Wikipedia:Reference desk archive/Miscellaneous/2006 July 10

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[edit] moths!

A moth came in through my window. how do I get rid of it? i am not a moth liker. Does citronella work? Oh my god it's coming at me! HELP!!!

It's big and flappy - it is going to eat all my pants i know it!

Grab it and throw it out the window. Crazywolf

LOL - is this a serious question? Switch hall lights on. Make your room totally dark. Open the door to the hall. Stay still. Watch moth leave. Close door. Jameswilson 01:10, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Now the moth is in his hall ...... DirkvdM 07:15, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
OMG don't kill it...it plays a vital part in your local ecosystem and I like animals...you might just set in motion the end of our planet if you do so choose to end it's life. On a complete tangent, are you a girl?--John Brown 10:25, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Why?!?! Im a guy and I FEAR moths...

They are attracted to light. that's all. If you want them to come somewhere, turn on a light. If you want them to go somewhere else, turn off the light there and turn on a light somewhere else. lol. Alternative plan - put an attractive female actor on top of your roof. Wait for king kong to arrive and kill your marauding mothra. --Bmk 16:41, 10 July 2006 (UTC)* My cats catch and eat moths all the time,otherwise cultivate spiders webs.hotclaws**==(217.39.9.153 18:46, 10 July 2006 (UTC))

Yes, it was a serious question! Fortunately the moth issue has been resolved with the help of a Dyson Dual Cyclonic hoover nozzle. You will all be pleased to know my imported AussieBum underwear escaped unscathed, though i do seem to have nibbles in a cheap top i bought from Gap. Clearly it had an ironic sense of humour, though I had the last laugh. --russ 23:14, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Keyboard Remapping/Macros

I am searching for some kind of freeware that allows me to remap the keyboard (for Windows XP). I've downloaded a couple of freeware macro/remap (that I found on google [AutoHotkeys was a little too complicated]) programs but they offer a complicated interface. I want to be able to map certain keys to automate text, such as: when I press "7" on the numberpad, it types "Hello." (And preferably allow me to switch macros easily and manage these automated tasks easily.) Does anyone know of a freeware, easy-to-use program that can fill these requirements? Thanks. (This isn't a computer science/technology question, or is it? Sorry if it is.) --Proficient 00:31, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Never mind this question, as I failed to realize how helpful the AutoHotKeys help is. I have managed to figure out how to remap. Thanks though. --Proficient 01:20, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Google Wikipedia

I used to use Google a lot to find information, now I use wikipedia and hardly ever use google. Are other people doing this? Does wikipedia serve as a threat to Google? Why doesn't MSN or Yahoo partner with Wikipedia and provide a search bar AND a wikipedia look-up bar? Mayor Westfall 01:39, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

I tend to use Google, although Wikipedia will almost always come up in the top ten results. I don't think there's any threat to Google: Wikipedia, as comprehensive as it is, is only one website, and Google searches millions. I also prefer to check several different sources rather than rely on Wikipedia. There is a Wikipedia lookup/search option on the Mozilla Firefox browser. --Canley 01:50, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
Google includes Wikipedia already (when it searches) plus it contains other valuable information; hence, I much prefer using google, despite Wikipedia's usefulness. --Proficient 02:41, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
Wikipedia is an encyclopedia and Google is a search engine, so they serve quite distinct purposes. In many cases Google throw up all sorts of rubbish, but Wikipedia does at least have some checks in place. It all depends what you're looking for. If it's something very specific, like a plush carrot, Google is a better bet as Wikipedia still lacks this information. I use the external links from Wikipedia articles quite a lot as these are chosen by people and not by a computer.--Shantavira 07:34, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
After edit conflict:
Canley, you say that Wikipedia is only one website, but it is the information that counts. That it is all in one place only helps. I'd rather have my info on one (fairly) trustworthy site than 100 possibly shitty ones (and then how do I know which are the good ones?). Eventually, all info may find its way to Wikipedia. Think of how many people don't or hardly know about it yet and how big it already is. At some point, scientists will start to publish their findings on Wikipedia first (I've heard of this already happening). Another advantage of Wikipedia is that it organises the information. And that was the purpose of search engines. The Internet contains loads of info, but how do you find it? That's where search engines became invaluable. But now that necessity will disappear (eventually - in ten years maybe?). And will Google? They've already started scanning books. There's more than the Internet (no really!). Their business is info. If the basis of your business is disappearing you'll have to find an alternative, just like Shell is looking into renewable energy sources.
I can't say I'm unhappy with this. Google is, after all, a commercial company and they've got a virtual monopoly. That combination is lethal to service. Something similar happened to imdb. It used to be a nice site. Now it suffers an advertisement-overload that really is a pain. Noticed how little by little we're getting more and more (disguised) ads on Google? They're going down the drain, I'm sure. Just give it some time. DirkvdM 07:39, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
  • Wikipedia articles are summaries of the known stuff. It is nice as a first stop, but if you want indepth information on a specific topic, you're better off reading external links, books and scientific journals. Google is very helpful in finding those and without Google most of us wouldn't even be able to find good references to back up the articles we write to begin with... - 131.211.210.10 08:10, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
It all depends on what kind of information you're looking for. If you want to know something pretty trivial, Wikipedia is fine. If you want to know something important, university/government/NGO sites found through Google are a better bet than articles written by 13-year-olds sitting in their pants in their bedrooms. HenryFlower 10:07, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
There are many instances when Wikipedia articles are far superior than many which are found on university webpages, in my opinion. And some of our best editors are very young. And I'm not sure why people shouldn't be sitting in their pants. I'm sitting in my pants. :-) --Fastfission 19:19, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
I'm also wearing pants. However, I'm not in my teens. More to the point, like I said, how reliable is some site Google led you to? If the info is on Wikipedia, several people will probably have gone over it, which largely precludes the risk of some nutcase having written it, as can be the case on some other website. Unless you know it has to be reliable, for example because it's a university website. But even those contain errors. Nothing is certain, it's just a matter of being careful what you read and not believing everything. DirkvdM 06:55, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Deutsche Mark / German Money

