Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2007 August 7

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[edit] August 7

[edit] touch-tone phone adventure game

I remember years and years ago I was reading a comic book from the late 80s or early 90s, and I saw an ad for an adventure game played over the phone. I believe it was played with a touch-tone phone, and gameplay (this is just a wild guess) would be something like those Choose Your Own Adventure books. I've googled it extensively, but have been unable to find any information. I did find a (vaguely) similar game called TV POWWW, which seems to be something like an audio-based version of duck hunt--a completely different game, but the only one I could find that was played by phone. Does anyone have more information on old phone-based games, specifically fantasy adventure ones?

I seem to remember that the fighting fantasy books were going to be converted to phone use - don't know if anything even came of it though..87.102.43.16 09:26, 7 August 2007 (UTC) Actually that was mobile phone use - not the same thing?87.102.43.16 09:28, 7 August 2007 (UTC)sorry irrelevant
I got in trouble for playing one of those once when I was about 8 or 9 - I didn't realise it cost 50p per minute to call 0898 numbers, and I racked up a bill of about £200. It was a fantasy wizard duelling game from Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone. It was basically "press 1, 2, or 3 to choose your spell", and it worked something like rock, paper, scissors. One of the spells was called the "blunderbuss". Neil ╦ 12:02, 7 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Company name on roof for Google maps

Are there any companies that have put their name or logo on the roof so that it will be visible on satellite images, as used by Google maps? I predict that this will become commonplace in the future, but has ayone already thought of it? Also, how often are those images refreshed by Google, in other words, how long will a company have to wait for it to have the desired effect? DirkvdM 10:33, 7 August 2007 (UTC)

Off the top of my head, there's the BMW Factory at Munich (Google Maps), the Coral Island in Blackpool (Google Maps) and the Adidas football pitch built on top of a skyscraper in Tokyo (Google Maps), although all of these are meant to be visible from aircraft as much as satellites (remember that the high-res stuff in Google Earth is all aerial photograph- civilian satellites don't have nearly high enough resolution). Update rates vary some parts of the Earth go years without an update (generally those using the Landsat or Blue Marble photos from NASA), although the images are generally 1 to 3 years old [1]. You may want to check out the large writing section of Google Sightseeing.Laïka 11:11, 7 August 2007 (UTC)
If you google sightsee near airports you'll see lots of these. There's a giant Target logo, for example, on top of a Target store near O'Hare International Airport. Donald Hosek 17:06, 7 August 2007 (UTC)
I checked out Schiphol airport, but didn't see any ads. It's surrounded by fields, and I wonder how much one would have to pay a farmer to distribute his crops such that they form a logo. From a Google map perspective, the world is one big free billboard and I'm sure in time it'll be used that way. Btw, I also noticed that at the northernmost landing strip there is a landing airplane missing a wing [2]. But its shadow is complete. Very mysterious .... :) DirkvdM 18:54, 7 August 2007 (UTC)
It's not really mysterious. You can't take one gigantic picture of the entire planet with one click of the shutter - so pictures of different places happen at different times - minutes, days, years or even decades apart. Sophisticated software lines up the photos along their edges (or perhaps overlaps them as needed) and tries to come up with a reasonable compromise to correct for the fact that the lighting has changed a bit because the sun moved between adjacent photos - or the trees may have dropped all of their leaves because one photo was in summer and the other in autumn - or an entire suburb may not have been built in one photo and is there in the next - or one may have been taken from a medium altitude photoreconnaisance aircraft where the other came from a satellite - so the perspective is a bit different. They also have to avoid taking photos when it's cloudy or when the ground is covered in snow.
What happened in this case is that one wing of the plane didn't get photographed and that's that. The rest of the plane and it's (intact) shadow were present right at the edge of one photo - but the plane had moved out of shot by the time the next photo was taken. The software can't cope with a situation like that - and for anything beyond the very most popular areas of the world, it's too expensive to have humans go in and retouch the photos by hand - so these kinds of anomalies are everywhere.
In future, there will likely be multiple photos of each area taken and the software will be able to pick only features that are present in two or more of the pictures - so moving objects will simply vanish. But that dramatically increases the cost of doing this stuff - which is why they (typically) don't do it right now. I suspect Google-maps actually benefits from the publicity they get when people find weird stuff like that - so it's not such a terrible thing for them. For example, there are quite a few places where you can find giant insects invading the earth - where a critter happened to land on the image as it was being scanned into the computer. SteveBaker 21:15, 7 August 2007 (UTC)
Link to the bug thing? Sounds hilarious :) --frotht 21:42, 7 August 2007 (UTC)
Ehm, thanks for the explanation, but notice the smiley at the end of that remark..... :) DirkvdM 05:39, 8 August 2007 (UTC)
I for one welcome our new arthropod overlords. – Remember the crude mosaics of pictures taken by the early interplanetary probes? Haven't seen one of those in ages, not even of Mercury which hasn't been visited since; I guess they've all been cleaned up. —Tamfang 00:12, 8 August 2007 (UTC)
froth Here you go: Giant Toxic Bug Invades Yorkshire. 68.231.151.161 04:46, 8 August 2007 (UTC)
The one I was thinking of was this one Google Maps Spots Giant Bug Terrorizing Germany - but it seems that Google went in and fixed it. SteveBaker 16:03, 8 August 2007 (UTC)
Google "Readymix sign" and you'll find lots of links to the 3.2km x 1.6km advert in the Nullarbor Plain, Australia. It's been there since 1965.--TrogWoolley 10:05, 8 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] 1/4 Bathroom

