Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2008 January 30

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Miscellaneous desk
< January 29 << Dec | January | Mar >> January 31 >
Welcome to the Wikipedia Miscellaneous Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.


Contents


[edit] January 30

[edit] Cold packs

I often need to use a cold pack for various aches and pains and have tried ice (cons: chipping from a large bag, pointy edges), single-use (I'd get through a lot) or my usual, frozen peas (cons: mushy and kind of smelly after a while). Also, I always end up damp, somehow. I recently read about a flax seed-filled cold pack which sounded good, but I'm having trouble finding anywhere that sells them in the UK. However, someone in my family works in a health-food shop which sells the stuff, so I was wondering if it would be possible to make my own. It's quite expensive, but maybe there's a lower grade for non-food use? Or is there something else that would work for me? Wheat? Rice? Ball-bearings? Any ideas?

(Sorry if I don't reply promptly; my WP time may be limited at the moment.) Thanks --Kateshortforbob 00:17, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

AFAIK corn & similar works well, if popped in a bag then into the freezer or microwave - example google search. A UK supplier. --Tagishsimon (talk) 00:21, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
That looks good, Tagishsimon. Thanks for your help, and for finding me a supplier! --Kateshortforbob 22:48, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] What's wrong with my wah pedal?

I have a Dunlop Crybaby, I've had it for a few weeks, and I used it a few minutes ago and my guitar's signal wouldn't go through, and this noise comes out, it's sort of like a siren or bad clarinet playing, or a kazoo play through the small end. What's wrong? Should I return it, and get a cheap auto-wah? Or could I take it to my local music store and have it fixed there? How much will this cost? MalwareSmarts (talk) 00:31, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Sorry to ask the obvious, but did you check the battery? If you want people to estimate the cost of repair, it might help to tell us where you're located. --LarryMac | Talk 01:01, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
If you been using it a lot since you got it, then depending on the current consumption, and the state of the battery when you bought it, it is conceivable that your battery is discharged somewhat. the squealing noise sounds a bit like what you may get with a battery that has gone high internal impedance. Try new battery first.--TreeSmiler (talk) 01:19, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] stereo

Hi. On Panasonic.ca, I found the SC-AK750 Stereo under home theatres. It's 660 watts. Is this the single most powerful stereo (in North America), anyways?Jwking (talk) 00:44, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Is that 110 watts per channel times 6 channels? If so, then the answer to your question is no - here is a Yamaha home theater receiver that supposedly has 140 w x 7 ch (so that might be 980 total?) I don't think total wattage is a big a deal in home theater receivers as it used to be back in the day when we had but the two channels. And we liked it! --LarryMac | Talk 00:58, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
You're kidding, right?

Carver ZR1600 Digital Amp Spec's[sic]
Power Rating
1200 watts mono (8ohm)RMS
600 watts x 2 (4ohm)RMS
350 watts x 2 (8ohm)RMS

[1], just for one. Gzuckier (talk) 19:10, 6 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Siamese Twins

I actually read this off of a MindTrap card, but it's still a valid question all the same. Is it possible for siamese twins to recieve opposite rulings (e.g. guilty and not)? Any historical cases? I can't imagine how the sentence would be delivered without some miscarriage of justice. --The Dark Side (talk) 01:18, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

There is an old movie, Chained for Life, related to that. I don't think there is a precedent for that. -- ReyBrujo (talk) 02:42, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
This is a bit different, but illustrates the same principle: According to this website, "On April 2, 1865, Union Major General George Stoneman rolled into North Carolina hoping to draft some of the locals, no matter which side they were cheering for, and the names of all males over 18 were put into a lottery wheel. One of the names drawn was Eng Bunker, but Chang refused to go, and since his name hadn’t been drawn, Stoneman couldn’t force Eng either." Lantzy talk 02:53, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Another thing I've wondered: conjoined twins can and do have fulfilling romantic lives by "tuning out" of each other's private moments. But sometimes thetwins are united at the pelvis, meaning they have one set of sex organs. My question is, would you be instantly cheating on your spouse just by consummating the marriage? Would it count as polygamy? Is there any precedent relating to that? --Masamage ♫ 05:27, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

I don't think it would be "cheating" since the person would agree before hand. It probably would either be polygamy, or only one of the two people would be considered the official spouse. What about a drivers license? As for precedent read about Abigail and Brittany Hensel - they are about to turn 18, and they have a drivers license. Ariel. (talk) 07:28, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
Dear diary: JACKPOT!. --Sean 14:38, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
They have two drivers' licenses, actually. --Masamage ♫ 16:58, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

At least according to TV show QI, the OP's situation did happen with Chang and Eng Bunker. See here for the episode transcript, but I can't find a more reliable source. 130.88.151.210 (talk) 13:57, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] I want to be a jungle adventurer but...

