Wikipedia:Reference desk archive/Miscellaneous/2006 September 5

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

< September 4 Miscellaneous desk archive September 6 >
Humanities Science Mathematics Computing/IT Language Miscellaneous Archives
The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions at one of the pages linked to above.
< August September October >


Contents

[edit] September 5

[edit] ECP/Condoms

So Emergency Contraception is effective if you take it up to five days after you have unprotected sex; if you take it, and then four days later you fuck up again, is it still good, or do you need to take it again?

Also, can a guy not being circumcised have an effect on the likelihood of a condom to tear? It seems like this happens to us a disproportionate number of times, and we've checked and double checked that we're doing everything right.

Dear anonymous, see Wikipedia:Medical disclaimer. Basically, the advice you will get here is worth precisely what you paid for it. On a matter of this consequence, I'd speak to a professional.
That said, you can read the Plan B website. Note the following from the FAQ:
You should not have unprotected sex after taking Plan B®, because Plan B® will not protect you from getting pregnant.
Also, if you read the material on that website, the elimination half-life, you'll find that the drug would be mostly excreted out of the woman's system after 4 days.
So, a woman would almost certainly not be protected four days after taking Plan B.
As to your other problem, I do suppose you're using a water-based lubricant? If you're using something else, that may be causing the condom to break. Beyond that, consult your doctor; if you're continually having problems with condom breakage maybe it's time to consider some other method of contraception. --Robert Merkel 01:06, 5 September 2006 (UTC)

It's always a good idea to use a condom in conjunction with some other method of birth control. Really this is too important an issue to discuss with anyone other than a medical doctor. Durova 07:50, 5 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] stealing references

I'm doing a ton of research, writing one of those papers where each sentence has a unique footnote-reference. So, naturally, I'm reading other papers and books where each sentence has a footnote.

Is it standard procedure to just steal their references and use them as my own, even if I haven't actually looked them up ? Jasbutal 01:30, 5 September 2006 (UTC)

You could probably just refer to that one book. Russian F 01:34, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
Generally, it's not good practice to cite sources you haven't read. Cite the book you have read. If there's some quotation in the book you've read, from a source you haven't, and you absolutely cannot get your hands on that original source, there are recommended ways to cite such things: see your style guide for recommendations. --Robert Merkel 01:40, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
It's not good practise, but if they use a direct quote and you're confident they didn't get it wrong, bearing in mind that it is out of context, there's nothing to stop you using it. It would, however, be much better to read the original, or at least cite 'Source x, quoted in y' --Mnemeson 02:08, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
Please at least look up the work in an index and read the abstract. You can avoid a substantial amount of embarrassment with even that minimum of effort. :D There's work out there that indicates that many scientists don't read all their references. This New Scientist article discusses a somewhat controversial study out of UCLA that suggest scientists don't read 75% of the papers that they cite. (Note that they use the accuracy of citation information as a proxy for paper reading; in many cases the scientists may have read the paper but copied the citation info incorrectly.) Strictly speaking, though, it's quite unethical to include a citation that you haven't looked at. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 02:17, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
great, well I'm an engineering student, so I'll just do as my professional researching professors do. (btw I didn't read that link, I just assumed you got it right). Thanks for the comments all. Jasbutal 03:32, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
If i cite a reference that i have not read extensively, i always make sure i read the abstract at least and, whenever possible, skim read the results and conclusions. You'd be surprised at how often you will be asked to expand on the one source you didn't read. However, should you not wish to, or be able to, you could always use the old "Smith et al, and references therein" line. Works a treat and covers your ass. Rockpocket 06:28, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
Sometimes the purpose of a reference is mainly to give credit to whoever first had some idea, or to refer to related work, rather than to lend support to some statement you're making. Then it is more acceptable (to me) not to actually have read the source. If the implied aim is to increase the credibility of a claim, then there is an element of intellectual dishonesty if you haven't read the paper and accept the evidence and reasoning presented as supporting the claim (assuming the authors were honest). My experience in tracing references is that a good deal, at the end of the chain, do not actually support what they are supposed to. --LambiamTalk 09:13, 5 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] maths thicko needs help!!

