96.161.104 (talk) 23:10, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Thank you for ideas so far. I'm looking for a reason that is consistent with a wealthy and cheerful english woman wanting to marry him later on. Thanks. 80.2.199.202 (talk) 06:45, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

He looks like George Clooney would do it ,I think ^{(Hypnosadist)} 14:05, 11 April 2008 (UTC)

tractor

What is the smallest type of tractor that is able to bale hay and have a loader? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.119.61.7 (talk) 21:43, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Tractors don't bale hay: do you mean a baler? I'm not sure what you mean by "have a loader", though. --NellieBly (talk) 03:18, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

There are too many variables here. If a loader is a front bucket or fork-lift type tines, you can get those even for lawn tractors. But will that be big enough for the job you have in mind? What kind of baler do you want to pull - a square bailer, a round bailer? Different balers have different weights, require different power inputs, etc. Many models are designed for small farms/farms with smaller equipment. Rmhermen (talk) 15:26, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

electromagnetics

A uniform surface charge density of 20nC/m2 is present on the spherical surface r=0.6 cm in free space. a) Find the absolute potential at P(r=1cm, θ=25°, φ=50°). b) Find VA-B (potential difference between point A and point B) given points A(r=2cm, θ=30°, φ=60°) and B(r=3cm, θ=45°, φ=90°). —Preceding unsigned comment added by Yabadapado (talk • contribs) 22:24, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Looks like homework! Capacitance of isolated spherical conductor given by: C= 4ΠЄR. where Epsilon is the permittivity of free space, and R is the radius of the sphere. Also Q=CV.

You could work out the potential at the surface of the sphere, then use the inverse square law I think. I think the angles given are irrelevant as the source is isotropic —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.76.193.130 (talk) 00:39, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

dog whistle and neighbor's dog

My neighbor has a very annoying dog. Specially when the dog is alone it is very loud. I thought I could buy a dog whistle to 'train' the dog so it can let me alone. As it starts to bark I could blow the whistle as loud as I can. Does this training method will work?217.168.3.246 (talk) 23:04, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

I'm not sure, but it might make the dog bark louder..? --Masamage ♫ 23:06, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

I am not so sure. I've heard that if it is loud enough it hurts. Meantime I've found an online shop and they cost only a couple of dollars. I think I will give it a try. 217.168.3.246 (talk) 23:41, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

I'm not sure how you're going to blow a whistle loud enough to hurt the dog's ears if you're in the next house over. (Imagine you were trying to hurt a human's ears with an audible whistle.) Still for a couple of bucks, why not. You might also consider complaining to the neighbor, or in extreme cases to the local animal control officer. APL (talk) 02:18, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Talking to my neighbor is not an option. I am also cogitating to feed his dog with lots of chocolate. I've heard the LD50 is not very high. 217.168.3.246 (talk) 02:52, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

(ec) Ah, so you're saying you'd rather kill an innocent animal who doesn't have the capacity to know he's bothering you rather than man up and talk to the animal's owners. I had a useful comment before the edit conflict but I'll refrain, since you're obviously just trying to get a reaction out of people for being a dog-killer. --NellieBly (talk) 02:57, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Oh, please, now I will burst with curiosity about your comment. I am no dog-killer, I just love the silence more than my neighbor's dogs. 217.168.3.246 (talk) 03:05, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Then talk to your neighbor. Don't bring the animal into it. Obviously its owner didn't train it well. But that doesn't make it right for you to train the dog. YOU TAKE ACTION if your neighbor isn't willing and stop acting like surly teenager and tell the neighbor. Your comments have agitated me beyond a level you could understand. You are a dog killer if that is the only thing you can think of silencing the dog.Cardinal Raven (talk) 03:10, 7 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

Of course this is not the only thing I can think about. The question was precisely about other way of silencing the dog. And, BTW, why do you care about a dog possibly thousand miles away from you? 217.168.3.246 (talk) 03:18, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

The solution is set talk to your neighbor. Why do I care about a dog so far from me? Well I don't know maybe I've lost pet before. One of my neighbors ran over my puppy while I was still training him. And you know why? Same reason you have because you don't know how to solve your problems with YOUR WORDSSS!Cardinal Raven (talk) 03:24, 7 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

Oh, I see. Perhaps we are even neighbors and I killed your puppy, who knows? Anyway, why are you supposing that I am not able to communicate with words? Perhaps my neighbor is not able to communicate and accept criticism. 217.168.3.246 (talk) 03:30, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Maybe you don't have the right criticism. Maybe you should record their dog barking. Or maybe you should try to make better criticism. Sometimes people have a hard time accepting criticism because of the way the other people are presenting it. You are obviously not capable to communicate with your words if you want to kill the animal. If you killed my puppy I would get another and teach him to bark like hell just to bother you.71.143.3.182 (talk) 03:34, 7 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

But you could agree with me that throwing some chocolate to the dog is way easier than ringing at the door with chocolate and talking to the owner? 217.168.3.246 (talk) 03:42, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

NO ITS NOT! The dog hasn't been trained properly. Its not his fault. He doesn't know he is bothering you. He doesn't know barking is wrong. TALK TO THE NEIGHBOR!71.143.3.182 (talk) 03:51, 7 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

Ok, thanks for your input. It's time to sleep now here where I am. I'll keep you informed about what I'll do. 217.168.3.246 (talk) 03:59, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

If talking to the neighbor doesn't work, try animal control. Give them a tape of the dog barking constantly and they will come out or send a nasty-gram to the owner. Most owners will take that seriously. StuRat (talk) 04:02, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

I think you should kill the dog. Partly to get rid of a dangerous and annoying animal, and partly to get revenge on your neighbour. But mostly, and this is surely the highest good of all, to annoy Cardinal Raven. -PinkEllie (talk) 08:38, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Wow, all this is better than any soap opera.--Artjo (talk) 09:54, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Chocolate is boring though. You'll need some elaborate, YouTube-worthy rube goldberg contraption. APL (talk) 12:48, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Dogs, like most animals hate getting soaked. A sudden downpour or even the threat of a good soaking can sometimes divert the attention of a dog away from whatever is making it bark. A perimeter can be established using agricultural, landscape or golf sprinkler heads, which typically have ranges of 30 to 50 feet or more. Neighbors will usually complain that your water is crossing the property line and landing on their property. When the neighbor complains simply ask if the rule of not letting water cross the property line applies to sound as well. If the answer is "yes" then an agreement may be possible to eliminate the cause to the water crossing the property line. If the answer is "no" then complaint should be ignored until the answer changes to yes. (Disclaimer: This is not legal advice.) Mimus polyglottos (talk) 13:24, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

If you and cardinal raven want to fight about this, i suggest you do it somewhere else. --Dlo2012 (talk) 14:06, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Try using some kind of Ultrasonic device on the dog to annoy it. (or use it on your neighbor and give him a headache). Don't kill the dog, though. Your neighbor may do something worse back to you. Ilikefood (talk) 22:15, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

April 7

Why doesnt YouTube get sued by record companies?

I hope they don't, but I'm just saying. I realize you aren't technically downloading the songs. But with video saving programs,and access to whatever you want to hear whenever you want to hear it, it seems odd. Record companies were all over Napster and many small private sites. How does copywrite law apply differently here?--Sam Science (talk) 01:13, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

I am not a lawyer but, Apparently as a service provider they're (somewhat) immune to that sort of thing. Just as the phone company is not responsible for crimes committed over it's lines, and AOL isn't responsible for all crimes committed over AOL, YouTube is not necessarily responsible for the files on their servers, since they didn't put them there. (And they do make some small effort to get rid of copyright infringing files.) Whether or not this is true at all, or whether it applies to YouTube, and what countries it applies in are currently one giant, confusing mess. The Criticism of YouTube of article covers this a little, and points out that they have been sued for this sort of thing in the past.