I don't have the balls to be anything more than a dilettante. So what tropical forest will have the least scary bugs?

Lotsofissues 02:35, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Arkansas. Also got crazy hillbillies. 205.240.146.188 (talk) 07:17, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
Rainforest Cafe. Or something at Disneyworld, perhaps the Enchanted Tiki Room or the dinner show at the Polynesian Resort.
Atlant (talk) 13:06, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
I don't think Arkansas has tropical forests. Please provide reliable sources. Corvus cornixtalk 18:13, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
Perhaps the Daintree River area? It doesn't have as many bugs, but there are some larger creatures to watch out for, such as crocodiles. Steewi (talk) 06:38, 31 January 2008 (UTC)
If sub-tropical will do you, try New Zealand, including, for example, Waipoua Forest. see Te Ara Encyclopedia. As for wee beasties: nothing nastier than a sandfly. If temperate rain forest excites you, then the rest of NZ has numerous examples, including around the famous Milford Track and the almost-impenetrable Fiordland. Gwinva (talk) 21:29, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

The Hoh Rainforest in Washington state is a pretty place. It's not tropical, but it is very much a rainforest. bibliomaniac15 23:38, 5 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Bronze skin effect Photoshop

Dear Wiki contributors,

How do I achieve this effect on the hands [[2]] (link is work-safe) with photoshop? The hands look like they have been desaturated and most importantly, a bronze-ish look and glow to them. Thanks. 99.240.177.206 (talk) 02:41, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

I found this comment by the artist:
I desaturated the entire image then painted in color back on the watch and places I wanted it, then put a heavy golden filter over it, to give it the bronzy hue, and also used several overlays of texture
Quoted from this comment.--Bloigen 02:49, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] About Dior

Hello, I am going out on kind of like a report competition and the subject is Buisness. So, I decided to do one on the Dior company. But there was only about designers'(Christian Dior)informations. the competition is in about 2 weeks and I need to be prepared till next week so that I can fix my mistakes and get helps from my teachers.

I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR HELPS!!!! THANKS A LOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! p.s. my e-mail adress is(e-mail removed) so can you send Dior information to here? thanks! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 121.138.50.241 (talk) 08:21, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

It's not a good idea to post your e-mail address as it may encourage unwanted attention. Any info or links will be posted here. I hope your competition goes well. Richard Avery (talk) 08:36, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
Actually, we have articles on both Christian Dior and on the company he founded, Christian Dior SA. Unfortunately, neither article is in the best of shape. (Given my near total ignorance of everything to do with fashion, I am not the one to improve either article.) You might also try Yahoo's fact page on the company or the company's official website, particularly the page with corporate and financial details. Marco polo (talk) 19:57, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] How to get another Top Level Domains world wide as .com, .org, .mil, etc...

66.53.214.90 (talk) 08:51, 30 January 2008 (UTC)Any info is greatly appreciated on how to get/apply for another new Top-Level-Domain that will known world wide such that *.com, *.org, etc...

For example, another top level domain name to be: www.-----.xxx where xxx is a new top-level-domain that I would like to get its certified.

Thank you.≈—

Top level domains are created and administrated by ICANN. .xxx has been proposed before; see the article for the history. FiggyBee (talk) 09:36, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
Oh, I see you weren't actually suggesting .xxx - still it's an interesting article which helps to explain the processes. FiggyBee (talk) 09:38, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

FiggyBee, Thank you for your information. I will definitely go to ICANN website rightnow...again, Thank You.