Can anyone please tell me how to work out the number of combinations a set of figures have? For example, How many three letter combinations there are in the English Alphabet, or How many different 6 number lines there are for 49 lottery balls? Also, could I please be really cheeky and ask for the answer to be given in a simple to read way, I have real problems with 'jargonese@' !! Thank you so much for your time. Natalie

We wont give you the answer, but we may tell you how to do it!--Light current 02:11, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
You're looking for information about some of the simpler problems in combinatorics. That article gets pretty hardcore pretty quickly, so you might want to look at permutations and combinations, and the article on permutations (see Counting permutations in the latter article). TenOfAllTrades(talk) 02:22, 5 September 2006 (UTC)

Thanks so much, I'll go and have a look. I have already looked at the first article and got hopelessly lost about four words in!! I'll check out the other ones. Thanks again.

For the number (and a list) of all three-letter combinations, see Three-letter acronym (26 x 26 x 26). That one is easy, the second question is more difficult because once a ball is drawn it cannot appear in the sequence again, so the drawn ball is removed from the possibilities: 49 x 48 x 47 x ... x 2 x 1. --Canley 04:40, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
I stand corrected. We have given you the answer!--Light current 04:57, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
here at the misc desk, we have bags of enthusiasm, a wide variety of specialist knowledge and suitle emphaziation to boot, and we try to answer any question we can. The folks at the maths desk are probably better placed to help you than we are though. Howard Train 05:09, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
I think us enthusiasts have handled it quite well. Mind you-- a lot of us are actually the same people! 8-)--Light current 05:15, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
We always do, Light Current. Always. Howard Train 05:17, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
In the reference desk, you're not supposed to ask about homework, yet often providing a few answers can spur the thought of the inquirer's learning of a new concept. --Proficient 06:00, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
I hate homework questions as much as anyone here, but she did ask very politely, didn't just copy the question from the homework, and wanted to know how to solve the problem, not just an answer. Those pointers to articles are, um, a bit complicated! Anyway, my response to the second one was wrong! There are six lottery balls drawn so it doesn't go down to 1, it's 49 x 48 x 46 x 45 x 44 x 43. --Canley 13:25, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
... or maybe 49 x 48 x 47 x 46 x 45 x 44. But the order of the six numbers in each entry isn't important (1-2-3-4-5-6 is the same entry as 6-5-4-3-2-1) so this calculation counts each possible entry many different times - in fact, each entry is counted 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 times. So the number of different possible entries is (49 x 48 x 47 x 46 x 45 x 44) / (6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1), which can be written more concisely as 49!/(43! x 6!) or a tad under 14 million (see National Lottery). Gandalf61 16:04, 5 September 2006 (UTC) (moonlighting from the maths desk)
Yes, I give the answer wrong twice! Let this be a lesson to anyone asking homework questions! --Canley 14:17, 6 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] golf prize money

what are the usual splits in percentages for golf prize money? the first place is usually 18%, but what happens from there on?

Good luck finding out. It seems barely any of the official tour sites even quote the total purse money, never mind the prize money for 2nd, 3rd, etc.  freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ  15:55, 5 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Looking for the title of a children's book

Hi! I read a children's book about ten years ago and would like to try and find it again. I thought it was called "The Royal Magician" but it seems as though I've remembered the title incorrectly. It has 6-8 short stories about a royal family and their magician. The first few stories concern the Princes and their future wives (one princess lives in the clouds so they build a ladder out of gold; one princess lives at the bottom of the ocean so the magician swaps the sky and the sea). In other stories, the magician turns the queen into a spider; the magician competes with another magician; the magician and a prince travel to the world of dreams. If anyone has the real title or an Amazon (etc.) link, I would really appreciate it. Many thanks!

Maybe you're thinking of Midnight Magic by Edward Irving Wortis aka Avi? WP has a bit of information on the book. The author's article links to Avi's website.---Sluzzelin 09:06, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
Sadly that's not it, but thanks for your suggestion.

[edit] 2 corinthians

what's all this in 2 corinthians 2:14-16 about aromas and stenchs and such? death -> death, life -> life, why no life -> death, and why no death -> life? Jasbutal 03:46, 5 September 2006 (UTC)

Paraphrasing Paul: To them that will be saved, the word of Christ that we are spreading is like the savour of life. But to those that will perish [because they do not accept it], it is like the stench of death. --LambiamTalk 08:42, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
It's saying that people who aren't open to the word of Christ (the holy spirit hasn't prepared their hearts to make them want God) will find the Word offensive and rediculous. But to christians it makes sense and is the lifeblood if you will of their lives --Froth 20:37, 8 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Galatians 2:20?

several questions :

1. is this about Paul destryoing his ego and his personality and saying that he is nothing?

