Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2007 April 12

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[edit] April 12

[edit] Kobold

I am reading a book by Harry Turtledove called every inch a king. in chapter five he mentions Werewolves unicorns tyrolls dwarves elves gnomes COBOLDS and all sorts of other wildUNlife. i can not find what a cobold is, the only mention was a convention in Germany that was to have elves cobolds and card reading women,,,,,, I appreciate your help thankyou colin

Kobold. Seems to be your garden variety goblin, mit the German name. Clarityfiend 01:09, 12 April 2007 (UTC)

kobolds are a lot smaller than goblins and tend to dig mines, famously using ridiculously tiny tools.

[edit] Public domain image of a truck

Does anyone have a good public domain image of a truck? Specifically, an 18 wheeler (or whatever other countries besides for the U.S. calls them), but at an angle similar to this one, but facing away from the viewer, such as this one, which is not at sharp enough of an angle and doesn't show the tractor part well enough. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 01:13, 12 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Bush property

Is the ranch in Crawford Pres. Bush's ONLY property and/or home? Does he own apartments in DC, NYC, or homes in other places? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 66.19.234.100 (talk) 01:32, 12 April 2007 (UTC).

Prairie Chapel Ranch does seem to be the only residence that GW Bush owns. Apparently his only residence in Washington is the White House, which he does not own. Marco polo 01:39, 12 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] zamzamwater

is it true that zamzam water has all the nutrients in the world?~ ~ ~ ~ thanks alot!!!

Are you refering to water from the Zamzam Well? If so, what do you mean by "all the nutrients in the world"? Obviously it doesn't have all of each individual nutrient as that would leave no others in other foods and beverages. If you're asking if it has trace amounts of each within a specified volume, then that's doubtful. Our article on the subject says that scientific evidence doesn't support some beliefs about the water. The article suggests that it is most likely just normal hard water. Dismas|(talk) 02:32, 12 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Mocha as a descriptor of skin color

Okay, this is perhaps a bit odd. In an old MOO description, a friend of mine described a character's skin as being 'mocha' in color.

Unfortunately, while I know that's a dark color, neither of us could find anything for my eyes (I have difficulty, at times, putting names to what I see spontaneously) to memorize as 'this is mocha'. It'd be helpful for mental imagery.

Help?

--Penta 02:25, 12 April 2007 (UTC)

Mocha = coffee. So visualize a cup of that. Clarityfiend 02:43, 12 April 2007 (UTC)
Makes sense. As the text and image in the article on cafe mocha suggest, the mocha palette can range from coffee's very dark brown, to a creamy pale greyish-pinkish brown. Ok, that probably didn't help much either. How about the table on this wavemetrics link? ---Sluzzelin talk 02:48, 12 April 2007 (UTC)
{after edit conflict) It is coffee, but usually when people say, "mocha" they mean Cafe mocha, a mixture of coffee and cocoa. So that's the color you should be thinking of. Crypticfirefly 02:51, 12 April 2007 (UTC)
Mocha is also often used in clothing and fabrics as a light shade a brown — obviously in reference originally to the coffee. Google Image search "Mocha color" and you'll see lots of examples of the color "Mocha", like this ottoman or this wholesale fabric. --24.147.86.187 03:48, 12 April 2007 (UTC)
Try this Google image search: mocha and look at the prevalent colours that appear. Not all of the colours are the same, but you get the general idea. − Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 05:36, 12 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] paypal

If i have money in a paypal account, how do I get it out and into my regular bank account? 128.174.159.34 03:46, 12 April 2007 (UTC)

This question was recently asked and answered. The original is near the top of the page. Dismas|(talk) 03:49, 12 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Dreams

I have been out of High School for 9 years now. Yet i have these dreams where i am back in high school, and i can't remember my schedule, my locker combination and where my class is. Why would i continue to have these dreams? Is my mind subconsciencly trying to tell me someting about my life? What does a high school dream mean?

Find on the 'net and books about dreams. Google: Dreams and their meanings. 65.163.113.145 05:46, 12 April 2007 (UTC)
We cannot do any psychological advising, but in general "academic dreams" are very common. They may recur for decades. They are not necessarily about high school per se. There could be a stressful situation which is reminiscent of some stress in high school. There can also be dreams about being back in some previous job. Edison 06:12, 12 April 2007 (UTC)
I get those same dreams, usually the part about not being able to remember my locker combination. I was talking to my dad about it and he said that he has a recurring dream in which he gets back to school after spring break and can’t remember his locker combination, and he graduated high school 35 years ago. So I would say your situation isn’t unique.--ChesterMarcol 17:21, 12 April 2007 (UTC)
Yah..those dreams are really common. It is said to be because there is stress in your life. They say High school Is a really srtessful so when life is stressful your subconcious connects it to other stressful times in your life. it is said to be like that for several emotions such as fear or being afraid. i hope this helps. i'm not exactly an expert but this is what i have heard. --Kittycat rox 17:45, 12 April 2007 (UTC)

