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February 16

LHC

Why has all talk of the LHC died down? JCI (talk) 00:09, 16 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

"Unfortunately on 19th September a fault developed on a small number of superconducting magnets. The repair will required a long technical intervention which overlaps with the planned winter shutdown. The LHC beam will, therefore, not see beam again before spring 2009." says the site LHC links to. almost-instinct 00:20, 16 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Because the Earth didn't implode into a black hole? – 74  00:25, 16 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
It didn't even have a chance to—it broke before it even got up to speed. --98.217.14.211 (talk) 00:33, 16 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Which means, when they do get it working again, we get to go through having every other question on the Science desk be about the end of the world again... I can't wait! --Tango (talk) 00:36, 16 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Just imagine if it doesn't go online until 2012. Then we can have two crazy theories merge into one. :) A Quest For Knowledge (talk) 14:02, 16 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
They already were merged - there were plenty of people that thought it would take 4 years for a micro-blackhole to destroy the world. (For, as far as I can tell, no reason other than that 2008+4=2012.) --Tango (talk) 14:09, 16 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I think they had yet another problem - they are now predicting that it'll be offline until September. SteveBaker (talk) 03:42, 16 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
They probably realized that they'd destroy the universe if they ran it and are trying to look for a way out without admitting they were wrong. Pesky scientists, always up to no good. --98.217.14.211 (talk) 04:35, 16 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Stephen Hawking said he would have hosted an End of the World Party when the LHC was turned on, but he was sure the press would pick it up, thinking he had been serious, and cause a panic. Tempshill (talk) 06:23, 16 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]


I have December 21st, 2012 marked down on my MSN calender as the end of the world. :) A Quest For Knowledge (talk) 14:02, 16 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Would you mind writing me a check, dated Dec 22nd, 2012? Just leave the amount blank, but include a letter authorizing your bank to tell me how much money is left in the account. Thanks! DOR (HK) (talk) 06:50, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Oh no, you've misunderstood my intentions. I plan on having a good laugh on December 21st, 2012 (and the 22nd, 23rd, etc.). A Quest For Knowledge (talk) 04:22, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Hypocrisy

I'm sure I asked this question yesterday, but there must have been an e/c or something. Anyhow: I remember an MP in the House of Commons causing an incident by calling another member a "hypocrite" whilst in the house. The word was apparently considered very bad form and he had to apologise to the speaker. Is there a list of such words? Is "hypocrite" considered offensive in any other situations in the world? Thanks. - Jarry1250 (t, c) 11:07, 16 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

The article Unparliamentary language has some information on this. AndrewWTaylor (talk) 11:16, 16 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
That is probably the perfect article. Hypocrisy must fall under the dishonourable/lying clause. Cheers! - Jarry1250 (t, c) 11:31, 16 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Maybe this explains how the MPs try to insult one another without seeming to do so. This is always amusing to watch. StuRat (talk) 16:53, 16 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
According to http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4511352.stm :
Yet the former Labour MP Tony Banks escaped rebuke for accusing Margaret Thatcher of acting "with the sensitivity of a sex-starved boa-constrictor".
He also once described - with impunity - the former Tory MP Terry Dicks as "living proof that a pig's bladder on the end of a stick can be elected to Parliament".
Ha! - Jarry1250 (t, c) 16:57, 16 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I'm reminded of a line in The Millionairess (not linked, because the link is only to the film, and I don't know if this line made it into the film) by George Bernard Shaw: "If I questioned your solvency, that would be a libel (sic). If I suggested that you are unfaithful to your wife, that would be a libel. But if I call you a rhinoceros--which you are: a most unmitigated rhinoceros--that is only vulgar abuse." Apart from GBS's confusion of libel and slander, a lovely line. --ColinFine (talk) 19:57, 16 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
It's certainly the case in the Australian Parliament (which adheres to many of the Westminster traditions) that members can't call one another "hypocrites", "liars", "bastards", and so on. Not even "she is a stranger to the truth". That's describing the member themself, and is an insult to their assumed honour. But they can usually get away with describing their behaviour or their words - "what the honourable member said was a lie", "that was a hypocritical statement", etc. That's why Banks got away with it. Paul Keating was a master of this - he's famous/notorious here for referring to our Senate as "unrepresentative swill", and on another occasion he said some members were "like dogs returning to their vomit". But if he'd said they were dogs returning to their vomit, he'd have been made to retract. -- JackofOz (talk) 21:15, 16 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
And, if I may say so, they're quite right in finding descriptions of behaviour - no matter how unsavoury or lurid (up to a point) - far more acceptable than attacks on people. Wikipedia has exactly the same philosophy, for good reasons. -- JackofOz (talk) 23:19, 16 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Keating was making a Biblical allusion (or quoting Kipling) with "dogs returning to their vomit". It's Proverbs 26:11 (I think) or The Gods of the Copybook Headings for the Kipling. I doubt even the Australian parliament would prevent a chap quoting Kipling or the Bible. DuncanHill (talk) 04:16, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I didn't know that, Duncan. I guess that's where the words ultimately came from, but I doubt he was quoting the Bible or Kipling as such. He was simply applying a juicy epithet to his political enemies. I'm sure you could find expressions in the Bible that would be unparliamentary if used other than as quotes. -- JackofOz (talk) 06:25, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I think that the "league table" of generating phrases which have passed into speech (that is, are used by people who have no knowledge of the source), it goes 1) Bible, 2=)Shakespeare & Kipling, and the rest nowhere. If someone uses a phrase that sounds both particularly choice, and like it's a "standard", chances are you can find it in one of them. DuncanHill

(talk) 17:00, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

(outdent) If you can find it, then I remember reading a list of words declared 'unparliamentary' in a journal published by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association intended for those working to support the Speakers and Presiding Officers of commonwealth legislatures. It was on the last page and appeared to be there partly for light relief of the officials at the expense of the Parliamentarians. Sam Blacketer (talk) 21:24, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
One thing to remember, as mentioned in our article on Unparliamentary language is that Parliamentary privilege applies in most Westminister style of governments. Hence the reason that parliament needs to be self regulating and amongst other things, one of the reasons why calling someone a liar, bigot, et al is generally forbidden. In most other circumstances, if someone repeatedly calls you a liar or bigot without good reason you could likely sue for defamation. Nil Einne (talk) 09:44, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
You could try, but might not stop them. Of course, it all depends on how you define "good reason". - Jarry1250 (t, c) 10:05, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Why Is Southern California So Sunny?

The header says it all.--A.z888?z.a (talk) 22:48, 16 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Pretty low latitude and no large hills/mountains to the west of it, I think. Low latitude means the sun is more powerful, making it nice and hot, the lack of hills means you don't get clouds forming as the air is forced to rise to get over them. The west bit is because the prevailing winds are (south)west to (north)east. --Tango (talk) 22:57, 16 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Generally speaking. Right now we're having a massive storm. bibliomaniac15 23:01, 16 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Mediterranean climate Pfly (talk) 08:19, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

How long do royalties last?

In the Screen Acting business, how long do trailing royalties last? For example, in my television market, Hogan's Heroes (now forty years old) still plays two episodes a day in the afternoon. Is Richard Dawson still collecting a check off them? If yes, anybody have the straight poop on how much he gets from each one?

Thanks! --DaHorsesMouth (talk) 23:05, 16 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

See Residual (entertainment industry) for some (although I think not enough) info. Mimetic Polyalloy (talk) 11:43, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]


February 17

Youngest person in college

Who was the youngest person ever admitted into college or university in recorded human history? --Whip it! Now whip it good! 00:24, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Michael Kearney holds the Guinness record for youngest college graduate (a mark I would consider substantially more significant) at age 10. For what it's worth, he was admitted at 6. — Lomn 01:19, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks. --Whip it! Now whip it good! 01:38, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

New lady friend

This is a serious Q so please do not delete it. I have just acquired a new lady friend who appears to be over 70 years of age. (I don't know exactly because I'm too much of a gentleman to ask her). Any way what I want to know is: if she cant self lubricate, will she still be able to produce the same sexy odour (that I like so much) from her vagina?--GreenSpigot (talk) 00:43, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Is there a gynecologist in the house? We could do with some expert attention to vaginal lubrication. The OP may wish to read about sex pheromones, an understudied phenomenon. Much of the odor of the perineal region and vulva is cused by bacteria, to boot. BrainyBabe (talk) 01:05, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
What will it matter what she smells like if she passes her chlamydia on to you? Okay...maybe she doesn't have an STD, but my point is that if you don't know her well enough to know her age (or, better yet, whether or not she has an STD), you should probably be focusing on courtship at present. And since a previous RD question of yours conveyed at least an interest in God, I might suggest you also read the articles on fornication and abstinence. --Eustress (talk) 05:52, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Unfortunately you mistake my slight interest in peoples blind belief in God for a willingness to abide by rules contained in a load of outdated claptrap. The war makers abided by the rules. Your point about STDs is, however, noted. I shall asker her if she has any.--GreenSpigot (talk) 11:54, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
It is with sadness that I note a lack of celebratory fervour for Mr Spigot's spirit of adventure. Further expressions of this leaning can be seen here. Bon voyage, Mr Spigot! almost-instinct 13:36, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Thats funny, her name IS Palmer!--GreenSpigot (talk) 14:52, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
A gentleman would not divulge the lady's name - BLOCK :( hydnjo talk 02:12, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Over 70 years of age? I'd rather not have to think about this kind of thing...--HootlePooch (talk) 00:11, 26 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Guitar Hero 3 Karaoke

Are there any places I could get the songs in Guitar Hero 3 on Karaoke? More specifically, I want "The Devil Went Down to Georgia." If there's anywhere else you could get this song in karaoke played by a guitar, that would work too. Thanks --Ye Olde Luke (talk) 02:39, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

There is a neat trick you can to do eliminate vocals from almost any normal stereo recording. If you download a program called 'Audacity' - there is a plugin that allows you to do this easily. What it does is to rely on the fact that almost all sound engineers place the vocalist in the exact center of the stereo field. If you subtract the left audio channel from the right - you end up with a recording with either no vocals - or greatly reduced volume of vocals. SteveBaker (talk) 03:33, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
That's very clever, but don't you risk losing some of the instrumental part as well? Or, at least, unbalancing it. --Tango (talk) 13:45, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
It will diminish the quality of the audio, so keep a backup of the original track. "Fortunately," the karaoke singer's voice will "fill out" the tones that have been damped out, and I doubt anyone will notice the damped instrumental section. Nimur (talk) 17:52, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I would imagine that when they remove the commonalities, they wouldn't do it for the entire frequency range, just the frequeny range of the human voice. A Quest For Knowledge (talk) 19:42, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Wow, I didn't know that! Thank you so much! --Ye Olde Luke (talk) 06:51, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I too was skeptical - but for most pieces of music it's works like magic. The sound engineers generally don't put two or more instruments at a particular spot in the stereo image - so other instruments don't get wiped out to the degree you might expect. Obviously it doesn't work for everything - some pieces work better than others. Duet's suffer particularly badly because (as you might expect) neither of the two singers are placed precisely centrally...and some pieces of music - for whatever reason - don't obey the convention. But if you just want to make a bunch of karaoke music - you'll find plenty of pieces where the vocals simply vanish. It's not necessary to restrict the range of frequencies though - the trick works great with the simplest math. The main problem is that your resulting karaoke track is mono - there doesn't seem to be a way to preserve the stereo information. SteveBaker (talk) 02:05, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Twelve Angry Men

Is there a website which can provide information about in-depth character analysis of the book, 'The Twelve Angry Men'?

Thanks in advance. Fuzzymugger (talk) 05:59, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I had tried searching on Google for a while before I came here and asked but I could not find any results.

Fuzzymugger (talk) 06:03, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

You may have encountered problems because it was originally a play, not a book. Review 12 Angry Men and look at Twelve Angry Men (disambiguation) for its various adaptations. There are some sources for the material that should lead you to more in-depth analysis. --Eustress (talk) 06:18, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Opening background tabs of Google in Opera.

Hi,

I am not sure where to put this question, so, if anyone thinks this is the wrong place or something, please feel free to move it appropriately. Thanks.

Anyways, so I use the Opera internet browser and I am quite fond of it. But theres this really annoying problem. Whenever I open tabs of some websites, in the background (websites like Google and all the services of Google), even if I open them in the background, they'll stay in the background for a second and then it'll automatically open up. Its really annoying because I tend to open a lot of background tabs at once (while browsing photographs in an album or something) and they dont stay in the background, and I have to keep going back to my original page everytime. And this problem started appearing about a month or two ago I think. Can anyone tell me how to fix this? Does this happen only in Opera or the other browsers as well. And please dont ask me to change my browser, I quite like mine. :-P Thanks!

