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Contents 1 February 21 1.1 a pestering question 1.2 Masturbation 1.3 Is this a reliable webhoster? 1.4 Civil Rights 2007 1.5 I forgot to log in 1.6 Unfrozen Sprite 1.7 meaning 1.8 Airplane Doors 1.9 european cup/champions league 1.10 Contract law 1.11 national service 1.12 metabolic engineering 1.13 DVD Boxes 1.14 BORNEO 1.15 A cap in football 1.16 Anyone know how to contact someone who lives in Antarctica? 1.17 Stool Color 2 February 22 2.1 Rolling Papers 2.2 How is this thing called in English? 2.3 How to find Report for Market Share in the UK of Real Wood Flooring 2.4 Football cards and competitions 2.5 Turning off the Norton Pop up Blocker 2.6 Drawing a freehand circle 2.7 P/E ratios 2.8 Location of this building... 2.9 Example of a company that moved from enterprise to consumer 2.10 clothing images 2.11 Surname "Rutter" 2.12 Brazil online store item purchase/shipping to USA 3 February 23 3.1 Wikipedia Web Page Font Unreadable? 3.2 Reality 3.3 Lord of the Flies question. 3.4 Boobs 3.5 resume type 4 February 24 4.1 Where is???? 4.2 signature analysis 4.3 About Bill Gates 4.4 Headline text 4.5 The Champion 4.6 How can I add userboxes to my page? 4.7 ford F150 triton pick up truck 4.8 Hong Kong and Macau 4.9 Wikipedia on Wikipedia? 4.10 There is a wiki about MMORPGS 4.11 Ld4all.com 4.12 The Matrix religion 4.13 G 4.14 VAT in Turkey 4.15 Glass wine bottle stuck in plastic cannister 4.16 Turning dial on watch 4.17 Laws in Florida about hiding one's face in public? 4.18 Ceramics Story 4.19 U.S. Interstates 4.20 Website not working 4.21 help me 4.22 Trans 5 February 25 5.1 Computer Printer costs? 5.2 Colour change when travelling through clouds? 5.3 a question. (human-powered flight) 5.4 Megaphone,walkie talkie and intercom use 5.5 Youtube 5.6 cohort 1935 5.7 family guy reference 5.8 Problems with login 5.9 Virgin Pendolino Train Derailment in Cumbria England. 5.10 Wikipedia Images 5.11 How to make little sugar balls? 5.12 Cannot rid myself of spiders, no matter what I do 5.13 Poker question 5.14 Defloration and culture 5.15 Cigar ads 5.16 Changing Daylight Savings Time 6 February 26 6.1 CFL bulb in three-way socket? 6.2 American flag 6.3 Again...U.S. Interstates 6.4 Martial Art 6.5 Mobile wireless devices 6.6 Murder on the ISS 6.7 Secession in Pakistan 6.8 From soft drinks to "hard drinks"? 6.9 Car emblems 6.10 Pronounciation 6.11 Unknown Song 6.12 WW2 Technology disputes 6.13 Voice Depth 6.14 Biodiesel 50 Million gallons 6.15 Narcotics 6.16 Defloration again 6.17 gutenberg bible 6.18 User Boxes 6.19 Role of the AHL 6.20 Pain 6.21 Water in stone 6.21.1 Lost in Space ? 7 February 27 7.1 Crossover vehicles 7.2 Technical aeronautic vocabulary 7.3 Irritating TV news cliché 7.4 moved from Talk:September 11, 2001 attacks 7.4.1 Passenger Manifest 7.5 Bill Cosby 7.6 Article name 7.7 Itunes7 7.8 pretexting 7.9 Saint-Martin: European Union status 67.70.203.202 17:19, 27 February 2007 (UTC) 7.10 vicar 7.11 why did the market crash today? will it crash tomorrow too? 7.12 Record for most stike outs in carrer in MLB? 7.13 no personal articles 7.14 Cingular MediaNet 7.15 publishing 7.16 screensavers 7.17 Contribution 7.18 UK road signs 7.19 Widescreen monitors. 8 February 28 8.1 Interest pay off 8.2 Serena Williams 8.3 calories 8.4 i need help 8.5 lsd 8.6 Reading upside down? 8.7 how can carlos coys fans wrie to him 8.8 221,000 kwh...? 8.9 Union 8.10 Internet Video Meme 8.11 Foggy days in London England. 8.12 sex help

[edit] February 21

[edit] a pestering question

[edit] Masturbation

How to stop masturbating? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 67.81.69.219 (talk) 20:09, 21 February 2007 (UTC).

Get a woman 193.65.112.51 20:21, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

...even better one that masturbates too. 71.100.171.80 13:10, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

I think this answer is very presumptuous. Please don't assume that anyone who masturbates (or wishes to stop masturbating) would be satisfied with a woman as a substitute. It also presumes that people (or men and lesbians, I guess) in (again, presumably) sexual relationships stop masturbating; an assumption disproven times over by surveys. Anchoress 23:42, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

Also, why assume that the poster is a heterosexual male or a lesbian? Please tell me you realize that straight women and gay men masturbate as well. --Charlene 08:55, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Just... Stop? Last I checked masturbation wasn't that terribly addictive although it is pleasant. Joneleth 20:28, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

Could have a problem with wet dreams if you do that though -- feb^talk 23:37, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

Like any pleasurable activity, masturbation can be addicting. --Carnildo 00:41, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

If it interfers with your daily life, you could get some counseling. If you keep it moderate, and don't bother anyone else, it's no problem in itself. 惑乱 分からん 21:11, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

You can be a Eunuch person. 202.168.50.40 00:29, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Just get a grip on yourself man, and take yourself in hand!

Exactly, this souldn't be too big for you to handle... 惑乱 分からん 01:52, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Yeees. It definitely can be addictive, but only in the same sense that breathing, eating and sleeping are addictive. I'd say more about this, except something's just come up and I've got to go and do something about it.  :) JackofOz 01:08, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Too much information!!!! --Nevhood 07:06, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Now that all the bad puns are out of the way, the answer is simple. You don't stop. Pacific Coast Highway ^{{The internet • runs on Rainbows!}} 02:17, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Don't mind JackoffOz, he's just yanking your crank. Just tell him to beat it and he'll knock it off. They say that if you really want something, you can get it. People have told me that hypnotism works for things like this. V-Man737 02:06, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Didn't they used to give bromine to soldiers to eliminate their sex drives and prevent masturbation and possible homosexual activity? --Kurt Shaped Box 02:09, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

I think it was tried. Didn't work.Geni 02:20, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Myth. Read about it on snopes a while back. -Wooty Woot? contribs 02:53, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

With a fanfare? meltBanana 02:37, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

They say that every time you masturbate, you kill a kitten. I don't know if that helps, but whatever. --Nevhood 07:08, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

This is true! It's in Wikipedia. SubSeven 07:19, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Wow. I can't believe it. Well, it is Wikipedia after all! --Nevhood 07:22, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Also: Ceiling Cat is watching you masturbate. Beware. --Kurt Shaped Box 07:41, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

One of my favorite cat pictures! --Nevhood 21:31, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Masturbation is a serious issue, and not just among people. In one of the early space launches, pre human flight, one monkee restrained in a capsule got a free hand. Apparently ejaculate gummed some of the electronics.

According to this site, Masturbation can kill, or maim you.

Controlling adolescent masturbation is an excuse for female genital mutilation in some cultures.

I've discussed this with my wife, but she said she couldn;'t help me. Something has to happen to stop this getting out of hand! DDB 10:11, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Well to throw in a piece of 'trivia' for you...the song "Get a Grip" by Semisonic is about this form of self-pleasure. It's from the album All About Chemistry. ny156uk 11:34, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

List of songs about masturbation. Isn't Wikipedia wonderful? 惑乱 分からん 17:50, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Dave Sim wrote that "sexual desire is a lot like a rash. If you keep 'scratching it' you make it worse... If you learn to leave your penis alone, I discovered, your penis will learn to leave you alone." --Lph 18:01, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

...except for the messy sheets instead of the messy towel 71.100.171.80 13:24, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

On the other hand, if it'd turn you into Dave Sim, I doubt it'd be worth it... =S 惑乱 分からん 20:58, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Any kind of activity can be the subject (object?) of a compulsion or obsession (I do not mean OCD). When anything, be it D&D, masturbation, or wikipedia, takes up an inordinate amount of your time and negatively impacts other areas of your life then you are exhibiting addictive or self-destructive behavior. As a Scientologist, I would not, of course, direct you to a "mental health professional" but would first urge you to try some self-therapy and self-discipline. It would help to quit completely and remove anything from your home that is associated with the activity (I mean porn, not napkins). For a while, stay away from things, activities, and areas you know will cause problems for you. Find an alternate activity that takes your mind off the compulsion. If that does not work, then there are twelve-step programs for sexual addiction. If you are religious then talk to your priest, rabbi, mullah, etc. --Justanother 21:25, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Ok, in all seriousness, there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with masturbation. It is a healthy part of your sexuality and you should never been ashamed of it or try to stop yourself from doing it just because you think it's wrong. Some people (me, when I was younger) can experience severe headaches when doing it (it has to do with high blood-pressure, I think), but those are not dangerous and it's fairly rare. That's pretty much the only physical ailment associated with masturbation. Also, virtually every man in the world reguarly masturbates, so not only are you not alone, you are in the VAST majority. You should not quit, that's a very, very bad idea. Some people tell you it's wrong and shameful but it is not. It is completely normal, and completely ok. Of course, everything can be turned into a compulsion, whether it is video games, exercising, playing chess, or whatever. If you feel that you have to do it several times a day, even when you don't want to do it, you might want to talk to a doctor or something. But that's probably not you.

My advice: enjoy the heck out of it! It feels great! Make a point out of making up the most fun fantasies you can (like I don't know, Lindsey Lohan on the top bunk in a submarine crew room. Or why not Paris Hilton in a ski cabin during a snowstorm playing strip poker. Fantasy Hilton can be A LOT of fun, and she's terrible at Texas Hold'em ;) An active sexual life and imagination is a GOOD thing, don't let anyone else tell you different! And remember, those people that tell you different, they are almost certainly doing it too! Oskar 23:20, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

I don't disagree but remember that some people can have a drink with dinner and enjoy a nice movie and some people have a drink with dinner and wake up the next morning in an alley. If it is a problem for him on the order of addictive or compulsive behavior and if he wants to address it then he should address it. That is my only point. He could as well have asked "How do I quit playing WoW" or "How do I quit editing wikipedia". Best of luck to all. --Justanother 00:46, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

Also please keep in mind that you may not think it is "wrong or shameful" but some people do. Please don't try to enforce your opinions of morality on other people. Johntex\^talk 16:58, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

Considering this person is probably a kid, we shouldn't condemn them for something which is perfectly natural, anymore than we would condemn them for blinking or scratching an itch. -- feb^talk 19:02, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

I can't help but notice how many and how detailed, and apparently well-informed responses are on Wikipedia Reference Desks on subjects as intellectually stimulating as wanking, shitting and pissing etc., as compared to the many sparse and parsimonious answers given to some of the genuine and more worthy questions that are posted, including even those that are completely ignored. There must be a correlation in there somewhere. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 81.145.241.52 (talk) 20:58, 25 February 2007 (UTC).

Loved this quote. --Taraborn 21:55, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

Promise God you will try to stop: When my mother was dying a couple months I promised God I would try to stop if my mother was spared. When my mother was spared, though I did not stop imediatly I lost the urge, and have not done so in a couple weeks. Such was the case even though throughout college and law school I engaged autoerotic behavior at least once a day.

The problem comes or arises from (no pun intended, chukle, chuckle) becoming envolved in the first place with the person or persons who taught you how to do this. 71.100.171.80 14:04, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

how did people first learn to do things like this?

[edit] Is this a reliable webhoster?

Is the following site a reliable webhoster: [IX Webhosting]? I tried googling it, but was unable to find a reliable third-party source. Thanks. Jamesino 00:12, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

Ask here http://www.webhostingtalk.com/ That is where I went when mine changed hands for the 4th time. I went with http://www.asmallorange.com/ after looking over the posts there and have been very happy. --Justanother 03:09, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Civil Rights 2007

I was convicted of Sexual Battery on a Disabled Adult in 1997. I was wondering how I could get my civil rights restored so I can vote and own weapons, etc. Can you help me out man? Hallibrah 02:40, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

We definately cannot offer you any legal advice on that one. You'd need to ask a lawyer. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 02:48, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

Do we REALLY want people like this to have guns; I think not!

[edit] I forgot to log in

I forgot to log before editing entries concerned with Polish provinces. Has my contribution been 'signed' in any way?

By your IP address, that's not really a unique identifier though since most people's IP addresses change over time. Go to the page you made changes on and press the 'history' tab there, you'll see the changes logged. I'm not aware of a way to go back and modify that, but it's not really a big deal.Vespine 09:32, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

Oh and if you are signed in now, please sign your posts using four ~ in a row. Vespine 09:33, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

If the question is "Can I change the history for those articles to reflect my username instead of my IP address" - then the answer is a definite "No". Changing edit histories is made deliberately difficult on Wikipedia and it requires some ungodly level of admin privilages to be able to do it. There are very strict rules about when they will consider doing those edits and - trust me - "I forgot to log in when I did those edits" is not remotely close to being one of them! SteveBaker 15:02, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

unedit it, and then edit it back, making sure you sign it then172.143.134.90

[edit] Unfrozen Sprite

I left a can of Diet Sprite in my car overnight, and it froze. I brought it in and let it sit for a bit, then poured out the liquid when it was about half-defrosted. It tasted really good, as if it had 50% more flavor than normal Diet Sprite. When the other half melted, it had very little taste at all. What happened, and does the rest of the world know about this phenomenon? -- Mwalcoff 03:12, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

It's effectively 'freeze distillation'. A simplistic explanation is that when you chill something like that, the water in the drink freezes at a higher temperature than the rest of the ingredients - leaving most of the other ingredients behind as a liquid. So if half of the drink has turned to ice, what remains is about twice as concentrated. However, that's actually not quite what happens - the Freeze distillation and Fractional freezing articles have a more accurate explanation. When you drank the second half of the drink after it melted, you were drinking mostly water - which is why it tasted of nothing. SteveBaker 03:23, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

Zone melting (zone refining) gives another point of view on the process. Think of all the flavor (sugar, fruit flavors, etc.) as "impurities" relative to the water that makes up most of the contents of the can.

Atlant 12:29, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

That's pretty cool -- it's also why ice wine is so sweet. I wonder if any restaurants or bars or anything do freeze distillation to make particularly flavorful versions of drinks. -- Mwalcoff 00:01, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] meaning

can u help me know the meaning of the name 'SHIMOLI'?? i heard i somewhere and quite liked it.. so wanted to find out its meaning.. please help me find it!!!!

This website seems to suggest it means 'calf'.. Vespine 09:29, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

Shmuli pronounced "sh-moo(as in a cow)-lee(as in the general)" is a derivation of the name shmuel a common Jewish name. Jon513 13:22, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Airplane Doors

Would it be Physically possible to open an airplane door in mid flight? Has it ever happened and what were/ would be the consequences?

If you actually could open the door in mid-flight (impossible!), then this would be happening: [1] --Zeizmic 12:44, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

This has been addressed above. anonymous6494 16:09, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] european cup/champions league

who are the five men who have won the european cup/champions league,both as player and manager.?? - hw.

Miguel Muñoz, Giovanni Trapattoni, Johan Cruijff, Carlo Ancelotti and Frank Rijkaard. Skarioffszky 22:53, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Contract law

My question is about two parties involved in a contract dispute. If a Contractor (A) assigned contracts to Contractor (B) and that contractor (B) did in fact contact each and every Individual to those said contracts of Consumer (C) where does the Liability of the contractor (A) or contractor (B) after acceptance, Consideration and bounding of said contracts from Consumer (C) to Contractor (B) has been already done. Also where can i find documentation to that fact or would there a web site i could find that information. Thank You (Enacting the campaign to starve spambots) —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Screenguy1 (talk • contribs) 19:32, 21 February 2007 (UTC).

We are not allowed to give legal advice here at the reference desk. Sorry. SteveBaker 20:13, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

True, but I think a referral to any text on Contract Law in general and Privity of Contract in particular would have been a more reasonable response. It depends on the Jurisdiction and the details of the original Contract between A and B. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 81.145.240.114 (talk) 00:36, 22 February 2007 (UTC).

[edit] national service

In canada do they still have national service, and if so how long do they have to serve?

No compulsory military service in Canada. --Zeizmic 23:01, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

Two years at Tim Hortons. It's all part of The Plan. If we get invaded, we just lure the enemy to the vast number of local coffee shops. Once they're divided, with unit cohesion at the lowest point, we suddenly pelt them mercilessly with donuts until they surrender. Much cheaper than buying M1 Abrams tanks and F-14 fighters. Clarityfiend 00:54, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

There is no compulsory service of any kind, military or otherwise. --Charlene 08:51, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

10 years compulsory service on the ice.

[edit] metabolic engineering

So many Greeks or other people with Greek names in metabolic engineering - coincidence or is there a reason? DId Greece spearhead the modern Metabolic Engineering research?

No clue, but I love a good souvlaki or a spanakopita. V-Man737 02:02, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] DVD Boxes

I noticed that on all my DVD boxes there is a 5 digit number at the bottom of the binding egde. What does that number mean?

Just a guess but I'd say it's some sort of catalog number. It saves space by having a five digit number for every film than having the film name in the database. It also avoids mistakes for bad spelling. Dismas|^(talk) 00:29, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] BORNEO

1. How many miles from Brunei to Kucing. Kuching to Pontianak, Kalimantan?

from Brunei to Kuching it's a lonnnng bus ride, perhaps 12 hours, and with AC on full blast - bring a coat.

Travel distance calculator between cities. Anchoress 11:38, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] A cap in football

I asked this at Talk:Cap (sport) but there's no response and the Cap (sport) article doesn't make this clear, but in football (soccer), a player is only capped if s/he makes an appearance in a match, right? It doesn't count if the player is selected for the team and even named to the team sheet, but doesn't play in the match? Thanks. howcheng {chat} 07:00, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Yes. If the player was a substitute that didn't come on, it isn't counted as a cap.--K.Z ^{Talk • Vandal • Contrib} 07:33, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Anyone know how to contact someone who lives in Antarctica?

AIM, IRC, email. I'd like to ask them what the weather is like. 68.56.241.32 03:27, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

Demographics of Antarctica might get you started... V-Man737 04:03, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

Too bad you didn't ask the question earlier, the woman who writes this blog has already left for the winter season. http://www.icewrite.blogspot.com. Crypticfirefly 04:11, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

at any rate, this resulted from a search for "Antarctica" on Weather.com. V-Man737 04:22, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

Heh... I would say it is probably a little chilly. Current temperature. If you know someone who is in Antartica, they should be able to access their normal e-mail account. If you want to contact someone you don't know, look up the Antartic program for one of the normal host countries (example: United States Antarctic Program). LOL - They even have a link for Checked Baggage Losses. SWAdair | Talk 11:15, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

Try contacting the writer of this website - looks like he has some contacts on "Big Ice". This place will probably also be able to help. BTW, it provbably won't be quite as chilly as you think - it's late summer on the Ice, so temperatures (out of the wind, at least), will be fairly reasonable - relatively speaking, of course. At this time of year, if you want really cold, you should talk to our good friend Mr. User:CambridgeBayWeather up there on Ellesmere Island. Grutness...wha? 11:59, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Stool Color

What does Green Poop mean in an Adult female human? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 69.210.74.146 (talk) 20:01, 21 February 2007 (UTC).

It could mean that the adult female human had recently ingested quantities of iodine. The tablets that are used to purify water while hiking cause a rather shocking display of color a day or two later. --Mdwyer 20:06, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

What else besides Iodine would cause that. I don't thinki could have eaten anything with iodine in it, and i know i didn't take any pills, Or wait...Does Dayquil and Niquil have iodine in it.

Well you have ingested some kind of chemical that coloured your poop because as far as im aware theres no natural biological state in which your poop turns green. But then again im no doctor. Joneleth 20:22, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

Found some additional information I believe.

"What is the cause of green poop?" I have consulted with a doctor, a physiologist and a microbiologist on this question, and the following summarizes their answers: Healthy people can have green poop if they eat a diet rich in leafy green vegetables, or if they consume large quantities of food coloring (in ice cream, cake frosting etc.). Green poop can also be caused by excess iron in the diet, from dietary supplements, for example. If the body does not absorb all the iron consumed, the iron may stain the poop green, the color of iron (II) salts. Ordinarily, the green color may be masked by the normal brown poop color, but if digestion is thrown off by illness so that bilirubin is less concentrated in the intestine, the green color may become apparent. This can happen when a person is afflicted with diarrhea. Green poop in sick babies may come from iron in baby formula not being properly absorbed, or by green pigments in bile salts (again, green from iron). "

Joneleth 20:27, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

Thanks, But i think i found the culprit. I take a daily vitamin with 100% of the daily value of Iodine in it. Thanks for the info.

One possible culprit, at least. Please consider talking to a doctor and remember that Wikipedia Does Not Offer Medical Advice. --Mdwyer 20:44, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

Blue Kool-Aid in even relatively low doses will turn your poop green. Dismas|^(talk) 23:42, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

Never underestimate the power of food coloring. My uncle drank a bottle of blue-colored drink once, he actually managed to STAIN the toilet bowl blue... -- feb^talk 00:01, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Indeed. For a "bad taste party", I once made a cake out of differently-coloured mini-muffins, all stuck together with multi-coloured icing. It was a crowd-pleaser, but the toilet bowl the next day was definitely a worry, until I put 2 and 2 together. JackofOz 01:13, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

A blue drink, I've never seen one of them before:) Personally I tend not to study things in my toilet, but if it has been happening for a long time, and nothing ahs gone wrong yet, don't worry about it:]Hidden secret 7 17:15, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] February 22

[edit] Rolling Papers

Hey sometimes when I'm rolling up a joint, and I consider myself quite the expert in the field, the paper doesn't roll smoothly, it sticks and is hard to handle. So what causes that? Is it atmospheric conditions, relative humidity, the hands being unclean, or too clean? Can anyone here please help me out? Hallibrah 02:51, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Drugs aren't cool man, get high on life! --Nevhood 07:05, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Go to Joint (cannabis) for information; although I suggest strongly against taking drugs. --K.Z ^{Talk • Vandal • Contrib} 07:36, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Personally, I put cannabis right up almost with nicotine, well above caffeine but below alcohol in the relative scale of "harm". But if it is illegal where you are then you should lay off. There, that is my editorial. Now, since you are an expert and, assuming that you do not quit after getting well-meaning advice, then I would suggest that you experiment under different condition. My guess, since you say it sticks, is excess humidity; either in the air, in your hands, in the pot (very possible), or in the papers. --Justanother 14:44, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

I actually put cannabis below nicotine. Yeah I'm weird. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 213.48.15.234 (talk) 15:31, 22 February 2007 (UTC).

So did I. --Justanother 16:36, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Below nicotine? Nah, I don't agree, I sprinkle it on top, find it burns better that way... ;) Vespine 00:00, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] How is this thing called in English?

Hello,
My name is Asen Mishev
I work for a company and I need to translate this thing on the pictures in English.
In every translation I make the google dosn't show the results I needed.
I will be very appreciated if you can help me.
http://www.ts-tsar.com/userfiles/elements/48_Page46.jpg
http://www.ts-tsar.com/userfiles/elements/95_Page47.jpg
Asen Mishev
Amishev 13:50, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

It's not entirely clear from the pictures and without context, but I'd go for "shack" or "cabin". In English English they're a bit too grand to be "shed"s. What are they made from? --Dweller 13:58, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

I'd go with shed if it's for storage or cabin if it's for living. -Ambassador1 14:30, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Or garage if the diagram with the large opening doors are for cars &c. --Tagishsimon (talk)

Shed will work OK. See http://www.tedssheds.com/ for some examples of sheds. You can also call it a building or a structure, and if prefab, a prefabricated building or structure. --Justanother 14:35, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

It is made from thermo-isolated panels, made from sheet metal and thermo-isolation.Amishev 14:44, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

You can just go with "building". See http://www.us-buildings.com/product.html --Justanother 14:56, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

It looks like it's a commercial building that might be used (for instance) to serve food at a market or a park. The three doors are too high above the ground to be for cars. We'd call that kind of building a stall. --Charlene 15:41, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

I agree with this answer. The first building is a retail stall (or kiosk) with window-flaps for serving the food to walking-by patrons; and sinks, fridges and stoves inside for preparing food to be sold. The second one looks like a single-car garage (with the full-opening door, showing two styles of garage door possible). --Maelwys 15:51, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

The first image looks a bit like a "Bird Hide" - for birdwatchers? eg http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=bird%20hide&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi87.102.9.28 16:05, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Seems to me that the critical question is what the structures are for. Given that, an appropriate English word would be easy to suggest. Chris Towner 10:49, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] How to find Report for Market Share in the UK of Real Wood Flooring

Not sure if anyone can help or not, but after extensive searcing on Reuters, National Statistics etc, I cannot find this anywhere.....the company I work for is looking to expand into this market and we want to know who the market is served by right now, and what percentage these companies hold......I am sure there is a website/company out there that provides this service, and we dont mind paying either, I just can't find anything :-(

Thanks!

