Wikipedia:Reference desk archive/Miscellaneous/2006 July 26

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[edit] Animals

Is there a list that has every single animal on it? Such as:

  Dog
  Cat
  Horse
  Kangaroo
  etc.
List_of_animal_names? Or try [[1]]. Wizrdwarts (T|C|E) 01:52, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
You don't need to use underscores, and you definitely don't need to use the full URL. Those links should be List of animal names and Category:Lists of animals (note the leading colon). —Keenan Pepper 02:55, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
You should have told me about the leading colon a few days ago when I needed it, but thanks in advance for next time (i fthat is English). DirkvdM 07:50, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
That's still missing tons of animals!--Teutoberg 06:42, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
According to this site there may be up to 100 million species. But don't worry, your list will only contain the named ones, and there are only one or two million of those. Better still, the examples you gave are (I believe) all genera (the next step up in the Scientific classification). Alas I haven't managed to find how many there are of those. DirkvdM 07:50, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
Wow. It is missing a lot. --Proficient 08:20, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
I think the list is accurate as human percieve animals. Ants are all one, but cat, tiger, and lion are all different. basicly it is a list that a child would learn when looking at one of those colorful picture books. Jon513 18:32, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
I think I was kidding about 950,000 animals being missing.--Teutoberg 02:31, 27 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Someone help me identify this song please :3

http://www.gaiaonline.com/profile/index.php?view=profile.ShowProfile&item=3458275 I was surfing on this site and came across this persons page. I was instantly hooked when it came on, please tell me!

According to (link removed) it's "Here in Your Arms" by a band called "Hellogoodbye". – AlbinoMonkey (Talk) 06:50, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

Thanks! ^^

[edit] The day after (movie)

was Belton,MO ever mentioned in The Day After?--Geobeedude 03:07, 26 July 2006 (UTC)Geobeedude

I don't think so, but I can't guarantee it. íslenska hurikein #12 (samtal) 21:27, 1 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] What happened to my posting?

I recently submitted an article on Pounamu (Maori greenstone) supplying the Maori names for different varieties of this stone. I returned today to add references and some pictures, only to find that the article had disappeared. What happened? Is someone editing my article, or was it just erased? Why would someone do this? Please explain.--222.153.189.121 07:25, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

According to your user contributions, the question you asked just now is your only contribution. Were you posting from a named account or another IP address before? Because otherwise it's tough to figure out what happened. Was it an actual article you created, or was it a post on one of the help pages?--Anchoress 07:40, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
Well, there is an article about Pounamu, which has a soft redirect to Greenstone. Your IP address doesn't show in the history of those pages, but that may be because you don't have a fixed IP address (aol perchance?). DirkvdM 07:57, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
Here's a list of recent deletions: [2] --Anchoress 08:37, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
Also be aware that your article or edits will not show up unless you click "Save page". People sometimes click on "Show preview" and forget to Save.--Shantavira 09:42, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
So, did you figure out what happened to your posting?--Anchoress 01:56, 27 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Faith Lehane

Hey Umm i was just wondering how wikipedia found out Faith from Buffy The Vampire Slayer's last name. I have no clue and i would love to know as i am a Buffy Fan Thanks

°.:Lexi:.°

This is explained in the article on Faith Lehane.--Shantavira 09:46, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Stubs

Im running a new portal, the English Portal, and i notice there are lots of english articles that are ... well empty & incomplete. Which is basically what a stub is. Im wondering if theres a section of WikiPedia already dedicated to english stub articles, or if im allowed to start one connected to my portal? BrentonEccles 07:59, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

If it already exists, it'll be HERE. Look carefully, the hard-working stub sorting people get a bit tetchy if dupe categories are created.--Anchoress 08:05, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
Thankyou very much. :) BrentonEccles 00:18, 27 July 2006 (UTC)
No probs. Are you going to post the results here?--Anchoress 01:55, 27 July 2006 (UTC)
If i find anything about English stubs? Defeneatly. I havent looked yet, but im about to. :) --BrentonEccles 06:18, 27 July 2006 (UTC)
Actually, a better place to look is WP:WSS/ST - it gives a complete list of the stub categories and templates. As to one for the portal, if it's not there, the place to propose new stub types is at WP:WSS/P. Grutness...wha? 08:10, 27 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Looking for a PC game

I don't know if this is the right section for this but...

