Wikipedia:Reference desk archive/Miscellaneous/2006 September 18

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[edit] Meditation as replacement for sleep?

I once heard that 20 minutes of meditation in the right state of mind is equivalent to 6 hours of sleep. Is this true? --216.164.249.169 00:13, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

Hmmm. I think it's pretty difficult to quantify. I meditate regularly, and let me say this: First, I don't think any quantity of meditation can do away entirely with the need for sleep. Second, I don't sleep less for meditating. Third, I sleep better and I can do without sleep much more easily (for a period of time at least). And fourth, when I'm tired, a 20 minute meditation is as good as sleep if I need to keep going. As in, if it's 11:00pm and I need to keep working, a 20 minute meditation can refresh me enough to feel like I've just woken up from a long sleep. Anchoress 00:19, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
Meditation reduces stress which can cause exhaustion. There are 2 types of sleep REM sleep and deep sleep, see the article. Neither of these functions can be replaced by meditation. While some gurus advocate replacing part of your sleep with meditation, and meditation can increase your alertness, this is not a replacement for sleep so much as a replacement for caffeine. If you are sick or injured it can actually be detrimental, as most cell rebuilding happens during slow-wave sleep. And as far as I have heard 4-5 hours is still the absolute minimum of sleep you can function on for long periods with meditation. --Darkfred Talk to me 00:27, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
I have problems getting to sleep, so I tried meditation, but found that actually woke me up even more. But I doubt if meditation could replace sleep. I once heard a guy complain that he was very tired because he had been meditating all night. Then again, I don't think he had the right mindset to meditate properly (bit of a Neil character, worrying too much). DirkvdM 07:26, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
...worrying that some day you might actually have to work for a living ? :-) StuRat 08:47, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
Me? Read my post again, then think and see if you can come up with a decent reply. If not, don't worry too much about it. I wouldn't want to be the cause of you losing sleep. DirkvdM 17:53, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
If you want to meditate before you sleep, you should refrain as much as possible from taking deep breaths, as this will obviously increase the oxygen levels in your body and make you feel more awake. I also meditate sometimes before sleeping, especially when my head is spinning, but the idea is to lower your heart rate as much as possible, which involves slowing down your breathing, and taking rather shollow breaths.  freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ  09:28, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
The kind of meditation that wakes me up is pure, mind-emptying meditation. When I want to relax enough to sleep, I do a 'relax sections of the body' mind/body exercise. I start with my toes and I'm usually asleep by my knees. Anchoress 20:15, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
I disagree... with Gavin. In all hypnosis texts, the instruction is to f e e l your breathing and to breathe deeper... and deeper...., whilst you fall... deeper.... and deeper.... into a trance. Are you getting sleepy yet?--Light current 02:03, 19 September 2006 (UTC)
Damn, you made me miss the better part of a day! DirkvdM 06:05, 19 September 2006 (UTC)
Yeah, really works, dont it? I nearly went under just writing it 8-)--Light current 07:27, 19 September 2006 (UTC)
You're forgetting "slower", which I'm sure your hypnosis texts also mention.  freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ  06:59, 20 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Tubgirl and Goatse

Who is tubgirl? Who is goatse? And why would they do those things to themselves? --216.164.249.169 00:43, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

See tubgirl and goatse. As for why, I have no idea. Oskar 00:47, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
they have never found their souls , so they disgrace their bodies for money. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.225.165.130 (talk • contribs) 20:49, September 17, 2006
Good to know that Christianity even has something to say about Goatse. Anyway, I don't think anyone can really guess about tubgirl - probably for attention. The goatse man on the other hand reputedly took pride in stretching his anus as far as possible. As to why he would do such a thing, I point you to what George Mallory said when he was asked "Why climb Everest?" for the thousandth time: "Because it's there". --Sam Blanning(talk) 00:52, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
"There is no such thing as bad publicity." --Brendan Behan And as you will see from the goatse entry, that gentleman did it for the usual reason: money. --Aaron 00:57, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
But made a big asshole of himself in the process?--Light current 01:28, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
Now that's a stretch. :-) StuRat 03:02, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
You're a bit late are'nt you?--Light current 03:05, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
You deserve to be slapped for that one. ~ Porphyric Hemophiliac § 01:40, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
On the back in congratulation you mean? Consider it done! No points from you then?--Light current 01:55, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
I wouldn't want to act anal. ~ Porphyric Hemophiliac § 00:09, 19 September 2006 (UTC)
As opposed to Goatse you mean?--Light current 00:48, 19 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Herning

Herning is a city in Jutland and also my friend surname, I wonder if this is coincedence or is there a historical connection,where did the name come from?