2. what's with Paul saying he was crucified too ?

3. Does this have something to do with taking the lord's supper?

Jasbutal 03:46, 5 September 2006 (UTC)

4. Does this have something to do with homework? We don't answer homework questions as a rule (because if we do, you don't learn anything) but we're happy to point you in the right sort of direction. Try Second Epistle to the Corinthians and Epistle to the Galatians for starters, and try back here or at the humanities desk for more help if you're still stuck. Howard Train 05:16, 5 September 2006 (UTC)

I know your homework rule offtherails, or howard train. this ain't homework. Epistle to the Galatians has nothing on 2:20. Second Epistle to the Corinthians doesn't have anything either. 70.225.173.251 05:22, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
An attempt at paraphrasing this: Through our acceptance of the Christ, we became one with him, and as he was crucified, our previous persona died with him, and we were reborn through him. This has not specifically to do with taking the Lord's supper. It is the Paulinian doctrine that we cannot be saved through (keeping to) the (old) Law, but only through the grace of God, as made possible by the death of Christ. --LambiamTalk 08:53, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
A sort of pre-Lutheran sola gratia then? -- the GREAT Gavini 15:34, 6 September 2006 (UTC)
Sounds to me like we have to cast off our old life and experience rebirth in Christ, through his sacrifice, living as he did in holiness --Froth 20:44, 8 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] diamonds

how can you tell if a stone is a diamond in a ring yes they scratch glass but is ther another positive way to tell other than going to a jeweller

Even for jewellers it's sometimes difficult to tell for sure whether a stone is in fact a diamond. You have to train your eye with a lot of practice, so for starters you need access to a lot of diamonds and fake products. You also need some special equipment. See diamond simulant for further information.---Sluzzelin 10:08, 5 September 2006 (UTC)

Easy, cover a sloped piece of something smooth, with vasaline, loads of vasaline, then useing water wash all your debri down the slope, a bit at a time, the small glass looking things that stick to the vasaline are diamonds, the gravel that does not (non of the gravel will stick if done properly) then just pick em off and have em cut. or at least thats how its done on subsistance mines in Africa. Benn there done it trust me.

Diamonds are also very good conductors of heat - if you put it in your mouth it should feel as cold as metal. Not practical if the stone's set in a ring of course. Or do that thing with vaseline - he seems to know what he's talking about. Rentwa 16:17, 5 September 2006 (UTC)

If it will scratch a diamond, it's a diamond. --Serie 21:49, 6 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] rules of Touch football

Hello, I would like to know about a specific rule in Touch, If a try is awarded by the field or main referee, everybody gets back on side, the line or touch judge says it was a forward pass, can the try be disawarded, and is there such a term in this sport? thanks for your time

I know virtually nothing about touch footy, but I like the word "disawarded". Thanks. JackofOz 12:24, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
I don't know the specific rule in this case, but in most sports the referee is supposed to consult his/her "line judges" before awarding points. But if they don't do it, once the try has been awarded I'm pretty sure they can't take it back. I couldn't find anything specific in the International Touch rules except " Referees may consult with line judges and/or touchdown zone officials prior to making decisions." (right at the bottom). – AlbinoMonkey (Talk) 13:15, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
Since there are no "tries" in American touch football, I am trying to imagine what touch soccer (association football) could be like (hmm. you can't touch the ball but you can grab the ball handler...) What version of football are we discussing here? Rmhermen 16:13, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
Rugby Football I imagine, but a kiddy version (Touch Rugby) where you don't wrestle each other to the ground... Skittle 17:15, 5 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Quick Question

I recently created an article about US indie band Like A Fox, but when I returned to it today, I found the entire thing had been deleted, and wasn't on my watchlist or contributions list. Can someone explain why this has happened?

