Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2007 March 29

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[edit] March 29

[edit] WikiCD

(Go ahead and move this question if I did something wrong) A long time ago, I was reading something on Wikipedia, and I read that the article was being included on the "Wiki CD". I have searched and searched, but I cant find any information on a Wiki CD. Does anyone know where I could find the Wiki CD? -- Zylstra555 02:02, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

See WP:1.0. -- mattb @ 2007-03-29T04:05Z
2006 Wikipedia CD Selection is a CD version of 'the best of' Wikipedia - you can download it for free. It's pretty frustrating to use though - image thumbnails can't be popped open to reveal the full image and there are very, very few cross-links because most of the articles are not on the disk. A 2007 CD is in preparation - there is also the Wikipedia:Version 1.0 effort - which might end up as some kind of removable media - or possibly in print. Sadly though - it'll suffer from the same problems as the 2006 CD. There has been a 'test' release of that in Wikipedia:Version_0.5 - and there are about a dozen similar efforts going on that are listed in a table on the Wikipedia:Version 1.0 page. The problem with all of them is that Wikipedia is now vastly too big to fit on any kind of convenient portable media and once you have enjoyed the huge scope of the real thing, going back to a 'regular' encyclopedia is really frustrating. The Internet is now pretty much the only place that Wikipedia can exist. SteveBaker 04:07, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Guitars

What is the most expensive guitar? I always thought it was the Fender Stratocaster, but I'm not sure. --69.144.234.146 00:37, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

Stock guitar or custom? New or used by a famous person? Think about what B.B. King's Lucille or SRV's Number One are worth! One of Hendrix's custom Strats was recently sold for over US$150k. -- mattb @ 2007-03-29T00:51Z
A strat specially created for charity and signed by several prominent guitarists sold at auction for US2.7 MILLION dollars is the most a guitar has ever sold for. Vespine 04:15, 30 March 2007 (UTC)
Sounds like a stock guitar. BUT Eric Claptions "Blackie" sold for $959,000, beating $957,500 for "Tiger" owned by Jerry Garcia.
http://www.themomi.org/museum/articles/more/10expensive.html —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 67.180.27.49 (talk) 03:19, 31 March 2007 (UTC).

Legends Bar in Nashville has autographed Johnny Cash 12 string. I would imagine that that is worth something.

[edit] In Russia...

For a while now, I've seen people online say, In Russia (or Soviet Russia), _____ does _____ to you, with the blanks being two words or actions, usually in reverse of what you would expect somehow. I must be way out of the loop, but what does this mean and where does it come from? zafiroblue05 | Talk 03:05, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

This particular comic form, called the Russian reversal, was invented by comedian Yakov Smirnov. One of the earliest uses was the joke "In USA you watch TV, in Russia, TV watches you !" (a reference to the two-way telescreens used to spy on the public in the anti-utopian book, 1984). StuRat 03:15, 29 March 2007 (UTC)
In Soviet Russia, Reference Desk questions YOU!! V-Man - T/C 01:05, 30 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] San Francisco: windscreen cleaning

It says here [1] that San Francisco has "A regulation making it illegal to use someone's pre-worn underwear to clean windscreens in city car washes." For what reason? --AlexSuricata 03:06, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

I wouldn't want some guy rubbing his nasty dirty underwear on my car, thats the best reason I can think of.--ChesterMarcol 03:12, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

Bums will sometimes "clean" your windshield while you are stopped in traffic, without your permission, expecting to be paid for this "service". However, they often make the windshield even worse, as when they use something as disgusting as their used underwear as a cleaning rag. I would have made a more general regulation stating that "cleaning any portion of a car without the owner's permission is illegal". StuRat 03:14, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