Also, remember that YouTube is now wholly owned by Google. APL (talk) 02:14, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

I'm not a lawyer either, but I think YouTube/Google could very easily be sued if it could be shown that they are knowingly hosting copyrighted content and not doing anything about it. YouTube does has a mechanism by which copyright holders can complain about content on YouTube, and YouTube generally takes down the content after a complaint is made. (Try finding Major League Baseball games on YouTube -- they're usually gone in a flash.) -- Mwalcoff (talk) 03:18, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Indeed, or any substantial clip from a Star Wars movie. George Lucas apparently defends his copyright well. --S.dedalus (talk) 03:58, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

The reason they aren't sued for hosting copyrighted content is because of the safe-harbor clause of the DMCA, the legislation which covers online copyright infringement in the USA. Basically YouTube is fulfilling its obligations under the DMCA by allowing copyright owners to request things to be taken down that other users (not YouTube the company) has put on YouTube's servers. If YouTube didn't take down the material, or if YouTube were uploading the material on its own (e.g. was not just acting as a "service provider"), it would probably get sued itself. --Captain Ref Desk (talk) 14:56, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

They were going to sue, but ended agreeing with Google. For example, here is an article talking about the agreement between YouTube and Vivendi Universal, here is with Warner, here is with EMI and here with Sony BMG. -- ReyBrujo (talk) 04:43, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

worn/clogged angle grinder wheels

Anybody know if it's possible to use a dressing tool on the wheel of an angle grinder? —Steve Summit (talk) 03:41, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Assuming you could somehow hold the dressing tool in the proper relationship to the grinding wheel, sure, why not? But therein lies the rub. Perhaps you should re-mount the grinding wheel on a bench grinder and dress it there? Well, assuming that the arbors match. But at least the bench grinder is likely to be turning within the RPM limits of the angle grinder's wheel.

Atlant (talk) 16:08, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

1974 dodge colt

My 74 dodge colt has the letter 'U' stamped on the vin# which indicates engine displacement. This didget 'U' which I can't seem to find the answer to is my question. What engine is this letter referring to? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Crysnj (talk • contribs) 03:50, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

I get ENGINE DISPLACEMENT. U - 2.0 Litre 2000cc 122 C.I. and this link[8]. Hope this hleps, Julia Rossi (talk) 03:26, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

What to do if information is wrong for a location/place name?

First of all, there is no easy link to report incorrect info which I find on Wiki every now and then. With that being said, this page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_of_St._Pierce list a Water Port in Florida as Port of St. Pierce... There is no such thing. I live there. It's Port of Ft. Pierce. The confusion they may have had is that Ft. Pierce is in a county called St. Lucie whose largest city is Port St. Lucie but that city has no port and is not by the water. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 208.68.99.55 (talk) 05:54, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

The reason that there is no place to report incorrect info is because users are welcome to correct it themselves. That's the point of a wiki. If there is something contentious about the article that you wish to discuss with the people who watch that particular article (whatever article it is) you can use the talk page (labelled "discussion" at the top of the page) to discuss this. Dismas|^(talk) 06:51, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Wikipedia does not have an article on either Port of St. Pierce or Port of Ft. Pierce. The error you noticed must have been on a page of a different name. I did find (and corrected) this error in the template for Florida ports, which may have been what you noticed. Rmhermen (talk) 15:13, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Uber Lag on Some Sites

Moved to computer refdesk (as per StuRat's suggestion).

US = Oil Guzzling?

graph

According to this graph, the US is using more oil than twice of China and India combined. How do they use so much oil with only a fraction of China's or India's population? --antilived^{T | C | G} 10:03, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Mostly because they use things like this when they need to pop down the road for some groceries. FiggyBee (talk) 10:33, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

The average Chinese or Indian uses much, much less oil than the average American. A huge proportion of China and India are very underdeveloped compared to most anywhere in the USA, and the people living in those areas tend to use very little to no oil. Even in very rural parts of America, most people own cars, farm machinery, etc. which would be all but unheard of in rural China or India. -Elmer Clark (talk) 11:26, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Additionally, quite a bit of the U.S. is rural. Homes and shops are not located all around a town square or anything like that, so a lot of traveling in a car must be done in order to just go to the store for groceries. Dismas|^(talk) 12:42, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

That's true even in non-rural areas. In many places it simply isn't feasible to shop for anything without driving for a mile or so, and the public transportation in most of the country is abysmal.

The US has a high expectation of owning at least one car per household, if not two or three. Most of said cars are not very fuel efficient. Additionally we also rely on a massive infrastructure of trucks to cart the products we want to consume all over the country. There are some other bits as well (lots of jets, some electricity generation), but most US petroleum usage is transportation. --Captain Ref Desk (talk) 14:53, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Japan's oil use is a better comparison with the US as it has a similar economy. Their usage is almost proportional to their population which is some 127 million versus over 300 million in the US. However, as noted above, there are larger distances to cross in the US, so oil usage is expected to be slightly higher in the US (per capita) than in Japan. Even better matches for the US might be Canada and Australia, which have similar economies and also vast distances to travel from town to town. Unfortunately, their oil usage isn't shown in that chart. StuRat (talk) 02:41, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

I would imagine that the oil use was actually more easily influenced by industry than by private use. The US has a strong production economy. China's production economy is also huge, but is still dwarfed by that of the US. Steewi (talk) 03:35, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

Petroleum isn't used so much for industry, since other energy sources, like coal, natural gas, nuclear, and hydro, can be used there. It is used to make plastics, but this is a by-product of fuel production, and so far fuel production has provided more than enough by-product for industry. StuRat (talk) 11:12, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

LASIK

Due to the overwhelming barrage of information online about its ensuing disadvantages, I have become downright confused. What are the costs, benefits, and safety concerns ? How would one weigh its useability in terms of a Cost-Benefit Analysis. -- Re$p(_)t}n Thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.9.243.111 (talk) 15:07, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

There is a stack of general information, including information on safety and efficacy, in our LASIK article and its related links. Obviously we cannot say how that information might apply to your personal situation - you can only get that advice by consulting a professional opthalmologist. Gandalf61 (talk) 15:16, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Go with your gut instinct, and more importantly, don't be swayed by doctors and people who have already had it done. The former want your business and money, the latter want their decision to have it done be a correct one, by seeing as many people as possible have it done. Vranak (talk) 19:44, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

I agree with not asking those who perform Lasik. However, I have more faith in my friends and family to honestly tell me the results of their procedures. And even if I didn't trust them, probably an equal number would complain about minor details to get attention as would minimize problems to make their decision seem correct. I haven't had the procedure myself because it seems that, while it improves your vision, it's usually not to the point where you no longer need corrective lenses. That might be an advantage if you wear glasses, so you wouldn't need coke-bottle lenses any more, but I wear contacts, and likely nobody would notice any difference, including me, when my contacts are in. StuRat (talk) 02:29, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

Reason for Foundation Principle

I read in a BLP discussion that one of the Foundation principles is "Ability of anyone to edit articles without registering".

Why does the Foundation have this principle? Is it because

a) having to register is regarded as a significant hurdle which stands in people's way?

b) requiring people to register does not provide any benefit to Wikipedia?

c) other?

Maybe there's somewhere you can refer me to where this is discussed.