I am trying to find out if this type of money can still be exchanged for US dollars. Everything I have read says this can still be exchanged for a few years. this type of money was made obsolete in 2002 and was replaced with Euro. I would appreciated any help with how to do this. Thank you for your time. Brownyh1 02:05, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

The European Central Bank maintains a list of time limits by which the central banks of the Eurozone countries will cease to honour/exchange that country's pre-Euro currency. You'll be pleased to know German marks never expire. This means you should be able to make the exchange to US dollars at any large US bank. --Canley 02:53, 10 July 2006 (UTC)


Now i have been told that any German Mark prior to the war is worthless except maybe to collectors. Is this true? Mine is dated 1923. If you have any info on who I can call i would appreciate your help. Thank you! Brownyh1

Well, by Deutschmarks from before the war I assume you mean the marks from before the Wallstreet Crash in 1929 (as yours is). These would be worthless in the sense that they ceased to be currency a long time ago when new, revalued currency was introduced after the hyperinflation the crash sparked, which reduced the value of a mark to practically zero. (I think I have that right, but I did this a long time ago. Feel free to step in, knowledgable people) Bundesdeutschmarks I think the new ones were. Hence, a 1923 mark probably is worthless as currency, even if you find a bureau or bank who'll do it (by the end, people were using wheelbarrows to carry enough currency to pay for their shopping), but a collector might pay you for it. 19:35, 11 July 2006 (UTC)
The thing to bear in mind is that Deutsche Marks were only introduced in 1948 (the introduction of the DM in the three western occupation zones of Germany was what triggered the Soviet blockade of Berlin, and the Berlin Airlift). Earlier notes are either "Marks", "Reichsmarks" or "Rentenmarks". Only Deutsche Mark notes and coins (issued 1948-2001) are exchangeable for Euro by the Bundesbank, and I have my doubts that foreign banks would want to be involved in the exchange process at all, since they cannot resell the notes to other customers. As far as I know, DM notes and coins have to be presented at branches of the Bundesbank in Germany in order to be exchanged for Euro. Notes from the hyperinflation period (1922-3) are interesting, but have no great value to collectors as they were produced in vast quantities - people used to stick them to the walls of their houses, as it was cheaper than wallpaper. -- Arwel (talk) 21:29, 12 July 2006 (UTC)
Oh, while I remember, old East German Marks ("Mark der Deutschen Notenbank") are also valueless - after reunification in 1991 they were all bundled up and dumped in an old mine. -- Arwel (talk) 21:33, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] What is Emulsifier 481 ?

I am wondering what Emulsifier 481 is made of. It is found in manufactured foods, like bread mix.

Is it natural or synthetic? Is it safe to consume?

According to the list of food additives, Codex Alimentarius, it's sodium stearoyl lactylate. If it's in food at least some people consider it safe to consume :) Ziggurat 02:34, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
  • Emulsifiers are substances that ensure an emulsion doesn't separate in its constituents. For example, mayonaise is an emulsion of vegetable oil and egg yolk. The emulsifier makes sure it stays mixed. Otherwise the oil would float to the top of the mixture. If they're in food, they are safe to eat. - 131.211.210.10 08:14, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
  • "If they're in food, they are safe to eat" is an attitude somewhere between trusting and naive. Things like this are usually in food because they are categorized as Generally recognized as safe, which means that they have probably never undergone any rigorous testing, but have not killed a conspicuous number of people. I am half-joking, but the GRAS system is extremely weak. Personally, I don't worry about these things, but I wouldn't accept their presence in food as proof of anything at all. bikeable (talk) 16:27, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

my bread contaims E472e, but when i asked about it my question was moved to the Bad Jokes section. Where can we get normal, healthy bread?