195.26.237.254 16:46, 22 February 2007 (UTC)Paula

Is this what you were looking for? SWAdair | Talk 10:29, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Football cards and competitions

In #Beckham being sent off above, User:Downunda stated that because Beckham got a red card in a La Liga match, it doesn't apply to Champions League. I get this, but I always thought that bookings carried over from one competition to the next when they were under the auspices of the same governing body. I know in England, a suspension earned during a Premier League game can be served in a League Cup or FA Cup match (because they're all governed by The Football Association). But let's say a player got a red card in a Champions League match (which is administered by UEFA) and his next match was a Euro 2008 qualifying match (also UEFA) -- would would he be banned from appearing in that match? What about a red card earned in a World Cup match -- could the player be suspended from a FIFA World Club Championship game? howcheng {chat} 20:54, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Me again ;-) Generally suspensions don't carry from club comp to national comp (if Beckham was suspended playing for Real he could still play, if selected, for England). I am sure there are times when players with extended club bans are ruled out of the national duty (I think the English FA have a policy on this). FIFA do have the authority to ban someone from all football activity. But generally the one or two game suspension for a red card is only served as outlined in the original question. For more info try here (esp Article 38)- http://www.fifa.com/en/organisation/legal/chamber/0,1489,2,00.html

Downunda 22:29, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Turning off the Norton Pop up Blocker

I have a new computer and when I open up a certain window in this site for my work it will only allow me to do so the first time. After I save and exit I try to go to the next link it won't allow me to open any links again instead it gives me a sound and says "a pop-up window was blocked." Sometimes if I try long enough and I exit that site and re-enter it will let me or open a pop up window but then it won't let me again. I also tried going through the other way turning down the security level and clicking off the check mark it still won't allow me to open up pop-up windows from that site. Also a side note is that my computer allows pop up windows on other sites. I believe it is Norton Virus program, so how can I turn it off temporarily, or at least the pop up blocker for that program?

You should go over to the Computing Desk, state your operating system, and your internet browser, and the version of Norton. Most likely you got some malware, since everybody has it. --Zeizmic 23:15, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

For most pop-up blockers you hold down Ctrl and that will allow the pop-up.--ChesterMarcol 23:15, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Drawing a freehand circle

Can anyone give me some tips on drawing freehand circles? I have looked on Google, but only managed to find a video of a guy drawing a virtually perfect 1m circle completely freehand on a blackboard. I am specifically looking for how to draw smaller circles, say 10 cm in diameter or less. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. --80.229.152.246 22:52, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

If you're doing it on a piece of paper hold a pencil/pen normaly then put your little finger down on the paper push fairly hard, use your finger as a pivot point and rotate the paper with your free hand in a circle under the pencil. I was trying this technique yesterday during a class, it seemed to work well.--ChesterMarcol 23:12, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

That is a cool video! I just discovered that the competition part is just a goof.[2] Too bad. --Justanother 23:19, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Practice it. Try doing it faster and faster, for many, many times. I heard that every shape you draw constantly naturally gets rounder and rounder... 惑乱 分からん 01:08, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

Woo-ooohhh, this guy is so close to the victory... 惑乱 分からん 01:32, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

To draw a straight line on a chalkboard you look at the end point, not the starting point or the marker. I think that in a similar way the worst thing you could do while drawing a circle would be to carefully watch the moving marker. Draw it wholistically and let the mind's servomechanism do the guiding. Also practice. Edison 03:48, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

Expanding on what Edison said, "Use the Force, Luke". This is one of those skills where you just have to have the confidence that you can do it; if you concentrate on it, you'll fail. And yes, practice helps too ;-).

Atlant 14:16, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

Thanks for the advice guys. I'll be sure to practice... --80.229.152.246 14:43, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] P/E ratios

why does it seem like P/E ratios for the energy sector are lower than P/E's for other sectors? Check out the tables of the largest market cap companies for

energy: http://finance.google.com/finance?catid=60918252 finance: http://finance.google.com/finance?catid=58211593 conglomerates: http://finance.google.com/finance?catid=59360336 etc.

Thanks. Unsigned. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 128.174.159.34 (talk) 15:38, February 22, 2007

My guess would be that investors believe that recent earnings are an unsustainable blip. Marco polo 00:11, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

???

Have you read P/E ratio, especially the section on interpretation? That should give you some general ideas. If I had to speculate on why energy P/E's are low -- as the article states, stocks with high earnings growth tend to have higher P/E ratios. It's hard to grow earnings when you're already making almost $40 billion a year, as Exxon is. Dave6 ^talk 10:40, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Location of this building...

Can anyone tell me where this building is located?

Image: http://static.flickr.com/180/399188320_9c4d9d7ecc_o.jpg

Thanks. Sp0ng 14:27, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

It is the Wales Millennium Centre in Bute Place, on Cardiff's waterfront. Marco polo 14:36, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Example of a company that moved from enterprise to consumer

I'm designing a website for a company that has a b2b branch and is opening a consumer branch. I'm having trouble figuring out how to entice consumers, while not confusing enterprise customers.

Can anyone think of a company that was solely selling to enterprise customers, but made a transition to selling to end users while maintaining their enterprise base? I'm trying to do a bit of research on strategy. Thanks! -Ambassador1 19:14, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

IBM and other mainframe-to-PC companies, but that expansion was pre-WWW I think. Anchoress 01:27, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Research In Motion with the BlackBerry Pearl. -- Mwalcoff 01:27, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

You could split the website into two seperate sections or even two seperate domains to avoid confusion. Johntex\^talk 16:43, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] clothing images

When searching for information on certain types of footwear I noticed you had several pictures accompanying the definition. Is there a stock photo website for clothing images that you use? Nicole Swann12.38.31.242 21:21, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Since Wikipedia is edited by thousands of people, this sort of 'stock' approach is unlikely to happen (though it could). If you pick on any of the pictures you will go to that picture's page in Wikipedia, which will often have some sort of source information. --ColinFine 00:47, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

Click on the image to go to the image's information page, which should contain information on the Image's source. Many of the free content images on Wikipedia are located on Wikimedia Commons. See the Commons pages for category:clothing, category:fashion and category:shoes. --h2g2bob 17:20, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Surname "Rutter"

where does the surname rutter derive from and where

Cheshire, according to this sauce. V-Man737 02:55, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Brazil online store item purchase/shipping to USA

I previously asked this question a few weeks ago, and received some helpful info, but I thought I would give it one more shot to see if anyone else knows anything. There is an item I want to order from a Brazilian online store. However, I live in the US and my bank account is US as well. The store is not set up to deal with this kind of situation, rather, it only really works for Brazilian residents. Is there any kind of service that could purchase the item for me and ship it to the US, so that I could pay them instead of the online store? Thank you! --Gladstone88 22:42, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Do you care to tell us what the store is? If not, then I guess you are saying they do not accept credit cards like VISA? Have you tried asking them about this? And in the time since you last asked you could have sent them an international postal money order and might have your stuff now. --Justanother 23:21, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Well here's the deal. The store accepts credit cards, but the website is entirely in Portuguese, and when you enter personal information, it requires a Brazilian city/state, etc. and some Brazilian ID numbers akin to a driver's license or Social Security number as we have in the US (though probably not so secure). Also, while a money order might work, it seems unlikely to me that they would really want to go through the hassle involved in that whole process (also I could see the money getting lost in a black hole). I will try, though. What I don't understand is that after copious amounts of research on my part, how can there not exist a service that simply buys items from within a country on a foreigner's behalf and then ships them to the foreigner? The next best option would seem to be to develop a very trusting friendship with someone who lives in Brazil. (The item in question is a CD box set from the Cultural Center of São Paulo--believe me, it is not available any other way.) --Gladstone88 10:10, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

The money would be drawn against your US credit card though - if money vanishes into a black hole - you call the credit card company and they get you your money back and deal with the store themselves. I don't think you have to worry about that aspect of things. I guess there might be a risk that they'd give your credit card number to someone else - but if mysterious charges start appearing in Brazil, you shouldn't have any trouble convincing the card company who the culprit is. I use my VISA card all over the world - it's never been a problem yet. But if they demand other personal data (like driver's license, social security - then I'd be much more nervous - those things are great for identity theft and that's vastly more serious than credit card fraud. Are you sure they aren't just asking for the 'security code' off the back of the card, the expiration date, etc? SteveBaker 17:20, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

You may want to consider contacting one of Brazil's Consular Offices in the United States. They should be familiar with Brazil's requirements and processes for international e-commerce. SWAdair | Talk 09:48, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

Good idea --Justanother 17:27, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

<from my talk page; did not realize the followup was cross-posted> Hi. Couple ideas for you. 1) Have you "talked" to them by email or phone. They may not be able to ship international for whatever reason. Do that first. If they can ship international then just give them the cc info over the phone. 2) Find an admin here that is from Brazil and ask him to help and pay him by money order. 3) There are firms like "freight forwarding" or "courier" firms that specialize in enabling business bewtween Brazil and US. Try to find one and ask them. Good luck. If you get stuck let me know and I will see if I can help more. --Justanother 12:19, 23 February 2007 (UTC) For 3) I mean like http://www.forwarders.com/home/international.html#Brazil While they may not do what you want, they may know someone that does. --Justanother 13:42, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] February 23

[edit] Wikipedia Web Page Font Unreadable?

I am barely able to read the font that appears on your Web pages. The font appears extremely compressed. When I select <TEXT SIZE> <LARGEST> your font becomes more readable but then the page does not fit within the screen. This problem does not occur on other Web sites that I visit. Can you advise a possible setting/work around for this problem?

I am using Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5.

Please reply by return email since reading any answer here would be near impossible.

Thank You. 69.85.154.235 02:55, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

You didn't even leave an e-mail address (which is a bad idea anyway) so how could anyone reply by it? Anyway the problem is probably due to the settings on your computer -- in your Control Panel there should be a Display tab which has font settings. I would be surprised if this was an issue related only to Wikipedia. You might also consider changing your browser. --24.147.86.187 03:36, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

I agree with the last statement, at least if not changing at least update, 5.5 is TWO versions superseded already, try IE7 or firefox. Take it from someone who works in IT support: trying to solve problems on obsolete software is a waste of time. Vespine 05:25, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

Try pressing CTRL+Up (or scroll wheel up), but yeah, get Firefox or Opera or something, IE5 is so outdated. -- feb^talk 18:58, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Reality

Does the human brain create illusions of reality because our brains are not capable of understanding reality? I know that question can't really be answered...but I was wander if anyone had any ideas about an answer or if there were any wikipedia articles that would discuss how our brain interacts with reality.

Humans cannot ever know what "reality" is, or even if there is such a thing as reality. All we ever know of the world, or the universe, is what we get through our senses. But even that's not "reality", it's merely our perception or interpretation of what's out there. What we work with all day every day is our perceptions, not reality. As Albert Einstein said: Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one. JackofOz 04:47, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

But how do we know if our senses aren't actually capable of sensing what reality truly is? 68.95.116.222 04:55, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

We don't know. We can never know if our senses are a true reflection of reality. This can be easily demonstrated. Ten people observe a car crash, and all will report different details of what actually happened. Are any of them reporting "reality"? There's no way to know. JackofOz 04:59, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

My favorite article that deals with reality-brain interaction is pareidolia. It shows just how relative reality can be at times. V-Man737 04:57, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

There are certainly things that our senses fool us about. We know for absolute certainty that we don't see "reality". One of my favorite examples is the colour "Yellow". Our eyes only have receptors that are sensitive to colours near red, green and blue. Since pure yellow (such as you might get from a Sodium street lamp) is somewhere between red and green on the spectrum, our red and green receptors are both weakly stimulated and our brains have learned that when this happens, we should label the colour "Yellow" - however, if you mix red and green light (for example on that computer screen you are looking at right now which only has red, green and blue light emitters...no yellow), that also stimulates both red and green sensors in our eyes and we say "Yellow" - despite the fact that there is no yellow light anywhere around. We teach ourselves that (when mixing light) "Red + Green = Yellow" - this is nonsense. Red + Green equals just that - Red plus green. It only looks yellow because our eyes respond to red+green in the same way they do to true yellow light.

This leads us to some interesting observations. There are animals out there (notably some species of shrimp and (oddly) the Goldfish) who have many more colour receptors than we do (some shrimp have twelve, the goldfish has seven, we humans just three). Such a creatures have a sensor that directly percieves true yellow light - so for them, the colour that is a mixture of red and green as seen on a TV screen or computer monitor would not look yellow - but some other colour that we can't even begin to imagine. So there are colours out there - perfectly normal colours within the visible spectrum - that we can't see correctly.

We could get a sense of how dramatic a difference this might be by imagining someone who had a form of colour-blindness that produced no green sensitivity. They would see pure green light as something that would very weakly stimulate their red and blue sensors - which would appear to them to be a darkish shade of purple...but to us "normal" people, it's pure green. So go back to thinking about that goldfish: the yellow on our computer screens and the yellow in a sodium street lamp are as different to them as green and purple are to us! It's exactly like the whole human race were colourblind...compared to the humble goldfish.

If you think about this in terms of sound instead of light, it's as if we heard the note "C" either when someone played a "C" or when someone played a chord containing "B" and "D". Our eyes can't tell the difference between "Yellow" and a "Red/Green" chord.

If you want to get freakier still - there is an interesting genetic condition called tetrachromaticity which can occur very rarely in humans (I believe there is just one known, proven case - an elderly lady in England who was tracked down using genetic testing). Tetrachromats have two different sensors in the green area of the spectrum that work at slightly different frequencies - so the person has FOUR types of colour sensors instead of the usual three. This lady sees colours that (as far as we know) nobody else in the world can see! Many tests have convinced researchers that she can indeed do this and the genetic disposition of colourblindness and other genetic markers in her history explain perfectly how this rare situation came about. Interestingly, she works in a shop selling knitting yarns and she has remarked on how her sensitivity to colour mismatches is significantly better than anyone else she's ever met.

SteveBaker 15:28, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

All of that being said, there is a strong belief by many that even though one can never truly experience reality directly, the combination of logic (which seems to work out most of the time) with sensate experiences can, in the end, result in a fairly reliable view of the world. While I do not share the view of the logical positivists that we can really consider that view to ever ultimately be a stand-in for "reality", it is in most cases a pretty useful and reliable form of knowledge about the world. --24.147.86.187 00:33, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

Part of what convinces us that our senses aren't telling the truth (or helps us out when they do) is that we're smart and we can do science. So in my (long) example above, we can feed yellow light into a prism and see it either split into red and green light or stay as a yellow line. This is concrete proof that our eyes are not seeing "reality" in all of its richness. The prism extends our feeble senses and lets us understand the world better. We are increasingly using computers and associated instruments to do this. These machines measure reality in ways that our senses cannot and convert that information into things we can readily understand. This means that our view of reality is changing - improving - with our ability to devise other machines to test our hypotheses. Whilst it's still possible that our senses are somehow conspiring to fool us, the fact that a computer display tells us (though our eyes) the exact same thing that we hear with our ears - or feel with our skin - lends some credence to the belief that since these entirely separate ways of sensing the world generally tell use the same things, that those things are "real". Whilst this clever trick is much more convincing than "seeing is believing" (which it most certainly isn't!) - it's still not ultimate proof. If you took a picture of that yellow light with a digital camera (which has three colour sensors just like our eyes) then we might be falsely lead to believe that red+green really does make yellow. But we're smart and we can divise devious experiments to test these things. But no matter how smart we try to be, we could all be stuck inside "The Matrix" and not know it. SteveBaker 05:12, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Lord of the Flies question.

When the kids from Lord of the Flies got back to society, would they be charged with any crimes?

Some of them could, in theory, be charged with murder (actually, two murders, if memory serves). It would ultimately hinge on the willngness of any of the boys to accurately report what had happened, and whether or not the prosecutors felt that they could sustain any kind of case, given both the circumstances and the potential unreliability of the witnesses. Although I daresay that's not exactly the point...Carom 06:17, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

• There could be an arguement that they wouldn't because the circumstances drove them mad.Also ,it might depend on who's jurisdiction the island was.hotclaws**== 09:43, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

Yes, the jurisdiction of the island may be of note but many countries will pursue a case just because the perpetrator (can't spell at this hour) is their citizen and the act is a crime in their home country. Dismas|^(talk) 10:38, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

Hotclaws, I think it is important to make clear that The Lord of the Flies is not about collective madness, but the collapse of a fragile civilization into outright barbarism. Your defence would come dangerously close-in the world beyond fiction-to excusing atrocities and war crimes. Clio the Muse 17:13, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

Which is precisely what goes on in many courts these days. True? Sure. Morally right? Nah. V-Man737 02:51, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Boobs

Do female breasts grow in size by regular pressing?

Well, only one way to find out, huh? ;) – Lantoka (talk) 08:13, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

On a more serious note in case you actually want to know, I highly doubt that "regular pressing" would have any affect on size. While I'm not a gynecologist or anything, I've never seen or heard of this happening. It shouldn't be too difficult to tell, either, with the number of women wearing push-up bras nowadays. If their breasts magically get bigger after wearing the bra, then tada, you've proven your theory.

Breasts do fluctuate in size naturally though, especially right before a women's period when they seem to fill with water. This difference is significant and can bump the women up a cup size. And of course, any kind of restrictive garment or clothing is probably going to compact/shape the breast more, making it appear bigger.

I trust this answers your question, if you were at all serious. =P – Lantoka (talk) 08:29, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

perhaps the OP meant bench-pressing (ie weight lifting)? spiggy 83.104.131.135 15:40, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

Maybe that would at least make them firmer. 惑乱 分からん 15:55, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

Oh. Now I feel stupid, since that's likely what this person meant.

Well, in that case, we need to get into a discussion of the tissue that makes up breasts. In the back, there is the pectoralis major muscle (in both men and women). In the front is the actual breast tissue. And everything else (and also the majority of tissue in many women) is made up of fat.

In men, it's possible to increase the size of the pecs considerably by weight lifting. However, one statistic I've read states that muscles in women grow at 1/4 the rate of men, due to much lower levels of testosterone and other androgens in the bloodstream.

So is small growth possible? Eeeh... probably a very little bit. But not much. Not even a cup size. It probably wouldn't even be noticable. – Lantoka (talk) 17:24, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

If anything, bench presses would reduce the fat in that area, making them slightly smaller. Eventually, I suppose, the fat could be replaced with muscle, but I'm not sure how that would work. I'd imagine Female bodybuilding has a bit about that. V-Man737 02:48, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

It wouldn't reduce the fat specifically in that area. Exercise will reduce fat all over. However, in the 70s starlets used to claim that they had gotten their "perfect" bubble breasts through bench-pressing. The line was that exercising the pectorals gave the breasts a better support system. This is crap. It was always an excuse for having gotten implants. Always.

Basically, there is no way to increase your breast size except by gaining weight all over, becoming pregnant, or getting implants. And I'm not sure why anyone would, given the physical pain that having large breasts entails. I had mine reduced on my 18th birthday. --Charlene 07:57, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

Possibly that'd depend on if the training is more bodybuilding-like or fitness-like. Can't recall having seen any women with toned muscles and big breasts (although I've read that women would have to take steroids to get a classic body-building body type, I don't know)... 惑乱 分からん 03:24, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

There are vacuum pumps that may make breasts grow. They are similar to penis vacuum pumps, just a lot bigger. Even if vacuum pump does not make breast grow it makes woman enjoy a lot s just like men enjoy vacuum handling of their penis 193.65.112.51 13:46, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] resume type

Is a resume in powerpoint format acceptable? 69.210.71.230 20:24, 23 February 2007 (UTC)Jon

Probably not, since PowerPoint is designed for presentations, and the purpose of the resumé is to convince the recipient to make a date with you for an intervew or presentation. A resumé should be very concise, presenting your essential qualifications as powerfully as possible in the minimum possible space. You have to assume that your recipient's time is limited and that he or she has to look through a pile of resumés. The traditional format is a sheet (or if necessary, a few sheets) of paper, with headings and bullet points designed to draw the reader's eye to your most appealing qualities. A possible alternative would be a web page on which you, or someone with a design background, might be able to use color and other design features to catch the viewer's interest. A PowerPoint format would probably put you at a disadvantage, because it would force the viewer to flip or click through multiple pages to see your various qualifications. PowerPoint tends not to use space very efficiently, and efficiency is essential in a resumé. The only context in which PowerPoint might be useful in a job application would be if your interview involves a presentation to more than one person. However, you would need to present your qualifications in a more concise format to obtain that interview. Marco polo 20:48, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

It would be ideal to put your resume in Microsoft Word (.doc or .rtf) format. --Nevhood 22:45, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

I think PowerPoint presentations tend to be distracting in style and low in information. Stay away from it, unless you are required to use it. And never never ever use it for a resume or CV... 惑乱 分からん 23:18, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

In many industries (and in the US military) there has been a strong backlash against glitzy powerpoint presentations because it is percieved (and perhaps true) that people are wasting time on presentation that would be better spent on creating content. I've been job hunting recently - I sent out my resume in PDF because it's portable across computer systems (remember, the person reading your resume might have a Mac or run Linux) - and because it guarantees that the page looks exactly the same no matter what operating system, no matter what fonts are installed, etc. However, in my cover letter, I always point them to a web page which contains copies of my resume in Word ('.doc'), HTML, OpenOffice, PDF, Rich Text Format and plain ASCII. That's enough to keep anyone happy! But keep your resume plain and unadorned. In some businesses they get many hundreds of resumes for each job that they have on offer and the person reading them probably spends less than a minute on reading each one. It is of paramount importance that the file is immediately readable - can be printed easily and automatically - and that all of the information is easy to see at a glance. So absolutely NO fancy stuff. Plain black text on plain white backing - a standard layout - try to fit it on one or at most two pages. I strongly suggest getting a book on resume writing - there are lots of them out there. Look at one of the sample resumes and make yours look exactly like it. SteveBaker 04:58, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

"Ten second rule". This is especially applicable to large companies. In general, you can expect your resume to get an initial review of about ten seconds, so you want to make sure that it has no frills and conveys all the important information in an easy-to-access format. Big blocks of text are bad, images are bad, fancy fonts and effects are bad. Action words are good, being short and to the point is very good, bullet points are good when used in appropriately (but DON'T abuse them, otherwise you'll create a lot of useless white space). There's a lot of information online about writing a good resume, so just do some searching. As to digital formats, I'd have to echo the above commentary that using a presentation format for your resume is a bad idea. PDF is a very good format to use, probably followed by MS Word since it's easily the most common office suite in the business world. -- mattb @ 2007-02-24T05:07Z

The rationale for offering alternate formats in your cover letter is because some companies (I believe Intel is one of them) now have software for automatically weeding out the junk resumes so that humans never even give them the ten seconds (isn't that a scarey thing?!). Some of them only work with a specific set of formats. I wrote my resume in OpenOffice and exported it into all of those formats in just a couple of minutes...it worked great. I only had to hand-edit the plain ASCII text version. Some recruitment companies reformat your resume to their own 'house style' anyway - so if you are going with a recruiter, it may not matter a damn what format it goes to them in! SteveBaker 05:21, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

The Word format is docx now --froth^T 07:03, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

...and if you wish to maximise the chance that the person reading your review won't be able to do so - that's the format to pick! If you are going to use Word format - pick an older '.doc' varient - you never know what version of Word that company may have standardized on - or indeed whether they are using something like OpenOffice or something from the Mac world that doesn't support OOXML. SteveBaker 14:23, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] February 24

[edit] Where is????