Jayant,19 Years, India • contribs 12:50, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

That behavior is probably caused by javascript in the offending pages. You can disable "raising of windows" under Tools->Preferences->Advanced->Content->Javascript Options to prevent any page from taking over the screen, or you can disable javascript manually on the offending site(s) with right-click->"Edit Site Preferences"->Scripting. – 74  13:19, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
It works! Awesome. Thanks a lot! I owe you one. :-) Jayant,20 Years, India • contribs 13:40, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Just for future reference, questions like this are normally asked at the Computing Reference Desk. Thanks, Genius101Guestbook 21:02, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

why is gold valuable?

My question is why is gold valuable? It has some limited practical applications in things like electronics, but gold seems to have some sort of inherent value not related to practical applications. Any time I ever ask someone this question, the answer I get is that gold is valuable because it has always been valuable, but that is a circular argument. Any insight into the matter? 65.167.146.130 (talk) 20:24, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

It is valuable because people value it. Sorry, but that's the only reason anything is valuable. You'd have to ask each person in turn or realize the obvious, I'm afraid. I like it because it's pretty. --Milkbreath (talk) 20:31, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
So basically what you are saying is that there is no real reason gold is valuable, it is just some sort of economic bubble? 65.167.146.130 (talk) 20:36, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
No more than anything is a bubble. "Value" is something people assign a thing empirically. We can form theories about why one thing is more valuable than another, but the only way to quantify a thing's value is to sell it at auction. You seem to be saying that there is such a thing as intrinsic value, and I can't think of anything that has that except food, whose price is set by supply and demand like everything else. --Milkbreath (talk) 20:47, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I suppose the best answer is its relative scarcity and the effort required in obtaining it. --Ericdn (talk) 20:48, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I partially agree with you Ericdn, but scarcity alone does not assign value. I could make a one of a kind piece of sculpture, but as I am no artist, there would be no demand for it, thus no value. I guess the main question I am asking then is why gold is in such demand, and the only answer I ever seem to get is because it is valuable. Demand drives value, if value drives the demand of gold, then we have circular reasoning and massive confusion for me. 65.167.146.130 (talk) 21:22, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Gold is valuable today for precisely those non-practical reasons you mentioned. See gold#history. Gold was the first metal prehistoric people manipulated regularly. It is likely early people came to value it because it is a metal yet it is easy to work into jewelry and ceremonial objects using small amounts (gold plating or foil), was relatively easy to get ahold of because it can be surface mined in pure form from placer deposits (not because it was rare!), and has a nice looking color, is shiny, and doesn't tarnish or rot. Gemstones, pretty minerals, and stone were more difficult to work with because they required appropriate hard cutting and polishing tools. Clay was fragile and could break. Wood would rot over time. Dyes and the organics they were applied to eventually lost their color due to oxidation, lack of color fastness, or rot. Gold has a whole lot of alluring characteristics that other workable materials available to prehistorics lacked, so it isn't surprising gold became valuable to them. 152.16.253.109 (talk) 21:23, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Gold has useful electrical and medical properties. --S.dedalus (talk) 21:41, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
But, gold was valuable before those uses were discovered. The questioner wanted to know why gold became valuable in the first place. 152.16.253.109 (talk) 21:47, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
And why are bits of paper valuable to people if they have been deemed "money" by the government? Because that pile of money can be exchanged for goods or services. Similarly, I think a lot of why nations (and their citizens) consider gold valuable is the now rarely practiced idea of the Gold standard. Under this system, which was followed in the US until Nixon ended it in 1971, a currency was worth a designated amount of gold. So people valued gold for the same reason they value currency, it is recognized as a medium others will respect and allow them to use to purchase other goods and services. Gold is no longer formally tied to currencies (or vice versa), however people still accept that gold is a valid form of "convertible wealth" and value it as they would a big pile of money. Only it's better cause it's also shiny and stuff. TastyCakes (talk) 21:56, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
It was used for the gold standard because it was valuable, though. You have cause and effect the wrong way around. --Tango (talk) 22:38, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I disagree. Historical reasons made gold a "precious metal" while others such as copper and lead weren't, due likely to its scarcity and its pleasing properties as you pointed out. But as far as why it is valuable today, it is entirely a matter of the confidence that the owners (and non-owners) have in it, just like a government currency. And its choice as a modern median of wealth is somewhat arbitrary, as the existence of the Silver standard shows. One could similarly ask "why are diamonds the most valuable gems", when they are more common than other gems such as emeralds? It is exactly the same reason as gold, they are recognized as valuable by enough people to make it a legitimate currency (not in the formal sense of the word). People know they can trade them for goods and services and so are willing to buy or sell it accordingly. It is a giant "confidence game" if you want to look at it that way, only with diamonds it is decades old rather than millenia old. And investors in gold should, in my opinion, understand that, like silver, confidence in precious metals can be lost and its corresponding value drop precipitously. I should probably also mention tulips, but I think I'm rambling enough already. TastyCakes (talk) 23:00, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I think this line of discussion would find Official gold reserves interesting. As has been mentioned, the US currency is no longer held 1:1 for gold, but it maintains significant reserves from the Bretton Woods system. Central banks still see value in backing their fiat currencys with gold.NByz (talk) 05:46, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Oh yeah, and it should be mentioned that most Central Banks without large gold reserves back their currency with US Dollar reserves, which are primarily backed by gold. NByz (talk) 05:53, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Among other things, it became associated with royalty, and rulers would acquire as much of it as they could, thus denying it to the common masses. The same was true of certain colours - purple, for example. The colour of gold was the thing that attracted people to in the first place, imo, regardless of any practical uses it might have had. It is intrinsically attractive to humans, because most humans are primarily visual; and because it's rare, it's therefore intrinsically valuable. If it were abundant, everyone would still have a whole pile of it because it brightens up a room. But it would be freely available, or could be purchased at a much lower cost than it has today. It's a bit like music: it's intrinsically attractive to the human psyche. The combination of attractiveness and rarity does the trick. The same is true of diamonds, and gemstones generally. -- JackofOz (talk) 22:03, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Purple was a status symbol because the dye was very hard to make and so rare and so expensive. It was something of a Veblen good, I guess, so its value is rather strange. --Tango (talk) 22:38, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Hmmm, I recall that Palladium became about as expensive as gold for a while about 20 years ago. That might still be the case except for... oh,well. It now sells for about 1/5 the price of gold, about the same as before the the event. hydnjo talk 01:53, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
It wasn't 20 years ago, but palladium spiked around 2001 after automotive regulations required catalytic converters, the main supplier of palladium became unreliable, and large automotive companies started stockpiling[1]. Things have since calmed down, and palladium has returned to a relative bargain. – 74  04:37, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Gold became valuable as a currency or instrument of trade because it was one of the first common (but not too common!) items that people encountered that didn't depreciate. Wood rots, clothes tear, iron rusts, even copper turns green (although bronze and copper coins were used). This gave it one of the first important characteristics as a useful currency: it acts as a good "store of value." Gold is also infinitely divisible, malleable (easy to form into standard sizes/weights, usually mixed at a fixed rate with another metal) and - by the time it was used as an international currency - was in relatively limited supply (however, whenever a new deposit was found, like the Aztecs, South Africa or California, significant inflation occurred). This last point ensured that the domestic citizenry could't counterfeit the currency at will.
As for why gold retains its' value, industrial, dentistry and jewelry uses have already been mentioned. The fact is, as long as Central Banks keep using it as a reserve (not 1:1 anymore, however) it will hold its value as a currency.NByz (talk) 02:12, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I don't understand why that is. If people finally realise that jewellery is dumb (yeah, I know: big if) and if we stop using gold for its other uses, will it still retain its value as long as it's used as a reserve? Would central banks continue using it if they are the only source of demand? They'd have to continue purchasing it to keep its value up. Zain Ebrahim (talk) 07:52, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Although I personally agree with both the "Jewelry is dumb" comment and that logic dictates that gold shouldn't retain it's value in that situation, I have to say the answer is yes. The line between a currency and a fiat currency isn't too clear. They both provide similar value. Everyone sees the value of having something that we will all accept as a means of exchange. Otherwise trade would be dependent on what economists call the "double coincidence of wants" - or someone wanting to trade something that they consider to be of the exact same value as something that someone else wants to trade.
A currency has to be scarce, constant and not easily counterfeited. But, even if the US dollar was suddenly not backed by the "full faith and credit of the US government", I think something similar would be retained in its place.
The current thinking in monetary economics is that currencies only retain their value if time is infinite. A currency retains it's value as an instrument of savings (vs. a "medium of exchange" or "unit of account") to you if it's reasonable to assume that it's going to be valuable to the next generation of people. And so on... And so on... As soon as a finite limit is introduced, agents can no longer make this assumption, and the currency loses all value except as a consumable good. Gold included. (For an EXTREMELY TECHNICAL review of these ideas, I recommend Modeling Monetary Economics, 2nd Edition by Bruce Champ and Scott Freeman.)
Most of every currencies' value comes from the fact that others will likely find it valuable in the future. For example, dollar bills are only valuable to you because you can trade them to someone else who will find them valuable for a similar trade in the future.
Well... Most of us don't use gold in this way. But Central Banks do. As long as some central banks find it valuable in the future, all will today. The fact that the average Joe can enjoy this increased demand is just collateral.
Will it last forever? Tough to say. But society has shown that it needs something to act in this capacity. And I suspect something always will.NByz (talk) 10:31, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
If anyone is looking for a good read on the subject, BTW, I recommend Niall Ferguson's The Ascent of Money. NByz (talk) 02:31, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Gold became valuable pretty much universally because it is widespread but rare everywhere, as as a metal it was an good store of value and because it reflects yellow light it would have evoked the sun and fire to all of its discoverers. It was only useful decoratively helped make a statement like "Hey, I've got so much stuff I can waste some of it acquiring a shiny cup/statue/sword at a high cost due to the difficulty involved in obtaining the metal". Thousands of years ago, nothing you made could have required gold so why use it? These displays of extravagance and worship reaffirmed its value continually and its divisibility meant it was great to barter with, while the easiness of calculating the precise amount you had was useful too. From there it pretty much hits a cycle of being valuable simply because people made a choice to value the shiny pretty metal over any of the other ones. If you imagine you've never seen light from anything but the fire or the sun and you see a hundred pounds of gold in the blazing sunshine then you can see why people were impressed. 86.8.176.85 (talk) 05:39, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I heard this years ago on a TV documentary series, probably either The Ascent of Man with Jacob Bronowski or Civilisation with Kenneth Clark, and I believe I am remembering the line verbatim: "We value gold because it is scarce; the ancients valued gold because it is incorruptible." It retains its shine and color without rusting like iron or tarnishing like silver, and is even immune to most acids. --Anonymous, 05:30 UTC, February 18, 2009.

It's Bronowski - in the book it takes the form "To us gold is precious because it is scarce; but to the alchemists, all over the world, gold was precious because it was incorruptible." (page 136) DuncanHill (talk) 15:20, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks. I guess I didn't remember the wording quite as well as I thought. --Anon, 04:33 UTC, February 19, 2009.
Or he tweaked the wording for the book. DuncanHill (talk) 04:36, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Just thought of something that might show how value can become widespread through the appreciation of a significant/powerful minority. In US prisons, the previous store of value, cigarettes, is now outlawed and has been replaced by mackerel, which is valued by bodybuilders who want protein. Presumably the huge guys with the bulking arms have some influence in prison... 86.8.176.85 (talk) 05:59, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
That is a great story. I know plenty of economics nerds who would love to mention that to their undergrad classes. Thanks!! NByz (talk) 10:45, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Please read Diamond-water paradox. --132.216.19.215 (talk) 19:12, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
My reasons for gold being inherently valuable for jewelry:
1) It's rare.
2) It doesn't tarnish (oxidize).
3) It's unique in appearance. That is, it's yellow, which is uncommon for metals, most of which are silver/gray/black. So, while platinum is also rare and doesn't tarnish, it looks just like silver or many other cheaper metals.
I don't include malleability and electrical conductivity, as being soft is also a disadvantage for jewelry and electrical conductivity isn't important in jewelry. StuRat (talk) 14:44, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Swimming in the ocean, and keys/belongings

If you're at a swimming pool, you simply take a locker key, place your belongings in it, and attach the pin to your shorts or whatever when you go swimming. Also if it does get lost, there are people there to help, and there is only a finite distance to the depth of the pool therefore can be removed, also they will have a spare key for the locker. All safe and done.