--Pasadena 12:07, 5 September 2006 (UTC)

First, questions about Wikipedia should be asked at the Wikipedia:Help Desk rather than the reference desk.
I've checked the records and the reason why the article was deleted was that somebody thought it met one of the criteria for speedy deletion, as listed on WP:CSD. Specifically, they thought it met criteria 7 under "articles", which reads:
Unremarkable people or groups/vanity pages. An article about a real person, group of people, band, or club that does not assert the importance or significance of its subject. If the assertion is disputed or controversial, it should be taken to AfD instead.
The working definition of what a musician or group need to have achieved to be appropriate for a Wikipedia article is listed at WP:MUSIC; as the article stood, there's no evidence that they meet any of the criteria there for notability.
So, if you want to recreate the article, make sure that evidence of notability is included in the article (for instance, by linking to reviews from newspapers).
This is not a comment on the group's talents; I went to their website and downloaded a couple of tracks; they're not half-bad. --Robert Merkel 12:23, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
Non-notable band pages are never speedied, they are always given a minimum chance to prove their value in a proper AfD. If it had been speedied, it should be undeleted and given a second chance at AfD. That being said, I just checked the logs, and it seems there has never been an article under the name "Like a Fox" nor "Like A Fox". Maybe you spelled the name wrong and you just can't find it now? Google doesn't turn up any Wikipedia results either.
I guess it's this: Like a fox. --LambiamTalk 17:09, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
If it's spelled correctly than the only other thing I can assume is that an editor deemed the article to be of the blatant copywrite enfringement type, and promptly had the history deleted. I'm not sure if that appears in the logs or not.  freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ  15:35, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
Actually, the A7 criteria for speedy deletion includes non-notable bands. Indeed, one of the template shortcuts that can be used is db-band. I've used that one many a time. Tony Fox (arf!) 16:06, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
I understand that the criteria is there, but it is almost never used in that context, and shouldn't be used, except for the rare occurence where vandalism can be masked as a vanity page, e.g. "Content was (ILOVELU3Y is a wicked band from Timbuktu, bUY thier ticketz from me!)".  freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ  06:56, 6 September 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for the help everyone, I'm fairly new to editing and creating, as you may have been able to tell! Thanks again. --Pasadena 19:52, 5 September 2006 (UTC)

I have never understood the reason for deletion of non-notable articles. Even non-notable photos aren't deleted and tehy take up a whooooole lot more disk space. So if that isn't the problem then what's wrong with unnecesary articles (unless the info should go elsewhere, but that's not the issue here, is it?). DirkvdM 06:52, 6 September 2006 (UTC)
Non-notable photos are supposed to be deleted, if they are orphaned, and if they aren't orphaned, then they are usually supposed to exist, aren't they? The reason there are a lot of orphaned photos that aren't deleted is that they're so much harder to come across by mistake, and not that many people patrol orphaned pictures. Stupid little articles with only one sentence are, by contrast, very easy to find. While we're on this point, though, it seems to be that disk space is the least of the foundation's worries.  freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ  07:00, 6 September 2006 (UTC)
To DirkvdM, if non-notable articles were not deleted then we wouldn't be able to see the real articles for all the cruft. Do we really need articles on you or me. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 11:27, 6 September 2006 (UTC)
Well, I've already got one on me. :) The only way I can see the cruft getting in the way (for users) is when one uses the all pages special page. This is, however, not a paper encyclopedia in which one looks thing up alphabetically. Maybe they get in the way for some administrative purposes (I can't think of any, though). In that case they may be tagged such that they can be excluded from such activities. Actually, tagging artcles for their encyclopedic status might make sense. Such as stubs, articles with shaky sources, biased articles. This could then be used to either ignore those or actually seek them out for certain purposes, the way you can exclude minor edits from your watchlist. DirkvdM 06:34, 7 September 2006 (UTC)
Informally tagging has already been started for the WikiCD projects, but that's just a simple template. Honestly, there are so many reasons not to allow non-notable articles here. First of all, a tiny band starts out and creates their page (OK vanity blah blah, for now lets ignore that). There's a 90% chance that they will cease to exist in 2 weeks, and when that happens, the article becomes redundant and false. How can one keep track of all this? The band is so small that no editor (other than the creator) is even paying attention to the page. Then, there's the fact that non-notable artifacts would have to be substantiated with no evidence, thus breaking another Wiki-rule. Lastly, there's approximately 2756x more non-notable bands than really good bands, so with the volume of non-notable crap that would be flowing in, there would be no way to control and keep track of the validity of the articles. </mini-rant>  freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ  05:33, 8 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Cambric

64.12.116.199 12:25, 5 September 2006 (UTC)I am retoring an old sailboat. The sails are missing. They were made from a fabric called Camric. Where can I find this material? Thank you. Pat Mahaney