Please answer a question for me. Where is a city or town called Ossa, Russia. This town existed around the turn of the 20th century, like in the very early 1900's. Please send me exact location.

Thanks so much, Carmen email removed —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 24.94.88.26 (talk) 06:42, 24 February 2007 (UTC).

Please don't leave your e-mail address on any page on Wikipedia. It leaves you open to spam and other unwanted communications. --Charlene 07:52, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

See /www.earthsearch.net/intSearch.php.--88.110.23.62 07:30, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

Do you mean Osa, which is a town in the Russian subject of Perm Krai, specifically in the Osinsky District? According to Encyclopædia Britannica, "The city is about 60 miles (100 km) southwest of the city of Perm. Originally a village of Khanty (Ostyak), a Ugric-speaking people, it became the Russian town of Nikolskaya Sloboda in 1557 and was renamed Osa in 1737." [3] Rockpocket 08:02, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] signature analysis

Anyone experienced with this? I'm wondering if my signature/handwriting is easier or harder to detect a forgery for, because it's very inconsistant. By that, I mean the way a letter falls in one sentence might change in the next, or even the entire way I draw it. This is probably because I spend (and have spent since I was very young) more time typing than I have writing, and so when I think of writing, I think of forming the letters on paper more than I do *how* I form the letters. Combine this with a lack of fine control over my hands when it comes to drawing painting, writing etc., and my text looks very poor, as if it was written by a grade schooler. While that's a bit too indepth I imagine, i'd be interested in hearing this, since it seems like a lot of signature analysis is in finding a person's traits, which i'm curious as to how you'd find for me. -- feb^talk 07:11, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

Our article on Autograph, and there references therein, may help. Rockpocket 07:42, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

Signature "analysis" (purporting to tell personality, etc. from the signature) is a load of pseudoscientific hogwash. Signature *examining* (telling whether a signature belongs to a certain individual or not) is a completely different thing and is considered a form of forensic science. Nobody signs their name the same way twice, but a good examiner can determine whether a signature was made by a certain individual or not - they look at more than just the exact shape of the letters. --Charlene 08:05, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

One of the most unique things about how you form your signature (and one of the toughest for a forger to forge) is the pressure you apply to the pen at different parts of the signature. Signing with a pen that makes marks of different width or darkness makes those variations more clear - so signing with a fountain pen or almost anything other than the ubiquitous ballpoint would make sense - but sadly, that doesn't help much if the forger uses a ballpoint pen. SteveBaker 14:18, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] About Bill Gates

Is Bill Gates a jew?218.248.2.51 07:45, 24 February 2007 (UTC)Ecclesiasticalparanoid

Our article on him (Bill Gates, predictably enough) categorises him as agnostic. His public statements on the subject seems to confirm this, and that he considers religion from a Christian perspective [4], suggesting he is not, or ever has been, Jewish. Rockpocket 08:09, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

Also, the articles on his parents don't mention anything about Jewry either, so it seems unlikely he is of Jewish ethnicity, as well. The name "Gates" sounds very Anglo-American to me. 惑乱 分からん 14:58, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Headline text

was hitler a jew or a german? Hartbraker 101 17:02, 21 February 2007 (UTC)hartbraker 101

neither, he was austrian:)

But he did get his german citizenship, in any case he wasnt a jew. Joneleth 17:14, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

It has been alleged that he was 1/4 Jewish. Clarityfiend 17:30, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

And that allegation has no basis, there is even numerous facts that speaks against it making it less possible than a conspiracy theory. Joneleth 20:19, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

Absolutely. Moreover, German and Jewish aren't mutually exclusive categories, nor were they in the late 19th century, when Hitler was born. Many Jewish Germans fought (for Germany) in World War I. Have a look at the section German Jews, particularly the section Freedom and Repression (1815-1930s). ---Sluzzelin 20:29, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

Mind you, Hitler did his best to make German and Jewish mutually exclusive categories, via the gas chambers. He failed. JackofOz 01:16, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Silly people, he wasn't Jewish! He was Rastafarian. Saying stuff like that is obviously for the sheer irony it would entail. It would be no big deal to allege that he belonged to any group that he didn't persecute. V-Man737 02:13, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Well failed and failed, considering how many German Jews there is to german people id say he made fairly good progress. Joneleth 17:01, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Despite Hitler's opinion on the matter, I think you'll find that German Jews are also German people. "Good progress" when talking about his record with exterminating Jews in gas chambers is not exactly how I would put it. JackofOz 23:00, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Progress is making headway towards your goal and good progress means your doing excellent in reaching your goal, whether or not this goal conflicts with your morality has nothing to do with the words. And what I meant was that theres so few german jews today that you wouldnt be far off to say it (thats not to mean that a german couldnt turn jew or a jew couldnt turn german). Joneleth 19:28, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

And by german people I simply meant the Jew to non jew ratio in Germany. Joneleth 19:30, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

Regarding "that theres so few german jews today", mainly thanks to the immigration from eastern europe since the 1990s there are 200000 Jews in Germany today (see Jewish population, also the last section of History of the Jews in Germany). Germany has nowadays the 9th largest jewish population of all countries. 80.130.145.188 22:16, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

Yes numerically but try to put those jews into context of the ratio of jews to non jews. Joneleth 23:15, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

If I count correctly Germany is the country with the 16th highest proportion of Jews (according to the table in Jewish population). I don't think that's correctly described as "theres so few german jews today". Being German and being Jew is (luckily) again far from being mutually exclusive nowadays. 80.130.152.92 10:08, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] The Champion

The article for Ted Cowan contains a reference to what seems to be a publication called The Champion. Is this a newspaper? If someone does know to what it's referring, could you help out by creating a stub at the very least? Right now The Champion links to a disambig page but that page doesn't have a publication listed. Dismas|^(talk) 18:52, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

The Champion refers to a comic strip. --Nevhood 19:13, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

When I was a lad back in the 1950s there were four comic books, with five stories each, and all published weekly. They were the HOTSPUR, WIZARD, CHAMPION and (I'll try to remember). They were superceded by the EAGLE which was the first full UK comic strip comic. Featured DAN DARE. Thus the picture strip replaced the written word.90.4.118.9 17:01, 24 February 2007 (UTC)petitmichel And ADVENTURE.90.4.118.9 17:40, 24 February 2007 (UTC)petitmichel

[edit] How can I add userboxes to my page?

How can I add userboxes to my page? Goodgirldv9898 00:32, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

Wikipedia:Userboxes should have the answers you're looking for. - Akamad 00:36, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

Failing that - take a look at the homepages of people who have userboxes and you can see how they did it by clicking the 'edit' button on their user page (don't his "Save page" though - that would be terribly rude!). My User:SteveBaker page has a bunch of them - You'll see {{Boxboxtop|About Steve}} which starts the list of user boxes and {{Boxboxbottom}} at the end - with a bunch of templates such as {{User British}} and {{User Texas}} (which indicate that I am both British and living in Texas). SteveBaker 22:24, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] ford F150 triton pick up truck

Televisionbya 14:38, 24 February 2007 (UTC)what does it mean when truck are referred to as a triton pick up truck or a one ton pick up, 3/4 pick up, 1/2 ton pick up etc. I can not find this on your website, google, ask, or metacrawler.

thanks, Mat Grillo

Well, 'Triton' refers to the engine - see Ford Triton engine - it isn't tri-ton! As for the other designations, see our article: Pickup truck:

Full-size pickups in North America are sold in three size ranges - ½ Ton, ¾ Ton and 1 Ton. These size ranges originally indicated the maximum payload of the vehicle, however modern pickups can typically carry far more than that. For example, the 2006 model Ford F-150 (a "½ Ton" pickup) has a payload of between 1,400 lb and 3,060 lb, depending on configuration. Likewise, the 2006 model F-350 (a "1 Ton" pickup) has a payload of between 4,000 lb and 5,800 lb depending on configuration.

In short - it's about as meaningful as when you see: "The best XXX in its class!" - what the heck is "its class" anyway? SteveBaker 18:47, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Hong Kong and Macau

Were Hong Kong and Macau part of the EU before their transfer of the sovereignty (Transfer of the sovereignty of Hong Kong, Transfer of the sovereignty of Macau) in 1997 and 1999 from the UK and Portugal respectively? (Some territories listed here are considered part of the EU)- Nick C 15:52, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Wikipedia on Wikipedia?

This has my head spinning, so maybe it's circular logic, but I was just wondering: How did the article about Wikipedia itself ever get written without violating WP:COI? I mean, the act of creating an article makes one a participant in Wikipedia, therefore, according to WP:COI, that person should not create an article about Wikipedia. — Michael J 16:03, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

I think WP:COI is a recommendation, not an absolute necessity to always follow. 惑乱 分からん 16:42, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

This also probably falls under WP:IAR -- Diletante 16:47, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

...and WP:ASR. The editors are quite meticulous about keeping it WP:NPOV and well-referenced, and overall it's better to have something than nothing. WP:IAR definitely applies here. SteveBaker 17:20, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

With the sub-section WP:ASR#Writing_about_Wikipedia_itself... 惑乱 分からん 19:23, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

...and the fact that the article on the wikipedia predates the guideline on WP:COI by about 3 1/2 years. Wikipedia is a continuously evolving ongoing project, not a monolithic force that has its decrees set in stone. —Mitaphane _?|! 18:12, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

That's easy. The wikipedia entry about wikipedia are written by people who does not give a *hit about wikipedia. Hence there is no conflict of interest. 220.239.140.187 09:36, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] There is a wiki about MMORPGS

There is a wiki about MMORPGS ?? Like there is for star wars, doom, some tv shows............ —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Exdeathbr (talk • contribs) 19:41, 24 February 2007 (UTC).

I typed "MMORPG Wiki" into the Google search box and came up with a bunch of them. http://www.gunshy.ca:8080/ for example. (I also found an MMORPG called Wiki! But that's not at all the same thing!). SteveBaker 22:17, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

i found the mmorpg wiki that you said too, but this wiki is about the mmorpg that the gunshy team (or guild or something else) plays.

OK - so start looking down the list of Google hits for that phrase - if such a site exists than I'm sure you'll find something that suites you. SteveBaker 06:20, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Ld4all.com

Is there a problem with www.ld4all.com? I can't find any info about it. thanks

80.170.4.238 01:39, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

I don't get a response from it either. The WHOIS server gives: pasQuale krul (pasquale AT xs4all DOT nl) as the administrative contact for that site - you could try emailing him. Meanwhile, you might want to try http://www.lucidity.com/ or our own article: Lucid dreaming. SteveBaker 06:18, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] The Matrix religion

Is there actually a religion based on the movie The Matrix? 71.34.108.170 06:06, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

Yes, but as for how serious it is, I have no idea. The Matrixism article has been created several times and deleted every time, and now there's just a placeholder to keep people from creating it again. The main Matrixism website is also located on geocities, leading me to believe that it's just a hype/hoax. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 07:19, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

I always thought that the view of the mutakallemim mentioned in the Guide for the Perplexed is similar to the matrix in that they quantize space and time and believed natural science to be directly dependent on God. Jon513 11:20, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

What's really proving to be odd about the Wikipedia (no ill will intended) is a comparison of some of the stuff it allows with some of the stuff it does not. Example you query? ...try Every time you masturbate... God kills a kitten. Nocternal 15:49, 2 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] G

Help wanted for a book. I need lots of insults, preferably mostly English, and all beginning with G.172.143.134.90

• You good-for-nothing god-damn grubbing gurchly glad-swaggler! 69.81.50.3 17:13, 21 February 2007 (UTC)
• Prefix great onto your favourite insults: great idiot, &c
• Ditto girt (dialect for great)
• Ditto god-damn / damned
• Ditto galumphing - blend of galloping and triumphantly; a nonce word in Lewis Carroll's Jabberwocky
• Ditto galloping - you great galloping gobshite
• Ditto god-awful
• Ditto Gangrenous
• Ditto ganky - used to express disgust or insult
• gobshite - person who talks rubbish / general insult
• gobby - person prone to talking out of turn
• granny / grandpa - can be used to insult

These will be useful, but I was really thinking of words more like arrogant, concieted, &c. But obviously not those as they don't begin with G

Ah. Adjectives.

• gormless - stupid, dim-witted —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Tagishsimon (talk • contribs) 19:49, 21 February 2007 (UTC).

ghost writer —The preceding unsigned comment was added by MeltBanana (talk • contribs) 19:59, 21 February 2007 (UTC).

Greedy, grumpy, grudgy(?), gross, gullible, ghastly... Btw, this might be better posted at the language desk. 惑乱 分からん 21:26, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

Git! Edison 21:32, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

Gloomy, geeky, gobbling, gooey, goofy, grayish, gunky... and less PC gooky and gay... 惑乱 分からん 00:28, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Here in Scotland we use Glaekit to describe a dimwit. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 81.145.240.114 (talk) 00:38, 22 February 2007 (UTC).

If you're going for controversy, gay is used 'round these parts more as an insult than a sexual preference designator. V-Man737 02:14, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

"Grotesque" could be used to describe somebody's behaviour in a disapproving way. Hassocks5489 08:45, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

• "Git" made famous in the phrase "Randy Scouse Git"hotclaws**== 09:32, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Goat? Goon? DDB 10:20, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Gallinaceus:]Hidden secret 7 17:19, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Shakespeare was good at this.

Grunting, grudging, gritty, grave... Also see alliteration. 惑乱 分からん 17:07, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

Gimp and Garbage. Joneleth 19:34, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

Goober. Gomer. (both mean less than optimally intelligent).Lrpelkey 07:17, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

Guff breath, giblet head. I might say gash, but many believe that gash is good. ;)  Sʟυмgυм • т • c  00:32, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] VAT in Turkey

I would like to ask the VAT % and VAT catagories in Turkey. What is the VAT refund proguess in Turkey?

Hello. This page tells me that standard VAT is 18%, and "there are different rates of tax of 1% And 8% for goods and services as defined in law". This site also has some more information on taxes, but nothing on the VAT categories (which may or may not exist). JoshHolloway 12:55, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

According to this Turkish government site it is

• 1% on dried foods, cotton, wheat, sheep and cattle, bread, newspaper and magazines, etc.
• 8% on basic food items (milk, macaroni, oil, etc.) and other goods and services
• 18% on the rest

Books are in the 8% category.  --Lambiam^Talk 16:56, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

Turky vat: [5]. :-) StuRat 15:04, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Glass wine bottle stuck in plastic cannister

I put a champagne bottle in a double walled clear plastic cannister. (The double wall insulates the bottle.) As it turned out the outside diameter of the bottle equals the inside diameter of the cannister. What goes in won't come out. I've tried heat, cold, olive oil and nothing seems to work. I thought about breaking the bottle in the cannister but I don't think I can do that without ruining the cannister besides the bottom of the bottle might be a problem to remove. Solution anyone? Duracelldave 10:05, 23 February 2007 (UTC) Duracelldave

Put ice water in the bottle and submerge the cannister (with the champagne bottle inside with ice water) in warm water and hope that the temperature difference will give you enough clearance to get the bottle out? --antilived^{T | C | G} 10:07, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

I'll bet that'll do it, but you can force a few more degrees of temperature difference by filling the bottle with ice and brine. And let us know how it goes, 'kay?

Atlant 14:21, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

If all else fails, you can drill a small hole in the bottom of the canister, remove the bottle now that the vacuum seal has broken, then caulk the hole with silicon sealant and save both the bottle, its contents (if any), and the canister. Any oil you used will have just sealed it better. 14.7 psi x the base area of the bottle (6" diameter max?) = 415 lbs. You are not going to pull that hard. --Justanother 17:13, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

If you have a very long, sharp drill bit you can drill a hole in the bottom of the bottle, then blow air into it. The pressure will thus work in your favor to blow the plastic container off. Another thought, there may be a small air gap between the bottle and plastic container, such that hanging the container upside down will allow the bottle to slide out very slowly (might take days). StuRat 14:59, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Turning dial on watch

Alrighty. I have an analog, 12-hour, quartz-crystal, battery driven watch.

Imagine you are looking down at the watch face to check what time it is. There is a pane of glass that seperates the face of the watch from debris flying around the outside world. Around this pane of class is a contraption that twists (it clicks when you turn it) around the circumference of the watch face. It also has numbers (5,10,15, etc.) which correspond to the number of minutes represented by each number (1,2,3, etc.) on the clock face.

What is this thing, and what is/are it's purpose(s)? It has really been bugging me. Thanks, --161.45.243.112 19:30, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

You can set the dial to adjust for the local time when you leave your own time zone, or set it for your distant sweet-heart's time zone so you don't call him or her in the middle of the night. 164.223.72.5 20:48, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

See diving watch. The "thing" is a rotating bezel that you can set to a certain number of minutes. It will only go one way because if you go diving with a limited amount of air, you don't want it bump it backwards and give the illusion of having more air. - AMP'd 22:43, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

The "thing" is called a Tachymeter. Our article's not bad at explaining how to use it, although it makes it sound more complicated than it really is. --Dweller 22:10, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

Thank you to everyone for their explanations. This Tachymeter was irritating me to the point that I once starting spinning it around out of sheer boredom, whilst waiting for the bus, and said (louder than I meant to) "what is this FOR? Just for the hell of it, I bet."

Several people were perturbed, to say the least... --67.177.170.96 23:48, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Laws in Florida about hiding one's face in public?

Say I walked out of my house with my face covered, be it with cloth or a gas mask. Is this illegal? Do I have to take it off if asked by a police officer?

(Illegal wearing a mask???) Remember, Wikipedia does not offer legal advice. 惑乱 分からん 01:29, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

Mask#To prevent recognition is useful. V-Man737 02:37, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

Hard to believe that this isn't a troll isn't it :p --froth^T 07:02, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

Oh come on, lighten up! The guy isn't asking for legal advice, he's asking if anyone knows if there are laws concerning this. I personally think this is an interesting question touching on civil liberties and so forth. So I don't actually know the answer. I wouldn't think it is actually illegal, but that doesn't mean NOT taking it off if a POLICE officer asks you is your right. A police officer has rights to ask you to do anything within reasonable limits, i.e. stop, turn around, show license, etc, even if you are not a suspect in anything, I'm sure "take off your mask" falls within that, I doubt very much you could refuse to take off a mask without getting arrested, you'd be asking for it if you tried it... Vespine 21:53, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Ceramics Story

I read a story online a few weeks ago somewhere and can't find it (i've search my recent pages history). The story went something like this...At the start of a new year the ceramics teacher divides his students into two groups. He informs the first group that he will be marking them only on the quantity of ceramics they produce, that he doesn't care about quality only the quantity counts. The second group he informs are being marked solely on the quality of the ceramic they produce and that he just wants the piece to be as high quality as possible. At the end of the year he is reviewing the work and notices that all of the best pieces of work are within the first group's work, and that in seeking perfection the second group spent more time assessing and planning and the piece never got anywhere.

The moral was that of the create/refine preference over the get-it-right-first-time moral. I don't know if anyone has a link to the piece I was reading/whether this is a common story/would be able to tell the story better. I feel like i've forgotten some of the parts and when I say it it doesn't seem the same as I read.

Any help would be superb.ny156uk 16:25, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

I don't know of any parables, but there is the old axiom "don't let perfection be the enemy of the good" Of course then you have to set a standard for "good" which could be the enemy of "adequate" -- Diletante 16:56, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

Was this a statistically reasonable sample? Was it a double-blind experiment? Is it reasonable to generalise this specific situation to a wider world? No, No and No! A friend and co-worker has a diagram of a big triangle on his cube wall with the three corners labelled "Fast", "Cheap" and "High Quality" - he offers management the option to point to where within the triangle they'd like him to perform. SteveBaker 17:17, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

Another variant of that: "Fast, cheap, good: choose any two." --Anon, Feb. 25, 08:49 (UTC).

I would bet that the average quality was much worse in the high quantity group, however. The method you describe is close to what I understand the process to be to produce high quality electrical resistors (those close to the target resistance). Rather than focus on producing a specific resistance precisely, they just produce a large quantity, and test them all. Those which are quite close to the target resistance are sold for the most, in the +/-5% classification. Those which aren't quite as good are sold as +/-10% resistors, those which are worse yet are sold cheap as +/-20% resistors. The few which fall outside that range are commonly discarded. StuRat 14:45, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] U.S. Interstates

Why is there no U.S. Interstate 50? The only reason I can think of is people might get it confused with U.S. Highway 50. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 69.210.55.102 (talk) 18:53, 24 February 2007 (UTC).

You've got it. According to the Federal Highway Administration, U.S. highways go up north to south, while interstates go up south to north. Thus, I-90 is in the North, while U.S. 90 is in the South. I-50, if it existed, would run very close to U.S. 50. -- Mwalcoff 03:10, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

That appears to be correct. Interstate 60 is in the same position. SRICE_{13 (TALK | EDITS)} 06:43, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Website not working

I've recently uploaded my website using Dreamweaver 8.0. The site displays properly in IE7 and Firefox on my computer, but after i uploaded, there are a lot of missing elements and many links don't even work. For example, the background doesn't appear and many of the buttons don't appear either. I am hosting with www.ixwebhosting.com. Does anyone know why this happens? My website url is www.globalclimax.com. Thanks Jamesino 19:30, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

This question probably belongs on the computing reference desk - but I might as well answer it since we're here.

Well, I'm using the very latest FireFox and from what I can easily see that:

• Your stylesheet uses small image files for the menu items on the left: eg "what2.jpg" for the "* WHAT" menu button. Most of those are not present on your website (or maybe they have different names or are in the wrong directory).
• Many of the linked pages are also missing - so even if the images were there, they wouldn't lead anywhere.
• There are a bunch of flash animations used for banners - which also appear to be missing.

But in any case, your site has some pretty serious problems. The worst is that none of these images have "alt" tags. There are two reasons for "alt" tags that you should be aware of: Firstly, if problems like this show up, then the missing images will be replaced by whatever text is in the alt field - this makes problems much easier to diagnose and people will still be able to use your site while you are repairing it. Secondly, blind people using special browser software that reads the web page to them will have something to hear spoken to them in place of the image. The flash animations are a TERRIBLE design decision though - never use flash for trivial decoration, you are just about guaranteeing that half of the people out there won't be able to see your site in all the glory you expect it to be in because they either have an older version of flash installed - or no flash at all. Just say no to flash unless you absolutely, utterly, must have it for some content. Even if you do have flash, you absolutely must include the little snippet of code that detects whether the user has flash of an appropriate version installed and if it's not: both provides alternate content and a link as to where to download the flash plugin from. SteveBaker 22:06, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

Oh i got it now, I was hosting on a Linux server and I created the website on a Windows machine. Some of my capitilization between file names and links didn't match up. Jamesino 00:00, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] help me

I am questioning the neutrality of the article on Larry Birkhead. Is is very negatively slanted. Someone is running their own agenda. What is up? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Bjacksob (talk • contribs) 22:09, 24 February 2007 (UTC).

You should discuss this on the Talk: page for that article (click on the 'discussion' tab while viewing the article). If that does not get you a satisfactory answer then follow the procedures in WP:NPOV. But please discuss it calmly and carefully on the articles discussion page first. SteveBaker 22:13, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

For me, fonts get messed up right before I need to reboot, due to running programs with memory leaks. StuRat 15:40, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Trans

whats the difference between transsexual and transgenered? they both have articles that dont explain the difference. what about transvestite? the word is used in many articles but does not have an article of its own.

Transvestism does have its own article... 惑乱 分からん 19:25, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

It seems (at least from the articles) that a transsexual believes him/herself to be of the opposite sex, while a transgender person may want to be both, or neither. So the first is a subset of the second. Clarityfiend 16:38, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

I think the pages clearly tell the difference. transvestitism only refers to the wearing of clothes that are attributed to the other gender, transgender has to do with gender identity. here is an example: a man can wear a womans clothes and still behave masculine, he could wear a dress and work on a car for instance, simply wearing woman's clothes would make him a transvestite but not transgenered. In the other case a man could wear pants and a men's shirt or he could wear a dress but if he indentifies himself as feminine or as a woman he would be transgendered. i hope that helps. Amirman 19:41, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] February 25

[edit] Computer Printer costs?

I used to turn off my printer to save the electricity cost of two LEDs being on all the time, but a friend says that is false economy since it costs more when it is switched on daily in ink, as it recharges the ink every time which of us is right please? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 88.110.23.62 (talk) 09:30, 25 February 2007 (UTC).

