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January 10

Are PMC operators more "skilled"?

Are Private military contractors, on average, more skilled than the average soldier? Specifically, are Blackwater combat operatives more skilled in combat than the average U.S. soldier? How do they compare to U.S. Special Force personnels? Acceptable (talk) 00:19, 10 January 2009 (UTC)

It seems to me that the only realistic way to answer such a thing beyond anecdotes is to really determine what we mean by "skilled" in this context and how we might measure it. (Ability to hit a target from X yards? Or something more epidemiological, like deaths per capita in wartime? Or are they even comparable along these lines, given that PMCs and soldiers are probably not in exactly the same situations?) I am sure if you asked on a more military-oriented forum you'd get a lot of interesting anecdotal information (10 bucks says that each group thinks it is more qualified than the other), but I'm not sure how one would go along delineating out what the crucial questions about "skills" would be in this context. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 00:47, 10 January 2009 (UTC)

I would say probably based primarily on the fact most private military contractors/merceneries don't train there own people from scratch (rather pick up people who have already had a fair amount of training) therefore they will have few fewer people who are still just learning the ropes. Also the higher wages and the fact that they are probably not short of applicants means they are able to cherry pick the best. Of course just because you are more skilled doesn't mean you do the job better Nil Einne (talk) 12:06, 10 January 2009 (UTC)

Special Forces doctor income

How much does a phycisian in the US Army Special Forces make per year?--DocDeel516 ^discuss 01:14, 10 January 2009 (UTC)

It depends upon his rank and years of service in the Military. See U.S. uniformed services pay grades for more info. Assuming active duty, and a rank of say Captain (a reasonable rank for a physician in the Army medical corps) and say, 5 years of active service, we get an O3 pay grade with 5 years of service to earn $4523.70 per month base salary. There may be other bonuses or supplimental pay, such as combat pay for serving in a forward combat area, or Foreign Language Proficiency Pay or other bonuses paid for having special skills or for serving in areas of high need. You may also want to see such articles as United States Military Pay. --Jayron32.talk.contribs 03:36, 10 January 2009 (UTC)

Plus the ability to have all your student loans deferred and possibly worked off. 198.70.210.143 (talk) 09:03, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

Strange landmark in Baghdad

What is this, found in central Baghdad? Nadando (talk) 04:37, 10 January 2009 (UTC)

Handy tip: In Google maps - click on the "More..." button - then click "Wikipedia" and you'll see icons for every place that Wikipedia has an article! In this case, it's clear that this is the "Green zone". Click on 'Photos...' and you'll see photos stored on various sites on the web. From that, I found that the circular structure is "The Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers" - there is a photo here: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/3621197 SteveBaker (talk) 04:42, 10 January 2009 (UTC)

That's a very interesting tip, Steve. Thanks. ៛ Bielle (talk) 04:36, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

Google and Wikipedia are a match made in heaven! It's amazing what intelligent and creative indexing can do for you. It's also amazing how few places in the world are devoid of little Wikipedia icons. We have articles EVERYWHERE! It's amazing what you can find out about your neigbourhood this way. SteveBaker (talk) 05:45, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

"Proper" Use of a Douvet

A friend has just built a beautiful, nrew home. While visiting the first day moving in, it was menthat day, too. Gordyboy45 (talk) 06:39, 10 January 2009 (UTC)

Do you have a question?--Shantavira|^{feed me} 09:30, 10 January 2009 (UTC)

Well, judging by the title of the thread, the OP may be interested in our article aboutBlankets or perhaps on Comforters. --Jayron32.talk.contribs 11:41, 10 January 2009 (UTC)

Does he mean duvet? I thought how to use that was fairly self-explanatory. Possibly he means bidet - a lot more confusing for all concerned. -mattbuck (Talk) 11:46, 10 January 2009 (UTC)

lhe

i beared the title in abbreviation LHE and brought to an end it's own kind..What the hell is this riddle talking about..Apparently Wikipedia has only an islamic airport as a match when i search LHE...Kindly assist... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 41.206.37.174 (talk) 07:02, 10 January 2009 (UTC)

From the word "riddle" above, I presume this is one. Have you quoted the entire riddle exactly as presented, with correct spelling and punctation - Sometimes subtleties can make a big difference. Is the quote "i beared the title in abbreviation LHE and brought to an end it's own kind" it? That sentence is bad English grammar, so so please give a context for the quote - eg is it source by a native English speaker or is it badly translated from another language? -- SGBailey (talk) 10:33, 10 January 2009 (UTC)

While waiting for clarification, here's wild guess #1: Francis II, the Last Holy Emperor. Or Xian, the Last Han Emperor. Or perhaps Faustin I, the Last Haitian Emperor (though I admit, "last" wasn't part of any of these titles :) ---Sluzzelin talk 16:05, 10 January 2009 (UTC)

Lord High Executioner? brought to an end many of his kind - human beings.86.4.182.202 (talk) 18:11, 10 January 2009 (UTC)

CSAT or customer satisfaction survey

i am in a dilemma to increase the level of customer satisfaction survey which our customers fill in a form which is auto mailed after every intaraction with a customer service agent.the level of satisfaction is dipping day by day,after every possible effort as well to increase it. and is in the lowest low right now. can anyone help me to help elevate the level? anyone?

Please clarify: (a) Are you trying to get more people to fill in your survey. (b) Are you trying to alter the survey questions so that it looks as though customers are more satisfied with yor site or (c) Are you trying to improve your site so that more customers are satisfied with it? -- SGBailey (talk) 10:28, 10 January 2009 (UTC)

The third one Mr Bailey, i am trying to improve the delivery of the agents and in turn recive surveys for satisfied customers.thanks.

Then the problem is not (just) with the survey. Improve service and the survey results should improve. BUT be sure that your survey questions are relevant and non-ambiguous. Myself I prefer a six point scale, i.e. no centre point for wavering. Respondents have to choose some degree of positive or some degree of negative. And 6 points are enough for most people to understand. Good luck.86.202.29.182 (talk) 16:38, 10 January 2009 (UTC)petitmichel

I may be reading things into your statement, but you say after every interaction with a customer service agent.the level of satisfaction is dipping day by day Sounds as though your survey is "adding insult to injury" for your customers. First they have to spend (waste?) time dealing with your agent and then you ask them to give you even more time to tell you how they liked it (= why they hated wasting time) and unless your auto e-mail has a very good filter they may even get several of those requests in a row. Particularly if a complaint they have requires several interactions. Although the responses you are getting are more of the "now they've done it" type, carefully go through them and see if you can figure out what in particular they are complaining about. If you have regular customers, single out a couple and either contact them directly with an offer to cater to their specific need(s), or re-route their next call to a "senior representative" (separate agents, low call load) and try to have them figure out how to serve that specific customer better. Find out if your agents are tending to your customers' needs or whether they are a) too slow b) not knowledgeable enough c) overloaded d) sound robotic/ scripted e) disinterested f) given insufficient guidance and/or backing by superiors. (Easiest way is to have some friends or relatives pose as customers and get the "low down" from them.) Sit down with one agent a day and ask them about their experiences, how they think they could serve their customers better and what they learned/felt about a particular customer or recurring problems. Since they are the ones that get dinged in your reports they should know a lot more about what's awry than we possibly could. Give your customers an incentive to write positive reviews and make that as easy as you can. Survey sites tend to try and get as much data as possible. Since you are sending out these surveys you should already have all the basic data on that customer. Offer s.th. that they are likely to want _{(e.g. X% off your next order, 1 item free on your next/last order, "gold customer status")} (OR: for "flaming" I don't mind registering, logging in and filling in forms, for a positive review I'd usually pass if it's too much hassle.) Next show visitors that you actually read those surveys and are acting on them. E.g: In December 54% of our customers were unhappy with long "Call on hold" loops. We have reacted to your wishes and are pleased to introduce 10 new agents (names and pictures below.) If a customer then gets to talk to an agent they know from the site they are a lot more likely to stay calm and friendly. Good luck. 76.97.245.5 (talk) 18:12, 10 January 2009 (UTC)

Standard operating procedure SOP

How do we create a standard operating procedure diagram for the department i work in. i have all the information though but lacking in the knowhow to arrange them into little boxes with various shapes like rectangle,square,round and so on. are there any tools which makes it easier to do so.?Seekhle (talk) 12:32, 10 January 2009 (UTC)

It sounds like you're looking to make a flowchart. The article mentions a few pieces of software that are helpful in making flowcharts. If I'm not mistaken, even Microsoft Word and similar programs (Open Office?) can be used to make flowcharts, but are not optimized for that task. If you're looking for non-software tools, there are clear plastic templates for use with paper and pencil. –RHolton≡– 13:15, 10 January 2009 (UTC)

The object of a standard operating procedure is to document how a task or process is done. This may include NOT using flowchart symbols, or "little boxes with shapes," if the people who will follow the SOP can't deal with them easily. Don't let the format get in the way of the process you're trying to guide. Engineers and programmers love flowcharts; not so most of the people who work on, say, a pharmaceutical packaging line. --- OtherDave (talk) 05:26, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

Authorship of Paul's letters

Please advise if you have any material on the authorship of Paul's letters in the Bible. Thank you. D. L. Thomas —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.177.50.223 (talk) 12:35, 10 January 2009 (UTC)

I'm not entirely sure what you're asking, but our article on Saint Paul may help – along with the Authorship of the Pauline epistles article. Cycle~ (talk) 12:54, 10 January 2009 (UTC)

Need help finding a game

It's an educational game, where the basic premise is that you're born as a child in a country chosen at random, and you basically live the life of this child. Features include things like coming down with diseases (especially prevalent if you're born in an especially deprived part of the world, of course), finding suitable employment after you've been educated etc. etc. It feels like a game that the WHO or just the UN in general would put out and is fairly recent, say 2005 2006-ish, so any help in identifying it would be very helpful. 202.156.14.82 (talk) 18:11, 10 January 2009 (UTC)

I didn't find exactly what you describe, but this site has a lot of games of that sort. --Milkbreath (talk) 18:41, 10 January 2009 (UTC)

Those are certainly the sort of games I'm looking for, but not the particular one I have in mind.202.156.14.82 (talk) 18:58, 10 January 2009 (UTC)

Is this it? --Milkbreath (talk) 21:15, 10 January 2009 (UTC)

Yes :D Thank you. 202.156.14.82 (talk) 03:27, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

Ontario Drivers Licence

In what month and year in ontario canada did the temporary drivers licence change from being 120 day temporary licence to a 365 day temp licence? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.198.139.38 (talk) 22:25, 10 January 2009 (UTC)

Seems to be April 1, 1994, according to the MTO. Adam Bishop (talk) 07:17, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

No, that page is talking about the graduated license system. I remember way before that when I was learning to drive, renewing my learner's permit and being surprised that it was now good for a year instead of a small number of months, so this is the transition the original poster is asking about. But I don't remember exactly when it happened... my best guess is late 1971 or early 1972. This is the sort of thing that it would be hard to find online -- I'd expect it would be best to ask the Ministry of Transport or whatever it's called this year. --Anonymous, 00:07 UTC, January 12, 2009.

Where do people usually lose things

Hi, I lost my note book recently and I have run out of places to look for it, my question is where are the common places people tend to forget to search? -- Concerned —Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.32.241.162 (talk) 23:26, 10 January 2009 (UTC)

I have observed thousands of instances where someone lost something and searched until they found it. From this wealth of observation, I can advise you where they always find it: In the last place they look! So just look there first, and you might save considerable time. From my experience: things which might wind up kicked under the bed are probably under the bed. Things lost on the couch may be between the cushions. One report said that misplaced TV remote controls were often found in the refrigerator (going to get a snack during the commercial, eh?). By the principle of substitution,one sometimes leaves the thing one was carring at the place where he picked up the next thing carried. Then there is always "Where was the last place you positively had it?" The place people often forget to search is the most logical place to have placed the thing. Edison (talk) 03:09, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

"The last place you look?" You are not Edison, you are Winnie-the-Pooh, and I claim my five pounds. --Anonymous, 07:21 UTC, January 11, 2009.

In my experience, we are often 'blind' to the places where the searched for thing might lurk - and we tend to look in the same places over and over. What I do, if a brief search of the 'obvious places' doesn't work is to become crazily meticulous. I go to each room in turn and imagine a flat surface, parallel to one of the walls slowly 'scanning' the room from one side to the other. Every place where the surface touches, I look - no matter whether it's inside something under it, over it - no matter that I KNOW the object can't be there. It doesn't matter how unlikely the place is, I search it. I imagine the surface moves by about the size of the object I'm searching for every time I'm done searching the things it's touching right now. Do this for every single room - the garage, my car, the garden and (if necessary) the trash can and the attic. If the object is still there, I *WILL* find it...but it's slow and painstaking and I usually find a lot more things that I'd lost a while back along the way! But as a matter of last resort - it works. SteveBaker (talk) 05:39, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

Steve alludes to my usual technique on these occasions: give up and wait until I'm searching for the next thing I've misplaced and can't find. --Anon, 07:22 UTC, January 11, 2009.

For a lot of the things I lose, I don't even want them back, I just wanna know where the fuck they went. (paraphrasing George Carlin) Matt Deres (talk) 18:34, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

Reminds me of a friend's .sig: I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask where they're goin' and hook up with 'em later. —Tamfang (talk) 19:11, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Or you can keep buying replacements for the lost items (and keep losing them). Eventually there are so many of them lying around that you're losing them and finding them (without trying) at about the same frequency. In scientific terms, you have reached a dynamic equilibrium. (I know of a true story in which this actually happened. The items in question were stored-value subway tickets.) --173.49.14.181 (talk) 03:33, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

You only need to buy one replacement, then when you go to put it away, you will discover the old one there, at least if you're anything like me. StuRat (talk) 07:56, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

There is the related trick of deliberately losing a like thing and having someone observe where it hides. Edison (talk) 04:32, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

I've tried that with scissors - I can never find a pair in our house - so I took to repeatedly buying large numbers of the darned things on the grounds that sooner or later, wherever they were hiding would get full and the horror would end. Sadly, about 100 pairs of scissors later, I've deduced that somewhere, the 'scissor monster' is lurking - it's lustful hunger for the hinged and pointy, as yet unsated. SteveBaker (talk) 06:02, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

I was the same with fingernail clippers. When I moved I found a dozen of them under sofas and such places. StuRat (talk) 12:54, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

Books tend to end up on book shelves, even if you were not the person who put it there. Is there anyone else in your household who might have moved it? DOR (HK) (talk) 02:10, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

January 11

FLA Lotto

Does anyone know what TV station in Southwest Florida broadcasts the results of the Florida Lottery live? PCHS-NJROTC ^(Messages) 01:55, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

According to their (very clunky) website, one of these. Nanonic (talk) 02:09, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

Interesting, the only station it mentions for Fort Myers, Florida is the Spainish one... PCHS-NJROTC ^(Messages) 02:25, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

Can I drive to the Drake Passage?

Is something like this practical? I live up by Canada and I've been thinkin about takin a drive from here to the southern tip of South America. I havent left yet cause of concerns about liscence restrictions, terrain, and corrupt police. Any advice?--Troy da truck driver (talk) 03:18, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

Its not so difficult, you get onto the Pan-American Highway and head south. So long as you have a passport and visa requirements, a decent car, a decent phrasebook and enough money, you should be just fine.... except for the Darién Gap, where you will need to investigate other means of transport. Tim Cahill's Road Fever (Vintage. ISBN 978-0394758374) [1] or this site [2] might be worth reading for more specific advice. Rockpocket 03:59, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

I have personal experience of being held up by armed bandits at roadblocks in the mountains of Guatemala twice in the same night. We had been warned not to drive in the mountains at night, but one of us became very ill on an earlier part of the journey and then, suddenly, it was night and we were still hours from Lake Atitlan. A very fluent speaker of Spanish at the wheel of the VW bus, and $20 U.S. per passenger (we were five) did the trick each time. If you stick to major routes as Rockpocket has suggested, and don't drive at night, (and don't do any of the other silly things that get tourists in trouble, like flashing money, jewelry, electronics or even trendy clothes, or leavng your vehicle unlocked or parked in a deserted area, or running out of gas because stations are often widely spaced or . . .) then you could have a wonderful trip. Oh yes, and don't ever argue with the guys in uniform at border crossings, whether or not they carry guns. If the sign says the entry fee is 20 quetzals/pesos and the uniforms say $20 US, just pay the $20; don't even think about complaining until you get home, unless you really hate your vehicle and would enjoy seeing it in small pieces scattered all over the customs' parking area. ៛ Bielle (talk) 04:33, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

Sorry, but the answer is no, you can't drive from North America to South America. There is a thing called the Pan-American Highway, but it consists of two separate parts. The Panama-Colombia border area is jungle with no roads, so you have to bypass that gap by by air or sea travel.

You might find Paul Theroux's 1979 memoir The Old Patagonian Express interesting, although he did not travel by road, but by train (which involved air travel in several places to bypass gaps between railway systems). --Anonymous, 07:33 UTC, January 11, 2009.

You may be able to get through the Darién Gap via an All Terrain Vehicle, but it won't be easy. Useight (talk) 08:07, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

As I see it, the route is mostly complete and tarmaced except the Darrien gap. But, if you are not too much the "purist" wanting to stay exactly on the route, why not look into driving to Panama City and getting a ferry (one that will take your vehicle, obviously) to Buenaventura, Colombia or to Esmeraldas, Ecuador. To pick up the southern section of the Pan American: From Buenaventura you can drive ~100 miles to Cali. From Esmeraldas you can drive ~200 miles to Quito and avoid the security problems in Colombia. These links might be helpful.