[edit] "Nothing" character/string in table fields

Is the character/string denoting "null" or "nothing" in a table/output intended for an "end user" (such as a Web page) to be considered a "locale" variable? I suppose "-" is accepted by all cultures and people to mean "nothing is here", no? While "N/A" is an English thing? I have never seen simply leaving the field blank. It always has some sort of "fill character" to show that it is in fact empty. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.225.50.126 (talk) 11:12, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

This comment intentionally left blank. Lanfear's Bane | t 13:05, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
If your table has a visible border, I would think leaving it empty is acceptable. It really depends on the context, since anything you come up with could be valid for certain data sets, such as for a "Table of Common Markers for Intentionally Blank Data Fields". :) --Sean 14:25, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
Placeholders are often used if there is some doubt about a blank field. eg. Is it blank because there is no data yet, is unlikely to have data, or could never have data? N/A means 'not applicable', so telling the reader that we needn't even consider that field for the specific example. But a "-" might mean any of the others, or it might mean 0 (zero), or "no result". (or be a field in a punctuation table). I would make a decision based on the specific table you are creating. Which is why you will see different examples, based on location, but also subject. Gwinva (talk) 21:39, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Strange tape recorder

This made-in-Japan Sony stereo cassette recorder/player/radio from the 1990s appears to have the buttons reversed.

Should not REWIND be to the left with arrows pointing to the left and FAST FORWARD be on the right with right arrows? Also, notice that the PLAY button's arrow is pointing to the left instead of to the right.

This confuses me. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.225.50.126 (talk) 11:16, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Another example from commons (Nakamichi RX-505) - Image:Nakamichi RX 505 Front2.jpg 84.69.93.205 (talk) 11:34, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
Aren't some Asian languages read from right to left? As symbols then these would make more sense for the user. I have however no idea if the recording / playing mechanism works "in reverse". Lanfear's Bane | t 13:17, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

is it possible that the tape was in fact inserted upside down into the machine? then the arrows would make sense. 83.104.131.135 (talk) 14:38, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

That sounds like the answer. Many tape recorders were designed like that, I used to own one myself. It just looks a bit odd since intuitively we expect everything to travel from left to right. --Richardrj talk email 14:44, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
I'm not sure but I guess the arrows pointing to the left for Rewind show you the direction the tape moves and the arrows pointing to the right for Rewind show you the direction you want to go. Oda Mari (talk) 15:03, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
I'd never made that connection! Really confusing though. --Bearbear (talk) 20:18, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] fuel economy, DIESEL or LPG

Hi there. I am in the process of buying a second hand 4 by 4. I am wondering which fuel, either DIESEL, or a converted unleaded to LPG would be a better more economically engin to run. I am looking at a new model turbo intercooled motor, I will be doing an equal amount of city driving and highway driving.

Thank you for your time, and any assistance would be much appreciated.

Damien. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Ipl422 (talk • contribs) 12:38, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

  • I'll start the ball rolling by saying something obvious -- when dealing with used automobiles, maintenance is the most important factor in fuel economy. A new motor attached to bad parts won't run efficiently. --M@rēino 15:37, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] 4 by 4?

Why are they called four by fours anyway? There are two sets of two wheels so surely they are two by twos (two by two equals four)? What does the by mean anyway? The 4x4 article doesn't explain this.--Shantavira|feed me 17:00, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

I once was told that common vehicles are known as 2 by 4 (or was it 4 by 2?) because only two wheels had traction. In the 4 by 4 model, all four wheels have it. Not sure if this is the real meaning, but it worked for me when I was 9 years old, and still works :-) -- ReyBrujo (talk) 17:07, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
See Four-wheel drive#Terminology --Tagishsimon (talk) 17:12, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
(ec) According to four-wheel drive, the first 4 is the number of wheels and the second the number of driven wheels (so a regular car could be called a 4x2). 8x8, 6x6, 8x6 and 6x4 also seem to be in use, no doubt among others. I can't find an explanation of how this usage arose, or what 'by' means in it (if anything). Algebraist 17:14, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
Since I didn't see any specific references for that etymology in the article, I'll throw out that my understanding was 4 speeds x 4 driven wheels. But that means my truck is a 5x4. Or would be if the 4WD system was working. I'd love to hear what the OED has to say. --LarryMac | Talk 18:50, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
One thing to consider is how far back the terminology dates. Transmissions tend to have more gears now than they did in the past. Friday (talk) 19:05, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
Merriam-Webster's online entry said 1942, but they had no other information. For what it's worth, Wiktionary agrees with my sketchy derivation. --LarryMac | Talk 19:10, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
OR Warning... In the years that I've been off roading with my 4x4 vehicle, I've never heard or seen any part of the "4 speeds x 4 driven wheels" explanation. My take on it was always that it was "4 wheeled vehicle driven by 4 wheels". Dismas|(talk) 23:31, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
By extrapolation,
  • a bicycle is a 2 by 1
  • a human is a 0 by 0
The tricky bit is the Milky Way galaxy. Is it a 1 by 1, 1 by 0, 0 by 1 or a nought by nought ? --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 01:17, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

