Wikipedia:Reference desk/Miscellaneous

This is not a help page for problems with Wikipedia. See the Wikipedia:FAQ, Wikipedia:Help and Wikipedia:Village pump for questions about Wikipedia itself.

Post a question by clicking here

The Wikipedia Reference Desk serves much the same function as a library reference desk. Do you have a specific question that you want answered by Wikipedia? Then ask below! Give the question a meaningful title, not just "NEED HELP", and you will be more likely to get an answer. To request that a complete article be written, go to requested articles.

If you know an answer, give only a very limited answer on this page. Just post a link to the Wikipedia article that contains the answer (although you might have to supply a few missing details, relevant to the specific question, here on this page).

Old questions and answers will be removed periodically. You can browse old questions and answers in the Reference Desk archive.

Non-reference questions will be moved to more appropriate pages.

• Brett's question about setting up a wiki moved to Wikipedia:Village pump
• Translation question moved to Wikipedia:Village pump
• Linnaean taxonomy question moved to talk:Scientific classification
• e-business redirect answered at wikipedia talk:redirect

See also Wikipedia:Requests for summaries for requesting a Wikipedia-internal summary of reports, documents, websites etc.

To facilitate ease of browsing and replying, please:

1. Place your questions at the bottom of the list
   • Use this edit link to directly add a new question to the bottom.
2. Title the question (by typing == title ==)
   • If you use the edit link above, just enter a subject.
3. Sign your name and date (by typing --~~~~)

---

Telman Horloo

I have a friend in London named Telman Horloo who said he used to be a famous pop singer in Londolia when he was very young. I think this would have been in the late 1980s and early 1990s, he was lead singer for a pop group but I can't remember the name - a very short word. Does anyone know who I'm talking about and if so, do you know where I can get some of his CDs? Please email me cutewoody@yahoo.com

That name doesn't get any google hits. RickK | Talk 01:46, 14 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Is the spelling correct? The "Telman" first name sounds suspiciously like "Tilman" or "Tillmann". But that doesn't give Google hits, either. -- till we *) 19:10, 17 Mar 2004 (UTC)

sources quoted evade me

I am a student of any and all types of scripture. Albeit semi retired. Please help me to understand how the following site is "represented" (or "mis"-represented). Tidbits From The Talmud [1]

I feel like it's out of context in the worst degree and would like to see it (if it is) exposed, not to mention for my purposes of clarification. The references to the sources quoted evade me. I hope someone on the roster who would benifit by tackling this issue can help me out in this regard.

Thank You,

--198.81.26.49 01:21, 10 Mar 2004 (UTC)Jack William Carter

ediphone/dictaphone

Hellow my name is Harry , I have a dictaphone and a ediphone with some wax cylinders. My queston is would there be a market for these items, if yes please email me back or your welcome to call me day phone 330-352-6467 email is rackridge@earthlink,net thanks for your consideration

Dude! This is not eBay!

J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI Question?

Hey

My name is Jeff DeMars, and I saw through your website that you have a pretty detailed bio of J. Michael Straczynski. I was wondering if you guys had any contact info for him that you were allowed to give out. I would really like to get in touch with him to get him to autograph one of his works for my best friend who is a huge fan. Well let me know if you can help me in any way. deje0205@stcloudstate.edu

Thanks for your time Jeff

Hi Jeff. Straczynski regularly posts to Usenet using the email address jmsatb5@aol.com. I'd say including his unmunged address in Usenet headers constitutes an open invitation to use it ... (it may be that he's using it entirely as a spam trap and never reads that account; I don't know for sure that's not the case but he does repeat it in his sig, which suggests to me that it's real) --Bth 15:42, 10 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Also, remember not to send him any history ideas, he will positively hate you if you do. --eiaccb 17:26, 10 Mar 2004 (UTC)

I can confirm that the jmsatb5@aol.com is a live address which JMS checks; I've gotten a reply there in the past when seeking permission to quote him in another work I was creating. Fair warning, though, he tends not to respond to "fannish" requests. -- Seth Ilys 17:45, 10 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Accountant

I'm looking for my friend, Deborah Sweet Walters, who worked at Eaton as controller of one of the divisions; I'm sorry, but I don't remember what division it was. The last telephone number I have for her is (216) 523-4632. I am not even sure if she still works for Eaton; I know she did about seven years ago.

If you can help me, I'd surely appreciate it. My email address is carolcartr@aol.com. Thank you for your time.

Large Investments

I'm looking for information about large investments, or banking opportunities that offer higher intrest rates with more capital. It seems to me that if you have more money you can make more money, in general. Buying in bulk for example is an easy way to get a higher return for you dollar. I understand there are ISAs in the UK that offer higher interest rates for clients that have larger sums of money invested. What other opportunities are there for people with high net worths? You can just respond if you want to right here, I don't have an email set up atm.

UK ISAs (Individual Savings Accounts) are a tax-free investment allowing people to save up to £3000 cash a year for 3 years (optionally plus a similar amount in shares), so that's not particularly larger sum of money these days. However, we are not authorised under the Financial Services Act to give financial advice -- you would be best advised to contact a professional financial advisor. Arwel 20:44, 10 Mar 2004 (UTC)

vinho verde

Can anyone tell me what grape varieties are found in vinho verde? You can reach me at poe909@yahoo.com. Thank you, Steve.