Note: I have not checked the quality of the seaport -> PAH routes (ie. they could be dirt roads - but consider they do connect major seaports to major cities so are presumably heavily travelled by trucks) and I have not checked whether the ferries I suggested are still running. Astronaut (talk) 14:27, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

The Darién Gap is extremely dangerous and difficult to cross. A few vehicles have done it, perhaps fewer than ten. Each had all-wheel drive and probably lots of replacement gear, because there is no road, there is a jungle, and the terrain is rough. Each vehicle that made the expedition took several weeks to make the crossing. Presumably you would need a machete or power-saw at times. Then, you have to be concerned about poisonous snakes, parasitical infections, and armed rebels who have bases in the Gap. Many who have attempted to cross the Gap (mostly on foot) have ended up dead. Still want to try it? Unfortunately, the ferry from Panama to Colombia is no longer in operation. You can arrange to have your vehicle shipped from Panama to Colombia on a container ship for $1000–1500 and then make the sea crossing by special arrangement with one of several private cruise ships (often under sail) that carry tourists on that route for around $500. Or you can sell your car, book a cheap flight, then buy a used car in Colombia. Marco polo (talk) 21:55, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

Looking further, I spotted another place where you might encounter difficulty continuing your journey in South America. If you arrive at the wrong time of year, you might find the route through the Andes, particularly the Paso Libertadores and the Cristo Redentor Tunnel, closed due to snow or rock falls.

You might also find driving much further south than Ushuaia rather difficult due to a lack of roads. Of course, you could hire a boat to take you the last 100 miles or so to Cape Horn and the Drake Passage. Astronaut (talk) 16:56, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

What are bedspreads for?

Made beds in hotels are usually if not always topped with bedspreads, but I've read somewhere that you should always remove them because they are dirty. What exactly are they supposed to be for? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.114.98.136 (talk) 04:06, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

The original purpose of a bedspread was to keep the blankets free of dust and grime (if follows, then, that the dust and grime that would be found on blankets, are on the bedspread!). I suppose they also developed a decorative purpose also. Rockpocket 04:15, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

Rockpocket types faster than I do. (After ec) Bedspreads are principally for decoration (helping to bring the room "together" under a colour scheme), tidiness (all the lumps and edges of pillows and blankets are disguised under the single line of the spread) and, sometimes, warmth. The spreads and blankets are not washed as often as sheets and pillow cases because they do not touch the skin. Unlike blankets, however, which are usually protected by the sheet below and the spread above, the bedspread is often in contact with bums (clothed or otherwise), along with suitcases and bags, damp towels, even shoes and unwashed clothes. In a private home, I wouldnt worry about it. In a hotel, I peel down the spread until I can at least keep a flap of sheet beween my skin and it at face height; the rest doesn't matter much. If you are really concerned, you can ask to have the spread changed. How you will know that it has also been cleaned before you get it, I don't know. ៛ Bielle (talk) 04:16, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

I have the idea that, like a lot of fussier domestic items, bedspreads are a Victorian thing. If that's the case, it would make sense that they are to keep the other bedding clean. If you look at the sections on daily cleaning in Mrs Beeton, the amount of grime settling out of the air onto everything in the house must have been staggering. The cause, presumably, coal fires in almost every room and gas-lights emitting their combustion products straight into the air. So a bedspread that covered up the bed most of the time, catching the airborne crud, would have made a lot of sense. PeteVerdon (talk) 16:47, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

Bedspreads are a plot device so that the body in crime thrillers can be wrapped in something when it is sneaked out of wherever the murder took place. The hospitality industry are big movie fans but they may have taken it a bit far.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 16:56, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

shady...

How does Forex Microlot make any money? On their FAQs page, I searched for their commission and the link said that they don't have one. That is, a $0 commission. It makes me wonder - how does their website even make money? It sounds like a great deal, but that "no commission" thing makes it a bit... shady. Sounding too good to be true. Can someone explain this, or at least give a testimonial saying that they don't 100% rip you off? flaminglawyer^c 07:21, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

I just searched "free websites" and there are many but I still didn't find what their source of income in apart from advertising. Me too would like to know the catch(es). Julia Rossi (talk) 09:10, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

My guess would be they get it out of the spread. They offer better rates for small volume forex trades than e.g you'd get if you traded Dollars to Euros at your bank. They deal in large volume trades, tough and don't quite pass on the excellent rates that they enjoy. They just don't heap on the extra charges your bank gets away with. They may also live off the interest they get out of investing the money. It's amazing how many extra pearls you can get if you play a shell game with shoving money around. As we've seen with some recent collapses see Bernard Madoff it gets dangerous when things turn into a ponzi scheme. In this case even checking credentials and records didn't help. The best thing still seems to be the old wisdom of not putting all your eggs in one basket.--76.97.245.5 (talk) 09:55, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

Small musical instruments

What musical instruments would could be practical enough in size to backpack around with excluding flutes (and variations) and the harmonica?.. And perhaps something that's at least a little bit challenging too... Thank you 81.41.106.63 (talk) 10:54, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

Jew's harp and kalimba. --Milkbreath (talk) 13:03, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

you could try spoons for percussion (Not as easy to learn to play well as it sounds. You need at least two.) Or a comb. Both have the advantage that you can put them to other uses without extra luggage. If you are crafty or have a friend who is my personal favorite is still a travel dulcimer travel dulcimer {Holy smokes they want how much for that thing??) It's basically a fretboard with strings in a box that you can carry it in and that serves as sound chamber when you play it. [3]--76.97.245.5 (talk) 13:12, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

A small Concertina perhaps. I also recently saw a small band in a bar in County Clare, Ireland, in which the octogenarian percussionist played a small wooden box (and sometimes the table) with a pair of drumsticks - perhaps not so good on its own, but it sounded good with the accompaniment of guitar and whistle. Astronaut (talk) 13:44, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

Depending on the size of your backpack, a ukulele, or charango might work, maybe even a small mandolin. A pocket trumpet, piccolo trumpet or soprillo would be quite challenging to play (and the latter quite expensive). Years ago I backpacked through Europe to Northern Africa carrying a soprano sax (it wasn't a very valuable one, so I wrapped it in cloth instead of using the comparatively bulky hardcase). Smaller and less challenging: a kazoo, a nose whistle, dozens of small percussion instruments. Are you planning on learning the instrument while traveling? Do you wish to busk while you're at it? A few years ago, I heard a street band using nothing but little toy instruments, from toy piano to honking horns, melodicas, slide whistles, etc., all in primary colors ... ---Sluzzelin talk 15:00, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

Two dessert spoons.86.194.250.243 (talk) 15:49, 11 January 2009 (UTC)DT

Ha ha. How about clapping (challenging enough in flamenco) or other body percussion, then? How about beatboxing or other vocal percussion? Or how about just singing? ---Sluzzelin talk 15:58, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

There's also the ocarina. Just be careful you don't play the wrong tune. Matt Deres (talk) 18:40, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

I vote for the ocarina. They look cool and are a good conversation starter. ("Gee, what's that thing your playing? It looks like a sweet potato with holes in it!") They come in different sizes with different voices. The sound is mellow and does not carry through the wall to the neighbor's to the extent that a miniature brass instrument . You could also learn how to make one out of any handy vegetable or fruit like broccoli, or a carrot. A concertina would also be cool. Edison (talk) 20:57, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

I thought of the ocarina, but 81.41 specified no flutes or variations thereof. ---Sluzzelin talk 21:04, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

You could go techno and try the Kaossilator. It looks both unique and challenging. APL (talk) 00:24, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

A pocket theramin - under $20 worth of parts and a few hours of work! Theramins are certainly challenging to play well. SteveBaker (talk) 00:54, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

The C.F._Martin_&_Company backpacker? Page 29 of catalog [4]. (5.5 MB)--GreenSpigot (talk) 02:33, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

following on Milkbreath's Jew's harp, there's a delightful performance of London Bridge. Awww. Julia Rossi (talk) 02:49, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

Jew's Harps are not musical "Bew baw bow bow" besides being hard on the jaw teeth. If the ocarania is too flutelike, then stick with the concertina. Edison (talk) 04:30, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

Although mentioned above tersely, I would second the kalimba (and mbira) idea. These are quite small instruments that not only sound nice and are fun and easy to play, but also require little to no maintenance, such as tuning strings. For "backpacking" they have the additional benefit of being hard to damage. You could throw one against a wall with little effect. They are a bit on the quiet side, but that could be a good thing too, depending. The only other "real" musical instrument I know of that combines smallness, easy playability, pleasant sound, and robust strength, is the harmonica. Pfly (talk) 09:05, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

That's a good suggestion - I looked at the two articles and they say that both the kalimba and mbira are varieties of Lamellophone - and THAT article has a "See Also" section with links to dozens and dozens of articles about other small, portable instruments of a similar kind. Our OP would do well to look through them. SteveBaker (talk) 17:08, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

Can you still get Stylophones ? Yes you can!GreenSpigot (talk) 03:33, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Thanksgiving

What do Americans do at Christmas? Since everyone seems to meet family and friends for Thanksgiving, do you all make the trip again for Christmas, or do you do something else? Aren't you sick of your families by then? 80.229.160.127 (talk) 12:40, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

We often see them again, but sometimes the Thanksgiving guests stay put this time, and their erstwhile hosts go to them. And, yes, I'm sick of them. I start out sick of them, but bear in mind that we can get a lot farther away from them between times than y'all can stuck on that little sceptered isle. --Milkbreath (talk) 13:09, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

Another option, especially for married couples or those with divorced parents, is to go to one family's house for t-giving and the other for xmas. Note, this is often the case where one set of parents lives far away from the other set. Many times I've heard of people having an "early xmas" at t-giving. Dismas|^(talk) 15:33, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

And actually, sometimes some of us do grow weary of our families by Christmas. In some cases, Thanksgiving is for the "extended families" (grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, etc.), while Christmas is for the small nuclear family (just mom and dad and the kids). — Michael J 18:15, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

Some Americans have Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners in the same place every year, but these days I think that it is more common to have Thanksgiving in one place and Christmas in another. Some people will spend one holiday with extended family and the other with immediate family on a tropical island or at a ski resort. As Dismas says, many people visit one partner's family for Thanksgiving and the other partner's for Christmas. Obviously, some people are happier to spend time with their families than others. Marco polo (talk) 21:19, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

For some it also depends on how much time you can take off from work. Turkey day is on a Thursday (US) and you only need to take Friday off to get 4 days in a row. If you have to travel far you can leave work early on Wednesday and then have some time to recover till you have to travel back and start work again. X-mas often is just one day (Christmas day) off. In many jobs, leaving early on Christmas eve isn't an option. So you tend to stay closer to home for X-mas and do the red-eye for Thanksgiving. There are also loads of people here who don't celebrate Christmas.76.97.245.5 (talk) 07:40, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

The U.S. is a blended society. In New England, the Pilgrims and their like celebrated Thanksgiving and ignored Christmas as a pagan fest. The rest of the U.S. celebrated Christmas and ignored Thanksgiving. Around the time of Lincoln, both came to be celebrated by the nation. Edison (talk) 04:27, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

Many of us love our families, and would very much wish to spend more time with them. DOR (HK) (talk) 02:25, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Property Tax

What county of the state of Florida, has the lowest Property Taxes? I was in search of a guide to property taxes for the state of Florida. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mlaplante (talk • contribs) 16:15, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

The very first result in the google search for the term "Property taxes in Florida" returns this link: [5] which appears to contain several links to property tax information by county. Cheers. --Jayron32.talk.contribs 21:36, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

It was not so easy to find this table of property tax rates by Florida county in 2006. I did not find anything more recent. According to this table, Monroe County had the lowest county-wide property taxes in 2006. However, school districts, municipalities, and other jurisdictions may levy property taxes in addition to the county tax. According to the table, the county with the lowest total average property taxes in 2006 was Franklin County, but the actual rate within Franklin County would depend on the jurisdiction, and there are almost certainly places in Franklin County that have a higher property tax rate than places in other counties. Marco polo (talk) 22:11, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

USN Band airplane crash in South America

Sometime after WWII the USN Band was on a tour of South American countries. The band was to fly to somewhere during this tour and the airplane crashed, maybe into the Andes. Some of the band on the tour did not go on the flight. Maybe had another performance. My guess is in the 40s or 50s timewise. I'm looking for details, location and dates.138.88.236.190 (talk) 16:33, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

http://shipmatelog.com/plaque_pull.php?search=yes&loc_code=10G —Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.45.233.23 (talk) 16:49, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

planecrashinfo.com puts the accident one day later. Perhaps its maintainer used the date of a news report rather than the date of the crash. I'll email him to point out the discrepancy. --Anonymous, 00:13 UTC, January 12, 2009.

Bullfighting - several questions I can´t find answers to anywhere else....

I am currently in southern Spain on holiday and am interested in seeing a bullfight. However, I am shocked at the seemingly exorbitant cost of a ringside seat in the shade at around 95 euros. In the local Malaga Bullring there are enough seats for 14,000 spectators that equates to some 1 million to 1.4 million euros per Corrida (3 bullfight teams each fighting 2 bulls). Any responses as to why it is so expensive as against say a ticket to a First Division English Football Match would be appreciated - and what would a good Toreador (the one who actually faces up to the bull and eventually usually kills it) be paid? Thanks in anticipation. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 83.42.50.120 (talk) 18:34, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

I'm no expert, but if one doesn't turn up here, you might want to have a look at Lonely Planet's Thorntree forum. A first search turned up this for starters. BrainyBabe (talk) 20:58, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

Based on the usual economic principles, such an event will charge whatever it can get to achieve its own goals. Those goals might be (1) a full arena (at a lower price, perhaps, depending on the popularity of the sport); the most revenue (higher prices that still give more revenue even if the arena is not full). Then there is the further principle that, for non-essential things (and what could be less essential to those not personally involved than a bullfight?), one charges whatever the market will bear. (You might whip over the mountains of a Sunday and check out the Mijas bullring. It will be considerably cheaper, even in the shade. Up in the mountains, where it is located, and this being January, I would risk the cheaper seats in the sun.) ៛ Bielle (talk) 22:22, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

The original poster's arithmetic is suspect. If 95 euros is the price "a ringside seat in the shade", presumably there are other seats at significantly lower prices, so the total gross will not be as large as 95 × 14,000 euros. --Anonymous, 00:17 UTC, January 12, 2009.

There's also the fact that the "wear" on the "material" is a lot higher in bullfighting. Bulls [6] can not be reused for the next performance. I didn't look for data on the likelihood of getting killed playing First Division English Football. I would assume though that an enraged bull will more often kill a matador than an enraged player of the opposing team killing a soccer player. (In soccer one expects both sides to survive the game, in bullfighting it's either, or, or neither.) Since bullfighting has come under fire by animal rights activists it does no longer draw as many crowds as it used to. Many corridas report diminished incomes and quite a few have closed or reduced the number of performances. (Sources are is Spanish, so I didn't put any here. if you read Spanish you can google it.) Since they still have running overheads it's not surprising that ticket prices are steep. --76.97.245.5 (talk) 09:21, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

The price of the ticket will depend very much on the matador (not toreador). The big names are like the big teams in football. The matador has to pay his team and other costs so it is difficult to estimate how much they receive as an individual. The less popular ones will of course get much less than the popular ones who are generally very wealthy indeed, certainly as much as a Premier League footballer. (further edit) It later occurred to me that a ringside seat in the shade for 95 euros is a very good deal. I am left wondering how you are able to buy the ringside seats in the shade because they are usually reserved for the season ticket holders and all the well connected people. Perhaps it is not a top flight matador. I paid over 100 euros for a seat right at the back in Seville a couple of springs ago, but that was for Jesulin de Ubrique. Richard Avery (talk) 11:25, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

The best tickets for boxing matches will often cost a lot more than 94 euros. For Ricky Hatton's bout at the MGM Grand in Vegas in May you can pay $10,000 or more for a front row seat. In football a higher viewpoint has its advantages if you want to see all the action, whereas in boxing being close to the fighters gives the best view; I bullfighting might be closer to boxing in this. --Maltelauridsbrigge (talk) 12:06, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

This link suggests you are being offered expensive seats (or perhaps mediocre seats at tout prices) while the cheapest seats could be a low as 10 Euros. I have been to several sporting events around the world and have nearly always been told by my hotel concierge that tickets are nearly impossible to get, are very expensive, are sold out old months in advance; and yet for example I saw a Serie A game in Rome for just 14 Euros and this summer I went to an All-Ireland Semi Final in Dublin for 45 Euros. In both cases I just walked up to the ticket office at the stadium on the day. Astronaut (talk) 19:00, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

Yes, 10 euros for a novillada which is a session of young bulls and unknown matadors. Like going to watch the Manchester United youth team. 86.4.182.202 (talk) 22:51, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

Sidewalks

I am somewhat confused about sidewalks ... maybe someone can clear this up for me? I thought that sidewalks "belong to" the city/town ... and not to the homeowner whose property the sidewalk surrounds. That is, the sidewalk legally is the town's property, and not the homeowner's property. Is that understanding correct? I also understand that, when it snows, it is the homeowner's responsibility to clear/shovel the sidewalk ... and not the town's responsibility. You always see homeowners shoveling their sidewalks ... you never see the town maintenance crews shoveling residents’ sidewalks. So, what’s the deal? Anyone know? Thanks. (This question refers to the United States.) (Joseph A. Spadaro (talk) 19:38, 11 January 2009 (UTC))

The town of Hinesburg, Vermont clears many of the town's sidewalks. But you're right, it's not a common occurrence. Dismas|^(talk) 19:55, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

I can't speak for America, really, but this page does. It's all on there. In short, homeowners have 4 hours, or until the next morning to clear the snow. The authorities have a "reasonable time", which in legalese means "until the snow gets so bad hell freezes over". - Jarry1250 ^{(t, c)} 20:14, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

I wonder if the requirement to clear snow from the city's sidewalk has been tested at appeals courts? If the city could require a property owner to remove snow from the city's sidewalk on property the homeowner does not own or pay taxes on, then why couldn't they require him to remove the snow from the street running by his house, or from the steps of city hall? Has anyone ever refused and taken it to the highest appeals level? On the other side of the argument, I know that in the early 19th century counties in the U.S. would require men who owned property to come on a specified day and maintain the county road near but not on their property. Their forced labor without compensation achieved a societal common good of having passable roads, and the alternative would have been to collect enough taxes to pay someone to do the same work. Similarly, a city can make property owners pay a special assessment to install sidewalks for the first time or to pave dirt or gravel alleys behind their property. This sidewalk cleaning requirement might be a vestige of the 19th century road work labor requirement. Edison (talk) 20:36, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

Is that 4 hours rule enforced? Plenty of people routinely spend more than 4 hours away from their home (at work, for example), so there must be enormous numbers of times when people are unable to remove the snow within 4 hours. --Tango (talk) 20:43, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

