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Contents

[edit] History & Humanities



[edit] December 13

[edit] Acronym for significant other + roommate

There's a word that has completely slipped my mind. Back in the... like... 70s, people were new to the idea of two people living together who weren't married, so they came up with a bunch of names. One of these was... I'm not exactly sure. I think it sounded like "Qusolque"? "Soquelbee"? -Max

I bet Max is thinking of POSSLQ. Note incidentally the assumption that the two people had to be of opposite sexes for the relationship to be worth considering. --Anonymous, December 13, 02:57 (UTC).
Thanks! That's exactly it! -Max

[edit] Jesus being prejudice

Was Jesus prejudice to anyone? Even homosexuals? Heegoop, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

Moneychangers in Jewish Temples. 202.168.50.40 02:36, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

The Pharisees. Anchoress 02:57, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

There is nothing in the New Testament which quotes Jesus as having said anything about homosexuals. That's all St. Paul. User:Zoe|(talk) 03:31, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

He seemed to be rather prejudiced against those who rejected his claim that he was both the Messiah, as well as the son of God. Loomis 04:05, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Loomis, I'd love to see your evidence for that statement. JackofOz 04:47, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Prejudice implies a judgment made in advance of any relevant facts, a judgment based only on irrelevant considerations. It's one thing to display anger at finding the money lenders desecrating the temple, but where's the evidence that he had pre-judged them before he got there and found what they were doing? Where's the evidence he was prejudiced against the Pharisees? I doubt you'll find any Biblical evidence to support the view that Jesus was prejudiced against any individuals at all, no matter who they were or what they may have done. He was all about abhorring sin but loving sinners themselves. JackofOz 04:47, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Anchoress 04:57, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. (quote). That supports my point. He wasn't telling them to guard against the Pharisees themselves, but against their teachings. He made a vital distinction between people's behaviours, actions and teachings, and the people themselves. He submitted himself to the will of the Pharisees, to the point of being put to death. That doesn't sound like prejudice to me. JackofOz 05:03, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
I disagree with you though. If I tell a bunch of my friends to beware the teachings of homosexuals, or Christians, or liberals, isn't that prejudice? I think it is. It's not just separating the act from the people, it's the fact of grouping everyone together. 'The Pharasees'. They are a homogenous group whose teachings are to be looked upon with suspicion. That's prejudice, IMO. Anchoress 05:06, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
No, that's prejudice against certain teachings, not prejudice against the purveyors of such teachings. That's the thing that so many people fail to understand. The point of the "turn the other cheek" teaching was not to go out of your way to get violated, but that despite whatever injury one might sustain in an attack, we should never cease loving the attacker. JackofOz 05:28, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
lol Well I guess we'll have to disagree. No probs. :-) Anchoress 05:37, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
"But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me." (Luke 19:27)
Well, that's what Luke reports that Jesus said. B00P 07:45, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
That is from the parable of the rejected king, and is not an expression of 'prejudice' in any meaningful sense. The words are usually interpreted in an eschatological terms, taken to refer to judgement against the enemies of God. The example in question was drawing on the local traditions of the rule of King Archelaus in Jericho. Clio the Muse 08:40, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
The easy, simplified answer is no. He used the Pharisees and moneylenders as examples of the inadequacy of a purity-based system of faith, which put excessive weight on dogma. Instead, Jesus suggested that the key tenet of his religion was compassion "As god is compassionate." This (both his open-ended compassion and his revulsion of people who excessively followed silly rules and particular beliefs) would suggest, I, and many Jesus scholars who know a billion times more than me, believe, that Jesus would in no way be prejudiced against, as you asked, homosexuals. If he would, and that's a pretty serious longshot, I can't imagine it being anywhere as important to him as his main philosophy of compassion. The homosexuality issue, regardless of which side you think Jesus might have taken, has been blown far out of proportions. Sashafklein 05:02, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

From Jack's definition of prejudice: Prejudice implies a judgment made in advance of any relevant facts... Chrisitans believe that Jesus, being God, is omniscient. Therefore, by definition he cannot be prejudiced. JChap2007 01:59, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] what is the oldest form of the handfasting ritual?

i have been searching and searching for a document that cites the most original form of the ancient handfasting ritual, but i find so many variations. does anyone know of a document that has consistency and is proven to be both a valid and antique source of information? <email removed>

Have you had a look at the page on Handfasting? It has quite a useful link to a paper on the historical origins of the practice. It seems to have been one of those cultural practices that simply 'emerged' in the course of time. I doubt if you will find a single source for its beginnings, or for a standardised form of ritual. Clio the Muse 08:51, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
If the woman gets pregnant, is the man legally the father as in an actual marriage? Sounds like a sweet deal for the guy. Edison 15:49, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Marriage by what is colloquially known as 'habit and repute' would still count at the level of common law. Yes, it does have exactly the same status, the same responsibilities and the same obligations. Clio the Muse 20:31, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Agatha Christie

Hi

I am trying to find out the name of the famous hotel where Agatha Christie wrote most of "Death on the Nile". Hope you can help. Thanks

Mick Errington

[edit] Persian inscription

Hi

Does anyone know what the following translated Persian inscription describes: -

"If there is a paradise on the face of the earth, it is this, it is this, it is this."

Thanks

Mick

Maybe they are saying that Persia is paradise? | AndonicO Talk | Sign Here 13:02, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
It can be found at the Red Fort in Delhi, which has this inscription above the arches of its Hall of Private Audience[1]. Proto::► 13:51, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Thanks Proto. I had heard it, but was having trouble placing it. | AndonicO Talk | Sign Here 13:57, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Political Activist Organisation

I'm trying to ascertain the origins and connections of the political think-tank that calls itself The Strategic Issues Research Council, seemingly run by one Benjamin Crocker Works.

The organisation you're looking for is the The Strategic Issues Research Institute. They don't have an article on Wikipedia, however, their website would probably be a good place to start. Then, try Googling them to turn up articles and pages that mention them. Good luck with your research! — QuantumEleven 12:30, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Christmas in Islam

Hi. My chaplain and I were discussing Christmas today and the conversation turned to Islam. We wondered how Muslims celebrate the day, as Jesus is a prophet. Thanks, Sam Korn (smoddy) 12:53, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

Remember that Jesus is also a Messiah in some religions. I'm not sure what the Islam religion considers Him though. | AndonicO Talk | Sign Here 13:05, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Not just in some religions, but in Islam. The asker may be interested in the passages discussed on this page (not sure that it's a good discussion, it's just what turned up quickly from Google): "in eleven instances in the Qur'an Jesus is given the title of "al-Masihu Isa," The Messiah Jesus (see Surahs 4:157,171; 3:45) or "al-Masihu ibn Maryam," the Messiah, son of Mary (see 9:31). In all 11 cases this title applies to Jesus alone. Islam, therefore, seems to join with Christianity in declaring Jesus the long-awaited Messiah promised to the Jews through the prophets of old. Not only that, the Qur'an intensifies this title by applying to the title Masihu the article "al." In all cases, without exception, the title is written "al-Masihu." The definite article positively distinguishes him from all the other prophets. But that is where the confusion comes in." Wareh 19:47, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
It is haraam for Muslims to even say "Merry Christmas". Forget about celebrating it.nids(♂) 13:16, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
But that is the position of just one radical Muslim cleric. Muslim clerics often differ on these things. However, I don't think that Muslims celebrate Christmas in any way, just as Christians don't celebrate the birthdays of Old Testament prophets such as Moses. Even the celebration of Muhammad's birthday, Mawlid, is controversial among Muslims as it comes uncomfortably close to worship of the prophet, whose instruction was to worship only God. Marco polo 13:35, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Does anybody celebrate the birthdays of the Old Testament prophets? I have a couple of friends who are extremely observant Jews, we speak often about the various important dates they commemorate, and they've never mentioned anybody's birthdays but their own. Anchoress 00:57, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Ibn Hazm suggested that celebrating the festivals of all other religions is haraam, and went so far as to issue a fatwa. The moderate view is that out of politeness and courtesy however, wishing a Christian with a "Happy Christmas" (Hindu with a "Happy Diwali", etc) greeting does not cause any harm, providing Muslims who wish them so are not explicitly endorsing or accepting the religious aspects. Proto::► 13:41, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

...While the prophethood of Jesus is not denied (S XIX:30–32, V:75, II:285), to accept that God had a son or that Jesus is the son of God is to be both kāfir and mushrik. Thus:

S IX:30–'...the Christians Call Christ the son of God...they but imitate What the Unbelievers of old Used to say; God's curse Be on them...they are deluded Away from the Truth.’

An example that encapsulates the issue is in an MUI [Council of Indonesian Ulamā] fatwā from 1981 on Muslim attendance at Christian services, especially at Christmas, the commemoration of the birth of Jesus. The fatwā cites seven āyāt: S XLIX:13, '...We made you into tribes and nations’; S XXXI:15, ‘...if they strive...obey them not...’; S LX:18, ‘God forbids you not... with those who fight you...’; S CIX:16, ‘I will not worship that which you have been used to worship...’; SII:42, ‘And cover not truth with falsehood.’

Hooker, M.B. (2003). Indonesian Islam: Social Change through Contemporary Fatawa, p. 81. ISBN 1741140862. EricR 18:00, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

Questions arise especially around Christmastime. Why not let our children have a Christmas tree and exchange gifts, some argue, especially since Muslims, along with Christians, honor the birth of Jesus? Others try to compromise or avoid any observance of the holiday at all. Still others decide that observing Christmas has some advantages. "We celebrate Christmas for two reasons," says one woman. "It is important to get involved with American society, and if you don't celebrate Christmas and if you don't celebrate Thanksgiving, to me really you are telling those people you are not part of American society.... The second reason is that we do believe in Jesus. We don't believe that he was a god, but we do believe he was a prophet."

Smith, Jane I. (1999). Islam in America, p. 140. ISBN 0231109660. EricR 18:16, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

Nicely answered. BenC7 01:28, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
There is, however, another dimension to this whole question which has not been considered. Christmas as a festival has no scriptural authority, and a lot of the things associated with it, including trees, holly, mistletoe and the like, do in fact have pagan roots. Indeed, following the Reformation, the festival was shunned by a number of the Protestant churches, and banned outright under the Commonwealth of England during the seventeenth century. Clio the Muse 01:46, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Memory

To what extent are memory capabilities influenced by age and genetics? I can quote large passages from films, TV episodes and books (often minutes or pages), director credits and movie release dates from films I've not seen in ages, and so can my sister; but neither of my parents (aged 43 and 51) can even remember names of movies they saw a week ago. Is this due to their age?

Please see our article on Memory and aging. Hipocrite - «Talk» 13:04, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

I would say it's more likely due to the relative importance you place on such things. To most adults, memorizing movie dialog just isn't a priority, so they don't. On the other hand, they probably remember a great number of things for work, etc., which they view as more important. StuRat 06:36, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Why didn't Austria join NATO?

67.170.245.103 13:03, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

See our article on the Austrian State Treaty. Hipocrite - «Talk» 13:06, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

Hi, there. This is a good question, not fully answered by the above link. The first and most important point is that at the conclusion of the Second World War, Austria was treated as an enemy nation, in exactly the same fashion as Germany, with which it had united in 1938. There were very good reasons for not treating the country as just another victim of Nazi Germany, like Czechoslovakia. Austrians fought on all of the main battle fronts against the Allies, along with other Germans; the country provided many medium and high ranking Nazi officials, two of whom were tried and executed at the main Nürnberg Trial; and it also provided personnel for the concentration camp system, at both a senior and a junior level. The decision was taken at Yalta, therefore, to divide Austria on the same basis as Germany itself, with the four main allied powers taking control of sections of Vienna, as well as the remainder of the country. The Soviets were not opposed to later re-establishment of Germany and Austria as fully integrated nations; but what they were opposed to was reunification followed by membership of NATO, a move they believed to be contrary to their strategic interests. Germany itself was too central to the defence of the west for Britain, France and the United States to agree to the Soviet plan of unification and neutrality, which led to a major division among the former wartime partners. Those parts controlled by the west combined to form the Federal Republic of Germany, which subsequently became a full member of NATO. The Soviet zone was turned into a separate 'socialist nation' as the German Democratic Republic, and joined the Warsaw Pact, the Communist equivalent of NATO. Austria, in contrast, was not considered to have the same level of strategic importance, and all of the occupied zones combined in 1955 to form a free but neutral nation in terms of the Austrian State Treaty. Clio the Muse 19:33, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for the thorough answer.

[edit] Federalists vs. Democratic-Republicans

What are some of the more important differences in the beliefs and goals of the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans?

Did you read our articles on Democratic-Republicans and Federalist Party (United States)? This appears like a homework question. Is it? Hipocrite - «Talk» 14:07, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
If I were to try to answer this question in terms of the English political model of the day, I suppose the Democratic-Republicans might be cast in the role of the Whigs, and the Federalists as the Tories. The parallel is not exact, but in general terms the Democrats/Whigs were representative of people-small producers and farmers, in the main- suspicious of conservative elites and 'old money', typically attracted to the Federalist/Tories. But from a specifically American perspective the Democrats took a stand on states rights, opposing such measures as a central US bank, whereas the Federalists looked to create a strong and centralised nation from the diverse interests that had allied against the British during the Revolution. This had a clear bearing on the approach both groups took to the whole area of economic and foreign policy. But for the detailed differences you will need to work your way through the relevant articles. Clio the Muse 20:06, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

You'll also want to check out Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. They're central to every division between the two parties.

Don't forget James Madison. 66.230.110.126 06:11, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

You might want to read our Anti-Federalist Party article, for info on the origins of the Democratic-Republicans. The name gives quite a clue on their politics, as well. StuRat 06:32, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] The bible and history

It seems that the bible is fairly historically accurate (excluding any debate about genesis), I have a few questions about it (specifically the old testament)..

1. Just how accurate as a historical document is it - say in the case of the 'adventures' of the tribe of Israel, are there any other documents relating to the same time that tell this story from a non Jewish perspective eg Egyptian references to exodus etc. (links?)

2. Many other tribes are mentioned in the old testament (but generally the names don't mean anything to me) - can anyone give a link to a list of the tribes mentioned with a list of their modern day descendants/geographic location (is it clear what I am asking)

3. (Important fo me) Can someone give a geographical range for the full extent of places mentioned in the bible (old testament); do any events happen outside the middle east/egypt/mesopotamia/turkey?

4. Are all peoples assumed to descend from adam and eve - if so is there any mention of chinese/indian(eg indian subcontinent) peoples ie from which tribe/peoples would they be descended ?

Thank you. (This question stems from somebody suggesting to me that gog and magog (or their descendants) where actually meaning central asian and east asian peoples..83.100.254.21 16:38, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

Hi. Interesting questions. A lot of the answers will vary according to POV or, more charitably, interpretation. --Dweller 16:47, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
  • Q1.
  • Q2.
  • Q3. The first half of Q3 is way beyond the scope of WP, let alone this desk. I once saw a book on the subject. --Dweller 16:47, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
  • Q4. A traditional (religious) reading of the Bible is that yes, all mankind descended from Adam and Eve. However, everyone was wiped out at the Flood. So the tribes would be from Shem, Ham and Japheth. The Semitic peoples came from Shem - hence the name "Semitic". Someone else could fill in which of Ham or Japheth is the one you're after. --Dweller 16:51, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Q3: Well, the book starts with the creation of the entire universe, so yes.
Q4: Sons of Noah has more detail. Rmhermen 18:34, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Thanks, Re Q3 I was really asking about events after the creation of the universe,eg mentions of places/peoples ouside the middle east/mediteranean/egypt/mesopotamia eg are there any mentions of indian or chinese kings/peoples/lands..etc.83.100.254.21 19:20, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Here is a list and map of biblical places, old and new testaments. Also you can read Israelite for details of the twelve tribes. There is little non-Jewish information about their ancient history but history at the time was often fairly self-centred with references usually limited to barbarous foreigners but here are some Egyptian texts Merneptah Stele, Tel Dan Stele Mesha Stele. meltBanana 20:24, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Thanks, the map really helps to give a better perspective. I'd still be interested if anyone else can find any reference (no matter how small) on things further afield (Any foreign ambassadors visiting King Davids court.. stuff like that.)83.100.254.21 21:12, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Queen of Sheba came to King David's court from Africa. There are no mentions of China. In the story of Jesus there are 3 wiseman who might have come from far away, but Bible doesnt mention from where exactly. Shinhan 22:44, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Please for give me for being so pedantic, but the Bible does not specify the actual number of wise men 'who came from the east.' The figure three was arrived at from the range of gifts presented to the infant Jesus, discounting the possibility that the same item may have been given more than once. Almost all of the traditions connected with the Magi, who are thought to have come from Persia, are much later creations. As far as the Queen of Sheba is concerned, there are traditions linking her with Ethiopia and Yemen. Clio the Muse 23:43, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
The questioner asked about the Old Testament... So zero wise men. --Dweller 10:10, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Here are my takes on the questions: 1) I do not believe there is any secular contemporary evidence of the Exodus. Some finds mentioning the Hyskos hint at a change in dynasty similar to the one mentioned in the book of Exodus, and the Israel Stela (which would date to around the time of the wanderings in the desert) mentions "Israel," but that's about it.

2) If you're talking about the Israelite tribes, see Ten Lost Tribes. (Today's Jews are presumably the descendants of the tribes of Judah, Benjamin and part of Levi.) If you're talking about all of the other groups mentioned in the Bible, some are clearly historical, while others, such as many mentioned in Genesis 10, are uncertain. By the time of Josephus and the writers of the Talmud, there was disagreement as to who peoples like like the Cushites, Ludim and Lehabhim are.

3) Sheba and Cush may have been near today's Sudan or Ethiopia -- we don't really know. Greece is mentioned in Daniel. India is mentioned, in passing, in Esther. Some people think the book of Isaiah mentions China. Jonah was on his way to Turkey when the whale swallowed him. But for the most part, the events of the Hebrew Bible take place in an area stretching from Egypt to today's Iraq. (Esther takes place in Persia.)

4) All people are supposed to be descended from Noah and one of his three sons -- Ham, Shem or Japeth. One theory is that the Chinese are the "Sinites" mentioned in Genesis 10 as sons of Shem's son Canaan. But a footnote at this Jewish Bible translation says the Sinites were most likely Phoenecian. -- Mwalcoff 00:25, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

About the most eastern country mentioned in the OT, as far as I know, is India, mentioned in Esther 1:1 and 8:9. It doesn't give any information or specifics, though - it is just mentioned in passing. BenC7 01:34, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
The main events in Esther are located in Persia, an Empire that stretches from "hodoo ad koosh", usually translated as "India to Ethiopia" --Dweller 10:15, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Once again thank you all for your help, your answers have been useful. The main unanswered question that might have significance to my question seem to be the whereabouts of the lost ten tribes and an identification of gog and magog - these things are in general unsettled/topics of debate/unknown/ etc?83.100.174.70 11:16, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Those issues won't be covered in the Old Testament text. There's plenty of speculation, learned and unlearned, but nothing textual as you ask. --Dweller 11:38, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Who is charles switzerland?

Who is charles switzerland? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Blahblah006 (talk • contribs) 16:54, 13 December 2006.

Which Charles Switzerland are you referring to? Can you supply some context?--Shantavira 18:11, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Châbles, Switzerland?

[edit] Antique furniture Gainsborough chairs

Hi I was wondering why a Gainsborough chair was called a "Gainsborough" chair ? Thanks J

Our articles chair, history of the chair and list of chairs have no mention of Gainsborough. If an answer is found, an update may be necessary. It appears to be a 20th century term for something earlier called a "French.." (you need a subscription to Britannica to read the rest). Perhaps it was commonly shown in Thomas Gainsborough paintings or invented by his mechanically skilled brother Humphrey Gainsborough. Rmhermen 18:27, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
My university has a contract with EB ... the rest of the article reads chair,” a term that covered a variety of designs, the most elaborate based on French Rococo chairs of the Louis XV period. --frothT C 19:59, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
I'd guess it's either associated with Gainsborough, Lincolnshire or invented by Humphrey Gainsborough. --frothT C 20:04, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Funny, in the U.S. that is called a Martha Washington chair, except they're covered in fabric, and a Gainsborough chair is usually covered in leather. -THB 22:45, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] quote in front of book

Is there a name for the passage or quote that an author sometimes puts in the front of a book? --Wyckyd Sceptre 17:53, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

Epigraph (and perhaps a dedication as well).--Shantavira 18:03, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Many thanks! --Wyckyd Sceptre 18:11, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Ancient people

Going from Aristole to Plato to Socrates, I started to wonder who the oldest, non-fictional named historical person is? E.g. an ancient pharaoh (Tiu?) or a king mentioned in some ancient text. Things like ancient humans remains (like, say, Lucy (Australopithecus)) don't count. Thanks in advance. Sum0 18:07, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

We just had this one recently - I think Tiu was about the first. Rmhermen 18:10, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Tiu or Serket (Scorpion King) were the previous answers conclusions. [2]. Rmhermen 18:14, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
When you get into ancient texts, questions of myths, history and fiction become very difficult. I suppose many people would answer your question by saying Adam. --Sandy Scott 18:12, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Ah, strange coincidence. Thanks for the answers anyhow. Sum0 18:16, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

Lucy 202.168.50.40 02:40, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Identify Piano Music

Can anyone give information regarding this peice of music played on just the piano?. --Username132 (talk) 18:09, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

I don't recognise it. But the chord progression is extremely simple and predictable, it might just be an improv riff over a basic progression (or the chords for another song). Anchoress 01:10, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
I haven't heard it either, but I'm pretty certain it's from a movie, tv show, or (most probably) video game. My money's on a final fantasy, though i couldn't verify this. You're going to have serious trouble finding what this song is, because it certainly isn't by a famous composer. Sashafklein 04:53, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Salem witch trials

Hello, could someone help me with my US history project. I need to know some ideas for The Salem WItch trials. All I have to do is come up with an idea to help me represent it. So far I have come up a broom witha brochure. Please help me.

The reference desk is happy to help you find information on the trials, but we can't suggest how you should do your homework. I explained this to you twice before. Hipocrite - «Talk» 18:26, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

Hi does anybody know what some project ideas for The Salem Witch Trials could be. SO far I have thought of a broom. It has to be somthing "out of this world" as the teacher put it. Please help me think of something. It can be somthing with a report additionaliy. or somthing else. --Devol4 18:16, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

No problem. Did you look at Salem witch trials? At the bottom you'll find a box with the names of many of the people involved. If you look at a couple of the articles about the specific people, some of whom were very young, it might be easier to come up with ideas, instead of looking at the entire trial, which can be overwhelming. Good luck with your project and if you have any more questions, feel free to post them here. We would also be interested in knowing what you decide to do. -THB 18:31, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Witch hunting was often done to punish outspoken women that "didn't know their place". Is your teacher a woman? Put her on trial as a witch, heck, even if your teacher is male then try him. Fabricate all kind of phony evidence. Just like the good old days (we don't do that anymore, right?) --Justanother 19:09, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Some Salem witch trial postcards at [3] might lend themselves to dioramas] Edison 19:34, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Responding to the point made by Justanother, Salem, as I understand it, was a 'witch-hunt' (yes, for once an exact description!) of both men and women who did not know their place, outsiders of one kind or another. It was, in a sense, the first major act of political persecution in American history, a point being made by Arthur Miller in The Crucible, with a more contemporary parallel in mind. Devol, if you really want to impress, and do something a little bit different, forget about the broomsticks and all the obvious-and fictitious-stuff. Take up Justanother's suggestion: put your teachers, male and female, on 'trail', with a group of your friends drawing up the accusations. Try to focus on the issue of political persecution, of attacking someone for acting and talking in a different way. And don't make your indictment too wild! Clio the Muse 20:25, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Bring one of those inflatable kiddy pools into the classroom, fill it with water, and throw a student in. If he/she floats, he/she's a witch. If it's a sinker, at least the victim goes to heaven. There's an offchance your teacher would get a kick out of it. Or show that scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. You'll know the one when you see it. Or you could re-enact the scene. That's probably your best option. Do it to the teacher, as Edison suggests. Sashafklein 04:51, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Also, although the Salem Witch trials may have left both men and women burned, like most other witch trials, women bore the brunt. You can make this point in class by accusing more females! :)Also, make sure that if you run a mock trial, anyone who comes to the defense of the accused must also become a subject of inquisition. Sashafklein 05:52, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Nobody was burned at Salem, Sashafklein, neither men nor women. The favoured method of executing those guilty of witchcraft in the Anglo-Saxon world was death by hanging. Clio the Muse 06:27, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
You mean that was more common than burning at the stake? | AndonicO Talk | Sign Here 11:19, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
During the period of the Salem witch trials, yes. Burning at the stake (as a punishment for witchcraft) was practiced during the Middle Ages, for instance, Joan of Arc was burned at the stake for being a witch. However, it was no longer a method of execution used in late 17th century America. See Burning at the stake#Historical usage. — QuantumEleven 12:20, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Hi, guys. Burning had been used in England for the execution of witches, though the favoured method was death by hanging. See [4], particularly the section dealing with burning at the stake. Burning was reserved for heretics and women accused of treason, in the main. You do not want to know what the punishment for male traitors was! However, you are quite right, Quantum Eleven, burning of witches was widely favoured in Continental Europe, especially around the time of the Reformation. It was also the favoured practice in Scotland, where the last public witch burning took place in 1722. As far as I am aware, no-one was ever burned for witchcraft in North America, at least in the Anglo-Saxon part.Clio the Muse 14:18, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Agreed, hanging was used almost exclusively as the method of execution for those convicted of witchcraft in the colonial Anglo-Saxon portion of North America. StuRat 14:25, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Giles Corey was pressed to death. User:Zoe|(talk) 19:33, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Yes, he was, Zoe; thanks. But, absurd as it sounds, he wasn't 'executed', merely killed for refusing to plead. They really were two quite different things. In English law, from the reign of Henry IV onwards, if a defendant refused to enter a plea in a felony case, she or he could be pressed under weights until a plea was admitted, or until they died. This practice, known as peine forte et dure, was not finally abolished until 1772. In England the last person to be killed by this method was in 1741. Corey's is the only recorded case, I believe, in America. Clio the Muse 23:45, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
I was wondering why he would choose to die that way, but the article seems to imply that it was so the government couldn't take his property from his family, due to the lack of a court conviction. StuRat 00:03, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Real Estate LAW

I heard there was an attempt to pass a law or amendment to the First right of refusal law for tenants in Montgomery County Maryland recently that was suppressed. My question is what exactly did this amendment say or change from the original, and also what does the current first right of refusal law state for Montgomery county MD. Also I believe the amendment favors the tenant? But I am not sure? And is there a chance that this amendment will surface again and possibly get passed??

Any help would be great and I would appreciate it greatly.

Thanks a bunch.

This is from 2001 (does that count as "recent" ?): [5]. StuRat 06:10, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Someone doesn't want to pay attorney's fees. If you need help and cannot afford a lawyer, Montgomery County, Md probably has legal services available for needy people. Having graduated from a national law school and passed a bar exam, I will not touch it with a ten foot pole. You are also asking someone to foretell the future. Some legal websites such as www.findlaw.com may have general landlord/tenant law sections. They are general, however. Law varies by state. Every factual detail-and procedural details too-counts in law. All the best. —75Janice 03:33, 15 December 2006 (UTC)75Janice 10:32 UTC 14 December 2006

[edit] Bible inventions

Another bible question - are there any instances of stories about invention in the bible? Or any examples of man being given inventions eg fire, the wheel, how to make bronze etc by god. Any examples or does the bible typical lack such things?83.100.254.21 21:23, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

You've got God delivering plans for the ark to Noah, and designs for the tabernacle, ark of the covenant, priestly wardrobe and so forth in the pentateuch. I can't think of much along those lines after that point. The creation story could also be interpreted along these lines, with God providing a tree of knowledge of good and evil, but I don't think it parallels your question quite as well. — Lomn 21:50, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Yes, interesting that these are all designs, rather than a new process. What I was really looking for was an example of a new material eg god telling x how to make a dye, or how to make bronze etc, or a story telling how such a thing was discovered..83.100.254.21 22:05, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

I've read through the OT six times, and I don't remember God telling anyone how to make something new (excluding designs etc., as mentioned above). In 2 Chronicles 26:15, it is mentioned that some of King Uzziah's workers invented some type of siege engines. BenC7 01:39, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

There is the story in Genesis 30 of how Jacob breeds superior sheep and goats marked by brown spots. In a couple of hilarious paragraphs it makes a mockery of anyone who tries to use the Bible as a biology or genetics text. alteripse 02:53, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

It is doubtful that anyone thought that seeing stiped bits of wood would cause stripes on the offspring; people who later read the Bible might have tried it and found that it didn't work. From my interpretation of the verse, I think that Jacob was doing something as an act of faith. Elisha, for example, put flour into some stew in a pot when a bunch of men said "O man of God, there is death in the pot!" It was (probably) not the flour that made it suddenly edible, but rather showing faith by some sort of action, rather than expecting a miracle to occur by itself. I don't think anyone takes that verse as a chemistry lesson. That's my interpretation; there are probably others. BenC7 11:04, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Genesis tells us of various people being the "father" of inventions such as musical instruments, tools etc. --Dweller 10:08, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Yes, thanks, I forgot to ask - any mentions of magnets or electricity in there??83.100.174.70 12:13, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

No. BenC7 00:33, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

No need to invent things. Just use a miracle! lol martianlostinspace 17:23, 14 December 2006 (UTC)


[edit] December 14

[edit] Japanese Nukes

In the event of a U.S. pullout of troops in Japan, would Japan be forced to re-arm? Is the American presence in Japan justified due to North Korean nukes?

They were there even before N. Korea was considered an enemy, so why not stay? --The Dark Side 01:23, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Why would North Korean nukes justify a presence one way or another? --24.147.86.187 01:57, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
If Japan gets hit by nukes and Americans soldiers die as a result, it can be seen as an act of war. This more or less forces the USA to fight. I'm guessing they deter North Korea? --The Dark Side 02:40, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Correct. Without that assurance, the Japanese would need weapons capable of deterring an NK attack, which would mean having nuclear weapons. StuRat 06:04, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
However, if I'm not mistaken, Japan agreed after WWII that they would not have a standing army and therefore they only have a defensive force of some sort. By re-arming themselves, to the extent that you seem to be referring, they'd have to break that treaty/resolution. See Military of Japan for the specifics of my foggy recollections. Dismas|(talk) 06:27, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
There is talk of changing their policy of self-defence only. They sent troops to Iraq, for example. --Auximines 09:40, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
And the US wouldn't object, they would welcome a powerful ally in the region, where one is sorely needed to balance NK and China. StuRat 03:21, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
The troops in Iraq are assisting with the reconstruction only; the Japanese self-defence forces can't do front-line fighting even for UN peacekeeping missions. See Japan Self-Defense Forces#Peacekeeping. -- SCZenz 03:25, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
The self-defense only clause is written into their constitution (Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution), which they can change. -- SCZenz 03:25, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
I think the odds of the USA (or at least the UN) getting involved anyway if North Korea started nuking people is pretty high regardless of a US presence in Japan. In any case I don't think pure deterrence theory applies here; even with a nuke it is highly asymmetrical. --24.147.86.187 13:41, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
I would conjecture that the age of warfare is nearing an end. Moreover, Koreans and Japanese are on good terms, generally speaking, I believe. So, no -- I can't see that the Japanese would beef up it's military if the US troops stationed there packed up and left. But, I am no expert. Vranak 16:42, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
No, North Korea and Japan don't get along at all. StuRat 03:24, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Probably because they are so similar to one another -- like Americans and Canadians. Vranak 03:49, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Probably more likely because North Korea threatens to nuke Japan and destabilize the region... =S 惑乱 分からん 04:10, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Ah yes -- my mistake. Whenever I hear 'Korea', I automatically think 'South Korea', with North Korea being more a wild and crazy hinterland up beyond the reach of South Korea's government. In that case -- how are relations between South Korea and Japan?
Those are fine, as are relations between both and Taiwan. Basically, the Asian democracies get along fairly well. StuRat 16:10, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
I had a Japanese professor, who once told the class that Japanese and Koreans couldn't readily tell each other apart. Vranak 16:04, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
And then there was the issue of how NK obtained Japanese translators. Rather than put ads in newspapers, they thought a better approach would be to kidnap many Japanese citizens, then "persuade" them to work as translators. Many of those who weren't "persuaded" died "of natural causes" while in NK custody. The Japanese don't particularly appreciate this method for obtaining Japanese translators. See North Korean abductions of Japanese. StuRat 13:09, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
You might want to read Japan-Korea relations and many articles linked from it. Shinhan 13:28, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Articles of Confederation

Was the federal government of the U.S. strong under the Articles of Confederation?

The Articles of Confederation in themselves would not have allowed the development of a strong central and executive authority, hence the adoption of the United States Constitution, establishing federal government on a more secure basis. Clio the Muse 01:16, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

The answer your teacher is looking for is no. Sashafklein 04:45, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

I feel a bit bad for that one. So: the key to this is the right to taxation, which the Articles of Confederation did not afford, because Americans were still too jumpy about taxation. The Bill of Rights was essential too. Sashafklein 04:47, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Each state saw themselves as sovereign - comparable to the EU today.martianlostinspace 17:22, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] step parents

Where did we get the terminology 'step' parents?

See Stepfamilies. It comes from the middle English word stoep, meaning unrelated by blood. Clio the Muse 00:56, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

(edit conflict)

Step (father or mother, etc.) A prefix indicating that the person referred to is not a blood relation, but a relative only by marriage. Step, in this meaning, comes from the AngloSaxon steop, which is connected with astieped meaning bereaved. Radford, Edwin (1946). Unusual Words and How They Came About, p. 268.

Also see the entry for step- at the Online Etymology Dictionary.EricR 01:01, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

From the www.etymonline.com: O.E. steop-, with connotations of "loss," in combinations like steopcild "orphan," related to astiepan, bestiepan "to bereave, to deprive of parents or children," from P.Gmc. *steupa- "bereft" (cf. O.Fris. stiap-, O.N. stjup-, Swed. styv-, M.L.G. stef-, Du. stief-, O.H.G. stiof-, Ger. stief-), lit. "pushed out," from PIE *steup-, from base *(s)teu- (see steep (adj.)). Etymologically, a stepfather or stepmother is one who becomes father or mother to an orphan, but the notion of orphanage faded in 20c. For sense evolution, cf. L. privignus "stepson," related to privus "deprived."
Therefore, will the "humblest" of respect for those who may have thought otherwise, the fact is that the prefix step is not in any way derived from any Middle English word stOEp, meaning unrelated by blood, but rather from the Old English prefix stEOp-, a prefix meant to indicate a sense of loss. As a case in point, an adopted child is never referred to as a stepchild, despite having no blood relation. Loomis 16:28, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
If multiple sources say different things then there is probably a dispute over the true origins of this word. Interesting stuff. Is anyone going to add this to the wikipedia? David D. (Talk) 18:00, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Please see [6]. Middle English from Old English, meaning related by remarriage rather than by blood. The intelligent approach is not to be dogmatic in matters of definition. Clio the Muse 19:37, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Since many of us often don't have the time to click on links or references to verify that they indeed say what they're purported to say, I've reproduced the above link for everyone's convenience:
First there's the definition:
step-
a prefix denoting connection between members of a family by the remarriage of a parent and not by blood: stepbrother.
Then there's the etymology, or, in the words of the original questioner, "where we GOT the terminology":
[Origin: ME; OE stéop-; c. G stief-, ON stjūp- step-; akin to OE āstépan to bereave, bestépan to deprive (of children)]
Therefore, I would respectfully submit, with all due respect and with the uttermost of humility, that the statement that the term "step-" originated: "Middle English from Old English, meaning related by remarriage rather than by blood" is patently false. No such Middle English or Old English word ever existed. Loomis 02:38, 16 December 2006 (UTC)


For next time, this type of question might get better results on the Language Ref Desk. StuRat 06:01, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Eucharist

Why is that in Roman Catholic churches, during communion, only the priest drinks the wine, while the worshippers only receives the bread? And why does Protestant churches gives the wine and bread to everyone, unlike the Catholic church? Thanks

Habit, really. You describe one type of communion in Roman Catholic churches, but it's not the only type. When the worshippers receive bread only, it's "communion under one species", and when they receive both bread and wine, it's "communion under both species". Communion under one species was adopted because it's quicker and easier; communion under both species is usually reserved for special occasions. The priest celebrating the Mass, however, always receives under both kinds, as this was held to be essential to the nature of the Mass. This was all decided at the Council of Trent as a reaction against those who denied the Real Presence or who held that attendees (as opposed to the celebrant) at a Mass were required to receive under both species. And since the dissenting groups were the spiritual fathers of the Protestant churches, and since the doctrine provided a way to distinguish Protestant from Catholic, Protestants adopted it in various forms. The specific dogma in its latter form is utraquism. - Nunh-huh 01:12, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Many Catholic churches offer the wine to the congregation. A good number do not, true, probably out of habit as described above (good answer by the way.) But all of the Catholic churches I have ever attended with regularity (about 6) have offered the wine every Sunday.--Dmz5 02:12, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
That's funny. I'm not Christian, but I'm pretty sure that drinking the wine (ie blood) in communion is a major part of Catholicism. That was the central cause of one of the first protestant (not called such, but) movements ever. Check out the Hussites and Jan Hus if you're interested. The distinction between transubstantiation and consubstantiation is a major one between Catholicism and Lutheranism as well, so it seems strange that the current Catholic church which is usually pretty doctrinal, would not give the wine. Whatever. Just find that interesting. Sashafklein 05:16, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Yes, the Hussites were utraquists, so the first part of your statement is backwards. The Hussites wanted congregants to receive under both species and adopted the chalice as their emblem, while non-heretical Catholics received the bread alone. Nunh-huh 08:32, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
And I suppose protestants drinking the wine are just flaunting the reformation. :) Also, i think it's called communion in Catholic tradition and eucharist in anglican, though I may be wrong. Sashafklein 05:18, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Interesting, I grew up Catholic and don't remember ever not being offered wine (blood) during communion. Dismas|(talk) 06:23, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
All a function of when and where you grew up, I think. - Nunh-huh 08:32, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Where I live, they only give us the Blood on Sundays, and then only in a very few churches. I remember reading that the Body and the Blood (bread and wine) are actually the same; it doesn't matter which you recieve, because the Blood is in the Body, and vice-versa. | AndonicO Talk | Sign Here 11:27, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
In many protestant churches, they give grape juice instead of wine. My church held communion once a month with grape juice, and on special occasions with wine (Ash Wednesday, usually). -sthomson 16:14, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

That just made me think. If Catholic's believe that the wine they are ingesting literally becomes the blood of Christ when it's drunk (transubstantiation), then they can't believe that what they are drinking is alcoholic, because that would counter their belief. So isn't the replacement of wine with grape juice (presumably so members, especially kids, don't consume alcohol) an unintentional sign of disbelief in the theory of transubstantiation? That's sort of funny. Sashafklein 01:42, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Actually, we Catholics believe the wine is Christ's Blood before we drink it too, beggining with the time when it's blessed. | AndonicO Talk | Sign Here 10:19, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
And actually, Catholics believe it is wine as well as the blood of Christ, and are fully aware that it contains alcohol. - Nunh-huh 23:29, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
And, I am not aware of any Roman Catholic congregation that replaces wine with grape juice for the sacrament. That happens in some protestant denominations, but I have neither seen it nor heard of it in RC churches. - Eron Talk 23:57, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Efforts of congress to secure fundamental rights

evaluate the efforts of the congress and the supreme court in their efforts to secure the fundamental rights guaranteed to all citize

No please? That sounds more like an order anyways. Just think net neutrality! --The Dark Side 02:41, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Did some US History teacher just unleash all his/her students on the wikipedia reference desk? You have a book, you know. You'll want to look at the Bill of Rights, although that isn't Congress, yet. Sashafklein 05:12, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Sure - how many words and when's it due in? The price typically depends on those --Mnemeson 18:30, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Seriously, with respect to Congress and the Supreme Court's efforts to secure fundamental rights of citizens, on a scale from 7 to 63, I'd give them a 42. Loomis 02:17, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

I'm a lawyer who volunteers at the National Constitution Center. I have just completed a legal writing sample on the Establishment Clause and faith-based organizations. Oh, to be young again and have home work. Actually, I did mine! Loomis's scale has me in hysterics.75Janice 03:40, 15 December 2006 (UTC)75Janice 10:30, 14 December 2006

[edit] history american

to what extent did the political activities of the grangers, populist, progressives, and mckrackers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries influence american political? strict thanks

The History of the United States (1865-1918) would be a good place to look for some of the answers. Clio the Muse 01:53, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
You might also check out the article on Richard Hofstadter's book The Age of Reform. --24.147.86.187 01:58, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

You might want to start out with Grange movement, Populists, Progressives, and Muckraking, (pretty obvious) as well as Teddy Roosevelt. The muckrakers don't really fit in there as well, because the others were all political parties (/social movements). For muckraking, take a look also at Yellow Journalism, The Jungle, The Boston Herald, Joseph Pulitzer, RMS Lusitania etc.

[edit] history 202

explain the meaning of Prior to the 1930's the popular social policy was "rugged individualism and self reliance." As a result of the "great depression" that policy has been changed substantially

See the articles on individualism (if you do a "find" you can get to the "rugged" variety), and the Great Depression. Come back if you have specific questions that would help you on your homework. --24.147.86.187 02:03, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Do your own homework.

And I'm just guessing that your textbook has sections entitled "The Great Depression" and something like "The Roaring Twenties" as well as references to Social Darwinism and the such. Search out that chapter, and it should all be there. Regardless of the fact that you should really be doing your own work, you will almost undoubtedly find a more direct answer in your book. Sashafklein 04:29, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Films featuring the British Royal House of Stuart

Some Tudor films are well known, as are several Mediaeval ones. Would you please inform me of what films feature any of the Stuarts, from their Scottish days to their Pretender days? Any or all are appreciated. Thank you. Rhode Islander 05:17, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

That might seem to be a lot, considering that the period in question is from 1371 to 1746, but I do not think there are that many dealing with the subject directly. Mary Queen of Scots, is probably the best covered, with two or more movies that feature her life directly or indirectly, like the one I have linked here. Cromwell touches in part on the life of Charles I, as does To Kill a King, starring Tim Roth. There have also been some film depictions of Bonnie Prince Charlie, including a really dreadful one starring David Niven. Restoration features his great-uncle, Charles II. That's about it, I think; or at least its all I can drag up from memory. Clio the Muse 06:22, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Dont' know if it helps much, but try these: [7] [8] [9][10] [11] [12]. AndyJones 13:29, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Also Charles II: The Power & the Passion, a British TV drama series about his life, and Stage Beauty, which also prominently features Charles II. The First Churchills, another British TV drama series, deals with the era from Charles II to Anne. -- Necrothesp 16:52, 14 December 2006 (UTC)


[edit] Sleigh ride

HI! I would like to know how the orchestra produces the horse's neigh at the end of the song "Sleigh Ride." The clop of the horse's hooves and the crack of the whip may also be produced with instruments. Thank you! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleigh_Ride

By orchestra, do you mean Mozart's? Or do the others have an orchestra as well? It's probably a recording; I doubt a coplex sound like that could be played by an instrument. | AndonicO Talk | Sign Here 12:18, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Trumpets are sometimes used to simulate the neighing. BBC's Guide to the Orchestra even has a sound clip. The whip is a member of the percussion section, and wood blocks, temple blocks, plastic cups, or coconut shells are sometimes used for the clip-clop of hooves. ---Sluzzelin 12:33, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
In Leroy Anderson's Christmas classic "Sleigh Ride", written for the Boston Pops orchestra and in a 1948 band arrangement by Anderson (Mills Music, New York) the trumpet (or cornet) player simulates the horse whinney bypressing the valves partway down, making the tone of a muted and indeterminate pitch, glissandoing to a high note, then glissandoing down while shaking the instrument for about 3 bars. This half-valve technique was used by jazz trumpeters such as Louis Armstrong datng back to very early jazz recordings. The whip crack in the second-to-last measure is made by the drummer using a slapstick, which is an instrument with two hinged wood pieces which slap together when a whip-crack motion is made, or by the drummer doing a rimshot if he does not have a slapstick. Edison 17:25, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] archetypes in world religions

I am compiling a research project on how the use of archetypes in many Indo-European religions suggests that these religions share a common heritage as offshoots of an earlier proto-Indo-European faith. Could anyone pleases suggest any sources, either electronic or printed, that could help me find a discussion of such archetypes as trees, the sun, serpents, etc.?

Not an answer, just to check you've already looked at Proto-Indo-European religion and the links therein. especially [[Proto-Indo-European religion#Mythology83.100.174.70 13:55, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
The Golden Bough --DLL .. T 17:55, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Reliable source for used book prices?

I am interested in including the price of an out-of-print book in a Wikipedia article I am considering drafting (Octavia Butler's Survivor). IMHO, the story of why the book has never been reprinted is interesting and notable, and the recent price of the used book would be an interesting nugget, if I can source it.

Is there a reliable source for the price of used science fiction books that I can dig up in the library? Thanks, TheronJ 15:21, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

This abebooks.com search suggests - to my surprise - that you can't find a copy for under $200. Wouldn't Abebooks be a reliable source for this purpose? Cheers, Sam Clark 15:29, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
  • That price is part of the interesting thing. I'd prefer a print source if I can get one. Is there a used science fiction book version of the Overstreet Guide? Thanks, TheronJ 15:33, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Rebuilding of cities

I have the feeling that after a major war / disaster / destruction event, cities tend to be rebuilt in very similar fashion to the way they were before (at least in terms of street layout) - for instance, London after the Great Fire of London. I was wondering - are there any examples of cities where the city plan was greatly altered during the rebuilding, perhaps in a centrally planned fashion (after all, the rebuilding of a city may offer the chance to try and lay out the city in a 'sensible' fashion, rather than through centuries of piecemeal growth)? I was thinking perhaps of German cities destroyed during World War II, but honestly have no idea if it was done at that point. Thanks in advance for any input! — QuantumEleven 15:34, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

I suppose that this violates the rule against original research, but my (unpublished) masters thesis addressed this question in post-war Berlin. This was one of the most important differences between the post-war redevelopment of West Berlin and that of East Berlin. In West Berlin, the existing pattern of real-estate titles and parcels prevented the wholesale reconfiguration of the city, with the exception of a few small areas, where the previous owners were bought out. In East Berlin, such constraints were not allowed to deter central planners from reconfiguring the urban fabric. In fact, many of the smaller streets in the core of East Berlin were wiped from the map, and new grand boulevards (such as Karl-Marx-Allee) were laid out across the bombed-out cityscape and lined with massive edifices in Stalin's favored "wedding cake" style, which replaced the smaller-scale prewar buildings. Marco polo 16:08, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
For another example take a look at Haussmann's renovation of Paris. Gandalf61 16:19, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
An obvious one: The Great Fire of Rome. | AndonicO Talk | Sign Here 16:42, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
There is one other Classical example I can think of-Aelia Capitolina, built by the Emperor Hadrian on the ruins of Jerusalem. There are very few cities where rebuilding has not attempted to capture something of the old spirit, even the bombed out cities of World War II. Warsaw is a case in point. I suspect the 'sensible' replanning of East Berlin had as much to do with questions of social and political control, much like Haussmann's Paris, rather than the pursuit of enlightenment and order in urban space as an end in itself. But Hausmann had a sense of beauty and of style, unlike the planners of Walter Ulbricht's Berlin. The remodelling of Paris, incidentally, did not follow from war or disaster. Clio the Muse 02:18, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Agreed. Specifically, the wide avenues in East Berlin allowed easy access to tanks, in case they were needed to control the population. StuRat 03:07, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Edo (now Tokyo) was burned to the ground several times. I dont know how different was it after each fire. Maybe you could research "Meireki no Taika" which article says was the most dramatic fire. Shinhan 13:38, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Who killed Laura Palmer? (Twin Peaks spoilers)

Was it her father?

YXYX 15:48, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

For those that don't know, YXYX is referring to the TV series Twin Peaks. Pesapluvo 00:58, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
Yes. Skarioffszky 16:17, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Well, sort of. You can find the Twin Peaks episode summaries on numerous websites to explain it more clearly. Leland (her father) kills her while "possessed" by Bob, a spirit from the 'Black Lodge'. It's first explained in the episode Arbitrary Law, and is fully shown in the film Fire Walk With Me. Pesapluvo 00:58, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Spoilers end here.


Thank you. O,by the way,someone changed the question(topic) headline by adding "(Twin Peaks spoilers)". Original question was without that.

YXYX 11:04, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] no shows

Moving this to miscelaneous... Adaptron 18:04, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] numbers in orchestration

Hi. What does a series of numbers like this: 2 1 2 2 - 2 2 2 0 mean in the context of musical orchestration? Lesgles (talk) 17:11, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Sorry, but you'll have to define context even more accurately. It could mean fingering, for example. What instrument? Above or below the line of music?martianlostinspace 17:20, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

It probably refers to the numbers of wind players in sections: e.g. two flutes, one oboe, two clarinets, two bassoons, two trumpets, two horns, two trombones. It also depends on the type of music: I'm assuming a standard orchestra for the European classical music tradition. Antandrus (talk) 17:21, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Antandrus is right, see here. ---Sluzzelin 17:24, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Thanks for the explanation and the link. It's a work by Copland, so it would fit the standard European model.. Lesgles (talk) 17:40, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Good point - I hadn't thought of that, and it seems more likely than my suggestion: especially i n the example Sluz gave. But that doesn't refute the possibility of fingering completely. In some instruments - eg. piano, strings - this is very important. Perhaps Les could give the context (as was requested above) which would finish this.martianlostinspace 22:36, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

It's winds. Offhand I'd guess it was the scoring of Appalachian Spring -- the second, i.e. the larger orchestral version, except that I'm pretty sure it uses two oboes. Could also be Billy the Kid. Copland liked smaller orchestras, e.g. winds in pairs, because it's easier to fit them in the pit, and he scored a lot of ballets. This nomenclature is common. Antandrus (talk) 00:13, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

And it does appear on the front page, or title of the work in question (as opposed to above the line of music, that would indicate strings)?martianlostinspace 15:01, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Iraq / Vietnam US deaths

Iraq ~3000 US soldiers dead, Vietnam ~ 60,000 dead. But has anyone done a month by month comparison? Vietnam went on longer than Iraq so far - how many US dead in Vietnam at a comparable point in time? [13] Got it!