2 LEDs will draw less than 100mA (very likely under 50mA), at about 2-3 V. Now that comes to power usage of about 0.4W (after rectifier and some other chips that might be running), which means you have to keep it running for 2500 hours (~100 days) for it to consume 1kW/h, so you wouldn't save much electricity. Depending on your printer's type and age, it may or may not need to flush down your print head with ink every time you turn it on, but I do tend to agree with your friend since ink is so much more expensive than electricity. --antilived^{T | C | G} 10:11, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

Of course, this depends on what your printer is actually doing when it is left on. Most things are doing more than just powering the standby lights. Skittle 16:52, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

It also depends what your printer is doing when it is off. It is quite possible, for an inkjet printer, that it is in exactly the same state as when it is sleeping with the power on, except that the LEDs are turned off. I have a VCR for which that seems to be true. A clamp meter might tell the tale.

Atlant 13:11, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Thanks fellas. --88.110.23.62 13:22, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Colour change when travelling through clouds?

I was on an Emirates flight back to Auckland a few weeks ago (great on-flight entertainment system), and we were unable to land due to a localised storm at the airport. As we were circling around Auckland, I noticed that whenever the plane is travelling through clouds, the wing changes colour (yellow, red, purple etc.), which otherwise should be white. Is this related to refraction and rainbows and how does it work? --antilived^{T | C | G} 10:05, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

Refraction definitely sounds like the best explanation, especially considering the fact that you were looking out an airplane window, which I understand are double-paned. This could somehow interact with the cloud-refracted light via interference. V-Man737 05:34, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

I wonder if this is a polarising thing. Those windows are acrylic and under a lot of pressure - so as you change altitude the stresses change - which does odd things to polarising materials. The wing is pretty smooth and shiney - so sunlight reflecting off of it would be fairly strongly polarised...maybe. SteveBaker 15:37, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] a question. (human-powered flight)

In the modern world what would be the advantages of people being able to fly, both if everyone could and if only a few could? Bearing in mind that if people were able to fly, they would need huge wings, that would be unlikely to work very well inside. Also what would be the main disadvantages of this?172.141.15.61 12:38, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

Perhaps the better question would be: why did an intelligent species not evolve to fly, or a flying species evolve to intelligence? And the answer is probably in the necessary mass of the brain for intelligence, and the support structure to house that brain. --Zeizmic 15:47, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

Apart from the obviously huge amount of energy it would need to keep someone in the air, I would also expect it to be difficult to fit into small spaces such as cars, or to put clothes on:) Mainly everything is designed around people being like they are:) If people were different, everything else would have to be different too:( It could also help people lose weight, both giving them a way to use up their extra calories, and as an incentive for fat people, who would be too heavy to gety off the ground:)Hidden secret 7 18:51, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

Yeees. If it depended on weight (rather than being fairly magical), we could see a lot of people losing weight, perhaps some losing too much. It could potentially solve a lot of problems, as it could be a lot faster and more convenient to fly than to walk, so people might start flying when they would otherwise use powered transport. So people would likely use more calories (solving one problem), and use less fossil fuels to power transport (solving another problem). Also, if we were taking the bird model rather than the bat model (no reason to think that, but...) we would have feathers, so would need less clothing and less heating. Even with the bat model, we'd be able to wrap ourselves in our wings, needing less heating. So we'd have people moving further without cars. The wings could really get in the way of using our hands to do things, such as driving (maybe that would encourage even less driving), but we'd be able to build higher, without lifts, as people could fly up and enter external doors high up. Playground equipment would be built higher. Whole new squadrons of soldiers would be trained. Skittle 20:13, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

So would it be a good idea or not, if it was possible

[edit] Megaphone,walkie talkie and intercom use

What are the conventions of using walkie talkies, megaphones and intercom systems, for example saying 'over' at the end of each walkie talkie message, what other standard procedures are in use for these communication devices?

Thanks in advance for any answers Dave 14:05, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

"Over" at the end of each message unless you don't expect a reply, in which case you say "out" (despite popular usage, never "over and out", which would suggest both that you were expecting a reply and you weren't!). Apart from that, conventions vary from organisation to organisation. -- Necrothesp 15:56, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

That is only used in systems where you can't talk and listen at the same time. SteveBaker 18:06, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

"Over" is used in most formal communications systems to indicate that the speaker has finished speaking. I wouldn't have thought that informal communications systems actually needed any conventions. -- Necrothesp 18:30, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

See Procedure word, NATO phonetic alphabet and Ten-code. --h2g2bob 23:12, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Youtube

For a project, I have to compile a list of the top 10 funniest youtube/google video videos. So far, I have "George Washington" [6] as number 1. Any suggestions? -- Sturgeonman 16:27, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

Duck...and...Cover. Someoneinmyheadbutit'snotme 17:09, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

I guess this would depend highly on your sense of humor... =S 惑乱 分からん 17:30, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

This duck and cover video is really not funny. It´s rather tragic. To me it´s the government of the United States trying to scare to death all of the children and other citizens in their country so they support the war, frightend by the imminent explosion of an atomic bomb. A.Z. 18:33, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

How about Chad Vader, Yacht Rock, Jesus Christ Supercop.... in fact anything from Channel101 or Channel102. Most of these are also on YouTube. On YouTube directly, the only good thing I've found are Filthywhore's sign language lessons. --h2g2bob 00:26, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

there is one that is pretty dumb but it is really funny. type in mortal kombat and there u will see some teenagers, its pretty funny. Another is the parody of the urban ninja.

The Borat videos are humerous. Jamesino 02:41, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

I definitely think that this is the funniest thing I've seen on the site. The guy is an absolute psychopath. This one was pretty funny too, but you have to have seen some actual David Blaine to really like it. 70.108.199.130 03:14, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

And Duck and Cover is pretty hilarious. In that I-almost-feel-sick-for-laughing-when-I-think-about-how-this-pertains-to-our-near-future kind of way. 70.108.199.130 08:05, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

And, come to think of it, near past. 70.108.199.130 08:12, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

One that cracked me up big time was this. --Ouro (blah blah) 10:15, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

If a nuke went off, which some national leaders have warned us might well happen due to terrorism if not military action by a world power, the Duck and cover approach would save the lives of those who were far enough away to see the flash and have a few seconds delay before the arrival of the blast wave. See Effects of nuclear explosions. The natural reaction for those several miles fromthe blast would be to run to the window and stare at the mushrooming cloud, perhaps suffer blindness and thermal burns, then physical injury from flying glass when the blast wave arrived. Ducking down under a piece of furniture or in a ditch would be a fine idea. Similar techniques are useful in earthquakes or tornados. This must be balanced against the increased fear from repetition of the warnings, which have been compared to today's warnings of "Mushroom clouds being the smoking gun" to tell us terrorists have nukes, along with periodic "heightened terrorist alerts" which have no specific actions mandated for the public. Edison 17:36, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

The whole 'blindness from looking at the explosion' thing is very overrated. There is a great bit in Richard Feynmann's autobiography about when he was present at the very first atom bomb test. He claims to have been the only person to see the test with naked eye because nobody else bothered to do the back-of-envelope calculation to determine what would happen. He figured out that he'd be fine looking directly at the explosion - but then worried that maybe he'd dropped a decimal point in doing his calculations - so he decided to watch with just one eye just in case! But I guess it depends on how far away you are and such. SteveBaker 20:44, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

The video isn't funny because duck and cover may or may not be a valid strategy, it is funny because "duck and cover" is said about ten times a minute, the way it is executed, and how it tells kids to trust in random strangers for help. Someoneinmyheadbutit'snotme 21:46, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Although - if a nuclear weapon has gone off nearby, I'd prefer my kid got help from a random stranger than not to get help at all. The odds of them accidentally running into a sexual predator or a kidnapper at a time like that would be pretty small - and if they did happen to run into the wrong kind of random stranger then I honestly think they'd have more on their minds at a time like that! But I agree, those Duck & Cover things are bizarre - often to the point of being hilariously bizarre. All of the cutsey kid jingles and the rhyming advice, all set on top of a situation where the kid is almost certainly going to die - and all of his/her family is probably dead already...yeah...cute. SteveBaker 15:34, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

• I vote for the Viking kittens singing the Immigrant Songhotclaws**== 11:03, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

• The video of those Chinese guys lipsynching to the Backstreet Boys is hilarious! (They call themselves the Back Dorm Boys) [7] So is the one with those Smosh guys lipsynching to the Pokemon theme song. [8]. Both of those have been extemely popular on YouTube have been shown on international media (The Back Dorm Boys have even been signed as Motorola spokespeople!). I'm also a fan Chad Vader. ;) --Candy-Panda 10:31, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] cohort 1935

Approx how many people were born in the US 01/09/1935 and how many are still alive? I would like to invite Dick Enberg (Bob Denver died recently) and all others born on that date to a party. Note the magic date: 01/09/1935 can also be written 1935.24.24.128.58 18:27, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

2,377,000 births in 1935 per [9]; so ~6500 people born on any given day assuming even distribution. Step 2 would be to figure out what proportion of people born in that year are still alive... hmm. ~1.5m people alive in 2000 were probably born in 1935 (estimated from [10]) - so ~4,000 born on any given day that year.

However, those are ballpark figures and don't account for immigration - but even so, you're probably looking at 2,500 to 3,500 people. Shimgray | talk | 20:16, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

Some Party!!!!!!!! —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 81.145.241.52 (talk) 20:40, 25 February 2007 (UTC).

Thanks a lot. I think I'll wait ten years.

[edit] family guy reference

Is there some family guy where there's a talk show with a black host and guests and they do a really loud "UH-HUHHHH" what episode is that? Thanks. 69.214.250.181 20:01, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Problems with login

I am trying to login but here is what is happening.

I enter my login info and it says i login successfully but whenever i go to another page it appears that i have logged out. my username is Woohah Master.67.142.130.39 20:14, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

Have you got cookies turned off? --h2g2bob 23:01, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

they are on67.142.130.39 23:11, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

I was having the same problem last week. I'd be on one page, logged in, then when I linked over to another page, it showed me as logged out. When I linked back to the original page, I was logged in again. I went back to the second page and re-logged in from there, but I was still logged out. Weird. It seems to be ok now. JackofOz 00:46, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Your browser may be showing you a cahced version of whatever page you're loading, from before you logged in, in which case ctrl F5 would solve the problem--VectorPotential^Talk 15:21, 2 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Virgin Pendolino Train Derailment in Cumbria England.

I understand that an initial Department of Transport statement on the above derailment will be announced tomorrow (Monday 26th Feb 2007) with a much fuller and more detailed report not due for many months to come. But, popular media reports on British News Channels seem already to have homed in on the likelihood of defective Track Switching Points, which would not be the first time on British Rail (sic) of similar causes of derailments. My question is - can a train driver travelling at 90 miles per hour see a set of "opposing" points as he approaches it? I realise there is little to nothing he can do, save perhaps, close down the engine before the train is derailed. Or do train drivers tend not to look at the tracks ahead and instead concentrate on track side and other signals? Just curious.

It takes a long time to stop a train - they can't stop anything like as fast as (say) a car. So it's more than likely that even if they could see this problem, there isn't much they could do about it unless the train was moving very slowly. SteveBaker 23:00, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

Thanks Steve. Would you mind reading the question again as your answer suggests strongly that you haven't already done so? Thanks. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 81.145.241.52 (talk) 23:37, 25 February 2007 (UTC).

Sorry - Well, the state of a set of points (a "turnout" in US English) is frequently indicated by trackside signals - you can see a bunch of these in our Railroad switch article. But the range of styles varies tremendously - depending on the importance of the switch and the local railroad standards. If there was such a sign, I'd expect the driver to pay attention to it - but with nothing much they could actually do, it wouldn't have helped. Without the sign, you'd have to be pretty close to the point to see how it was set. I actually have some experience of this stuff - I work as a flight simulator designer and some years ago we built a railroad locomotive simulator for Burlington Northern railroads here in the USA. I know that in order to get their license to drive a locomotive, the 'engineers' on that railroad were required to pass a test which entailed them noticing all manner of teeny-tiny problems and report them back to the authorities. Hence, if a crossing gate has flashing lights - and one of the bulbs had blown - the engineer was responsible for reporting that. So I know they are alert to these kinds of problems...but as far as I know, the concern is more that they report problems than that they actually change they way they drive the train as a consequence. I suppose if the driver of a train coming the opposite direction on a parallel track had noticed the points being set unusually, then maybe he had a responsibility to report it and maybe thereby have prevented disaster - but it's far from clear whether that would have been possible. I kinda doubt it. SteveBaker 23:59, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

Since the accident happened after 8 p.m. it would have been dark for a couple of hours anyway and the driver would have had no chance to see the points, even if he could see it in daytime. Drivers place total trust in the signals being correct. Steve's original reply is perfectly correct that he could not take avoiding action to prevent a collision if he did notice something amiss, but he may be able to reduce speed to lessen the effects of a collision, as happened in the daytime collision at Winsford in 2000 - but that was an empty passenger unit which had gone through a red light in front of an express, rather than points set the wrong way. Once a train is derailed, of course, it's all down to simple physics and media reports of the driver "battling to control the train" are total nonsense. -- Arwel (talk) 00:10, 26 February 2007 (UTC) (ex-BR)

The bit about the driver is only Virgin Rail and his union trying to get some good news publicity; criminal!--88.111.98.95 15:51, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

I was on an Amtrack train in the U.S. when, during the daytime, a fuel truck pulled across the track in front of us at a grade crossing, ignoring the warning signal, and stopped for some reason such as engine trouble or other traffic blocking it. The train was not at maximum speed, going perhaps 50 mph. I don't recall if it made a full stop but it slowed enough in a panic stop that the truck got moving and we did not hit it. I heard the conductor (guard?) who was in same car I was, tell the engineer to "Catch the bastard and get his license number." The train then applied maximum acceleration to catch up to the truck which was on a parallel road, and probably hit 90 mph. but the truck had a head start and turned off before we caught him. In this case, the engineer could certainly see the interfering vehicle and was able to stop. Edison 17:48, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

OK. It's now a day later than when I asked the original question, and first off, I want to thank everyone above who answered or responded - secondly, I want to assure Steve I was not being argumentative in my response to his, I really did appreciate his, the first, response. The point I was making was simply that I was curious to know whether in normal daylight conditions (thanks for the input about the time of the incident to Arwel_Parry) a train driver travelling at 90mph would be able to see an opposing set of points. I had already accepted that there would be little to nothing he could do to avert a derailment at that speed. But since then, we have learned that a "stretcher bar" which apparently keeps the moveable switchgear (the points) exactly 4' 8" and a half apart, appears to have been missing at the time of the derailment, which to me, suggests murderous intent on the part of an as-yet-to-be identified vandal, or a case of criminally irresponsible neglect on the part of the maintenance team. So we are agreed, it is unlikely that a driver would see such an obstacle, especially in poor lighting conditions, and ergo, there is nothing he could do to lessen the consequences. But again, no offence intended to Steve. And sincere thanks once again.

Wow! The stretcher bar was missing?! YIKES! (Incidentally - no need to apologise - I hadn't taken offense - you were correct, I hadn't read the question properly the first time around. But it's almost impossible to read emotion in written conversations anyway - so I'm rarely offended no matter what!) SteveBaker 15:28, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

The RAIB interim report on the derailment here says (paras 27/28) that out of the three stretcher bars and the lock bar that should have maintained the correct separation between the switch rails, one was missing, two were fractured (one possibly as a result of the crash) and bolts on two bars were missing. As a result, it says, "the left hand switch rail was free to move across close to the left hand stock rail whilst the right hand switch rail remained, correctly, against the right hand stock rail". Gandalf61 15:51, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Wikipedia Images

I am looking for images of Marian Anderson as a baby, and Wikipedia was unable to find any sources whatsoever. I really need these pictures for my Marian Anderson timeline. I would also like to know how to trace back to see if I am related to Marian Anderson in any way, we have the same last name and i was just wondering. I would really like to know both. If this system is unable to trace back, I will go to another source. Thank you! —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 76.160.194.227 (talk) 20:51, 25 February 2007 (UTC).

I don't know if a close relation is likely, Anderson is apparently a rather common surname both in Scandinavian and Anglo-American culture. 惑乱 分からん 21:06, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

When you say 'Wikipedia' was unable to find any sources', it sounds as if you are trying to make Wikipedia what it is not (unless that was a mistake for 'Google'). Wikipedia has a fair collection of images, but they have mostly been imported specifically to illustrate articles. To search for an article, type it into the search box in Wikipedia. For any other search, use a search engine. --ColinFine 21:48, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

Google image search comes up with this website which seems to fit the bill exactly. --h2g2bob 22:56, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] How to make little sugar balls?

You know how homeopathic "medicines" are given in small, hard sugar balls? How do they make those? I was wondering if I could make some home made mint candy using them. Just a culinary experiment for myself, really. — Kieff | Talk 21:45, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

I'm not sure, but had a thought, why not try using sugar cubes (sold for sweetening coffee) ? You could add a drop or two of some powerful, bitter flavoring and make each into a "candy". StuRat 12:31, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

There used to be little devices called pill-rollers where you pressed the sugery mix while it was still soft into "sausage "shapes.This was then cut into segments then the segments were rolled round on a board by another flat paddle until they became round.It is possible to do this by hand.I followed a recipe for dried frog pills in Nanny Ogg's Cookbook which worked for mehotclaws**== 11:11, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Cannot rid myself of spiders, no matter what I do

Greetings!

My name is Joe Bitonti and I live in Southwestern Pennsylvania, namely a town called Belle Vernon , zip code 15012. I have what I believe an unusual problem and Probably a problem that you have not come across in your experiences with spiders. I want to tell you the whole story about how I became infested with spiders. In 1999, I decided to install a new rug in my living quarters. I contacted Sears, picked a rug and was told to wait two weeks. Sears and I made an appointment to have the rug installed on a Saturday and the night before I pulled the old rug and cleaned the floor waiting for the next day. The next day Sears called me to tell me that they had the wrong color of the rug and I had to wait two more weeks. The bungalow that I live in is about fifty years old and there has been some settlement. Three nights later around 2 a.m. I was bit in the sole of my foot with a sharp jab. I turned my foot to see what had bit me and I saw two fang marks. The area was yellow and I waited to see if the yellow would spread but after an hour, the normal color came back. I did not see this spider but the next morning as I was taking a shower I saw a large black spider being pushed by the water toward the drain. I had just a few minutes before opened the grill of the drain and there was nothing this spider could do to not go down the drain. I have never seen a pregnant spider but this was the largest spider I ever saw. The back of the body was quite large and it looked to be over two inches high. I panicked and turned the hot water on and the spider went down the drain. Nothing happened for the next month. I was sitting at my desk when I saw a silver pest about 1/16 of an inch on my arm. This pest had two pincers was in a vertical position. Looking closely I saw this thing rub the two pincers together and then went down the shaft of the hair on my arm. Then this thing went Horizontal and away from the hair and the skin turned opaque. I squeezed this thing out of the hair shaft and flicked it away: mistake number two. Then I began to itch all over my body. I went to the local hospital and signed into the emergency room where an intern looked me over. He did not see anything but gave me a tube of paste and told me to rub this paste all over my body and go to bed. Then I washed this paste from my body. I was told by the intern that in the morning the itchiness would be gone but it was not to be. Next, I went to a skin specialist and told me there was nothing he could do. All of this time I never saw anything on my body, but the itch continued. I then went to the University of Pittsburgh Presbyterian Hospital and saw a group of dermatologists. While I was waiting, I saw for the first time a black dot on my nose and then I felt the itch. The doctor came in, looked over my entire body, and did not see anything until I told him about the black dot on my nose. He took it and told me he would return in awhile. He returned and told me that the itching was because of the new kidney that I had received from the Thomas Starzyl building at the Presbyterian Hospital a few years back and gave me some zyrtec. I also went to the University Hospital in Cleveland and saw another Skin specialist. He wanted to give me Cipro and told me to return in 3 months. I could not convince this doctor that I believed that I had an infestation and I left refusing to take the medicine. After several more trips to different doctors, I finally gave up. It is a wonder that I have not lost my sanity throughout the years but I am determined to continue to try to get someone or some organization to help me. I tried different things to get rid of the infestation such as using very hot water, almost scalding to rid my body of these pests. I have gotten some control but cannot do anything about my back. I cannot feel these pests coming out of my body but when they enter the body, again I feel a sharp pain. Now, we come to this year because it seems as though these pests have gotten worse. (Earlier I forgot to tell you that when I pulled the rug I saw that a gap was left under the baseboard, but I did not thing anything of it until after I was bit I got a light and looked at the baseboard. On the inside of the nailed strip, I saw many little bugs walking along the strip. The living quarters were exposed to the cellar of the house and I believe where there were bugs the spiders were. There also and that was where the spider had come up through the cellar into my living quarters. I put putty in the gap but it was too late. I also believe that the spider that stung me had put something into the wound, which evidently was an egg.) I now am using pest control liquids to try to take care of these pests. I have had at least three exterminators a year come to the house to spray and they all did a very good job. Nevertheless, about three days later I can see the spiders. The outfits that I contracted sprayed the attic, the living quarters, the cellar and the cement foundation of the house. Some of these exterminators have returned but left disgusted when I wanted them to return. Now I started looking where these spiders came into the living quarters and have found that they are coming through the light fixtures on the ceiling. Therefore, I have taken the lights out and re-plastered the ceiling. I now sleep on the living room couch but the very small spiders seem to be being through somewhere the latest company called ORTHO said to saturate the drapes, the floor, the walls and the rugs. That probably is going to be the next step. One unique thing about these spiders is that they come into the room around 2 a.m. thru 6a.m. A gray or yellow shield surrounds them. It seems to be a safeguard. Throughout the day sometimes, I see something floating down from the ceiling and land on the floor and then evidently while I am sleeping they crawl on the bed and bite me. I do not feel the bite but the next morning the bit site itches. I now have about twenty bit marks that are two fang marks on my body. There is another thing that has happened to a friend of mine that is peculiar. Around October of this year, I was asked if I could watch their home in the evening as they had moved away and could not get to the house except on weekends. So about three nights a week, I go to their house from 9p.m. until 6a.m. About the time that I was to watch the house, I helped this woman go to the attic to get some Christmas decorations and while up in the attic I did not see one spider web. A month later around the end of November this woman had forgotten to get something from the attic and was quite surprised. The entire attic was filled with cobwebs and I noticed that when I was in the house and around 2 a.m. I saw about six spiders coming from the woodwork at the ceiling. One more thing. I went to an urologist and upon an examination; he saw red dots (about 20) on my back and was told to go a see another skin specialist. This time I should have gone because the month before I had asked my brother to look on my back and he then saw black dots. I asked my brother to put Fuller Brushes Salve that they sell to hunters on my back. When he did this he was shocked and told me that he saw, some of them move. I tried to get him to go to a doctor with me but he said no. The dots that the urologist saw were now red and I believe that these were baby spiders growing on my back. I also burned them off with the hot water. Another mistake. Every time I have a chance to prove myself, I do something stupid and eliminate my opportunity. You now have the entire story. There must be someone out there that can help me. I am willing to compensate you for your time. I am sorry that this is such a long-winded letter and that some of the sentences have separated. I anticipate your response.

-Joe —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 207.255.243.155 (talk) 21:37, 25 February 2007 (UTC).

• Sir, with all due respect, there is no really tactful way to say this, but I am inclined to believe that the spiders you believe are bothering you are not actually real. You may wish to have a qualified general practitioner or psychiatrist hear you out; I believe your symptoms are similar to those of stimulant abusers who feel crawling sensations under their skin during withdrawal. Haikupoet 21:50, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

I didn't read your "wall of text" but I would suggest a summary of your problem would be helpful. --Proficient 22:03, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

-Joe: Thank you for that response. I am inclined to burst into an explicative but I will not. I have heard your response endlessly; that my problem is induced by mental instabilities. How do you explain the incident with my brother then?