I'm not sure that the requirement that abutting property owners clear the sidewalk is universal in the United States. I think that the requirement may not exist in some jurisdictions. My own city (Boston) has a requirement similar to New York's. It is not universally obeyed or well enforced. We have had at least three heavy snowfalls (>6 inches/15 cm) so far this winter, and several property owners in my neighborhood have yet to clear their sidewalk. Last year, the city issued tickets after one storm, which had the effect of increasing compliance, but the city has not issued tickets in my neighborhood yet this year, and compliance is dropping off. Marco polo (talk) 21:12, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

The responsibility of clearing of sidewalks is generally left up to individual municipalities or even homeowners' associations in the U.S. If I recall correctly, my HOA covenant requires homeowners in my neighborhood to clear their own sidewalks. We are definately required to mow that little patch of grass between the sidewalk and the street. When I lived in a large city (Chicago), homeowners were required to clear any sidewalks that abbutted their property, and faced fines for not doing so. My landlord used to hire someone to do it. From a purely pragmatic standpoint of what is likely to be the most effective method of getting the sidewalk cleared, it makes sense to have the property owners do it; essentially you get a million shovels and snowblowers working for half an hour or so each to clear the entire city's sidewalks. With streets, city plows can effectively clear most of it, but with sidewalks, it gets done faster if you require everyone to pitch in. --Jayron32.talk.contribs 21:33, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

Ask a mother with a baby carriage or stroller, an old person with a shopping cart, an injured person wearing a leg cast and requiring a cane or crutches, or someone wheelchair dependent, what they think of householders being required to clear the sidewalks abutting their property. In short, it doesn't happen, for the most part, or not in a sufficently timely fashion for the types of individuals mentioned to get to doctor's appointments, or to work or even to their own vehicle. And, if you want even more emotion, ask them about how cities pile up the snow at the curbs and around them at corners, to clear the roads for cars, leaving these pedestrians, and even many others with only small mobility issues, separated from bus stops and safe crossing zones and sometimes stranded on one side of a street for many blocks. You know about all those Snowbirds in Florida and Arizona in winter? They are the ones who are tired of being housebound for months at a time. Be nice to them. ៛ Bielle (talk) 22:35, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

In most jurisdictions property owners are responsible for the maintainance of the unpaved right of way, i.e. the part not used for vehicular parking and movement and I suppose that is one reason property owners object to new sidewalks not only because it cuts back on their green space but requires then to remove snow from sidewalks in places where that happens. One reason why places like Florida are overpopulated. -- Taxa (talk) 23:58, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

In the United States many states require the owner of the abutting property to not only shovel snow but to repair any damaged sidewalk, or the local municipality may do the repairs and bill the owner of the abutting property. IANAL, but the way I understand it is that in most cases the homeowner actually owns the land all the way up to the road, but the government has right-of-way rights for a certain distance from the edge of the road. Thus, sidewalks would fall within the right-of-way but also be physically on the homeowner's property, making the homeowner liable for any injuries caused by a poorly-maintained sidewalk. 152.16.16.75 (talk) 00:27, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

I strongly and absolutely disagree with your assertion. My deed and the deeds of other property owners in my (U.S.) town show that the city owns the sidewalk and the parkway between the sidewalk and the street. Edison (talk) 04:21, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

My deed shows I do not own the right-of-way but town government, in order to keep taxes low, requires that property owners maintain all parts of the abutting right-of-way except for the street. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Taxa (talk • contribs) 20:40, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

In the part of Toronto where I live, not only are the sidewalks city property, but so it the adjacent 10-12 feet of my lawn (as was called to my attention recently when they had occasion to excavate it without bothering to warn me first). But my wife and I are indeed responsible for clearing snow off the sidewalk. How can they do that? There are lots of things that governments require people to do for the common good, in one place or another. Jury service, army service, fixing hazardous conditions, posting house numbers, even voting in some countries. This is just one more.

In North York and some of the other municipalities amalgamated into Toronto in 1998, they took a different view and those cities did provice a sidewalk-plowing service funded from municipal taxes. After the amalgamation, the new city decided that this would be provided "where feasible", but in older neighborhoods like mine where the sidewalks are hemmed in by utility poles and retaining walls, they said it was not feasible. So while some parts of the city get their sidewalks plowed, we don't. It doesn't really bother me: we'd still have to clear the walk to our front door, as well as our driveway if we had a car.

One service they do provide is that if someone who should have cleared their sidewalk doesn't, and someone else complains, they'll clear it and charge the property owner. So that's a nicely arranged incentive to comply with the law. I've made complaints like that against businesses a few times. --Anonymous, 00:40 UTC, January 12, 2009.

In the UK I understand that it is the council's responsibiliy to clear the paths - not only that I have heard of stories (though not in the most reputable papers) of individuals who have cleared their path - done a bad job - and then someone has falled and hurt themselves, and that the home-owner was sued - whereas had they done nothing it would've been the council who'd get sued. In the building I work we have about a 2-foot area beyond the perimeter of the building that is the company's land, it makes up part of the standard path (sidewalk) and the only separation is that there are little circle metal 'discs' embedded into the path to signify the edge of the company's land. 194.221.133.226 (talk) 09:12, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

I grew up in Williamsville, New York, near Buffalo, New York. Sidewalks were plowed by cute little sidewalk snow plow machines, by the government. Pfly (talk) 09:29, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

Sidewalks are a county/municipal issue AFAIK. In many places the space of the sidewalk is claimed by the city/county under Eminent domain. If the council decides to invest in city/county snow removal services such things then get financed out of property taxes (or similar funds}. That means in the end the homeowners are paying for it. Some places have regulations that say the city/county will remove snow at the homeowners exp3ense if he/she fails to do so. (And such bills tend to be lots higher than what someone would have to pay if they arranged it themselves.) Mostly it's an insurance issue. If someone slips on the sidewalk in front of your house and gets hurt they will sue the city. That will in turn go after the homeowner. Worst case you could lose your home. Given that, most people prefer to pay someone to shovel their snow if they can't do it themselves. These facts do contribute to the unenthusiastic response councils face when they suggest putting in new sidewalks. --76.97.245.5 (talk) 09:47, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

IIRC, here in the UK the property boundary, and therefore the homeowners responsibility, usually stops before the pavement (sidewalk). Clearing snow from the pavement and the road is the responsibility of the local authority, though the pavement receives much lower priority than the roads. Of course homeowners often clear their bit of the pavement, but only because it is the right thing to do rather then the threat of some legal action. Of course, in southern England snow fall is so rare that failing to clear the pavement is rarely a problem. Astronaut (talk) 18:12, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

Thanks for all of the input ... this was very helpful ... much appreciated! (Joseph A. Spadaro (talk) 17:00, 18 January 2009 (UTC))

map of dog related incidents

Where would be a good place to post an email address where info pertinent to an incident involving a dog attack, bite, etc. for the purpose of adding it to a Google Earth KML file so that bike riders and pedestrians can be alerted before taking their child or pet for a walk, run or jog? -- Taxa (talk) 23:15, 11 January 2009 (UTC)

Sounds like an idea for some kind of Google Maps mashup. Astronaut (talk) 17:57, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

January 12

Pregnant Cows

We are new in farming. Our cows are pregnant. Is there one specific way to tell when a cow is very close to giving birth. We put her in a separate pen because we were able to get milk from her udder. Are there any other ways please? Also, how quickly can a cow get pregnant after giving birth? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.107.177.55 (talk) 00:39, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

Hi, we have an introductory article on Dairy farming. For specifics about your cow/s health, please talk to your local vet. So you will know what s/he is saying, there's this search[7] Julia Rossi (talk) 01:58, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

If you are in the United States, you can get help from your county Agricultural extension agent, a government employee. -Arch dude (talk) 02:54, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

You really ought to see a large-animal vet about this, not just try to do it off of the internet. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 16:41, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

Technically - we do have a rule against offering veterinary advice here on the RD. So please - don't leave this to chance. If you're that inexperienced you're going to need one - either way! Better soon than at 4am when you have an entire herd of cows dying with breech-births and such. SteveBaker (talk) 23:33, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

I knew a man who had a cow named Pandora who was close to giving birth. He said he could tell when it was time for the calf's birth by looking at Pandora's box. What did he mean? Edison (talk) 04:16, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

Looking for a WP article on the "digital aging of faces technique"

Does Wikipedia have an article about the image manipulation technique where a face is digitally aged to project what the subject will look like in X number of years? You often see it applied to pictures of children who have been missing for several years. I don't know what the proper term for this is. Thanks in advance. 152.16.15.23 (talk) 01:56, 12 January 2009 (UTC) (Edit: strangely enough I am being asked to fill out a captcha for external links despite not including any...)

Don't know much but found this article C.O.R.E. that mentions a Smoking Simulation Software. This search could help[8], specifically, http://age-me.com/ and this answer[9] at askville. (Did you edit the whole page or click on new section tab?) Julia Rossi (talk) 02:04, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

Thanks a bunch for the search suggestion. I previously got bogged down by advertisements for anti-aging products. It seems like age progression and age regression (hurrah for blue links!) are the terms used when talking about simulating someone's appearance in the future or in the past respectively. I hit the new section tab by the way and then previewed my post before submitting it. I frequently ask and answer questions while not logged in, and I haven't ever been asked to fill out a captcha for non-existant external links, or even links that someone else added in the section that I am editing. It's not bothersome, I was just wondering if it was the computer I was on or a bug in WP. (Edit: It didn't happen this time around)152.16.15.23 (talk) 02:30, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

Good to know. :) Julia Rossi (talk) 09:26, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

Maybe this site will help you [10]. Richard Avery (talk) 11:18, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

Numbers of Mystery

On the shirt I'm wearing at the moment, down on the bottom edge, next to where the extra buttons are sewn on (it's a nice cotton shirt from Nordies), is a tag with the following on it:

   77+
MV93703MN++
 207161483+
  F/H2006
 12042563++

What do these indicate? --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 03:16, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

Seems like a lot of info if it's just to identify the fabric, style, place and date of manufacture. The 2006 is plausibly a year. The most interesting thing I found Googling "207161483" was that it represents the DNA sequence "aatagcttct aggtaatccc ttgcttccac ttcctccccc ttccatttat" in the genome of the rat. Edison (talk) 16:35, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

Hi JP, I know that the 77 tells us what Nordstrom department the shirt is from (Men’s Sportswear) and that the next number down is a Vendor Product Number, which tells me it's a Nordstrom brand Oxford Shirt. I think the +s somehow indicate the size, but I’m not sure about that or the rest of the numbers. I assume they contain some other info like color, but I’m on the IT side and only have passing familiarity with Merch related stuff. Anyway, hope that satisfies your curiosity. - Azi Like a Fox (talk) 20:01, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

Yay! Yeah, I guessed it was something like that, and I'm pleased that someone connected with my favorite department store was here to answer. Thanks! --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 22:42, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

Modifying WP's Page history

Who can modify a page's edit history and could someone make a request, with reasons, for this? Acceptable (talk) 04:01, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

Admins can. And this question is better suited to WP:HD than here. Dismas|^(talk) 04:09, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

Admins can delete revisions, but it's a rather crude way of removing them. Oversight is the tool that is actually intended for such things. All it allows is the removal of edits, though, any other kind of modifications would need to be made by a developer with direct access to the database. Such modifications are almost never made. Requests for oversight can be made by email, there are instructions here, including details of what kinds of edits will be oversighted (basically, edits that contain private information or libel). --Tango (talk) 04:25, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

Currently, only 34 people have the 'oversight' privilage needed to do this properly - and for a community the size of ours, that's a very tiny number (compared to over 1600 administrators!). It would have to be an extremely compelling need - something with life-threatening or legal consequences. SteveBaker (talk) 23:28, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

Needle looking things on trucks, Interstate 10

When I went to Arizona from Dallas, TX on Interstate 10, around Sweetgum, TX, I started noticing 18 wheelers carrying "needle" looking things. They had a circular base and were very long and had a thin tip to them.

At first I thought they might be the stem/base to the wind turbines, which Sweetgum being the capital of wind energy, would make sense. But as I saw more and more of them go by, I noticed they had really, really thin tips compared to the wind turbines.

Are they the base to wind turbines? Or something else? It's just something that's been irking me for a while

96.226.220.7 (talk) 05:49, 12 January 2009 (UTC) Dave

So these were rather large then? When I read the word "needle" in the title, I was thinking that you were talking about something small but then you started mentioning turbines, so how big are these "needle looking things"? Dismas|^(talk) 06:03, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

Couldn't really guess without a picture, but the "thin tips" wouldn't rule out wind-turbine columns. Perhaps the thin part goes inside the box that the rotors are attached to, and so wouldn't be visible on a completed turbine? PeteVerdon (talk) 08:13, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

Wind turbine towers don't come pre-assembled, they're built up from short sections. The blades do come in one piece, though. Viewed from a certain angle, a blade would look needle-like. Do a Google image search on "wind turbine tower" and "wind turbine blade", and let us know what you think. (A better description would be good. How long in feet or meters? How big around? What color? Which direction are they headed?) --Milkbreath (talk) 11:39, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

Turbine blade delivery convoy?

I see an immense number of windmill blades on trucks heading up i35 between Austin and Dallas - every time I take the 3 hr road trip (which is still alarmingly often) - I typically see at least one or two on the road (just stop and figure out how many that means they must be shipping every day!!) - but I don't really see how you'd mistake one for a 'needle'-like object - although they do have a precisely circular 'base'...so I suppose it's possible. SteveBaker (talk) 23:18, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

Added pic. Nanonic (talk) 23:38, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

Someone, please help!

Alright, here's the situation. Every 5 minutes, i get a phone call on my Net10 phone(i know, im cheap) from 'restricted' and when i pick up, it does a 'whooshing' sound, and hangs up. this has happened about 20 times now, does anyone know what is going on? 71.223.235.24 (talk) 07:10, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

Does your phone have the ability to block calls ? If not, try calling Net10, tell them the problem, and ask them to block "restricted" calls. You can also try adding your phone number to the Do Not Call registry, but that could take a long time to do any good, if ever. If you can't solve this problem any other way, I suggest you get a new phone for incoming calls, and turn the ringer off the old phone, so you can still use the phone for outgoing calls, until you use up your minutes. StuRat (talk) 07:34, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

i cant block calls, this phone is so cheap. looks like its from the 90's or something :P but i shut it off for a while, and then turned it back on, and it only happened one more time after that. it quit for about 20 minutes now. if it persists, i'll call Net10. thanks for the help.71.223.235.24 (talk) 07:42, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

I once had a fax machine that called my phone several times a day. You can't call up a fax and tell it to stop doing that, so I just had to wait until the people at the other end apparently figured out that pardons they were faxing to the execution chamber at the federal penitentiary weren't getting through. Too bad, they could have saved quite a bit of electricity had they figured it out sooner. :-) StuRat (talk) 19:21, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

If you are having a temporary problem like that and aren't expecting an important call on that number I would just leave the phone off hook for a while. If you get something like the OP, try calling up your telco and complaining about a nuisance caller. BTW, at least you goes don't happen to have a phone number that is one digit, a 0 instead of an 8 different from a supermarket... Nil Einne (talk) 12:00, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

Flying saucer object on caravan

What are those Flying saucer like objects about 10in dia with a spike on top you see mounted on the top of caravans?--GreenSpigot (talk) 08:52, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

I suspect they are a satellite dish or a tv receiver or some form of communicative-device, these are often found on caravans and match the size/shape requirements you mention. 194.221.133.226 (talk) 09:54, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

They are often UHF tv ariels, a dipole which can be rotated from within the caravan. The cheaper models have a rotatable ariel inside the disk that can be turned by hand using a knob on the caravan roof. See [11] -- Q Chris (talk) 10:01, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

I think they are just regular TV antennae - but enclosed in that plastic shell so they are a bit streamlined when you're towing the caravan at high speeds. I haven't seen rotatable ones - but it makes sense since (unlike in a house) you can't just set them up to point in the right direction just once - you'd have to re-do it every time you moved the caravan. SteveBaker (talk) 23:11, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

new thought

I have some new ideas about business, science, and literature. How can I publicize it.?91.140.217.144 (talk) 09:33, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

see Self-publishing and Publishing and the links from there. (clicking on the blue text will get you to related pages.)--76.97.245.5 (talk) 09:58, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

vietnam jacket?

I got a beautiful green/khaki jacket for christmas that appears to be a military a jacket, but ive noticed that there are missing patches and velcro strips on it, does anyone know what might have been on it (patches, rank, division etc..)? because i would like to make it look authentic, i dont know what era it was from but im guessing it was vietnam it definately has that jungle look.