I'm waiting for the bylaw banning any company named the Acme Corporation from selling to anybody named Wile E. Coyote. Clarityfiend 04:25, 29 March 2007 (UTC)
I doubt it has anything to do with squeegee people. It's probably to stop co-ed fundraiser carwashes from getting too graphic (windscreen lap dances, anybody?). Anchoress 05:03, 29 March 2007 (UTC)
Looks like we need an article, any volunteers ? StuRat 19:33, 29 March 2007 (UTC)
Try squeegee man instead.  :) — Catherine\talk 22:13, 29 March 2007 (UTC)
"Man" ? The feminists will be in an uproar over this ! StuRat 01:58, 31 March 2007 (UTC)
I added a redirect from squeegee people to squeegee man. StuRat 02:00, 31 March 2007 (UTC)
Surely it just means that someone did it once, the case came to court (either for that directly or some other sort of malpractice) and the law was set by precedent by judicial ruling? Spiral Wave 08:29, 29 March 2007 (UTC)
I would guess it means just the opposite, that the case came before the court, which let the perp (or is it perv ?) go, because "there's no law against washing a car with your used underwear". The legislature then decided to "fix" this "oversight" in the law. Personally, rather than passing such silly laws, I think our resources would be better spent in having some of the legislators "fixed". StuRat 19:23, 29 March 2007 (UTC)
Does anyone else feel that that article would be hecka awesome with a picture? ^_____^ V-Man - T/C 03:35, 30 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Matisyahu

What is Matisyahu´s opinion on homosexuality? A.Z. 04:27, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

Well, his article states that he is a practicing Chabad-Lubavitch Jew, so he probably holds pretty traditional Jewish views on homosexuality, more can be learned in our Homosexuality and Judaism article. it's possible of course that his view about this topic deviates from the traditional, but without specific reference to it, you can only assume. Vespine 05:11, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] staffing formulas

what formula do illinois police department use to determine their staffing levels?

what are comparative staffing levels amongst illinois police department?

[edit] LIFELESS

People say I look lifeless just like Arnie in The Terminator.I want to develop a more pleasant and appealing personality.I also want to improve my body language. How can I do it?210.212.215.141 05:49, 29 March 2007 (UTC)Ecclesiasticalparanoid

  • can't think of an answer right now;I'll be backhotclaws**== 09:09, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

Talk to people over the internet, then if you make a mistake you can cross it out and try again, and you don't need body language as noone can see you :] HS7 19:10, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

SMILE

I'd recommend getting a psychiatric evaluation. If you have a flat affect and difficulties with body language, those could be symptoms of something like Asperger syndrome or some variety of schizophrenia. How you can be helped would depend on the diagnosis (if any). This is really a job for a professional. MrRedact 22:59, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

This isn't necessarilly indicitative of a serious problem, but yeah, smiling helps. And before you talk, hold your hands up by your side and then they should in theory work out for themselves what to do from there. If at any point you become too subconscious about them just return them to that default position. Hopes this helps Mix Lord 00:53, 30 March 2007 (UTC)

(implying that you should use them in assisting your expressions.) V-Man - T/C 03:45, 30 March 2007 (UTC)
You don't say "affirmative" or some shit like that. You say, "No problemo." If someone comes off to you with an attitude, you say "Eat me." And if you want to shine 'em on it's, "Hasta la vista, baby." Got it? Vespine 04:03, 30 March 2007 (UTC)

My guess is that other people have already told you things like "smile more", and that advice hasn't been particularly helpful to you. My guess is that if you just put your hands up by your side, they aren't going to automatically by themselves start forming appropriate gestures. My guess is that you need more help than you are likely to get from family, friends, reference desk staffers, encyclopedia articles, or even books. My guess is that what it's going to take is someone who knows what they're doing working with you one-on-one in person, doing things like making facial expressions and gestures, having you imitate those facial expressions and gestures, correcting you if needed, and having you learn by rote which facial expressions and gestures are appropriate in various circumstances, so that you can consciously perform those learned facial expressions and gestures in the circumstances in which you have learned to identify that they are appropriate. My brother (who actually has a background in performance and linguistics, not psychology or psychiatry) has done this kind of body language training for people professionally. I'd recommend him to you, but from your IP address I see that you don't live anywhere near him.

Encyclopedia articles and books are likely to be of limited use to you, because they can't provide you with any feedback on what you are doing. And family, friends and reference desk staffers are likely to just give you well-meaning advice, but not be able to help much because it's hard for them to understand just how difficult it can be to learn body language, since it was easy for them to learn. I think you've got a lot of hard work ahead of you. I think a good first step is to get a psychiatric evaluation. The psychiatrist may be able to refer you to someone who has experience with the kind of one-on-one body language training that I think is going to be needed. MrRedact 18:14, 30 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Meaning

What do you mean by 'BORDERLINE TROLLISH'?