Open a phone book and start calling around to boat shops. Chances are, they'll know of someone local to you that sells it. Dismas|(talk) 12:29, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
Specifically you wil want to look for sail lofts. Rmhermen 16:09, 5 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Circumsized vs non--circumsized

Do girls prefer men with circumsized penises or non-circumsized penises? 64.230.87.170 12:31, 5 September 2006 (UTC)

The best answer would probably be "neither". When a penis is erect, there is no discernible difference between the two visually. Factors that may influence one versus the other for some people might be:
  • Generally speaking, uncircumsized men may be more physically sensitive, and re-active.
  • Generally speaking, circumsized men can be cleaner, and so oral sex can be more appealing. (See Smegma)
  • Uncircumsized men are a greater risk of having HPV (which at any given time, about 75% of the population has naturally).
Please see the circumcision article.
An uncircumsized man who keeps himself clean, and focuses on the satisfaction of his partner will find nearly all women do not notice or care whether he is circumsized. She will be more focused on the multitude of other factors, such as his personality, intelligence and charm.
Atom 13:01, 5 September 2006 (UTC)


I presume it would depend on the girl in question. --Mnemeson 12:53, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
What Mnemeson said. Marnanel 12:55, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
And the penis. Anchoress 12:57, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
What I never quite got (I went to look for it in the article) is why more than half of the men in the USA are circumsizes, even though USA is in general a Christan country. I don't know anyone here who has been circumsized. Western Europe isn't that religious (well, at least not my country) but it shouldn't even matter (the article claims that Christianity does not demand circumcision). So why?? (Is it true that by default male babies born in USA hospitals are immediately circumsized without anaesthetics, unless you really go to heroic lengths to prevent that? If so, if due to (rare) circumstances my baby were to be born there, I think I'll chain myself to him to watch over him every second..)Evilbu 13:45, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
This is a sensitive topic on wikipedia but I will assume you are not trolling. We have suffered numerous editors whose only goal was to turn every article even remotely mentioning babies or genitalia into a pro- or anticircumcision screed. I can assure you that no baby in US hospitals is circumcised unless the parents request it and sign the consent (I think this misconception likely originated as another example of misleading anti-circ propaganda). The procedure in hospital nurseries is often performed without anesthesia but takes less than a minute. At this point it is a custom continuing mainly because most adult men in this country are circumcised. I assume the origins of the spread of circumcision in the US in the mid-20th century are argued about in the circumcision article, but I have no intention of checking. alteripse 14:23, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
I didn't know circumcision was so controversial here. Of course, I'm not a troll, take a look at my other posts around this reference desk if you like. Well I guess it's just a myth to scare people in Europe, that in the USA they swiftly and without permission circumsize babies. I won't deny that I don't feel much for being circumsized or seeing someone else being circumsized. (I don't quite get your explanation though about "no anaesthetics but it doesn't take long", lots of painful things like pulling out teeth by a dentist don't take long but without anaesthetics they will hurt for quite some time after that too..)Evilbu 14:03, 7 September 2006 (UTC)
I think that U.S. doctors in the early 20th century believed that circumcision was healthy because it helped prevent infections. So circumcision became routine in hospital-delivered babies. As most babies were delivered in hospitals as the 20th century wore on, most American males were circumcised. Then, by the 1950s or 1960s, circumcisions were perpetuated by parents' belief that circumcision was normal and their desire that their child not be stigmatized or ridiculed when, say, showering in a public place. Since the 1960s, there has been a growing countermovement against circumcision in the United States, mainly among the well-educated, probably related to the movement toward more organic and natural living. Marco polo 14:34, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
I largely agree with what Marco polo said. Certainly in the 50's and 60's almost all males were circumsized, as it was considered medically appropriate. In only a few cases has circumcision been for religious reasons, and I do not know of any christian religions where that is important.
I disagree with the latter part of the previous statement though. The anti-circumcision movement has been a fringe movement, with little influence over American society, and few people even registering it on their radar. Again, the primary reason that it has declined, to where something like 55% are circumsized now, is because of the perceptions by doctors that it may not be medically necessary. The other factor is that most parents lean heavily towards circumsizing if the father is circumsized, and not if the father is not. Primarily my view is that the level of education is not a factor either way in the decision. If so, it would be very slight, as perhaps better educated parents might rely on the doctors recommendation as only advisory, where less educated may rely on a doctors advise more heavily.
I participated/assisted when both of my boys were circumsized. I can assure you that in the U.S. NO child is circumsized without the consent (almost always signed) of the parents. The procedure was painless, and took less that 5 minutes, including the prep time and all. There was no pressure by staff to make a decision in either direction. This is only my experience though, and I wouldn't know about circumcision by non-medical personnel.
With the recent scientific study showing a causal link between genital HPV and Cervical Cancer in women, I anticipate a trend back towards recommendations for circumcision by Doctors. But that is just my guess, only time will tell.
Atom 15:13, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
With respect, how do you know the procedure was painless if it didn't happen to you? Did the circumcizees express that opinion? 71.136.77.241 05:49, 6 September 2006 (UTC)
I doubt that HPV will have any effect as the link has been known for a while (apparently since the 1970s) and there are now two effective vaccines against it. Rmhermen 16:06, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
I agree with Atom that the anti-circumcision political movement is small in scale and not wide-based. When I wrote "countermovement against circumcision", I was not referring to the "anti-circumcision movement", which I agree could be characterized as "fringe" (though I don't like the word because it is dismissive). What I really meant was a change in sentiment away from favoring circumcision. It is a little speculative, but I do think that there is a connection to education, in that well-educated people are more likely to be aware that circumcision is no longer strongly recommended for medical reasons, and because I think that people who are interested in more natural living tend to be college-educated children of the 60s and more recent decades. I think that these people would tend to be biased against circumcising their children, even when the father is circumcised. On the other hand, less educated immigrants would probably also tend to be biased against circumcision in cases where it is not common in their cultures of origin. Marco polo 18:43, 5 September 2006 (UTC)