There are lots of brands. Go to a health store, or a large regular supermarket, and look for a bread loaf that has fewer than 7 ingredients, none of which should be abbreviations or have numbers in them. --Bmk 16:46, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Vonnegut story

Question: which is the Kurt Vonnegut story where the main character is from Eastern Europe, and is adopted by a family (which is meant to fictionalize the family of Andrew Carnegie) where in part of the story the events of the Homestead Strike are dramatized? I can't seem to remember, and it's killing me. Or was that not Vonnegut? KWH 05:02, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

ISTR that he was not adopted, but was treated like a sibling by the fictional Carnegie's son. KWH 05:02, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] movie mystery

I am wondering if anyone can help me remember the title of a movie I saw as a kid in the early 90s or very late 80s. The story is about a Norwegian sailor who is injured and sends his son to serve on a ship in his place so the family can earn some income. The ship ends up encountering pirates I think and there is mention of a "cat o nine tails" in any event I think they get shipwrecked. Thanks

Could it be Shipwrecked (1990) (aka Haakon Haakonsen), starring Stian Smestad as the title character and Gabriel Byrne? Plot summary from IMDB is: "A young Norwegian boy in 1850's England goes to work as a cabin boy and discovers some of his shipmates are actually pirates." --Canley 08:46, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
That's it! Thanks a lot! EdwinHJ | Talk 21:46, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Is this a phobia?

I have a problem that i often forget names of the person i meet...is this some kind of phobia or disease..i only forget names ..nothing else.

A phobia is a fear of something, so that isn't a phobia. Forgetting names is perfectly normal, some people just aren't very good at it. I am terrible at it, and it's sometimes very embarrassing. Notinasnaid 07:53, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
It appears to be mild anxiety, maybe you could use some kind of mnemonic technique to remember the names? Oh, and I don't believe this consistutes as a disease.--John Brown 10:05, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
  • I just flat out say "I'm hopeless at names" and write them down in a little notebook I carry with me.Most people are flattered that I bother and the act of writing it down helps me remember.If I still forget,I just say so.No-one has punched me yet for forgetting their name and asking for it again.Hope this helps-hotclaws**==(217.39.9.153 08:06, 11 July 2006 (UTC))
Short-term memory loss. --Proficient 21:58, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Adding / Editing Articles in Wikipedia

Dear Sir / Madam,

I was reading an article about Wikipedia in The Economist magazine some weeks ago. As a user of Wikipedia I was facinated to find out more about this wonderful resource. During my day at the BBC (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bbc) a collegue then suggested I add an article about a company and one of the most significant sports brands in the world that I seem to rave about.

That company is Kookaburra. I researched the subject, looked up Nike, Adidas, Reebok and noted that Kookaburra did not appear. So speaking to another Wikipedian I added an article under the link Kookaburra Sport, with a link to Kookaburra from the page under Kookaburra (noting the other link to a rocket).

I have some more significant information about one of the World's oldest sports companies and the biggest manufacturer of cricket balls in the world, and am pretty upset to see the article has been completely removed by "User:Elizabeyth/Desk". I note she does not accept email questions from people... but I would like to know why this has happened ? It was a purely factual article and I sort all the correct copyright permissions.

As someone who has supplied the BBC, SKY, the ECB and Reuters with cricket information, and having researched another Sports company, why should this information be sensored ? Kookaburra appear in many encyclopedia's, BrandLeader books (and I note this in particular as only two sports companies are recorded as leaders - Nike and Kookaburra), record books etc. and are of historical, and innovative importance ? They are a worldwide business, in a similar league to Nike, Reebok etc. I am often asked about them, and would welcome the chance to direct users to Wikipedia.

I would appreciate an answer to the above questions. A response as to how I can make worthwhile contributions and a response from User:Elizabeyth/Desk, firstly as to why she feels Kookaburra (a global sports brandleader) does not warrant a link, and secondly maybe, rather than just delete links and articles she might suggest an alternative / better way of listing important information.

Kind Regards.

Hmm, well it's not uncommon for articles to be deleted, usually on grounds that the subject is non-notable, or (most likely in this case) that the article sounds like an advertisement. I've never heard of Kookaburra myself, but if you feel strongly about it you should leave a message on her talk page telling her about it. (e-mail is very rarely used beteen Wikipedians) - THE GREAT GAVINI {T-C} 10:04, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Wow... so you have heard of every 1,200,000+ articles in Wikipedia... that is some achievement. I personally use Wikipedia to find out information on new 'facts'. Sorry for being a little facetious, I was trying to help... not least many other articles that I have found that try to link to a page about Kookaburra.

The 'article' was copied directly from the company's home page. If that was done with permission, it was an advert; if it was done without permission, it was a copyright violation. We really can't accept either. HenryFlower 10:11, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
If the material was copyrighted, it could not be used even with permission. There would have to be a notice on the website stating that the content was released under the GFDL or a similar licence. Otherwise the article couldn't be edited or redistributed. --Sam Blanning(talk) 10:21, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Thank you for that reasonable answer. This is half true, in the sense that I wrote the article originally, the company liked the information so much they asked if they could use it ? I had no objection. I wrote it, and is therefore done with permission... but not an advert, as I am not trying to advertise anything, just add some fact. Anyway not too worry I'll try again and write a new article, specifically for Wikipedia. Many thanks.