I played a computer game a few years back that I can't find on the Internet again. It was a DOS game, probably playable on Windows 98 as well. It was a 2D Platform_game that looked as if it was drawn by a small child on a piece of paper. I believe the protagonist was a Stickman and some of the enemies I remember were drawn lines that rolled themselves up and went after the player. I remember it being very imaginative with the scenarios, and finding an elevator to the moon in one of the buildings.

I apparently didn't save a copy of it, I don't remember anything about its name, and I haven't found it through my google searches. Does anyone know what game I'm talking about? If so,could you point me to it, or give me some more information so I could search for it more effectively? --Phelan 09:10, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

I've no idea, but you could try scrolling through list of MS-DOS games to see if anything rings a bell.--Shantavira 12:01, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
I would also try List of platform games. Jon513 18:27, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

Thanks to both of you, after going through both the lists, I found a lot of games I had forgot about...Though I did not find a name that seemed to be the game I'm looking for. Could anyone direct me to a site or forum specific to DOS and/or old games, where I can ask if anyone knows the game? --Phelan 02:05, 27 July 2006 (UTC)

Underdogs.org are pretty good with this sort of thing. Proto::type 15:17, 27 July 2006 (UTC)
You mean Underdogs.info. Thanks, I had forgotten they had a forum. I will post here again if I ever find out the name of the game. --Phelan 09:35, 28 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Another game

The question above made me think of another game. This was a game that was very like C-Dogs (If you know what that is), as in it was a birds eye view shooter where you controll a guy with a gun. At the end of each level, you can buy weapons and armor. It was described (I think) as 'Quake for dos' (But i'm 10000% sure it's got NOTHING to do with quake). Thanks for your help.

Could you be a little more spesific? Top down shooters with a shop between levels are not exactly one of a kind. What kind of setting was it? Wargame (like Rambo or Commando?)? Mercenaries (like Dogs of War)? Sience fiction (like Alien Breed)? Was it one way scrolling or 8 way (like Chaos Engine), directly top down or isometric etc. --Sherool (talk) 11:32, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

Well Im pretty sure it was kind of like a gangster setting, and it wasn't directly top down. Described as 'quake for dos'.

Gangster setting and not directly top down? That reminds me of Syndicate_(computer_game_series). Is this it? --Phelan 16:50, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
Quake for DOS? That would be, er, Quake? --Howard Train 18:04, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

100% sure it wasn't quake. Im pretty sure it wasn't a comercial game either. Not science fiction or milittary-more like criminal/gangsta.

[edit] supplies

I would like to know the things required in vessel supply business as i hope to go into the business in my country. For instance, the vessel cleaning agents,things from minor to major maintainace.from Hooper a.i

Hmm. Are you sure you're going into the right business if you don't even know what you're going to be dealing in? For a start, it would help to clarify what type of vessel you mean. Drinking vessels? Ocean-going vessels? Pressure vessels? Perhaps you should contact a local vessel supply company of they type you have in mind, and see how they operate before committing yourself.--Shantavira 11:37, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] hEY

Some loser keeps screwing up my article Whitty Street. He keeps talling me to stop vandalising. Tell him to go away. --Peaking at 1871 at 531 11:44, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

Wecome to Wikipedia! You are going to have to devote a couple of hours of your precious time learning how to set up a proper user account, and the proper way to edit things. If you are like my teenagers, and just want to 'do it', then you are out of luck. --Zeizmic 12:36, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
I don't think the description of your edits as vandalism is completely unjustified. Or can you point us to a reputable source that supports your claim that it should be called Shitty street? Apart from that, this question should have been posed on the help desk. David Sneek 12:37, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
Or to put it another way, your edits were vandalism. Which is really odd, because a) you're obviously intelligent enough to know the difference and b) intelligent enough to make a positive contribution to the wikipedia. Which would make you feel a lot better about yourself than you do now. Give it a try. --Tagishsimon (talk)
Welcome to Wikipedia. Is it possible that someone else is using your computer and pretending to be you? In that case, change your password and keep it secret.--Shantavira 13:13, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] where is the page for articles that need creation/editing?

yeah...where is that page? I've been searching for a while now and I can't find it!