One caution, though, the Vietnam War started slowly (at least for the US), with minimal casualties as a result, while the Iraq war started rapidly, with an invasion. If you compared the Iraq War to the worst months in Vietnam, I'd think Vietnam would be far worse. StuRat 02:55, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
The first three years of Vietnam (65-67) saw 19,607 U.S. deaths while the first three years in Iraq saw around 2,500. Rmhermen 03:36, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Every month from 1966-1971 had a higher number of deaths than the worst month in Iraq. Not sure about other years of the war.[14][15]. Rmhermen 03:41, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Thanks: you posted just before me: good links. Antandrus (talk)
Stu is right: they were profoundly different in that the U.S. got involved progressively in Vietnam, and suddenly and forcefully in Iraq. The peak and bloodiest year of the war for the U.S. was 1968. Even at the start, it was bad: in just three days at Ia Drang in 1965, 234 Americans were killed. Don't know how many wounded (I'm skeptical of that 242 figure in the article), but it was a bloody affair. And that was early in the war. Here's an interesting site: [16] 526 KIA per month for the U.S. for the 90 months of the war. It doesn't break out 1968, but that's the longest stretch of the Wall, and I'm old enough to remember the evening news daily body counts. Antandrus (talk) 03:56, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
However, note that the source the question asker posted puts the start of the Vietnam War in 1961, not 1965. At that stage the US really did just have "military advisors" helping the South Vietnamese, so casualties were light. However, that term continued to be used, euphemistically, even after it turned into a full scale war with direct American combat troops on the front lines. I fear that the source he found, and in particular the first chart [17], is using tortured logic to claim that "the Iraq War is killing even more soldiers than the Vietnam War", when that is patently false. StuRat 12:57, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Anorexia nervorsa patience's relation to her mother

Reading about anorexia nervosa I couldn't find any special mention about hate of the daughter towards the mother. Considering that anorexia is 10% lethal and that the mother often plays a vital (of deadly) role in the development of this disorded, why do anorexia nervosa patiences don't hate their mothers?

The patients in such cases often have a love/hate relationship with both parents. Specifically, they tend to be perfectionists which strive to please demanding parents. However, the stress this causes and feeling of "loss of control" of their own lives sometimes leads to this disorder. However, the feelings of resentment towards their parents are often deeply repressed, one of the characteristics of this particular psychological condition. StuRat 00:08, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
The above is rather misleading. While anorexia nervosa certainly has psychological causes, and there is evidence for the claimed pathological perfectionism being common in sufferers, there are three other kinds of cause at work here: first, twin studies suggest a large genetic component; second, the neurotransmitter seratonin is probably involved (as it is in many cases of clinical depression); third, socio-cultural factors are involved. The pseudo-freudian stuff about deeply repressed resentment towards parents seems to me to be very poorly supported. Finally, the claimed role of mothers in the development of anorexia strikes me as a parallel to the refrigerator mother theory. Yours, Sam Clark 10:03, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Whose son was shot?

A BODYGUARD of Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh was killed and his son and political adviser hurt in a shoot-out as the Palestinian leader left the Gaza border terminal where he had been blocked for several hours.

Whose son was shot? The son of the bodyguard or the son of the prime minister? 202.168.50.40 23:13, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

One of the injured was Haniyeh's 27-year-old son, Abed but if this is a question about sentence structure, then yes it is badly worded. meltBanana 02:39, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] December 15

[edit] Pantheon

I need help to figure out the responsibilites of the Pantheon. By Pantheon I mean "a set of exaulted ones". I have done three days of research, and have found nothing as to the answer. I really need this question answered. If you can help, please do. I would be so grateful. If you cant, thats fine, thanks anyways. Please reply quickly though, if you can. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Axilala (talk • contribs).01:22, 15 December 2006

Hello. I'm having a little bit of difficulty, I must confess, in understanding what it is that you are looking for. I realise that you do not mean a building, like the Pantheon in Rome, but the word itself simply means 'the home of all the gods', or it is used to refer to the gods in any given mythology in collective terms. Is there something more specific you have in mind? Clio the Muse 01:31, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Agreed, there seems to be a large hole in the question on the Pantheon. StuRat 02:50, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
"A set of exaulted ones" does not necessarily have any responsibilities whatsoever, but it very much depends which particular set of exaulted ones you have in mind.--Shantavira 09:02, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
The Paris Pantheon? | AndonicO Talk | Sign Here 10:25, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

I think this is asking about Pantheon (gods). The way the question is related I have the feeling it may be related to Hinduism at which article you may find information on the duties or field of influence ("responsibilities") of the respective gods. "Exalted" in this context I take to mean "beings of raised or elevated spirit", as from Wikipedia Max Heindel (on Rosicrurian belief): "These great Adepts, belonging to human evolution but having already advanced far beyond the cycle of rebirth, are reported as being among those exalted Beings who guide mankind's evolution, the Compassionate Ones." On the other hand, the question may be about WoW3, where, as far as I know, the pantheon is a set of robots, and in which case I cannot contribute any knowledge. --Seejyb 14:29, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Pantheon building maintenance ?

The above question reminded me of something I've always wondered about, how a building with a large hole in the top can be practical. First, I'm assuming it's completely open to the outside air, although, with modern technology, it could be closed off with a window. There are several issues I would think having a large hole in the dome would cause, how are each of these addresses ?

  • Water damage from rain. StuRat 12:49, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
  • Sun damage from UV light. StuRat 12:49, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
  • Birds and flying insects living in the building. StuRat 12:49, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
  • Temperature control. StuRat 12:49, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
I don't know, but just like you, I've always wanted to. | AndonicO Talk | Sign Here 13:21, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] PS3 odds

How hard is it to get a PS3 for Christmas in North America if you don't already have one? I'm betting my friend that he won't get it, but I don't know too much about how many shipments retailers have received since the initial release. --The Dark Side 01:56, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Depends on where you live. I'd say it's nearly impossible in most places, because so little were shipped, and because of the demand. It'll be much harder to find than a Wii. --Wooty Woot? contribs 02:14, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Two PS3s were sitting around a town near here for at least a couple weeks directly after launch, possibly longer, but his is an exception rather than the rule. They're selling on eBay for a mildly more reasonable price (~$100-$200 above retail price). I've heard of people lining up (at least for Wiis) even a week ago, so keep in mind that others are competing to get these. There are some shipment trackers, though I have no idea of their reliability. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 03:03, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Well, they have some on Amazon for almost USD1000. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0009VXAM0/ref=amb_link_3794992_1/105-3016557-4332439 | AndonicO Talk | Sign Here 10:28, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Well, if your friend is willing to camp in front of a store for more than 2 (6? 12?) hours then he will probably get it. But if he expects to just walks in and buy PS3 this year, then its highly unlikely he will get it. Shinhan 14:12, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] A society ruled by smart people?

I recall hearing about a government structure that is based on a group of intellects governing everything. I remember that it ended in -archy but that's about all I know. Thanks!

Not sure, it might have been a neologism. Philosopher king and Enlightened absolutism might prove useful, though. --Wooty Woot? contribs 02:13, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
You might try Meritocracy or, perhaps, Geniocracy. Clio the Muse 02:28, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Technocracy — rule by experts. --24.147.86.187 02:34, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Also, in the book Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley, they had tried such a society (on an island, I believe), it failed, then they resorted to using alcohol to lower the intelligence of most of the fetuses (fetal alcohol syndrome), in order to create a more "balanced" society. StuRat 02:47, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

You're not thinking of the Illuminati? Cuz they really do rule the world. ;-) Anchoress 02:51, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
There's a delightful, and quite cynical, science-fiction story by C.M. Kornbluth entitled The Marching Morons, in which over the course of several centuries, humanity has split into two groups: a small elite of extremely intelligent people who manage an enormous mass of people with an average IQ of about 50. (Over the course of the story, you realize the smart aren't quite as smart as they think they are.) They've resurrected a 20th century real-estate swindler to help them out of their predicament, with interesting results. Antandrus (talk) 03:05, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
I'm pretty sure you're thinking of the episode of The Simpsons called They_Saved_Lisa's_Brain. 192.168.1.1 7:06pm, 14 December 2006 (PST)
You've got to hand it to Steven Hawking for appearing in an animated TV show. The wheelchair with the punch-out button is classic. -- Mwalcoff 03:37, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
"You call this a utopia? More like a fruitopia." -- Vranak 03:47, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Stephen Hawking has appeared as himself in other animated cartoons: Futurama, where he along with Al Gore, Gary Gygax and Michelle Nichols polices violations of the space-time continuum, and Family Guy, in which he had a sex scene with his quadroplegic wife. He also appeared in another Simpsons episode, Don't Fear the Roofer. Cheese-eating Surrender Monkey 09:09, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
That's Nichelle Nichols, Lieutenant Barclay. Anchoress 13:04, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Mhmm -- Hawking is also the only person to play themselves in an episode of Star Trek (The Next Generation). Vranak 15:59, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
So there is no difference between you and the simulation of yourself? --82.83.122.97 18:34, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] News montage

You know how ever year on December 31, for the last news program of the year, news programs will usually end with a sort montage of important events of the year, set to music (at least they do in Australia)? What's the proper name for those, and is there anywhere you can access them online? Battle Ape 04:39, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

"Review of the year" "year in review" something like that, this has links to videos for 2005. You may have to wait for january for 2006 to be online. meltBanana 16:19, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Cool, thanks. Battle Ape 03:43, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] First time I added content

This is the first time I added content to Wikipedia's list of American Illustrators. I added Fred Chance and Stuart Graves. Did I add their names correctly? Should I provide more information and perhaps visual images? Thank you, Brian Withers Brian Withers 05:02, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for the contributions. I do have a number of pointers, though:
  • You shouldn't edit [[Category:American_illustrators]] [18] directly, as that is an automatically generated index of American illustrators. I've removed your edits there.
  • Instead, you needed to create small articles (called "stubs") on Fred Chance and Stuart Graves, then add the proper category flags to each to have them be picked up when the automatic index is generated. I started them both off for you and also started a stub on George Withers.
  • The material you supplied was quite minimal, but the greater issue is notability. If not enough people know about those three, the articles may be removed. We'll have to wait a few days and see. I'd add any more info you have on them, particularly info that makes them "notable". Specifically, I'd add info on birth and death dates, year ranges worked for each publication, etc. However, since adding pictures isn't all that easy (it requires an upload and worrying about the license), you might want to wait a bit and see if the articles are accepted, first, before taking on that effort.
  • Don't write from the "first person" in an article. For example, you said "He met my father...", instead say "He met fellow illustrator, George Withers...".
  • This isn't actually the proper place to ask about how to edit Wikipedia, you should go to the Help Desk for that (WP:HD). Although, if you actually had questions about Fred Chance and Stuart Graves, themselves, this would be the perfect place to pose such questions.
  • Question: You said: "Fred Chance was ... a good friend of George Withers, who also illustrated for the Saturday Evening Post, Colliers, Redbook, Blue Book, Good Housekeeping, the New York Times, etc." Does this mean that Fred Chance illustrated for those publications, as well as George Withers ?
StuRat 11:46, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Why does Vesper *** in Casino Royale the film?

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

I read the book and then saw the movie. I understand why Vesper kills herself in the book. But the movie changes the plot around and I don't understand why she willingly commits suicide at the point in the story that she does, given that Bond has dispatched the henchmen, at least temporarily.

Bond can't get the elevator cage open and she sees that he will die trying if she doesn't give up her own life. At least, that was my interpretation of the scene in the film. Haven't read any of the books though. Dismas|(talk) 13:22, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
I thought it was a pretty weak point in the film. Recall that she locks the elevator door so that Bond can't get her out even before it goes into the water — I think it was meant an attempt at suicide from the beginning. In the film I assumed it was because she was supposed to feel bad for betraying Bond or something like that, which I found very implausible and overly melodramatic. --24.147.86.187 14:23, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
(In the book, Vesper Lynd is a double-agent actually working for SMERSH, but betrays them by falling in love with Bond. When she refuses to get Bond to talk after he is recovering from his torture, SMERSH give her a final warning to co-operate or get killed. She realises that there will be no escape other than telling Bond, but if she does that, it will be the end of their love. If she does not tell Bond, SMERSH may well kill them both. So she portrays her suicide as a rational act to save Bond) Sam Blacketer 23:55, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Spoilers end here.

[edit] Fines in Football

Maybe I'm just completely ignorant about things, but I don't get this. In a match between Feyenoord and the Blackburn Rovers a so-called Dutch 'supporter' threw beer at a British player. Even though Feyenoord did their best to track the supporter down (they succeeded), they were fined 12500 euros and the prosecutor still thinks this fine is too low. He's going to appeal. Why is the club being fined for the actions of a nutcase they can't possibly control? - 131.211.210.11 08:24, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Translation for Americans and Canadians: this question is about soccer, not American football. StuRat 11:19, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
  • As the articles about the mentioned teams will no doubt note. - Mgm|(talk) 12:52, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
I have sort of assumed that the logic is: Fine the club --> Hurt / humiliate / anger the supporters --> then the supporters will be motivated to control the unrulies in their ranks. Analogous to the way some schools treat children, but morally I am not convinced... --Seejyb 14:43, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
That logic sucks, it's more like: Fine the club --> Hurt / humiliate / anger the supporters --> have more unruly 'supporters' --> get fined again, again, again. - Mgm|(talk) 21:34, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Blue things in Tangier

Okay, here's what might prove to be the weirdest question ever posed in this forum. I'm writing a story in which an urchin boy living the streets of Tangier becomes addicted to the colour blue. Is anyone here familiar enough with that city to give me a list of blue objects/buildings/places he might find to give him his high? Thanks Adambrowne666 09:02, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

More dirty brown, as I remember. If you are writing a story set in Tangier you simply must read through the work of Paul Bowles, full of atmosphere and local colour. But I imagine you already have? Clio the Muse 09:09, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Is it still officially called Tangier in English? Google image Tangier and Google image Tanger. Can I ask why this particular city if you don't have the opportunity to visit it? Keria 11:14, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
No chance the boy could spend a summer in Chefchaouen, near Tangier? The buildings there are full of blue as depicted on Hey jack Kerouac's photos page or here too. I suppose you could expect to find a lot of blue and white Fassi or bleu-de-Fez tilings and pottery in Tangers too, for instance in the Dar el Makhzen's Fez room. ---Sluzzelin 11:34, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
A specific vibration knocks my eye, and my eye is only able to tell - this is blue. O what a beautiful blue ! Azulejos, skies, cat's eyes ... --DLL .. T 20:46, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
What wonderful answers -- thanks, all, so much - as to why I'm setting the story in Tanger when I've never been there, I can't give you a good answer except to say it started life as a riff on the Sailor sequence in Naked Lunch, and grew from there... Adambrowne666 22:44, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] British drama trivia

I'm hoping that someone can remind me of the name of this play, because I'm at a total loss, and the lack of an answer is eating away at my brain. I've searched high and low, but no luck. Anyway, it's about a guy who takes in a classless woman, teaches her to speak civilly, teaches her how to act appropriately, and then reintroduces her to society. I think he may even fall in love with her afterwards. Soo yeah, I can also remember a song that plays on the various pronunciations of some phrase they keep repeating. Any ideas?

Pygmalion? My Fair Lady? Educating Rita? ---Sluzzelin 12:27, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

All three are good examples, and I believe My Fair Lady is the one you're looking for specifically. Pretty Woman is another, more recent example, although it's set in the US. StuRat 12:30, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

"My Fair Lady" would be it. Much thanks for the rapid response. I guess the whole "British drama" thing was throwing me off.

The song may be The rain in Spain: Higgins: Ay not I, O not Ow, Don't say "Rine," say "Rain"... Eliza: The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain! Henry: By George, she's got it! By George, she's got it! -- Seejyb 14:52, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
The play is Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw, on which the musical My Fair Lady was based. Shaw's play, in turn, is based on on the ancient Greek myth of Galatea, retold by the Roman poet Ovid in Metamorphoses. Pygmalion, a sculptor, carves a statue out of ivory. It is so beautiful that he falls in love with his creation. The godess Venus takes pity on him and brings the statue to life. Clio the Muse 19:22, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] What was the name of General Charles Gordon's batman at Khartoum?

—The preceding unsigned comment was added by 82.26.239.144 (talk • contribs).

Have you checked Charles George Gordon?martianlostinspace 14:59, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

It doesn't seem to be there... you might want to check print references, specifically the journals kept by Gordon:

  • The Journals of Major-Gen. C.G.Gordon, C.B. at Khartoum introduced by A.Egmont Hake. London, Kegan Paul, Trench, 1885; reprinted, New York, 1969.
  • Khartoum Journal edited by Lord Elton. London, Kimber, 1961.

- Eron Talk 15:04, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Real-life consequences of new Quebec status

Hello,

Quebec has become a nation within Canada. Everyone made a lot of fuss about this, but what does it really mean? I would like to know through a few very real-life related questions :

- Do Identity Cards show whether or not a person from Canada is from Quebec or not?

- When a person immigrates (from outside Canada) to Quebec, does he have to prove he can speak French or learn it? What if he wants to stay in Quebec and become a Canadian?

- When a person from Ontario for instance, moves to Quebec, can he vote for the National Assembly of Quebec?

Thank you very much, Evilbu 19:38, 15 December 2006 (UTC)


What does it mean? That would depend on who you ask... a member of the Federal government, a member of the Quebec National Assembly, a member of the Parti Quebecois, etc. Regarding your questions,
ID Cards? We don't have national ID cards, but anything with an address on it would show the province, drivers licences are provincially issued, etc., so yes, but that has always been the case.
As far as I know, there is no specific requirement to know French to move to Quebec, from anywhere. People who want to emigrate to Canada permanently usually need to be competent in one of the two official languages, but that is all.
Any resident of a province is permitted to vote in that province's elections.
Hope this helps. - Eron Talk 20:03, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

I think that the effects are psychological only. But, such effects are vital precursors to more tangible improvements in Quebec-and-the-rest-of-Canada relationships.

Canada is, for better or for worse, dominated by Scottish and British descendants. In my perception, this English-speaking faction has always held animosity toward the French portion of Canada, Quebec. It as though, at the bottom of their hearts, they wish England had been able to eradicate the French settlers from Canada in the 17th century, back when such things were deemed acceptable. Personally though, I think all such shows of animosity are faceitious. Canadians are Canadians; they don't hate each other nearly as much as they may pretend to.

However, with the recent concession by the Anglo-Conservative government, which has given new credence to Quebec's authority, this attitude seems to be improving. Perhaps, given a few more years, animosity between Anglo-Canadians and Quebecois will be virtually forgotten. Vranak

Thanks! So I guess none of the things I brought up are changed by this new status! Another question while we're at it, if I may : do the Québécois speak English? I know the definition of "knowing a language" is extremely controversial, so again I will ask concrete questions :
- a random doctor, policeman,... do they know enough English to deal with people who don't speak French?
- do they watch English programs with subtitles or dubbed?
- last but not least : how crucial would it be for an Englishspeaking Canadian settling in Quebec, to learn French?

Evilbu 20:35, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

It is very similar to North-west Europe: nearly everybody under 40 will speak, read, and understand English quite well. Vranak 20:39, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Okay thanks again! And now the same question... how about the knowledge of the French language among the rest of the Canadians? Is it possible that they are even more likely to learn a third language than French? (And by the way, what is your definition of north-west Europe, does it contain Germany, France and Wallonia?)Evilbu 21:30, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
I believe North-West Europe does include Germany, possibly France also. I don't think this is a widly-established term though. | AndonicO Talk | Sign Here 21:47, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
You can also include countries like Denmark, Belguim, Switzerland, northern Italy, Iceland, and Sweden. Not sure about Greece, Finland, Romania, Czech Republic, and Norway -- but I would expect there to a fair knowledge of English in those countries too. Vranak
Regarding knowledge of French outside Quebec, Languages of Canada and Bilingualism in Canada should help you out there. In brief, "about 41% of Quebec residents and about 10% of the population residing outside Quebec claim to be bilingual (2001 Census). All together, 18% of Canadian residents speak both English and French." I believe the numbers for bilingual people outside Quebec are steadily rising; French immersion schooling is quite common in several parts of English Canada.
On another note, I'm not sure it's entirely fair to say that the "English-speaking faction has always held animosity toward the French portion... it as though, at the bottom of their hearts, they wish England had been able to eradicate the French settlers from Canada." That is perhaps a view of some English Canadians, but it hasn't been a majority view for decades. And, it would be just as true to say that a portion of French Canadians have always resented English Canada, for in the bottom of their hearts they wish the Conquest had never happened. - Eron Talk 22:01, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
I have a unique perspective as an Anglophone from the United States who has visited the province of Quebec several times and who filed an application for permanent residence in Canada (before Quebec was officially declared a nation). First of all, I must disagree with Vranak's statement that nearly every Francophone in Quebec under 40 speaks, reads, and understands English quite well. This might be true in Montreal, but even there I am doubtful about people with working-class jobs who have not attended university. When I have traveled outside of Montreal, I have found that nearly everyone under 40 can speak a few words of English, but I have sometimes had to fall back on my own rather rudimentary French, even with younger people, because their English is inadequate. I would guess that, outside of Montreal, no more than half of the adult Quebecois (of all classes) can communicate proficiently in English.
As for applying to immigrate, there are indeed special French-language requirements for immigrants intending to reside in Quebec. There is a special application and a special set of rules for immigrants to Quebec. Now, there may be nothing to stop a landed immigrant from moving to Quebec from another province once he or she has been admitted to Canada. But there is a separate process for immigrants intending to move to Quebec from the outset. This was true before the nation declaration and probably did not change after it.
Marco polo 02:51, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Justice system of gold rush mining towns.

Does anyone have information on this? No article. DebateKid 19:55, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

This website has some information:[19].It's about the justice system in the mining town of Cariboo,but I'm sure many of the steps taken to enforce the law there would have been taken in other mining towns as well.Apparently James Douglas (Governor) initiated a mining licence system.He then hired policemen.There were also several courts established:the Gold Commissioner's Court,who ruled in cases regarding the gold mines;the civil court,who ruled in cases regarding disputes not connected with the gold mines;the bankruptcy court,for businesses who had to close because they weren't making enough money to stay open;and the police court,which ruled in more serious matters such as murder.Serenaacw 22:38, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Race car accident where the driver's brother was killed by a racetrack ambulance?

I'm trying to find out which race this happened in. The driver's brother ran across the track to help but was killed by a speeding ambulance. I think it was a US race, and definitely before 1981. Thanks 172.200.50.17 20:04, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Euripides

'Citation needed', I can supply that, namely Aristotle, /de Arte Poetica/ 1460b33-34. I've tried several times to fix this on the Wikipedia site, but 'tis not as user-friendly as it should be.

I think you probably need to post the above to Talk:Euripides, not here. --24.147.86.187 00:34, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] December 16

[edit] German philosopher quotation

"Some things cannot be said simply and some things cannot be said in French"

I think I saw this somewhere, but cannot find the source -- if I remember right, a German philosopher, my guess being Hegel or Schopenhauer. But I could not find the quote under these names, or under simple + French, etc. And, of course, the text is not exact, and I have no idea how it may be in German.

Why is there no page about Juggy Gales from the Brill Building era?

[edit] Nick Cave/Wings of Desire

Does anyone know of any early Nick Cave albums that sound similar to his appearance in Wings of Desire?

[edit] Science



[edit] December 13

[edit] de Broglie / Compton wavelengths

What would happen if, in order to gain as high a resolution as possible of a particle, the probing photons' wavelengths were decreased until it was of similar order of size of the particle's de Broglie wavelength? Would the circumstances be different if its Compton wavelength was considered instead? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Icthyos (talk • contribs).

I presume you mean "measure a particle's position to as high a resolution as possible", and I linked your articles. This makes the Compton wavelength more relevant, as it does not depend on the subject particle's momentum; as the article says, if you use photons of sufficient energy to match the particle's Compton wavelength, the photon has energy equal to that of the subject and is therefore (in a sense) equivalent to it. The measurement of the particle is thus confounded by the fact that your measurement is as much artifact as it is observation. For the de Broglie wavelength, you are matching the subject's momentum rather than its energy; I believe the important point there would be that the uncertainty in the measurement due to the wavelength of the photon would be equal to the inherent uncertainty of the particle's position and thus no further improvements in resolution would be possible. I believe also that the Compton wavelength is always the smaller of the two (if we consider the particle's relativistic mass in defining it, which I believe is appropriate). Does that help? --Tardis 18:26, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Thanks, that does. I'm more interested in pushing the limits of the uncertainty principle though - as I understand it, space is quantized, and am trying to understand if this can be shown from Heisenberg's - ie, does dx have a minimum, as dp increases, and how can this be estimated from a thought experiment? I've tried a variety of methods, but am unsure of what estimates to use for certain values. (I'm guessing an accurate guess would yield the Planck length? Icthyos 18:54, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
The uncertainty principle should not be taken too literally - it does not really say that "space is quantized". It's really a relationship that comes out of pairs of conjugate variables, and can be beautifully illustrated with Fourier transforms and time-frequency uncertainty - but this is a digression. What you might be interested in, are say, coherent states of light, particularily squeezed coherent states. Very active area of reasearch - exploring the sort of ideas I think you're curious about. --HappyCamper 05:19, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Serotonin/Melatonin in nightshift workers

--NiteRN 17:02, 13 December 2006 (UTC)I have been working part-time nights (5 on 9 off) for ? 10yrs. I have been having problems lately with anxiety effects - palpitations, choking sensation, PAC's. These have reduced dramatically with Effexor 75mg/day but I would like to get off it. Symptoms rebound drastically. How long do they last? Would taking some 5-htp help? I also have chronic GI issues - Could that cause problems with serotonin? Thanks--NiteRN 17:02, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

We cannot provide medical advice here - I suggest you contact a medical professional. For more information on some of the topics you mention, you might want to read our articles on Circadian rhythm and serotonin. Hipocrite - «Talk» 17:09, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
NiteRN, I do not think you should despair. You have the right to ask for help in obtaining appropriate information and Wikipedia has much more approriate information for you. Venlafaxine is specifically discussed in the article on SSRI Discontinuation syndrome. The article notes the prolonged withdrawal regime which may be necessary to avoid distressing symptoms of withdrawal ("discontinuation syndrome" = pharmaceutical spin for "withdrawal"), and describes the symptoms. Regimes for reducing discomfort on withdrawal include a very gradual reduction in dose (over 6 to 12 weeks), and changing to a SSRI with a long half life, e.g. fluoxetine. However, you say that you are experiencing a return of your original symptoms, which suggests that the cause for the original problem has not disappeared. So may be wise to consult a health professional, and try to work out some approach to resolving whatever is causing the symptoms, as opposed to simply suppressing symptoms. This may well include addressing your work situation. I cannot find any evidence that 5-HT makes a difference to the anxiety state or the medication withdrawal. Your question about the gut and 5-HT is addressed at IBS (5-HT), while the association with your more general problems is noted at IBS - Stress. Night time and shift work is a stressor, but it cannot be considered "the only" explanation for your difficulties, else all shift workers should have the same. Therefore one would not expect the use of melatonin to be of benefit, but your doctor may think that it could be part of a more comprehensive solution to your difficulties. --Seejyb 22:40, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

Another option may be light therapy. StuRat 05:20, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Or, for that matter, try and get on an earlier shift. It'll do wonders for your social life, which may help with the anxiety issues. Cernen Xanthine Katrena 12:57, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Helium to lift 5kg

What would the aprox. minimal diametre of a spherical helium balloon have to be in order to slowly lift 5kg off the ground? It doesn't have to be very precise. Thank you Keria 17:29, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

The density of Helium is 0.1786 kg/m3, the density of air is 1.2 kg/m3: therefor x cubic metres of Helium will be ~1.02 kg lighter than air.. and so will have a lifting capacity of ~1kg. So I guess just more than 5 cubic meters should do it.83.100.254.21 17:46, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

That's r=cube root of 1,1936... ? How do I solve that? Secondary school is 10 years away. Keria 18:24, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

Since you join secondary school at the age off 11, your dam sophisticated 1 year old.
V = \frac{4}{3}\pi r^3
\sqrt[3]{\frac{3V}{4 \pi}} = r
r = 1.06078442m\,
Ok? Philc TECI 19:36, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
er...I meant college 10 years ago. Thank you very much. Keria 19:53, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Air pushes up against 1 m^3 of helium with a force of 1.0214 kg. Since 1 m^3 of helium can lift 1.0214 kg, a 1 kg load will require 0.97904 m^3 of helium to lift (1/1.0214). Therefore, a 5 kg load will require 4.8952 m^3 of helium to lift. That's equivilent to a sphere with r=1.05332 m. If we assume the mass of the balloon is 46 g, then the radius becomes 1.057 m. --Bowlhover 21:17, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
As a matter of curiosity, why'd you pick 46 g for the estimated mass of the balloon? Does this come from some real-life balloon? I'd've guessed that a 2 m diameter balloon would be a in the hundreds of grams. --Anonymous, December 13, 23:30 (UTC).

[edit] Parallel Line Assay

I work frequently with pharacopoeial compendia (USP, EP) and I'm having a problem with a calculation method they describe. For assays in which the response curve of different concentrations of a standard is compared to a similar curve generated for a sample of unknown potency, the compendia specify fitting regression lines to the curve and calculating a potency for the unknown sample using a "Parallel line assay". Now, I've done similar things before where a potency calculation is based simply on a comparison between the slopes of the two regression lines, but I can find no reference on how to do this calculation. I get lots of links wanting to sell me software, but none explaining how it's done. Does anyone here have experience with this calculation? Since the main use of this seems to be limited to bioassays, I thought this may be a more appropriate venue for the questions as opposed to the Math desk. --Mabris 17:55, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Lack of Antigens

Is it possible for a microorganism to have no antigens on it's surface and if it is, are there any around like that today? Also, would the immune system be able to combat the microorganism if is has no antigens (i.e. the white blood cells cannot make antibodys to fit nothing)? Thanks Herbynator 22:24, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

An antigen is any fragment of a molecule sufficiently different from self-molecules to be recognized by an antibody. It is very difficult to imagine anything living that would not have a hundred potentially antigenic bulges, curves, and irregularities. Certainly no examples in the natural world. alteripse 01:13, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Rather than have no surface antigens, some microbes switch antigens. Take a look at An immune evasion mechanism for spirochetal persistence in Lyme borreliosis and this. --JWSchmidt 05:29, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Banyan trees and adventitious roots

Any botany sleuths on this board?

I'm looking for the name of particular species of banyan tree where the adventitious roots become unusually robust and complex. During my childhood in Florida there was one in my town that had grown its trunks into a three pronged tunnel large enough for a kid to walk through (which we did gleefully). Although Florida has large numbers of introduced species, this particular tree was probably well over 100 years old so I guess it was native. Wikipedia's article doesn't tell me more than I already know. DurovaCharge! 23:35, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

I often use this guys website for the curious plant stuff. And sure enough he has your tree there too. Is the one you're thinking of Ficus bengalensis? it is probably the biggest one and in Florida too. David D. (Talk) 00:16, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Thanks for the link. DurovaCharge! 02:08, 14 December 2006 (UTC)


[edit] December 14

[edit] Why do faster moving fluids have lower pressure?

I understand the concept that as fluids (i.e. water/air) flow faster, their pressure drops. But what I don't understand is why. Please explain? --AstoVidatu 03:16, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Bernoulli's principle may be helpful. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 03:33, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

A fluid rushing through a pipe is composed of molecules, and those molecules are all bouncing around, off of each other, and off of the walls of the pipe. How often they smack into the walls of the pipe results in pressure. For a given flow rate, they bounce into the walls at a certain rate which we then measure as the pressure. Now, if the flow of the fluid through the pipe is increased, think of what happens to the molecules... they are traveling faster down the pipe, and so fewer of them will smack into the pipe in any one particular place. Fewer molecules smacking into the wall of the pipe = lower pressure. At least that's how I remember it being explained to me in high school physics. 71.112.115.246 05:27, 14 December 2006 (UTC):P

[edit] Wind and toilets

I live on the fifth floor of a ten-floor apartment building. When the wind speed gets up around 30 miles per hour, the water level in the toilet bowl is an inch lower than it is in calm weather. Why is this? --67.185.172.158 04:18, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Plumbing drains, including toilets, have in addition to the pipe which carries waste down to the sewer, an up vent which goes up to the roof. Its purpose is to prevent the draining water from siphoning the water out out of the U shaped trap, which is there to prevent sewer gasses from entering the living area. One way in which a high wind level could cause a drop in the toilet bowl level is if the air rushing past the vent on the roof lowers the pressure. If the air pressure in the vent stack were lower than the air pressure in the bathroom, the water level in the bowl would drop. One inch of water is not a huge pressure difference. Edison 04:39, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Hmmmm... why does this comment appear above mine when the timestamp is ten minutes later? Anyway, that's what I was thinking: Bernoulli's principle in action. —Keenan Pepper 04:45, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Where is independent of when. An accomodation to minimize deletion. Adaptron 08:07, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Hmmmm... could this be related to the previous question? I honestly don't know. —Keenan Pepper 04:29, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
(Expanding on Edison's comments...) The water in the trap of your toilet bowl acts as a manometer between the air pressure inside your house and the air pressure in the plumbing vent stack. When the wind whips across the vent stack, the venturi effect lowers the pressure in the stack and the water in the toilet-bowl manometer shifts towards the vent stack. Unfortunately, unlike in a true manometer, it then sloshes over the upper edge of the trap and falls down the drain, permanently lowering the water level in your toilet bowl, at least until you flush the toilet and refill the trap again. If you catch this phenomenon in action, you may actually observe waves and motion in the water in the bowl.
Atlant 12:50, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Digital camera shutters

Is it correct to say that all digital single-lens reflex cameras have mechanical shutters but no live-preview digital cameras do, or is the situation more complicated than that? In cameras without a mechanical shutter, how exactly is the "shutter speed" (integration time) controlled? —Keenan Pepper 04:28, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Not quite.. The digital camera doesn't need a shutter - the ccd can recieve light all the time - and not be overexposed like a film. In fact a digital slr doesn't have a shutter proper as a normal slr - both will have the mirror, but only the non digital version has a focal plane shutter. So no digital camera needs a shutter - but a digital slr will have the moving mirror (which is a bit like a shutter).
'Shutter speed time' - the ccd is an array of light sensitive components - light falling on an element of the array will produce a voltage/current/resistance change - The longer this current is measured the more accurately it is known. So digital cameras do have a close analogy of shutter speed - the exposure time - short exposures will have more noise, longer exposures will have less noise but be prone to motion blur. Hope that answers all your questions.

See also digital single-lens reflex camera#Digital SLR versus SLR-like and compact cameras, note that some SLR like cameras do away with the mirror as well. 83.100.174.70 11:34, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

The description in this review of a DSLR says that with full frame transfer CCDs, "a mechanical shutter is absolutely required to control the start / stop measurement of light", which seems to directly contradict you. —Keenan Pepper 20:49, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
"Your typical consumer digital camera uses what is called an Interline Transfer CCD, put simply the CCD can itself control the start / stop of when it measures light falling on it, otherwise known as an electronic shutter..." I'd suggest that this camera is aimed at people with more money than sense or who want to 'live in the past' why quote something saying " seems to directly contradict you" when actually reading the page confirms what I've been saying???87.102.19.95 22:58, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
You said "no digital camera needs a shutter". It says that some digital cameras do need shutters — the exact logical negation. I asked a question, you answered incorrectly, get over it. —Keenan Pepper 03:45, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Actually they don't need shutters - the transfer of info. from the ccd is done electronically - using an electronic switch - there's no reason why at the start of an exposure the ccd could be blanked - and then at the end the resultant set of electrical signals be transfered over. Even in the case given above, so as I said "no digital camera needs a shutter" . And learn some manners as well.87.102.8.6 14:44, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
As the article says, that is only for full frame ccds. not all dSLRs use full frame ccds, eg. the Pentax *ist DS doesn't. Xcomradex 21:27, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
But does it have a mechanical shutter? —Keenan Pepper 22:14, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Google says yes. Why does it have a mechanical shutter if it doesn't need one? —Keenan Pepper 22:16, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Suggest it's unneccessary but no doubt some advertising wanker has convinced people that "mechanical shutter = good quality" therefore a perferctly good digital camera is crippled because some idiot will buy it - and at 5 times the price of the equivalent product no doubt - does that sound like a realistic appraisal of 'the way things work'.. eg. Why buy a £5000 rolex when a £1 digital watch keeps better time? (<end of rant>)87.102.19.95 23:11, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
What evidence are you basing this on? Why should I belive you? —Keenan Pepper 03:45, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Truth:

  • SOME DSCs (CHEAP ones mostly) have NO shutter.
  • MANY OTHER DSCs (MID- OR ABOVE) have shutters.

How to observe it:

  1. Set your DSC to manual exposure (not every DSC supports this function)
  2. Set to the widest aperture setting.
  3. Set a reasonably long exposure time. Maybe more than 1 second.
  4. Turn your DSC around so you can see the inside of its lens mechanism.
  5. If you cannot see the shutter mechanism, you may adjust the mechanical zoom (usually wide angle).
  6. If you still cannot see it, get a lamp or a flashlight.
  7. If you have a wide-angle adapter, you may want to use it to magnify the mechanism.
  8. When you think you see the mechanism, take a picture.
  9. SEE! SEE! SEE! SEE! SEE! SEE! SEE! SEE!
  10. If you cannot see it, adjust the zoom setting and take another picture.
  11. SEE! SEE! SEE! SEE! SEE! SEE! SEE! SEE!

Under the MANUAL mode, you may find your fastest shutter setting be controlled by the aperture setting. Take my Canon PowerShot S3 IS for example, the fastest shutter speed is 1/3200 s under f/8.0 and 1/1600 under f/2.7 (aperture wide). This is a tell-tale sign of mechanical shutter.

If your camera supports long exposure, you may find it calibrates itself after a long exposure. Take my cam as an example, if I do a 15 s long exposure, it would:

  1. Open the shutter and expose the CCD for 15 s. (Viewfinder ON)
  2. Close the shutter. (Viewfinder OFF)
  3. Save the picture to a buffer.
  4. Expose the CCD for another 15 s while the shutter is closed.
  5. Save the noise "picture" to the buffer as well.
  6. Calculate an improved picture with the noise data.
  7. Save the improved picture to the memory card.
  8. Open the shutter. (Viewfinder ON)

The level of noise is subject to many real-time conditions such as the temperature and the age of your circuits. You cannot measure it in the factory and use the fixed value later. I only have one DSC so I cannot take a movie of it. Maybe you guys can take a shutter-open-shutter-closed movie. A camera with a larger and better CCD may not need to calibrate for the noise. My camera does not have a B or T exposure setting. It is simply not very practical to use a noisy chip to take a really long exposure. -- Toytoy 15:42, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] chest muscles

can the dumbells be used to work the chest muscles?

YES. Check the links for more information. I suggest particularly the PDF file that's the 5th or so link down. Anchoress 06:53, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Dumbell flat, incline or decline bench press (like barbell benchpresses but using dumbells) and dumbell flyes are the most common exercises. Some would recommend pullovers as well. As Anchoress says, you need to look up how to do them. --jjron 12:52, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] William Giaque

"He developed a magnetic refrigeration device of his own design in order to achieve this outcome, getting closer to absolute zero than many scientists had thought possible. This trailblazing work, apart from proving one of the fundamental laws of nature led to stronger steel, better gasoline and more efficient processes in a range of industries."

um....anyone know why this led to stronger steel and better gasoline??

As for the steel, see Basic oxygen process. It's likely that some oil refining process likes to have pure oxygen as well.
Atlant 13:12, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
given that the oxygen is as far as I know not made by a magnetic process, and oil refining does not need any o2 - unless you want explosions.. I'd say this is bullshit, an example of scientific discoveries being totally overplayed in terms of their industrial significance. However maybe I'm missing something - but I would suggest an ill informed journalist wrote this..(it's William Francis Giauque)83.100.174.70 13:24, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Environment

How badly have we screwed ourselves? What will the world be like at the next turn of the century (guesses allowed)Sashafklein 07:11, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

lol, you have quite the hubris to believe that hairless apes can significantly affect the biosphere. Read Lewis Thomas' " Lives of a Cell".
If you already believe that humans have ruined the enivoronment, I shan't try to convince you otherwise. Simply understand that nature changes, the world changes, not necessarily for the worse. It is impossible to accept that anything is static without suffering a mental breakdown or becoming a crusader for various causes that are outside of your control. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 70.225.160.106 (talk • contribs).
That's one way of looking at it. Proponents of this are: The Bush administration, Michael Crichton, and anyone in the oil or car business. The other way of looking at it is that we're up to our knees in...trouble, and still digging. Proponents of this are: Anyone who's ever studied science. A bit of hyperbole, but that's the gist of the situation. yandman 08:35, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Unfortunately, the billions of people in the developing world need food, shelter, and water. And unfortunately for the eco-crusaders, this sometimes comes at the cost of the environment. Sorry, but people need to live, and the environment and species diversity comes second place.
How do you expect to convince a Brazilian lumberjack to quit his job and stop feeding his family because it bothers the conscience of some yuppie in the USA?
Sure, I'm being a little polemical, but these are things that need to be considered. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 70.225.160.106 (talk • contribs).
Isn't it just wonderful that there are still poor people around whose indigence we rich people can use to justify our own excesses! --Rallette 11:49, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Recommended reading on this topic includes our articles on global warming, climate change, attribution of recent climate change and economics of global warming. While there is a fair amount of (especially political) debate on this subject, the scientific consensus seems to be that while we're not completely "screwed" yet, things are not looking particularly rosy, and will only get worse unless something is done. — QuantumEleven 12:09, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
And in response to the unsigned contributions above, and also because it's very relevant, add to that list overpopulation. --jjron 12:34, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
I am of the opinion that all harm done to the environment is manifested just as it is. That is to say, we need not worry that what we've done in the past has already doomed us in the future. The world is what it is. I don't buy 'doomsaying' at all, though pundits like Al Gore make a load of money doing it. Cheers. Vranak 16:50, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Just to butt in, we're not very good at guessing how it will be in 100 years. I wouldn't even guess at all. The margin of error is extremely large, and we haven't guessed how it will be hundred years in the future many times before to collect data on that. Climate systems are although cyclic, they are chaotic and nonlinear. We're still trying to figure out what happened in the past and present. X [Mac Davis] (DESK|How's my driving?) 22:10, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Next century? Meteorologists can't tell me the weather next Tuesday!

[edit] canonical partition function

As V increases at constant T, why does En decrease?

[edit] units

what kind of value would be in units of K*cm (within P-chem)? These are not HW questions I'm attempting to reverse engineer my pchem midterm test questions from my graded test. Thanks.

The constant in Wien's displacement law is 0.290 cm K. —Keenan Pepper 03:51, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] milk shake

how come whenever I eat a milk shake I get really dehydrated afterwards (1-3 hours after)?

Can you clarify what you mean by 'dehydrated'? Do you just mean you get thirsty or something else? From our dehydration article "Medically, dehydration is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition in which the body contains an insufficient volume of water for normal functioning." I find it hard to believe a milkshake is doing this to you! --jjron 12:27, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
jees why does everyone here have to be such a Technical Tanya? dehydrated, really thirsty, yellow piss, etc. Great Living Luci, how do you live in society if you take everyone seriously? (maybe I'll post that one in Misc..)
Maybe he means he gets the runs. --Russoc4 15:39, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
We're not well equipped to give medical advice, sorry. I suggest referring such questions to your doctor. Ned Wilbury 16:38, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
I agree about the medical advice. And ask for a blood test; dehydration after consuming sugar is a symptom of diabetes. Anchoress 17:00, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Thirst (rather than dehydration) an hour or two afterwards does indeed suggest transient hyperglycemia and may be an early stage of diabetes. Dehydration cannot happen in two hours and is not a subjective sensation, but assuming he means thirst, anything that raises your plasma osmolality will make you feel immediately thirsty, and glucose is the prime candidate. A glucose tolerance test will confirm or refute it. alteripse 01:40, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

May I ask where you are getting your milkshakes from? Vranak 23:41, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Simple, most milkshakes are quite salty. Consuming salty things makes you thirsty. A Burger King king-sized vanilla shake contains 640 mg of sodium. StuRat 03:47, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

There will also be a monumnetal difference in how a Burger King milkshake makes you feel, and how a lovely homemade milkshake made in a modest agricultural town with good grass and good cows will make you feel! Vranak 16:07, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Conservation of Energy and Rolling a ball down a ramp

Hello. I was wondering if anyone would be able to help me with a query about my physics coursework? What we have to do is talk about the conservation of energy, and how energy is never created or destroyed, and simply changes form, and then to prove this theory correct we had to roll a ball down a ramp at different heights, and time how long it took for the ball to reach the bottom. Thats my planning and observing stages completed, but then for the analysis we have to link our experiment up to the theory of the conservation of energy, and I have absolutely no idea how it's relevent, am I missing an equation or anything? I would greatly appreciate any help! Thanks. --88.108.21.142 07:38, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

OK. First, the experiment's wrong. But we'll get to that later, and don't worry, it's your teacher's fault. But telling him why he's wrong will surely give you extra points... You know how to calculate "gravitational potential" (or something like that) energy? Go and fetch the formula. You know how to calculate kinetic energy? Go and fetch that one, too. Hopefully you know the weight of the ball. Now, did you measure the speed of the ball at the end of the ramp, or did you measure the slope of the ramp? (If you did neither, you're in trouble...). yandman 08:23, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
If you measured the speed of the ball, you just need to use all the formulas you've collected. If you've got the slope, you can find the projection of the gravitational force on the ramp (time to get out your sin and cos..), and then you're going to use Newton's laws to find out what you need.
And the experiment is wrong because it's not taking into account the fact that the ball is rolling. It takes energy to make something spin, and you're only measuring its speed, not its spin. Therefore, you're not taking into account all the energy the ball has at the end of the ramp, and if you do the experiment accurately enough, you'll see that the "final energy" is lower than the starting energy. Added to that, there's the friction losses, but they're negligible. yandman 08:29, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
energy which goes to rolling is also likely negligable compared to the measurement techniques being used. If you want brownie, look up the formula that goes into rolling, and put an estimate on friction. Actually fuck that, derive the formula for the energy of rolling —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 70.225.160.106 (talk • contribs) 08:32, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
but computing the rotational energy requires you to find the moment of inertia of the ball, which can be computed easily from the mass and radius if the ball is uniform density or hollow or something like that, but otherwise may be hard to measure --Spoon! 09:49, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
IGNORE this number - I think I made a mistake..((For a solid ball rolling at speed v it's 0.3mv2, i think.)) See rotational energy and rotational inertia83.100.174.70 14:20, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

I'm guessing that at the level you're at (A level?) the energy due to rotational inertia is ignored.(In any case it's sensible to solve the simplified case first and then include other variables..)

If I've understood correctly you need a link showing the relevance of conservation of energy to your experiment.. This is simple. The total energy should remain the same. In this case it means that the sum of kinetic energy (1/2mv2) and potential energy (mg x height) remains constant.. So if the ball drops y metres, it has lost mgy joules of potential energy (mass times gravity = force, force times distance = energy/work) so that energy lost should be compensated by in increase in kinetic energy ie 1/2mv2=mgh so v2=2gh. So you need the speed of the ball at a given height - you can get the speed from the slope of a graph of distance versus time. Did you measure the time to different points or just to the bottom?83.100.174.70 12:51, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

I'll give you the rest of the clues.. Distance = vt +1/2at2 - you know the time, the initial velocity v should have been 0, a is the acceleration (=g sin f, where f = slope of the 'ramp' an angle), the final velocity is v=at, a as before, you measured t, so you can get the final velocity, and hence the final kinetic energy 1/2mv2</sup), the change in potential energy is mg x height. If you're still stuck ask again..83.100.174.70 13:16, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] e.coli

where can i get the perfect ultra structure of Escherichia coli bacterium?--hima 11:20, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Try checking the external links at e coli. X [Mac Davis] (DESK|How's my driving?) 18:23, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Transmission of communication signal along with high voltage transmission line

Is it possible to transmit communication signal along with high voltage transmission line by varying frequency of communication signal

...................nivas.... " nivasfellow @ yahoo.co.in"

Yes. It's been tried and tested. yandman 11:33, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
See power line communication. Weregerbil 11:50, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
By "varying frequency of communication signal" do you mean amplitude modulation at other than the power frequency, or do you mean frequency modulation ? Various systems have been used for many decades as described in the article cited above. Electric utilities use amplitude modulated signals or unmodulated carrier transmitted over power lines for telemetry and for protective relaying. They have also used them for radiotelephone communications. One problem with using these systems for communicatind the state of the system back to the main dispatch center is that if the lines are knocked down, shorted to ground, or they overload and fail, is that the information transmission is lost with the power oine, leaving the dispatchers less able to communicate with generating stations and substations. Wavetraps have to be installed wherever transformers are connected to the powerline, which are band reject filters to isolate the radio signal from being shorted out by the transformer windings. They have to be tuned to the frequency of the carrier current signal. Frequencies below the AM broadcast band are typically used. Low power college AM radio services have been piped to dorms using carrier current at normal AM broadcast frequencies; the building wiring carries the signal to each room, without a broadcast license. Edison 15:16, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Science question on Miscellaneous Desk

Just a note to point out a science question on the Miscellaneous Desk:

If any regulars here could help over there, that would be great. Carcharoth 11:54, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Maxwell–Boltzmann statistics

In Maxwell–Boltzmann statistics#A derivation of the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution can anyone explain what "even though the ad hoc correction for Boltzmann counting is ignored, the results remain valid." means ie what is the ad hoc correction?

Also in the derivation the modal distribution ie the distribution giving greatest value of W is found by ".. taking the derivative with respect to Ni, and setting the result to zero and solving for Ni yields the Maxwell-Boltzmann population numbers", but the mode is not the average - isn't the distribution supposed to represent the average distribution based on the assumptions. i.e. it should give a mean distribution and not the mode.83.100.174.70 12:39, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

I don't know what the ad hoc correction is referring to, I've never heard of it. It sounds vague. As for your second question, the MB distribution can be interpreted as a probability distribution, so you can get all sorts of things like the mean, and the mode. It tells you much more than the average. The procedure you described does indeed give you the mode. The mode corresponds to the single peak of the curve, so if you differentiate this, the new function will be zero at precisely that point. --HappyCamper 15:55, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
I was thinking that as the derived equation (on the wikipedia page) gives an energy distribution based on the mode - isn't this wrong for a statistical treatment - in terms of statistics the mode is definately not the average (in most/many cases). The mean(averaged) distribution is in fact a noticably different shape..(and a different equation). Interpreting the modal distribution as a probability distribution is wrong, eg if I toss two dice - take the modal value (ie 7) - I can not use this as a probability..83.100.174.70 16:08, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
You know, I think the articles need to be fixed up a bit. I also I think I've misinterpreted your question. Have you taken a look at Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution? That was what I was thinking of, in particular, the equations at the bottom of the page. As far as I can tell, Ni itself is not the average, nor the mode in your original question. I'm sorry, the best I can do for now is to direct you to another source. If you have McQuarrie and Simon - (physical chemistry, a molecular approach) on hand, see chapter 17 pg. 693 - I think the idea you want to get out of this, is that (I will quote): "The probability that a system in an ensemble is in the state j with energy Ej(N,V) is proportional to e^{-E_j(N,V)/k_B T}". That is the crux of a lot of results that follow in "classical" statistical mechanics. --HappyCamper 16:50, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Haven't got that specific book but have seen many similar.. My point is that the above (both) take an approximation to the actual average distribution - by taking the modal distribution (the one with the highest W - number of ways to obtain it). Unfortunately this discards all other distributions that contribute to the actual average distribution. This fact is often overlooked but I see no reason why it should not be mentioned as a 'flaw' in the derived equation in wikipedia even though some reputable books omit to mention it.83.100.174.70 17:06, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Looking at Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution#Distribution of speeds raises even more problems as I see it.. if probability(En) = fn(En) {where fn(x)=ae-bx} then for a noble gas (psuedo ideal gas) 1/2mv2=E therefore v=sqrt (2En/m) . - but as fn(En) is an inversly exponential graph (as given) then the speed distribution will also drop off consistently as En increases - therefor not having a bump as shown in the diagram or supplied equation. seeMaxwell–Boltzmann distribution#Distribution of speeds. So what on earth is going on???83.100.174.70 17:06, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Ah, okay, I think you are using "modal" differently from how I am using it. The approximation is justified in part, by the extremely large numbers involved, but you are correct to say that there are a number of subtleties associated with this process. f(E_n) is not the same as f(v) - there is a change of variables that takes place in that derivation. --HappyCamper 19:02, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
The derivation finds the distribution that has the greatest number of ways to obtain it ie W is maximum, this distribution is the modal one (see mode), the mean, or average distribution would take all the possible distributions (weighted by the number of ways to obtain them ie multiply by W as defined in the article).
Unfortunately the approximation is not justified (if you wish to use the distribution as a measure of probabilities) - since the average distribution is very different from the modal distribution.83.100.174.70 19:17, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
The change of variables of course makes a difference - it the case of molecular speeds the x axis is scaled as the square root eg a plot with x~energy, becomes x~sqrt(energy) - this would cause a change in measured slope at a given point - but does not cause a change in form of the graph - eg from inverse exponential (e-kE) (note no hump) to the form given in Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution#Distribution of speeds (the graph now has a hump, why??); something is very wrong here.83.100.174.70 19:22, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Trick chemistry question.