Please also see Wikipedia:Notability (companies and corporations).--Shantavira 11:52, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
  • If a company is notable, the article should not assume the reader knows but spell out why this is the case and use sources other than the company to back up those claims. BTW, User:Elizabeyth/Desk is the user's desk from the Cleanup Task Force project. Their name is User:Elizabeyth. - 131.211.210.10 12:31, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
OK, the company's certainly notable enough in my opinion and I'm sure it would pass WP:CORP - a reference from the BBC and I've seen more in the Australian media over the years. I've recreated the article at Kookaburra Sport. To the original poster: it's not recommended that companies themselves create or edit articles about that company, WP:SPAM explains that many such articles are "advertisements masquerading as articles" which are not welcome on Wikipedia, particularly is they're just copied from the company's website as explained above. Your contributions are welcome of course, but if you have any corrections or ideas on how the article can be improved, might I suggest that you post them to the Talk:Kookaburra Sport page and some Wikipedians will help you add that info so it falls within Wikipedia guidelines? Also, one more thing, this should probably have been posted to the Help Desk. --Canley 14:41, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
One final note; you have to keep in mind that Wikipedia is a global project, and many editors may not recognise just how important certain topics are in certain countries. Elizabyth, for all we know, might be an American who thinks that cricket is a quaint English hobby of approximately equal interest as royal tennis. --Robert Merkel 00:50, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Royal Salute and Gibraltar by Richard Waterer

Does anyone know where, for free, I can download soundfiles or midis (full) of these marches? Thanks.-anon

Hmm, searches on Singing Fish.com and MySpace Music turn up nothing. If he has an official website (or even fan sites), you might find some there. - THE GREAT GAVINI {T-C} 10:10, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Well, he's dead, so he's unlikely to have an official site :-) There are a few forums and 30second clips available, but nothing better.-anon

[edit] Is the use of amphetamines for college entrance exams common?

I am refering of course to the illicit use of Adderall and what not. To what extent does it bias the tests--John Brown 10:33, 10 July 2006 (UTC)?

Which country are you talking about? Which exams? (Are you talking about SATs?) I doubt there is much data on this in any case, since no drug screening is done at these sorts of tests to my knowledge. As for whether it would bias the tests, I doubt it. Amphetamines make you alert, but they don't make you smarter, and they don't necessarily make you a better test taker (they also make you paranoid, overly-confident, and sometimes very scatter-brained). --Fastfission 19:24, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
No, I would say that although some test takers have done so, it is not very common. The ones that you hear about in the news appear to be few. --Proficient 22:00, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Copyright

Hi, I've created a new article on Portsmouth Cathedral Choir, the article has been blocked as it text from the Portsmouth Cathedral Website - I work for the cathedral and have permission to use the said text. How can I go about re-editing and submitting my article? Many thanks...

Permission isn't enough - the content of the article must be released under the GFDL or similarly free licence, so that it can be freely edited and redistributed.
If you can show that the Choir meets our standards for notability of musical groups, then I recommend entirely rewriting the article in your own words. It's unlikely that the website is written from a neutral point of view. --Sam Blanning(talk) 10:53, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
Yeah, there are two issues here. First, we need you to authenticate that the text is releaseable under the terms of the GFDL. You need to read it over pretty carefully first—it allows for other people to use it for almost any purposes, it allows commercial re-use, and so forth. Not everyone is happy with that. (I think it's a good idea anyway.) Then, as Samuel Blanning pointed out, you need to make sure it falls under the notability criteria for articles on Wikipedia. --Fastfission 19:21, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Chineese article

Do we have an article on that incident in 2001 where a US plane was hit by a chineese fighter, causing it to crash? The US airmen were held by the chineese for a couple of weeks. Mayor Westfall 12:50, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Place question

Which place has the largest public conveyance facility of its kind and a center of commerce that is kind of new compared to its contemporaries?

That's an awfully vague question, or pair of questions, so many answers could be right depending on how they are worded. For a start, I believe Vancouver, Canada has the world's longest driver-less mass transit system, the SkyTrain.--Tachikoma 13:22, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
Both awfully vague and contradictory. How can something be new compared with its contemporaries? Another possibility is London, which has (IIRC) the world's largest underground railway system in terms of daily traffic (though New York's system is longer), and has 30 St Mary Axe , which looks much newer than its contemporaries. Grutness...wha? 01:28, 11 July 2006 (UTC)
  • Manchester's tram system and the Trafford centre are pretty new.Any help?hotclaws**==(217.39.9.153 08:11, 11 July 2006 (UTC))

[edit] Language question

Which language is more useful in the business world: French, Spanish, or Chinese?

depends where you are doing bussiness. Jon513 13:27, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
Of the languages you speak of, generally you'd probably want French in Northern Europe and Canada, Spanish in the U.S., South America and Southern Europe and Chinese in Asia. Andrew (My talk · World Cup) 14:29, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
Chinese gets you very little in Japan and South Korea, so "Asia" is probably misguided. Likewise with Brazil, as a Portugese country, but Spanish and Portugese are more similar than the East Asian languages. --ColourBurst 23:36, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
Spanish in the United States, as mentioned above, is extremely useful, assuming you are in the United States. --Proficient 15:00, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
Depends on the type of business as well, of course. On face of it, Chinese would be useful as there are so many of them, but all enterprising Chinese businessmen learn English.--Shantavira 17:21, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
This is not exactly correct. You can get by without Chinese (Putonghua to be exact) in China. However, you'll suffer for it, and it's probably better to learn anyway. As for the U.S., Spanish is useful in the southern part of the country, and in many large cities, but less useful elsewhere. To answer the original question, the answer is: learn as many languages as you can get your grubby little hands on. --ColourBurst 23:36, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
French in Northern Europe? Not really. Western Africa? Yes. DirkvdM 07:02, 11 July 2006 (UTC)
In Europe, German tends to be more of a business language than French. Spanish is handy in the US. Chinese probably in the future, if you're going to be dealing with chinese businesses. Skittle 19:22, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Computer Storage capacity

"Any PC built after 1985 has the storage capacity to house an evil spirit."

