Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2006 November 17

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Miscellaneous desk
< November 16 << Oct | November | Dec >> November 18 >
Welcome to the Wikipedia Miscellaneous Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.


Contents


[edit] November 17

[edit] Care of Bougainvillea Plants

I live in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I have two Bougainvillea plants in large pots outside. I cannot find information pertaining to their care in cold weather. If it goes below freezing will they drop their leaves and releaf and bloom in the Spring, or will they die? Should I bring them inside for the Winter? Help, please.

Here is one very nice page talking about their care: Texas Gardener. Googling "bougainvillea freezing weather", it appears that Bougainvillea are "undemanding" in winter time and require neither light nor water. It is better if they stay above freezing. Trim them back and put them in your garage or other sheltered place if you expect temperatures to be that cold. -THB 01:35, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Need answer for riddles

(1) What has eyes yet cannot see? ( three ans.)

The first one can be a potato, for starters. bibliomaniac15 01:06, 17 November 2006 (UTC)
Needles, Storms, Potatoes, A true lover, according to google. --Tagishsimon (talk)

(2) Black within and red without. Four corner round about. What I am?

A chimney, according to The Real Mother Goose --Tagishsimon (talk)

(3) If you have it,you want to share it. If you share it, you don't have it. what I am?

A secret --Tagishsimon (talk)


Thanks a Bunch- Tina

[edit] Insignia of the U.S.A.

I have a web site entitled "Insignia of the U.S.A. This site deals with insignia as worn by any flight crew member or ground staff of an airline, corporation, etc. If you could take a look at it at: www.stanwing.com and let me know if you think that this would be something that viewers of Wikipedia would enjoy and benefit by, please let me know and how to link to your great site. Stan

I'm sure you know how to link to wikipedia. You link to it or any page in it. And I'm sure some wikipedians would be interested in your site. If you're trawling for links to your site, I think you'll mainly be out of luck. What you could choose to do is to have a look at Wikipedia pages on insignia and use your skill and knowledge to improve them. We would be most grateful for that. --Tagishsimon (talk)

[edit] Riddles

Riddles seem to be frequent questions on the Ref. Desk. Should there be an article called "List of riddles and answers" or some such? -THB 01:30, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

That would be huge and would probably be WP:OR... Cbrown1023 01:32, 17 November 2006 (UTC)
It could possible be a subpage of the Ref Desk, though... like Wikipedia:Reference desk/Frequently Asked Riddles. Cbrown1023 01:33, 17 November 2006 (UTC)
Would it be part of the archive? Are there other FAQ pages at the Ref. Desk? THB 01:37, 17 November 2006 (UTC)
I don't think so... Cbrown1023 01:41, 17 November 2006 (UTC)
There is Wikipedia:Reference desk/faq. It does not seem to be under active development.  --LambiamTalk 05:03, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

I'd expect a WP:MFD if such a page was created. bibliomaniac15 01:43, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

Well, I guess we can always Google the archive. -THB 01:46, 17 November 2006 (UTC)
There is a comprehensive list here Sandman30s 08:15, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] nature

Which ocean do the Five Great Lakes empty into?

Please see the article on them to answer this homework question. -THB 01:53, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

The Great Lakes question is from a 60 year old woman....not homework, just questioning. The artcle does not answer question. Do the Great Lakes empty into the Atlantic Ocean or are they completly surrounded by land?

They drain into the Atlantic. Clio the Muse 02:02, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

Thank you very much!

By way of the Saint Lawrence River and Gulf. Here's the cross-section from the article.--THB 03:15, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] PS3

Are they going to be selling PS3's on the internet? If so which sites, and at what time does it start? RENTASTRAWBERRY FOR LET? röck 02:42, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

I suppose after the initial rush there will be online places to buy the PS3, just as it will be buyable in normal stores. But the initial launch is scheduled with only 400.000 units so if you haven't pre-ordered yours like month ago, you probably have to wait for the second issues. There's an article about an online snafu at IGN Aetherfukz 05:52, 17 November 2006 (UTC)
  • I heard the going price on Ebay is $3,000+ at the moment.hotclaws**== 13:58, 17 November 2006 (UTC)
Even if you pre-ordered months ago, you're not guaranteed one at the initial launch. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 20:15, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Help Me! The suffix '-ate'

I am doing a stems and roots assignment, and I need to look up the meaning of the stem "-ate". I found it on several lists throughout the Internet, including yours, but I can never find the meaning of it. What is the point of having this stem listed on a suffix lost if the list is horribly done, incomplete, and utterly useless? Not to be rude, but I'm dying here. Is there anyone on the planet who cold possibly know the meaning of the suffix "-ate" ?