Is it this page? - THE GREAT GAVINI {T-C} 15:57, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

Thanks man. That's it.

Or try Wikipedia:Articles for creation. User:Zoe|(talk) 17:31, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] ADD on the back of a music CD?

What does ADD mean on the back of a music CD, and can you please add that meaning to the article ADD?? :)--Sonjaaa 15:28, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

It means it was recorded in Analog, and mixed and mastered in Digital. There must be something about this in Wikipedia to link to from ADD; I'll try to find it. --Allen 15:36, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
It's called the SPARS Code, the use of which has been largely discontinued. --LarryMac 15:38, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
I've added the link from ADD now. --Allen 15:45, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] address and phone # of CKC

need to find breeder not listed . Ian and Joy Littlejohn Black River Falls Wisconsin thanks--216.54.156.186 15:39, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

If that's the Canadian Kennel Club, the info can be found at their website. Tony Fox (speak) 16:27, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Neon Bulbs and Mercury?

Hello... I knocked over my lamp as I woke up just now and broke a neon lightbulb on the corner of my desk. How do I clean it up? Should I be worried about the mercury or phospherous powder contained in them? :S

Nothing dangerous in a Fluorescent lamp. Use a damp paper towel, and don't eat the stuff. --Zeizmic 16:28, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

Thankee, sir.

Incidentally, it's only neon if it glows red.--Shantavira 18:33, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
Fluorescent lamps contain a small amount of mercury (very small in newer bulbs) and a fairly inert phosphor. Collect any broken glass carefully in a puncture resistant container (cardboard box or the like). Wipe up any powder and small fragments with a damp paper towel. Gloves are strongly recommended, mostly so that you don't cut yourself. (Don't try to vacuum up powder, it will vaporize any mercury.) The stuff inside fluorescent lamps isn't good for you, but it's not that bad, either. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 01:00, 27 July 2006 (UTC)
Mercury contained in lighting equipment is inorganic. Mercury is only poisonous when it is cointained in Organic compounds, so unless you play around with it and try to alter it, it should be pretty safe cleaning it up by wiping and throwing out the paper towel.
Ignore that last edit. It's untrue. Elemental mercury is toxic. --Heron 18:13, 29 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] William J. Pointdexter

I've already accessed the NSA homepage to view thumbnail photos of recent NSA staff CEOs, but there is no picture of William J. Pointdexter.

In view of the current Patriot Act importance and magnitude, is there any article (photograph)in your vast Wikipedia ouvre on this patriot?

Wikipedia isn't a photo library, so the only place you're likely to find photos of a person is in the relevant article. I don't see an article on any William J Pointdexter, but that would be where to find it if we had it, or possibly an article on NSA, whatever that is. Wikipedia has an additional problem with photos of living people: all of them are copyright, and so we do not necessarily have permission to use a photo, even if a good one exists. Notinasnaid 16:49, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
Are you talking about John Poindexter? User:Zoe|(talk) 17:33, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] please help asap

i neither gain nor lose weight,what am i?its a riddle.am nattytuks--196.200.37.214 16:36, 26 July 2006 (UTC)nattytuks

a rock. air. the CD in my car stereo. a super-intelligent shade of the color blue. --LarryMac 16:42, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
It's a riddle! David Sneek 16:46, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
eating the same amount as your excreting. Philc TECI 16:52, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
Suffering from worms. Frozen in time. Endlessly ingesting your own faeces. Wasting people's time. --Howard Train 18:10, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
The whole universe? Jayant,17 Years,Indiacontribs 19:03, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
You're not fat, you're just big boned. --Tadhg 22:09, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] 3D viewer eye-misfire

I have been using a program (HFSS) that includes 3D modeler software. I often have the odd experience of finding that my eyes have inverted the object, so what I think is in the front is in fact in the back. Sometimes it takes a five or ten seconds of squinting and rotating to "reset" my eyes to the correct orientation. I'm more curious than annoyed - does this have a name? I assume using lighting and perspective (the former of which is usually not in use and the latter of which is not implemented in HFSS) help to eliminate this in other software. --198.125.178.207 18:28, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

See Necker cube it sounds like a type of Optical illusion called ambiguity. Nowimnthing 18:42, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
Yep, that's the idea. Thanks! --198.125.178.207 20:33, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Insignia - Duke of Rothesay

In this website, the coat of arms for the Duke of Rothesay has black? or a very dark blue? in the upper left and lower right quadrants, whereas an actual flag flown on a public building during Prince Charles' tour of Scotland has a decidedly brighter blue. Can you clarify for me which is the correct insignia for the Duke of Rothesay?

