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July 7

Please help settle a dispute between myself and my wife

Ok this question may seem weird... but is Mr. Clean black or white or other? I have no idea how we got on this subject, but I swear that Mr. Clean is black and my wife says he is white. I seem to remember hearing something about some African American Ethnic group being in an uproar about the stereotypical qualities portrayed by Mr. Clean.

Thanks for your help in resolving one of the many dumb disputes between us!

We have articles on everything, including Mr. Clean. It says nothing about his race; given that the character dates from the 1950's, I would be surprised if he was intended to be African-American. He is supposed to be a sailor, according to our article. Unless I'm missing something, the original advertisement which you can watch here doesn't hint him being in the least African-American.

So nothing definitive, but I have to say that there's nothing to support your view, and plenty of circumstantial evidence against Mr. Clean being intended to be African-American. --Robert Merkel 03:10, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

I always thought he was white, I guess because I assume a black cartoon would be a darker colour of black, but I suppose that says more about me than cartoons :) I also thought he was a genie, since he has no legs, like the genie in the Disney version of Aladdin. I didn't know he was supposed to be a pirate until looking at the article right now... Adam Bishop 04:44, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

I also always thought that he was supposed to be a genie. The skin tone always reminded me of a Middle Eastern person, not a white sailor. I thought he was a genie also because I can't see the correlation between a sailor and cleaning products. Whereas a genie would fit a marketing scheme where they highlighted how quickly and easily the product cleaned, much like as if a genie had done your cleaning for you. Dismas|^(talk) 04:58, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

It never crossed my mind that he may be African American. I thought he was always white. --Proficient 05:42, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

Guys, it's a fictional character! In other words, he can be any colour or 'race' you like. The concept of race with humans is very disputable, but here it is a little pathetic, isn't it? So you can only speak of 'colour', which is, ehm, a bit beige? DirkvdM 07:22, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

I think I remember a commercial with Mr. Clean in which it was revealed that his votes only count 3/5ths as much as everyone else's, so he may be black. Mayor Westfall 15:35, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

Was that a rascist comment? Philc _T^E_C^I 16:26, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

Sounded more like irony to me. If you have to ask, it's something to think about, which suggests some form of intelligence, which excludes the possibility of racism. DirkvdM 06:26, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

Well he looks white, but I can see why someone might disagree now that I really look at it... (and the above isn't a racist comment, it's a refernece to the racist 3/5th law in the US constitution)--T-rex 16:38, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

Sorry for my ignorance, but the law doesnt still stand does it? Philc _T^E_C^I 21:52, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

The three-fifths compromise is almost certainly the most misunderstood aspect of U.S. constitutional history. It was the opponents of slavery who didn't want slaves to be counted in the census. Of course, with the abolition of slavery, the clause is no longer in effect.--Pharos 05:26, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

He has a Europeans skin color, but his nose, ears, and lips are somewhat African. Still this makes him European. But what does it is that the article says, "Mr. Clean's bald head and muscular appearance evokes comparison to skinhead fashion, but his clean (proper) image dissociates him from the dominating politically extreme-right wing of that movement. In youth subculture he is used as a counter-example to the stereotypical skinhead. T-shirts with his portrait and the slogan "skinheads against racism" were quite popular in the 1990s. His determined look is seen as a symbol and demand to actively act against racist skinheads." Hence that quote says white. DyslexicEditor 22:08, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Winrar didn't work

What program would I use to reassemble a file like this:

 *.avi.001  ~~  *.avi.002  ~~  etc.

I tried Winrar, and that didn't work for this. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks! --Dimblethum 02:44, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

My guess is that the file has been split up with something like the split command. If you're prepared to brave the horrible, horrible world of the MS-DOS command prompt, you might be able to join them back together with the copy command using the "+" syntax. --Robert Merkel 02:53, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

Uggg...any other suggestions? Lol ;-) --Dimblethum 03:04, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

--Optichan 15:43, 7 July 2006 (UTC)::Jeez, you people with command line phobia...if you really want a GUI, these programs should do the job. Back in MY day, we used to manually encode printer escape sequences into word processing documents to get the type style we wanted on old 9-pin dot matrix printers... ;)--Robert Merkel 03:21, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

We also used to burn witches and use phones without speed-dial. --Howard Train 05:26, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

Assuming the video is compressed (say, DivX or XviD) it wouldn't make much sense for it to be rar'd or zipped as well, so as Robert suggested above a simple copy/merge of the pieces will hopefully result in a complete file. Otherwise, I'd suggest trying some kind of file identification utility on it to find out what kind of archive the pieces are from. A quick google turns up [this one] which says it's free, but please note I've never tried or used it, cannot guarantee it works/doesn't have spyware, etc. --Noodhoog 03:31, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

If you don't mind other people potentially examining the contents of the file and it isn't too large, there's also this website, which is an online gateway to a computer running the file utility. --Robert Merkel 05:20, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

Use HJSplit to join the parts; it's freeware. —Wayward ^Talk 10:52, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

Do you remember where you got the files? If they were downloaded from a website, it probably has instructions somewhere on the site. --Optichan 15:43, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

Rename the files to example.avi.r01, .r02, etc, then extract the .r00 or .r01 file in WinRAR.

excel sheet in power point slide?

how to fit the excel sheet in power point slide?..i m getting lots of problems doing this.

Assuming you already have your Excel file saved someplace... Go to Powerpoint and go to the slide where you want to insert your spreadsheet. From the Insert menu, choose Object. Click the button that says Create From File, browse to your spreadsheet and click OK. Voilà!

Alternatively, if you want to create a new Excel sheet within Powerpoint, do Insert, then Object again, but click the button that says Create New instead. Pick 'Microsoft Excel Worksheet' from the list, click OK, and you're away. --Richardrj 08:03, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

Looking for ........................

Can anyone please help me...I need to find someone who migrated from Cyprus to Australia in 1972.as this is about a delicate subject, I cannot give any information at this time .. the person was male..born Oct 15th 1951 and migrated from the farming area of cyprus

I would imagine that contacting the immigration officials in Australia would be the logical first step -- I don't know how useful they can be, but if you have no idea how to reach this guy, it certainly couldn't hurt. If you've got their name, date of birth and know when they immigrated, it seems to me like you could have something to begin with. Not that it sounds like an easy thing to do, but that much you probably know already... -- Captain Disdain 07:01, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

Due to privacy reasons, I'm not sure DIMA would be willing or able to give you details of such a recent migration. Presuming you know where in Australia this person migrated to, you may have better luck contacting a Cypriot community group in that state, e.g. the Cyprus Community of NSW in Stanmore, or the Cypriot Community of Melbourne and Victoria in Carlton or SEKA in Richmond, Victoria. -Canley 10:51, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

masturbation

wat effect masturbation causes on health(physical+mental)?

