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

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[edit] June 7

[edit] Hairy Armpits

Whats their purpose?

A lot of body heat is lost through the armpits. The hair traps some of the heat in. Hustle 00:36, 7 June 2007 (UTC)
See Underarm hair, where its role in sexuality is discussed. Bielle 00:41, 7 June 2007 (UTC)
Looking for a cite but underarm hair and hair between legs also acts as a means of reducing friction between arm and chest, legs Mhicaoidh 11:43, 7 June 2007 (UTC)

Odd, I find that it increases friction :( HS7 14:56, 7 June 2007 (UTC)

To every thing there is a purpose?--Shantavira|feed me 15:44, 7 June 2007 (UTC)
do most most people shave the hair between the legs?

Not that I wish to gain a reputation as an expert in the underarm area but the three main rationales a bit of googling provide are: to help pheromones linger, to reduce friction and chafing, and to aid in evaporation of sweat. Apparently in contrast to head hair, both armpit and pubic hair have flat sides in cross-section which helps to reduce rubbing friction. Pubic hair is slippery and assists in reducing friction when two pubis bones come in contact...or so I am informed. I will resist the urge to update our underarm hair article until I can provide reputable citations rather than original research ; ) Mhicaoidh 04:04, 8 June 2007 (UTC)

Their purpose is to give feminists something to not shave as a political protest. -:) StuRat 05:42, 8 June 2007 (UTC)
Something else not to shave! SteveBaker 16:22, 8 June 2007 (UTC)
Actually, women don't shave mainly to annoy young hip men, many of whom are pathologically terrified of any woman who has hair below the nape of her neck. What? You don't look like a chemo patient in a wig? Anathema! Anathema! How dare you look like an adult! Evil! --Charlene 20:37, 9 June 2007 (UTC)
Axilary hair can be braided, for decorative effect. It also can serve to retain and diffuse the musky perfumes from the scent glands in the armpits. Edison 02:34, 9 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Formula One vs Indy Car

Which one is generally faster, more exciting to watch, has more spectators and costs more? Thanks. Hustle 00:33, 7 June 2007 (UTC)

Formula One has more spectators and costs more. More exciting to watch , of course, is Nascar (well, you asked for an opinion there). Rmhermen 01:15, 7 June 2007 (UTC)
As a general rule F1 tickets are more expensive. Indy attracts more spectators. Speed wise about the same. Excitement level, personally I like Indy races better. All those factors can be different though. --Tλε Rαnδоm Eδιτоr 01:16, 7 June 2007 (UTC)
FOrmula One has "average course speeds" ranging from 88 to 148 mph depending on the track with peak speed reaching 222 mph[1]. IndyCar can have average speeds of 236 mph[2] but that is on simple circle courses (not road courses). Rmhermen 01:24, 7 June 2007 (UTC)
Since Formula 1 cars tend to be more technically different from each other, there tend to be long periods of time when one team or another is so much superior that the 'races' are just two hour long parades. Not always, though. And the visceral aspects of the cars are such that even a parade is exciting. As somebody once said, the sound is like somebody trying to chainsaw a live tiger in half while it is clawing its way through a circus tent.Gzuckier 16:11, 7 June 2007 (UTC)
Well, it's only an opinion - but Nascar bores me beyond what words can explain! The tracks is just a boring oval - the sides are banked to make it easier - they only ever turn one direction and the cars are essentially identical...yaaawwwwnnnn! F1 is better - *much* better on a good day. No two tracks are alike - they all have a wide range of speeds and everything from tight turns to long straights and the cars have more technological variety. But to be honest - here in the USA the most fun thing to watch is the SCCA club racing events where lightly modified street cars driven by amateur drivers race around (mostly) narrow, twisty tracks - it's nowhere near as fast as F1 or Nascar - but the cars are not glued to the track, so there is vastly more excitement - you can generally go and watch events at a local track - probably at $0 cost and they run them on most weekends. The lower speeds mean that you have the cars in view for longer and there is much, much more overtaking. If you like motor racing, then better still - buy yourself a $50 approved helmet and take your unmodified street car to an Autocross event...it's a very safe sport and it's more fun than you can possibly imagine! The first couple of times you go, they'll even lend you a helmet. SteveBaker 16:19, 8 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] disadvantages to have bank regulation