Hey! I have a chemistry question here that I think maybe a trick question. It asks: Find the number of oxygen atoms in 25g of CO2. Is it 2? Or is it (after stoichemetry) 6.8 x 1023.
The way i thought of it is that there are two Oxygen atoms in the CO2 compound. But there are A LOT of Oxygen molecules in the 25g of it. Thanks for any feedback! --Agester 14:35, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

There are no oxygen molecules in 25g of Co2, there are only Co2 molecules. It's not a trick question. Just divide 25g by (2*molar mass of oxygen + molar mass of carbon), multiply by a mole, multiply by two. Is that how you got 6.8E23? yandman 14:43, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Yeah, there's two oxygen atoms in each molecule of CO2, but there's lots of CO2 molecules in 25g of the stuff. As Yandman says, do the maths. --jjron 14:55, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for the help on that question! I thought it'd be the 6.8E23. However, I'm stuck on another tricky chem question. I don't feel the need to spam this desk with several topics of chem question but i'm really really stuck. The density of a 1.95 Molar solution of KBr in water is 1.16 g/mL. Find the molality of this solution. The formula weight of KBr is 119.0 AMU.

What I tried was assuming it's one liter as your volume. Therefore you'd have 1.95 moles. Convert that 1.95 moles into grams which came out to be 232.05g (or .23205 kg) and then tried to get the molality now by dividing moles over kg and got 8.4 Mol/kg. Which isn't a choice here.
Second attempt i tried to assume okay. I have one liter. Lets use that for the density. 1160g/1000mL. And tried to divide my moles into that and got 1.68 mol/kg which isn't a choice either.
What am I doing wrong? I know the second attempt was badly incorrect from the start but it was worth a stab. --Agester 16:09, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

I would not expect the question to be constructed in this way...here would be my approach:
  1. First find the molar mass of CO2 - that would be about 12 + 16 + 16 = 44 g / mol
  2. Now, find the number of moles of CO2 you would have. That would be (25 g )/(44 g / mol) = 25/44 mol
  3. Now, for each mole of CO2, there are 2 moles of O atoms. So that means, there are 25/44 * 2 = 25/22 mols of O atoms
  4. Now, for each mole there are an Avogadro's number of particles. So that gives you (25/22 mols) * (6.022 *1023) = 6.843 *1023 which is precisely the answer that you got originally!
The core concept behind this question does not focus on densities, or whatnot. The question is really focusing on whether you understand what a "mole" is and whether you understand the relationships between the ratios of atoms that are in CO2 - you do not need to be concerned with the actual connectivity that exists between the atoms - that comes much later. --HappyCamper 16:56, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
I read the question several times and was unable to think, like a robot in Star Trek given two comands at once. Bu what I get from the question is that the concept of molarity is hard to get for a non chemist.
200 people jump out of a plane. The density of air is zz pounds/cubicfoot all people fall in to water with a density of 1 ton/cubicmeter. How many people are there in the water. --Stone 17:10, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
No the questioner wants to convert molarity to molality. The number you need is that water is 1 kg per liter. So a 1.95 molar solution divided by the mass of solution (1 kg) will get the answer (assuming you have a dilute solution at STP) Rmhermen 18:44, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

So if I interpreted that right. Does that mean the Molality of the solution is 1.95 Mol/kg all along? After all if the assumed amount of water is 1 kg/L wouldn't that make the volume 1L mass 1kg therefore:
1 molar = 1.95 mole/ 1L
1.95 mole / 1 kg = 1.95 mol/kg
(and I assume it's STP too because the question doesn't list any other information on Temp or pressure.) However, what does the density have to do with this then? Just useless information? --Agester 21:08, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

The confounding quantity here is of course the volume change associated with adding the KBr to water. We know that for a volume V of solute (with mass ρV), we create a mixture of volume V' by adding a mass MV'μ of the solvent (M=molarity; μ=molar mass), so that the mass of the solution is ρV + MV'μ. We still know neither V nor V', but we additionally know \rho'=\frac{\rho V+MV'\mu}{V'}. From that we can derive the ratio \frac{V'}{V} — obviously their individual values are irrelevant — and then calculate m:=\frac{MV'}{\rho V} (m=molality). It all has to do with the volume change and (confusingly) with the different systems (before and after mixing) in reference to which molarity and molality are defined. Does that help? --Tardis 22:33, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

I'm not quite to sure what you mean Tardis. What is p' (or p prime?). Most of your work there is a little confusing to me. Like i'm not sure what you mean by V' either. In addition, How do we conclude to this mass of our solute? Unless we assume we have 1L of water and say we have 1.95 moles and then use the Molar mass to find out how many grams. But even then, a similar question would be what is V' and how does the density play in effect?
also! I managed to find our volume of KBr by assuming our volume of water is 1L. therefore we have 1.95 moles of KBr. With density in mind (1.16g/mL) i worked out 232.05g / V = 1.16 g/mL and volume eventually came out to 200 mL of KBr. I'm not sure if that helps us anymore or was just extra work but I tried throwing it around and stuff but no help for me. --Agester 01:12, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Um... ρ and ρ' are densities (as mentioned at the article, although for some reason it claims that uppercase rho is used there); the prime on one of them and on V' means that the variable applies to the solution and not to the solvent alone (that is, it applies to the latter state of the system; see the prime's meaning with regards to physics in its article). The mass of solute is derived from the definition of molarity (which is defined in terms of volume of solution); I left it in terms of V' precisely to avoid assuming any particular volume of water. Your calculation of the volume of KBr is flawed because you are dividing the mass of the solute by the density of the solution: the volume you get is the volume of solution which would have mass equal to the mass of KBr in a different amount of solution! If you can be more specific about what you don't understand (if anything, still) about the equations I wrote, that will help: it is extremely helpful to formalize the problem such that one does not make mistakes like operating on unrelated variables and being confused by numerical coincidences. --Tardis 03:03, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] tonsilitis

is it possible to get tonsilitis even if you have had ur tonsils taken out.

sorry this question is up twice, i didnt think it went up b4 - skye

No problem - I've removed the repeat question. Strictly speaking, tonsilitis is an inflamation of the tonsils, so no, you can't have tonsilitis after your tonsils have been removed. But one of the symptoms of tonsilitis is a sore throat (pharyngitis), which has many other causes as well, so you might feel as though you have tonsilitis even though it is really something else. Usual disclaimers ... I have no medical training, we don't provide medical advice and you should see your doctor if in any doubt. Gandalf61 15:16, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

ok so, if my friend has tonsilitis i could get the sore throat from the tonsilitis but not the actual tonsilitis cause i have no tonsils. does that make sense?

I think the question comes down to this -- can tonsils grow back?

I know other organs can -- so why not tonsils? I suppose it's possible. And thus, getting tonsilitus after having ones' tonsils removed is not unfathomable. Vranak 16:54, 14 December 2006 (UTC)


thanks... skye

Sore throats and tonsillitis, whether viral or bacterial infections can be contagious. I have known strep throat to be passed from person to person. Many sore throats are dangerous and the bacteria causing them can be highly transmissable. Other sore throats are mononucleosis also highly contagious. A sore throat may be scarlet fever. Untreated strep can lead to rheumatic fever. Please call your doctor, since Ref Desk is not a good source for medical advice. Edison 17:45, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Tonsils can grow back. (I've seen them!) By that I mean that they grow back if they were not completely excised the first time. Mmoneypenny 19:36, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] physics junior cert experiment

how would you investigate the relationship between the length of a metallic conductor and its resistance? a brief description wold be a huge help...thanks.83.71.61.203 16:51, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Take a wire - span it like clothesline that you have both ends at one side and a u-turn at the other - measure U and I of a battery at different place and draw a chart!--Stone 17:01, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

See Electrical resistance and Ohm's Law. With a typical ohmmeter or digital multimeter, it may take a long length of very fine wire to get clear results. A spool of very small wire, like # 28 or #30 wire, obtainable at places like Radio Shack, or will have more easily measured resistance than a short length of say #12 wire or even #22 doorbell wire. Resistance varies with wire diameter and with what metal the wire is made of. You should touch the ohmmeter leads together and note the lead resistance, probably a few tenths of an ohm, and subtract that from resistance of the wire. Make sure the wire is bare and shiny where you connect the leads, either by just touching them to the wire or with alligator clips (measure and deduct the resistance of the alligator clip leads as well). Then measure the resistance of, say 1 foot, 50 feet, 100 feet, etc up to the total length. Note the room temperature and record it as part of your data, since resistance varies slightly with temperature. Graph your data and see the form of the relationship between length and resistance, with wire diameter and temperature held constant. You could also use separate ammeter and voltmeter to get a better hands on idea of what you are measuring. Edison 18:00, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
If you don't have an ohm-meter, you can use a voltmeter, ammeter and Ohm's law. The basic principle is to vary length while keeping material wire is made from, cross-sectional area, and temperature constant. 80.169.64.22 17:14, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] a maths proof

there are six people in a room. it is then certain that eiter:at least 3 people know each other OR at least 3 people dont know each other. how is it certain?

Does it count to say when all 6 people meet in a room all of them know each other then? So it's the "4 or more" choice. X [Mac Davis] (DESK|How's my driving?) 18:21, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Answered in the Maths RD. Please do not post more than twice. --DLL .. T 18:36, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Metals and Metals

Can there be a chemical bond between metals? What is that type of bond called?

Metal metal bonds are common in many to core complexes. There are single double ore triple bonded metals in some complexes.--Stone 17:15, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Cyclopentadienyliron dicarbonyl dimer is one!--Stone
See also Metallic bond. DMacks 19:15, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Also see cold weld. StuRat 03:31, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Dentistry as a separate course

Why is dentistry separatly taught from medicine? Why is there no separate course for neurology, etc...Mr.K. 17:52, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Tradition! The dentist is historically derived from a poorly trainned Barber, while a doctor is coming from a university. This diversion is still there and as a combination would mean reduced funding nobody is integrating both!--Stone 17:56, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Surgeons also started out as Barber surgeon in past centuries, and in some countries are called "Mister" rather than "Doctor." In the U.S. dentists are called "Doctor" as are surgeons. Dentists before the late 19th century were generally "tooth-drawers" with little training, but today get extensive medical training related to their specialty in their 8 years of college, then receive a Doctor of Dental Surgery or Doctor of Dental Medicine degree, then have to pass a state board exam (in the U.S.). They may then take several years of additional training in a speciality. Dentists in the U.K. have to take a shorter training course, per Dentistry, and get a Bachelor of Dental Surgery. Edison 18:11, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Aren't the teeth pretty well independant? If you studied neurology or hematology, you'd have to know all about the body. With teeth, you just have to know the mouth and jaw, and try not to cause infections.X [Mac Davis] (DESK|How's my driving?) 01:08, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Barber surgeon was seen as not medicine. To cut of arms and legs is more like drawing teeth! Nowerdays the seperation is still there, but not that dentists are poorly trained! I hope nobody understood it this way! --Stone 18:37, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
IANADentist, but the statement that the teeth are pretty well independent needs a wee response. Dentists (in the UK) spend 5 years at dental school, then a year as a vocational trainee before being allowed to practice independently. If they want to specialise in say Orthodontics they will spend an additional 2-3 years at a teaching hospital then do a 3 year Masters Degree in Orthodontics followed by an additional 2 years to become an Orthodontic consultant. Saying that the teeth are independent is like saying that the blood or nerves are independent. Dentists need to know about head, neck and throat cancers (since doctors very rarely look into people's mouths (as you'll know if you've ever been admitted to hospital.)) They will also need to know about congenital craniofacial abnormalities and the effects of various systemic diseases on the mouth, e.g. B12/folate deficiency, sarcoidosis etc. Mmoneypenny 19:34, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] What is repsonsible for eye drying that comes with sleepiness?

Is this melatonin? Melatonin is secreted by the retina as the article states.

I believe that there's at least half a dozen different glands that secrete different oils across the surface of the eye, to keep it nice and lubricated as you blink. If there's a problem with these glands, or your body in general (which supplies nutrients to these glands) -- or if the room you're in has a lot of dust in it, then you'll get dry-eye. Sleepiness is associated with dry-eye, but it is not the cause per se. Vranak 18:32, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
I think I read that this comes from blinking less unconciously, to try and get you to close your eyes for good so they are wet. When I don't wet my eyes by closing and er... squeezing my glands, they can get pretty dry and feel like fiberglass. eek! And this is in every climate (not just saying weather). X [Mac Davis] (DESK|How's my driving?) 20:10, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

I asked a similar question recently, which I think is what you are referring to. I don't think anyone really knew the answer. BenC7 08:59, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Chicken breasts

With a choice between deboned and deskinned chicken breasts versus chicken breasts with skin and bones isn't it healthier to get the chicken breast with skin and bones since the body needs some fat too? 71.100.6.152 20:31, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Are you eating an *entirely* fat-free diet? --24.249.108.133 21:15, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Nope. I am overweight by 30 plus pounds though, have borderline high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Even using artificial sweeteners exclusively for well over a year (except for yogurt) I have an inability to come within or near 20 pounds of being overweight no matter what foods are in my diet or if I eat so little that I stay hungry. I can not swallow tuna or other meats unless lubricated with some oil or condiments or other foods like vegetables so if an "entirely" fat-free diet would be just as healthy I would do it. 71.100.6.152 21:59, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Health is a funny thing. In a 1567 monograph by Swiss physician Paracelsus, it was observed that "All things are poison and none are without poison," a phrase which is usually said "The dose makes the poison." Everybody and their diets are a little bit different and it can be harder to generalize than people say. We don't know you very personally, although I'm betting people will say to eat the deskinned one, since you have enough fat in your diet other places. X [Mac Davis] ::(DESK|How's my driving?) 22:18, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

The bones don't matter as you likely won't eat them anyway. The skin, however, and the fat right under the skin, are high in bad fat and bad cholesterol. You will get more than enough fat and cholesterol from lean, skinless chicken breasts. Ideally, you should get good fat and cholesterol from things like avocados, salmon, and vegetable oils (avoid partially hydrogenated oils, however). Avoid all trans-fats completely. StuRat 01:21, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

You haven't asked for weight loss advice, but I'm going to give you some. Some people can't lose weight by controlling their diets, I'm one of them. Whether it's high protein, low calorie, low fat, I always plateau and no matter how much I reduce my food intake I don't lose weight. I have to exercise. Maybe that's true for you too. I suggest that you go and get a checkup and talk to your doctor about starting (or augmenting) an exercise plan. I should also say that - for me - aerobics are fine, but I don't lose weight with just aerobic exercise (walking, running, etc). However, when I do weight training, I drop weight like, well, weight. Get some sensible guidance from people in the know and get moving. Anchoress 09:17, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
"The body needs some fat too" is correct, but do not deceive yourself, there is ample fat in lean chicken breast. The fat is in muscle cells, as well as in fat cells. In the case of chicken, there is much less fat "hidden" inside the muscle than is the case with "marbled" meat, like beef. This I have known for a long time, but I have not checked it myself, so I did some calculations based on data from the USDA website. I was surprised:
     Chicken Breast With and Without Fat and Skin 
     (Yield from a 1 kg Chicken Prepared for Cooking.)
                                    Fat(g)     Energy(kJ)
     Meat with skin and fat          10.15       1078
     Meat (skin and fat removed)      3.89        810

     Chicken Breast (fat and skin removed)
            Compared to Beef Filet of Tenderloin (all visible fat removed)
                (Quantity of each is 100g)
                 Fat(g)        Energy(kJ)
     Chicken      3.03           632
     Beef        11.12           912
So there is no risk of suffering from fat deficiency if you eat meat without visible fat - 3% fat for the leanest chicken, 11% for the leanest beef. Something you can look up for yourself: Lean pork has less fat than lean beef.
One final note: "Staying hungry" is not a criterion for deciding whether your diet is strict enough for you to be able to lose weight. If you look at the Hunger article (unfortunately at present not much more than a tag) you can click on the links there to get a better picture of the physiology of hunger. Inter alia, Leptin and Ghrelin are fashionable topics in this field. Well, now I need a peanut butter sandwich... --Seejyb 21:45, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Absolutely zero not really that cold?

Absolute zero has always facinated me in high school chemistry. The possibility of all molecular action stopping at a "mere" -273 below zero. Considering how hot things can get -- indeed is there even a maximum for heat? -- it seems we are living on the awfully cool side of the temperature universe. --24.249.108.133 21:12, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

There is, in fact, a theoretical maximum temperature for the universe. Review Heat death of the universe, which is a very interesting concept. You might also want to read Big Freeze, which is about the cold death of the universe.
For any individual mass, however, there is no upper bound for "heat," as energy in a particle with mass can grow without bound as the particle approaches the speed of light. Hipocrite - «Talk» 21:21, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
But there is a theoretical upper limit for temperature. Ironically, it isn't what you expect: it's -0 K. See Negative temperature. Titoxd(?!?) 22:04, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Also interesting is Orders of magnitude (temperature) -- Sandman30s 11:41, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Yes, it does seem we are living on the cold side. It is easy for me to heat something by way more than 273 Celsius, and impossible to cool it more than 273 Celsius starting from zero Celsius. Edison 15:21, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] bullets from spitfires and hurricanes

During the Battle of Britain, did bullets from spitfires and hurricanes shooting down Germans accidentally kill anyone on the ground? Paul Silverman 22:03, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Seeing how they would carry ~8 .30cal machine guns, which yield a lot of rounds, there's probably a damn good chance they did. I'm not sure how easy it would be to find actual reports, however. Saying the RAF is strafing its own people wouldn't be good for morale, so the civilian deaths were probably chalked up to enemy fire.--138.29.51.251 01:42, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] latent heat

What is going on inside a molecule during a phase change that causes or allows energy to be absorbed yet without producing an increase in temperature? Adaptron 22:50, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

I haven't done heat science in a while, though i'm starting to learn thermochemistry now...but if I remember correctly the molecules are gaining potential energy during the change, and not actual kinetic energy that you would see as the temperature incereases? I'm not sure, but check out the wikipedia articles of state changes and different types of energy. 74.102.89.241 00:30, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
The energy goes to either making or destroying the bonds between the molecules. For example with water, when either boiling or melting the energy goes towards breaking the hydrogen bonds between the water molecules. -anonymous6494 02:16, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Basically, in a substance, the atoms that make it up are pulled toward eachtother by intermolecular forces (Hydrogen, Ionic, and Covalent bonds, London dispersion forces, etc.). As the atom gains energy it moves faster and faster, "bouncing around" until it finally gains enough energy to overcome the intermolecular forces, and breaks free. However, one must remember that when boiling a liquid, or during any phase change, not all of the atoms/molecules have enough energy to break free and undergo phase change(See Maxwell-Boltzmann Distribution on Wikipedia, or here). For any temperature, molecules are moving at different speeds. As a result, only a given amount of the substance has enough energy for phase change (only those moving over a speed of "x" change - the number of the molecules with that speed increases with temperature). That's why when you boil water the whole pot of it doesn't go "poof" into water vapor, and the phase change takes place over the time (i.e. the bubbles of H2O gas released from the pot). --AstoVidatu 02:30, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Why then do certain substances such as carbon dioxide skip the liquid phase entirely and go "poof" i.e., go from being a solid directly to a gas? Adaptron 05:41, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Because the pressure's too low for carbon dioxide to do so. Have a look at this. David Da Vit 19:24, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
See also Gibbs free energy. In short, despite the fact that less energy would be required to turn the CO2 into a liquid instead of a gas, leaving more energy to become heat and therefore entropy, the increased entropy (disorder) of the gas phase makes it preferable. At a high enough pressure, it requires so much energy to give the gas a volume appropriate to its temperature and mass that it becomes more profitable (in terms of entropy) to move to the liquid phase and use the energy to provide disordering thermal motion. Does that help? --Tardis 21:06, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] December 15

[edit] Coilgun

Where could I get a good capacitor(s) for a coilgun?--67.172.248.207 01:33, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

read the article on coilgunsBeckboyanch 05:39, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

The coilgun article doesn't directly answer your question, but it does link to a page describing a home-made coil gun, in which the constructor says he used "two capacitors that I pulled out of an old CRT monitor". Gandalf61 10:52, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
See also the PowerLabs - Coilguns page. ☢ Ҡi∊ff⌇↯ 11:01, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

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[edit] "Sodium Coma"

While not looking for medical advice, I am curious to biochemical reason why I get extremely sleepy after eating lots of salty foods (olives, snack chips, processed cheese). It's like a dense sleepitime fog falls over me and I routinely fall asleep if I'm sitting down. I jokingly refer to as as a "sodium coma". It's a different feeling the typical post-Thanksgiving carb overload. --72.202.150.92 01:47, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Hmm, could it be Vasopressin? --Wooty Woot? contribs 02:00, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Sleepiness from NaCl is not an expected response. Could it be that the foods contain Tryptophan, and that you are sensitive to this? The article has a list of foods rich in this amino acid; you may wish to compare that with your sleepy snacks experience. --Seejyb 15:09, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Herion OD = 1-10mg Narcan. Cocaine OD = ?

When treating a Heroin overdose, an injection of 1-10mg Narcan is given. This snaps them out of it - but Narcan only works for opiates.

What is used for stimulants such as cocaine or amphetamines?

--69.138.61.168 04:27, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

There is no equivalent "reversal" agent for cocaine or amphetamines. People who overdose on cocaine or amphetamines are treated symptomatically; they may be sedated; they will be treated for complications such as fever, convulsions, or heart attack if they occur. - Nunh-huh 04:36, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Reference Desk is not a good source for medical advice. Please contact a doctor or other valid source. Edison 15:23, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
No medical advice was asked for, and none was given. Please take note of what "medical advice" actually is, and please stop leaving messages suggesting it was given when it wasn't. - Nunh-huh 04:29, 16 December 2006 (UTC)
However, to pique your interest in the science of pharmacology: Yes, there is no specific receptor antagonist to those drugs, so one is left with the supportive therapy (no article yet, but in principle a more drastic form of symptomatic treatment) that Nunh-huh describes. The other specific antagonist you may hear about is flumazenil, which antagonises a benzodiazepine coma (for which naloxone won't work). --Seejyb 15:39, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Steroids and HGH

Would it be correct to say steroids cause the expansion of muscle fibers and Growth Hormone causes an increase in the number of muscle fibers?

Anabolic steroids can increase muscle mass, but can cause "elevated cholesterol (increase in LDL, decreased HDL levels), acne, elevated blood pressure, hepatotoxicity, and alterations in left ventricle morphology." Growth hormone increases the number of muscle cells in Danio fish but not in Zebra fish (I am in a rush, so cannot find the ref now, but will look later). Humans are like Zebra fish, so taking growth hormone to develop muscles is a waste of time. --Seejyb 16:38, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
OK, see P. R. Biga and F. W. Goetz. Zebrafish and giant danio as models for muscle growth: determinate vs. indeterminate growth as determined by morphometric analysis. Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, Nov 2006; 291: R1327 - R1337. --Seejyb 22:02, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Falling

What creates the sensation of falling one sometimes experiences just before sleep? Thanks! S.dedalus 04:58, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

For various theories, see hypnagogic jerk - Nunh-huh 05:04, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Sleep paralysis? During sleep, the body is paralyzed to prevent the dreamer from acting out his dream. Sometimes, the body is paralyzed too soon, when it is still awake. Hallucinogens can occur for the same reason dreams occur, and of course, nobody can be certain why dreams occur. --Bowlhover 05:07, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] starfish

i have a dried starfish (bought at a tourist shop) missing parts of two limbs. is it possible to recuscitate it by placing it in salty water? Flowerykewlstuffz123 05:26, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

No. It's dead. It is an ex-starfish. - Nunh-huh 05:39, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Sea star mentions that a starfish may regenerate from as few as a single ray, but as Nunh-huh mentioned above, the starfish you describe is pining for the fjords. - CHAIRBOY (☎) 05:42, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
'E's not pinin'! 'E's passed on! This starfish is no more! He has ceased to be! 'E's expired and gone to meet 'is maker! 'E's a stiff! Bereft of life, 'e rests in peace! If you hadn't shellacked 'im to the diorama 'e'd be pushing up the daisies! 'Is metabolic processes are now 'istory! 'E's kicked the bucket, 'e's shuffled off 'is mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisibile!! - Nunh-huh 05:46, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
"...and I never wanted to work in a fish store anyway, I always wanted to be a lumberjack...". StuRat 22:25, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Just in case anyone does not understand the allusion - see Dead Parrot. And a stiff is just a corpse. There are no hidden meanings here. Gandalf61 10:44, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

While some animals can survive dehydration, a starfish is not one of them. I tried once, and got a soggy, dead, starfish. (It didn't smell nearly as pleasant as you might imagine.) StuRat 22:25, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Hallucinogens in palliative care?

Have hallucinogens ever been used or proposed for palliative care? It seems to me that they could, at least in theory, do three things to help a terminally ill patient who is no longer capable of communicating with others (whether due to blindness and deafness, loss of speech, diminished mental functioning or just institutionalization without access to loved ones): relieve boredom, decrease awareness of physical distress, and provide spiritual experiences that might help reconcile them to their upcoming death. NeonMerlin 06:13, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

According to this article, yes. However I would think that administering any non-medically-necessary substances to someone incapable of indicating consent would be illegal, or at least severely unethical. Anchoress 06:29, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Well then, suppose the patient had given consent in advance? NeonMerlin 12:48, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Hmmm... I don't know. I suppose somebody who has information on the legal constraints surrounding drug administration might know. Anchoress 12:55, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Bad trip + can't communicate = bad idea. --Wooty Woot? contribs 10:42, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Yes, they have been proposed and used for palliative care. This BBC reportgives an overview of possible uses. Note that this use does not refer to persons who cannot communicate, but that any therapy is guided by the patients' reports of an improvement of quality of life. Another way of thinking about this: 1. When a person cannot communicate, then only medical signs can be treated (not symptoms, since these rely on reporting). 2. Signs can usually be managed by "conventional" medications. 3. Is there such a sign as "lack of hallucinations"? --Seejyb 16:17, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Repetition speed for strength exercises- fast or slow

Hi there,

Could someone tell me what are the pros and cons to different repetition speeds when doing weight exercises?

Best regards,

Amsbam

I have only anecdotal information (that which I've gleaned from various fitness instructors), such as that fast reps are to be undertaken with caution because it increases the likelihood of injury; slow reps are better because they work the muscle better, etc. But I have no references for those assertions. You might want to look at some of these links, which seem to have more info. Good luck, and maybe someone with more information/education will chime in. Anchoress 08:55, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Withdrawal of Supplies of amitripyline tablets

Here in the Seville area it is impossible to obtain amitriptyline tablets at present, since the begining of December. The story is that the pharmacists don't know why the supplies have stopped. They say possibly a change of tablet or change of package. In my experience, decades as a nurse, this is unprecedented. Has it happened elsewhere? Does anybody know what the real reason is? Thanks in anticipation

(Assuming you are not from Spain, but from Ohio) The information on shortages, kept by the FDA, can be found here, but amitriptyline is not mentioned. I assume you would then have to look for a local problem. Another ref desk editor may have local knowledge. --Seejyb 16:03, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

That type of supply disruption is not unique to medications (but may be a far more serious issue there) and is often caused by having a single supplier system. Another risk is usage of the just in time delivery system, where stocks are intentionally kept low to reduce storage costs. With the combination of the two, virtually any production or distribution problem can cause severe shortages. StuRat 22:16, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

OK, thanks for that.

You're welcome. I also looked at the FDA site on drug shortages: [20], but they don't list any shortage of amitripyline. I couldn't find any mention of a general shortage in Spain, either. StuRat 05:12, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] earth

How old is the Earth 59.93.61.66 10:23, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Age of the earth. Anchoress 11:07, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Audio - Centre Channel Extractor on Adobe Audition

I suppose this should be a computer/software question but it mainly involves science so: How is it possible that one can isolate the "centre" channel of a stereo audio track? I understand how it's possible to remove the "centre" channel using one inverted channel combined with the non-inverted other channel. To use an equation: LC (left, centre) + -RC (minus right, minus centre) = L-R - thus removing the centre channel. It's impossible to remove the centre channel using this method, so how does a piece of software do it?

Not sure how this jibes with your equations, but a speaker connected from left channel phase to right channel phase, neglecting the ground connection of each channel, might extract the center channel (or maybe it completely suppressed the center channel!). Dolby prologic does fancier combinations; that's just a 1970's trick. Not sure how your Adobe Audition would correspond, since that trick was physical wiring. Edison 15:28, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

This would completely cancel the centre channel - which is very easy and simple maths. I'm talking about actually isolating the centre channel, disregarding the left and right (side) channels. Adobe Audition can do this. I don't know how though. I'm sure it's probably a closely guarded secret by Adobe, but would be interested to know if anyone has any theories. Out of phase separation (oops) is a very simple equation and process based on analogue waveform manipulation, Adobe's "centre channel extractor" must be very complicated and purely digital. Any thoughts?

[edit] ants

Are there any ants that specialize in eating termites? 71.100.6.152 17:31, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

I'm not sure you could regard them are specialists but carpentar ants will eat termites. http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2063.html David D. (Talk) 17:43, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Don't guess carpenter ants do as much damage as termites but I'm looking for an ant type that is small enough to chase down termites inside the tunnels they make in wood. 71.100.6.152 19:46, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
An insect inspector told me the Carpenter Ants dig out a hole in the wood to make their nest. Termites actually EAT the wood. So yeah, termites are more destructive. 12.10.127.58 21:10, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
To expand, carpenter ants do not destroy 'good' wood, termites do (that is the EAT bit). If you have a problem with carpenter ants then you have rotten wood, which is a problem without the aggrevation of the ants. David D. (Talk) 21:42, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
So seeing carpenter ants means rotten wood. Humm.. I'l put that away for future reference. 71.100.6.152 21:51, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] circumcision and aids

Do you folks really believe that circumcision helps us against HIV infections (see Circumcision#HIV) or it will just put circumcised men at risk?

It's in all the newspapers at present. http://news.google.com/news?client=safari&rls=en&q=circumcision%20AIDS&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wn
Read the articles and see what you think. These types of reports are always open to interpretation. Primarily it depends on how many people were involved in the study. David D. (Talk) 17:46, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Well, to be honest, does it matter? The risk will be there anyway, it's not like "ohhh, I'm circumcided, now I go do unprotected sex with strangers because I'm invulnerable to aids." Good sex habits cuts the risk by 99% 212.10.217.122 21:28, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

for the record, out of every 10,000 (ten thousand) people that have sex, only 5 people get an HIV transmission. There are far more dangerous things than sex, unless of course you're so horny that you have sex every day.

[edit] phosphoric acid as electrolyte

I recently left some copper on one side and some iron on the other side of a dish full of 30% phophoric acid and bubbles started coming from both metals and the iron began to take on a copper color. Does this mean that any acid will cause self-plating without an external current being supplied or does this only happen in phosphoric acid or is this really self-plating at all? 71.100.6.152 18:34, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

There could have been some copper oxide on the copper that would react with the acid forming a copper compound - this would then plate the iron in the same way a copper sulphate solution does. Question - after a while was the copper clean (ie pink) - if you add more iron does it continue to plate with copper - I'm guessing that your mixture will only have a limited copper plating capacity.87.102.8.6 20:24, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Also copper phosphate is usually insolouble in water - which makes me slightly suprised you got any copper plating at all.. The same goes for Iron phosphate as far as I know - I would have expected to get a layer of metal phosphate on the surface of each metal and not much more - just goes to show how experiments are more valuble than theories.87.102.8.6 20:38, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Checking again after an hour revealed that the release of bubbles had slowed way down. Only the bottom portion of the iron up to the level of the top of the copper seems to be plated. The color is somewhat pink and flat. Above this the iron is turning black whereas when it was in the acid before the copper was added it was flat gray. I'm wondering if the acid is separated into copper phosphate and iron phosphate such that the layer surrounding the pink area is the copper phosphate while the area above is the layer of iron phosphate. The copper is somewhat dark but not black or real dark. 71.100.6.152 21:46, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
What color is Iron Phosphate? If it is reddish, then it may imitate the color of copper as the Iron begins to react with the phosporic acid, leaving a residue 'plated' to the Iron surface. 12.10.127.58 21:10, 15 December 2006

(UTC)

Both layers of acid are clear. The "plating" on the iron is not redish but black. 71.100.6.152 21:46, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Iron phosphate will probably be very dark - eg black see http://www.ilve.com.tr/en/surface-treatment/index.html or even better Parkerizing - if the iron is black now it's almost certain that the surface is iron phosphate - (what I would expect)

'pink and flat' as you describe it is how copper usually looks when it's initially plated - take it out of the liquid and it will slowly change to more common red copper colour as it oxidises in air.87.102.3.159 22:29, 15 December 2006 (UTC) Can you expand on " Only the bottom portion of the iron up to the level of the top of the copper seems to be plated" - these seems to me to mean that some of the iron has gone black and some pink.. All the iron is submerged in the acid? and the copper is not touching it?

Check now after about 3 hours hear is what I see...

Image:Phos.PNG

71.100.6.152 23:27, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

has the acid got any colour now (copper phosphate probably blue or green) - it is possible that any dissolved salt eg Copper phosphate would settle towards the bottom in a still liquid. By the way the bubbles may not neccessarily by hydrogen - but may be simply dissolved air coming out of the liquid on the metal - this is not unlikely.87.102.8.141 22:09, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

The clear acid is now slightly green. 71.100.6.152 23:29, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
The green colour is almost certainly a dissolved copper compound (though to complicate things some iron compounds are also green).
Looks like any dissolved copper has stayed at the bottom - this isn't unrealistic as long as you don't stir the liquid. Is the black layer transparent ie clear or is it a precipitate ie made of suspended solid? (Also did you mix the acid with water - sometimes you could get a layer of water sitting on top of a layer of acid.)

From your diagram it looks like some copper has dissolved and diffused along the bottom plating the iron as expected. I'm a bit confused about the black layer as I wouldn't expect it to float to the top. Clearly coating the iron with copper prevents the competing reaction which is formation of iron phosphate. I'd guess no more bubbles have been formed? It sounds like what is happening is slow corrosion of both metals in acid with some competing chemical plating (this is electroless plating). As a suggestion I'd suggest adding another bit of iron just to see if it reacts in the same way. Also you could (if you have a pipette or similar) remove some of the liquid from the top, middle and bottom layers and see what effect that has on a new iron piece in three separate bottles..

As to your original question - this is electroless plating - usually to electrolessly plate with copper you would need a copper salt eg copper sulphate, is this case though it looks like the copper salt is beeing made 'in situ' by reaction of the copper with the acid. This situation is restricted to phosphoric acid - it would happen with other acids as well; though copper is not very reactive and how much dissolves would depend on the acid used - nitric acid dissolves copper easily but sulphuric acid dissolves copper very slowly.87.102.3.159 23:57, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

If I stir up the acid a lot then the bubbles increase again. The dark layer at the top disperses somewhat in the acid and makes it a bit darker and cloudy. The copper now seems to be somewhat coated with a light layer of iron oxide, i.e., rust. Before taking a sample of each layer to test reactions with iron I have placed the iron in contact with the copper. This has slightly increased the bubbles from the iron but not by a whole lot. I’m curious if electroless plating done in this or a better way can be made sufficient enough to serve as a corrosion barrier for iron in air.71.100.6.152 01:22, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Gums

How do gums stick things together61.0.133.51 18:37, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Could you be a little more specific - what kind of gum? Postage stamp gum, perhaps? If not, take a look under adhesive and gum, maybe it has the information you need? — QuantumEleven 20:16, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] The Temporal Resolution of the Compound Eye

Why is the temporal resolution of the compound eye higher than that of the human eye? Please don't tell me "The compound eye has a higher flicker fusion rate." because that is only a restatement. Which are the processes in which the compound eye / visual system is faster and why is it? Falk Lieder 18:52, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

See: Interference and Photoreceptor recovery rate opps... not yet an article. Try Photoreceptor#Advantages and Visual phototransduction instead. Adaptron 19:07, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
My understanding is that the answer would be found in the second link - if it existed:) In the compound eye the rhodopsin is a bistable molecule - on absorbing a photon it changes from metarhodopsin, the retinal changing to the all-trans form. On absorbing a second photon, the metarhodopsin changes back to rhodopsin. It is the first change that initiates depolarisation, via a G-protein coupled mechanism. The second reaction simply restores sensitivity, i.e. it does not cause any further depolarisation. This flip-flop of rhodopsin-metarhodopsin-rhodopsin occurs repeatedly, it is quick, it does not deplete the supply of rhodopsin, and explains the rapid response of the compound eye. In vertebrates, by contrast, rhodopsin undergoes "bleaching" - the retinal splits off from the opsin protein, and the rhodopsin now has to be regenerated by relatively slow enzymatic means. So the difference seems to lie in how quickly the rhodopsin at a specific site can be regenerated. If the regeneration / recovery time is short, then a higher frequency flicker can be detected, but if it is slow, then the sequential flickers fuse at slower rates. The difference between the two rhodopsins (compound eye and vertebrate eye) lies in the opsin, not in the retinal part of the molecule - all animals have essentially the same photosensitive retinal component. The opsins differs, and determine wavelength sensitivity, whether the metarhodopsin can be directly reactivated, or whether it bleaches and has to be resynthesised. I hope this helps, and please ask if my explanation is dense - unfortunately I do not have a reference with me. --Seejyb 01:34, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] High temperature nuclear waste repository

Have any high temperature nuclear waste repositories been designed to concentrate the high temperature waste and use the heat to perform work such as boiling and thereby distilling water (through heat exchangers of course)? Adaptron 19:03, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

No. The risk of contaminating ground water is very high already. When cheap fossil fuels abound, why bother messing with dangerous toxic wastes to produce energy?

[edit] Digitising photos

More of an "advice" than a "knowledge" question, but I'm hoping you wizards of the reference desk will be able to help me nonetheless :). I have a large number (several hundreds) of photos printed from 35mm film, with their original negatives. I would like to digitise them if possible, with the aim of being able to print off the digitised versions (instead of having to take the negative into the photo shop to have the reprint made). I have experimented with the scanner at work, but the quality from scanning the photos in is not all that great (even after fiddling with the settings for awhile) - plus, for several hundred photos, it's not necessarily the best solution. Does anyone have ideas for digitising photos to "reprintable" quality? A film scanner, maybe? Thanks in advance for any tips! — QuantumEleven 20:13, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, I would try a film (negative) scanner. Personally I have found them to be somewhat spotty, so you should really try to make sure you read reviews for them and possibly try out one yourself if you have the ability to. As for scanning the prints themselves, is the "scanner at work" an old mopier beast, or is it a relatively new flat-bed scanner? If it is not the former, that might be the source of your poor quality — you might want to try out a more up-to-date dedicated scanner. In my experience many old scanners and mopiers and things like that have far inferior quality to even a cheap flat-bed made in the last year or two. --140.247.240.127 20:55, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

I believe many places where you can develop film will now also give you a digital version on disk, for a price, of course. The advantage is, you only have to pay once, and can make all the copies you want after that. StuRat 22:08, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

most of them give you 1.5 MP images at a crappy JPEG quality. doing it yourself is better.
That would be suitable for e-mail, but your right, is grossly insufficient for "reprintable" quality. On the other hand, only the most expensive scanners would have any hope of reproducing a photograph without a noticeable loss of quality. StuRat 05:02, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

Get a scanner (Minolta, Nikon..) that's made for scanning film. many of them come with a tray that will feed uncut film rolls or 4-strips automatically, and software that will crop it properly and spit out a series of high-quality JPEGs or TIFFs.

[edit] Tobacco Addictiveness

Could somebody tell me the exact addictiveness of tobacco and it's addictiveness compared to other drugs? A link to where the info was aquired and/or a trustworthy source for this information would also be nice (somewhere other than Wikipedia). BeefJeaunt 20:28, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

How would you quantify "addictiveness" ? One way I could think of is as a percentage of people who are able to quit. StuRat 22:04, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Okay, forget "exact addictiveness". How addictive is tobacco compared to other common/well-known drugs, eg. cocaine, marijuana, alcohol, etc. I read here that nicotine "with a 90% addiction rate, is the most addictive of all drugs". I'm somewhat skeptical and would like to have this information verified (if at all possible). I also read that 70% of current smokers have tried to quit at NIDA's site, so I already have that statistic. I'm writing a thesis for grade 10, "Marijuana Vs. Tobacco", just in case anybody's suspicious.

I think this site will answer your question: [21]. Check out the chart at the end, especially. They tested nicotine, heroin, cocaine, alcohol, caffeine, and marijuana, and found marijuana to be the least addictive, with an approximate tie with caffeine. StuRat 04:50, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Conjunctivitus

I am NOT seeking medical advice here or anything, but I would like to know: what are the symptoms of conjunctivitus; and what are the cures and/or preventions? thanks Herbynator 22:28, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Conjunctivitis explicitly states symptoms and treatments. Preventative measures you can take: avoid touching/rubbing/itching your eyes/face/nose as much as you can, scratch your face with your (upper) arm if you can't resist an itch. This will help prevent bacterial conjunctivitis (which requires innoculation of the eye directly) and viral conjunctivitis (which usually spreads from the nasal cavities). Talk to your physician about medications that reduce the symptoms of seasonal allergies if your conjunctivitis is allergenic, or find some way to avoid whatever allergens you can't deal with.Tuckerekcut 22:46, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] December 16

[edit] pyramid power

does anyone know the official site for this gym equipment hosted by brooke burke on TV? could it have made my abs not aligned?

are you suggesting thats a bad thing? abs that are built but not aligned are pretty sexy. they look more rugged and natural ;)

[edit] Explosives

Why is TNT usually used as a unit of energy or explosive power? For example, the recent nuke test in North Koria was classified as a "sub-kiloton" explosion, meaning the explosion was smaller than that of a kiloton of TNT. Is it because TNT is the most explosive (exluding nukes) or because it's widely available or what?

Also does any one have some stats on how other explosive compare with TNT (in eplosive energy-per-mass), particularly: C4, nitroglycerin, gun powder, fine black powder.

See relative effectiveness factor for an list of explosives compared with TNT by mass. grendel|khan 01:47, 16 December 2006 (UTC)
As to the first question, I think it's just that in 1945 TNT was one of the widely known and widely used explosives. --Anonymous, December 16, 03:50 (UTC).

[edit] What sort of apple was this?

My father was recently given what looked like an apply by a patient of his. I believe it may be a fruit of Korean extraction. It was like an apple, but larger--about grapefruit-sized--and the skin was brown and rough. The inside was textured more like a pear than an apple, and it tasted very faintly of starfruit. We kept it for nearly a week before eating it, but it was still very crisp. It came in a webbed-styrofoam sheath. What sort of apple was it, if it was indeed an apple? (None of the other pomes look likely. grendel|khan 01:42, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

Everything but the skin sounds like a asian pear. Anchoress 01:53, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Large intestine

I ve heard the main function of the large intestine is to remove liquid from the er, mixture! How does this water get extracted and then get passed to the kidneys for excretion?--Light current 01:50, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

"Water, as always, is absorbed in response to an osmotic gradient. The mechanism responsible for generating this osmotic pressure is essentially identical to what was seen in the small intestine - sodium ions are transported from the lumen across the epithelium by virtue of the epithelial cells having very active sodium pumps on their basolateral membranes and a means of absorbing sodium through their lumenal membranes. The colonic epithelium is actually more efficient at absorbing water than the small intestine and sodium absorption in the colon is enhanced by the hormone aldosterone." [22]. The water enters the bloodstream, which passes through the kidenys. - Nunh-huh 01:55, 16 December 2006 (UTC)
Aha so it goes back into the blood stream. Presumably the water level in the blood is controoled by the kidneys. Thanks--Light current 02:00, 16 December 2006 (UTC)
Correct, and we didn't even need to ask Colon Powell. StuRat 04:31, 16 December 2006 (UTC)
Hmmm. Its Colin actually.--Light current 04:35, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Natural Resources

  • What are five natural resources of Japan?
  • What is the main source in the country of Japan?
  • Do people excise there in Japan?
  • When does education start, age, and type of training goes on there?

Were may I find these tpyes of answers?02:31, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

Thank you, Lisa 02:31, 16 December 2006 (UTC)~

Hi, Lisa. Try reading the article on Japan, following the links, and then getting back to us if any of your questions remain unanswered? Good luck. Anchoress 02:34, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

Some clarifications please:

  • What is the main source in the country of Japan? - Main source of what ? StuRat 04:29, 16 December 2006 (UTC)
  • Do people excise there in Japan? - Are you asking about an excise tax or exercise ? StuRat 04:29, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] What are opioid relative potencies? to morphine?

I've been wondering this lately. How do the many opioids relate to a standard - such as morphine? What is the statistical data that can tell me this, how is it measured - in-vivo? I stumbled across some non-cited powerpoint presentation over at [23] but other than that, I don't know where that information comes from, and haven't been able to find anything with a simpler chart of the relation, so I figured someone might know more than I at the health reference desk. Thanks. Edit: Mostly oral ingestion, but intravenous would also be interesting. - x1987x(talk) 05:07, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] INvestigatory project

What is an investigatory project?

I don't think that phrase has any special meaning: it's simply a project designed to investigate something. —Keenan Pepper 05:54, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Language & Grammar



[edit] December 10

[edit] ENGLISH TO COPTIC..PLEASE

Can anyone translate english to coptic?

"TO THINE OWN SELF BE TRUE" or something that would mean something similar? not sure if its from the bible... thankyou. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 211.29.114.186 (talk) 07:42, 10 December 2006 (UTC).

(It's from Hamlet, Act I. Scene III:
This above all: to thine ownself be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
Skarioffszky 10:03, 10 December 2006 (UTC))

Coptic is a dead language, and there are only a relatively small number of professional ancient-language scholars and priests of the Egyptian Coptic church who would have a good chance of giving a correct answer, and the odds are against any of them happening to hang out here. If you're the same one who was asking about Egyptian several months ago, then I still think getting tattoos in other languages is a bad idea unless you can have a high degree of confidence that what you're getting etched into your flesh is actually correct (ideally, you should know why it's correct...). AnonMoos 14:00, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

Of course, unlike Asian exoticists in the West who get Chinese character tattoos whose meanings are perhaps not what they intended, if someone gets a Coptic tattoo, the changes of an embarassing situation ensuing when someone who knows the language sees the tattoo is vanishingly small, so who cares, right? Nohat 08:05, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] "Crossing the bar"

Meanings and origins, please

Ships leaving a river-mouth or bay usually have to cross a sandbar or bank of silt, so 'crossing the bar' means leaving shelter/harbour for the open sea. Tennyson's poem uses it as a metaphor for dying.--HJMG 23:16, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
The OED says 'bar' can mean "A bank of sand, silt, etc., across the mouth of a river or harbour, which obstructs navigation.". Their earliest example is from 1586 when Dublin is described as a "barred" harbour.--HJMG 23:34, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
See also: Crossing the Bar. -THB 00:57, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

It could also be a variation on "crossing the line", which means "going too far". StuRat 12:27, 11 December 2006 (UTC)


[edit] December 11

[edit] Classical and Modern Greek?

How intelligible are the 2, if at all? thank you —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Moffo (talk • contribs).

A speaker of Modern Greek would not be able to understand Classical Greek without undertaking a specific course of study, if that is what you mean. Clio the Muse 00:36, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
This same question was asked a couple of weeks ago. See the archived answers: Wikipedia:Reference_desk/Archives/Language/2006_November_24#Classical_and_Modern_Greek. Wareh 02:19, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] J in 4th position

I was playing Scrabble the other day, and had the chance to get a Triple Word Score. The letter J was 3 letters away from the Triple Word Score position, and the maximum length of the word was 6 letters. Apart from the fact that I didn't have very good letters, I couldn't think of any word that is no more than 6 letters long and has a J in 4th position. Any ideas? Is there a site I can access to search for words using these sorts of parameters? JackofOz 00:58, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

Banjos. Donjon. Logjam. Trojan. You want a good Crossword Solver. Ziggurat 01:22, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
The /usr/share/dict/words file on the UNIX system I'm using lists 56 uncapitalized words meeting the specification, but only one is a common word, which was just mentioned. The full list is: acajou ajaja avijja banjo benj benjy boojum cadjan canjac chaja cooja cunjah cunjer donjon dooja dorje evejar finjan frijol ganja geejee goujon guijo gunj gurjun hadj hadji inaja jimjam jinja khaja khajur khoja konjak linja linje manjak masjid moujik munj outjet outjut pinjra ponja popjoy prajna punjum sanjak shoji subjee tanjib thujin thujyl tonjon trajet witjar. The list is supposed to be based on "Webster's Second", so it may not include some newer words; the spellings "hadj" and "hadji" (rather than hajj and hajji) strike me as out-of-date. It lists "Trojan" only with a capital, and does not have "logjam" as a single word. Of course this is of no help for Scrabble purposes where one of the official Scrabble dictionaries or some other dictionary is agreed on.
--Anonymous, December 11, 01:29 (UTC).
Excellent answers. "Logjam" and "banjos" are the only words above that would ever have occurred to me - but didn't. "Toejam" also dropped into my head just now. JackofOz 01:35, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
You could always consult a ouija board.--Shantavira 09:06, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
He he. I'll try that next time I'm playing Scrabble with a medium. JackofOz 03:07, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
Why has no-one thought of ninja? СПУТНИКCCC P 03:49, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Cowabunga! (They're not as smart as you, that's why.) Thanks. :) JackofOz 23:57, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Old German Word for "tank"

I am trying to confirm that the old German word for "tank" was "schutzengrabenvernichtungsautomobile". I would appreciate any help. Thanks.