[1], how many megabytes exactly is an evil spirit? does it vary with level of evilness? can I get one on my ipod?

"...one in 10 computers in America now houses some type of evil spirit."

is there an antivirus software the can prevent this? can they travel on floppy diskettes, etc? If I copy and paste him into the same folder, when he meets himself, do they both die? Philc TECI 16:08, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Yes, your iPod has a much greater storage capacity than the average computer from 1985. Note, however, that some evil spirits are not USB compatible, and may be difficult to transfer to an external device. Contact Apple technical support if you are having trouble moving or duplicating your evil spirits for portable use.
If you wish to transfer an evil spirit using a floppy disk, it must be a high-density disk. Most evil spirits are at least one megabyte in size. Both 5.25" and 3.5" disks are acceptable; single-sided or low-density double-sided disks are insufficient, unless you use a third-party utility to compress or split your evil spirit.TenOfAllTrades(talk) 14:32, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
Do evil spirits compress well with WinRAR? And do the non USB compatible spirits work on any other plug and play media (firewire)Philc TECI 16:08, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
PC are pretty frightening now but just imagine how scary things will be when terabyte storage becomes common. MeltBanana 16:08, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
Firewire is an excellent choice for evil spirit transfer, as it natively supports the BoIP (Brimstone over IP) protocol. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 16:32, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
According to some people, getting an evil spirit on your iPod is easy; all you need is a rock album... smurrayinchester(User), (Talk) 20:09, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
Really? Damn, I've got loads, whats the best antivirus for getting rid of them, and for prevention, do firewalls work, or should baptise my computer? Philc TECI 20:27, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Just baptise it to the Church of Robotology. They'll provide the baptism service and drive out any Demons in your computer. smurrayinchester(User), (Talk) 20:30, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Dam, I cant wait till 2275, I was looking for more of a quick fix. Philc TECI 21:28, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

IBM did not introduce new PCs in 1985. However, one particular evil spirit was unleashed upon this woeful world that year. Maybe that's what the good Reverend meant. Weregerbil 09:49, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Are OS-Tans evil spirits? --24.76.234.186

[edit] Carry On films

Are/were Carry on films popular throughout the rest of the world or is it just a British thing? --DPM 14:56, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

I doubt they were popular throughout the world, but I imagine they would have been quite popular in Commonwealth countries such as Australia or New Zealand as well as in Britain. --Canley 23:23, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
I gather they are popular in India, as the level of smut is seen as acceptable when carried out in this fashion by non-Indians (according to an Indian I know, but that is a small, anecdotal sample). Skittle 19:18, 11 July 2006 (UTC)
Personally, I find the notion that they should be a British institution beloved by Britons curious. The running theme appears to be one in which an ageing foreigner (Sidney James), attempts to cultivate sexual relationships with young girls variously playing schoolgirls, student nurses and chambermaids. All of these could be described as paedophillic or 'grooming' in nature - two aspects of sexuality tabloid newspapers who give the films away for nothing in a bid to increase circulation, are keen to regulate against. --russ 00:04, 12 July 2006 (UTC)
They were extremely popular in Australia. I still remember my Mum taking me to see the very first one "Carry On, Sargeant", and later seeing the sergeant (William Hartnell) popping up as the original Dr Who. JackofOz 00:12, 12 July 2006 (UTC)
"Carry On, Sergeant" isn't really typical of the rest of the series - it was just a fairly typical late-50s National Service comedy. The title, of course, was a common enough army command, but it didn't take long for the series to get going. I suppose the series had hit its stride by about "Carry on Cruising" in 1962. -- Arwel (talk) 21:46, 12 July 2006 (UTC)
That's right. It's often the case that the first item of a series is not typical of how the series develops over time. Apart from being Presidents of the USA, George Washington's integrity and leadership had nothing in common with Richard Nixon's lies and Bill Clinton's doublespeak. And David Tennant is much more attractive than William Hartnell. JackofOz 05:26, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] swear

It is obvious that presidents or ministers do swear when they start to hold their position. I want to know the name of the swear that doctors, nurses or midwives(medical profession) do when they are graduated?

See Hippocratic Oath.--Shantavira 15:32, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
Someone should tell them to watch their language. JIP | Talk 16:57, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] tracking down Dmoz editors from user boxes

I have created a website chainki.org which is basically the MediaWiki software (which is of course what runs Wikipedia) running with dmoz data. I would like to contact the wikipedia editors who are also dmoz editors to get their input. I have found a userbox: User:UBX/dmoz editor, but cannot find the category which lists who has such user box on their pages. What page is this? Thanks. Brusselsshrek 16:04, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Use the What links here link in the toolbox below the Wikipedia logo. KWH 17:27, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] working in the US

- Hi guys, I am going to work in the US from december to april with one of those programs for university students to work and travel.