Wanderer57 (talk) 16:34, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

One summary is expressed at Village Pump/Perennial Proposals. — Lomn 17:13, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Thank you. That's a helpful summary. Wanderer57 (talk) 21:07, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

time period inquirey

i need to know what how old an item is if it's from california, and the price tag reads:

• $1.25
• $0.05 tax
• $1.30 total —Preceding unsigned comment added by Hawaiiansugar (talk • contribs) 16:56, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Reformatted for hscroll. Well, you're looking at a 4% tax (presumably sales tax), and I assume that's what you're trying to date by. Unfortunately, that's not really enough to go on. Even if you find when (or if) CA had a 4% state sales tax rate, that determines nothing about when the item was sold. What if there was a city or county tax? What if the item was partially tax-exempt? More information is needed -- most likely, information about the item itself. — Lomn 17:09, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

State sales taxes have been collected in California by the California State Board of Equalization since 1962. Barring any additional local levies or surcharges (per Lomn), the sales tax rate in California was a total of 4% from 1 January 1962 to 31 July 1967: [9]. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 20:24, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

related question

What is it about the previous question that makes it display incompletely? Wanderer57 (talk) 17:07, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

The poster used leading spaces to attempt to format the numbers in a column. WP syntax treats that as a "display as-is" notation, and thus inserted about 70 non-breaking spaces to lead off subsequent rows. I've reformatted it for clarity and better display. Alternately, the original form could be emulated with:

$1.25
  .05 tax
$1.30 total

6 of one, half dozen of the other. — Lomn 17:11, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Yohoho! Puzzle Pirates

At tvtropes.org there was something I read about YPP that I remember reading about in the past:

"One of the game mechanics introduced during the development of Yohoho! Puzzle Pirates was the blockade system, in which multiple flags of pirates could take part in a large-scale naval battle/capture the flag game to earn the right to colonize and build property on various islands. Eventually one player came up with an unpopular strategy to wage war for these islands, consisting of raising enough money to wage multiple wars, scheduling them so they took part in the early morning, not showing up to battle, and repeating this every week. The defending army couldn't refuse to show up; if he or his crew showed up and they didn't, it counted as a win on his side, giving him a chance to take the island. So the defending army showed up every week and did nothing but keep the ships afloat for several hours. In the end, many agreed that keeping the island was turning into a second job and was no longer fun, and a number of players got fed up with the game and quit. The responsible pirate called this "tactics"."

Who was that player? I want to look on Google about it. Vitriol (talk) 19:03, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Found it. The guy was apparently named RobertDonald AKA Sloppy. Read all about it here. APL (talk) 14:41, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

Clarkes Pies

Does anyone know when the fist clarkes pie shop was opened, and where it was? Whitewitchnita. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.136.17.130 (talk) 21:25, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Check for info here: The Clark's Pie#History -Gwguffey (talk) 03:26, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

Trivia Sections

I am trying to find "trivia" about certian shows, such as My Name is Earl, the Office, and 30 Rock, yet there are no more trivia sections. Are there new wiki pages for this info., or were the old trivia sections just deleted? meep 21:42, 7 April 2008 (UTC)Meepy123

What could be melded into the article was, and what was truly trivial was deleted. Or at least that's the way it was supposed to go. Dismas|^(talk) 21:47, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Use the History tab at the top of each article. Fortunately the small-minded idiots given to enforcing the cretinous arbitrary anti-"trivia" guideline also tend to be the kind who provide detailed edit summaries, so it shouldn't be too difficult to identify the exact point at which the drones in question decided to make the article less useful. -212.139.71.251 (talk) 10:10, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

Please remember to be civil. Corvus cornix_talk 17:25, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

It's hardly very civil to remove useful information based on some idiotic pseudointellectual bias against facts that can be conveyed in a single sentence. -88.110.156.249 (talk) 11:46, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Trivia sections are discouraged because - well, they're trivial. Wikipedia is not an indiscriminate collection of information. We already have something for that - it's called the web. DJ Clayworth (talk) 20:28, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

Is it really Russian?

Since my office email address has become public, I'm now receiving loads of spam, and an increasing amount of it is in Cyrillic. I can't read Russian, or any of the other dozen or so languages written in that alphabet, but I'm still curious whether or not it's really Russian?

It has occurred to me, for instance, that if I could pronounce the words, it might be plain-vanilla spam, university degrees and fake software and all that. On the other hand, some (not all) of the phone numbers start with +7, which is Russia.

(The real question would be, "What kind of idiot thinks that sending me something I can't possibly read, will generate a bonafide lead?", but that's a topic for another day.)

Anybody who can shed some facts on this is invited to do so. Thanks! 63.231.153.74 (talk) 21:49, 7 April 2008 (UTC) Danh

I guess the only way we could pronounce on whether or not it's Russian is for you to show us what you've been sent. -- JackofOz (talk) 21:57, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Today I received my first spam in Chinese. (I assume it is Chinese.) I guess it is progress, of a sort. BrainyBabe (talk) 22:14, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

The English spam I get is just random gibberish these days, to avoid being detected by spam filters, so it would be reasonable to assume the Russian and Chinese are gibberish too. Adam Bishop (talk) 01:52, 8 April 2008 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 205.210.170.49 (talk)

OK, example from today's mail, "non-7" telephone.

Ответственное хранение Оказываем услуги ответственного хранения. Oт 100 до 3000 паллето мест! Оказываем профессиональные услуги ответственного хранения в Москве и области. Полный комплекс складских услуг, включая сортировку, переборку, оклейку, предпродажную подготовку товара.

Возможна аренда склада в Москве Опыт работы на рынке складских услуг! Телефоны: 8 916 500 74 31

Russian spam, or ordinary spam in a funny alphabet?

63.231.153.74 (talk) 01:58, 8 April 2008 (UTC) Danh

No, it's real Russian all right. As for whether it's spam or not, I'm not able to say. -- JackofOz (talk) 02:09, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

Russian spam indeed; however, rather than V1@gra or university degrees, they offer leasing of storehouse space near Moscow :-). 147.91.1.45 (talk) 09:24, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

What kind of idiot?

You suggested (correctly) that it's a topic for another day, but in answer to your question "What kind of idiot thinks that sending me something I can't possibly read, will generate a bona-fide lead?", it's like this:

Suppose there are three people worldwide who are actually in the market for your product, or are stupid enough to fall for your scam, or who can read your language. But suppose that the cost to you of sending email to everyone on the planet (including those three) is less than the cost of identifying and selectively contacting those three people. A preposterous supposition, I agree, but it's the spam problem in a nutshell. :-( —Steve Summit (talk) 13:21, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

There's a moral to this story: Don't give out your email address to anybody (including wikipedia talk pages). I get round this problem by having lots of different addresses: One for friends and relatives, one for use in internet cafes around the world, one for companies I have some kind of legitimate business with, one for logging in to internet sites, one for anything else (ie. I think they're the kind of people who might spam me). Astronaut (talk) 15:54, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

The one that's a little harder to understand is the text-message spam I sometimes get on my cell phone, shilling some stock or other (usually meant to look like it was sent to me by mistake, and I got lucky by seeing a tip sent to the sender's friend). Doesn't it cost like five cents or so to send the message? Wouldn't you have to own a lot of stock for that to pay off? And wouldn't the large stockholders automatically be good suspects? --Trovatore (talk) 21:42, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

Torch security team

An Olympic torch security team protecting the torchbearer has been sent by China. Is this customary for every Olympics? Or is this just a special scenario due to the increased potential of risk for the torchbearer due to the Tibetan protests? As well, are there any data into the qualifications of members of the security team? Thanks. Acceptable (talk) 22:00, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

A related question -- the BBC reported that interpreters would be on hand while the torch passed through London yesterday, to help the police identify and remove embarrassing banners. Was this accurate? (The misuse of the job title, which should have read "translators", leads me to think something might have been lost in translation.) And isn't this plain censorship? Is there precednt for the removal of legal but provocative written material before state visits? BrainyBabe (talk) 22:17, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

The security thing I'm pretty certain is new - normally they just get away with police lining the route. As for the banners and stuff, I would imagine that they might move the ones which involved swearing and stuff, but I doubt they'd really remove normal banners. -mattbuck (Talk) 00:43, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

Of course, they are probably legally entitled to remove banners if it isn't a legally sanctioned protest (which, being right next to the path of the torch, most of these aren't – the legal protests were some distance away, since nobody's going to give permission, knowing that this sort of mess would ensue). Angus Lepper^{(T, C, D)} 18:42, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

image race converter

is there a program that can take a picture of me aned give back a picture of what i would look like as a different race? thank you--71.185.135.143 (talk) 22:45, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

The University of St Andrews computer science department has an online tool as part of their facial computer vision research that lets you do just that (as well as aging) called of Face of the Future. Give it a try. Gwguffey (talk) 02:20, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

Another Hillshire Farm Commercial

Why don't the cast and crew film another Hillshire Farm commercial at a boot camp in Humble, Texas that has something to do with "GO MEAT!"? Ericthebrainiac (talk) 23:29, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

April 8

How do you find and contact an editor?