I don't know. A common source would seem likely, however, give that the name is quite widespread in Denmark. These helpful people may be able to give you a more definative answer. Rockpocket 02:57, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

Herning is also a very common first name in Denmark so I doubt it means anything at all. Joneleth 15:36, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

Originally, it probably did. 惑乱 分からん 16:44, 19 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Japanese Talk Show

What is the name of a talk show in Japan that involves with people sitting in chairs while they have naked ladies sitting above them?

There is no such talk show. What you are referring to must be some sort of porno.  freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ  09:17, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
Well, I remember it! The ladies were sitting on the backs of armchairs, legs apart, their private parts obscured by the heads of the men sitting in the armchairs. It was a late-night show called EX Osaka, part of a series called EX Terebi (EX Television). I found the following article in the Japanese wikipedia: [[1]]. Auximines 08:58, 19 September 2006 (UTC)
I'm still right. EX TV is a cable exclusive (cable isn't very common in Tokyo) channel that specializes in idol titty games and variety porno. If you'll actually read the article, it mentions that the name is supposed to reference S(EX) TV.  freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ  06:57, 20 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Possible indictment of former Sony vp James Jackson on slavery charges

James J. Jackson, former vice president of legal affairs, was found liable for damages in a civil trial brought by his former housekeeper Nena Ruiz. The jury found him and his wife had held the housekeeper against her will - essentially in slavery. Have there been any criminal charges filed against either Mr Jackson or his wife? There has been speculation that a grand jury was meeting to consider indictments on slavery charges. Is there any truth to this?

There were very few legit websites which I could find that discussed this. This one seems legit, but it's two years old. I couldn't find a legit publication that discussed criminal charges. User:Zoe|(talk) 23:33, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
I can't find any confirmation that he was a Sony VP, or even at the level you'd call "executive". I wonder, is this the same James J. Jackson who formed Greenberg & Jackson in LA with Martin J. Greenburg (Marty Greenberg), of scientology fame. --LambiamTalk 22:47, 19 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Altitude of Ubud, Bali, Indonesia

I was referred to you by Wikipedia Information Team.

What is the altitude (elevation) of Ubud, Bali, Indonesia?

Thanks for any help.

Would be helpful, if you find it, for the answer to be emailed to me.

Thank you~

Rick Adams

Hello Rick, according to Wikitravel "its location [is] 600 meters above sea level" [2]. Rockpocket 02:39, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
Strange, I get 236 meters above sea level: [3]. StuRat 02:43, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
And I get 92 meters here: [4]. Are there steep cliffs all over town or what ? StuRat 02:48, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
I guess, thanks to folks like these, in Bali you can be as high as you want to be. Rockpocket 03:11, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
Bali has always been Ha'i. Don't you remember South Pacific? JackofOz 08:45, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
Actually they filmed that movie in Malaysia. I've been to the island and it's gorgeous. Durova 14:04, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Question

I like this girl, but have no clue how to tell her, nor do I know if she likes me. Can anyone help?

Why dont you tell her you like her and offer to walk her home or something. Do NOT ask her if she likes you as this may put her off. Anyway how does she know yet? If she likes you, youll know it!--Light current 02:31, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

It's me again. She could have the same problem as me. Not know how to tell me in this instance.