• There appears to be a huge number of varietes used. There is a full catalogue with details on the official site. I have emailed this answer too. akaDruid 17:34, 16 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Do you assist with locating poems?

Do you assist with locating specific poems and poets? I'm not sure if this is the Web site to look for a poem by an unknown (to me) author. I only have a few lines from the poem itself to help in a search. This is by a renowned poet, possibly Sergeant (sp.), but I'm not sure. I have been unsuccessful in a search I conducted at me local library. Please advise me accordingly. Thank you. Grant Johnson

We're open to most questions, although there are no guarentees that we'll be able to help you. Post the lines you know and we'll see if we can help. →Raul654 00:30, Mar 11, 2004 (UTC)

I have had luck with an user-contributed online poetry compilation that is quite extensive, and has a lot of famous poems and some cursory analysis. You can browse poems by author, title, theme, first line, or perform a regular google site search. The link is: The Wondering Minstrels. - DropDeadGorgias (talk) 22:44, Mar 18, 2004 (UTC)

Libraries are usually pretty good at this, as they generally have access to guides to poetry available only by subscription (you may need to try a larger library, or a more-cooperative-in-a-better-mood-or-more-skilled librarian). If not, there are tips at the Buffalo library website about finding poems. -- Nunh-huh 22:55, 18 Mar 2004 (UTC)

An error on this webpage

I just wanted to make you aware of an error on a webpage that bears your name. It falsely states that the interval of a minor sixth can be remembered and recognized in the song "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean," when in fact, this song begins with a major sixth. A way to remember the sound of a minor sixth is with the song "Love Story" or with the 3rd and 4th note's of Joplin's "The Entertainer." Here is the URL: http://www.knowledgegeek.com/item/Ear_Training_280.aspx As there is not a link on this site to edit the page, I am expecting that you will edit the content appropriately so that it agrees with truth and doesn't mislead unsuspecting music students. Thanks.

Knowledgegeek is using Wikipedia articles for their own site (which we give blanket permission to do if certain requirements are met), and they have an older version of that particular article. The correction was made at our article on Ear training on February 1st! --Robert Merkel 03:22, 11 Mar 2004 (UTC)

I'm sure Robert and I both thank you, however, for being kind enough to let us know! If we hadn't fixed it already, we'd certainly want to do so immediately. Thanks for taking the time to contact us, Jwrosenzweig 23:34, 11 Mar 2004 (UTC)

U-tern movie

(moved from the village pump - moink)

I would like you to helping me to give me some information about a movie who calld U-tern.

The question are;

1- What is the most conflict presented in the film and justified why?

2- Identified the protagonist and describe the 3 mains character of this film and gives 3 carateristics of this character?

3- Describe the time and setting of the film and how these element influence the conflict?

4- The antagonist is the adversary or opponent of the protagonist. Identify and describe 3 characteristics?

5- Where the climax lies on the story?

6- what is the message that the author try o transmitte to the audience?

You're not going to find people here to do your homework for you. For information about the film, try [2] moink 03:02, 11 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Movie to Video Game and Literary Rights

I and a few friends made a movie a while back which has become moderately popular. The story on which the movie was made was written by someone who does not belong to our group. We own the rights to the movie and keep all of the money it earns. The author of the story on which the movie is based receives no part of the income generated by the movie. We now want to create a video game based on the movie. The author of the story tells us we can not do that because she owns the literary rights to the story. Is this correct? The video game will be based on the movie we made, which we own. Can anyone shed light on our dilemma? Mark Wilson @ easthard@aol.com

See Wikipedia:Legal_disclaimer. IANAL, but my guess is that this would depend entirely on the details of the contract you signed to get the rights to make the movie. Compared to the cost of developing a video game (or making a movie, for that matter), a few hours of an IP lawyer's time is pretty cheap. --Robert Merkel 04:01, 12 Mar 2004 (UTC)

The perfect model for hitting a hockey ball

Hi, My name is Christie Bray and i am currently studing Physical Education in Archbishop Blanch School in Liverpool. For my GCSE coursework i have to know the perfect model for hitting a hockey ball. I have beein trying to research this but so far i have not been sucessful. I would be extremly grateful for any information you may be able to give me. Thanks, Christie Bray.

Email - christie_b_04@hotmail.com

I've mailed Christie and asked her to clarify her question. --Robert Merkel 04:44, 12 Mar 2004 (UTC)

At the Dirac delta function page it states that "in calculating the dynamics of a baseball being hit by a bat, approximating the force of the bat hitting the baseball by a delta function can be a useful trick," but doesn't elaborate much on how exactly to do that, maybe it would be a good starting point for your answer --198.111.39.24 18:49, 15 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Yes, if that's what Christie is referring to, you can consider the momentum imparted from the hockey stick to the ball as transferring over an infinitesimal amount of time, that is, a momentum impulse. This model of course is unrealistic, since it assumes an infinite amount of force. A more detailed model includes deformations of the stick and the ball, but in most cases the impulse model works just fine. I think many of us are confused by your use of the word perfect, Christie. No model we currently have available is a perfect representation of reality. moink 19:15, 15 Mar 2004 (UTC)

I talked to Christie - she was looking for details of the correct technique for hitting the ball, which I'm trying to locate for her. --Robert Merkel 21:26, 15 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Ahhh. Now that I can't help with. moink 21:31, 15 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Congressional Fisticuffs

I saw on the news recently that some members of South Korea's Parliament got into a shoving match over Roh's impeachment. I remember also seeing such roughhousing in other countries' parliaments as well, thanks to the magic of television. Has the United States Congress ever got this physical over legislature in, say, the last century?