Which language? In English, the spelling -ate is found at the end of many verbs, such as innovate, translate, fixate, decimate, terminate, and consecrate. The -ate seems to come from the past participle in Latin. (For example, innovatus is the past participle of innovare.) By the way, I think you should ask on the language desk, next time. --Kjoonlee 03:32, 17 November 2006 (UTC)
Wikipedia is an encyclopedia. To find the meanings of words it is best to use a dictionary, such as Wiktionary. See http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/-ate --Shantavira 08:35, 17 November 2006 (UTC)
Unfortunately many articles on Wikipedia are incomplete, and not a few are horribly done and utterly useless. Please come and help us improve some!
But in answer to your question - the suffix '-ate' (which I have never heard referred to as a stem) does not have a clear and consistent meaning in English: that is why List of English suffixes does not give a meaning for it. As a verbal suffix, I would say there is a tendency for it to refer to a process that changes something ('create', 'integrate', 'lacerate', 'adulterate') but this is a weak correlation and there are plenty of counter-examples. --ColinFine 19:14, 17 November 2006 (UTC)
Carbonate, acetate, sulphate etc. THe ate here means oxygen (or is it O3)--Light current 19:22, 17 November 2006 (UTC)
It simply means oxygen in the ionic compound. The amount depends on the valence of the other ion.—WAvegetarian•(talk) 09:36, 18 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Science Fair

I plan on doing a science fair project on how different factors affect voting patterns (minus the peer pressure, etc...). How should I go about the project?

See Scientific Method and Voting for a start. Cbrown1023 01:09, 16 November 2006 (UTC)
Also have a look at Elections. There are some useful links here. Clio the Muse 01:11, 16 November 2006 (UTC)
It would also help to know what grade you are in. We want to make sure we give you links that you can understand and information depth that is needed for your grade level. Cbrown1023 01:20, 16 November 2006 (UTC)
I'm going to assume you're from the US, but if you're not, you should specify your country in the question. It makes things easier for the people who answer anyway. - Mgm|(talk) 09:19, 16 November 2006 (UTC)
Yes, I'm from the US. I'm in eighth grade in California. (Don't underestimate me!!!)
Why? Does science change from country to country? --Tagishsimon (talk)
Please don't move your question down in the list... --Wooty  Woot? | contribs 02:55, 17 November 2006 (UTC)
The "soft" sciences do. -THB 03:29, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

One interesting effect is that you can turn out more voters for your cause if a proposal is also on the ballot that they will feel strongly about. For example, in the 2004 elections, many states had banning gay marriage proposals on the ballot. Many Republicans were filled with rage at the idea of gay marriage so much that they showed up just for that ballot, and voted for Republicans while they were there. Many Democrats, on the other hand, weren't particularly concerned about whether gays can get married or not, so it didn't affect their voter turnout much. You could study this effect by asking:

1) Who would you vote for as State Senator, if you were to vote right now ?

a) The Republican.
b) The Democrat.

2) If that was the only item on the ballot, would you bother voting ?

a) Yes.
b) No.

3) Now let's say there is also a proposal on the ballot to ban gay marriage. How would you vote on that ?

a) Support the ban.
b) Oppose the ban.

4) With those two items on the ballot, now would you bother voting ?

a) Yes.
b) No.

You can try various other proposals, some likely to get Democrats to the polls, like increasing the minimum wage, and gauge the effects of each on the final vote count for the candidates. For example, does including the gay marriage ban move the voters expected to vote toward the Republican side by 5%, and does the minimum wage increase move them toward the Democratic side by 10% ?