I know we Germans are very good at inventing complicated words in bureaucratic contexts, mostly by using compound words like Schützengrabenvernichtungsautomobil (that would be be a correct singular form), but I've never heard of that word, and the German Panzer article has nothing about it. Google's search results make me believe it's just a joke by someone who wanted to invent a funny German word for tank. --Dapeteばか 09:05, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
I agree; it seems absurdly complicated, especially as those Germans who first saw tanks would be ordinary front line soldiers. For them Panzerkampfwagen would be a more exact description. Clio the Muse 09:10, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
Pre WWII german tank AV7 is referred to as Sturmpanzerwagen, or Schwerer Kampfwagen in pages I have found. Can't discount the above long name though.
Looking at A7V quote "..name is probably derived from the Allgemeines Kriegsdepartement 7 Abteilung Verkehrswesen ("General War Department 7, Branch Transportation")" and In German the tank was called Sturmpanzer-Kraftwagen (roughly "assault armoured motor vehicle"). Given that a web search for "schutzengraben........." turns up next to nothing I'd guess it's a made up 'cod-german' name; though if it were correct it would seem to refer to the British Mark I tank rather than any home grown vehicle since the A7V doesn't seem very good at crossing trenches..87.102.44.80 18:30, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Aranzabal

Does anyone know where the surname "Aranzabal" originates from? Thanks. 24.254.92.184 07:15, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

It's Basque. This website has some information but doesn't appear to be particularly authoritative. -THB 10:37, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] What language used in mid/late 20th C. Skopje?

I have an undated, post-WWII photograph of the gates to a Jewish cemetery in Skopje (formerly Yugoslavia, now Republic of Macedonia).

Underneath the Hebrew text are the words in block letters: " IZRAELITSЌO POKOPALIŠČE " (the diacritics being my best guess). My questions:

  • What language is this?
  • What does the text mean?

-- Many thanks, Deborahjay 07:34, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

Pokopališče is Slovene for "cemetery", which is kind of surprising for Skopje. "Ќ" is not a letter in modern Slovene, but if the diacritic is wrong, it might be Slovene for Israelite - a word most often used in those days as a synonym for Jewish. "Jewish cemetery" is the logical translation, and Slovene the most likely language. --Diderot 08:26, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

Yes, the mark at the upper left of the capital letter "K" is indistinct in the photo. Your suggested translation is excellent for the context. As for the Slovene, I'm captioning this "a regional language, possibly Slovene." Hope that's suitable... and I note with appreciation your remark about "Israelite" for "Jewish" -- a bane too often treated literally (as though a cognate) in irresponsible translations to English. Thanks! Deborahjay 09:21, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

It was written in Macedonia, therefore its Macedonian language. If you look at the Macedonian alphabet you will see it has the letter Ќ. While it is strange that its written in Latin script (rather than Cyrilic) its not unheard of as can be seen in Romanisation of Macedonian. Shinhan 10:18, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

Thanks, Shinhan, I've updated my (conveniently electronic) text accordingly. It's likely to be some time before I might be able to confirm further details about the history of this sign. -- Deborahjay 10:47, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

I don't think it can be Macedonian. "Ќ" is a Cyrillic letter - it's not present in Macedonian transliterations. Besides, I can't find any reference to pokopališče as a word for "cemetery" in Macedonian. The only words I can find for it in Macedonian are cognate to the south Slavic root globl- or to the Turkish mezar-. It wasn't until after WWII that Macedonian was codified as a language different from western dialects of Bulgarian, and Bulgarian has never been written with the Roman alphabet, so a pre-WWII inscription in Macedonian is pretty unlikely. It is odd to find Slovene so far south, and I'd consider Serbo-Croatian plausible if pokopališče is a rare or archaic word for cemetery in Serbo-Croatian. It's possible because pokopati is, I think, the perfective of "to bury" in Serbo-Croatian. But I think it's unlikely that it's Macedonian. -- Diderot 11:07, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

Your remarks are most convincing, Diderot, in light of the limited information available. Perhaps the Skopje Jewish community (whose cemetery this is) might have been an enclave of immigrants from neighboring countries at some point, thus speaking and writing another language besides or instead of the local Macedonian. (Similar to the various first-generation immigrant subcultures in my own Western Galilee, who retain their homeland's language along with their acquired Hebrew even in quasi-official community usage.) -- Thanks, Deborahjay 12:44, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

It's definitely Slovenian, but I don't have any explanation how it got to Skopje (are you positive it's Skopje?) There were numerous Slovenian refugees to Serbia during WWII, so it might be a reason, but I'm wild-guessing. Diacritic on "Ќ" should not be there — maybe a damage on the inscription or photo? The only reference I googled for "Izraelitsko Pokopalisce" is the one in Nova Gorica; another one says that the one in Gorica is "the only preserved Jewish Cemetery in Slovenia". Duja► 10:31, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Drug eluting stents

This user has indicated that they would prefer serious answers and may require references. Please refrain from frivolous responses to their question.

The above template is included to publicize the new template now available by typing:

{{strict}}

My question is about the name of this medical device. I believe "elute" means "to remove (adsorbed material) from an adsorbent by means of a solvent". Therefore, the stent does not "elute" drugs, but, rather, the blood "elutes" the drug from the stent. Do you agree that this is an incorrect usage ? I think "drug coated stent" is much more clear. StuRat 13:00, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

If you don't mind some feedback on the wording: do you actually mean "avoid", or perhaps rather (what I'd suggest) "refrain from"...? -- Deborahjay 13:10, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
Good point, would "avoid adding" also work ? StuRat 16:50, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
Probably - I think I see your point, that it's preferable for colloquial language. Good going with the template! Deborahjay 21:01, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
Thanks, but I didn't create it, I'm just helping to publicize it. StuRat 22:13, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
Back to your question. I agree with you. The wording is not descriptive of the stent, so it may have been coined as a description of the drug delivery system - a "drug eluting system" (system = artery + stent + coating + blood) being one where drug is eluted from the stent by the blood. My own opinion is that it is too late to change that, and one would probably have to go along with general usage for the title of the article. I have heard one talk about how the stent elutes the drug into the blood stream and the blood vessel wall, a case of a person knowing very well what they are talking about, but not necessarily what they are saying. And it sounds so much more high-tech to say "eluting" (cool 'n classy like chromatography) than it is to say "coated" (boring like barn door paint) or "medicated" (plain like pimple cream). And high tech sells, so the makers and advertisers (including doctors) will likely continue abusing the language. The companies and their advertisers probably thought a lot about that. I would suggest that the technically correct names and the meaning of elute be given somewhere. My question would be: If one leaves the article title as it is, would redirects for the alternative names be necessary? -- Seejyb 22:15, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
Thanks for the comments. I hate needlessly complex terminology with a passion, myself, or should I call myself a "complexificationaphobe" ? :-) StuRat 03:56, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] first verse of French poem that begins, "quand vous serez veille et decrepit" by whom?.

quand je seris vielle et decrepit

I think Pierre de Ronsard is the person you are looking for. An English poem that goes like that is by Yeats [24]. --thunderboltz(Deepu) 14:17, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
I think the Ronsard sonnet you mean is this one. (No decrepitude per se here, but I consider it less likely you're looking for this Bernard Joyet lyric "Vivez, prenez de la bouteille, / Rev'nez quand vous serez bien vieille, / Ridée, décrépite, édentée, / Ça peut m'tenter..." For more, click on "quelques textes" here.) Wareh 22:58, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] what does this mean?

I recently bought a needlepoint of this saying, and am curious as to what it says and in which language:

Dankeno ruckwarts mutig vorwarts glaubig aufwarts

you may email me at: <removed to protect you from Spam>—The preceding unsigned comment was added by 72.187.0.72 (talk • contribs).

I think that there are some typos and that it should be
Dankend rückwärts
mutig vorwärts
gläubig aufwärts
It is German, and it means "Thanking (thankfully) backward, courageously forward, faithfully (devoutly) upward". It seems to be a proverb. Marco polo 16:10, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
The implied verb with those expressions is something like, "Let us look" or "We ought to look." Wareh 22:51, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] english

what is the opossite of eagle? i mean if eagle is a male then what would be his female.

Both sexes are eagles. Sexes of birds tend not to be differentiated by name except in game birds or poultry, where this is of more significance to people, but female birds of any most species can be termed hens.--Shantavira 18:26, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
Shantavira, according to the eagles article, they're ALL male. Apparently for eagle, they're just called male and female, not even hens for females: see [25] -THB 21:05, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
OK Take It Easy, I'm a New Kid in Town.--Shantavira 09:03, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
You guys and your puns; One of These Nights you'll Take It to the Limit and wind up as Reference Desk Desperados, though I Can't Tell You Why.---62.65.129.85 10:05, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
Everyone just Get Over It. -THB 10:50, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
There's going to be a Heartache Tonight if this continues! Though maybe in The Long Run it'll be better for everyone. - Taxman Talk 19:04, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
I've got to get out of this place, if it's the last thing I ever do. :) JackofOz 23:43, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
Alright, you blew the theme. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. You're coming down to the station. - Taxman Talk 03:55, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Aw, that's pretty tough. Eagles are animals too. JackofOz 23:59, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Farsi script translation

Hi all,

Although I have put in hours of internet search time, I have yet to find a good source showing the Persian last name "Shirazi" written in Farsi. I'm curious if anyone here can help, or at least offer a redirect to a better source of information. In addition, written Farsi often operates like cursive in English (to the best of my knowledge), with several letters being written continuously, connected together. This has been the main point of difficulty for me. "Shirazi" is my last name (I'm half-Persian, but can't read/write Farsi), and I would love to finally have a reliable source for what this would look like in said script. Thanks in advance... -Matt128.138.114.149 22:26, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

Shirazi is a family name of Hafez (poet). Cutting and pasting from there: شیرازی
The spacing may not look quite right in your browser. Note that Persian is written from right to left. "Hafez Shirazi" is written more artistically in this image (everything from the long, wavy, horizontal-ish stroke, and on to the left is "Shirazi"). Also see this street sign (the largest-printed word, blue against white, is "Shirazi"). Wareh 00:37, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

Wareh, thank you so much. The version in calligraphy is exactly what I was looking for. Not to be too demanding, but would you (or anyone else) have further examples of Shirazi in calligraphic Farsi? -Matt

Well, here's the email contact form for a Persian calligrapher whose name is Shirazi. Try dropping him a line and telling him about your dream to see the name you guys share in lovely lettering...? Wareh 03:05, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

Thanks again, Wareh. I really appriciate your effort. I will try to contact the calligrapher you tracked down, and see what he can do for me... some of his work might make an amazing Christmas (or norouz!) gift for my dad... I really appriciate it. -Matt 128.138.230.137 05:42, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] arawakan online language dictionary

I'm looking for an online arawak language translation dictionary i'm particularly interested in finding the word fashion in arwak translation--Hnives 23:08, 11 December 2006 (UTC)Hnives

"Arawak" covers a lot of ground, most of it cemetery ground. Different tribes were grouped under that label, and most of them died out before any kind of modern documentation about them existed. The Taíno are the only ones to have made it into the industrial age. There is a Taíno dictionary online at taino-tribe.org, but it's pretty thin. --Diderot 16:10, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Bye vs. Cya

Why is it that in the realm of instant messaging and SMS-ing, that a simple "bye" is considered ruder than vs its derivitaves (ie: Buh Bye, ttyl, cya, etc.)? Who establishes chatroom etiquettes? 61.5.56.28 23:08, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

I wouldn't say it's ruder, however, not using "cya" or derivatives implies that the user might not talk to the recipient again. --Wooty Woot? contribs 23:14, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
I'd say that without the benefit of inflection, "bye" sounds very abrupt, like it's coming at the end of a fight or something. "Buh bye" gets around that by adding an extra, softer syllable. As for who sets etiquette... no one in particular. It just sort of emerges, in my opinion. —Seqsea (talk) 23:19, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
Is "bye" considered ruder? If someone said "buh bye" to me, I would think of the SNL sketch, where the phrase is quite rude. So... which chat rooms and whose SMSs are we talking about? In fact, I would also consider "cya" ruder than "see ya" and even "ttyl" more coloquial than "later!" (though not rude). Perhaps, because "bye" is a preset message on some phones? Or that most of the other phrases are longer than "bye"? — vijay (Talk) 01:03, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
Bye, as in as its own sentence at the end of an SMS or instant messaging, (windows Live, Yahoo, etc.) A rough outline of the SMS from my friend was "ga tak megerti maksudmu. aq akn pergi makan.bye" (I don't understand your meaning. I am going to go eat. Bye.) My phone deletes SMS's after a day (tiny memory, this thing is probably from 98 or something like that), so I don't have the exact sms. I want to explain to her why I got the impression she was mad at me. Maybe its just a location or personal preference for bye, however. Aku tak tahu. Crisco 1492 09:19, 12 December 2006 (UTC)


[edit] December 12

[edit] idealogy v ideology

In some dictionaries, "idealogy" is listed as a varient of "ideology." Does anyone know if this is British usage, or where it comes from? Would "idealogy" be kosher for use on Wikipedia? Would "ideology" be prefered? My instinct says to prefer "ideology" if for no other reason than to avoid having others constantly changing it due to a preceived typographical error. — vijay (Talk) 01:06, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

I guess you could leave an HTML comment explaining the spelling ;) — vijay (Talk) 01:07, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
What's the point of using rare, alternative variants for words? I can't see the point of using alternate words without any reason behind them (i.e. semantic differences, etc.)... 惑乱 分からん 01:21, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
Especially variants whose spellings are due to morphological misanalysis, like miniscule. Nohat 08:01, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
Yeah, and "whilst". I can't figure out why anybody says that. "Anyhoo", too. -GTBacchus(talk) 08:13, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
Whilst I find myself wondering what's wrong with 'whilst', I've never heard of 'idealogy' and can't find it in a couple of British dictionaries that I've tried. (btw my Collins dictionary says 'whilst' is "chief Brit." --Dweller 08:39, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

"Idealogy" is probably based on the spelling of the word "idea" (but that's not how ancient Greek compounding happened to work, so technically it's considered incorrect...). AnonMoos 19:11, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

Or even "ideal". 惑乱 分からん 21:01, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] "She" as "it"

So, why does English use the pronoun "she" to refer to inanimate objects? Titoxd(?!?) 01:32, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

This user has indicated that they would prefer serious answers and may require references. Please refrain from frivolous responses to their question.
It doesn't usually. Boats are a common exception that are often refered to as "she". Rmhermen 02:00, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
See She. Seamen love their boats. See grammatical gender and noun class. Many languages have gendered nouns, English may be in the minority in that most nouns are not gendered. -THB 03:01, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
I saw the article, but since it doesn't have any references, I couldn't use it, and came and asked the question here. Titoxd(?!?) 03:06, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

There are detailed discussions in some of the larger early 20th-century grammars (i.e. Jespersen) etc. Other than in a few special cases, it's mostly an antiquated literary affectation by now -- and it has little to do with the grammatical gender found in languages such as French, Spanish, German etc. AnonMoos 03:12, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

I second AnonMoos - using "she" to refer to inanimate object is a sign of affection and personification of said object, and has little to do with grammar. Since most nouns in English are genderless, you can theoretically use any pronoun (he, she, it) to replace them, although "it" would be most correct while the other two imply that you are attributing some form of person-like characteristic to the object. Men seem to do this more often than women, in my experience, usually when referring to big, noise-making things (cars, motorcycles, ships...) ;-) — QuantumEleven 21:38, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
English has no gender as others have noted. He can also get used for inanimate objects when they are being personified. But you wanted references. Jespersen is good as already noted. Also, take a look at Michael Barlow's A situated theory of agreement (1992) published by Garland and available in academic libraries for a theory of how agreement works as a semantic resource. It kind of takes the mystery away from the issue. mnewmanqc 03:15, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] I Like to See it Lap the Miles by Emily Dickinson

hey everyone. does anyone know what the poem "I like to see it lap the miles" by Emily Dickinson is about. i know it's about a train with the metaphor of a horse, but does anyone know anything beyond that. thanks!

-anon.

See [26] which incidently comes up first when Googling the title. Nice concise analysis. -THB 10:48, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
Is there a {{homework}} tag? =) doktorb wordsdeeds 14:43, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
yes, {{dyoh}} Shinhan 11:50, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Word for a person who has a love for teaching

I've been thinking about prefixes and suffixes lately for some reason, and this particular word has eluded me. You know how the suffix "-iphile" is used to indicate that someone has a love for something (like a "bibliophile," or a person who has a love for books)? What is the word for someone who has a love for teaching? I was under the impression that "-ped" was the proper prefix for something like this ("pedagogue," "pedantic") but that doesn't work for obvious reasons. :) Thanks! --pie4all88 13:49, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

Aahh, actually, the ped-root in all of these words seem to be derived from the greek word for "child", while the "-agog" might be derived from Greek "agein" (to lead). "Pedantic" is from an Italian mangling... 惑乱 分からん 14:29, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
All these philia and phobia terms come from Greek, e.g., hydrophilia is a love of water. The Greek for "water" is hydor (as a prefix it becomes hydro-), and -philia (the suffix) is Greek for "liking" or "friendship". The Greek for "teacher" is didaskale or daskalos ("teach"), so it's very probably didaskalophilia or daskalophilia. Note I have no references to back this up, as I couldn't find any use of the word. The second one sounds better, but then ease of pronounciation has never been a concern with some of these constructions. Fear of teachers would therefore be daskalophobia. Proto::► 16:30, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
I would think that didaskalophilia would be a love of teachers. Apparently, "didaxis" (root "didak-" or "didac-" in the more usual Latin transliteration) means teaching. Wouldn't a love of teaching be more like didacophilia? Marco polo 16:55, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
That sounds good too. I'm not sure there's a definitive answer. Proto::► 17:09, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
Wow, thanks a lot for the help here, guys. Great job coming up with these answers! --Pie4all88 02:06, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
The best-known English derivative of "didaxis" must be "didactic", which suggests "didactophile". Going back to the pedagogy root, one could also make "pedagogophile" (or in Britain, "paedogogophile" — although in a country where some of the yobs don't know a paedophile from a paediatrician, I think I'd want to avoid that one). There are a few Google hits on each of these and/or their corresponding -philia nouns; I have not checked any dictionaries to see if any of them is considered an established usage. --Anonymous, December 13, 02:15 (UTC).

My expertise is in Greek, not in English word-formation, but I'm dubious about all these suggestions & about the likelihood of success with this approach. You can find a word with active teaching connotations (say, paideusis, or maybe didache), but as soon as it's compounded with -philia, I think you're implying "love of teaching [performed by someone else]." Philomathy is the only English word with -phil- that really seems to mean "love of DOING X" (none of the -philias is close). Even in this case, the word implies love of something external to the lover, and expressions relating "teaching" to a person tend to drift in this direction, referring to someone else's teaching, which is effectively passive not active (Herodotus says someone speaks ek didaches, "as a result of instruction [by someone else]" = "as instructed"). (Perhaps also "philology" originally meant love of engaging in discourse, but no one seems to understand it that way now; as a Sanskrit professor whose seminars proceeded at a glacial pace once announced, "Philology is the love of a word!" Anyway, I find it hard to cram the didask- stem into this pattern: philodidaxy? philodidachy? If you really need a vaguely Greekish words, these at least seem less to mean the opposite of what's intended.) FWIW, originally didaktikos has the idea of "skilled at teaching" and could certainly characterize a person. Wareh 20:42, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

Very interesting! Thanks again for putting so much thought into this, everyone! --pie4all88 08:22, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Spanish

Can anyone translate this for me please.

"Hasta la vicroire siempre mi amigo!" Ken 15:02, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

Probably a typo for "Hasta la victoria siempre, mi amigo!" meaning "Until the victory, always, my friend!" (It looks more like the French spelling victoire, strangely enough...) 惑乱 分からん 15:15, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

OK thanks. Ken 15:18, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] sofa, couch, settee

Of the three words 'sofa', 'couch' and 'settee', which would be considered middle class and which working class in the UK? --Auximines 17:53, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

You could ask the ghost of Nancy Mitford -- see U and non-U English ... AnonMoos 19:08, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
"Couch" was non-U. -THB 20:36, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
I would say that they stand for slightly different things, but just from the perspective of your question, I would say that "settee" is the most pretentious, while "couch" is the least (as well as sounding a bit American). "Sofa" is somewhere in between. — QuantumEleven 21:30, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
Hmmm that's funny, because the editor who proofread my book said 'settee' is the least pretentious, and sofa (or chesterfield) is the most. Anchoress 02:21, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
When faced with a disagreement between a professional editor and QuantumEleven, I would go with the editor! ;-) — QuantumEleven 06:14, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Lol. I mean it, you actually made me laugh out loud. You are a very classy packet, XI. Anchoress 06:18, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
I find it really hard to believe that anyone would say with a straight face that settee is less pretentious than couch and sofa. I don't believe I've ever encountered anyone using that word in spoken English, but I hear both sofa and couch all the time. I've heard that chesterfield is an old-fashioned term for a sofa that was used around where I am from (Northern California) but I've never heard anyone call a sofa a chesterfield. Nohat 06:52, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
There is a lot of regional variation in the use of these terms. What is rare or pretentious in northern California could be common and unpretentious in the UK, or vice versa. As for "chesterfield", I understand that this term is in widespread use in Canada. Marco polo 13:57, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
And then there's davenport ... User:Zoe|(talk) 19:05, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
My family always called a small couch with only room for two a "love seat", but people have looked at me like I was insane whenever I used the term. And, of course, I am insane (or is that inane ?), but not for that reason. StuRat 03:41, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
In my north Wales farmhouse in the 60s, the relevant piece of furniture was "the settee", and we certainly weren't pretentious! -- Arwel (talk) 23:00, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
The term "love seat" more often refers to a curious S-shaped 2-seater, with the sitters facing opposite directions (paradoxically). I've never heard of a standard 2-seater couch called a "love seat", although depending on what goes on there, it may well be an appropriate epithet. Thanks for acknowledging your insanity, Stu - but then, a truly insane person would probably be in deep denial. I think the usual description these days for one such as you is "troubled". :) JackofOz 00:15, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] "Linking L" in Brazilian Portuguese?

In a Brazilian dialect that vocalizes syllable-final /l/ to [w], what happens to word-final /l/ followed by a vowel? In a phrase like "Brasil é um pais...", would the /l/ of "Brasil" still be pronounced as [w], or would it be [l]? --Lazar Taxon 20:36, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

Nobody? --Lazar Taxon 21:29, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Letter ending: yours

While writing a letter the other day, I started thinking: what does the closing phrase "yours," (which I'm guessing is a shortened and perhaps more informal version of "your truly," or "yours sincerely,") actually mean? It seems a very strange thing to write when I think about it, in a way implying either ownership or devotion... but since I'm not an English native speaker, I was hoping someone might be able to help me....? — QuantumEleven 21:34, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

See: Business letter particularly the "closing" section. You are guessing correctly, and "Yours truly" is an abbreviation for the more florid closings formerly used, such as "I remain, truly yours, etc." -THB 21:38, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
Thanks for the link, THB. However, I'm still a bit fuzzy on the actual meaning of "yours," (or, if you want, "I remain, yours truly,") - I guess I'm just curious as to the origins of this phrase. Does anyone have any ideas? — QuantumEleven 21:48, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
Shortening of former phrases common in 18th century and earlier, such as "Your most humble servant", etc. AnonMoos 21:54, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Dramatic vs. Theatrical qualities

What is the difference between dramatic qualities as opposed to theatrical qualities in the context of me attempting to analyse the last scene of "The Winter's Tale"? I cannot remember for the life of me and I'm getting all mixed up in my answer and my notes are due in tomorrow :S Thanks! Farosdaughter 22:17, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

I'm no expert (and am unfamiliar with "The Winter's Tale") but I can offer an idea: theatrical may have to do with elements of staging the play; dramatic would include the tensions between characters, plot development, etc. Good luck! -- Deborahjay 03:57, 13 December 2006 (UTC)


[edit] December 13

[edit] Book Review

I would like to have someone to explain the steps on how to do a book review. Thanks.

The second External Link at the article Book review is a nice guide. -THB 00:28, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] IPA Starter

For someone who is a mature native English speaker who never took much interest (or found the need to) in pronunciation guides, what's the best way to start understanding what all those symbols mean? I've read the IPA article and I've seen lists and lists of how to pronounce each symbol, but they all seem very daunting and not 'user friendly', the reason I've avoided it in the 1st place. Is there a beginners guide, an IPA 101? Vespine

The minimum amount of IPA you need to know would probably be the set of symbols used to describe one language, such as English. I would start with IPA chart for English and Pronunciation respelling for English, which compares IPA with the system used in dictionaries you may be familiar with. Nohat 02:03, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

Try these websites for a start:

There's no need to memorize lots of them. If you bookmark the ucla chart, you can just reference it when you need to. Many have similar values to the corresponding English letters, and it's pretty obvious when they don't. Nevertheless, you might want to learn a few of the more prominent ones: like ʃ,ʒ,ʋ,ɘ,ɛ,ɑ,θ, to name about half the "common funny looking ones for English". If you remember just two or three a day, you'll have all you need in a week. I still don't know them all, and I've been in this business for years. Thing is, I don't know the ones I don't need to know. I can always look at and listen to that nifty ucla list! Thank god for Peter Ladefoged mnewmanqc 03:33, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

I agree. You only need to know a few for English, and you can always look them up when unsure. For example, searching for ɛ will lead you to ɛ which leads to open-mid front unrounded vowel, which links to an audio sample, Open-mid front unrounded vowel.ogg (help·info). --Kjoonlee 04:42, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Synonym

Hi, What's another (preferably simpler) word for slating? It's usage is here:

The law defined the children of slaves as a type of indentured servant, while slating them for eventual freedom

Thanks.NinaEliza 04:30, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

Listing? Marking? Scheduling? JackofOz 04:54, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Excellent, thank you:)NinaEliza 04:56, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
I guess it's important to note that the verb slate usually has the sense of schedule in American English, but the sense of criticize in British English. Nohat 04:59, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
I used schedule, so that worked out. Thanks for the clarification.NinaEliza 06:55, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Unidentified Soup

In Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story, in the red-carpet scene at the beginning, Tricia Takanawa mentions some kind of soup while humping David Bowie's leg. In the commentary (beginning of scene 14), Alex Borstein says it's some unpleasant-tasting (possibly Asian) soup, the name of which sounds vaguely like 'fish-mao' or 'fish-bao', something like that. Anybody have any idea what it is? Black Carrot 06:02, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

According to the subtitles, it's "fish bowel soup", which sounds vile. Proto::► 11:41, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Please help define Hindi/Sanskrit word

I read a word in, I believe, "Hinduism for Dummies" or "An Idiot's Guide to Hinduism"...the word is "Akriti".

The definition had to do with "love without origin". I loved what I read and would like to know if this is a real word and have an accurate definintion. I have not been able to find an occurrencew of this word anywhere else.

"Akriti" has become very symbolic for me and I would like to be using it accurately. I have a great deal of interest in and respect for Sanskrit and stumbled on "akriti" in my research of that language.

Please advise in any way possible.

I appreciate your help.

Cathy

<email address removed to protect poster from spammers>

On pages 27 and 28 of this document, "akriti" is defined to mean something like "inner form" or "essence" in Sanskrit. According to this source, the word does not refer (directly) to a kind of love. I myself, however, have no knowledge of Sanskrit and can't assess the accuracy of this source. Marco polo 16:32, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
The Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon agrees: AkRti (IAST ākṛti) means "a constituent part... form, figure, shape, appearance, aspect... a well-formed shape... kind, species... specimen..." —Keenan Pepper 19:39, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Cappelers dictionary (on the same project) agrees, and adds a definition of beauty, which is probably similar to the well-formed shape definition in the Monier Williams definition which the Cologne lexicon gives. Just if you're interested the word would be spelled आकृति and you can read our article Sanskrit that shows there is some variation on the pronunciation of the "r" sound. That character is ऋ and shows up as the small half loop form when connected to a consonant. So while, the dictionary definition doesn't really match the religious one you've given, but that doesn't mean it's wrong exactly, just an additional interpretation perhaps. - Taxman Talk 00:19, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Where is the Stremnaya Road, and what does "stremnaya" mean?

To the Wikipedia Volunteer Reference Staff:

A previous attempt to post this question failed. Hopefully, this will succeed.

I received an email from an in-law from South America that had an email attachment (*.ppt file) of what was purported to be the Stremnaya Road in Bolivia. This seemed an odd name for a road in South America, as it appears to be Russian. I have little knowledge of the Russian language, but know some Spanish, which it definitely has no association with. The pictures of the road are enough to make anyone with fear of heights cringe. Unfortunately, there was no link in the email I received of this Powerpoint presentation, but there are some blogs on the Internet regarding it. There seems to be wide disagreement on where the road is located. Some think it is in China, which would make more sense from its name. Others declare they have traveled it, and it is, in fact, in Bolivia. What would clinch where it is really located is a closeup of the license plates of the many trucks that travel it.

I did a Google search on "Stremnaya Road". The top hits are currently for web sites are claiming that the picture distributed under that name is in fact of the Guoliang Tunnel road in China. I know nothing about it myself. --Anonymous, December 13, 23:27 (UTC).

[edit] Where is the Stremnaya Road? Is it in Bolivia? What does "stremnaya" mean?

To the Wikipedia Volunteer Reference Staff:

A previous attempt to post this question failed. Hopefully, this will succeed.

I received an email from an in-law from South America that had an email attachment (*.ppt file) of what was purported to be the Stremnaya Road in Bolivia. This seemed an odd name for a road in South America, as it appears to be Russian. I have little knowledge of the Russian language, but know some Spanish, which it definitely has no association with. The pictures of the road are enough to make anyone with fear of heights cringe. Unfortunately, there was no link in the email I received of this Powerpoint presentation, but there are some blogs on the Internet regarding it.

There seems to be wide disagreement on where the road is located. Some think it is in China, which would make more sense from its name. Others declare they have traveled it, and it is, in fact, in Bolivia. What would clinch where it is really located is a closeup of the license plates of the many trucks that travel it, and/or some of the people.

I did try to find reference to this in Wikipedia, but the feedback was nil.

I also tried to login under "a_ruminor", but was unsuccessful, so I created a new account using "Al Ruminor". The "A Ruminor" username was stated to be too close to the one I attempted to login under. I believe I posted something about a year ago under "a_ruminor" or "A Ruminor" concerning a Colombian airliner crash which took place around 1997, so at one time I did have an account. Please delete the other account if you can authorize that.

If you wish to contact me, my email is [removed for protection against spambots] I could reply with an attachment of the *.ppt file in response. Please do not provide my email address on Wikipedia and keep it private for this purpose alone.

Thanks for any help.

Best regards, Al Ruminor 23:31, 13 December 2006 (UTC) Aldous Ruminor

Well you should keep checking back with those blogs. This one was updated since you first posted, and it identifies the pics as The Guiliang Tunnel, check the last few entries of the blog for other links besides the one I posted. Is that sufficient? Anchoress 03:26, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Here's another good link: Mistery (sic) solved and another: results of google search on the dictionary definition of Stremnaya Anchoress 03:31, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
As far as I can tell, "stremnaya" is not exactly a Russian word. It may be a non-native's attempt at Russian. Or it may be something like Bulgarian (?? sounds suspiciously like Bolivia). The Russian female adjective for "steep, precipitous" is "stremninnaya". But why is a Russian, faux-Russian or Bulgarian word used for a road in China? JackofOz 00:30, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
To fill in more gaps, we have an article on the Yungas Road, the Bolivian "Road of Death" and "World's Most Dangerous Road", which looks nothing like the Chinese one pictured. But it's a very well known steep, dangerous, mountainous road, and I'd guess that Bolivia got attached to the road as being a location of a well-known dangerous road. --ByeByeBaby 05:56, 15 December 2006 (UTC)


[edit] December 14

[edit] Wikipedia tutorial on spotting/eliminating redundant words

Dear ref-desk experts, I know this page is in the Wikipedia somewhere, having visited it last week, but after half an hour's search today I can't seem to find it. Link please?

Many thanks, susato 02:00, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

User:Tony1/How to satisfy Criterion 1a: redundancy exercises I think that is what you are asking for.--Birgitte§β ʈ Talk 12:46, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Maybe Words to avoid, Avoid weasel words, Avoid peacock terms, or Avoid trite expressions? Then again, there's Embrace weasel words too.---Sluzzelin 12:49, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Thanks Birgitte§β that's it exactly - Thanks Sluzzelin, those links will be helpful as well. susato 13:12, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Parts of Speech

Please identify the underlined word as a noun, adjective, adverb, or etc.:

Holly's hope chest is made entirely of Oak.

My teacher says "Oak" in this sentence is an adjective, but I don't understand why. Is she right? I could have sworn it was a noun. Could someone explain to me why it is an adjective? Thanks for the help. --72.69.145.238 03:02, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Your teacher is wrong. "Oak" is a noun in that sentence. However, I think it would be an adjective if the sentence were "Holly's hope chest is oak." Am I right? --Maxamegalon2000 03:18, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
She briefly said that it was an adjective because it was describing the type of chest it was. "What kind of chest? An Oak chest!" This doesn't really seem right to me though, so I wanted some more opinions. Keep the responses coming! --72.69.145.238 03:23, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Please realize that many stupid people do become teachers. Don't argue. Just know that you are right, but for the sake of your grades regurgitate back the lies she tells you. --Nelson Ricardo 05:15, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
I agree with the other contributors, your teacher is wrong. "Oak" would have been an adjective if it had been used like this: "Holly's hope oak chest...", but in the sentence you gave us it is definitely a noun. My sentence, incidentally, fulfills the "What kind of chest? An Oak chest!" argument your teacher used. And I would respectfully disagree with Nelson Ricardo, I think you should argue with your teacher, present your case and don't give in so easily. Good luck! — QuantumEleven 11:33, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
It's not an adjective in either case. In "Holly's hope chest is made entirely of oak," it's definitely a noun. You couldn't replace it with an adjective - "Holly's hope chest is made entirely of woody." In "It's an oak chest!" it's a noun adjunct - a noun which modifies another noun. I don't think there are any ways you can use the word "oak" that it isn't a noun. 13:11, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
...unless it was an oaken chest. That would be an adjective.--Shantavira 15:30, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Oaky is another - although usually only used with respect to flavor. Rmhermen 18:33, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Um, right, I meant that "oak" without any suffix can't be an adjective. FreplySpang 21:30, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
I would argue that, while technically listed as noun adjuncts, "oak" and "chicken" in "oak chest" and "chicken soup" act adjectivally, and that noun adjuncts are a sub-set of adjectives. In this sentence, "oak" performs precisely the same function as "oaken", it's only the form that's different. JackofOz 00:36, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Dear 72.69.145.238,
As a teacher I'd say argue with your teacher if you feel you can without being punished. If you judge that your teacher is open minded and secure, then just copy the comments in this page and go for it. If not, keep it on the dl.
Now, here's the problem. Even linguists can argue about where adjectives end and nouns begin. In my book, since you can't have "very oak" or "oaker" in that position, then it is acting like a noun. Furthermore, "of" does not seem to take adjective complements, at least off the top of my head, I can't think of any (although someone may just add one below). More evidence to add to the "Oaky" or "oaken" evidence above. mnewmanqc 02
48, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Or

what does the French word "or" mean, not in the sense of gold.

but Sashafklein 05:56, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
That's English, they wanted to know about the French word. - Mgm|(talk) 09:52, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
you should check out wordreference.com for single word translations. Sashafklein 05:56, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Also in Google, define: WORD -- Deborahjay 06:19, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Or even Wiktionary. --Diderot 07:32, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] off of

Is "off of" considered correct English in the US? For example Their name comes from a track off of Syd Barrett's album "Barrett." --Auximines 11:24, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Well, I consider it correct. Certainly it's something native speakers say all the time. I'd have used "on" in place of "off of" in this sentence though, but that is probably mostly a matter of personal style. --Diderot 12:39, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
We native speakers may say it all the time, but constructions accepted in informal spoken language aren't necessarily appropriate for use on paper. "Off of" may have originated as a parallel construction to the correct "out of". IMHO "off of" is not acceptable in a wikipedia article. In Auxmines' example above, "on" is a fine substitute. When "off of" is used to indicate removal of a physical object or information, as in "They broke branches off of a dead tree for firewood" or "You can copy the problems off of the blackboard", a good substitute would be "from".susato 13:11, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
If you ban "off of", will you also ban "into", "out of", "out from under" (e.g "The cat came out from under the sofa.") etc. etc.? AnonMoos 13:45, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
It would depend on context, but those are considered acceptable standard words/constructions. English prescriptive grammar doesn't have to be consistant. Ƶ§œš¹ [aɪm ˈfɻɛ̃ⁿdˡi] 13:55, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Of course not; those examples are fine. The main reason I don't like "off of" is because "off" stands on its own. The "of" adds nothing. susato 18:04, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
What I really don't like are opposing juxtapositions, such as "she rode off on her bike" or "he went out in the rain", but these are perfectly correct grammatically speaking.--Shantavira 15:34, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
"Off of" is technically okay, but is very ugly. Almost as bad as "should of" (which is both technically and aesthetically wrong) and "had had", which fills me with rage. Proto::► 16:00, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

It's acceptable English yes, but it's a bit awkward to say it, and thus to read it. If you can rephrase to avoid use of 'off off', then do so. :) Vranak 18:35, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for the input. I asked because off of is never used in the UK. --Auximines 23:10, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
It crops up the lyrics in Andy Williams's version of Can't Take My Eyes Off You, but not in the title. sʟυмɢυм • т • c 23:18, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Proto, you may need anger management classes because "had had" is not only perfectly legitimate but in some contexts is absolutely necessary. JackofOz 00:46, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
'Had had' is technically legitimate, but it's never, ever necessary, and it's very ugly. Give an example where it's necessary. Proto::► 10:47, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
"He had had no luck at the slots, so he moved on to the blackjack tables." --Diderot 14:48, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
"He had no luck at the slots, so he moved on to the blackjack tables",
"Due to his lack of luck at the slots, he moved on to the blackjack tables",
"He moved on to the blackjack tables as there had been no luck for him at the slots",
"With no luck at the slots, he moved on to the blackjack tables", all of which have the same meaning and avoid the ugly repeated 'had'. The last one is lazy, and the third is ungainly, but 'had had' is my pet irrational (I know it's irrational) hate and by God if I can stretch a sentence to exclude it, I will.Proto::► 22:53, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
The first two and the last don't mean the same thing as the "had had" construction. In a narrative, "he had no luck at the slots" might mean that he never has any luck at them. A "lack of luck" is equally atemporal. I want to indicate an immediate causal order to events within the narrative: he had, right then, been having no luck at the slots, and as an immediate consequence moved to another game.
The third sounds fishy and euphemistic to me. You've reordered the arguments of the phrase to produce an awkward sentence when simply using "had had" would have gotten the point right across. "There had been no luck for him at slots" is indirect, almost a passive sentence. Anglophone readers almost always prefer direct narrative where agents appear as subjects. This is the key fact about English that makes texts written in English by Dutch-speakers and Swedes such crap.
Everything in English can be said some other way, but I don't see a clearer, stylistically better way to say that sentence without losing some of the meaning. --Diderot 23:14, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] tow, row

Hiya. We're trying to translate The British Grenadiers into German, and the question came up what With a tow, row, row, row, row, row, to the British Grenadiers might actually mean (since afaik Grenadieers hardly ever row). Is it purely nonsensical or is there some semantic value to it? --Janneman 15:50, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Onomatopeic drums or collective danse stumping feet ? --DLL .. T 17:57, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
I interpret this as musical filler. Sorry I know little of german, certainly not enough to make words up, but you really need something like a teutonic tra-la-la but with a vaguely nautical theme. meltBanana 19:47, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Pronunciation of Adum (Kumasi, Ghana)

I need to know how to prononunce Adum, an area (?) located in the city of Kumasi, Ghana. It would help to have this in IPA notation. Thanks! -- Deborahjay 16:42, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Brother's Wife

What is a brother's wife called in English

Sister-in-law?

[edit] Once upon a time, in Spanish

Spanish fairy tales often begin with the phrase "Érase una vez", which I assume means "Once upon a time". I'm a bit puzzled by the first word, "Érase". It's not in my dictionary, and appears to be a reflexive use of the verb "ser". Is this correct? "Lavarse", "irse" etc are in my dictionary, but not "serse". If it indeed is a reflexive use of "ser", is it used in any other context, or any other tense? --NorwegianBlue talk 18:42, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

"Érase una vez... " o "érase que se era... ", son formas del verbo "ser", o mejor dicho serían del verbo pronominal "serse", pero este verbo de hecho no existe salvo estas 2 frases hechas, equivalentes al inglés "once upon a time". Skarioffszky 19:05, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Muchas gracias. I was wondering, could this construct be used in the future tense, "Se sera un dia, cuando ..."? Google gives some hits indicating that this indeed may be the case, but it is difficult for a non-native speaker to understand how the use of the reflexive pronoun is modifying the intended meaning of the sentence. Couldn't it just have been omitted, with no loss of meaning or clarity? --NorwegianBlue talk 21:30, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
I asked a well-known Spanish linguist, who assures me that it is simply the reflexive in the archaic word order for that tense verb clitic. Se es is used to this day. Here's a citation from the Spanish writer, Javier Marías's, blog: [[27]] mnewmanqc 15:59, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Indescribable

When people say 'it was indescribable' in places like books, surely saying that something is indecribable is a way of describing it? Herbynator 20:43, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Not really. If I told you that I'd just had "an indescribable experience", you would know nothing about it unless I went on to tell you more about it. Which of course means that it wasn't really indescribable after all. JackofOz 00:41, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Just how much of this IS the title?

Regarding this old work, how much of that is the title? Obviously everything up to "SPIRITS", but what about the rest of it? I'm trying to cite this work in an articel, and would like to know what the exact title is. Thanx. 68.39.174.238 21:55, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

It's generally considered legitimate to use an abbreviated title in a citation where it just runs on and on, and where the abbreviation is long enough to constitute a unique reference to the work. I'd cite it as "Tales of Conscience Concerning Evil Spirits" by Increase Mather and just stop there. --Diderot 22:45, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Agreed. Our article on Increase Mather refers to it as Cases of Conscience Concerning Evil Spirits Personating Men. —Seqsea (talk) 00:31, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
While I agree that there is nothing wrong with referring to this book by an abbreviated form of its title, its title most certainly is Cases of conscience concerning evil spirits personating men, witchcrafts, infallible proofs of guilt in such as are accused with that crime: All considered according to the Scriptures, history, experience, and the judgment of many learned men (I just cut and pasted that from what the Harvard library catalog entry for this edition reports as the title, with insignificant adjustments). I think it's informative & interesting to provide the full title. (Don't be misled by long s: it is Cases, not Tales.) Wareh 03:44, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
D'oh! --Diderot 08:35, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

If you wanted to cite it in its original language (Middle English?), or at least in the orthography used at the time (1693) how would you write the 'long s' in a Wikipedia article? I know you could just link to the picture, but I was just wondering. Carcharoth 10:53, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Ah, here we go: Caſes of Conſcience concerning evil SPIRITS perſonating Men, Witchcrafts, infallible Proofs of Guilt in ſuch as are accuſed with that Crime: All Conſidered according to the Scriptures, Hiſtory, Experience, and the Judgment of many learned men. That suitable reproduces the emphasis and capitalisation of the original, though as reproducing the font and size is not possible, linking to the orignal picture is probably simplest. Also, I can't work out what the strange form of the capital 'C' is in the 'Caſes of Conſcience' bit. Carcharoth 11:02, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
That 'C' – and the whole first line – is in basically the standard Textualis version of the blackletter. --LambiamTalk 00:45, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Pronounciation

How do you pronounce the Russian 'Yob t'voyu mat'? (Spelling is probably off.) Crisco 1492 23:49, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

If it's ёб тьвою мать then probably [jop tvoju matʲ]. Pretty much the way it's spelled. I'd watch out though, telling Russians that you f*cked their mother isn't the best thing to do when you're fop in Moscow. Ƶ§œš¹ [aɪm ˈfɻɛ̃ⁿdˡi] 00:22, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
The second word is твою, not тьвою. JackofOz 00:38, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Btw, all words in that sentence go back to Proto-Indo-European roots. Fun to think of some guy using that phrase thousands of years ago... ;) 惑乱 分からん 02:28, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Yeah, my transcription is for твою. I'm assuming, of course, that the first syllable in that word is stressed. Ƶ§œš¹ [aɪm ˈfɻɛ̃ⁿdˡi] 08:29, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] December 15

[edit] Hidden cultural references?

What do these two questions given in quick sucession mean? Showed up on a

  1. Can you hold your beer?
  2. Are you a man on a mission?

I can't make head or tail out of this one. Any hints? --HappyCamper 02:09, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Normally, as far as idioms go, to be able to "hold your beer" (or any other alcoholic beverage) is to be able to drink a significant volume of beer without suffering particularly ill effects, such as vomiting or passing out. Someone who can hold their beer will be one of the last ones left standing at the end of the night. A "man on a mission" is someone who is very strongly driven to complete a task of some sort; someone who is completely obsessed with completing some specific task they've set out to do. One other possible reference is the country music song "Hold My Beer" by Aaron Pritchett, which uses both phrases, although the holding of the beer is in the literal sense of physically keeping it in your hand. (While the singer steals your girlfriend, to be precise -- which is his mission, as it turns out.) Lyrics. --ByeByeBaby 05:49, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
My friend, you are awesome! Thanks so much - the Aaron Pritchett reference was exactly what I was looking for. --HappyCamper 16:55, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Latin to English Translation

I am trying to translate the latin phrase "per scientiam servitia". A few translations I have already gotten from other websites/programs are "through the knowledge the slaveries". I don't agree with that translation. I'm more apt to think the translation would be more along the lines of "Through the servitude of knowledge" or "knowledge by the means of servitude". Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

68.1.114.221 02:49, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

The most generous case that can be made for this as meaningful Latin is "servants through knowledge." What is inarguable is that it means "[plural of servitium] through knowledge"; see further the lexicon entry for servitium, which includes the somewhat uncommon translation I'm suggesting. Wareh 03:53, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
You're going the extra mile to be generous Wareh, but maybe it's better just to say that this is gibberish - surely it would convey no meaning to a native Latin speaker if such a one could be reincarnated? Context might be helpful, if the original questioner could let us know where he/she came across the phrase. It looks like one of those fumbled attempts by non-Latinists to come up with an impressive motto. You can see lots more on similar lines by Googling 'per scientiam'. Maid Marion 13:49, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
I suspect that it is an attempt to render "service through science" in Latin. Marco polo 14:32, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves

What is the message that is being sent in this book? I don't quite get it.

This should probably go on the Humanities Desk, but to get you started, have you read the article on Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves? Anchoress 03:54, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Message? What need for a message? It's just an entertaining story, with no didactic purpose unlike, say, Aesop's Fables. It is just another tale for Scheherazade to wile away those long Arabian nights. The little man sometimes wins out against the odds, which is, I suppose, the main comfort to be taken. Clio the Muse 09:25, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
This reminds me of the famous quote attributed to Samuel Goldwyn: "Pictures are for entertainment, messages should be delivered by Western Union". (According to wikiquote, though I've also heard it worded differently). ---Sluzzelin 10:52, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] The Tiger and the Hare

What is the sacrifice of the animals in this story?

This question should probably be on the Humanities Desk, but anyways... we don't seem to have an article on that particular fable, but you can check some of the google results I found. Anchoress 04:02, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Se questo è un uomo

This an odd question, but I was wondering why the American version of Se questo è un uomo was released as Survival in Auschwitz? I originally purchased the book in Australia as If This Is a Man, and have only recently been able to find it in the states once I figured out the other title. Any thoughts? --Cody.Pope 03:56, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

They probably thought it was a catchier title. Personally, I think it's way worse... 惑乱 分からん 04:05, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Either that ("Auschwitz" being a shocking word that sells) or maybe there's a copyright issue involved. For what it's worth, the Dutch, German and Portuguese versions of the title are close to the original, but seem to be in the form of the question Is This a Man? or perhaps Is This a Human? (Is dit een mens, Ist das ein Mensch, É isso um homem?). The Spanish and French versions are verbatim translations of the original Italian title. ---Sluzzelin 07:12, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
The English language version that I read, published by Penguin Books in the UK, was also correctly titled If this is a Man. I have to agree that the use of Auschwitz in the title was most likely for cynical marketing purposes. I cannot imagine that Levi would have agreed to this change. Death camps sell as entertainment, a thought both sobering and tragic. Clio the Muse 09:42, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] To Indent or Not to Indent

I was just wondering if anyone around here knew the answer to this question:

Should the very first paragraph of a typed publication have its very first line indented?

Specifically, I am refering to works such as essays, research papers, and other documents found in scholarly academia. But in its broadest sense, the question includes any substantial, significant composition or product of writiing ever typed on a computer keyboard or typewriter perhaps. My query is, of course, subject to any amount of debate or any number of disputes, but I welcome anyone to tell me whatever anyone may know. Please explain anything I may have missed or spell out the different views of the topic. Oh, and tell me if I should move this to the Computing Reference Desk instead or as well. Thanks a million, guys.

--DrZeus 05:26, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

I asked this very question a while ago. The consensus seemed to be that the first line should not be indented, because the only purpose of a paragraph indent is to indicate the beginning of a new paragraph, and there obviously isn't the need for that signal with the first paragraph. BTW, the humanities or misc ref desks would probably have been better for this query. --Richardrj talk email 05:59, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Yeah I just didn't want as much attention. But anyway, you are right. Got that. But recently I've been hearing that many, maybe unprofessional writers, especially Americans, have been raised thinking that the first paragraph is always indented. Is there any way that you can prove your claim in detail? I mean, I have some opposition here. How should you indent, anyway? --DrZeus 07:10, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
There is no hard and fast rule. Many universities and other institutions have their own house rules on this sort of thing, but there is no global standard. Publishers much prefer a blank line between paragraphs of a manuscript rather than an indent.--Shantavira 09:17, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Go to a library. Select some books published before the advent of computer typesetting (say from before 1970) that look like some care has been given to their typography. Check how the first paragraph of each chapter is handled. You'll see that in most cases (but not all) it is not indented. You may see some other conventions that have fallen into disuse. --LambiamTalk 01:15, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] PATIENT - SHE or HE

I have read in a Psychiatry Text book the following sentences, where "patient" means both sexes: -The "patient" believes that "he" has special powers. -Sometimes the person has a complex system of delusions involving both a wide range of persecutions and a belief that there is a well-designed conspiracy behind them: for example, that the "patient's" house is bugged and that "she" is being followed.

I am in doubt if the masculine & feminine forms of the pronoun can be used indistinctly or if only one of them is correct. would someone tell me please—The preceding unsigned comment was added by 70.107.62.97 (talk • contribs).