I love writing, and I want to go professional some day, but I don't know HOW! Can you help me? —Preceding unsigned comment added by The'yellow'poet (talk • contribs) 00:38, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

What type of writing? It is different for different genres. But generally you're best off if you find a literary agent first. They know how to contact editors, it's their job to make it work out. --Captain Ref Desk (talk) 00:54, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

I recommend that you buy, borrow or steal a dictionary, read a lot of good writers, and look up the words that you don't know, such as the word dubious (which you at least know how to spell), before you seriously consider a career in writing.  --Lambiam 05:48, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

Or do what I did. I started two articles and got them published in an unknown non famous magazine, but it still got my name out. Then I was basically allowed to write whatever of course in time lines. I'm suppose to finish my novel in six months. Its suppose to be out this year. The problem is I never can stick to one idea. I have so many ideas in my head and can never tie myself down properly. Dubious unsure about the outcome. Dubious possible dishonest or immoral. Dubious of uncertain quality. This is what I remember on top of my head. I have a whole bunch of notes on spelling alternate spellings. Simple definitions of even the most complex word. The only thing I can't seem to get down is math.

Always

Cardinal Raven

Cardinal Raven (talk) 06:17, 8 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

Worry not, that's why there's the mathematics refdesk (though they may not be interested in turning it into plain english for you)  ; ) Julia Rossi (talk) 08:59, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

Hi yellow, can you be more specific: do you want to publish short / long fiction ? or periodical writing such as journalism, comment etc in magazines, newspapers and so on ? The requirements can be quite different. 125.237.88.118 (talk) 11:47, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

Suleiman the Magnificent

habidashery of Suleiman the Magnificent

What on earth do we call that hat? Besides "enormous"? --Masamage ♫ 05:34, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

At[10] they say it's a 16th century Ottoman turban. And if your name is "the Magnificient" it's not going to be street-wear, it's going to be toweringly regal (regalia?). As far as I can discover, it varied from showing much of the inner cone with much less swathing to this. (The earlier headgear with the fur trim c. 13th c's called a sharbush and looks more tribal.) Julia Rossi (talk) 05:50, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

(after edit conflict) It is a turban. See Turban#History of turbans. This shape may help to explain the etymology of the word tulip, from older Turkish tülbent "turban". (In modern Turkish, the word is türban.)  --Lambiam 05:58, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

I knew it was some kind of turban, but they're mostly small and modest. Still, useful information there. Is there a specific name for a huge gigantic turban? --Masamage ♫ 06:03, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

A very informal, possibly insulting name is "onion head hat." Adam Bishop (talk) 07:42, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

As a resident of the city which stopped good old Suleiman´s progress in 1529 (at which time I, the magnificent Cookatoo single-handedly defended the occident from the invading infidels), let me direct you to http://www.sikhnet.com/s/tyingturbans. There are a few different names for the various ways to tie a Sikh turban.

Oddly enough, whilst many of the Turkish / Muslim women in the Vienna of today wear head scarves or even veils, I have never seen a male wearing a turban. Well, I have, but they were clearly Indian Sikhs. In our article on turban there is a picture of a Sikh wearing a rather large turban, but no name is given to it. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 08:47, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

"Small and modest"? Massamage I take it you haven't been hanging with a 16th century sovereign suzerain with the power of life and death lately. Looking at the visuals, Suleiman's hat really stood out (not to mention his helmet), which is the point, isn't it?  ; ) Julia Rossi (talk) 08:53, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

I said most turbans are small and modest--eg. the ones I see Sikhs wearing around. --Masamage ♫ 21:27, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

tughra of Suleiman the Magnificent

PS Can't wait for someone to suggest "Mother of all turbans"?

Perhaps 'the Turbanator'? ;) Lemon martini (talk) 12:11, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

Hey, you think his turban is ostentatious, check out his tughra:

—Steve Summit (talk) 18:30, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

I believe the theory of "Turban Envy", as proposed by a late countryman of mine has some bearing on this disturban topic.

Also bear in mind that ornate feathery headgear amongst Amerindians, top hats or the pope´s tiara were / are reserved for (the) hoi polloi. Our article on papal tiara, by the way, mentions that Suleiman had his own tiara made. In a show of one-upmanship it had one more tier than the "small and modest" ones in Rome. Clearly, StM knew about the power of status symbols and the importance of carrying a big stick. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 18:59, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

You must mean the "hoity toity" since hoi polloi is the rabble, the masses, the rif raf.  ; ) Julia Rossi (talk) 22:55, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

Oooooooooooops, it´s all Greek to me. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 23:34, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

Say, I wander around Turkey. Can I buy one somewhere? 24.130.192.59 (talk) 22:13, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

"Say, I wander around Turkey. Can I buy one somewhere?"

You're going to have to buy me as well (I don't know how I'm going to get from you). Cause the only people who wear those kind of hates are all sorts of modest.71.142.208.226 (talk) 22:21, 8 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

It won't look like that until you put the kit together. I'm guessing it's one extra long piece of fabric with an inner cone and you'll need lessons. This[11] looks quite the rival. Julia Rossi (talk) 09:34, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Here's a sizable female version. Similar to Julia Rossi's towering example is this turban. ---Sluzzelin talk 11:03, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Well done, Sluzzelin, a top hat. Presenting Major Singh, weighing in at 68 lbs, steel cables and 400 meters of cloth – now this is a hat!! : )) Julia Rossi (talk) 12:07, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

... and it ain't no slouch either. :-| ---Sluzzelin talk 13:58, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

By the way, the turban seems to have gone out of Ottoman royal fashion sometime in the early 19th century. All the Sultans up to Mustafa IV are depicted wearing a turban. The succeeding Sultans, starting with Mahmud II, are shown wearing a fez, (though Mahmud II can be seen wearing both).

From the article on the Fez: "During the reign of the Sultan Mahmud Khan II (1808-39), a European code of dress gradually replaced the traditional robes worn by members of the Ottoman court. The change in costume was soon emulated by the public and senior civil servants, followed by the members of the ruling intelligentsia and the emancipated classes throughout the Ottoman Empire. While European style coats and trousers were gradually adopted, this change did not extend to headwear. Peaked or broad brimmed headdresses such as the top hat did not meet the Islamic requirement that men should press their heads to the ground when praying. Accordingly the Sultan issued a firman (royal decree) that the checheya headgear in a modified form would become part of the formal attire of the Turkish Empire irrespective of his subjects' religious sects or millets."---Sluzzelin talk 13:58, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Habits

How much gum would you have to chew to strain your jaw out? What are the long terms effects of biting the inner lip? This is all out of my own curiosity.

Thank You

Always

Cardinal Raven

Cardinal Raven (talk) 06:13, 8 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

The inner lip thing sounds like self-harm so mentally, long-term, not great. Julia Rossi (talk) 09:35, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

I assume he means accidentally biting the inside of the lip or cheeck. StuRat (talk) 11:04, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

(Oops, blinded by visions of bleeding lips, tks StuRat) Julia Rossi (talk) 22:45, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

you'd have to chew a lot, my friend. the human jaw is designed for chewing so its gonna be hard to over strain that. but possible, as I said. you'd just have to chew a lot, thats all. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 87.230.6.32 (talk) 14:04, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

To strain out your jaw I think you would have to stuff more gum in your mouth than your mouth is used to chewing at one time. Your jaw will start to hurt in no time. I don't recommend doing it though.--Dlo2012 (talk) 14:38, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

"Celery, raw, develops the jaw/But celery, stewed, is more quietly chewed." --Ogden Nash. No doubt the same principle applies to gum. Human muscles are meant to be used. BrainyBabe (talk) 17:55, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

Well its not entirely accidental biting the lip. When I was younger I had fallen and had bitten my inner lip and cut the top of my upper lip (did not feel to good). After that the inner lip in front of the two front teeth has a lump that is virtually numb of any pain. I chew that all the time. That is why I chew gum to get my mind off of chewing the lump. I chew a lot of gum I go through one pack of gum in one day. The same thing kinda goes for peas. I eat five cans of peas a day. I hate celery. It taste bad cook or stewed. Blugh, celery. So more or less I was curious to how much gum would strain a jaw? And the effects of biting a lump more or less.