Ask the person who gave it to you where they got it. If it was an "army surplus store", then it's likely far more recent. Jungle camo is still used in the military, after all, although desert camo is more needed now (and hence the need to sell the excess jungle camo). If they bought it from a general used clothes store, then it could be that old. It's also possible it's a new jacket made to look like a Vietnam era one, with locations for attachment of various accessories. If so, the store that sold it may also sell the matching accessories. Also look for tags in the jacket, they may give us a clue as to whether it's authentic or a replica. StuRat (talk) 17:40, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

Just going into a army surplus store and asking the guy behind the counter to help outfit the jacket with the appropriate patches would probably help. They're likely to be pretty good with their military history or would know someone who is. Dismas|^(talk) 03:36, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

(And just a note: the US has been involved in jungle wars far more recently than Vietnam. Think about all the stuff we did in Central America from the 1980s-1990s.) --98.217.8.46 (talk) 21:03, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

M-1965 field jacket? 87.207.56.12 (talk) 05:37, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

I think the original collar on the M-1965 was pointed until it changed to a rounded style by 1978 at the latest. --—— Gadget850 (Ed) ^talk - 18:34, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

English Pemier League Football

Which team have played most games in a season [including all cup games] in the Premier league since it began? Mrblueskymufc (talk) 13:20, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

Liverpool played every league game and every cup-game possible in their 'treble' winning season in 2000-01. I can't remember how many games they played every game possible to them. It is potentially possible to have played more - say by competing in the Champions League (well, some seasons) or world-club-cup in the same season that would add a few games, but I suspect Liverpool hold the honour for most games in a season. 194.221.133.226 (talk) 14:27, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

There is also Manchester United F.C. season 1993–94 and Chelsea F.C. season 2006-07 when they reached the finals of the FA Cup and the Football League Cup (Coca-Cola Cup/Carling Cup), but didn't complete the treble. However, given that in the Manchester season the league was run with 42 games and not 38 (Liverpool and Chelsea) then they probably played the most. That's assuming that you are talking about domestic compatioions only. CambridgeBayWeather Have a gorilla 14:33, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

I don't know but you'd need to include the 'Community shield' game, or not include it becuase since the league games are all the same, it's about the competition etc. so it'll make a difference. - Jarry1250 ^{(t, c)} 22:09, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

pigeon wearing a slice of bread as a collar

the other day I saw a pigeon with a large slice of bread through which there was a hole and the pigeon was standing there surrounded by a group of other pigeons who were pecking at the bread and slowly rescuing him from the collar he was wearing. can you tell me has this ever happened before and if so how frequently does it happen and why do the pigoens do it

note::: the pigeon was not eating the bread himself. do they take turns as well

Sounds like the pigeon pecked too hard at a slice of bread and stuck his head right through it. This would have made a great pic. StuRat (talk) 17:31, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

This is quite common, and I've often seen it myself. Pigeons eat bread (and practically anthing else), and if they see a whole slice they will go for the soft part in the middle, thus making a hole. They get the piece of bread round their neck by accident. The other pigeons are concerned only with eating the remaining bread.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 17:35, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

Many times, model here[12] at[13]. Cheers, Julia Rossi (talk) 10:47, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

Here's another amusing example: [14]. --Sean 13:18, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

This all reminds me of the predicament of people in a lifeboat on the ocean, they can be surrounded by water and not have any they can actually drink. StuRat (talk) 14:49, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

I know you meant to say lifebuoy. Julia Rossi (talk) 00:12, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Not Lifebuoy? AnyPerson (talk) 00:50, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

I meant a life boat, in the sense of "being surrounded by something you want and yet can't consume". A lifebuoy also mimics the ring shape, as well, so maybe that is even a better example. StuRat (talk) 20:09, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

This reminds me of the time I saw a squirrel eating a hot dog. Adam Bishop (talk) 08:37, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

this thread reminds me of the Far Side. Julia Rossi (talk) 10:24, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

If you watch pigeons pecking at food, they toss it about.It would be quite easy for it to land on it's neck.,hotclaws 11:48, 17 January 2009 (UTC)

Help me to foil high prices

I like to put one of those little discs or squares of special foil under food when I microwave it, so it will heat from the bottom, too. I'm also incredibly cheap, so I don't buy them separately, but rather save them from other frozen foods I buy that come with one. They only last a few uses, though, then they get melted cheese, fish juice, etc., on them and must be discarded. So, can I get a list of brands and products that contain said discs, so I can replenish my supply and yet remain true to my frugal Scottish heritage ? I live in Michigan and buy my groceries at Aldi, and, when I feel like splurging, at Meijer. StuRat (talk) 19:17, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

Wouldn't a reusable, washable microwave crisper pan be cheaper than buying a lot of over-priced instant foods just so you can reuse the cardboard disposable crispers? Probably more effective and more sanitary too. Here's one for $42. I can't vouch for it's quality though. There seem to be a bunch of different models. There's also something called the "Microgrill" that seems to serve a similar purpose.

As to the question that you actually asked, Sorry, but I don't have an answer. Sorry. APL (talk) 19:47, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

$42 ? Ouch. I'd have to buy, say, 21 frozen food items at $2 each to add up to that. And I wouldn't have the 21 meals to eat. And I'd have to wash this thing many times. Sounds like a bad deal to me. StuRat (talk) 20:04, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

Hang on a moment. Every microwave I've ever seen says very clearly that metal objects must not be used with microwave ovens - you all kinds of sparks and it's a significant fire hazard. Astronaut (talk) 20:10, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

I don't think we're talking about actual metal here, just that stuff that looks shiny. You'd certainly find out quickly if you'd done the wrong thing! - Jarry1250 ^{(t, c)} 20:34, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

Some of them are surely actual metal. The only metal you should put in a microwave is the metal that is made to be put into a microwave—they have to be engineered to use the microwave energy in a good way and not to spark and short circuit. --140.247.236.243 (talk) 20:46, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

I guess we still don't have an article on crisping sleeves, but we touched on them briefly before. --LarryMac | Talk 21:29, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

It looks like User:Smurdah went ahead and added the article, so it appears we both improved Wikipedia by instigating this. StuRat (talk) 20:00, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

I was going to suggest something along the same line of what APL did. I used to do the same as you and saved and reused those crisper sleeves. Then they discontinued the "hot pockets" I used to get them with. For a while our dollar store carried the foil on a roll till that, too, got discontinued. Meanwhile I bought a ceramic browning plate sort of like this one. [15] Mine says to preheat it for 15 min. but I've never done that and am still happy with the results. There used to be a big note on those crisper sleeves "Do not reuse!" Apart from sparking/fire hazard if the metal got exposed due to wear, another factor might be that the plastic film/polymer those metal bits are embedded in/covered with could start oozing/gassing out unhealthy chemicals in increased amounts with repeated use. If you don't want to go to the expense (and dishwashing hassle) of a browning dish [16], [17], [18] - then these might work for you [19]. They are a bit on the expensive side by comparison, though. Among the things we buy only the microwave popcorn bags still have those crisper things embedded. --76.97.245.5 (talk) 23:10, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

Bit of a spendthrift, eh StuRat? You should ask your family, friends and neighbours to save their crisping sleeves for you. Then you wouldn't need to pay extra to buy the special, and therefore more expensive, microwaveable foods. CambridgeBayWeather Have a gorilla 23:52, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

That's an idea, but I'd rather not let them all know how cheap I am, if there's a way I can find crisping sleeves in frozen foods on my own. How about frozen pizzas ? Don't any of them still come with those ? StuRat (talk) 01:34, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

In my experience, single service frozen pizzas often do. I usually see them in packages of Hot Pockets and Bagel Bites as well. I know this may require some footwork on your part, but usually frozen foods with crisping sleeves or trays will indicate as much in the cooking instructions on the package. Tomdobb (talk) 13:21, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

It would be tricky to microwave a pizza without getting grease or cheese on the crisping thing. APL (talk) 13:58, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

It is. I can sometimes wipe them off after, but other times they are ruined. StuRat (talk) 14:44, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

Well if you don't want to let people know how cheap you are why not rummage through your neighbours trash cans after dark? CambridgeBayWeather Have a gorilla 17:05, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

I would, but after rummaging through my neighbor's garbage, my hands are usually too full of used panty-hose to have any room left for crisper sleeves. :-) StuRat (talk) 21:02, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

Since stu is heart-set on them, I wonder if the low-cost cardboard crispers could be purchased in bulk. The food manufacturers must get them from somewhere, and they can't possibly cost much if they come with $2.50 worth of hot pockets. APL (talk) 19:07, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

No, I think those would be quite pricey. I've noticed that if someone sells something that costs them a dime to make, they charge you a dollar for it. On the other hand, if someone is already selling you something for a dollar, they will throw in the extra item that costs them a dime for only a dime more, or maybe two. I'm not sure why, but it always seems to work out this way. StuRat (talk) 20:59, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

Hi, I believe these are called susceptors. Also, someone appears to be selling a product on Ebay called "Micro Magic Wrap" that might be what you're looking for (apparently can't link to ebay...but it's there). There also appears to be a product called "Waveware Microwave Crisping Dish" (google it) that might meet your needs. In the 'don't try this at home' category: You know how the insides of those Goldfish cracker bags is that silvery material? Wonder if that would work? Anyway, good luck and consider saving up for a toaster oven ;) - Azi Like a Fox (talk) 21:51, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

I have a toaster over, but it's too small for pizzas and always seems to burn the crap out of things whenever I use it, unless I stand there and watch it the whole time. StuRat (talk) 19:55, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Thanks for all the info so far, but I've only seen two products listed, Hot Pockets and Bagel Bites, which answer the actual Q. Don't you guys know of any additional frozen food products with included susceptors ? StuRat (talk) 19:55, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

January 13

Learning Spanish (or any other language via Wikipedia).

I wish I had learned Spanish when I was young, but sadly, that language was not taught at any of my English (the Country) schools - how surprising!!!! And now retired, I travel regularly to Spain and its islands and try really hard to speak Spanish whilst on holiday. But I fear I am either too old, or not sufficiently exposed to indiginous speakers of the language to sufficiently learn it fluently. But a thought occurs to me - if I click on the Spanish language version of Wikipedia, I can practice reading and researching and translating what I read there - but what a boon it would be to also hear it being spoken by a fluent Spaniard so that I could see and also hear the context of the ever-changing texts. My question? Will Wikipedia ever be able to offer that opportunity? Thanks in anticipation. 92.8.13.92 (talk) 00:40, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

The Spanish Wikipedia already has a few articles available in spoken-word form. See es:Categoría:Wikipedia:Artículos grabados for the current list, and es:Wikiproyecto:Wikipedia grabada for the project behind it. Algebraist 00:48, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

If you use Wikipedia on your computer at home, then you can also access Spanish radio and TV programs [20] [21] online. This site recently recommended at the language desk might also be useful. [22]. Youtube [23]. For speaking practice see if a local university has a "language swap" program. 76.97.245.5 (talk) 04:52, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

If you plan to use the spoken language versions of articles - you need to find the exact version of the text from the day the article was read and recorded as audio. The spoken versions tend to get HORRIBLY out of date with the current article - which would be confusing if you were trying to follow along in the text. SteveBaker (talk) 06:10, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

Why wear Crotchless Panties ?

Why should a girl (woman) wear crotchless panties ? They're really not much use to anyone except for the effect they can have on the male of thr species, which can lead to interesting and satisfying results !! —Preceding unsigned comment added by BigSilverBird (talk • contribs) 03:09, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

you just answered your own question.

Indeed. Did you expect them to have some other purpose? Dismas|^(talk) 03:32, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

easy urination, perhaps? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.45.233.23 (talk) 03:48, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

Vagodynamics SteveBaker (talk) 06:07, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

... which is my new favorite word! Rockpocket 07:43, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

Quick!!! Add it to the Wiki dictionary!!!! (I'm on it!) Vagodynamic Operator873 (talk) 12:11, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

Your definition is incorrect - the word was coined to describe the convenience of shape of an egg for the birds that lay them. It is intended to be analogous to 'aerodynamic' or 'hydrodynamic'. SteveBaker (talk) 17:02, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

oxford university

i'm currently in high school and i want to go to oxford after i graduate. how much marks should i score to get there? (i'm from india) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 122.50.132.110 (talk) 04:06, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

You haven't mentioned what qualifications your high school will give you, but this page lists a number of Indian school qualifications and notes that none is good enough to get you into Oxford. It goes on to say

You might want to consider taking A-Levels or another equivalent, such as the International Baccalaureate (IB). We would be looking for AAA at A-Level, or a level of performance around 38-40, including core points, with 6s or 7s in the higher subjects in the IB. For further information about institutions offering these qualifications in your country, you may wish to contact your local British Council (www.britishcouncil.org) or the International Baccalaureate Organisation (www.ibo.org).

The first year of a Bachelors degree from another university could also be an acceptable alternative.

For more details of Oxford's admissions policies you should probably contact them directly. Algebraist 04:15, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

Don't overlook the English language requirements. [24]. The required scores in IELTS or TOEFL aren't easy to achieve and require some (or a lot of) preparation. You might want to start there. --76.97.245.5 (talk) 05:04, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

Send package with the wrong postcode?

Help! The Wikipedia article ZIP code doesn't mention anything about this, so I hoped I could ask here. I sent a package using the wrong post code, but the address (street number etc) was right. Will the package still be delivered or will it be lost?? To be more specific, I got the first three digits of the ZIP code right, but the two next digits were wrong. I used the extended ZIP + 4 code and the last four extended digits were correct. What happens now? What should I do? 117.0.45.153 (talk) 10:03, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

It will almost definitely get to the correct address. Post companies are extremely experienced in ensuring mis-addressed packages/mail makes it to their intended destination. The issue you describe sounds trivial in comparison to some of the cases they successfully deal with. Infact there was an artist who sent out something like 50 self-addressed envelopes - but each of the items had no clear address - it was either a riddle, or a drawing or an explanation in words etc. I forget the name but they got their mail back. In the uk the Post Office sometimes at christmas disclose a list of the most unusual items addresses they've managed to the correct address. 194.221.133.226 (talk) 10:26, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

Agreed. It will most likely arrive at the correct destination. It will likely take at least an extra day though. Getting the first three numbers of the ZIP code correct will get it into the right general area, probably the correct state. Dismas|^(talk) 10:40, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

In the not-so-likely event that the full 11-digit zip code is an actual zip code within the 7-digit zone that you misspecified, the package would probably go to the local carrier station for that 7-digit area. At that point, sorters at the station or the carrier him/herself would almost certainly recognize that the street address and town name are wrong for that zip code. Assuming that you got the town name and street address right, it should be an easy matter to send it to the correct carrier station. That could add a couple of extra days to your delivery time. In the more likely event that the 11-digit zip code that you specified does not exist, the sorting machinery near your package's starting point would probably spit it out for manual sorting, at which point someone would recognize that the street and/or town do not match the 7-digit zip code. At that point, it depends on how conscientious and/or busy the sorter is. In the best case, they immediately look up the correct zip code, correct the address, and send it on its way, perhaps without adding any delay to the delivery time. Marco polo (talk) 14:38, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

Thanks everyone for replying. Marco polo, I don't really understand the 11-digit zip code thing. (?) I used an extended ZIP + 4 code so there were only nine digits in total. Also, how do I find out if the 9-digit code I wrote down exists or not? Is there a website to look that up. Thanks so much in advance! 117.0.45.153 (talk) 15:26, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

This should help you out. Tomdobb (talk) 15:33, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

The post office is pretty good at getting the mail through even with an incomplete address. On old work colleague once told me a (possibly apocryphal) story about a letter from Africa which arrived with the address "ARIJABA ENGLAND". It had been sent (correctly) to Harwich Harbour. -=# Amos E Wolfe ^talk #=- 15:41, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

I tried that website but it doesn't let me search for places with the full 9-digit code, only 5. Anyway when I entered the (incorrect) 5-digit code an actual city appeared. So does that mean the package will come to that wrong destination and after the postman realizes that the four extended digits don't match they will hopefully try to resend it to the correct place? And I just found out this one on yahoo answer http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080506103409AAF1obM Is that true that some postman will just rip open the package to find the sender's address? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 117.0.45.153 (talk) 15:47, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

If you have the complete address you can look that up and it will show you the correct 9 digit ZIP for that address. Pure speculation here, but a piece of postage with an incorrect ZIP would probably be sent to that ZIP and then when the postal service realized it was not correct it would be hand sorted and sent to the proper location. I'd be very surprised if your package didn't get to its destination, but I would assume it will take a few more days. It's also possible that whatever ZIP you used is served by the same main post office as the ZIP you should have used, this would still result in some delay, but I imagine it would be a bit quicker. Tomdobb (talk) 15:55, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

Games (magazine) used to run an envelope of the month in which strangely addressed (or non-addressed mail) was featured. This newspaper article features a UK artist that sent oddly addressed mail which mainly got through. This is supposed to be a package that an ebay seller sent. They, supposedly, didn't have the correct fonts on their computer and just typed in what they saw and it got through. This and this are not really badly addressed mail but are interesting anyway. CambridgeBayWeather Have a gorilla 17:10, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

• Back when they were based in New York, Games magazine once ran an item where they said that their local post office had learned a simple rule for dealing with bizarrely addressed mail: "Don't bother trying to figure it out, just send it to Games." --Anonymous, 04:37 UTC, January 14, 2009.