But what about swimming in the ocean? What if you and another person or group of people want to go swimming in the sea? Is it necessary to have one person watch over your keys/belongings? I know it's not a good idea to go swimming on the beach alone, but say it's at a crowded beach where you feel your belongings may get stolen if no one watches over them, but you are also alone and swimming only a small distance into the sea, so it's safe, yet you cannot attach your keys to anything or give them to anyone to hold, especially if your room your are renting's landlord is not there to take your keys. What then?--XerxesK (talk) 23:16, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Booby trap your belongings almost-instinct 23:34, 17 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Depending on the beach, there may be lockers or other secure storage available. Generally though, you shouldn't bring your valuables to the beach in the first place. If you have a (secure) vehicle you could lock any other keys in it and just take your vehicle key with you (it's also a good idea to have a spare key, either with a friend or locked in the vehicle). It is slightly more complicated if your vehicle keys have keyless entry buttons built-in, but you can probably use a keyholder/lockbox to safely hold those keys. Still, you shouldn't need more than one or two keys (leave the rest at home), and you can easily take those with you (just make sure they are securely stowed). – 74  00:36, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Travellers tend to have a waterproof bag or small, threaded, container into which money, keys, watch and sometimes even a driver's licence and passport can be secured. This is then tied around the waist. I have a hard, red, plasctic "box" about four inches tall, by two inches deep, by three inches wide that is strung with a cord for my waist. (It tends to bob up in a distracting fashion if you are male, or slight of bust, so you have to keep it snug.) I also have been known to put such valuables into a double, zip-lock, plastic bag, removed the air and then put the bag in a waist money-belt. You just rinse out the belt when you get back to where you are staying in order to remove the salt. (This was obviously an ocean swim.) My book and my towel just have to take their chances. ៛ BL ៛ (talk) 01:03, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Just checked my wayback_machine and recall that the beach lockers had a key attached to a wristband. hydnjo talk 01:35, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Something like this [2] is useful for car key, a credit card and some pocket change. Everything else should be in the hotel safe or watched by a trusted friend. Depending on where the beach is cars and trunks are not safe. If you have to leave something inside make sure it's not exposed. 76.97.245.5 (talk) 06:04, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
If you do simply lock your stuff in the car, do not go in the sea with the remote locking keyfob in your pocket. I know from bitter experience that the keyfob is not waterproof, and getting a replacement is a massive inconvenience and extremely expensive (nearly £100 some 7 years ago). Astronaut (talk) 15:03, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Generally I just trust people not to steal my dirty clothes, smelly socks, and worn out shoes. I don't bring anything worth taking. Plasticup T/C 21:06, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]


February 18

Dedicated Sci Fi browsing

I hate fantasy. I really do. Not just because I don't like it but because I love science fiction and I have yet to find anyplace to browse books online in a systematic fashion that doesn't mix them together, and because it's so easy to churn out dragons and elves and orcs and magic, there's ten times as much fantasy which I must slog through in order to find a decent science fiction book to buy. I go to Amazon or Barnes and Noble and scroll through page after page; every fifteenth or twentieth book is sci fi—it's so difficult to browse in this fashion. Anyone have any solution? Anyplace that doesn't blithely mix them together, as if they're similar at all?--70.19.73.184 (talk) 04:47, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

It may be worth considering that, when the relevant professional writers' association as well as the two major awards aren't segregated, the distinction is not so clear-cut as you describe. At what point of fantasy/sci-fi blend do you lose interest? At what point does a fictional element transition from being science-fictiony to fantastical? At what point is a sufficiently advanced magic indistinguishable from science? And most importantly, will anyone else's criteria match yours? If you really want to find good books, I recommend you continue to browse through the entire collection. Personally, I find it simple to quickly perform my own categorization. On the other hand, I'm not certain what method you're using that requires you to "scroll through page after page" to determine what a book is about from a high-level perspective. Alternately, consider starting with the Nebula or Hugo Awards for Best Novel (or the list of joint winners) and go from there. Just watch out for the ones that are fantasy. — Lomn 05:15, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Following EC: Just subscribe to Analog. Google books by authors whose stories you liked there, or just go with their recommended reading list. You can also search with a combination of certain keywords at Amazon (e.g interstellar or hyperdrive). That should narrow things down. Befriending the Librarian at your local public library or doing a "bookstore run" and skimming through their offerings may also work. (You can usually tell fantasy from sci-fi by the artwork on the cover and authors rarely do both. Forum or chat room members at websites for si-fi authors will also be happy to recommend other things they liked. List of science fiction authors says it's mixed, but also might offer a starting point.76.97.245.5 (talk) 05:17, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
(ec) I think you've been reading the wrong fantasy. Sure there are a lot of re-workings of the LOTR, but fantasy goes much further than that. Michael Moorcock, Terry Pratchett, Tom Holt, Piers Anthony (Apprentice Adept is one of the better mixtures of SF/Fantasy), Thomas Anstey Guthrie (F. Anstey), Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany (Lord Dunsany), Harlan Ellison, Philip Jose Farmer, Neil Gaiman and Guy Gavriel Kay are all fantasy authors that turn out high quality material that is nothing like the mass produced stuff that most people believe is all there is to fantasy. Enter CambridgeBayWeather, waits for audience applause, not a sausage 05:43, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
You all have it wrong, believing I am a beginning reader. I have read thousands and thousands of science fiction books. I think with a few exceptions I have read every Hugo, Nebula and Saturn winning book since the 1950s through today as well as most of the nominees. Science fiction and fantasy are quite distinct, and trotting out Clarke's "indistinguishable from magic" does not change books extrapolating science concepts into books about magic. They are as different as can be. Sure, there are some authors who one can be said to mix the two, but very few and most fantasy is very clearly so. And yes, I have read all the leading lights in Fantasy as well as most of the books by every famous sci fi authors you can name who have also written fantasy. I've read Moorcock and Pratchett and as for Anthony, well I liked Macroscope and got a kick out of Battle Circle many moons ago and a few others have merit, but he is such a misogynist. Anyway, been there done that. Farmer is a good example of someone who writes some fantasyish books but whose sci fi is distinctly sci fi (a better example might be the wonderful Jack L. Chalker). I happen to love Farmer, but again, this is old news; I've read his entire catalogue. You didn't realize it, and my original post does not give you enough to go on which is my error, but you're trying to teach your grandmother how to suck eggs. I know the genres inside and out and what I'm looking for is the actually new to buy. Most fantasy books and science fiction books are actually marked as the one or the other on their spines. So while there are rare exceptions, most are indeed patently in one category, even identified as such, and yet there's no way to search that I've found. The only suggestion above (thank you all for trying) that actually addresses the search issue is to place a science fiction concept in the search as a delimiter such as interstellar. It's a good thought but the method is so crude—too crude to be useful—such a delimiter that does pretty much exclude fantasy, but also cuts out 90% of science fiction as well. Unfortunately, The Lord of the Rings movies and Harry Potter (shudder) have instituted a fantasy boom. Don't get me wrong, I loved the Lord of the Rings (probably before many of you were born) but its fostered a giant cottage industry that leaves science fiction books buried liked needles in a haystack when searching or recent science fiction releases at least at all websites I have tried.--70.19.73.184 (talk) 13:44, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I agree with 70.19 to some extent. There is absolutely a gray area between Sci-Fi and fantasy, but the large majority of the content falls cleanly into one category or the other. I'm not sure how you'd organize a bookshelf on that continuum and still be able to find what you're looking for, though. (Especially since some of the best content would be in that twilight area. It's mostly the hacks that wind up at the extremes.)
I suspect that the easiest way to organize it so that 70.19 is happy at the book store would be to break it into two sections : "Sword and Sorcery", "Other Sci-Fi/Fantasy".
While we're at it, we could make the fantasy readers happy and divide into three shelves. "Sword and Sorcery", "Space Operas", "Other Sci-Fi/Fantasy". I'd go to that bookstore. APL (talk) 14:10, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
FWIW - I get my sci-fi 'fix' at "Half Price Books" - they separate 'sci-fi' from 'fantasy' (at least at the few stores I've visited here in Texas) - and their second-hand books are really cheap. They buy used books too - but the amount they pay is so tiny that I prefer to give mine away. You can find a store here. SteveBaker (talk) 00:06, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
You can use online browsing on sites with tags (Amazon, LibraryThing, Shelfari, ...) searching primarily by tags like sf, scifi, science fiction and so on. Steewi (talk) 00:09, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I want two more categories: technical sci-fi and sci-fi likely to make your breakfast fall out of your face. Separating horror stories from pure sci-fi is even more difficult than sifting out the dwarf and wizard stuff. 76.97.245.5 (talk) 00:20, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I need to know about post mail tracking numbers

What all letters mean in post mail traking nombers?!

for example:

LC733007845US

Lc ?!

I want to know all the meaning of the first two letters in it. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 78.93.18.60 (talk) 09:26, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

The first two digits usually indicate the type of number or mail it is. For example, RR is for registered mail. From what I've read, the LC number is used exclusively for customs tracking and is not something and ordinary customer has any use for Nil Einne (talk) 09:31, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks, But I want full list of all tracking numbers used in post mail please. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 89.108.54.117 (talk) 08:43, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Well try asking a post office then. Nil Einne (talk) 13:27, 24 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Strange obsessive-compulsive person

'Sup RD, long time no see, for I have been on holiday in London. Whilst visiting the National Gallery I was distracted by what appeared to be the noise of a clicking pen. Upon turning around I discovered a Japanese woman clicking the pen very systematically while wearing a surgical mask. My mother said she's seen a lot of these people around and all Japanese. Is this a specific disorder or type of person and is it exclusively a Japanese thing or what? Apologies for lack of detail. Avnas Ishtaroth drop me a line 11:40, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Could be something along the lines of Paris Syndrome, a form of Stendhal syndrome. Lanfear's Bane | t 12:02, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I can't say if the pen-clicking is a cultural thing, but wearing the surgical mask is a normal occurance in Japan. Japanese people often wear them to protect themselves from pollen in hay fever times and to prevent spreading germs if they are sick. Laenir (talk) 14:12, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I'd suggest that pen-clicking was more a sign of nervousness - which would fit with the alien environment that has been presumed. As George Eliot says, "Do we not wile away moments of inanity or fatigued waiting by repeating some trivial movement or sound, until the repetition has bred a want, which is incipient habit?". - Jarry1250 (t, c) 15:19, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Indeed, surgical masks are very common among the Japanese (and Chinese), she probably just had a cold and didn't want to give it to anyone else. Pen-clicking is a pretty common absent-minded habit, I certainly do it. --Tango (talk) 17:45, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Thankyou very much! I didn't think it was Paris Syndrome. Well now I know it's a normal thing. Thanks! Avnas Ishtaroth drop me a line 07:04, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
My comment just proved that you should think before you type. Holy overdiagnosis Batman! Lanfear's Bane | t 14:12, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
It's a great example of diagnosing a zebra. --Carnildo (talk) 00:50, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Beautifully apt. I attribute it to having watched too much House MD. Damn you TV! Lanfear's Bane | t 15:15, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Egg Whites

I have a recipe for the cookie "whoopie pies" and for the filling it calls for raw egg whites mixed with shortening and sugar. It does not call for cooking. Is it ok to eat raw egg whites???170.232.128.11 (talk) 13:21, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Although it is possible for Salmonella to be in both the while and the yolk of the egg, the white does not readily support bacterial growth. I'd avoid if you are serving to the very young or old or people whose immune systems are compromised.--14:09, 18 February 2009 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.19.73.184 (talk)

Or pregnant people.86.197.41.41 (talk) 15:12, 18 February 2009 (UTC)DT[reply]

Here, indicates the filling is cooked, followed from the article - whoopie pie. Lanfear's Bane | t 15:29, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

You can also use pasteurized eggs. I wouldn't specifically advise someone it's okay to eat raw (non-pasteurized) egg product, but will mention that I don't have a problem with doing it personally. Matt Deres (talk) 17:21, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