"He" is now considered rather old fashioned, as some people consider it sexist. It is better to say "he or she". You can also use "they". Some people consider "they" incorrect to refer to a single person, but this usage dates back to the sixteenth century. Alternatively, these sentences can often be rephrased to avoid the problem. Please don't keep repeating your question.--Shantavira 09:27, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
  • Some people simply use "she" all the time. I'm of the opinion you can use either he or she as long as you note it can refer to both sexes. Singular they can also be an alternative in some cases. - Mgm|(talk) 09:50, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Using the singular pronoun changes the emphasis slightly, making it sound more personal. mnewmanqc 16:01, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Sanskrit

I would like to see the Sanskrit word, dvandva, as it appears in its own language. Can you display the Sanskrit alphabet?--Jelizbeth 17:47, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

There is no "Sanskrit alphabet". The script (not an alphabet, but an abugida) most commonly associated with Sanskrit is Devanāgarī, but that is a relatively modern invention and did not exist in the time of Vedic and Classical Sanskrit. For example, Pāṇini, assuming he used writing at all, would have written in the Brāhmī script, which looks nothing like Devanāgarī. (Earlier on the reference desk I embarrassed myself by getting all this wrong and acting like I knew what I was talking about.)
That said, the word dvaṃdva (IAST), meaning "pair", looks like this in Devanāgarī: द्वंद्व (I can render that into an image if you don't have a proper font for it. It should look like two characters, not four.) —Keenan Pepper 20:31, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Swedish word

The word ehn appears to be a name or a title, I'm not sure which. Do you know what the word means in English?--Jelizbeth 17:58, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Eh, "ehn" surely isn't a Swedish word, name or title. It doesn't even follow Swedish phonotactics. Perhaps I could help you if you give the contextand further details. 惑乱 分からん 20:36, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] antique markings

I have recently aquired a wooden antique chest (probaly from europe) with two small symbols followed by the date 1694. The two symbols that precede the 1694 are approximatley 3/4 the size of the date. The first character looks like the roman numeral 1 with a faint triangle at the top and bottom (apex pointing to the middle of the character) and there is a horizontal dash(-) in the middle. The second character looks like an upside down symbol for the greek letter pi. I have poured through pages of latin letters,abbreviations, numerals,etc. and have not found an answer. I would like to draw the symbols for you but I can't with this modern keyboard. I woul apprreciate any help. THANKS!--72.24.49.253 17:58, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

This user has indicated that they would prefer serious answers and may require references. Please refrain from frivolous responses to their question.


Here is the symbol PI ("π"), although I prefer a much curvier version. Obviously, I can't turn it upside down here, though. Isn't the Roman numeral 1 just the capital letter "I" ? Does it have bars on the top and bottom (I) ? StuRat 19:34, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

The first character sounds like sme sort of measure symbol - perhaps indicating height, the second therfore might be a measure of capacity.. I say this because I've heard that old cannons appear to have a date on eg 1650 when in fact this number is the weight in pounds.. is it possible that 1694 refers to the dimensions then - perhaps 16 inches high?87.102.3.159 23:08, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

I have two suggestions that probably won't help. One is, if you want to browse through still more pages of characters, you could check out the Unicode code charts. Each link from that table goes to a PDF document showing a group of related characters. Second idea, photograph the symbols digitally put the image on the Web somewhere (or upload it to Wikipedia temporarily, but you have to register to do that), and post a link to the image back here. Then at least it will be clear exactly what you mean. --Anonymous, December 16, 03:45 (UTC)

[edit] PATIENT - SHE or HE?

I have read in a Psychiatry Text Book the following sentences and am in doubt with regards to the pronouns used. Could it be just Psychiatry Terminology or in general "She" or "He" ca be used indistinctly for "Patient" (meaning both sexes as is the case now)?

- The "Patient" believes that "he" has special powers.

- Sometimes the person has has a comples system of delusions involving both a wide range of persecution and a belief that there is a well designed conspiracy behind "them"*: for example, that the "Patient's" house is bugged and that she is being followed.

  • another question: shouldn't it be also "her" or "him" or any of them can be used?

Please, could anybody clarify everything to me? Thanks

It's always tricky using pronouns when you are talking about a person of unknown gender. "They" doesn't work in all cases, and "he/she" or "(s)he" is quite awkward, so many people just pick a gender and talk as if the person is of that gender. If most patients are male, they pick male, if most are female, they pick female. StuRat 19:24, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] third son and sixth?

What does mean "the third son and sixth of nine children"? Why not just "third son of nine children"?

Bidder, George Parker (1806–1878), civil engineer, was born on 13 June 1806 in Moretonhampstead, Devon, the third son and sixth of nine children of William Bidder (1768–1844), a stonemason, and his wife, Elizabeth, née Parker (1769–1844). 128.36.56.209 18:13, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

It means he had three older sisters.--Birgitte§β ʈ Talk 18:16, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

It means he was the 3rd male child of 9 children and was also the 6th child of 9 children. So, yes, we could conclude that he has 3 older sisters, 2 older brothers, and 3 younger siblings of indeterminate gender. StuRat 19:16, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] translation

I bought a shower curtain that says "ooh la la". What language is it and what does that mean?

Originally French, but borrowed into several other languages including English. I think it's strange that you haven't heard it before, but it means something like "Oh, yeah", "Wow!" "Sweet!" or similar... Is the shower curtain transparent, because it probably has sexual undertones? 惑乱 分からん 20:35, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Spacing in abbreviations

When typesetting abbreviations, I tend to set a thin space between in the middle of abbreviations as "i.e." or "e.g.". In LaTeX, I would write "foo ,i.\,e., bar". I have notices that other people either set no space at all or a standard inter-word spacing (a hard one). Is there a standard style recommendation? Simon A. 21:23, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] December 16

[edit] Concurrent education

What is it? I read five definitions for "concurrent", none of them made sense. One of my friends is at University for "concurrent education". -- Zanimum 01:34, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Unknown language, unknown meaning.

I bought a cheap pocketwatch recently that has a knight on a horse cantering over a coat of arms. Around the knight are written two words: "Monoarcprocon Foepelctrai". The "saying" is separated into the two given words, with no spacing in between the letters in a word. Any idea what language it is and what it means? Niffleheim 02:03, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

It looks strange. Could it be Celtic? 惑乱 分からん 02:27, 16 December 2006 (UTC)
I think it's Latin, but of the sort used in inscriptions (very abbreviated and run together). Procon -> proconsul; Foe => foedus (league); Trai -> Trajan, etc (just possibilities). A picture of the inscription and arms might help. - Nunh-huh 02:59, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] This was printed in a Turkish Newspaper

A photo caption began like this: Gorgu Taniklan...... Can you give any idea what they are saying? I am crious as my name is Gorgus, would there be any releationship?

Thank you for your assistance.

William Gorgus

[edit] Miscellaneous



[edit] December 13

[edit] 1999 Euro Coin

I have a 2 Euro euro coin from France i think and it is dated 1999. But per Euro, physical coins and bills were only released in 2002. Can someone explain this? Thanks. Jamesino 00:11, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

I cannot explain the discrepancy but there are plenty of 1999 Euro coins: [28]. -THB 00:26, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

The article Euro coins states:

The year featured in the coins can date back to 1999, when the currency was formally established (only on French, Spanish, Belgian, Finnish and Dutch coins). These countries traditionally put on the coin the year when it was minted rather than the year in which it was put into circulation.

惑乱 分からん 01:03, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

Indeed. Note that three of those countries are monarchies which traditionally put their monarch on their coins. They started minting euro coins several years before they were put into circulation, and it would have been embarrassing to have coins put into circulation dated "2002" if the depicted monarch had died a few years earlier. -- Arwel (talk) 23:16, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

According to this site the Euro was a valid currency from jan 1, 1999. http://www.24carat.co.uk/eurocoinsframe.html Joneleth 01:09, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

Yes, but the coins and banknotes hadn't yet entered public circulation. 惑乱 分からん 03:16, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
The euro was a notional currency from 1.1.99, with the old currencies being formally defined as odd multiples of it, however the physical notes and coins were not put into circulation until 1.1.02. -- Arwel (talk) 23:16, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] finding a website

Anyone know the name of the site that is like this: -In the site, there was a message that said to the user of the site think about a thing. -then the site ask questions like this thing is yellow, and there are answers to you choose, like yes, no, almost... -then he maked another question, and then another and sometime he would discover what you was thinking what is the name of this site??

20q.net. (Apperas to have been updated since I was there...) 惑乱 分からん 01:09, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Has anyone ever had Wikipedia for their object in mind when playing 20 questions? Bonus points if you have. Also: We could have turned the OP's question into a game of 20q, lol. "Is it a website?" "Yes." "Does this website feature an interactive format asking questions about something that you think about?" etc. 64.90.198.6 00:09, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
I tried it on 20q.net. 20q failed miserably... @_@ 惑乱 分からん 02:13, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Dungeons & Dragons for academic credit?!

I read in a book from the 1980s that a version of Dungeons & Dragons has been played for academic credit in some US high schools. I'm intrigued. Is this true? For what subject, and as what proportion of the course? Where can I find out more? Is it done in Canada? NeonMerlin 01:41, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

I don't know about high school, but you might be interested in a program at Oberlin College called the Experimental College. Students and community members can teach and take for credit courses on just about anything. Recent courses include a course on Super Smash Bros. and one on competitive Scrabble, which I will be teaching in the upcoming spring semester.—WAvegetarian•(talk) 03:44, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Looks good, but at 557 km away from me, it would be quite the commute! :-) I hope Wikiversity starts something similar. NeonMerlin 21:10, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
In high school in Canada, a bunch of us played wargames for a math class...until the teacher wised up and realized we weren't learning anything. Clarityfiend 07:44, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
When I was in high school (also in Canada) there was a group of us that regularily played Euchre in our Finite class once the teacher was done with the lesson. We convinced him that we were studying the probabilities of drawing certain good hands, and things like that... ;-) --Maelwys 13:12, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Heh, I know people in Canada who play board games in Consumer Math class. Man, why don't they just go home? --JDitto 03:38, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
It's quite possible; a lot of high schools offer credit for intramural activity participation. I know mine did, but it was only for sports-type stuff. Cernen Xanthine Katrena 13:49, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Image problem

Image:Flag_of_Santa_Barbara,_California.svg

The image above won't load, at least not on my computer.

However this works.

Is there something I did wrong? I traced a image (to produce above image) in Portace in Inkscape. --hello, i'm a member | talk to me! 03:49, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

I've fixed the image. It may have been the original GIF you forgot to remove from the SVG. –mysid☎ 05:44, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

Oh yeah...thanks! --hello, i'm a member | talk to me! 01:32, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Paul McCartney

I've heard many rumors about many people being dead or some other ridiculous, untrue facts. But one I happened upon a few days ago was that Paul McCartney was dead! Now I'm a huge Beatles fan and now for a fact that he's been performing forever! That person said that he died after they first got their success in the U.S. in a terrible car accident. They said that his close family tried to cover it up and quickly replaced him with a look-a-like. They claim to see another guy's name on the back of the CD, and he said, just listen to Come Together. All those words do make sense to say that one of their members died, and I know it was recorded before Lennon got shot. Please help me tell this guy he's nuts! Is it really true? What is the evidence? Thanks so much guys!

See Paul is dead. Rockpocket 04:26, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
I just read the lyrics to "Come Together", man they must have had some great drugs!Vespine 05:41, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Since when has he been "dead"? | AndonicO Talk | Sign Here 19:42, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] information about advertisement industry

I need some informations about advertisement indutry in India and also the details about opportunities in this field

Review our article on India, Advertisements and Employment. Hipocrite - «Talk» 13:14, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
That would be a start, but the Wikipedia articles do not specifically cover the advertising industry in India. You might want to explore the links on this Yahoo page. Marco polo 14:11, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Extraterrestrials in different cultures

Our article on "greys" (a supposed kind of extraterrestrial being) says that the greys "make up approximately 75% of all aliens reported in the US, 20% of all aliens reported in Mainland Europe, and 12% of all aliens reported in Britain." So, this begs the question: What is the most common type of extraterrestrial being seen in continental Europe and in Britain? What about other parts of the world? — BrianSmithson 13:25, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

Without reliable data, we can't provide an answer. Since there haven't been any verifiable sightings of extraterrestrials, making a determination on the racial breakdown of the invaders is tricky. Usually, Census data would be useful in determining this type of information, but the success at collecting relevant data for alien visitors has been spotty at best. - CHAIRBOY (☎) 16:01, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Chairboy, it is clear they are asking about what people report seeing, not what aliens there actually are... Skittle 17:47, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Do people actually believe this stuff? L(aughing)O(ut)L(oud)! | AndonicO Talk | Sign Here 19:44, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
It is not implausible Sandman30s 13:12, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
I see now why people have been complaining about the Reference Desk being too prone to flip and sarcastic answers. Of course I was asking about what types of "aliens" are being reported. This data probably exists (in police reports, etc.). So who are the ETs the Europeans are seeing? The Japanese? Brazilians? -- BrianSmithson 02:30, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Although I don't know this answer, I will be happy to have a serious discussion about aliens at my talk page. Sandman30s 13:12, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
What about Black triangles? | AndonicO Talk | Sign Here 18:17, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Alien sightings ?

Is it true that the number of reported alien sightings has decreased since the widespread use of camera phones ? StuRat 04:29, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Now that would be funny. The same way the number of incarnations of god have decreased. Sandman30s 13:12, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Australia's military dependence on the USA

It's common knowledge that Australia is greatly dependent on the USA to help defend Australia in the event of an invasion, but I can't seem to find a specific quote for that. Google and Wikipedia have failed to turn anything up. Can anyone help me? Battle Ape 14:00, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

Review ANZUS specifically, Australia#Foreign_relations_and_the_military, Australian_Defence_Force as additional points of info. Hipocrite - «Talk» 14:04, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Mmm...lessee here. This may help. While it doesn't make SPECIFIC mention, it does dance around a bit. Cernen Xanthine Katrena 14:06, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
I don't know how far I trust some guys blog. I'd definently read our articles and the sources they cite before relying on a blog. Hipocrite - «Talk» 14:10, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Now now. Blogs are an important part of political commentary. Without blogs, CNN would have nothing to run in the spare time they often end up with. (Har har.) In all seriousness, though, he's a university student, and this may be something he is doing for an essay, so it's a good idea to have something to either try to prove or refute. I'm not saying trust it, I'm saying it might help. Cernen Xanthine Katrena 14:15, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

The US is the only remaining superpower with a major high-seas navy, so everybody either depends on them, or lives in fear of them. The exact actions in various war-planning scenarios (China vs. Taiwan, etc) probably change from day to day, and are only known to a select few. --Zeizmic 17:39, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

For people that know nothing about secret high-level war planning (with scenarios), here is a nice document. [29] This is a bit general, the specific bits about what to do exactly if North Korea launches nuclear missles, is always secret, and cannot be referenced. --Zeizmic 03:28, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Unjust Reservist Salaries

I am writing in regards to a television report that I viewed over the summer. It suggested that there are over 30,000 reservist who were paid monthly salaries to report to their tour of duty and did not report but yet collected their pay as if they were on active duty.

I am aware of such a person. He was to report to Puerto Rico in Jan. of 2004 along with his entire barrack. He did not report as the others had and yet collected his monthly salary for the following two years. I would like to know if there is a department that would actually follow this up. I find it awlful that people would do this (collect money and not report) especially at a time like this when our country is in such need for military assistance and our soldiers are overseas earning their pay. Any information that you could give me is greatly appreciated.

Thank you Cynthia Querry

Sounds like you could probably contact his commanding officer and report him AWOL, but that would probably get him put in jail. Cernen Xanthine Katrena 15:08, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
I would guess his commanding officer is probably well aware that he is AWOL. There could be many ways in which this info fails to make it to the payroll department (or equivalent in military-speak). The CO may be a friend and unwilling to report him, there may be somebody in the chain that has failed to do their job and pass on the info, or, perhaps, a hearing must be held to determine the soldier's status, and there is a backlog. StuRat 04:24, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Ah, yes. Good old bureaucrazy. Cernen Xanthine Katrena 14:05, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Something needs to be sorted out in his barracks if one of their soldiers has been missing since 2004! and no-one's noticed.... Lemon martini 14:13, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Piles

I heard that excessive coughing can cause 'piles'. can anyone confirm or deny that?

Review our articles on Hemorrhoid for some causes. Hipocrite - «Talk» 17:25, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Our article does not mention coughing. But this one does.

Heavy lifting or a chronic cough from asthma, smoking or any chronic lung disease causes hemorrhoids because of increased intraabdominal pressure. This increased pressure is just like straining at stool in that the pressure obstructs the flow of blood through the veins causing them to swell.

--Justanother 17:50, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Departments

Who are the (current) secerataries of Justice, Agriculture, and Interior in the U.S.? Thanks. 209.81.119.178 17:53, 13 December 2006 (UTC).

See United States Federal Executive Departments. Яussiaп F 18:00, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Australian culture

The aussie culture is primarily dominated by what culture? Are the ancestors primarily british? 17:55, 13 December 2006 (UTC)~

You may wish to review our article on Australia. Hipocrite - «Talk» 17:59, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
These days, aussie culture is mostly dominated by aussie culture.--Shantavira 18:23, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

Yes, the ancestors are primarily British...and many of the aborigines still roo the day they arrived. StuRat 04:18, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Secretary of labor

Who is the secretary of labor and health and human services?—The preceding unsigned comment was added by Jjohnson 55 (talk • contribs).

Our articles on United States Secretary of Labor and United States Secretary of Health and Human Services should prove helpful. Hipocrite - «Talk» 17:58, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
.. always assuming you mean in the United States...--Shantavira 18:19, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Where is Saddam now?

Where and when will Saddam be hanged? Is there going to be public viewing? I would doubt it but a friend says it may.

You may wish to review our article on Saddam Hussein, which states that "According to the New York Times, Saddam Hussein's verdict and sentence would "come under review by the nine-judge appellate chamber of the trial court. There is no time limit for the appeal court's review, but Iraqi and American officials who work with the court said that the earliest realistic date for Saddam Hussein's execution, assuming it stood up to review, would be next spring." [30] Iraqi law requires executions to take place within 30 days of the end of the appeal process; however it also forbids the executions of people aged over 70 years old, a status Saddam Hussein acquires on 28 April 2007. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Hipocrite (talk • contribs).
Dragging the process along until his birthday would be a legal tour de force by his defense team. But hanging him before then would eliminate the bringing out of his many other alleged crimes in public trials. It is amazing this ticking clock issue has not been discussed in the media, since this is the first I've heard of it. Many countries have a lower limit on the age of criminals for capital punishment, but an upper limit of only 70 seems wierd. Many dictators have ruled far beyond that age, and they would have no fear of capital punishment for crimes they committed in office. Edison 21:17, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
I would hedge my bets that a video will show up on YouTube no matter what. Cernen Xanthine Katrena 14:04, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] The Salem Witch Trials

Question moved to Humanities Reference Desk by User:Hipocrite. See link at top of page. -THB 18:39, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Abuser

Russian F keeps putting different pictures on my page? How do i report him?—The preceding unsigned comment was added by Jjohnson 55 (talk • contribs).

Try WP:AIV. -THB 18:32, 13 December 2006 (UTC)


[edit] Animal Face Off

In a theoretical battle, would a male leopard in his prime be able to kill a male rottweiler in his prime?

You may wish to review Bait (dogs) for a history of animal fighting. One of the listed references may discuss such a fight - you should probably go to the library and check them out. Hipocrite - «Talk» 19:05, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
According to the article on leopards, they prey on wild pigs. From my personal experience with rotweilers and wild pigs, I would have to say yes, it would not be a difficult task for a leopard to be able to kill a rottweiler. Wild pigs can be quite large and viscious. -THB 19:44, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
You've had personal experience with rottweilers and wild pigs?? :) According to the articles, male leopard in his prime can be up to 90kg, male rottweilers max out at about 60kg. Now I know weight isn't everything, but I think the leopard would have the upper hand.Vespine 00:29, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
A rotty is nothing more than a wolf that's been mutated, ruined, and made subserviant to man. A leopard would likely dispatch a wolf (with slashes to the head, forepaws, and flank), but would surely sustain injuries in the process. So, a leopard would either humilate, injury, or kill a rotty, I would bet. That said, beautiful animsls like leopards are not going to engage another animal with teeth and claws unless it has good reason to. They value being unmaimed. And, as a leopard wouldn't likely dine on dead rotty, you'd have to come up with some very exotic situation to get the rotty to march to its doom towards a cornered leopard. Vranak 00:36, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
I don't even think the leopard would get injured. AFAIK all the big cats are capable of breaking an animal's neck with one bite. That would make it a pretty quick fight. Anchoress 01:48, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Well, leopards will do that to an animal that they've been chasing. Face-to-face with a wolf (or rotty), they can't simply pounce-and-bite the neck with one fell swoop. A suicidal wolf or dog would face down the jaguar, and eventually get slashed to ribbons. That's how I could see it going down, anyway. Cheers. Vranak
I doubt the fight would last long (the leopard would win). | AndonicO Talk | Sign Here 01:18, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
My guess is that most dogs are only really problematic against major predators like big cats when they are in packs. --24.147.86.187 02:13, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] websense

Can you guys give me a list of websites that allows me to play games that are not blocked by websense, besides uneekonline.com or giosphere.com? Thanks.

I'd try the Computer Ref Desk for this one. StuRat 04:12, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
If you are playing during work, and your boss put on websense so you won't waste your (his?) time, please consider if you should stop because it is Dishonest. Jon513 13:30, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Not that this justifies anything, but it may be a high school student. Cernen Xanthine Katrena 14:01, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

No, i'm just a fourteen year old that is looking for something to do in school this week since i am exempt from all of my exams.

[edit] Hanukkah/Epiphany

Why is Epiphany thought of as the fulfillment of Hanukkah?

I see your problem. In the article Epiphany (Christian) it is stated that "The feast was initially based on, and viewed as a fulfillment of, the Jewish Feast of Lights." This reads like a statement of fact, but one has to ask: Is this true, or likely to be true? What is the evidence for this statement? Now having expanded the question (correctly, I hope) I have to admit that I have no idea as to the reason for this claim. I hope some of the other editors have information on this. --Seejyb 23:20, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

To the best of my knowledge Hanukkah is not called "Feast of Light" (it is called festival of lights). In fact there is no feast on Hanukkah at all. The only think done on Hanukkah is light candles. I don't see how the can be based on Hanukkah, but I don't really know. Jon513 13:21, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
That's too literal. "Feast" and "festival" can be used interchangably, if your language is a little stilted and archaic. They're both inadequate translations of the word "chag", which has meanings about enjoying oneself. Furthermore, as usual in Judaism, there is indeed a food element (although no stipulation of a formal meal as with other festivals). There are well-founded traditions of eating oily foods, in commemoration of the miracle of the oil. Latkes and doughnuts are two of the most common manifestations of this tradition. --Dweller 13:36, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Sounds like our article might have it wrong (tell me it ain't true, Joe). It may be that both Epiphany and Hanukkah are termed the Feast of Lights and yet not be related. See this rather "flowerly" article.

JANUARY the 6th is recorded in the annals of the Christian Church as an ancient celebration of an event in the life of Jesus Christ which is considered as the beginning of His official dedication to His Divine Mission in the presence and manifestation of the Triune Christian God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. This celebration is called Epiphany, a combined Greek word which is derived from epi: to and phainein: to show, to show forth, to shine upon; the noun is epiphaneia, meaning appearance, manifestation.

Also see this definition of Hannukah:

Judaism: An eight-day festival beginning on the 25th day of Kislev, commemorating the victory in 165 b.c. of the Maccabees over Antiochus Epiphanes (c. 215–164 b.c.) and the rededication of the Temple at Jerusalem. Also called Feast of Dedication, Feast of Lights.

I am not that familiar with Christianity but perhaps I will address the article but it might be better if someone more knowledgable did. --Justanother 13:48, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Frisbee ?

What'[s the best way to throw a frisbee? 20:48, 13 December 2006 (UTC)20:48, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

There is no "best," (depends on the situation) but there certainly are quite a few mentioned at Disc throws, along with reasons you might use each and illustrations. Hipocrite - «Talk» 20:50, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Many Movies,Many Laughs

What do you think are some of the funniest movies of all time.

That movie Mr. Bean did was funny. I don't think many movies are very funny. -THB
It all depends on your humour. Films such as airplane, or Naked Gun are funny if you like the slapstick/play on words humour. the goat by Buster Keaton is a classic short film highlighting just why black and white silent movies can still be highly amusing. Romantic comedies produce a series of 'classics' if you like that sort of comedy. I enjoy the frat-party humour of films like Old Skool and Wedding Crashers, American Pie and Anchorman. That sort of recent film does a good job of catching the current mood/generation but maybe doesn't transfer to history too well. Others prefer black comedies that are quite unusual such as the secretary which is plain weird if you ask me (though a good watch nonetheless). I would have to say that my favourite 'comedy' films include...Coming To America with Eddie Murphy, the goat with Buster Keaton, Groundhog Day with Bill Murray (comical if not rip-rawingly so) and I am a sucker for Home Alone around christmas time. Mr Bean was, personally, the worst work that Rowan Atkinson did, but I understand it was tremendously popular. ny156uk 00:04, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
  1. Monty Python's Life of Brian, and The Holy Grail
  2. Being John Malkovich, and Adaptation (film)
  3. There's Something About Mary, Me, Myself, and Irene, Dumb and Dumber
  4. Austin Powers (the first two)
  5. Kung Fu Hustle, God of Cookery, Shaolin Soccer
  6. Best in Show
  7. TV DVDs: The Office (UK and US versions), People Like Us, Seinfeld, The Simpsons (mid-90s), Golden Boy (anime), Saturday Night Live –Vranak
Again, countless experts and lay people have weighed in on this topic, happy reading. Anchoress 00:31, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Snakes on a Plane. Sashafklein 05:59, 14 December 2006 (UTC) The Big Lebowski Sashafklein 06:00, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Aside from maybe Dracula, I would say:

Those are my personal favorites. Now around Christmas, you might want to try Jingle All the Way as well. | AndonicO Talk | Sign Here 11:34, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

"I liked The Money Pit. That is my answer to that question." --Peter Griffin; As for me, Layer Cake and Snatch were pretty hilarious. Cernen Xanthine Katrena 12:52, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

I would recommend Scary Movie one through four, if you like that kind of humor. I would also recommend Liar, Liar" one of the funniest movies i have ever seen.

I also love The Money Pit. I recently saw It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World for the first time in 20 years and laughed myself sick. JackofOz 23:27, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Young Frankenstein was great --Shuttlebug 00:34, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Historian

How can you obtain your employment as a historian?

See: Academia. -THB 23:05, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Pretty much. There are non-academic historians (i.e. a historian of a company or a government office) and a few private-practice historians (rare), but they all are from the same general academic track (PhD or MA in history). Of course the term is often used to describe popular writers of history with little or no advanced historical training, but that's usually a somewhat different breed of historian (though they usually write quite better than the academics). But most historians are employed as professors in universities. --24.147.86.187 02:09, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Some historic places, like Colonial Williamsburg, could use a few on staff to keep things realistic. Also, historians can sometimes make good book authors. StuRat 04:09, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] How to keep cat hair etc. from "sticking" to black clothing

How do I keep cat hair, dust etc. from "sticking" to black clothing?

It sticks to other colors too, but it's not so visible. Try deionizing spray, also marketed as anti-cling or anti-static spray. --frothT C 00:16, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
I daresay that such a thing is impractical, if not impossible. Cat hair sticks to just about everything. You could try such sprays as Froth mentioned above, but really, why not seek to reduce the amount of shedding your cat does in the first place, instead of going all high-tech (and money-spending)? This can be addressed by such means as letting outside occassionally (or often), to feeding it better food, and most importantly, grooming it yourself, and getting rid of the hair and dander afterwards. Vranak 00:22, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Awesome answer, Vranak. Also, original poster, there are commercial products (lint rollers) that will remove hair, lint, fur, etc from clothing. You can make one yourself by wrapping tape sticky side out around your hand. Wow, Wikipedia has an article on pretty much everything. Anchoress 00:34, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Some cats like to be rubbed with a "love glove": [31]. -THB 00:38, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

You could always get a cat to match each outfit, so the fur won't show. :-) StuRat 04:05, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Now we know why witches always had black cats, because the black fur wouldn't show on their black clothes and hats. :-) StuRat 04:05, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

well, i heard that a rubber glove can rub off the cat fur off of furniture, i'm not to sure about clothes though.


[edit] December 14

[edit] Santa

Hey my mummy said you have rolled up the santa story becuase hes a troll. whats a troll? Katie (age 6) —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 88.111.8.127 (talk • contribs) 00:32, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

For the definition of what a troll is, see Troll. As for the rest of your question, I'm confused what "rolled up" means. Dismas|(talk) 05:52, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
or perhaps Wikipedia:What is a troll? The Santa Claus article is currently semi-protected, which means it can only be edited by established users. This is probably because someone (a troll) has been vandalizing or disrupting the article; and not because Santa is a troll. --Spoon! 09:04, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
In answer to your question Katie -- a troll is someone who posts things to the internet for the purpose of irritating other people. They ask questions, but aren't interested in the answers. They just want to see people get angry and confused.
If you want to ask your question regarding Santa again, right here, I'd be happy to try and answer it. - Vranak 23:54, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

thank you i was aksing how santa cud deliver to all the childern in the wirld at the ssame time. Katie age 6

Note -- I have been told that this question is a well-established troll. Even if this is the case, I will answer the question as well as I may, for anyone else who may be interested in the logistics of global gift delivery...
Short answer: it's best not to worry about such things. Santa is very very clever. How else would he know what you want for Christmas? :) Vranak 18:18, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

we usuly writ to him at north pole. But mummy sais sum his nomes now work here so i thot i can say what i want here. i wud like a big big dolly Katie age 6

[edit] Cell phone through washer

Last night I accidentally put my cell phone through the washing machine. It's been about 24 hours and there's a ton of condensation inside the display. It doesn't turn on at all. Do phones usually recover after being washed? Is there anything I can do to fix it? I talked to someone today and they said dipping it in alcohol would dry it out. Is that a good idea or completely ridiculous? Thanks, Xcfrommars 01:04, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

try going to a repair store or something. If the phone has flash memory, it should be fine, with a bit of drying, but if it has a hard drive, then its about time you invest in a new phone, but still, you should take it in to somewhere like radioshack and ask if they can do something about it. It might also have a warranty or something. As for the alcohol, that's a bad idea probably. Ilikefood 01:17, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Take the battery out and let it dry. It may take a few days, but you should be patient. With the battery out, use a paper towel to sop up any moisture you can and clean the contacts for the battery. - CHAIRBOY (☎) 01:22, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Applying any kind of heat to speed drying would be a bad idea, but you can place the opened phone in the gentle stream of a fan or a hair dryer (on a cool setting), OR if you have a dryer rack in your dryer (for shoes), and a cool 'air' setting, you can put the phone (covered) on it and run the dryer on the 'air dry' setting. Anchoress 01:29, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
The paper towel might be a bad idea because if your fingers get wet, you could get zapped by the battery and that wouldn't be good, even if its not deadly, it may be painful. Best idea is to check the warranty. Ilikefood 01:35, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

At least this is better than a friend of mine, who was leaning over to fix a public toilet that was running full blast,,,, drop and whoosh! --Zeizmic 03:31, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

We should probably ask what type of detergent or bleach you used, as they might cause irreversible corrosion of the circuit board inside. StuRat 04:00, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Well, I can tell you that dipping electronic devices in Alcohol isn't generally a good idea; I did that with a print head once to try and clean it, and ended up setting the printer on fire. Cernen Xanthine Katrena 11:59, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

LOL, yea, you might want to let the alcohol dry before you put it near anything hot. StuRat 21:49, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
OK. Now listen to someone who has actually washed the inside of his TV set -- me! THe most important thing not to do is switch the phone on when its wet as this may cuase all sorts of unintended low resistance paths to appear. What you should do is:
  1. remove the batties
  2. shake out the excess water by hand or leave to drain on your draining board
  3. if you have a hair dryer, gently try to blow the excess moisture out of the phone
  4. then you need to put the phone in front of your dehumidifier output and leave it thre for at least 24 hrs (the dehumid must be on and pumping out dry air.) This will eventually remove every last drop of moisture from your phone.
  5. replace batties, cross fingers arms and legs, then switch on! If it donrt work, its downt o the shop for a new one. But at least you tried! 8-) --Light current 22:02, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
You washed your TV?!? | AndonicO Talk | Sign Here 22:04, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
The circuit boards (PCB), yes (after taking them out)!--Light current 22:21, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Pickles

Can Pickles be packaged with less salt, or is that needed in the pickle juice?

Salt is necessary for the brine for the actual pickling. - CHAIRBOY (☎) 01:25, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
This link will answer your question and explain why. Anchoress 01:27, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
New York style "fresh pack" cucumber picles are made with no salt or just a little for flavoring, not for the actual pickling. Sweet pickles also have little or no salt but use sugar instead. See [32]. -THB 02:23, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

I could probably list eight or ten distinct ways of preserving food. You only really need to use one of them, unless you're planning on storing a foodstuff for many months. So, you can get away with pickling with just vinegar, or packing in sugar, or packing in salt, or coating in oil. The thing is, these unmoderated solutions don't have the best effect on taste, when you finally getting around to eating the pickles.

Long story short: yes, you can pickle without any salt at all -- but it may not taste good. Vranak 16:22, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Tennessee Governor's Inaugural Ball 2007

I'm hoping to find information on the 2007 Inaugural Ball following the inauguration of Phil Bredesen. It would be nice to know date, location, and how to get tickets/invited.

this search gave some promising-looking links. On a side note, I've recently learned that things pertaining to governors are called gubernatorial. 64.90.198.6 20:22, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] wikipedia success

Eric Goldman said that wikipedia will fail in 4 years because of heave vandalism and spam. Bots alone can't revert vandalism forever. Do you think Wikipedia will survive in the next few years?--PrestonH 05:05, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

This seems like a request for an opinion/speculation. The reference desk is better suited towards finding answers that are a bit more... empirically based. Now, if, say 4 years from now you ask whether Wikipedia survived, we can help there. - CHAIRBOY (☎) 05:13, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Unfortunately, Chairboy, the nature of the reference desk is such that speculative questions are quite common. As for your question, PrestonH, bots aren't the only things reverting vandalism; we have a whole task force of volunteer editors that focus on just that sort of thing: the Wikipedia Counter-Vandalism Unit. Cernen Xanthine Katrena 12:03, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Watch the recent changes some time. The sheer quantity of changes is quite something. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 05:23, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
You could make the same argument for the Internet. Repent! The end is nigh! Clarityfiend 07:39, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
  • Developers are working on a new feature that allows editing while stable versions are shown. Vandalism is a lot less fun for the vandals when they can't see it show up immediately. - Mgm|(talk) 12:07, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

I think that it will take a little more than four years for wikipedia to fail, although people are losing all of their trust in wikipedia after finding numerous pages that have a bunch of nonsense in it.

There seems to be the assumption that no new measures will be taken to combat vandals. There are numerous methods available, including automatic rollback of all of one person's changes, locking pages, restricting edits to registered users only, blocking or banning users, banning I/P addresses, etc. StuRat 17:12, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
On the whole, Wikipedia is safe. Now you can sleep. :-) | AndonicO Talk | Sign Here 17:56, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

I wonder what is meant by "fail?" If my first impression is correct (that Wikipedia will be disbanded and cease to exist), the monument that has been put up is very far-reaching and deep-set. The fact that its very mainframe and existence has been set up and drawn from chaos into order by the sheer number of volunteers (as well as the fact that the very nature of Wikipedia is to allow these volunteers to easily contribute to it) practically ensures its eventual growth rather than decay. There are almost assuredly more conscientious editors than vandals, and the vandals that do exist, for the most part, don't stick around for long.

For these reasons, Wikipedia is quite similar to a reverse model of entropy, with all the loose bits of information eventually coming together in a neat structure, despite opposing efforts. 64.90.198.6 20:36, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] tomb of Averroes

Was he buried in Marrakesh? I wish to pay homage to him.

There is a biography about him here (pdf). It is in Arabic, and I can't read it. maybe you can. Jon513 13:14, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Supposedly he was buried in Marrakesh but later exhumed and re-buried in Cordova but I can't find any detail on the exact location. I always think that the best way to pay homage to any writer is to read his works. meltBanana 16:27, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Alan Watts on Christianity

how are Watts' works on Christianity viewed by modern theologians and his contemporaries? Is he thought of as a rouge or a true apologetic?

This isn't a homework question, I've been reading Watts and I want to know how "reliable" his views on Christianity are with more established thinkers, especially those of the Church. I know he's been considered a rouge academic, and therefore I suspect he's been considered a rouge Christian theologian, but I want to read the where and how of it. I've deleted the last comment lest it prevent others from answering.

[edit] DMT

so what's the deal with Dimethyltryptamine?

From the article, it doesn't seem too harmful, only a 30 minute high max when smoked? And in the 1990's researchers have conducted experiments in the USA with it? So is it comparitively safe?

I want to get my hands on some how can I? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 70.225.160.106 (talk • contribs).

You may get a more complete answer to the first part of your question at the Science Desk. Dismas|(talk) 08:35, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
The problem with drugs is not always physiological side-effects. A large part of drug-caused mortality and morbidity (i.e., injury, illness) is caused by accidents related to drug use, for example when people drive or go to work while under the influence of a drug. Drug-related crime is also a major problem. BenC7 11:16, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
If it's anything like Diethyltryptamine - don't expect a 'high' - expect to be lying on the floor with blue lips - feeling like you've just been really hit by a truck - they are hallucinogens - but don't expect it to be 'fun' like some speed or cannabis or shrooms - it isn't. As for safety - nobody ever died from eating shit - but how many repeat the experience...83.100.174.70 11:45, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Why not read the Dimethyltryptamine page twice? Expect a 'near death experience' - this includes feeling like death, also expect to hallucinate aliens (see machine elf for more info).

[edit] Construction crane construction

How do they assemble one? The article doesn't say. Clarityfiend 07:35, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

With telescopic truck mounted cranes I think. See the image.
Enlarge
. Shinhan 08:31, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
  • How do they make those? - Mgm|(talk) 12:05, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
    • With very little regard to safety; in Washington state, there are very few enforcable (or enforced, for that matter) regulations surrounding the safety of construction cranes, and recently, one fell over in Bellevue, Washington and killed a man in his condo. Cernen Xanthine Katrena 12:12, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
one section at a time. According to an article at howstuffworks.com. Jon513 13:09, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
The crane you see on top of a building probably lifted itself up to the roof. The main cable control mechanism can pull itself from the ground to the top, using a temporary structure at the top to support its weight. Then it can lift the rest up. It is generally self assembling (with humans of course to control it and bolt things together). That way no "UberCrane" is needed to lift and assemble the construction crane. Edison 18:21, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Wikipedia Grafffiti

Hey i was just looking at a page on Adam Smith and saw a line that said "i like boobies" it was graffiti, so i refreshed the page and it was gone. it just made me wonder: what is the wikipedia page that gets the most graffiti?

Wikipedia. God is vandalised quite a bit, too. Jpeob 07:45, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
See Wikipedia:Most vandalized pages --frothT C 09:29, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Amazed to see relatively obscure Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper on the list. Must be a lot of angry Canadians... Clarityfiend 09:45, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Didn't you hear? Stephen Harper eats babies. --Wooty Woot? contribs 10:30, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Nonsense. Stephen Harper doesn't eat babies; it's obviously cabal propaganda. Cernen Xanthine Katrena 12:47, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
The thing is, about a third of Canadians are 'Liberal for life' -- they have never, and will never, vote for any party other than the Liberal Party. So, you can always expect there to be a significant amount of criticism (and vandalism) directed at a non-Liberal Prime Minister -- especially one who is very popular in Alberta. For some reason, the rest of Canada doesn't seem too fond of Alberta or Albertans. Could just be jealous of their oil and gas wealth, of course. :) Cheers. Vranak 16:26, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

thanks for the words, i loved that article about stephen harper. does wikipedia keep stats? say what articles get the most edits or how often the anti-vandalism bots have to act?

I don't know which article gets the most edits, but here is the stats page. | AndonicO Talk | Sign Here 22:06, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Silver /Gold

Which is more rare Silver or Gold? In above ground supplies. thanks,Mark

Gold is much more rare --frothT C 09:28, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Gold B00P 09:31, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
As we used to say in debate, "define your terms." What do you mean by "above ground supplies?" Cernen Xanthine Katrena 12:48, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
I read somewhere that if you melt all the gold in the world, it would fit in a volume the size of a tennis court. Now that is alarmingly rare, and shows as well the quantity of cheaper metals that are added to make jewellery. Now I wonder, why does man use gold as a yardstick for wealth? Gold is just pretty and 'rare' but there are elements that are more rare. Gold does not have intrinsic value. Sandman30s 13:29, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
While the cost of gold is far above it's intrinsic value, I disagree that gold has no intrinsic value. It is highly resistant to corrosion, an excellent electrical conductor, and highly malleable. Those characteristics make it useful for electrical contacts, for example. If it were as cheap as iron, gold and gold alloys could be used widely, such as in wiring, "silverware", and for car body panels. Rust would then be a thing of the past. StuRat 17:04, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Maybe I'm missing something but a tennis court doesn't have a volume, it's a two dimensional area. Or did you mean that the height of the net would provide the third dimension? Dismas|(talk) 13:36, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Yes. If you want to be technical the height varies, but the whole volume measurement is an approximation to give the layman an idea of the size. Sandman30s 14:07, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
I saw a program on, I believe, the Science Channel, saying that, if all the gold in the core of the earth (which they said makes up only 1% of all the materials there) were melted, the entire land mass of the world would be covered with gold almost a meter deep. I'm doubt that's the volume of a tennis court, but you do the math. ;-) | AndonicO Talk | Sign Here 13:35, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
I think that Sandman was referring to the gold already mined on the surface, which is no doubt a minuscule fraction of the gold inaccessibly contained in Earth's core. Marco polo 13:54, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Yes, again :) Sandman30s 14:07, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Oh, ok. I guess we have to invent a really big drill now... I'm getting to work, and I might not edit wikipedia for a few years now. ;-) | AndonicO Talk | Sign Here 14:09, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

The article on gold says: Gold in antiquity was relatively easy to obtain geologically; however, 75% of all gold ever produced has been extracted since 1910.[2] It has been estimated that all the gold in the world that has ever been refined would form a single cube 20 m (66 ft) on a side (8000 m³).

Silver is so common that a lot of the supply comes as a byproduct of mining for other metals such as gold and copper. -THB 14:03, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

I received an email from the World Servants. They respected woman - man parity and lived on prayers. Their abbey, Thelema, had just received a gift that had helped to clean the gold layers on the walls, floors and roofs … Down to the bin went the email. --DLL .. T 18:28, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Really? That's a pity, there is a lot that can be learnt about modern mythology and concerns through spam. Unfortunately I only get the same crap about V1arga. was Thelema abbey mentioned or was it only your elaboration? meltBanana 19:37, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Free fall from space

Would it be possible for an astronaut in high orbit to fall straight down to earth and survive? this and this sparked my interest --frothT C 09:28, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

No, because he couldn't fall straight down.
Now, please clarify, is he in some sort of craft as he spirals in? B00P 09:36, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
If an astronaut jumped out of a space ship in orbit, he would also be in orbit, and would circle round the earth rather than fall straight down. If he did find a way to fall straight down his parachute wouldn't work, because there is no atmosphere up there. When he did reach the atmosphere, the friction would burn him up. --Auximines 09:52, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
The 'easy' way to fall straight down would be to have a rocket firing sideways to reduce the circular orbital speed to zero (or, looking at it another way, to equalize the relative speeds of the top of the Earth's atmosphere and the astronaut). Then gravity would bring the astronaut straight down. Now add another rocket firing downwards, and you can slowly move downwards in complete safety. Unfortunately, this would require prodigious amounts of rocket fuel.
Extending the question, what I've never been clear on is how the Earth's atmosphere reacts to (a) the rotation of the Earth; and (b) the motion of the Earth through space. Does the atmosphere trail off behind the Earth as the Earth moves in its orbit around the Sun? Does the top of the atmosphere move at a different speed to the part of the atmosphere in contact with the Earth's surface? Carcharoth 11:21, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
You are wrongly assuming that space exercises appreciable drag on the atmosphere. There is no reason for the upper atmosphere to be moving at a different speed due to drag. There are coriolis effects (see also [33]) and other meteorological factors but space drag is not one of them. --Justanother 14:26, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Yes. No drag. Sorry if it looked like I assumed that (I didn't actually). I was thinking more of effects like the way the heliosphere trails through the interstellar medium, as seen at Image:Voyager_1_entering_heliosheath_region.jpg. The Earth's magnetosphere sees a similar effect, due to the solar wind, but the atmosphere would be largely unaffected by all this, being neutral. Sorry for the confusion. Carcharoth 16:28, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Well the only thing that would knock it back would be the solar winds which are deflected by the magnetosphere, so what would push it back? Philc TECI 22:45, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
So this would be the ultimate example of I've fallen and I can't get up. (Gawd, I love wikipedia.) Clarityfiend 10:19, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
NASA studied possible emergency procedures for the astronauts to evacuate the shuttle in orbit in their spacesuit and come back to earth. I think the idea has been put on hold because of too many technical difficulties and of the feasability of integrating all the gear needed for a return to earth into the spacesuit. The main way to make the high speed transition into the atmosphere was with a huge balloon slowing down the astronaut and keeping him stable. I can't find the ref. on that though. Keria 10:46, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
I found these two articles: [34] and [35]. The first link is the system proposed after the Columbia disaster, the second (an astronautix entry on 'Rescue') looks at the history of such systems, and has some pretty pictures. For future reference, I found these with a Google search using the following separate terms: "nasa" "astronaut" "emergency" "reentry" "balloon". Carcharoth 11:21, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
We already have an article on one of these systems at MOOSE. Our material on the FIRST re-entry glider seems to be at Rogallo wing and Paresev. But that is only 2 of the 35 re-entry systems listed at the astronautix 'Rescue' page I linked above. Does anyone want to check out Wikipedia's coverage of the other re-entry systems? Carcharoth 11:38, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

The article atmospheric reentry might also be of interest. I'm going to ask the people maintaining that page to have a look at this question, and to add something about re-entry for individual astronauts. Carcharoth 11:38, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Highly unlikely - the main problem is heating when re-entering the atmosphere. An astronaut in low Earth orbit is moving at 8 km/s (relative to the Earth), he needs to shed most of this speed in order to land safely. Also, if your astronaut is in a stable orbit you first need to reduce his speed enough so that the periapsis of his orbit is far enough inside the atmosphere to slow him down further - this will require rocket engines of some sort strapped to your astronaut. Once you've done that, the astronaut will re-enter the atmosphere at the above 8 km/s. Think of what happens to the Space Shuttle when it re-enters the atmosphere, it glows white-hot from the friction of re-entry - that kind of heat will reduce your astronaut to cinders in a few seconds. So you need to encase him in some kind of heat shielding, which will probably end up looking more like a miniature spacecraft than a space suit. Assuming you can survive the brutal heating, a multi-stage parachute (à la Project Excelsior, which you linked to) should get your astronaut down the rest of the way, assuming he hasn't spun out of control during re-entry. Bottom line: theoretically possible, very hard to do in practice.
<geek hat on>The Mandalorians used a tactic similar to this in planetary assaults, they would encase their soldiers in power armour, and drop them into the atmosphere of a planet from orbit, where, with the help of a Basilisk war droid, they would reduce their speed enough to be able to land near the target and attack it directly... </geek> — QuantumEleven 11:58, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Strictly speaking, the 8km/s is the escape velocity needed to attain the orbital speed relative to the Earth's surface needed to avoid falling to Earth (ie. to instead fall in a parabola large enough to fall continuously around the Earth - which is another way of describing the process of orbiting the Earth). The heating when re-entering the atmosphere assumes that you re-enter at this speed. This orbital speed (I'm assuming it to be 8km/s) is only needed if want to orbit by free-falling around the Earth. As I said above, you can reduce this orbital speed relative to the Earth's surface by firing a rocket against the direction of your orbital movement, and you then naturally fall to Earth as the endpoint of your parabola falls below the horizon. But if you also fire a rocket straight downwards, you can hover in orbit at that point. Takes far too much energy to do in practice, as to reduce the orbital speed to zero you have to expend the same amount of energy used in take-off to attain this orbital speed in the first place. But once you've done this, then the "8km/s problem" vanishes, though you do need to have continuous upwards thrust equal to the weight of the spacecraft to hover at that position in orbit. Reduce the orbital speed relative to the Earth's surface to zero while maintaining this upwards thrust, then manouevre over a particular point on the Earth's surface, then remove the upwards thrust and watch the spacecraft fall downwards towards that point. Terminal velocity in the upper reaches of the atmosphere is quite high, so you might want to adjust things so that the craft doesn't burn up. Once the craft reaches the denser parts of the atmosphere, it will fall normally at terminal velocity until it hits the surface. I'm not sure how much effects winds and the Coriolis effect would have, but I suspect that because the object is not moving laterally relative to the Earth's surface below, the Coriolis effect would not apply. Carcharoth 14:23, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
The likelihood of an Astronaut (or anyone else for that matter) free-falling from anything above 20 meters, let alone 20 kilometers, and surviving the ordeal is vanishingly-small in my estimation. Vranak 16:30, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

I understand that the atmosphere is vanishingly thin above the stratosphere. So if the space shuttle was in geosynchronous orbit and the astronaut pushed off with all of his might toward Earth, what's the difference between that and starting your descent a few miles lower, like in my link? Why would the astronaut burn up and not the guy going up in a balloon? --frothT C 19:06, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

I think you're making a common mistake: that of mixing up "orbit" and "space". Space is an altitude (and an arbitrarily defined one at that). Orbit is a velocity (and for Earth it's a huge velocity). A guy in a balloon isn't moving w.r.t the atmosphere, so he only has his potential energy to lose on the way down, which is something his chute can comfortably handle. Someone in orbit is moving at around mach 35: he has a huge amount of kinetic energy too, and in order to get down to the ground (and be stationary wrt it when he gets there) he has to get rid of that too - that's a job way beyond any existing parachute/shuttlecock technology - only a heatshield is capable of handling the energies involved (using modern technologies).
This is all true, but you are talking about a stable orbit here. One where an object just orbits indefinitely without needing to burn any fuel to maintain the orbit. Have a look at orbit. It is entirely possible (if rather difficult) to expend fuel to hover at a point above a planet. If you start from that point, then re-entry becomes a lot easier. Most cases of re-entry assume that it is an orbiting object, rather than a hovering object, that is re-entering the atmosphere, and in most cases that is a correct assumption to make. But it is not the only possibility. Carcharoth 01:21, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
I thought that in geostationary orbit you have no velocity relative to the atmosphere below you --frothT C 22:31, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
You are right that in geostationary orbit you are not moving relative to the atmosphere. Have a look at the article. You will see that for the Earth, geostationary orbit is a long way out. The Space Shuttle and the ISS operate in near-Earth orbit, but the communications satellites are a lot further out. To move inwards from geostationary orbit, pushing downwards is not the best way. As you move downwards, you are not losing your tangential speed, and something will happen (not quite sure what - probably your circular orbit will become elliptical). The best way to move downwards is to push away from the direction you are travelling, ie. slow down your motion along the tangent of the orbital circle. Carcharoth 01:20, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
But then you're moving relative to the atmosphere :) --163.11.83.14 12:42, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Add funds to paypal using credit card?