trolls usually posit straw men arguments or seemingly naive questions which would lead others into questionable and heated answers. A borderline troll would posit a borderline straw man or only a semi-serious question. In fact, this question itself is borderline trollish because you probably know what the answer is but you netted me and got me to write a few sentences out for you.
See Internet Troll. 惑乱 分からん * \)/ (\ (< \) (2 /) /)/ * 10:17, 29 March 2007 (UTC)
Just to clarify, I said this in a section above, which makes this question even more WP:TROLL, no? · AO Talk 12:12, 29 March 2007 (UTC)
From The Jargon File:
"To utter a posting on Usenet designed to attract predictable responses or flames; or, the post itself. Derives from the phrase “trolling for newbies” which in turn comes from mainstream “trolling”, a style of fishing in which one trails bait through a likely spot hoping for a bite. The well-constructed troll is a post that induces lots of newbies and flamers to make themselves look even more clueless than they already do, while subtly conveying to the more savvy and experienced that it is in fact a deliberate troll. If you don't fall for the joke, you get to be in on it.".
I would say that in recent years, we have lost the idea that trolls are trying to catch newbies whilst being an obvious in-joke to those in the know. Nowadays a posting a troll is more like an act of vandalism - equally annoying to experts as to newbies - and of course you find them in forums, mailing lists and wikipedia talk pages as well as Usenet. Trolls find easy pickings in controversial areas - so an innocent question such as "Which is better Linux or Windows?" or "Can I believe in evolution and still be a Christian?" or even (in the right forum) "Why are Ford trucks better than Chevvies?" - is a trollish question. SteveBaker 12:29, 29 March 2007 (UTC)
Toyota trucks FTW. :p -- mattb @ 2007-03-29T12:35Z
Careful, buddy. V-Man - T/C 01:28, 30 March 2007 (UTC) (Pirates versus Ninjas)

[edit] New Testament

What book is it that Paul writes about correct eating, and if it bothers a new Christian that someone more well versed is eating food forbidden in the Old Testament (OT), that they should just follow the OT if it's going to mess with the other guy's mind and realization about Christ? Thx. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 76.199.11.156 (talk) 06:34, 29 March 2007 (UTC).

Romans 14:15. Skarioffszky 10:01, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] I hope this is only chemical gunk.

Okay, so, around New Year's I replaced my shower curtain because this brown (it's only brown when you scrape it off) gunk was on it. I thought it was fungus, so I tossed it. A week ago, I noticed the same crap is on it again. This gunk smells like fish poo (I've owned an aquarium before), is transparent only when sticking to the curtain, brown (or varying colors of brown) when scraped off, et cetera. I hope this isn't a septic tank or recycled water I'm showering in. Raptor Jesus 07:08, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

Chances are if you're in a city, all water is recycled water; Wastewater treatment should give you an explanation. As for the gunk, it could be soap scum caused by hard water. Cernen Xanthine Katrena 10:49, 29 March 2007 (UTC)
All water is in some sense recycled through the water cycle, but I do not know of any city that uses processed wastewater directly as a source of drinking water. Normally processed wastewater is released into the environment with very little remaining trace of human waste. Drinking water is normally extracted from the environment but then passed through filters that would remove any remaining traces from a city upstream.
What is far more likely is that soap scum accumulates and develops an infestation of mold and bacteria, which account for the brownish color. These microorganisms will inevitably accumulate on shower curtains as they or their spores are present in the air and will multiply on a wet surface with bits of soap or other nutrients such as skin particles. Frequent cleaning will keep this buildup to a minimum but probably not eliminate it at a microscopic level. Marco polo 19:20, 29 March 2007 (UTC)
You know it is possible to wash your plastic shower curtain. The best way I've found is to use a top loading washing machine. The trick is to use warm water for both the wash and rinse cycle-- if you use cold it will stiffen the plastic and it will tear more easily. Go ahead and use regular detergent plus bleach. Once it is done washing, shake it out and just hang it back up in the shower to let the remaining water drip off. Sometimes you wind up tearing the curtain doing this, but if the alternative is throwing it out and buying a new one, it is worth a try. Blinkystar 21:23, 29 March 2007 (UTC)
I'd have thought that a product such as this would be your shower curtain's friend. --Tagishsimon (talk)
No way. You'd at least need a pack of freakishly cute bubbles to do the job. Cernen Xanthine Katrena 02:30, 30 March 2007 (UTC)
(Shudder) Freakishly something. V-Man - T/C 04:45, 30 March 2007 (UTC)

From experience, I'd bet it's mildew. V-Man - T/C 01:30, 30 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] teach me

okay can someone teach me how u are able to get who said a certain quote.like for the famous celeb questions? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 62.24.114.170 (talk) 08:35, 29 March 2007 (UTC).