While I'm at it, can "parliament" as a generic term also refer to the US Congress? I've never heard Congress referred to as such... Garrett Albright 00:17, 13 Mar 2004 (UTC)

(May 1856) Following a speech about bleeding Kansas, Charles Sumner was attacked in his office by SC. representative Preston Brooks, who beat him with a cane. →Raul654 00:39, Mar 13, 2004 (UTC)

Raul is entirely right, but I think it should be added that this particular beating was so ferocious that Sumner was left unconscious and bleeding badly, and that Sumner spent three years essentially as an invalid, recovering his health. This goes far beyond the kind of rough-housing you were asking about. :) And Congress is not considered a parliament -- I knew why once, but have forgotten. Jwrosenzweig 19:20, 15 Mar 2004 (UTC)

I'm pretty sure Henry Gonzalez once got involved in a physical altercation on the House floor, but I don't remember details. Might be worth someone trying to research. (& I see we don't have an article on him. He'd definitely be worth one if anyone here does Texas politics.) -- Jmabel 03:10, 14 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Thanks for that. I found [3] after a quick search, which mentions it very briefly. Garrett Albright 20:12, 14 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Also, not quite fisticuffs, but there have been other occasions of violence at Congress--the Capital shooting rampage of a few years ago and in 1954 "four Puerto Rican nationalists in the visitors' gallery of the House opened fire on the 143 lawmakers. Five congressmen were wounded, one of them seriously."[4] That article has a couple of other occasions. jengod 01:14, Mar 17, 2004 (UTC)~

Protection against ghosts

My son (now 4) has always had a connection with those I am unable to connect with. As a younger child we were able to get him to talk to these people (often explained by him with human characteristics) after speaking to them he often came to the conclusion they were not going to harm him. He would then just coexist with them. Every home with lived in has had its own spirits he has connected with. We are again in a new home and he had no connection for some time but now he is seeing animals that frighten him. Dogs mostly. He states they come out of the wall. I was begining to think he was just entering a nightmare phase until I heard them myself. Dogs barking visiously in the house in the middle of the night.

I have only recently began investigating this on a serious level so please forgive me if I have used any inappropriate terms. I am looking for something I can do to protect him from these spirits. One philosopy I have run into is to roll a candle in honey and burn it at a level above our heads.

Please forward any thoughts or suggestions.

Thank you

Wikipedia does not make any prescriptions or suggestions as an encyclopedia, but you seem in need of some help or reassurance. I will say that there are some who believe that exorcism is a legitimate practice that drives out evil spirits. I am sure there are many other folk practices such as the candle-burning you describe, but as you seem to be searching for answers, all I can say is that I know some in your situation contact a priest or minister who performs exorcisms. This is in no way a guarantee that such practices are effective, just a thought I had when I read your question, and realized that it might lie here unanswered a long time. I hope this is of some help to you, and that you have a peaceful home again soon. Jwrosenzweig 04:33, 15 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Wu Dynasty

From the Village pump

Dear Sir/Madam

I was wanting to know the Family Crest of this dynasty? Or if not the symbole of this dynasty! Thanks

Wu Chong Chiu

Is parafin digestible?

Is the wax they sell for canning and for adding to some candy recipies digestible or is it like fiber in that it just passes?

Your question has been asked at Talk:Paraffin. Keep a watch on it for responses or clarifications. Jay 17:21, 18 Mar 2004 (UTC)

resonator placed under piano strings to increase volume

...and the question is...?

TANKERVILLE

I have the following information but am unable to secure addtional information ie more details. A count of Tankerville John Born at Tankerville Castle in 1040 (apparently Tankkerville Castle existed in Normandy France) and an Earl of Tankerville John born in 1070 in England or lived in England. Their decendents appear to be Chamberlains.

Any information???

The English Earldom of Tankerville was created by Henry V as one of several Anglo-Norman Earldoms. He conferred it 31 January 1418/9, on Sir John Grey, K.G. The other comtés in Normandy granted by Henry V were: Harcourt, Perche, Aumale, Eu, and Longueville. Tancarville/Tanquerville had previously been held by Guillaume de Melun, Count of Tancarville, and by Jacques de Harcourt and Marguerite his wife, daughter of said Count). It is possible that Detlev Schwennicke's Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten, Neue Folge. [European Family Trees: Family Trees for the History of European States, New Series.] First series by Wilhelm Karl, Prinz zu Isenburg, continued second series by Frank, Baron Freytag von Loringhoven. 16 vols. Marburg, Germany: Verlag von J. A. Stargardt , 1978-1995, may contain further information on the Melun's: you'd have to check this at a library that holds this book. - Nunh-huh 23:12, 14 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Unidentified Fruit

I don't know whether this should be here or the reference desk but does anyone know what this is:

• Image:UnidentifiedFruit2.jpg

Thanks. Secretlondon 17:59, 14 Mar 2004 (UTC) (moved from Village Pump)

Looks like eggplant to me. They're usually purple, but according to the article, they can be white too. Garrett Albright 20:05, 14 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Thanks. Secretlondon 20:25, 14 Mar 2004 (UTC)

I agree, I'd call them albino Indian eggplants. Indian eggplants are that shape and size (roughly like an actual egg) and a much ligher shade of purple than European ones, but I've never actually seen white ones before. Mkweise 23:32, 14 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Definitely eggplant. I've seen 'em for sale and called eggplants. And that's why they were named eggplant: eggshaped & white. moink 00:36, 15 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Old picuture found

My mother recently passed away and among her things was a picture that belonged to my grandparents. It looks as though it might be a lithograph of a Church with a statue standing in front of the church with a religious figure at the top. It is signed by Rudolf Vost and on the left side on the bottom is also hand written Munichen. Can you tell me anything about this? What the Church might be and the statue? There is an automobile in the picture which could date it to the early 20's- Any help you can give me would be appreciated.