Can you add funds to a non US paypal account using a credit card? How? I tried looking through the help pages but couldn't find a definite answer. Thanks. WP 09:29, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Im quite certain you can as long as its international card. Joneleth 10:16, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Yes, you can, the same way you would use a credit card for a US account. I have a non-US PayPal account and add money to it using my credit card. — QuantumEleven 11:35, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
You would probably have to register the cc with them first. That is where they deposit two small amounts to the account and you tell them what the amounts were. --Justanother 13:37, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Roman Numeral Clock Face

If the correct way of indicating the number"4" in Roman numerals is "IV", why are all clock faces having Roman numerals showing the number "4" as "IIII"?

See Roman_numerals#Calendars_and_clocks for some possible explanations. Skarioffszky 10:44, 14 December 2006 (UTC) P.S.: Not all clock faces, by the way.
That article has too many explanations; the first one is obviously right. Note that IX, not VIIII, is used opposite III. --Anon, December 15, 00:11 (UTC).

[edit] A Sex Question

Note that it is clearly labeled. Anyway. My supervisor, a shop lead and I were having a bit of a discussion at work today about sex (God knows why my supervisor, a single adult middle aged male, an elderly woman who looks like the Crypt Keeper and myself were having this discussion, but it's a factory, anything's possible), and my supervisor asked me if it was possible to catch a cold from an act of oral intercourse. (He used more colorful language...) I told him no; not all bodily fluids are the same. He asserts that you can, while the lead (the woman) said, "See? I told you so. It's not possible." So...uh...I guess the question is, can you catch a cold from oral sex or not? Cernen Xanthine Katrena 12:08, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

My uninformed non-medical-professional opinion would be yes, because the cold virus is transmitted through the mucous membranes, which exist in the mouth, on the glans penis and the vulva/vagina. Anchoress 12:11, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
As a side note is there any chance of having a Wikipedia:Reference desk/Bodilyfunctions and sexual behaviour(age restricted) section where people of like mind can discuss their diseases/unnatural bodily growths etc to there hearts contents... Not that I object... Maybe we could call it medical anatomy/human behaviour - there seems to be a lot of interest. Dr.Wikipedia.83.100.174.70 12:27, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
I'd just like to point out how bizarre it would be to have a "Bodily Functions" page be age-restricted.Pesapluvo 15:12, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
New desks have to be approved...somehow...I don't know how, but there's probably no chance of it considering the Wikipedia:Content_disclaimer. Cernen Xanthine Katrena 12:44, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

The issue of splitting up Ref Desks was discussed a few months ago, with the decision made to put any split on hold for the time being. If you wish to propose that again, however, Wikipedia talk:Reference Desk is the proper place to make such a request. Here is where this issue was previously discussed: Wikipedia_talk:Reference_desk/Archive_12#New_ref_desk_division. You will see that the proposal included a "Sex and relationships desk". StuRat 16:50, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

My understanding is that cold viruses infect the respiratory system. Thus they would not infect reproductive organs. However, cold viruses are often transmitted via the hands of an infected person (who may frequently wipe or blow his or her nose). It is not unusual for hands to touch reproductive organs before or during sex. In this way, oral sex could contribute to transmission of the virus. That said, if an infected person washed his or her hands and genitals thoroughly with soap and water immediately prior to sex and kept hands away from face during sex, and if the sex did not involve kissing or other face-to-face contact, I think that it would be reasonably safe, from the point of view of cold transmission. Marco polo 13:40, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

See: Common cold. This type of virus is usually spread through droplets. If you're close enough to someone to have oral sex with them, you're close enough to inhale droplets. (Unless you hold your breath.) -THB 13:56, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Without attempting a medical explanation, my inclination would be that contracting the common cold as a result of engaging in oral sex is an unlikely prospect. After all, people tend to only do that sort of thing if their partner is looking relatively clean, healthy, and not exhibiting signs of illness. Cheers -- Vranak 00:02, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Gift Certificates

What is the reasoning behind giving gift certificates (Scrips) as presents? They're basically money that can only be used in one store, and has an expiry date.--Codell [ Talk ▪ Contrib. ] 13:04, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

As far as I'm concerned, say you give a book voucher, it's like saying "I know you like books, but don't know exactly what you want or already have - so here is a voucher to go and buy one you'd like". It's just a bit more personal than cash as it shows you've considered what the person may like, where they may like to shop, and you've actually made the effort to go out and buy something for them instead of just pulling some cash out of your wallet. --jjron 13:15, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Not all gift certificates have expiry dates. Also, though I (and others) call book vouchers, vouchers, it seems that the precise meaning of voucher differs from that of gift certificate (a redirect to scrip). I'd never heard the term 'scrip' before. Thanks for linking to that. Carcharoth 13:21, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
The voucher article says "A voucher is a certificate which is worth a certain monetary value and which may only be spent for specific reasons or on specific goods". I'm not sure how that makes it an invalid term - certainly seems to cover gift certificates. It may vary in different places, but it's certainly a very commonly used term in Australia. --jjron 13:56, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Sorry, I meant this bit: "The term voucher is also a synonym for receipt, and is often used to refer to receipts used as evidence of, for example, the declaration that a service has been performed or that an expenditure has been made." - you are right though, voucher has two meanings. Carcharoth 14:29, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Yeah, I saw that too - must say I've never heard of voucher being used in that context. Is that legit? --jjron 14:50, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
I can confirm that the travel industry issues vouchers. I think it is to do with the way the money circulates. You pay the travel agent. The travel agent books the hotel and gives you a voucher. You give the voucher to the hotel and stay there. The hotel sends the voucher to the travel agent (or scan it) and the hotel get their money from the travel agent. I think that is more like a coupon than a voucher. But though these processes of circulating money and paper substitutes are distinct, the terms used can sometimes be rather fluid and interchangeable. The linking with receipt might be a misunderstanding, as people might think the voucher is a receipt for the money they gave the travel agent. Carcharoth 15:24, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
There are also gift certificates for non-material things. Day spas often offer gift certs for massages, facials, etc. Dismas|(talk) 13:32, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
A lot of what we see is differences in usage between English-speaking countries along with the desire to WP:NOT a dictionary and to keep the usages together. It is possible that voucher should be WP:MERGED to scrip. --Justanother 14:38, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
While I did know what scrip was I'd never heard of it used in reference to gift certificates before, as Carcharoth also said. Now I'm not sure where Carcharoth is from, but while there could be an argument for merging these articles, I'm not convinced that 'scrip' is the best or most widely used term. --jjron 14:50, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
I am not either but there should be a good general term for these types of things and it would likely include coupon too. The best might be something like Currency substitutes. That eliminates regional differences. --Justanother 14:59, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Yes, good point. I notice that there's also a Trading stamp article. Any others come to mind? And furthermore, trading stamp links to half a dozen different articles on different brands of trading stamps. There'd be quite a bit of work in merging all these successfully. --jjron 15:15, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
It might be better to collect them into a category to help decide what to do first. Category:Sales_promotion contains coupon and trading stamps. Voucher is just a stub. Scrip, for some reason is in Category:Exonumia. The mother lode is Category:Payment_systems, and I guess things should be organised around that. Carcharoth 15:31, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Gift certs were originally sold at a discount, so there was a value in them. For example, a gift cert for $100 in merchandise might only cost $50. This $50 gain had the potential to offset the following losses:

  • Risk that the cert will not be redeemed at all, due to loss, expiration, or the recipient not caring to shop at that store.
  • Interest lost on the money during the period between purchase and redemption.
  • Risk that the cert won't exactly match the purchase amount, and either a portion of the cert will not be redeemed, or extra money beyond the value of the cert will be spent.
  • Risk that the recipient will buy unwanted items to "use up" the gift cert before it expires.
  • Extra cost of buying items at that store, likely not on sale, versus on sale and/or elsewhere.
  • Sale items were typically excluded.

Over time, however, retailers realized that people bought the gift certs more as a quick gift that doesn't require much thought, but doesn't seem as crude as cash. Thus, they reduced, then eliminated, the discount, added exclusions, shortened the period before expiration, and now have started to have them lose value, before expiration, as well. Thus, they no longer make financial sense. It's up to each purchaser to decide if the convenience of not having to put much thought or time into a purchase is worth the additional cost of a gift cert. StuRat 15:29, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

That's interesting. Do you have any sources so this can be put in articles? A timeline would be good as well. What sort of dates are you talking about here? Carcharoth 15:33, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
I don't have any sources, no, perhaps a retailer's trade mag or the Wall Street Journal might have such info. The change has mainly taken place over the last decade or two, I would say. StuRat 15:36, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Interesting, but I'd like to see some refs. We used to get/give 'record vouchers' in the 80s, there was no discounting from the retailer. In fact, if I remember correctly, some stores in fact charged for them (like $1 above face value). Some probably still do. --jjron 15:50, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Here's a site where you can view some of the terms for certain gift certs, although it doesn't address the historic changes in gift certs: [36]. StuRat 16:06, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
There's actually a huge flaw in your 'historical' argument. If I was going to buy something from a store, why wouldn't I go in, buy myself a gif certificate, then redeem it for my purchase, automatically getting myself a 50% (or whatever it may be) discount? --jjron 01:24, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
They could, and did. 50% would be the about the upper limit on discounts, with 10% or 20% being more typical. Places that gave a 50% discount had high normal prices and substantial, frequent sales (around 50%) most of the time, anyway. Since the gift certs excluded sales, they really didn't provide much savings over what you could get normally. Still, this "misuse" of gift certs may be one reason they stopped selling them at a discount. StuRat 21:39, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Another reason gift certs might be preferred over cash is to provide the giver with a degree of control. For example, giving gift certs for a clothes store might be a parent's way of getting their teens to buy new clothes, while still allowing them the autonomy to shop for themselves. StuRat 15:36, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Another reason is so that the receiver thinks of the giver when making the purchase, and associates the item purchased with the giver. Cash is far more likely to just go in with a lot of other cash. --jjron 15:50, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Within a family or between close friends, the smartest and best gift certificates are those which are written out by the giver and included in a card. It could say "This gift certificate entitles (insert name of recipient) to the leather jacket of his choice, cost not to exceed $(Insert estimated price of nice jacket). This coupon expires (insert date not too far in the future, to get them to actually go and get it." If the giver knows the receiver wants a set of diamond earrings, a plasma TV, a speedboat, a new computer, a new celphone, an audio system, a PS3 which is almost unavailable but will be common as dirt in a couple of months, a telescope, plastic surgery, a remodeled kitchen or bathroom, a new car, or cosmetic dental work, this shows that the giver wants the recipient to actually get the thing, and soon, and guarantees the cost, but avoids the pitfalls of certificates which get eaten up by exhorbitant "maintenance fees" by the store, or arbitrary expiration dates, and it serves as a reminder to make sure they go ahead and splurge out of a common bank account, and it gets around the problem of it being sometimes impossible to know which size, color, model, features, appeal to another person. The doorman, mail carrier, or cleaning lady prefers cash. Edison 16:20, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
An excellent suggestion. But why not take it further and make it a non-material gift cert like "entitles the bearer to one free foot massage" or "may be redeemed for one free gutter leaf removal service" ? StuRat 16:42, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Thankyou for your thoughts. The best way would probably just to agree with the family that no one will buy presents. It would save a lot of money and time.--Codell [ Talk] 22:25, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

I agree on not buying presents, but you can still give presents, just have them be homemade gifts. Remember, the best gifts come from the heart (although some people may be a bit touchy about getting an aorta for xmas). :-) StuRat 21:31, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Disagreement

Nine out of Ten Americans belive that One out of Ten americans Disagrees with the other nine Why is this? For What reason do we have to always argue over pointless things? Why do we do this? Is it in human nature? Catman503 13:18, 14 December 2006 (UTC) Catman503

This is a very strange question - where did you hear "Nine out of Ten Americans belive that One out of Ten americans Disagrees with the other nine"? In any case, it's human nature to disagree, people have different views of the world. — QuantumEleven 13:37, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
I'm not sure, but this question sounds like a joke or something... | AndonicO Talk | Sign Here 13:39, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Why do people disagree?.. If we didn't we'd all be the same - like clones, not a very good answer, sorry. Also perhaps it's good to argue over trivia - we agree on the important things - don't like being chopped in to bits, like food, squirrels etc. - at least it encourages humane interactions.. Some people don't argue over pointless things, but they often lead quite quiet lives - see hermit or asceticism.83.100.174.70 13:49, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

I disagree. 64.90.198.6 23:01, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] iq scoring

How is iq of a person calculated? Is there any fromula to do so?

Through an IQ Test. Refer to Intelligence quotient for a start. I won't go into the questionable validity of IQs and IQ testing, but there's plenty in the article. --jjron 13:47, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] new desk

I can't help thinking a new reference desk - Wikipedia:Reference desk#human psychology and phsysiology would be appropriate - especially considering the number of questions coming in relating to warts/drugs/nutcases etc etc. Anyone agree and where do I ask for such a thing...(Obviously it would have the "we are not doctors" discalimer very clearly displayed).83.100.174.70 15:08, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Not saying I agree, but wouldn't Wikipedia:Reference desk#Medicine or Wikipedia:Reference desk#Medical be a bit more succinct? --jjron 15:40, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Yes83.100.174.70 15:52, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
There are obvious problems with anonymous persons of unknown qualification and motivation answering people's psychological and medical questions. Someone who died or was harmed by bad medical or mental health advice would likely have a cause of action against the anonymous adviser, and possibly against the Wikipedia Foundation. That is the reason for the disclaimer which people often forget to include in their response. In contrast, GoAskAlice.com [37] is an online Q & A service of healthcare professionals at Columbia University, which has a library of FAQs and which will answer questions about what could be causing the voices in a questioner's head or the soreness and oozing from their private parts. Better them than random volunteers at the Reference desk of Wikipedia. The instructions at the top of the Ref Desk page would be improved by links to such online or phone help lines for people with medical or psychological questions, and with links to suicide help lines, since sometimes people ask questions implying an intent to harm themselves or others. I have seen people here ask for the most painless way to commit suicide and the responders giving them serious or facetious suggestions, which is unacceptable. Edison 16:08, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

The issue of splitting up Ref Desks was discussed a few months ago, with the decision made to put any split on hold for the time being. If you wish to propose that again, however, Wikipedia talk:Reference Desk is the proper place to make such a request. Here is where this issue was previously discussed: Wikipedia_talk:Reference_desk/Archive_12#New_ref_desk_division. You will see that the proposal included a "Health and medicine desk". StuRat 16:11, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

I read the archive - and think it was a good idea. I can give two extra reasons - 1. shorter desks will mean that the archiving is less often - I can't help thinking a few days before the question dissapears into the mists of the archives is not always a long enough time to get a good response. 2. More specialised desks may improve the overall quality of the responses, I've noticed more than once that people respond to questions that they are not really qualified to answer - ie giving an obviously wrong answer (not saying I never mess up or do this). Dividing the desks into departments (like at a university) seems like a good idea. For people who are a little confused there could be a reference desk:science general - and then their question could be directed to the more specialised place..I'd like to promote again the tree like structure proposed by person "freshoftheuk"83.100.174.70 16:50, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

I think I would call such a Reference Desk 'Psychology and Personal Advice'. If you called it 'Counselling and Psychiatry', persons practicing those professions would likely frown upon it. Vranak 16:34, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

I was really hoping it would not deal in advice but facts and theories..either as a medical subsection or as two subsections "biology" and "psychology" - the latter would leave the science desk as a 'physical sciences' question place.83.100.174.70 16:39, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Well I majored in Psych: if you want to learn about facts and theories from 2002 and earlier, I can help. Vranak 20:37, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

I've left a message on the reference desk discussion page about this - please take a look83.100.174.70 20:05, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Experimental psychology is science, and belongs on the Science desk. Counseling could go on another desk, but unqualified, or possibly malicious (how many articles get vandalized each day?)people giving potentially harmful advice would create serious liability exposure. Edison 15:36, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Composite cable splitters.

In a local hardware store, I've seen devices for sale which I would find quite handy: you plug three sets of composite cables into them, then plug the device into the composite cable ports on your TV. Would these degrade the signal at all? I've seen some for sale for $80, and some for $15 -- how big would the difference be, and why the massive difference in cost? I have four or five machines, all using composite cables, so something like this would be excellent -- but if it introduced flickering, blur, or any other flaws into the picture, I wouldn't want it. I'd appreciate someone enlightening me about these devices, and what they're actually called. Pesapluvo 15:05, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Sounds like a switching box -

a. these shouldn't be expensive at all - the $80 ones I would guess are a rip off unless they have other functions.

b. I wouldn't expect any noticable degredation of the signal (unless the thing is really badly made)

You obviously mean like this http://www.tvcables.co.uk/cgi-bin/tvcables/component-video-switch.html?id=jBwS5cu5 this one is expensive but has a remote control so I guess it's not that bad a price (still quite a lot), or this http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?TabID=1&DOY=14m12&ModuleNo=46677&criteria= (scart contains rgb signals) as the maplin site says "ALL connections can result in siganl loss (eg SCART Plugs, phono plugs etc, etc) but this is genreally un-noticable." I'd have no worries about buying one of these - and unless you need extra functions and a remote - buy the cheap one..83.100.174.70 15:19, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

I think I know what you mean, one of my friends has one of these. Of course adding any complexities to the cabling can and will degrade the signal, but it's really not noticeable in general use. And it is convenient. The one my friend has has I think four inputs, and a switch to select between them. The biggest problem is with cables coming loose; I'm guessing it wasn't a very expensive one. I suppose the more you pay the better quality plugs, switches and internal wiring, but whether the difference is that significant ($15 to $80), who knows. Mind you, it could be worth the difference if you got that remote with it. --jjron 15:32, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

That's nice to know, I'll pick up one this afternoon. Thanks, Jfron and Mr. 83.100.174.70! Pesapluvo 19:32, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Mystique

Widgie board is as mystical as the word itself. The word widgie does not even appear in English dictionary. Even the Wikipedia misses it out. Most people know its mystical powers as a means of communication with non-worldly presence. There are real life accounts of such phenomena (not just in movies).

So, what do we really know about widgie board?

Thank you. --Jefri Basiuni 16:30, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

You should look at Ouija - the word is a trademark constructed from french "oui" and german? "ja" for yes. Maybe "widjie" is a corruption of "ouija"??83.100.174.70 16:35, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

I believe that the usual spelling is 'Ouija board'. Cheers. Vranak 16:36, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

You might have more luck searching for Ouija board. -sthomson 16:36, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Why not trying Wikie board after all ? --DLL .. T 18:19, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Nazi

I recently saw a television show about the holocaust. It was filmed in Poland during the cold war. Many lay people were interviewed such as women and old people. They stated in a matter of fact way how the Nazi killed all the Jews, but left one boy alive to burn bodies, he was kept alive because he could sing well. They showed him, the only Jew left, standing infront of a church where many were gassed. Who was this man? Where in Poland did this take place? What was the name of the show?

Also, does wiki have any articles on Jews who survived the war, while remaining in Poland.

Thank you

Was it possibly part of Shoah that you saw? I haven't seen it for many years, but your description is reminiscent of parts, especially the "matter of fact"ness of the interviews, the church scene, the one kept alive. If I remember correctly (and I may not) many of those stories came from Treblinka. Antandrus (talk) 16:35, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Oh, and this article History of Jews in Poland may help point to some answers to the second part of your question. Adolf Berman remained until 1950. There may be other articles on Polish Jews who remained, but many left after the Kielce pogrom in 1946. There is a chapter on these events in Martin Gilbert's book on the Holocaust. Antandrus (talk) 16:41, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Just wanted to clarify my request, I wanted to know about Jews who survived the war, in Poland but not in a camp or ghetto. Further more Shoah is the film I saw. It is one of the best things I have ever seen on tv, thank you for helping.

The individual in question was indeed featured in Claude Lanzmann's documentary, Shoah. The name of the boy was Shimon Srebrnik, who was transported from the ghetto at Lodz to the death camp at Chelmno. He was shot before the Nazis evacuated the camp, but managed to survive despite his wounds, one of only two people to emerge from what was a pure extermination facility. Some 350,000 people perished in the gas vans of Chelmno. Clio the Muse 00:10, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Not if you follow the conference agenda currently being discussed in Iran!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'll have to catch up on that nonsense... | AndonicO Talk | Sign Here 10:32, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Has anyone ever heard of an Italian pastry called a Catidad?

After my Nana passed on, we were unable to find a recipe for a sweet honey drenched pastry she used to bake. She called them Castidads...does anyone know how to make them or what the true name for them is??? Thanks, DB

The word, meaning chastity, is associated to ... lettuce in a quick search for the French term (chasteté). --DLL .. T 18:18, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Do you know what color and shape they were? | AndonicO Talk | Sign Here 18:23, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
I found something called Honey Loops from a quick search. See here. Carcharoth 18:25, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

It sounds similar to baklava but that is not Italian and is not a similar word. Were the pastries quite flaky? -THB 18:27, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Maybe this helps: With the "honey drench", and being an Italian dish, and thinking "not Baklava", I'm guessing Nana made rice fritters, but Italian recipes give the name "Frittelle di riso". Possibly the traditional name you learned was derived from, or similar to Calas-tous-chauds (rice fritters)? "Calas" (the "L" not pronouced) by itself is a sort of rice fritter (and in Wikipedia). -- Seejyb 22:52, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Analog Land Phone Line

Does anyone know exactly what an analog land phone line is or refers to?

analog telecommunications would be a good start - follow the links. Carcharoth 16:50, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
And from there we get to analog signal and Telecommunications#Telephone. Carcharoth 16:51, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
In case you wanted to know what the line bit of telephone line refers to, follow the link I provided. It is called a land line because the signal from most installed domestic telephones travels through cables either underground, or anchored to structures on the ground. This is as opposed to wireless signals that travel through the air. Of course, at any point in the journey, a signal may be travelling in a cable, through the air as electromagnetic waves, or being routed through places like a satellite. But the last parts of the journey to telephones integrated into the structure of a building, will be through a land line. Carcharoth 17:00, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
What this is probably getting at is that lots of devices like ordinary modems, fax machines, answering machines, and the like will all work with an "analog phone line" (also referred to as POTS, "Plain Old Telephone Service") but will be blown up if connected to certain "digital phone lines" (such as are used in businesses in Key telephone systems and PBXs). These digital lines often contain power supply lines as well as non-usable digital telephone data.
Atlant 17:31, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
POTS? Well, you learn something new every day! :-) Thanks Atlant. Carcharoth 17:44, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
In most books that cover telephony POTS is a frequent acronym. 71.100.6.152 20:10, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

It's just a regular telephone line. They never used to need to specify that it was "analog" before we had digital phone lines, and they never used to need to specify a "land line" before wireless phones came into use. I suppose, in the future, if we have flying cars, our current cars will all need to be called "terrestrial cars" or some such thing. StuRat 17:16, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Retronyms. Gotta love 'em! 64.90.198.6 23:08, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Survivor

I wish to know more about Simon Srebnik. I wish to know more about Franz Sachomel too. Any help would be greatly appreciated.:-)

Please see what I have written above under the heading 'Nazi' above. Shimon Srebrnik was one of only two survivors of the extermination camp at Chelmno. He died in 2004. SS Unterscharführer Franz Suchomel served at Treblinka and Sobibor. He, too, was interviewed by Lanzmann in the making of Shoah. A google search under this name will give you all of the relevant details. Clio the Muse 00:30, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] no shows

Our local grocery store never seems to have everything done at all much less on schedule. One of the managers said it is because many of his stockers never show up which put an extra burden on those who do so then even the steady ones begin to not show up. I was wondering if an acceptable solution might be to set a "job price" for getting the store done by a certain time and then scheduling only enough people so that the "job price" would match the agreed upon wages and then pay those who show up the "bonus" created by those who do not show up as an incentive to not only show but to get the job done on time even though the store would be technically short handed? Adaptron 18:05, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Yup, that might do it. It certainly looks as if something in the supply/demand equation needs to change. --Tagishsimon (talk)
It sounds like we first need to determine the existing problem. That is, why exactly do steady workers stop showing up after a while ? One possibility is an extremely abusive boss. If that's the problem, get rid of him. Perhaps pay is just insufficient. If so, raise pay. Maybe they just injure themselves. If so, perhaps better equipment is needed. StuRat 17:10, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] December 15

[edit] loss prevention at sea

Would the cost to build submersible ocean going vessels to go deep enough to escape the ravages of surface storms (variable but say around 30 to 50 feet) be worth the savings of ships that sink at sea from an insurance provider point of view? 71.100.6.152 18:15, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

I doubt storms sink many ships, but see the article Rogue wave (oceanography). A submersible ship would be more expensive than a conventional one. IMHO, it wouldn't be worth it: the one that was sunk would be replaced ten times over before it surpasses the price of the submersible one. A good idea, but very impractical. | AndonicO Talk | Sign Here 18:30, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Modern ocean-going vessels of any significant size simply don't sink because of the weather (bar a tiny number of freak incidents, and even then not entirely). They sink because of poor maintenance (fire breaks out and fire suppression system broken, engines fail and ship driven onto rocks, structural members rust through) and bad seamanship (hatches left open in storm, captain drunk, first officer steers ship on sandbank because owner too cheap to buy up-to-date charts). Making ships submersible (or somehow semisubmersible) just adds lots of expensive complicated bits for the bad sailors and crooked shipowners to abuse and neglect. If you want to make the seas safer then have decent standards for your own ships (most developed countries do) and ban from your ports the ships registered in poverty-stricken landlocked countries and crewed by illiterate guava harvesters from Upper Zamboni (which most developed countries should, but don't). -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 18:36, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Not entirely true. See List of RORO vessel accidents which includes a couple several weather related sinkings, not to mention the Edmund Fitzgerald. I also seem to recall container ships have a poor record although our article doesn't mention it. For an old semi-submarine style, look at whaleback freighters built with rounded hulls above and below water. Rmhermen 03:10, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
The Edmund Fitzgerald sank over 30 years ago, leaving Gordon Lightfoot with nothing to sing about ever since. :-) StuRat 16:33, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
And for a literary account of an unsafe ship, see B. Traven's Death Ship. Dr Zak 03:18, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
A boat has one major advantage over a submarine: it's inherently stable. Left to itself, a boat on the surface will stay on the surface, with the keel down and the hatches up. A submerged submarine, on the other hand, will tend to tumble, and will either rise to the surface, or sink to the ocean floor. --Carnildo 01:21, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

One proposal for the US military is a semi-submersible missile boat. Unlike a traditional missile boat, this one would ride very low in the water, giving it a low radar profile, with the majority of the boat below the waterline. The deck would be waterproof, with sealed covers at the end of each missile tube and would lack the mast, guns, conning tower, and other equipment normally on deck. Waves would also break across the deck in high seas. However, it wouldn't be a full submarine, as it would not be intended to fully submerge. It would not be deployed alone, but as part of a major task force, as a platform for cruise missiles and other weapons systems. Other ships in the task force would provide for communications, ship defense, etc.:

             +-^^-----------^^-+
 -------------\ \\ missle  // /--------------- water line
               \ \\ tubes // /
                \ -      -  / missile boat
                 \  crew   /
                  +-------+

StuRat 16:50, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Did you make that design by yourself, or did you get it somewhere? | AndonicO Talk | Sign Here 22:09, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
I saw/read about a proposal, and reproduced it above, as best as I could, from memory. The proposal was an attempt to increase the missile capacity of a task force at minimal cost and risk. StuRat 05:53, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

You may be interested in this-[38]

[edit] Tricep curls and other dumbbell tricep exercises

I am doing two tricep exercises using dumbbells, and I'm wondering if they are both necessary, or if one is better? One is an overhead reverse tricep curl (French curl, letting the free weight (which I hold in both hands) drop (controlled) down behind my shoulders while supine, and curling it to above my forehead (a standard exercise). The other is like the exercise people do in aerobics, pushing my parallel straight arms back and up behind my back, except I use free weights. Anchoress 03:22, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

It's probably better to do different exercises - rather than concentrate on just one (unless you are a body builder and want to create muscles that look a specific way). I don't actually recognise the second exercise. The more exercise you do the better right? And it doesn't all have to be 'power stuff'87.102.8.6 14:57, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
I wish I had my Strength Training Anatomy (ISBN 0736063684) handy - it shows specifically which parts of which muscles are worked with each exercise.. I'm certain that the two exercises will exercise different parts of the triceps, though. --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 16:53, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Thanks a lot for the info, jpg, and thanks to user87... for the reply. Anchoress 01:50, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Mr. Wales as a keynote speaker

I am inquiring about the possibility of having Mr. Wales as a keynote speaker. Who within Wikipeadia should be contacted?24.163.62.32Debra Singleton

Check THIS PAGE, or leave a message on Mr Wales' talk page. Actually, the userpage I linked you to has the info you need. Anchoress 03:46, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] A fall

Wikipedia states that Vesna Vulović “holds the Guinness Book of Records world record for surviving the highest fall without a parachute: 10,160 meters (6.31 miles, or 33,000 feet).” Although it is implied that she was saved by the fact that she was still strapped onto part of the plane (and that this cushioned her fall), I have heard other stories of parachutist who survived falls when their parachutes failed open. What would be the best position to be in order to maximize ones chances of survival from such a fall? Also is it even possible to change ones position as related to the ground when in free fall? Thanks! S.dedalus 05:05, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

This might help. --Wooty Woot? contribs 05:10, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

See also People surviving free fall. Rmhermen 05:58, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
You can certainly use aerodynamic forces to change your orientation relative to the ground during free fall - freefall style skydivers are experts at this. Also, see Cat righting reflex. Gandalf61 11:09, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Try to control your fall so you land in deep, soft snow :) --frothT C 14:56, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

You might think that landing in water would be best, but there is the problem of being knocked out and drowning immediately. So, landing in other soft areas, like freshly fallen snow, tree branches, peat, etc. may actually be better. StuRat 16:28, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

I remember seeing a documentary about Jimmy Edwards, who won the DFC in World War II for surviving a crashlanding in a Douglas Dakota. He said that he was lucky to hit 'small trees' when he came down: no vegetation and he would have just hit the ground; large trees and he would have hit a branch and cartwheeled; but small trees just broke with the impact and slowed the aircraft down. I imagine it's the same for people. Sam Blacketer 00:01, 16 December 2006 (UTC)
Responding to StuRat: water is useless at breaking falls from a great height. There are probably three height ranges that can be characterised by the impact on the faller. (1) No damage to faller - faller remains conscious and swims to safety (typically this is the diving board sort of height, though diving from high diving boards (such as 10-metre ones) can easily knock people unconscious if they hit the water incorrectly). (2) Impact is sufficient to cause bruising/loss of consciousness - drowning becomes a real danger (probably 5-20 metres). (3) Impact speed is so great that the effect is like hitting concrete, with effects ranging from broken bones to splat (probably anything above 20 metres). I first realised water was useless for breaking falls from a great height when watching a James Bond film where some poor guy got trapdoored out of an airship. Anyone know which film that was. I think it was the one with Grace Jones. Carcharoth 01:21, 16 December 2006 (UTC)
Right, but that's for pure freefall. If we assume a partially opened parachute, then maybe the person remains in your stage (2) from any height, hence the worry about drowning. StuRat 05:50, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] youngsters

Why is it that youngsters think that because their world is based on their consideration of only a few obvious variables that the rest of the world is based on only a few obvious variables as well and that adults who have had much more time to consider additional variables having many more states in addition to many more combinations are somehow inferior? 71.100.6.152 05:15, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Because to be young is to be all-knowing and all-wise. In growing older one begins to understand the limits of both knowledge and wisdom. And that is the beginning of true understanding. Clio the Muse 05:25, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
I think this question suffers from the fallacy of many questions. It presupposed that the following are true:
  1. that "youngsters think" in those ways,
  2. that "their world is based on their consideration of only a few obvious variables",
  3. that adults "had much more time to consider additional variables", and
  4. that those variables have "many more states in addition to many more combinations"
These are disputable and very subjective. --Spoon! 09:59, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Before feeding the troll, please see User_talk:Wooty#What_does_it_have_to_do_with_anything. --Wooty Woot? contribs 10:09, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Chess

Anyone know where to find a persuasive article that relates to chess? --JDitto 05:41, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Chess may be of assistance. - CHAIRBOY (☎) 05:45, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
No, I meant a persuasive article. That one's all information. Thanks for answering so quickly, though. --JDitto 05:50, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Persuasive in what way? Anchoress 06:12, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
It would help if you told us what you needed one for. Are you trying to persuade people to play chess? NeonMerlin 06:21, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Here is a letter by Paul Morphy, the greatest chess player of the 19th century, who wrote:
I am more strongly confirmed than ever in the belief that the time devoted to chess is literally frittered away. It is, to be sure, a most exhilarating sport, but it is only a sport; and it is not to be wondered at that such as have been passionately addicted to the charming pastime should one day ask themselves whether sober reason does not advise its utter dereliction. I have, for my own part, resolved not to be moved from my purpose of not engaging in chess hereafter.
Does that persuade you? Skarioffszky 10:28, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
How about Chess? ---Sluzzelin 14:07, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Or this gives it A- but this is credited with limiting its success. meltBanana 16:19, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
In absence of a persuasive article I can offer a persuasive comment... In high school the game of Chess helped me to think ahead and anticipate the consequences of my actions. 71.100.6.152 17:25, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Open-source d20?

Have there yet been any projects to create fully stand-alone pen-and-paper RPGs based on the SRD or MSRD and released under open source licenses? NeonMerlin 06:20, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

This may be of interest. - CHAIRBOY (☎) 06:23, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
I'm not a lawyer and wikipedia does not give legal advice. However a cursory glance over the open gaming license on d20srd.org indicates to me that it would not be compatible with "traditional" open source licenses, and a full redistributed d20 system based on it might well violate United States copyright laws. Again, I'm not a lawyer and this is not trustworth legal advice, but it IS something you may want to investigate if you're going to make one. i kan reed 08:44, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Open Game Content (such as the SRD) can be combined with closed content, so why couldn't it be combined with cc-by-sa or GFDL content? The SRD and the new content could just be rendered in different fonts to show which text was whose. And the GFDL certainly doesn't demand that the whole book be under the same license, else how would we be able to use cc-by-sa images on Wikipedia without fair use templates? NeonMerlin 12:55, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] S.A. de C.V. and S.A.B. de C.V.

What do these abbreviations stand for? I know that basically they're Spanish for a Mexican corporation. I've encountered the second one just recently. Cemex had the first designation, but is now using the second one, according to its web site (but yet to be reflected in our article). Thank you. --Nelson Ricardo 11:45, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

S.A. de C.V. means "Sociedad anonima de Capital Variable". It describes a company where the partners are anonymous. Most foreign investments in Mexico are SA de CV, I think. It's kinda like the French Société Anonyme. - CHAIRBOY (☎) 15:31, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Why does everything taste like chicken?

With the Christmas holidays upon us and the dwindling attention span of our physics class, we were asked to do a presentation on a few "science conundrums".

With other crackers such as "how many people does it really take to change a light bulb", we came up with the title of this question.

So, what's that about, and any personal opinions, it is really true, is the Matrix telling us this or have we all got such crappy taste buds we honestly can't tell the difference?

Cheers

-Benbread 12:17, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Maybe because it feels stringy, and (IMHO) has bad texture? A tastier food with similar texture might be transmitted to the brain in with a similar chemical message. Of course, I'm just making this up, but... | AndonicO Talk | Sign Here 12:30, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
You know something? In Britain where I live, unless you go to the farm and buy (and then cook) the freerange chicken that you see pecking away in the farmyard, you simply cannot buy a chicken that tastes like chicken. That's why our supermarkets do such a roaring trade in bottled cook-in sauces that set out to add some flavour. So I will freely interpret your question as really meaning, "Why does everything, including chicken, taste of nothing, unless it is marinaded in a flavour intensifier?"
See Tastes like chicken. C'mon, you knew it had to be here on the Wikipedia! :-) Dismas|(talk) 13:05, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Dismas - I knew it was around someware! Unfortunately "why does everything taste like chicken" didn't send me to that page, maybe it should..? Benbread 15:00, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Babies taste of chicken. (Is there encyclopedic source relative to Izzard's claim that cannibals say that?) 64.90.198.6 00:07, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Nightclubs to the extreme!!!!11!!

A while back I found an interesting site that basically pulls up random open directories on the net and shows you all the images within the directories. No surprise, most of them are porn with the remainder of them full of vacation photos of various NN people. Many times though, there are a series of photos in what appears to be a nightclub or bar with people milling about while some of the people are having sex in the middle of the crowd such as seen here (WARNING: Wikipedia isn't censored but that link is not safe for work in most places). Where are these clubs? Do the photographers just rent out the club for the night and invite a bunch of people to party along with porn actors? Dismas|(talk) 13:12, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

A sex club? Skarioffszky 14:26, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Well more mainstream clubs such as Privilege Ibiza and Manumission have in the past had live sex shows although I think mainly solo performances or simulation. You can do some research at http://partyhardcore.com/index2.html (CONTENT WARNING obviously) which claims they get male strippers and willing women off the street. meltBanana 16:04, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] "I can do what I want" in law

What is the name for the legal concept that nobody can obligate anyone to do anything else without their permission? Is there an article about it? Thanks.--Keycard (talk) 13:22, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

I suppose that might come under Human Rights. Freedom to do as you please?martianlostinspace 15:04, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Sounds somewhat like Involuntary servitude to me but only if you have not agreed to do a certain thing or have a pretty good excuse like at the time you agreed you did not know that it was illegal. Adaptron 16:56, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Music stuck in your head

Is there a name for getting music "stuck in your head?" What's the best way to keep it from happening? What's the best way to get it out of your head once it's stuck in there? When I was a little kid I had mild OCD and I got music stuck in my head a lot, to the point where now (even though my OCD is basically gone) I despise music and I cringe when I walk into a room where music is playing.. is there any hope for me? --frothT C 14:53, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

I found Earworm. In German, Ohrwurm is used frequently, but I didn't know it existed in English too. ---Sluzzelin 15:10, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Oddly enough, actually playing the offending piece of music often removes it from my head.--Shantavira 15:47, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Distraction by something that requires your entire attentional ability is one way to stop a catchy tune from running through your mind. If you play , sing, or hum, or perhaps even think about a different tune, it will pretty much stop you from thinking about the annoying one. Memorizing a poem should also work, but see A Literary Nightmare for an example of a verse stuck in the mind. Warning! do not read it if you do not want it stuck in your mind as it was in Mark Twain's. Edison 15:50, 15 December 2006 (UTC).

[edit] OBC

What is the curent Ontario Building Code for height of guards and handrails, picket spacing etc. in residential homes? Thanks 74.12.3.23 18:16, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

You'd probably want to visit the official government site and see if it's up there - having someone who might not be familiar with the documentation try to interpret it for you here could be problematic (I've been trying to translate health and safety codes, and it made my brain cry). Looks like they have a good resource there to draw on. Good luck! Tony Fox (arf!) 21:34, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] You got me burning, you got me burning

I've just got the terminator on the box while doing a bit of editing - what's the actual name of the song in the Tech Noir nightclub which goes "I feel the heat of your desire, you got me burning, you got buuuuring!" and who is it by?

--Charlesknight 23:37, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Our The Terminator article answered your question until someone "cleaned it up". IMDb confirms it was "Burnin' In The Third Degree" by Tryanglz. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 23:48, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Bebo Sign In

When I went to Bebo.com(Im a user)it asked me to sign in.I typed in my username and password.IT DID NOT RECOGNIZE MY PASSWORD.I asked to reset my password and even when I reset it,it still won't let me sign in!What should I do?No help topics on bebo will help me!

If you're sure that resetting the password won't work (also making sure to check capitalization, since it's probably case-sensitive), get in touch with the crew at bebo.com and whine loudly. If they don't help you out, you'd probably just want to make a new account. 64.90.198.6 00:18, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

I would guess you've been the victim of a hacker, who guessed your password, logged in, then changed your password. Was it something simple, like your username or an English word ? If so, once this issue is resolved, try a more complicated password, of mixed numbers and letters, and with mixed case. StuRat 05:46, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] December 16

[edit] BORAT THE NEXT DR.STRANGELOVE

What are the chances that borat will do for the war on terrioism what dr.strangelove did for the cold war.

If you mean this movie, in my opinion, the war on terrorism isn't quite as MAD as the Cold War was. Borat is probably just another pebble being thrown at the lake of opinion about modern politics. 64.90.198.6 00:27, 16 December 2006 (UTC)
I'm not sure I see the analogy. The influence of the character Dr. Strangelove was to become a stock symbol for the (il)logic of nuclear strategy. I'm not sure what Borat is supposed to be taken as a symbol of — the success of the character is less in its own portrayal than the reactions it gets from others, and I'm not sure that has much to do with the war on terrorism as a whole. --24.147.86.187 00:38, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

Borat is a symptom of changing attitudes in the West, not a cause of it. Vranak 00:48, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Lord of the Rings

I was wondering if anyone knows of a website where I can find out if Lord of the Rings is going to be playing again. I see that it's on tonight, but I would like to tape all of them, but I can't find a website that would say that. I've tried Yahoo, and T.V. Guide, but they don't seem to help me, any suggestions.

Are you talking about in the US? Go to the movie's page on imdb, and click on the "on television" link on the left, it will show you when a movie is showing on TV. For example, the "on television" page for "The Fellowship of the Ring" is at http://imdb.com/title/tt0120737/tvschedule. User:Zoe|(talk) 04:10, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Many Movies,Many Screams

What do you are some of the scariest movies of all time.

I liked Videodrome, Night of the Living Dead and The Shining, myself, to name a few... 惑乱 分からん 02:41, 16 December 2006 (UTC)
Again, there are numerous lists. On a personal note, I have an extremely high tolerance for scary movies, and I'm picky. The only scary/horror movie I've seen in the last few years that I thought was good, although I wasn't scared, was The Ring. I thought Se7en was boring, I thought Saw was OK, but the only horror movie that ever kept me awake at night, even though I saw it as an adult, was It. I swear balloons gave me a start for about 2 years after seeing that movie, and if I happened to think of the movie at bed-time, I slept with the light on. No fooling. Anchoress 02:47, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

I thought The Ring was creepy as hell -- but Aliens was the scariest (and most thrilling) overall. Vranak 03:10, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

I thought the movie with Freddy Kruger was scary as shit, granted I was not particular old when I saw it but still its one of the only movies that ever scared the shit out of me. Joneleth 05:32, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Anti-obsesity

Does anyone know a site with a good video that talks about the negatives and risks about obesity in children? Jamesino 01:43, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

Well I don't know whether it's any good or not, but THIS SITE has a host of educational videos, including those about childhood obesity, and you can preview them (so you can decide for yourself if they're good). I found the site with THIS GOOGLE SEARCH. Anchoress 02:49, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Being fat or grossly overweight

Whose fault is it?--Light current 01:46, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

Certainly not the fault of a child who is fed lots of empty calories (via soft drinks and junk food, for example) and encouraged not to exercise. Marco polo 02:57, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

Blame the original robber-barons, and guys like Henry Ford -- I think that it's an echo-effect of industrialization. You can make cars in a factory -- why not food? Vranak 03:11, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

Its peoples own fault, while they may have gotten fat while they were children then theres no excuse for why they are still fat when they are adults. Joneleth 05:29, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Wikipedia Strengths and Weaknesses

If you had two choose two wikipedia articles to demonstrate Wikipedia at its best. And two articles that showcase the weaknesses and disadvantages of the wikipedia format... which would they be?

Just out of curiousity Wedgeoli 02:50, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

Thats an extremely subjective question, theres no definitive answer to that and thus any answer you will give is a direct opinion of the person answering. Joneleth 05:27, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

I personally like the series on Bait (dogs) -- especially the Monkey vs Dog article.

The worst? -- anything written in esoteric (specialized) language. If it's worth explaining, it's worth explaining in straightforward, comprehensible layman's terms. Vranak

Yes, many of the science and math articles fall into that category. Others suffer from repeated vandalism or constant edit wars over controversial issues, like terrorism. Then, we still have articles which simply lack sufficient content and/or lack sources. Wikipedia might do best on certain obscure, but uncontroversial issues. One example is the SR-71 Blackbird, a discontinued US spy plane. A paper dictionary would likely have no mention of the plane, or perhaps a paragraph on it, while we have a rather extensive article. StuRat 05:41, 16 December 2006 (UTC)
The SR-71 obscure?? What are you, a non-geek or something? --Anon, December 16, 05:55 (UTC).

[edit] how do I destroy my profile on Facebook?

[edit] Incorrect spelling of surname in title

Hi!

Title for WILLIAM DUFRIS has incorrect spelling (Dufries). There should be NO letter 'E' in the surname.

Hi, thanks for posting. The correct place for your comment would be either the Help Desk, or the talk page of the article in question. If there is reliable evidence that the title is incorrect, the article can be moved. Anchoress 03:00, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Mathematics



[edit] December 10

[edit] cubic

Polynomial of degree 3
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Polynomial of degree 3

What's the maximum value of a cubic function?

A cubic function has the form:
f(x)=ax^3+bx^2+cx+d\,
Therefore, the maxmum degree is 3, is that what you're asking ? StuRat 11:59, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

Well, the maximum value of, say,

f(x)=-(x^2-6x+8)\,

is 1 when x = 3, meaning the highest value of f is 1

I was wondering how to find the maximum value of a cubic. Or is it just positive infinity?

A cubic doesn't have a global maximum or minimum value - think about what happens when x is a very large positive number or a very large negative number. However, it may have local maximum or minimum values, which are stationary points. Sketch the graph of y = x3 − x to see an example. Gandalf61 12:30, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
I posted a pic above, so you can see what we mean. And yes, the maximum is normally positive infinity (with possible exceptions for degenerate cases, such as where a = 0). StuRat 12:53, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
You can find the turning point - where the function changes direction from up to down or down to up (at about x=-3 and x=+1 on the pic) by setting the differential of the function to zero. b:Differential Equations has info on differentials. --h2g2bob 18:01, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
Should have read Gandalf61's post more carefully, that's more or less what was said already :-) A turning point is another name for a stationary point.
As for the very edges, what happens is that as x goes to infinity, y will also go to infinity; and as x goes to negative infinity, y will go to negative infinity. If the coefficient of x3 is negative, the sign will swap (ie: if y = -x3, then if x→+∞ then y→-∞ and if x→-∞ then y→+∞) Technically you can't actually ever reach infinity, thats why it "goes to" or "tends to" infinity (see limit (mathematics)). If x ever reached infinity, y would also become infinity (substitute x=infinity and solve for y to prove this). The function will tend to a countable infinity.
The way to solve these is to think "what happens if x is really big" (or "really big negatively" for negative x). You only really have to worry about the highest order term - if there's an x3 term, you can ignore the x2 and x terms. Likewise, you only have to worry about the sign of the coefficient (if you go to infinity, then something times infinity is still infinity). --h2g2bob 18:49, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
What? Countability has nothing to do with this. Even if infinity is introduced to the number system, it is not much more than just an object called infinity. This is completely different from the cardinality of sets. And let's not forget that as long as we are working with real numbers, there's no such thing as substituting infinity in the equation. -- Meni Rosenfeld (talk) 21:21, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
The possibilities for a polynomial function are few and simple. As with any function, we first ask if we are given bounds, such as, "Find the maximum of f(x) for a ≤ x ≤ b." If so, then we might have a maximum at a boundary, or we might have one within the boundaries.
The unbounded behavior splits into three cases: constant, odd degree, even degree. The maximum of f(x) = c is c; done! Otherwise, let n be a positive integer, and let λ be a non-zero real number. For odd degree, f(x) = λx2n−1+(lower-order terms), the behavior for large x is entirely controlled by λ. If λ is positive, then as x increases positively, eventually so will f(x), becoming as large as we like; and if λ is negative, then this happens as x increases negatively. (An odd power of a number retains the sign.) Either way there is no maximum. For even degree, f(x) = λx2n+(lower-order terms), a maximum may exist, depending on the sign of λ. If λ is positive, then as x increases either positively or negatively, so does f(x), making a maximum impossible; but if λ is negative, then a maximum is guaranteed. (An even power of a real number is never negative.)
As for where to find a maximum, that was discussed in a recent thread. And if the function is not polynomial, such as f(x) = 1⁄x, the possibilities are more delicate. It is even possible to have a function that cannot take on arbitrarily large values, yet that also does not achieve a maximum value; an example is f(x) = x2/(x2+1). --KSmrqT 21:43, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Bézier Curves

Hello, I've been looking at the Bézier curve article and have been drawing a few Bézier curves from points. (I've uploaded an image at Media:BezierCurve.gif)

But is there a way, instead of getting the curve from the points, to get the points corresponding to the curve ? I mean, under what assumptions can any curve be represented as a Bezier curve ? I suppose for example that it's impossible to draw sharp points except at the end of the curve, but that you can simulate those points, maybe, with a higher degree curve and points placed quite far away... Is there any way I can get the points with a given parametric/implicit equation ? Otherwise, how can I get a good approximation ?

--Xedi 13:39, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

Hmm, I suppose stitching together multiple Bézier curves allows the sharp points. Any ideas to get close approximations ? --Xedi 17:55, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
Degree is a limiting factor. A parametric curve of degree n can be represented exactly by a Bezier curve of degree n. For a curve like y=sin(x) which has infinite degree then you will not be able to get an exact Bezier curve, but the aproximation will be as good as you need.
If you have a degree-n parametric representaion of the curve over a given interval (p(t),q(t)) t in [0,1], then you calculate the Bernstein polynomial for each polynomial. There is a faily well know algorithm to do this, see for example [39].
Alternatively if you are happy with a piecewise cubic aproximation, for a given segment, P0 and P3 will be the end points, P1 will lie along the tangent to the curve at P1 and it distance is related to the curvature of the curve at P0. Similar for P2. --Salix alba (talk) 11:46, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
That is a lot to answer, enough to fill a lecture series!
Elliptic curve
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Elliptic curve
A Bézier curve is piece of a polynomial curve; that is x and y are polynomial functions of a parameter t. Such a function is infinitely differentiable, and will not have any exact sharp corners. We do have the flexibility to perfectly reproduce any polynomial curve, but that's more limiting that we like. If we allow rational Bézier curves, where we draw a curve in 3D then perspectively project to 2D, we can handle functions which are a ratio of polynomials. This allows us to handle any curve with a quadratic implicit equation, including circles, ellipses, and hyperbolas. However, algebraic geometry tells us that most implicit curves of higher degree have no parametric representation as a ratio of polynomial functions. This already applies to the so-called elliptic curves, cubics like y2 = x3−x+1⁄2.a
Thus we step up to B-spline curves (or sometimes non-uniform rational B-spline curves, NURBS). These piecewise (rational) polynomial curves allow us to join pieces either smoothly or sharply, and avoid a major problem of polynomial approximation, Runge's phenomenon. A practical illustration of the possibilities is visible in the letter shapes you see on this page. For example, the outline of the letter "a" is drawn with such curves. --KSmrqT 15:49, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
Okay, thanks a lot. --Xedi 21:14, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] rewrite using partial fractions

hello, I need help rewriting this

(s-1)/(s+3)

into this, possibly using partial fractions, but I can't figure it out.