I was looking at a list of available houses and saw that one had 1/4 of a bathroom. I know that a sink and toilet can constitute a half bathroom - there is one in my current home and that's what it is listed as - but what is in a 1/4 bathroom? Also, what four things are the "requirements" to have a whole bathroom?

A quarter bathroom is one with just a toilet.[3] In my experience, they're relatively common, at least in Britain, and are generally placed next door to the main bathroom, presumably for efficiency purposes; one person can use the toilet while another washes their hands. A full bathroom has a bathtub, sink and toilet, and sometimes a shower (if you have a bathtub then a simple attachment can easily turn it into a shower anyway). Laïka 11:25, 7 August 2007 (UTC)
I've not heard that term in Britain... and I'd be surprised if it were used here, as for us "bathroom" is not a euphemism for "toilet" (neither is "washroom"). Estate agents here when listing property features will usually state separately the number of bathrooms and the number of toilets. --Dweller 11:33, 7 August 2007 (UTC)
Yes, sorry, I should have clarified that I've never heard the term "quarter-bathroom" in the UK, but that the concept is widespread. Laïka 11:37, 7 August 2007 (UTC)
Ah. Gotcha. --Dweller 11:53, 7 August 2007 (UTC)
Or, you can have one of those tiny bathrooms tucked under your stairs where your head bumps the ceiling, a sink you can barely get one hand into at a time and taps from a hobbit hole. I think that's an 1/8 bathroom. Lanfear's Bane
Stand alone toilets are fairly common in New Zealand and Malaysia too Nil Einne 01:06, 10 August 2007 (UTC)

Does a privy at the bottom of the garden count as an American "bathroom"?86.202.28.218 15:04, 7 August 2007 (UTC)DT