Thank you,

mnewcomb@tnets.net

Could it be München (Munich in German)? Secretlondon 23:39, 14 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Trying to locate statement by Plank that there's no matter, only energy and that behind everything is a concious, aware mind that is the matrix to tying everything together.

I'm trying to locate the wonderful statement by Max Von Plank that there's no matter, only energy and that behind everything is a concious, aware mind that is the "matrix" tying everything together.

You sure he wasn't referring to the Wikipedia? <grin>

30 seconds of Google searching tells me that it is "There is no matter as such! All matter originates and exists only by virtue of a force... We must assume behind this force the existence of a conscious and intelligent Mind. This Mind is the Matrix of all matter." [5] But I had the unfair advantage of knowing how to spell his name: Max Planck not Max Von Plank. Note however that ufoteacher.com is probably not the best source of authoratative science, you might want to look into it further: [6] -- Tim Starling 04:57, Mar 15, 2004 (UTC)

I tried hard to find a primary publication or speech by Planck for that, but you only find sites that use that quote for their own ends. If you just want the wording variations, just do the Google thing, but if you want to know what was underlying the reason Planck might have said it, then I can't find anything to tie it directly to that gentleman. Seems like an overreach of what science knows to me, but then, IANAPhysicist (but I can recommend a good book if you want me too). - Bevo 23:06, 18 Mar 2004 (UTC)

It's not scientific, but scientists can have spiritualistic beliefs just like anyone. However, given the lack of a citation in sites returned by Google, you have to wonder if the quote is for real. -- Tim Starling 00:02, Mar 19, 2004 (UTC)

All Blacks question

Gudday.

Does anyone know who has played the most number of matches for New Zealand against Australia in Bledisloe Cup matches. My email is east@clear.net.nz

Many thanks for anyone who can help me out.

• The player with most appearances for New Zealand against Australia was D.I.Campese(1982-1996)[7]. Don't know how many were Bledisloe Cup matches. A list of All Blacks records is here. I have sent this by email too. akaDruid 17:24, 16 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Hmmm. David Campese played for Australia against New Zealand. --Robert Merkel 05:02, 17 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Doh! I can't read straight. I can't find a figure for the reverse anywhere - although the link above has lots of other records. akaDruid 09:55, 17 Mar 2004 (UTC)

PLEASE HELP! 'SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS'

hello my name is terri and i am researching the famous painter and would like to ask if he has paintings in national trust?. im sure i read this somehwere but since cant find where so it would be most usefull to me. then if this is so what does that mean and do?? being in national trust lol im not smart i know lol. thanks for your time terru

Hi. Terri. I'm not clear what you mean by national trust, in this context, but you can look at the Joshua Reynolds collection at the National Portrait Gallery (United Kingdom) here. I would also look at the external links on Wikipedia's article on Joshua Reynolds Mintguy (T) 12:22, 15 Mar 2004 (UTC)

While I don't know anything specific about Sir Joshua Reynolds, I'd be surprised if some of his paintings aren't now owned by the National Trust. The National Trust (in England and Wales) and National Trust for Scotland are organisations to which wealthy people can bequeathe valuable paintings or other property as a way of avoiding Inheritance Tax. The NT then makes the property available for viewing so anybody can go and see it. Many millions of people in the UK are members of the NT (and so get reduced admission charges) -- indeed, I think it has the greatest number of members of any voluntary organisation in the UK. Look at any Ordnance Survey map for places marked "NT" or "NTS". Arwel 16:23, 15 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Saltram House near Plymouth has a number: [8] user:sjc

Tartarus

Is this Tartarus similar to a Dungeon, as unlike the flames and torment for sinners in Hades, Hell? A place for the Sons of Earth to await their doom. A Dungeon environment. That is my candid question(?) Is this Tartarus a Dungeon type of environment, or not? Do you have a candid answer> Jacque jch1715749@juno.com

Thank you for information

• In my understanding, Tartarus is the lowest point of Hades and is the equivalant of the biblical Hell. Souls in Tartarus are subject to damnation/torment etc. It is not a waiting place. Erebus may be considered a waiting place, as it is the point of Hades before the the river Acheron. Hope this helps - I will also email my answer. akaDruid 15:45, 16 Mar 2004 (UTC)
  • Has this information been emailed or is it just posted here? If no one emailed it, I'll do it. →Raul654 16:49, Mar 16, 2004 (UTC)
    • I emailed it too. akaDruid 17:01, 16 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Aircraft Call Sign

Looks like another heading without a question. Garrett Albright 11:02, 16 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Largest Towns