(-1/3)/s + (4/9)/(s/3+1)

thanks, -Steve

Start from the second one and work back to the first. Then write it down as if you'd done it the right way round. That always worked for me... yandman 07:53, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
Or, if you're supposed to understand how to do those sorts of things ... first you need to write them down correctly because there's no way in hell what you've written there can be equal. I suspect the first fraction is meant to be (s-1)/s(s+3). To work this out, I'll just give you the first couple of steps (because I'm feeling just a tad too lazy to do it all here):

Let \frac{s-1}{s(s+3)} = \frac{a}{s} + \frac{b}{s+3}. Then a little rearranging gives s-1 = a(s+3) + b s\, and it's just a case of finding a and b. Confusing Manifestation 10:29, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

yes you're rigyht, this is controls and there was a step change, hence the extra 1/s. Thanks for the help. -Steve

[edit] vector perpindicular

if A =5I+3J+2K AND B=4I+2J+K HOW DO I FIND TWO VECTORS PERPENDICULAR TO THEM —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Garrycp2p (talk • contribs) 14:03, 10 December 2006 (UTC).

Use the scalar product. Imagine the vector of coordinates xI+yJ+zK. You need 5x+3y+2z=0 and 4x+2y+z=0 (the vector must be perpendicular to both the vectors, so the scalar product must be 0). This gives you { y=-3x and z=2x } for example. Just pick two values of x, put them in the equations to get y and z, and write your name and class on the top of the sheet... yandman 14:11, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
Well, that's one way of doing it. A far, far easier way would be to think of what other kind of product of vectors you may have been taught in class, and think about what properties the result of that product has in relation to the original two vectors. Confusing Manifestation 14:13, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
I was worried that he might not have seen that yet. I recall having studied vectorial products much (1 or 2 years) later than scalar ones. yandman 16:24, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
hi thank for the help both of ye. Con man will you explain your way better if its easier id like to know my brain is gone to mush for cramming for exams so any help is great - garrycp2p —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Garrycp2p (talk • contribs) 16:13, 10 December 2006 (UTC).
Well we're not supposed to answer homework questions here, but I'll give you a little more of a hint: do you know about the Cross product, aka the vector product? If you have two vectors in 3D Euclidean space (which you do), then what do you know about the cross product of the two, specifically, where does it point in relation to the two vectors? Confusing Manifestation 10:20, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
(As stated at the top of this page, please do not use ALL CAPS; also, sign your posts. Thanks.)
This question is awkward to answer for three reasons: (1) we don't give complete homework answers, (2) we don't know what you know, and (3) it's tricky to handle all the input possibilities. Most of us instantly think of the same well-known tool. However, you may not yet have learned that tool, and it has limitations.
The way you have presented your two vectors, we will assume you are working in three dimensions with real scalars. Therefore, at most three vectors can be mutually perpendicular. Since you want to extend a list of two to a list of four, each cannot be perpendicular to the other three; in fact, the four cannot be linearly independent.
A very general way to proceed is to construct an orthonormal basis for the whole space, partitioned into a basis for the span of the given vectors, and a basis for its orthogonal complement. Then we can make as many perpendicular vectors as we like by taking linear combinations of the complement basis. A robust algorithm for the construction is QR decomposition, with pivoting, of a matrix whose first columns are the given vectors and whose remaining columns form an identity matrix.
We do have special cases. In 2D, a perpendicular to nonzero vector (x,y) is (−y,x). In 3D, we typically use a cross product; however, it is dangerous to blindly trust it. If either input vector is zero, it fails. If the input vectors are not independent, it fails. And if the input vectors are nearly dependent, a numerical calculation may suffer "catastrophic cancellation" and fail. --KSmrqT 13:59, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] natural log integration

I can easily find the integral of ln(x) using int. by parts, but I am having trouble doing the same for integral of ln(x+2). Can anyone help? --68.126.3.68 21:47, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

Try substituting t = x + 2. -- Meni Rosenfeld (talk) 22:00, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
If you know how to, use substitution : put t = x + 2. Otherwise you can just see that, as \frac{df(x+b)}{dx} = f'(x+b) (because the derivative of a constant is 0), you can just say that if F(x) = \int f(x) dx, then F(x+b) = \int f(x+b) dx --Xedi 22:01, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
Ok, Meni Rosenfeld was faster. --Xedi 22:02, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
To amplify slightly: Any time you see an integral with an expression in place of x, which otherwise looks like a known integral, a change of variables is a natural attack. Here you claim to know how to handle
\int \ln x \, dx ,
so it is reasonable to try the change of variables y = 3x−5 when presented with
\int \ln (3x-5) \, dx .
(Note the different problem, to avoid doing homework.) If y is so defined, then x = (y+5)/3, and dx = 1⁄3dy. Thus the integral becomes
\frac{1}{3}\int \ln y \, dy ,
and the known answer does the rest. Three cautions: (1) Remember to reverse substitute to use x in the answer, (2) it is necessary to adjust the limits of integration in a definite integral, and (3) this attack may not give a known integral if the expression for y is complicated (because the complexity is moved to the dx substitution). --KSmrqT 14:33, 11 December 2006 (UTC)


[edit] December 11

[edit] continuity question

is the graph of 2*(3root(X)) it should be approching x=0 but never get there , is it called point discontinuity or jump discontinuity thanks --205.222.248.176 12:48, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

Do you mean 2 times the cube root of x ? That should include the point (0,0), and I don't think there's any discontinuity. StuRat 13:29, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
If y = 2x1/3, for x ≥ 0, then x = (1⁄2y)3. If we extend the meaning of cube root for negative values of x to be sign of x times the cube root of the absolute value, then the x equation holds for all y. The formula posted is in error, or the belief in a discontinuity is in error. --KSmrqT 14:14, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

That won't have any discontinuity. However, I'll define them for you. A point discontinuity is a single point on a graph that the value doesn't exist for and such that the lim x -> a- = lim x -> a+. Think of the graph of f(x)=(x+1)²/(x+1). A jump discontinuity is where the graph jumps on the discontinuity such that lim x -> a+ does not equal lim x -> a-. An example would be f(x)= 1/x. --AstoVidatu 00:21, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

Actually, in order to count as a jump discontinuity both the right hand and left hand limits have to exist and be finite (see Classification of discontinuities). So 1/x does not have a jump discontinuity at x=0 since the right-hand and left-hand limits aren't finite. Rather, x=0 would be an essential discontinuity for 1/x.
An example of a jump discontinuity would be f(x)=int(x) at x=0. For 0<x<1, f(x)=0, but for -1<x<0, f(x)=-1. So the right-hand limit is 0 while the left hand limit is -1, making x=0 a jump discontinuity. Dugwiki 16:17, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
Once we start talking about continuity, we are probably going to move into calculus. Consider the familiar absolute value function φ(x) = |x|; it is continuous everywhere. Now look at the slope of φ, or what calculus would call the first derivative, φ′. For x < 0 it is −1, for x > 0 it is +1, and at x = 0 it is undefined. Thus φ′ (a slight variation of the Heaviside step function) is a continuous — in fact, constant — function everywhere but at zero, and there it has a jump discontinuity. Now repeat; take the derivative again, producing φ″. Since φ′ is constant everywhere except at zero, its slope is zero everywhere except at zero. At zero the slope is undefined, so we have a point discontinuity.
It seems a little artificial to treat (x+1)2/(x+1) as having a discontinuity, since we have an irresistible urge to reduce it to simply x+1. So consider instead the "sinc function", which we may define as sinc(x) = sin(x)/x. We cannot simplify, and we get division by zero at x = 0; yet if we let x approach zero from either side, the function approaches 1.
These discontinuities are straightforward to explain and easy to picture. Not weird enough? Then define φ(x) to be 0 if x is rational, and 1 if x is irrational. Now we have a discontinuity at every point!
Let's close with a humdinger, separating discontinuities from derivatives. Define
\begin{align} g(x) &{}= \begin{cases} 1+x , & -2 \le x < 0\\ 1-x , & 0 \le x < 2 \\ \text{repeat} , & \text{period 4}\end{cases}\\ f(x) &{}= \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{g(2^{2^n}x)}{2^n} \end{align}
In 1953, John McCarthy published an elementary 13-line proof in the American Mathematical Monthly that this is an example of a function that is everywhere continuous but nowhere differentiable. --KSmrqT 18:28, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Finding a tangent

I need a tangent to a curve. There's an s-t-diagram for a man jogging, and, I don't know the English name for it, but I need the velocity of the jogger at a particular point, specifically after 40 seconds. The travelled distance at that time is 220 meters. How do I calculate the tangent? The answer is 2.3m/s. Sorry I can't explain it properly, hope you guys understand it anyway. Thanks in advance. Jack Daw 21:57, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

If I understand your question correctly, what you're looking at is a graph x=f(t) where t is a point in time and x is the total distance travelled. Velocity is a measure of the ratio of change of position x over time, which you can also write as \frac{dx}{dt}, and this corresponds to the slope of the graph. To calculate the slope of the graph at a particular time z, you need to find the derivative x'(z). Dugwiki 22:24, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

If you don't have a calculus base you can approximate the tangent by finding a secant line. So find the (x,y) values at 39.999 and 40.001 or something like that (as close together as you can) and then use the slope formula (y1 - y2)/(x1 - x2) = slope. Basically, calculus just makes the difference between x1 and x2, and hence y1 and y2 (under most circumstances) so that it approaches zero. --AstoVidatu 00:27, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

I forgot to say I'm looking for the inclination of the tangent. This is the velocity in a certain instant, 40 seconds to be exact, and the answer is 2.3 (meters/second). Now... I don't know how to formulate the variables in an equation, but this is all related to v = (capital delta s)/(capital delta t) where v = velocity in m/s, s = distance and t = time. The instruction for a similar question is, "Draw a tangent to the graph in the point t=42. Calculate the inclination of the tangent..." In that question the tangent is already drawn however, which it isn't in the one I'm trying to solve, and I have no idea how to do it. Should be something similar however. This is junior high physics, so all you mathletes out there ought to be able to solve it (with high school math). Again, how do I find the tangent and its inclination to a point (40;220)? Thank you. Jack Daw 01:03, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Is it the case that the graph is given as black smudges on paper, and not in some more abstract form? --LambiamTalk 23:29, 15 December 2006 (UTC)


[edit] December 12

[edit] December 13

[edit] Partial (trapezoidal) section of sphere/ellipsoid surface

(Moved by suggestion from Talk:Polar coordinate system)
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What is a trapezoidal shaped section of a sphere or ellipsoid's surface called? I think it is something like "quadratic angle" or "quadrilateral section"—? ~Kaimbridge~01:04, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

The thing you describe will bound a solid angle. It's called a "spherical polygon" provided the lines creating it are arcs of great circles (see great circle also geodesic) see:Spherical trigonometry.83.100.254.21 17:57, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

No, that's not the term (I came across the term and an image of it a while back, while looking something else up——I think either here in Wikipedia or MathWorld).

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The closest description would be "spherical isosceles trapezoid" (but, like segments in the above image, not necessarily "upright"). ~Kaimbridge~20:11, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

Is it a specific term that means the same as "spherical isosceles trapezoid" you are looking for, or is it a slightly different thing? To be honest I can't find anything the same, http://mathworld.wolfram.com/SphericalTriangle.html http://mathworld.wolfram.com/SphericalPolygon.html gives no alternative names. The only 'specialised' term I can think of in terms of spherical geometry is spherical lune. Have you looked at 'Hosohedron'?83.100.254.21 20:39, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Looking at the two diagrams you supply do you mean the area/volume produced by the intersection of a spherical wedge and spherical segment/sector?83.100.254.21 20:43, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Question are the parallels great circles (or not), are the 'legs' definately great circles.? alternatively is the shape formed from two longitudes and two latitudes?83.100.254.21 20:47, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
I have heard something like this called a "patch" on the sphere's surface in the context of computer graphics, but I've never heard of a mathematical term for such a thing. - Rainwarrior 22:42, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] How to distinguish between different local maxima points and numerical errors

Hi all! I think this is a simple question, but I cannot think a clever algorithm for this problem: We will work in standard x-y-z space. We have an objective (strictly positive and bounded) function f(x,y) in domain, says, [0,10]x[0,10], and we want to write a computer program to find the set of all points {(x,y) } in the domain which locally maximizes f(x,y). However, suppose f(x,y) contains many many local maximum points, says, more than hundred mountains in the domain. To simplify the problem now, I suppose there is no ridge in any mountains.

Let us suppose that we can calculate the gradient (and hessian) of f(x,y), my basic scheme is to try using standard gradient ascent (or conjugate gradient, etc.) many times with different random starting points to discover all mountains. However, suppose my 2 answers (x1,y1) and (x2,y2) are very closed, and also f(x1,y1) and f(x2,y2) are also very closed. How can we check that they come from the same mountain (but with small numerical errors), or they really come from two different mountains?? -- 131.111.164.218 12:55, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

Why random points? Can't you just find the 0's of the {df/dx,df/dy}? yandman 13:04, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Sorry, I didn't make my problem precisely. Suppose I have to solve the problem by wrting the computer program, so I have to concern about numerical error. Now suppose I find two 0's of the {df/dx,df/dy} which you mentioned, and they are very closed. How can I know that these two points come from different mountains or they come from the same mountain with small numerical error? -- 131.111.164.218 13:32, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
If they're from different mountains, there'll be another 0 of {df/dx,df/dy} between them (the bottom of the "valley"). yandman 13:43, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Yes, you're right, but in order to find that point in between, it looks like I have to solve another problem (with the same difficulty) for every pair of mountains (and there are a lot of mountains). So, now I'm looking for more simple checking method such as this: if |f(x1,y1) - f(x2,y2)| < c1 & if |(x1,y1) - (x2,y2)| < c2, then just ignore the error. But I'm still strucking of how can we know these c1 and c2? Are there any good rule of thumbs, (or totally different methods?). 131.111.48.168 15:34, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
I'm no expert on numerical methods, but I guess the answer can depend heavily on what kind of assumptions we can make about f (how smooth it is, what order of derivatives can be assumed to be nonzero, etc.). My idea is to calculate f at random points in the vicinity of the two maxima, and to check the statistical correspondence between receiving high values and being close to the maxima. If there doesn't seem to be a difference between, say, points in the middle and points near the maxima, we can assume that these are actually the same maximum. The exact implementation can vary. -- Meni Rosenfeld (talk) 16:44, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Thank Meni! But can you explain more about your sentence check the statistical correspondence between receiving high values and being close to the maxima? I think I do not clearly understand 131.111.164.218 17:04, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Heh, that sentence was left vague in purpose, because the exact way you implement it depends on many things, and even if those things are given, I'm not sure what's best. But consider this simplified example: Suppose your function is defined on \mathbb{R}, and your analysis shows that the points +1 and -1 are suspected local maxima, with a value of 0. You are trying to figure out whether the function is something like 1 − x2, so these are actually the same maximum at 0, or the function is something like − (x − 1)4 − (x + 1)4, so there really are maxima at +1 and -1. Since there are numerical errors (which we can model as random noise), you can't check this directly. However, you can evaluate the function at many random points, and calculate Pearson's correlation coefficient between, on one hand, the resulting values and the first of these candidate functions, and on the other hand, between the resulting values and the second of these candidate values. Whichever gets a higher coefficient is more likely to resemble the true function, so this can estimate whether the two maxima are actually one. This idea can probably be generalized to a more useful setting (just find two or more functions which may resemble the true function, and go with the one that corresponds better with the data). -- Meni Rosenfeld (talk) 17:25, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Thanks for your clarifying :). That's surely a clever (though requires some works) method. In fact, I did not understand that sentence, because of my English, not because of its vagueness ... 131.111.164.218 17:36, 13 December 2006 (UTC)


Firstly a remark: If you have Hessians (i.e. second derivatives) of f, why not use Newton to find zeros of the derivative, rather than conjugate gradients? On your specific question: if your (x1,y1), (x2,y2) are very close (say 10 - 7) and you cannot get more accurate solutions due to numerical errors (say your function values are only exact to 7 decimal places), then there is nothing you can do. Sampling intermediate points will just give you noise based on those numerical errors. You will just have to accept that up to 7-digits exact these ARE the same mountain. Some smoothness argument (Lipschitz continuity of the derivative) will help in establishing that in a vincinity of your (x1,y1)/(x2,y2) there are no points with large values of f' (which would make those two separate mountains).195.128.250.110 23:04, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
You may be able to achieve superresolution in this numerical problem by replacing your function with its Pade approximant. The Pade approximant is a rational polynomial approximation to the function. If your f() is sufficiently well-behaved, then its approximant will be a faithful approximation. Note that meromorphic is sufficient. The advantage of the approximant is that you can use symbolic methods (derivatives of rational polynomial functions can be computed by what amounts to elementary arithmetic on lists of pairs of coefficients and powers) to determine whether there's a zero between the two peaks and/or to determine whether the Hessian has the same sign at the two peaks.
For many "natural" problems, the Pade approximant is a surprisingly rapidly faithfully converging approximation. The simplicity of the arithmetic on rational polynomials is another benefit.
In this application, you'd sample a bunch of points scattered around your two nearly coincident peaks and use those pairs of inputs and output to build your approximant. There are canned codes for this and the Pade approximant article references "Numerical Recipes". Note that this is a variety of superresolution/extrapolation, so your result could be wrong, but you're making the best guess you can with the data you've got.
Fuzzyeric 04:17, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Rate of Return with Multiple Capital Injections

I need assistance determining the the TRUE ROI for a serious of investments with differing profit/loss and differing capital injections.

For example:

Jan 06: Purchase $10000 in shares in X Jan 06: Sell all shares in X and make profit of $1000 & spend this $1000 Feb 06: Take $10000 & purchase share in Y Feb 06: Stock drops and purchase $5000 more share sin Y Mar 06: Sell all shares in Y & make profit of $1500.

Individually, the SIMPLE ROI for each investment is 10%

However, the total profit is $2500, with a maximum invesment of $15000 = 16.7% return. I think this is wrong.. I need validation

OR

Do i just weight each investment accordingly to better understand the correct SIMPLE ROI.

OR

Is there some other method to best figure out ROI?

Thanks Trevor Gartner trevor.gartner@telus.com

I'd say the ROI is actually closer to 18%, because you only actually invest 14k (the 1k you gain after the first "session" can be deducted from the 5k extra you put in). yandman 20:50, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

You shouldn't be surprised that your ROI for a set of consecutive investments exceeds that for the investments separately; if you buy $1 and sell at $1.10, but then immediately buy at that $1.10 again (neglecting fees) and sell at $1.21, then repeat and get $1.33, then $1.46, $1.60, $1.76, and $1.94, obviously you have +94% return even though each separate investment was +10%. The quantity that should be "conserved" like you want it to be is the (effective, average) interest rate for a simple or subdivided investment; it's important to consider it as having dimensions of (inverse) time. --Tardis 16:13, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Non-Euclidian geometry

The five postulates of classical Euclidian geometry are

  1. Any two points can be joined by a straight line.
  2. Any straight line segment can be extended indefinitely in a straight line.
  3. Given any straight line segment, a circle can be drawn having the segment as radius and one endpoint as center.
  4. All right angles are congruent.
  5. If two lines intersect a third in such a way that the sum of the inner angles on one side is less than two right angles, then the two lines inevitably must intersect each other on that side if extended far enough.

By changing the fifth postulate, you get the hyperbolic and elliptical geometries. But what sort of geometry do you get if you change the fourth postulate? --Carnildo 23:49, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

None. People at that time were hypnotised on right angles, but the postulate just seems to introduce a definition of congruence e.g. "if it's right it's right and if the other one is right too they are identical" seems quite tautological. What do you think ? --DLL .. T 18:07, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
I think it's hard to tell because we can't consider Euclid's postulates as an axiom system in the modern sense. – b_jonas 19:19, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

As a bit of a cheat - how about if the three orthogonal vectors ie i,j,k are replaced by sheared versions eg i'=i,j'=0.9j+0.1i,k'=0.9k+0.1i+0.1j ? (needs normalising) so then the new 'right angles' would be angle between vectors i'j', i'k', and j'k' - so the new angle bewteen two vectors would be calculated from the 'new right angle' would vary depending on the orientation of the two vectors - not really what you are looking for I suspect..(Though it does make the new 'right angles' non congruent in euclidean geom)83.100.174.70 19:53, 14 December 2006 (UTC)


[edit] December 14

[edit] foot

what is the foot for my height 1.81m? is it 5 11?

google says 1.81m = 71.2598425 inches (71 = 5 × 12 + 11), so yes it's a little bit more than 5 feet 11 inches. --Spoon! 08:37, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] a maths proof

there are six people in room. it is then certain that either: at least 3 people know one another OR at least 3 people dont know one another. how is it certain and proved?

See theorem on friends and strangers or Ramsey's theorem#Example: R(3,3)=6.--80.136.171.97 17:20, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] MathML in Wikipedia's Math Entries

Is it possible to use MathML to typeset mathemaitcal expressions in wikipedia?

Cmso 21:16, 14 December 2006 (UTC) Clare

Yes. You can see how to do so at Help:Displaying a formula. Titoxd(?!?) 21:34, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Are you asking whether it is possible to enter formulas in MathML syntax into the source of articles and have it work like other formulas that were entered in TeX? or are you asking whether you can have formulas that were entered in TeX be displayed in MathML when you view it? I think for the former it is no (at least currently); but for the latter it may be yes. --Spoon! 01:10, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
As you may know, MathML has two styles, presentation and content. Neither may be used as Wikipedia input. For example, if you used
<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML">
  <msup><mi>x</mi><mn>2</mn></msup>
  <mo>+</mo>
  <msup><mi>y</mi><mn>2</mn></msup>
</math>
hoping to get something like x2+y2, you would instead invoke the TeX-processing part of MediaWiki syntax. The results would be as follows:
  • < msup > < mi > x < / mi > < mn > 2 < / mn > < / msup > < mo > + < / mo > < msup > < mi > y < / mi > < mn > 2 < / mn > < / msup >
Probably not what you had in mind, eh? What is expected inside <math> tags is TeX markup like this:
<math> x^2 + y^2 \,\!</math>
The result of this is usually a PNG image of the formula:
  • x^2 + y^2 \,\!
There is supposed to be a preference setting, for readers who are logged in, under the "Math" tab, called "MathML if possible (experimental)". I don't think it works, since it requires the full page to be valid XML, which the rest of the software does not yet support. --KSmrqT 01:40, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] December 15

[edit] Coordinate geometry

Dear Sir/Madame, could you please give me a hint on how to solve the following problem?

The sides of a rhombus ABCD are parallel to the lines y=x+2 and y=7x+3.If the diagonals of the rhombus intersect at the point O(1,2) and the vertex A is on the y-axis,find the possible coordinates of A.

-Sruthi —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 59.93.72.110 (talk • contribs) 03:30, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

See if you can figure out what direction (i.e. slope) each of the diagonals are, based on the angles, etc. in a rhombus, and the slopes of the sides. You also know a point that lies on both diagonals. You also know that A (a vertex) lies on one of the diagonals and on the y-axis. You can figure it out from there. --Spoon! 05:13, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Difference between dx and dx

Is there a difference between the dx (both italicized) and dx (only x italicized) notations? If so, what are some appropriates usages for each? Which is the form used in integration? Larry V (talk | contribs) 08:23, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Check carefully if you are speaking about dx and ∂x. They're two different operations, as one involves a one-variable function and the other one involves functions of several variables. Titoxd(?!?) 08:25, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Both are notations are widely used. Basically, roman versus italic d in integration is an aesthetic choice, depending how you want to typeset integrals. If you write
\int_0^1 f(x)\mathrm{d}x
you emphasize that the d is something different from the functions and variables. However, everybody knows what you mean anyway, so many mathematicians are lazy and just type
\int_0^1 f(x)dx
and both mean absolutely the same thing. (Of course individual authors may have their own notation and might define other meanings for roman and italic d). Kusma (討論) 09:02, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
In one textbook I had, the author (without really mentioning it, so it took the lecturer asking him to get the full story) used "d" and "'d'" to distinguish between stochastic calculus equations and normal ones, but I don't know if that's standard usage anywhere else. Confusing Manifestation 13:14, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
In my experience, the d in dx is routinely italicized. When editing an article, dx is the standard version for use in an integral (and should be preceeded by "\,".
\int f(x) \, dx
A major textbook on general relativity, Gravitation (ISBN 978-0-7167-0344-0), uses a variety of typographic conventions for different meanings of "d". However, these theoretic physicists are a fun-loving bunch, and are trying to cover a broad range of topics, including ordinary differentials/integrals, differential forms, and covariant derivatives. Without the typographic distinctions the reader could easily get lost (and may, anyway!). --KSmrqT 22:19, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] board games

Since game theory seems to fit the category of mathematics best I'm asking this question here. Although the rules for each piece as well as other rules, if followed, prevent a board from being invalid a board can be or is invalid when any of these rules are not followed. Consequently boards may be divided into two classes, one called valid and the other invalid. My question is whether there is an online list of boards which are known to be valid (such as a list of played games) and known to be invalid (to demonstrate an invalid move)? Adaptron 13:33, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

My guess is that no, because, for example, if you take a game like Chess, there would be a total of something like 1070 board positions (I'm including obviously invalid ones in this count), so any attempt to make such a list would not be meaningful. There might be something similar, but I don't know about it. -- Meni Rosenfeld (talk) 14:10, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
For the game of Chess I think Shannon computed 10120 but I disagree that a list of known valid and invalid moves even though only a fraction of those possible still provide meaningful information in that such a list would represent boards which did not have to be determined by replaying a game or redemonstrating an invalid move but rather only looked up. Its the same reason we have Sin and Cos tables, etc. A lookup is in general faster than a computation. Adaptron 14:32, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Also ...out of 256 possible syllogisms only 15 to 24 are valid. Adaptron 14:37, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
(After double checking - it's been a long time - syllogisms 16 to 24 violate rule #6) Adaptron 15:37, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

How do you define valid vs invalid? In chess there are some simple rules of thumb (e.g. it's not possible for the king of the player who just moved to be in check) but determining whether a position could have resulted from a valid sequence of moves from the starting position can be very nontrivial — see retrograde analysis. —David Eppstein 16:15, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

In terms of a list of valid and invalid boards I am defining valid and invalid strictly by the board being the result of the last move or by stand alone boards. A stand alone board would be for instance a board that had been turned a quarter turn and the populated with pieces such that a8 was in the lower left hand corner instead of a1. Adaptron 22:09, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
For chess, bishops can never move to a square of the opposite color, and pawns can never move backwards or sideways (though a diagonal capture is legal). --KSmrqT 22:25, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
We had logarithmic tables. These days, the cost of computing these values is negligible compared to the cost of storing these tables. And you didn't seem to understand my concern, where are you going to find over 10^50 Terabytes of storage space? Not to mention that each of those will have to be calculated before it can be stored. Humanity just doesn't have (yet) enough computational power for such a project. -- Meni Rosenfeld (talk) 23:48, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
All modern chess programs use a hash table as well as a tornenement table as well as an end game table, etc. The tables are used to eliminate unecessary computation just as bitboards are used for the same thing. In terms of rules, however, compliance is in general verified by computation rather than by looking up positions in a table. But that is not the point. The point is that such tables can prevent games that have already been played from being repeated. Adaptron 04:43, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] How to write simple p > 1?

I could not figure out how to write this very simple expression as a math formula...

p > 1.

I could write p \ge 1 no problem.

But the wiki parser could not figure out p > 1.

Could someone please show me how to write this simple math expression?

\qquad p>1 yandman 15:27, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

There is a setting where, by default, "simple" formulas appear as normal text; adding something like \qquad seems to make it not simple anymore. —AySz88\^-^ 18:49, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Though you should really just change your own settings. --h2g2bob 18:51, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Ah, what you want is to force PNG rendering. The trick is to use a space plus a negative space. See Help:Displaying_a_formula#Quadratic_Polynomial_.28Force_PNG_Rendering.29 for instructions. ☢ Ҡi∊ff⌇↯ 20:07, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
I don't understand why anyone would ever want to do that. —Keenan Pepper 20:08, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Consistency. Say you want to develop a proof in several steps, and a few steps will be rendered in HTML and others as PNG. That'll look inconsistent and distracting, so we force PNG rendering and everything looks alike. ☢ Ҡi∊ff⌇↯ 20:10, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] measures of time

name some imprtnat terms - (century,daid) —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 59.94.138.135 (talk • contribs).

See Units of time. Gandalf61 17:38, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Plus the relevent prefixes - gives many more eg second, millisecond, microsecond etc. SI prefix 87.102.8.6 18:20, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Regular symmetry around a point

Does anyone know how (if it is possible) to arrange 7 'objects' around a point so that their positions can be considered equivalent. So far I have succeeded with 2,3,4,5,6,8,10,12,20 objects (eg 4 points of a tetrahedron). The 'objects' do not have to be single points.

So far I have not succeeded and think it impossible - can anyone enlighten me?87.102.8.6 17:58, 15 December 2006 (UTC) (Three dimensions please - no 2D heptagons/heptagonal tops please)87.102.8.6 18:11, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Do you mean you want to arrange 7 points (or other objects) on the surface of a sphere so the points are all equidistant from their nearest neighbors ? StuRat 18:05, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Effectively yes(sort of), if they were points I would expect them to be the same distance - but each point must also experience the same symmetry enviroment as well, (can't quite think of the correct term.)87.102.8.6 18:11, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
The only point groups in three dimensions with a 7-fold symmetry axis are polar ones, which means your seven points are in a planar heptagon. So what you're asking for is impossible. —Keenan Pepper 20:06, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
In three dimensions, you've got platonic solids, which have even spacing across their surface and are "symmetrical". Then there's the archimedean solids, where any vertex could be rotated to look like any other (but now the spacing is uneven). Same for any prisms. This only covers even numbers of points. (3 is exempt because it's not a solid) How'd you space 5 symmetrically, though? That sort of puzzles me. - Rainwarrior 20:29, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
I took me a while to find but one example is 5 tetrahedrons - the vertices pointing to the vertices of a dodecahedron (that's why I said objects and not necessarily points) If you want to see this suggest searching for somehting like "tetrahedron inscribed in dodecahedron" example here http://www.uwgb.edu/dutchs/symmetry/polycpd.htm see "Five Tetrahedra in a Dodecahedron" note that if the coloured tetrahedra were the same colour they could not be distinguished from each other.87.102.3.159 22:30, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
If you take equivilent to be vertex-regular you can also get 24, 30, 48, 60, 120 List of uniform polyhedra by vertex figure. Its know that there are no more uniform-polyhedron than these. The Compound of five tetrahedra is closely related to the Dodecahedron both sharing the same set of 12 verticies. There are a few more Polyhedral compounds.--Salix alba (talk) 23:59, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Summation

How do you evaluate something like this (without a calculator):

\sum_{n=0}^\infty\frac{1}{(-2)^n}

--Yanwen 21:59, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

See Geometric progression#Geometric series. --LambiamTalk 22:25, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Number of frequent subtrees

For complicated reasons related to the nature of my doctoral thesis, I am confronted with this problem that goes beyond my immediate math skills. Consider a collection of trees - connected, directed, acyclic graphs where every node has an indegree of 0 or 1. Furthermore, every node and edge in the tree collection has a label that forms part of a finite alphabet.

I have learned of an algorithm, of fairly recent vintage, that counts all the embedded subtrees within the collection above a certain frequency threshold. So, using this algorithm, I have written a program that can extract every subtree in the tree collection with a frequency of at least two. The underlying algorithm is called FREQT, and it has a small literature that can be found on the 'Net.

The program, unfortunately, doesn't run very quickly. This algorithm has a worst case run time of O(kbn) where "n" is the number of nodes in the tree collection, "b" is the maximum branching factor, and "k" is the number of frequent subtrees trees extracted.

Question 1: Is there any way to calculate the worst case upper bound runtime of the algorithm without reference to "k" by knowing the maximum number of possible frequent subtrees given a fixed node count and a fixed alphabet size? Is there some way I can replace "k" by more easily calculated variables?

The best I've managed to do is to look at the problem like this: Assume that you have a single tree of size n containing k subtrees, including subtrees with a frequency of 1. Adding an additional node can never more than double the number of subtrees. Ergo, each node added to the tree collection can never more than double the number of subtrees with a frequency above any fixed number. Therefore, the worst case runtime is O(2nbn).

Question 2: Is there some glaring flaw in that logic I ought to know about before I present it at a conference next month?

Anybody out there with enough graph theory to help me out? I'm a linguist by trade, and while I like to think I'm pretty mathematically sophisticated for a linguist, I have never studied graph theory formally.

--Diderot 22:10, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

I would recommend asking computational complexity questions on the computing reference desk. You should find more expertise, and it will provide welcome relief from all the "Windows is broken" traffic there. --KSmrqT 22:32, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
It's not actually a computational complexity problem, although the result is a complexity calculation. What I need to find is an upper bound for the number of frequent subtrees in a tree of size n with nodes labelled from an alphabet of fixed size. Or, failing that, is 2n a valid upper bound estimate?
I took a look at the computer help desk and thought the odds were good that anybody up to the problem over there was also over here. But now that you bring it up, I'll cross-post it to throw fear into the newbies. :^) --Diderot 22:58, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
If you mean subtree the way this notion is usually defined, then each subtree is uniquely defined by the position of its node in the original tree. If there are n nodes in the original tree, it has n subtrees (including the tree itself). --LambiamTalk 23:19, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] December 16

[edit] Homogeneity of Error Variance within groups

If I am doing regression of data that can be divided into two groups, and each group has a different variance (e.g., see http://members.aol.com/IMSAP/homogeneity.html), how can I still do regression? Any normalization/transformation etc that might help? 64.178.108.204 05:31, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Computing



[edit] December 10

[edit] Windows 3.1 colour schemes

Does anyone know where I can find screenshots (or even Windows XP themes) of the colour schemes from Windows 3.1? Google turns up virtually nothing in this regard -- all I've been able to find is a picture of the "Hot Dog Stand" scheme. --Lumina83 00:48, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

I'd like to clarify that he's obviously looking for screenshots of alternate colour schemes. The image on the Win3.1x article is obviously an accurate representation of the default colour scheme. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 04:42, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
Maybe you could find a computer running it? Or I'd bet that maybe Microsoft still has support stuff online that might have something? --Cody.Pope 05:11, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
Do you mean alternate themes that were included default? I know I have 3.1x disks on hand, if that's what you're referring to I can install it and see... 68.39.174.238 23:23, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
68.39.172.238: Yep, that's exactly what I mean, the other colour schemes that were included with 3.1 — Arizona, Black Leather Jacket, etc. Cody.Pope: I did manage to find the hex values for the Win3.1 colour schemes, but I couldn't figure out which colour went where in the interface. I might try looking through it again and see if I can decipher it. --Lumina83 00:31, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Writing a batch file

How can I write a batch file that:

  1. opens CMD
  2. types in "regsvr32 softpub.dll"
  3. wait for a popup window informing the success of re-registering the dll file
  4. click "OK" in the popup window
  5. continue other similar commands
  6. when finished, exits CMD automatically

This is not a homework of any kind but is a required periodic process for me to remove the error message in MSN Messenger (according to the MSN team it could be coped with using the method above)and it has been irritating for me to type in the same commands everyday. Thanks! —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 219.78.202.94 (talk) 02:33, 10 December 2006 (UTC).

Windows' batch files can't do step 3 and 4. You'd need something more advanced for that... or you'd have to do it manually. ☢ Ҡi∊ff⌇↯ 03:33, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
Are you sure? I think it would probably wait for regsvr32 to finish before continuing. If it doesn't you can always use the Pause command right after the regsvr32 line but you'd have to hit enter in the DOS prompt. As for opening CMD and closing it automatically, it'll do this on its own you don't have to do anything special --frothT C 04:33, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
You can try Autohotkey. --Russoc4 14:47, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
You might want to write your regsvr32 commands like "regsvr32 /s (filename)" - that suppresses the dialog box from appearing at all. For similar switches for pretty much any command, type "(command) /?" (for example, I discovered the /s switch by typing "regsvr32 /?"). So your batch file would look something like:
regsvr32 /s softpub.dll 
regsvr32 /s softpub2.dll 
regsvr32 /s softpub3.dll
Hope that helps. :) —AySz88\^-^ 16:40, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
Yep, and for *nix tools ported to windows expect the switch to be --help --frothT C 19:20, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
You may want to look at ".cmd" files (I only know they're like NT batch files), or try the "call" command. I will admit it's been a while since I've edited batch files. Also, what about just creating a shortcut in Programs > startup that runs the above command? 68.39.174.238 21:57, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Gmail spam

I have a really "secure" gmail account (it's for personal mails only, and only about 10 close friends know what it is), and though I admit that even that isn't enough to protect it to spam, I've recently received my first spam message, and it's a little bit unnerving.

I checked the BCC, and it looked something like this (I've changed all three of the email accounts).

  • freshfromthebakery@gmail.com
  • freshpest@gmail.com
  • fresiapablino@gmail.com

Since I've never actually entered my email (it was in the first position) into any online forms, I of course first suspect a dictionary attack or a random string search, but this doesn't look right. A dictionary attack wouldn't have missed so many real words, and it's obviously not random. These were definitely taken off of some kind of list, and I'm willing to bet that there's no registered addresses in between freshfromthebakery and freshpest, and freshpest and fresiapablino.

It almost appears as if these three emails (and I can only guess how many) were taken directly from a list of registered gmail addresses, and that scares me. What do you guys think? freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 04:59, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

First, I'd try sending emails to the other addresses and find out if they are actual addresses. Second, I never used to get spam until I signed up for gmail accounts. The two email accounts I used (to sign up for the two gmail accts) now both get identical junk mail. I'm not getting junk mail at my gmail accounts, but I'm now getting oodles of junk mail (like up to 250 pieces a day) at the two addresses I gave to Google. Anchoress 05:05, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
Has anyone looked at the G-mail privacy statement ? Do they claim they won't sell either the old or new address ? StuRat 14:01, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
"We do not sell, rent or otherwise share your personal information with any third parties except in the limited circumstances described in the Google Privacy Policy, such as when we believe we are required to do so by law." (http://mail.google.com/mail/help/privacy.html) –mysid☎ 18:09, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

Maybe it was a security breach. I'm sure Google is paranoidly hush-hush about their security --frothT C 19:22, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

Could any of your friends have had their computers compromised? Their ISPs? Also, I don't think a dictionary attack is that unlikely, but I'm not sure. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 08:25, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
Along those same lines, are any of your friends mad at you? :) Or more likely, are they the type to fall for things like Ecrush, or otherwise not be as careful with your email address as you are? Another possibility: If you've previously given out addresses like freshfromthebakery@hotmail.com or freshfromthebakery@yahoo.com, the spammers can easily guess your new email address. Dave6 08:59, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
Nothing like that, though of course there's always the possibility that one of my friends "comprimised" the address. Whatever the reason it's obvious that I'm on a list somewhere now, a list that people with dead African relatives with too much money use to find good Samaritans to hold their money for them. The only common thread between all of the messages is that they come from some web-based email client... ~@sendemailfromabrowserwindow.com or something like that. freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ 04:22, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] help!!!!!!!

i got a trojan installed on my computer and can't get rid of it i keep getting this message when i try to delete it: error deleting file: make sure item is not read only or hidden help!!!! —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 75.36.209.248 (talk) 08:05, 10 December 2006 (UTC).

Restart your computer and boot into safe mode, then delete it. Are you using anti-virus sofware to remove it? Splintercellguy 08:27, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

k thanks alot.---- Giantmungus9

Also, how do u boot into safe mode?

When the computer is starting up, press F8 before the windows logo appears (if you see a "starting Windows XP" message, press F8 then) and from the resulting menu select safe mode. -- AJR | Talk 23:32, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] storage capacity of CD and DVD

what is the storage capacity of CD and DVD —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 69.246.70.85 (talk • contribs).

Look at the CD and DVD articles. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 14:23, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
Approximate numbers would be 700MB for a common blank CD and 5GB for a common blank DVD. If you want more accurate numbers, and want to know the theory behind the nomenclature of "megabyte" and "gigabyte", I suggest you read our articles. The storage capacities vary greatly depending on the type of disc used, what's stored on them, how you count bytes, etc.--Russoc4 14:45, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Troubles with Linux.

I'm running Damn Small Linux from my HDD. It all works fine, aside from two problems: (a) Gaim won't run. I downloaded it using MyDSL, but when I click the icon, nothing happens. (b) Firefox 1.5.0.6 needs to be re-downloaded each time I boot. Otherwise it does the same thing as gaim. I'd really, really appreciate any help anyone could offer, especially with the latter issue. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 202.10.86.63 (talk) 15:57, 10 December 2006 (UTC).

You might like to run both programs from a command line window; it's possible that they're displaying some error message, something that you're missing because you're starting them from the menu system. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 17:13, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
Well, running the command firefox starts Firefox 1.0.6, which is included with the system. gaim is not found. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 202.10.86.63 (talk) 17:40, 10 December 2006 (UTC).

[edit] MAKING YOUR OWN MAPPING

Hello,

What program would you reccomend for making your own simple mapping like you get in something like a standard AA road map (of GB). I tried to use just simpally MS Paint but i found it was too basic and i couldnt easilly create the symbols and stuff like the corners, and it was just annoying.

thanks, --William dady 16:00, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

Use vector-based software, not bitmap-based, for things like maps and diagrams. Inkscape is free and pretty easy to use once you get the hang of it. --24.147.86.187 17:01, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
Also, take a look at how Open Street Map does it --h2g2bob 07:15, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] A transformer program

Hello all, Is there a program that transforms a c# program into a .EXE format ? Thx —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 196.218.1.39 (talk) 16:03, 10 December 2006 (UTC).

A compiler? yandman 16:27, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
No not a compiler. I wrote a game using c# and I want this game to be setupped for example.So, I want it to be like any regular file when u double click u can choose a destination to install it...etc.
Then what you want is an installer - see Category:Installation software and Category:Free installation software (Nullsoft Scriptable Install System is a particularly common one). -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 16:48, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

<edit conflict>

Ah, an installation package. A few guesses: are you by any chance only running the program from inside your IDE? If this is the case, are you aware that the program .exe has been created in your hard drive in a subdirectory of the project folder? Does your program need an installation? Does it use the registry, or external libraries? If you really need an installation, I think visual studio (if that's what you're using) has a "build installer" option. If not, I suggest just taking the .exe file, zipping it and giving it to your friends so they can play it. yandman 16:54, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

Thank u guys, but i'm not very experienced with this kind of stuff and i wasnt able to understand how to use Nullsoft Scriptable Install System very well. I wonder if there is a program that does the same task but with easier interface like a wizard or something ?

If you have one single c# program, build it for release and I think it shows up in my documents\visual studio 2005\projects\PROJECTNAME\release. Chances are, you don't need an installer or anything, just that single executable. If you have multiple executables but no libraries to register or registry entries to insert, consider using something like WinZip Self Extractor. If you're asking about how to distribute your program without forcing your users to install the whole .NET framework, try remotesoft's product which links only the needed .NET framework code directly into your executable. If you actually need a full installer, nothing's easier than MSI or nullsoft --frothT C 19:33, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
The Nullsoft Scriptable Install System, or "NSIS" (website) is really good. It's Free Software and works really well, especially if you use the IDE and the Wizard. --h2g2bob 19:47, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
The Visual Studio IDE has a template for creating a setup project, however good that is. Splintercellguy 04:22, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] NTSC

ARE MOST BRITISH DVD PLAYERS NTSC COMPATIBLE ?

Many (but I can't say whether it's most) will optionally output NTSC instead of PAL. So if you had a British DVD player then it might work in the US, but you'd need to check the specific model. If, however, you're asking whether you can play region 1 DVDs on a DVD player in the UK, you'll (almost always) find out that you can't. That said, there are published workarounds for some players (which tell them to change their internal region, or forget region coding altogether). -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 17:25, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
Yes if you have a bunch of british DVDs with a british NTSC player you won't have any trouble. If you start mixing and matching your DVD regions with your player regions, then the DVD companies don't like that and the region blocking will kick in. I'd highly encourage you to de-region your player, if you're geeky enough to be motivated =) --frothT C 19:25, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
Note that if it's a DVD player that's also on sale on the Continent, there'll almost certainly be a work-around. They're required by some law to do with the European common market. Sockatume 04:31, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
In my experience yes (with american multiregion discs etc) - though few will convert to PAL. Most modern TV's support NTSC and PAL - but older TV's don't.87.102.44.80 17:51, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Uploading plain wikitext to Wikipedia using Wget or CURL

Hi there!

Since I have some basic programming knowledge I was wondering about using it on writing a bot. I know how to download pages from Wikipedia and get their wikitext, but the question is how to upload it. I would prefer if it was doable in Wget, but failing that I will gladly use CURL.

So basically what I want to do is have a normal text file, say 'wikitext.txt', which is uploaded to a page, say Wikipedia:Sandbox, as if the editor had used the text box and clicked the submit button in a web browser.

If I haven't been verbose enough here, just tell me.

(Oh, and one last note: I use Linux.)

Cheers, Yuser31415 18:56, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

Your task is complicated by the two-phase edit process. When you hit the edit get the server sets a short-term cookie, and that cookie must be returned when you POST the updated form. Beyond that you need to manage a login session, which is another form fill and another cookie. You might be better off using one of the existing bot frameworks - see Wikipedia:Creating a bot. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 19:10, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
That is okay, thank you for replying! Yuser31415 06:20, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Browser won't display some flash, mpeg, and mp3 files

The error message he gets when trying to view a flash game.
Enlarge
The error message he gets when trying to view a flash game.

A friend of a friend told me his problem, and I thought I would be extra nice (Santa's watching!) and help him out on it. His browser, IE 7, won't properly display some flash, mpeg (I think that's the file type, but I know it isn't avi or a Windows Media file type) or some mp3 songs. For example, when he tries to play games at school, such as line flyer, a blank screen loads and a small triangle appears with an exclaimation mark in the bottom left corner of the status bar. The game won't work on this site, but it will on different ones, like addictinggames.com. Other times, when he "relieves stress", and relaxes in front of the computer monitor (and maybe visists some sites of questionable merit), some of the videos he likes to watch won't play in the browser, and he has to play them in WMP 11. What can one do to solve this problem? Thanks for the help. --ClockFace 22:50, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

This error reflects a scripting error on the site in question, not a problem with IE7. Droud 02:23, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
The game I mentioned earlier won't work on his home computer, but when he's at school it will work on most of the school computers. Is it still possible it is a scripting error on the site's part, even though it will work on at least most of the computers at any given time? Also, I don't know if it is relevant, but the school uses IE 6 still. It won't work on some computers, but it will work on most of the others. --ClockFace 00:15, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
Also, when he tries to view some of the videos as long as it is not played in Windows Media Player, or if it doesn't have WMP (or something along those lines) embedded into the browswer, no videos will play. So any site with mpeg video (which is a large portion of the sites he likes to visit) will not display in the browser, no matter how many different sites he tries. So that would mean every single site with mpeg made a scripting error? I'm not too savvy about that stuff so I don't know if that is likely or not. --ClockFace 00:19, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
Are you sure flash and the embedded windows media player are both installed and available in the web browser. By which I mean, has your school just turned them off. If flash is turned off in the browser, but still installed, then saving the flash (.swf) file to the desktop and running it using a stand-alone flash player may run some flash files. --h2g2bob 08:05, 14 December 2006 (UTC)


[edit] December 11

[edit] X box 360 live

This user has indicated that they would prefer serious answers and may require references. Please refrain from frivolous responses to their question.

I am having trouble getting xbox live. The network tests all come out fine, but then I'm told that I need to download updates to continue. When I click on Yes the updating bar appears, nothing happens, then an error message appears. I have also tried the hard drive and it appears to be saving and loading data fine. What do I do? X-box.com is useless! Thanks, 86.41.148.55 23:03, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

Is your 360 behind a firewall or router? Also, please post the error message you are receiving. Droud 02:15, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
As far as I know it goes into a LAN port on a DSL router along with the PC. Here's what appears on the screen:
An update is available for your console from Xbox live. If you decline this update, you will be signed out of Xbox Live.
Do you want to apply the update now?
ME: Yes, update now
Please wait while the update is applied.
Do not turn off or unplug your console.
(nothing happens for a few seconds)
A failure occurred during installation of the update. There may be a problem with your network connection or your storage device may be full. For more info, go to www.xbox.com/support.
The hard drive has 13GB free, and the Test Xbox live Connection gives:
Network Adapter: Wired
Wireless Network: (blank)
IP Address: Confirmed
DNS: Confirmed
MTU: Confirmed
ICMP: Confirmed
Xbox live: Failed
NAT: (blank)
Thanks, 86.41.148.55 02:56, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
Hmm. It is possible the router's firewall may be interfering, turn that off temporarily or use a software firewall and see what pops up on alerts and logs. Failing that, I'd call MS and see what's up - perhaps it's a bug on their end. --Wooty Woot? contribs 03:19, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
Enabling UPnP on your DSL router should solve the problem, as that will allow the 360 to configure the router itself. If your router doesn't have UPnP you're probably out of luck and need to upgrade to one that does. These can be had online for $20-30 or $40-50 in stores. Droud 01:37, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Size of Windows XP temp directory

How is Windows XP sizing the temp directory located at C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Temp? Is it based on a percentage of available free space on the disk?

Is there a way that I can manually control this?

There is no automatic control of temp directory size. Quotas can limit the size of your Documents and Settings folder, or you can easily clear unneeded temp files like this. Droud 02:19, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] system perspective

what is system perspective?


Could you be a bit more specific? In what context did you hear this phrase? — QuantumEleven 09:31, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

It means considering the whole system, versus just looking at a portion of the system. StuRat 12:49, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] pc memory

What is the difference between 'ECC' and 'nonECC' memory and are they interchangeable ?

Our article on error-correcting code is not the greatest explanation... ECC memory has extra chips that give it error checking and correcting. Occasionally one of the billions of transistors on a RAM chip flips randomly. It doesn't happen very often, but if you have gigabytes of memory it could happen once every few years. ECC detects the error and either corrects the error or crashes the computer (which sometimes is much better than getting wrong answers from software). Whether your computer supports ECC depends on the motherboard. Check your computer's hardware manual whether it accepts ECC memory, non-ECC memory, or even a mix of the two (allowing a mix is rare though). ECC memory is more expensive than non-ECC, and is usually used in servers. For a desktop PC non-ECC is usual. Weregerbil 13:06, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
ECC and non-ECC modules are interchangeable in a desktop computer, since they share the same slots and connectors (per memory technology). Some servers will require the ECC modules to run. Droud 01:33, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
I'm pretty sure I've had some boards that would not boot with ECC memory. Am I just mistaken? jdstroy 04:24, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Open Street Mapping

hi,

Iv just downloaded the Java version of OSM onto my computer (Windows XP) but theres a problem. Whenever i try to download images from OSM and i select the area i want to download, then do all the otherstuff necesery, click ok, then it tries to download but then says "Connection refused:connect". Help!