In short: whack away, pal, it's perfectly safe as long as you use some fairly rudimentary common sense and don't turn it into a completely obsessive lifestyle choice. Masturbation deals with this in more detail. -- Captain Disdain 07:01, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

It can get rid of stress and prevent you from doing more aggressive things. --Proficient 10:23, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

A regular emptying of the tanks can prevent later prostrate cancer. [1] --Zeizmic 13:19, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

I don't know. I will do some extensive research & testing this weekend and get back to you with the results of my study on Monday Mayor Westfall 15:28, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

Speaking as an experienced wanker, I can tell you that masturbation is physically perfectly safe, and mentally only dangerous when your mum walks in on you in the middle of it. But I'd rather not go there if it's all the same to you. --Howard Train 16:18, 7 July 2006 (UTC) (I can't believe I signed this post)

Don't worry, Howard. Any healthy guy who claims never to wank is very likely lying, or sexually repressed. JackofOz 04:11, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

No, just a liar =D --mboverload@ 04:45, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

Well, my first option was "lying". I prefer to say they are lying, rather than brand them "a liar", because we don't know that they habitually lie about other things too. The sexual repression reference was not a joke. A friend of mine is highly self-aware, and has a successful psychotherapy practice. He maintains the first time he ever masturbated was in his late 20s, and I have no reason to disbelieve him. He's been making up for lost time ever since, I imagine. JackofOz 05:17, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

\\Are we talking self, solo, mutual, multiple, group, tantric, dreamsleeping or teletronic?

Downloading with Firefox

I am having trouble downloading anything with firefox onto my hard drive. I can browse everything fine, but whenever I want to download a file to my hard drive, it doesn't work - the download dialogue box shows, but the file doesnt appear in the download manager nor in the download statusbar extension. I can't even save a picture to my pictures folder, but the odd thing is that I can make that picture my desktop wallpaper. Thanks for any ideas. --AMorris (talk)●(contribs) 09:17, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

Go to C:\Documents and Settings\YOUR USERNAME\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox and delete everything in it. Restart Firefox. Note that this will delete all your settings --mboverload@ 10:01, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

A less drastic approach would be to make a new user profile. Jon513 12:02, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

• I would try disabling the latest extensions you installed one by one, and see if any of them is interfering with your downloading. - Mgm|^(talk) 12:48, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

Links to businesses

I don't understand why some links to companies are acceptable and others are not? For example, if you look at the links under the search term 'Private Tutors" you will see three that take you to web sites that then only link to companies. Is the general rule that as long as the link from Wiki is to a site that LOOKS like it's adding information that's okay, but if the link is to one that's blatantly selling something, then that's not okay? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Acaller (talk • contribs) .

The page giving information on this sort of thing is Wikipedia:External links. For future reference, the help desk is a place to ask questions specific to Wikipedia. Oldelpaso 11:26, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

The external links page doesn't have much on this. See instead Wikipedia:Spam, which is official policy. Feel free to remove commercial links and cite this policy. By its nature, Wikipedia is prone to having lots of spamlinks inserted (especially regarding computing topics it seems) and there is no easy way to weed them out. Ideally, all external links in Wikipedia should contain at least some useful information about the topic under discussion.--Shantavira 14:21, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

I am more concerned with whether the link adds new info, or pics, than whether it tries to sell something. This is because the purpose of an encyclopedia is to provide info, and if that requires a commercial site (typically because they contain info or pics we don't have the legal right to copy), that's OK with me. On the other hand, a commercial site which provides no new info and no better pics is just a waste of time for those looking for info, so should be deleted. StuRat 15:46, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

H.M.S. Antrim

Please, Could anyone tell me what happened to the royal navy ship H.M.S. Antrim and a CPO Maurice Jones who served on her in the mid-seventies

HMS Antrim (the second one) was sold to the Chilean Navy in 1984, renamed the Almirante Cochrane. Can't help with the CPO though, sorry: try contacting the Royal Navy/Ministry of Defence. EVOCATIVEINTRIGUE TALKTOME | EMAILME | IMPROVEME 12:10, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

geography question

What place is located on a peninsula, high and is surrounded by sea that females cannot go to?

That would be Mount Athos in Greece. --Roisterer 14:18, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

The Castro District? User:Zoe|^(talk) 01:15, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

history question

Good morning.

I am attempting to determine the current counties that comprised the original 13 colonies. I have seen various maps that show the settled areas of the provinces at the time, but I can't find the names of the current counties.

I'm doing a fire department study and want to compare the number of fire houses in the counties that comprised the original 13 colonies, with more recently incorporated counties.

Thanx for you efforts. John R. Waters <email removed to prevent spam -- sigh>

This is an encyclopedia, and our article on Thirteen Colonies appears to answer your question. Feel free to search first; it's quicker.--Shantavira 14:27, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

While the article might be a good starting point, it does not at all answer the question that was raised regarding counties. --LarryMac 14:46, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

EDIT CONFLICT

Many countries have had colonies, some have had more than 13. I think, from the fact that you don't mention any country, that you are referring to the original 13 colonies that came to form the states which constituted the U.S.A. It might help if you are more specific in future as I was about to try to list the first 13 colonies of Phoenicia (not the original - first - colonies but probably as far back as records run). AllanHainey 14:54, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

That's a bit silly, Phoenicia certainly didn't have counties and fire departments. However, someone with no knowledge of the history of the US might not recognize that they were talking about the US, so it would have been nice if the questioner had explicitly stated the name of the country in question. StuRat 15:35, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

He probably assumed that someone from the United States would answer this. It seems plainly obvious that was what he was referring to when I saw it. But others that are not from the United States may have had some trouble, which is understandable, yet even someone with intermediate amount of knowledge might still recognize that he was referring to the US orignal thirteen colonies. --Proficient 17:23, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

But not everybody on the English Wikipedia is from the U.S. and the U.S. isn't the only English-speaking country in the world. There are many people don't know about U.S. history as much as Americans would, surprising as it is to some. --ColourBurst 22:46, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

County boundaries changed throughout time, even in the established colonies. The book Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Censuses, 1790-1920 by William Thorndale and William Dollarhide show all county boundaries for the period covered although it doesn't reach the actual colonial period. Many libraries, especially ones with genealogy collections will have this. Rmhermen 17:43, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

Moscow

I am currently in a dispute with a friend over whether Moscow is European or Asian. Please give your personal opinion on this. Thank you. --Tuvwxyz 19:04, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

• According to our Moscow article it's the most populous city in Europe, but I've seen it attributed to both Europe and Asia (kind of like Turkey). I would just say you're both right and get on with your life. - Mgm|^(talk) 19:10, 7 July 2006 (UTC)
  • Moscow is west of the Ural Mountains, so it is in Europe. If you want to be technical, it is on the Eurasian land mass. --Nelson Ricardo 19:38, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

Road test - car

The Florida drivers license offices requires you to bring your own car to the road testing part of the drivers license testing which - as far as I can see - isn't possible since you can't rent or buy a car without a license.