For Larry: The Big OED dates it to 1937, but gives no etymology except that it derived from "four, n", which is not much help. But I guess that means they don't know, as they get very detailed when they can. Gwinva (talk) 21:48, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

Cool, thank you. But I'd like to think that was for everybody interested in this discussion. And what the heck, OED? Also derived from "by, prep." I'd wager. --LarryMac | Talk 21:53, 1 February 2008 (UTC)
Yep, a wager you'd win. You should write the OED. (and, yes, of course it was for everyone generally, you specifically :-) Gwinva (talk) 22:02, 1 February 2008 (UTC)
Yeah, it was 4 wheels total, 4 wheel drive. The total number of wheels was specified because this came from the truck world, after all, and having only 4 wheels was not in any way to be taken for granted.Gzuckier (talk) 19:13, 6 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] NHS

Hi, i recently had a foreign friend who was living and working in the UK, over a few months this person lost ALOT of weight and kept telling my how she was not well, she was pregnant, and had kidney stones. While talking to her, she would just fall over onto ground, unconsious. she was blatantly in alot of pain. now although she went to the local hospital every single day to try to get help, they just told her to take paracetomol and go home. eventually she went to germany, and was rushed to hospital and stayed in there for a few weeks. Then i recently had another friend from the same country, also in the UK, working and paying tax, I knew about the above and so when she got ill i went with her to the hospital, initialy they would not see her at all and told her that she cant see a doctor atall, i had an argument with the nurse, and was quite nasty. We then waited 6 hours and she saw a doctor, he said he did not know what was wrong with her (she had a pool ball sized growth on the neck, and half her face was paralized, but she was in constant pain) They told her to go to a ear nose and throwt specialist 2 towns over. she went and they told her that they too dont know, but they can cut it out and see,maybe its cancer, that would be cool, but over all she should just go home and take some paracetomol. and see her gP. well if the specialist does not know, what will a GP do? SO, my question is... What is wrong with the nHS? we went to the hospital and they told us we cant see a doctor?!?! We all pay tax, why are these people turned away time and time again, I have only mentioned two of numerous cases. Why must people go private to survive, or go to other countries and pay for a service they have already paid for? with all the money pumped into it by the government where does it go? Are the Doctorit exams here adequate? How can a normal minimum wage person get decent medical assistance with out paying? What do people do in other countries? i now have a genuine fear of getting ill. Is everything in the UK as false as it seems? This goes for crime too, this is one of the most violent societies i have ever experienced and i have lived in 5 different countries and this one seems the worst yet they profess to be a world leader, how is this possible? i am also the guy who was on here in Dec begging for phsycological assistance before i snap and kill, well i tried, and am still on the waiting list to see a councellor. and am now looking to buy a Bow or cross bow. Gotta love the NHS. Sorry for ranting and thank you.—Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.18.35.90 (talk) 18:38, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

The reference desk is not an appropriate place for soapbox-style rants, but perhaps National Health Service and publicly-funded health care (often known as "socialized medicine" in the States) will answer your questions as to why the system works the way it does. — Lomn 19:23, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
Aside form what Lomn rightly says...The experience of one person (and that which they hear about) is not indicative of the entire service provided by the NHS. It is, where it works, a wonderful system providing medical care for all. Additionally murders in the UK are extremely low as a % of society compared to many comparably wealthy nation. You appear to be viewing society in the UK through the window of your own situation, as opposed to accepting that your experience is not always a perfect indicator of the whole-system. In the UK there were about 800 murders in 2005/06, that compares to around 17,000 murders - that is with a population of barely 5x the amount, so the rate of murder by population is hugely smaller. The UK is, by no means, a perfect society - it is riddled with problems, some of which are systematic failures by governments, others social problems that could potentially be solved rather easily, but as far as healthcare and violence in society go the UK is no more dangerous than its companion nations. ny156uk (talk) 23:49, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Equal opportunity, affirmative action employer