• I understand your frustration. As a sufferer of mental illness myself I have perceptions of things that seem very real to me that others assure me are not in fact true. From that point of view, I think it behooves you to talk to someone in a psychiatric specialty, if for no other reason than to rule out a mental issue. I don't question that your perceptions of what's going on are exactly what you're seeing and feeling. I am simply saying the etiology might not be what you think. Haikupoet 22:28, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

"wall of text" ... indeed! Never thought of that before - nor did anyone else before this (I think). So Proficient, you get to claim that particular metaphor and a good one it is. --;-)) --hydnjo talk 00:42, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

WOT was that? V-Man737 05:51, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

While we cannot give medical advice, Delusional_parasitosis might be informative. Spiders need a food source it would be unusual to have a bunch of them congregating indoors unless there was an abundance of small insects for them to eat. Since you say that you have the exterminator come 3 times a year that seems unlikely. -- Diletante 02:33, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Why not just move to a new house?Jamesino 02:39, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Some thoughts:

1) The behavior you describe sounds more like ticks than the other arachnids (spiders), to me. The sighting of the spiders may be unrelated to your tick infestation. While ticks only bury themselves partially in the skin while feeding, if the tick is small enough and/or your vision is poor enough, those might appear to be just black spots. Also, if you scratch them off, their heads may break off beneath the skin, appear as black spots, and possibly cause an infection. You need to get a doctor to lance the skin and remove those black spots to determine what they are. If you do have a parasite beneath the skin, that might be something quite different, like some type of parasitic worm.

2) If there is any way you can collect these arachnids, dead or alive, in a jar, it would be of great help to identify them.

3) Arachnids frequently live in the hollow areas between walls, so you should ask the exterminator to drill holes, spray in insecticide, then seal the holes. At least one hole should be drilled between each set of studs. Arachnids between the walls may come out in light fixtures, electrical outlets, and other holes in the wall. A more radical way to kill off everything in the house is to tent it and fill it with a powerful poison. This poison will hopefully seep into the walls and kill everything. You, of course, need to leave for several days during this process. This brings up the possibility of you infecting the new place or reinfecting your own place when you return. Also beware of anything you take with you, like clothes, which also might be infected.

4) I'm not sure if it's fine enough, but perhaps mosquito netting or something similar would work to keep them off you while you are asleep.

5) Coating your body with a thick oil was probably good advice. That can prevent any ticks from breathing, which causes them to leave your body. It will also prevent further tick infestations.

6) It would help us greatly if you could provide pics of the black spots, red spots, arachnids, etc.; anything you have.

StuRat 12:10, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

I really think we're missing our standard disclaimers here... We should not be touching this question, and acting as though we really know something. --Zeizmic 13:37, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

I agree - Wikipedia has strong rules against giving any kind of medical advice or diagnosis. There are really good reasons for that rule - in many juristictions, practicing medicine without a license is illegal and carries a heavy penalty. We just can't go there. SteveBaker 17:25, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Two things for the original questioner... 1/ As stated above, we can't give out medical advice. And 2/ If you've already seen a slew of doctors, including several specialists about this... why do you expect that a bunch of anonymous web-posters that may or may not have any credentials in anything would have any better answers? I'd go back to the certified professionals, if I were you. I wouldn't trust the guys on this board to trim my toenails, let alone diagnose a problem so complex that you've seen a bunch of specialists and not yet gotten a satisfactory answer! (hehe, no offense guys... ;-) ) --Maelwys 17:33, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

I don't see how any of the above responses were in any way inappropriate. In fact, my kudos go out to Haiku for having the courage to share with the OP, as well as the rest of us, his/her personal experience. Believe me, some of the best and most helpful information regarding medical conditions comes from fellow sufferers first, and doctors a distant second. Think about it. Afflictions such as drug or alcohol addiction, depression, and many other conditions are defined as a diseases. Yet what has been proven to be the most effective form of treatment? The medical community? Of course not. Support groups consisting of fellow sufferers have been proven to be far more helpful than anything a doctor can provide.

Haiku wasn't in any way "providing a diagnosis", rather s/he was providing an informed suggestion as to what may perhaps be the problem. Same goes for Diletante. As for Stu, his remarks could not be described as "medical advice" in any sense of the word. As for Steve's remarks, believe me, nothing said here even remotely approaches "practicing medicine without a licence". Rent an office, hang a phoney diploma, wear a white lab coat, drape a stethoscope around your neck and begin taking appointments, and now you're "practicing medicine without a licence". Above all, please remember that one of Wikipedia's five pillars is that when the situation warrants it, Ignore All Rules, follow your conscience, and do the right thing. Loomis 23:39, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

I hate to comment here, what with our rules against medical advice, but I was moved by your situation because I can only imagine how distressed I would be if it happened to me. I'm certainly not suggesting a disgnosis, but I'll just say that - further to Haikupoet's suggestion - certain aspects of your story reminded me of a strange and rare condition which may or may not exist, called Morgellons. Read the article and make up your own mind, but most importantly, continue to see a doctor if you feel distressed by this occurance. Rockpocket

Sounds like you have taken constructive action by having exterminators in and seeing doctors. The exterminating might have eliminated a spider problem, and by reducing the food they find (other bugs) would greatly lessen their incidence. You might still need to see your regular doctor, or a dermatologist if there is a continuing skin problem or perhaps you have issues such trhat you would benefit from seeing a psychiatrist. All should remember, however, that even someone with mental problems could have a skin disorder or a spider problem or other insect problems. The "spider infestation in humans" story is a well known urban legend, and many variations on it can be found at www.snopes.com by searching on "spiders." I once lived in a house infested with poisonous brown recluse spiders, and was never bit. I knew 3 other people, living in other homes in the area, who were bit, and each just had a localized sore, and certainly was not "infested" by spiders. Edison 06:53, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

• Could it be scabies?hotclaws**== 11:13, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

-Joe: Thank you so much for all the responses, you don't know how much it matters to me. I have seriously considered moving because the problem is so bad. People keep suggesting that the problem is mental, but how could this be with actual witnesses? I just am at my last straw, you don't know how much serious help you are providing. I love you all. God bless you.

[edit] Poker question

I had the same hand as the winner: two pair (aces and 7s). I lost the hand because his kicker was higher, but why did the person with 7s and 8s get a side pot when I had a better hand than he had? Log of the hand is at User:MacGyverMagic/Discussions/Poker, you can answer there. - Mgm|^(talk) 22:21, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

Answered. It looks like the "side pot" was just a glitch in the software; the player just got back the extra money the other players couldn't match. Clarityfiend 23:51, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

How did you do that (so smoothly while I was just in the middle of figuring it out)?  ;-) --hydnjo talk 00:01, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

I am SuperDoyle, faster than a carrot-disemboweling card thrown by Chris Ferguson, able to leap tall aces in a single raise. Clarityfiend 00:05, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Hmmm, I thought so, how else dammit?  ;-) --hydnjo talk 00:14, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Defloration and culture

I had sex with bi-sexual girl who have not had sex with a man before. However she have had sex with girls who have put fingers, tongue and dildo inside her vagina. If I would ask, did I deflorate her, how would major cultures answer? For example, would this be considered defloration in west, in muslim cultures, in China or in India? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Jormix (talk • contribs) 22:57, 25 February 2007 (UTC).

I don't think the question has any clear answer. Also, many of these cultures seem rather "family-oriented" to me, where lesbian sexual experimentation likely is rarely discussed, or considered more or less "inappropriate". 惑乱 分からん 00:09, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Also, please sign your posts with the easy '''~~~~''' signature markup so that someone else doesn't have to do it for you, thanks, --hydnjo talk 00:34, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

I can only speak for the west, but I think you've pretty much answered your own question in the post. How ever you want to define it, defloration relates somehow to innocence, sex or purely physically the hymen. As you have yourself admitted, the person you are talking about has had sex, is not innocent (which I interpret to mean reciprocal) and has been penetrated almost certainly to have broken her hymen. So by any definition I can think on you are not her de-florist. However as with most thing sexual, really the only thing that counts is her opinion, for example if she decides to be hetro and justifies her previous sexual activity as purely exploratory, she could very well consider that the first time she actually had sex. As far as east cultures, I'd say the question is probably not even worth asking, the sexual revolution hasn't happened everywhere. Vespine 04:17, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

So defloration is the same thing as breaking hymen, even if it happens without penis? How about if i alter my question a bit. Is it considered that I took her virginity? Now I mean virginity as a social construct, not hymen. Is there any way to see things in the way that I took her virginity? Jormix 12:50, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Well, at least one of hers... 惑乱 分からん 15:15, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Somehow I have the feeling that I was her first real sex. They were just girls who had sex with her before me. They put little girls fingers and a plastic toy inside her. Real sex is to put penis inside vagina. Also I would not feel betrayed if I would have a wife and she would have sex with a woman. Jormix 20:51, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Depends on how you choose to define "real sex". 惑乱 分からん 00:17, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Anyway, I am also personally annoyed by the frequently perceived stance of any contradiction between "innocence" and sexuality. 惑乱 分からん 15:20, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Sorry Wakuran, I did not understand what you are annoyed of. Can you say it in simpler english? Jormix 20:51, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

I can't speak for Wakuran, so please correct me if I'm wrong, but he seems to be taking issue with Vespine's remark that if she indeed had sex, she is by definition "not innocent". Nevertheless, in Vespine's defense, I doubt s/he was speaking of innocence in the sense of being the opposite of "guilty", but rather in a far more colloquial and somewhat unrelated sense. After all, by this definition, none of our biological mothers could be considered as being "innocent". Yet, for obvious reasons, it would be the height of hypocrisy for any of us to take a dim view of our mothers' past sexual activity. Loomis 22:55, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Thanks for explaining! If that was what Wakuran meant I understood it now. I also do not think that people who had sex are somehow quilty, unless of course they cheat their partner Jormix 23:15, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Oh yeah, basically... Although that was a digression... 惑乱 分からん 00:17, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Cigar ads

Has the quote "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar" ever been used in advertising? NeonMerlin 02:37, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

I don't know, but it certainly doesn't make sense to me that that would be the case. The idea is to sell your product as more than "just a cigar," as something different and superior. So I doubt it. 70.108.199.130 08:17, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Precisely: "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. And sometimes it's an (insert brand here)." NeonMerlin 13:40, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Certainly never by Sigmund Freud. V-Man737 05:23, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Bill Clinton's election slogan?

Sounds like Rene Magritte... But this famous image isn't an advertising image. It's also not a pipe. --Dweller 12:27, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Changing Daylight Savings Time

…≥—I read in 2005 Congress changed the Daylight Savings Time to begin 3 weeks earlier in March and 1 week later in fall. Seems they think that it will be light longer in the evening to save energy. Its the same day it was in winter,only now its Spring, so i don't get that part, but everyone is freaking out because automatic time change on the VCR, computer, TV, etc. is going to be off!I guess the whole world now is going to fall apart because people will gain or loose this time, and, the millions they will spend to correct everyones time, is a waste. Why not have Congress admit it was a nice idea, but just won't be worth millions to possibly save energy, and let well enough alone. We'll have to see if it does change, and what havoc it has caused. I would just as soon let the rainy Spring come later!! —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Suzybiggins (talk • contribs) 12:38, 25 February 2007 (UTC).

I apologise, i am brand new at this and my opinion got set without my username. February 25, 2007Suzybiggins 12:43, 25 February 2007 (UTC)suzybiggins

Welcome, but you'll find that it runs against the smooth running of the beast, if you don't actually ask a question here. And we wouldn't want that, would we? --Zeizmic 15:44, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

Hello Suzy. These pages (the Reference Desk) are for people to ask questions about things, generally wanting a factual answer. They're not supposed to be used to post your opinion, as this is not a chat room or a chat forum. If you want to generally chat about this change, there are many forums out there you could use, or you could befriend someone on Wikipedia and chat on their talkpage. Skittle 16:50, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

I would not only eliminate Daylight Savings Time, but time zones, as well, and have everybody use UTC. Everyone would just set different times, based on when the Sun is up in their area, to go to work and school. (It really is the same time everywhere, we just pretend it isn't because the Sun is in a different relative position.) This would make it far easier for people around the world to communicate about time than it is now. This would also make it the same day everywhere. StuRat 13:35, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

It really is the same time everywhere?? If so, what time would that be? UTC? Hardly. That's just as much of an arbitrary yardstick as anything else. In other than polar latitudes, local time usually has a strong relationship with sunrise and sunset, and for good reasons. Can you imagine what your idea would mean for some people: "I wake up at 4pm (Monday) when the sun has been up for an hour. I start my working day at 6pm, and leave the office at 2am (Tuesday), when the sun is just starting to set". For all sorts of practical reasons, this is not really a goer, Stu. JackofOz 23:24, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

According to science there have been a precise number of seconds since the Big Bang. We don't know exactly what that number of seconds is, but it's somewhere around 15 billion years. For those who believe in mythology instead of science, nearly every religion also has a starting point for the universe, making it the same number of seconds since creation in Perth and Toronto. So, whether you believe in science or superstition, it's still the same time everywhere. StuRat 16:37, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

Stu, that is absolutely the craziest thing I've ever seen on Wikipedia. Or almost anywhere else. :) But seriously, pal, of what possible relevance is that to whether DST should go or stay? Are you actually suggesting that the entire population of the Earth synchronise its watches to 1,296,000,000,000,000,000 seconds past the Big Bang and then continue counting more seconds as time passes? I think your point was completely lost on me. JackofOz 01:06, 2 March 2007 (UTC)

If we actually knew the exact time since the Big Bang, then, yes, this would make an ideal starting point for all our calendars and watches, devoid of religious or other meanings. My point is that it really is the same time everywhere, despite where the Sun appears to be in the sky at any given location. Thinking about it being different times in different places is just silly. StuRat 17:14, 2 March 2007 (UTC)

• There really is a question here. Actually there are two: "Will starting Daylight Savings Time earlier really save energy? and "Is it worth the bother people will have to go through?" The answer is yes and yes.

Let's say the sun is rising where you live at 6:20am and setting at 5:30pm. You are getting up at 5:30 to get ready for work. You have to turn on a lot of lights because it is still dark. You get home about 5:00 or 5:30 and again have to turn on a bunch of lights until you got to bet at 9:30.

If we switch to Daylight Savings Time today, the sun would suddenly be rising at 7:20 and setting at 6:30. You still need lights in the morning, but you need them for one less hour in the evening. That saves energy becuase most households consume more energy at night. The United States saves about 1% of its energy used as a result of observing DST. See Daylight Savings Time.

Is it worth the bother? Yes. Saving just one-percent of the energy used in the United States for a 3-week period is a big deal. Most people have their leasure time at the end of the day rather than the morning. For that reason, a lot of people would rather we be on DST all year long so that they can have more light in the evenings.

Also, it is not that hard to set your clocks ahead sooner in the year. You have to do it anyway, what date you do it does not make much difference. The hoopla this year is that a lot of software programs were written prior to Congress' decision, so they don't know the switch is coming early. You probably only have between 0 and 3 devices in your house that are even smart enough to try to reset themselves. You just need to check on them.

The only people who are even remotely likely to suffer because of this are people who make international conference calls at a set time. Because the rest of the world is not switching early, these people may be confused about what time to dial into their conference call. Johntex\^talk 03:44, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

The downside is that you may have to get up in the dark for a month longer than you otherwise would. For some of us it is extremely difficult to wake up when it is dark outside; we function much better if it's light for a little while before we have to get out of bed.

By the way, obviously full-time daylight saving time would eventually be the same as full-time standard time, because schools and businesses would eventually adjust their starting times accordingly, and eventually you'd reach the same equilibrium position you have now, relative to the Sun as if you changed it to standard time all the time. --Trovatore 03:51, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

For the problem of getting up in the dark, have you thought about putting a timer on your lights? They make alarm clocks that gradually turn the lights on to help you wake up. Concerning your hypothesis that schools and business would just adjust their starting times - I doubt that would happen. Starting times are culturally ingrained, I doubt they would change, especially since everyone would know the reason the time shifted. Johntex\^talk 05:19, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Inside lights are the wrong intensity, the wrong color temperature, and come from the wrong direction. No doubt with sufficient expense these things could be overcome, but personally I don't want to get up in the dark, period, and I think plenty of people agree with me. The insufferable arrogance of the morning people will not last forever.

I think you're quite wrong about what would happen with starting times. It would take a while, but the efficient markets hypothesis would eventually prove correct, and the equilibrium would shift to put activity relative to daylight the way people actually want. --Trovatore 07:12, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

I just don't get it. If there are only 10 hours of light in a day, and 14 hours of darkness, and you sleep for 8 hours during those 14 hours of darkness, that will mean 6 hours of using lights, whether at home, in the car, or at work, no matter what the clock on the wall says. Arguments to the contrary sound as weak as General Motors' absurd decision to spell "employee" as "employe", to save time and money used to print that extra "e". This was idiotic, of course. There are so many unknown factors, like seasonal affective disorder, increased or decreased car accidents due to dusk, Sun in people's eyes, etc., that a comprehensive analysis of the effects beforehand is impossible. StuRat 14:57, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

If Daylight Savings didn't save energy, having trialed it for decades in many countries (and many governments have experimented with different clock movements), this would be apparent and people wouldn't do it any more. Since governments and businesses continue to endorse the idea, one can conclude that it does save energy. Therefore, since reality does not match your theory, your theory must be incorrect :-) Skittle 17:50, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Based on that logic, if the war on drugs was a dismal failure for decades, it would be discontinued, would it not ? I'm not sure if it's possible to measure the effects of daylight savings time, as many other factors change at the same time (like a harsher than normal winter, for example). And businesses want to sell more electricity, gasoline, and other products, not less, so they hardly can be expected to work for conservation. US government, at least since Reagan, has largely been in the pockets of businessmen and their lobbyists. StuRat 19:47, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Time Cube. sorry i had to. Amirman 19:45, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] February 26

[edit] CFL bulb in three-way socket?

So I decided to stick one of the CFL bulbs we just picked up into the three-way lamp in the living room, seeing as I only really use the lowest setting on the three-way bulb, figured if it wasn't too bright, Id just use the CFL. I checked the box and bulb throughly for warnings against this, found none, and Ive used standard one-way bulbs as temporary replacements for thee-ways for as long as I can remember.

Turned the switch, nothing happens at first, then I hear a slight pop, and then a hiss as smoke spews from the lamp before the circuit breaker trips killing everything in the room. Once the shock (not the electrical kind, I was fine) wore off, & I got the room vented as at first I thought the bulb exploded, and obviously breathing mercury vapors isn't good. I noticed that the wire leading to the lamp seemed to have shorted in a number of places (with very minor scotching on the carpet), the bulb itself looks and seems fine (though I'm obviously hesitant to see if it still works).

Is there an unwritten rule about using standard CFL bulbs in three-way sockets, or is it more likely it was just a crazy coincidence and the lamp itself decided to fail/short out?

Update: After rigging up a spare lamp out on the porch, with a powerstrip to switch it on behind the sliding glass door, the bulb seems to work just fine. Cyraan 01:32, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

As you probably know, a three-way lamp actually has two filaments of different wattage ratings. By operating them separately or together, one can get a total of four brightness levels (including, of course, "darkness"). One filament of the three-way lamp connects between the central contact of the base and the metal shell of the base, just like an ordinary lamp. The second filament of the three-way lamp connects between an added ring contact on the base and the shell.

Here's where the problem comes from: Most "one way" (ordinary) lamps won't touch the prong in the three-way lamp socket that supplies power to this second filament. But a few CFL bases are badly designed so that their metal shells touch the second power prong. This creates a short circuit when you turn the lamp's switch to a position that applies power to the second power prong. If you're lucky, the circuit breaker or BS 1363 fuse promptly blows. If you're unlucky, things sizzle for a while. This sort of fault, BTW, is one of the driving forces behind the change in law to require arc-fault circuit interrupters; they're sensitive to exactly this sort of sizzling fault.

Examination of the CFL base and the three-way lamp socket will probably reveal to you how the short circuit occurred.

Atlant 13:20, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

A picture worths a thousand words. -- Toytoy 14:05, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

I figured as much, the circuit breaker tripped promptly, so I was among the lucky I suppose, though Ill probably need to get the lamp re-wired. Guess I should have googled around a bit before giving it a try, I just assumed there would be a warning or something against it on the package or bulb itself it there would be such a problem, but I guess you know what they say about assuming. Thanks for the answers. Cyraan 19:36, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

But any normal bulb would have had the same problem - it's not unique to CFL's. You don't see warnings on other bulb types. If anything, the warning ought to be on the lamp. SteveBaker 20:37, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

I don't think that last bit is true. The "three-way" contact is placed in an area that, on most lamps, is part of the lamp base's insulator. It's just that some CFLs have oddly-shaped metal shells that "intrude" into the area that ought to be a "keep-out" area. I've never managed to toast a three-way lamp socket with an ordinary incandescent one-way lamp.

Atlant 00:24, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Indeed, that was what confused me at first, Ive used one-way incandescent bulbs as temporary replacements for three-way bulbs for years now, without all the popping and smoking. Cyraan 22:34, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] American flag

Does anyone know why some American flags have yellow fringe around the boarder? Does this fringe have a significant meaning or is it just decorative? Lmm56 00:50, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

In the WP article Flag of the United States the decorative fringe is discribed as:

Decoration

Traditionally, the flag may be decorated with golden fringe surrounding the perimeter of the flag itself as long as it does not deface the flag proper. Ceremonial displays of the flag, such as those in parades or on indoor posts, often utilize fringe to enhance the beauty of the flag. The first recorded use of fringe on a flag dates from 1835, and the Army used it officially in 1895. No specific law governs the legality of fringe, but a 1925 opinion of the attorney general approves the use of fringe "...at the descretion of the Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy...". The United States Institute of Heraldry also confirms that there are no implications of symbolism in the use of fringe.

hydnjo talk 01:10, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Perhaps it's used by those on the political fringe ? :-) StuRat 11:34, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

By the way, despite urban legends to the contrary, it has nothing to do with martial law or federal laws not applying. Corvus cornix 00:16, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

See http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread183603/pg1 for a discussion. Don't believe the claims there, though. Corvus cornix 00:37, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Again...U.S. Interstates

So why is there no Interstate 60? 69.210.63.245 03:17, 26 February 2007 (UTC)Jon

Because that would also be in the middle, near U.S. 60., which runs from Arizona to Virginia. -- Mwalcoff 04:54, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Martial Art

Ì have been wanting to take a martial art for some time now. 1 person I know has recommended Aikido. I have reasearched it and found out a lot of stuff about it. Another person recommended jiu jitsu. i have also reasearched it. i have been told a lot of different stuff, those were the best ones that were recommended. Which one do you think? Have any other recommendations? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 72.191.114.194 (talk) 05:21, 26 February 2007 (UTC).

Depends what you want. The most effective is supposedly judo, as it focuses on disabling opponents very quickly. Arguably, the best fighter practices Judo, as he has never lost or something like that. The most flashy (to me) is probably Taekwondo. One of the most beneficial is Tai Chi Chuan, which is often practiced for health. Other than those, it really is personal preference as to what you want to learn. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 05:55, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Check out Jeet Kune Do, which was developed by Bruce Lee. − Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 06:03, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Like I said above on Judo, see Judo#Sport and beyond and how PRIDE and UFC fighters are doing by using Judo. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 06:22, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

If your aim is to screw people up, Muay Thai looks pretty effective. Watch Ong Bak for proof. If you don't want to kill people or break bones every time you get in a fight, I think Aikido would work especially well because of the general lack of direct hits. 70.108.199.130 08:14, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

My advice would be not to bother, martial arts are just a way of tricking people into thinking you can defend yourself:)Hidden secret 7 18:28, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

That's not entirely true. It's true that even someone as learned as Jet Li admits to not being able to defeat his rather large co-star in one of the movies in a real fight, they give you more edge than someone who is completely unlearned. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 22:02, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Do you have a citation for this? Jet Li was a multiple Chinese national champion, and is still regarded as one of the best in his art. Sandman30s 11:08, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

FYI, Jet Li was a five time National Wushu champion; Wushu in its modern state is really more of a demonstration-oriented sport than a fighting style. ----aguasde13013 kickin' it just for you 21:14, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Besides, it could probably be worth the effort in other areas than just brawls, like improving personal health, endurance, fitness etc... 惑乱 分からん 04:27, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

You'd do well to examine List of martial arts. V-Man737 06:11, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Do not listen to any of the above rubbish about the "best" martial art. I have taken Karate for quite a while and I can tell you only two things about fighting:

1) If you work out, practice, work out some more, and then practice some more, then practice, then work out, etc... you will become skilled.

2) Do not rely on flashy moves to do the job. Use the most effective technique requiring the least amount of effort. This usually involves a punch/elbow to the face, kick to the knee, armbar, eye gouge, etc.

If I were to reccomend anything, I'd say take boxing. They don't fool around with silly "Ki" or "finding one's true self", blah blah blah. They say just punch the bastard. Hard. That's how we do it in Kyokushin.