If you need to take the road test for a drivers license in Florida and you don't have a car or the opportunity to borrow a car - how and where will you be able to obtain a car to use during the road test?

Also - if you do manage to borrow a car who's insurance will cover damages to the vehicle?

Most car insurance covers people who have borrowed the car with the owner's permission. But you would have to check the insurance policy in question, of course. As for obtaining a car to take the test when you don't have a car or someone to borrow one from, there may be a driving school that you could make an arrangement with if you take driving lessons with them. Crypticfirefly 20:28, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

Alright. If I get a learners permit first can I do the road test directly afterwards and obtain my license or is there a mandatory waiting period before I can switch from learnrs permit til drivers license?

You should probably check with the Florida Secretary of State for the exact requirements. Many states require a certain number of hours of supervised driving for those under 18 before they may obtain a regular driver's license (rather than a learner's permit), and it looks like Florida is no different. Also, it appears that Florida has a requirement that people must take a four-hour "Drug Alcohol Traffic Awareness Course" in order to be eligible for a license. Crypticfirefly 04:08, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

So Sue me

This is an extract taken from the LNER Class A4 4468 Mallard aricle

"The belief is that—as far as can be ascertained—fear of lawsuits, and of a reputation for risk-taking through record runs, scared all U.S. railroad companies away from official record attempts in the 1930s and 1940s, in marked contrast to the constant record claims of previous decades."

Now alot of the rival claims section appeared to have been written by a synical and resentful american, listing all of the american locomotives that he think should have surpassed this locomotives speed record. Now a lot of that has been removed, this, along with a few of the more reasonable claims remains, and I was wondering, had the american "sue culture" already taken hold of risky jobs at that time (1930's) as I was under the impression I was a far more recent thing. Especially since this was slap bang in the middle of the great depression, when I thought workers just did what they were told, as long as they got paid enough to live. So basically is this comment wrong or what? Philc _T^E_C^I 19:20, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

I agree that it sounds a bit early for lawsuits to be a factor. However, considering the losses from risk takers trying to make new records (such as during the maiden voyage of the Titanic), I certainly think caution would have been a good idea. At the very least, they should avoid having any passengers on board when going for a record. StuRat 20:45, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

Well, the Titanic is also an example of how the risks failed to stop them. Philc _T^E_C^I 00:40, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

The problem of litigation was already old in Britian. In his excellent article on train trauma in 19th century Britain, Harrington quotes from The Lancet, 14 September 1861, that (the troublesome disorders following railway accidents was) 'a question deserving of the most painstaking clinical investigation', ... 'particularly if following upon a fall or blow, or other accident involving shock … in order to elucidate the histories that are constantly being put before medical practitioners by plaintiffs against railway boards.' (my italics) --Seejyb 02:37, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

• The Titanic was not going for a record because of the coal strike.hotclaws**==(81.133.206.137 09:03, 8 July 2006 (UTC))

Free web host that supports javascript

As the subject says, does anyone know of a good site where I can get a free website, that will support javascript? I am talking about sites such as geocities, but obviously not geocities. I'm working with the google maps api, and don't feel like buying a dot com if it doesn't work out. Thanks! Debigulator 19:22, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

javascript is written into the html so this should work with any webhost --T-rex 19:27, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

I mean linking to a .js file, (such as <script src="file.js" type="text/javascript"></script>) which I can't seem to get to work, maybe I'm doing something wrong. Thanks! Debigulator 19:37, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

JavaScript is a client-side scripting language, so the server doesn't require anything special. As long as the .js file exists on the server and can be accessed, it should work just fine. Is the script returning any errors when run? --Optichan 21:43, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

yeah, I second that it would be very weird if your host refused to serve any .js, .jar, .asp, .pl, .php, or any other file not ending in html. That's the only difference between a ".js" and a ".html" file. (well, that and MIME type :).) Anyway, you know you don't have to have it be a separate file, you can include the javascript right on the HTML page, and it'll probably get to your readers faster (one http get instead of two, three, etc) unless they're using a nice browser already. Why don't you try including the javascript right in the HTML and see if you get the desired results? Then, why don't rename one of your HTML files a .js file (retaining html MIME type) and see if it's still served properly. Finally, I suggest you run the set of files locally and see if they do what you intend. (Use local instead of absolute names in your sources for this to work). Let us know the results. 82.131.184.144 22:16, 7 July 2006 (UTC).

Thanks for the help everyone. I have tried including the javascript in the page, also did not work, so I know I have kinks to work out now. I put it separate as I see some Google Maps API projects do that when there is a fair amount of javascript. I also like to put my CSS in a separate .css file. Anyway, I will read up on javascript, as there is much I do no know. I am familiar with using files locally, which I will try. Thanks again. Debigulator 16:19, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

massively multiplayer game

About four years ago, I used to play some game online. It was free and massively multiplayer, but it wasn't an RPG with a leveling up or combat system. The game had a three-dimensional environment, and you could own a house or something...and you could collect objects and drop them around places. Does this resemble a game that someone knows about? Isopropyl 20:19, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

I don't know anything about the game, but I've seen people playing RuneScape? Philc _T^E_C^I 20:30, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

Wasn't runescape. This was fully polygons, and wasn't combat-oriented...it was like a chatroom. Isopropyl 20:42, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

What was the game, ie the objectives, enviroment etc. Philc _T^E_C^I 21:25, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

Perhaps you mean Second Life? The lack of leveling up and whatnot would be consistent with that. -- Captain Disdain 03:27, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

I'd guess at Maple Story. But If it's none of the one's we've mentioned, you'll have to do some ressearching yourself. Click here to see Wikipedia's list of MMORPGS. If you go through everyone youll find it. J.J.Sagnella 08:06, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

Ultima: Online

Jesus handles?