Maybe, but only if it has plumbing. If there is just a pit (or a container) and no plumbing, then, in American terms, it is an outhouse. Since stand-alone structures with only a toilet inside are uncommon in the United States, however, I don't think that there is a standard term. Marco polo 15:36, 7 August 2007 (UTC)
Of course the term toilet comes from the act of washing body care (inc washing), as did the term lavatory before that. The Americanism 'bathroom' takes this politeness a bit further as does the British term conveniences. I wonder what word will be next used when the term bathroom becomes too dirty to use in polite company? Has there ever been a proper term for the place where we urinate/defecate? If so, I suggest we all start using it (the word).--SpectrumAnalyser 16:23, 7 August 2007 (UTC)
"Shitter". Corvus cornix 16:38, 7 August 2007 (UTC)
Does not cover urination!--SpectrumAnalyser 17:15, 7 August 2007 (UTC)
"Pisser"? Rockpocket 17:24, 7 August 2007 (UTC)
Does not cover defecation. What we need is a word that describes a room for both bodily functions. Like the '(bodily)function room'.--SpectrumAnalyser 18:21, 7 August 2007 (UTC)
Actually, the word "bathroom" sounds a bit blunt in American English, since the phrase "to go to the bathroom" can mean to defecate, whether one does so in a bathroom or someplace else. ("The dog went to the bathroom on the floor." "The baby went to the bathroom in her diapers.") A more polite American word is "restroom". Marco polo 16:39, 7 August 2007 (UTC)
So it has already changed! Yes but a restroom in Britain is where you go for a rest. A bathroom is where you go to have a bath. I suggest we all go back to using the word latrine (not completely accurate but near enough to avoid confusion with the other rooms in the house)--SpectrumAnalyser 17:04, 7 August 2007 (UTC)
We use the words "loo" and "bog". (UK) SaundersW 18:58, 7 August 2007 (UTC)
How about just use the word "toilets"? --antilivedT | C | G 20:02, 7 August 2007 (UTC)
Ah! But then you run up against class issues. 'Toilet' is considered a lower-class word, and a basic shibboleth. Thus, an upper-class or upper-middle class person, particularly an older person, will never say toilet unless they're trying to annoy! It's one of those weird things, like 'pardon' and 'serviette' :/ 'Loo' is much safer, 'bog' less so. Skittle 22:14, 7 August 2007 (UTC)
Yes, that's the ubiquitous use where I am in america.. we say "go to the bathroom" whether or not a bathroom is actually involved --frotht 21:14, 7 August 2007 (UTC)
I think that bathroom is used for both meanings in the uk too. I certainly say bathroom when I mean going to the toilet. I would be 'going for a bath' not going to the bathroom. I see WC sometimes which i think means water-closet but not sure how that works regarding purely a toilet. The obvious question of toilet-only rooms is do you have to then go into the bathroom to wash your hands?? ny156uk 21:30, 7 August 2007 (UTC)
To try to answer the original question, maybe full bathroom needs a WC, a bath, a washbasin and a bidet?--SpectrumAnalyser 22:52, 7 August 2007 (UTC)
What about conveniences? That covers them all. "Excuse me, may I use your conveniences?" If they say yes, shit in their microwave. Lanfear's Bane

I was always fond of calling it the "Biffy." I'm not sure where it's from, but I've caught quite a few people in their 40-60s using the term back in Edmonton. 142.30.227.30 20:10, 10 August 2007 (UTC)

Just to get back to the original question: the number of counted "pieces" and fractions described when discussing bathrooms will vary from place to place, even city to city. The wife and I just got back from viewing a house with a 4-pc bath upstairs and a 2-pc bath downstairs. The 4-pc included a toilet, sink, tub, and shower attachment, while the 2-pc was just a toilet and sink (having the shower as the 4th piece struck me as misleading, but never mind...). In our city, the house would be described as "two bath", while in next county it would be described as "one and a half bath". Strangely, a sink counts as "one" so long as there is a toilet involved (as in the 2-pc bath), but doesn't count as one on its own (as you'd see with a laundry sink). We migth assume that a quarter bath was simply a toilet, but it may also describe a stand-alone shower, such as people might have for rinsing before and after pool-swimming. Matt Deres 17:42, 12 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Recording Studio Microphones

What type of microphones do professional recording studios use to record artist's song onto albums? I've seen pictures and the microphone looks like a flat screen. Thanks. Acceptable 13:04, 7 August 2007 (UTC)