(please not too advanced explenation, please keep it simple)

thanks, --84.68.42.63 14:12, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

Sounds like a security setting problem to me, something like "JAVA - Network I/O - Connect to non-file URL codebase - NO". StuRat 22:00, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
One way to change your JAVA permissions is as follows (this is for Windows 98, it may be different for you):
1) Right click on the Internet Explorer icon.
2) Select "Properties".
3) Select the "Security" tab.
4) Pick the "Custom Level..." button.
5) Scroll down to "Microsoft VM" + "Java Permissions".
6) Select "Low safety".
7) Select OK.
8) Try using your program again.
9) If that didn't work, set JAVA back to the old safety level.
StuRat 22:10, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Way to bond cable modems?

I know T1 lines can be "bonded" to double bandwidth. Is there something similar that can be done to increase upload bandwidth using cable modems? If not, what's the cheapest type of service for 2~3Mbit upload speeds? --24.249.108.133 18:23, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

A router could be configured to bond the channels for you, but this level of functionality would either require a very expensive router or else a specially configured computer (perhaps running Linux) with two ethernet cards. As for cheaper service, it would depend on where you live. --Dgies 23:26, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
You can always run a router that spreads connections among multiple modems. Individual network connections will be limited to the speed of one modem, however, since each modem uses a unique address. Droud 01:12, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Excel question

I hope I can explain this adequately. I want to have Excel automatically fill in the cells in a row based on the content I type in the first cell and have the program take this data from another sheet in the same workbook. How do I do that? - Mgm|(talk) 19:14, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

Well the drag and fill feature works for raw data and for formulas, so that would work. Let me see if I understand you correctly. You have data in cell A1 in sheet 1, and you want to fill a range of cells in sheet 2 with that data? Is that correct? If so, it's dead easy. Anchoress 19:31, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
  • Pretty much, but I want Excel to find the appropriate row based on what I put into cell A1 and copy the entire equivalent row from sheet 2. In short: fill out one cell, have all the other filled out as a result. - Mgm|(talk) 19:50, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
OK you've lost me, I don't think that's what I envisioned at all. Could you be more specific, using cell and sheet numbers? Anchoress 19:56, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
  • Imagine a sheet with data. The A column contains the identifying name of a geographical location, columns B to H contain other details of that location. On another sheet. I want to be able to fill in one of the names in the A column and have the other related data automatically appear in the other columns. Basically, I want to be able to copy entire rows based on the data in one cell so I can make a list of visited locations by date without repeating myself. - Mgm|(talk) 20:21, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
Ah so for a certain cell you're not necessarily pulling in data from any particular cell; the other cell you get data from is dependent upon whatever's in that first "certain cell." So instead of the usual
data[n]
You have...
data[address[n]]
It sounds like you need some kind of excel dereferencing operation, and I don't think there is one --frothT C 20:44, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
Oh got it, that's easy. There are a few ways of doing it, an IF statement formula would do it. And you can format your A cells to 'pick from list' so that you don't even have to type in the data in that cell, you can just pick from a drop list. Anchoress 21:05, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
  • How can you use an if statement? I can only say, if A1 is X then fill in Y. But there's more than one option to account for. - Mgm|(talk) 21:11, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
If statements in excel can have multiple nestings, so it's not just two alternatives. Anchoress 21:16, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
I believe the point is for this to be scalable. --frothT C 21:27, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
  • I don't know how to nest multiple IF statements and, yes, scalability would be nice. - Mgm|(talk) 21:31, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
I think you're looking for the Cells.Find() function combined with some address calculations for the row of data. I found info about it here. Droud 01:31, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
A VBA solution would work but it would be very, very slow. --24.147.86.187 14:27, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
I am not sure I totally understand what you want but have you looked at the CHOOSE, VLOOKUP, and HLOOKUP cell functions? One of those should do what you want, I think. They can choose a value from a set of values based on whatever criteria you want. --24.147.86.187 14:27, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
I agree with 24.147.., you guys are making it way too complicated with all this VBA, nested IFs, etc. Here's what you need. Setup sheet1 as above. In sheet2 cell A1 you can type in whatever name corresponds to sheet1!A1. In sheet2!A2 enter "=LOOKUP($A1,Sheet1!$A:$A,Sheet1!B:B)" which means it will compare the contents of Sheet2!A1 to all the rows of Sheet1's A column, until it finds the matching one, then return the corresponding value from that row of the B column. Because of the fixed vs relative links, you can copy and paste this formula quickly across multiple rows and columns of sheet 2 to easily fill out your reference chart. The only limitation on it is that the data in Sheet 1's A column MUST be in alphanumerical order top to bottom. The rest of the data can obviously be in any order you need. --Maelwys 16:59, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
The ordering limitation seemed burdensome, and I was under the impression that VBA would run with less performance penalty than cell formulas. Is this not the case? Droud 01:39, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
  • Hmm, this sounds more like I need it to work. I'll see if it works as soon as I can. - Mgm|(talk) 11:02, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
  • Hooray! It appears to work. Thanks! - Mgm|(talk) 19:02, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Associating a gamertag with an Xbox forum account

Hi everyone - I've been having some difficulties getting my gamertag associated with my xbox live forums account (ready for upgrade to 360). When I sign in with either of my passport accounts, I'm taken to a registration wizard, when I input my gamertag (Martinp23) and am told that it's not associated with this .NET account and that I need to log in with the right one (or something like that...). When I try to log in with my alternate account, I get the same problem. I'm wondering - have the xbox forums changed their policies (by associating gamertags with passports) within the last year (or two), or have I just used soem other email address? Thanks, Martinp23 22:41, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] TP-T9 Mp3 player from samsung Firmwire

Hello i was wondering if anyone could help me with finding the firmware update to make the device a UMS..any help would be appreciated.

Have you tried looking on Samsung's site for that player? --Dgies 23:20, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
yes i have and its a firmware update but it doesn't allow UMS transfer..i have been looking for the firmware update and its supposed to be european or Chinese or something along those lines...


[edit] December 12

[edit] == SNORT ==

Can someone please educate me on how to use SNORT to block instant messaging on my 98SE?

--Omnipotence407 00:31, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

A lot of information can be found here. Droud 01:14, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
Basically you need to find out the addresses of the major IM servers and configure your software (SNORT or whatever) to reject packets addressed to there. 68.39.174.238 22:03, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Snort is actually a stateful packet inspector, whereas the technique you describe would be for a firewall. Snort examines packets to determine their protocol, so you would block any instant messaging communication, regardless of the destination. Many students are savvy enough to use foreign or new AIM servers, and Snort avoids keeping updated IM server lists. Droud 01:50, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
(I know nothing on the subject) So long as it can drop the packets as well. On another hand, if this is for keeping people such as students or inmates from doing unauthorized things, I should note that Windows 98 is NOT the best operating system for such things, however if it works... 68.39.174.238 06:47, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] How to make a link.

Hi, I'm trying to edit part of a page, and figured out that "[[link text here]]" makes a link. However, I still can't figure out how to place the url so that clicking on the link takes the user directly to the content. Instead, it takes the user to another page with the url link there. Then they can click that and go to the content. I'm trying to take out that extra step. Thanks,

Rick —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Crashkidd34 (talk • contribs).

It's an internal link, right? In that case, be careful to avoid redirections. Does the page you arrive on have a blue arrow with the name of the article next to it? yandman 09:01, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
Something else to consider, you can display different text for your link than the actual article name. If you're linking to Foo (bar) but you want the linkable text to just say Foo, you would use the pipe character to seperate the two: [[Foo (bar)|Foo]] - In this example, the actual target is Foo (bar) but it looks like Foo in the text. - CHAIRBOY (☎) 17:46, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
You can find loads of info on how links work at Help:Links. What page are you trying to link to? Maybe if you're more specific we can try and help you better. — QuantumEleven 12:24, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
This kinda sounds like a double-redirect: You're linking to a redirect page which automatically directs users to a second redirect page, and the second page doesn't automatically redirect to the real page. It also looks like you were having a problem with User:Shadowbot detecting your edits as spam on Midnattsol, but I'm not sure if that's related. Could you detail your problem a little more? —AySz88\^-^ 19:57, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] High density cluster server

What would be the current maximum number of calculations per second per cubic meter provided by todays fastest cluster server?

A rack is about 60 ft^3 (1.7m^3) and there are 64 racks in BlueGene/L for a total of 108.8 m^3. Since the computer is capable of 360TFLOPs, this equates to about 3.33 TFLOPs per cubic meter. I am unsure as to whether this is the highest density on earth, but it's definitely the fastest computer on earth and fits into 64 racks, which is tiny (compared to the Earth Simulator). 70.184.45.137 21:13, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
Also there are other form factors for servers, such as blades, which have very high density --frothT C 21:17, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Native XML Database

I want to use a XML Database to strore my XML Files ;but i want free software which runs in win32;i want to know whether it is advisible to use ORACLE?--Srinivasanraju 12:50, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

Oracle is not free unless you use Express Edition (check Oracle_database#Editions). If so, then Oracle is an excellent choice as it has a comprehensive XDK and parser. Creation of a typical XML schema is one of the default options in the installation of Oracle Enterprise edition. Sandman30s 14:26, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
I think that OpenOffice.org Base can store data in XML format; you might want to look into that. (I might be wrong though, now that I think about it.) --24.147.86.187 14:29, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Painful error.

When I attempt to boot my PC, I get the error BIOS is in wide range. What could that mean?

Two possibilities. One, your BIOS may be giving an odd error that would need some help from the manufacturer, another possibility is that your monitor is stating that it is unable to render the image being provided by your video port. If you have another computer available, you may be able to test this by plugging the other monitor into this computer to see if the error is the same. If it is, then the problem is with your computer and not the monitor. If that's so, post the model of your motherboard and any other information you can give about the error. - CHAIRBOY (☎) 17:37, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] OSM

hi,

Iv got Java OSM (JOSM) and i need to know something. How do you import an image like this one here: http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/index.php/Image:Josm-screenshot.png?

thanks, --84.65.6.184 16:14, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

I'd suggest checking out this page or asking around that wiki, since a local user there seems to be the author. 68.39.174.238 23:27, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Fatal error

I've recently uploaded Apocalypto via DC++, but while opening I receive a fatal error report: "Installation corrupted - please reinstall NERO". I don't understand the connection between Nero and film, may be there is an inappropriate file extension. Thoughts to fix the problem? --Brand спойт 16:15, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

What are the file extensions of the files you're trying to open? It's possible if you're attempting to open some sort of image file (as in disc image rather than pictures) that NERO may be set as the default application. --Kiltman67 16:48, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
In line with what Kiltman wrote above, you may be able to test this assertion by opening your media player of choice and then dropping the file into it (to bypass the windows file extension association). - CHAIRBOY (☎) 17:34, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
Another suggestion which is linked, reinstall NERO (if possible) and see what happens when it's not corrupt. If it opens up a burner then it may just be the case of it being an image, though NERO does include a media player so it's possible that their player has been set as your default. --Kiltman67 18:27, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
The extension is .avi --Brand спойт 21:34, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
If it's truly an avi then it could be what I described, NERO's media player has set itself as your default media player and due to some corruption with NERO you can't open it. You should follow Chairboy's advice and open it in another media player (VLC preferably since it supports so many codecs but you should be able to get away with anything that plays avi's). This will at least tell you if the video itself has a problem. --Kiltman67 23:53, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Better Linux distribution?

I am beginning to get fed up with Fedora Core 5, because it insists on adapting the oh-so-holy 100% free and open software doctrines, and moving on to UTF-8 only, which is causing practical problems when trying to develop our company's code. I am stubborn enough to stick with Linux and not give in to Bill's demonic seduction, but I might not be stubborn enough to stick with Fedora. Is there any other 100% freely available Linux distribution that is in active development, has all the same goodies as Fedora Core 5, but lets me have more freedom on how to configure my system's internals? JIP | Talk 18:31, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

I gave up on redhat long ago. Ubuntu has never let me down; to get all the babyeating-evil-licenced stuff you have to add "universe" to the apt config file. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 20:06, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
If you want control go with slackware. Of course, nothing beats building your own from the kernel and various gnu sources.. but that's not exactly cost effective --frothT C 21:19, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
^Same idea as Gentoo. --Russoc4 01:56, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] sharing printer

I have a desktop and a laptop using Windows XP pro OS, with a modem and a wireless router on the desktop. How do I share the printer without buying more equipment. All I want to do is print from the laptop to the printer which is connected to the desktop. Thanks, --Rayratliff 19:55, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

printers and faxes, right click on printer, sharing, share this printer. If the laptop is in the same workgroup (control panel -> system -> computer name -> change) then it should appear in the laptop's network neighbourhood. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 20:03, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Programming macro keys in XP?

Back when I used to use a Wyse dumb terminal to access a big AIX mainframe, I could eliminate a lot of the work in repetitous tasks by programming macros into the F keys. It seems silly that with modern computers I can no longer do this. Does anyone know some way I can map system-wide macros on the F keys or ALT- combinations in Windows XP? —Chowbok ☠ 21:06, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

This excellent page should get you well on your way. 70.184.45.137 21:18, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
You may also want to look at AutoHotkey, which, at a glance at the Windows Scripting Host, appears to be more powerful than WSH. (For example, I've used AutoHotkey to automatically keep attempting to enroll in a filled-up course, and notify me when the course is no longer full.) The above page mentions something about not being able to map Win-_ combinations using WSH, and I think most of the Win+_ combinations are unused, so you'd want to use AutoHotkey if you want to utilize those. —AySz88\^-^ 19:47, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Photoshop Elements problem

Hello. In my graphics work, I use both Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop Elements (unfortunately, I don't have the full Photoshop). Recently at the theater I volunteer at, they got me a new computer. I re-installed the two programs, but there is a problem with Elements. Anytime I go to Elements when there is an incompatible file saved to the Clipboard, Elements shuts down. For example, If I've recently copied an .ai file from Illustrator, and I go to use Elements, Elements instantly shuts down. (This happens even if Elements is already running and just minimized. As soon as I maximize it, off it goes.) It's not when I try to paste such a file; it doesn't even give me that chance if I wanted to. If I've copied a compatible file (such as a .jpg or .gif) to the Clipboard, Elements opens just fine. Is there some setting on Elements that I have wrong, or is the new hardware doing something? (By the way, the same programs work fine on my home computer. Windows XP is running on both.) Thank you. — Michael J 21:48, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

Could you describe the exact steps that cause the problem on the work computer, but not on yours? It may be another piece of software messing with your clipboard. Droud 02:23, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Wikipedia Editing Tool

This user has indicated that they would prefer serious answers and may require references. Please refrain from frivolous responses to their question.


I'm currently using notepad to edit Wikipedia articles over long periods of time. The wiki markup makes it difficult to read. Is there a software tool currently in existence, that allows quick switching between editing and reading modes (Wikipedia's loading times are too slow). --Username132 (talk) 21:50, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

A danger you should be aware of is that other people may edit the page while you're crafting away on your home computer, especially if it is "over long periods of time". You would then need to painstakingly merge your changes with theirs. A couple of suggestions:
  • If you're going to do a major rewrite of an article, do it by section instead of all at once.
  • If the markup is difficult to use, install one of the many browser extensions that give Wikimarkup a GUI, like this.
  • Find the root of the issue. You say on one hand that the load times are too slow, yet elsewhere you talk about an edit that takes a long time to work on. Perhaps 3 seconds of loading isn't that much of a problem on the scale of things when you're looking at a project that will take a long time to complete anyhow. Hope I've been of help. - CHAIRBOY (☎) 22:37, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
Further, Wiki is intended to be edited in this piecemeal fashion, both to facilitate review and to provide insight to later readers. Droud 01:51, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

comperr-->You also may want to try notepad++ and d/l a wiki module.

[edit] December 13

[edit] PSP Memory Stick

I looked at the Playstation Portable page and couldn't really tell from the wording so I'd like to know if you need a memory stick to save your game on a PSP.

†he Bread 05:28, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

As far as I can tell, yes. It comes with no integrated memory for that purpose, and you can't write to the UMDs. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 07:04, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
No you need some kind of external memory. Personally I prefer something similar to this instead of traditional, expensive flash memory --frothT C 20:29, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Yes, you do need one to save, it does come with a 32 MB Card, which is enough for several games (My game saves folder is only about 5 MB.) However, I would definitely recommend buying a higher capacity stick if you want to take advantage of the multimedia capabilities, and homebrew if you have a capable firmware. Nothing like a good round of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on the Genesis emulator during the bus ride to work. Cyraan 21:56, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Cool thanks y'all, I'm gonna buy one in the weekend and was wondering
†he Bread 22:20, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Or if you do the upgrade I linked to you can watch every Lord of the Rings Extended Edition and all of the bonus content on your bus ride. If you have a really long commute. And a suitcase full of car batteries. --frothT C 22:44, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Primary master hard disk fail.

When I boot my (older) machine it says "Error, primary master hard disk fail" (this is in the POST, before my OS boots). LiveCDs work fine but I can't see my hdd partitions in them, so I'm assuming that my hard drive has failed. Is there any way, short of getting a new hard drive, that I can still use my PC? Can I tell it to ignore the error? I don't need to save many files, just boot Damn Small Linux and run Firefox, VNCviewer and XChat.

I'd suggest taking it to a friend's computer as a slave and formatting it from there (after which you might be able to install DSL). But, to be honest, I think it's kapputt. yandman 12:57, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Yes, your hard drive has died. I had the same message once. You might be able to figure out some way of getting the programs you need onto a USB memory stick and using that as the hard drive, although it will run like treacle. You can pick up hard drives for very little money these days ... if all you want is those programs, you could probably rescue a 5 or 10 Gb one out of something a computer hardware store has thrown out. Proto::► 13:22, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

Sigh... I wouldn't mind as much if this error didn't pop up two days after I bought the machine (yeah, I'm poor, I had to buy a very old PC). —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 202.10.86.63 .

On the plus side, you probably lost, at most, two days work. I suspect that Ted Kennedy loses 2 days every weekend. StuRat 04:56, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] LED article does not print for me

There seems to be something odd (hidden characters? malevolence?) about the article on LEDs (light emitting diodes). I cannot get it to print on our network (HP colour laser) printer from my workstation, BUT ALL the other articles and pages that I have tried to print (on the same printer) in the last two days have printed without a problem. What am I missing? Unfortunately, I am no geek, so I may have omitted information that you need. Thank-you --BabbyBaby 17:52, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

Have you tried the printer-friendly version at http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Light-emitting_diode&printable=yes ? Any difference? (The page really should print either way, I think, but this might be a workaround.) —AySz88\^-^ 20:05, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Weird URL in spam

I found a spam forum post with this URL http://1044398194 I thought it was malformed, and I clicked on it to see if it would work. It did, how does this URL work? I used Firefox 2.0. How is it encoded? And what do those numbers actually resolve to? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 172.202.182.201 (talk • contribs).

That's 62.64.64.114, in octal form or something. See [40], and this page has other odd ways of obfuscating URLs. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 01:13, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Would a paragraph about this at URL not help? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 172.202.182.201 (talk • contribs) 01:39, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
A lot of stuff at URL would help, that page is an abysmal shape. I may try and fix it. 68.39.174.238 22:08, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
This is in decimal, and is one of the many IP address representations listed at IPv4#Address representations. --Spoon! 03:35, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Yeah, I didn't notice. And somehow, I converted it to a standard dot-decimal IP address; I must have accidentally assumed it was in decimal. Who knows. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 06:10, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
wj32@future-31415:~$ ping 1044398194
PING 1044398194 (62.64.64.114) 56(84) bytes of data.

--- 1044398194 ping statistics ---
 6 packets transmitted, 0 received, 100% packet loss, time 5010ms

wj32@future-31415:~$
lesson: I don't know. --wj32 talk | contribs 07:09, 14 December 2006 (UTC)


[edit] December 14

[edit] Fireworks MX 2004

Hi. Fireworks MX 2004 suddenly won't start up, along with Flash, Dreamweaver, and Freehand (all MX 2004). I use a Mac. The icons open and bounce, but then stop. Is there anything that I can do about this? Thanks. Ilikefood 00:56, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Some more information is needed. 1. Have you checked to see if it's already running? 2. Have you rebooted the machine? 3. Have you checked for processes related to these programs that might still be in memory and interfering? (#2 should help fix #3, and #3 might explain why #2 would work). - CHAIRBOY (☎) 01:31, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Its not already running, but I'm gonna turn off the computer soon anyway so that should work. Thanks for the help. Ilikefood 01:33, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Image Format Conversion

How can I change the image file format of the below image (which I made, and has this request;) from GIF to SVG? I'm certainly no programmer, and if this isn't possible by simply re-saving it under SVG format (which, apparently, on my computer is not) then I'm stumped. talk | BeefJeaunt 01:25, 14 December 2006 (UTC) Image: Mario_Kingdom.gif

You mentioned an article that has the answer you need! SVG lists a number of programs that can convert images to SVG, but to see the full benefit of the format, you'll need to use a program like Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape to re-draw it as a vector image. Without that, it won't be dynamically resizable without getting pixelated. - CHAIRBOY (☎) 01:29, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Yes, under Inkscape, you can choose Path > Trace Bitmap, and experiment with the different settings. The one I use is Multiple Scanning, Colour, with 16 scans. This one gives colour, although it is NOT good for images with many colours. --wj32 talk | contribs 07:06, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
See Commons:Commons:Transition to SVG --h2g2bob 23:38, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Help writing a bot for external wiki

I was wondering if anyone here could write a bot for me to use on an external wiki. if anyone chooses to take up this endeavor, you would be writing it for the XeNTaXWIKI, a small, tight-interest wiki. I need a general-purpose bot that can be run client-side. I'm not sure what other information you might need, so just ask if you need it. --Dinoguy1000 Talk 04:46, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Meta:Bot and Wikipedia:Bots are a good place to start. I'd suggest using python or perl - probably python as it's got some interesting network stuff. To mark a user as a bot (you can hide their edits in recent changes), you need to contact a bureaucrat for the site. --h2g2bob 07:54, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
I looked at both of those pages (and I originally came here from Wikipedia:Bots anyways), and it seems to me that this would still be the best place to ask. The meta link only has general information about running a bot and setting bot status, with a focus on the Wikimedia server farm, and the WP link focuses on bot policy and requests for bots to be used here. If I missed something, feel free to tell me, but I still think this is the place I need to ask. I would try to write a bot myself, but I don't have the technical or programming knowledge necessary, and I lack enough computer access time to really learn how, much less enough to plan, program, and debug a bot. --Dinoguy1000 Talk 18:43, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Extracting tracks from DVD

I have a DVD with some music (video also, its not DVD-Audio) and while I can easily extract all the music to a file I dont know how to extract only select tracks. Put another way I want to split the audio according to chapters, with each chapter being saved to a separate file. Shinhan 09:22, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

You may be able to use DVD Shrink to extract a range of audio, but you will still need another tool to compress it. Droud 10:40, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
"Range"? As in I would have to extract one track at a time? Thats not usefull. Also, compressing is not a problem. Shinhan 11:19, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
I don't do this often, and this may or may not do what you want, but I did this easily and successfully a couple of weeks ago using Xmpeg. --jjron 13:30, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Found it! I used ChapterXtractor as a front end for BeSplit to split the source into tracks according to chapters. And then I used BeSweet (in batch mode) to convert ac3 to mp3. Shinhan 16:28, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] XML Parser

which xml parser is better when we consider sax,DOM etc

Different parsers are good in different situations. Take a look at Simple API for XML and Document Object Model. Weregerbil 14:12, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] MSN Messenger

Hi, everyone. I am trying to use MSN Messenger 7.0. After I have installed it, it popups an alert and says "uxtheme.dll blah blah blah ntdll.dll:ntconnectport". I am using Chinese window ^^", and I don't know how to translate the rest of the error message, but sth like msn cannot connect to other device. How can I solve this problem and get start msn-ing?

By the way, I am using Window Me. However, MSN Mgr 7.5+ needs Window XP, and installing WinXP is killing my computer. Can I use Live Mgr 8 without upgrading my window?

Thanks a lot!

KahangShall we talk? 14:53, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

I dont know what the answer to ur question is but i would get WM live. its much better. But i dont know if its compatible with windows me or not.

Can you take a screenshot of the error and upload it to someplace like Imageshack? Someone else may be able to understand all of it. 68.39.174.238 23:30, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
It sounds like it's treating your OS as though it is Windows XP, or some variety of NT (uxtheme.dll is present in XP, nothing earlier). Did you by chance download an XP/NT version of Messenger? I think, but I'm not sure, that they separate it between 98/ME and XP versions. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 23:34, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Javscript(ugh) again

is there any specific way to make javascript display text without killing the page(blanking the rest of the page)? srry that i can't seem to figure javascript out...Xiaden 15:11, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

More data is needed. You can output text a number of different ways, the most common being document.write. You may wish to read this, it's a well structured explanation of how to perform basic functions in JS and should help. - CHAIRBOY (☎) 15:27, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
The code i am applying isn't complete, but as of right now, it should display an item, have someone click it and it changes. but right now, it destroys the javascript(and the image it is css aligned to... i looked on your page, but if i imply something i'd have to delete the origainal somehow. i'm looking for something that would replace only part of the page(like document.htmml.body.p.write(if it worked =p)) instead of all of it. Xiaden 19:38, 14 December 2006 (UTC)


Put it in the body instead of the head. x42bn6 Talk 16:25, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Document.write only works when you're generating the page for the first time. If you put it on an event (eg. onclick), it will blank the page. Instead, try this code:
<DIV id="result"> initial text </DIV>
<A href="#" onclick='
 var elem = document.getElementById("result");
 if (elem)
   elem.innerHTML = "final text";
 return false;
'> click me </A>
The key point is to use innerHTML. To show and hide complex items, use style="display: none" to hide one at the start, then swap which is showed and which is hidden. The return false stops it navigating to the href location (you might want to change "#" to a page like "you_need_javascript.html")
Plus, don't forget a noscript tag somewhere on the page. Lots of people turn javascript off, and it helps make the web accessable for people using screen readers. To wit,
<NOSCRIPT> You need Javascript! </NOSCRIPT>
Important note: for changing font text, showing drop-down menus, etc. it is better to use the hover attribute in cascading style sheets!
See http://developer.mozilla.org/en/docs/DOM for information on manipulating elements displayed on a page, and http://www.w3.org/ for the official web standards. --h2g2bob 23:34, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
that is a prime exsample of an AWSOME answer. thank you.Xiaden 02:16, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
er... forgot, shoulda mentioned that i'm using IE5 to display this.. will it still work(before i go into the proccess of filling it out?(completely... it's not doing anything nowz.)Xiaden 02:10, 15 December 2006 (UTC)


RAHHHHHH!! no es working! naw, it gives me the (bullshit) error that elem is null or not an object. do i have too put the code exactly as you wrote? erg... can i just dump what i have(codewise) somewhere? Xiaden 14:51, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
nvrmind. i fixed it. is all good. thanks for the help(now to attach that to an image...)Xiaden 15:56, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Cellular Phone --> Computer

Are there any free programs that will let me hook up my cellular phone to my computer via a USB cable and allow me to access the files on my phone and upload files such as .midi, .jpeg, and .mp3 to my phone? I have found many programs that send the file to the phone via SMS or whatever it is called when a file is sent to your phone, but I need a program that will upload to my phone via a USB cable. Thankyou. --Codell [ Talk ▪ Contrib. ] 16:39, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

There are a couple of variables. First, the specific model of phone is important, each phone requires a different driver. The Motorola RAZR phones, for example, are extremely popular but the drivers to do what you describe are difficult to find (and you must also get special software). The next variable is the service provider. Some cell providers in the US like Verizon will disable functionality like this explicitly so that you can only purchase those via their services, while other cell providers (like Cingular) don't. If your provider does not prevent this, then the easiest way is probably to use Bluetooth instead of USB. A bluetooth dongle for your PC (if it doesn't have it already) should be available on eBay for around $20 and you would be able to transmit the files to the phone (assuming it has bluetooth, of course). If you have a laptop with Infrared and your phone allows you to receive files via IR, you may also be able to do that. - CHAIRBOY (☎) 16:53, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

It's a Motorola V190. I know that it will work. I once had the driver for it to work with USB, and I had a program (MobileEdit) to transfer files onto it, and it worked, but then I uninstalled the program and lost the driver for it. I still have the program, but I'd like a different program that works better 17:02, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Well, I googled 'v180 usb' and ended up finding the P2K driver at bongo via this thread. Does that help? - CHAIRBOY (☎) 19:48, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Sorry, it's actually the Motorola v190 that I have..--Codell [ Talk]

Okay,I've got everything working,that is,I have the driver (from the link you gave me)and I have the program MobileEdit,and it works well, but I'd just like a better program then it, because the trialversion only lets you upload 1 file at a time.Codell [ Talk] 16:48, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] How do I dispute the content of a page?

There is a federal act in here and it is a stub. The stub is completely wrong - in fact, it is the opposite of what the Act actually did. I tried to edit it but it only added my information to the bottom and did not edit the incorrect sentence.

Thank you.

You hit the edit button for the "external links" section, the one for editing the whole article is the tab at the top.
At the top of each page on Wikipedia, there is a link: edit this page - click it. As anon #2 has stated, you could've simply appended information onto a new section. x42bn6 Talk 19:24, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Hmm, that page was created by someone blocked for "Bad Edits", thanx for the fix! In the future if you want to "dispute a page", add a template like {{disputed}}, {{neutrality}}, {{totallydisputed}} or something else from Wikipedia:Template messages/Disputes. However, if you do make such an edit, be sure to explain on the talk page WHY you're disputing it. If you don't someone who reads the articel later will have no idea what's wrong with it or how it should then be fixed. 68.39.174.238 07:14, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Problems with MS Installer - constant pop-ups

I am using Windows XP on my home computer. I recently uninstalled MS Publisher (didn't use it much) and since then I am getting MS Installer pop-ups every time I try to run an application. The pop-up prompts me to install the MS XP disk, which I don't have since the computer came pre-loaded with the software when I purchased it. I have searched at the Microsoft software support site for similar problems, and tried the fixes that they suggest, but to no avail. Any suggestions on how to get this to stop? Thanks.

Is there an i386 folder somewhere on your hard drive? Point the dialog to it. Splintercellguy 00:28, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
If you have a "recovery CD" that came with the computer, try inserting it and telling Windows to look on there. Alternately, if the dialog says "Show me where XXXXXXXX.YYY is located" (Paraphrased), try doing a search of your hard disk for that file and then point Windows to it when it next asks. 68.39.174.238 07:16, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Leisure Suit Larry 7 Cocktail

Does anyone hava a recipe for the cocktail from LSL7? --192.94.73.1 18:04, 14 December 2006 (UTC) I don't metion its name, to prevent my question from getting deleted again.

This is definitely not the place to be looking for game tutorials, and for future reference a simple Google search found that page. Droud 01:57, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Thank you for your help, but I wasn't looking for a recipe for Venezuelan Beaver Cheese, which is required to solve the game. Instead, I want to know how to mix a cocktail, which is mentioned during the game, but whose recipe isn't part of the game. These cocktail has a somewhat risque name (Gigantic E***), what may have led to the deletion of the first version of my question. --192.94.73.30 13:42, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Page back button in web browser

I use the Firefox browser and I've noticed that on some web sites, when I press the back button, it takes me back to the spot in the page where I was previously, but on other web sites pressing the back button always takes me to the top of the page. Is there a way to change it so it always reverts to the previous location and not to the top of the page? --Wyckyd Sceptre 18:16, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Sometimes pages will re-load when you visit them, and if it takes a long time or the page is long and hasn't loaded the place where you were, it will start at the top (but waiting a few seconds will result in it jumping to where you were previously). If it doesn't take you to where you were even when you wait for it to finish loading completely before hitting any controls, then provide some example links that we can visit. - CHAIRBOY (☎) 19:43, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
This behavior is usally because you clicked an interpage link. Here's an example: Go to the top of this page and click something in the table of contents. Then, scroll around the page. Hit the back button and it should take you to the top of the page. This is because the ToC links use anchors (I think that's what they're called), but since they're a different URI, it has to treat them as a seperate page. I don't know of a way to deal with this (Assuming I correctly interpreted your statement). 68.39.174.238 07:19, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] The most annoying problem!!!

hello,


Theres an annoying problem with my MS word (XP); normally, and before, when you highlited some text and then you typed or pressed backspace then it would overwrite or delete the highlited text. but now it doesnt it just goes to the beggining of the text that had been highlighted. (you can press the delete button and that works tho).

Help!

Thanks, --81.79.20.89 19:26, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Sounds like its set to "Insert more". Try hitting your "Insert" key once (It's exactly to the right of the "Backspace" key on a standard QWERTY keyboard) and see if that works. Also, try quitting and reloading Word and see if that helps. 68.39.174.238 22:10, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
I think it might also be a stupid option in Microsoft Word that somehow manages to change itself at the weirdest time. I think I recall seeing something about "Delete text on backspace" in Tools > AutoCorrect or Tools > Options... But the option is a fairly straightforward one - just check it again. Do a little looking around in Tools > Options and Tools > AutoCorrect. Did I ever tell you of the time my spelling checker got disabled even though I never touched it? ... x42bn6 Talk 22:57, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Firefox problem (!)

Recently, this is starting to pop up occasionally. Right-clicking the page pops up a menu, no? However, sometimes, it starts to give me arrows on for no apparent reason: http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/483/firefoxscrollingrm4.png (see up and down arrows). It's frustrating because my fastest back function for me is to right-click and left-click slightly down and right. Isn't going to happen now, is it?

Do any of you know how to fix this? x42bn6 Talk 19:42, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Did you install any new extensions? Which version of FF are you using? Any themes (I don't get the icons in my context menu)? howcheng {chat} 20:14, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
I have the British English Dictionary, FlashGot, Free Download Manager plugin, Tab Mix Plus and VideoDownloader. My theme is Mostly Crystal. It started to happen about 2 months after my most recent installation (VideoDownloader) so I doubt that is the problem. x42bn6 Talk 21:36, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
I have this two with totally different extentions. It's new with Ffx 2, but I don't know if it's removable. I'm going to check some sites and see... 68.39.174.238 22:11, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Well, they're called "autorepeatbuttons" officially. The search goes on... 68.39.174.238 22:16, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
I think it's because there's a large number of items in the list. Go to tools->addons and, for each of the extensions, open the settings/preferences, and see if there's an option to remove it from the right-click menu.
Are a lot of people affected by this? If so, it could be worth writing an extension which forces the arrows not to appear.
Some tips: alt+left also goes back. I use all-in-one gestures [41] which really speeds up going back for me. --h2g2bob 22:40, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
It doesn't make sense to say that there are too many icons - it does no scrolling at all! It just hangs around there. I have compacted FlashGot into a submenu now using the options, but now I have to regenerate the menu if at all possible. Oh dear... I suppose that you, 68.39.174.238, are suffering from this too?
I would use alt-left but I am a mouse type of guy - I do plenty of things with the mouse pretty quickly. x42bn6 Talk 22:55, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
I only get it when using the menu in FoxLingo, which IS huge (Taller then my screen resolution!). Occasionally context menus will noxiously get it. I'm not sure how an extension would remove these as they are genuinely needed if you've got a huge menu and a small screen. 68.39.174.238 06:43, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
You can, however, increase the default height of the menu using an extension. You'd need to import a cascading style sheet which sets .popup-internal-box { max-height: 700px; }, or some similar value, into browser.xul. I've done just that in this extension (.xpi) which will need to filter through mozdev's servers before you can download it (will take up to 24 hrs). With luck, this mad cludge will sort out most of the problems (open as a .zip file to check the tiny amount of code inside). More on scrolling menus here, using <xul:arrowscrollbox /> --h2g2bob 07:17, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] GOOGLE

hi,

Just wondering how come for just for the ordinary google uk homepage the adress can be this: http://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8. surely its just the normal google ; www.google.co.uk

thx, --Killer 777 19:55, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

It looks like google goes by both names- google.com and google.co.uk. What is your question? Ned Wilbury 20:01, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Google's webservers will WHOIS the IP you're coming from and direct you to the Google site for your sepecific country. You can find this out by getting an anonymous proxy and proxying to Google. If it's a Mexican proxy, you'll end up at google.mx. Since you're evidently in Britain, "google.com" sends you to google.co.uk. 68.39.174.238 22:18, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Exactly. And this sort of redirect can be pretty annoying. That's why you should always start by entering Google at http://www.google.com/ncr, which will keep you at the Google.com and set a cookie that will prevent redirection in the future (as long as the cookie is set). ☢ Ҡi∊ff⌇↯ 04:48, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Well, it can certainly be a good thing if English is not your first language or you're using the computer of such a person, so probably not "always".... —AySz88\^-^ 19:49, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Changing .m4a to .mp3

Is there any way to change a .m4a file to a .mp3 file, without installing iTunes, since I don't want to. I looked for codecs on the MS website, but there doesn't seem to be any for WMP 11. Any way to change the file? Thanks, Kilo•T 21:23, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

VLC will do it, unless it has Digital Restrictions Management (DRM). If you bought it from iTunes Music Store, then it will have DRM, and you will be unable to play it in any other player, or convert it to another format. There are some tools about for removing the DRM, but these may not be legal where you live (eg: the DMCA). --h2g2bob 22:05, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
Please keep in mind, though, that you're not just changing it from one format to another, you're decompressing it and then recompressing it with a different lossy algorithm that adds more artifacts without saving any space. It's always better to reencode from the original uncompressed source. —Keenan Pepper 20:12, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] NES chip music

Find me a computer program that'll let me compose NES 8bit chiptune music. The program should be free, and should not need any extra 'chiptune cards' or actual NES chips in the computer. --Codell [ Talk] 22:33, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

I believe that would be something like FamiTracker.
FWIW, I really haven't heard of a single NSF-player that actually required chiptune cards or NES chips - they all use software emulation of the sound chip. --Pidgeot (t) (c) (e) 01:12, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] TI-84

I lost my installation CD for my TI-84 calculator for connecting to the computer. Is there anyway I can download the necessary files? I was searching through google and the TI-84 site and could not locate the appropriate files. If you can provide me with a link to download the files, I'd be grateful. Thanks. --Proficient 22:58, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Perhaps TI Connect? --Spoon! 23:23, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] December 15

Why are serial connections (like SATA and Serial SCSI) faster than their parallel counterparts? Is seems counterintuitive since parallel processing, wide buses, and the like are faster than their "narrower" cousins. Don't kill me with ultra technical jargon, please! --72.202.150.92 01:51, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Serial connections typically have two wires that data travels over, while parallel connections have many wires. The many wires in a parallel cable all cross talk and distort each other, so the signal rate (speed) over them is limited by interference. Serial connections use fewer wires which don't cross talk as much, so the signal rate can be higher. A good analogy is how easy it is to listen to one person if only two people are talking, compared to how hard it is to listen to one person in a crowd of talkers. Droud 02:08, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Would it make sense to use differential signalling for each parallel line, in essence making an array of serial busses? That would reduce crosstalk and interference issues, allowing fast parallel communications. -anonymous6494 02:20, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Sometimes, yes. For example, high-speed Ethernet uses differential signaling on a bundle of twisted pairs. --KSmrqT 22:39, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Music Skipping On Computer

My music keeps skipping while i browse the internet, and me CPU usage % stays at around 70-90% i used to be able to listen to music while doing alot of other things, but now when i use the internet my music skips like crazy.. My music isn't messed up. And its not because of iTunes. i have a dell dimension 2300.. Why has this problem RECENLTY come up and how can i fix it?? THANKS! IM PRETTY SURE THAT INTERNET EXPLORER HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. ESPECIALLY SINCE IT WOULD TAKE MORE TO RUN MOZILLA(which i also have)

Difficult to answer without more data, but you may have additional software running in the background. You may wish to scan for spyware, if there is malware running on your computer, it could consume resources and cause the symptoms you see here. - CHAIRBOY (☎) 04:20, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Hit Ctrl+Alt+Del while your browser is running, and check which process is using all the CPU time. Kill it (aka "End Process"). By the way, if you're using Microsoft Idiot Exploiter, try Mozilla Firefox or Opera. IE is very crappy. --wj32 talk | contribs 10:44, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
  • It probably has nothing to do with internet explorer. I use it too on a much slower machine and suffer no such problem. - Mgm|(talk) 12:55, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
    And in IE's defense, IE 7 is acutally pretty good. Proto::► 12:59, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Actually, my point was that IE is much more vulnerable to viruses/spyware than Firefox or Opera. And, how is IE 7 pretty good? Just because its Microsoft? Opera and Firefox had tabbed browsing several years before IE 7 came out. --wj32 talk | contribs 00:19, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Mac and PC

I have a Dell PC (Desktop) and my friend has a Macbook Pro. My Computer has an Intel Core 2 Duo (Just bought it) running at 2.33 ghz. I have a 256 mb ATI graphics Card (I'm pretty sure its an X1800?). My Friends mac laptop has core duo 2 ghz, with a 128 mb graphics card. I have 2 gigs of ram, he has 1. His boots up faster, has a faster interface, and seems to perform better overall. As I said, my Dell is brand new, never connected to the internet (yet; im typing this on an old IBM). Why is the mac so much faster?

It's a completely different operating system, it uses the hardware differently from your PC. Both operating systems have different strengths and weaknesses. If he chooses to dual-boot with Windows on his Mac, you should be able to see a more representative example of the speed differences between the two machines. - CHAIRBOY (☎) 04:18, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Since Apple handles both operating system (Mac OS X) and hardware, it can integrate the two together far more efficiently. Windows cannot do this as well because it is designed to work with many different types of hardware and cannot focus as much on optimization. That said, Mac OS X generally boots up more quickly than Windows does. The Dell's advantages in graphics and RAM probably do not come into play during booting; 128 MB of graphics memory and 1 GB of RAM is quite enough to boot quickly, and adding more of each will not help. Intensive graphics work and other high-end applications are what will show the Dell's hardware advantages. That, and using Windows on the Mac (for comparison purposes). Larry V (talk | contribs) 08:32, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Then explain why GNU/Linux can even run on different architectures while Windows, on the other hand, only supports x86. And GNU/Linux is faster (and more stable, but I won't get into that). --wj32 talk | contribs 10:53, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

o_o That thing must weigh 15 pounds! You have the superior computer so no need to fret. Install linux on both of your computers and install ati drivers, and see what kind of fps you can get in unreal tourney or something --frothT C 14:40, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Let's assume the Mac is booting Mac OS X, and the Dell is booting Windows XP. You have identified hardware features of the Dell that suggest it should be faster. If only system performance were that easy! First, we have other hardware factors such as cache configuration, the speed of the memory bus, and the speed of the hard drive. Then we have the design of the boot process. And finally we have the design of the operating system itself.
Early versions of Mac OS X did not boot as quickly as recent versions, for reasons having nothing to do with CPU speed. Therefore, I'm guessing that software design is the most important difference. But that's just a guess; Macs tend to make fairly zippy Windows machines as well. (And a custom home-built machine can easily best the typical commercial machine from Dell.) --KSmrqT 00:47, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Flash ad blocker

What is the best freeware/foss/whatever program for windows that blocks flash advertisements but allows things like youtube videos? Does such a thing exist or is the only solution host file editing? For firefox or IE is fine but prefer IE.--Deglr6328 05:33, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Adblock is a popular ad blocker for Firefox, and Flashblock can also be very effective when used with it. - CHAIRBOY (☎) 05:36, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Flashblock (and also NoScript, which also blocks JavaScript) replace the flash object with a box you can click on to show the flash. Flashblock also allows you to set a whitelist (sites where it never blocks flash), so is perfect. No idea about IE extensions --h2g2bob 06:02, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Note that if you're going the Adblock route, you might want to use Adblock Plus, instead of plain Adblock. Development has been sluggish Adblock for quite awhile; Plus is a fork that fixes many bugs, and adds automatic filterset downloads and other features. I use both Adblock and Flashblock myself. For IE, I'd go with the proxy program Privoxy personally. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 23:16, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
Try Proxomitron. I used it with Firefox back when I was using Windows. It sets up a proxy that you can tell your browser to use, and it uses its own little regex language to filter/replace text in a webpage. If you want more information... --wj32 talk | contribs 10:46, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] How hard is it to connect two computers?

I often hear about how hard it is to connect two computers, and the numerous problems associated with that (Peter Sellers I think said "the network is down" in a 50's/60's film and we've been hearing it ever since). I would like to connect my laptop and my desktop, using the ethernet socket on my laptop, which is running Windows XP Professional SP2. My Xbox 360 came with a cable that has plugs that fit to the socket in the back of the laptop, so fingers crossed that the two are compatible. Finally, my desktop PC running Windows XP Pro SP2 as well doesn't have a network card, but I can buy and install a "PCI Card 10/100Mbps" which I am hoping has the correct socket for the cable.

So, is there anything that I should know before I go out and buy the card? Once installed, is getting a working network easy or hard? I want to use the connection so I can use Norton Ghost and make a copy of the whole laptop's drive on the desktop. What is my chance of success? What can go wrong? Thank you.

202.154.136.42 07:08, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Yes. First, if you want to connect two devices without using a switch or hub, you will need an Ethernet crossover cable, instead of a regular "straight through" Ethernet cable (unless one of your network cards can automatically detect it). Second, they will need to get network configurations (IP addresses, etc.) somehow. Often when you plug into the wall for an Internet connection, your computer asks some DHCP server for this info automatically. But when you only have two computers, you may have to give each of them a configuration manually. Also, I am not sure what you will do across the network (I don't know how Norton Ghost or whatever works); but the receiving computer inevitably needs to have some program listening for the connection, and also not have a firewall that is blocking connections or something. --Spoon! 07:49, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
I second this. I always carry my trusty crossover cable in my laptop case. This is the best way of connecting computers for people on a budget. Don't forget to enable sharing on both computers and then actually share the folders you want to transfer to. Set up a guest account on the target computer in the interests of security. Simple file sharing in XP is recommended for non-experts. You can also use the 'Alternate Configuration' tab under TCP/IP properties if you are using your laptop for example to connect to some other dedicated LAN. Set up the alternate 'user configured' IP as 192.1.1.x on both computers and you can use the DOS ping command to test connectivity. If you can ping successfully this is a good start. Good luck! Sandman30s 10:18, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
My advice - don't. Buy a 100gig external USB 2.0 hard drive, and back it all up onto there. If you want, you can transfer it to your desktop, but this way, you won't exactly need to, and you'll save yourself the trouble of Ethernet fun. --Wooty Woot? contribs 08:41, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] autocomplete

I recently had to research some unsavory subjects for a university debate. Now, every time I type in the letter that the subject begins with a box underneath the search box shows the name of the article. How do I stop this happening?

I have done it!! sorry for wasting time and space.

The exact answer depends on which browser you use, but in general this can be resolved by going into the options and taking advantage of any offers to clear your cache and forms. Tabs called 'Security' or 'Privacy' are very useful for this. - CHAIRBOY (☎) 19:57, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Why doesn't this stupid thing compile??

g++ (GCC) 3.4.4 (cygming special) (gdc 0.12, using dmd 0.125)

Code:

#include <vector>

template<typename T> class Test
{
        std::vector<T>::iterator _iterator;
};

Compiler output:

g++ -O0 -g3 -Wall -c -fmessage-length=0 -MMD -MP -MF"NewTest.d" -MT"NewTest.d" -o"NewTest.o" "../NewTest.cpp"
In file included from ../NewTest.cpp:1:
../Test.h:8: error: expected `;' before "_iterator"

Am I completely off my rocker or something? I'm hoping this is just me missing something obvious, but otherwise, it must be a bug in GCC... thanks. --Silvaran 22:23, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

It's probably not this easy, but is it #include <vector.h> It would fit with the error, as std::vector<T>::iterator would not be a defined data type, but surely it would come up with an error for missing includes?! --h2g2bob 23:05, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
No. C++ standard headers never have ".h" --Spoon! 01:44, 16 December 2006 (UTC)
From what I know, there's nothing wrong with that code --wj32 talk | contribs 00:28, 16 December 2006 (UTC)
It isn't sure that std::vector<T>::iterator is a type, so you have to add typename before it:
#include <vector>

template<typename T> class Test
{
        typename std::vector<T>::iterator _iterator;
};
--Spoon! 01:44, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Complicated upper-bound runtime complexity calculation

For complicated reasons related to the nature of my doctoral thesis, I am confronted with this problem that goes beyond my immediate math skills. Consider a collection of trees - connected, directed, acyclic graphs where every node has an indegree of 0 or 1. Furthermore, every node and edge in the tree collection has a label that forms part of a finite alphabet.

I have learned of an algorithm, of fairly recent vintage, that counts all the embedded subtrees within the collection above a certain frequency threshold. So, using this algorithm, I have written a program that can extract every subtree in the tree collection with a frequency of at least two. The underlying algorithm is called FREQT, and it has a small literature that can be found on the 'Net.

The program, unfortunately, doesn't run very quickly. This algorithm has a worst case run time of O(kbn) where "n" is the number of nodes in the tree collection, "b" is the maximum branching factor, and "k" is the number of frequent subtrees trees extracted.

Question 1: Is there any way to calculate the worst case upper bound runtime of the algorithm without reference to "k" by knowing the maximum number of possible frequent subtrees given a fixed node count and a fixed alphabet size? Is there some way I can replace "k" by more easily calculated variables?

The best I've managed to do is to look at the problem like this: Assume that you have a single tree of size n containing k subtrees, including subtrees with a frequency of 1. Adding an additional node can never more than double the number of subtrees. Ergo, each node added to the tree collection can never more than double the number of subtrees with a frequency above any fixed number. Therefore, the worst case runtime is O(2nbn).

Question 2: Is there some glaring flaw in that logic I ought to know about before I present it at a conference next month?

Anybody out there with enough graph theory to help me out? I'm a linguist by trade, and while I like to think I'm pretty mathematically sophisticated for a linguist, I have never studied graph theory formally.

(Cross posted from the math help desk)

--Diderot 22:59, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] December 16

[edit] PowerPoint and VBA

If I write a macro in in the Windows version of PowerPoint and saved the .ppt file, will the macro run if I open the file in the Mac OS X version of PowerPoint? -WikiY Talk E-Mail 00:52, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Song Information Plugins for Various Media Players

I am making a web application which allows users to submit song data from media players to be displayed on their profiles on certain websites. For Winamp I am using a plugin called DoSomething, which lets me specify a URL to be pinged after song changes, allowing me to embed bits of information about the song within the URL (such as the song name, the band, the track length, etc.).

However, I would like to offer capability with more than Winamp. A lot of users use Foobar2000 and Windows Media Player, but after some deep searches I've not found any readily-available plugins for either which let me ping a web address with song data. I found one called 'Now Playing', but it costs $10 - I'd prefer to work with a free version so that people not using Winamp don't have to buy additional software. Does anyone know of any free programs meeting the above criteria for any popular media players? If 'Now Playing' is the only one of its kind available for Windows Media Player, is it capable of doing what I want it to do? Thanks. RevenDS 02:00, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Get a Mac campaign

I noticed that a recent Get a Mac ad claimed that Macs are "selling like hotcakes now". Is this in any way true? Are there any published statistics about Apple's sales increasing/ decreasing as a result of their many, ah, interesting marketing campaigns? Please advise! Lovablebeautyme 06:00, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

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