Wikipedia:Reference desk/Miscellaneous

Reference Desk

Science Mathematics Computing/IT Humanities Language Entertainment Miscellaneous Archives
How to ask a question Search first. It's quicker, because you can find the answer in our online encyclopedia instead of waiting for a volunteer to respond. Search Wikipedia using the searchbox. A web search could help too. Common questions about Wikipedia itself, such as how to cite Wikipedia and who owns Wikipedia, are answered in Wikipedia:FAQ.
Sign your question. Type ~~~~ at its end. Be specific. Explain your question in detail if necessary, addressing exactly what you'd like answered. For information that changes from country to country (or from state to state), such as legal, fiscal or institutional matters, please specify the jurisdiction you're interested in. Include both a title and a question. The title (top box) should specify the topic of your question. The complete details should be in the bottom box. Do your own homework. If you need help with a specific part or concept of your homework, feel free to ask, but please don't post entire homework questions and expect us to give you the answers. Be patient. Questions are answered by other users, and a user who can answer may not be reading the page immediately. A complete answer to your question may be developed over a period of up to seven days.	Do not include your e-mail address. Questions aren't normally answered by e-mail. Be aware that the content on Wikipedia is extensively copied to many websites; making your e-mail address public here may make it very public throughout the Internet. Edit your question for more discussion. Click the [edit] link on right side of its header line. Please do not start multiple sections about the same topic. Archived questions If you cannot find your question on the reference desks, please see the Archives. Unanswered questions If you find that your question has been archived before being answered, you may copy your question from the Archives into a new section on the reference desk. Do not request medical or legal advice. Ask a doctor or lawyer instead.
After reading the above, you may ask a new question by clicking here. Your question will be added at the bottom of the page.
How to answer a question Be thorough. Please provide as much of the answer as you are able to. Be concise, not terse. Please write in a clear and easily understood manner. Keep your answer within the scope of the question as stated.	Link to articles which may have further information relevant to the question. Be polite to users, especially ones new to Wikipedia. A little fun is fine, but don't be rude. The reference desk is not a soapbox. Please avoid debating about politics, religion, or other sensitive issues.

September 27

America's Cup

What are the names of all Australian boats who have challenged for the America's cup????

See our article at America's Cup. — Lomn 03:37, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

Pinjarra, Western Australia.

I states in your article that the accepted spelling was "Pinjarrah", however now it is spelt "Pinjarra". Do you know when, why and how this spelling change took place?

Okay dude, third paragraph of the article: "The name was often shown spelt "Pinjarrup" on early maps, while the accepted spelling for many years was "Pinjarrah". There are conflicting theories regarding the meaning of this Aboriginal word and is usually said to mean "place of a swamp", but is more likely named after the Pindjarup tribe, the Aboriginal people that frequented the area." --AstoVidatu 02:50, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

This repeats what the questioner wrote, namely that our article states that the accepted spelling was "Pinjarrah". It does not answer the question: When, how and why was the spelling changed to "Pinjarra"?  --Lambiam^Talk 09:44, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

Famous people on Wikipedia

Let's say there was a Wikipedia user who was famous; famous enough to warrant his own Wikipedia page. Would that user be allowed to add things to his article without verifying them from an independant source? And has this ever happened?

'Famous' Wikipedians happen quite a lot: see Wikipedia:Wikipedians with articles and Category:Notable Wikipedians. Any additions they make still have to be verified, because it's not always possible to prove that the user is actually the same person (and obviously, people are strongly biased about themselves!). See Wikipedia:Autobiography for more on this. Ziggurat 03:03, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

• Just because the Wikipedian is famous doesn't exempt them from the verifiability policy. All info needs to be verifiable from a reliable source. Depending on the type of info, the person themselves may not be the most reliable source to begin with. Wikipedia only reports already published information. If the info on that celeb wasn't published somewhere, it's not suitable for inclusion yet, although it would be easy for them to include in interviews they do. - Mgm|^(talk) 07:45, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

places on earth

how to use wikipedia to locate a place on earth?

You probably wouldn't; you'd use Google Earth instead. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 05:14, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

It depends on what kind of data you have. Are you talking about a name, a vague description, a picture, a clip, coordinates, an IP address?---Sluzzelin 05:45, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

If you know the name of the place, just type it into the search box at the top left of this page and click Go.--Shantavira 08:14, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

cellulites

how glucosamine contributes in removing or reducing cellulites?--82.15.15.128

Did you read glucosamine? It doesn't. --Shantavira 08:19, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

JOBs for fresh undergraduates in Aus or UK?

Want to know about are there jobs opportunities available for fresh undergraduates (without previous experience) in Australia or UK? Specially for Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering vacancies..!! Also for Environmental, Food & Bio Process Engineering minors....

Aren't there any VISA prolems for Asians.... UG from SL

Finding work in the UK is a difficult business if you haven't got a visa that allows you to work. The employer has to be able to demonstrate to the immigration authorities that there is no British citizen able to do the job, before they are allowed to take you on. In practice this is a pretty onerous requirement. And my impression is that there are thousands of people doing engineering courses in the UK, so you may be up against some pretty stiff competition. However, if you're determined, you might be able to find a way. Good luck. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 10:21, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

You would be well advised to consider Scotland as your first UK choice. For some reason Scots graduates and other young professionals see England's streets as being paved with gold, only to find that whilst salaries might be higher there, so are house prices and the cost of living. So Scotland constantly seems to have a shortage of good graduates and other skilled young people. And Scotland, having only one tenth of the UK population but one third of the UK landmass is a much more spread out society with far better scenery etc. And Scotland can lay claim to having a very well established Engineering and Oil-based industrial economy that might serve your ambitions well. And the girls are far better looking too. Me? I am English but have lived here 34 years and wouldn't dream of living anywhere else on Earth, except perhaps San Diego in the US. Have a look at the Scottish Executive homepage and you may find some useful tips there. Best of luck.

BUT also bare in mind that you will now also be competiting with graduates from the extended European Union - people who don't require a workpermit. --Charlesknight 13:36, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

You would probably have an easier time migrating to Australia. The process is different there. You do not need to find a job first, which means that you do not need to find an employer who can demonstrate that they can't find an Australian able to do the job. Instead, you go through the immigration process and, once you are admitted, you look for work. The decision whether to admit a migrant is based on a point system, and you generally must have a skill sought by Australia's immigration authorities. According to this document, both chemical and mechanical engineers are skilled workers suitable for admission to Australia under its skilled worker program. That suggests that jobs are available in these areas, though in both cases, the skills are not listed as skills in shortage in Sydney or a couple of nearby cities in the largest Australian state, New South Wales. My guess is that your best bet for employment, if you are admitted to Australia, might be in the mining sector. You might have to locate in a fairly remote part of Australia. Australians may be less willing to live away from the major cities, and so you might not face too much competition for such a job. Here is the home page of Australia's immigration service [1]. Marco polo 14:34, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

By SL do you mean Sri Lanka? As a member of the Commonwealth, Sri Lankans may be eligible for a working holiday visa in the United Kingdom which allows you certain restricted working privileges. However, the quota of visas for Sri Lanka has been filled for the year I believe (see the British High Commission website). --Canley 15:13, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

Good Samaritan Laws

I am trying to find out how the GSL's were developed. What caused us to develop these laws (a particular case study, perhaps?) and where was the first one enacted? I know the term comes from the Bible, but I need the legal origin of the Good Samaritan Laws. Thanks for any help. `````

The public and legislators were outraged by stories of opportunistic people who were, say, in a car wreck, were pulled out of a burning car by passers by, or were revived by CPR after drowning, then sued the Good Samaritans because they had a neck or back injury, bringing in medical experts to testify that the heplful person caused a sore back or a neck injury which prevents the injured person from working, and will require a lifetime of therapy, so they take the home and bank account of the rescure. As a result of such stories, you could expect people to refuse to become involved when they see someone trapped in a burning car or drowning. Good Samaritan laws sometimes say that you are absolved from lawsuits regarding unjuries caused by performing CPR only if you have current certification in CPR. They are not a license, say, for a passerby to perform kitchen table exploratory surgery on someone who is injured, or to attempt an appendectomey on someone with a tummy ache if they are not medically trained, or to perform a tracheotomy on a choking person because they saw one done on TV. But they often give a trained medical person (Doctor, nurse, emergency medical technician) immunity from lawsuits if they do first aid on an accident victim. The GSLs are a reaction to a few unbelievably greedy and ungrateful people and their ambulance chasing lawyers. But the term is amazingly politically incorrect, an assumption that most Samaritans are bad, the equivalent of distinguishing "The Good Jew" or the "Rightious Gentile" or the "Non-alcoholic Irishman." or the "Non-child molesting Catholic Priest." Samaritans practice an alternative form of Judaism dating back to before the Babylonian exile.Edison 15:04, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

The Sullivan Group has a special article (pdf file!) on this topic. Here's the HTML-version.---Sluzzelin 15:10, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

:-o What a bunch of scumbags! How could they?! It's disgusting. And they found lawyers that were willing to help out?! Man… In what country was this possible? I imagine the courts would throw them out with a bang and tell them a word or two about how you are supposed to interact with other people. —Bromskloss 12:47, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for the info--it answered most of my question. Can anyone tell me which state was first in implementing these laws and was Congress involved at all in giving the states the power to make these laws....Tracy

The first New York Times mention I found searching "Good Samaritan Law" was July 21, 1965, pg. 39: "State to allow addicts dosages; Governor signs a law for maintenance shots in research programs; 'Good Samaritan' law; Nurses given immunity in accident case suits-3 Rockefeller vetos," by John Sibley. It said the new law would "give immunity to registered and practical nurses who give emergency treatment to accident victims." It said a similar law had been passed the year before for physicians, but I did not find a story on that. They could now be sued in personal injury and death cases only when it can be proved they were guilty of "gross negligence." A different GSL was passed in California which reimbursed citizens who "got hurt while attempting to prevent crime." NY Times, July 22, 1965, pg. 63, "Good Samaritan law signed." A NY Times article March 25, 1984, pg CN26, "Strengthening Samaritan Laws," said Connecticut had a Samaritan law on the books since 1963. Edison 15:27, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

Found "Jersey 'Samaritan' act signed," NY Times, April 14, 1963, pg31. It protected physicians and nurses who help at accidents.Edison 15:40, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

Iago

Is there any textual evidence to support that Iago is a psychopath? 213.122.11.68 16:42, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

Please do your own homework.

Welcome to the Wikipedia Reference Desk. Your question appears to be a homework question. I apologize if this is a misinterpretation, but it is our aim here not to do people's homework for them, but to merely aid them in doing it themselves. Letting someone else do your homework does not help you learn nearly as much as doing it yourself. Please attempt to solve the problem or answer the question yourself first. If you need help with a specific part of your homework, feel free to tell us where you are stuck and ask for help. If you need help grasping the concept of a problem, by all means let us know. Thank you. Rockpocket 16:55, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

If this is a question asked by a teacher, I would politely suggest to them that mixing Shakespearean literature and modern day psychopathology will contribute more confusion to a student's brain than can be justified by any possible upside.

That said, teachers do not like to be told this sort of thing. So do a little reading about what the primary 'symptoms' of psychopathy are (usually lack of remorse, icy cold manipulation of other people, and a chronic history of violence), and ask yourself whether Iago fits the bill. I would also recommend looking for any redeeming characteristics of Iago -- does he ever say or do anything that is kindly and humane? Or at least wise? Psychopaths usually commit their atrocities without much wisdom -- i.e. they don't go to great lengths to avoid capture.

Ultimately though, villians tend to be completely unrealistic caricatures of the 'bad human being', whose motives, upon close examination, could and would never arise in an actual human being. Being fairly familar with Shakespeare, I would view any of his characters as mere plot devices. That's right, I take a pretty dim view of The Bard's sense of realism. Anyway, it's rather fruitless to apply the DSM-IV to a cog in a machine designed to line Mr. Shakespeare's pockets. Chris 21:05, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

Companies based in Africa.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am looking for a list of companies based in the different countries in Africa.

I would be grateful if anyone could let me know how I would source such a list.

Thanking you in advance.

. . ... how many countries are there in Africa? How many companies are there going to be based in each and every one of them? I don't mean to be rude, but your request is certainly beyond the scope of this desk to try to put such a list together. Your best bet would probably be to contact the authorities in a selection of countries. You could also make life a lot easier by narrowing down the companies to specific fields, or economic sectors. --Mnemeson 22:01, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

Mnem, he's not asking us to make such a list, but to point him to one. Economy of Africa might help. DirkvdM 06:09, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Wow, that's a ridiculous goal, and one that's virtually impossible. This is probably harder than producing a list of all the persons living in the different countries of Africa. It's not possible to easily produce a list of all the companies in one city in the most developed countries; I can't see it being even close to feasible for an entire continent, particularly one with a reputation for poor record-keeping and high corruption.

That being said, you can make a list of many of the larger ones by looking at the stock exchanges. We have an article on the African Stock Exchanges Association that lists a number of more prominent African stock exchanges; from there, you can find more information, for instance our page listing the Companies traded on the JSE (Johnannesburg Stock Exchange, the largest in the continent). Even still, for many of the other stock exchanges, you'll need to Google their official site -- and you're still going to only be listing a very few of the largest companies in each country. --ByeByeBaby 06:18, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Juggling Equipment

I am interesting in learning to juggle well, but all I have to juggle are baseballs. Currently, I can juggle 3 or 4 balls, and cannot do pins, but would like to. Where can I buy better balls for juggling, as well as pins, and possibly other stuff if it looks interesting? --216.164.197.222 21:34, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

I always used to buy stuff from the Flying Apparatus Catalog, which had some association with Klutz Press. That was actually where a lot of the jugglers I knew bought stuff. But amazingly, I can't find a website for them. Maybe they're defunct, or maybe they just don't have a website. A Google search will turn up some phone numbers and mailing addresses, though. (There are, of course, plenty of places to get juggling equipment; this is just the one I know about.) --Allen 21:47, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

I second the above, Klutz used to be the one to go to for juggling equipment. Since I got all my stuff I haven't really had a need to buy more though and they've stopped sending me catalogs after I moved years ago. From the looks of their web site, they've gotten away from the juggling and now concentrate on kids games and such. Dismas|^(talk) 22:09, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

Since Klutz no longer sells juggling equipment, where else could I get it? I don't know of any place that sells this kind of thing. --216.164.197.222 22:41, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

Try a Google search on "juggling pins". That turns up some options, like Dube and Juggling Store. Can't vouch for them, though. --Allen 23:14, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

• Some online magic stores also sell juggling equipment. - Mgm|^(talk) 08:12, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Tanning bed masturbation

If a man jacked off in a tanning bed could a girl who got in the tanning bed next get pregnant? They clean the beds with lucasol, and if you got it on the top of the tanning bed could it drip into the vagina and get some one pregnant, Please help me I am worried.

Since things do not drip upwards - no. --Charlesknight 21:56, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

What if the guy had blown his wad up onto the 'ceiling' of the bed? Hmmmm. Dunno, I guess it could be *possible*... --Kurt Shaped Box 22:03, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit conflict] Well, if both people were lying face up, it might be possible, but I think chances would be astronomically small. The semen would have to be in just the right spot, not drip down for a while, get missed by the person cleaning the tanning bed (and how would you miss that?)... and then finally, semen deposited outside the vagina rarely results in pregnancy (though I can't find good details on this on Wikipedia). And then of course the woman would have to be at the right time in her menstrual cycle. --Allen 22:08, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

I can't help but wonder whether the OP is a guy who jerked off whilst using a sunbed, or a girl who just had some spunk drip down onto her from the lid of a sunbed... --Kurt Shaped Box 22:12, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

Pregnancy is highly unlikely considering that sperm cannot survive for very long in the open, not to mention under intense UV rays. Jamesino 22:29, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

a) men do not go to tanning booths

b) men if they did go, would not 'jack off' there

c) I assume the beds are wiped between customers.

d) How could semen levitate itself it a womans vagina from the bed

e) The prospect of pregnancy even from direct insemeination is quite low

So, in conclusion, I would say the probability is the same as winning the lottery: almost zero!--Light current 22:39, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

I sometimes use tanning beds. I've never 'jacked off' when I'm in there though. --Kurt Shaped Box 22:44, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

I beleive they charge you extra for that privilige! --Light current 22:47, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

I have been tempted to ask the cute, blonde Slovakian chick who works at the desk if she does 'extras' and would like to join me on the bed. Funnily enough, there is actually a brothel upstairs in the same building... --Kurt Shaped Box 22:49, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

So, did she tan your hide after wards?--Light current 22:52, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

I wish! ;) --Kurt Shaped Box 00:53, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Tanning beds are rather small. Hezbollah 00:41, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Semen does not remain in a state that allows dripping for a very long time (usually less than a minute). Any residue remaining after a few minutes would be crusted on.  freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ  01:49, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Is this your own original research, or do you have a ref? 8-)

Reckon that I could get a research grant for this? ;) --Kurt Shaped Box 01:56, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Probably not! The granting body would probably conclude that you were just a wanker! 8-)--Light current 02:02, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

It's not such a far-fetched idea. A few years ago, I remember that someone got a research grant from the UK government to investigate whether items of food, when dropped on the ground contained more bacteria than they had before they were dropped on the ground. I forget the figure - but it sounded stupidly high and quite a few people in the media were spouting off about it... --Kurt Shaped Box 02:07, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

The question reminds me of one of Tom Waits' intros on Big Time: "A lot of people come up to me and they say, 'Tom, is it possible for a woman to get pregnant without intercourse?' And eh my answer is always the same. I say, 'Well, listen. We’re gonna have to go all the way back to the Civil War.' Apparently, a stray bullet actually pierced the testicle of a Union soldier, and then lodged itself in the ovaries of an eighteen year old girl, who was actually a hundred feet from him at the time. Well, the baby was fine." It seems to be a quite popular myth attempting to explain the etymology of the term 'son of a gun'---Sluzzelin 06:57, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

• Call me crazy, but If I had shot a wad in such a public place, I'd be cleaning up before the cleaning ladies came in... - Mgm|^(talk) 08:09, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Men wouldn't go to or masturbate in a tanning booth? I find that odd, I'm a man who masturbates in tanning booths. Though they always clean the booths in between customers. Even if they were to forget, sperm doesn't live for very long. You'd really only have to worry if it was quite direct. I remember one time when I was in high school I had been masturbating in class(as I can do it without using my hands, or being noticed), but I didn't realise that my jeans had a hole there, and I ejaculated onto the seat right before class ended, and the girl who most often used that seat in the following class wore a short skirt and no underwear. She noticed upon sitting down, naturally, but didn't want to mention something of that nature in the middle of class. She simply approached me about it later. However, she never got pregnant. We weren't even worried actually. Sperm can't really swim upwards.

Cremated Einstein

If Albert Einstein was cremated, how did scientists recover and examine his brain? Jamesino 22:27, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

They took it out before they put him in the oven? --Kurt Shaped Box 22:32, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

Its relatively simple. They went back in time and removed it before he was cremated 8-)--Light current 22:34, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

So, did they Save Hitler's Brain or not? --Kurt Shaped Box 22:35, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

after albert died, people were so fascinated by his brain they took it out to have a look at it, to begin with it it seemed like any other brain - grey,wrinkly and about average size, but in 1996 scientest decided that one part of it was actually a bit bigger than normal, but the way Albert used it to solve the mysteries of the Universe was as mysterious as ever--RedStaR 22:44, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

Hitler had a brain? Clarityfiend 22:38, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, they put it in a jar, kept it alive and took it to Argentina. It secretly controls the world using powerful computers. --Kurt Shaped Box 22:42, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

That would explain so many things... Clarityfiend 03:29, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Why do responses become off-topic so quickly? Jamesino 22:40, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

Because some people like to be orthogonal--Light current 22:53, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

Geez, what a bunch of squares.....