Oxymoron, amirite?!?!?! Bellum et Pax (talk) 19:16, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Only depending on how you define your terms. Equal Opportunity Employment, as legally understood in the US, does not conflict with supporting affirmative action. — Lomn 19:28, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
From the page header: Do not start debates or post diatribes. The reference desk is not a soapbox. Do you have a actual question? --Mdwyer (talk) 19:29, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
I thought it was a real question! Bellum et Pax (talk) 19:48, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
His question (as far as i can tell) is being an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer an oxymoron. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.197.3.211 (talk) 21:11, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
Note: that ^ was me. I wasn't logged in. Cryo921 (talk) 21:13, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
I thought the question was as Lomn and 98.197 figured as well. On the surface, and to many people this is the way it is, saying that you give equal opportunity though also encourage minorities to apply seems a contradiction. Dismas|(talk) 00:02, 31 January 2008 (UTC)
  • In order to achieve equality of opportunity, it may be necessary to actively seek out applicants from under-represented communities. That is how I would read the advert. DuncanHill (talk) 00:08, 31 January 2008 (UTC)
Yes, but affirmative action goes further than encouraging applications from under-represented communities. It proposes preferential treatment in the selection of employees. --Richardrj talk email 08:33, 31 January 2008 (UTC)
It also depends on your scope of "equal opportunity". You can restrict your view to all job applicants being given the exact same treatment in the current particular situation, regardless of whatever differences in opportunity existed in their past. You can collectivise or individualise your view. The articles on affirmative action and affirmative action in the United States give a lot of space to criticism and controversy and include links to other resources. Opinions differ, and there is no clear-cut answer to "Oxymoron, amirite?!?!?!" 77.56.99.133 (talk) 08:56, 31 January 2008 (UTC)
Affirmative action may go beyond encouraging applications. The phrase comes from the observation that it doesn't help much to treat applicants equally if members of the victim class don't hear about the opening. Passive nondiscrimination is a "negative" action (compare negative and positive rights); going out of your way to make up for mechanical bias in the recruiting process, e.g. by targeted advertising, is "affirmative". But that's no contradiction to EOE. AA becomes controversial when, as Richardrj says, it goes beyond that – or when it becomes mandatory; you can't (imho) create a colorblind society by compelling color-conscious actions. —Tamfang (talk) 17:05, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Shopping for Diamond studs

I am searching for expensive diamond stud earrings. I have found a great deal at www.DiamondStudSource.com I would like to know if anyone has experience with this company. Also, I would like to know if I can trust them and if I can rely on the information that they provide me with the certificate. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Yungar (talk • contribs) 21:07, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

I don't know anything about that particular store, but if you are a moral activist, I would be careful to avoid blood diamonds which are diamonds sourced in areas using slavery. Some online dealers are not particularly scrupulous about their source. I hope this one turns out to be a good one for you. Steewi (talk) 06:41, 31 January 2008 (UTC)
Maybe there are forums for diamond jewellery buyers (or similar) that could be of help to you? --Ouro (blah blah) 09:39, 31 January 2008 (UTC)
A good sign is that their website lists a physical address and telephone number for the store. Online retailers who are untrustworthy rarely provide this information. --Richardrj talk email 10:27, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] De Donde Son

Hey,it`s Me the brother of the guy who gives you all those Physics Questions. I`ve been reading this novel in Spanish called THE GREAT VILLAGE. There this phrase,reapeted again and again for an entire page De Donde Son,De Donde Son.I was,wondering If any of you guys had any idea what that meant I tried Google Translate,but the translation into English didn`t make any since. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.161.61.40 (talk) 23:14, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

I think it means "where are they from?", or possibly "where they are from". --Trovatore (talk) 23:17, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
Yes, it's "where are they from?" or "where they are from".--Yamanbaiia(free hugs!) 23:33, 30 January 2008 (UTC)