Well someones gotta make the first move. Second thoughts-- dont tell her you like her straight out. Just get talking to her. She'll sense that you like her by what you say/do. OK? go to it!.--Light current 02:45, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
FYI, you can automatically sign your name by inserting four tildes: ~~~~ Isopropyl 02:46, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

Ok. One last thing, just how will I know if she likes me back? (BTW, I didn't know how to sign, sry bout that)TheOctagon2112 03:01, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

Youll know! By the thing she says/does!--Light current 03:18, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

Seriously, I have absolutely no clue about anything when it comes to relationships. TheOctagon2112 03:22, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

No one does! Play it by ear!--Light current 03:23, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

Yea, well. I'll try it. Hopefully I won't end up looking like a complete idiot. TheOctagon2112 03:30, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

Yeah Play it cool. But not too cool!--Light current 03:35, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

Ha, yea. Makes sense. What I really don't like is that it's so subjective, with no "yes" or "no". No clear distinctions TheOctagon2112 03:37, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

Light current makes a lot of good points. Why do you think there are so many jokes about how hard it is to understand members of the opposite sex? Because people usually have very little of a clue when it comes to relationships. But we eventually figure out the important bits, marry, have kids, etc etc. Dismas|(talk) 03:55, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
Basically, you won't like relationships even more if you never get to experience one, even if nothing really happens. Most girls don't mind being told that they are liked, and if they do, well then you're probably aiming for the wrong girls, but you shouldn't worry about that.  freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ  09:15, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

First of all you should compliment her and flatter her. Depends on the situation, but if you're for example students in a group tutorial you could tell her afterwards how great her answers or presentation was. Or if she's wearing a some new clothes you could tell her briefly that you like them. eg if shes got a new bag you could say something like "Nice bag" or "like your bag". And you could also do her small favours. Only then, when she begins to think that your nice, should you tell her you like her.

Lots of eye contact, and smiling, work wonders. They show her that she has your attention, in a way that's beyond words. JackofOz 11:00, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
Has any female replied to this thread? While none of the above is absolutely wrong, you're better off finding some common interest and beginning with that. Chat about something you both enjoy, do something together (study for a class, after-school activity), and then once you're both having a good time and maybe laughing over a good joke say something like, "I really like you. Let's go out to the movies." Durova 14:01, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
Yes thats good. Thats what I was trying to get over, but couldn't.--Light current 00:59, 19 September 2006 (UTC)
Supposedly in today's youth culture, a guy is considered way too aggressive if he just goes up to a girl and asks her out. It is supposed to be more customary to do it via intermediaries. Your friend asks her friend if she might want to, maybe hang out with you sometime. Or your friend arranges with her friend, via textmessages and cellphone calls, for the communal herd to migrate together to the mall. Edison 17:20, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
It's always been awkward and aggressive to just corner a girl without warning and ask for a date. Not likely to charm unless she's already won over. 72.199.30.31 18:33, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
Yeah. You mustnt frighten her off by being too forthright. (mind you, some girls may like that-- but you cant tell) THats why I say best to start with common interests. The intermediary thing I think is a waste of time. --Light current 01:04, 19 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Custom sig

Can anyone tell me how to customise my signature (like so many others have done) and still get it automatically printed with ~~~~? THanks --Light current 02:50, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

For future reference, this should be taken to the Help Desk. But try messing around with "my preferences" on the navigation bar at the top of the frame. Isopropyl 02:52, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
Make sure the raw signature checkbox is ticked, then write your code in the signature box, under My preferences > User profile. Here, for your reference, is the code that gives you my sig:
'''[[User:Rockpocket|<font color="green">Rockpock</font>]]<font color="black">e</font>[[User_talk:Rockpocket|<font color="green">t</font>]]'''
Rockpocket 03:01, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
Thank you!--Light current 03:09, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Catholic Mass

Why does the priest take more than one sip of the blood? Why is his wafer like 5 times bigger than all the others?

Who aree the weomen with the white lace over their hair? pre-nuns ?