I was looking at the Stockport page the other day, when I noticed its large population. Are there any other towns in England (or even the UK) that are larger, but aren't cities or part of a city? Dmn 12:55, 16 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Northampton claims be the largest town in England[9], since it is the largest district that is not part of unitary authority (Stockport being part of the unitary authority of Greater Manchester). Stockport is a metropolitan district which ironically has the same status for local government as slightly larger Sandwell (smaller in the 2001 census), which does not claim to be a town. So as a direct answer, Stockport is the largest are in England which, while claiming to be a town, which has not had 'city' status bestowed upon it. 'City' is largely meaningless anyway, since there are some tiny areas which are technically cities (e.g. Ely, Wells and the City of London). Hope that makes sense! akaDruid 16:46, 16 Mar 2004 (UTC)

• As a side note, the village of Cranleigh is more than 5 times the size of the city of St David's. akaDruid 16:59, 16 Mar 2004 (UTC)

In Britain, and perhaps other places, the status of 'City' is not related to size. The presence of a Cathedral or University bestows the title, not population size. Mark Richards 21:12, 23 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Linear Dependence

can any set of three vectors in R (2) space be linearly independent? Why or why not?

Nope. The number of linearly independent vectors is always less than or equal to the dimension of the space. moink 17:02, 16 Mar 2004 (UTC)

As to why, I've been trying to think about whether or not I could come up with a mathematical proof for you, but I don't think I can. And the reason is, I believe, that you're actually asking about a definition. I believe the word dimension is actually defined in vector mathematics as the number of linearly independent vectors required to form a basis for the vector space. And every basis has the same number of vectors, and any other vector in that space is by definition a linear combination of the basis vectors.

But let's talk about it more concretely. Picture a 2D vector space, say, a nice little piece of paper in front of you. Put two vectors on it. Either those two vectors are linearly independent, or, err, they're not. Okay if they're not that doesn't help us at all in showing anything about linearly independent vectors. So let's assume they're linearly independent. Okay, now try to put another vector on there that isn't a linear combination of the other two. You can't do it, can you? It's always going to be in the space of the two vectors. You have to come out of the page, that is, into the third dimension, to be able to add a third linearly independent vector. moink 17:21, 16 Mar 2004 (UTC)

If you can follow mathspeak, the Wikipedia article on this is dimension theorem for vector spaces.

Video of stage version of My Fair Lady

Does anyone know of a video of the Julie Andrews /Rex Harrison stage version of My Fair Lady? I am in the play and want to see not the movie version but the original stage version?

Manning Rubin manningrubin@earthlink.net

• You are probably out of luck on this. It's certainly not commercially available. The collection of filmed Broadway performances (the Theatre on Film and Tape Archive, known as TOFT) has been preserving more recent plays, but probably has not got a tape of Julie Andrews in My Fair Lady. If you want to double check, you could email the Billy Rose Theatre Collection at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, or check with a librarian there during working hours via the contact methods on this webpage: http://ask.nypl.org/. The Original Cast Recording (audio, not video) is of course available, and listening to this may be the closest you can get to experiencing Julie Andrew's performance. - Nunh-huh 00:07, 22 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Need the Chinese Calendar for years 2005 and 2006

Hi All -

Came upon this site as I was googling for a Chinese calendar. I'm trying to get a copy of the entire Chinese calendar for years 2005 and 2006 - but have not had much success. Can someone please help???

Thanks! Moody

There are some detailed Chinese calendars here. You can query individual dates but there doesn't appear to be a way to retrieve entire calenders.

localendar.com has a chinese calander with a month to a page - 2005 starts here, 2006 starts here.

Try this link for some more.

Hope this helps. akaDruid 10:18, 17 Mar 2004 (UTC)

You can also download a software called LunarCal at http://lunarcal.tripod.com - it is Charityware and calculates the chinese calendars for many years. andy 10:34, 18 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Railways Worldwide e-mail list

(moved from Wikipedia:Village pump -moink 20:46, 16 Mar 2004 (UTC))

Dear Madam or Sir, I'm a conductor from the Swiss Railways and I'm a collector of Railwayshats from all the World. I have over 300 Railwayshats from all the World. Unfortunately I haven't all E-Mail addresses from Railways Companies on the World. Can you send me a list with there? I would be very very happy to have this for continue with my collection. I hope, that you can help me and you write me in the next days back. Thank you very very much for your help, your time and your trouble. Best regards from Switzerland and have a nice time: Marcello Malisan Conductor Swiss Railways

We don't have access to a list of email addresses, but you can start at List of railway companies here on Wikipedia, then enter the names of these companies into a search engine. If you include the word "official" in your search, you're likely to come up with the company's official website. Look there for a "contact" link, which should provide you with email addresses, phone numbers and mail addresses. Some sites may even have a store where you can purchase what you wish.

As always, if you see that there is information missing from our list or our individual railway articles, we invite you to add your knowledge! Perhaps you could have a look at Swiss railroads, for a start.... Best of luck to you, Catherine 20:42, 23 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Movie about girl named Dot in Australia?

This is killing me. Maybe some Aussie pedians can help. Is there a movie out there that's part live action, part animation that's about a little girl named Dot who gets lost in the Australian Outback and is eventually befriended (I think) by a bunch of marisupials. I remember being alternately frightened and fascinated by it as a kid, but I can't figure out what it was... jengod 01:03, Mar 17, 2004 (UTC)

Dot and the Kangaroo. It was based on a children's book of the same name, written in 1899. I seem to remember having an updated version of the book when I was young. Here's a link about the TV series: http://www.cataroo.com/dotkang.html. The book is PD, you can download this PDF file and read it. -- Tim Starling 01:27, Mar 17, 2004 (UTC)

Country within a country

There are 3 countries that lie completely surrounded by other countries... 1) Vatican 2)Lichinstein (SP) Can anyone tell me the third?