Wow... I often have very nearly exactly the same dream! Except in my case, I keep forgetting to go to a certain class, and I wind up having to drop the class. The weird thing is that in my dreams, I know I've graduated from college, but I still have to get a few high school credits to graduate from high school. I always find myself saying, "I must be the only high school student in American with a master's degree." -- Mwalcoff 22:56, 12 April 2007 (UTC)

There was actually a study done at the University of Calgary about this, although I can't find a reference to it right now (I was one of the subjects). They studied people who had graduated 10, 15, and 20 years earlier, along with people who had never gone to uni. They found that even 20 years later, alumni had dreams about missing exams, forgetting where their classes were, etc. and, more interestingly, the university graduates had more dreams over a year than the high-school graduates. (I also vaguely remember, and I may be wrong, that the dreams peaked at something like 12 years after graduation.) --Charlene 00:04, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

I had very little stress at school, and rarely think about it, and never dream about it, but I have had a few dreams about trying to get into uni and college, which was a lot more stressful for me.

[edit] Real-Time Updates for Chicago Transit Authority

Does the Chicago Transit Authority provide real-time schedule information in individual train stations?

I would expect so, but don't actually know. Specifically, I would expect the same type of "on time", "delayed", or "canceled" info on each train that you get at an airport. Could somebody from Chicago let us know ? StuRat 17:28, 12 April 2007 (UTC)
If you don't know, why post?
When I was there last summer, I only used the CTA a couple of times, but I didn't see any real-time train information. Given the age and somewhat rundown condition of the system, I would have been surprised there had been. --Anonymous, April 12, 2007, 22:15 (UTC).
I can tell you with certainty that the CTA it does not have real time schedule information in the train stations. However, there are a couple of experimental bus stops that have real time information. You can also view it on the web here: http://ctabustracker.com/bustime/home.jsp Crypticfirefly 02:26, 13 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] jackrabbit

I've been told recently that a Jackrabbit or Jack Rabbit (not sure how it's spelled) is not a rabbit at all. True? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Highworker2 (talk • contribs) 04:25, 12 April 2007 (UTC).

All jackrabbits (and there are several different species thereof) are members of the genus Lepus. They are closely related to rabbits (being members of the family Leporidae), but, strictly speaking, they are not rabbits. Carom 04:29, 12 April 2007 (UTC)
But of course, this is all just splitting hares. StuRat 04:45, 12 April 2007 (UTC)
Oh, why isn't there a warning template for making too-obvious puns? ;) FiggyBee 06:41, 12 April 2007 (UTC)
Its a rabbit, and is as big as a grown house cat. 65.163.113.145 06:52, 12 April 2007 (UTC)
No, it's not. Carom already covered that... -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 07:27, 12 April 2007 (UTC)

It's been yrs since my mammology class, but the jackrabbit is a hare, not a rabbit. Hares tend to be larger, live in warrens and give birth to precoccial young. Rana sylvatica 10:54, 12 April 2007 (UTC)Rana sylvatica

You got the warrens part backwards: hares live above-ground, while rabbits live in underground warrens, which give their helpless young more security. --TotoBaggins 13:03, 12 April 2007 (UTC)
Anybody who watched Bugs Bunny (that wascally wabbit) would know that. Clarityfiend 18:14, 12 April 2007 (UTC)
I've got a few wascally wabbits gambolling about in my backyard, but I'm hardly one to make any statement about jackrabbits. (Wow! I'm sure that's the first time I've ever used the word "gambol", except in school where it was the standard example in differentiating from "gamble". Strange things do indeed happen on Friday 13th. It's 5:42 pm here.) . -- JackofOz 07:42, 13 April 2007 (UTC)
Okay, if jackrabbits aren't rabbits, are snowshoe hares hares? The one in my front yard right now looks like a rabbit, not a hare.--Charlene 22:32, 13 April 2007 (UTC)
Snowshoe Hares are under Leporidae Lepus, and thus are indeed considered hares rather than rabbits, who are other genera of Leporidae. V-Man - T/C 01:23, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Rope Swing

Hi Guys and Gals,

I am currently constructing a rope swing and was wondering if there were any sort of knot i could tie to fix it round the branch with out going up the tree. Can I have diagrams as well please.