You might like to try our sister project Wikiquote. Cheers, YuanchosaanSalutations! 08:37, 29 March 2007 (UTC)
Or just type the quote into Google, enclosing it in double quotation marks (" "), and see what comes up. --Richardrj talk email 09:28, 29 March 2007 (UTC)
The "put it in quotes in google" method has been amazingly reliable for me in the past. I've used it to catch plagiarism, identify poems and songs with a single lyric, and locate transcripts of speeches and other mass media texts. It's the exceptionally rare quote that cannot be found; if it's out there, and you ask effectively, Google will find it. Jfarber 10:15, 29 March 2007 (UTC)
  • Unfortunately, for typical quotations this method will also find any number of incorrect versions. Remember, all it takes is that someone remembers something wrongly and puts it on their web site. And if the words that you searched on are themselves wrong, you'll only find copies that have the same error. Look at the article about the headline Sticks nix hick pix and follow the first link in its References section, for example. --Anonymous, March 30, 2007, 04:20 (UTC).
As I said -- if you ask effectively, Google will find it. Effective searching should always include trying variants, and exploring multiple results, until you are sure you have found what you were looking for. INeffective searching is indeed "unfortunate", but it isn't a problem with the method itself -- instead, what Anonymous describes is the inevitable results of naive or poor (albeit typical) information literacy skills. Jfarber 23:29, 1 April 2007 (UTC)
The problem with quotations in particular is that in some cases the variants are so common that it's hard to be "sure you have found what you were looking for". In addition, when trying variants you may not think of the right one. --Anonymous, April 3, 00:22 (UTC).
This might be a good time to shine a spotlight on the Google template! famous celeb quotations is a start... V-Man - T/C 01:32, 30 March 2007 (UTC)
Cool!!!!!!!! Anchoress 01:41, 30 March 2007 (UTC)
(GASP) Don't tell me you didn't know about that before I did?? V-Man - T/C 03:47, 30 March 2007 (UTC) (Edit conflict - that stupid bot works instantaneously, I swear)
Nope, you introduced me. Thanks a heap!! Anchoress 22:37, 30 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Mag wheels

how mag wheels are manufactured and the defects in the same during manufacturing —Preceding unsigned comment added by 210.212.198.132 (talk • contribs)

Can you phrase that in the form of a question? I'd start out reading about casting and CNC milling. The former is more likely to be used in mass production. -- mattb @ 2007-03-29T12:33Z
Better wheels are forged; eliminating more of the voids that can later lead to failure through crack propagation.
Atlant 14:03, 29 March 2007 (UTC)


[edit] Musical torture

--question moved to the entertainment desk. If I'd known we even HAD an entertainment desk, I wouldn't have posted it here. -sheepish grin- Cernen Xanthine Katrena 10:50, 31 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Redbull n Coffee

If i can drink several redbull and be fine and if i can drink numerous cups of coffee and still sleep well, why does coffee and redbull, one right after the other, get me totally wasted? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 81.144.161.223 (talk) 11:21, 29 March 2007 (UTC).

Maybe it's either psychosomatic or an interesting drug combination that affects you. Dismas|(talk) 11:32, 29 March 2007 (UTC)
Hmm, depends on your definition of "fine." See caffeine and taurine and drug interaction. V-Man - T/C 01:38, 30 March 2007 (UTC)
If that were the problem, I would expect the same problem from just drinking Redbull, since it contains both those ingredients. I've never come across anything that wasn't aimed at selling energy drinks that made any claim that taurine a)energises b)interacts with caffeine. I'd be interested to see such things though. Could be some minor ingredient interaction, but seems more likely to be psychosomatic. Again, very interested in any sauce concerning taurine interacting with caffeine. If the combination is causing you problems, question asker, you might find a doctor more useful :-) Skittle 23:43, 30 March 2007 (UTC)
Taurine interact caffeine V-Man - T/C 00:16, 31 March 2007 (UTC)
The search provided a link to this article, which basically says that energy drinks in general are nice for a temporary boost, but in doing so sacrifice long-term health, especially if many servings are consumed. It also mentions glucuronolactone in context of being a stimulant just like caffeine and taurine, and that some energy drinks also use guarana, yet another similar stimulant. All these stimulants together probably produce some weird kind of interaction, especially if a cup of coffee is added to the "drug cocktail" - according to this website, "Stimulants in coffee include theobromine, theophylline, and although caffeine is the worst stimulant, decaffeinated coffee still contains the other two ingredients." V-Man - T/C 00:27, 31 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Monymk

What does "Alt A mortgage loan & Alt A mortgage loan" mean? mony

What is Convertible CM in Investment Banking?