See Bank regulation Rockpocket 05:22, 7 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] H1-B To F-1

Does anyone (especially UK citizens) have experiences of getting a F-1 visa for a US PhD program after being in H-1B status? How did you prove intent to return to the UK (or home country)? (This is not a change of status - this getting a F-1 in the UK about 3-4 months after leaving the US. I applied to the PhD program (and a major research university - in the top 15 or whatever) while I was working in a job in the US I wanted to leave. I was originally planning to resign after getting a PHD place and funding (which I didn't know for sure I would get of course), but it turned out my company laid my team off unexpectedly before the I got news of the phd place anyway....)

thanks for any advice/experiences...

Chances are that few, if any, Reference Desk editors have been in your position. You will probably get a more satisfactory response on an online immigration forum, such as this one. Marco polo 14:38, 7 June 2007 (UTC)
I haven't had the exact same situation, but did apply for a J-1 in Britain after having F-1 status in the past. I had no major problems. However, you need to make sure that there is no exceptions on H-1B (i.e. that there is not a period of time that has to expire before you can apply for another visa). As far as proving intent to return, pretty much all you need is proof of financial ties (a bank account, a mortgage, student loans) or significant family ties. If you are a UK national and have spent a significant proportion of your life there, you will most likely be fine. The real problem with this is for non-British nationals who are resident in Britain, and are planning to get a US visa in London. Rockpocket 22:00, 7 June 2007 (UTC)
The university you are considering very likely has an office called Services for International Students and Scholars or something along those lines. They will be happy to give you the full story. --mglg(talk)
thanks for the answers, everyone... I didn contact the international office at the university before, but they were less helpful than you guys....

[edit] Quiz sites

Can anyone recommend any quiz internet sites that are geared for intellectual people? --13:39, 7 June 2007 (UTC)

There's funtrivia, with various topics and degrees of difficulty, but all the questions are multiple choice. Try the Assyrian history quiz. ---Sluzzelin talk 14:21, 7 June 2007 (UTC)
I like to think that the various Ref Desks function as quiz sites for some of us. --LarryMac | Talk 14:40, 7 June 2007 (UTC)
Have you checked out Wikipedia:Wikifun?--Shantavira|feed me 15:48, 7 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] payment of an early cancellation fee to a mobile phone operator.is it necessary if the network service is poor?ie constant 'dropped calls'for no apparent reason.

I'm just ending a 3-odd year relationship with '3'(Three)network due to a series of inexplicable 'dropped calls'on two mobile phone lines, which '3' customer service attribute to 'cell shortage'or congestion between substations ie more calls than available lines between substations or 'masts'.most of my calls are made and/or received from/at my flat in s.e.london (SE25 4RP)where the coverage is mostly described as 'very good' by '3'agents/operators.this is confirmed by 3's coverage map, available on their website,www.three.co.uk.i have a copy of that coverage map,available for inspection.the 'dropped calls'occur throughout the day,recently at 11pm approx.when most local residents are probably in bed.so,why 'cell shortage', and do I really owe '3' £170.00 odd and £113.00 for 'early cancellation'of two contracts,1 ending on 1.11.07, the 2nd on 21.9.07.?What about 'poor service' and my statutory rights?Are '3' performing their part of the 'contract'which they are invoking?for the 1st number I have requested a 'pac code'in order to transfer my old number to an account I opened with 'orange'on 5.6.07.'3' 'customer options'are refusing to release a 'pac code',unless I pay them c.£170.00.Where do I stand, and where do they stand?Iver Mackay APR (removed identifiers for privacy - Bielle 17:08, 7 June 2007 (UTC))

This is a legal and contractual matter, and, as a consequence, not something with which Wikipedia's Ref Desks can help. Good luck! Bielle 17:06, 7 June 2007 (UTC)
This sounds like a mission for the telecommunications regulator Ofcom. I suggest you study the information on their website to see whether you have a case.--Shantavira|feed me 17:18, 7 June 2007 (UTC)

This is a good example for why it's a bad idea to get a long term contract with a cell phone company (the longer the term, the worse). It's possible that you may get out of paying the cancellation fee, but likely only after a major effort on your part. From the POV of the phone company, it's not in their interest to continue to pay to offer you good service when you have a long term contract. They actually get a higher profit margin in the short run by getting customers to quit so they can get cancellation fees and not provide any service in return. StuRat 05:31, 8 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Maid of Scandinavia Company