Mad Magazine would occasionally show off envelopes that were addressed with only a picture of Alfred E. Neuman. But, I have always wondered how many envelopes addressed like that didn't make it through. APL (talk) 17:40, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

Oops. When I referred to 7 digits, I meant 5. When I referred to 11 digits, I meant 9. Brain malfunction. Marco polo (talk) 18:03, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

From personal experience, if you get the street address, town, and state right, but the zip code wrong, the mail will still get to the right place. First the USPS will send the mail to the post office for that zip code. When the mail gets sorted by delivery route, someone will notice things are wrong and re-address the mail for the correct post office. It takes about twice as long as if you'd gotten the zip code right the first time, and somewhat longer than if you'd left off the zip code. --Carnildo (talk) 00:12, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

I used to live in a place called Vivian St in the state of Victoria and my great aunt sent a package to me and accidentally wrote Victoria St on it instead and it still reached my house. --124.254.77.148 (talk) 07:48, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

On another hand, I once got mail intended for someone with the same first initial, same first syllable of surname (Sherlin vs Sherwood), same number on a parallel street two blocks away. —Tamfang (talk) 22:37, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Card Castles

how do you make a card castle out of ordinary playing cards, on a smooth surface. i read about them in Harry Potter series when Ronald Weasley tries to make them with "Exploding Snap"; and when puts the last card, the whole thing blows up. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 59.103.64.181 (talk) 14:35, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

This isn't really an answer, but you might want to look at House of cards and go from there. You're definitely on your own on the exploding part, though. --LarryMac | Talk 14:38, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

There is enough friction with the edge of a vertical (or near vertical) card to support the small amount of sideways forces due to the air currents in the room. This is the basis for building a house of cards. In practice, however, it takes a great deal of skill and dexterity. StuRat (talk) 14:41, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

The way I build a card house is by leaning two cards together with the cards vertical. An upside down V. Then lean two horizontal cards upright, one on each side of the vertical pair. Finally balance a card across each of the projecting ends of the horizontal cards. Then you have a platform at each end, on which you can continue to build - until the whole lot comes crashing down.86.194.123.247 (talk) 15:28, 13 January 2009 (UTC)DT

It's pretty easy to build one layer on a reasonably high-friction surface with the approach described - but when you try to build the next layer up, the friction of the card edge on the shiney surface of the card beneath isn't really enough. I believe that a well-used deck that's been shuffled a lot and generally had that shiney surface scratched up - makes for higher friction and therefore better card-house building. SteveBaker (talk) 16:57, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

You might try getting un-laminated cards as well. They're harder to shuffle, but I'll bet they'd stack better. APL (talk) 17:18, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

Card castles were my idea of fun since I was barely tall enough to sit a table. I agree with SteveBaker (whose knowledge in all areas of science and life astounds me always) that used cards will make better building material. The rougher the better, just remember that they're not broken in half. And send us a photo of your castle! --Ouro (blah blah) 17:04, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

...and you can photoshop out the duct-tape required to make it actually stand up! :-) SteveBaker (talk) 15:50, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

10 Powerful Armies

What are the top 10 powerful armies in the world? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Bazbaz123 (talk • contribs) 16:58, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

There is no definitive answer to which is the most powerful as each battle/war will require different equipment/training/skills. Here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Military_equipment_by_country) might be a useful place to look though, purely because of the wide range of data to look through. Any list you can find would be pretty much speculation - though you could define it in terms of sheer-volume of soldiers but as yet i've not tracked that article down (I suspect it exists in wikipedia somewhere). ny156uk (talk) 17:32, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

List of countries by size of armed forces seems to be the best list for this purpose. Sorting by raw size-of-army doesn't seem to be a brilliant measure as far as I can see (by that measure Morocco would beat the United Kingdom, and North Korea could take on most of Europe combined) but sorting that table by defense budget seems to me to be a fairly good vague estimate, although China probably belongs at #2. How you define "power" is very open to dispute - really you're looking for a combination of a large standing army, a high technology level, and a large defense budget. ~ mazca ^t|c 18:35, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

There is also List of countries by military expenditures. There isn't any one metric that can tell you "powerful"—but there are ways you can sift out who spends more money on it, who is larger, who has more up to date equipment, etc. The rankings are not consistent. USA and China always come out near the top, but other than that, the metrics give somewhat varied rankings. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 19:00, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

If you mean which military would defeat which other military in an actual no holds barred fight, you can read list of states with nuclear weapons. --Sean 20:29, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

Except that when you pair nuclear against nuclear then the number of arms doesn't mean much, once they are sufficiently survivable. US v. France ends with both losing pretty heavily. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 15:18, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

I'd also point out that in a war, it would matter who you're fighting. Many countries rely on arms from the others, so if these were cut they'd be vulnerable. Israel may be one of the top per (wo)man in the army, but without US arms sales, they'd be nothing. - Jarry1250 ^{(t, c)} 22:03, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

Also keep in mind that a military needs to be able to get to the fight, e.g. utilize military power projection to carry out expeditionary warfare. Without it, even a powerful military will be limited to fighting its land neighbors, e.g. China has only recently developed the air and amphibious lift to credibly threaten an invasion of Taiwan, despite having threatened to do so for decades. This is way harder to rank, but the US is so far out in front that NATO allies are normally reliant on US logistics to get into the field and often require communications assistance to talk to their own commands. - BanyanTree 11:59, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Boat identification

ID me!

What kind of boat is this in this photo? I couldn't figure it out from Template:Sailing vessels and rigs. I thought I would be able to recognize the name, but I guess not, and I didn't feel like looking every single page in Category:Ship types. Thanks. howcheng {chat} 17:58, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

It's an airboat. Marco polo (talk) 17:59, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

Cool, thanks! howcheng {chat} 18:53, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

For future reference the "File links" on the image page/file may be helpful. hydnjo talk 03:54, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Actually, I added it to airboat after receiving the answer here. Thanks, though. howcheng {chat} 19:57, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

the significance of 176

the significance of 176 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.45.83.83 (talk) 22:07, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

Does the article "176 (number)" help? APL (talk) 22:20, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

Can you give us some context? How is it significant in reference to what? Livewireo (talk) 22:30, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

176 is a happy number! SteveBaker (talk) 23:18, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

And don't forget that 176 was the yer of Amerian Indendence :) Grutness...wha? 00:02, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Er, 1776? Angus Lepper^{(T, C)} 00:51, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

That was the year of American Independence, an entirely different (and better-typed) event. Algebraist 00:53, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Hm. I did wonder if it was a joke, but figured I'd query. I guess I don't spend enough time here. Angus Lepper^{(T, C)} 01:07, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

You should rectify that instantly. Anyone who doesn't devote every possible waking moment to WP is clearly not committed to the project, and is at risk of being cast into the outer darkness and having their entrails ripped from their body by chimpanzees and made into soup for deranged restaurant critics ... or something vaguely like that. You don't want that to happen to you, do you, Angus? No, I thought not. :) -- JackofOz (talk) 03:00, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Everyone has to die sometime, you may as well go in as interesting a way as possible... --Tango (talk) 16:00, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Reserving oceanic territories

President Bush just reserved large amounts of ocean territory as off limits. How can he do this when the areas of ocean which are reserved are not American waters? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.108.131.138 (talk) 23:24, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

AFAIK, this should be preserved and not reserved. As to the legalities, there may exist some international body, similar to the IWC. The US (as in the case of the IWC) may "convince" other member states to protect those maritime areas. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 23:58, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

Who says they're not American waters? The Marianas Islands are part of the U.S. (Marianas Trench Marine National Monument), as are the islands and reef of Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument and the islands of Rose Atoll Marine National Monument. (Even George Bush can't be wrong all the time.) Clarityfiend (talk) 00:41, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

"Even George Bush can't be wrong all the time." SteveBaker (talk) 16:03, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

"The "citation needed" link was placed there because a Wikipedia editor feels that the preceding statement is likely to be challenged." Phil_burnstein (talk) 13:04, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

You missed the best bit of "citation needed": "exercise extra caution when using the flagged information." SteveBaker (talk) 15:47, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

Of course Bush can't be wrong all the time, that's what he has Cheney for. StuRat (talk) 19:46, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Relevant international bodies are the International Seabed Authority and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 08:17, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

January 14

Cognac expiration

I have a bottle of Martell in my kitchen that I discovered. I opened the box and examined the bottle and I noticed a date in 2005 at the bottom of the bottle. Is it an expiration date or a production date? And does this cognac expire? The article did not say if cognac expires but it is possible. --Blue387 (talk) 01:53, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Don't worry about it expiring. Unless the seal is broken, it should be good for 100 years or so. DOR (HK) (talk) 02:43, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Indeed. Unopened bottles of brandy have been recovered from shipwrecks and have been found to be perfectly drinkable. An unopened bottle from 4 years ago should be fine. Opened bottles can oxidize and pick up some funny tastes, but an unopened bottle is good stuff. --Jayron32.talk.contribs 03:49, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

As Duncan Hill has said on previous similar posts, send it to me and I will bravely verify the safety of the contents! Richard Avery (talk) 07:26, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Yeah, it will be fine, especially since it sounds like it was stored in a box so won't have been exposed to sunlight (which can sometimes harm drinks, I don't know about cognac). The other thing that can harm alcoholic drinks is extreme temperature changes, but a few years in a kitchen is unlikely to do anything - 20 years in your garden shed, might, but kitchens don't usually vary in temperature that much. --Tango (talk) 15:56, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Game soundtrack

Hello, i've been trying to find out what the song/soundtrack is on the playstation 1 game LMA Manager 2002 and I cannot find the information anywhere for what the song name is and who it is by. Can you by any chance find out what the song is called?

Thanks. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Joel ccfc (talk • contribs) 01:56, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Planning a memorial service

We've had a death in the family. Our little girl has been having a tough time coming to grips with the situation for a variety of reasons. For one thing, the death was unexpected and sudden. For another, it involved someone that she had just met and started bonding with, so there's a lot of frustration (and anger) mixed in with the sadness. Anyway, I understand the RefDesk can't counsel people, but I'm hoping I can get some options about what we could do at the memorial. There will be another, formal, memorial later, but she won't be able to attend as it's in another country, etc. and she wants to do something here and soon. Ah, the immediacy of kids!
Anything that talks about different formats, especially if they're geared to kids, is what's desired. I've Googled a bit, but my searches turn up pages discussing whether (and how) kids should attend a memorial and pages on the memorial services for kids that have died, not options on what might be included in one. It will be a family affair, very informal, but I'd like to read about the different scenarios people have employed. I'm not sure I can come up with something fitting on my own, but hopefully I'll know a good idea when I see it. I'd prefer websites to books; we're planning on holding our get together on Saturday, so a book order probably won't arrive in time. Matt Deres (talk) 02:45, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Memorial services tend to involve people talking about the deceased. If so, you might think about pre-recording a contribution from your daughter to play in the service (on the basis that she might be a bit overwhelmed on the day). The only other suggestion I have - depending on your intended format and the availability of images - is a video projector cycling through photos of the deceased. Oh, and I suppose you could also involve your daughter in choosing music for the service? Good luck. --Tagishsimon (talk) 02:56, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

A Release Dove, if available in your area and if affordable, would offset some of the somberness. hydnjo talk 03:06, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Indeed, now that I recall; a firework or several, fired off in the general direction of heaven, may assist. --Tagishsimon (talk) 03:11, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

I second the suggestion of fireworks. One or more simple rockets. --Tango (talk) 15:59, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

I suggest that she (and other kids) make art work for the memorial, such as drawings and collages of pics (make plenty of copies of the pics for her first, and make sure she knows not to use the originals). Art is good therapy for kids. StuRat (talk) 19:41, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

All of these suggestions revolve around expression. The best idea is to consider how the girl in question (and other people involved) express themselves best - visual art, movement, writing, selection of pictures, music, poetry, and just plain symbolism are useful here. If you're still struggling to think of things, consider the special connections that there were between the girl and the deceased. If they had a favourite story, you could read an excerpt, or a favourite song, a teddy bear they played with together, or the story behind a photograph. In expressing this to others, either during the service or in preparation, she can share the connection with others and remember the good bits, despite your loss. My condolences to you and your family. I hope you can find comfort. Steewi (talk) 00:37, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

Thank you to everyone for the suggestions and the kind thoughts. Fireworks or rockets would be a problem. For one thing, it's juuust above the freezing point of nitrogen outside these days. For another, fireworks, etc. are verboten in most parts of Canada outside the usual Victoria Day and Canada Day festivities. I talked with my daughter about perhaps making up a song about her aunt, or maybe drawing a picture. She's chosen to draw a picture (thanks for the suggestion, StuRat), which she'll talk to us about during the memorial. I think that'll work out nicely, as it will give her something to do and also provide a way for her to express her feelings, both while she's drawing and while she's explaining. Any other suggestions or links? Matt Deres (talk) 01:16, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

Doonesbury

Doonesbury is a popular political/social comic strip syndicated in hundreds of newspapers and publications across the world. My issue is that this strip is not funny, and the VAST majority of people that encounter it would agree with me. The Wikipedia article about "Doonesbury" needs some kind of annotation that mentions that most human beings on planet Earth think this comic strip is not very humorous. When I try to change the article in a very subtle and non-offensive or unintuitive way, it get reverted immediately. My question is what status with the website would I need to improve humanity and get this vital information posted on this page? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.145.20.249 (talk) 05:34, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

You don't need any status on Wikipedia to make that kind of edit, you just need a reliable source. You saying "It's not funny, and lots of people would agree with me" is not a reliable source. A blog saying "It's not funny" with a hundred comments saying "You're right" is not a reliable source. A respected blogger saying "It's not funny" might be a reliable source, as might be a professional comic reviewer (is there such a thing?). See WP:V and WP:CITE for more info. Confusing Manifestation(Say hi!) 06:55, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Doonesbury is not intended to be 'funny' in the conventional laughing out loud way. It has an ironic style that attempts to encourage the reader to view American life from a different angle. This might account for why "the vast majority" (numbers not provided) of your acquaintances do not find it funny Richard Avery (talk) 07:23, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

It may also explain why the comic appears in the editorial sections of many newspapers instead of the regular comics section. Dismas|^(talk) 07:25, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Maybe it's not pitched at you. It happens. When you "get" something 98.145, or it makes you laugh, you'll know you're the intended market (no reflection on either party). Julia Rossi (talk) 10:32, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

I've just looked at the Doonesbury page and judging from the examples it is not pitched at me either. -- Q Chris (talk) 13:30, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

What level of comics hilarity are you comparing it to? Family Circus? --Sean 13:03, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Interesting that you would suggest that Family Circus is somehow better than Doonesbury. "And it's always there, in the lower right hand corner, just waiting to suck." - Go --Dismas|^(talk) 13:44, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

I'm pretty sure it was an ironic comparison. Fact is, 99% of all syndicated comics are idiotic and written for the elderly. Doonebury is a rare exception to this. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 15:01, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

I think that's an overstatement. Some excellent strips are Get Fuzzy, Frazz, Pearls Before Swine, Non Sequitur. And of course Dilbert. All of these left Doonesbury in the dust long ago (even though Doonesbury remains readable, an amazing accomplishment given how long it's been around). --Trovatore (talk) 23:01, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

The cartoon has changed a lot over the years. In the early days it was a lot more like Dilbert. It's definitely become a 'different kind of funny'. But all of this is irrelevent because you can't say that in the encyclopedia without REFERENCES - and that means finding a reviewer or some acedemic comic-book theoretician or a reputable public survey or something...and I very much doubt you'll find that. SteveBaker (talk) 15:50, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

This column is about the change; is it a useful source? —Tamfang (talk) 22:47, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

It's well worth a read and would serve the OP's purpose well - good find. It is probably a notable source - see the about us page - it's a publication of a think-tank, the Reason Foundation. If anyone has the energy, it might be added into Doonesbury#Criticism. A key quote from the article, for me, is the paragraph: "...In 1972 Doonesbury rewarded intelligence; in 2002 it rewards familiarity with its own mythology and conventions. In 1972 it trusted readers to know the politics and pop culture of the day; in 2002 it trusts us to understand that a floating waffle represents Bill Clinton, a floating bomb represents Newt Gingrich, and a floating asterisk represents George W. Bush. The strip has grown so self-referential that it makes jokes about its own self-referentiality, with Sunday strips devoted to charting the relationships among the characters. And so Doonesbury folds in upon itself, and Trudeau ends up producing his own fan fiction." Disclosure: I've followed Doonesbury for years --Tagishsimon (talk) 01:43, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

It seems to me that there is a problem when classifying "comic strips". Even the name implies that they are supposed to make us laugh, when many of the strips don't even have that as a goal. There are (or were) serial strips, like Prince Valiant, Mary Worth. and Brenda Starr, there are also strips designed to "show the irony of life", like Zippy the Pinhead, and those that try to be cute, like Marmaduke and Family Circus, and political cartoons, like Doonesbury, which may try to be funny at times, but that isn't their primary goal, making political commentary is. I always thought they should be better organized than tossing them all together in the same section as "comics". StuRat (talk) 19:35, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Comics can be unintentionally funny. There is a web site (theotherfamily.com) that add alternative salacious captions to every Family Circus strip, and I have seen another which has fun at the expense of the artist/writer of Dick Tracy by ridiculing every panel [25]. Edison (talk) 21:36, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

There's also Garfield minus Garfield. --LarryMac | Talk 21:53, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

I'd categorize Doonesbury along with the many other comic strips that aren't really funny anymore, rely on character humor that most people won't get and survive on the esteem they built up in the past. You know, like Blondie, Hi and Lois and the aforementioned The Family Circus. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 01:21, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

Thank heavens some of the best comics, like The Far Side and Bloom County, had the good sense to end rather than drag on past the point of funny. —Kevin Myers 04:42, 17 January 2009 (UTC)

Does the sun move?

Does the sun revolve around the centre of the univerce?i thing it might be correct but many told that it does not move at all. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 117.97.147.93 (talk) 12:42, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Current thinking has it there is no "center" to the universe. Everything is moving, though. The sun orbits the center of our galaxy, and the galaxy is moving, too, mostly away from all the other galaxies. --Milkbreath (talk) 12:53, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

(EC) The sun is in a galaxy called the Milky Way, which is a disk of stars and dust with spiraling arms as pictured at right. The sun is in one of those arms. The whole thing turns like a wheel, with a dense, bright hub at the center of the wheel. The Milky Way is one of many galaxies in the universe, and not likely to be at the center of them, if such a concept even makes sense (I don't believe it's known what shape the Universe even is). --Sean 12:59, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

"The sun and you and me

And all the stars that we can see

Are moving at a million miles a day

In an outer spiral arm at forty-thousand miles an hour

Of the galaxy we call the Milky Way"

Monty Python's The Meaning of Life Gandalf61 (talk) 13:44, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

That's a beautiful song (which is much longer than those five lines) - and it even has it's own article: Galaxy Song. I used to sing it to my son at bedtimes so it's stuck in my head! But they really need to update some of the numbers in it to reflect modern knowledge...as our article explains. SteveBaker (talk) 15:32, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Think about it this way. Relative to our solar system, the sun basically does not move (it wobbles in one place a little bit, if I recall, but otherwise doesn't move). Everything moves around it. But relative to our galaxy, the solar system itself moves. So in that sense, the sun moves quite a lot—but not relative to any of the planets in our solar system. So we don't ever perceive the sun as moving—we move around the sun. But while we move around the sun, the whole solar system moves around the galactic core. And the galaxy moves around itself. And so forth. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 15:05, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

The principles of 'relativity' don't entirely apply here because the sun is ORBITING the center of our galaxy - that's not an inertial reference frame - so it's not reasonable to claim that the sun isn't moving.

Hence, the clear and simple answer is: Yes, the sun is orbiting our galaxy.

However, that's not strictly what the OP asked (although, judging from the title of the question, it may well be what (s)he meant to ask - a lot of people get confused between "universe" and "galaxy"). The entire universe (containing untold and possibly infinite numbers of galaxies) doesn't have a 'center' that you can point to. Everything is in motion relative to everything else - and there are structures such as 'galactic clusters' within which the galaxies inside are possibly in orbit. But there doesn't seem to be a 'center' for the whole enchilada - the universe. Space is expanding and all of the galaxies are moving apart - but it's best to imagine drawing each galaxy as a dot onto a balloon and then blowing the balloon up. As the balloon expands, all of the dots get further apart but none of them is "the center".

So, the other not-so-clear but still simple answer is: No, the sun isn't orbiting the universe - but it is definitely moving.