Jasbutal 03:29, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

  1. Not sure
  2. I think it's a visual thing so that the people in the cheap seats can see that he's breaking the bread. If you're one of the first people in line for the eucharist, you get one of the pieces broken off of the larger one. The rest of the congregation just get the little ones.
  3. Hold overs from the old days. That's the way my mother was taught. That women should have a white lace bonnet or something of that ilk over her head. Though she didn't do this in her later years, just as a kid.
A former altar boy, Dismas|(talk) 03:49, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
thanks ! Jasbutal 04:24, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
I was also an altar boy, and about the first question: Did he take the second sip after everyone else drank? In my parish, the priest never drank any more than one sip until after everyone else drank, and then it was his duty to finish off the chalice. There was no real reason for it (that I know of), simply that if someone's going to finish it off, it only seems natural that the head of the ceremony would do it.  freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ  09:09, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
I was under the impression that the priest finished off the chalice at the end because he wasn't allowed to (or at least didn't want to) tip the unfinished wine down the sink, given that the belief is that it has been turned into the blood of christ, and it would be rather sacriligous to throw it out. --jjron 14:58, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
That's right. It doesn't have to be the priest who does it (if an extraordinary minister is serving the wine, they can 'tidy it up' too), but it does have to be drunk, I believe. Skittle 15:07, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
While the extra is drunk at the end of the Mass, after cleanup the crumbs and the water used to wash out the remaining wine are disposed of in the sacrarium, a special sink with a drain that runs directly into the ground (not into the sewer). This can be seen as a "burial", an appropriately reverent way to dispose of the consecrated remains. Rmhermen 20:22, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
If the Priest or minister of a liturgical church such as Catholic, Episcopal or Lutheran, does not drink the leftover communion wine,( and germ-laden backwash if a common chalice has been drunk from by hundreds of people), any leftover wine must be poured in a piscina, which is a sink with a pipe going into the ground, not into the sewers. This is because they believe that when the words of institution are spoken, "This is my blood" that the blood of Christ is present in the chalice. Other denominations may see it as a symbolic comemoration, and it is still mere wine, or in some denominations mere grape juice.Edison 20:41, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
Or one place I visited, Ribena.... Skittle 21:30, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
The Temple in Jerusalem (destroyed 586 BC, rebuilt, and destroyed 70 AD is believed to have had blood drains near the altar to carry away the blood of thousands of animals sacrificed there. Christians believe Jesus became the perfect sacrifice, in place of such animal sacrifices. http://www.abu.nb.ca/Courses/NTIntro/InTest/JerTem.htm Edison 00:44, 19 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] GPRS

A friend of mine went on an anti-fascist rant today about how his cell phone provider made him turn in his phone for a new one with enabled "GPRS". He claimed that every new cell phone has a GPS (which is called "GPRS") system in it and that they can all be tracked, but that the regular consumer does not have access to the GPS system, (he didn't specify who did have access, but presumably the police and the cell phone providers).

So....after reading GPRS I know he's full of shit (he was probably pulling my leg), but is there any truth whatsoever to this? I can't see this guy getting these paranoid ideas from nowhere.. Jasbutal 04:34, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

Assuming you're a U.S. resident/citizen here... Also, I'm probably going to piss off a bunch of people with this but it's not my intent... With a government that is involved with ECHELON, Carnivore, and warrantless wire tapping, would you be surprised if it were true? Dismas|(talk) 05:00, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
Your friend is confused; GPS and GPRS are two complete different things. However, your position can however be traced with a cell phone via Radiolocation. This is often used in cases of where someone is using 911. --Mitaphane talk 05:26, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

You can buy a cell phone without a contract, where you just buy cards to recharge it periodically. That way, they can trace the phone, but have no idea who owns the phone, so this doesn't do "Big Brother" much good. StuRat 05:31, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

I think your friend is confusing GPRS with GPSr, two extremely different things. --Maelwys 10:20, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
Overheard on a train: "... yeah, I really liked that phone - it was a pay-as-you-go-you Nokia, you know - and they came to me and said, they said "do you want a contract phone?" and I said "no" of course, they can track those with satellites so obviously not ..." Duly turned round and raised eyebrows at speaker but he didn't notice. Oh well. Tyrhinis 22:56, 19 September 2006 (UTC)
Stupid people annoy me. I used to be a cashier and I don't know how many times I've heard mothers tell their kids to save their candy for later because they're already hyper enough --Froth 06:04, 20 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Chess

What opening does not cramp black's game, does not demolish black's pawn structure like the sveshnikov sicilian and give black lots of mobility against whites e4?