Geez, you coulda just done a search for "Einstein's brain" and come up with 7,800,200 hits. There's even Albert Einstein's brain. Clarityfiend 01:08, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Or cubes, or hypercubes etc!--Light current 01:18, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Whatever they are, they're right.

Hehe. "Easy, children. Calm down! There's enough dimensions for everyone!" :-) —Bromskloss 12:33, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

• If you want a reliable answer to the question, you'd first need proof he was cremated and that his brain was removed. I didn't check the article. But either could be an urban myth. Did you check snopes.com? = Mgm|^(talk) 08:05, 28 September 2006 (UTC)
  • Or you could read a referenced, featured article on Wikipidia: Albert Einstein. Rmhermen 19:10, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Hey! Pay attention! We have a whole article devoted exclusively to Albert Einstein's brain. Sheesh. Clarityfiend 22:57, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Rugby Warm-up

Which prominent rugby nation who wears balck uniforms have a warm-up ritual consisting of shouting, screaming and at the end, slapping their own forearms? Jamesino 22:45, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

Crab people ? --RedStaR 22:49, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

The All Blacks (New Zealand?)--Light current 22:50, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

(edit con) The all blacks, the screaming and slapping is the Haka (specifically Ka Mate), a traditional maori war dance. Philc _T^E_C^I 22:53, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

It's based on the macarena.  sʟυмɢυм • т • c  23:36, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

Samoa, Fiji and Tonga also have a war dance. These a bit of information here:[[2]] --Auximines 19:49, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Shortest

Whats the shortest time between a question being asked on the ref desks and it being answered properly?

The questions are never answered 'properly'. --Zeizmic 22:58, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

OK pseudo properly!--Light current 01:40, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

A few seconds for a simple question like this :) Well.. if I had seen this the moment it was posted maybe --froth^{T C} 03:28, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Sometimes a question is answered even before it is posed.  --Lambiam^Talk 04:33, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Yeh but thats because people are asking the question after it has been answered leading to apparent ngative time sequence 8-)--Light current 11:50, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Canadian Pizza

What is the best pizza in London, Ontario, Canada? Mario's used to be on Carling street and had the best pizza. You could order a large deluxe pizza or specify your toppings. Mario's closed down and I cannot find a pizza as good anywhere in London. Where did the Mario's cooks go? How can I find a basic deluxe pizza that is served with oil sizzling on the top?

Thats not oil sizzling, its fat (from the cheese) Happy heart attack!--Light current 01:42, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

I recommend you re-ask this question on the Chowhound message boards; it's a group of people devoted to great eating, whether it be the best sushi, the hottest foodie hangout or, as you want, a place to get greasy pizza. Specifically, check on the Ontario board. --ByeByeBaby 03:31, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

You could track down the large number of Londoners here (like me!) and ask them - although personally I prefer big heartless chain stores like Pizza Pizza, so I am no help here (but try asking User:Hamster Sandwich or User:Barry Wells, they are much more hip than me). Adam Bishop 16:33, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

September 28

Editing pages

If i edit a page in wikipeidiea does it change instantly or does it have to be checked by an admin or somthing like that ?

Instantly. 69.198.235.234 00:09, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Actually it doesnt change instantly, proof?, edit an article then you should see your change visbale after you save it, now lets try deleting cookies, temp internet files and cache, now open that article once more...SURPRISE ! --RedStaR 00:19, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

What are you talking about?  --Lambiam^Talk 04:27, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

• If anything, deleting all those files should give you the most recent version of an article. Maybe someone undid the changes you made? Try Wikipedia:Tutorial and see if they meet the basic requirements. -- Mgm|^(talk) 08:02, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Rjindael specification

Can someone find the AES technical specification and link it? I've seen a few PDFs but they're too abstract to implement --froth^{T C} 00:54, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Well, the spec is also a PDF; I hope it's not too abstract: FIPS 197, Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). And there are various open-source implementations you can look at if you're stuck with something.  --Lambiam^Talk 04:25, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

What would a building designed by birds look like?

Any ideas? Birds have a completely different spacial awareness to us. I mean, like in every room, the walls and ceilings could be used as useful space to a sentient flying creature. If you look at parrots now, they don't mind climbing up and hanging upside down at all. Could have a skyscraper with an entrance to each floor on each floor too. Has anyone ever tried to think like a bird and drawn up any stuff?

+---+
!Ω Ω!
!   !
!Ω Ω!
+-=-+

--froth^{T C} 01:12, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

I have no doubt that the people on Planet of the Birds are asking the very same question about us. Яussiaп F 01:23, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

For some reason, the image just popped into my head of hen birds flying to work, having left their eggs at 'daycare incubator facilities'. Rows and rows of eggs stacked floor-to-ceiling in their own individual temperature-regulated compartments, being monitored by machines and turned every so often - in a huge warehouse-type building, a similar size to the one in the final scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark. --Kurt Shaped Box 01:29, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

I doubt they would have external entrances to each room. Birds advanced enough to make skyscrapers would most certainly have a complex social structure equal to our own, and I imagine concepts such as "lobbies" and "reception desks" would be part of their culture as well. I can imagine a multi-tier system of building construction, one in which tall buildings are constructed in segments, each relatively independant of its neighbouring parts. One must also consider air and wind-tunnel management, which I imagine is an integral part of bird transportation planning.  freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ  01:46, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Why in god's name would birds want create skyscrapers? Birds and glass are not exactly the best of friends. Chris 03:23, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

For some reason when I read that description, the image just popped into my head of a Brave New World-esque incubation line in which eggs as they slowly go down the conveyer belt are heated and cooled to get used to different environments, dropped and caught so they fly at an earlier age, and bathed in radiation to make sure that the lower birds (pigeons for example) aren't smart enough to throw off the eagle government --froth^{T C} 03:27, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

For the masters of this brave new avian world, I'd look towards the parrots or the corvids. They already have a huge head-start in terms of intelligence on other species. It's often the case that the pet/owner dynamic is completely reversed with captive birds from these two families - i.e. the bird trains the owner to behave how it wants the owner to behave. I used to have a lovebird - even a little bird like that managed to have me wrapped around her little finger (claw?). Screech? I'd pay her attention. Chew my books and magazines? I'd pay her attention. Bite me when she was on my shoulder? That was a sign she was tired and wanted me to put her back into her cage to take a nap. Rear up and hiss at me? I'd go away and leave her alone. Pull a funny face and cock her head when I was eating? She wanted to try some of whatever I was having. --Kurt Shaped Box 12:51, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

I would definitely see a doctor about this bird fixation you seem to have. Youre not related to Alfred Hitchcock are you?--Light current 01:48, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Imagine bird furniture shaped like human fingers, and skyscrapers with only a handicapped elevator, and a hole in the wall on each floor for everyone else.Edison 05:17, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

• The question is moot. Without fingers it's nearly impossible to design a building. Birds can't physically draw it on paper or draw it on a computer. _ Mgm|^(talk) 07:59, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Never seen the manual dexterity displayed by most species of parrot? Their feet can be used like hands (with two opposable 'thumbs'). A macaw could certainly hold a pen - and I don't suppose that there's any physical reason why it couldn't write/draw if it had the inclination/intellect to do so. --Kurt Shaped Box 11:41, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Sorry to spoil the fun by stating the obvious, but see nest.--Shantavira 08:02, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

If ever there were a funny vandalism for BJAODN it would be changing nest into an article about a bird city --froth^{T C} 16:27, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

That sounds like quite an uncyclopedic behaviour... 惑乱 分からん 19:23, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Ironic since this is today's featured article --froth^{T C} 19:06, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Actors and actresses 1990

How many actors and actresses who were born in 1990 are American? (P.S.: Can give me a list of actors and actresses? Please.)

Actors and actresses 1990 2

How may actors and actresses who were born in 1990 are Canadians?

Many people believe they are actors but are not, many people work as actors but don't believe themselves to be, and there are thousands if not millions of people working as actors that have not become well-known enough to get any recognition from their work. This question is unanswerable.  freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ  01:39, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

IMDb has all the people that have entries there listed by date of birth as well as by birth year (or at least they used to). You could go through those lists and count them, though I don't envy the task. Dismas|^(talk) 02:11, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

853 American male, 788 American female; 118 Canadian male, 124 female Chris 03:25, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Chris, how can you know the exact number?

Aaren't Canadians American? Or did yo mean USian? DirkvdM 06:18, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Good point! Upon closer examination, it turns out that Canada and US&A are, in fact, different provinces of the same country. Wow! you learn something new every day! I believe US&A is colloquially referred to as 'the ghetto of Canada', the slum section. Chris 11:13, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

I actually once met a Canadian who got really pissed of when I said somthing like that because he didn't get the pun and interpreted 'America' as the USA. He even thought that man people in the world regard Canada as one of the United States. Oh, and I like the term US&A. The way the US regard and treat their 'backyard' that would indeed be appropriate. DirkvdM 06:00, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Music Artist

Yesterday I heard this name on the radio, and I think I have heard it before, but I'm not sure what group he is from- the name is "Archie Rein". If anyone knows I'd appreciate it. Thanks. :)

Im going to regret asking this

Why are birds (especially seabirds) such a popular topic on WP ref desks?--Light current 02:00, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Lots of bird spotters? But then we'd have a lot of questions about trains as well...Ziggurat 03:12, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

We may even get a camel spotter to stop in. Dismas|^(talk) 03:22, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

How about Cameleopard spotters? Can a Cameleopard change its spots?Edison 05:19, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

What can I say, It's just a lot easier for editors to wing it when we're talking about birds. --AstoVidatu 03:15, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

And it's all smoke and mirrors when it comes to the topic of the speed of light --froth^{T C} 03:22, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

I thinks it's cos we is so gullible. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 03:39, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

User:Kurt Shaped Box started it. Don't worry, he's on the wikihit list. (Don't tell him about it, because he could edit his name out.) — X [Mac Davis] (SUPERDESK|Help me improve)05:55, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

We are training the 'Killer Attack Gulls' as we speak... --Zeizmic 19:12, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Yes, Kurt actually has a seagull hobby/habit. Then, after he posted many questions about them, others started asking sea bird questions as a joke. StuRat 20:07, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Well can anyone think if a funnier animal to talk about like a Orang Utan for instance--Light current 22:16, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Can seagulls whistle? Can one train a seagull to whistle through his pecker?

music

looking for some misogynist, objectifying music of the style of Benny Benassi (e.g. Satisfaction, Who's your daddy) any suggestions? Jasbutal 02:45, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Elvis's A Little Less Conversation maybe? "Close your mouth and open up your heart and baby satisfy me" Ziggurat 03:04, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

"Lemon Song" by Led Zeppelin maybe? "Squeeze me baby, till the juice runs down my leg, / The way you squeeze my lemon, / I..Im gonna fall right out of bed, yeah." Dismas|^(talk) 03:10, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

sorry, I should have said by style I meant that freaky electronica beat he's got. I love it, and the themes of the songs are just added bonuses. Jasbutal 03:31, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Maybe there's a remix of Shel Silverstein's old chestnut 'Put Another Log On The Fire' somewhere out there.---Sluzzelin 09:14, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Call me a romantic, but good old objectification is good in itself. I don't need any misogynism involved... @_@ 惑乱 分からん 10:04, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

they come hand in hand according to some. but whichever, Ineed more of that good beat! Jasbutal 13:01, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Benny Benassi's stuff is basically hard style for the masses. I'm not sure if "hard style booty" is considered a genre yet, so check out related genres like booty house and acid booty. Ishkur's guide  freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ  06:04, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

How about checking here? It's quite good at expanding on a music style. 82.2.147.190 23:52, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

music 2

If anyone sees a feminist rant of disgust to the music video for Benny Benassi's video for "Who's Your Daddy" http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3418263437173679038&q=who%27s+your+daddy or for other such videos, please post a link! Jasbutal 04:05, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Music 3

What's the theme to the music video for "Steady as She Goes"?

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8894686947364844168&q=steady+as+she+goes

is it the deceptive, hollow big-business (ostensibly society as a whole) imposing itself on some form of innocence? (better add a disclaimer, this ain't hw) Jasbutal 04:05, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

The guy is just looking for a girl man. Don't think so hard. — X [Mac Davis] (SUPERDESK|Help me improve)05:00, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

False. These music videos are made by highly-skilled and well-paid artistic directors and have aesthetic value that is meant to be coupled with the lyrics. Jasbutal 05:22, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

I thought the idea was that the video should have no connection with the lyrics, so that it looks as though the lyrics had some deeper hidden meaning when in fact they are completely vacuous.--Shantavira 08:15, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

ok fine, let's take your assumption as correct. What do you think is the meaning of the video? Or do you think it is just vice versa and the video is equally vacuous? Jasbutal 12:59, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

I didn't see the video you posted (two were made for the song), but I saw the one on MTV in which the band members are playing the song while in a soap box derby. Tell me the poetic genius behind that. — X [Mac Davis] (SUPERDESK|Help me improve)01:26, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Speaking of seabirds...

There were some birds I noticed when I was in the Navy off the Pacific coast of Panama. Their basic body type was similar to a seagull but much larger - about the size of a U.S. pelican. They had a distinctive blue ring on the skin surrounding their eyes and ate a lot of flying fish. I seem to recall most of their plumage was gray. Haven't been able to identify them through Audubon guides in the States. Anyone know what these are? Durova 09:35, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

No idea whether this is it, but the Anhinga looks like it has blue rings around its eyes on this picture, it belongs to the order Pelecaniformes, and it can be seen in Panama.---Sluzzelin 10:22, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

This species didn't have to dry out its wings after it landed. They rode the air currents of our ship hundreds of miles out at sea. The body shape really resembled a seagull. I mentioned pelicans only to give an idea of how much larger than seagulls they are. Thanks for the guess. We'll keep trying. Durova 15:27, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

• Albatros? *sigh* I know the jokes are gonna storm on in(hotclaws**== 21:30, 28 September 2006 (UTC))

Yup, I'd say some type of albatross too. --Kurt Shaped Box 21:57, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

That seems about right. I read through all the species and can't figure out which one. Durova 22:48, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Okay, got a look at another image and I think we have a winner: the Short-tailed Albatross. And to think the things were nearly extinct 50 years ago... :) Durova 06:43, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

The Deletion of Good Burger 2

Why are you all deleting the article about Good Burger 2?

Wikipedia articles need evidence. There's no evidence for this film, so the article should be deleted. If you don't want it deleted, provide evidence. Middenface 13:37, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

That could be a link to an imdb page saying it is definitely in production, or a press release from the company, or something like that. Skittle 13:39, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Found this on imdb but I'm not registered so I can't read it --froth^{T C} 16:34, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

I checked it out. The fans there were rejoicing because they saw the sequel "confirmed" by Wikipedia! IMDB does not have anything official for GB2. Clarityfiend 18:36, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Heh, sorry :) --froth^{T C} 19:07, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Manuel Mijares

In the 1980s, 1990s and the 2000s, do you remember when Manuel Mijares sang Soldado del Amor(The Love Soldier), Para Amarnos Mas(Loving Each Other More) and Con un Nudo en la Garganta(With a Frog in the Throat)? Do you also remember the telenovela titled Rebeca (telenovela)(Rebecca) when he sang the theme song to the telenovela?

No -- SGBailey 23:33, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

sati

write a few lines on the inhuman custom of sati.

• No thanks. It's your homework, not mine. --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 15:34, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Why dont you look at the link and write your own lines? Anyway, who said it was inhuman? Seems very human to me--Light current 15:38, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

I assume he's a student of a very orthodox institution.  freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ  05:57, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Sati refers to :

• mindfulness (not inhuman)
• Sati (practice), the immolation of a widow on her husband's pyre. It's human as men do it, and inhuman as other men wish they wouldn't (me too). Shall that practice disappear together with war, bullfight, rape, lies, &c. ? Circus games and slavery slowly belong to the past. Men are too human to be too wise (any smiley conveying a Buddha mind ?) -- DLL ^{.. T} 20:34, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

I think the questioner meant to say inhumane ?--Light current 20:57, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

thinkpad microphone

I was trying to record the music out of Fl0w with Audacity and apparently I had it set up to mix the wav output with the mic input because halfway though the track someone knocked on my door and the audio spiked.. excited, I closed audacity and opened windows sound recorder. It turns out that somewhere on my laptop I've got a very high quality microphone that perfectly picks up my voice (audio sample) even if I'm sitting up in comforable laptop-using position. Does anyone else have a t60 thinkpad or know where the microphone is on this thing? --froth^{T C} 17:27, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

I have another ThinkPad, and it's in between the speakers on the top, right below the display screen. There isn't much to see, just two small slits. StuRat 19:53, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

I have two slits next to the Fn key could that be it? --froth^{T C} 01:37, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Could be. Put your thumb over it and try to record something, to see if it sounds muffled. That should tell you if it is. StuRat 16:31, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

It's not muffled at all. Also wherever the sound is coming from (except directly below and behind) it sounds the same --froth^{T C} 02:48, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

supermans heat vision

i recently read and saw some comics and episodes of smallville where supermans heat vision can have a concussive effect and knock people backwards is this part of the cannon because i thought they acted like lasers and could just heat or cut things? fred

If I had a cannon, it would definitely have a concussive effect. Not sure about canon though. Clarityfiend 18:40, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Pachelbel's Canon has knocked out a multitude of people.

It's fictional, they can write it into the script so that the heat vision sprouts flowers if they want. The comic book canon is very different from the television show canon. As another example, in the X-Men comic books, Storm's eyes are blue, in the movies they're brown. Anything can be changed, it all depends on how much the fans will warm up (pun intended) to the new idea. The article on canon should help. Dismas|^(talk) 17:13, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

See steam explosion --Serie 20:54, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Test Card F

Is it just me, or did the BBC Test Card F scare the hell out of anyone else? That clown was creepy... Benbread 17:52, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Have you been watching too much Life on Mars? DJ Clayworth 18:12, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Suprisingly no - I'm just remembering back to my younger years, maybe that card takes me back to the nostaligic time of getting up early to watch Ceefax before real TV started. Benbread 18:32, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

DJ, You might want to fix that link, as it doesn't quite lead to where you want it to  :-). However, I do want to thank you for that connection, and also Benbread for the question - I watched LoM on BBC-America, but didn't realize that the young girl and clown were anything more than a young girl and a clown. --LarryMac 19:55, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Ah yes. Done. DJ Clayworth 18:08, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Wikipedia Copyright

Hey, I just need to clear something up; can anyone copy an article or parts of an article from wikipedia, as long as they give wikipedia credit for the information? Musli Miester 21:24, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Only if you comply with the GFDL. It offers a number of freedoms, but it does have specific requirements. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 23:34, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Trivia Subpage

Hello, I have just added a subpage about trivia at User:Reywas92/Trivia. Please take a look at it and fix any errors I made in it or delete any non-factual info. If you have time, please link ([[ ]]) a few lines of it as it is too long to do all myself. Thank you very much, Reywas92^Talk 21:46, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Sheesh, make your own research. I barely skimmed through all that, so I just say that I'm skeptical about the "hula hoop illegal in Finland" claim. 惑乱 分からん 22:10, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

I took a look through it. There are several that are just not true. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 13:23, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

I never said to read it all, just take a quick look. Which aren't true? Reywas92^Talk 19:13, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

The origin of the name Jeep is disputed. John Sedgwick could use another brack... Clarityfiend 23:59, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

"Amish men grow men after they get married" ? Well, if they have sons I suppose they do. :-) StuRat 06:01, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

I've done a few see the differences. Most of those could be checked on Wikipedia. The bridge one may have a earlier date of 1831 in Manchester, England. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 08:38, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

Added a bracket to Sedgewick, Amish men grow men corrected to beards. What does tin-foil hat have to do with the owl on a dollar bill? Thanks CambridgeBayWeather!! Reywas92^Talk 14:58, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

The foil hat was in reference to all the other so called Freemasonry symbols that are on the other bill. In other words if you believe all that stuff you probably watch out for the Black helicopters and wear your foil hat. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 08:23, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

The Jeep item is most certainly wrong. The term "jeep" had been in use years before the vehicle was even conceived. Dismas|^(talk) 09:08, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

The term was in use before the US Army had a General Purpose vehicle ? When was this and what did it mean then ? StuRat 18:01, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

I started itemising some of the errors and nonsense on this page, but I've given up. Carry on if it makes you happy, but please don't impose that worthless tripe on us. ColinFine 23:08, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

CNN

I don't have cable (or any television for that matter) so I don't know the answer to this question: Would you say that CNN is more liberal-slanted or conservative slanted? Thanks Duomillia 22:49, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

It seems neutral to me. StuRat 23:28, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

It seems horribly slanted in either direction, depending on the mood at the time and which point of view they think will get the larger reaction. It seems to side with the administration more often than not though, and generally sensationalizes everything like crazy, as with the other news channels. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 23:31, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

It still seems a lot better than Fox News, though. Many major news companies are sensationalist, without necessarily showing a bias in their sensationalism... 惑乱 分からん 00:00, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

It's slanted toward selling viewers eyeballs to advertisers. Everything else is secondary. --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 00:17, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

CNN is more biased towards the HeadOn party. Pacific Coast Highway ^{{blah • Spinach crisis '06! • WP:NYCS}} 01:16, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Apply directly to the forehead! --Maxamegalon2000 01:27, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

CNN headline news is of course neutral, but the talk show hosts seem to mostly be liberal --froth^{T C} 01:38, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Netural is a relative term. The way in which they sensationalize stories, elaborate on only specific ones, etc. is all subject to bias. Honestly, I can't stand TV news, especially that from America. Go go internet. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 05:43, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Jon Stewart has a very interesting take on CNN, and it's quite true too. He calls CNN the network of fear mongering.