I think we're going a bit off-topic. Jamesino 21:23, 5 September 2006 (UTC)

Non-circumsized penises are generally considered more beautiful, since no porn actor is circumsized.

That is just not true. JackofOz 23:16, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
It depends on the girl. --Proficient 03:32, 6 September 2006 (UTC)
The first part does depend on the other party (who would not necessarily be a girl); but I've seen plenty of circumcised guys in porn. JackofOz 01:44, 7 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Marlboro Man

My name is Cynthia Bromund and I was doing some research on my Uncle Doanld Bromund who I was told was one of the original Marlboro men. I couldn't find any information on him at all and your site does not even mention him. I never knew him and he is deceased. I was wondering if you could point me in the right direction. Thanks, Cynthia Bromund (email deleted to prevent spam)

Cynthia, as you say, our article on the Marlboro Man doesn't mention any Bromund (I presume his name was Donald?). Have you tried contacting Altria (who owns the Marlboro brand) to see whether they have a company historian? --Robert Merkel 14:23, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
That sounded kind of accusing and hostile. ._. Try creating the article. --Proficient 03:32, 6 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] MAD magazine

why is MAD magazine No 202 february with special The Mad "Star Wars" musical feature not listed anywhere. I did'ent print it. g7

The parody you're probably thinking of is "The Force and I" and appeared in Mad #203 (not #202). Eventually someone will add it to WP's List of Mad Magazine Issues. In fact, using this reference, you could add it right now :).---Sluzzelin 14:33, 5 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Wind speed

Where can I find information pertaining to the frequency of wind speeds that are equal to, or exceed 30 miles per hour in my area (zip code 23140)?

Ron

The NCDC would have it on CD-Rom or in bound copies, but I can't seem to find it online anywhere. Nowimnthing 19:52, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
probably not much.
http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/ilands/fig13.html Jasbutal 23:18, 5 September 2006 (UTC)

Stating your zip code without stating your country is a bit sillly, isn't it? DirkvdM 06:56, 6 September 2006 (UTC)

You mean, there's more to the civilized world than Americaville?  freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ  05:26, 8 September 2006 (UTC)
America invented the internets therefore we become the default country in dicussion on an international (not to mention english) website. Then again, freshgavin has a point, we tend to be ignorant of life outside the bubble -- if you see someone not specify like that, chances are it's america. As long as there's only one default, there's no conflict. --froth

[edit] Zip codes

How many countries have Zip codes apart from USA? Could you pluck a couple out for me? 8-)--Light current 22:24, 6 September 2006 (UTC)

See Postal code. 惑乱 分からん 22:56, 6 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] A Nightmare on Elm Street

I have heard from various people that A Nightmare on Elm Street was actually written in Sumner Washington on Ellm street in a old house. Is this true? Was there another movie or book that is written there? 71.231.48.33 15:58, 5 September 2006 (UTC) Dustin H.