Is there an actual technical name for the "Jesus handles" in cars? --71.40.28.19 20:21, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

Can you please describe what you mean ? Perhaps you mean the handles on the roof near the doors on some cars ? StuRat 20:34, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

I'm sure the "panic handle" "Christ bar" or "Oh Jesus" handle is meant (obviously not the technical term)-- it's that handle above the door opening that you can grab to help get in or out of the car. On the backseat, the hook for hanging your jacket is often on this handle, if present. My friend has something that looks very like this kind of handle on her VW convertible, but you can't actually grab on to it to help get in or out because it is the latch for the convertible top. Crypticfirefly 20:42, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

((after edit conflict)) I would assume the questioner means the handles found inside some cars, usually just above, or above and toward the front of, the windows. The common joke is that they are there to grab onto and yell something like "Jebus Cripes!" when the drive slams on the brakes, or turns sharply or whatever. A variant would be "Oh Shit! handle." In reality, I believe they are supposed to function as a leverage point for somebody climbing into or out of the car. --LarryMac 20:44, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

And as such, they are called "passenger assist handles". e.g. here --LarryMac 20:46, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

I have also seen them called "overhead grab handles". Crypticfirefly 20:53, 7 July 2006 (UTC)

July 8

Naming conventions consumer products

A look at Wikipedia:Naming conventions shows no guidelines for consumer products/brand names. Does anyone know if such guidlines exist. Or, can anyone give advice - I'm thinking specifically of the curious way in which manufacturers choose to capitalise their products. eg using all caps. or mixed (non-standard english usage) caps.HappyVR 00:27, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

Well, at least there are articles like iPod, eWorld, PostScript... –Mysid^(t) 07:50, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

The title of the article should be capitalized in exactly the same way as the official brand name. If the brand name begins with a lowercase letter, you might want to add a {lowercase} template, as in the iPod article.--Shantavira 09:52, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

I disagree (especially as regards the related discussion at Talk:PlayStation 3). The title of the article should reflect "most common usage" per WP:NAME. See also Wikipedia:Manual of Style (trademarks). --Elonka 13:52, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

PlayStation is a tricky one isn't it? A very rare occurence of two conflicting policies. It might reasonably be argued that it's an exception to my previous suggestion. Good luck with the argument.--Shantavira 18:07, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

Islamic clothing

Is there ant islamic clothing website available?

Yep. Here's a couple: Shukr Jelbab.com --Allen 01:06, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

Even ants are required to wear the hijab now ? That really is strict ! :-) StuRat 14:55, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

Yup. Would you believe 19 hits on Google for "Islamic ant"? $10 seems rather a lot to pay for one though.--Shantavira 18:14, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

LOL, any "crusader anteaters" out there ? StuRat 20:40, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

Well there shouldn't be.--Shantavira 15:08, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

There is an excellent online directory of sources for Islamic and other forms of "modest clothing" to be found at Modest Clothing Directory. It includes numerous sources for Islamic clothing as well as modest clothing from other traditions that might work for an observant Muslim. Crypticfirefly 04:03, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

What, no codpieces ? StuRat 00:25, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

HFF

Recently FIFA suspended the Hellenic Football Federation, representative of greece, of all FIFA related, or FIFA run activities and competitions [2]. It was suspended because the government implemented a law which does not recognise that football matters can only be resolved by football's governing bodies. What is this law? What does it state? What are the implications of this? how does it fail to comply with FIFA? Im sorry, I just cant find it on any of the reports I've seen. Philc _T^E_C^I 01:00, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

From what I read in Dutch newspapers it seems to be part of a political power struggle. The Greek minister of sport, Giorgios Orfanos, is a conservative who wanted to use the new sports law to get rid of the chairman of the Greek football federation, Vassilis Gagatsis, who has a socialist background. Among other things, the law would force the federation to change its voting rules. David Sneek 07:06, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

It may seem strange from a British perspective but a lot of countries' parliaments have passed "Professional Sports Laws", defining the legal relationship between the various groups involved, FA, league, clubs, players, unions, media companies, etc. FIFA hates this because it prefers to govern the game itself. In the end it normally has to accept it but not without a fight. Jameswilson 23:44, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

The Greek parliament amended the draft law on July 11th to bring it into compliance with FIFA/UEFA regulations, so FIFA withdrew the HFF's suspension today. -- Arwel (talk) 20:57, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

US traditional state abbreviations

When did the USPS make the change from traditional state abbreviations to the current two letter abbreviations?

I believe it happened sometime in the early 1970's. It may have begun earlier, in the 1960's coincident with the creation of ZIP codes. Interestingly, the articles on State name abbreviations and US postal 2-letter abbreviations do not mention the year that two-letter abbreviations became mandatory.

According to this site, "The United States Post Office instituted two letter state abbreviations along with five digit zip codes in 1963." The History of the US Postal Service 1775-1993 pages give the date of introducing 5-digit zip codes as July 1, 1963. Also, quoting from the latter source: "Introduced in 1983, the ZIP+4 code added a hyphen and four digits to the existing five-digit ZIP Code. The first five numbers continued to identify an area of the country and delivery office to which mail is directed. The sixth and seventh numbers denote a delivery sector, which may be several blocks, a group of streets, a group of post office boxes, several office buildings, a single high-rise office building, a large apartment building, or a small geographic area. The last two numbers denote a delivery segment, which might be one floor of an office building, one side of a street between intersecting streets, specific departments in a firm, or a group of post office boxes." The ZIP+4 seems to be optional, and nowhere did I find that the two letter state codes were "mandatory" when they were introduced. Are they now? --Seejyb 16:36, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

Seejyb- that's a good question. I'm pretty sure they are 'mandatory' (and they appear on [this official list]), which, being an official USPS site, implies they are mandatory. But I don't know if there is any written document confirming that. The US Postal System will deliver all kinds of strange things addressed in pretty unusual ways, so even mail which does not use the official 2-letter abbreviations may be delivered. --Drunk Cow 20:38, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

Indeed, the abbreviations are not mandatory, because by law the U.S. Postal Service must deliver anything that has the proper postage and does not violate any other law. The USPS strongly recommends that two-letter abbreviations and ZIP Code be used, saying that it speeds delivery time. (However, I did an experiment a few years back and determined that this is not true. I sent two envelopes to a friend across the country, and asked him to keep track of when they arrived. One was neatly computer-printed, to the exact USPS specifications, including two-letter abbreviation and ZIP+4. The other was on a colored, oversized envelope, scribbled in red crayon, with no ZIP. The scribbled one got there two days earlier!) — Michael J 18:18, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

Vegito & Gogeta

1. The potara fusion between Goku & Vegeta. Elder Kai says it is better. No requirements like the ones used in the Dance (identical power levels and physical build) are necessary for the earrings. When using this method, the name of the dominant individual begins the blended name of the fused being.

How does Vegeta have more characteristics such as hair and personality and more dominant role in Vegito then Goku? Vegito wears Vegeta's gloves and boots and his hair resembles Vegeta's. Goku only have a little role in Vegito, the rest belongs to Vegeta. Also Vegito uses Vegeta's attacks more then Goku's example: Vegito uses the "Big Bang Attack".

2. Goku & Vegeta fuse using the fusion dance and formed Super Saiyan 2 Gogeta in Dragon Ball Z: Movie 12 and Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta in Dragon Ball GT. The facts are Gogeta never said his name was Gogeta. When asked by Janemba he said "i'm neither Goku or Vegeta, i'm the one who will destroy you". He said the same thing in Dragon Ball GT. How did Gogeta get his name, when Gogeta himself never said he was called Gogeta? Vegito made it official that his name was Vegito.