SteveBaker (talk) 15:29, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

I wasn't trying to be technically precise. I was just trying to explain the difference between saying the sun isn't moving (because it is the center of the solar system) and saying that it does move (the solar system goes around the galaxy). --98.217.8.46 (talk) 00:06, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

Well, this may depend somewhat on your attitude towards Mach's principle. From a Machian perspective you can consider the Sun (or the Earth, or your right pinky) to be fixed, and patch everything up with forces caused by the (strange and otherwise unexplained) movements of distant galaxies. I've never found out exactly to what extent you have to rewrite the Einstein field equations to make this work and would be interested to hear from a cosmologist on the question. But in any case it's a metaphysical issue whether the Sun is "really" moving or not. That doesn't mean there isn't a real answer and it doesn't mean it's not an important question, but it does mean it's outside the scope of experimental science narrowly construed. --Trovatore (talk) 22:22, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Strange dress like thing

Note: the link that I'm posting is most likely not safe for your workplace. It may not be safe for your home depending on the age and opinions of those in your house.

Can anyone tell me what the article of clothing that this woman is wearing? If it even has a name... Thanks, Dismas|^(talk) 13:41, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Some sort of girdle? --98.217.8.46 (talk) 15:07, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

(ec) Yeah, it's a girdle, though our article on it is rather modern-biased. When Heracles took Hippolyta's girdle for his ninth labour, that's probably the kind of thing they were talking about. Matt Deres (talk) 15:11, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

I could only see a woman wearing what looked like a pair of pants which tied at the front. --TammyMoet (talk) 18:27, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Do you mean the one in the middle? I believe that's a bodystocking. howcheng {chat} 20:02, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

I'm referring to the leather thing. And no, they aren't pants since they don't cover the legs. Thanks for the girdle answer though. That's what I thought but it didn't match up with my (modern) image of a girdle, especially considering the pouch. Dismas|^(talk) 20:19, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

OK so I'll put it in non-UK usage: they are knickers. --TammyMoet (talk) 21:56, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

FWIW, my vote is that it's a very thick belt. --Tagishsimon (talk) 22:13, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

That's all a girdle is, really. I think the only difference is the size and that "belt" is more commonly used to refer to the kind that holds something up (i.e. pants). When you "gird your loins", you're strapping on one of these puppies. In the days before pants, something like this was needed to hang pouches, weapons, etc. from. Here are a couple of pictures of Hippolyta from Greek vases. It's a girdle, not a pair of pants, nor a pair of knickers. Matt Deres (talk) 03:42, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

Reminds me of Utilikilt. —Tamfang (talk) 23:00, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

In my neck of the woods they are called crotchless lederhosen and can be observed in denuded clearings of the Black Forest, typically modelled by similarly denuded Little Red Riding Hoods and Snowwhites (as evident in your link). Unfortunately, the medieval craft of crotcheting has almost been forgotten, a prime reason why such minimalist couture was marketed.

You may also be interested in this [26] scientific treatise on the related matter of vagodynamics.--Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 22:47, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

Euromillions Lottery

A single Friday entry in Britain costs £1 Sterling. But elsewhere in the European Eurozone it costs 2 Euros. Given that recently the £ Sterling has hit parity with the Euro, give or take a few centimos, does that mean that Eurozone winners would get a bigger share of the pot, or are they just getting a worse deal than we Brits? 92.21.46.199 (talk) 14:37, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Note - a single friday entry in Britain actually costs £1.50. Nanonic (talk) 16:15, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Either one is probably a bargain price for 1:76,000,000 odds. A ticket for the six-number Powerball lottery that several U.S. states offer will buy you 1 chance in nearly 200 million of winning. --- OtherDave (talk) 19:24, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

It works like this: 50% of the ticket price is put in the prize fund (the remaining 50% goes to the "good causes" (28%), tax (12%), prize booster fund, retailer commission, staff salaries, etc.). In most Euromillions countries the ticket price is 2 euros, of which 1 euro goes to the central prize fund. In the UK, 1 euro goes to the central prize fund and the remainder of the 50% is kept aside by Camelot to boost the prizes of UK winners in the lower prize tiers (tiers 2 - 12). From time to time, Camelot should adjust the UK ticket price so that 1 euro is always available for the central prize fund - TBH I'm surprised it is still £1.50 per ticket, so perhaps the physical accounting is done only on rare occasions (I rather doubt that millions are actually sent to Paris every week for the draw, only to be sent back to Camelot to pay prizes to the UK winners). The prize calculation method used for UK winners is explained by Camelot here, though it's not explained very well. Astronaut (talk) 00:53, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

It should be noted that there is a greater chance of dying in a fiery car wreck on the way to purchase those lottery tickets than there is of actually winning the big jackpot. But you have fun with that. Lottery: A tax on people who can't do math... --Jayron32.talk.contribs 04:12, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

No, it shouldn't. That would be soapboxing on the Reference Desk, and then someone might respond by pointing out that if you can do math, you know that utility functions can be nonlinear. --Anonymous, 04:28, January 15, 2009.

Yeah, but the utility function of the money itself is almost always (this is the ordinary-English sense of almost always, not the mathematical sense) going to be concave downwards (see diminishing returns), so that doesn't help. The reason it's not necessarily irrational to play the lottery is that the utility of the money itself is not the only utility in question. There's also the pleasure that imagining the money can bring to the player; that pleasure in itself constitutes utility. (See subjective theory of value.) --Trovatore (talk) 09:26, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

US: cross-country contract

If someone in the US offers a cross-country contract, what does he means? Provided that you both are not in the same US location.--Mr.K. (talk) 16:01, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

I've never heard this term used for a contract, either as an employment contract (hiring you permanently) or as a contract for services or goods. What context do you have in mind? --- 19:26, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Services. However, from context it looked like a contract that can be signed without both parties meeting in person. --Mr.K. (talk) 15:08, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

LHE revised edition

i beared the title in abbreviation LHE and brought to an end he's own kind..Who the hell is this riddle talking about. it's actually an Italian person and it's talking about a person who had a name that resembles a woman's name. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 212.49.89.129 (talk) 16:56, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

You asked this question before - you aren't going to get a decent answer unless you do what we asked the last time: Please type the question in VERY carefully - making sure that every piece of capitalisation and punctuation is exactly as it's written. Tell us what the context was - where was it written? Those kinds of thing may well be a vital clue and your broken-english version of it isn't helping! Thanks! SteveBaker (talk) 03:17, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

A fish called Sout? Salp

At the end of the 2-part BBC series Swarm was a fish that looked like a jelly fish (but was according to the documentary more closely related to humans), which lives in groups that form strings and apparently is growing so much in numbers that it may become an important factor in fighting climate change by, put rahter bluntly, consunming carbon and then dying and sinking to the bottom of the sea. The name was only mentiones once and it sounded like 'sout' or 'sowt'. But both these links redirect to a music form called 'sawt'. Anyone know how the name of this fish is spelled? DirkvdM (talk) 18:43, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Salp. Algebraist 18:56, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Note that it's not a fish (but then, either is a jelly fish). StuRat (talk) 19:20, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

That would explain why the OP thinks it looks like a jelly fish then! SteveBaker (talk) 03:14, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

Yep. that's it. Apparently I rather seriously misheard the name. I also assumed it wouldn't be a fish, but didn't know what else to call it and also I liked the title. :) This was one of those few times I sit up when watching a nature documentary - something unlike anything I have seen before. After half a life of fairly frequently watching nature documentaries, one would think I have seen it all. Anyway, thanks! DirkvdM (talk) 12:37, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

Iconic Pricing

Is there a term for when something becomes well known as being at a set price, so the seller resists changing it? Not necessarily a loss leader. For example, for years and years Happy Meals in the UK sold for £1.99, long enough that at least 5 years ago they were using adverts with the message 'still only £1.99' in a nostalgia kind-of way. Long after other pricing increased, the Happy Meals stayed at £1.99; now they all cost a bit more than £2, although the hamburger meal resisted for a bit longer. They are no longer all the same price. Apart from being a sign of the end times, what is this called? Or a different example, penny sweets which must have become a worse deal for the manufacturer every year.

Is there a name for this sort of thing? Thanks. Grumble. In my young day the Happy Meal came with burger, fries, drink, toy, small orange, wet wipe and voucher for small icecream. 79.66.46.92 (talk) 19:49, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

There should be, and I hope there is, a name for this sort of pricing, which must be as old as the five & dime store, or older. Price point is an interesting read, but doesn't quite hit the spot. If there's not, we'd be happy to adopt consider iconic pricing for the position. --Tagishsimon (talk) 22:37, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Aha! Thanks for that. Sounds like it might be a more specific 'customary price point': specific as in it applies not just to the 'type' of thing but to that specific thing itself. 79.66.46.92 (talk) 00:08, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

It makes me think of The Two Dollar Shop, which I think may have gone out of fashion because the items now cost more than $2 Steewi (talk) 00:47, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

There are still dollar stores around here, though they have trouble staying in business -- I think we've gone through three in the past five years. --Carnildo (talk) 01:47, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

In a couple of places in Texas there are 85 cent stores. The stuff they sell is mostly utter crap - but for a few specialist items, they are worth going to. SteveBaker (talk) 03:12, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

You might be interested to google on "Nominal price rigidity of the nickel Coke". (As an anonymous user on a text-only connection, I can't post a URL here.) I particularly like the bit where they ask if the US would please introduce a 7½¢ coin. Another example of one of these iconic prices is the 5¢ fare that lasted for decades on the New York subway system (the current fare, by the way, is $2.00). --Anonymous, 04:33 UTC, January 15¢, 2009.

And I think Anonymous has supplied an answer to the question: nominal price rigidity. Here's the suggested google search and enough of an abstract of the article to illustrate my assertion. I was, though, hoping for a term to describe the product rather than the fact of its rigid price, along the lines of Giffen good. --Tagishsimon (talk) 04:45, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

Several fast-food places in the US had, or still have, a 99 cent menu, where each item is limited to that price. Some, like Wendy's have renamed it as a "budget menu" and increased some of the prices, but this means there's no limit on the prices and each price can be different, so it's really annoying to the customers. StuRat (talk) 05:15, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

Sorry no expression, but you might find one or more reasons here Pricing objectives.76.97.245.5 (talk) 09:33, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

Thanks guys. Much to think on. 79.66.46.92 (talk) 17:08, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

My garage door

doesn't close during a certain time every day. Between 8:45 and 9:00 am when I press on the remote it goes down a few inches then reverses and goes back up. Other times of the day it works fine, so the electronic and mechanical systems seem OK. I also changed the battery in the remote, so that's not the problem. I live on the U.S. West coast, where the temperature is about 40 degrees F in the morning. Any suggestions? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.120.95.34 (talk) 20:38, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

It has an optical sensor to detect obstructions, right? Is it possible some trick of light or shadow is misleading the sensor? Mine will reverse and go back up if it thinks there is something in the way. Friday (talk) 20:42, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Always 8:45 to 9:00? It doesn't change with the season? --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 22:32, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

I thought it might be a problem with sunlight; however, my house is oriented so the front of the garage does not get any sun until late morning. This started happening only a couple of weeks ago; I expect the problem to go away, but I want to know what is going on so I can take steps to prevent it from recurring.

How sure are you about the EXACTNESS of the time? Seems to me it's most likely temperature-related - and perhaps it really misbehaves before the air has had a chance to warm up after sunrise. The idea of excess light causing the problem seems unlikely because it's breaking the beam that stops the thing - not extra light. Dunno about yours but my garage door opener also detects when the motor has stalled. If that's the case with yours then perhaps the track is simply too stiff early in the early morning chill? I'd suggest lubricating the rails and the chain/screw-drive. I suppose the other possibility is some kind of electrical interference. Do you have any devices in the house that are on timers that might trigger around that time? Things like swimming pool filter pumps could be pushing out nasty voltage spikes and scrambling the door opener's little brain if they are set up to run at that time. SteveBaker (talk) 03:07, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

Any possibility of teenagers with that extra remote just messin' with mom/dad's head? I remember as a young engineer, rigging my boss' desk so that whenever he opened his center drawer his desk lamp would go off. Also, this "feature" was operable or not under the influence of switch under my control so that he wouldn't catch on. :) hydnjo talk 03:10, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

I doubt that the temperature has much to do with the door. If that was the case then wouldn't the door stick on opening for the first time rather than closing, which I assume is the second movement of the door. Also I would think that 40 °F (4 °C) was too warm to cause a problem. Door openers seem to have a range of temperature operations. this goes from −20 °C (−4 °F) to 50 °C (122 °F) and this Chinese one has a range or −40 °C (−40 °F) to 70 °C (158 °F). They certainly work here where the temperature falls below −40 °C (−40 °F). Where do you keep the remote? If you have it in the vehicle then it may have got cold overnight and be causing a problem. CambridgeBayWeather Have a gorilla 07:22, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

I'm obviously not talking about garage doors in general - I'm talking about this one specifically. If something is bent or misaligned - or (most likely) inadequately lubricated - then a temperature change of even just a few degrees will cause a small change in the dimensions of the metal guide tracks and wheels - and in the stiffness of the counterbalance spring and viscosity of the lubricant (if any!). That might be the difference between it just making it - or just failing to make it. That temperature change could be over any region on the scale. The difference between 80 and 85 degrees is just as statistically likely to cause this kind of problem as a difference between 40 and 45 degrees or -10 and -15 degrees. It just depends on how the thing is damaged or misaligned. I'm also not talking about the remote controller gizmo. SteveBaker (talk) 15:28, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

I know you weren't talking about them in general but it would seem to me that if the door is in anyway bent or misaligned then the first operation would also see a problem and not just the second. I also knew that you didn't refer to the remote module but as it contains batteries and may have been left in the cold vehicle overnight then that might cause a problem. If the OP walks into the garage and uses the wall button to open the door, takes the vehicle out and then uses the remote that might be where the problem lies. That is what causes problems here as the temperate reaches freezing, to the extent that after it gets to −10 °C (14 °F) the remote and/or command start will not work. If the OP is doing it that way then they should try using the wall button for both operations and keeping the remote inside overnight. CambridgeBayWeather Have a gorilla 16:34, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

The OP says that the door goes up - but won't go down again. It's perfectly possible that (for example) the springs that counterbalance the door's weight are 'tighter' in the chill morning air - so the door goes up with less motor power - but requires a lot more to push down against the pull of the springs. Really - it's such a complicated dynamics problem - there are a dozen ways for different kinds of lubrication or damage problems to produce this kind of symptom in a temperature-dependent manner. SteveBaker (talk) 02:18, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

Depending on where you live it might be a moisture problem. We had something similar when moisture caused a short to occur every once in a while. (related to a leaky drain above in out case) You also might want to check the voltage. Your system might get a power surge/not enough power form the mains because everyone in town is having breakfast. See if you can get a good expert to check it out. (It took us 5 tries to find the right guy.) 76.97.245.5 (talk) 09:20, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

I'd agree with trying to find someone to fix it - but ONLY after you've tried lubricating it. Hardly anyone reads the instructions for these things (assuming you even got instructions for it when you bought the house)...however, those instructions will have told you to lubricate the tracks and the worm-gear or drive chain...probably twice a year. I don't think I know anyone who does that. But when you get any kind of a problem with garage door openers, that's the problem three times out of five. Things get corroded and stiffer - and eventually, the motor stalls out trying to move the door either up or down - and the controller assumes it's hit something - so it stops and backs the door back up again. SteveBaker (talk) 15:36, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

It's a reflection from something, sez me. What else could it be, with the time so specific? But you're not going to know what the reflection is until you lie down on the ground where the receiver half of the "electric eye" is and look for it -- or, alternately, take a dark piece of paper and hold it in front of the receiver. Fun puzzle to solve. --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 15:39, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

Parchment Paper- Waterproof? Greaseproof?

Is parchment paper waterproof and greaseproof? We would like to use it as a liner in a food storage device. We need to know if soups, grease, and sauces will leak though. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 18.242.6.199 (talk) 23:07, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Parchment#Plant-based parchment talks in terms of "grease-resistant" and "moisture-proof. I suspect that enough soup, grease, or sauce would eventually leak through. --Tagishsimon (talk) 00:14, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

If you mean the modern "parchment paper" that you get next to the cling wrap and aluminum foil in the grocery story, its coated in silicone, and is pretty impervious to most of that sort of stuff. Your mileage may vary, but in my experience its pretty good for those applications. --Jayron32.talk.contribs 04:07, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

January 15

Mail Without Postage

If a piece of mail is sent without proper postage, it is typically returned to the return address listed on the outside of the envelope/package, yes? If that's the case, what's to stop me from skipping the stamp and just writing my intended address as the return address? Voila, free postage. I can't imagine that this would actually work, but I can't figure out why not. Obviously, if the mailman came everyday to find a stack of letters without stamps, he'd soon figure out my scheme, but that just means I'd have to drop them in a public mailbox somewhere. Or maybe packages without postage don't get returned to the sender. But if that's the case, what happens to them? 98.228.74.177 (talk) 01:43, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

If you place enough stamps for say air mail on a package from the U.S. to U.k. and just place it straight in the post box without having to go inside the post office and have it checked to see that it has enough postage.It will arrive in the U.K. not franked,so then you can pull off the stamps and use again on a new packet.You can effectively use the same stamps over and over again until it might just get franked,by that time,you have used the same stamps a dozen times. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 170.86.15.15 (talk) 15:32, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

Just so that we have all of the parameters, what would you propose for the "address" of such mail? hydnjo talk 01:59, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

Depending on the country in which you live the following may happen - If you are in Town A and address a letter to Town B with a return to sender address in Town C, as soon as the item of mail hits the sorting office in Town A it is scanned and checked for correct postage and the stamps (if any) are marked/franked as used. If the machine detects that the letter does not have the correct postage it will mark it as such and send it for returning to sender. It is very unlikely it will ever reach Town B. When the return to sender address is being checked, the post person will go 'hang on, the frank on the stamp says this letter first entered the postal system in this town, how can the return address be another town? For this letter to have got from Town C to Town A when it's addressed to Town B isn't a very likely occurrence, and hey, it doesn't have enough postage anyway so should have been rejected in Town C when it entered the mail system, I'm confused, oh well, I'll just throw it in the dead letter bin. Nanonic (talk) 02:20, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

In the UK, the postman would knock on your front door with your letter in hand (stamped "excess postage due") and ask if you wanted to pay the excess postage to take delivery of the mail - you pay up or he'd take it away and destroy it. It happened EVERY year with a particular aunt's Xmas card. That was a while back though things may have changed. SteveBaker (talk) 02:55, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

These days, the postman (or woman) leaves a card stating excess postage is due. The postman cannot take cash from customers so there is an option to stick stamps on the card, or you can go to the post office to pay the fee. In the case of franked mail, and insufficient postage, the excess is charged to the account of the person or company that sent the item. -=# Amos E Wolfe ^talk #=- 11:04, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

If the postman can't take cash - how are COD (Cash-on-Delivery) transactions handled? Perhaps they aren't handled anymore? It was certainly a curious system where the post office acted (in effect) as an escrow service. SteveBaker (talk) 15:19, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

COD would be handled by a courier, not Royal Mail. --Tango (talk) 22:23, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

The post office has obviously considered this. A USPS rule proposal from the 1990s notes that " As is currently the case with mail bearing no postage, mail displaying no return address or a return address that is actually the address of the intended recipient would be sent to a Postal Service mail recovery center." Presumably they detect the latter case by looking at where the postage is deposited, as others have suggested. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 03:57, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

I vaguely remember that in the Netherlands, such a letter is (or was) just delivered anyway because with such a mass process any other action than the standard one would be too expensive. Provided it doesn't happen too often. For most people the cost a stamp is nothing compared to the value of the message in the letter, so people are not going to take risks, so it will only happen infrequently, when people forget. They've got the stamps in their homes anyway. But that may be changing now that paper letters are getting ever less common, as they are being replaced by email. I think that in the last 5 years I have sent a stamped letter maybe twice. All other paper mail is prepaid - either a response to something sent to me or in a special envelope to my bank, which doesn't require a stamp. So maybe the way the post office deals with this has changed by now. Oh, btw, what about holiday cards? Little point in returning them to sender. :) DirkvdM (talk) 12:52, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

There is certainly point in returning holiday cards to the sender. Grandma's around the world are sticking $20 bills inside cards to send to distant grandkids. SteveBaker (talk) 15:21, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

I think Dirk meant postcards, sent to friends at home while one is on holiday ("vacation"). As he says, not a lot of point in sending those back where they came from, as most people will have finished their holiday and returned home by then. 93.97.184.230 (talk) 01:26, 17 January 2009 (UTC)

Publically Produced, Privately Provisioned Postal System

The above question got me thinking about my usual perspective on a publicly (produced) mail system (I make the distinction between "production" and "provisioning" of a good or service because government can choose to intervene in a market in either or both ways, however, choosing to "provision" (deciding who sends what where) isn't exactly applicable in this case).