I take it you're the same person who asked a similar question yesterday. If I understand you correctly, you are asking for a bit much. To begin with, Black has three routes to go when he initiates the defense: 1) slug it out, 2) set up a fortress, and 3) counter-attack. I shall try to keep it simple without distorting things too badly. Do realize that these are merely generalisations.
No Sicilian, eh? Then try the Alekhine's (e4 Nf6).
Now for the bad news. There's no magic opening. You're not going to win the game in the opening - unless White makes some really bad moves, and what credit is that to you? - the opening just leads into the middle game.
The Alekhine's offers more freedom than average for Black. The price is that it's riskier than average. Good luck. B00P 10:19, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
One way to make a game interesting is to study some obscure opening. That is often the only way to beat a much better player. Especially if you get to play them in a game of speed chess. DirkvdM 17:58, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] ian has a riddle

okay who has an answer to this riddle -without me you cry openly

Shame? Pride? Company? Goggles (when chopping onions)? N-methyl-3-phenyl- 3-[4-(trifluoromethyl)phenoxy]- propan-1-amine?---Sluzzelin 08:07, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

Eyelids ? StuRat 08:24, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

I've heard it's very difficult to cry without eyelids. You have to constantly put drips in your eyes to keep them moist, so you can't tell whether the person is actually crying, or if they've just put a few too many drops in their eyes.  freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ  09:04, 18 September 2006 (UTC) -- Although, you don't technically need tears to cry, so I guess it still makes sense.  freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ  09:05, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
Superglue?--Light current 08:17, 19 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Identify this soldier's unit

Soldier
Soldier

Can anyone help identify the unit from which the soldier shown right comes? He's clearly a medic, I'm almost certain he's US Army, and his comments on Talk:Hands of Victory suggest he was in Baghdad in July 2006. He's not logged in since then (so there's no point in asking him) but maybe someone can help me clarify the caption on that article. Thanks. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 13:57, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

There's a rather crude looking red cross on a white background followed by what appears to be a red C on his arm, with a leather "shield" underneath. Could this mean a medic in "Company C" ? The partially obscured letters "MY" are also shown on his chest, which I take to be the end of the word "ARMY". StuRat 17:43, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
That's not a C - that's a red crescent. Raul654 19:18, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
Also, the leather patch on his arm - I checked but I couldn't see any divisions that matched (the Seventh infantry division was the closet match), so it could be an airborn patch (it does resemble a parachute of some kind) Raul654 19:35, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] US history project

hey people! i am doing a US history project (for school) and i am haveing some difficulty picking a topic. i am very interested in: 1. japan 2. music 3. french fashions

the problem being some ristrictions

1. has to ask a "why" or "how" question 2. can't involve corporate history (history on companies) 3. i can't do anyting with celeb. history 4. finally, i can't have anything that books can't directaly answer ie: who shot John Kennedy?

thanks much for any responses

~Avi

Two of those three topics sound like Japanese and French history. Here's one suggestion: How did jazz develop from ragtime? 72.199.30.31 17:46, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

In addition, a related topic would be something related to the massive takeoff of jazz in Japan during the 30s and 40s, and how it started the whole "traditionalist vs. modernist" problem in Japanese society. Wooty 18:18, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

If it's U.S. History, why not do something with U.S. History instead of Japan or France? --Proficient 05:30, 19 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] real estate term

This is a gated community, where you buy your lot and and you are allowed to build your home, have acess to the community pool, tennis court, you pay HOA DUES, I'm also referred to as a USUFRUCTUARY, the Gated Community is also located in City of Playas de Rosarito,B.C. Mexico.

My question is what is , what is a Grant Deed in the form of a Public Deed ? Sincerely thanking you in advance, I have researched the information requested to no avail.