3. In the game Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 2 does it require to put the capsules of Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan 2, Super Saiyan 3, Super Saiyan 4 to keep using Goku at Super Saiyan 4? Example: like the previous games when Goku reaches Super Saiyan 4 you have to put all the other capsules to make Super Saiyan 4 Goku or does each level have its own move sets example: Super Saiyan 4 Goku has its own move sets like 10 x Kamehameha? Also with the fusion i read it somewhere in the Dragon Ball sites that you can do fusion while playing? If so does it require for you to put capsules as well or the fuse warrior have its own move sets example: Gogeta has its own moves sets?

Also when you teleport in the game do you need to put a capsule? And can you teleport anytime or just teleport a blast? Can you use someone else's attacks example: Goku using Vegeta's "final flash"

4. Does anyone know why didn't the author Akira Toriyama have much to do with Dragon Ball Z Movies and Dragon Ball GT?203.98.91.216 08:45, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

One massive night

After a disgustingly massive night in my unit, i eventually sobered up to find my walls adorned with some brilliant hand drawn art in nikko marker. Although i love my new works of art, the owners of my unit may not which leads me to the pressing question, what, if any, is the best way to remove permanent marker from paint? Any help iI can get on this matter will be amazing. Thank-you. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 61.8.3.2 (talk • contribs) .

Acetone (generally found in nail polish remover) will remove permanent marker, but depending on the type of paint, it could also have the unwanted effect of removing the paint as well. White spirit could be a possibility. Whatever method you try, be sure to test it on a small out of the way area of the paintwork first, to check whether or not it will damage the paint. Oldelpaso 11:03, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

If all else fails, you might need to paint over it. --Proficient 15:37, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

Very high alcohol content, or methylated spirits works I think. Philc _T^E_C^I 16:18, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

Careful. It sounds like alcohol content and high spirits are what got him into trouble in the first place... alteripse 17:35, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

Hehe, if he puts these high spirits in his mouth he'll have bigger problems than his wall. Philc _T^E_C^I 21:48, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

Sometimes this works. Get a white board marker: these are a spirit ink that can be wiped off. Draw over some of the permanent marker, and immediately try to wipe it off. Sometimes the chemicals which make the white board maker removable will help lift the permanent one. Notinasnaid 18:48, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

Similar to above, I have had some success using the same marker that made the mark originally, because the wet ink will dissolve the dry ink, and immediately wipe it off. --WhiteDragon 19:45, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Army insignia

Trying to identify a badge at top of WW1 sergeant's baton , possibly Indian army. Can you give an email address I can attach a picture to please . Thanks . Badge has a five pointed crown (includes two crosses) over two C 's or curlycues opposed and joined at the centre . to the right is a cat or panther rampant, facing inwards and to the left a boars head facing outwards . Thanks .

• You can find an email address at Wikipedia:Contact us, but you could just as easily use Special:Upload and use the Wikipedia:Image tutorial to insert it with your question. - Mgm|^(talk) 12:43, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

Finding family

Would like to know how to finf family menbers.In cape ver island

There are several online facilities that allow you to search for people. If you are physically in Cape Verde, then perhaps there are phone books that you can use. --Proficient 15:39, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

How is WW2 and Nazi-related material perceived in modern Germany?

How tender a subject is Nazism in modern Germany? Have they accepted it as part of a time long gone (as most Americans think about slavery, driving Native Americans off land, etc) or is it still something you just don't mention? Does this have anything to do with their relatively strict censorship (I recall hearing that for videogames such as Goldeneye 007 and Turok 2, the blood must be changed to green for German releases)?

It's a pretty tender subject to say the least. It is in much more recent past than slavery or Native Americans (many now elderly Germans were around at the time as participants in WWII), and in any case the issue of slavery and race relations in the U.S. is hardly a "settled" deal either (the race issue has been the most salient one in the U.S. for a hundred years now). I'm not sure if their violence censorship is related to the Nazi issue (it probably is, but in an indirect way—nobody alleges that Hitler played video games, of course), but they definitely have censorship laws relating to Nazi material (you can't advocate neo-Nazism, you can't advocate Holocaust denial, you can't sell Nazi memorabilia). --Fastfission 14:22, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

I spoke to a german freind about this, and they explained, that the germans have come to accept that their country has a terrible past, and it is by far, not something they are proud of. They do not see the germans that committed the atrocities as the same germans that inhabit the country today, they are, to them, a completely seperate group of people. But yes, it is a tender subject.

To answer your question games that glorify war ( even down to freindly games like paintballing, or war games) are banned in germany to my knowledge. Philc _T^E_C^I 16:16, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

My German friends love visiting us in Edinburgh - Scotland. What they say they love most of all is the way we British patiently queue in shops, bars, restaurants, bus queues etc, without argument. At home in Germany (they say) even a battle between 3 people waiting in a bus queue for a bus that has 30 vacant seats is socially acceptable as the norm. And they think that the queues in McDonalds are the most teutonically well disciplned places on earth. So I guess we can look forward to their repeat visits for many years to come. Hitler and Nazi-ism? They are very embarrassed to talk about it but we try to re-assure them that we British are well acquainted with dealing with tyrant overlords and have laid down many British lives over the millenia trying to quell their thirst for European hegemony.

Sorry. Don't know the German for Hegemony.

On the one hand the feelings of shame will prevent them from starting another war anytime soon. On the other hand, being ashamed of something other people have done, just because they were fellow countrymen is pure nationalism, which is one of the three bases for war (the other two being money and religion). DirkvdM 06:34, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

Religion? GTubio 13:13, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

Threat? (north korea) Philc _T^E_C^I 21:46, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

Nazi symols and stuff are illegal within germany, so it's a big deal--T-rex 00:11, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Yeh but the point is, to us, we didn't fo it the germans did it, but to them, the germans didn't do it, the nazi's did. The only reason they get offended is because you are implying they are the same group of people, which in fairness they aren't. Philc _T^E_C^I 11:54, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

symbolic meanings of rock colors/types

I am writing a children's book about throwing pebbles into the ocean in remembrance of a friend who died. I would like to use the "proper" meanings/symbollically (sp?) if possible. For example, a red rock, such as a garnet or cimmeron might represent love. a violet coloured one might represent friendship etc. Thank you in advance for any assistance. Kathleen C. Tachella (email removed)

It's may not be quite as straightforward as that, because symbolism of colors tends to depend on the cultural framework and context. (White, for example, tends to be a symbol for purity and serenity in Western cultures, whereas in Asian contexts it's often associated with death.) However, take a look at Color Symbolism; if all you need is the popular Western interpretations, the chart there is probably going to do the trick for you. -- Captain Disdain 14:59, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

logging out on Amazon.com

I can never find the log-out button on Amazon. I always just click on "Your Account" and then click that I am not me to log-out.

Anyone seen the log-out button? It's bad website design.

Thanks, Kyle

This may be of interest to you: http://plynt.com/blog/2005/07/how-amazon-lives-without-a-log/.