Some liberals see some correspondents as very deferential toward and fawning over the Bush administration. Other correspondents freely criticize the same administration. CNN is probably less liberal than Salon or Air America Radio and more liberal than Fox. Edison 06:10, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Adolf Hitler is more liberal than Fox. User:Zoe|(talk) 22:45, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Which CNN? CNN domestic (i.e. the original United States version]] has the same liberal bias as the rest of the MSM. But CNN International is so far off the charts they make CNN domestic look like it's run by Donald Rumsfeld. --Aaron 22:51, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

CNN, like all American media, is more conservative than almost any anywhere else in the western world, Fox being nothing but the radical right's PR organisation. As a rule they are quite sensationalist, but whilst some commentators like Anderson Cooper seem fairly moderate, others, like Nancy Grace seem to be lost looking for the Fox lobby. --Mnemeson 23:05, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

This partly reflects (and to some extent causes) the terms of political debate in the United States are skewed way to the right of what they are in the rest of the western world (to generalize greatly). Bill Clinton, on many issues, would be in the mainstream of conservative opinion in much of Europe. --Robert Merkel 02:06, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

As to CNN domestic (and 24-hour cable news more generally), there are plenty of criticisms of it that don't relate to its political slant. There's Missing white woman syndrome, for instance, and its "video game" coverage of wars. I happened to be in the United States as the Israelis prepared to attack Hezbollah, and CNN's promotional spots for its coverage were more like that of an ad for Top Gun 2 than sober, sensible coverage of a war where people not unlike you and I were going to die in large numbers. --Robert Merkel

American football: no defensive forward passes?

Our articles Forward pass and Lateral pass claim that if the defense gains possession of the football, they may not make a forward pass. What's the theoretical justification for this rule? And (this borders on an editorial concern, but I'll ask it here anyway) do we have a reference? Melchoir 23:41, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

Well the defense would not have any eligible receivers for one. Plus where would the line of scrimmage be that the new quarterback could not cross? Nowimnthing 00:22, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Er... why wouldn't there be eligible receivers? As for the line of scrimmage, you could always use the old one, or even the spot of the turnover. Melchoir 00:28, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

And what would happen if the defensive forward pass was incomplete? --Maxamegalon2000 01:35, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Oh! I don't know, the return team gets the ball back at the spot of the turnover? Melchoir 01:47, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

When football branched off from rugby, no forward passing was allowed. The forward pass was introduced in the first decade of the 1900s to open up the game. They didn't want to change the fundamentals of the game, so the forward pass was only allowed once per play and behind the line of scrimmage. (Originally, there were other restrictions as well.) It's not so much that defensive players were disallowed from passing but rather than only the offense was allowed to do so. -- Mwalcoff 02:52, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

In the history of the sport, didn't some coaches find there was no specific rule against the forward pass, use it to win a lot of games, then see it outlawed when the conference rule makers got together after the season, then see it re-legalized later because it made the game more exciting? What other plays did this happen for?Edison 06:13, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

See, my mentality -- and this comes from a queer mix of math, physics, and game design -- is that when something isn't disallowed, that means it's allowed. A lot of fun in football comes from plays that defy common sense: fake punts and field goals, running backs throwing touchdown passes, blocked extra points being returned for two points. You could easily have rules that say that fourth down is special, that only the quarterback can throw, that only the offense can go for two after a touchdown; but those rules would make the game less rich. Melchoir 17:48, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

If no passes are allowed, then why are they always slapping each other on the butt ? :-) StuRat 16:25, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

No forward passes. DJ Clayworth 18:05, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Well, most people would consider a slap on the butt to be a rather forward pass, wouldn't they ? :-) StuRat 19:43, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Ah, but most people would also consider it offensive. Melchoir 20:47, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Yes, but others would admire a nice tight end. :-) StuRat 22:31, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Although some might prefer a wide receiver.  :) User:Zoe|(talk) 22:47, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

I guess that would only be if the tight end can rack up the yardage and score often. —Mike 22:50, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

September 29

Lewis Paine's Assassination Reward

I need to Know how much Lewis Payne was wanted for being an accomplice to John Wilkes Both in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, as in the reward money you would receive for finding. I need nothing but that fact and I'd appreciate it if someone in this big blue planet could give me finally the answer.

Did You Know ... that the accomplice of Kennedy's assassination valuated Exactly the same sum as Lincoln's's ? :( -- DLL ^{.. T} 20:22, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

So I swallowed gum

It happened by accident. Am I completely screwed, or am I overreacting? Pacific Coast Highway ^{{blah • Spinach crisis '06! • WP:NYCS}} 01:18, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

How are you reacting? According to the chewing gum article, it isn't serious. Incidentally I swallowed gum by accident when I was about 10; nothing happened (I believe ;D) Yesitsapril

How old are you now?  --Lambiam^Talk 03:20, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

15. Pacific Coast Highway ^{{blah • Spinach crisis '06! • WP:NYCS}} 03:28, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

It'll be sitting in your stomach for 7 years --froth^{T C} 01:36, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Ive swallowed gum regularly for the last 17 years, Im still alive so far. Joneleth 04:40, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

OMG I've swallowed so much gum; I hope and believe it hasn't affected me negatively. Anchoress 04:45, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

I swallowed gum, and 50 years later got appendicitis. Not claiming a correlation.Edison 06:15, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

As a reformed gum-swallower I can guarantee it's harmless. Otherwise I would have been buried in a pink bubble when I was thirteen years old. Durova 06:25, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Anchoress, do you have a spring in your step? Seriously I seem to recall that gum is one of the things that can build up in one's appendix and arguably it's better for you than a lot of things that could lodge there instead. No cite, sorry. ++Lar: t/c 20:02, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Huh, I didn't know that. Sweet! :-) Anchoress 21:05, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

• It's less of a problem than swallowing an entire pen cap... - Mgm|^(talk) 09:40, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

When did you do that? Ilikefood 20:05, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Actually, you're fine. You're intestines and such are so slick, there is nothing the gum can stick to. It will pass out of you in about 2 or 3 days, seriously. This whole schpeel can be backed up by doctors, and I'm pretty sure its medical adive so it shouldn't be here anyways...[[User:Weehoocandy|^(talk) 12:09, 29 September, 2006

Interestingly (?) did you know that carbon (soot) builds up in the lymph nodes if inhaled? I think its taken there to be destroyed-- but it cant be so it remains--Light current 21:36, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

And did you know that beef, when eaten, is mostly broken down, but not entirely, and little teeny strands of indigestible, indissolvable cow protein course through your veins, eventually settling down to live in your brain? And that mad cow beef is not fundamentally different from any other cow beef?

Well, that's probably not entirely accurate, but close as I can figure, it contains elements of truth. Ergo, I view beef as the most evil thing on earth, to eat anyway. This is why I 'vandalise' our meat page occasionally. =) Chris 22:57, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

The element of truth is the "not entirely accurate" admission. People are biologically omnivores. alteripse 13:06, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

Back to gum, I regularly swallow gum, and I can now blow bubbles out of my ass. Sturgeonman 21:26, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

and we needed to know that why!!! Ilikefood 20:06, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Poll about mice/gamepad

Of course everybody knows that the mouse is more precise and accurate for FPS and RTS than the gamepad but for some reason my roomate doesn't think so. When I tried to quote wikipedia on the theory of mouse-to-screen correspondence and time-based relative movement of control sticks he insisted that wikipedia can't be trusted or something and wants an external poll or study. Can anyone find a poll with % statistics of who favors mouse or joystick for first person shooters? --froth^{T C} 01:43, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

I can't find a poll, but I can tell you that your roommate is full of it. Mouses are much more accurate, and it is a proven fact people respond more naturally with mouses that with gamepads or controllers. Яussiaп F 02:11, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Might it not be the case that the roommate is an exception? It's a proven fact that kids prefer peas over spinach, but I know this kid who just hates peas and loves spinach. Also, I had this experience of having to work on someone else's computer that had no mouse but a joystick. The owner had made some physical modifications to the joystick and written a specialized device driver to adjust it to his personal preferences, and he warned me that it might take me some time to get used to it. To my surprise I took to it immediately, finding it not only easier to use than the joysticks I'd used before, but also easier for precision control than a mouse.  --Lambiam^Talk 03:18, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

So, pull up an FPS and ask him to point as quickly and accurately as possible at an object in the distance with a mouse, from a 180 degree spin. Then, have him do the same (same spot, etc.) with a gamepad. Do the same yourself just to see if it's a personal thing. Voilar. Not particularily scientific, but probably enough to end the crazy dispute :P -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 05:41, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Since cursor movement works the same in FPSs as it does in Windows, just install the joystick as a mouse and do some double-clicking activities on the desktop. Open a folder on the UR, UL, BL, and BR of the screen, and see who can click all of them first. I've seen people claiming that they were using a joystick or an Xbox controller when playing CS online, but then again, I've seen a lot more guys pretending to be girls, and they're much easier to believe.  freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ  12:39, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Bird Calls

I can do the call of a Morning Dove really well by cupping my hands together to make a whistle. Is it possible to get a bird to come over to me, or are they smart enough to avoid a human with almost no bird qualities? M@$+@ Ju ~ ♠ 01:59, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

I used to be able to make sounds that attracted ducks. They would come really close to investigate, much closer than needed for figuring out, even for the most myopic duck, that my duck qualities might leave something to be desired. They stayed just out of reach of where I could have caught them with my hands.  --Lambiam^Talk 03:06, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

That it sounds like a good immitation to you doesn't mean it does so to them. They may focus on different aspect of the sound and their hearing might eve pick up sounds you don't, so you might be making very odd noises in that range without noticing it yourself. Also, birds generaly have good eyesight, so they might not be completely fooled even if you immitate the sound perfectly. Of course the best way to find this out is to try it out. Keep us posted. DirkvdM 06:09, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Then again, doves are birdbrains. 68.7.88.112 06:22, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Then again, even if he was able to make a perfect bird call, how could he know for sure that he doesn't sound like the most annoying, fat-lipped, snotty-nosed morning dove ever to try looking for booty?  freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ  12:25, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Right on! Even if they come over to him in flocks, he'd still not know for sure.  --Lambiam^Talk 12:42, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

He might be attracting a less-than-respectable crowd --froth^{T C} 19:33, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

I can make pretty good lesser black-backed gull calls (the long 'war cry'). When the birds hear them, they immediately crane their necks to see where the sound is coming from - sometimes I can get them to answer too (though other times, they just cock their heads and give me a strange look). --Kurt Shaped Box 13:16, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, I get that too, birds giving me strange looks when I call out my war cry to them. DirkvdM 06:58, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

I'm trying to do the carrot call, but only to attract bunnies. -- DLL ^{.. T} 19:34, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

1. • My cats know the difference between a human impersonator and a recording when it comes to animal noises(hotclaws**== 20:10, 29 September 2006 (UTC))

My cat comes running when I make dog/wolf howling noises. He probably wouldn't if it was a real dog.  :) User:Zoe|(talk) 22:49, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

in the works

Could anyone explain what does the phrase "the hub was in the works in New York" means?

"In the works" is an english idiom meaning in development --froth^{T C} 05:07, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

"the hub" is usually a metaphorical or actual centre of a network of some sort. Exactly what kind of network depends on context you haven't given us, but it could be a transportation network, a computer network, a social network, or something else. See, for instance, Airline hub or Network hub. --ByeByeBaby 23:22, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

ID this song

What is the song on this page? I need to know the title so I can find it in higher quality format (that page plays a midi). I recognize it from The Sting (one of my favorite movies), if that's any help. Thanks --froth^{T C} 05:04, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

I think it's Solace by Scott Joplin.  --Lambiam^Talk 05:42, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

The source code on that website calls the music file "solace.mid". So I think Lambian is correct. Rmhermen 16:21, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Japanese students at Cambrige

I was asked how many Japanese study at Cambridge. Do you know or can you find out?

- - - - -

Can you be a bit more specific, do you mean students of Japanese nationality, students of Japanese ethnicity (defining which is a problem all on its own), students who are normally resident in Japan but came to Cambridge to study? In any case, I think you'll have problems getting an accurate answer (because of the definition difficulties above), although you could try some of the colleges' development and access offices. Alternatively, many Japanese (of any variety) may be members of societies such as the Anglo-Japanese society, you could try asking there, even if they can't tell you exactly they might be able to point you in a good direction for more information. — QuantumEleven 08:38, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Or do you mean students of Japanese language, history, etc.? 惑乱 分からん 09:42, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Quantum brings up a good point, but the truth is that most Japanese of non-Japanese ancestory would not choose to call themselves Japanese, and the number of foreign residents of Japan who study overseas from Japan (without losing their VISAs) is not only negligible I'm not sure if it's even possible. The question probably originated from a Japanese student wanting to know the chance xe'd find a Japanese friend at the school, and the popular definition of Japanese should suffice. It is very easy to find out how many Americans (or Hong Kongers, Mongolians, British) there are at Japanese universities (it's usually displayed proudly), but that's probably because they simply lump people according to their passports here.  freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ  12:21, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Wholesale prices of mobiles

What are the wholesale prices of mobiles paid by operators?

I seriously doubt if you are actually asking about mobiles, perhaps you mean mobile phones ? Now, what wholesale price are you talking about ? The per minute rate on operator assisted calls from Luxembourg to Liechtenstein ? StuRat 16:11, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

For your information: "mobile" is British slang, short for mobile phone, as cell is short for "cellular phone" in parts of the US and Handy is German slang for the same thing. - Mgm|^(talk) 23:07, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

I'm aware of that. My point was that one should not use regional slang when posting a question to an international web site. StuRat 16:47, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

The price paid to purchase each phone for resale? (Several "terrorism" arrests recently in the U.S. have involved people purchasing large numbers of cheap "pay-as-you-go" phones for resale.) Rmhermen 16:18, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

back when I worked for a cellular company the price we paid was roughly 10% less than the retail cost. when phones were offered for free or for $.01 with contract the company took the initial loss but made up for it and more with the 2 year contract. the cheaper pay as you go phones work along the same lines-offer a low end phone for cheap and make up the diff with relatively high per minute cost. Sosobra 03:15, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

On what grounds do you classify 'mobile' as slang, Mgm? As far as I'm concerned it is normal English.

Not that I disagree that the original anonmyous poster could have been clearer. ColinFine 23:13, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Double negatives are not unconfusing.  :--) JackofOz 02:19, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Womens ring fingers

Is there any significance attached to wearing a ring on the wedding ring finger (3rd finger, thumb isn't a finger) of the right hand rather than the left? AllanHainey 12:37, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

See Wedding ring#Post-wedding customs third paragraph. It has to do with the old Roman meaning of left. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 13:30, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

According to Finger (and common sense), a thumb is a finger; arguably indeed the most important finger. Just fwiw. --Tagishsimon (talk)

Just like the category animal includes the species Homo sapiens but is often used in opposition, so likewise "thumb" and "fingers" are often used in opposition.  --Lambiam^Talk 15:52, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Of course, even in cultures were the custom is to wear a ring on the left hand, some left-handed people will wear theirs on the right because it is obstructing to wear it on the dominant hand. Rmhermen 16:16, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Did you search for ring finger? — Catherine\^talk 02:57, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

Yes, I did & it didn't answer my question. Wedding ring#Post-wedding customs sort of answers it, it doesn't seem there's any info here on whether only certain significant rings can be worn on that finger of the right hand. It may be that the woman I saw is foreign or carrying on foreign traditions.

Thanks. AllanHainey 11:50, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Boa constrictors

Do boa constrictors have toes?

Only when they swallowed toes and haven't digested them yet. Otherwise, no, although they can measure up to 14 feet. ---Sluzzelin 14:11, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Was that a serious question, or is someone just yanking our chains?--Light current 20:21, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Some snakes do have vestigal legs under their skin even sometimes with a small claw. According to this [3] Boa constrictors are one of those that do have these. I don't know if it could be classified as a toe, more like a small remnant of a leg. Nowimnthing 21:27, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

I believe that wen limbs evolve away, they don't really disappear but just get very small. All the bones are still there, but can hardly be called toes or whatever anymore. In dolphins (originally land animals) the legs have just merged to form the 'tail'. DirkvdM 07:08, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

It depends on if the gene called strangely enough, Sonic hedgehog, is expressed or not. The limbs will just get smaller unless this gene is turned off and then they do not form. Dolphin tails are formed from tails not legs, the legs of ancestral dolphins and whales used to be more like hind flippers, but even flippers cause some drag, so can be traded in for more streamlining. Nowimnthing 20:57, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

National Park in Alaska

Answered

OK, problem in biology--I was given a set of coordinates to supposedly a national park in Alaska. But on the map (I'm using Google Earth) it says nothing even in the general vicinity of the coordinates anything about a national park. Nothing but a bunch of snow. >__< So what national park is it?

Coordinates: 58-40-51N, 136-48-52W

--208.108.216.210 16:56, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

I'm not sure how this is a biology question. And what you saw is not a "bunch of snow," but a huge glacier. This is Glacier Bay National Park. Marco polo 17:13, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Truthfully/ I don't see how it's biology either. But the biology teacher is like 'use google earth, find these coordinates, and give me pics of the geological, biological, features, blah, blah, blah" and he's refusing to help at all. He's a jerk. Anyway, thanks. I wouldn't know a glacier from a bunch of snow.