If that doesn't float your boat, you could always make a pavlova. -- JackofOz (talk) 23:01, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Maybe it is just a reflex, but whenever I hear pavlova I salivate. . --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 20:59, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Why do Australians always drag that triffle out every time food gets mentioned? Is it maybe because your only OTHER culinary contribution to the world is an unpalatable spread made from the crud left at the bottom of beer brewing vats? --Jayron32.talk.contribs 05:51, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Just for the record, the pav is a kiwi invention... And marmite is far superior to vegemite[original research?]. Aaadddaaammm (talk) 08:22, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Yeah - lest anyone even think of crossing that particular line...Marmite is (a) utterly delicious on hot buttered toast and (b) quite utterly unobtainable in Texas. SteveBaker (talk) 18:57, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
In the Australian citizenship test they give you a booklet that tells you that Pavlova is part of Australian culture. Odd considering I never had any there for the 6 or so years I lived there. Not too surprising however considering how hard it is to find good food there, and how when one taxi driver said Australia has the best food in the world we pissed ourselves laughing. ;) I await the Australian brigaid's defense of this and Vegemite ;) Rfwoolf (talk) 05:44, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I only mentioned pavs because the topic was about egg whites. I wept bitter tears when I discovered we'd gone off topic, something that's never happened before in the history of this page - but I dried my eyes and got over it, so I'll play the game.
Vegemite - entirely a matter of opinion. As is any other food you care to name (and yes, some people don't actually like chocolate - weird). I've pointedly gone and toasted some bread and spread it with lashings of said substance, and am munching it as I type. Delicious! I think I'll go and have some more. If you don't like it, I have a novel idea - eat something else.
"Hard to find good food there" - if you intend that to mean "Australia doesn't have much good food", then I'd say that's the greatest load of rubbish I've ever heard in my life. It depends on many factors as to which foods you might come across in your travels. If you're looking for something specific, it may depend on where you are. Country places tend to have a somewhat more conservative range of goods than the cities; and many country places close their doors earlier than city places do. If the demand cannot justify keeping them open, they'd be mad to keep on trading, but not actually trading. But that aside, if you couldn't find much good food here in 6 years (!!!!!), Rwoolf, you sure as hell weren't looking in the right places. Did you ever get to Melbourne? (Not that you'd need to in order to find good food here, but I just mention it as the recognised food capital of Australia.)
Even if the bulk of our cuisine is borrowed from elsewhere (which is also true of many other places), we have, subject to the factors I mentioned above, as good a range and variety of foods available here as you'd find anywhere. Any cuisine you can possibly imagine, we have a restaurant for. Maybe not in every small town, but certainly in the capitals. No one outlet has the whole gamut of our cuisine available; you have to be eclectic in your shopping (again, very true of other places).
In its mongrelisation of every other cuisine, Australia is to food as English is to language. How's that for a nice metaphor? I think I'll frame it.
I myself have not had a pavlova for probably over a year - wait, I had a piece at a New Year's Eve party - but that's got nothing to do with whether they exist or not. Any supermarket - bar none - will have those awful prepared pavlova cases on sale, if that's your thing. And any cookbook that glories in the epithet "Australian cuisine" that doesn't have a recipe for pavlova would be laughed out of existence. (Note, I said "Australian cuisine". I didn't claim it was invented in Australia; not that I am convinced it wasn't, but that's not a debate for here and now.)
And, by the way, whatever shortcomings we may be perceived by itinerants (hack, spit) to have in the food department, we can at least spell words like "trifle" and "brigade". Also, "pavlova" (the food) is spelled without a capital p. So there.  :) -- JackofOz (talk) 07:28, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

U.S. Federal Reserve current interest rate

Can someone please tell me what the U.S. Federal Reserve current interest rate is and where I would look in the future to find this out myself? Thank you. 173.68.245.32 (talk) 17:16, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Perhaps here? --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 17:23, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Business process mapping

Hi Everybody, I have been assigned the responsibility of mapping the business entity at one location and replicate it to other as one shuts down soon. Are there anyone who can guide me through with some information or any documentation to help me through it. i have searched the internet with(business process mapping) but no credible information yet..thanking you in advance. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.122.36.6 (talk) 17:18, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I always enjoy process-related tasks. Here are some tips. I'm sure that others can add to them.
Firstly, it's most important that you know the process inside and out. Chances are, if you've been assigned this task, you'll be directly involved in the set-up of the new location. You need to seize this opportunity to make yourself the primary resource. Make sure you spend at least as much time investigating, learning about and generally "poking your nose around" the old site/department/entity as you do documenting it.
Get updated job descriptions of everyone involved. If you have a formal HR department that keeps job descriptions, run them by the employees and managers to make sure they reflect reality. If you don't, spend some time with the existing employees and make some notes on each position. Make sure the "responsibilities" and "tasks" are sorted in order of importance (to the department's goals).
Use Microsoft Visio (or a similar program) to map out reporting relationships. Are they purely hierarchical? Or is there some element of "matrix" reporting?
Also map out a flowchart of the "process" from the point of view of the customer (if retail/customer service) or product (if manufacturing/distribution). Exactly what steps does the customer/product/service go through from start to finish during the production process? Indicate the most important 'Quality Assurance' steps in this diagram in bold, and find out what is done to ensure that these steps are done well.
Weave these important QA steps into a culture or mission statement for the department. Identify them as "mission critical functions" and make sure that the new department respects them.
On the "mission critical" front, you should also list of all technologies, systems, tools, equipment etc. etc. that needs to be functioning to accomplish the department's goals. Document procedures for maintaining these mission critical systems, and the emergency workaround procedures, should any of them fail.
Interview employees (especially recently hired ones) and ask to think about the most important things that they learned in their first weeks/months on the job. Your goal is to document as many "Best Practices" as possible, making them available to the next location.
These are just a few disparate ideas. Maybe if you could give us an idea of what kind of business this is, we could think through a few more tips. NByz (talk) 21:24, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Following EC (Haven't read what NByz said): This question is good for at least an entire year of business administration studies. My sympathies for being assigned a task that you don't seem to have specific background for. Start at something like Business analysis and Business process modeling. Then read yourself though the linked pages. Our business pages are pretty good for the most part. If you have a budget, you may wish to employ the assistance of your company's last auditor (The actual person, not just the company). Good ones get a pretty good insight into the workings of your company. If your company is ISO 9000 certified the documentation your company produced for that are another source. (OR: A lecturer at a conference once said that companies that had documentation and followed it fared better than those without. Those who had documentation and ignored it, however, were doing even better :-) Your IT department is another stop for information. They will know about what applications are used where and will probably also be aware of the flow of information. When duplicating your processes keep differences in mind. Cultural differences, social structure, knowledge bases, tacit knowledge and even such odd things as availability of daycare can influence the efficiency and productivity of your processes. Bob reporting to Bill will only work as well at your new site for Jack and James if they have as much respect for each other as the original pair. One chair labeled "engineer" can not be filled by any old "butt engineer". Conduct interviews with people at various levels of your company. Asking people what they like about what they do and how things work might give you more information than asking what their tasks are and how they are accomplishing them. If you don't have to be done yesterday, you might be able to recruit a couple of interns to lend you a hand. (Sorry folks, but look at the bright side. It beats spending a month doing the company's filing.) 76.97.245.5 (talk) 21:55, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
After reading NByz: agreed, pretty much in the same vein. Also try to identify non-apparent nodes like cafeteria staff, gate guards and maintenance personnel. There's a chance you get a clearer picture of what's going on from them than from the department heads. BTW bringing some cookies, donuts or the like to interviews can work wonders. (Never mind that we are all on a diet, just check that your interview partner isn't a diabetic) 76.97.245.5 (talk) 22:26, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

This is really great, thanks to all and to the question NByz , it is a home healthcare product sale and services.Thanks again hope to hear from you again.Well, for the other dude,i am diabetic..lol..thanks again —Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.122.36.6 (talk) 09:21, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Going for a drink...

OK, so this is an advice-type question, which I realize is not really the preserve of these desks. However I've noticed they do tend to get answered sometimes, so here goes with another one. I'm one of several new hires at a company and we have been undergoing "onboarding" this past week. There is this one woman who is friendly and fun to talk to, and I've heard her say a few times that she wishes she could go out for a few drinks, but doesn't know anyone in the city. I am not new to the city and I would like to go out for a drink with her, show her around a bit and so on, just because I like going out and meeting new people. Important: I'm happily married and I have no wish or intention of hitting on her. (She knows I'm married, too.) But on the one or two occasions we've spoken, she's been a bit standoffish and distant with me, as though she's not really that bothered about getting to know me on a personal basis. Should I ask her out for that friendly drink, or take the hint and leave her alone? --Bluegrouper (talk) 17:36, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

If I were you, I'd arrange a drink with her and some of the other new hires. Then you can try and get to know her better in a less awkward environment that if it were just the two of you. (It also makes sure she doesn't misinterpret your invitation as something more than it is.) --Tango (talk) 17:42, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Yah. And any question that starts, "Should I take the hint..." should be answered "Yes". --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 17:44, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I don't know... that's assuming she knows what she wants - in my experience, women rarely do! --Tango (talk) 19:01, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Mm. "No thanks" means "no thanks", especially in the workplace. --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 20:19, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Sure, but it doesn't mean you can't ask again in a couple of weeks, perhaps taking a slightly different approach. Sooner or later, you have to give up, though. --Tango (talk) 21:11, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
The thing about this whole business between men and women—it's sexual. --Milkbreath (talk) 20:50, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
What whole business? I'm male and I have plenty of female friends that I go for drinks with and there is nothing at all sexual between us. --Tango (talk) 21:11, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
This is not a discussion forum, but I like to state the obvious, and that seems to provoke rejoinder. Sorry. Don't get your panties in a bunch. I didn't mean to conjure an orgiastic orgasmagoria in anyone's mind here, though whatever floats your boat. I think the best I can do at this point is deliver a quote from a movie that you might think stinks if you haven't seen it, and it does, but nowhere near as much as it had every right to, largely thanks to Pamela Reed, Kindergarten Cop, and sign off: "Boys have a penis. Girls have a vagina." --Milkbreath (talk) 22:28, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Harry also had a point to make on this very subject: "Men and women can't be friends because the sex part always gets in the way". -- JackofOz (talk) 22:59, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I've never subscribed to that philosophy. --Tango (talk) 00:00, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Me either (but I wouldn't, would I). -- JackofOz (talk) 05:30, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
You could pass around a note/e-mail/message to all your colleagues about a "new hire get together" or an "after hours department outing" to see if someone else would like to go to the watering hole, too. That way it wouldn't be a one on one "thing". Even if it ends up just being the two of you it would more definitely be a casual business related social event than a personal invitation. If it goes well you can follow it up by fielding various invitations for things like the local bowling alley or karaoke spot. If she doesn't bite, but someone else wants to come you might still end up with a nice evening out. 76.97.245.5 (talk) 22:14, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Invite her out for a drink with both you and your wife. She gets something to do and can get to know you with no ambiguity, and your wife can meet someone new as well. If there are excuses that are in the realm of "I have to wash my hair", you know you can back off and she'll settle in her own way. You will have made an effort and can continue life with a clean conscience in that respect. Steewi (talk) 00:51, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
That's a good idea, but you should get your wife's permission in any case. Otherwise, you could get into big trouble with her. StuRat (talk) 14:24, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Some firm in the world is still hiring? Just make sure you don't do anything which could get you canned.Be sure and watch all episodes of The Office to avoid any missteps documented there. Edison (talk) 05:56, 21 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Springboks(Antidorcas marsupialis) in the UAE.

I have a friend working in Dubai and he recently send me photographs of several Springboks wandering around in the desert, near one of their building sites. It makes sence to me that there are several places in the world nowadays, they can be found, outside of Africa, but I have three questions: 1) Is the Springbok naturally endemic to just the Southern African region. 2) Does anybody know something about these Springboks near Dubai, and how they ended up there. 3) Would'nt the grazing in the desert be insufficient, for their colour is much lighter than the Springboks we know. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 155.239.134.122 (talk) 18:48, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I think your friend mistook a Thomson's Gazelle for a Springbok (antelope). Thompson gazelles are indigenous to the Sudan and so it's a lot more likely that some have made it to Dubai. There might be a slight chance though that one of the local sheiks imported a couple of Springboks as an exotic novelty. 76.97.245.5 (talk) 20:57, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Our article on antelopes indicates that two species of antelope indiginous to the arabian peninsula; the Arabian Oryx which does not look much like a springbok, except that both are obviously antelopes, and the Dorcas Gazelle which DOES appear to have a similar size and coloration to a springbok. The main difference I can pick out at first glance is in the shape of the horns, but this could easily be overlooked. --Jayron32.talk.contribs 05:46, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Having recently returned from Al Ain I can say that you are clearly referring to gazelles, which are not springboks. Take a visit to the Al Ain Zoo sometime, it's fantastic. Avnas Ishtaroth drop me a line 06:19, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
However boks, gazelles and oryx are all closely related groups of antelopes, so it is easy to confuse one for the other. --Jayron32.talk.contribs 06:24, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Requesting an external link to a locked page

The "DTV transition in the United States" page is locked, and I want to request an external link. I found a site that offers a free, informative guide of the DTV transition and a coupon exchange program that connects people who have extra government coupons to those who need them. I myself participated in this program and found it really helpful (since the Dept. of Commerce ran out of money and now there's a huge waiting list for the DTV coupons). This is the link: <retrevo.com/dtv>. There are millions out there who still need to make the transition and its cool that there's a program that provides the opportunity for people to help one another in a simple yet significant manner.