--67.177.170.96 14:21, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Mobile wireless devices

I've been confused about this for awhile. There are cellphones with email/browser capabilities, PDAs with phones, BlackBerries, and SideKicks. What are the difference between all these except for the name and shape? Am I missing something here? I was under the impression that BlackBerries are wireless devices with PDA capabilities and wireless phone, but aren't all the ones I mentioned like that? And P.S. I wish there was an electronics ref desk. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 08:02, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Use the Computer Ref Desk for all electronics questions. It's "close enough". StuRat 11:36, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

It's really just a matter of what software they are running - but the 'shape' is not entirely inconsequential - you need a decent sized display if you are going to be doing the kinds of things you do on a PDA for example. You could theoretically do those exact same things on a phone - but since phones tend to have tiny displays and no touch-screen, it would be pretty painful to use one to update a spreadsheet or write a lengthy document. But you are basically correct - they aren't a whole lot different 'under the hood' - which is why these 'hybrid' machines like the Blackberry with better keyboards and bigger displays than a phone - but with the handy voice functions of a cellphone are appearing. You could spread the net wider and ask why memory sticks and mp3 players and wrist watches and digital cameras and GameBoys don't do those things. With the rise of bluetooth interfacing for mobile devices, the convergence of these technologies is clearly happening. The cellphone/MP3player/Browser/Camera thing has already happened. You can play games on your phone. Some have USB interfaces so you can use them as memory sticks. All that remains is to ask what you'll call this thing? Is it an iPod with a wireless add-on - or is it a cellphone that plays MP3's? Is it a cellphone that plays video games - or is it a videogame with a cellphone attachment? SteveBaker 16:31, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Murder on the ISS

What would happen in the unlikely event that one astronaut on the International Space Station murdered another? 58.7.238.211 11:03, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

• The culprit would be arrested upon their return. The rest of the crew would probably have some emergency procedure to restrain said individual until a shuttle was ready to bring them back. - Mgm|^(talk) 11:53, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Our International Space Station article links to this document by André Farand, Head of new initiatives, ESA legal department, which says:

... each Partner State has to make sure that it has taken appropriate measures in its national legal system to enable its competent authorities to initiate criminal prosecution against an astronaut of that State’s nationality, and also enable the competent courts to actually exercise jurisdiction over the case, when receiving evidence that the astronaut concerned may have committed a particular criminal act included in the various categories of criminal acts designated, by that State, to be subject to prosecution when committed onboard the ISS.

... which I understand to mean that the alleged murderer's own home country would be responsible for their prosecution and trial. Gandalf61 11:58, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

The above paragraph does one thing: If you're a citizen of Blah-blah Land, you took off from your Blah-blah Space Center, you killed someone in the ISS and then you returned to the Blah-blah Airbase in your country's space vehicle, the victim's country can always force your country (Blah-blah Land) to prosecute you. Your country cannot shield you from law.

In case of a very obvious crime (e.g., murder), these international space men and women shall capture the criminal and their countries would battle for jurisdiction. Candidates shall include:

1. Criminal's country;
2. Victim's country;
3. Capturer's country;
4. The crime scene segment's country;
5. Landing craft's country;
6. Landing country;
7. Any mutually agreed country.

Let's say a Japanese citizen killed a U.S. citizen in a Chinese Antarctica base and was caught by a Russian scientist. A visiting German policeman from another base gathered evidence hours after the crime. A passing-by French aircraft flies the criminal (injured) and victim (dead) to the nearest Chilean Naval hospital at Cape Horn. Very possibly, Chile's legal system kicks in. However, since none of the involved parties (criminal, victim, witnesses, crime scene investigators) speak any Spanish, the Chilean government may want to send the criminal to trial in another country. However these countries are quite powerful, they may wrestle over the jurisdiction for whatever reason (We don't trust your legal system! You killed my people! We caught him! It occurred in our base! ...). -- Toytoy 13:30, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Okay, I was actually looking for information on what the other atsronauts would do (or astronaut, since there'd only be one left, making him evenly matched with the murderer). I should have been more specific. Also, what timezone does the ISS run on? I'd assume it to be GMT, but the article doesn't specify. 58.7.238.211 13:35, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Would it matters whose airspace the crime occurred in? There is a legal vacuum so far as precedent for prosecuting them. Perhaps the urgency of apprehension of an astronaut Depends on the gravity of the crime. Edison 18:01, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

BoingBoing covered this sort of thing the other day, see NASA procedure for nuts in space. --h2g2bob 19:24, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

thumb|Law enforcement in space.

I am quite happy that they don't slash each other with lightsabers or render each other motionless using Vulcan nerve pinch. -- Toytoy 21:54, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Let's not get into Interstellar jurisprudence. What, no article?! Clarityfiend 00:27, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Secession in Pakistan

Since Pakistan's western provinces are "tribal areas" seemingly completely outside the control of the central government, why can't those provinces simply leave ? If they don't want to do so (because they would be attacked by the US for harboring al Queda and the Taliban, once no longer under Pakistan's protection), could Pakistan just "cut them loose" unilaterally ? This would seem to be very much in Pakistan's interest, as the western provinces are a major liability at present, with very little benefit for Pakistan. StuRat 11:30, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Few countries voluntarily give up claimed territories. In the case of Pakistan's tribal areas, Pakistan has strategic reasons for not abandoning its claim. If the tribal areas were no longer part of Pakistan, they could become part of a greater Afghanistan, which would be a potential enemy of Pakistan, and a more powerful one than an Afghanistan lacking those territories. I think that the historic arrangement between Pakistan's government and armed forces on the one hand and the tribal areas on the other is something like "We'll leave you alone if you leave us alone". I think part of the agreement is that Pakistan's military would get access to those areas if some party posed a threat to Pakistan proper. If Pakistan abandoned all claim to those territories, it would lose this right of access.

Another, related reason why Pakistan would want to maintain its ties to these areas is that they give Pakistan more influence over the ethnic Pashtuns who inhabit these areas and who are also the dominant ethnic group of Afghanistan. Under the current arrangement, Muslim Pakistan, so long as it does not interfere with tribal authorities in its Pashtun territories, can pose as a more desirable ally of the Pashtuns than the Kabul government in Afghanistan, which may be seen as a puppet of infidel Westerners. By looking the other way while resources flow to the Taliban (while claiming to the West that they oppose such flows) from its tribal areas, Pakistan retains some power over the Taliban (if only the power to allow them access to resources), and Afganistan will likely return to Pakistan's sphere of influence if and when Western forces withdraw. Marco polo 15:43, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

I doubt if Afghanistan would be any more successful in integrating those areas than Pakistan has been. So far there have been numerous assassination attempts at Musharraf due, at least in part, to the presence of the tribal areas. And, if Pakistan thinks it has any influence over those areas they should look at the results of their last "peace treaty", which shows how the influence is strictly the other way. The Waziris and Pashtuns seem like far more trouble than they are worth. I also think any country which includes those tribal areas will be substantially weakened, not strengthened, as the tribes there are loyal to nobody (except perhaps al Queda). StuRat 16:27, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Apparently, the Pakistani authorities see it differently. Marco polo 19:17, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

I'm more curious about Stu's second question, which relates not to the issue of Pakistan's interest in or the wisdom of relinquishing control of these areas, but rather the practical aspect of whether or not Pakistan can "just cut them loose", whatever its motives. That's indeed a fascinating question, as, to the best of my recollection, I've never heard of that sort of thing ever happening. Yet I'll give it some thought, and perhaps I'll come up with a similar instance. In any case, I have absolutely no doubt that it could if it wanted to. I can't for the life of me think of any obstacle that could possibly stand in the way of such a decision. Loomis 22:36, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

I wonder, in general, if there would be a problem getting the international community to recognize that those areas unilaterally granted independence are no longer their responsibility. For a similar instance, I had to go back quite a way, but I seem to recall the Roman Empire cut England loose toward the end of the Empire. StuRat 23:52, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Check out the West Bank article. In 1988, Jordan relinquished its claim to the area. I sounds kinda sorta like they though it was just too much trouble to keep the area (and its people).Bunthorne 07:06, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Good point. Israel has also more-or-less unilaterally cut Palestine loose, for the same reason. Of course, constant terrorist attacks from Palestine cause them to go back in, then withdraw, periodically. StuRat 11:23, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] From soft drinks to "hard drinks"?

It may be not practical but why don't people brew alcoholic beverages from Coca-Cola or any other non-artificially sweetened soft drinks? People do stupid things, don't they? Does the yeast consume high fructose corn syrup? -- Toytoy 12:51, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Do they do it in jail, monastery or some religious countries where alcoholic beverages are prohibited? I know they brew fruit wines but how about using these lovely cold drinks? -- Toytoy 12:54, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Yeast prefers fructose to sucrose. Fructose is fruit sugar, and "high fructose corn syrup" is nothing but corn syrup with more fructose than normal (it's not some complex chemical). However, yeast won't grow at a low pH, and it won't grow if there's too much sugar (of any kind - fructose, sucrose, dextrose, etc.) in the liquid. Most sodas are too acidic and too sweet for yeast growth. --Charlene 13:07, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

I see. They made soft drinks acidic to improve the taste and supress bacterial growth. So you may want to add a little lime and water to your coke. -- Toytoy 13:37, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

The acidity comes in part from the dissolved CO2 forming carbonic acid under pressure. Letting it go flat - and maybe shaking it up a bit to get rid of the last of the CO2 - would help that some. I'd be surprised if it was too sweet - but if it is then just dilute it with water. SteveBaker 16:18, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Is there a source for yeats "preferring" fructose to sucrose? In proofing yeast, it foams up nicely with sucrose and bread rises well with sucrose. Bread made with fructose or sucrose seems to rise about the same. The acidity of soda might interfere with the yeast action and require buffering to a proper ph. Edison 18:05, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

You put sugar in your bread!? :-S (Oh, btw, I know yeast uses sugar, but surely it usually uses the glucose from the starch?) Skittle 17:10, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Does 20 years of winemaking count? Basically, the yeast developed by vintners and beermakers prefer fructose to sucrose in that a liquid sweetened with fructose will convert to alcohol faster than one sweetened with sucrose. Fewer off tastes, as well. (Yeast don't just convert sugars to alcohol and CO2. They also have other micronutrient requirements and produce other byproducts.) Yeast meant for breadmaking has been developed specifically to prefer glucose to anything else. However, all yeasts will get around to digesting most simple sugars - dextrose, sucrose, etc. The problem with bread yeast is that (depending on the strain) it will die out at about 3 to 5 percent alcohol, whereas wine yeast can survive up to 12%. Some sourdough bread yeasts have a higher tolerance. --Charlene 03:24, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Check out pruno. --24.147.86.187 03:34, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Car emblems

Web site where I can find a page full of different car emblems by manufacturer and make. (ie, ford mustang, chevy camaro, dodge ram---not just ford, chevy, etc.) Someone ran through my fence and left the auto's emblem. I've gone to several automakers sites and talked to the police. So far I haven't found an answer or emblem like the one left behind. DumbcluckDumbcluck 16:04, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Google for "Car badges" and you get: [11], I think that's what you need. SteveBaker 16:13, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Alternatively upload a photo of the badge and i'm sure someone on the reference desk will be able to help. Being a huge car fan I could perhaps help (I particularly like quite obscure brands you see). ny156uk 18:55, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

...And if that doesn't work, go to Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Automobiles and put a link to it there. SteveBaker 20:29, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Pronounciation

Hello, I was wondering if someone could add the way to pronounce the names of places, cities etc. Like I was searching for Middle Musquodoboit, but was not able to see how to pronounce it.

Thank you,

24.189.56.92 16:15, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

it could be pronopunced mus-k-de-boyt;)

u can look in dictionary.com. there is a button that says pronounce press it and it should pronounce for you

[edit] Unknown Song

In a Nokia India Cellular Phone ad, (not sure about the model, its for the new music phone, maybe the 5500), the background song is very catchy. Cant find out whose track it is. Lyrics go something like this:

Last night, I had a dream I saw you In this dream I'm dancing right beside you And it looked like everyone was having fun The kind of feeling I've waited so long

Can anyone help me out?

203.135.47.220 17:07, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Pretty sure the song is by Daft Punk and called 'Digital Love'. ny156uk 18:51, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

The lyrics match up. The whole Discovery album is a great listen. -- mattb @ 2007-02-26T23:38Z

[edit] WW2 Technology disputes

What are some common or popular topics argued by historians that are related to World War Two technology?Jamesino 18:05, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

gremlins and UFOs

A huge one that touches on technology is "Did the atom bomb shorten the war". There is another area of dispute that involves technology but I think I will pass. --Justanother 20:18, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

How about these:

How important was radar (and the edge the Allies had in radar technology) to determining the outcome of the war?

Did any good science come out of the medical research performed by Nazi experimentation on prisoners?

How important was air power in the outcome of the war?

And here is one that would be much less common: Was there are Nazi moon base?

What would have happened if the Germans (or Japanese) had been the first to build an atomic bomb?

What would have happened if German jet airplanes and rockets had become more advanced sooner? Johntex\^talk 20:35, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

And 'does war really speed up technology?', and I am sure the Nazi base was in Antarctica

• The whole Enigma machine,computer thing.hotclaws**== 11:20, 27 February 2007 (UTC)
  • Nonsense! Enigma is extremely well understood...in fact it was so well understood by the allies during the war that they could easily decrypt any message the Germans sent with the darned thing. The computer that was used to crack subsequent codes is also well understood but for some bizarre reason it's still a state secret in the UK. SteveBaker 15:18, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

There is also a whole host of issues relating to strategic bombing in general -- was it effective, why was it used, was it ethical, was the atomic bomb somethings qualitatively different than the firebombing, etc. Another bomb-related topic is "Why didn't the Nazis invest in the atomic bomb?" --24.147.86.187 03:31, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Voice Depth

I know that a certain amount of a person's voice depth is probably due to their natural build/vocal chords etc. but I was wondering if anyone knows of any studies that have looked at social-factors. I wondered whether perhaps a girl raised by only her father may, as a result of mimicing, have a deeper voice than a girl raised by only her mother. Or indeed boys having softer voices if they are raised by a mother only/deeper men only. I guess even having only brothers (or sisters) has an affect. Any input/help thankfully received. ny156uk 18:50, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

I think a lot of it is due to one's sociolect. 惑乱 分からん 20:37, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Studies have been made, but as far as I know they've focused on different cultural attitudes to voice pitch, rather than the effects of possible mimicking. A quick Google search led me to this blog entry that mentions the difference between Japanese, American, Swedish and Dutch women in terms of depth of voice, and mentions a book that seems to expand on the subject. Alarm 23:37, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

And what about gays, I don't reckon their high (camp) voices are linked with fancying men? I guess thats part of their culture or something —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 137.138.46.155 (talk) 11:46, 27 February 2007 (UTC).

We have some information (and plenty of misinformation) on this subect in the archives. Sadly this wasn't one of the RD's greatest moments, but there is some interesting references linked. Rockpocket 19:02, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Biodiesel 50 Million gallons

the american soybean association said every 50 million gallons of biodiesel produced raises the cost of soybeans 1%. They cite the USDA. Can anyone tell me how to find this? I have been to the USDA cite and came up nada. Any ideas? Menkatopia 19:52, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Start with a search for statements by Keith Collins, their chief economist and goo fu from there. Here is his latest and it goes much more into depth on the impact of ethanol production from corn than that of biodiesel from soy. --Justanother 20:16, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Narcotics

HOW LONG DOES NARCOTICS STAY IN YOUR BLOOD STREAM

IT DEPENDS ON NARCOTICS. THERE ARE DIFFERENT NARCOTICS Jormix 20:53, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Please sign your posts by putting four tildes (~~~~) at the end.

It depends on many factors including the narcotic, your weight, the amounts used, etc. Most of them are metabolized, and out of the bloodstream itself by the time the effects subside, but are usually still be detectable with other means other than a blood test. Cocaine can be completely out of your system in a matter of hours or days, while cannabis can be detected in your system for up to a month or more. Cyraan 20:55, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

If you didn't understand Jormix' sarcasm. Please refrain from writing ALL-CAPS in the future. It's considered "screaming", looks rude and makes you look less serious. 惑乱 分からん 00:38, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Defloration again

If defloration means breaking hymen, how about women who are born without hymen? Can you deflorate such a woman? How does major cultures answer?

I am asking this because I had sex with a bi-sexual woman who have had sex with girls only before me, and I was her first man to have sex with. This created emotional unsecurity to me. She told me she had never bleeded during sex, so propably she did not have hymen at the first place. So she was not deflorated when a girl put dildo and finger in her vagina during her first time sex. So she was a virgin until I put penis inside her? Jormix 21:08, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

In Western cultures today, virginity is often defined in terms of any kind of sexual activity, especially leading to orgasm. For example, gay men typically define their loss of virginity in terms of their first sexual interaction to the point of orgasm. Lesbians would use a similar definition. So, under this definition, if this woman had prior sexual activity to the point of orgasm, penis or no penis, then she was no longer a virgin. But why this matters to anyone but her, I don't understand. Marco polo 21:17, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

I am western but my emotion says some parts of western culture are wrong. Also western people were traditional before, and I find this traditionality is in some aspects closer to my heart than rootless and corrupt modern value-liberalism of west. I want a partner for a long term relationship, maybe even marriage, and I want that such a partner loses her virginity to me. This girl feels nice but I must know were I her first or not. I want this answer from real ancient cultures and not from yesterday-created western idealism. This is why I also ask about other major cultures. What would Muslims or Indians think, was she a virgin before me or not? Jormix 21:29, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Ooh better hope Anchoress and Wakuran don't read this --froth^T 21:42, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

OK now we know why you keep pressing this issue and I can give you the answer you have wanted all along so you can stop pressing this pointless line of questioning. You took her virginity so you can marry her. Happy now? -- Diletante 21:53, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

I can't help but sense a certain hypocrisy in your question. Have you considered the fact that one of the very reasons why you're so understanding of this particular woman's bisexuality is your own exposure to what you call "rootless and corrupt modern value-liberalism" and "yesterday-created western idealism"? It's more than likely that what you seem to be referring as "traditional" cultures would be far more concerned with labelling this woman a "sick sexual deviant" for her bisexuality than with whether she's technically a virgin or not. Oh, and you'd likely be stoned for your pre-marital sexual activities as well. Loomis 21:46, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

This came to my mind. But as I said I dislike some aspects of modern western value-liberalism, not all of them. I know also that homosexual and bisexual behaviour were accepted and even admired in ancient Greece and Rome and in some forms amongst the Germanic barbarians and later Vikings so it is actually very traditional and very deep rooted in my European ethnic background to accept at least womens bisexuality. I am not a Christian and Christians were those who condemned bisexuality. Jormix 22:31, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

If you want to be vidicated by tradition, you can't pick and choose which rules you like and which you don't... --froth^T 01:00, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Why not? It is called "new age" and it is very popular 193.167.45.242 12:54, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

"New Age", of course, being the most western, liberal, anti-traditional of phenomena you can possibly get. Loomis 21:53, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Actually it is a lot wider phenomenom than just New Age movements. It is a symptom of Multiculturalism. In societies with multicultural policy it is normal to pick superficial features of different cultures and traditions to create your own "custom" cultural identity. It is like picking products from supermarket. Just pick what you happen to want at a moment and leave other features away. Its cheap, its easy, its consumption. Tuohirulla puhu 15:03, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Christians were also those who condemned all forms of pre-marital sex. There were ways to date and there were fertility rites that allowed pre marital sex in pagan Europe. For example in some cultures you could have pre marital sex at midsummer night and it was not considered as loss of virginity but rather holy ritual to honour sun or to make ground fertile Jormix 22:40, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

(edit conflict) Did you see the article on virginity? Under religions, for Islam etc should be what you're looking for. As for personal opinion, I guess I should refrain. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 21:49, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Thanks, I read it, but it did not answer such exeptional case Jormix 22:34, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] gutenberg bible

do any of u guys know how much the gutenberg bible was worth when they first started selling it? i looked in the article and i can't find anything. i looked in google and all i found was how much it costs now —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 68.210.12.248 (talk) 22:25, 26 February 2007 (UTC).

This and several other sources suggest 20 guilders for paper and 50 for vellum. meltBanana 23:59, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

What is that in present day currency? (Had to ask), Edison 05:59, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Any attempt at converting it to modern day values would be completely meaningless. Oskar 07:01, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Au contraire, non frere, the location cited above actually says that the 20 guilder then would be the equivalent of about $1000. It is possible to calculate historical value of money by seeing what it would buy (land, labor, commodities) and its precious metal content. The question looked at what the item cost then compared to what it is worth now. Sometimes people get enthralled by how valuable such an antique is and wish their ancestor had bought one and passed it down so they could sell it and be rich. The Wikipedia article on the Bible says the last sale of a complete one was in 1978 for $2.2 million, which would be a paltry 1.48% return from 1454 to 1978. If the purchaser had neglected his spiritual wealth and instead put the $1000 equivalent at interest at, say, 3%, it would have increased to over $5,300,000,000 by 1978. Even a 2% return on an investment over that period would have increased to $32 million by 1978. Edison 15:27, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Yes, I wonder what rates were offered by the Knights Templar. − Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 16:19, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

This is still completely and utterly meaningless. We can't just compare it to $1000 dollars today, because not only is the currency and price of goods different, but the entire world is. The psychological difference between $1000 then and $1000 now is vast. I mean, that much money only the richest of rich could possibly afford (we're talking aristocracy and the clergy, at the most), while a $1000 dollars today is still a lot of money, but with some frugality and a decent credit card, most people in the middle-class could afford that. A better value would be perhaps to say that it cost $1,000,000. This is technically incorrect (because, as you say, if you compare it to other costs it doesn't parse), but it conveys the psychological cost much, much better. This is my point; however you come up with a value, it will have little or no meaning in the world today. The way we use currency, the way currency is distributed, the difference in price from product to product and how the market works is too different then to now to make any comparison anything but meaningless Oskar 17:48, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

No - it's not meaningless so long as it's calculated correctly. If 20 guilders back then was about what a typical person of the time would have earned in a week - then we can look at what a typical person earns in a week now - and say "About $1000" (or whatever it is). You could also say "How many loaves of bread would 20 guilders have bought back then? How much does it cost to buy that much bread now?". Of course the answers you get are very variable - so you have to look at a lot of measurements and average them or something - and the result isn't going to have any kind of accuracy. But it definitely gives you some insight into what sort of an person might be able to afford one. You get a pretty reasonable feeling of what that Bible represented to people of the time. If the answer is indeed somewhere beteen $500 and $2000 in present value - then you can say that it was maybe 10 times the price of a nicely bound quality Bible today. You can say that the average man-in-the-street would not have been able to afford one - but a nobleman would have thought it a reasonable (but not inconsequential) purchase - and a church could have bought one if the parishoners wanted to collect money to buy it. SteveBaker 23:43, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

I know that i am the one that posted the question, but i completely agree with oskar. Also, i read in one textbook that after the printing press was made by Johann Gutenberg, that it became a lot cheaper so that common people could get one too. Oh and thanx for all the help guys, ur the best

[edit] User Boxes

Can someone tell me how to make userboxes on other wiki's. I run one call "Tyluthanwiki" [12] is the site. Please help me. Thanks. Ouijalover 23:27, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Just copy Template:Userbox to your own wiki, and use that. --h2g2bob 00:13, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Remembering that this is licensed under the GFDL - and that you must keep it under GFDL on your own Wiki. SteveBaker 15:11, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Role of the AHL

I'm trying to understand the purpose of the AHL. Its article describes it as a "development league" for the NHL. Why then, do the vast majority of draft picks come from the three sub-leagues of the Canadian Hockey League (OHL, QMJHL, WHL) and from Europe. Isn't the AHL supposed to be producing NHL players? Also, there's too many AHL players that are too old to be playing junior/minor hockey and will clearly never make it in the NHL, so why don't they kick them out and recruit new young players?