Thanks Nebuchandezzar 08:09, 12 April 2007 (UTC)NebuchandezzarNebuchandezzar 08:09, 12 April 2007 (UTC)

The knot article is a good place to start, and from experience I'd suggest a modified version of the Clove hitch, such that you'd throw the rope over the branch (So that the end pointing up [in the picture in the article] kind of loops back and points down), throw it over a second time loosely, then again a third time, pulling the second end through the loop left by the second throw's slack, and tightening. The two ends can then be secured to each other using a simple knot (Such as the Clove hitch's cousin, Two half-hitches). V-Man - T/C 10:10, 12 April 2007 (UTC)
Thinking about it a little harder, you could conceivably do two half-hitches to secure the rope to the branch if you tie one end of the rope to a rock and:
  1. Throw the rock (attached to the rope, of course) over the tree
  2. Bring the rock around to make the rope cross itself and throw the rock through the "hole"
  3. Repeat step two
  4. Pull the knot tight

The diagrams in the two half-hitches article should help immensely as far as diagrams go. I'm knot an expert on diagrams, though... V-Man - T/C 10:19, 12 April 2007 (UTC)

Note that there will be friction when the swing is used. So do NOT use nylon rope or cord. (The heat will melt it!)90.4.244.207 14:29, 12 April 2007 (UTC)petitmichel

That is true. A couple of turns of rope thrown over before actually starting the knot and again after finishing the knot should reduce the friction. V-Man - T/C 01:32, 13 April 2007 (UTC)
You could also throw the rope over and tie both ends together at the bottom, alleviating the need to tie it around the branch at all. kmccoy (talk) 04:09, 15 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Warts

If I touched the hands of someone who has warts, would I get the virus that causes warts and never be able to get rid of it? --Candy-Panda 11:08, 12 April 2007 (UTC)

The virus can (not will) be transferred by skin-to-skin contact, as noted in the article wart. The article Human papillomavirus discusses the epidemiology of the virus, and comments that All HPVs are believed to be capable of establishing long-term "latent" infections in small numbers of stem cells present in the skin. ...these latent infections may never be fully eradicated. So yes, it is possible that you might never be able to get rd of the virus. However from the same article, only 10% of people get recurring warts, which draws the distinction between having the virus and having warts. --Tagishsimon (talk)

Warts are very rarely permanent, so you should get rid of them eventually if you catch the virus.

[edit] budha

i have a part of a question.i need the answer.this famous black american was once associated with budha and now is a minister of music in his church.who is he he?

If he was associated with Buddha he must be about three times as old as Methuselah. Now, that really is something! Clio the Muse 12:35, 12 April 2007 (UTC)
Dunno. John Michael Talbot? --Tagishsimon (talk)
But he isn't black. Marco polo 16:28, 12 April 2007 (UTC)
Maybe Joseph Jarman. Marco polo 16:34, 12 April 2007 (UTC)

joseph jarman is a shinto priest currently so that cant be it

The clue only said he was "once" associated with Buddhism, not that he currently is. StuRat 17:08, 12 April 2007 (UTC)
According to his article, he is a Buddhist priest, not a Shinto priest. Marco polo 18:10, 12 April 2007 (UTC)

I would have suggested Ram Dass but he doesn't appear to be African-American either. I had only ever seen one picture of him and misconstrued his race.

Atlant 20:25, 12 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Scholarships

Can any one tell me if there are scholarships out there right now that 1.may be applied for as a high school junior and 2.do not require an essay to be writen. i can not seem to find any but I have heard they exist.--Kittycat rox 18:23, 12 April 2007 (UTC)

Your local guidance counsellor is really the best source for this info. There may be many junior assistance grants, but they are usually very local, and require some outstanding activity. --Zeizmic 01:29, 13 April 2007 (UTC)
In all reality, the most reliable form of a scholarship that I've found at such an early stage is self-achieved. FWIW, Googling 11th grade scholarship brings up a few promising-looking links. V-Man - T/C 01:36, 13 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Extension on taxes

Hi, I have an S corporation and I don't have an accountant yet and I was trying to get a 6 month extension on my taxes, but on the extension form (IRS form 7004) it asks which form code to use (has to do with what application I'm filing for taxes) and I wasn't sure, does anyone know which tax form my accountant is probably going to use to file taxes. Here are the ones that it lists:

Form 706GS(D), 706GS (T), 990-C, 1041 (estate), 1041 (trust), 1041-N, 1041-QFT, 1042, 1065, 1065-B, 1066, 1120, 1120A, 1120C, 1120F, 1120-FSC, 1120-H, 1120-L, 1120-ND, 1120-PC, 1120-POL, 1120-REIT, 1120-RIC, 1120-S, 1120-SF, 3520-A, 8612, 8613, 8725, 8804, 8831, 8876

Please let me know which form is used for filing taxes usually for an S corporation, thanks guys —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 76.167.136.84 (talk) 19:38, 12 April 2007 (UTC).