There's life in glaciers.---Sluzzelin 18:15, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

One of the images on that page didn't load but we have an article on it at watermelon snow --Rmhermen 18:33, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Sounds very tasty :3 --froth^{T C} 19:15, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

It sounds like you needed to switch from the satellite map to the political map to identify national parks. After all, you can't really identify a national park from a satellite view. StuRat 19:20, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, using Google Maps rather than Google Earth, you'll get the correct answer. Of course, there's only nine national parks in Alaska, and only one anywhere near your specified coordinates, so it's not all that hard. --ByeByeBaby 23:08, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Most forest!

Answered

Which country has the MOST forest within its border? Not per km^2, just in total. I am guessing Russia, is this correct? Thanks!! 81.93.102.3 18:23, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

That would be my guess, too. Canada might be second. Then again, the US might be in the running due to Alaska. China also has a fair amount of forest. Brazil has jungles, but that's not exactly the same thing. StuRat 18:44, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

May I express a slight disagreement with you, StuRat ? A tree is a tree is a tree. Russia has plenty of tundra species, Canada too. A jungle grows trees and climbers and ferns like any european forest. Is a prairie really different from a steppe ? I won't argue more :) -- DLL ^{.. T} 19:24, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

It's kind of an ambiguous question... basically 81.93.102.3 asked what is the "most forested" country and sturat did a pretty good job of answering --froth^{T C} 19:30, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Just in case anyone is interested in forested land in percentage of a country's total area, Nationmaster has a list and map. The Cook Islands, Suriname, and French Guiana top the list. ---Sluzzelin 19:45, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

I used that site and multiplied by the land areas, to find the answer. Russia is, by far, the largest in forested area, at 8.5 million square km. Brazil is second (assuming you count jungle as the same as forest) with 5.4 million, then Canada with 2.4 million and the USA with 2.3 million. StuRat 20:16, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Excellent! Now all we Americans have to do is nuke Russia like we've always wanted, let Brazil go the way it's already going, and drop a few barriers to Canadian imports, and... USA! USA! USA! Melchoir 20:53, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

For shame sir, for shame. Chris 23:00, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Cats and women

Why is it that women are so attracted to cats and often have them as pets?--Light current 20:22, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Cats have attributes normally considered to be feminine (fastidious, quiet, sneaky, careful) and dogs have masculine attributes (messy, loud, careless). StuRat 20:30, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Sneaky?! That is assault! Stealthy is the non-perjorative term thank you very much. Chris 23:01, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

THats a very serious reply Stu! Perhaps youre still thinking about the funny one! 8-)--Light current 20:54, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

The funny one I came up with involved a slang term for a cat or a part of a woman's anatomy, but that was too immature, even for me. :-) StuRat 14:14, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

I cant believe that! 8-)--Light current 17:14, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

I don't know that women tend to like cats more than, say, dogs, but it does seem to be viewed as unmanly (by some) for a man to like cats. Probably because these people think that women are supposed to be fastidious, quiet, sneaky and careful, while men should be messy, loud and careless. And unconcerned with cuteness. I do not know what men and women they base this on. Skittle 21:51, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Based on stereotypes of course!--Light current 21:59, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

On the other hand, cats are a lot like men:

1. They don't understand vegetarians.
2. They never wash dishes.
3. They find it fascinating to watch a woman undress.
4. A woman can't get either one to talk about his feelings.
5. Whenever a woman has something really important to say, all they want to do is rub up against her. Durova 03:21, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

People don't have cats as pets. Cats have people as staff. I work for 3 of 'em, believe me! Mattopaedia 09:20, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

Just remember they' re only:

Felines, nothing more than felines, Trying to forget the felines I love....

--Light current 17:29, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

"They find it fascinating to watch a woman undress. " Uhm, really? How would you know :)?Evilbu 21:46, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

Yes they want to see whether they measure up to the real thing (Miaaw) 8-)--Light current 22:06, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

hot water heating coil for heating cold water in a cup

I am looking for a store which sells those heating coils that have an electric cord which plugs into a wall socket and then the coil clips on a cup of cold water and heats it to boiling. I don't know what it's called and can't find one anywhere. Thank you.

Ah you mean this immersion heater.[4]--Light current 23:09, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Or this one of the company I used to work for. I actualy took that photograph. Not that it's one of my most spectacular photographs ... DirkvdM 07:16, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

You can also get USB coasters that will keep your drink warm, although I don't think they'll boil a cup from cold. Rentwa 13:33, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

Is there anything you cant run from a USB port these days? Anyway 500mA @ 5 v gives 2.5W: enough maybe to keep tea warm, but not enough to boil water methinks.--Light current 22:08, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

You can get a nice electric shock from a USB port. Rentwa 12:11, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Composition B vs potassium and fluorine

If you were to take out all the explosives (Composition B) inside a standard-issue US M67 fragmentation handgrenade and replace it with an optimal mixture of potassium and fluorine, which version would create a more powerful explosion? Jamesino 23:18, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

One of the most important principles of selecting an explosive is that the products should be gaseous, and so push back the atmosphere at tremendous speed, thus creating a shock wave. Potassium and fluorine, although they react together very vigorously, make a solid product, potassium fluoride, and so the only effect would be a great deal of heat being generated. --G N Frykman 17:13, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

What about an optimal combination of potassium and water? Jamesino 20:16, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

That doesn't produce very much gas: only one unit gas per unit explosive. Something like nitroglycerine is much better, at approximately six units gas per unit explosive. --Serie 23:36, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

AoE2 Maps

Age of Empires 2 maps on the internet. Should I download them? I have heard good things about Ulio ond other maps, but I don't know if they will use up a bunch of space on my computer, or what. Is the amount of space they take up negligable? My computer is relatively new (2002). Mongol Man 23:50, 29 September 2006 (UTC)

Ulio? Ahhh that brings back memories. Yes ulio is a great campaign i highly recommend it. aok.heavengames.com has a "blacksmith" section that has a ton of amazing maps, just sort by rating. In fact.. I have a map or two there myself :) As you can see by my water-themed net handles, back then i was slush, heh. anyway to answer your question they take up less than a few MB, you'll definately be fine. Unzip to c:\program files\microsoft games\age of empires 2\ --froth^{T C} 02:26, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

What does "Unzip to c:\program files\microsoft games\age of empires 2\" mean? Mongol Man 22:48, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

The game looks for "map" files in that directory. So if you download a .zip file with a couple subfolders, just unzip it to the install directory (that path I mentioned). If all the files are mashed together put the SCN or SCX files in the "scenario" folder, all sound files in the "sound" folder, ai files in the "ai" folder, etc. Many times there will be a readme in the zip file that tells you where to put what. good luck! --froth^{T C} 05:29, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Seconding this, I spent many hours on those back in the day. Make sure to get everything else by Ingo van Thiel as well, as well as Tamerlane: Prince of Destruction, and the Blacksun series, and of course Colonization (by yours truly ;) ). Should keep you occupied for a while. And to expand on the concept of unzipping: most scenarios are uploaded (along with any other files needed/recommended to run them) as .zip files, which you need to unzip into the right directories (usually specified in a readme file). You'll need a program such as WinZip to do this. -Elmer Clark 01:04, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

I also recommend "blood bath island" if you can find it it's incredibly fun --froth^{T C} 02:20, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Are you posilutely, absitively sure that these maps will take up a negligable amount of space? I co-own this computer, and a select few other people might be upset it there's a scenario that takes up half the space in the computer. Mongol Man 00:01, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Yes I'm sure.. --froth^{T C} 02:50, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

Okay. Thanks! Mongol Man 11:48, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

September 30

Number of companies in the world

What is the total number of companies in the world? Mr.K. 00:11, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

If you also want to count unincorporated entities, like mom and pop stores, then the question is whether you also count such economic units as a farming couple (husband and wife). In that case it's probably far more than 100 million. If you require the entities to be incorporated, then you may find you're comparing apples and bats, due to different definitions and requirements in different jurisdictions. The number may be closer to 50 million. This is not based on any actual available statistics.  --Lambiam^Talk 00:52, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

This question is too vague. --Proficient 01:27, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

Marines

My friend was in the marines, but they sent him home early, he said the reason was "early enlistment separation" and he said "he messed up his leg" can anybody tell what this means if it is even true? 69.179.103.159 01:34, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

There are plenty of reasons for administrative separations. Yes, some of those separations are honorable. From the tone of your post, though, it seems as if you suspect your friend might have gotten into disciplinary trouble and is trying to make an excuse for it. Obviously I can't tell whether your friend's story is true or not. Yes, it's possible to get a medical discharge. The people I knew in the Navy who got medically discharged had major problems such as epilepsy or kidney failure. 68.7.88.112 03:15, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

Thank you very much. 69.179.103.159 03:20, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

volume

what do we mean by the term volume with respect to stock exchange

TRy looking at the links--Light current 02:29, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

Volume means how many shares are sold each day. StuRat 05:40, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

Shucks I was hoping he might work that out after reading our articles from end to end! --Light current 17:35, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

Tie knot

how do you get a triangle shape when doing a neck tie?

I think you can use a Windsor or half-Windsor knot for that. I think my knot is similar to th half-Windsor, and it gives me a nice triangle. --Kjoonlee 03:32, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

Fatty over thinny, fatty over thinny, up through the middle and down through the spinny. That gives you the conventional four-in-hand, and a nice neat triangle. A full windsor (can't remember how to do 'em these days) turns into more of a trapezium shape. Howard Train 05:02, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

That's way too thick. For a nice slim knot that isn't crooked look at this horrible photograph of me. Ignore me and look at the knot. Move the long end over the front, around the back, back through the middle, around the front (in the other direction now) to the back and through the middle, tuck in and straighten. The principle is simple, the straightening takes some parctise to get it right. Especially the two parts that come out the top need some attention. I have never understood the wearing of a tie without making it look nice. What's the point of wearing the bloody thing in the first place? That said, in this photo I didn't get one side entirely right, so who am I fulminating against? DirkvdM 07:41, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

LOL. Dirk, please stop with all your "high school class of '66" jazz!  freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ  13:42, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

Hey, I'm not that old! In '66 I was just a toddler. DirkvdM 19:03, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

"Look at the knot, not the knot-head." :-) StuRat 14:05, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

Yeah! Let's all post our high-school pictures! .. OK, let's not.. --Zeizmic 14:41, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

Hey, Lambian cropped me! Just as well in this case, I suppose. I must admit I was too lazy to do it myself. DirkvdM 19:02, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

I've occasionally been tempted to cut your head off, myself. :-) StuRat 02:11, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

I'm no worm, so it's a good thing this is all in the virtual realm. DirkvdM 06:19, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

The idea of there being two of you...now that's frightening. :-) StuRat 11:26, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Ah! thats much nicer! And you can even see the knot properly. --Light current 15:01, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Tebnine

There is a trouble with this article, see Talk:Tebnine#What right?. Thanks, Troll Refaim 08:52, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

Continued on talk page. Please confine discussion of articles to the relevant talk pages, or address your comments to the relevant editors, or ask a coherent question if you consult the reference desk. This makes it easier for people to follow the discussion. Thanks.--Shantavira 14:56, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

steel threaded rods for finding soil depth, name of apparatus?

steel threaded rods for finding soil depth, name of apparatus?

• Rod penetrometer, I think. --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 14:09, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

This outlines methodologies. [5] --Zeizmic 14:45, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

• • And is exactly where I found the word! --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 14:48, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

definitions of manegerial economics

Please send me the definitions of Managerial Economics. &

Life History of one of the Management Guru's - peter f drucker?

• Did you read the instructions at the top of the page on how to ask a question, like Search first and Sign your question?
• Did you read our articles on Managerial economics and Peter Drucker?
• If after reading all this you have more specific questions, please come back here.  --Lambiam^Talk 14:33, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

diesel fuel consumption

How can I reserve the consumption of a an engine operating on diesel?

Not sure what you're asking. Do you mean reduce? Do our articles on fuel efficient driving or fuel economy in automobiles answer your question?--Shantavira 16:44, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

In other words, the same conservation measures applied to gasoline engines also largely apply to diesel engines. StuRat 10:48, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Perhaps "reserve" is a combo of "reduce" and "conserve" ? The usual use of the word "reserve" (to hold back for later use) at first seems to apply, but that word is never used for making an engine run on less fuel. The answer to "How can I reserve fuel ?" would be to keep some in a plastic fuel container for later use. StuRat 10:48, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Left/right batter/box

Hi, in baseball, on which side of the plate does a right-handed batter usually stand? Assuming you're at the catcher's position looking at the pitcher. Are there any names for the batter's boxes?

I know the Korean terms for "left hitter/right hitter" or "left batter's box/right batter's box" but I don't have any idea what the left/right terms really mean. --Kjoonlee 17:13, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

A right handed batter stands to the catcher's left (from the catcher's view). - Rainwarrior 17:34, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

Can England,Scotland and Wales and Norhtern Ireland be considered Independent nations?

Im in a quandry. Thanks

British Isles (terminology) says "Due to historical precedent, England, Scotland, and Wales are countries and nations in their own right (although none of these is sovereign today)". Take a look through that, rather complicated, article. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 17:23, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

It wasn't complicated when I wrote it. The complication came when other people started budding in. Sorry, just wanted to defend my work. :) DirkvdM 19:06, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Forgot the complicated article, the simple answer is "no". They're all part of the United Kingdom. California has more independence than, say, Scotland. --Auximines 20:06, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

I wouldn't say that. Scotland has it's own "devolved" parliament now. StuRat 10:39, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

That can't be right... does California have its own parliament or internal-only elected representatives? Tyrhinis 10:48, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

California has it's own state legislature, but it's powers are limited to state (meaning provincial) matters. It can't override federal laws, for example. Although there have been some attempts to override the Bush admin's anti-environmental policy, their ban on stem cell research funding, and the ban on marijuana. The weird part is that California's governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, is a Republican, even though he appears to disagree with the Bush admin on almost everything. StuRat 10:58, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

It may be useful to consider the proper name of Britain as it is today - not what the component parts were in previous ages. We are The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Note that there are several countries but only one Kingdom, and one Sovereign, Her Britannic Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (but Scots will correctly argue that she is not the second Queen of that name to rule over them). At the time of Good Queen Bess, England and Scotland were entirely separate and sovereign nations.

The List of regnal numerals of future British monarchs sets out the rules for this situation (basically that the monarch takes whichever available number is highest) and shows that a future King James would be James VIII because Scotland has had seven King James before. So there would be no James III, IV etc. of England. Howard Train 16:01, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Just to confirm that the answer to this question is "no." The constituent parts of the United Kingdom have varying degrees of autonomy on internal matters (comparable to U.S. states), and they can be considered historical "countries" or even "nations," but they are not independent. They are all part of the United Kingdom, and the British government makes all decisions pertaining to foreign affairs, military action, monetary policy, and other matters affecting all parts of the United Kingdom. Marco polo 17:31, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

EQAO (Grade 6)

Who got their EQAO (Grade 6) back?Himanyo 17:44, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

back from where? What's a EQAO? --Charlesknight 17:33, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

If you are from Ontario, you will understand. It's a BIG test given to Grade 3,6, and 9 around Ontario.Himanyo 17:44, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

And the world is a BIG place Himanyo. Charles and I live in England. I don't think we can help with your question, but maybe someone from Ontario will be along shortly.--Shantavira 18:47, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

From personal experiences, you should be receving your results for your EQAO tests approximately 1 year after writing the test. Jamesino 20:14, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

Wow, they sure take their sweet old time up there. I'll assume it's not multiple choice. --Nelson Ricardo 00:03, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Some sections of it are multiple choice. Jamesino 00:50, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Playing the piano

Is it possible to teach oneself to play the piano from music, from a book? Or can one only teach ones self to play by ear?--Light current 19:38, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

I'd imagine instructional books are available and that it's possible to be self-taught from a book. Jamesino 20:19, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

Both are possible. But if you're serious about learning to play well, consider that it is very easy to develop playing habits, such as for fingering, that eventually stand in the way. Once acquired, such wrong habits are almost impossible to get rid off. A good teacher should help you to develop the right habits from the start.  --Lambiam^Talk 00:46, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Yes its fingering Im worried about, I can work out the notes myself.--Light current 11:12, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Well, you can get sheet music and instruction books that include exact fingering. --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 18:38, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

It depends what you want. I was never taught to read music: I taught myself at age four or five, just as I taught myself to read. And plenty of piansts are self-taught. If you just want to play for your own enjoyment, you may not need a teacher (and you may be unwilling to put in the effort of practicing without which lessons may be a waste of time and money). On the other hand, if you want to play beyond a certain level - want to play for others, for example, or to play particular pieces, you may find a teacher who can guide you both technically and musically would be a good idea. ColinFine 23:28, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

You taught yourself to read, Colin? That's quite a feat. Who told you what each of the letters meant - or did you just work it out yourself? JackofOz 02:04, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Riddle

Answered

I found this floating around out on the internet, with no answer. Any suggestions?

"Brad and Alex have the following conversation:

B: I forgot how old your three children are.

A: The product of their ages is 36.

B: I still don’t know their ages.

A: The sum of their ages is the same as your house number.

B: I still don’t know their ages.

A: The oldest one has red hair.

B: Now I know their ages!

What are the ages of Alex’s three children?"

You need the house number to find the three ages. You need the names and hair color, and know that one of the children (without red hair) is younger than another child (without red hair) to attach names to the ages. There's not enough information to solve it. --AstoVidatu 23:46, 30 September 2006 (UTC)

I'm pretty that its supposed to be solved with only this information.

---

OK, so the product of their ages is 36, which means that one of the following must be the answer:

1 × 1 × 36 = 36
1 × 2 × 18 = 36
1 × 3 × 12 = 36
1 × 4 × 9 = 36
1 × 6 × 6 = 36
2 × 2 × 9 = 36
2 × 3 × 6 = 36
3 × 3 × 4 = 36

But still we don't know. Then Alex mentions that the sum of the ages is Brad's address. This seems to be unhelpful since we don't know Brad's address. But Brad knows his address: why can't he figure which of the 8 is correct? Add up the possibilities:

1 + 1 + 36 = 38
1 + 2 + 18 = 21
1 + 3 + 12 = 16
1 + 4 + 9 = 14
1 + 6 + 6 = 13
2 + 2 + 9 = 13
2 + 3 + 6 = 11
3 + 3 + 4 = 10

Aha! Brad still doesn't know because his address is 13, but there are two possibilites.

1, 6, and 6
2, 2, and 9

Then Alex mentions an oldest son. Since the first choice has two sixes—two oldest sons—it is wrong, so the kids must be aged 2, 2, and 9.

Of course, this might be wrong because it's possible that randy Alex and Alice may have gotten busy quick and had a new child before the first one had a birthday. Unlikely, but possible. Hyenaste ^(tell) 00:50, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Very clever! BenC7 02:06, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Here is a hint. (Possible spoiler.) Suppose that the house number of Brad is 11. Then you can solve this, no? But so could Brad! If his house number had been 11, he wouldn't have said in the fifth line: "I still don’t know their ages." So you can actually rule out 11. In the same way you can rule out almost all numbers as being Brad's house number.  --Lambiam^Talk 00:36, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Sorry, Lambiam. I gave it away already. :( Hyenaste ^(tell) 00:50, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

K I'm dumb. --AstoVidatu 04:45, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

October 1

earrings

I have two earrings that are gold dolphins. I'm trying to find out more about them. Two dolphins are swirling around each other on each earring. They have the hallmark MMA on the back they are clip ons. If anyone knows anything about the history I would appreciate it.71.33.195.160 02:20, 1 October 2006 (UTC)Wendy

I don't think the MMA is a hallmark. If they are hallmarked you (or a jeweller) will be able to determine when and where they were made. Take a look at the hallmark article and the links at the bottom of that page.--Shantavira 09:06, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Museum reproduction? MMA is a common designation for the Museum of Modern Art in NY. alteripse 17:52, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

steel threaded rods for finding soil depth, name of apparatus? (repeat,repeat question)

I had a response to this question yesterday but I think that answer was wrong. I followed jpgordon's reference which stated a rod penetrometer was a fixed length, 4' long and 3/8" dia. What I after is an apparatus with a 'T' handle and multiple rods with threaded ends so they can be screwed together to determine the depth of soil down to rock foundations. Again, what is it called.210.50.143.20 03:49, 1 October 2006 (UTC)alan.....