Always

Cardinal Raven

71.142.208.226 (talk) 22:16, 8 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

background to name of a plant (lily)

I have come across a lily called 'elaine garrad'. I would intersted to know how this name came aboutPathumfrey (talk) 12:57, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

I searched around a bit, and couldn't find any specific details on that cultivar. In general, though, it seems that the person who has created and registered a particular cultivar or hybrid gets to select the name. As an example, look at this page showing hybrids; the name of the hybrid is shown, along with the person who registered it. --LarryMac | Talk 13:36, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

I don't know anything about lilies, but perhaps this link will get you started. It's the entry for the 'Elaine Garrad' cultivar in the Royal Horticultural Society's Lily Register. I'm not entirely sure of the notation, but it appears that Elaine Garrad was registered in 1984 by D.S. Marriott. There's no indication how the name was selected, but perhaps that will get you started on your search. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 13:50, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

fake?

this is fake, right? [12] —Preceding unsigned comment added by 128.117.43.34 (talk) 13:57, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

Nope, it is absolutely genuine, and can be found in London, on the Isle of Dogs, close to Canary Wharf. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Samilong (talk • contribs) 14:03, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

The picture is genuine, though it is not a real traffic signal but a sculpture[13]. -- Q Chris (talk) 14:44, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

Haley Williams haircut

How would you describe Haley Williams from paramores haircut? What should I ask for at the barbers if I want one the same? ps I'm a guy. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 212.159.16.175 (talk) 17:57, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

Why not just take in a photograph of the haircut and say "I'd like one of these, please" ? Samilong (talk) 18:07, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

Have at look at this yahoo! answers post. Has some good pictures of her hair. D0762 (talk) 18:12, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

Ok, but as a guy don't you think they might act a bit funny if I take a pic of a girl and say one of these, please? Won't they be like "oh, so he's sailing down THAT side of the river, is he"? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 212.159.16.175 (talk) 18:56, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

People have all sorts of haircuts and in modern times the stereotypical gender barriers have mostly fallen away. Of course you may experience some discrimination, especially in small-town middle America, but the most important thing is to feel secure and confident in yourself. Have a read of this. D0762 (talk) 19:22, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

Yeah go for that haircut. Really I don't think people will look at you weirdly. Haircuts like that are wildly excepted for some reason. One time just for fun (Halloween costume party fun) I shave parts of my hair to make go bald and then I did a comber over and dress up like Trump. Oh, that was good feeling.71.142.208.226 (talk) 22:19, 8 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

Appraisal

What's the value of a good condition vintage '79 Peavey 400 Mark III half stack? Bellum et Pax (talk) 19:07, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

i would say about 100 pounds or so, it depends where you are, and what sort of condition its in, it must work, and look nice, people are shallow —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.18.34.51 (talk) 20:28, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

For the sake of those who have no idea what you're talking about, what is a vintage '79 Peavey 400 Mark III half stack? Astronaut (talk) 23:39, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

From the sounds of it, I'm guessing some sort of guitar amp. Acceptable (talk) 23:50, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

Something you Cant have

what is the word that is desribing a state to were you want something so bad and you know you cant have it —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.149.90.98 (talk) 20:25, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

may be related to the law of the forbidden, one where one wants something, because you cant have it, eg I can get almost any woman I want, but the only ones I want are the ones that dont want me —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.18.34.51 (talk) 20:30, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

I'm really not sure but "covet" might cover it, sort of. Like you'd "covet your neighbour's car" because you know you can;t have it. You'd get better luck asking on Languages 81.96.161.104 (talk) 22:31, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

Desire. Sounds awfully simple, I know, but if you already have something there's no desire. Vranak (talk) 22:41, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

Crave or craving, is like covet. Julia Rossi (talk) 22:48, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

zoom

i am trying to find a Zoom UIB02 USB Interface Board for a zoom mrs 1608 multitrack recorder, does any one know where i can get one, how much they cost, and what program is used on ones computer. Thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.18.34.51 (talk) 20:27, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

It would probably be best to ask the computer desk (here). They deal with most technological stuff in general, despite the name.--^LaPianísta! 17:23, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Editing

Will wikipedia be edited by professionals in the future? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 35.11.38.122 (talk) 23:12, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

Professional bowlers. 200.127.59.151 (talk) 23:36, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

I wish I was a professional bowler. I average about 175. Useight (talk) 23:40, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

I, too, am a newb at bowling. Neal (talk) 23:49, 8 April 2008 (UTC).

I think in a way Wikipedia is all ready edited by professionals. Sometimes people know subjects because they are so passionate about them. Video games are edited and written about and researched about because the person playing them was passionate about it. Then they created an article on Wikipedia because of all their passionate information. Wikipedia is all ready a community of professionals yes some of them might just be bums in their homes always on the computer or an actual professor that doesn't make them unprofessional. They are professional on what they know. That is what makes Wikipedia more human. And even professor need to brush up on their information. No one is ever right and in this day and age study, research and science always with new information about that subject. Information is always changing and our knowledge is alway getting bigger as well. The more we learn as unprofessionals the more we become professional.

Always

Cardinal Raven71.142.208.226 (talk) 00:41, 9 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

I see what you're saying, that in a way it's edited by experts, at least in some fields, but it certainly not edited by profesionals, as all editing here is voluntary and therefore amateur, even if done by a professional researcher in that field as no original research, right? So although Wikipedia has many dedicated experts, it could never truly be wikipedia and be edited by professionals. 81.96.161.104 (talk) 01:05, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

I will beg to differ. Its edited by professionals. Yes, they may not be professionals in the way you look at it, but I like Wikipedia the way it is. Its more human the way it is now. I really couldn't sit here reading articles written by stiff logs (especially my video games). It would remind me of those times in the classroom trying to understand my monotonous teacher teach me something. And even true professionals aren't that professional. Later on in life the information they know may be expanded or even deleted for being false. There is never truly a professional the world is vast and ever changing some information may be erased and other information is put on.

Always

Cardinal Raven

71.142.208.226 (talk) 01:45, 9 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

If the OP means will people be paid to edit the pedia, not while there's passion, knowledge and sharing is my guess. So, no. Julia Rossi (talk) 02:50, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Cardinal Raven, that opinion is extremely naive. I hope the majority of readers don't want to read articles written by 14 year olds who think they are experts because they play a lot of video games. Adam Bishop (talk) 04:58, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

That is not what I meant. I don't want to know my articles are written by 14 years olds who think they are experts because they play a lot of video games. I don't want that to happen. No I meant that someone like me..when I like something say a video game I find as much information about that video games as I can. I find as much information. I want to learn about it. And I think that learning process and that knowledge is what makes people level up in information and knowledge holding. That is what I meant. Hope it made more sense now.71.142.208.226 (talk) 06:27, 9 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

Imagine how much more successful in life you could be if you spent as much effort learning about useful things! (Wow, I'm really starting to sound like an old man.) Adam Bishop (talk) 07:52, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

It would surely be prohibitively expensive to pay professionals to write Wikipedia. And any professional worthy of the name wouldn't touch Wikipedia with a bargepole anyway. -88.110.156.249 (talk) 11:37, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

That's the first time I've heard anyone refer to real-life learning as a "level up". I may have to start using that one. 81.96.161.104 (talk) 13:40, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

I wonder if 35.11 might have meant "copy edited". Comparisons between Wikipedia and commercial reference works always touch upon how badly uneven the writing style and quality is, even where the factual accuracy is quite good.

However, it's hard to imagine the Foundation hiring enough copy editors to make a dent. *.Wikipedia.org is supposedly up to ten million articles. (Only about 25% in English!) Not to mention Wikibooks. APL (talk) 18:14, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

I've certainly edited article in areas where I worked as a professional , and I'm sure that is true of a great many editors, besides the Essjay type pseudo-professionals. Edison (talk) 04:37, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

April 9

The Good ol' Days of PEACE and QUIET!