What does Corporate ABS stands for in Investment Banking?

What is Developed FX in Investment Banking?

What does FIG ABS stands for in Investment Banking?

What is the meaning of "Isssuer Flow Rate Derivatives" in Investment Banking?

What is the meaning of "Middle Market Lending" in Investment Banking?

What is "Mutual Fund Derivative"?

What is "Agency CMBS"? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Monymk (talk • contribs).

What is homework? Alex. -- mattb @ 2007-03-29T12:34Z
We have articles on some of these terms. The definitions of others can be found with a Google search. Let us know if there are any that you cannot find using those two methods. Marco polo 19:07, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] executive management

Question moved to the language reference desk

[edit] Goodwill/Salvation Army

One of the qualities I admire about my boyfriend is his thriftiness. However, he is now considering buying a used couch and a used king size mattress set at either Goodwill or The Salvation Army stores. I am very concerned about how clean they are to be used again especially if someone gave it away instead of reselling it. Does anyone know what these stores do before selling items like these? One of my biggest fears is that there is a bedbug epidemic on the East Coast....--Juliet 15:26, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

NEVER a good idea to buy used personal items such as these. The cost savings may be paid for in ways one can best imagine!90.0.132.204 15:32, 29 March 2007 (UTC)petitmichel

I know that it is a bad idea, but does anyone know if these stores do anything at all when they resell furniture like these?

I don't know for sure and wouldn't be able to find out without working at one of those stores. However, clearly those stores work to keep costs very low so that they can minimize markups. On the other hand, it would be expensive, if not impossible, to thoroughly test furniture for the presence of bedbugs or their eggs, which are very small and may be hidden in the seams or even underneath the upholstery of furniture. Therefore, I strongly doubt that those stores or any used furniture stores can guarantee that used furniture is free of bedbugs. Marco polo 19:04, 29 March 2007 (UTC)
I agree, it's a bad idea. I used to buy used clothes (except underwear), when my finances were exhausted while in college, but those could be thoroughly washed with bleach. There's no way to thoroughly wash the insides of a couch or bed with bleach. You may tell you b/f the Ref Desk staff recommends that he not do this. Instead, how about getting them free from friends or relatives (without bedbugs, I hope) who are upgrading ? I get more secondhand furniture from relatives than I know what to do with. (My current desk has an inkwell, so I'm guessing it's been handed down more than few times over the years.) StuRat 19:17, 29 March 2007 (UTC)
The most effective way I've found of making sure a couch has no infestation of any kind is to burn it. V-Man - T/C 01:40, 30 March 2007 (UTC)
Saving money the right way means not paying for things you don't need; it doesn't mean trying to scrimp and save on things you do need by cutting potentially unsafe or expensive corners. It's not thrifty AT ALL to save a couple of hundred bucks on a Goodwill sofa when IKEA sells perfectly good brand-new sofas for a decent price. You're gambling that you won't end up having to pay to have your entire apartment (and even the BUILDING - yes, all twenty stories or so, if your landlord feels like it and can get away with it) treated by exterminators. If it's the building, look easily at $5,000 PLUS, and insurance won't cover it. And that doesn't count medical bills if whatever's infesting the thing carries anything noxious.
That's not thrifty; that's false economy. Some people gamble and win - and never &(*&$ shut up about how "thrifty" they are - but others, the ones you don't hear about because they're too embarrassed to speak, lose a lot of money and health by being "thrifty". $200 or $300 is a small price to pay to make sure you're not going to have to pay a lot more in the long run.
It's like when people say they're "thrifty" because they use a pot to boil water instead of spending $20 on a proper water kettle. Over a year they spend more money in electricity heating up a thick metal pot than they would buying a thin-walled kettle that heats up quickly with less electricity, but oh no, they're "thrifty"... --Charlene 09:44, 30 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Does wikipedia have any more information on El elamein?