You can just delete your cookies or delete Amazon cookies specifically if you feel like really logging out. --Proficient 15:44, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

Click on "your account", which is a button near the top of the page, then click on "sign out from our site" which is a link near the bottom of the page. Works for me.--Shantavira 17:45, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

Talking about bad design. Shouldn't that link be prominently visible on the top of each page they have? 0- Mgm|^(talk) 21:41, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

No, because there's no reason you would want to log out. Henry^Flower 11:24, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

secondary bond market

playing around with my fidelity account and I saw this:

UNITED STATES TREAS NTS 6.500% 10/15/2006 6.500 10/15/2006 100.301 100.323 5.265 5.184

where the ~100 numbers are the bid-ask and the ~5.2 numbers are the percent yield bid-ask

Turns out this is some bond from 1996 that matures on 10/15/2006

my question: when buying treasuries, don't you want the ~100 number to actually be less than 100 if you want to make money on it?

Thanks, Kyle

The money you make is a combination of the difference between your buy and sell price and the interest you get in the interim. If you hold a bond to maturity and pay more than face value for it (the ~100 number is higher than 100), you lose money on the buy/sell piece of this, but you presumably make enough interest to more than make up for this. Bonds whose coupon interest rate is higher than prevailing interest rates typically trade at more than face value. The difference should decrease the closer the bond gets to maturity (because the time left to collect the higher interest decreases). If you figure the total return (maturity value + interest - current price), a treasury bond maturing in 3 months should return about the same as a 3 month CD. -- Rick Block (talk) 19:03, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

Help ID man in photo

Does anyone know who the impressively-jowled man sitting next to Bud Selig in this photo is? Thanks, TacoDeposit 17:53, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

If you go to the story itself and click on the photo, it brings up the caption, which reveals that he is "Bob Dupuy, MLB chief operating officer". kmccoy (talk) 21:10, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

Thanks! I found the image through a Google image search, and never looked at the original news story. TacoDeposit 00:40, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Where can I buy...

Does anyone know where (near or in Manhattan) I can buy a plush carrot? And not the dog toy kind. Thanks.--Anakata 17:54, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

If it's not for the dog, would it be insensitive to ask what you want it for, like how big it should be, whether you want one that squeaks, and so on? (Not that I know anything about shopping in Manhattan, merely curious.) '"Plush carrot" –dog' scores hundreds of hits on Google, including some from "Manhattan Toys", but it might be simpler to look on line first. --Shantavira 18:26, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

I bet ebay has some, despite it not being in Manhattan. --Proficient 22:17, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

Sounds weird, but I had a dream last night... Anyway, I think I'll just make one myself because I didn't find one on Google that met my needs. Thanks anyway!--Anakata 02:02, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

Is there any reason you are specifically opposed to plush carrots sold as dog toys? I ask only because this one seems perfectly appropriate for human use. If the seller is to be trusted, the carrot is plush and adorable and comes in five sizes, the largest of which can be had for less than $20. Honestly, what more could one want in a stuffed carrot? Bhumiya (said/done) 15:28, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

What do we understand for "shredding" a guitar solo?

Thanks. -piripi

You might find shred guitar useful. Natgoo 21:33, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

shredding is a technique used in solos, it is basically to play the same small piece of a scale over and over as fast as one can. it is a technique like hammering or bending or sliding..ooo i wanna play my guitar now!

nude mayor

Can we see the picture of Mayor Sharon Smith, who made the headlines of nude pictures?

No. Not on Wikipedia, anyway. But if you search Google diligently enough, I'm sure you'll be able to locate the pictures. --Robert Merkel 01:26, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

July 9

subculture 1

Besides Goth and Punk, is there any subculture that are related to Rock 'n' Roll?

Teds, mods, rockers, rastas, greasers, skinheads, metallers, gangstas... all of these and many many more are either directly related to rock music or at the least influenced by/connected with it. Grutness...wha? 02:03, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

Metalheads, Moshers, Indie (mm), Fashioncore, Emo, Pop-rock, Ska Punk (sort of). Philc _T^E_C^I 23:22, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

subculture 2

Is there any subculture that are related to Hip-hop/Rap?

House Selling under Scottish (Scots) Law

Sorry for repeating this question originally posed under Humanities whence no responses were forthcoming, but I really would appreciate a current, accurate and timeous response (insofar as is reasonable)to this troublesome and very pertinent House Selling difficulty under Scottish (Scots) Law. Please don't advise me to see a Lawyer - that is the source of my current problem and this subsequent quest for impartial advice.

Could someone please advise whether, under Scots Law, a houseowner intent on selling the house, is legally obliged to advise potential buyers of any ongoing or previous neighbour-related tensions, disputes, or other such hostilities, whether or not the potential buyer asks that specific question?

And is the seller's agent/solicitor also legally obliged to answer such a buyer's question if such disputes are known to him/her even if any such problems have not been disclosed by the seller, but have been made known by other means?

What would be the buyer's redress(es) if such problems did exist but were not disclosed to him before the sale was concluded?

Many thanks in anticipation for any useful responses. But please, no speculative or emotive responses.

I dont know but have you tried the Citizens Advice Bureau. {Find your nearest CAB}? Jameswilson 00:07, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

Er...perhaps you should see a different lawyer? They're the ones trained in the law, after all. If you're not comfortable working with your current lawyer, you should find another—but asking for help from strangers on an internet forum is never a way to resolve legal problems. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 21:42, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

Gee, Tenofalltrades, now why didn't I think of that? It never occurred to me that Lawyers might be trained in the law. I wish I was as clever as you. But to you Jameswilson, thanks for reading and interpreting my question correctly. At least you understood that I wanted some independent advice. Some people.................

Weird Question

I dont know if this is the place to post this question, but I was wondering if I was just crazy or if others out there would be upset like me if this happend to them.

I have this friend, and him and I were best friends. I met this girl (they were never friends before) and we started going out and we went out for 6 months on and off. At the end she cheated on me and now my ex girlfriend and the person who I thought was one of my best friends are friends and they go out sometimes (I know hes not trying to get with her because she has a new boyfriend). Do I not have the right to be mad at him? I mean if he was really my friend he wouldnt be friends with her and go out with her and be friends with her and her boyfriend. I even told him on two different occasions that I dont like him talking to her. I even yelled at him for shaking her hand one time when she stuck her hand out. Am I crazy or should I be really mad? Thanks

Well, we're not an agony aunt; our purpose is primarily to provide references to factual information - the factual information relevant to your situation is primarily contained in the article jealousy.