In my Mom's cupboard, I came across a bottle of "Oil of Peppermint" bottled for "Maid of Scandinavia Company of 3245 Raleigh Avenue, Minneapolis, Minn 55416". It is a little over half full and the contents are: oil peppermint, propylene glycol, and it holds 2 Fluid Ounces, Net. I'm trying to find out approximately what year the bottle was issued for sale. Any help will be appreciated.Cat322 17:48, 7 June 2007 (UTC)

Since the address on the bottle contains a ZIP Code, it most likely from the mid-1960s or later. (Oddly enough, one of the example ZIPs in that article is 55416. Spooky!). That address now seems to belong to Northland Aluminum Products, which this link seems to indicate was related to Maid of Scandinavia (scroll down to "Who Was David Dalquist?"). A quick Google search shows that Maid of Scandinavia was acquired by Sweet Celebrations [3], but I don't know when. --LarryMac | Talk 18:13, 7 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Gay Pride Parade of São Paulo

I would like to know which page of which edition of the Guinness Book states that the Gay Pride Parade of São Paulo is the biggest Gay Pride event in the world. A.Z. 18:10, 7 June 2007 (UTC)

...so I can add the reference to the article. A.Z. 21:26, 7 June 2007 (UTC)
Well, it'll change issue by issue, surely. I can't help you with the page though, sorry. JoshHolloway 10:24, 8 June 2007 (UTC)
It'll be one after 2002; my 2002 copy gives the largest Gay Pride event as the San Fransisco one. Laïka 10:54, 8 June 2007 (UTC)
It would have to be no earlier than 2005, the year of the big parade all the news websites refer to when googling "largest gay pride" and "world". Almost all of the ones I checked wrote "might/could have been" not "was". But maybe googling more specifically for the date will give you a reference. Unfortunately, the people from Guinness Book only show a tiny fraction of their goods to the online community. ---83.78.138.55 11:39, 8 June 2007 (UTC)
I was hoping someone here owned the book... It was definitely after 2002. I think I'll go to a book store and check the last edition. Thanks for the help. A.Z. 19:29, 8 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Reference desk history

How was the reference desk created? And why? And when? What about its name, which user invented it? A.Z. 21:34, 7 June 2007 (UTC)

I'm new, but i can answer 2 of those questions. Why? To answer questions. Name? It a reference desk.  :P Maddie was here 21:57, 7 June 2007 (UTC)