- I know that the minimun wage is suppsed to be around 15 or 16 dollars since my ingeneer uncle told me that's what construction workers are paid... BUT! I'm going to be paid around 7 bucks... is that ok?! I don't think so... but still I really wanna go, 4 fun and because my friends are going. - and also, I need some advice on where to go, I mean, the coolest places to go, and the most comercial too...where there's a lot of tourism and spending. and also where lots of artists go, so I have the chance to meet some :O:P. - As options I have Ski resorts in Vermont,in West Virginia and Colorado... and probably a hotel in florida ( I hope). what would u choose? wwwd? (what would wikipedians do?).--Cosmic girl 17:39, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

- :15 or 16 dollars? Oh my, no. The Federal minimum wage is only $5.15/hour. And our esteemed elected representatives just chose not to increase it. This page shows the minimum for each state, which and be the same as the federal, or higher, or lower. Actually, it appears we have that very same information here on Wikipedia: List of U.S. state minimum wages . And if one of the reasons you are going to do this is because your friends are doing so, then I'd think going to the same place would make sense. --LarryMac 18:06, 10 July 2006 (UTC)


- One of the rules is that I can't go to the same place as my friends...so that I can meet new people.--Cosmic girl 18:52, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

- ::If you are traveling in the US, it is essential that you stop by De Queen, Arkansas and visit the sexiest man alive. According to legend, orgasms inducued by him are so intense, people often claim to have actually been trasported to heaven, or at least Disneyworld. Mayor Westfall 18:17, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

  • Waiting staff are paid peanuts but make great tips.hotclaws**==(217.39.9.153 08:14, 11 July 2006 (UTC))

- hahaha! huh?. --Cosmic girl 18:53, 10 July 2006 (UTC) - oh I get it... it's u.--Cosmic girl 18:58, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Only took you 5 minutes too ;-) Mayor Westfall 19:01, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

too bad it was just a joke, cause I was seriously going to go look for him...lol.--Cosmic girl 19:44, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Hey, for a free trip to Disneyworld, who wouldn't go look for him? ;-) --Maelwys 19:51, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
Remember, this guy has described himself as completely selfish. The orgasm he speaks of is probably his own. --LarryMac 19:58, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
I'm not completely selfish, I just don't like to go out of my way to help others. Fortunately, it requires almost no effort for me to provide women an orgasm, as just looking at me usually causes them to experince a WIO, or Westfall Induced Orgasm.

- Besides, it's to my advantage to please the women that I enjoy. I have a reputation to maintain! Mayor Westfall 13:58, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

- The federal minimum is only $5.15 , however, some states and cities have higher minimum wages but nothing approaching 15 or 16 dollars. $7 often would be at, and often above any minimum wage requirement. The fact that construction workers workers get paid 15 0r 16 dollars is irrelavent. In the US. unionized construction workers are paid well because they have powerfull unions who are able negotiate with employers to get high wages. Accept for a base minimum wage, most employment regulations are guarteened by contract.

- I see... cool, then it's ok, because I wanna have enough money to travel arround the US...and probably visit Arkansas or Disneyland...and I've always wanted to go to Hollywood! ( do you think that's possible Mayor Westfall?). - if construction workers earn 16 dollars...then I wanna b one...:P but the most likely thing is that I'll be a waitress or busser or something of that sort,...room service sounds cool cause get to walk around and not stand in one place the whole time. - but which places are cool that time of the year? winter places? or summer places?.--Cosmic girl 00:00, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

- :::Of course my above comment was made in jest, but you do seem like a very intelligent girl, and I can tell we share a lot of views as I am a skeptic, capitalist and extremely anti-censorship, as you are. More importantly, I'm dying to know what Inca Kola is (yes, I could just read our article on it, but what fun would that be?) So, I would be more than happy to show you around Arkansas--it's a very beautiful state, and I'm sure you'd like it. Let me know if you're really interested, and maybe we can set up a little wikidate.

Oh and construction workers can make $16/hr, but I'd say that's pretty rare, most start out making much less like ~8-10. Mayor Westfall 14:18, 11 July 2006 (UTC)
Cool as in temperature, or cool as in "hip, happening, trendy, etc"?
Regarding your type of employment, be aware the wait staff in restaurants are subject to an even lower minimum wage, because they are expected to be receiving tips as well. In fact, they are even taxed as if they receive tips, regardless of what they actually receive. --LarryMac 13:23, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

(Question restored by XM 17:13, 11 July 2006 (UTC)) Thanx XM. I'm going to Vermont, so I guess this question is closed. :)--Cosmic girl 16:37, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] who sings it?!

hey i'm back!! well i ahve an urgent question... do you guys know who sings the girl version of Passion's song "Lemonade?" she sings it a capella... okay thats it for now.. THANKS A BUNCH!

                                                   ~Hot F.L.I.P.
Flip, is this woman's version the version you are searching for?
By the way, in the process I came across this a capella version of another song called "Lemonade" :)--Robert Merkel 16:05, 12 July 2006 (UTC)


Thank you very much!!! the first one was right... gosh.. i've been asking people about this forever! (haha.. two weeks in axact!)

~Hot F.L.I.P.