StuRat 05:22, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

That's a good idea, but I can't imagine a lot of people admitting that they wouldn't bother voting. The info you get from those two questions won't be particularly accurate. --Maxamegalon2000 18:02, 17 November 2006 (UTC)
Make sure the survey is anonymous, that way they won't be afraid to answer honestly. StuRat 23:01, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

You also need to make sure, insofar as you can, that you draw a random sample of voters. See this article: You need make sure (insofar as you can) that your survey represents a random sample of voters. See this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random_sample and the article on opinion polls: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polls

[edit] When does The Economist hit newsstands?

I think they publish on Thursdays but I only saw last weeks issue out there. I'm specifically interested in their special issue The World in 2006 which was also published today (Thursday). -- Pyro19 03:07, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

I used to subscribe, the print dates are Saturdays. It must be printed before then, I think the magazine is finalized for publication on Thursday so people like me could have it in Saturday's post. Robovski 04:10, 17 November 2006 (UTC)
From their website: "It goes to press on Thursdays and, printed simultaneously in six countries, is available in most of the world's main cities the following day or soon after." Dave6 09:19, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Online Jamming

I remember seeing this Bell Sympatico ad on TV and it showed people from all different corners of the earth having a musical jam session through webcams. Is there such a web site online that allows people to just talk and play together? Or are the bandwidth restrictions not where they should be yet?—The preceding unsigned comment was added by Wedgeoli (talk • contribs).

Dunno, but if you find out, drop me a line and we can jam. p.s. listen to more Slayer.81.144.161.223 11:27, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

I looked it up. Seems a lot of people *want* to do it, but I didn't find an actual application of it. I think it's a bit of a marketing dream, and the random Internet delays would destroy any hopes of actually doing this. --Zeizmic 14:58, 17 November 2006 (UTC)
I saw something talking about this in Wired a couple months ago, though I don't remember any URLs. You might look in the Wired from last month or the month before, it was on the cover. --Wooty  Woot? | contribs 19:55, 17 November 2006 (UTC)
Do you mean something like this? -Elmer Clark 22:00, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] iTunes "melding"

On iTunes, when a song has 5 seconds left it automatically merges into the next song, like a DJ would. How the fuck do I turn this off? It's incredibly annoying. And since I don't know what it's actually called, I can't search the Help file for it.

haha, is it 'fade in'? Sorry, I don't specifically know the answer, but your question made me laugh so I thought I'd try to help:) Vespine 04:53, 17 November 2006 (UTC)
Don't worry, I'm sure the next version will continue to do the melding of the music, but will also play honking sounds, and have several annoying DJ's talking at the same time, all played over a radio station's jingle, in order to fully reproduce the radio experience. :-) StuRat 05:13, 17 November 2006 (UTC)
It is called crossfade. See this for instructions. Lowerarchy 05:19, 17 November 2006 (UTC)
Why do people hate iPods and iTunes so much? Anyway, thanks for your help, I figured out how to turn it off.
They failed to invent them. -- Atlant 14:14, 17 November 2006 (UTC)
  • Why don't you send me an iPod so I can help you figure it out. :) - Mgm|(talk) 09:28, 17 November 2006 (UTC)
No idea why people hate them. I love my iPod and think iTunes is great as well as insanely easy to use. Dismas|(talk) 09:58, 17 November 2006 (UTC)
There are many equivalent MP3 players at cheaper price and that work better with more storage. iPods are..well..trendy. From a utilitarian standpoint, the alternatives suffice. --Wooty  Woot? | contribs 19:54, 17 November 2006 (UTC)
Apple. Nuff said. I don't like them just because they're too hyped up. I will admit, I like the design of the new iPod shuffles, but at a mere 1 gig, that's not adequate for me. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 20:12, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

Charging hundreds of dollars for 2GB of flash memory, a small LCD screen, and some very cheap embedded components to play mp3s through the headphone port is absurd. Make one in your basement for $50. Plus you can get a lot more storage out of it :) --frothT C 23:24, 18 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] RAZR charger outlet converter

hello I am an American in Britain. I'm trying to use the Motorola RAZR converter but I can't figure out how to get it to fit together. Please help! I'm forced to turn my phoone off at all hours to save power ! thanks. -Don