Many thanks for your time and courtesy --84.68.103.49 19:40, 26 July 2006 (UTC)Jack M. Robertson

I think the illustration on the wikipedia page is probably wrong. The equivalent design on the burgh arms is certainly a lighter blue {see here). Jameswilson 23:45, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] For Screening Purposes Only

Hey there, while watching Supersize Me at home the phrase "For Screening Purposes Only" kept popping up. What exactly is this? Maybe it's a more common term in the US but i'm unsure of its meaning. Asking google brings up a couple of pages of other people complaining but no real answer. Does anyone know what this is about? Thanks! -Benbread 20:11, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

Did you download this movie from "somewhere"? It sure sounds like somebody ripped a screener and placed it online. --LarryMac 20:16, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
Yeah it sounds like you got an illegal copy, hope you didn't pay much for it. Nowimnthing 20:37, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
Uh oh :| Well that would certainly explain that slogan, i was assuming it was some legal jumbo about the medical information. Thanks greatly for clearing that up. -Benbread 20:43, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
The MPAA thugs will be by shortly to have a little talk with you. (Yes, I know you're not in the US. They don't care.) ;-) --LarryMac 20:51, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

Please report it to the MPAA. I hate them as much as the next guy, but I hate people who profit off copyright infringement even more. They have a special number for it. --mboverload@ 22:23, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

I wouldn't. They could get you for possessing the ripped screener. (Only theoretically, of course. It would be stupid of them. But I wouldn't trust the MPAA, because the MPAA certainly doesn't trust you.) zafiroblue05 | Talk 22:43, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
there have been cases where someone tells a website about a vulnerablity they found in order to help them and in tern where sued because the website was hacked by someone else (they became the only suspects because they knew about eh vulnerablity)! DON'T tell the MPAA they have everything to gain and nothing to lose by sueing you. Jon513 00:29, 27 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Interest Rate Increases

There is talk that the Reserve Bank here in Australia will increase interest rates by .25% next month (in an attempt to curb inflation). My understanding is that this means the Reserve Bank charges my bank an extra .25% to borrow money from them. My bank in turn charges me an extra .25% to counter this. So, effectively, the Reserve Bank collects all these .25% from people with mortgages and credit cards.

My question is: What does the Reserve Bank do with this extra revenue? Does it sit in an account? Is it spent by the Government? Does it offset the extra .25% that savers get from the increase?

On another note- Apparently inflation is been driven up by increased fuel prices. If seems crazy by me to increase interest rate in an attampt to curb inflationary increases when this will have no affect on fuel spending. Or will it? Will people drive less or is this insignificant compared with the annual national commercial usage of oil?--Downunda 23:48, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

I don't think increased interest rates will necessarily make every Australian drive a teensy bit less, but it probably will make a number of people decide to get rid of their cars; higher interest rates = more expensive payment plans, and higher returns for money left in the bank and not spent on a car.--Anchoress 23:52, 26 July 2006 (UTC)
People will spend less on other things, as well, like new houses, if interest rates are higher. This will have the effect of depressing prices for those items, which will lower the rate of inflation. StuRat 00:57, 27 July 2006 (UTC)

I guess that's the theort StuRat but where does the money go? Surely the reserve Bank have to sit on it and not let it get back into the economy or it would just stimulate spending again.--Downunda 01:31, 27 July 2006 (UTC)

Federal funds rate explains how the US system works, and I don't know how similar it is to the Australian system. However, I learned a few things by reading it. According to the article, the nominal federal funds rate is what the media almost mean when talking about the Fed changing rates. The federal funds rate is the rate charged between banks, so no money goes to the Fed.–RHolton– 02:10, 27 July 2006 (UTC)
IIRC it used to be called the "Minimum Lending Rate", which was clearer. The central bank tells other financial institutions they cant lend money to each other cheaper than that.

Anyway, as StuRat says, the point is to depress other parts of the economy a bit to compensate for the extra people are spending on fuel. Jameswilson 22:58, 27 July 2006 (UTC)