Also, sorry if this question has already been asked/answered. I can't seem to find the solution... —Preceding unsigned comment added by American user (talk • contribs) 19:55, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I believe the correct method here is to edit the article's talk page with the suggestion and seek consensus for the change. If the change is generally agreed upon, an {{editprotected}} tag can be used to draw the attention of someone with rights to modify the article. Also, the correct forum for help with Wikipedia is the Helpdesk. – 74  20:07, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

24: Redemption

Does anyone know of a specific website where I could watch a stream of the 24 redemption special? I've been looking all over the place and I can't find the full episode. Thanks a lot! Grango242 (talk) 21:04, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

hulu.com had it, but it may have been dropped. If memory serves they were only going to have 5 episodes at at time... 161.222.160.8 (talk) 23:26, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah thanks anyway, but I already checked on hulu. Actually, I already checked everywhere I coudld think of. If anyone else knows anywhere where it definetly is, I would appreeciate it. Thanks. Grango242 (talk) 00:20, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I know it's not streaming, but Redemption is readily available on DVD, and now it's past its "new" release phase the price has come down a lot. Astronaut (talk) 14:52, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
iTunes (UK, at least) definitely has it. Not streaming, but it should only take a couple hours to download. Angus Lepper(T, C) 21:38, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Depending on the local laws where you live, this may or may not be legal, but here goes: [3]. Don't blame me if you get caught. :-P Ilikefood (talk) 22:43, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Littering in Australia

What is the fine issued by the police for littering in australia? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Coolstuffthing (talk • contribs) 22:43, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

This article [4] says that the fine in Southern Australia is $315 but only 150 fines are handed down each year - so the law is essentially not enforced. The implication of that article is that the fines are less elsewhere in Australia. SteveBaker (talk) 23:50, 18 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Not sure about the fines but the social pressure not to litter is massive. I came from England where everyone happily throws their litter on the floor. Here in south australia it is immaculately clean. When I first arrived I dropped some litter and was immediately told by a passer-by that I was irresponsible. Nobody would dare tell you that in england for fear of getting a punch in the face. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 124.177.186.3 (talk) 09:12, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I live in England and will happily ask people not to drop litter, without any fear of being punched in the face. I must admit you're right about Australia being more on the case though.91.111.91.7 (talk) 19:51, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Your statement about England is inaccurate. While 'too many' people might drop litter in England, that is far from 'everybody'. Even in London (notoriously littered), a sizable minority of people - of whom I am one, do not drop litter. I also tell people off, as I can't tolerate seeing people drop litter on the ground when there is a bin in plain site five steps away. I do agree that speaking up is risky, however. I was once in the passenger seat of a car in stopped traffic, and the passenger in the car ahead of me dropped the complete remains of their junk food meal packaging out of the window. For some reason I saw read, jumped out of the car, picked up the waste, and pushed it all back in the open window, saying 'I think you forgot this'. Nothing happened except I got cursed a lot, and by the time I got back to my car, all the stuff was back on the pavement again. I was able to risk this because a trusted friend was driving my car, and he would have backed me up if something had kicked off. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.4.184.157 (talk) 15:14, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]


February 19

Desire

How is the song Desire by U2 critical of religion? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 60.242.166.182 (talk) 07:40, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Who said it was? It's a drug song, obviously—shocking, coming from those good Catholic boys. It mentions in passing a "preacher stealing hearts at a travelling show", a reference I'm sure I misunderstand at least somewhat, not being Irish. It would seem to allude to a practice there having a counterpart in the US, the evangelist's tent meeting, where a silver-tongued con man would snake-charm a passel of gullible rubes into putting their money on the offering plate, pull up stakes, and move on to the next county. (See also "Revival meeting".) But it's not like U2 are the first to indict the practice, and I would think that good Catholic boys would be applauded at home for denigrating Protestant excesses. (It is likely, I think, that they are alluding to the American phenomenon, though.) --Milkbreath (talk) 12:13, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Who says U2 are "good Catholic boys"? Bono at least is the child of a mixed (Catholic/Protestant) marriage: attended Church of Ireland when he was young; was married in a Church of Ireland church, and as far as I know has never been a practicing Catholic. DJ Clayworth (talk) 15:04, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Sorry about that, I was fooling around. That's what we call them at home here. But they do seem to be the sort a traditional Irish mother would be proud of—hope and charity, anyway, two out of three. --Milkbreath (talk) 16:17, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Apologies. My 'gentle sarcasm' detector is normally pretty good. It must have been set too low.
Incidentally I think many U2 songs probably are critical of religion to some extent, especially religion that is not related to actual faith in God. DJ Clayworth (talk) 17:58, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Someone put Desire (U2 song) in Category:Songs critical of religion. I also find it questionable. --Sean 13:23, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I've removed it. --Sean 13:25, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Two paintings' names

Who knows these paintings' names?

Thank you in advance. --百楽兎 (talk) 14:35, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

#1 is Echo and Narcissus by JW Waterhouse. #2 is Medieval Town by Water by Karl Friedrich Schinkel — Matt Eason (Talk &#149; Contribs) 14:45, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Thank you very much. --百楽兎 (talk) 15:17, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Is this true?

The European Commission has just announced an agreement whereby English will be the official language of the European Union rather than German, which was the other possibility. *

  • As part of the negotiations, the British Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5- year phase-in plan that would become known as "Euro-English". *
  • In the first year, "s" will replace the soft "c". *
  • Sertainly, this will make the sivil servants jump with joy. *
  • The hard "c" will be dropped in favour of "k". This should klear up konfusion, and keyboards kan have one less letter. *
  • There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year when the troublesome "ph" will be replaced with "f". This will make words like fotograf 20% shorter. *
  • In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible. *
  • Governments will enkourage the removal of double letters which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling. *
  • Also, al wil agre that the horibl mes of the silent "e" in the languag is disgrasful and it should go away. *
  • By the 4th yer people wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing "th" with "z" and "w" with "v". *
  • During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords kontaining "ou" and after ziz fifz yer, ve vil hav a reil sensibl riten styl. *
  • Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi tu understand ech oza. Ze drem of a united urop vil finali kum tru. *
Not true, not at all true, this is one of those emails which does the rounds from time to time, I think it's supposed to be a joke. DuncanHill (talk) 17:12, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
It's certainly a joke - a very good one, though. --Tango (talk) 17:36, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Not just a joke, an old one; it may be the first I ever read online, and that was in the early 1990s, when it was just Usenet.
It's a lot older than that. Mark Twain wrote something very similar called something like "A Simple Plan for the Improvement of the English language". StuRat (talk) 22:02, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
(after edit conflict): Yes, an old joke. Possibly its earliest incarnation, which has been (probably apocryphally) attributed to Mark Twain (who nonetheless did have verified views on spelling reform) is called "A Plan for the Improvement of English Spelling". Thylacoleo (talk) 22:05, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
See also "Meihem in ce Klasrum". —Tamfang (talk) 06:10, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Just shows that old jokes are new jokes to people who haven't heard them. Hence the popularity of banana skin jokes with the young.86.197.170.129 (talk) 17:02, 20 February 2009 (UTC)DT[reply]

Why is it impossible to unscramble an egg?

Or derust something by removing oxygen? Or push sweat back into yourself and break it down to it's original body chemistry? Or take the sun apart, etc.? Why can only some actions be undone? It seems logical. If I can add 1+2 to make 3, then take 2 away and end up with the same one again, then why can't I undo everything? I place something on the counter. Now I remove it. One step forward, one step back. If you were to film yourself scambling an egg, then play it backwards, you would see frame by frame how to "undo" the scrambling (removing heat in exact increments, stirring counterclockwise, etc.). I wonder if this could work in practice. If someone with no life had the patience...... Is this what's meant by a "thermodynamic arrow of time"?TinyTonyyy (talk) 20:08, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

See Entropy. To be slightly more expansive, some of the things you suggest can be done to some extent, including converting rust back into iron. DJ Clayworth (talk) 20:11, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Yeah, I don't think it's fundamentally impossible, just totally impractical. Egg white is largely a solution of protein that becomes denatured and aggregated upon cooking. It's not impossible to de-aggreagate and renature proteins, but in many cases it can be quite hard and probably has never been done. Similarly mixing two things together, in this case egg-white and yolk, can be undone; this is the realm of separation science. ike9898 (talk) 20:22, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
It is possible to undo pretty much anything, however sometimes it requires energy to do so. That's the key point. You can remove the oxygen from rust to get iron back again - that's basically what smelting is - but to do so you need to supply energy (in this case, heat). The others are similar, although rather more difficult. --Tango (talk) 21:07, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
This egg example is complicated because there are all sorts of ikky chemical changes. Let's pick something simpler for the sake of discussion: If you drop a china teacup - it'll fall and smash into maybe a dozen pieces which will fly off in all directions. But - if you could propel the pieces from wherever they landed at PRECISELY the opposite of the speed, orientation, rotation that they flew apart - they'd magically form into the same exact teacup again. From our human perspective, it would seem like it's MUCH harder to put the teacup back together again than it was to take it apart...almost impossible in fact. However, what you're thinking is "Heck - I could drop the cup any way I wanted and it would still smash - but I have to be super-precise in order to put it together again." If you are thinking that then what you're forgetting is how incredibly hard it would be to drop a second, identical teacup and have it smash in EXACTLY the same way as the first one - with the pieces landing in exactly the same positions and so on. So as hard as it would be to reverse the action of your egg-whisk to 'unscramble' the egg, it's no harder than trying to scramble two identical eggs in the EXACT same way. However, having said that, there are some things going on here that simply aren't reversible. When the teacup breaks, the gravitational potential energy required to do that eventually ends up as heat energy (and some sound energy...but the sound pretty soon ends up as heat too). What we CAN'T do is make that 'left over' heat flow in such a way as to cool down the fragments of broken china that had been heated up by the collision with the ground and use the resulting energy to create motion. That's because of the laws of thermodynamics - you can't make heat do that. You ask "Why can only some actions be undone?" - but I'd argue that there are NO actions that can be perfectly undone. If you push a teacup six inches across the table - then push it back again - have you "undone" the first push? Not really - the friction that the teacup made with the table made the table and the cup a bit warmer. Your body burned a few calories - so you are not the same at the end. So it's really hard to think of an "action" that can truly be "undone". SteveBaker (talk) 21:12, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
If you propelled the teacup pieces in reverse, you wouldn't end up with something you'd want to pour tea into, no matter how exact you were. Same with the egg. Even if you could restore the components to their original positions, they wouldn't be bound together the same way. Clarityfiend (talk) 21:23, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Regarding rust. There are chemicals that remove the oxygen from the rust. But the metal lattice that kept the iron that turned into rust linked to the rest of your metal gets broken. You also don't get pure iron or steel back. The oxygen gets replaced by an other substance. 76.97.245.5 (talk) 22:43, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]


Some years ago Ian Stewart was giving the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures (his subject, unsurprisingly, was mathematics) and gave a surprising demonstration. He had a pot of a very viscous, transparent liquid (a gel really), dropped a line of red dye in it. Then he turned a handle attached to a paddle in the pot, so as to rotate the gel slowly, and the dye smeared round in a cylinder. Then he turned the handle back, and the dye collected pretty well back into its original line. Obviously this depended on the gel being very viscous, and turning the handle slowly; but I was surprised that it reformed as well as it dead. --ColinFine (talk) 23:14, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

How long does it take a Nigerian prince to mail something?

Does anyone know long it takes to mail something to and from Nigeria (to U.S.)? I sent a check out that way, and if its lost in the mail, then how the hell am I gonna find it?(!) How would I go about tracking where a letter's been worldwide? It's been a month and a half now. Does my letter require extra handling (and time) because he is royalty, and is that why it's taking so damn long!? Sunburned Baby (talk) 21:11, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Uh oh. I hope you haven't fallen victim to a Nigerian scam. Clarityfiend (talk) 21:25, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
If the mail has been lost, it's probably under a bridge. --LarryMac | Talk 21:31, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Unless you sent the cheque by some kind of registered mail, there is no way to track it. Has the cheque come out of your account yet? If not, cancel it and, if you have a legitimate reason to be sending Nigerian princes money (because they randomly emailed you isn't such a reason) then send a new one by registered mail. --Tango (talk) 21:39, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
The questioner has a history of asking nonsensical questions, such as "Is there a NASCAR driving in reverse?". DJ Clayworth (talk) 21:41, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
He asked that question after this one, so not really "history". ;) --Tango (talk) 21:46, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Well, by the time we get to commenting on this question, we're aware of more recent questions, so we can now see that he has indeed established a "history" (if 2 questions counts as a history). At the time he asked this question, there was no such history, but now there is. Get it?  :) -- JackofOz (talk) 05:24, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
The history is much longer than two questions. DJ Clayworth (talk) 15:30, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
See Nigerian Royal Regalia. The chances of one of your acquaintances from Nigeria being a member of some royal family are higher than for most other countries, simply because there are so many of them. Many bloodlines are still actively traced and have some local village ruling/advisory powers. OR I know an abdicated king who's working as a forklift operator and a prince who's a cook. Cancel that check and don't mail checks to Nigeria. Unfortunately wire transfers and EFTs also have a patchy history of not making it. (..and don't fall for one of the many scams!)76.97.245.5 (talk) 23:22, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I know the guy you mean. He no longer lives at that address; he's visiting me right now, and we're sharing a bank account. He has ordered all of his mail destroyed,so you can just re-write the check and send it my way. NByz (talk) 03:48, 21 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

progressive vs regressive tax

Regarding the US names for taxes, a tax which hits the rich harder then the poor is called progressive while one that hits the poor more then the rich is called regressive. Where did the etymology of these terms originate? 65.167.146.130 (talk) 21:19, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

According to the OED, it first appeared in Thomas Paine's Rights of Man II. v. 85. Plasticup T/C 21:24, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Tennis

1. What is the longest time a point of tennis has lasted?

2. What is the longest time a game of tennis has lasted?

3. What is the longest time a set of tennis has lasted?

4. What is the longest time a match of tennis has lasted? JCI (talk) 23:20, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Have you tried looking in the Guinness Book of Records, or using a famous word search engine? -mattbuck (Talk) 01:38, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
But...but...but...this is Wikipedia!!! Surely we have an article called something like Longest tennis match records ? Oh...wait...we do! (We also have Shortest tennis match records and even an entire Category dedicated to tennis records...Category:Tennis_records_and_statistics which has links to over a dozen more tennis match records. SteveBaker (talk) 02:08, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
THIS... IS... WIKIPEDIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!! :-P Ilikefood (talk) 22:46, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Golf

How can you play at a private golf course? Because I'm planning some golf trips and some of the courses I'm going to are private. JCI (talk) 23:20, 19 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I believe that to play at a private golf club, you need to be a member, or be with a member. Thanks, Genius101Guestbook 00:45, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Your own golf club may have reciprocal arrangements with other clubs, or your club secretary or captain may be willing to write letters of introduction for you to the committees of the clubs you wish to visit. Other than that - write to the clubs you would like to visit and ask if they have any facilities for non-members (some will have certain days or times when non-members are welcome, or they may put you in touch with an existing member who would invite you as his guest). DuncanHill (talk) 00:50, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

February 20

What do you do if you wake up and find that your pet, a large pet like a dog or cat, is dead?