Liechtenstein, as you can see from this map, is in fact surrounded by two countries, Austria and Switzerland. Lesotho is surrounded by South Africa entirely. I will think about a third possibility -- the real question is, what do you consider "surrounded by another country"? Gambia is surrounded by Senegal but has access to the ocean....probably not surrounded by your standard? Monaco, again, surrounded by France but accesses the Mediterranean Sea, so not fully surrounded. I don't know if there are, in fact, three. Jwrosenzweig 17:43, 17 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Easy. San Marino is completely surrounded by Italy. →Raul654 17:48, Mar 17, 2004 (UTC)

(editconflict--was posting this as Raul posted the above) Got it! San Marino, in addition to the Vatican and Lesotho, is what you want. There's your three. Thanks for the mental exercise. Jwrosenzweig 17:49, 17 Mar 2004 (UTC)

San Marino, Vatican City, and Lesotho are the three we list in enclave, which is a good article to point you to. -- Nunh-huh 17:50, 17 Mar 2004 (UTC) (another edit conflict!)

Thank you for helping with the countries. I thought there might be a page devoted to this very question - just didn't know where to look. Thanks again. This was an extra bonus question on an exam for a class I took at the Colorado School of Mines.

Silver Dollars - 1922

I am trying to locate a Silver Dollar for 1922. My mother claims there was nothing minted in this year due to economy?? Please inform me if such a coin exists. Maybe it is something to do with other elements e.g. nickel comprising and the "True Silver Dollar" .. just can't remember.

Are you talking about United States currency? If so, this page appears to indicate that there was a low relief silver dollar coin minted in 1922. I don't know any more on the subject -- it may have been rare, but it apparently exists. Jwrosenzweig 17:52, 17 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Aigun

Aigun Treaty was signed in the town of Aigun, China. However, I was unable to find any modern references to this town (Encyclopaedia Britannica 1911 was the most modern source available). Was it renamed? Does it even exist now? --Ezhiki 14:52, Mar 19, 2004 (UTC)

I can't find anything about "Aigun" as such, but the same town is also sometimes spelled "Aihun". This page claims that the modern town of Heihe (which does appear on modern maps, if they're of sufficient detail) was formerly known as Aihun, so I suppose it's probable that they're the same place. Couldn't guarantee it, though. -- Vardion 08:32, 19 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Well, the location of the province the town is in shown on the map seems right. It would still be good to have more definite information about whether or not this is the same town, before making a link on the Aigun page. Thanks! --Ezhiki 14:52, Mar 19, 2004 (UTC)

Actually, having investigated more closely, it's possible that Aigun and Heihe are not exactly the same after all. This site says that Aigun is "about 31 kilometres" away from Heihe, and this site agrees. The official Heihe government website says that Aihui (ie, Aigun, Aihun, etc.) is a district within the city's territorial limits. Other sites, such as this one, simply list Aihui, Aigun, and Heihe as being identical. The whole situation seems somewhat confused, but I'd probably say that the relationship isn't simply one of renaming. Rather, I think that Aigun (old but small) has probably been absorbed or superceded by the newer/larger city of Heihe. How that helps the Aigun article, I don't know. -- Vardion 01:28, 20 Mar 2004 (UTC)

I will move this discussion to the Aigun Talk page. I am not quite sure what else can be done, especially that Heihe article is non-existent. Thanks for your time and help anyway! --Ezhiki 17:28, Mar 22, 2004 (UTC)

Four color theorem

(moved from:Wikipedia:Village pump moink)

I believe I have proved this theorem incorrect, however I need varification. I created adjacent areas on a plane, and have found that the least amount of colors that can be used is five. I am unsure whether the map must be an actual geographical map, or if it can be theoretical. If you could clairify this for me, i would be most appreciative. Thank you-- Laura

Your previous posting of this question has been moved to Talk:Four color theorem. Please also see that article that for reasons why in real-world maps four colors might not be enough due to non-contiguous countries (e.g. Alaska and main USA), but as the theorem is for theoretical maps these aren't counterexamples for the theorem. andy 15:14, 17 Mar 2004 (UTC)

quality system decoumentation

(moved from Wikipedia:Village pump. moink 22:48, 17 Mar 2004 (UTC)

i wanna know about ur quality system decoumentation,could u tell me?

Wikipedia is not ISO 9000 certified and we don't intend to make it so. Some quality issues are discussed at Wikipedia:Replies to common objections. (BTW this could have probably been left at the pump.) -- Tim Starling 22:54, Mar 17, 2004 (UTC)

What does the OP need to know? This is too vague to know how to answer. Maybe the link to ISO 9000 is what was wanted... - Bevo 23:00, 18 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Allan Quartermain in 'League of Extraordinary Gentleman'

how can Allan Quartermain be a hunter in 'League of Extraordinary Gentleman' if in history he was in fact the hunted? if anyone knows the answer i would appreciate it. thanks,Dorian

Authorial fiat. LXG is a work of fiction, and indeed Allan Quartermain is a fictional character, so an author/scriptwriter is able to do anything he likes within the limits of copyright law! Arwel 22:03, 18 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Sense and Reference vs. Intension and Extension