Yeah, to answer questions. But the Help Desk is also to answer questions, for instance. I would like to know whether something happened which caused the creation of the reference desk, if there was some need for it, which were the circumstances of its creation, in details. I would also like to know whether it was named "reference desk" because it was supposed to be a reference desk or it's becoming a sort of reference desk just because it has its name. I like to believe that the name is like the name of the village pump, i.e., just a loose metaphor. A.Z. 22:05, 7 June 2007 (UTC)
Being a question about the Ref Desk, I think this is best raised on the Ref Desk talk page. -- JackofOz 22:35, 7 June 2007 (UTC)
According to the edit history, the first version of this page was created by User:Magnus Manske in February 2002. He was the original creator of the original software which later became MediaWIki - which is the software that runs Wikipedia! So it should come as no surprise that he was here at the beginning of the reference desk. How it was created was presumably just like any other Wikipedia page...he typed in the name and then typed in the initial content. His first edit comment says "moving to wikipedia namespace" - and that very first version already included a bunch of questions. So we may presume that it was tried out in his userspace or somewhere else outside of 'WP:' before 'going public'.
The first question (clearly setting the tone for most of the rest!) was: "Here's a question that any encyclopedia worth its salt must answer: why do dogs eat other dogs' poop?"...which we had again only last week (sigh). It doesn't look like that question was ever answered (it never is - to any degree of satisfaction). But in any case, the Help Desk wasn't used for six months after it's initial creation - questions didn't appear at a rate more than a handful per month until September. By October, the dog poop question was still there - and still completely unanswered. Finally, someone eventually removed it, commenting that this probably wasn't the best start to the help desk. Sadly, it is a commonly asked question and is pretty typical of a large percentage of the questions that we get here. SteveBaker 01:56, 8 June 2007 (UTC)
"In the beginning", there was one namespace. Users had to choose names that wouldn't conflict with article titles, and technical pages were in there with the rest. Then with the advent of the new "namespaces", Wikipedia and User, lots of pages had to get moved or redirected. (Koyaanis Qatsi could get confused with Koyaanis Qatsi, the user, for instance). Rmhermen 02:46, 8 June 2007 (UTC)
And User:Magnus Manske said "Let there be light!" And there was a question about dog poop. And User:Magnus Manske saw that it was good. V-Man - T/C 03:25, 8 June 2007 (UTC)
I don't see any problem with that question. Odd animal behavior like that even has potential for scientific study (although I can just imagine the headlines if that study ever got government funding). StuRat 05:21, 8 June 2007 (UTC)
Haven't you heard of the National Center for the Study and Prevention of Canine Coprophagia? Edison 15:46, 8 June 2007 (UTC)
Write your own headline. Rockpocket 07:32, 9 June 2007 (UTC)
Hey, larry sanger asked a question about dog poop- and it was before Feb 2002 --frotht 12:03, 9 June 2007 (UTC)
Also here's a very old ref desk page that precedes even "Wikipedia help desk" into mid 2001 --frotht 12:05, 9 June 2007 (UTC)
I thought it was really interesting that someone asked on that page "Why isn't there powdered alcohol?", when this story just recently appeared in the news. :-) zafiroblue05 | Talk 05:13, 10 June 2007 (UTC)
"'Because the alcohol is not in liquid form, we can sell it to people below 16,' said project member Martyn van Nierop." A.Z. 19:55, 2 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] What do do with this?

Perhaps someone knows what to do about This guy/this page. —ScouterSig 21:43, 7 June 2007 (UTC)

I doubt it. There's nothing there. What's the problem? BTW if you want a better response, use a diff rather than a dynamic page link. Anchoress 22:11, 7 June 2007 (UTC)
Friday blanked the page seven minutes after you posted this here. A.Z. 22:14, 7 June 2007 (UTC)
The edit history shows that before the page was blanked, this might have been an article that someone was working on - or it might be someone who is very confused about how to create an article. But the subject is identical to the person's user name which is a bit of a warning sign. The sole contribution of this user to Wikipedia is that page - plus the image on it. The term "Noble order of Exemplar" turned up zero Google hits (aside from that very page on Wikipedia) - and the content of the page suggests that this is some kind of fraternity in the Phillipines with just 10 members - so if this was indeed an effort to work on an article before copying it into main-space, it would have been AfD'd into obvlivion anyway. But it's not really a good idea to edit people's user pages (let alone blank them) and even though this is pretty dubious stuff, I don't think I would have done it. SteveBaker 01:30, 8 June 2007 (UTC)

I'm gonna go tag it for speedy now. Lol, just noticed it was a user page.T_TShindo9Hikaru 03:36, 8 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Just seen on the Sci-Fi Channel.........

Did you know that the Sci-Fi Channel has started a new show called "Into the Unknown" ? This ios about a paranormal organization that goes after paranormal matters, like ghosts, UFOs, Bigfoot, etc. 65.173.104.247 23:23, 7 June 2007 (UTC)

No, though is there a fact question you wished to ask? Splintercellguy 01:10, 8 June 2007 (UTC)
There was, and you answered it - we presume correctly! Of course if it's asked again, the answer will be have changed since now you do know it. SteveBaker 01:15, 8 June 2007 (UTC)
I didn't know that either. ---Sluzzelin talk 03:06, 8 June 2007 (UTC)
I definitely did not know it. I hope the programs are all very objective and scientific, and do not promote pseudoscience. ;-) Edison 04:43, 8 June 2007 (UTC)
I didn't know either! I don't even get the sci-fi channel! I think this question could become one of the best answered questions on the reference desks! 213.48.15.234 07:23, 8 June 2007 (UTC)
I agree. I didnt know that either ML Mhicaoidh 08:02, 8 June 2007 (UTC)

You might also be interested in Project Blue Book and the TV series about it. StuRat 05:13, 8 June 2007 (UTC)