I presume you mean El Alamein. MrRedact 16:41, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

Any more than what? If you have already read the article and it wasn't good enough (unlikely but sometimes even wikipedia isn't perfect) then I doubt there is anymore info on the website as it all seems to get copied from/to related articles :( HS7 19:04, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

The place or the battles? The Second Battle of El Alamein is a good article; the first needs improvement. I could recommend half a dozen good books on the subject, so I would suggest a browse of Amazon. Adrian M. H. 19:58, 29 March 2007 (UTC)
It might even be the El Alamein Fountain in Kings Cross, Sydney. WP is currently bereft of information about this famous Sydney icon. JackofOz 01:09, 30 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] impossible

1.i have tried to google this quote but can find who said it."it gets heavier than weve ever had before".it was said by a cute famous person.the process where u claim that u put inverted commas isnt working.google doesnt understand it.am impressd on how u are able to solve this quotes and i believe theres a trick or two or maybe theres a site u search with.plse assist 2.which drink is named after a cuban city —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Ianmwash (talk • contribs) 16:38, 29 March 2007 (UTC).

The quote is of Adam Sandler, talking about Click (film).[2] MrRedact 16:48, 29 March 2007 (UTC)
Did you try this link on your google results when you searched? Did you mean: "it gets heavier than we've ever had before". Czmtzc 17:09, 29 March 2007 (UTC
The drink is most likely the Daiquiri. --LarryMac 17:42, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Vapor Barriers

What year did the use of vapor barriers under concrete slabs begin in the Northern Virginia region? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 70.187.218.94 (talk) 18:07, 29 March 2007 (UTC).

Vapor barriers, according to this site, were in use in the United States at least since 1923. Aside from that information, it will be difficult to yield any results about the beginning of this trend being applied to concrete slabs in Northern Virginia. Hope this helps! V-Man - T/C 04:40, 30 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Are Jaffa Cakes made with oranges or apricots?

In the Jaffa Cakes article it says "The jelly is merely orange coloured - it is in fact made out of Apricot Jelly and only contains Tangerine Oil". Is this true?! It cites the Telegraph which is usually reliable, but I have Jaffa cakes here from 2 different companies and they both contain concentrated orange juice, with no apricot or tangerine listed in the ingredients. Last time I bought some Mcvities Jaffa Cakes I checked the ingredients and they contained orange too. They used to advertise as being "made with real oranges". Either the biscuit manufacturers are deceiving everyone, or this is an urban legend. Crazysuit 19:34, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

Jaffa cakes aren't biscuits

Maybe they make apricot jaffacakes as well as orange now :) HS7 19:42, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

I would expect the ingredients list of a major food manufacturer to be beyond reproach (they have to be), so I have to agree with you and McVities. Adrian M. H. 20:01, 29 March 2007 (UTC)
It must be a conspiracy to discredit the Jaffa Cake. And I never said they were biscuits, I was was referring to the biscuit manufacturers (McVitie's, etc) that produce them. Crazysuit 20:12, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

Can you ever really trust a company designed to make a profit :@ HS7 20:21, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

The UK legal distinction between biscuits and cakes is of no moment elsewhere. A Jaffa Cake would definitely be called a biscuit in Australia. JackofOz 01:00, 30 March 2007 (UTC)
It may be that the formulation has changed since that Telegraph article was written, or that Jaffa Cakes differ from region to region (they do that with chocolate bars in Canada, so perhaps), or that the Telegraph erred. Although for some bizarre and unexplained reason the McVities people don't have an ingredient list on their website, so we can't check. --Charlene 09:58, 30 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] 2007 Tornado/Servere Weather Outbreak ? - Is there a article ?

I have just seen on the Weather Channel and on the news itself about tornadoes and the like ravaging several states. Is there a article concerning this ? The servere weather is expected to continue as a powerful "L" pressure cell, front moves through the U.S. The news depicted "Big Rigs" thrown about and assorted damage in Texas to Colorado today. One tornado was discribed by survivors as being twice the size of a football field. 65.173.105.71 19:40, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

Since it seems to be happening now, I doubt anyone has got around to writing about it :( But now that you have told them, I reckon someone will write one now, since there seem to be a lot of people here without enough of a life to have something better to do :] HS7 19:45, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

And some people with even less, commenting on them... =S 惑乱 分からん * \)/ (\ (< \) (2 /) /)/ * 23:30, 29 March 2007 (UTC)
Found the article in the Tornado article. The Texas/Louisiana/Arkansas/S. Oklahoma area is expecting this kind of weather as well. Watching the news. Appreciate the help. 65.173.105.71 01:25, 30 March 2007 (UTC)
I presume this is what is meant? V-Man - T/C 01:49, 30 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] definition

Where does the term "third world country" come from? What criteria is used to determine the usage pegged to a particular country?