Perhaps "extendible auger"?  --Lambiam^Talk 10:55, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

I found "rugged, heavy duty soil probe" and "soil compaction rod"---Sluzzelin 11:13, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Wrong again for the third time. Read the question, 'threaded rods'. The three answers so far all refer to fixed length rods, either 4' or 5' or 6'. What good is this when the rock strata is down 15' or 20' or 30'. Useless. None of these can determine the soil depth. This apparatus has been around for donkeys years. You screw the rods together like you join pipes on an oil rig and you drive them down until you hit the rock. What on earth is it called?...alan...

I'm sure an extendible auger does NOT have a fixed length for any meaning of fixed.  --Lambiam^Talk 19:57, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Also, this devise does not have a drill bit or auger on the end of it, it has a bulb slightly wider than the rod and a pointed end...alan...

You'll get more flies with honey than with vinegar, alan. Having said that, are you sure you aren't looking for this: soil penetrometer? It's composed of several threaded segments, up to 15 feet long, and has a bulb at the end. But not a T-handle... it appears to be a form of slide hammer. Which makes sense... what you describe, with just a T-handle and no auger on the end, how would you drive it 15 feet deep into the soil?

There's a natural limit on how far you can go down in the soil. Using a hand tool, I'm surprised you can go down more than a few feet, at least I can't in former-glacier land. Beyond that you need a geotechnical soil auger, which is usually truck-mounted. I've spent a lot of my life staring at a soil auger... --Zeizmic 19:58, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

The Penguin 'Dictonary of Civil Engineering', defines a rod penetrometer is a cone shaped instrument which is jetted into the ground to the required level and then forced in at a measured pressure. It is thus a static penetration test...ie.. It measures the bearing capacity of the soil...What I am after is a device that measues the depth of the soil.

Also, as mentioned earlier, the primary rod has a bulb at the end slightly larger than the rod dia. so there is no friction on the follow on rods. It can be twisted into the ground or hammered in.

This device has been used for over a hundred years to determine the depth of rock. What is it called???...alan

Just an observation: I have many times had to drive ground rods to obtain a ground of less than 2 ohms resistance for utility connections. These were several foot long stainless steel rods, 1/2 inch diameter as I recall. The initial one was pointed at the bottom and the following ones were threaded to connect in sequence. A pneumatic or electric driver pounded them into the ground, slowly and noisily. If it hit concrete or rock it would generally not go any farther. We would sometimes go 30 feet in sandy soil, or a few feet if rock was hit. It would sometimes be deflected and go off at an angle. This is effectively what you were asking for. But once the rods were in, they were not pulled out. In contrast, at a construction site the civil engineers would do test borings at various sites in a grid around where the building foundation was going. A device like a well drilling rig was used which could penetrate soil or rock, and samples of the soil and rock were brought up for analysis through the bore which was a couple of inches across. Probably in the drilling process the force required for penetration was used to determine the bearing strength of the soil, sand, clay or rock. One reason was to detect buried hazardous waste, such as coal tar at former manufactured illuminating gas plants. This method could also detect if there was a natural spring which would be a problem. In poor soil, pilings might be required to support the building. I don't think just driving a steel rod down to see where the rock started would have given them the answers they needed to plan the building foundation system. Not all buildings have their foundations supported by rock. Edison 15:12, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

I am well aware of the equipment used to take core samples in soil and rock, however, this isn't one of them. The steel rods are 3/8" dia. and about 4' long with threaded ends. It is a manual device driven down by twisting or hammering. What is it called???210.50.143.21 22:59, 2 October 2006 (UTC)alan

It would be identical to the ground rods I just described, so call it a ground rod. Jeez. Edison 05:00, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

stingrays

Could you please tell me if after a stingray has discharged the barb, if it grows another one in its place , thank you. R M hubbard.

Yes, it regrows. See our stingray article.--Shantavira 09:08, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Children's television laws

In Australia, are there any laws saying that broadcasters MUST give over a certain percentage of airtime to children's programs?

Not laws, but all stations have signed up to the Australian Broadcasting Authority standards. The ABA's Children's Television Standards dictate 390 hours of children's programming (C and P classifications) must be broadcast each year, and the Code of Practice outlines the 'G classification zones' (when stations must broadcast G rated material) as 6-8.30am and 4-7pm weekdays,and 6-10am weekends. Penalties are inflicted after a complaint and subsequent investigation. Natgoo 12:50, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Thanks, that's very helpful.

Missing posts

Has anyone else noticed posts going missing on these pages? Like you click on an item in your watch list by UserXXXX, and it aint there? Im posting this msg on all ref desks.--Light current 11:28, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Now restored. See Wikipedia_talk:Reference_desk#Archive_dump. --hydnjo talk 14:16, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

I'm in the process of doing a formal archive of those pages now, so you can just re-add transcluded pages as you see fit, but 9 days is far too long, and 15 days worth is just insane (: VectorPotential^{RD NEEDS A BOT (-:} 14:27, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Ah, so that's why I came to the end so quickly all of a sudden. Indeed, I used to skip the first half or even more, so it makes sense. DirkvdM 19:09, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

I always read from the end. Doesn't everybody? --G N Frykman 20:21, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

One reason I start at the top is that scrolling down is easier (with the space bar). DirkvdM 06:22, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

UK Special Representative for Trade and Investment

Could someone please advise me how the above position is filled as I would be very interested in applying for it. I understand it involves lots of first class air travel and attending banquets hosted by overseas governments and trade associations. I also understand there are lots of golf tournaments and matches that the postholder is required to partake in. I am particularly interested to know what qualifications and experience are considered pre-requisites for intending applicants for the post; also what the job specifications are and what performance criteria might apply. And it would also be useful to know how long the postion is held for, and how and when it is advertised. Oh, of course, I would need to know what the salary, pension and other benefits might be for the successful applicant. Many thanks in anticipation.

Do you mean "UK Special Representative for Trade and Investment"? It is a voluntary and unpaid position. Maybe that makes it even more attractive to you.  --Lambiam^Talk 12:10, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Thanks Lambian for the correction - and yes, the investment element is much more appealing than the industry bit. Would I need to have been a helicopter pilot in order to qualify do you think? And what support services, staff, official cars and residences abroad could I look forward to. It really does look an exciting prospect.

It does, doesn't it! How about a palanquin instead of an official car? Then your flunkies could carry you straight from the trough to the golf course! And you wouldn't even have to get out once you got there - they could hand the clubs up to you! Just think about it! Rentwa 19:32, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Vegetarian sausages/burgers

Answered

I can't find the wikipedia article on these. Are these alternatives to be considered actually healthy, as opposed to their meaty cousins? What are they MADE of? Not tofu, I hope? I've never tasted one. Thanks in advance - third question in three days now. :) 81.93.102.3 12:46, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

The vegetarian burgers I know of don't consist of tofu, but instead various chopped vegetables mixed together. Carrots, onions, maybe cabbage too, that sort of thing. JIP | Talk 13:04, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

See veggie burger and meat analogue – which fail to mention mycoprotein, as used in the Quorn line of products. Tofu is also used. Personally I like the taste of Quorn. I don't know if it is sold in Norway, but they have a Swedish website. I can't vouch generically for the health of any of these, but in the prevailing Western food consumption pattern it is generally healthy to eat more veggie stuff and less meat.  --Lambiam^Talk 13:08, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Other than the "veggie medley" ones JIP describes, many (most?) vegitarian meat-replacement things are made from textured vegetable protein, which is made from soy beans (the same source as tofu, but really quite different in taste and consistency). Other meat analogs are also available; in some markets you can also buy Quorn based products. TVP and Quorn are generally low in fat and high in dietary fiber. That said, prepared products (for the mass-market) made from both tend (like other packaged foods) to be pretty high in salt and flavourings. The TVP and quorn articles discuss (or link to) some of the issues people have with claims of healthiness for these meat replacements - the Quorn article in particular gives you an insight into the complex agribusiness politics that surround this growing market (see its "controversy" section). -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 13:15, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

They tend to be much healthier than fatty meats, and somewhat healthier than lean meats. StuRat 14:02, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

The vegetarian burgers in my freezer list their ingredients as Textured vegetable protein, wheat protein, vegetable fat, wheat flour, spices and seasoning, vegetable oil, onion, sea salt, fermented rice. These burgers are similar in taste and looks to a beef hamburger. There are also vege-burgers that are actually made from cut up vegetables, and vege-burgers that are somewhere in between. Sanitarium produce a line of vege-burgers with the taste, texture and aesthetics of crumbed fish. Pesapluvo 16:29, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

I have noticed that some vegetarians seek replacement food which looks and tastes as much like meat as possible, while others want no part of simulated meat. Many of the Veggie burger type products are quite tasty, even to omnivores. Edison 20:44, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

It seems more "naturalised" vegitarians who like the meat replacements. "Natives" don't seem to pine for mechanically-recovered connective tissue with synthetic smokehouse flavouring so much. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 20:50, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

I tried the stuff while I was dating a vegetarian and couldn't stand them: either give me a genuine hot dog or forget it. Durova 16:41, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Juggling Props

I figure I'm going to buy some balls and clubs online. What are good balls and clubs to buy? --216.164.192.186 15:05, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Not an answer, but one thing I found easy to use when learning to juggle was full tubes of toothpaste. They don't hurt your feet if you drop them, and they don't bounce or roll down the street, either. And they don't make much noise, especially if they land on carpet. StuRat 16:42, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Dube is a very good and recognized brand. You may pay a bit more but they'll hold up for a newbie. Dismas|^(talk) 22:01, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

I think someone asked this the other day. --Proficient 02:38, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

There was another juggling question, probably from the same person, but that was about how to juggle. StuRat 11:23, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Where does a total noob start to learn about cars?

Answered

I know close to nothing about so-called automobiles. Is there some friendly and helpful website, FAQ, guide or tut that can tell me the basics (things like "so what's an engine?" and "ignitions vs. you: the road to victory"), so I don't feel like a fool when my car breaks down? Cheers.

If you're interested in how they work, I can recommend Hillier's Fundamentals of Motor Vehicle Technology (ISBN 0748780998). It's very good about explaining why all the parts of the car work the way they do (something largely avoided by the more common Haynes-type repair and maintainance manuals). -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 15:47, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

HowStuffWorks.com is a good starting point for just about anything technical: [6]. StuRat 16:34, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

American Gods quote

I can't remember M. Wednesday's line about Midwestern women; the one that has the bit about "veins running through like a good cheese" (or something to ht effect) on the end. Does anyone know the line? 65.103.7.70 18:14, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Pale-skinned and blue-eyed, hair so fair it's almost white, wine-colored lips, and round, full breasts with the veins running through them like a good cheese.

From amazon search inside page 72. MeltBanana 19:44, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Yay! Thank you so much! 65.103.7.70 19:48, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Sonic Adventure DX: Action Replay downloads

I read in the article for Sonic Adventure that the Gamecube version features the same stuff that could be downloaded from the internet to the original Dreamcast version. However, this is only available via an Action Replay. When I looked up action replay codes for Sonic Adventure DX, I only found a total of eight codes, not including the code that lets you unlock the aforementioned downloadables. If you aren't the one who included that information, then could you please tell me who posted it, along with that person's email address? If you are responsible for that tidbit, then could you please tell me where you found out about that particular AR code? Thanks.

Sincerely, Eric Ledger

Try GameFAQs. The page on Sonic Adventure DX will be much more useful than an answer here. —Mitaphane _talk 03:12, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

weird

i just found a site called [7] that has articles 100% similar to the wikipedia ones. It even has an article there that is suggesting another article be merged with it, and the same article here suggests that that same article they referenced be merged with it, as well. What is this site? Does it have anything to do with WP or is it just ripping it off? Temp

Take a look at Wikipedia:Mirrors and forks - there are a lot. Some comply with the GFDL licence (which makes their hosting wikipedia content entirely legal and above board) and many (most, really) don't. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 20:31, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

oh, ok. thanks Temp

Indeed. It is probably a mirror. --Proficient 02:38, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Answers.com in particular really steams me. Not only do they mess up the layout of the pages, but they profit off my work! --froth^{T C} 05:11, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

I don't suppose that will last very long. I'm surprised how many people still don't know Wikipedia. But that is actually a good sign. It means that still more people will join in building it. Which means it will in the next decade or so grow into something so big that Wikipedia will even replace search engines (ie Google) as the primary site to start searching info on the Internet. It makes so much more sense. First get the basic story and then maybe follow some of the links at the bottom. But eventually Wikipedia will also absorb the info in those sites and completely take over the Internet. DirkvdM 06:27, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Private Equity Performance

How does private equity performance compare to public market performance ? What the advantages of investing in private equity funds versus investing in public companies ?

I'm gonna take a guess that this is a homework question or written assignment; I'm afraid that we can't help with homework (see the disclaimer at the top of the page). Cheers, Ziggurat 01:04, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Security; private equity is almost a guaranteed return while of course public investment is not --froth^{T C} 02:24, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

No way is private equity "almost a guaranteed return" ! With any equity investment your whole investment is at risk if the company fails. On average, firms that raise capital by private equity are more risky that public quoted companies (I'll let the OP work out why). Plus you have additional liquidity risk with private equity - you may not be able to sell your shares when you want to. Gandalf61 14:34, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

How to reference this cite..

I used this cite in writing a paper (APA) I am confused on how to cite this with in my paper and on my reference page. Thanks

Go to the article that you want to cite, click on the link on the left that says "Cite this article". Dismas|^(talk) 21:59, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

• You want to reference this "site". site and cite are two different things. -Mgm|^(talk) 09:27, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

A very hard question to ask

Hi, I am in the 9th grade. There is a kid in my class (grade) that is extraordinarily overweight. Now, he's a nice kid, but there is that burining question everyone has: How long does he have?

Now, he's about 6' 2" and almost 400 pounds, 15 years old. The sad thing is he just keeps gaining weight. A half year ago, he was a bit over 350.

Now, I'd like an expert to just estimate if he will live long enough to see his kids go through school; to see his own graduation. Is he morbidly obese? Thank you. 71.250.12.182 22:59, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

We can't answer that, at all. Just becaue he is obese doesn't mean he'll live just for a couple years more. Sure, there may be complications, but only a doctor can tell that, and only after a battery of tests. Anyway, according to your numbers, his body mass index is about ${\frac {181.43}{1.88^{2}}}\approx 51$, so according to our article on morbid obesity, he is indeed on a critical level. ☢ Ҡi∊ff⌇↯ 00:04, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

I would estimate that he will likely die in his 30's, assuming he doesn't lose the weight. StuRat 00:40, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

30 is quite low. --Proficient 02:36, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

That's why I said 30's, not 30. StuRat 12:27, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

That degree of obesity in adolescence greatly the reduces the likelihood he will have children, but it is extremely difficult to provide an precise lifespan prediction. alteripse 02:40, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

I don't know anything about this, but isn't it very relevant what causes his obesity? If he simple overeats, that can be remedied - just stop doing that (sensibly, though). If it is some hormonal disorder, the obesity will probably be just a symptom of an underlying problem. Without knowing what that is it would probably be very difficult to give a good answer. DirkvdM 06:55, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

I'd say it's extremely easy to provide a lifespan prediction, and to any degree of precision you like, but it's impossible to have any confidence in the accuracy of such a prediction. I tend to agree with StuRat's statement that, if the obesity continues, this guy would be lucky to survive their 30s. But who knows, he might go on to live till his 90s and outlast all of us. The point is, the prudent thing to do would be to do whatever he can do to maximise his lifespan, and not spend too much time worrying about predicting how long he's got left, as if it were a foregone conclusion and beyond his capacity to do anything about. JackofOz 08:24, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

If he stays at that weight, I'd say his chances of surviving to the 90's are less than 1%. One exception might be if new medical technology allows the morbidly obese to survive longer than they do now. StuRat 11:13, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Converted to Metrics, that's about 188 cm, 180 kg. Anyway, I guess the first thing to do is to get a thorough medical and psychological check-up. 惑乱 分からん 10:30, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

{Soapbox Warning}I doubt that everyone has the burning question of how long the overweight kid will live. I hope there is no agenda of showing the kid that "Wikipedia says you are going to die!" Rather than worrying about how soon he will die, you might concern yourself with treating him like an ordinary person and inviting him to hang out at social events. Including the overweight, underweight, gay, depressed, handicapped, poor, minority, geeky, goth, dimwitted, misfit, or outcast kids in the social life of the school can enrich their life and that of those who choose not to exclude them, while decreasing the rate of suicide (by overeating, excess alcohol consumption, or Columbine type events). High school does not have to be like Lord of the Flies but often is.Edison 15:31, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

But it's always nice to have a stick sharpened at both ends, just in case. :-) StuRat 19:12, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

But he is going to die. I'll bet that by 2080, he's a corpse. JIP | Talk 15:43, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

October 2

Liscenses

A mentor of mine once told me that I would be worth a lot more (to job interviewers) if I had numerous liscenses. Where may i find a list of liscenses? (U.S., Minnesota) Musli Miester 00:14, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

It depends on your field. Some fields (such as electrician, plumber, general contractor) require licensing. See MN department of labor and Industry[8]

In other areas (such as computers) certifications are important, such as MCSE [9].

There are a multitude of other types of training and certification.

Many people, in many industries look for a combination of three things in evaluating candidates for jobs. Those would be education, licensing or certification, and experience.

If you give more information about the area where you feel your interests and skills most fit, we can give you more information so assist you. Atom 00:45, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Maybe you would be worth a lot more if you spelled it correctly - licenses. --Proficient 02:36, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

In some parts of Minnesota, having your driver's licence, fishing license and hunting license might impress an employer.Edison 15:36, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Einstein's Math

I've heard rumours that Einstein wasn't good at math. Someone corrected this by saying that Einstein may appear he wasn't good at math because he was doing an extremely difficult branch of mathematics. Does anyone know what difficult branch of Math that Einstein found difficult?Jamesino 00:47, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Einsteins capabilities at math were relative, you might say. Compared to you and I, I think his math skills were exceptional. Also, in his area of math, he obviously knew that very well. On the other hand, he may not have been strong in other areas of mathematics. Like most areas of science, mathematicians often specialize in one specific area.

See the article Albert Einstein for a fascinating description of his life.