[edit] TrueSkill Ranking

Does anyone know if Xbox Lives TrueSkill Ranking have been released? I googled it and the only relevent results pertain to the stats/math behind it at Microsoft's webpage. Basically, Its XBOX Live's way of ranking people in specific games. XBOX live has been touting for a while but I cant find the actual ranking anywhere. Thanks!!!

The equations are completely proprietary. If you release the numerical value then you are possibly open to some smart people cracking it, making it less effective because people will learn how to manipulate it. I'm not sure if that's mathmatically possible, yeah. --mboverload@ 00:12, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Coke Zero

I think I have become addicted to Coke Zero. I consume truely massive amounts of the beverage, far in excess of 100 fl oz. per day (probablly closer to 200). Is this okay? I know that a lot of people caution about the health effects of everything, so it is difficult to distinquish real threats from silly paranoia. I wouldn't be concerned, but at the quanitiies I am consuming, I need to be sure. Mayor Westfall 18:25, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Standard Wikipedia Health Disclaimer applies
I am not a doctor, but drinking almost 6 litres of water-based fluids a day, I'd say a major risk is drinking too much at once; 3 litres (100 fl oz.) of liquid taken in a short time period (1 hourish) can cause hyperhydration, or water poisoning, as your kidneys can't cope with so much fluid and salt levels get dangerously low. If more spaced out though, and you don't have use Lo-Salt or similar products, it shouldn't be an issue. smurrayinchester(User), (Talk) 19:45, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
I'd be more concerned about the sweeteners than the water. See Aspartame#Health risks controversy and Acesulfame potassium#Safety. —Keenan Pepper 23:02, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
Not to mention the amount of caffiene. I wouldn't be surprised if you had trouble sleeping. BenC7 01:19, 11 July 2006 (UTC)
The stuff has to have scads of sodium, as well. User:Zoe|(talk) 02:23, 11 July 2006 (UTC)
According to my can, not a speck of sodium. No nutrients in the nutritional information except half a calorie per 100 ml. Aspartame and Acesulfame K, "flavourings (including caffeine)" (!), E331 as an acidity regulator, E150d as colour, phosphoric acid. Mostly it's water. I'd agree with the dangers of drinking too much of anything; it could even be that this is disguising an increase in thirst that needs checking out. Maybe go a day without the Coke and see if you drink the same quantity of liquid. Skittle 19:10, 11 July 2006 (UTC)
I think you should cut down. --Proficient 22:41, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Help with music video artist/title from 1980s MTV

I am trying to find out the artist and title of a music video seen on MTV in the early/mid 1980s. Unfortunately, the only thing I can remember about it is it involves a young man being pursued, in what appeared to be a European country. He's thrown into the back of a car and then beaten (or vice-versa). I think it was a slower song, but it's been 20 years since I've seen it. Any help would be appreciated. 131.7.251.200 19:13, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] I just did my first article and is getting deleted. please help

Hi, first of all I want to thank you for taking time to read my questions. I know u guys are really busy with other questions. I have been using wikipedia for about 6 months. I think is a great help for me and also everytime I have question I go to wikipedia. I have never done an article on wikipedia before but last night I decided to. I saw on internet about a show they are filming about teens so I decided to do an article about it. Sadly I guess I am not doing a good job cause a message appears saying my article is going to be deleted and I really dont want to. I try to follow the messages to see what I can do because I know I can do a better job but I dont now how to stop it from being deleted. please help me cause I am getting a little bit frustrated while seeing that message. I would appreciate a lot your help. thanks,

Jose Javier —Preceding unsigned comment added by Josejnr (talk • contribs) 19:34, 10 July 2006

Replied on user's talk page. --Sam Blanning(talk) 19:39, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Headlights

I'm looking for some songs about headlights; I already have "Headlights on Dark Roads" by Snow Patrol and "Headlights look like Diamonds" by The Arcade Fire. Are there any others? smurrayinchester(User), (Talk) 19:36, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

One Headlight by The Wallflowers. --LarryMac 19:56, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
Also, go to The AllMusic Guide, type in "headlight" or "headlights" in the search box, drop-down the box below to select "Song" and Bob's your uncle. --LarryMac 20:10, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
I googled headlights lyrics and a bunch of stuff turned up, including Headlights by Dispatch and Rabbit in your Headlights by Radiohead.--Anchoress 10:07, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Toxicity by System of a down sings: caught in the headlights of a truck, eating seeds is a past time activity.Anton 15:01, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Computer Problem

Hi, I reported earlier that I had a problem with my computer being unable to open internet explorer or explore any folders, my computer, recycle bin etc. I solved this by doing a system restore. However, the problem has come up again, this appearing random. I have noticed that my task manager comes up with a substatially fewer amount of tasks running than normal as illustared in figure 1.1.