Mexican real estate law is incredibly complicated. I suggest you retain a Mexican attorney and have that person investigate the offering thoroughly before you invest. If (as I suspect) you are a U.S. citizen, there have to be special legal mechanisms in place because foreign nationals don't actually own land in Mexico the same sense as people own land in the States. Although the worst case scenario is rather rare, entire residential developments have been evicted after a court ruled that another party actually had a superior claim to ownership. By posting here you're basically asking a bunch of nonexperts who have no stake in the outcome whether you should invest what is probably your life savings. Free advice is worth what you pay for it. Durova 18:51, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Life

I was listening to a man talking to me about veganism etc. He said that eating meat and other corpses can attract some kind of low spiritual force, so you will be born in the next life as an animal, most likely. Because, as we eat it, the suffering and everything the animals went trough, just so they could end up as a meal on our dinner table, somehow all that comes into us, and attracts bad karma. I believe I didn't quote exactly what he said, but this is the point mostly... It had an impact on me, and I was wondering, if you ever heard of that, and perhaps you can point me to some reading about that? I read a lot about veganism etc., but never have I read anything like that...--Captain ginyu 18:52, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

Sounds like some kind of Dharmic religion to me. 惑乱 分からん 19:16, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
Are you sure you believe in karma? Consider Jesus. He was the most righteous, perfect, infallible man who ever lived. At the very least most people would concede that he was a "good man". Yet at the age of just 33 he was put to a horrible death on a cross after being mocked, whipped and spat upon. Karma? Doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me in that context. BenC7 10:23, 19 September 2006 (UTC)

Well no offense, but the thing you said doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me either. If you are Christian, than you believe in God, and that Jesus was the Son of God. If that is so, Jesus knew what will hapen to him, and He resurrected back to heaven afterwards, everything as God, should I say, planned. If not, and if He was just an ordinary man, than maybe it was a punishment because of the things he did in his past lives.--Captain ginyu 12:38, 19 September 2006 (UTC)

I'm not sure what you are trying to say. BenC7 10:50, 22 September 2006 (UTC)
I am agnostic and Karma makes more sense to me than many aspects of Christianity. 惑乱 分からん 13:44, 19 September 2006 (UTC)
And what directs karma? Hmm. BenC7 10:50, 22 September 2006 (UTC)

What confuses you about Christianity, Wakuran? bibliomaniac15 02:29, 26 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] What am I going to be when I grow up?

What am I going to be when I grow up?72.1.206.176 19:14, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

An adult. Durova 19:17, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
Or stay a child, forever. So much easier in many ways... (Sometimes I wonder how many of these questions are asked for serious...) 惑乱 分からん 19:31, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
You did not state your gender, but here goes:

see http://www.lyricsdownload.com/doris-day-whatever-will-be-will-be-lyrics.html Whatever Will Be, Will Be ,as Performed by Doris Day:

When I was just a little girl 
I asked my mother what will I be 
Will I be pretty, will I be rich 
Here's what she said to me 

*Que sera, sera 
Whatever will be, will be 
The future's not ours to see 
Que sera, sera 
What will be, will be

Also see "When I grow up to be a man;" Edison 20:48, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

As Donny Hathaway phrased it in his song "Little ghetto boy": "What you gonna be when you grow up, and have to face... responsibility?" ... 惑乱 分からん 20:57, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
That question is very open ended. --Proficient 05:31, 19 September 2006 (UTC)
Taller is another good answer. We don't really mind open questions here at RD. The answers are much easier to justify.  freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ  06:52, 19 September 2006 (UTC)
Im very disappointed in the ref desk staff for not quoting the obvious answer sooner : older 8-)--Light current 08:23, 19 September 2006 (UTC)
I actually think we've managed better than (possibly expected) outcomes, such as "Blahblah profession X, that's where the money is." etc. 惑乱 分からん 13:47, 19 September 2006 (UTC)

sadder but wiser(hotclaws**== 16:47, 23 September 2006 (UTC))