For what it's worth, in my opinion while it's certainly extremely common to wish that your friends avoided contact with an ex, it's not particularly rational or productive to stay mad at your friend, or for that matter your ex-girlfriend. Neither of them are your property. That said, it perhaps isn't so nice for your friend to ignore your feelings on the matter, and I can certainly understand why you might feel a bit peeved. But feeling that way isn't going to do anything except make you feel miserable. --Robert Merkel 07:35, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

• He's still your best friend. Unless he and the girl cheated on you while you were dating here, there's no reason why you should put your friendship on the line over your ex. Trust me on this. - Mgm|^(talk) 10:06, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

If I was your friend, I wouldnt see anything wrong in it. You cant say to your friend "I dont like her anymore so neither should you". Just because things didnt work out between you and your ex- doesnt mean she's suddenly turned into a monster - lots of people probably still get on fine with her. Jameswilson 00:27, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

FWIW, I was in a very similar situation (only the other way round) a large number of years ago. My best friend and his girlfriend were clealy having a couple of problems, and I told both of them, separately, that if they ever needed someone to talk to about it, then I was available. She did, and started seeing me for more than just talk after they later broke up. As I said, this was many years ago, and my best friend of the time is still one of my best friends, although we did have a period of being quite cold to each other. In fact, I was later best man at his wedding (to a different woman, I hasten to add!). So yeah, being a bit mad for a while is understandable, especially if you still have feelings for the woman. But after a while you'll probably find that being mad for a long time is counterproductive (or at least dumb). Grutness...wha? 01:20, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

MegAtomiX Media

Hey, does anyone know if this website, MegAtomix Media (http://www.megatomix.com) is still being used by anyone. I used to be a member there, but my account got deleted. Recently, I was interested in joining again, but as far as I could tell, no one has used it since early 2005.

I wasn't sure if maybe you have to be a member to view the new material, or if the site had moved..or what??

--LBJacob09 06:12, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

Group Stations

I've had a look at the usage notes for the station stats and was wondering is there a sure fire way of working out which of the group stations is the main station. I realise that some are obvious such as the main station that represents Birmingham Stations is Birmingham New Street, but some are less obvious, e.g Warrington. Thanks for any help DannyM 09:24, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

It's always the busiest station in the town or city - i.e, the one which appears first in the full stats. Warofdreams talk 09:33, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

Capital

What is the capital of Kazakstan? Thanks

Astana. --Killfest2 11:12, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

Sometimes it can be a bit weird, like it used to be Almaty. For instance, it isn't entirely clear what the capital of Tanzania is. Evilbu 13:24, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

It seems clear enough to me. The legal, official capital is Dodoma. It used to be Dar es Salaam, where many government offices are still located. Changes of capitals sometimes take many decades to accomplish. When Australia became a federation in 1901, the capital was Melbourne and most government offices had their headquarters there. Canberra became the new capital in 1927, but even in the late 1970s there were some departments that had not yet moved from Melbourne. JackofOz 02:17, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

But the capital doesn't have to be the seat of government, like in the Netherlands, where Amsterdam is the capital and The Hague the seat of government. (Which pisses off some Amsterdammers, that they have to live under the yoke of those 'Hagenezen'.) DirkvdM 06:35, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Translation

What does 'Маленький мальчик нашёл пулемёт — Больше в деревне никто не живёт' mean? Thanks - 02pollaj

"A little boy found a machine gun —

Now his village's population is none."

David Sneek 13:16, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

This should have been posted on the Language Ref Desk. StuRat 14:13, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

What movie, TV episode, or videogame is this?

I remember seeing something where Man A pays Man B to kill a person (I think at a train station), and when Man A gets there, he finds out he's supposed to kill Man B. I have no idea what this could be. Any ideas?

It sounds a little bit like the novel Good news, bad news by David Wolstencroft. Good book. --Howard Train

I assume you mean "when Man B gets there he finds out he's supposed to kill Man A". No other help though. DJ Clayworth 17:14, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

1984

I am looking for a school that was in Phoenix Arizona in 1982-1985, named, Arizona Career College. It was a postsecondary private school. Specifically, I am looking for witih whom it was accredited through.

Doorknob

When was the doorknob invented? Does anyone know for certain? Bhumiya (said/done) 15:17, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

Probably around the same time as the door, so people could open them from both sides. Philc _T^E_C^I 15:29, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

I disagree, the familiar rotating doorknob which retracts a pin holding the door shut likely came along much later than the door, but still in prehistoric times. So, we probably don't know when or where. Maybe an archeologist might have some guesses, though. I suspect the first "doors" were just objects placed in front of cave openings which were removed to gain entrance or exit. Hinges and doorknobs require a level of craftsmanship not available at that time. StuRat 16:15, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

They didnt specify a rotating doorknob that retracts a pin. A doorknob can simply be some sort of protrusion from the door to allow the door to be gripped easily. Philc _T^E_C^I 16:21, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

I call that a handle, not a doorknob. StuRat 02:52, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

I don't know the answer, but an odd historical note about doorknobs: they were originally placed in the middle of doors, for aesthetic reasons, but where later moved to the outside edge, because it is much easier to open doors that way (see torque). zafiroblue05 | Talk 23:50, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

OK, next historical origins question: what was the origin of the stupid American middle school custom of yelling "doorknob" when flatulence is detected? Is it still done, or now lost in the mists of primeval time? alteripse 17:40, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

You would be referring to Doorknob (game). --Maxamegalon2000 00:01, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

I would indeed. I am flabbergasted someone thought to write an article on this. alteripse 03:04, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Songs similar to Iggy Pop's "Nightclubbing"

Can anyone name similar songs? Not by theme or lyrics, but by sound. It can be instrumental as well, I don't mind.

This song is interesting to me because of the slow, rhythmic pace, and the weird "drowsy" melody. I really liked it. ☢ Ҡi∊ff⌇↯ 16:43, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

Sources for a stupid question

I know this question has a logical answer, but no one seems to be able to find any evidence or examples. The question is this: Does an amputee (let's say, for ease of argument, a double-leg amputee) get drunk faster after the amputation than he/she did with limbs intact? Logically, your blood-alcohol level will increase faster if you have less blood; a person with no legs has less blood than a person with two legs. But has anyone ever documented this before? Are there any amputees out there who have experienced this? I'm basically looking for a citation. TheSPY 17:23, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

The effect would be small because most alcohol is disposed of by liver metabolism and urinary excretion, both of which are proportional to body size with legs. The blood volume would only be slightly less without legs anyway (maybe 90-95%), and the blood volume makes a difference only to the initial volume of distribution of the alcohol. Maybe you could show that a person with a 5% smaller blood volume "feels it" faster when he drinks, but again the effect would be small (maybe a couple of minutes or less) and lost in all the larger sources of variation in alcohol effect (especially genetic differences and amount of previous drinking experience). If you want citations on alcohol metabolism to confirm what I am asserting here, google ethanol metabolism, but I have never seen a discussion specifically address differences after amputation. alteripse 17:38, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

Sure, it follows logically. Now, an amputee might tend to build muscle elsewhere to compensate for the missing limb(s); in that case you'd have at least some corresponding increase in blood volume. In any case, as Alterprise notes the difference percentage-wise would be fairly small since most of the blood in your body is in your trunk and brain. I wouldn't be surprised if no one has actually done the study, however—the result is an 'obvious' one, there's no useful medical purpose, and the supply of double amputees is relatively small. Clearance rate, meanwhile, depends on your liver and is unaffected by amputation. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 21:38, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

Bedshaped

I heard a song that was the same, if not very similar to the keane song bedshaped, but this was in classical style, and I thought in a foreign language, there was less emphasis on the instrumentation, and more on the vocals (there were atleast parts, if not the whole song, without instruments). I was wondering could anyone tell me what this is?