Atom 00:54, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Einstein's marks were poor in many of his school courses, as he very often took no interest in them. It may not reflect his actual mathematical ability, but rather how little effort he was sometimes willing to expend on his schoolwork. - Rainwarrior 01:39, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

There is some question whether he needed David Hilbert's help to find the final mathematical solution for his general relativity equations, and he'll never be spoken of in the same breath as Isaac Newton as a mathematician, but compared to mere mortals, I'd say his math skills were plenty good enough. Clarityfiend 01:44, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Nitpick: he turned out to be a mere mortal too. Or does he hang with Elvis? :) DirkvdM 07:03, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Last year, I went to an exhibition about Einstein's time in the Netherlands and Belgium, and they said that the story about an underachieving Einstein is a MYTH. They explained that the maximum number of points he could get at school was 6 (not ten), so when he got a 5 or 6, it was GOOD.Evilbu 08:37, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Einstein was a theoretical physicist, not a mathematician. He was gifted at math compared to the general population, but he had help developing his theories mathematically. As a mathematician, he was a great physicist. This is not unusual.Edison 15:39, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Another thing: it's true that Einsten shouldn't be spoken of in the sentence as Newton when it comes to mathematics, but then again, Newton shouldn't be spoken of in the same sentence as Gauss, Hilbert, Euler, Riemann, or any number of other mathematicians (I'm not saying he was a bad mathematician, he did discover calculus, he just wasn't Gauss). The two disciplines are very different, remember that. Oskar 17:44, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Nonsense. B00P 09:17, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

I don't have reference handy at the moment, but as far as I remember, the claim that Einstein wasn't good at math is an urban legend, brought to life by a careless biographer, who studied records from Einstein's high school year. And there he found that Einstein got a 5 in math, the second-worst grade in the German grading system. However, Einstein spend his early high-school years in Switzerland, where 5 is a the best grade, and it seems that his Swiss record was wrongly transcribed when he changed to a German school. Simon A. 18:07, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

The best grade in the Swiss school system is a 6 (not a 5). The worst a 1. Lukas 00:18, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Maximizing expected utility

How should the associated probabilities be categorized and weighted...what considerations should be made in defining the associated probabilities...

This sounds like homework. Open the textbook and look within for your answer... Atom 00:55, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Perhaps he has no textbook!--Light current 01:28, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

nautical wood and shell charts

Dear Reference Desk, I have been searching for hours now both on Google and through your site about information on I believe either Polynesian, Micronesian, or Oceanic Nautical charts that are made out of wood, shell, bone, etc and used for navigating ships celestially. They are adjustable, in a grid format, made mostly of bamboo or wood indigenous to the area and are mounted to the wall. 72.207.244.39 01:22, 2 October 2006 (UTC)I believe these are mid-19th century but I could be mistaken. I have seen one before but lost the contact info for that person that owns one. Thank you for your time and assitance in this matter. Take care. Sincerley, Ben Diller

I removed your e-mail, as posting it on a public site like this can mean it gets picked up by spambots (which you really don't want :). In answer to your question, the charts demonstrated wave patterns, so if you search for "Polynesian wave chart" or something similar you'll get quite a few hits. This seems to be a pretty informative place to start: [10]. There's also a great article in a journal called Imago Mundi ("Marshall Islands Navigational Charts", by William Davenport, Imago Mundi, Vol. 15. (1960), pp. 19-26) but you have to have university access to read it online ([11]). Hope this helps! Ziggurat 01:29, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Emotional abuse

Can you please help me find articles or books on the long-term effects of emotional abuse on the abusee? I am finding alot about what it is to be an emotional abuser or signs of emotional abuse, but not much on the kinds of reprocussions that the person who was emotionally abused over years has to deal with. Thank you for any assistance, Jennifer L----

You could start with the Wikipedia article about emotional abuse and follow the links. Durova 14:06, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

I'm afraid that, if I click on that link, I will get an unending string of swear words and insults. :-) StuRat 19:05, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

So whats new? How long have you been exposing yourself here? 8-)--Light current 01:29, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

I normally go down to the city park whenever I feel like exposing myself. :-) StuRat 12:21, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

So you're that guy with the weird eyes, foul odour, and really tiny dick, who keeps on flashing unsuspecting passers-by and innocent bystanders. It's good to finally match the name to the face.  :) JackofOz 05:44, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

people who "aren't good at tests"

I've heard a lot of people saying that they got good grades but aren't good at standardized tests so they couldn't get into the college they wanted. Is this a valid condition or is "not good at tests" basically synonymous with "not being smart enough to do well"? --froth^{T C} 02:35, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

They might get nervous and such, but most of the time I would say it is an excuse. --Proficient 02:37, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Their scores on standardised tests are likely to be a (relatively) better reflection of their "being smart enough to do well"; they might get very good grades on a test which consists only of the question "what is your name?". --Yesitsapril 02:45, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Sometimes it is an excuse, but the tests are limited in what they measure besides the ability to do well on a test. For example, doctors in the US take a long series of those tests, from the SATs in high school, to the MCATs to get into medical school, to National Boards for licensure, to specialty and subspecialty certification exams. I have been involved in resident education for years and it is quite difficult to see a clear relationship between the quality of clinical performance and the test aptitude. Being good at tests is a skill some are blessed with and others work at, but it is only a crude indicator of how good you are at anything else besides test-taking (except maybe being suited to work at the reference desk). On the other hand, good grades can be obtained in many ways and are much harder for someone to fairly assess and compare. alteripse 02:55, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

I'm just the reverse, a very good test taker. I've been known to ace a test when I'm completely unfamiliar with the subject matter. The problem is that the test makers leave clues to the answers in the test, which I can pick up on. StuRat 11:08, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Here's the deal dude. I'm probably in about the same place you are right now to a lesser extent. Are SATs/ACTs important? Yes. Basically, they are the only way that colleges have a standardized way to compare two students from different schools. However, they are just a piece of the puzzle in the application. They won't make or break you, but they will hurt/help your application. Grades are important, extracurriculars are important, good essays, and recommendations are also important too. Standardized Tests are just a piece of the puzzle that the colleges look at when deciding whether or not to accept you. --AstoVidatu 13:05, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

I would suggest StuRat that you are now much older and wiser than those for whom the tests were designed. You can see the hints in the question, but Im not sure the normal candidates would. Heres a little test for you on 3 dimensional geometry that you should be able to slove mereley from the clues (or lack of them) in the question.

Intelligence test question

You drill a 6" (exactly) long hole through the centre of a sphere. What is the volume of the sphere remaining? --Light current 15:14, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

That seems a little bit like a silly question. What diameter does the drill have? Does it taper? Through which two points on the surface of the sphere did you drill through? Also, what's a shere? --80.229.152.246 17:22, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Yes it seems like you dont have enough info, but you do. THe hole is parallel sided like the drill used to produce it. You drill with a diameter as your centre line. 8-)--Light current 20:37, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

I can see how you could work out the original volume from that, but not the remaining volume. Skittle 22:58, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

You have to think laterally: the info you are not given obviously has no bearing on the answer! 8-)--Light current 23:15, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

• John W. Campbell, Jr. had an amusing solution to this: Assume that there is a unique solution and that there is sufficient information, because it would be rude to present the problem if it didn't have both. In that case, it doesn't matter what the diameter of the removed part of the sphere is, so assume that the diameter is zero, in which case the remaining volume is is a sphere of diameter 6, or 36π. --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 23:42, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Congratulations. You get the prize for answering correctly (and for quting the correct logical process of thought). However, I cannot give you the prize for super intelligence, as you obviously saw the answer somewhere else.--Light current 00:33, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Well, uh, yeah. I didn't independently determine that Campbell had figured out such a solution. --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 05:20, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

If there is sufficient information, there are two possible answers: either the drill bit is of zero diameter, and the whole sphere is left, or the drill bit is larger than six inches in diameter, and there is only a hole left. --Serie 00:07, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

I didnt specify the drill diameter. It must vary with the sphere size in order to get a 6" long hole.--Light current 00:40, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

All the info you need is there. Be sure not confuse volume with mass. It could be a hollow sphere and the volume would be the same. Sosobra 22:48, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

---

People don't get good scores on tests but get good grades may be getting the good grades by working hard. This will carry them much farther in life than someone who is lazy but intelligent enough to pick out the correct answer based on clues the teacher puts in the test unwittingly. One of these clues is that in a teacher-written question, the longest answer is often the correct one, since the teacher puts in lots of qualifying phrases to reduce arguing about any ambiguity. Professionally written exams control for this factor. I have seen people with above average but not spectacular IQs do very well in graduate school and in careers if they are hard workers. Of course, some people just go into a panic and can't think straight when they have to do a timed exam which is important to their future. One thing which can help with that is preparation: take a practice exam under timed conditions similar to the testing day. Cognitive behavioral therapy might also help if one can afford to see a professional.Edison 15:48, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

If people can handle standardized test, how the hell are they going to handle real, non-standardized ones that are thrown at them in real life? Philc _T^E_C^I 20:41, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

There are many differences in doing things in the real world versus on tests:

• Getting the right answer all the time is far more important in the real world. (If you're an architect, and 7 out of 10 of your buildings don't fall over, that's not a passing grade in the real world.)

• Getting the answer in less than an hour is far less important.

• Getting the answer without using a calculator is far less important.

• Getting the answer without asking for help from an expert is far less important.

• Getting the answer without using any reference materials is far less important.

So, in many ways, doing well at tests shows you have just the opposite set of skills as are needed in the real world. StuRat 21:30, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Really? It isn't possible that a person could do well at a test and be successful in the 'real world?' ( btwI have never taken a test that wasn't in the real world, I like to fantasize about more risque things then the SAT)Sosobra 23:23, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

I didn't say that. They are two distinct skill sets, which have some overlap (the ability to get correct answers), and many other skills which do not overlap (being able to find answers alone for tests and with others in the real world). It is quite possible to be good at both. My point was that being good at one does not guarantee being good at the other. StuRat 00:10, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

In the real world I have many times had to give fast accurate answers without references, calculators, or consultants. The good part is that the questioner may not know the correct answer either! But in the worst case you might be held to the answer you are forced to give on the spot. Edison 05:05, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Road that runs both north and south

Sides of a highway are usually named with the name of the highway and the overall direction of traffic flow: the side of Interstate 90 running from Boston to Seattle is "Interstate 90 west". When two highways share the same stretch of road, the road gets both names, so one side might be both "Interstate 82 east" and "US Route 97 south". Is there anywhere where one side of a road has both a "north" name and a "south" name, or both an "east" name and a "west" name? --Carnildo 07:35, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

I don't see much mileage in doing that. Isn't it just called, for example, Interstate 82? I think I misunderstood your question.--Shantavira 09:18, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

I could see it happening like this:

 HIWAY 2 WEST <<<<<<<<<<<<<< >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> HIWAY 1 EAST
                            ^
                            ^ HIWAY 1 EAST &
                            ^ HIWAY 2 WEST
                            ^
 HIWAY 1 EAST >>>>>>>>>>>>>> <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< HIWAY 2 WEST

StuRat 10:56, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Yes, Interstate 81 and Interstate 77 (among many others) do this. I-81 is a SW-NE tending highway, and I-77 is a NW-SE tending highway. The two share pavement for about 10 miles, signed North and South simultaneously (as are two US highways that also share the pavement). See wrong-way concurrency. — Lomn 15:42, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

I used to drive one every day -- a northbound stretch of freeway in Berkeley and Oakland that is simultaneously I-80E and I-580W. (And backwards the other way, of course.) Provided minor giggles. --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 16:51, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

In that case, is there any stretch of road that's got all four directions? --Serie 17:36, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

I don't know of any four-way "wrong way multiplex," but King and Weber streets in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, go north-south-west-east in the span of a couple miles. Erb Street divides Waterloo streets into "north" and "south" suffixes, while Queen Street in Kitchener divides that city into "west" and "east." Because King and Weber streets run northwest-to-southeast, they wind up in both halves of both cities. -- Mwalcoff 02:09, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

Development of Man/Woman

Man has been around in his present form, like youand i for 100 000 years, now if one looks at the last 2000 years and sees the advances made, it begs the question what have we been doing for the other 98 000 years. why has there been such an advancement in the last 2000 years? Or is a theory that I had previously laughed off possible, that man has achieved great advancement in various fields previosly such as the Atlanteans having great advancement in religion, then were destroyed, and we now have great advancement in technology... Any comments...193.115.175.247 08:58, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

I would say most technological advancement appears to have happened in the last 20,000 years, not 2,000. Each development required earlier developments, and this leads to an increasing rate of new inventions. For example, without the prerequisite of knowing how to build a fire, most of modern technology would be impossible. So, while it may seem like little progress was being made during the first 80,000 years or so, it was all necessary to get to where we are now. StuRat 10:48, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Yes, there was no shortage of advances in that period. Man got all the way to the Axial Age. In some fields, such as philosophy, there haven't been many advances since then. (Some would argue a decline.)--Shantavira 11:03, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Another way you could look at things is by "weight" of importance of each invention. Like StuRat said, most of our modern inventions require the initial invention of fire to exist, so the invention of fire could be considered thousands, millions of times more important than the invention of something like Wikipedia. Wikipedia took less than a decade to get where it is now, and if you multiply that by a few factors of a thousand, you can imagine a relatively accurate time frame required for the invention (and taming) of fire.  freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ  15:08, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

People were doing amazing feats of technological innovation several thousand years BC: they established trade routes from Europe to China, they developed ceramics, copper, bronze, iron, and glass technology. They did astronomical observations and developed civil engineering. They built massive civil works. They did not just sit around for 98,000 years. Some unknown ancestors as smart as Newton figured out technological innovations in the prehistoric era which the subsequent development of our arts and sciences built upon. Edison 15:58, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

More theories under accelerating change and technological singularity.---Sluzzelin 16:12, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

The growth in world population.

Another important element, is the approximately exponential growth in population and especially the increase in population with time available to explore new ideas. 10,000 years ago the world population is estimated to have been 4 million people and nearly all of them would have spent all day looking for food on a subsistence diet. Today the world population is about 6 billion, and although there is an embarrassingly large fraction of them still living in subsistence, there are millions if not billions with enough leisure time available to think of new things. And of course advances in technology, in health and farming etc. is in part what helps to support the increase in the world's population (although also note the warnings of Thomas Malthus).

I don't have the figures, but lets estimate that there are 10 times as many theoretical physicists in the world today compared with 1900 (the world population has increased by a factor of 4 since then, but the number of physicists has probably increased more rapidly). 10 times as many people working on the same sorts of problems won't make the rate of advancement increase by a factor of 10, but it might make things move forward say two or three times more as quickly.

There are also important step changes along the way that facilitate the spread of ideas; spoken language (way back when), writing (~4000BC), printing (6th-15th century) and perhaps the Internet (1980s). More importantly throughout these last 20,000 years there has been very little change in human DNA, so things like brain size (or other factors that might affect intelligence or ingenuity) have remained the same. It is suggested that if you could raise a Paleolithic caveman in the modern world with modern teaching, he would be pretty well indistinguishable from anyone else. However we are now on the verge of being able to manipulate our DNA directly, so the pace of change in the next thousand years might be very dramatic indeed as long as we can cope with the social pressures. -- Solipsist 16:14, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

We consider our technological advances greater for two reasons. One is that they are our advances and the other is that we take what was done long ago for granted. One of the greatest advances of mankind is the development of agriculture, breeding and city building. Without that, we could never have done what we did in the last 2000 years. We may think our computers and the Internet dwarf any previous achievements, but it's just an extension of communication, like bookprinting was. It all started with the invention of writing. Strike that. It started with spoken language. Conpared to that all that came after it was peanuts. Looking into the future, 10000 years from now people will be little impressed with what we are doing right now, compared to what they are doing or, if they think deeper, those things that were done before us. DirkvdM 18:27, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Let me use this oportunity to use the bit about 'taking for granted what was done before' to take a stab at selfrighteous capitalists. They complain about taxes taking away 'their hard earned money'. But put them in a third world situation with no connections and al the poverty the local population have and they will achieve as little as that local population. The wealth they have was given to them by their ancestors. They just found cleverer ways to get a larger piece of the pie. Thousands or even millions of times larger than the pieces others get. Of course they work millions of times harder. :) DirkvdM 18:27, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Taxpayers may not work a million times harder than those in the Third World, but they work more than a million times harder than you. :-) StuRat 21:04, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Of course that last sentence confused the argumentation. I should have said that even if they did work a million times harder, that would still not be an excuse to take a larger piece of the pie. DirkvdM 05:02, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

List of rich neighborhoods

I want to start that article. Help me out. I'll being:

Boston - Beacon Hill

lots of issues | leave me a message 10:19, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

1. This would probably be better off on an article talk page rather than the ref desk
2. I would be cautious about starting such an article. How do you define "rich"? What is the point of such an article? I can see it inevitably turning into an unmaintainable list which brings no added value. I can recommend reading through Wikipedia:Lists (stand-alone lists), Wikipedia:Lists in Wikipedia and Wikipedia:Listcruft. — QuantumEleven 12:09, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

1. Where?
2. There is at least one "upper class" neighborhood in every major city. All of these neighborhoods have robust articles because they played roles in the history of the city, and are subjects of folk fascination. This is Wikipedia. Why question why? Because "value" = this doesn't sound like it interests me? leave me a message

SeeHighest-income places in the United States Edison 16:11, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

For this to be encyclopedic, you need to use a criterion less subjective than "rich." You could use census data to derive a list of, say, "U.S. neighborhoods containing census tracts with per-capita incomes over $200,000." To be encyclopedic, the list would have to include all such neighborhoods. This would involve some work. A list based on a random group of people's subjective judgements is not encyclopedic. Marco polo 18:01, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

World's biggest spliff?

Whilst there's a couple of topics about cannabis in progress on the science desk and I'm currently looking at an album cover with a picture of Bob Marley smoking a huge spliff on it, my enquiring mind wishes to know - how big was the biggest spliff ever made? --Kurt Shaped Box 12:14, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Some possible candidates: File:Cheech-chong.jpg - long joint - record sleeve?. ---Sluzzelin 14:11, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

The Camberwell carrot? --Canley 02:37, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

reservoir dogs suits

what kind of suits do they wear? i wanna replicate for my formal.220.239.228.252 13:18, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

The Reservoir Dogs article suggests they were designer suits created specially for the film. I realize that doesn't help much, but it does suggest you won't get one off the peg. Maybe a fan site could help.--Shantavira 13:34, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

academy award nominee

What academy awared nominee also writes a popular newspaper column about bridges?

Do you perhaps mean bridge, not bridges? If so, the answer is probably Omar Sharif. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 13:57, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Yes, he is known North, South, East, and West for his ability to span any bridge problem. :-) StuRat 18:16, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Bishop Eamon O'Casey

Is Bishop Eamon O'Casey still living? If so where?

• Do you mean Bishop Eamon Casey? --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 16:11, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

SIC codes.

Can you tell me what the Nec means after some of the categories in The SIC code book? For example, the category of Medical and Hospital Equipment has a SIC code of 504700 and has a total of 7,468. The category of Medical and Hospital Equipment, Nec. has a code of 504799 nad a total of 909. I'm just wondering what the difference is. Thanks.

• "Not Elsewhere Classified". --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 16:10, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Optygen

Will Optygen help me run faster in 400m/800m track races? http://www.firstendurance.com/qa.html

Does anyone here take it and if so, can anyone tell me about their experiences with it? 72.1.206.176 17:30, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

If it worked, it would be banned, as that would be an unfair advantage. StuRat 18:22, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Try training. Never use substances to get faster. You'd only be cheating yourself. - Mgm|^(talk) 08:29, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Yes, substances are typically used to get altius rather than citius. JackofOz 20:39, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

i have a hangnail

am i going to die?

For certain, you probably won't even last 10 decadeas from now... 惑乱 分からん 19:53, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

No. Just bite/cut/scrape it off. Pacific Coast Highway ^{{blah • Happy Halloween! • WP:NYCS}} 20:23, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

It is possible to die from a hangnail, if it becomes infected and is left untreated and your immune system can't handle it. But, rather than making funeral plans, you might want to clip it off. StuRat 20:56, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Whitlow--Light current 01:39, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

someone help me!!!!

aaaaahhhhh my butt is on fire!!!!!