I found no reference confirming this. "Elm Street" might have been picked because it is a very common and easily identifiable street name; there are over 5000 Elm Streets across the United States. Wes Craven was probably living near Hollywood at the time he wrote A Nightmare on Elm Street. The house seen in the film is located in Hollywood, California. ---Sluzzelin 16:58, 5 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] THE RETURN OF POLIO

WITHIN THE LAST WEEK, I SAW A ARTICLE FROM LUBBOCK, IN THE ABILENE REPORTER NEWS AND IT WAS AN ARTICLE ABOUT POLIO BEING SEEN TO RETURN IN THE ELDERLY, THE REASON I AM SO INTERESTED IS THAT AN ELDERLY GIRLFRIEND OF MINE NOTED HERS HAS RETURNED AND DID SO SEVERAL YEARS BACK, SHE HAD IT WHEN SHE WAS YOUNG AND SHE FEELS IT HAS RETURNED. CAN YOU PLEASE FIND THE ARTICLE AND E-MAIL IT TO ME, THANK YOU.

email removed for your protection from the forces of evil

While I could find no such article on the newspapers website, you appear to be talking about Post-polio syndrome, not new polio infections which are no longer seen in the U.S. Follow the links for more details. Rmhermen 19:26, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
Wikipedia has an article on post-polio syndrome. As always, it should not be construed as medical advice, and if medical advice has been added (out of policy) by some editor, you should keep in mind that there are no expert qualifications required to edit Wikipedia. --Trovatore 19:28, 5 September 2006 (UTC)

I ignore people who shout, so I haven't read your question. DirkvdM 06:57, 6 September 2006 (UTC)

What Dirk is trying to say is to please avoid using all-capitals when writing, it's the internet equivalent of shouting (which I'm sure is not what you intended). — QuantumEleven 09:33, 6 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Korean Historical Drama or Film and crazy cooking show

I was watching the asian channel in the la area the other night and found a really good historical film or drama from korea. I am trying to find the name. All I know is that it was set post ww2, and before the korean war. One family ran a restaurant and the mother-propieter's son-in-law was a proffessor somehow involved with politics.

There's a fast paced korean show that also comes on late wed nights, I think called 'Delicious TV' any info on this show?

Thanks in advance.

If anyone knows any other korean films, dramas historical in nature or cooking shows could you post them for me?

[edit] Arbcom

Can a Mediator from the Mediation Cabal bring their case to the Arbitration committee? WikieZach| talk 20:05, 5 September 2006 (UTC)

This goes to the help desk.  freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ  06:51, 6 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Inappropriate Content

One of your featured articles about Andre Agassi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andre_Agassi) contains a phrase in the main text that is questionable:

"he banged his wife and came on her face"

Because this is a wiki, I attempted to edit this inappropriate text, but could not find the phrase in the editing window. How does one proceed from here?

It may have been removed already; vandalism usually is. Anchoress 20:43, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
Yep, it was removed almost immediately. Howard Train 21:02, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
You probably downloaded the page during the brief interval after the vandal struck and before a regular editor fixed the damage. The "history" file shows a log of changes - you could check that if something similar happens in the future. Durova 21:01, 5 September 2006 (UTC)
Indeed. It gets fixed quickly. --Proficient 03:34, 6 September 2006 (UTC)
To the original poster: If you see vandalism like that, the easiest way to go about removing it is by reverting the edit. This is usually done by looking at the history, and loading up the edit just before the vandals edit. Edit and save that page, and the newer edit (i.e. the vandal's edit) will be removed cleanly. Andre's page was a very visible page at that time, though, so you have to be careful that someone hasn't reverted it already, so if you're not sure, it might be easier just to leave a note on the talk page for someone else to clean it up.  freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ  06:49, 6 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] _Oral_chatrooms

Are there any chatrooms over there I can use to chat with other people via voice so I can practice my English? Thanks in advance.