What arguments exist in support of a public postal system in developed, western countries? Or more specifically, if one didn't exist today, what argument exists to create a public system rather than let the free market (with some subsidies for low-volume locations) do the job?NByz (talk) 09:16, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

One thing that comes to mind is the legal aspects of the mail system. Even with subsidies, FedEx or whoever could still decline to deliver mail to a given location, and the government would have no way to mail you your tax bill, which is a part of the government they tend to keep running with great dedication and zeal. --Sean 12:55, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

That's not really an issue though - the US government passes laws requiring telephone and broadcast TV services to service everyone in their coverage area no matter the cost or difficulty. It could to the same with private mail service. In fact, it's only the existence of the USPS that makes such a law unnecessary. However, just as with the phone service - there are issues with international connections. For example, there are agreements between countries in the world so that (for example) a letter posted in France with a French postage stamp and the money from that stamp going to the French government - will be accepted by the USPS and delivered free of charge to the appropriate address here in the USA...PROVIDING THAT a letter mailed in the USA with a US stamp on it gets the same treatment in France. This bilateral agreement is an essential thing. However, if there were more than one "carrier of choice" - so if FedEx and UPS were the mail carriers and the USPS didn't exist - there would doubtless be major problems in how mail from France got delivered in the USA - would FedEx do it for free? Would UPS do it for free? If the law required it to be done for free would FedEx refuse to do it on the grounds that FedEx mail to France is delivered by FedEx's French subsidiary so they aren't getting fair recompense for their efforts in delivering mail from the French postal service for free. This is not by any means a simple matter.

What's interesting is how this is developing with the Internet - where the costs for sending a message are shared 50/50 between sender and recipient instead of being paid for exclusively by the sender. Where the bandwidth requirements are symmetrical - it all seems very fair - but when (for example) YouTube transmits millions of times more bytes than it recieves - the symmetry is broken and ISP's want to start charging them for the bandwidth they consume.

It's fairly amazing that telephone services still work across national boundaries - but somehow that's still working out OK. It may not last! SteveBaker (talk) 15:08, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

In the Netherlands, that's what we 'always' had. Then, in the privatisation craze of the nineties, the postal service was also privatised. In the name of the free market. Except that there is no free market because there is still just one postal company (for normal mail, I mean, not for special deliveries or mass mail). Everything has remained the same. So I now wonder about the opposite. How does this work in a free market? Does every postal company have its own stamps and mailboxes in the streets and mailmen? Sounds horribly inefficient. Does that even exist anywhere? I have travelled a lot and sent mail from all over the world and can't remember being faced with choices between companies anywhere. DirkvdM (talk) 13:00, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

So long as there is just one 'preferred carrier' you're OK - it doesn't particularly matter whether it's government owned or private. In the letter market - there is (essentially) no choice - but even in the Netherlands, you must have a choice for parcel mail - I'm sure your local postal service competes with (at least) FedEx. Parcels are (increasingly) where the business is because letters are being made largely obsolete by email, phone and fax - where purchasing things over the Internet has pushed the parcel business to new heights. If you consider the mail services as becoming increasingly a parcel service that also supports very formal document handling (eg contracts and such - which are frequently Fed-Ex'ed around the world) - then the world has already changed. SteveBaker (talk) 15:15, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

Name of a song

I play the piano but am in a different country from it at the moment (the last time I played the piano was 1.5 years ago) so I don't have my music book. I remember a song quite well; it had "night" and "symphony" in its name but I am unsure what its exact title is. Does anyone know what I am talking about? It might help to note that its first three notes follow a similar pattern to the toy symphony (depending on your version of the song). PST

A little nightmusic? --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 11:54, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

Yes! Thanks. PST

Being the sub-title of the piece, in English it's usually given the full treatment with capitals, and the "Nachtmusik" is broken into 2 words on translation - "A Little Night Music". -- JackofOz (talk) 13:10, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

rising of moon

could you tell me in which direction the moon rises? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 124.43.50.199 (talk) 12:03, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

From the east, just like the Sun and all the planets and stars. It's actually caused by the Earth spinning. Sometimes a little more northeastish or southeastish, but always eastish. --Sean 12:50, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

Correct, but the question might be asking which direction it moves in the sky as it rises. This is also the same as the Sun: it rises in a direction that angles away from the vertical by an amount equal to your latitude, and toward the equator. For example, in Houston, at latitude 30° north, the Sun or Moon rises in a direction that is tilted south by 30° from the vertical. (That is, this is true initially. As it continues rising, its path becomes more and more horizontal until it starts going down again.) --Anonymous, 13:00 UTC, January 12, 2009.

To illustrate this, at the North and South Poles, in their respective mid-summers (late june and december), the Sun (and presumably invisible Moon) move horizontally just over the horizon, and in their respective mid-winters (late december and june) it moves horizontally just under the horizon. At other times of the year, it moves somewhere in between there, but always parallel to the horizon. (Actually, because this changes, there should be a slight angle, but that's nitpicking.) As you move away from them, you get an ever bigger angle, until at the equator it rises vertically. At least during the equinoxes (equinoces?) (late march and september). How is this at other times? Does it rise and set vertically then, except not at opposite ends? Interested though I am in astronomy, I have always found it difficult to wrap my head around these things. DirkvdM (talk) 13:24, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

It might be different where you are (although I can't imagine that's actually the case), but the new moon is not invisible in Australia. The outer ring is visible if you know where to look. A light-filled metropolis might obscure the moon and the stars, but that's not the same thing as saying they're invisible. -- JackofOz (talk) 22:35, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

Really? I've never seen a new moon like that and I've spent most of my life living in the countryside (in the UK). The new moon is only above the horizon during the day anyway (or possibly just before sunrise or after sunset, I guess, it will never stray far from the sun, though), so light pollution can't be a factor. --Tango (talk) 22:47, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

There may be a terminological confusion here. The only time it's actually invisible (according to the article, but I'm still not 100% convinced it's ever truly "invisible") is when it's a dark moon. -- JackofOz (talk) 00:42, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

According to that article, the new moon (as we use the term today) is in the middle of the dark moon period. The only time it's going to be 100% invisible is during a solar eclipse, but obviously you can see its silhouette then. At non-eclipse new moons, there will be a tiny amount of light visible at either the top or bottom (depending on whether it passed above or below the sun), but it will be so close to the sun that it can't be seen. If it weren't for the atmosphere, you could shield your gaze from the sun and see it, but the atmosphere scatters the light so even that wouldn't work. --Tango (talk) 04:13, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

The apparent movement of the Moon at the Poles is a little more complicated than Dirk's description. The (invisible) new Moon is, like the Sun, below the horizon at the Poles around their respective winter solstices, since the Moon at that point in its revolution around Earth is more or less on the same side of Earth as the Sun. However, when the Moon is full, it has moved to the side of Earth facing away from the Sun, so at each Pole's winter solstice, the full Moon circles the horizon at nearly 23° above the horizon. During winter, as the Moon waxes, it rises while circling gradually higher above the horizon over a period of several days. The situation is the opposite at the summer solstice. At the summer solstice, the Sun circles each Pole not quite 23° above the horizon. The (invisible except during eclipses) new moon makes a similar motion. At the summer solstice, a waxing crescent Moon might be faintly visible near the horizon in a sunlit polar sky, but the full Moon would be below the horizon and would never appear. Marco polo (talk) 14:10, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

By extension, the full Moon rises to the north of east in the Northern Hemisphere winter (December-January) sky. At its highest point, the full Moon is as high as the summer sun in the Northern Hemisphere winter sky. The full moon arcs around to set north of west in the northern winter. By contrast, in the northern summer (June-July), the full Moon rises south of east and climbs no higher at its highest point than the winter sun would climb. The situation is the opposite in the Southern Hemisphere. (The full Moon rises south of east and sets south of west in winter (June-July) and rises as high as the summer sun; it rises north of east and sets north of west in summer (December-January) and rises only as high as the winter sun.) Marco polo (talk) 14:19, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

It's in fact even a little more complex than that. The orbit of the moon is tilted about 5 degrees with respect to the ecliptic. That implies that at its highest point, the full moon will be somewhere between five degrees higher and five degrees lower than the summer sun in the Northern Hemisphere winter sky. --NorwegianBlue ^talk 01:25, 17 January 2009 (UTC)

'suitability of carburetor from Kawasaki KE 175 on-off road motorcyle for a smaller KE 100'

I foolishly purchased a 28 yr old small motorcycle (Kawasaki KE 100). Unfortunately there is no carburetor on the bike and the only I have found on line is from a 1978 KE 175. Is there anyone who knows if the carb from the 1978 KE 175 will work for the Kawasaki KE 100 ?

Thanks for any light you can shed. So far I haven't been able to get any mechanic's opinion on such and adaptation. AZcardfan (talk) 22:08, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

There is a KE100 carb on sale on eBay right this moment - $80 'buy it now' price - for the next 13 hours only - it's here: [27] Even if you don't buy it - grab copies of the photo and compare with your KE 175 carb. SteveBaker (talk) 02:08, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

Wikipedia editor breakdown by country

Is it possible to find out the breakdown of the nationalities of all the editors that edit the English Wikipedia? BigDunc^Talk 23:11, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

No. The best you can do is find out the location of the IP addresses people edit from, which data is gathered at meta:Edits by project and country of origin. Algebraist 23:14, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

Thanks for swift reply. BigDunc^Talk 23:17, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

Also see Category:Wikipedians by ethnicity and nationality. Dismas|^(talk) 23:23, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

Though note that the data from that category means nothing. Most Wikipedians don't add themselves to such categories, so the category itself has little meaning as to the overall breakdown. --Jayron32.talk.contribs 00:53, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

I'm sorry if you took my comment to mean that it would provide accurate data for all Wikipedians. There are only ~130 Wikipedians in that cat. Dismas|^(talk) 04:50, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

When - precisely - does a new US President assume power?

In Britain, and presumably elsewhere, there is a protocol that dictates, "The King is dead, long live the King (or Queen)", which clearly passes power from the last heartbeat of the deceased monarch to the new incumbent, even long before a somewhat delayed Coronation. But in the US, and presumably elsewhere, the transition from old to new is not so absolute as both the outgoing and incoming participants are usually alive and standing close to each other on inauguration day during a relatively sombre and lengthy ceremony. So when, precisely, as a point of pedantry, will G.W. Bush cease to be Commander-in-Chief and relinquish his powers as President? And who would assume control should a national emergency occur on the scale of 9/11 during said ceremony? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.22.190.110 (talk) 23:22, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

Twentieth Amendment to the United States Constitution, §1: "The terms of the President and Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January, and the terms of Senators and Representatives at noon on the 3d day of January, of the years in which such terms would have ended if this article had not been ratified; and the terms of their successors shall then begin." --Milkbreath (talk) 00:06, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

The only problem with that is that it doesn't specify a time zone. Presumably local time at the capital is intended, but is this laid down in law anywhere, or just a customary interpretation? Algebraist 00:14, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

That's about when GWB ceases to be president. But it does not mean that Obama suddenly becomes president at the stroke of noon. There's no "the king never dies" doctrine in the U.S. He does not become president until he's actually sworn in, which would be some time after noon. In the intervening minutes, I'd say the office of president was vacant. Unless they chose to swear him in before noon to avoid the gap, but that might be unconstitutional. -- JackofOz (talk) 00:37, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

That view seems to be contradicted by the clause and the terms of their successors shall then begin. Algebraist 00:40, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

The official annotated constitution is clear on this: the president-elect becomes president before he/she takes the oath/affirmation of office. Algebraist 00:45, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

Its probably largely a moot point. The apparatus of the government keeps working before, during, and after the few minutes between the end of the Bush administration and the start of the Obama administration. As the case of David Rice Atchison shows; this is an old problem. There was actually technically almost 24 hours between the end of the James Polk presidency and the swearing in of Zachary Taylor. Some have claimed for a long time that that made Atchison the acting president for that day; however most serious scholars simply hold that either a) Taylors presidency retroactively applied once he was sworn in on March 5, 1849 or b) The nation was without a president on March 4, 1849. Strangely enough, the fabric of space-time was not ripped apart by the lack of a President. Its a fun little activity to decide what happens between the official end at noon and the swearing in, but it really has little bearing on how the real government works. --Jayron32.talk.contribs 00:51, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

Since launching an attack on the US would take weeks or months then, but only takes minutes now, the importance of not having presidential gaps is now higher. So, has there ever been a critical national emergency that spanned the swearing in ceremony ? StuRat (talk) 03:01, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

The government and military could likewise respond in minutes. If a fleet of nuclear missles were bound for the U.S. during the swearing in ceremony, I doubt that the entire military of the U.S. would be sitting around waiting and saying "Come on, hurry it up there!" for the President to become official. Its not a one-man show. The President is important, but not omnipotent, and he's also unavailible for other reasons for just as long as when he'll be being sworn in. The government doesn't stop when he takes a particularly long dump, does it? Indeed, if his decision making was needed immediately, they would just issue the oath in the car on the way to the White House and he would dive right in to whatever crisis he was needed to preside over. Consider that Lyndon Baines Johnson was sworn in on Air Force One on the way back to Washington, and that Calvin Coolidge was issued the oath by his father in the Parlor of his Vermont farmhouse. Its REALLY not a big deal; the ceremony is all nice and stuff, but the government will survive if we don't have a ceremony and a big speech. --Jayron32.talk.contribs 03:10, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

I wonder what happened if the president refused to attend, or otherwise missed out on his own swearing in. His term of office would begin (as per above), but would he be able to wield power? I imagine his political opponents would start kicking up a fuss after a day or two, but what if he signed bills into law in the interim? I suppose that'd be a question for the courts, but I wonder what sort of precedent they'd rely on. 24.2.176.64 (talk) 03:41, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

(ec; I had the same question, but since I went to the trouble of typing it out, I'll let it stay) Just idly musing here: If Obama took the view that he becomes president at the stroke of noon, and whether or not he's sworn in makes no difference, what would happen if he said "Stuff it. There's too much to be getting on with to waste time on a largely symbolic ceremony, so I'm just gonna start doing the job I was elected to do"? What constraints would he encounter by not being sworn in? -- JackofOz (talk) 03:48, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

I think the Constitution specifies that he must take the oath. If he refused to take the oath, I suspect the Supreme Court would take the view that he was not in office. Presumably his duties would pass to Joe Biden, assuming the latter had taken the oath. --Trovatore (talk) 03:51, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

The wording of the constitution is that he becomes president prior to the oath/affirmation, but must take the oath/affirmation 'before he enter on the Execution of his Office'. I have no idea how such a crisis would work out in practice. Algebraist 03:57, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

Also there's no requirement that there be any ceremony surrounding it. Traditionally the oath is administered by the Chief Justice, but Coolidge (I think it was) was famously sworn in by his father, in a lonely cottage, upon learning of his predecessor's death. --Trovatore (talk) 03:58, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

Article 2, Section 1, Clause 8: "Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." (Note the outmoded irrealis.) Mr. Obama would be in violation of the Constitution. I suppose that he could be removed from office for that if he persisted. I think we need a Constitutional scholar at this point. --Milkbreath (talk) 03:57, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

I take that to mean that he would be the president, and would be entitled to all the respect normally shown to occupants of that office; but he would be incapable of actually doing anything relevant, such as sign laws. That would be even worse than having a lame duck president. This duck would be crippled (or a double amputee). For all intents and purposes, therefore, he may as well not be the president until he's sworn in. -- JackofOz (talk) 04:17, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

Indeed, since it would take rougly one minute or less to actually say the oath, it seems a minor point. As I said above, in the event of a crisis, he could be administered the oath by any duly appointed public official (judge, justice of the peace, notary public, etc.) in the car on the way to the White House if needed. The actual stating of the oath would not take up enough time to meaningfully prevent Obama from doing his job. A big ceremony with speeches and pomp and circumstance on the steps of the Capital would take a while, but as noted, there is no ceremonial requirement. He just has to say one 35-word sentance. --Jayron32.talk.contribs 13:06, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