How do you dispose of it? Do you bury it, or have it cremated, or what?--AbilityAgility (talk) 00:43, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

It depends how romantic you are about pets. Some people spare no expense. Most people just put the animal in a box and bury the box. In the United States, it is perfectly legal to bury a dog or cat on your property. (Horses and cattle are another matter.) Ideally, you should bury it above the water table to encourage aerobic decomposition. However, too shallow a grave leaves it vulnerable to scavenging animals. Of course, some unsentimental people just leave the dead beast at the curb for the garbage man to deal with. If you can throw away a chicken carcass, why not a dog? Lantzy talk 01:19, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
  • Putting it in the garbage could be a violation of garbage regulations -- it is here. If you can't or don't want to bury it, the minimum-cost option is to take it to the vet's office and ask for "mass cremation". --Anonymous, 08:08 UTC, February 20/09.
Well yeah, I suppose that just shows the ethical schizophrenia in the Western world... pet funerals and pet insurance exist (when dog and cat meat is eaten in like Korea) whereas people think nothing of the idea of eating a cow, pig, sheep, chicken, fish, etcetera.--AbilityAgility (talk) 01:24, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
When our oldest dog died a few months ago, we had the local Vetinary surgery deal with it. They collected the body - cremated it and returned the ashes in a neat little box so we could scatter them in his favorite spot in the woodland behind our house. I forget how much this cost - but it wasn't outrageous. SteveBaker (talk) 02:02, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I'm not sure that burying a pet cat tells us much at all about our "ethics", only our sentimentality. I eat ham sandwiches all the time, but If I somehow had a pet pig I wouldn't treat him like livestock. APL (talk) 19:50, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
You can also have Fluffy turned into a diamond. – 74  02:20, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
You can take it to the vet. They will dispose of it for you (cremation). I suspect those who do not understand why one doesn't just "throw it away" have not had a beloved pet die. The grief is as real as any family member. --98.217.14.211 (talk) 02:23, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Well... I wouldn't much care if a family member's body was just thrown away, for that matter. And I'm not saying I wouldn't feel the grief, I just don't care a whole lot about what happens to the body. My loved one -- family member, friend, pet, whatever -- isn't going to care. (I understand why many people feel differently, of course, but the grief isn't really tied to the body.) -- Captain Disdain (talk) 07:51, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Well, it's easy for us all to pretend to know what we'd care about in the abstract, and that we'd all be able to make a clean conceptual break from the loved one we saw the other day and the corpse we have now found. But grief has a way of catching you off guard. It is not an emotion to underestimate. I used to underestimate it myself, but it caught me out once, and I no longer will. It's the most intense emotion I've ever experienced—far more intense and dangerous than love, passion, rage, jealousy, etc. All of those are rather tame by comparison to that shock of being robbed of someone well-loved, animal or human... --98.217.14.211 (talk) 15:10, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I agree with both of you actually. I don't particularly care what happens to the body - because it's no longer that person or pet that I loved - mainly you have to "do it right" because other people care. But the feelings of grief can be quite amazingly overwhelming. When I heard that my father had just died - I had to get on a plane and fly halfway around the planet to get to the funeral. My first thought was that I needed some new black shoes to go with my dark suit - and I didn't have a lot of time before the next flight out from Dallas - so I got in the car and drove about half a mile towards a shoe store - but I became so overwhelmed with grief that I had to pull off the road and phone my wife to come and get me because I literally couldn't drive the car anymore. SteveBaker (talk) 16:20, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Your local branch of the ASPCA has many services available, including cremation and grief-consolation, for a price that is many times lower than your local vet. Phil_burnstein (talk) 16:54, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I am in no way underestimating the impact of grief, and I certainly don't claim to be immune to it. I'm absolutely not saying that the grief isn't real. I'm just saying that I don't particularly care what they do with the body. Obviously, I realize that many, many other people feel differently about it, and if it makes it easier for them to deal with the whole thing, I'm quite willing to go along. Why wouldn't I? They're hurting just like I am. But to me, that pain doesn't have much to do with the body. Your mileage may vary. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 19:35, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

It is shocking when something like that happens, and you have my condolences. If you own the property where you live, onsite burial can be comforting. Edison (talk) 05:53, 21 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Build a pendulum clock (simple)

I'm a part of the Science Olympiad competition, and one of the events requires building a time keeping device, accurate to .1 seconds. I was hoping to do a wooden pendulum clock, as that would be fun. Does anyone know where I could find plans to build a simple one? Especially the escapement/gear, as that appears to need some precision. I have a fair amount of power tools, wood, etc., but I don't have the skill or time to do something really ornate.

The general requirements are: fits, disassembled, in 80 sq. cm. box; measures time, accurate to .1 sec; period of time to be measured not greater than 5 min. The event supervisor plays an audio clip that's pre-recorded to have 10-300 seconds between two beeps, and we have to measure that time with our device.

Or, does anyone have any other ideas, than a pendulum clock? Without using electricity.

Thanks! Can-Dutch (talk) 02:59, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Can you just manually count the number of times the pendulum passes a given point ? That would avoid the need for all the fancy stuff, which will no doubt tend to run the pendulum down. Are you sure about that 0.1 sec time interval ? You'd need a rather fast pendulum to measure that. StuRat (talk) 04:55, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
For this application you don't really need precision-machined parts for a clock; you just need a device that behaves reproducibly for at least 5 minutes. You can build the "timekeeping device" first without worrying about the exact response timings, then use a (real) clock to mark the calibration on your timekeeping device. That way it won't matter if your pendulum swings every .9 seconds or 1.2 seconds—it only changes the spacing of the calibration marks.
Other potential timekeeping devices would include a water clock, sand clock, mechanical timer, rolling ball clock (unfortunately our article is a mess), candle clock (probably not allowed even if you could get the right accuracy), a steam clock (good luck getting that one by the judges), or anything else that behaves reproducibly (one such repurposed timekeeping device would be a mechanical metronome). With any of these devices (and the original pendulum clock), though, you are likely to have problems trying to measure with an accuracy of .1 second. – 74  05:41, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Re: "accurate to .1 seconds". Maybe the OP means that the device shouldn't lose/gain more than 0.1 seconds in the 5 minute time span over which it is measured. Astronaut (talk) 12:30, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
The way it works is they deduct points for loss of accuracy. You start with 10 points, then lose a specified number of points per 0.1 sec distance from actual. For example, if the time period is between 10-30 sec, you lose .4 points per .01 sec; if between 180-300, you lose .1 point per 0.1 sec. Can-Dutch (talk) 14:02, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
But how do they intend to measure your clock's accuracy so precisely ? A person wouldn't be able to detect a difference of .01 seconds between the clock and a reference source. You'd need some electronic measuring device, which means your clock would need to provide a usable input to the device. I'm afraid more explanation is needed here. StuRat (talk) 14:08, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
They have a pre-recorded soundtrack, that they know is 5.6 seconds long, or whatever time period they choose to use. They then play the recorded audio file, and we have to measure it. So we're measuring a known quantity, and they compare our numbers to the actual. They official Science Olympiad page has MP3s of all the possible sound lengths: http://soinc.org/its_about_time_c Can-Dutch (talk) 15:17, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
And re "80 sq. cm." I'd expect a box to be in cubic centimeters. I guess it's a cube 80 cm on a side. The size would affect what could be made. --Milkbreath (talk) 12:47, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
The "sq." was a typo/terrible math on my part ... the official rulesheet says "fit into an 80cm cube", so I'm assuming that means 80*80*80=512000 cubic cm. I'll make sure to ask someone who did the event already to clarify. Can-Dutch (talk) 14:02, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Well, the desire to do an actual pendulum clock with escapement, etc. was mainly because that would make it more fun/interesting. Thanks for all the suggestions so far ... I'll probably end up playing with either a water clock or a simple pendulum. Can-Dutch (talk) 14:02, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Accuracy: My reading of the conditions are that you have to measure the period between the beeps to an accuracy of 0.1s. That's very different, and harder, than having a clock that doesn't lose or gain 0.1s. Maybe a spring clock would be better than a pendulum, as it could have faster oscillations. DJ Clayworth (talk) 15:22, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
If that accuracy statement is accurate then you'll definitely want to consider something with a fast action. Our (sparse) article on reaction time indicates that human response times to audible stimuli are generally .14 seconds or greater. I can't seem to find the rules (Ah, because they are copyrighted with a strict "no internet" policy (link removed per WP:ELNEVER))… OK, so the desired accuracy really is .1 second. I'd suggest a spinning spring mechanism with a long length of cord and a start/stop switch (a disassembled tape measure might be a good start). You'll probably want multiple configurations where the maximum rotational speed is limited differently to measure the different time scales presented. Beyond that, it's just a matter of setting the device in a reproducible configuration at the beginning of each run and comparing the amount of line remaining afterward to other known runs. (Note however that such a system may not be linearly related to time.) – 74  17:57, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
This sounds like one bad set of rules. If they really expect people to measure time intervals between 0.01 and 0.1 secs with nothing but their ears and a homemade clock, the results will have a very large random factor and will measure people's response times to audio stimuli more than they will determine the accuracy of the clocks. StuRat (talk) 19:02, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Just to clarify, the .01 second value is *not* included in the official rules that I originally linked to. Ideally, the device would respond to the beeps itself (in a predictable manner) to remove the response times from the equation, but that becomes very difficult without any electronic elements. Pragmatically, it would seem that your "device" might consist of two independently operated devices in an attempt to average the error (though the judges might rule that violates the "don't circumvent the rules" rule). Regardless, I agree that this competition is poorly designed—a more "interesting" measurement would be the time disparity after an hour's runtime, for instance. – 74  19:47, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
You might consider using a couple of permanent magnets (e.g. fridge magnets) to control the speed of your pendulum. (They are only there for speed control. You'll still need weights or a spring to drive the thing.) If your don't use them to induce a current anywhere it should be within the rules. 76.97.245.5 (talk) 20:36, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Half-baked idea: A long, really long, piece of clear tubing full of water suspended by cords or net in maybe a descending spiral or helical configuration allowed to drain through an eyedropper-like nozzle, the size of which dictates the rate. The tubing is marked in minutes and seconds, and finer divisions are found by measuring from a mark. Calibrate by experiment to get the gross markings and interpolate by derived formula and measurement to whatever precision you want. Color the water so you can see it easily. Start and stop with a pinchcock. Reaction time error should cancel to a great extent at the beginning and end. Fill the tubing by immersion, and then haul it up. --Milkbreath (talk) 04:17, 21 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Demanding that amateurs build a mechanical device accurate to .1 sec over 5 minutes seems idiotic. You need a response time to start and stop the timer which has less than .1 second lag, beyond human reaction time, The it must count accurately from 100 to 300 increments. Is there a rule against making a crystal controlled digital millisecond oscillator with a microphone or input jack and a Schmitt trigger and a counter? I have a schematic for such. A water clock or wooden pendulum would not have the precision demanded. Mt stopwatch, allowing for reaction time, would not have the accuracy demanded, since it only ticks 5 times per second. Might as well demand the contestants build antigravity boots and levitate to the ceiling! Edison (talk) 05:46, 21 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Alright, I believe paraphrasing the copyrighted rules is permissible:

Teams will construct a non-electrical device to measure time intervals between 10 and 300 seconds. Such devices cannot include, in whole or in part, commercial counters, timers, or parts thereof; electrical components; or chemical reactions. The device must fit inside a 80 cm cube (disassembly allowed), and assembly and calibration (against your own time standard) of the device may take 5 minutes maximum. There will be 5 trials total, with 1 minute provided after each trial for you to determine the results and prepare for the next trial. The trials will be performed by an electronic device generating a beginning and ending tone. Each trial is scored independently from 10 points (minimum 0); a 10 point penalty will be assessed for spilling something on the floor/table/etc, and a 15 point penalty will be assessed for failure to clean up after the trials are complete. The trials are:

Trial Interval Scoring
Uno 10 - 30 seconds -0.4 points for each 0.1 second error
Dos 30 - 90 seconds -0.3 points for each 0.1 second error
Tres 90 - 180 seconds -0.2 points for each 0.1 second error
Cuatro 180 - 300 seconds -0.1 points for each 0.1 second error
Cinco 10 - 300 seconds -0.1 points for each 0.1 second error
I think that covers the important details. – 74  06:36, 21 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Please help!!