When using flight simulation games, people are sometimes talking to each other (primarily for coordinating aircraft movements, especially around airports, just like in real life). You can learn alot about air traffic control at the same time! :-) Also for other types of games, voice chat is used. Sometimes, the voice chatting functions are a part of the game, sometimes you have to use a separate program. —Bromskloss 21:20, 5 September 2006 (UTC)

Thank you, buddy. Any flight simulator recommended? Any other ideas? :P

Not really, I don't know what people use these days. But I sure would like to play with these (Scandinavian Airlines System Flight Academy), and I bet you would too! Please let me know if you get there so I can come over, will you? ;-) —Bromskloss 10:02, 6 September 2006 (UTC)
  • You could also simply try to find someone who speaks English and has a relatively recent version of MSN Messenger or Skype (those have voice chats) and agree to speak at a certain time. - Mgm|(talk) 09:30, 6 September 2006 (UTC)
Yahoo messenger has voice chat rooms. Philc TECI 16:11, 6 September 2006 (UTC)

If you speak even a little English and have some computer skills, you might be able to get a job as a technical support person for any American computer or software company, and talk to people in the US all day long while getting paid for it. Edison 23:43, 6 September 2006 (UTC)

Keep in mind that you have to be in India and completely incomprehensible to work for dell tech support so you may be overqualified. Aspire to work for IBM tech support, they're pretty good --froth
If you use skype, you can search the directory for users; in the search options, there's a checkbox called "skype me"; if you check this, and click search (while setting language to english and leaving all other fields blank). This returns a list of english speaking users in "skype me" mode, a mode skype includes for users who spacificly want to receive calls from strangers for purposes of chat. I can generally be found in skype me mode, and I always answer (my skype is set to auto-answer calls). Another option is chat programs like Ventrilo, Teamtalk, Team speak, etc. These are basicly like irc software for voice; however you need to find a good server and channel for these to be useful. Fastfinge

[edit] hispanic population

I'm trying to get a somewhat accurate number for the area i live in and any other information that is available

Okay, it would help to know the name of the area in which you live... --Tagishsimon (talk)

See if this helps, U.S. Census office Atom 22:18, 5 September 2006 (UTC)

That would only help if they were from the US. Why not list similar pages for every country on Earth? Ah, yes, of course: census. Not quite every country, but 29 of them isn't bad. This includes Spain, and if you want info on hispanics - they're the originals. Whose panic, by the way? :) DirkvdM 07:07, 6 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] katie couric

why is there so much buzz about her? Jasbutal 23:19, 5 September 2006 (UTC)

  1. In a job changed less frequently then the president's
  2. Talks to more Americans then the president
  3. Has nicer legs then the lot of them (apart from Lincoln)
  4. Is a woman
  5. Simultaneously makes news more accessible/stupid supposedly
  6. Causes edit conflicts

MeltBanana 00:13, 6 September 2006 (UTC)

Her selection as anchor gives the impression that future news will be even more fluff than it is now, reporting on celebrity gossip and puppies down wells, while completely neglecting international affairs. If so, the level of ignorance this will generate in the next generation may have profound negative implications for the future of the US, and the world. StuRat 03:21, 6 September 2006 (UTC)
It's weird. --Proficient 03:35, 6 September 2006 (UTC)

i hate her

She has a sweet smile and far nicer hair than her predecessors since 1948, Bob Schieffer, Dan Rather, Walter Cronkite, or Douglas Edwards. Unlike her 4 predecessors, the network used computer graphics to make Katie look thinner in publicity photos. Edison 05:15, 6 September 2006 (UTC)

Her legs! You forgot to mention her legs! --Richardrj talk email 07:21, 6 September 2006 (UTC)
Umm, does she have a different number of legs than the rest of us?-gadfium 08:24, 6 September 2006 (UTC)
No, but the consensus seems to be that they are nicer to look at than those of many other ladies. And, more to the point, they are quite easily visible on TV. --Richardrj talk email 08:29, 6 September 2006 (UTC)

Well, now we had the first episode, and the hard hitting news story was...a pic of the Tom Cruise/Katie Holmes baby, Suri. Then, instead of having an interview with someone intelligent, they had an interview with Bush. StuRat 05:14, 7 September 2006 (UTC)

Speaking of Tom, is his baby gonna be Jesus or something? What do the scientologiests have to say about it?  freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ  05:21, 8 September 2006 (UTC)
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../r/e/f/Wikipedia%7EReference_desk_archive_Miscellaneous_2006_September_5_5d96.html"