In face of the above problems, The Vice-President takes the oath before the President. Phil_burnstein (talk) 13:30, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

Does anyone know how many have "affirmed" instead of "sworn"? I imagine the "affirmation" version was to placate those who have a religious ban on oaths (Jesus said swear not at all, a pretty direct command that Christendom hasn't traditionally taken very seriously). I have to say that the "affirmation" thing strikes me as a fairly technical and transparent evasion of the command, which continues Let your yes be yes and your no be no, for more than this comes from evil. --Trovatore (talk) 21:56, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

Our article Oath of office of the President of the United States gives Franklin Pierce as the first president to affirm rather than swear, but fails to indicate if there have been any others. The article on Pierce claims Herbert Hoover is the only other case. Hoover was a Quaker, while Pierce seems to have felt an affirmation had less religious connotation than an oath, as evidenced by his not using a bible. Our article oath indicates that an oath, properly understood, always involves invoking some sacred witness. This idea lives on in the English court system, where I (as an atheist) was made to give a juror's declaration beginning 'I do solemnly declare and affirm' while my colleagues said 'I swear by almighty God'. Algebraist 22:03, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

I don't think it's a minor point, in the context of this question, which is about establishing "the precise moment" when a president-elect becomes president. Thinking of scenarios where a president dies or resigns, am I right in believing that the V-P does not instantly and automatically become president at the moment the incumbent left the office (in the way that Prince Charles would instantly become king should QEII abdicate or die)? My understanding is that, in these circumstances, the VP does not accede to the presidency until they're sworn in. Because he/she could say "Thanks, but I'm going to decline. I hadn't mentioned this, but I was going to resign from the vice-presidency next week anyway, so I'll still be leaving. Give the job to whoever's next in line". Otherwise, the new president would have to formally resign if they didn't want the job. -- JackofOz (talk) 22:20, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

Actually, various aspects of the Constitution deal with all of the various eventualities. Understand that any invokation of the United States presidential line of succession beyond the Vice President is untested, and would likely lead to a Constitutional Crisis, however Article Two of the United States Constitution, the Twentieth Amendment to the United States Constitution and the Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution all work together to answer the question. The 20th for elected but not yet served presidents, and the 25th for deceased presidents. Article 2 states "the Congress may by Law provide for the Case of Removal, Death, Resignation or Inability, both of the President and Vice President, declaring what Officer shall then act as President, and such Officer shall act accordingly, until the Disability be removed, or a President shall be elected." The current law, which is the Presidential Succession Act of 1947, may very well be unconsitituional, as it contains two persons (Speaker of the House of Representatives and President Pro Tempore of the Senate) who may not meet the consitutional definition as "Officer"s of the government, which elsewhere in the constitution ONLY refers to executive branch members. The question is whether, legally, the phrase "Congress shall provide by Law" trumps the understood definition of "Officer". Since it has never been tested, the question is unanswerable at this point. However, the situation you describe, which is a drawn-out succession crisis because of a VP refusal to serve, is entirely different than a gap of a few minutes between the death of a president and the swearing in of the new one. Very different problems. The former is a real problem, the latter is no problem at all. --Jayron32.talk.contribs 00:52, 17 January 2009 (UTC)

Solar-powered car

I remember in the mid 1980s one of the European automakers develoed a car with solar cells in the roof. The solar cells did not power the car (it had a regular engine), but they were used to operate the air conditioning system. The logic was that on a sunny day the driver could park in the sun and the AC would run and keep the interior cool. Does anyone remember such a vehicle, and how were its sales figures? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.120.95.34 (talk) 00:20, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

I don't think they ever sold such a thing. It could easily have been a concept car though. Given the weight of solar cells in the mid-1980's - I'd bet that the additional weight of the solar panel would have consumed more gasoline than it would have saved. Furthermore, I don't know of any cars from that era with electrically powered air conditioners...even on modern cars (with a VERY few exceptions) they are driven from the serpentine belt with an electrically operated clutch to disconnect it when it's not in use. It's not impossible that you're right - but I think it's unlikely as a commercial product. SteveBaker (talk) 01:59, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

A more practical application may be to use the solar cells to operate a small fan to exchange the hot air inside the car with cooler outside air. StuRat (talk) 02:55, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

That's just ventilation, not aircon. It doesn't help much on a hot day (and you could just open the windows). --Tango (talk) 03:11, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

It can make a huge difference on a hot day, from 150°F inside to 100°F. That's the diff between burning yourself and not. Opening windows helps, but leaves the car susceptible to rain, insects, and thieves. A small, covered exhaust hole in the roof, with a fan and screen, could solve most of those probs. StuRat (talk) 05:32, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

Solar powered car ventilators have been available for many years. They fit at the top of the window, so the window is effectively closed against intrusion, but there is a fan and an air passage. The old ones did not move much air, since they had a small low power solar panel and a small fan. New ones are under $10 on the web[28]. A factory installed powerful one would be a vast improvement. Edison (talk) 18:40, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

Military SOP for human shields

- - Does the U.S. Military have a standard operating procedure or policy regarding its approach towards the use of civilians as human shields by militants on both a micro- and macroscopic level?

- - For example, if a terrorist uses a civilian in front of him and is firing towards U.S. troops, is the U.S. soldier allowed to return fire and kill the civilian in the process?

- - Similarly, if militants are in a building with civilians and firing rockets towards U.S. troops, assuming that a hostage rescue is not possible, can the U.S. troops demolish the building - killing both the hostages and civilians? Acceptable (talk) 00:22, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

The rules of engagement vary from one operation to the next, but in general, civilians are considered acceptable collateral damage. --Carnildo (talk) 01:32, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

(EC) That's a good question. It definitely seems to be a pretty murky issue, and I hear words like proportionality and discrimination of response thrown around a lot in relation to it. Also, I believe that often military's are unwilling to disclose the exact rules of engagement their soliers are operating under, as that could provide a tactical advantage to those they are fighting. Sorry I don't have a great answer, but I do have a follow-up question, in case someone who does have a great answer comes along: does it matter if said civilians are willing versus unwilling human shields? I've heard of cases where civilians have chosen to place themselves in harm's way. Does their decision to willingly act as a human shield somehow compromise their civilian status, even if they are still acting as noncombatants? - Azi Like a Fox (talk) 01:36, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

I would expect many factors would go into the decision:

1) How many militants ?

2) How many civilians ?

3) What type of civilians ? Women and children probably count for more than military-aged men.

4) Are the militants a real threat or just an annoyance ?

5) What's the local political situation ? If everyone in that village already hates Americans and backs the militants, then killing a few more of them won't change things.

6) Is there likely to be press coverage of the civilian casualties ?

7) I would think that them be willing shields would make them less worth saving, as that could be used against them in the press. StuRat (talk) 02:51, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

I think the key point in this scenario in that the US forces are under fire. I would expect a soldier is allowed to take whatever action is necessary to defend themselves. Obviously, it needs to be truly necessary, there can't be an alternative plan (possibly including surrender - I'm not sure if you would be expected to surrender, but you almost certainly wouldn't be if you know the enemy doesn't take prisoners). Killing the civilian in order to get the enemy combatant would probably depend on the circumstances, but killing the civilian in order to save your own life and those of the rest of your unit is another matter entirely. --Tango (talk) 03:05, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

If unwilling human shields were U.S. citizens in the U.S., who spoke the same language and were of the same ethnicity as the troops, they would likely show great restraint in using lethal force which would kill the shields as well as the shooters. If it were a village on the other side of the world where they all had a religion, language and ethnicity unlike that of the armed forces, historically there has been less restraint in, say, firing rockets or dropping bombs. Consider Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan, where local civilians were killed in large numbers because of a fear that armed enemy were among them. I cannot think of many recent cases in the U.S. of massive firepower being used against hostages/human shields to destroy the armed "bad guys" sheltering behind them. Instead, hostage negotiators are usually called in. Children known to be present can be considered "human shields." The federal siege at Ruby Ridge is noteworthy as an exception in this discussion. The dropping from a police helicopter of a bomb on a building occupied by Move radicals in Philadelphia in 1985, which killed four children, is also noteworthy. The federal attack on the Branch Davidian is also noteworthy, in that the attack killed 21 children. Analogous to active attack is the withholding of aid in a disaster and preventing people leaving the disaster site. After Hurricane Katrina, state and federal forces did not provide food, water, medical assistance or evacuation to thousands of suffering people in New Orleans, due to fear that individuals or gangs in the city might shoot at the soldiers, police or aid workers. They also sought to prevent other individuals or groups from providing such aid. See Criticism of government response to Hurricane Katrina. Edison (talk) 15:31, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

Black light search

Okay, i drive an old Police car, meaning i have the regular dome lights and a 'ticket writing' light. i wanna replace that bulb with a black light. the size of the bulb is 1156, and im not having any luck whatsoever. Does anyone know a good place to buy one? 71.223.235.58 (talk) 02:49, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

IF you are a cop, google this matter. IF NOT, get that equipment off of the car, or you could face criminal charges, such as impersonating a police officer. Powerzilla (talk) 03:10, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

Isn't a ticket writing light just a regular light positioned so that the officer can see to write someone a ticket? I don't see how having one on your car is impersonating a police officer. (I'm not entirely sure what "dome lights" are.) I very much doubt the police would sell on their old cars without removing the bits that mark them as police cars. --Tango (talk) 03:17, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

(edit conflict) The dome light is the light inside the car on the roof/ceiling (top of the dome). Automotive lighting#Convenience_lights. It sounds like he wants to replace one of the interior lights with a black light, not an exterior one. --Bennybp (talk) 03:22, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

Indeed. I've known a few people who have bought old police cruisers and all of them have had the markings and lights removed before sale. They also remove the device which alternately flashes the headlights. Dismas|^(talk) 04:42, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

yeah, its just an extra dome light, basically. i've found a seperate one that runs wires from out of the dome into a seperate bulb that i would mount myself, but i'd rather see if i can get a regular bulb first. 71.223.235.58 (talk) 03:22, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

An enclosed socket and reflector designed to hold a 1156 incandescent bulb would likely overheat if somehow you found a blacklight bulb with the same base. Blacklight bulbs have a coating to absorb most wavelengths of light, and the get extremely hot. Look for a battery powered or 12 volt blacklight with a fluorescent bulb or LED bulb and just add it. See [29] for instance. Note that UV or blacklight can be injurious to eyesight and health. Edison (talk) 18:31, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

CRIPTIC CROSS WORD

I recently did a criptic cross word. The question was THE DOGS NAME IS McNEILL and the answer was WHISTLER. Could you please tell me how the word whistler relates. Thankyou. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 58.107.53.130 (talk) 08:29, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

It's a tough clue, but I think it's referring to the lithograph the Butcher's dog by James Abbott McNeill Whistler... but I don't know how you could have got that...-- WORMMЯOW  08:47, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

What crossword was this? Different setters have very different styles and rules, so it can help to know. Algebraist 18:33, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

cannon

Does anyone recognize the model / make of the anti-aircraft cannon in this video? What the hell is that gun and how did it get there?! --Dr Dima (talk) 08:55, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

Cannon is quite an overstatement, perhaps a translation problem. The rounds laying on the floor are .50 caliber or similar. The video is dark, but my SWAG is that this is the 12.7 mm NSVT, --—— Gadget850 (Ed) ^talk - 16:01, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

Impact of recession in India

What will be the Impact of recession in India —Preceding unsigned comment added by Danielpillai06 (talk • contribs) 12:52, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

SOme articles that may lead you to some good information are the Global financial crisis of 2008-2009 and Late 2000s recession. The second one has a small section devoted to India. FWIW, this map lists India as a "severly affected country", whatever that means. Hope that's a help! --Jayron32.talk.contribs 12:59, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

That map is a bit confusing, I assume "severely affected" means "not in recession but feeling the effects from those that are"? The description could use some clarification. -- Mad031683 (talk) 16:54, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

Alarm System Instruction or User Manual

Does Anyone know where I can get a instruction or user manual for a SC 8C OTMA alarm system on the net ?

Scotius (talk) 15:17, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

I didn't find anything when I did a Google search with that in quotes. Perhaps "SC" expands into the name of the manufacturer ? If so, I'd try a search like that. Who is the manufacturer ? StuRat (talk) 16:11, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

Names of particular vintage military pieces of uniform

I am interested in the names of certain pieces of the dress worn particularly by the british army through the 18th to the 19th century, I've looked ever so hard but information is scarce. There are many photos though, so discribing what particular peices I'm after is not a problem. What is the name of the jackets worn by what I reckon would have been admirals one is vidible in the video to walking on a dream video by empire of the sun it was the only example of where i could find it. KingstonJr (talk) 15:30, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

If you post links to some of these photos, we'll be able to help you a lot better. Algebraist 15:32, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

I believe this is what Kingstonjr refers to. I found it on this video. --Sean 20:05, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

Royaume Du Maroc Stamp

I recently found a Royaume Du Maroc stamp in my home. I'm trying to find out what year was this issued (I can't read the date from where it was marked), and how much is its value (it is used)? Below is a link to a scan of the stamp.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/bheid/stamp.jpg

Any information would be greatly appreciated. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.133.184.64 (talk • contribs) 21:00, January 16, 2009 (UTC)

Well, the portrait on the stamp is of Hassan II of Morocco, who reigned from 1961 to 1999. This page, which shows a stamp obviously from the same series, just with a different denomination, says that the stamp was issued in 1988. As for the current value of the stamp, the most recent Scott catalogue, which I don't happen to have at hand, should be able to help you. Deor (talk) 05:34, 17 January 2009 (UTC)

Stealing From Hotels

"Oh, lots of people take towels from hotels. "

"I took the bed. Winched it out of the window to my mate outside. I was renting this flat. It was unfurnished."

"So you went to a hotel and stole the bed? "

"I stole the entire room, actually. Armchair, dressing-table, carpet. Even the fitted wardrobe. The only thing I didn't take were the towels. "

- Red Dwarf

Pretty much every touring stand-up comedian I've ever seen has, as some point or other, done a lazy routine about stealing stuff from hotel rooms, but I was wondering what the actual statistics are on thefts from hotel rooms by guests, and what hotels do about it. I'm guessing that if you try to leave with a TV in your luggage you'll probably have to explain yourself to the police, but what about smaller stuff - linen, towels, lamps etc. Do hotels just write them off as inevitable losses or do they actually report such thefts? And how many people are actually prosecuted for theft from hotels? Thanks.

PS. This isn't a request for legal advice. I'm not planning a grand burglary tour of my local area, I'm just curious :P 87.112.26.250 (talk) 23:07, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

Google has lots on the subject: [30]. --Tango (talk) 00:25, 17 January 2009 (UTC)

"I figure I can take anything from the hotel room that isn't nailed down...and anything I can pry loose isn't really nailed down, is it ?" StuRat (talk) 07:21, 17 January 2009 (UTC)

In my experience, hotels don't seem too bothered by towels or toiletries going missing, but they seem much more concerned about their bathrobes; some leave a card stating that missing bathrobes will be charged at $100 each, while others invite you to buy one from reception (with the implied threat of charging you if you were to steal one). I did stay in one hotel in Bangkok, where there was a prominently placed price list, listing every item in the room and how much you would be charged if an item was to go missing - IIRC, top of the list was the TV at $1769 all the way down to the soap dish in the bathroom at $2.50. Astronaut (talk) 10:08, 17 January 2009 (UTC)

Identify this ditched aircraft

Can anyone identify this ditched aircraft that I found while Googling Garuda Indonesia Flight 421:

Picture 1 Picture 2

The linking page is here, but is not helpful. It's not Garuda Indonesia livery of today, and I can't identify the livery. It doesn't seem to match the descriptions in any of the commercial aircraft ditchings in the nice new "Commercial Ditchings" category template. The picture name has "B707" in the title. Any help? Thanks - Tempshill (talk) 23:51, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

The plane in question is a Boeing 707 operated by an Arabian cargo operator which crashed into a lake in Tanzania in 2000. I found a brief article about the crash here, which also additional pictures. 87.112.26.250 (talk) 00:17, 17 January 2009 (UTC)

And this search might help, if you;re thinking about an article. --Tagishsimon (talk) 00:45, 17 January 2009 (UTC)

Excellent. Thank you! Tempshill (talk) 00:46, 17 January 2009 (UTC)

Dragon Warrior III for GBC

Hi again. Yesterday I started replaying through Dragon Warrior III (GameBoy COlor version), and today the wierdest thing happened. I got to the town of Ashalam, and decided it was about time to save. After going back to the castle in which the game begins, I talked to the king to save. He said my hero would level up in x amount of experience points, said the same for my thief, and then when he got to my warrior he said something along the lines of it being impossible to judge, and that his experience would reveal itself in battle. After that, he said my cleric would level up in x amount of levels. A few battles later, my warrior leveled 44 times from one battle, going from level 13 to level 67. I think this is a glitch, but what the king said got me thinking. Any gamers wanna clue me in? Thanks.--AtTheAbyss (talk) 05:53, 17 January 2009 (UTC) P.S. I know this belongs in a game forum, but I figured I would get answers faster on wikipedia. Thanks again.

Smile.dog

Good evening people at wikipedia.

There is an internet Phenomenon known as 'smile.jpg' or 'smile.dog'. Strangely, this doesn't feature anywhere on wikipedia, and there are rumours that say it's deleted as soon as a page is created.

The picture has no source, the author is unknown and it's very difficult to obtain this. (Search google and find almost 0 results for this). It is claimed that whoever looks at the picture will suffer some mental problems, leading many to suicide. I have this picture, but i'm not going to post it. The picture shows a dog (or a doglike creature), it is the colour red/orange and seems to be in some sort of negative version. The teeth show, sure enough its pretty creepy. There is also a human hand (described as beckoning).

Could anybody over there at wikipedia shed any light on this matter?

81.151.235.105 (talk) 10:02, 17 January 2009 (UTC)

Sounds like a foolish hoax. Tb (talk) 10:11, 17 January 2009 (UTC)

Could be the Wolverine. [31]. Tb (talk) 10:14, 17 January 2009 (UTC)

Could be a hoax, but seriously, try to find any material on it on the internet, and you'll be shocked to find very little.