Sorry, but we don't seem to have an article on How to extinguish a burning butt just at the moment. But now there's a redlink, I'm sure someone will create one any day now. I only hope it's in time for your little .. ah, problem. Best of luck in the meantime. JackofOz 20:49, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Shame on you Jack. You know that How to extinguish a burning butt belongs at WikiBooks. - Mgm|^(talk) 08:28, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

"I fell into that burning ring of fire...and it burns, burns, burns, that ring of fire." :-) StuRat 20:51, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Is that the song that goes like, "burns burns burns! the ring of fire. the ring of fire." or something? --216.164.249.26 21:23, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Oh and by the way, you could always decide to perform an upper decker while your butt is on fire. That would be quite an accomplishment. --216.164.249.26 21:27, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

THere is another way: Fire extinguisher butt you must be careful not to insert the nozzle! 8-)--Light current 21:48, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Well, I saw these adult movies where ... (no, better not). JackofOz 20:36, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

I saw a metal can outside a homeless shelter which had written on it "Extinguish your butts here." You might try to find such a device. Edison 05:11, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

On British buses years ago when smoking was allowed, there used to be cast metal plates with the word 'STUBBER' moulded on them attached to the rear of the seats. Interestingly (?) the word spelled backwards is REBBUTS. Conicidence or conspiracy? --Light current 05:16, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

It might be conicidence if they were smoking pot from bongs. :) JackofOz 20:36, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

If this is a result of a vindaloo, yoghurt is supposed to be good.--Shantavira 09:03, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Sweet yoghurt... I love that snack... 惑乱 分からん 11:43, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

How do you explain to your girlfried why you are sitting in 2 gallons of yoghurt? CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 05:17, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

That must be where the term Girl Friday came from. Girl Frenday would have sounded silly.  :--) JackofOz 05:34, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

Hey, 惑乱 分からん if you really like it that much I have 2 gallons I could let you have for half price. I just have to find the rest of the strawberry bits. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 05:43, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

Piano playing- its becoming automatic

I seem more and more to be able to work out songs Ive heard and harmonise them at the piano keyboard. Its rather uncanny - its as if someone else is playing , not me! Ive found a number of rules for the chord progressions that I apply, and now the songs are coming thick and fast. I am a musician (bass player) but Ive never had any piano lessons.

• Should I buy a piano to develop this skill at home for self amusement and learning of tunes?
• Should I take piano lessons to try to learn to play from music.
• Should I forget all about it, as it may only be a passing phase?

--Light current 20:45, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

I'd keep it up. You can learn a lot about harmony, voicing, chord alteration, counterpoint etc etc etc. It will broaden your scope on the bass too, and you can use it for arranging and composing. A lot of great jazz horn players, though by no means all, played and play the piano reasonably well too. ---Sluzzelin 21:07, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Yes that makes sense. Im not learning anything new on the bass now really. Its so easy to find the jazz chords on the piano like Dm7, G7, Am7,Em7 (in the key of C) I am of course starting to work out all the tunes in the key of C (or Am) so its just the white notes at present. When I'm familiar in C, Ill try F,Bb,Eb,Ab,Db--Light current 21:44, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Maybe you are a natural medium and you are channelling the spirit of George Gershwin or Liberace.  --Lambiam^Talk 23:00, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Possible! But Im a beginner compared to those two pianists. After just a few weeks/months playing twice a week for an hour or so, Im just getting a natural feel for the harmonies of the tunes Ive heard. After all this time reading bass music and not really learning anything, I just find it strange now that it seems so easy!.--Light current 23:12, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Anyway Im not sure I want to be a 'channel' for Liberace 8-)--Light current 00:43, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Well, that would explain why you go a bar looking to meet a man. :-) StuRat 18:33, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Death?

I accidentally leaned too hard into my hands, and felt my hands push against my chin so that something on the inside seemed to get crushed. UI don't feel any pain there, though. Will I die??? --216.164.249.26 21:16, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Well eventually, yeh. Who knows! maybe you crushed your spine... or your brain... or your throat... all are unlikely, as you are stil alive, but more to the point how would we know! If you think your going to die, why are you asking us, why aren't you in casualty, and if you dont think you are going to, why waste our time? Philc _T^E_C^I 22:14, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

• Fotr those not in the know "Casualty" is the same as the "emergency room" of a hospital. - Mgm|^(talk) 08:26, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Dumping Bodies

How do you properly dump a body so you leave no trace. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.164.249.26 (talk • contribs)

This has been asked and answered before, you should find links to the archives above. Dismas|^(talk) 21:39, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Where can find it?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

It has been dumped and left no trace.  --Lambiam^Talk 23:02, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

You really need some good investigating skills to find the small traces left... 惑乱 分からん 23:52, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Space my boy, launch it into space ˉˉ^anetode╦╩ 00:39, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

It's been tried- the body was found a thousand years later. See 3001: The Final Odyssey --froth^{T C} 01:04, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Try a Sun trajectory8-)--Light current 01:06, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Wrap the body in chicken wire, weigh it down and drop it from a boat into fairly shallow water (though not shallow enough to be uncovered at low tide). Undersea critters will make short work of it. EDIT: You might also want to stab it a few times to allow the beasties to get inside. --Kurt Shaped Box 01:10, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Wont the skeleton remain? --Light current 01:23, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

No-one is going to notice/care about the few small bones that wash up (unless you're very unlucky) and the big, identifiable stuff (e.g. skull, pelvis, femurs) will probably stay within the wire wrapping long enough to be erroded away to sand... --Kurt Shaped Box 02:01, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

I disagree! Its too risky! And DNA can be got from bones. Anyway, didnt you read the question?--Light current 03:14, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

If you somehow could drop the body in the middle of the Pacific over the Mariana Trench with weights attached to the body, wouldn't that make the body fairly difficult to find? --ClockFace 03:49, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

But theres still a trace for anyone with a diving bell--Light current 05:01, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

We counsel strongly against any felonious acts. I assume you wish to write a mystery story. One can't argue with success, so start with people who were never found: List of people who have disappeared and Category:Disappeared people. Unfortunately there are few details. For famous unfound bodies with more conjecture about methods, see Helen Brach and Judge Crater. Methods as dissimilar as burial under the sidewalk at Coney Island and a trip to a blast furnace were pretty effective. Edison 05:21, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

THat reminds me of the Mafia favorite: Using the body in the construction of some concrete edifice. (usually a roadway). Also I believe there may be a few bodies inside the Hoover dam

This AskMetafilter thread might give you some ideas. Natgoo 11:34, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

• eat it??????(hotclaws**== 14:14, 3 October 2006 (UTC))

The things that you put in drinks so that the drinking person becomes rapeable

Where can I get them and how do you properly use them? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.164.249.26 (talk • contribs)

I think you're referring to roofies. And I hope you like prison. Dismas|^(talk) 21:37, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

There is no proper way to use roofies. Check out the lyrics to Date Rape (song) for a preview of the merry social life that awaits in prison - what goes around really does come around. Durova 21:48, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Nobody is ever "rapeable". JackofOz 00:51, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

I disagree. Everyone is always rapeable. And I'm proud of the twisted OP for not dropping the silent e and maintaining the /ai/ sound when making his word. Hyenaste ^(tell) 01:02, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

That article just says it's a sedative that makes people forget what happened. But there must be loads of drugs like that. Does it also make people 'willing'? That would make it very useful to rob people, making them clean their bank accounts for the robber. Is that what happens? The robbery section does not say. DirkvdM 05:16, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Ehhh, people don't have to be willing to get raped. Only too consciousless (or weak) for resistance... 惑乱 分からん 11:38, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Ehhh, "willing to get raped" is a contradiction in terms. JackofOz 11:45, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Aaahh, true, it's an oxymoron... Anyway, I think I should recommend the asker to be nice, instead... If you're nice, hopefully you could find a nice, horny girl that would stay with you for some time... ;) 惑乱 分からん 13:56, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

This IP has never made a useful edit.

Besides roofies, GHB (Gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid) also has potential as a date-rape drug. Raul654 14:50, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

See also: Date rape drug Raul654 14:51, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Auto - what car is this? (brand/model)

Hello. I'm trying to find out what brand and model is the car in the next pics. Do you think you can help me with this? I'd apreciate it a lot!

http://img135.imageshack.us/my.php?image=frontxk5.jpg

http://img135.imageshack.us/my.php?image=rearpz9.jpg

Looks British judging by the right hand drive cockpit. Jamesino 22:37, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

I know nothing about cars, but might it be a Lotus of some sort? Just has that look about it. Skittle 23:03, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

No registration plate - no indicator lights - no reflectors - no reversing lights - no marque? And just because of all that you attack we Brits? Shame on you.

It may be a kit car or one that was assembled with the express purpose to try and set some sort of speed record. Thus, no need for license/registration plates or lights. Dismas|^(talk) 01:35, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Counter-Strike

Why is the Pc game Counterstrike so popular? Jamesino 22:36, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Because it's awxoem !! --froth^{T C} 00:58, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Several reasons:

1. It's a first person shooter.
2. It's a Massive Multiplayer game.
3. It is realistic while not slow moving like Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six.
4. Good place to test out hacking.

I'm not a Counter-Strike fan myself, but I can already see several reasons.

bibliomaniac15 01:01, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Like most popular online games in the past (warcraft, starcraft, diablo) it was the high-level play that kept the game alive for so long. For some reason the CS system allowed for creation of really in-depth strategy, and even at the highest levels of competition (let's say sK vs. Team 3D) extremely trivial judgements and small advantages in skill made huge differences in tournament gameplay.

The existance of a well-formed online league CAL, and a well-funded (millions of dollars in prizes) well-hyped (large promotion budget) and well-reported (match play-by-play over shoutcast was very popular, and relatively high quality) international tournament CPL also helped loads to keep high-level players interested and motivated in the game.

The developer (which became Valve after the betas were done with) frequently updated the engine code and server code to make internet play smoother, and even listened to fan requests on a few occasions (maybe not enough).

Other than that all I can say is that the game came at the right time, when a game somewhat like it was required to inspire all those used to playing DM games like Quake III. I'd be surprised if any game will ever be so lucky again. I don't consider CS to be popular any more, because it's well past it's prime, but since there have been so many hardcore players in the past, people will probably always go back to it every once in a while to refresh their mice and catch a wiff of CS nostalgia.  freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ  04:03, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

I think it was so popular not so much because of realism or anything like that, but the fact that the multiplayer game was well balanced and there was a really good strategy to it in addition to the tactile aiming skills. There were many ways you could approach the game, but you had to coordinate it with your team. Teamwork was more or less required to play the game (as a lone gunman would usually be knocked out, and have to sit out the rest of the round). Not all FPS multiplayer games are like that, and CS did it really well. - Rainwarrior 17:59, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

October 3

Cooking for the complete idiot?

Any suggestions for a cookbook or cooking website that covers very basic cooking, like "how to scramble an egg" or "how to grill a steak"? Even the cookbooks targeted at college students I've found don't go that simple. --67.185.172.158 00:03, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

There's this one, perhaps. Alternatively, try EHow. Ziggurat 00:12, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

At the suggestion of my girlfriend I bought Cooking for Blokes, it it really does go into the daft detail of how to boil an egg, make rice of grill a steak. — QuantumEleven 05:18, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Rice of Grill a Steak is one of the best known Vernable Pastatutes in the culinary field. It tastes really yummy, particularly after being suitably emphazied for a short while before grilling. JackofOz 23:10, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

I'm sick of this abuse crap on the refdesk. It's an obvious typo of make rice or grill a steak. Luigi30 (Taλk) 16:54, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

Indoor Plants

Now that fall is upon us, and winter is approaching. I am thinking about growing some typically spring/summer plants inside. Ive done some research for mimicing the sun cycles and the amount of time the sun is up beginning in the spring (8-10hours) and then to summer (10-12) and then back to late summer/fall (8-10). What I am wondering is what if I just kept some artificial light on the plants 24 hours from the beginning? Would that have an adverse or positive effect?

Thanks!!!

Where do you live that has such short days? Here in Southern California, our longest daylight time is 14-1/2 hours, and the shortest is almost 10 hours. It's just over 12 hours at the equinox. Anyway, I know that many potted plants will survive just fine with 24 hours of light - they do in business establishments where the lights are never turned off. I don't know how that would affect their flowering cycles or growth rates - you may get better results with this question on the science forum.--Shuttlebug 05:34, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

I noticed that this was put earlier in Science with no answer. Maybe it can't be answered! A long time ago when I was growing err.. 'herbs' in the basement, the general consensus was that light longer than 12 hours had no effect. Also, I just found out that you can't force tulips until they've had a few months in the cold. --Zeizmic 11:55, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Rainbowsix keygen

Anyone know where I can find a key generator for Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Raven Shield for PC? --Jamesino 00:48, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Aren't key generators illegal? I'd suggest buying the game. Ziggurat 01:36, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

I thought it was unlawful--Light current 01:37, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Whichever what :) Ziggurat 01:42, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Do you want to know the diff?--Light current 03:16, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Nah, I believe I get the difference Ziggurat 03:19, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

OK 8-)--Light current 03:21, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

I don't get the difference. Can someone explain it for me? --BennyD 14:15, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

I wonder why anyone would come to Wikipedia to ask about Key-generators, they are not exactly hard to find with peer-to-peer programs and google. Joneleth 08:48, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

phantasmagoria

ythere is a pc game called phantasmagoria i wanted to know how i could purchase a copy of this game i have searched quite a bit on the internet but no go created by sierra games 1995-96

I did a search for "phantasmagoria pc" on EBay and got 11 listings, try that. --Canley 02:34, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Phantasmagoria is a very old game (from 1995!), so I think you'll have trouble tracking down a copy (even the 'bargain bins' at computer stores won't have it) - as Canley said, eBay is your best bet. Note that unless you have an old Windows 3.1 or DOS PC lying around, you'll most likely need an emulator to run it (such as DosBox). Good luck! — QuantumEleven 05:24, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

• I think it ran fine on Windows 95 and 98 too. At least it would be odd if my CD with a game collection for Windows 95 back then had a preview for an ancient game on it. By the way, 1995 isn't all that old, just a little over 10 years. I know exactly which game they're talking about and I'd love to play it myself. My computer couldn't handle it at the time it came out... - Mgm|^(talk) 08:20, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Adjusted for inflation and population growth, what is the highest grossing movie in U.S. history?

Adjusted for inflation and population growth, what is the highest grossing movie in U.S. history? --71.244.110.187 01:57, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Probably still Gone with the Wind but this is notoriously hard to compute. See also the second section of List of highest-grossing films in the United States and Canada. Rmhermen 03:58, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Adjusted for inflation it's Gone With the Wind. See Box Office Mojo. Ziggurat 05:25, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

So GWTW is the grossest film? Clarityfiend 17:11, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

No, that would be Pink Flamingos. JackofOz 20:49, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Boston census tracts from 1960

How would I find a map of census tracts for Boston in 1960? I have a census data set from then, but the tract numbers are all, like, A-0001, SC-0001B, etc., while modern tract numbers for Boston appear not to use any letters. Alternatively, how would I find race/income data on Boston neighborhoods from 1960?

Any help much appreciated! -Bess

You're very likely in the realm of paper census records, which are long and tedious, but were fortunately published. I'd suggest you look for 1960 census records in a large library.

Your best bet is a "government depository library." Typically these are the main branch of the public library of the biggest city in a state, or the library of the flagship state university campus. They will have dusty bound books containing the 1960 census reports. Inside one of those dusty bound books, you should find folded maps that show the census tracts and their boundaries. Marco polo 00:39, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

City with the greatest number of large buildings

Hi there!

i am wondering which city has the greatest number of large buildings.

i was in new york for a week and the large buildings seemed to go on forever! i have been in other huge cities such as delhi, calcutta, bangkok but they were not so full of tall buildings. returning to the west coast san francisco seemed rather quaint!

thank you! kai hill

How tall is tall? I consider much of Tokyo to be very tall, but there are regulations in Japan to stop people from stacking skycrapers higher than 70 storeys up. They're afraid they'll topple over when the earthquakes hit; as if anybody would survive an earthquake strong enough to topple a high-tech 100 storey structure in the first place.  freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ  07:03, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

According to the article Skyscraper: "despite the loss of the World Trade Center towers, and the relatively slow pace of new construction, no city in the world has more completed individual free-standing buildings over 500 ft. (152 m) than New York City, with 184. Hong Kong comes in with the most in the world (186), if one counts individually the multiple towers that rise from a common podium, as in buildings that rise several stories as one structure, before splitting into two or more columns of floors (Emporis counts this way)." --Canley 07:04, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Fire water

Hi, and no, this isn't about moonshine. :)

• In the Anglosphere,
  1. What do firemen say when they order that pressurized water be shot at a fire? Would they still say "Fire!"?
  2. What do policemen say when they order that pressurized water be shot at a rioting crowd? Would they say the same thing as above, or would they still say "Fire!"? --Kjoonlee 06:30, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

I suspect they don't wait for an order, but what's wrong with shouting "Water!"? Firemen would certainly just get on with it. The police are more likely to say "OK, Let's squirt some ass!"--Shantavira 10:02, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

No corresponding command is featured in WP's Glossary of firefighting terms, it would make for a nice addition. In the 'Germanosphere' the command is sometimes 'Wasser Marsch!' (which I always found weird.)---Sluzzelin 12:30, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

I could see that being a holdover from bucket brigades; the line of moving buckets could indeed be construed as water marching. --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 15:50, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

I'm no fireman, but I suspect "hose" or the designation of the specific hose. - Jmabel | Talk 22:45, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

What is the poorest county/locale in the USA?

In terms of any data you could get: average earning, GDP, quality of life indices, anything really.

I cant find this info out for the life of me. Any suggestions welcome...

Username is Amists, can't log on as I'm at work so no cookies enabled.

Thanks!

I don't know about counties, but there's a fair chance it's in Mississippi, which is the poorest state in the US --Mnemeson 09:45, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

See Lowest-income counties in the United States. ---Sluzzelin 10:14, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

There was a West Wing episode where the speechwriter had to stand in staffing the President for the day, and at one point he asked 'Is there some condensed form of the sum of all human knowledge?'. He was pointed towards the Chief of Staff's secretary. If they were making it now, they'd have to point him to WP... --Mnemeson 10:22, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Yes, Wikipedia has become the cesspool of all human knowledge. :) StuRat 15:20, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

3-word hebrew translation

What is "what is happening?" in Hebrew (just the transliteration will do). Thanks.-anon

In Hebrew it's two words. "Mah koreh?". --Dweller 16:13, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

"Mah matzav" - literally "what is the situation" will work as well. Jon513 16:14, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

It depends on context... are you wondering what's happening (something's going wrong) or are you asking your, erm, homey "wass 'appenin'?" --Dweller 16:30, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

fire

You're not supposed to use an elevator in a fire. How do you escape if you use a wheelchair?