Are you trying to use an adaptor for plugging US devices into a UK socket? As long at the charger will work with a British supply (which is 240V 50Hz, the US uses 110V 60Hz, check the label on the charger to avoid an undesirable outcome) you should be able to use it with an adaptor - this will have a UK 3 pin plug on one side and a US socket on the other. Plug the adaptor into a wall socket (it's physically impossible to get this wrong, but note that UK sockets normally have individual switches) and then plug your charger into the adaptor's socket, and it should Just Work™. If your American charger won't work in the UK, you should be able to get a chjarger from any mobile phonme shop. -- AJR | Talk 14:54, 17 November 2006 (UTC)
There are two types of plug in the UK; if the adaptor only has two pins, it is designed for use in the bathroom. Adaptors for this sort of plug are quite common, so make sure that you've got the right sort. Note that all British plugs have fuses, so there's a small chance the fuse may have blown and needs to be replaced. Make sure also that you don't have a converter marked "Europlug"; they have rounded pins and only work for continental Europe, not UK-Ireland. Finally, please make sure your adaptor is "American→British" NOT the other way around! Laïka 16:59, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] how to be successful MBAin

currently i am doing mba,could you please help, what to do for becoming a good manager. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 61.8.138.54 (talk • contribs).

Listen to what people are saying and read leadership. -THB 17:00, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Oriental American Presence

I seem to remember hearing that there was a railway built across north american, and that europeans started at the one end and orientals started at the other, to see who could built it faster. This took place in the "wild west" is any of this true, and can you give me any more info? thanks—The preceding unsigned comment was added by 81.144.161.223 (talk • contribs).

Please sign your posts with 4 tilde's ~. Per First Transcontinental Railroad, the Central Pacific tracks were built from the West mostly by Chinese laborers, while the Union Pacific tracks were built from the East mostly by Irish laborers and Mormans. Between 1865 and 1869, the Union Pacific laid 1,087 miles (1749 km) and the Central Pacific 690 miles (1110 km). On the last day before the meeting, the Central Pacific crews laid 10 miles (16 km) of track. It was an event of national interest when the two railroads were joined with the driving of a Golden spike. There was no contest per se, but effectively the two railroads were competing to finish their sections. Edison 16:21, 17 November 2006 (UTC)
I heard in a documentary that government funding depended on getting at least a certain length ready (which was a problem for the guys starting in the west because they had to hack their way through the Rockies pretty much right from the start), that the land flanking the railroad was given to the builders (which was another incentive to build faster than the other guys) and that there was an extra bonus for the ones who reached a certain town first, which is why they worked so fast towards the end because the race was neck and neck (well, not literally of course). DirkvdM 19:46, 17 November 2006 (UTC)
Mountains, yes, but not the Rockies, which are farther east. --Anonymous, 23:55 UTC, November 17.
Yes, they got the right-of-way (land rights) for every mile they covered with tracks. This land added up to a considerable value. The faster each side built, the more land, and thus money, each would get. StuRat 22:54, 17 November 2006 (UTC)
In fact the CPRR and UPRR built about 100 miles past each other, each hoping to get the land associated with the extra mileage. I can't find a map online showing this, but this page is one of several telling the story. In the end the CPRR got to keep the duplicated track west of Ogden.
In Canada, the CPR was similarly built through the mountains of British Columbia from both ends toward the middle (meeting in 1885), and likewise made heavy use of Chinese immigrant labor. I presume the Chinese workers would similarly have been mainly used on the western section.
--Anon, 23:55 UTC, November 17.