Several of the philosophy of language articles insist that the former concept should not be confused with the latter. If this is so, could someone please give some explicit criteria by which not to confuse them? Is the only difference that the former pair is for proper names while the latter is for kind terms? --Ryguasu 02:34, 18 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Chrzanow

My father and grandfather were born in Chrzanow, Poland. My father's name was Chaim Blitzer, and my grandfather's name was Leibush Blitzer. I am a writer and have published articles about Chrzanow. I would like to find out more about my ancestors from Chrzanow, and would like the names and addresses of Chrzanow officials who could look up my family names for me. Any information about Chrzanow--would be appreciated--and my e-mail address is: tovalightning@aol.com

Perhaps someone editing the pages at Chrzanow or Lesser Poland Voivodship could help you out. The former page is a stub, I'm sure you could use your skills to bring it to good shape ! Jay 18:19, 19 Mar 2004 (UTC)

pls answer the question (Gymnosperms)

what is the most advance among the gymnosperms (moved from Wikipedia:Village pump)

Try starting at gymnosperm.Garrett Albright 04:41, 19 Mar 2004 (UTC)

There is not really a rational answer to that question since all of the taxa have advanced in different directions. WormRunner | Talk 06:00, 19 Mar 2004 (UTC)

English to Arabic translation

How can i convert english writting into arabic writting?

Could you be more specific? Do you want to be able to type an Arabic phrase on your standard English keyboard and have it show up in the Arabic alphabet? (If so, what type of computer are you using?) Or do you want to actually translate an English phrase to Arabic? (If so, you would do best to learn Arabic first.) Garrett Albright 02:46, 20 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Pornstars

I need to compile a list of pornstars categorized by their religion. Where can I find this kind of info? 141 18:21, 19 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Seeing that many adult performers operate their own websites which I guess give opportunities to contact them, you could simply try contacting them and asking. Don't be surprised if they'd prefer not to comment. --Robert Merkel 23:46, 21 Mar 2004 (UTC)

This must be some new definition of the word 'need' that I was not previously aware of. Mark Richards 21:16, 23 Mar 2004 (UTC)

question for Marx scholars

would appreciate help to track down a comment Marx made in Capital where he said there comes a point beyond which the further politizisation of money becomes redundant. could really use this for an essay, but need to be able to reference it. can you pin-point it in Capital?

Your question has been asked at Talk:Das Kapital and Talk:Karl Marx. Keep a watch on it for responses or clarifications. Jay 08:00, 20 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Preferences

How do I set my preferences for looking at Wikipedia pages?

I answered you on your talk page. moink 02:38, 20 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Check my math

I'm looking for a closed form expression for

$\sum _{n=0}^{N-1}e^{\lambda n}\cos ^{2}\left({\frac {\omega n}{2}}\right)$

The expression I've found is

${\frac {1}{2}}\left({\frac {1-e^{\lambda N}}{1-e^{\lambda }}}+{\frac {2-e^{\lambda N}\cos(\omega N)-e^{\lambda }\cos(\omega )+e^{\lambda (N+1)}\cos(\omega (N-1))}{1+e^{2\lambda }-e^{\lambda }\cos(\omega )}}\right)$

Have I got this right? If so, is there a way to simplify the expression? -- Cyan 03:02, 20 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Joining the Nigerian Air Force

pls sir . i am interested in becoming an air force man, sir how can i be one , this is my e mail id (tobiso4real@yahoo.com. Sir i will be very glad if i am answered. thanks , franklim

5 seconds of using Google found the Nigerian air force website, which gives an email address, info@naf.gov.ng, for enquiring about joining the air force. Note: I have emailed this person with the information. --Robert Merkel 23:46, 21 Mar 2004 (UTC)

(Moved this from Nigerian Air Force - Rlandmann 11:02, 20 Mar 2004 (UTC))

Raining fish / frogs etc

Do we have a page about the infamous occurences in history when it has allegedly rained fish / frogs etc? If so, at what title? Evercat 02:28, 21 Mar 2004 (UTC)

It seems like the information belongs at anomalous phenomenon, though it only briefly mentions that "stones which fell from the sky" were later explained as meteorites. You'd also think they might be mentioned at Charles Fort, but they don't seem to be. -- Nunh-huh 21:55, 22 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Are Steward and Stadtholder different?

I wonder about the relation between the concepts of Governor, Steward and Stadtholder, and about their scope of usage in English.
--Ruhrjung 02:45, 21 Mar 2004 (UTC)

scrimshaw engravings on ivory tusks

I've got a tusk or tooth of a whale or wallrus that has an engraving of a guy in a military suit with medals on one side and 3 boats in a harbor on the other side. I think this is from the early 1800's. I'am trying to find out its origin and who made it ? craig griffin

duke of lancaster?

Who is the current duke of lancaster?

There is no current Duke of Lancaster. More specifically, Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom is not the Duke of Lancaster, even though she is the recipient of the revenues of the Duchy of Lancaster. The Dukedom of Lancaster merged with the Crown in 1399 and ceased to exist. It has never been granted as a peerage since then. -- Nunh-huh 22:48, 21 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Secretlondon- Regarding Rudolf Vost

Yes, Munichen was Munich's first name and was known as the city of Monks. It is one and the same. Thank you for your interest. mnewcomb@tnets.net I'm not sure how to add this on to my questions so I hope you see it. This is second try.

mnewcomb@tnets.net

Can I freely translate the content available in one language into another language?