I know that I am not supposed to be asking for homework help on here, but believe me this is important! I am writing an essay and of course i procrastinated until the last day...Anyway, i just need to know where i can find an expert opinion on why societies form. please answer quickly! Thanks so much!Grango242 (talk) 03:24, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

You might try starting from our article on society and investigating the referenced scholars. The society article also includes links to related articles, many of which might prove useful. Good luck. – 74  03:55, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Anthropology may also be a bitg help; just remember to use your own words, as your teacher may well be checking to make sure nobody copied Wikipedia articles.Somebody or his brother (talk) 14:51, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
It's better to go to the teacher, fess up to procrastination, and agree to turn it in another day for a lower grade, rather than to plagiarize. The risks of getting caught are too high, whereas the risks of being a little late in a genuine attempt are actually quite low (though one perceives them as high). I've caught a number of plagiarists over the years; it is always very sad, because it is such a stupid decision to make, but their fates are sealed at that point. Don't be one of them. A bad paper is a better thing to submit than one that could get you kicked out of school. --98.217.14.211 (talk) 14:59, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Eh, I certainly don't condone passing off an expert's opinion as your own. I assumed the assignment was to find an expert opinion and explain/analyze/discuss it, not to write an opinion on why societies form (but I could have been mistaken). Please don't plagiarize. – 74  16:44, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Your teacher might appreciate you including some original thoughts too. For example, think about what would happen if 100 of you and your closest friends suddenly appeared, semi-clad on a earth-like planet devoid of what we traditionally call "intelligent life." NByz (talk) 03:46, 21 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
For instance, on the topic of "why societies form", you could include your own thoughts on how the Wikipedia Reference Desks came to be and how they function. However with one day to go, not likely. It's an interesting topic though. Franamax (talk) 10:58, 21 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

a dead webcomic

What was the name of the webcomic that had a supporting character named Mangler? where by 'supporting' I mean he was the usual victim of the two lead characters' pranks. Mangler was deformed and (iirc) could not speak. The strip fell off the web years ago. —Tamfang (talk) 06:23, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Would it be Warp 9 to Hell, the first appearance of someone named Mangler in which is shown here? Deor (talk) 14:27, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Wow. Yes. —Tamfang (talk) 02:02, 21 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

12 new of these are constructed everyday

I have been racking my brain trying to get this for the past month (co-worker won't give me the answer)... I tried guessing fast food places (Dunkin Donuts) and other off the wall things (sperm banks) but I have yet to hit the answer. Can anyone out there help!? Thank you in advance. --Endlessdan and his problem 15:02, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Does it have to be a building? Lanfear's Bane | t 15:05, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
It can be anything I guess - he won't even give me a hint (she knows she's driving me batty). --Endlessdan and his problem 15:12, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I would say it's going to be one of several kinds of answers - it's either some fast-growing kind of building like 'Walmarts' or 'Starbucks' (both of which achieved several new outlets per day at one point); or it's going to be something which needs to be 'built' regularly like "BBC news bulletins"; or maybe something mass-produced but slow like "jumbo jets". DJ Clayworth (talk) 15:18, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Here google, google: [5]. Golf holes. 76.97.245.5 (talk) 15:21, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I would not consider such random collections of "facts" to be very reliable. That one page claims that sneezes travel both 100 mph and 600 mph. Friday (talk) 15:36, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
No, but there is no reason to assume the OP's co-worker got the fact from a reliable source. --Tango (talk) 15:39, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Besides, this dubious statistic is repeated multiple places online. I'd say the odds are good that 76.97.245.5 has found the "solution". – 74  17:00, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
The number 12 suggests it's something that happens once an hour during daytime and not at all at night...or perhaps vice-versa. Beyond that - my mind is a blank. SteveBaker (talk) 16:05, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Although if you read "everyday" as "every day", perhaps it happens once every hour but it's not talking about the night-time ones. TastyCakes (talk) 22:03, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Tango's judgement is right, and so also is Friday. Judging by some of the other 'facts' on the linked page, golf holes may be the answer, but that is almost certainly an inaccurate random figure. If your co-worker obtained the fact from a site like that, (fairly bursting with urban myths and crimes against common sense), you can easily challenge it. I was rather surprised to learn about HMS Friday, contradictory sneeze speeds and several other pieces of nonsense. Amazing stuff from a well-tagged list. The real answer should be urban myths themselves.Centrepull (talk) 16:17, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I like doing the NY Times crossword, so I'd insist on correct and exact spelling of the clue. Subtle indirections and so forth... Franamax (talk) 10:51, 21 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

UK exam dates

I know I should be more proficient at Googling things, but after 45 frenzied minutes getting nowhere could someone please tell me what are the exam dates for my son taking UK AS level exams in Summer 2010? I just want to know whether we can get to the football World Cup in South Africa without interrupting his exams. I know the exact dates depend on what subjects he is doing, but just generally - late May? early June? late June? thanks for any help

What exam board is he using (e.g. OCR, AQA etc.)? My experience is more with GCSE dates, but the exam board's website is probably the place to look. - Jarry1250 (t, c) 22:06, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I don't think the 2010 dates have been published yet, but AQA's Summer 2009 dates [6] (the other boards will be similar) are 11 May to 24 June. So, roughly speaking, all of the above! The AS exams are generally in the first half of that period - I can't see any past about 8 June. Although, if he's doing Further Maths, he may be taking A2 modules in his first year (I don't think there are any other A-levels that often get done in one year). --Tango (talk) 22:43, 20 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks guys, very helpful.

February 21

Penn vs Cornell vs Duke

Hello, I am a graduating high school student and a recruited athlete with excellent academic qualifications. I have received "likely letters" from the University of Pennsylvania, Cornell University and Duke University. The most important factor, ironically, is not the quality of their sport teams, but rather, the education that I will be receiving. I would like to go on to a prestigious medical school and become a doctor later on. In the fortunate event that I should be accepted to all 3 institutions, which one, if by only a slight margin, is better in terms of prestige, social life and ability to grab an employer's attention?

According to the US News and Report, Penn is above Duke, which is above Cornell. But rankings are not always the best indicator of the quality of the schools and can vary depending on which one you look at.

Thank you for your time. Hustle (talk) 00:14, 21 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Durham, North Carolina is known as the "City of Medicine" mainly because of Duke University and its various hospitals. Remember that at Duke you are also 8 miles from Chapel Hill, North Carolina which also has an excellent medical school. At Penn, you'll be in downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania which has a number of well-regarded hospitals and medical schools. At Cornell you'll be in Ithaca, New York which is a small town in the middle of nowhere. Although, it should be noted that your undergraduate degree can be in just about anything when applying to med school; I have read somewhere [citation needed] that chemistry majors tend to have higher acceptance rates at med schools than biology majors. Also, just because you do undergraduate at one of these schools does not mean that you would not attend a medical school at another place. If you want my honest opinion, they are all top-notch schools, and I have known people to go to and love all of them. You may have to base you decision on more than their academic reputation, which is pretty much equal between them all. Other factors like size of the school, location, city vs. rural campus, extracurriculars, interviews, specific programs, etc. should all come into play. --Jayron32.talk.contribs 03:34, 21 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Ivy League is Ivy League, and you might end up deciding that medicine is not for you. Of the three, I'd say choose whichever of the two Ivy League schools is most agreeable to you (location, weather, etc.) or whichever offers you the best financial package. But, if you're a basketball player, Duke might be a little harder to pass up. —Eustress talk 05:20, 21 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for the comments. For my undergrad, I'm mainly looking for a social and fun experience, yet at the same time receive a top-notch education. For Med School, I plan on applying to many different ones and may not stay at the school I went to for undergrad. I actually live in a medium sized city, so both a large city like Philly or a tiny rural town like Ithaca would be a pleasant change for me. Hustle (talk) 07:45, 21 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

"better in terms of prestige, social life and ability to grab an employer's attention"

Prestige- 1. Duke 2. Cornell 3. Penn Duke is hands down the best known name in the South. 2. Cornell is well known. 3. Educated people here on the west coast are generally not aware of the reputation of Penn and assume it is a public university. Employer reputation - should be no different from the prestige evaluation. Social life - As a city person I would prefer Philly. (Just b/c Cornell is in NY don't assume you will be visiting NYC often. You will make rare visits only. So NYC will definitely not be part of your social life!)

But you know what my honest advice is? Go to your state university for free. As a doctor you undergraduate degree will add no value to your career prospects. It will simply be more expensive. There are many state universities with honors college programs that group students with high caliber SATs together. You can go to those schools for free on a merit scholarship and still have the benefits of a good education with bright peers. I know many people who went to expensive private schools, paying out of their own pocket for the privilege. They admit they made a mistake. Since we are going to go through a long recession that may even continue beyond your college graduate, it's even more important to consider the costs you might be bearing.

Watchwait (talk) 08:05, 21 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I second what Watchwait said. Save the money, or your parents' money, and go to a quality public school. When you're 40, or even 30, no one will care that you went to Duke or Cornell for your undergrad. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 00:46, 22 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

For me, cost is not really an issue as due to my family's poor financial circumstance, I qualify for near-complete need-based financial aid. How do the three school's prestige stack up internationally? Hustle (talk) 02:31, 22 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

You should probably review College and university rankings and go from there if you want to look more into rankings. Also, I suggest talking to a university counselor regarding student financial aid. Uncle Sam can only get you a little over $5,000 (max) per year with a Pell Grant, and private need-based grants are competitive. Yes, you can get loans, but if you're planning to attend med school, I'd shoot to exit your undergrad with little to no debt. —Eustress talk 05:39, 22 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Live in the US without funding the military

Is it possible to live and work legally in the United States without paying taxes that can be used to fund the US armed forces, the Pentagon, the DHS or the CIA? NeonMerlin 00:51, 21 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

No. Taxes are all pooled together, you can't distinguish which purposes your particular dollars go towards. If you want to avoid funding the US military, you need to leave the US. I can't see how it would work anyway. It's obviously unfair for you to pay less tax (you still benefit from the military whether you fund it or not), so if you want to not fund the military, you need to fund something else more. The funding requirements haven't changed, so that means someone else will be funding that something else less and the military more, so all you've really done is swap your taxes with someone else. It doesn't achieve anything. --Tango (talk) 01:01, 21 February 2009 (UTC
Even if you don't pay income taxes, almost everything else you purchase or consume has a tax component built into the final price. As Tango points out, no individual gets to say where specific tax dollars are spent. // BL \\ (talk) 01:05, 21 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
And the idea that the benefits of military protection are non-rivalrous and non-exclusive make it a public good in Economics. The idea that everyone in the world benefits from it is one of many in the hegemonic stability theory. Just interesting side notes.NByz (talk) 03:43, 21 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, but you wouldn't care much for the lifestyle. Income below a certain (very low) threshold is not taxed (or, more accurately, no tax is paid), and subsidence farming is certainly a viable (though unexciting) possibility. Most land is also subject to property tax, so you either need a sympathetic landlord (which might be considered cheating), land that is part of a Native-American reservation, or to live entirely on public property. Practically speaking, you'd probably be much happier emigrating to a country whose policies you actually agree with. – 74  03:58, 21 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
You might be interested in articles like War Resisters League, National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee, Conscientious objection to military taxation, Tax resistance and their external and internal links.John Z (talk) 07:44, 21 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I note that all the agencies named by the original poster were federal. From what I gather, property taxes in the United States are levied at the local level — no property tax revenue will be used to directly fund any of the agencies listed. Now, it's possible that a local police force (funded by your property taxes) may cooperate with the FBI (for example) as part of an investigation, so I suppose it comes down to how picky you're willing to be about who gets what money.
Similarly, sales taxes in the United States are levied at the state and local level; goods can often be purchased without making a direct contribution to federal coffers. Be cautious here, however. Many items – including gasoline – are subject to excise taxes or import duties which are collected directly by the federal government. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 14:36, 21 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Also, don't make any phone calls or buy any cigarettes or alcoholic beverages if you want to avoid paying excise taxes. Gasoline has an excise tax too, but it's not directed toward the government's general fund. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 00:40, 22 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Henry David Thoreau refused to pay his taxes because he didn't want to fund the Mexican-American War. He did get thrown in jail, but he did write Civil Disobedience while there. bibliomaniac15 00:48, 22 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Supplementary question