My neighbors recently got a dog from the SPCA and for some reason whenever they leave the house their dog begins to bark immediately and constantly. I have complained to them and tried to ask for a solution. It has become such a problem where I have even taken my time to record the animal barking and had them listen to it. They still have done NOTHING about it. I have even talked to my apartment complex manager about and he has yet to sit down with them and talk to them about. I'm starting to wonder if I should just contact the Animal Control officers about it. What do you think would be the best course of action from here?--SlaveofBetrayal (talk)

Maybe they are trying to do something about it. Have you ever realized it takes a pretty damn hard time to train animal? Especially when the dog came from the SPCA and may have an attachment problem. I remember when I had a dog who came from the SPCA he got really lonely and he would bark like crazy. Its very difficult to train him that when I'm gone I'm gone. (That's why my neighbor ran him over.)

Always

Cardinal Raven

71.142.208.226 (talk) 02:35, 9 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

Maybe it would have been more appropriate to tell how long this has been going on. Its been a 2 months since I last complained and I'm getting FED UP with it. What I asked for was a suggestion on how to handle it not a statement telling me about what YOU went through. I want ADVICE not childish banter.-- by SlaveofBetrayal (Talk) —Preceding comment was added at 03:08, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Well maybe you should have been more specific you only gave us information as if its only been happening for a couple of weeks or one week, I'm sorry if it you saw my comment as childish banter, but it isn't. It was my advice for someone who had been experience this for a couple weeks. But in this case 2 months you should have called the animal control a long time. You should call the animal control.

Always

Cardinal Raven

71.142.208.226 (talk) 03:17, 9 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

You might investigate what the laws are in your area. I have heard (but have never bothered to confirm) that in my local jurisdiction, the police can take action if a dog barks for more than 30 minutes continuously. Perhaps a visit from the police will help your neighbors understand why they need to take action, and soon?

Atlant (talk) 12:35, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Why YouTube Doesn't Get Sued By Record Companies (cont.)

I hope it's okay that I added another comment down here (so people can see it and answer)along with the original comment that I'm responding to.

I am not a lawyer but, Apparently as a service provider they're (somewhat) immune to that sort of thing. Just as the phone company is not responsible for crimes committed over it's lines, and AOL isn't responsible for all crimes committed over AOL, YouTube is not necessarily responsible for the files on their servers, since they didn't put them there. (And they do make some small effort to get rid of copyright infringing files.) Whether or not this is true at all, or whether it applies to YouTube, and what countries it applies in are currently one giant, confusing mess. The Criticism of YouTube of article covers this a little, and points out that they have been sued for this sort of thing in the past. Also, remember that YouTube is now wholly owned by Google. APL (talk) 02:14, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

I remember the lawsuit by Viacom, but that was over television content. "We're losing money" was the argument they made with Napster, yet the same record companies look the other way when people upload any song they want to. Even stranger is that many record companies have accounts and upload thier own content, with no profit to be made there either. I bet that sometime soon YouTube will have every song ever released. That means you'll be able to hear any song you want any time you want (making me very happy!). What will happen then?...Sam Science (talk) 03:51, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Another factor may be that Youtube works as free advertising for the recording artists in question. Although the files can be downloaded, these programs aren't a part of Youtube, and the sound quality of the files is normally awful. So although it works as a way for people to get the video, they are unlikely to replace record sales, and so pursuing the matter over Youtube may actually be harmful to the record companies. Why endanger such global free press and hype if the real impact on sales is being made through p2p and torrent networks? 81.96.161.104 (talk) 13:36, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Ponzi scheme