According to this IRS document, the standard tax form for the S corporation itself is 1120S. If your corporation has employees, you will also need 941 (943 if the corporation is a farm), 940, and 8109. You may have been eligible for estimated taxes, and you will pay a penalty if you were eligible but did not pay them. You may want to check with an accountant soon about getting started on estimated taxes for 2007 to avoid further penalties. Finally, if you are a shareholder who received income in any form from your S corporation, you will need to file an individual (or joint married) 1040. Note that I am not an accountant or qualified to give tax advice. I am merely interpreting the referenced IRS document as a layman, but neither I nor Wikipedia accept any responsibility for tax liabilities that may result if my interpretation is incorrect. The best course would be to contact a qualified tax accountant. Marco polo 00:53, 13 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] cleaning my laptop screen

hi guys... what can i use to clean it? it's gross.... can I use...lens cleaner? (he one used for like snowboarding googles?).thnx

There's some good advice in the comments to this blog posting. --Mathew5000 21:18, 12 April 2007 (UTC)
Try water and a clean rag, microfiber-type rags work really well and do not leave streaks. -- Diletante 21:24, 12 April 2007 (UTC)

And in case you don't already know it, never use an abrasive cleaner, as the screen will scratch. Harsh chemicals could also damage it. StuRat 00:40, 13 April 2007 (UTC)

I always use household Window cleaner. Capuchin 06:37, 13 April 2007 (UTC)
Yea, that's fine, just don't break out the bleach. StuRat 07:16, 13 April 2007 (UTC)
From what I've heard, it's a bad idea to use household window cleaner on your computer screen. See the article at wikihow: How to Clean a Laptop Screen With Household Products. --Mathew5000 09:18, 13 April 2007 (UTC)
Ordinary window cleaner has worked for me across (counts on fingers) the 5 laptops I've owned and another few that my employer has owned. Just spray it on your soft rag or towel and not the screen itself; this avoids having excessive cleaner run down the screen and into the electronics (where it will do damage).
Atlant 13:55, 13 April 2007 (UTC)
Might want to be careful about ammonia-based products, though. A mild organic solvent like isopropanol usually works quite well for cleaning laptop screens. -- mattb @ 2007-04-13T13:58Z

Be careful to never use the last paper towel on the roll to clean the computer screen. It contains glue to affix it to the paper tube, which then dissolves in window cleaner and deposits on the monitor, looking like snot. It takes several more paper towels to get it off, and you may not have any, if you just finished the roll. StuRat 14:14, 13 April 2007 (UTC)

also be careful not to spread static to the screen as this can make it dirtier than it was before.

[edit] controversial topics

Can i have a list of controversial topics that aren't hackneyed?66.169.145.193 19:44, 12 April 2007 (UTC)

Whether something is hakneyed or not is a matter of opinion, but there is a list of articles on controversies here (my personal favorite being the Rakyat Merdeka dingo cartoon controversy). Rockpocket 19:51, 12 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] I am confused: none of your articles explain the birth of mohammed, the prophet. Please explain.

Please explain the birth of mohammed. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 69.120.246.3 (talk) 20:01, 12 April 2007 (UTC).

What aspect of the birth of Muhammad do you think needs an explanation? --Tagishsimon (talk)
If you have well sourced information that's missing, this is the encyclopedia that anyone can edit. - CHAIRBOY (☎) 20:14, 12 April 2007 (UTC)
Wild stab in the dark, maybe the OP just means when, where and to whom Mohammed was born? Vespine 22:24, 12 April 2007 (UTC)
Credible guess, were it not for sentences in the article such as Sources on Muhammad’s life concur that he was born ca. 570 CE in the city of Mecca in Arabia.[5] He was orphaned at a young age and was brought up by his uncle, or the availability of the Family tree of Muhammad. --Tagishsimon (talk)
  • See Birth? If that and the answer Tagishsimon gave are not what you're looking for, please be more specific. - Mgm|(talk) 09:54, 13 April 2007 (UTC)
Nice work, volunteers! FYI, though: the poster's history of major vandalism, and the fact that this question was asked already recently and recieved the same answer-set, suggest trolling. See "talk" and "contributions" links in OP botsig above for more. Jfarber 14:38, 13 April 2007 (UTC)
DNS numbers are quite often shared, depending on the ISP. The poster who wrote this question may not be the same individual who committed vandalism. --Charlene 22:30, 13 April 2007 (UTC)

Slightly off topic point, he wasn't actually a prophet, as they tell the future.

[edit] Soccer results

Hi there, I want to know where I can get results of soccer games of 2007 Asia Cup, 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup and Copa America 2007? Thanks. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 74.14.119.22 (talk) 22:27, 12 April 2007 (UTC).

It looks like wikipedia intends to cover those, including results. I'd guess there are websites lined from each of the following articles which will, in addition, provide results:
For up-to-date coverage, you might try the FIFA site at http://www.fifa.com/en/index.html, or else the individual federations at http://www.the-afc.com/english/index.asp and http://www.concacaf.com/. Corvus cornix 22:34, 12 April 2007 (UTC)