Which nation, either current or in the past, has managed to combine a high level of law-and-order with a low-level of military activity the most successfully? One could say that Switzerland has kept out of trouble, but on the other hand they have national service. New Zealand would be my first guess, but I'd like that to be trumped, please almost-instinct 13:18, 21 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

While Switzerland may have pretty much every able bodied man in the army, their military activity is extremely low. There is lots of training, but that's about it. Also, if you're an immigrant, you wouldn't be eligible for national service anyway. --Tango (talk) 14:09, 21 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, but that means that there's a healthy disincentive for would-be invaders. I was wondering if any nation had successfully decided to do away with armies and militarism, and but retained a civilised level of law-and-order. I can't imagine it happening (maybe I've read too much George Orwell on this subject) but am wondering how far in that direction a nation has got. In NZ's case their remoteness is obviously doing a lot as a natural defence almost-instinct 14:17, 21 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Iceland was protected by on-site U.S. forces until recently but now is going it alone without a standing army. Of course, geography plays an important factor there. Rmhermen (talk) 15:27, 21 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Wouldn't you know, we have an article: List of countries without armed forces. – 74  15:13, 21 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
That makes for interesting reading. Clearly being surrounded by water helps! Or being tiny and nestled up against a much larger civilised country. How about tweaking the question: which non-island nation with a population over, say, 2 million, has the lowest per capita spending on armed forces over a sustained period and/or has the most war-free history over the last couple of centuries? Hard to quantify that second part, sorry almost-instinct 15:55, 21 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
My first thought was Costa Rica. Who then was a gentleman? (talk) 18:58, 21 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
List of countries by military expenditures looks promising, but you would have to balance that with some useful "law and order" metrics. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 19:13, 21 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
On the per capita list there, interesting to note the positions of NZ, Canada and Japan. Have we any "law and order" stats? almost-instinct 19:34, 21 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
List of countries by intentional homicide rate would be one data set. NByz (talk) 20:04, 21 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
There is Category:Wars by country (incl. NZ, Canada and Japan), but it seems a labourious task to get some meaningful stats out of that. Clearly, homicide and other stats on crime would pertain to "law and order" but crime rates seem to be fairly unrelated to military spending. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 20:11, 21 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

A Riddle I Just Can't Figure Out

A friend of mine asked me this.Can anyone figure it out?? I'm at a loss....

3 MEN GO INTO A MOTEL. THE MAN BEHIND THE DESK SAID THE ROOM IS $30, SO EACH MAN PAID $10 AND WENT TO THE ROOM.

A WHILE LATER THE MAN BEHIND THE DESK REALIZED THE ROOM WAS ONLY $25, SO HE SENT THE BELLBOY TO THE 3 GUYS' ROOM WITH $5.

ON THE WAY, THE BELLBOY COULDN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO SPLIT $5 EVENLY BETWEEN 3 MEN, SO HE GAVE EACH MAN A $1 AND KEPT THE OTHER $2 FOR HIMSELF.

THIS MEANT THAT THE 3 MEN EACH PAID $9 FOR THE ROOM, WHICH IS A TOTAL OF $27, ADD THE $2 THAT THE BELLBOY KEPT = $29.

WHERE IS THE OTHER DOLLAR?


Thanks in advance... 117.194.231.8 (talk) 06:59, 21 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]


It seems problematic, but it's just an abuse of math. The guests paid $9 each, $27 total, of which the hotel kept $25 and the bellboy kept $2. There is no reason to add the $2 to the $27 that the guests paid (since the $2 is *already included* in that amount), but adding the $3 that the guests received as a refund ($1 each) does indeed produce the original $30 value. So, in summary, the fact that 27 + 2 ≠ 30 is neither surprising nor noteworthy, but the word problem incorrectly suggests otherwise. – 74  07:11, 21 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
These things used to drive me up the well known, too. I've put it in a couple of equations that may help seeing it clearer.
charge A $30 /3 = $10 each
charge B $25/3 = $8 1/3 each
overcharge $5 = $1 2/3 each
reimbursement $3/3 = $1 each
final charge $27/3 = $9 each
= 25 change B + $2 bellhop tip (or $2/3 he embezzled from each of the men)
= 30 charge A - $3 they got back
(Mathematicians please don't bite. I know it's not proper math syntax.) Hope this helps. 76.97.245.5 (talk) 08:31, 21 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Or you could read the article: Missing dollar riddle. --Anonymous, 09:49 UTC, February 21, 2009.

This joke is often used in Pantomime in the UK, it must date back to the invention of money. I repeat my comment from yesterday... old jokes are new to those who have not heard them.86.197.175.121 (talk) 11:29, 21 February 2009 (UTC)DT[reply]

If you actually try it with coins / poker chips whatever, it becomes easy to visualise. The first point is that at no time are there less than 30 coins in circulation, so none have "disappeared". At the end of the transaction the hotel has 25, indicating that each man paid a hotel bill of 25 divide by 3 = 81/3 NOT 9 each ! The point is they have been ripped off by the bell boy to the amount of 2/3 each, being a total of 2. At the end of the day, nothing is missing, as they have the balancing value of 3 in their pockets !--41.15.133.227 (talk) 04:38, 22 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

American efect? is it

in laymans terms what id global recession or meltdown and how do we get rid of this and how is US economy effecting the world economy. is american economy directly responsible?? is it true that, russia was not effected by the great depression of 1929, but how??thanking you in advance

You could start by reading Global financial crisis of 2008–2009 and relevant articles linked therein. The article on the Great Depression has a section on the Soviet Union and a couple of promising looking links on its economic events around that time. 88.112.63.253 (talk) 12:59, 21 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

70's or 80's arcade game

Hi, I remember an arcade game in the 70s or 80s, it was a diving game where you are a diver with some kind of underwater jetpack and you mission is to attack a submarine with a spear gun. Does anyone know what the game I am talking about is called? Thanks. 86.137.97.95 (talk) 18:04, 21 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Was it an arcade game or a console system game (or both). If console, do you know which system(s). Jungle_Hunt fits part of your description. It has an underwater diver with a spear attacking alligators. A Quest For Knowledge (talk) 06:16, 22 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
A game for the Atari 2600 sounds similar but I'm not sure if it was also an arcade game. Sea Quest [7]. A Quest For Knowledge (talk) 06:27, 22 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Wine

My father gave me a bottle of wine that he said was very old and im trying to research it with no results.Hope you can help. The name is Cocai Italico. Below that is Di Scodovacca. Below that is Azienda MERK Agricola. Below that Scodovacca/Italia. Below that Vino Da Tavola. To the left of that e 0,750l. On the side of the label it says IMBOTT.DA V.G.A.-S.STINO-ITALIA 11,50%VOL. The label has an etching of a vineyard and a family seal with MERK and what looks like a Knights helmet above it. The label surrounding the cork says Az.Agricola Merk. Below that CONTR.IVA A-2 SRP R.I. 7650/UD. Any help ?

Is this (http://www.vinigeretto.it/ing/Linea.asp?Linea=Merk) any good? The name and logo match the brand and there are a series of bottles but none match that - though presumably this is their 'currently buyable' selection. If it is the brand i'd use that as a term for seeking out more info about this particular bottle. ny156uk (talk) 22:05, 21 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

It would seem to be a table wine from Aquilea, between Udine and Trieste in the Friuli area of NE Italy. There are a lot of Google hits, but it is all in Italian :( --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 22:12, 21 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Also see Table wine. e 0,750l there are 0.75 liters of wine in the bottle. IMBOTT.DA V.G.A.-S.STINO-ITALIA that's the company that put the wine into the bottle. 11,50%VOL is the alcohol content (rememger they use , instead of . for decimall). Cervignano del Friuli is what Scodovacca it:Scodovacca is a part of. Azienda is company. "Azienda Agricola" would usually be translated as "farm" but would most probably be "vinyard" here. MERK seems to be their name [8]. The vinyard is int the Province of Udine. The number R.I. 7650/UD is some registration number there. Hope this helps. 76.97.245.5 (talk) 09:38, 22 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

February 22

Google Help

Is there anyway to contact Google for general help and not about a specific product? I'm just looking for something like a general help contact form for Google. --72.195.153.210 (talk) 01:21, 22 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

They don't seem to have an easy-to-find contact form for the main search engine itself. The most general contact/help page I could find was the one for Google accounts, but first check to see if the Google Cheat Sheet has what you're looking for. 152.16.59.190 (talk) 02:25, 22 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Update: I believe this may be what you're looking for. 152.16.59.190 (talk) 05:03, 22 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Most pictures of one person

I don't know if this one can be factually proven one way or another. Who in history has had the most pictures of their face reproduced? My nomination would be Queen Elizabeth II. Her face is on every single coin in a whole heap of different countries (UK, Australia, NZ, etc). Could there be any other contenders? I suppose perhaps Jesus Christ, but does he count if no-one knows what he looked like? Thanks everyone!!!121.44.57.245 (talk) 02:02, 22 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

My money would be on George Washington. He was appearing on notes and coins long before Queen Elizabeth was born. LANTZYTALK 04:17, 22 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
It says here that Queen Elizabeth might be the winner.--Lenticel (talk) 05:38, 22 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Washington is only on two denominations of US coin as far as I know: the Washington quarter in most or all years since 1932 and the first presidential $1 coin in 2007 only. Queen Elizabeth II has been on coins since 1953, and in the countries that do it, she's on all denominations. And at last some of the paper money too (in Canada she was on all denominations for a while, then we put past prime ministers on the $5, $10, $50, and $100, then they stopped making the $1, $2, and $1,000, so that leaves only the $20 with the Queen on it), but Washington $1 bills in the US do go back much further.
Doesn't she also appear as a small image on British postage stamps? Those get used once and discarded, unlike money, but I don't know how production figures compare. --Anonymous, 07:11 UTC, February 22, 2009.
As the main, and sole, image on the vast majority (if not all) of them. That link says there have been 180 billion stamps with her face on it. (I've always thought it odd that the country that invented the postage stamp has always been so ... non-creative with their philatelic designs. But that's neither here nor there as far as this question is concerned.) Then, as the questioner says, she's been on every single coin in every Commonwealth country for 55 years, and on many of those nations' banknotes for the same time. Australia (and some/all? other Commonwealth countries) have always had the current monarch's face on the lowest denomination note, but curiously, Elizabeth II was the first UK sovereign whose face appeared on British banknotes. -- JackofOz (talk) 07:24, 22 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I think she may well be on all of them. I inherited several stamp albums, and from what I can see, if she's not the main image then she's a silhouette in the corner. There are a couple of exceptions - I've found one (this one) that's split vertically, half with the Post Office Tower and half with her face. She always seems to be there somewhere, though.— Matt Eason (Talk &#149; Contribs) 09:20, 22 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

It is a legal requirement that the Monarch's head appear on British coins, notes and stamps.86.202.25.99 (talk) 14:53, 22 February 2009 (UTC)DT[reply]

music in Dollhouse

What is the song in the opening credits for Dollhouse? see here

The site TV Show Music says it's "What You Don't Know" by Jonatha Brooke, as does our article on her. --Milkbreath (talk) 13:18, 22 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Train enthusiast

On the television show Psych last night the used a word for train enthusiast that I cannot find. Since I erased it from my DVR I cannot review the tape. The word starts with an F and is pretty long.

Ferroequinology (or -ist) is the word you're looking for I think. - Jarry1250 (t, c) 12:22, 22 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I love it. Should we now refer to car enthusiasts by the term "Sansequinocarriagologists" ? StuRat (talk) 12:46, 22 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Train spotter? Who then was a gentleman? (talk) 21:16, 22 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Now that we're off word criterion, let's remember the other term. Julia Rossi (talk) 22:13, 22 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Why do the British drive on the left-hand side of the road?

I have read the article, and this suggests simple historical continuity. I have heard somewhere that it is due to it allowing the drivers dominant hand to control the wheel when changing gears, whilst my mother insists it is so the gentleman's pistol or sword is on the road side and he can protect her from attack. Does anyone know for sure? Cheers, Quincel99 (talk) 18:04, 22 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Just folklore as a source from me, but I had heard it originated in the times of mounted knights. When two knights approach eachother on a road, they will pass with the other knight on their right, so - much like your mother's story - they are ready to use their sword with their right hand if need be. NByz (talk) 19:12, 22 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
The article Right- and left-hand traffic does suggest historical continuity but also presents several of the various theories put forward to explain it, including the dominant-eye and sword-defence ideas and a suggestion about the habits of teamsters being responsible for the US switch to the right. No one explanation appears to be generally accepted, and it looks likely that there is no definitive answer to your question. Karenjc 19:14, 22 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Here is the answer on the Straight Dope, which seems like a generally reliable source, and corroborates both of the posts above mine. Hope this helps, Antandrus (talk) 19:17, 22 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Why do you drive on the right? It's all about perspective. -mattbuck (Talk) 19:25, 22 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]
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