Please give me any info on this subject.

Thank you.

Take a look at our article Third world, that should give you most of the information you are looking for. --LarryMac 20:36, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Sims 2 pets

On Sims 2 pets, when you become a werewolf, are you able to breed with another werewolf or dog? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 74.211.8.100 (talk) 22:01, 29 March 2007 (UTC).

I'll field this one, because I don't really know the answer, but I'll put out a guess: no. The Sims 2 allows you to do a lot of strange things, I'm sure, but beastiality, I doubt, is one of them. Cernen Xanthine Katrena 10:23, 31 March 2007 (UTC)
Actually, our article on Sims 2 pets mentions werewolves. · AO Talk 22:17, 2 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] 4x400m 2004 Athens Olympics

For the Mens 4x400m relay in the 2004 Athens Olympics, why did Darold Williamson anchor Team USA, when Jeremy Wariner, who ran third leg, was clearly faster than him? Jamesino 22:08, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

Pure speculation, but it would have to be a coaching decision due to some other factor than raw speed. Perhaps Jeremy was better at making the hand off, or maybe the coach was rewarding Darold. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Czmtzc (talk • contribs) 12:05, 30 March 2007 (UTC).

[edit] George Geils White

Could anybody help to confirm that there is a momument in Chennia to a prominant citizen, and educationilist by tne mame of George Geils White - I am interested to know more about him. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 144.138.166.241 (talk) 22:46, 29 March 2007 (UTC).

Do you mean China? Or possibly Chechnya? JackofOz 00:45, 30 March 2007 (UTC)
Going by the Google hits, I believe we're talking about Chennai. Unfortunately, Google knows very little. 194.222.88.44 00:55, 30 March 2007 (UTC)
the preceding comment was added by me while logged out Algebraist 00:58, 30 March 2007 (UTC)
Aaahhh. JackofOz 01:01, 30 March 2007 (UTC)

A Google search for "George Geils White" seems to imply that Chennai is the place in question, but no indication of any monument. (Also, wrong time period, but there is a historical Fort St George there... V-Man - T/C 01:56, 30 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Online counselling

Is there a free online counselling service, either email or chat based? It can be peer or professional. Dev920 (Have a nice day!) 23:49, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

If we consider a telephone line as "on-line" you can try 1-888-668-6868. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Adam the atom (talk • contribs) 00:57, 30 March 2007 (UTC).
Is there any particular type of counselling you are looking for? - Akamad 04:58, 30 March 2007 (UTC)
I'm not interested in receiving counselling personally, but I was wondering if there were any email or chat based services because I can't find any, and it seems to be a great need we have on the Internet ie, suicidal teenagers, depressed house mums etc. I was more thinking teenagers though. Dev920 (Have a nice day!) 07:12, 30 March 2007 (UTC)
Yeah, there a lot of suicidal teenagers out there. If there were chat based services for that, they might use them instead of asking on the Reference Desk, say, "how do you deal with the fact that you are going to die?" A.Z. 00:41, 31 March 2007 (UTC)
Exactly. So... are there any? Dev920 (Have a nice day!) 01:02, 31 March 2007 (UTC)
Mostly, suicidal teens and depressed house mums join MySpace. V-Man - T/C 01:04, 31 March 2007 (UTC)

Come on, you people! Here's a question that actually matters! Where are the answers!? A.Z. 03:40, 31 March 2007 (UTC)

I'm sorry... It's just that Googling "free online counselling" is too easy... V-Man - T/C 03:52, 31 March 2007 (UTC)
Yeah, you actually looked at any of those pages? Because free usually means you can get it free but have to prove you're poor first, and most of it isn't actually based online. I've already searched that or I wouldn't be asking here, so I'd thank you to keep your snark to yourself. Dev920 (Have a nice day!) 11:08, 31 March 2007 (UTC)
Found one in a previous version of our Adolesence article. [3] · AO Talk 22:21, 2 April 2007 (UTC)