Can I also freely use the same pictures in another language?

If by your question you are asking whether you can translate content from one Wikipedia to another, the answer is yes. Generally, you can also share pictures between Wikipedias, though I believe some language Wikipedias have less permissive policy on fair use images. See Wikipedia:copyright.

Generally, questions about Wikipedia should be asked on the [[Wikipedia:Village Pump].--Robert Merkel 11:11, 23 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Re; Please Help

(moved from Wikipedia:Village pump) moink 17:14, 22 Mar 2004 (UTC)

If you could please help me find the answer to a chem honors question I have to answer. What is the chemical composition of a personal desktop computer? and What is the chemical composition of te white powdered compond that is the phosphor on the inside of fluorescent lamps? Any help with these questions would be great. My e-mail address is keywee4@aol.com Thanks phil

Your question about a computer is interesting. There are many chemical substances that make up a computer, not the least of which are polymers for the case and copper for many of the wires. However, the most important from a computer functioning point of view is silicon doped with other elements to make transistors, the building blocks of computer chips. moink 17:24, 22 Mar 2004 (UTC)

For your second question, from our article on fluorescent lamp, I find that various salts, called phosphors, are used for the lamps, including Ca₅(PO₄)₃(F,Cl):Sb³⁺,Mn²⁺, as well as those based on europium and terbium. Gentgeen 09:16, 23 Mar 2004 (UTC)

William H. Wickham

(moved from Library Reference Services, a now deleted page. Posted there by User:12.73.59.32. moink 19:13, 22 Mar 2004 (UTC))

I have in my possesion a cane handle that was presented to A.Weitheimer Jan. 1, 1875 by Hon. W.H. Wickham who was at one time a New York City Mayor. I am trying to research the background history of this decorative cane handle. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Johann Leaser

I have a relative which was born in Bavaria town appears to be Weivarsfeld on 11th day of October A.D. 1802 and he imagrated from the Port of Breman he left on the 26th day of September A.D.1839 I would like to know more about the area. Possibly what ship would have left at that tme. He landed in Bedford Pennsylvania United States.

Any help would be appreacaited.
  Sharon

James Gordon Bennett

(moved from now-deleted page moink 01:44, 23 Mar 2004 (UTC))

how did he die and where did he die and what year did he die? did he die in the texas battle ? what were the names of his pARENTS AND HIS BROTHERS OR HIS SISTERS IF HE HAD ANY?

TO FIND OUT THE EXACT TIME OF BIRTH ON DEC. 11, 1943 FOR PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, JOHN FPRBES KERRY,

(moved from Wikipedia:Village pump and reformatted for width. moink 04:41, 23 Mar 2004 (UTC))

Dear Sir,

My name is Richard Tan and I am a staunch supporter for the next US presidential Candidate for the coming US election to be held on Nov. 2, 2004.

The reason for me to request for such unusual question is I need the exact time to cast an accurate prediction on him and to offer some good advice using Chinese metaphysic, called the 4 Pillars of Destiny.

I am going to contribute in the form of article writting to certain feng shui magazines and website to attract more people to going to Kerry' s presidental campaign website.

Hope you can assist me in order to come up with an accurate and practical advice. Thanking you in anticipation.

Yours Sincerely

Richard Tan

I would advice writing to Kerry's campaign itself. Such a fact wouldn't be common knowledge, and could only be got from the source. If you want, Mr. Tan, I can approach his media people about the request, if you want me too. As a journalist, I may have a little more clout than just an average supporter. -- user:zanimum

Evolution of the human nose

What is the evolutionary rationale behind humans' pronounced noses as compared to say chimps and gorillas? Lupin 12:08, 23 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Genealogy of Caroline Heller (Hohenzollern family)

Caroline (Hohenzollern family) was born in 1819 in Braunsch, Prussia. She was disowned by her family when she married a poor shephard named Frederick Heller (born 1811 in Braunsch, Prussia). Caroline and Frederick had a son, Albert, who was born October 12, 1842. In 1861 the family moved to Washington Township, Beecher, Illinios, USA. I'm looking for information about Caroline's parents, grandparents, siblings, etc.

1970s cartoon about orphaned lion cub?

Jengod's question above (about Dot & the Kangaroo) prompted some dim rememberings from when I was very young as well. I remember an animated show about an orphaned lion cub who was cared for by other members of the jungle community -- a giraffe I remember for certain, although I'm sure all the usual jungle animals were there. The characters had large eyes and anime-style features, although this seems to come before Speed Racer. It would have been aired in Southern California in the early- to mid-1970s. Please help -- no one else I've described this to has any idea what I'm talking about, even the ones that remember the horror that was H.R. Pufnstuf....! -- Catherine 20:59, 23 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Was it maybe Kimba the White Lion? moink 21:07, 23 Mar 2004 (UTC)

That's it -- that's the one! It's very silly how happy this is making me, but I've wondered about this (in an idle, every-now-and-then sort of way) literally for YEARS! LOL -- thanks for the prompt and excellent service, Moink, yer my hero!!! Catherine 21:51, 23 Mar 2004 (UTC)

If you would like to relive your childhood on a shiny plastic disc, Kimba is available in a DVD box set. See [10]. (You can find a better price by shopping around a bit.) Garrett Albright 23:25, 23 Mar 2004 (UTC)