Have you read microphone? The flat screen placed in front of a microphone that I think you are refering to is a pop filter. If you've ever heard a recording without one of these, you'll realise why one is needed for professional production. Capuchin 13:20, 7 August 2007 (UTC)
(edit conflict) The microphones are the same; the flat screen is a "pop filter"; normally if you use a stop consonant while speaking (like the "p" in "pop"), the sudden shock wave buffets the microphone and produces an annoying popping sound on the recording. The pop filter removes the shockwave, creating a higher quality recording. Laïka 13:24, 7 August 2007 (UTC)
**I move away from the mic to breathe in. Lanfear's Bane
Different types of mics have different tradeoffs. Stage mics are often durable dynamic microphones like the ubiquitous shure 58. In recording applications, sound quality is typically prized above toughness, so high end condenser microphones are often used. Friday (talk) 15:11, 7 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Barcelona historical weather information

I am looking for maximum temperatures in Barcelona for May, June, and July of 2006. I am sure that this information exists, but I can't seem to find it. My poor Spanish is partly to blame. 199.172.246.196 18:25, 7 August 2007 (UTC)

If you go to this page, in the menu on the left side of the page, under "Access data", click on "Automatic Weather Stations Data", and you will get a map of Catalonia. Click on the Comarca Barcelones or select this comarca from the pull-down menu, and you will get a table with links to data from every date in 2006. (This seems to be Flash-powered, so there is no direct URL for the table.) Marco polo 20:16, 7 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Eternal question...

Was it a purple people eater or an eater of purple people? --frotht 21:11, 7 August 2007 (UTC)

Tsk. Always consult the articles:
The question is considered at length in the first. --Tagishsimon (talk)

[edit] What looks good to you

Do you like what I did to the article on Acorralada?

If you don't like what I did to the article, what looks good to you?

Your edits were lovely and in the right direction, if not remarkable enough to feature as a question here. Might I suggest the good offices of Wikipedia:Editor review to you, if you're interested in feedback. --Tagishsimon (talk)
Or Requests for feedback, for a particular article you're working on. --Haemo 03:57, 8 August 2007 (UTC)
Nothing. Nothing looks good to me. This is one of the worst articles I've seen in a long time (well, OK - since the day before yesterday...but that's still pretty bad!) I don't like any part of any of the sentences:
  • "The new telenovella..." -- it won't be new in 10 years time - don't write things for Wikipedia that don't stand the test of time.
  • debuted and filmed don't need to be linked - they are common english words.
  • Only link the first usage of a word - you linked debuted and telenovela twice.
  • It is no longer considered appropriate to link dates unless the day number is there (and even then...most people don't).
  • Two uses of the word 'debuted' in the same paragraph reads nastily. Similarly 'telenovela'.
I would have written:
Acorralada is a telenovela that debuted on Venevision and Univision in January 2007. It is filmed in Miami, Florida (USA).
The section on 'Plot' is also pretty terrible: "Fedora Garces a.k.a. Gaviota's life was perfect, until somebody stole her husband, her children, her fortune and her entire life from her. Will she love another man? Or will she be corraled in her husband's love?".
  • This sounds like the blurb off the back of a cheap romance novel! This is an encyclopedia - not an advert!
  • This is an encyclopedia - we don't ask questions, we answer them - you could perhaps say "The plot revolves around the question of whether she will ever love another man and whether she is corraled in her husband's love.".
  • Is that really the entire plot? I kinda suspect that there is more to it.
  • What does the name mean? Is it the name of a place? If so, where?
  • Tell us where and when the thing is set - who the producer and director is, who writes it? What is the history of the production? What has been the reaction of viewers and critics? Tell us a little about the actors - what else did they work in? Are they well known - or did they recruit a cast of new faces?
  • Garces is unaccented here - but there is an accent on the 'e' in the cast list - which is correct?
  • We need references. You can't say ANYTHING in the encyclopedia without providing evidence that what you say is true. Unless you can find a reference in a book, web site or magazine article - you can't say it.
  • "her husband, her children, her fortune and her entire life" - is a tautology, "her entire life" covers it.
  • "a.k.a" - Urgh! That sucks! Say "(also known as Gaviota)" or something.
  • Was her life 'perfect'? I doubt it.
  • Apostrophy abuse is everywhere.
  • 'corraled' is spelled incorrectly.
  • The l-o-n-g character list is a bit overblown for a five sentence article! Wikipedia isn't a repository for long boring links. If this was an important work, then listing a handful of the main actors would be OK - but for a five sentence article...really?!
SteveBaker 15:54, 8 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Urinal Strategy