Those are two different types of leagues. The AHL is the minor league system of professional teams whereas the OHL, WHL, QMJHL are amateur teams for players under the age of 20. Once a player is drafted, if he is not good enough to make the NHL team he is placed on an AHL team untill he developes further. --Djsasso 23:39, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Pain

What is the worst purely physical pain? --froth^T 21:33, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

kicking someone in the balls forever and ever and ever

I don't find kicking someone in the balls to be painful at all, provided you wear the proper shoes, of course. :-) StuRat 22:53, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

I heard giving birth would be the most painful... 惑乱 分からん 00:49, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

I'd imagine that there would be plenty of things worse than giving birth.. slowly getting your hands cut off at the wrists with a rusty sawblade for one. But I hear that there are some pains that for special reasons are in a class all their own, like cracking a femur down the length of the bone --froth^T 00:56, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

The three most common answers for "what is the most painful thing" are childbirth, passing a gallstone, and passing a kidney stone. --Carnildo 01:37, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Probably said half-seriously ("aw man that was the most painful thing EVER") but there is no way that those are the most painful things. What if instead of a baby coming out, a woman was forced to endure someone breaking her cervix and a wooden baby coated in sandpaper being pushed into her uterus? I'm looking for a more scientific answer to the question, like is there some disease which directly stimulates all pain nerves in the body or something insane like that? --froth^T 02:29, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

I don't think a human body could handle extreme amounts of pain. I think anything severely more painful than the answers given, would likely cause you to either pass out or die in the process... 惑乱 分からん 02:51, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Comparing kidney stones to childbirth? Come on, babies aren't jagged when they come out! − Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 16:21, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

I quite agree with Wakuran. Although I would have to say crucifixion would be the worst. By the way, the word "excruciating" literally meant "off of the cross," reflecting the intense, slow death of the victim. bibliomaniac15 04:56, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Info given here is purely for discussion and does not constitute a recommendation, and we accept no liability. I expect electric shock would be the worst, per [13]. The pain reportedly increases as the eighth power of the current. The shock can be remotely applied via a shock belt. Sadly, reports are that extreme pain causes neither death nor passing out, if properly done. It can be applied to sensative areas while avoiding passage through the heart (which might cause death) or the brain(which might cause unconsciousness or death). Most aversive conditioning or torture uses low current high voltage application, (nonlethal agricultural electric fence, Tucker telephone , dog shock collar, Taser, cattle prod, Bird Inductorium, rat maze, aversive conditioning) while the Electric chair uses high voltage high current. Edison 06:31, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

torture and pain are painstakingly crucial in this tortuous subject. V-Man737 07:03, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

You're all wrong. The is little discussion in the academic community about what the most painful sensation of all is: Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo. Causes death in about 93% of reported cases and the few survivors are so badly scarred that they are unable to stop screaming in horror for the rest of their natural lives. Oskar 06:56, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Pain is actually a very relative measure and varies between people. The brain can block any nerve in the body and there is a thresh hold of pain that a human can experience. According to this [14] with training it is possible to learn to consciously control pain. Also, as a side note, our article Agony says that cancer sometimes causes extreme pain. S.dedalus 07:39, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Indeed, it would vary widely from person to person. For example, a family friend reported using an epillator on her legs as being unbearably painful, more painful than childbirth! My mother regularly uses an epillator with little to no discomfort, and considers childbirth as the most painful thing she has ever experienced, but has never broken a bone or donated bone marrow, which could be worse. My sister broke her arm, and seemed to feel little pain compared to the bruising on her back (although that could be a self-preservation, endorphin-related thing I suppose). So really, people feel different things as being more or less painful. Skittle 16:44, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Pain is subjective, nociception is objective. If you wish to be scientific about it, you would measure the most noxious nociceptive response based on quantitative physiological parameters. Comparing childbirth to a kick in the nuts is pointless, as no one person can experience both. Rockpocket 21:40, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

How about dislocating your entire knee? [15] The pain in that instant would be very intense though I imagine it would die down quickly. Sabar 10:28, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

Did anyone have the shingles?? That hurt like hell... —The preceding unsigned comment was added by FruitMart07 (talk • contribs) 22:15, 1 March 2007 (UTC).

I heard a Lumbar Puncture is... --Candy-Panda 12:43, 2 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Water in stone

Okay, stupid question. I thought I heard/watched on TV/read that water could be extracted from stones, but I doubt it's possible. Does anyone know the answer to this less than usual question? · AO ^Talk 21:45, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

perhaps you are thinking of the survival skills, solar still or condensation traps. Or maybe you are refering to underground aquifers? Theoretically you could make water out of anything that has hydrogen and oxygen atoms given enough energy. Water Vapor is a product of combustion reactions. -- Diletante 22:12, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

I wouldn't be surprised at all if even stones (at least those found on Earth) contain miniscule trace amounts of moisture. If so, then technically, if you're willing to consider the extraction of one billionth of one exalitre (0.000000000000000000000000000001 litres) of water evidence that water can be extracted from stones, then I suppose the answer would be yes. Loomis 23:42, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

There are water-permeable rocks, like sandstone, which can store more substantial quantities of water. StuRat 23:01, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

There's a far higher proportion of gold in seawater than there is of water in rocks, so that would be a better proposition. But even that is economically pointless, since it would cost far more to extract the gold than the gold is worth. JackofOz 23:32, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

As a Boy Scout I was told not to place creek rocks around a campfire because the water in them would make them explode from the heat. Sounds like a job for [Mythbusters]]. Edison 06:08, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

It would take very little water to produce enough steam to blow a chunk off a rock, so that sounds possible to me. StuRat 12:51, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Wow, thanks! So basically, no, it isn't possible to extract water from rock (in substantial quantities). As for exploding rocks... I'll try that sometime. :-) · AO ^Talk 14:17, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

HAH! As a young Boy Scout, I'd put all sorts of rocks into the fire to try to get them to explode. One time I got the rock hot enough that when I took it out of the fire (using tongs, of course), it cracked (but did not explode). Lucky for me, I never happened to throw a geode in a fire. V-Man737 04:29, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

Exploding rocks may be rare, but that's still good enough reason not to risk it. StuRat 14:16, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

A potato baking in the coals exploded once on a camping trip The outside looked like a rock, but a piece of the superheated interior hit someone on the forehead and stuck there for a bit, causing a nice 2nd degree burn. Edison 16:38, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

I bet they failed to cut the slit in the top to let the steam out, didn't they ? StuRat 17:37, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Lost in Space ?

I seem to recall an episode of Lost in Space where Zachary Smith squeezed sponges made to resemble rocks and got water out of them, to convince some alien he had superhuman strength. Am I remembering correctly ? StuRat 15:07, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Squeezing water from a stone is a very old literary device to show great strength (no, I have no sources, just memories of old folk tales), sometimes being set as a challenge to win a great prize. Usually I've heard the trick being using fruit instead of stones; I imagine sponges are a modern take on it! Anyway, this was just to suggest what might have been misheard, out of context. Hope I haven't patronised anyone! Oh, and there's the common phrases "It's like squeezing blood (or water) from a stone", "You won't get water (or blood) from a stone no matter how hard you squeeze", etc which again could have been heard out of context. Skittle 16:37, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Moses did it. From memory, he did it twice. But once he wasn't supposed to hit the rock. --Dweller 17:53, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

I'm sure that used cheese sometimes, instead of fruit. And river can come out of rock too, even without magic

I remember being told a story in primary school about a knight or something who defeated a dragon by telling him he could squeeze water out of a rock, the dragon tried and couldnt do it, and the knight used cheese instead and this scared the dragon into thinking the knight was stronger and so the dragon gave up it's treasure. My memory says it was St. George, but it seems he just stabbed the thing to death. No idea where it's from, then. Anyone remember? I'd like to know. Capubadger 10:09, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

Yeah, I was told that fairytale as a kid too. I think the knight blackened the cheese in a fire to make it look like a rock... --Kurt Shaped Box 10:12, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

Was it perhaps the "Vikings in Space" episode of "Lost in Space" ? I can't find a full summary anywhere, just a brief synopsis which mentions Smith using "trickery" to fool the Vikings, which I think was the water from rocks bit. StuRat 16:25, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

i think it was also in some versions of the story of the taylor who was sent to deal with a giant

[edit] February 27

[edit] Crossover vehicles

What is a "crossover" vehicle? I keep seeing car ads which refer to their cars as crossovers, but they don't explain what that means. Corvus cornix 00:09, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Have you tried crossover SUV? It's "an automobile with a sport utility vehicle appearance but is built upon a more economical and fuel-efficient unibody construction." Clarityfiend 00:23, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

thanks. No, I didn't think to look here. How stupid of me.  ;) Corvus cornix 00:40, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

There could also be other crossovers. The Chevrolet El Camino, for example, could be called a crossover between a passenger car and a pickup truck. StuRat 00:59, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Technical aeronautic vocabulary

I don't understande that :

First a/c designed to be data-link flyable from the ground.

First sophisticated bleed-bypass system for both intake AND engine/exhaust. Everybody uses that now.

First combination of the last two points with an "ejector" nozzle that used the bypass air to create thrust at the exhaust nozzle while also improving intake flow. The F-106 didn't even have a nozzle, just a pipe.

Use of a drooped leading edge and aerodynamic "twist" on the wing.

First oxygen-injection re-light system.

First engine to have only two main bearing assemblies on a two-shaft design.

First to use a variable stator on a two-shaft engine.

First use of a trans-sonic first compressor stage on a turbojet engine.

First "hot-streak" type of afterburner ignition.

Exemple : What is a oxygen injectoin re-light system and what is a variable stator. Stator is not the fixed part of a jet engine?

Thank you

If it's just the terminology you're interested in, I can certainly help. It would very much help to look at the diagrams at Jet engine for this.

1. Indicates that the aircraft has no pilot on board, and is controlled via radio from the ground.

2. Bleed bypass indicates that some of the air in a jet engine is bypassing the combustion chamber and is sent cold out the nozzle. This example is known as a turbofan. The bleed part is redundant since this usually indicates the air is 'bled' from behind the compressor, while bypass air always goes through the compressor. It does not make sense in the context of either an intake or a nozzle alone, it involves the entire engine.

3. The bypass air is always used to increase thrust. From what I've seen, an ejector nozzle is used to produce a cooler nozzle flow, by mixing in the cool bypass air with the hot turbine exhaust. All jet engines have nozzles, even if it doesn't appear so.

4. A drooped leading edge, or slat, is used to generate higher lift at slow speeds. A wing's twist is used to ensure that the root of the wing (near the fuselage) stalls before the tip. This means the ailerons are still effective during a stall, allowing roll control.

5. This sounds to me like oxygen is injected into the combustion chamber in order to help light the engine after a flameout.

6. Two main bearings - sounds like the joints between the engine shaft(s) and the frame.

7. The stator is a set of fixed blades in the compressor or turbine. If the blades are variable, their pitch can be changed depending on the flight conditions to improve the efficiency or performance of the engine.

8. Transonic indicates a velocity near the speed of sound. Thus, the air coming into the first compressor stage (in the diffuser) is transonic.

9. I can't find any difference between a hot-streak and a conventional afterburner, at least not with a few minutes of googling.

anonymous6494 06:47, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Irritating TV news cliché

Which one, you ask - there are so many. Anyway, the one that is currently getting under my skin is when they interview somebody, particularly a person not yet well known to the public. Before he/she gets asked their first question, they’re shown walking. Maybe walking into their office, where an unnaturally tidy desk awaits them, and they start leafing through the sole book sitting there; or maybe just walking across a park, or along a footpath, going nowhere in particular. If I were ever interviewed on TV (hardly likely), I’d make it an absolute condition that I not be shown just walking somewhere. Why do TV stations persist with this? What value is there in seeing some person just walking? Surely we’re interested not in looking at their whole body, just their face when they start talking. This one is right up there with news readers having not only a desk top computer that they never look at, but also holding a pen that they never use. What’s wrong with a clean desk and empty hands? JackofOz 02:48, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

I don't know. Another irritating cliche is the stupid, stupid stories about people who have assumed a "healthier" lifestyle (in other words, they've stopped eating junk food). They're always shown awkwardly cutting up vegetables, often a yellow pepper. I don't even want to see articles like this - what, there weren't enough murders and car crashes today? - let alone this stupid cliche. --Charlene 03:16, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Don't get me started. Another of my pet peeves is, when a guy scores a goal in a soccer match, he runs off with his arms outstretched. The camera always, but always, gives us a close-up of only his head and arms. This is where we do want to see the whole person, not just their face. Well, I do anyway. Relating this to my original question, there's obviously a conspiracy to give viewers the exact opposite of what they want. I think nuking the TV stations would be going a bit far, but what else is appropriate? JackofOz 04:17, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

I think you can add to this the fact that a news report of a fire/catastrophe/accident/etc. will invariably contain some witness saying "It's the worst XXXX that I've ever seen..." Do these people see horrific accidents so often that they'd be able to qualify statements like that? Dismas|^(talk) 04:35, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Not to mention the "carnage on the roads" every holiday season. I think there's a definite case for a Wikipedia article on dumb, mindless, irritating TV and film cliches. Seriously. JackofOz 04:52, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

We kind of already do. Dismas|^(talk) 05:34, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Oh, thank you, thank you, Dismas. I should have known better than to think we hadn't already done it. You've made my day.  :) JackofOz 05:40, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

• I hate them interviewing an athlete immediatly after they have just done something so their answer is just a series of gasps.Why not wait one minute and let the poor soul at least get their breath back?hotclaws**== 11:30, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Didn't we just tell a newbie that this was not the place to rant?? --Zeizmic 12:56, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

To return to the question, I agree it is a cliche. I would imagine they do this to try to give us a better sense of the person and hte surroundings in which they live or work. You know what is really annoying? When something happens during the day and by 10:00pm or 11:00pm the newsies have their TV crews in front of a now completely quiet scene so that they can broadcast "live from city hall", or whatever the location was. Johntex\^talk 14:13, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

It simulates how you might meet someone in real life. First you seem them from a distance then once they are up close you can see their face and hear what they are saying. It is simply an establishing shot. Like any editing technique it can be done poorly or done well. -- Diletante 15:57, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

That sounds like a plausible explanation in some cases. That might explain starting out showing the interviewee at full height while standing still, then zooming in to their face when they start talking. It doesn't explain the person walking 30 yards into their office, sitting at an almost empty desk, and faking doing some important reading. Sorry if this took a tangent into a mini-rant, but I really am curious about this strange behaviour that innocent people seem to allow themselves to be forced into. JackofOz 03:47, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

Sometimes I perform meaningless tasks like that without thinking about it... Perhaps I was destined to be interviewed on television? V-Man737 03:51, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] moved from Talk:September 11, 2001 attacks

[edit] Passenger Manifest

I was hoping some of you experienced wikipedians can try to figure out why no one is questioning the passenger manifest. The passenger manifest must be compiled before a plane takes off; yet the official passenger manifest fluctuated for over a month after 9/11. What's more, the majority of the dead "passengers" have no family members coming forward to either accept government compensation or are very quiet. The people related to those dead at ground zero are very vocal in comparison. Also, there are no arabic names on the passenger manifest. 19 arabic "hijackers" could not have snuck onboard all these planes. Also, can somebody verify if two people who were reported dead on the plane (and their families recieved mysteriously undamaged id and credit cards) but weren't on the passenger manifest actually existed? Please I think this is the most telling piece of evidence against the corrupt Bush administration.

Surely you've noticed, like I have, that the relative dearth of passenger relatives indicates a fabricated list of passengers! —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 161.38.223.224 (talk) 02:25, 27 February 2007 (UTC).

First, I don't accept any of the "facts" you rely on. Prove to me that the passenger lists varied for over a month, prove to me that no Arab names are on any of the lists, prove to me that relatives of those on the planes have a lower rate of seeking government compensation. Then list the names and plane of the two passengers you speak of and what specifically your conspiracy theory is (what exactly do you think the "corrupt Bush administration" did ?). StuRat 10:22, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Many published passenger lists are, in fact, lists of victims. The terrorists are not usually considered victims, so no arabic names, and the numbers of passengers vs. number of names on victim lists will not match. Also, lists published soon after 9/11 were compiled by and from news agencies, and were incomplete as they were not the real passenger manifests that the airlines had. When lists were released, the names were released only after the victims' families were notified; later lists were thus more complete. See here for more details. Conspiracy web sites will not acknowledge these things, as that would cut into sales of banner ads, books, videos, etc. There's easy money to be made by telling you stories. I should get into that biz... Weregerbil 12:34, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Bill Cosby

How did Bill Cosby make a difference?

~trtl

A difference in what? Perhaps you should read the page on Bill Cosby and come back with more specific questions. Dismas|^(talk) 04:31, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

He convinced America to eat the pudding.--ChesterMarcol 04:37, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

You see, the kids, they like the rap music, with the hippin' and the hoppin' and the bippin' and the boppin', so they don't know what the jazz, is all about!

In all seriousness though, he did come under some controversy a few years back for a speech that criticized the views and priorities of some of todays African American youth, at least attempting to make a difference there. Cyraan 04:55, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

I view that speech and later speeches as saying the lack of morals, realistic goals, respect, etc., apparent in black kids today is primarily the fault of their parents and the black community. This is in sharp contrast to the "PC" line that all black problems in the US are a result of slavery, segregation, etc. "Cos" points out that only 30-40 years ago most black kids had morals, realistic goals, respect, etc.; so slavery, segregation, etc., can't be blamed for the subsequent decay, and the black community must look inward. Less controversial activities by "Cos" include his portrayal of positive black role models in The Cosby Show and Cosby. The earlier Fat Albert was a bit more controversial, for it's negative portrayal (for comic effect) of black characters, such as Mushmouth. StuRat 10:13, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

He was the first black comedian with comedy records which were hits among U.S. whites as well as blacks. Then he was the first black star of a U.S. network dramatic show, I Spy. Edison 15:25, 7 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Article name

How do you reserve an article name?--Chuck Marean 05:57, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

What do you mean, "reserve"? For Wikipedia articles where one title could be used for different topics, it would probably be better with disambiguations. 惑乱 分からん 07:00, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

When you create an article, the name is automatically 'reserved' unless it's already in use by another article. If you are asking how to create an article - let us know and we'll point you in the right direction. SteveBaker 15:03, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Try threatening Jimbo. − Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 08:08, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

Legal disclaimer: I do not endorse any threatenings of any Jimbos.

[edit] Itunes7

How can I get Itunes7 on my computer? I tried downloading it from their websight, but it didn't do anything, and still doesn't work. My Ipod says it needs at least Itunes7 to work. What is the point of creating a program that doesn't do anything? And yes there was a CD with my Ipod, but it has Itunes6 on, for some reason.

Does your browser block pop-ups? − Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 16:12, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

If you had an Apple Mac it would be built-in.--88.111.98.95 17:29, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

That would be nice

Here's a link (http://www.softwarepatch.com/software/itunes.html), here's another (http://www.download.com/iTunes/3000-2199_4-10057115.html) and finally the official site (http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/). You have to download the appropriate version of either MAC or PC to get them to work on your own operating system. You may need to disable pop-ups, or if you are downloading via firewall this could be causing issues, but I would be surprised as it would have to be very stringent controls. Hope this works and hope you enjoy your iPod. ny156uk 18:43, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Then what do I do once I've apparently downloaded it?

Install it. On a Mac, you would simply double click the file that was downloaded and it would walk you through the installation process. I'm fairly certain the same would be true for a PC though I don't run a PC so I'm not as sure on that one. Which type of system are you using? Dismas|^(talk) 21:52, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

What you should do if you have a Windows computer and you're downloading it and then can't find it anywhere is when you try to download it, don't download it to the folder they suggest (usually the Temporary Internet Files folder hidden away somewhere) but rather click "Browse" and save the installation file onto your desktop or somewhere easy to locate. So if it doesn't autoplay, then once you've downloaded it, you start installation by double clicking on that downloaded file. The wizard should take you from there. To upload your ipod you need to a)move all your music into the itunes library (which I think you can request it to do during installation) and b) open itunes with your ipod plugged in. Unless you download some different stuff, only Itunes can update your ipod. 70.108.199.130 04:54, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

Also, if you don't want to bother with all that, I'm pretty sure you can just open up your Itunes 6.0 and click Help (in top menu) then "Check for Updates" or something. Then just update to 7.0. I think. It might be that you can only update, say from 6.0 to 6.2 or something, though. 70.108.199.130 04:57, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] pretexting

Please explain the terminology "pretexting".

Pretexting -- Diletante 16:59, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Saint-Martin: European Union status 67.70.203.202 17:19, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Hello,

I'm having a difficult time determining if the French portion of the island of Saint-Martin (St. Maarten) is, in fact, part of the European Union...and whether, as the holders of EU passports, my wife and I would thus be eligible to seek employment and healthcare during future annual, six-month visits there (she's a public school Principal/Special-Education teacher nearing early retirement and I'm a writer/speaker; our citizenship is dual Canadian/Italian and we are hoping to be able to escape our intense Canadian winters).

Any insights or references you may be able to provide would be very much appreciated.

Thanks!

67.70.203.202 17:19, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

According to Saint Martin (France), the French part of the island and the surrounding islets are part of the European Union. Corvus cornix 19:02, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

If you would like an official answer just to make sure, contacting a French embassy or consulate will probably be best, this is the contact info for the embassy given at the bottom of this site:

French Embassy, 42 Sussex Drive, OTTAWA (ON) K1M 2C9 - Tel. 613 789 1795 - Fax. 613 562 3735

There are also links to the various consulates by location here, while they all seem to be in French, each site has contact info at the bottom of the page. Cyraan 19:10, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Despite the claim in Saint Martin (France) that the territory remains part of the European Union, my research on "overseas collectivities", such as Saint Martin has just become, indicates that they are "associated with" the European Union but that EU laws do not necessarily apply to them. Each such collectivity can define or negotiate its own relationship with the EU. This is in contrast to the overseas departments, such as Guadeloupe, to which Saint Martin used to belong, which are part of the EU. (Saint Martin has apparently chosen this looser link to the EU in part because the Dutch part of the island, Sint Maarten, has such a loose link and has up to now enjoyed certain economic advantages as a result.) I agree that you should contact the French embassy for clarification. Marco polo 19:32, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Or you could just visit Victoria. --Charlene 06:10, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] vicar

need to now about a vicar at doncaster

What do you need to know? Clio the Muse 18:22, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Perhaps you want the Vicar of Doncaster? Rockpocket 18:50, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] why did the market crash today? will it crash tomorrow too?

If something has already crashed, you need to fix it before you can crash it again Of course the market carsh is different, and it could happen again tomorrow and the day after and the day after, and then it would be the end of the world :)

Not really. It'd cause havok, but there wasn't a market when the human race started up, so it's obviously not necessary for human survival. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 19:14, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

What?! Nonsense. − Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 08:04, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

What has happened today is not a crash. It is a slightly greater than 2% drop (in the United States) after a long bull run. This does not even count as a correction, according to our article Market trends. After a long period without such a drop, it is startling, but 2% movements in stock market indexes were much more common historically than they have been in the past few years. This could be the return to historically normal levels of volatility, or it could be a one-time aberration in a period of unusually low volatility. For an explanation of today's drop, you could do worse than the lead story on Marketwatch. Marco polo 20:09, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

If I had even the slightest clue as to which direction the market will head tomorrow, I'd literally be able to make millions. Even if I were 100%, absolutely certain that the Dow will go down by even one point, I'd place my life savings into shorting the market, and thereby make a bundle. In other words, there's absolutely no way to know for certain which way the market will head tomorrow. If there were, I'd be a zillionaire by now.Loomis 21:47, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

-absolutely Loomis. my husband is a day trader and noted the Dow hit the biggest one-day drop since the day after 9-11. but who could know this? and who can know when is the beginning or end of a run? on another note, some 300,000 orders that went out of his office (we live in austin) in the last 20 minutes are in question. apparently, new york was inundated and so depending on how things open, this will make or break many a traders' personal accounts. my husband is here now and says if you ever do figure out a sure thing, share the info and we'll all make a killing!

If everyone knew, you probably wouldn't make a killing. − Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 08:04, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

unless you murder whoever it was that told everyone else

[edit] Record for most stike outs in carrer in MLB?

Sorry, I didn't see a sports desk. Is this the right p--Tom 19:30, 27 February 2007 (UTC)lace for sports help going forward? Thanks!

If you are referring to the pitcher who has struck out the most batters, the answer is Nolan Ryan, with 5714. If you are asking which batter has struck out the greatest number of times, the answer is Reggie Jackson, with 2597. Carom 20:12, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Thanks! I was looking for the pitcher with the greatest total number of strikeouts for his carrer. --Tom 20:41, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

You're right that there's no sports desk. I think the Entertainment Desk is generally the best fit for sports questions. SubSeven 06:18, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] no personal articles

i'm new and a little confused. you stated we shouldn't include personal articles but the first prompting is an article with User:(my name). should i fill this in because there is a users' articles data bank or is this just by default and i should not do this? i couldn't find an answer among your FAQ. my apologies... —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Inklings101 (talk • contribs) 19:49, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Not a problem! User pages are not articles; you may feel free to put personal stuff there (within reason; it's not your blog). Welcome to WP! --Trovatore 19:55, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

- thanks for the help. i clicked on your user page and hope to add some identifying color to mine as well. this page suits me because i have found errors in many a best seller ("Dry" most recently) and it drives my would-be perfectionist self crazy! i appreciate your help...