[edit] Intermission - Nine Black Alps

Where Can I find tabs for the chord pattern for the guitar of this song, I can only find ones for the picking, and not for the chords. I'm desperate to know how to play it. Cheers. Philc TECI 20:16, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

This is a very good song. I learnt the tabs on my guitar.. :-). I think you can find out the chords yourself. I'll have a go at them. :-P. For the verse: Emaj Am C And get the ring and index finger one string down... I dont know the name of the chord..:-D I'll try to get the chords for the chorus in some time.. Cheers! Jayant,17 Years, India • contribs 04:04, 18 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Double Trouble in HP

Where does this come in the movie (what's happening at the time?)--84.51.149.80 20:19, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

Can you please elaborate? I have no idea what you're talking about? What movie? What happens? - Zepheus <ツィフィアス> 21:19, 17 November 2006 (UTC)
Given the italics, I would think that "Double Trouble" is the name of the movie but what "HP" is eludes me as well. Harry Potter? Dismas|(talk) 22:18, 17 November 2006 (UTC)
  • The song you refer to appears in, I think, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (note the abbreviation, Zepheus) either during the start of year feast or Halloween. It's sung by a choir of kids holding massive toads and it's also part of one of the film's trailers. - Mgm|(talk) 22:20, 17 November 2006 (UTC)
I believe that it was part of "Something wicked this way comes", a song from the movie, used in the trailer. Laïka 23:59, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Bencko/Bensko

Does anyone know the meaning of the name "Bencko" or "Bensko"? I have been trying to find this out, but with no luck. Yeltensic42 don't panic 21:46, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] SonyBMG contact info

I'm trying to confirm some facts with SonyBMG for an article, but their site is confusing me. Is it possible to contact their UK branch by email? - Mgm|(talk) 22:15, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

I just called the phone number listed on their contact page to enquire about it. When not during business hours it connects through to their security office, which "isn't allowed to give out any information. You'll have to call back after 9 on Monday." So, there may be but I don't think it is available on the site and we can't ask until Monday.—WAvegetarian•(talk) 09:17, 18 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] London curry house

where do I go for a cheap curry house in the london area? All the restaurants I've foudn are expensive. Thanks -Don

  • It's a bit out of the way, but I found the Indian place down the street (to the right) of Borough station in London (towards Elephant and Castle) both tasty and affordable. Can't remember how many curries they serve. - Mgm|(talk) 22:43, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] used bookstore London

I'm looking for an HP Lovecraft book in London. Where are the good bookstores that would have something like this? I don't think a Borders-type place would have it. Know any interesting used bookstores in London? Thanks -DON

Go to Foyle's in Charing Cross Road-it's an Aladdin's Cave for book lovers. Penguin Books have two Lovecraft anthologies in print, I think; but there should be plenty of other editions. And enjoy yourself! Clio the Muse 23:27, 17 November 2006 (UTC)
And there are quite a few other used book shops is that general area. Or you could search for a book online at www.abebooks.co.uk or www.alibris.co.uk find a London shop which stocks it and and make a bee-line for it, with hope that it will still be there. meltBanana 23:50, 17 November 2006 (UTC)
My apologies: I was taking my cue from your initial questions, rather than your heading. If you are looking for good second-hand bookshops there are plenty in the area of the London Coliseum. Clio the Muse 23:57, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Change title

How do I change the title of an article that I created? On this page the title would be "Editing Wikipedia: Reference desk..." —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Zaragunda (talk • contribs).

You "move" the article to a new title, but first make sure there's not already an old article under that name, or that there will be misleading links from other articles. The older title will remain as a redirect. 惑乱 分からん 23:49, 17 November 2006 (UTC)


[edit] Question on use of IMDB as a wikipedia source

Is it acceptable to use IMDB as a external source to verify article information? Is there a policy on this in wikipedia? Can someone point me to the policy? If there is a discussion about the use of IMDB somewhere can someone point me to it? thanks --Mattarata 23:46, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

  • It's pretty reliable as to who appeared in what, but bios and trivia are more prone to misinformation. I prefer to mention them as an external link, rather than a soure. IMDB required users to provide a source when submitting info (last time I tried about 5 years ago), so it's better to cite the original source anyway.- Mgm|(talk) 00:10, 18 November 2006 (UTC)
IMDb no longer require a source, at least not for trivia. 202.10.86.63 02:54, 18 November 2006 (UTC)
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../r/e/f/Wikipedia%7EReference_desk_Archives_Miscellaneous_2006_November_17_906e.html"