Why sadder?--Light current 18:38, 23 September 2006 (UTC)
Person with smelly armpits and facial hair and zits! Ahh! Himanyo 21:06, 24 September 2006 (UTC)
One word: "Plastics."Edison 00:00, 26 September 2006 (UTC)
Hey look kid, facial hair and smelly armpits are grown up things! Get used to it! You may be joining the adults soon.--Light current 02:42, 26 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Travel Question

Hey, I'm trying to go from New Haven, CT to Cambridge MA, and then back again, using public transportation. Does anybody happen to know the cheapest way to do this? Also, you could probably substitute "Cambridge" with "Boston," since it's easy to get from Boston to Cambridge with the subway. Thanks! --JianLi 20:07, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

  • Well, Amtrak is about $50 one way, and Greyhound about $30. Greyhound takes 3-4 hours, Amtrak about 2 on the somewhat interesting Acela Express. --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 20:33, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
If you're going to visit your Cambridge ma, that might make her so happy that maybe she'll chip in some. DirkvdM 06:10, 19 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] RBD songs

How many English-language songs will RBD have on their CD titled Celestial (RBD album)?

[edit] cleaning apartment

I am one of four guys living in a cozy aparment. No matter how hard I barely try the apartement is always a mess. Part of the problem is no one does any work because they don't want to be the guy who cleans everything. I read Game theory but it didn't help. Do you have any suggestions to keep it clean? 217.132.101.132 20:36, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

Stop barely trying, for starters. Instead, try trying a little harder. Then, get agreement from the guys that they will all be equally and jointly responsible for the state of the place, and regularly review progress. That way, no one person does any more of the work than anybody else, and they can't complain they're being hard done by. Of course, not all of them will have the same idea of what's an acceptable standard of tidiness or cleanliness, as you have. That might bear some discussion to begin with. JackofOz 20:46, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
"how hard I barely try"? ;) Anyway you should probably have a meeting, all four of you, and make a rotating schedule where each one of you cleans up everything every fourth week, or so. At least, that's my idea. (Edit conflict, and some other guy already said basically the same thing, Well, wahtever...) 惑乱 分からん 20:52, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

There are several options:

  1. Bite the bullet and do the cleaning yourself.
  2. Hire a maid service.
  3. Move in with other people (this is sometimes called marriage).
  4. Get your own place.

There's no real magic answer here: adult slobs are generally uncurable. A baseline method, if you don't have at least this much already, is to start a kitty where everyone chips in a small amount of money toward basic supplies. ($5-$10 each month, or the equivalent in your local currency). Possibly try a housecleaning party with pizza and sodas or beer. Durova 20:58, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

Somehow, that last suggestion "housecleaning party" sounds somewhat oxymoronical... 惑乱 分からん 21:01, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
Some people will do anything for pizza. Use that principle to your advantage. Durova 21:33, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
I spent many years living with several different sets of housemates. I recommend that you get your own place as soon as you can afford it. Until then, the approach that worked best for me was to call a house meeting to talk about housecleaning. At the meeting, divide the housecleaning tasks into four fairly equal groups (e.g. bathroom, kitchen, vacuuming, taking trash out; or, you could divide big jobs like the bathroom and kitchen into subsets and couple those with either vacuuming or trash). Then list all of the tasks that need to be done for each job (clean toilet bowl, wipe rims, mop floor, etc.). Then agree how often each task needs to happen. You may need to compromise. Then create a rotating schedule. If you decide each job needs to happen once a week, it would look like this: Week 1: Person A does Job W, Person B does Job X, Person C does Job Y, and Person D does Job Z; Week 2: Person A does Job X, Person B does Job Y, Person C does Job Z, Person D does Job W; etc. Schedule a meeting at the end of the (four-week?) cycle to assess the system and see if changes are needed. You can agree that every one will clean at the same time (e.g. Saturday morning) while you play music you all like on the sound system, or whatever else will make the business more pleasant. Marco polo 18:11, 19 September 2006 (UTC)
I have a less structured alternative, which worked in my alter-ego's shared house. You need an ally. Get one of your homies to help you clean half of the aparment/apartement (make sure it's the easier half!) and then the two of you can pressurise the other two to do their share. Even if this fails you have half of the aparment/apartement cleaned. The only other thing was emptying the bins, which was one person's responsibility each week. sʟυмɢυм • т • c  20:58, 21 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] child tax credit in the UK