Does Questnet Marketing chain come under Ponzi scheme?

```` —Preceding unsigned comment added by Aditya1986 (talk • contribs) 06:21, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

In my opinion, and in the opinion of several major governments (who have banned it), yes. See for example this set of reviews. (I could have sworn we had an article on it, but I can't find it.) —Steve Summit (talk) 13:01, 9 April 2008 (UTC) [P.S. it's four tildes, not four backtics. Use the Shift key. :-) ]

Addendum: if it's not a Ponzi scheme, it's a pyramid scheme. —scs 13:09, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

can we sell my accounts?

I had a "blurtit" account & later on my sister also got a blurtit account. Now we have fully scored successfully running blurtit accounts..now we want to sell them in ebay or any other site. will anyone buy those accounts? 202.141.98.204 (talk) 06:56, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

When registration to blurtit is free, why on earth would anyone pay you guys for your accounts? That's just my opinion, but you might find some sucker out there so give it a go. Astronaut (talk) 13:55, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

No! U didn't got my sense fully...I'm in a hope that anyone would buy these accounts only b'coz registration on blurtit might be free for them but getting points in that won't be so easy. That too not just one or hundred or even thousand...now I had "3344" points to my credit & my sister has some 1500+ points...for getting these points it may take some 5-6 months for them...that's why i'm optimistic about the sale of both these accounts...now what do u say? 202.141.98.204 (talk) 06:00, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

Nice idea so, I googled Blurtit accounts for sale on... eBay, and Craig's list for examples but nothing. What I get is you get points for joining, sign up, log in, and being rated and other things. (And not sure, but do people sell on blurtit? ) Looking for a catch, I don't get if you get blocked for trying to sell them. Since you can ask on Blurtit, try asking another user if it's legit? Julia Rossi (talk) 06:12, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

Haley Williams haircut (cont.)

Ok, thanks for all the advice above. But what if I want to cut my own hair? How should I go about that without buchering myself or becming infamous as "that guy with the crap hair". Any good guides online I could download for cutting my own hair? Thanks all. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 212.159.16.175 (talk) 08:20, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

When I was a student with no money, I used to cut my own hair. After a wash, I would bend over the bath and cut it to roughly the same length all over. I never heard any comments, so I suppose if anyone thought I was "that guy with the crap hair", they were too polite to say. That said, if you want anything fancy, like Ms Williams' style, you are probably better off going to a professional salon (ie. not the local army barber :-). Astronaut (talk) 13:49, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

British telephone sockets... ARGGHHH!!

I'm trying to rewire the mess of wires in my basement after I moved to VoIP, and I am really confused at the colour coding there. Is there any difference between the British one and the New Zealand one? I have wires with 2 different schemes, one that has orange, blue and 2 identical white wires, while another with red, green, yellow, and black. Which ones are A&B lines? Is there some way I can test it to find out? --antilived<sup>T | C | G</sup> 08:57, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Can someone move this to technology please, it'll get a better answer! 86.139.92.22 (talk) 10:41, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

If you look carefully, you'll find that one of the white wires is twisted in a pair with the blue wire, the other with the orange wire. These form the first two pairs of the 25-pair color code (WHAAOE!). Pretend that one white wire has a blue stripe on it, the other an orange stripe (and indeed the paired wires are often striped that way, to make them easier to keep track of).

I believe the correspondence with the older green/red/black/yellow scheme is:

line 1	tip	white/blue	green
	ring	blue	red
line 2	tip	white/orange	black
	ring	orange	yellow

—Steve Summit (talk) 12:50, 9 April 2008 (UTC) [edited 02:30, 10 April 2008 (UTC)]

Of course, the colours of the insulation make absolutely no difference in practice - a straight wired cable is a straight wired cable... FiggyBee (talk) 21:19, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Not sure what you mean by "in practice"! The colors can make quite a bit of difference:

1. If the wiring will ever be worked on by other people, they will be very badly confused, and hate your guts (or worse) if you gratuitously use a non-standard color scheme. In electric power systems (if not telephony), using the standard colors for the hot, neutral, and ground wires isn't just a good idea, it's usually the law.
2. In telephony and many other signal-transmission applications, the pairing truly matters. If you were to use (say) the blue and orange wires for one pair of a transmission circuit, and the two white wires for the other, it might not work well, or at all. (I still remember the first time I tried to wire up some RJ45 ethernet cables, and got the pairing wrong, and wondered why I was only getting 10mbps even though it was electrically a "straight wired cable".)

—Steve Summit (talk) 02:30, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

That confirms my hypothesis: whoever that was wiring it in the first place didn't follow the standard. In the original mess I have one extension with blue/orange wired together and the 2 whites together, while in another one it's wired blue/white and red/white, and all of them only carry 1 phone line. Thanks anyway, now I need to make a loop circuit with a spare plug to see the wiring. --antilived<sup>T | C | G</sup> 04:15, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

outdoor activities

what are dynamic activities? i've looked it up and cant seem to understand what they mean i can only get a rough idea like it means rock climbing ect. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.92.82.180 (talk) 10:10, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

What's the context it's being used in? Dismas|<sup>(talk)</sup> 14:08, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

I was about to ask the same thing. Generally and from a physiological angle, you could distinguish static activities, such as standing, sitting, and lying, from dynamic activities, such as walking, running, and swimming. If we're talking sports/leisure activities to begin with, maybe a static exercise machine could be compared to cycling, jogging, or rowing outdoors, where the environment changes and is dynamic. Then again, if it's from some sort of advertisement, dynamic could simply be a marketing word to make it sound more exciting and special. ---Sluzzelin talk 14:23, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

fake? (part 2)

Just a warning for those who may be at work or in the company of small children, the image is most likely NOT safe for work/children. I am not the OP but thought I should warn you. Dismas|<sup>(talk)</sup> 14:10, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Please for the love of god tell me this image has been faked [14]— Preceding unsigned comment added by 212.159.16.175 (talk) 13:50, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

? Neal (talk) 13:58, 9 April 2008 (UTC).

Either a photoshop special, or a nasty accident in the sausage factory!! Astronaut (talk) 13:59, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

STUPID! Ignore the user who asked this question, he is a troll. Ericthebrainiac (talk) 14:25, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Yes, definitely a fake, it's obvious that face and head have been pasted in. Richard Avery (talk) 14:41, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Since the troll failed to amuse, here's a PBF comic that might. --Sean 19:47, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

education

can i do graduation after completing engineering.how can i take admission in IIT for graduation? by IIT-JEE or any other enterance test? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 117.198.80.137 (talk) 14:52, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Did you google IIT-JEE[15]? it's all there. Julia Rossi (talk) 13:55, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

Body painting pictures

There has been talk at Talk:Body painting about a presentable top image that does not contain nudity. I remembered that at the 2007 World Bodypainting Festival, there was a female model who was painted in three different designs, all promoting Canon digital cameras, with both her genitals and breasts covered. But there is one thing keeping me from uploading the photographs I took of her, even if I get permission from the festival - Canon is a commercial, for-profit company, and by uploading these pictures I would be giving them free advertising. Is there any way I could get some sort of compensation from Canon? JIP | Talk 18:22, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

I doubt that Canon would be prepared to pay anyone, and I'm *certain* that Wikipedia wouldn't want to accept any money for advertising. That's a massive shit-storm that you don't want to start :-). If you can get the image under a free license then by all means use it, but don't try to have money change hands. 81.187.153.189 (talk) 18:36, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

I could get the image under a free licence just by asking the festival for permission, and if they give it, uploading the picture. But I feel that it would lose me the opportunity of earning money by advertising Canon. That's why I try not to take pictures where a commercial brand name is featured as the main subject. But this case was an exception because of the medium where the brand name was displayed. JIP | Talk 05:38, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

Suzuki Wagon R+ (out of production)

Please don't scold - my wife has severe arthritis and when we bought this car we did so mainly because it was so easy for her to get into and out of - apart from it being so TALL with loads of headroom - and not forgetting it was so cheap - and has proved SO reliable during the past 4 years. But read any Car Review magazine and it rates lower than Noddy's car - no accounting for taste I suppose. But sadly, Suzuki have discontinued it and it has been re-badged as a Vauxhall Agila (UK). Any suggestions for a cheap town car with similar ease of entry, 5 doors, reliable, with air-conditioning, that is available in the UK, would be greatly appreciated. Thanks 92.8.31.214 (talk) 18:23, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

My mum is quite pleased with her Ford C-Max. Or you could take a look at Category:Compact MPVs. Astronaut (talk) 22:50, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Weird question

My friend, who watches pornography way too much, told me that in German xxx movies there are almost no mammary intercourse scenes, meanwhile in American ones anal sex is rare (i.e. German, maybe whole European porn culture is built around anal-penetration-topics, but American porn industry interested in breast fetishism). Is it so? 89.146.66.238 (talk) 18:48, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

No idea. But German porn is WAY fucked up. On a side note, here is a pic (not work safe) you might find amusing = Image:Mamintb.PNG

That pic was not amusing. I am now traumatized for life. Thank you.71.142.208.226 (talk) 19:16, 9 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

Seriously, that picture was creepy. Whoever drew that has waaaaay too much time on their hands. 81.96.161.104 (talk) 21:03, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Uhm, back to the topic, please :) 89.146.66.238 (talk) 22:18, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Back to the topic...anal sex is overwhelmingly common in recent American porn. I would suspect there were a hundred if not more anal sex scenes to every breast scene. Real breasts seem to have gone out of style in porn, replaced by fake boobs and very defined ribcages. --NellieBly (talk) 23:15, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Europe

Could Europe be described as a "growth of peninsulas and islands sticking out of the west end of Asia"? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 212.159.16.175 (talk) 18:59, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

The language you have cited is a bit misleading. The word "growth", in particular, is really not right. Europe did not grow. It accreted. I would refer to it as a "region" a "continent" or "subcontinent" (depending on whether you consider Europe a continent unto itself or a part of Eurasia). It lies to the west of Asia, but the border between Europe and Asia is more of a side than a pointy end to my eyes. Marco polo (talk) 19:18, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Is it true?

Is it true that Serge Voronoff grafted monkey testicles onto human males. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 212.159.16.175 (talk) 19:06, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

If it's on Wikipedia, it must be true: Serge Voronoff. --Sean 19:59, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Why ask when you can read the Serge Voronoff article? Is it because you're lazy? Or just trolling? By the way, the 1st sentence on the article, mentions monkey testicles. So there you have it. Neal (talk) 20:11, 9 April 2008 (UTC).