I compared this to an instance when my computer was able to operate normally and tried to run all the missing tasks, however they would run by simply not appearing in the task manager. Please compare this with figure 1.2 where my computer operates:

Figure 1.2
Figure 1.2

I would appreciate any suggestions as to how I would be able to solve this problem bar reinstalling windows and clearing my computer. Any help is much appreciated. KingstonJr 20:34, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

May seem obvious, but have you done a virus scan? BenC7 01:21, 11 July 2006 (UTC)
Yes I have and it returned no erros, I also used several reliable spyware removers. However to add to my problem my internet explorer does not work, despite having a long list of tasks operating! Kingstonjr 10:51, 11 July 2006 (UTC)
You can reinstall Windows without having to clear all data on your computer. No other suggestions, sorry. BenC7 02:18, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Windows Media Player codec

I tried watching an mpeg file today, but when my WMP tried to download a codec I got an error message 80040154 (according the linked help page online) - the message I got was "class not registered. How am I supposed to watch a file and/or download the appropriate codec if the file doesn't even tell me which one I need? I also had similar things happen in QuickTime and RealPlayer. - Mgm|(talk) 20:35, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

sounds horrid - don't try to fix it. Just download VLC player, and your multimedia worries will be over :). No, it's not perfect, but it will open practically anything. --Bmk 23:13, 10 July 2006 (UTC)
And get the Real Alternative for Real files. Search the internet for it. WP 00:41, 11 July 2006 (UTC)
Media player classic rocks my world. Natgoo 13:23, 11 July 2006 (UTC)
  • I'm sure it does, but that's not gonna work for a Windows 98 user like me. = Mgm|(talk) 18:50, 11 July 2006 (UTC)
Indeed. VLC is solid. --Proficient 22:43, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Nielsen Ratings question

In the Nielsen Ratings, there is a ratings category for P2+. Other acronyms I see are P18-49 and A18-49. What do these mean? I searched all over the internet, but couldn't find anything that defines them. Thanks --69.139.18.75 22:05, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

These categories are defining demographics, the numbers are a range of ages and I'm guessing the letters mean as follows: P=People, A=Adults, W=Women, M=Men. Presuming the definition of an "adult" is 18 or over, then I guess P18-49 (people aged between 18 and 49) and A18-49 mean the same thing. I think P2+ means the total viewers overall. I've put a note on the talk page that this information should be added to Nielsen Ratings as it does not seem to be explained very well anywhere.
Yeah, that would probably be useful if they added it to the article's contents. --Proficient 22:44, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] finance question about U.S. national debt

The U.S. national debt is roughly 8.4 trillion dollars. I know that the amount spent on interest in 2003 was 318 billion. Of course, the debt back then was less, perhaps 6 trillion. What is the average interest rate on this debt. Once this is was figured out, I was hoping someone could figure out how long (hypothetically, speaking) it would take to pay this debt off. I believe a debt of that size can't be paid off, and that, for --Frank1960b 22:10, 10 July 2006 (UTC)all intents and purposes, The U.S. federal government is really bankrupt. Do you agree.

The US financial situation is bad, but not horrid. Look up List of countries by public debt and you'll see as a percentage of GDP, it is not the worst. In the same way, a $1,000,000 debt is nothing to Bill Gates. For most countries, if they get into terrible debt, nobody wants to invest, and the interest rates for more debt climbs. This is the terrible 'debt spiral'. The US is lucky that China still pours in billions in US debt, in order to devalue their currency. As well, their foreign debt is in US dollars. If other countries pull out investment, the US dollar tanks, and interest rates go through the roof. There is still a chance this might happen. --Zeizmic 00:27, 11 July 2006 (UTC)
The debt is funded primarily through US Treasury bonds with varying interest rates and maturities, so "average interest rate" is perhaps not particularly meaningful (the average rate varies at least every few months as new short term bonds are issued), but it's clearly not 0% - perhaps somewhere in the neighborhood of 3-4% might be a reasonable guess. What must ultimately happen is taxes will rise, spending will fall, or the debt will be inflated away (or some combination). You might be interested in United States public debt. -- Rick Block (talk) 02:24, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Space=Water?

How come in most sci-fi movies/stories, space is seen as the eqivalant of today's water? Wizrdwarts (T|C|E) 23:55, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Ships and spacecraft are similar in purpose. Space is the sea but in 3 dimensions. --mboverload@ 00:09, 11 July 2006 (UTC)
True, but that doesn't really answer why we don't see "space == air", which I suspect is the thrust of the question. My quick view is that spacecraft more closely mirror the scale and endurance associated with naval vessels than aircraft. For instance, it's practical to operate a 90 million kg ship capable of independent operation over a period of months and possessing its own subordinate vessels (that is, an aircraft carrier). It's relatively easy to conceive of a spaceborne vessel capable of the same, and far less easy to conceive of a similar airborne vessel -- consider that a hypothetical manned Mars mission ship with an associated lander craft more or less fulfills the notion with present-day technology, and certainly no current aircraft comes close. — Lomn | Talk 00:20, 11 July 2006 (UTC)
Yes, you often don't see spacecraft traveling "upside-down." --Proficient 22:46, 11 July 2006 (UTC)
That's because the only "real" up and down are in relation to the solar plane (whatever that's called). Doesn't really matter though since the "up, down, tilted" is completely relative to something else. --mboverload@ 21:42, 14 July 2006 (UTC)
Because it's land -> sea -> air -> space. Air and space are too alike. To help our puny little minds grasp space, we imagine it's like the sea, to delineate the connection between air and space. -- Миборовский 23:00, 12 July 2006 (UTC)