I'm trying to find a stat for the proportion of eligible families in the UK that are claiming child tax credit. All I seem to be able to find is a raw figure of 6 million families who are claiming. Can anyone help? --Dweller 21:44, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

200%?--Light current 01:53, 19 September 2006 (UTC)

Yes, they have had problems with fraudulent claims, lol. But can anyone help me find a reputable (and serious!) percentage? I'm really hitting a brick wall here. --Dweller 08:59, 19 September 2006 (UTC)

Hmm, judging by Lords Hansard text, nobody knew in 2004 and they were supposed to be researching it. It might be worth asking your MP, if you have the time. Unless your MP has some other job, like leader of the opposition or something, you can get surprisingly thorough results. Questions asked and such like. Skittle 12:56, 19 September 2006 (UTC)
Thanks. Is there a link to the Hansard text, or do you have hard copy? --Dweller 13:13, 19 September 2006 (UTC)
Just in case others were interested too, it's at [5]. Skittle 16:00, 19 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Rusty Trombone

What is a rusty trombone? A kid keeps telling me that I give my mom rusty trombones. --216.164.197.231 21:45, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

THe shits? That all I can think of.--Light current 21:52, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
Some kind of oral sex? Howard Train 21:55, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
The Urban Dictionary lists several conflicting definitions, all of which are sexual and obscene. You didn't hear this from me, but one remedy is to get all your friends together and corner him after school and beat him up. ;) Durova 21:58, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
Heh. And if anyone asks questions, just say you thought it was the encyclopedic thing to do. :-) --Allen 02:42, 19 September 2006 (UTC)
*sigh* The things is reveal about myself in the service of others.... here goes.... a rusty trombone is when an individual is "on his or her knees behind a male and performs anilingus while reaching up beneath the testicles or around the body to manually masturbate the standing partner, mimicking the motions of a trombone player."
I presume you do not carry out the aforementioned act on your mother (infact, its highly unlikely your mother has a penis, which makes one wonder whether the kid even knows what the term means him or her self) and this is meant as an insult. Thus you could always rise above it, or alternatively lower yourself to the level of the accuser and respond by telling him or her that their mother is partial to a Cleveland steamer. Rockpocket 04:13, 19 September 2006 (UTC)
If you want an educational film on what this and other terms like it means, I can recommend The Aristocrats. They have a section with Andy Dick explaining obscure, obscene terms, including this one. Oskar 05:19, 19 September 2006 (UTC)
Though, as a disclaimer, we should note that The Aristocrats is probably unsuitable for someone who is of the age to be getting called names by kids. You could watch The Aristocats instead. You probably won't learn much about sexual slang, though i do seem to recall the impressively named "Scat cat" makes an appearance! Rockpocket 08:24, 19 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Car Question

I didn't want to post this here, but Allexperts.com couldn't help.

Got a 2004 Volkswagen Cabriolet that has a problem with its convertible cover. Part of the rear window has separated from the rest of the cover at the seam so that water seeps into the backseat. What's the best method to fix the problem? I've got a hunch that good epoxy would work if there were a way to clamp things while it dries... Suggestions welcome. Durova 22:04, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

Rubber solution? as in bicycle tube repair.--Light current 23:07, 18 September 2006 (UTC)
OR, how about RTV silicone rubber (bath sealant)--Light current 01:13, 19 September 2006 (UTC)
I'm pretty sure bath sealant won't hold up under the types of stresses a convertible car cover experiences. Taking the darn thing to the dealer... Durova 16:45, 19 September 2006 (UTC)
RTV holds up in missile electronics!--Light current 20:56, 20 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] What is insurance touchdown?

Football question: What is the difference between insurance touchdown and 'regular' touchdown?

An "insurance" touchdown is one more touchdown scored by the team in the lead, so that the team which is trailing now have to score twice in order to tie the game. User:Zoe|(talk) 23:37, 18 September 2006 (UTC)