Whenever I use a urinal the piss hits its wall or the little sponge and splashes at me and hits my pants which absorb spots of piss. I have stopped using urinals completely because of this. Why has nobody ever mentioned this? Do people have some pissing strategy that prevents this? I need a pissing strategy.

The strategy might embody tactics such as standing slightly further back, and selecting a convenient aim point such that the angle of incidence of the flow of urine is as great as possible. --Tagishsimon (talk)
Yes. You certainly wouldn't want to piss normally on the surface--SpectrumAnalyser 22:57, 7 August 2007 (UTC)
Is there a emoticon for putting your face in your hands and shaking your head?? ;) Admittedly "I need a pissing strategy" made me laugh... Just so I'm not on topic, I do not use urinals, personal prefference, I just don't like them, I grew up in a country that didn't have them and never got used to them. Vespine 23:03, 7 August 2007 (UTC)
Well, I'm not sure I agree with the results, but someone's done some research on this already: Straight Dope Urinal 101 --Mdwyer 05:28, 8 August 2007 (UTC)
Best strategy I know of - use the cubicle rather than the urinal, and if you really want to avoid splashback, sit down, even to just urinate. BTW, what's worse than getting hit by your own splashback is when you are forced to use a crowded toilet and get hit with someone else's splashback. Now that's gross. --203.164.131.237 14:07, 8 August 2007 (UTC)
Angle of incidence equals angle of reflection - ergo, aim low. SteveBaker 15:25, 8 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] 100% Pure Bristle Brush

What does it mean to be a 100% pure bristle brush? Can you know from this if it's pig bristle? or synthetic bristle? If it's not 100% pure bristle - what is the balance material and how is it calculated? ThanksNeacinc 22:42, 7 August 2007 (UTC)

  • It means that the fibers all came from a boar (not to be confused with crashing bores who go on at great length at parties and sometimes on Reference Desk about the subjects which interest them). Edison 02:55, 8 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Music in flash animation

Does anyone recognize the jazzy-ish tune that is played when the pill-thing is walking? The music first makes its appearance about 20-30 seconds into the movie. On a side note, what is the techno song played when that tube comes out? I assume its by Electronika, judging by the music credits. The flash file can be found here. Sorry for putting you through watching this. Thanks for any help identifying the songs. --71.98.12.21 22:54, 7 August 2007 (UTC)

Since no one has answered, you might want to consider a website such as flashkit.com. Why? Because you will notice that they have literally thousands of support files for generating "flash movies" ... some of those support files consist of sound and music loops. It may very well be the case that the "jazzy-ish" tune comes from one of those files, especially if it is not clearly specified in the credits. dr.ef.tymac 14:40, 10 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Venomous animals

Is there a article about these animals ? MY source is Venomous Animals, written by Edmund D. Brodie, JR., Ph.D. , illustrated by John D. Dawson, ISBN is 0-307-24074-6. Did you know that the shrew and the vole is poisonous ? 65.173.104.118 23:50, 7 August 2007 (UTC)

I'm not aware of an article, but there is a category Category:Venomous animals. -Chunky Rice 23:52, 7 August 2007 (UTC)
My source says that the shrew is poisonous, the Garden Spider may have a neurotoxic venom, that Hedgehogs use toad poison as a defense against predators. 65.173.104.118 23:56, 7 August 2007 (UTC)
Also, did you know that salamanders are poisonous ? 65.173.104.118 23:58, 7 August 2007 (UTC)
It would be better if you checked article by article, to see whether the poisonous facts are there; and if not, add them yourself, or make a comment on the discussion page associated with the article. --Tagishsimon (talk)