"Thin slices ... were implanted inside the patient's scrotum". Not quite the image that the question conjurs up. William Avery (talk) 21:17, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Controversial answer for the hell of it: Yes, yes it's completely true, it's a fact based on years of reputable research and absolutely not involving slander, rumour or anything of the sort. But who hasn't grafted animal testes onto ahuman in this day and age? 81.96.161.104 (talk) 21:32, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Wow it's actually true. I kind of assumed it wasn't. that's my learning for the day I guess. Crazy. 81.96.161.104 (talk) 21:33, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

I compliment you Serge Voronoff for doing something that I don't think any of us would do. I also thank you for being a nut house. You don't get your undies in a bunch. Maybe the person had read the article. They asked "is it true". If I read that article I probably would have been a little skeptical myself if I didn't know for a fact that it was true. Sometimes we can't trust absurd information like that.

Always

Cardinal Raven

71.142.208.226 (talk) 22:53, 9 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

Tequila Slammers

Why does one have salt with a Tequila Slammer? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Quidom (talk • contribs) 20:49, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

According to our Tequila article, salt lessens the tequila's "burn." bibliomaniac15 Hey you! Stop lazing around and help fix this article instead! 20:52, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Hand sign

While driving through Los Angeles, California, USA several months ago, I came across a group of young African-American teenagers. As I drove past them, they flashed this hand sign at me; I am unsure whether if it was merely a sign of acknowledgment or whether it's a gang-related sign or whether it was vulgar. The sign was done with the right hand and consisted of an upside-down "V" (like an upside-down peace sign) with the thumb through at the base of the index and middle finger.

Just by doing some brainstorming, I realized that it sort of looks like a vagina with the thumb for a clitoris. Can someone help me out? Thanks. Acceptable (talk) 22:11, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

More brainstorming, looks like a guy with a penis. Maybe a vulgar way of saying "you're a cock". Julia Rossi (talk) 22:34, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

I'd agree with Julia. The hand sign for a vagina is done by pointing out with the index finger and thumb of each hand while the other fingers are folded in, then touching the tip of the index fingers together and touching the tips of the thumbs together at the same time. You'll have sort of a diamond shape. The closer you move your hands together, mashing your digits together, the more it will resemble a vagina. Dismas|<sup>(talk)</sup> 22:39, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

I found maybe the cousin here[16] (lowest left) of the fig hand when the fingers are curled back it's vaginal, so the "standing man" could be a newer variation about the cock, and saying "f___ you." Provocative.  :-/ Julia Rossi (talk) 00:24, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

It is possible that these young teenagers (the OP does not specify male or female or both) are transmitting these genitalia-representing signs as ways of signalling their own gender identity. They may be in adolescent confusion about whether they are masculine or feminine enough, and metaphorically expose their sex organs to strangers as a way of solidifying their identity. They greet others they do not know by saying "I am male!" or "I am female!" as the case may be, to make it clear to the outsider. (A similar use of semiotics to visually signal gender is in the wrapping of newborn babies in pink or blue blankets, although that of course is done on behalf of the individuals in questions, babies not having much autonomy, understanding of their culture's assignation of random colours to gender, ability to clothe themselves, or interest in much besides breasts and sleeping.) These teenagers may need the psychological validation of repeatedly affirming their gender choice in front of their peers; thus we can hypothesise that although the hand display is presented as if to the passing motorist, it is in fact covertly targeted at the surrounding peer group, thus conflating individual self-determination and group solidarity. It is possible. BrainyBabe (talk) 07:48, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

April 10

Niiko

Moved to language desk.

WP:MoS editors looking for places to point people for help with page layout and graphic design

Hi, we get questions at WP:MoS from time to time along the lines of what kinds of borders to use around pictures, how to arrange the elements of a page to meet good desktop publishing and graphic design principles, etc. Can you guys recommend any links? - Dan Dank55 (talk) 04:06, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

P.S. I searched the 100 links I got from a Google search on the Ref Desk/Computer archives on "DTP" and "Image Layout", no luck. - Dan Dank55 (talk) 04:22, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

Do you mean other than layout in wikipedia? Otherwise there's a google search here[17], and nothing quite like looking at lots of examples of magazine layouts (glossy, newsprint, websites) analysing and imitating them. Julia Rossi (talk) 05:27, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

Yep. I agree with your approach, but the question keeps coming up, I'll try the Google search. This was my reply in WP:MoS:

Yes, hopefully we'll write something up when the current discussions are finished. In a nutshell, the main problem with sandwiching text between images is that not everyone is using the full width of the screen, or using a high resolution, or even necessarily reading Wikipedia on a computer, so you can get some very tightly squeezed text on some screens if you put pictures on both sides. Anyway, I tried to find more information for you on colors or borders, but other than the text and links in WP:MOS#Images, I'm not finding anything on principles of page layout and design, in WP:PICTURE, or the how-to table articles, or in the HELP space, or in WP:LAYOUT, or WP:IMAGE. Can anyone tell me where to find more advice ? - Dan Dank55 (talk) 02:33, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

Eureka. The best site[18] gives you heaps. Ignore the (ironically) clunky layout, and that it's meant for a wide screen, the content (range and all on topic) is good. This example "Getting Started with Page Layout"[19] supports your answer, from "Less is more" onwards. Googling "graphic design principles" gives you others to explore; but this is the best for starters. Julia Rossi (talk) 13:48, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

Werewolves Clear them Up

Could someone clear up werewolves for me? When a werewolf transform during the fool moon I remember in a book reading that they transform and wait for the moon to wane. So that would mean that its like a womans menstrual cycle once a month for a whole week? Do they transform back into their humans form when the sun comes up? Or do they stay like a werewolf until the moon disappears? 71.142.208.226 (talk) 05:59, 10 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

In all the (modern) stories I've seen, the werewolf transformation is a nocturnal thing - the wolf-man is a man during the day. Whether the change occurs only on the night of the full moon, or for 3 or 5 nights is a matter of more controversy. Steewi (talk) 06:14, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

Have you read werewolf? Being fictional, they can do whatever the writer wishes them to do.--Shantavira|<sup>feed me</sup> 09:19, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

Car brand perception

My wife has a Fiat car, which is pretty much a budget car in the UK. She is American and she told me that when she tells her friends in the US that she has a Fiat they will be impressed. On the other hand Volkswagen is seen as a quality brand in the UK, but a budget brand in the USA. The pricing follows the perception. Do the car manufacturers deliberately market their cars at different market segments in different countries, or is this something that just happened? -- Q Chris (talk) 07:21, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

All "original research" here, but I don't know of anybody here in the colonies that would be impressed by a Fiat, except perhaps somebody who's stuck with a Yugo. In fact, I have heard it said that Fiat stands for "Fix it again, Tony." Volkswagen probably does still carry the budget image, going way back to the days of the original Beetle. --LarryMac | Talk 13:10, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

Some seemingly very new poster ads for the French Citroen cars here in the UK are designed to drop huge hints that they're German in origin, or Germanic in quality. I doubt their direct equivalents will be used much on mainland Europe. And IMHO, the VW is very much a middle-of-the-road motor, no pun intended, and not exactly a quality marque. Theediscerning (talk) 15:12, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

Bigger than Texas?!

There have been increasing references recently on eco sites to some sort of huge island of plastic debris circling in the Pacific Ocean. The references all seem to contain similar phrases which might indicate a spreading urban myth. Can anyone point me to a site that has photos of this alleged phenomenon. Richard Avery (talk) 07:49, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

Hi Richard, the oceanographers and flotsam boffins are onto it(eg here[20] in legit sources like the BBC,The Independent, news.com.au and google images[21] bear it out. One place says it's bigger than the US! scary stuff (the media I mean) Julia Rossi (talk) 08:03, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

See also: Great Pacific Garbage Patch. --antilived<sup>T | C | G</sup> 08:23, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

Yuk. Can we see this gunge on Google Earth? --Richardrj <sup>talk email</sup> 08:32, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

They are mostly tiny bits of plastic, and with a mean density of 5.1kg/km² (according to our article) I would expect not.--Shantavira|<sup>feed me</sup> 09:31, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

The flotsam experts also speak in confetti terms, but theory fails the eyeball test with this plastic high tide[22] and this[23] captioned "The Pacific Ocean trash vortex contains more waste than the largest landfill on earth" from the article[24]. Julia Rossi (talk) 09:50, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

Why does Yahoo jilt Microsoft?

I'm compiling a list of probable reasons why, bottom line, Yahoo wants nothing to do with Microsoft. Do you know other reasons why Yahoo may not be interested in merging with Microsoft besides its low purchase offer? So far, I have the following:

• Microsoft has added functions like transparency to dragged objects but has consistently refused to do anything about many more horrendous shortcomings, like providing a built in automatic duplicates removal tool in Outlook Express and Outlook, leaving such functions to be purchased separately through third parties or Microsoft Marketplace.

• DRM. Microsoft ignores the fact that digital audio signals are converted to analog audio signals to accommodate human listening and that analog audio signals can be faithfully recorded and reconverted to digital.

• Internet Explorer is incompatible with many web sites acclimated to Mozilla Firefox although Mozilla Firefox has similar shortcomings at sites developed with Microsoft applications software.

Do you know other reasons besides immediate financial gains or losses why Yahoo has jilted Microsoft?

71.100.160.37 (talk) 13:34, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

I heard Microsoft jilted Yahoohotclaws 13:43, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

What else do you expect Microsoft to say? 71.100.160.37 (talk) 14:45, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

While your listed items are valid reasons for a consumer to avoid doing business with Microsoft, they really have no bearing on a takeover bid. Since it is a publicly traded company, Yahoo's executive officers and directors have a fiduciary duty to their stockholders to obtain the highest price they can. Yahoo thinks the MS offer is less than it should be, and that's really all that can be said. --LarryMac | Talk 14:56, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

hi

what are the odds that i will live to 150? i am 11 now. thanks. David. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.77.251.12 (talk) 14:23, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

Hi! We have an article on oldest people. It says that the verifiably oldest person lived to be 122 years and 164 days old, so no one in the past lived to be 150 (if we exclude people in the Bible like Methuselah, whose age may have been exaggerated for story-telling purposes). While it is true that the age of the very oldest people is going up (in 1837 the oldest verified person was 108), it's difficult to speculate what things will be like in 100+ years. -- 128.104.112.85 (talk) 15:04, 10 April 2008 (UTC)