[edit] Cingular MediaNet

I have a new cingular phone however when i try to access the internet on it(the phone is internet ready) it says GPRS failed. Is their currently an outage involving cingular's WI-FI network?--logger 20:17, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Were you able to use it before? If I recall correctly, the internet browsing is disabled on their end by default if you don't already have a data plan, as you are charged by the KB. I had to talk to a customer service rep to get it turned on for my new RAZR (their website has a section where you can use a chatroom to talk to one, it was actually quite easy.) Cyraan 21:11, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Cingular has a "MEdia net" that costs extra per month. If you don't have it, you don't get those capabilities. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 06:20, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

I have medianet on my phone. I will however try the support chat.--logger 08:04, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] publishing

i am a student in a brooklyn middle schooland I have to do a bibliography and for that i have to write down the authors name, the title of publication, the place of the publication,and the year of the publication for the topic "Battle of Long Island" but i look every where and I cant find that information.Please write back to me or send me the answer at my e-mail adress [removed] thank you very much

This sounds like an interesting project. My kids have done the same. I would suggest putting that exact title in a Google search. Also, you're at an age where you could site Wikipedia, so search in that as well. Finally, there is the good old library! --Zeizmic 23:41, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Do you mean, you've used the article Battle of Long Island for your report, and now you need to cite it? In that case, go to the page on Battle of Long Island and click the blue link on the far left of your screen that says Cite this article. However, depending on how strict your teacher is, you might do better to look up references listed at the bottom of that page (under the heading References), use the information in them, and cite them instead. Whatever you choose to do, good luck! Skittle 23:49, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Image:Wheretoclick.JPG <- Click there to see a picture that shows you where the link you need is. You click that link (when you're on the Battle of Long Island page!), then you can follow the instructions there! Skittle 00:01, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

For your bibliography go to the Library of Congress site here [16], and under the subject browser enter Long Island, Battle of. You can then go into the specific information. You should be able to compile a fairly comprehensive list of sources, both primary and secondary. Clio the Muse 23:55, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] screensavers

I accidentally made a picture a screensaver. It isn't that apealing and i want to get it back to normal. What do I do?

On Windows, you'll want to go to the desktop, right click, select "Properties" from the list. It'll open up a box. Click on the Screen Savers tab on the top of the box. From the drop-down menu, choose whatever Screen Saver you want, or turn it off or something with the various options. I've never really heard of a plain picture screen saver, so perhaps you're referring to desktop background. You can change that in the same properties box, in the Desktop tab, where you can choose other pictures to display or even browse for pictures you've saved onto your computer. Hope that answers it. 70.108.199.130 04:47, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

On the other hand buy an Apple Mac and with three mouse clicks you can change your wallpaper to any one of your photo library pictures.--88.111.98.95 08:53, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Contribution

I love this website and I found something that you guys don't have. I don't want to sign up or anything but heres the website that I found that has different martial art syles that different practitioners use. Look under "Bruce Kinney - Instructer." Theres a fighting style and translation. It's Lohan Kuen(Monk's Fist). You don't have a page about it, so I wanted to let you know. I just want to contribute to this wonderful website!

http://www.nationalkungfu.com/forms.html

According to other open encyclopedias, Monk's Fist was the formal name for the first 18 moves which were developed by Kung Fu originator Bodhidharma, and which led directly to Kung Fu as a discrete martial art. As such, any article on Monk's Fist would likely discuss this much more than any modern variant of a single martial art. However, there are hundreds of variants of each martial art, and anyone can set up their own dojo and call their own variant anything they like -- notability, in other words, is suspect for otherwise unheard of variants of martial arts. So you're welcome to try making a page for Monk's Fist, but my guess is, like the entry on Kung Fu itself, such an entry would end up being merged into Martial Art pretty quickly. Jfarber 23:25, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] UK road signs

A question about the road signs in the UK. What does an Access only sign on the entrance to a road mean? no offense, but if you don't know the answer to the question, please don't quess! I have checked the WP article and the Highway code website. MHDIV ɪŋglɪʃnɜː(r)d(Suggestion?|wanna chat?) 18:54, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

It usually means that you can only use the road if you require access to the premises on that road.--88.111.98.95 18:58, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Yes; it means, well, access only. In other words, it is not a through road, but only to be used if you are visiting a particular house or location. Clio the Muse 19:08, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

does it mean that only residents can park there?MHDIV ɪŋglɪʃnɜː(r)d(Suggestion?|wanna chat?) 20:00, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

No, it does not; visitors can park also, unless specific restrictions are in operation. Clio the Muse 20:03, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

In the U.S., we would use "NO THRU TRAFFIC" for this sign. I would have had no idea what "access only" means. -- Mwalcoff 01:06, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

And I would have been puzzled by the US sign, trying to work out what THRU stands for and assuming it didn't apply to me.... Ah, convention. Skittle 15:57, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

There must be a rule that everything having to do with cars or driving has to be different in British and American English. I understand that when British people see American signs that say "DO NOT PASS," they think it means they can't drive past the sign! -- Mwalcoff 00:12, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

What does this mean? Do not overtake, I assume? Clio the Muse 00:30, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

Yes, that would be the British equivalent. -- Mwalcoff 00:59, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

Read it as "local access only". --Anon, Feb. 28, 2007, 05:28 (UTC).

In some instances, a temporary "Access only" sign will be put up on a road which is normally a through route, during periods of roadworks. In such cases, it means that the road is temporarily shut to through traffic, but residents/visitors can still access the buildings on the street up to the point of the blockage. This has been going on in my village rather a lot lately... Hassocks5489 09:06, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Widescreen monitors.

If a 4:3 monitor and a 16:9 monitor are both 19", does that mean the 16:9 one will be shorter than the 4:3 one, meaning the 4:3 is better for 4:3 images? Or is the 16:9 19" monitor just a 19" 4:3 monitor with extra space on the sides?

I read that the inch number was measured by a diagonal line from the upper left corner of the screen to the lower right, so your first defiition seems more likely. 惑乱 分からん 23:22, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

Yeah - monitors are measured by the diagonal - so yes - the 16:9 monitor will be shorter but wider than the 4:3 if they have the same diagonal - so displaying an un-cropped 4:3 image on the wide-screen monitor will result in a smaller image than on the 4:3 monitor. SteveBaker 23:29, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

If you are selecting between two monitors, pick the widescreen one (btw, widescreen monitors are often 16:10, not 16:9, for some reason). It's such a huge improvement over 4:3 monitors, whether you are watching movies or just using your computer. Well, in my (very credible :D) opinon at least Oskar 02:23, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

Just did some math, because I was bored. Assuming that 19" refers to the diagonal of the "visible area". With 3:4 you're getting 173.3 square inches of monitor for your money, 10:16 comes in at 162.257 sq inches and 9:16 is 154.256 sq inches. So 3:4 is a better deal for amount of screen, but obviously they will sell for different prices anyways. I do believe that widescreen formats look much better for movies and gaming, but i prefer 3:4 for browsing webpages and the like. Capubadger 10:59, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

The problem with wide-screen for reading text is that our eyes don't do well at reading very long lines of text because when you get to the end of one line and have to zip back to the start of the next, you tend to lose track of which line is which. This is why newspapers split the page up to use narrow columns. So you'll tend to use tall-but-narrow windows that are closer to the shape of a 4:3 screen than to a 16:9. However, if you want to have a lot of text windows open at the same time - then 16:9 lets you put more windows side-by-side. So which you want depends a lot on what you do most. Of course if you plan to watch movies on your monitor - then 16:9 is *THE* way to go. Most action-oriented 3D games look best in 16:9 too. If you plan to use your PC to write a novel (or an encyclopedia!) then 4:3 is probably the best choice. SteveBaker 15:36, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] February 28

[edit] Interest pay off

What will happen to the payment of R1000 per month over three years if I pay the interest of R5000 in the first month of the loan term?

196.34.16.68 05:48, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

This grade 10 homework questions sounds like it should be asked at the math desk. But really not asked at all. − Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 07:49, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Serena Williams

Hi, I have seen several news article about Serena Williams being possibly transgendered or taking steroids. Her article completely doesn't say anything. I think asked on the talk page and found it is filled with fanboys who vandalize the talk page whenever I ask -- and clearly these fanboys also (WP:OWN) control the article, too.

Anyhow, before coming here I google searched and just found nothing. Here is an interview where someone asked her and she refused to answer it http://www.bongonews.com/layout1.php?event=181

Does Serena Williams take steroids or is transgendered? SakotGrimshine 00:31, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

After a bit of a search, I could find no evidence that Serena Williams is transgendered or that she has been accused of using steroids. As for your "interview", it is clearly bogus and not to be taken seriously. If you look under the banner of "Bongo News" you will see that that website is really about "Satire. Parody. Jokes". Marco polo 01:21, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

Have you found anything refuting any claims? Many people think she is on steroids and it would be good to have a denial in some form if is not true. SakotGrimshine 01:34, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

Transgender refers to a psychological preference. I believe you mean transsexual. Anyway, just because she doesn't look like Anna Kournikova doesn't mean she has to waste her time denying rumors. The burden of proof is on the other side. Clarityfiend 02:13, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

(edit conflict) That's not how it works. You need to find evidence supporting the claim, not denying it. I haven't found any refutation of any sort to her being a robot, but that doesn't mean that she is. If you can find no credible claims for something, it is completely irrelevant whether or not there exists a refutation. See negative proof Oskar 02:19, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

Come on, with an ass like that, how could she be transsexual? Although with arms like this, I wouldn't find it hard to believe she's on the 'roids. − Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 07:55, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

Heh, I remember that Robert Crumb drew a picture based on that ass picture. It's in his mag "Art and Beauty Magazine Vol. 2", I think. I couldn't find any example online, though... 惑乱 分からん 11:22, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

So what I've learned so far is people suspect steroids, but nobody really knows and there's no published proof? SakotGrimshine 17:16, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

And if they do prove it she (or possibly he) might be banned from the sport

It's extremely unlikey she was a he; they would have had to alter records all the way back to her birth. As for steroids, tennis actually seems to have a good testing procedure; Sesil Karatantcheva and Karol Beck have been caught and banned in recent years, and a top level player like Serena would be tested often. Clarityfiend 21:17, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] calories

which food is high in calories and fat but its healthy for you?it sumthin common

All food - broccoli, butter, bread, beef - is "healthy" in general*. It's all in the amount. One teaspoon of oil won't kill you and may contain omega-3 oils that can be beneficial. A cup of oil a day isn't a good thing - although it'll probably kill you with diarrhea before it makes you fat. (*I say "in general" because of course contaminated food isn't healthy, nor is anything the diner is personally allergic to.) --Charlene 09:17, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

There are things which should be avoided entirely (where possible), like trans fats. One high fat food that's good for you is avocado, another is fish, like salmon. Full fat milk is good for kids, but low fat milk is probably better for adults. Some nuts, like walnuts, are also quite healthy and quite high in fat. Anything with a substantial amount of fat is also likely to be somewhat high in calories, as fat has 7 9 calories per gram. StuRat 13:33, 28 February 2007 (UTC)::

I know the question doesn't mention this, but please, when looking at fats and calories, don't forget fibre. If you don't eat sufficient fibre, you can look forward in later life to such problems as Diverticulitis and the possible surgical removal of some part of your bowel. Hey - I just realised, that's a great way to lose weight instantly.

So is cutting your legs off

I recommend childbirth for quick weight loss. StuRat 16:23, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

Although the prereqiosote is a slow weight gain. Cutting your legs off would likely be more efficient... 惑乱 分からん 17:36, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

Slight correction- fat has 9 calories per gram, not 7. Carbs and protein have 4. As pointed out above there's nothing unhealthy about eating fat- it's necessary. People don't understand nutrition very well, so things get oversimplified into "fat is bad", which is inaccurate. Too much is bad, sure, just like nearly anything. Friday (talk) 16:40, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

Thanks for the slight correction. There are also good fats (from vegetables, nuts, grains, and fish), bad fats (from meat and fowl), and horrible fats (trans-fats from a chemist's lab). You want to maximize the good fats, limit the bad fats, and completely eliminate the horrible trans-fats, wherever possible. StuRat 23:53, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

Avocados, perchance? They have a high amount of fat for a fruit, but I'm not sure about calories. bibliomaniac15 03:37, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

I wish I'd thought of that. :-) StuRat 12:07, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] i need help

i am looking for examples of companies that were previously in operation but were closed down for management problems and which were revived and are now back in operation. I would prefer companies in the USA or any other region. Thank you 41.222.13.12 09:26, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

boo.com was one of the most high profile failures of the dot-com bubble. I understand they are relaunching soon, at least according to (www.boo.com). Apple computers had a hugely poor period and then revived strongly, they didn't close down but they had major problems. The mini brand was kept by BMW as part of a deal with Rover upon purchasing them. You could consider that brand to be recovered from a management problem as it is claimed rover badly managed many valuable 'brands', it is interest to see just how many reputable brands BMW gained control of when helping Rover out. ny156uk 17:08, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] lsd

I recently met a guy who had done to much LSD in the past. He never really finished the trip and still lives in a very strange version of reality. Is there a name for this disorder? Will he ever be the same again?

Apparently Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder. 惑乱 分からん 13:20, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

Much appreciated, and is similar to what i am looking for. However, this article seem so be very vison related whereas this chaps vision is fine, and he thinks he is fine and normal. Its just when you talk to him you soon realise that his entire world perception is wrong, eg he has in depth discusions with his couch. I believe Syd Barrett from Pink Floyd suffered from a similar disorder.

Read Psychosis. Drug taking can bring this on, and according to my doctor, there is little chance of recovery. --Zeizmic 15:58, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Reading upside down?

Is there a recognised term for being able to read upside down text - I find it fairly easy whereas other people seem to struggle - I'm just curious if it's recognised. Capubadger 15:23, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

You might want to consult Dr. Seuss' I Can Read With My Eyes Shut... bibliomaniac15 03:35, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

Learning to read upside down was traditionally common among Yemenite Jews, at a time when many students had to share the few religious texts.--Pharos 15:32, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] how can carlos coys fans wrie to him

Im one of spm biggest fans hearing his songs 14 hours a day even at work i dont care what he did i dont even think he did it but it would be a big honor for me to write to him ."how can this happen"

You may be able to get in touch with Carlos Coy through the record label, Dope House Records (website). --h2g2bob 19:06, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] 221,000 kwh...?

Did Al Gore spend $30,000 on utilities at his Nashville estate last year including 221,000 kwh of electricity to grow pot in his basement?. 71.100.171.80 16:58, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

Well if you've heard it on the interent then it's probably true, or not--VectorPotential^Talk 17:02, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

Al Gore's main source of income is his reputation. It is absurd to the point of being inconceivable that he would risk that reputation to produce illegal drugs. His enemies, however, would have an interest in eroding his reputation through false rumors. Marco polo 17:34, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

This meme seems to have started on the 26th with this article on a policy advocacy group's website. I don't know when the marijuana story was tacked on. I suggest you watch the snopes page on this, as they research thes kinds of claims. -- Diletante 18:05, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

see Al Gore controversies#Use of energy in homeJon513 18:04, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

The source of the charges supports my hypothesis that this is the work of Gore's enemies. The policies advocated by the "policy advocacy group" on whose website the charges appeared happen to be those of the Republican Party, policies that Gore has attacked. Marco polo 18:16, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

I think the pot question arose in an attempt to comprehhend Al's 180 degree turn on Pigeon River and his proclaimed sincerity for an anti-global warming stand which he could do a 180 on as well. 71.100.171.80 06:59, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

In the future please don't add unsourced comments in the body of an article just so you can refer them on the reference desk--VectorPotential^Talk 15:01, 2 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Union

What union or group would a high school history teacher belong to? Thanks, 209.81.119.178 17:59, 28 February 2007 (UTC).

• The Teacher's Union, odd that there's an entire category of teacher's unions, yet there exists no generalized article on teacher's unions--VectorPotential^Talk 18:00, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

Which country do you have in mind? In England it would be the National Union of Teachers, though I should add that this is not exclusive to history teachers. Clio the Muse 18:40, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

In the United States, the two dominant teachers' unions are the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the National Education Association (NEA). Marco polo 20:05, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

In the UK, there's also the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers. Our articles say they both have about as many members - over 250k, and 265k. --Tagishsimon (talk)

Or if in Wales they could be in Undeb Cenedlaethol Athrawon Cymru, or in Scotland in the Educational Institute of Scotland (which is the oldest teacher's trade union in the world - founded 1847). -- Arwel (talk) 20:50, 2 March 2007 (UTC)

Someone really should spin off a disambiguation page at the very least, if not an article on the general term, Teacher's union--VectorPotential^Talk 18:48, 2 March 2007 (UTC)

And now there is, feel free to fill in any other teacher's unions you can think of, as they now have a disambiguation page --VectorPotential^Talk 18:52, 2 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Internet Video Meme

There was an video circulating on the internet of some strange European dude who vaguely resembles Borat trying to be sing/rap, be cool, and I believe he also used some sort of sound mixer in his videos. (Very strange but hilarious.) I think the videos were from the 80's, and it's been a couple years. Can't remember much about it, I've tried to look up 'Net memes but I can't seem to get any results. I'm betting some of you might remember. --Doctorcherokee 20:44, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

Are you sure it wasn't one of Sacha Baron Cohen's other acts? Like Ali G, perhaps? --Cody.Pope 20:49, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

Definitely wasn't. This was a weird music video of some sort from likely from the 80's. This dude also grimaced as he was mixing his music in the video. Very weird, crazy, and funny. --Doctorcherokee 20:50, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

I believe you may be thinking of Mahir Çağrı. Cyraan 21:11, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Foggy days in London England.

Every time I see newscasts of London its raining or foggy.Just how many days is there sunshine ?

London has a relatively cloudy climate, with frequent light rain. Fog is not unusual. However, sunshine is not unusual either, particularly in the summer months, as this graph shows. The pattern in London, as in other parts of northwestern Europe, is that there are some hours of sunshine, or even scattered minutes of sunshine, between which there are intervals of clouds, fog, and/or usually light rain that last hours or occasionally days. What is not so common in northwestern Europe, exposed as it is to moisture from the North Atlantic, are stretches of several days on end of completely clear skies, which are typical of the interiors (and to a lesser degree the east coasts) of continents in the temperate latitudes. Marco polo 22:59, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

Actually, there are some fairly obdurate myths about the London climate. Many Americans I meet on my travels seem to have a somewhat Victorian perspective on the matter, with images of Jack the Ripper and Sherlock Holmes slipping in and out of impenetrable fog! Fog, believe it or not-and despite what happened last December-is now a fairly rare event, worthy of news in itself. There is rain, but not as much as there used to be, and last summer there was a fairly serious drought, with hose pipe bans and the like. We also had plenty of sunshine last summer-and the summer before-, and the winter has been very mild. In fact, on a recent trip to Mexico City for the first few days I found it colder there than in London! Clio the Muse 23:41, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

In the past, London was the victim of insanely dense fog...Smog actually...because homes were heated with open coal fires. That, combined with the high humidity caused the nightmareish "Pea soupers" that you see in all of the best Holmes movies. But clean air legislation ("Smoke free zones") passed in the 1950's pretty much fixed that up so that you really don't see that much fog in London anymore. Whilst it certainly does rain a lot - it's mostly very light rain. The annual rainfall in London is 22" - compared to (say) Dallas, Texas (where I happen to live right now) which gets 37". The difference is that here in Texas, it'll often rain 4 to 6 inches in a single hour - last year we got 11" of rain in a single night. So here in Texas we have very few rainy days. London gets its rain in tiny amounts - but spread out over an awful lot of days. SteveBaker 00:47, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

I can't see my screen, so forgive me for any typos. Seriously, what you're probably seeing is the phenomenon of "library pictures". There's a story about London? OK, let's illustrate it with, erm, let me see, red buses, beefeaters, Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, and... fog. You're seeing a director's idea of what London should be like. We get fog here... it often brings our public transport system to a grinding halt (if it was moving in the first place) but it's not an especially common problem. --Dweller 12:23, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

Here is a random sample of London weather. We have had several wet days in London this week - in fact, I think there has been at least some rain on each day since last weekend - but today is dry and sunny, although a bit colder than the last few days. This week's weather is fairly typical for this time of year. Fog in central London is a rare event - I would say one or two days a year at most, usually in the morning and gone by lunch time. Gandalf61 12:45, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

Could the weather, and especially the change in weather have been caused partly by there being a lot more very tall buildings in london now

I really doubt it - but the change in fogginess is definitely due to clean air laws. My father grew up in London in the 1930's and he was always telling me how insanely dense and frequent the 'pea soupers' use to be - but the 1950's (I believe) brought in laws that cleaned things up very quickly indeed. I doubt that building heights have anything to do with it - there are large chunks of London where almost all of the buildings are well over 100 years old. SteveBaker 22:38, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

OK so read: Pea soup#Pea soup fog. It explains it more carefully - it's definitely as I said - clean air laws. SteveBaker 22:43, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] sex help

I'm a little embarrased to ask this but I think me and my girlfriend( who by the way is really hot) are about to get to to 3rd or pollibly 4th base and I have no idea what to do. can any body give me any pointers

—The preceding unsigned comment was added by Finchut.2011 (talk • contribs).22:04, 28 February 2007

uh.......have fun

If you are serious, you might take a look at Sexual intercourse. I'm not quite sure what 3rd or 4th base are, but assuming you do, you should have some idea what to do. If you want to see this girlfriend again, you might want to focus on giving her pleasure. A key to this is foreplay. Marco polo 22:47, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

If everything else fails, use cloroform and say she passed out from sexual exchaustion. Joneleth 23:00, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

One other important thought: If you don't want her to get pregnant and don't want to catch any sexually transmitted diseases she just might be carrying, be sure to have a condom so that you can use it if you actually do have intercourse. Marco polo 23:15, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

Heh, if this is serious, can't think of a better place to ask that question ;), I shall try to answer as maturely as I can. Like Marco said, USE A CONDOM, as well as the fact that foreplay is important (the article is rather informative). Most of the time, they aren't ready to just jump right into intercourse, you have to work your way there, if you want to use your finger, definitely make sure your nails are clipped. Try to focus on her wants as your own, if you aren't sure, don't be afraid to ask her what she wants you to do, assuming she wants you to be gentle as opposed to rough (unless thats what she asks for).

If you make it to intercourse (FYI, its usually referred to as home, or a home run, not 4'th base), and if this is your first time, you will probably climax rather quickly, its unavoidable. If this happens, try not to be embarrassed, be honest, and if she has not climaxed yet, ask her if she would like you continue using other means such as oral stimulation, or stimulation with your hand or fingers until your refractory period has ended. If this is her first time, it may be painful for her, and there may be a small amount of bleeding, causing her to not want to continue further. Above all, communicate, if she knows you are in it for her as much as yourself, she will be more willing to do it again down the line. If there are specific questions that may be a bit less family-friendly, or ones with answers as such, you are welcome to leave them at my talk page here. Cyraan 23:22, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

If this is a serious request, there must be better websites than Wikipedia available. Aren't there a lot of sex education sites aimed at teens, with responses from professionals, etc? Anyway, from the top of my head, condom and communication. Don't be nervous for a failure, you get other chances later. Remember that it's a big step for her, try to be aware of any feelings she has about it, if she'd decide to change her mind because she's nervous, etc. Don't worry if the erection fails because you're nervous, or other mistakes, you'd get other chances later. 惑乱 分からん 00:00, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

And wait until you find out about fifth base. (What! No article? It's the cabal!) V-Man737 02:34, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

A service at Columbia University called "Go Ask Alice" [17] has answers to common (and uncommon) questions about sexuality and other health issues, which have been prepared by medical professionals. See [18] for instance. Wikipedeia is not a reliable source for answers to medical questions such as prevention of pregnancy or the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases, and emotional health of persons in relationships. Note that condoms commonly break, especially if they have been carried around in the wallet for a long while in hopes of getting lucky. Edison 16:13, 1 March 2007 (UTC)