You trust that there's a suitable trolley available - cf google searches such as this. --Tagishsimon (talk)

Many wheelchair users have strong arms and would be able to crawl down stairs in an emergency, though the likelihood is that there'll be people around who can carry them. But if the fire is localized they'd probably be fine in the elevator.--Shantavira 18:01, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Hopefully those people wont handle the situation the way they did in Episode Two of The Office's second season, which was, sadly, my first association upon reading the question. During a fire drill, heroic David Brent and Gareth Keenan first insist on carrying Brenda, a co-worker in a wheelchair, themselves, and not allowing that the elevator be used, even if it's only a drill. They barely make it down one flight of stairs, then decide it's too much of a bother and abandon her in the stairwell for the rest of the exercise.---Sluzzelin 19:22, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

The rest of the episode too, if I remember correctly. --Maxamegalon2000 02:38, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

It sounds likely. Btw, I haven't seen the episode, but it sounds reasonable to assume that Brent's character would probably give some self-praising lectures about the conditions for disabled people at the workplace in that episode? 惑乱 分からん 06:32, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

BBC & Daily Mail lift Amish Wiki text

The BBC and the Daily Mail have taken text directly from Wiki's Amish article, with no attribution or identification of the source - see Talk:Amish for details ("BBC gets info from Wikipedia?"). Question: what can be done about this plagiarism? Can an administrator write to the BBC and the Daily Mail, and request that they publish Errata which indicate the omission of identification of source? Failure to identify sources runs totally contrary to ethics of journalism and scholarship. I'd be happy to write to the BBC and the Daily Mail myself, but I'm not an administrator. (I should also mention that I did not write the text that was plagiarized, and thus have no goal in this other than seeing that Wiki gets its proper credits.)PaulLev 17:23, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

The BBC very often uses Wikipedia content, but is generally fairly good about citing the source. Writing to the BBC really isn't an administrator's job, as an administrator is neither the aggreved party (that's the contributors to the article, who hold the copyright) nor a representative of the Foundation. The Foundation could (acting as some kind of informal agent of the community) but it doesn't seem to be doing much about the out-and-out Wikipedia rippers (the forks who ignore their GFDL obligations). Do they still broadcast Points of View with Barry Took? Middenface 17:33, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Agreed, you can go ahead and write to them directly. I'm not so concerned about Wikipedia not getting credit as I am about some BBC reporter passing off the work of others as his own. Such poor ethics could manifest themselves in totally made up stories, if not corrected now. StuRat 18:17, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

I'd say, see also Tim Ryan (journalist), but it appears that someone has deleted the article. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 21:23, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Deleted through regular AfD process. The article Honolulu Star-Bulletin has a section on Tom Ryan.  --Lambiam^Talk 07:16, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

I sent an e-mail about the plagiarism to the BBC, through their "complaint" system on their website. Details on Talk:Amish. I'll let you know what, if anything, I hear back from them.PaulLev 04:42, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

• I've redirected Tim Ryan (journalist) to the newspaper to avoid recreation. - Mgm|^(talk) 09:22, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

Incident at Neshabur

Hello, This has been bothering me for a long time. Carlos Santana has a great song called "Incident at Neshabur". My question is weather this is based on some sort of actual event. I've looked everywhere and have had no luck. Thank you in advance for helping me solve this mystery.F2112jdude 18:18, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

It's none of the incidents mentioned here anyway, considering Santana released the song in 1970. Perhaps there was no event? -- the GREAT Gavini 19:23, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Reference material for financial aid to North Korea

I'm looking for a breakdown of the financial aid that the United States, Japan, and South Korea have given to North Korea in 2005. I've done a bit of searching on the internets and Wikipedia and can't seem to find verifiable recent figures. Thanks in advance. Lur 18:21, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Dark Angel(Arundel High)

gotta quaetion about this topic. there doesn't seem to be any searchable knowledge on it. i can't edit it myself, but i wanted to kno if it were possible to have a topic that was searchable without the information for it?

I don't understand your question at all. Could you try rephrasing? - Jmabel | Talk 22:42, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

There was some link to Dark Angel (Arundel High) at the Dark Angel article before, but it was removed, allegedly a comic book series, but almost no good Google hits except for Wikipedia.. 惑乱 分からん 23:36, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Febreze

Does Febreze actually kill germs, or does it only mask it? Jamesino 20:34, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Original and scented Febreze formulations essentially do nothing to microbes; they just absorb/inactivate/mask the odour. Febreze also has an Antimicrobial formulation (labelled specifically as such) which will kill some microbes—the label says it "eliminates 99.9 percent of odor-causing bacteria on fabrics". (Though to be honest I would tend to question its efficacy unless you really spray on enough to soak your sofa.) TenOfAllTrades(talk) 21:19, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

I did my own test on microfiber dish clothes which we keep rewashing. Apparently, the 'stinky' bacteria build up, and the washing doesn't kill them, unless you soak them in chlorine beach, which is bad for coloured synthetics. I found that spraying on the antibacterial Febreze delayed the stink bomb by a few days. I finally gave up and went for a thicker non-woven cloth that I can toss when it stinks, since I think nothing can kill those bacteria on worn (porous) synthetics. --Zeizmic 21:51, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Is Febreze effective in killing or masking odours and germs inside sneakers? Jamesino 22:29, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

• Probably. Although the amount you need to use can be a lot in certain sneakers... - Mgm|^(talk) 09:12, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

Saddest Moment of your Life

What is the saddest moment of your life? Hustle 20:39, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Realizing that people ask questions like this on the Wikipedia Reference Desk. Adam Bishop 20:53, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Realizing my life can never be as happy as Adam Bishop's MeltBanana 21:59, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Realising that two editors have already given attention to this pointless question (whoops now its 3).--Light current 01:29, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

Oh darn :( --froth^{T C} 03:03, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

Realizing that Jimbo Wales does not even know of my existence, let alone that of my shrine that I have built where I offer daily sacrifices unto him. Lemon martini 09:59, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

He knows me! 8-))--Light current 12:46, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

Wales is a jerk :/ --froth 9:02est oct4 2006

Hey thats my friend youre talking about 8-)--Light current 13:07, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

Smash Bros. glitch?

There seems to be a glitch in my copy of SSBM: When I try to get certain bonuses (such as "Master of Suspense" and "Life on the Edge", and get them successfully, the game doesn't give me credit for getting it. I am positive that I am getting hem successfully. Is this a glitch, or am I just doing something wrong? -- TheGreatLlama ^{(speak to the Llama!)} 23:33, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Havent played in a year or so, but lemme try: Sometimes, if you hang too much, you end up getting another bonus, like master of disaster? Idk if thats even remotely related, just popped into my head. Also, try using c.f., he has the best recovery for these type of tricks ChowderInopa 03:29, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

October 4

Faked X and Y Chromosomes

Has anyone heard of the Genetic Update Conference? Well anyways, the lecturer showed us pictures of X and Y chromosomes that had been edited with genes like "Selective Hearing Loss (HUH)" for the Y and several shopping genes for the X. I Googled this already to no avail. Anyone seen these out there at all? Deltacom1515 00:02, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

Humorous karyotypes like that have been shown at various genetics lectures for at least 40 years. There are lots of funny medical slides that have never been published for a variety of reasons. alteripse 01:37, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

More seriously, a doctor friend said he sometimes told parents of children of ambiguous anatomical gender that their baby girl was missing one leg of one of her two X chromosomes, while drawing out a Y to demonstrate how the X was missing a leg.Edison 07:27, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

Grand Mufti

Why haveth not the US a Grand Mufti?

According to the very first line of the article you linked to - "The title of Grand Mufti ( Arabic: مفتي عام‎) refers to the highest official of religious law in a Sunni Muslim country". The only way you could be asking this question in good faith is if you think the US is a Sunni Muslim country... --Mnemeson 01:18, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

But I think it's a fair question. The United States is as much a Sunni Muslim country as Australia, which has a grand mufti, as does France. In general, the grand mufti is named or recognized by the government of the country where he presides. Because of the constitutional mandate of separation of church and state, the United States government would never officially sanction such a religious office. Australia apparently has an unofficial grand mufti. The United States does not, probably at least partly because the Muslim population of the United States is diverse and not centrally organized. There are several U.S. Muslim organizations, each of which might not recognize a figure coming from one of the other organizations as the legitimate grand mufti. Marco polo 01:27, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

When I edit at 2am, remind me to read past the first line in articles... I apologise for the disbelief in my remark. Although I do feel a better opening line might be "the highest official of Sunni Muslim religious law in their particular country", as the way it currently reads implies that only SM countries have one. I'll.. stop digging this hole now. --Mnemeson 01:42, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

There is one. He shares an apartment in Georgetown with his partner, the Head Rabbi.

grudge

what is this grudge all the papers speak of with respect to the Amish-girl killer?

read our article: 2006 Amish school shooting. Rmhermen 01:42, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

Rome Total War

Does anyone know how to extract video from Rome: Total War? I need to use it for a history project, and looked everywhere. Thanks! -- Sturgeonman 01:18, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

If you can't find a way, there's always HyperCam or Camtasia. -Elmer Clark 01:49, 4 October 2006 (UTC) edit: well, ok, no articles, but you can Google them.

It's not exactly what you want, but [Fraps http://www.fraps.com/] might help. In Medieval:Total War, the intro movies are simply .mpg files, but I presume you want the battle replays which I can't immediately locate. --Mnemeson 01:51, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

The video files are saved as .rpy format (if you can't find the folder, just search your system for all .rpy files). Once you have those, this forum should help you out (sends you to instructions here). Good luck with the project :) --Mnemeson 01:58, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

The female House Representative (?) who made statements against women's right to vote

I recall reading about a woman who was in the House (pretty sure it wasn't the Senate) who made some statements saying that women didn't need the right to vote or something. She also once said that if her husband asked her to leave her position in Congress that she would do so. This was within the last ten years.

I'm really paraphrasing here and may have gotten the details wrong. Anyway - what's her name? Is there a Wikipedia entry about her? I couldn't find it due to the necessary vagueness of my search terms.

Thank you.

It was a State Senator from Kansas, Kay O’Connor. She doesn't have a Wikipedia article, but see here: [12]. Ziggurat 09:12, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

payment on non traditional services

please narrate the circumstances under which insurance companies in US pays to the doctors for non traditional services like telephone calls, emails, missed appointments etc or the doctor can charge directly to the patient for these services?

Information on media and superstitions

How does the Media help in reinforcing Superstitions? --Minni--

Before there were 'moist towelettes' -

- was there ever any such thing as a 'towelette'? Are all 'towelettes' therefore by definition moist? If so, shouldn't we be calling them just 'towelettes'?

Further, to Australian Wikipedians of a certain age - before there were 'Iced Vovos', was there ever any such thing as a 'Vovo'? Are all Vovos by definition iced? If so, shouldn't we have been calling them just 'Vovos'?

Adambrowne666 11:56, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

To my knowledge, there were never any Vovos before Iced Vovos. Your crusade against tautology is commendable, however proprietary names use a great deal of creative licence and the usual rules don't apply. The market place determines what sells and what doesn't, and that's the only rule that really matters. Iced Vovos has a certain rhythm to it, whereas Vovos is bit brusque. Asking for "a packet of Vovos" sounds too much like "a packet of Ovos", and nobody knows what Ovos are, because they don't exist. Iced Vovos are delicious, but if they had been called "Flattened Energy Cakes", or even just "Vovos", I doubt they would have become the iconic culinary classics they are today. JackofOz 12:33, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

What are they? Volvos? And, by the way, there are "dry towelettes" I don't kjnow if that is a kind of backformation though. Rmhermen 16:14, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

Are Iced Vovos as tasty as Moon Pies?Edison 17:20, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

Minnesota No Waste Law: I the Consumer, being asked to remove the siding on a new construction home after it is 8 months old amd Inspector states he does not "recall that day", that he saw the siding that was going to be mounted on our home!!!

We live in Lindstrom, Minnesota, Franconia Township, Chisago County. We had a new construction home built and completed in October, 2005. During the construction, the inspector from Chisago County came out to do an inspection on the home. People present were myself, and the workers; husband was not there. Inspector came, he asked me what the additional support on the framing was for; I said, the siding; inspector asked; what kind of siding is it? I answered, come, I will show you, it's right here; he came and glanced at it, and said, well goodbye, have a nice day. Now he is stating he does not recall that day. The siding is Corrugated Steel Siding. After the home was 8 months old, a man from the Zoning Committee came to our home with a lady, co-worker; my husband and I were working on our five acres; landscaping. His name is Jim. Jim came up to me; introduced himself as Jim from the Zoning Department at Chisago County. Next statement from his, was; You people have to remove that siding; it does not fall correctly under our ordinances. My husband came from around the garage and asked what they wanted; Jim, again, stated you must take your siding off this house, it is not in compliance to our ordinances. My husband asked what ordinance is that; Jim stated, all siding has to be horizontal and wood looking. My husband stated; why didn't the inspector that has been the inspector for over 20 years for the County; why did he not tell us the day he came out and saw the extra support and siding? Jim, the inspector said, we can't answer for him. My husband said, well if he has been inspector for over 20 years and has inspected two other of my homes on the next ten acres over, you would think he would know the oridinances by now? My husband asked; I would like to meet with the Zoning Committee? Jim said; we are it, you are talking to the Zoning Committee; If you feel you have to have a meeting with us, it will cost you $285.00. My husband filed for a meeting; committee did not look at any of any data or photos of others homes; they handed him a piece of paper that said, "Denied", already typed on it; the paper was prepared before the meeting. The Zoning Committee said; you can appeal that if you wish; we are not sure what the fee is. We have contacted our County Commissioner; an attorney; and etc. There are other homes of same siding all throughout other counties that we are only 1 to 5 miles from the County Line. Not is the siding extremely efficient; environmentally friendly; recyclable; they now have a small sample scale with the same siding on in our Science Museum in St. Paul, Minnesota. We were told by someone that has worked at the County for several years that many consumers pay several hundreds of dollars to meet with this Zoning Committee several times a year to have an ordinance looked at; changed; or whatever; and she stated the County has not changed a thing for years and they don't intend on it; whether it be for siding or whatever.

I found out 2 weeks ago; a man in Washington County, which is 1 miles from us at the line; of course Washington County is extremely large. This man lives in a development; back in 1995 he laid grass seed down; his grass seed of course turned into a beautiful lawn; weeks later the Ordinance Developer came to him, and said the ordinance of the that development says you must lay sod down, not seed. They instructed him to till it all up and lay sod. He contacted his attorney; his attorney found a law for the State of Minnesota; State Wide; that does not permit any County to force a consumer to removed something from their property if it shall be a "Waste". Like I said, the County came here when the home was 8 months old; their inspector already approved it; he doesn't recollect that day; the County will not give us our "Certificate of Occupancy"; they say we are living here illegally. I wished I could send you photos of our home and landscaping. We have a driveway that is 400 feet long and the home is tucked in so far in the pines; we have stopped passerbys and asked them what kind of siding do they think we have; all of them think it is Stucco. This particular Corrugated Siding has been proven not to warp; fade; and be 65 percent more efficient that any other siding you could placed on your home; and why is it that Chisago County would not allow this "Horizontal" siding when every other County around them allow it; and furthermore; these other Counties are very strict regarding their oridances; but they feel it is beneficial to the homeowner; the appearances are very clean lined; it is structural safe. When we had our 95 degree weather for the summer of 2006; it stayed so cool in our home that we hardly used the Air Conditioner; infact; this is our third home built in this County; and this home is to be our retirement home; wheelchair access; my husband and I are both retired for 8 years now; we live on my husband's Social Security; I have several health issues; and the County is asking us to remove our siding and take out a loan and replace it. Now I ask you; where do we get the help we need? We are desperate in need of help; we would very much like to get our Certificate of Occupancy. I forgot to mention; we had to meet with our Township first; may I mention; it cost us nothing to meet with them; our township for the life of them could not figure out why the County was doing this to us because the home has a very clean and nice looking appearance; and especially the fact that the siding will be on for 200 years. Our Township leader; John Green even went up to the County to talk to them; they resued to listen. Please help us. We two retired people who just want to live out the rest of our lives, what is left of it. We have had many, many months of sleepless nights; my doctor knows how this is affecting our health.

Thank you from the bottom and top of our Hearts!

Wikipedia cannot provide legal advice. You might wish to contact an attorney if you want to contest the decisions of the local zoning people in Chisago County. In the city of Chicago, there was once a tradition of giving small gifts to building inspectors. Their extreme gratitude for the small gift likely caused them to have such tears of joy that they could not see certain construction details. The $285 you paid for the Denial would likely have been enough to have that effect. Seriously, I have heard of homeowners and builders successfully challenging even very reasonable zoning laws, but just asking nicely usually won't cut it. If you can't afford a lawyer (and sometimes they will work on a contingency fee, where you split the proceeds with them, but more likely you would have to pay for their services) you might try newspapers, tv reporters, and your state representative, and your U.S. congressment. It might be awkward for the local officials to explain their theories of code enforcement. The manufacturer of the siding might be willing to help with documentation that the material meets all building codes for your area, since such codes usually are based on national model codes. Good luck!Edison 17:30, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

I know I feel for you, inspectors can be difficult. But, without giving legal advice (which you should get) I think that you have limited options. You can't win arguing with the local zoning. If you pull something out of your hat with a lawyer, they will be angry and get you in some other way. The only way that you can deal with this is to go to the city/county (whatever is local) and ask for a variance. Perhaps if you tell them that the inspector that was there before had not mentioned it to you, and that it is very expensive, they may give you a variance. They will not if you are combatitive, for sure.

The inspector who was out there ther first time is only responsible for what he was inspecting (the framing) and you will have a paper that he gave you, or one that was posted on site that he endorsed, that states what it was he inspected. Regardless of what he may have said, you can't hold him to anything else. Even if he had given you "advice" on the siding, it isn't codumented. The general contractor should have know the local zoning laws, and you could hold him responsible. If you are doing it yourself, and have no contractor, then you are responsible for knowing the zoning laws that apply. So, as much as I would like to be helpful, I think you are in a difficult place with few options. The only legal method is to prepare with a list of good reasons, perhaps invluding the no waste law you spoke about, as well as a politely worded statement about the previous inspector "accidentally" misleading you, and ask for a zoning variance for the life of the siding (15-30 years). If you are polite, and ask the right way, and no one in your community shows up to contest it, they are likely to try and satisfy your request. Atom 17:46, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

emergency exit sign design

Why, when we're told to "walk, not run" to the nearest emergency exit, do the signs (in the EU at least) feature a pictogram of someone running towards an exit?

thanks Spiggy

Hehe, good question. I have no answer, but I'd like to show you a funny version. —Bromskloss 15:00, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

The 'running man' seems to be required by EU regulations. I think it's a good question too. My guess is that emergency exit signs are supposed to guide the way out in case of a fire etc., they are not designed to guide our behavior. The behavioral aspect ("don't run", for instance) should have been taught at an earlier point, by your employer or safety inspector at work, by practising fire drills, by having instructions posted in your hotel room or stuck in your airline seat pocket and so forth. To be recognizable within a split second, a running man is probably more effective in conveying the sense of 'emergency exit' than a strolling man would be. I suppose it's also a matter of convention and we've gotten used to immediately understanding the message of the white man running in front of a green background.---Sluzzelin 16:33, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

Fedor Baikov.

Im looking for more detailed information on Fedor Baikov the russian diplomat sent to china in 1654, but I cant seem to find any wikipedia articles, is there none or is it spelled differently? Joneleth 15:05, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

I could not find much information but here is a short biog http://books.google.com/books?vid=OCLC08877441&id=Ozbtt8E31ZcC&pg=PA3&lpg=PA3&dq=boicoot It appears his account is publish but not translated into English. MeltBanana#

Airport runway staff's light wand thingies

Er... what are these things called? They look like big glowing popsicles, and guys on runways wave them. I've looked in airport and various runway lighting articles on Wikipedia, but I can't find any information on the portable lights that ground crews have. Searching with strings like "airport runway staff light" inevitably gives me results about runway lights, or airplane lights, etc. --MattShepherd 15:41, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

According to this page, they are "orange flashlight wands." --LarryMac 16:04, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

Ah, here we go ... "marshalling wands." --LarryMac 16:14, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

What happens when they are pingpong bats? If it is any help the US navy seems to call the wavers "aircraft directors" MeltBanana 16:37, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

Germany

Why are the colors of the German flag Black red and gold ?

The development and changes in industry in the world today.

I want a lot of information on the following( about 2-3 pages on each):

1. The needs of modern industry - land, labour, capital, energy and space. 2. The distribution of agro-based and mineral based industrial regions in the different continents. 3. Case study of any three industrial areas one in each continent. 4. The number of workers in industrial and tertiary sectors in developed and developing countries and the reasons for the differences. 5. Rights of the workers and the condition of the workers in the mining and unorganized sector especially, women.