Sports timer

In many sports, even when the play of the game is paused, the clock still runs. Why is that? Reywas92 22:09, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

In soccer specifically, they calculate the amount of time that was wasted whent he play was stopped and add it onto the game at the end. That's why it says "Time Added". --Jamesino 23:11, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

Like in football (soccer), they add stoppage time to compensate. Probably in others sports too. --Proficient 23:13, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

The time added is often (perhaps usually) not enough to compensate, however. For example, in the recent Holland-Portugal game six minutes were added at the end of the second half, but most likely upwards of 15 minutes were lost due to ejections, cards, injuries, and so on. Overtime halves are a third of the length of regulation halves, but oftentimes only have 15-20 seconds or less of stoppage time, while a regulation half on average has 2-4 minutes of stoppage time. Football/soccer is one of the few sports that work this way. zafiroblue05 | Talk 23:48, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

Having grown up with the football (soccer) system I get very irritated by sports that do stop the clock all the time. It takes so long to get started again. There should be a fifteen-second rule or something. As it is, players wander around talking to each other, talking to the coach, having a drink. Thats not what I,ve paid to watch! Get on with it! I want uninterrupted action and get home before midnight.

PS Soccer players would do the same if they were allowed to I,m sure (and they do spin out injuries and so on so everyone can take a breather). Jameswilson 00:43, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

That's his point. The clock-stopping rule causes this behaviour, no matter what the sport.

I can think of two reasons. One, sports are usually done by amateurs (they form the vast majority of the players), who don't have the means to keep time that accurately (they'd have to hire someone to do that). Two, you'd need a portable stopwatch for that, and I don't know how long that has been something 'normal people' could afford. But for most of the history of most sports there will not have been a stopwatch, so it's tradition. You just try changing a tradition in a sport. :)

So one could reverse the qwuetsion. In which sports is the time stopped (they probably form a tiny minority) and when was that introduced? Or was it introcuced later or part of the design of the sport? I bet these are all recent sports (probably most from the US). DirkvdM 06:49, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

When the NASL was new to america, and a huge league had sprawled over a country that had no idea how to play the sport, among other comical errors, one referee thought that you have to stop the clock every time the ball went out of play or gameplay stopped, this caused his first matches to last over two hours, until he was informed of the rules. Philc _T^E_C^I 11:51, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Do you have a reference for this story, or is it just more bashing? --LarryMac 13:03, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

No I have a book called the history of football, It explains conclusovely the history of football. Its not bashing a lot of mistkes were made by the US, but back in ol' blighty (england) some people screwed the rules up so bad, it turned into rugby. But the fact was a lot of football was forced upon the american when people saw how profitibale new york cosmos was, playing in front of capacity crowds every week, so everyone dived in, only to find that still new york was the only profitable team. So football teams popped up everywhere, often moving within a few years, and after about a decade the whole thing collapsed. The MSL has sought to start again, avoiding the mistakes of the past. Philc _T^E_C^I 20:32, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

To counter an unsigned comment above, as an American, I think it's crazy that soccer just lets the clock run and then has the ref add stoppage time at the end rather than simply stop the clock when the ball is not in play. Shouldn't everyone know exactly how much time is left? And doesn't giving the ref the power to end the game at his discretion lead to abuses of authority, or at least accusations of such? -- Mwalcoff 04:58, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Here in the US, most sports that have time use clocks that stop. That includes American football, basketball, hockey, lacrosse, water polo and lots of others. Also note that American sports clocks show how much time is left to play, not how much is used up. And they don't show time for the whole game, just the current quarter, period or half. For example, in football (soccer), the clock starts at 0:00 and goes to 45:00 at halftime, then continues to 90:00 at the end. In American football, the clock starts at 15:00 and goes down to 0:00 at the end of the first quarter, then re-sets to 15:00 for the second quarter, etc. (Side note: In professional basketball, when the time is less than one minute, the clock must show time remaining down to ¹/₁₀ of a second, such as 0:45.8.) ... However, my personal preference is baseball, which thankfully has no clock at all. — Michael J 05:08, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

In hockey, it actually depends on the rules. North American leagues use rundown timers and international leagues use runup timers. Strange huh? What's stranger is that goals and penalties still count minutes into play. --ColourBurst 05:46, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

I suppose you mean ice hockey. Stop stealing names. DirkvdM 06:45, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Stealing names? Which version of hockey do you suggest is the "correct" one? --Optichan 15:35, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

The original. Well, more correctly, it's not a matter of which game is correct, but which name. DirkvdM 18:58, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

I was using the context of the poster I replied to. --ColourBurst 04:54, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

I may be wrong but the original hockey is the one played on grass, surely. Ice hockey was an offshoot for colder places.

American football's got all sorts of odd rules about when the clock stops and when it starts again. This makes the last five minutes of a close game as much a matter of playing the clock as playing the ball, and means that the last 15-minute quarter can take an hour or longer. --Serie 23:20, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Its quite a new thing to put a board up saying how much injury-time there will be. Before the referee gave no clue. It added to the suspense in my view. You didnt know if this was the last attack or whether there were still a couple of minutes to go. And yes, the downside was the potential for abuse. Jameswilson 23:01, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Since people on wikipedia know a lot about copyright stuff

Hi, so there's a video game that has songs, and people have made midis of the songs. Now the midis are based on the songs, but they are not the exact songs in the game. I was wanting to use one of these. So I am wondering, are the midis that immitate a copyrighted song also copyrighted. I emailed the site owner a ton of times and they won't even answer. But people on wikipedia know a lot about copyright, so I'm sure someone does. Are these midis legal to freely distribute and are they free enough to be used on something commercial? DyslexicEditor 22:18, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

You really oughta ask this one over at Wikipedia:Reference desk/Humanities, I think. In short, though: if you can clearly recognize the original song by listening to the midi tune, yeah, it's a copyright infringement. It can get more complex than that, but that's what it boils down to, pretty much. Perhaps more importantly, even if you can't recognize the original song and thus the MIDI file in question isn't about to become evidence in a copyright infringement case, you still can't just use them, because then you would be infringing on the copyright of the guy who created the MIDI file. -- Captain Disdain 22:34, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

Just to add to the fun-- Some game tunes are actually in the public domain (I'm thinking some of the music from Tetris, "Korobeiniki" or "Korebuska" depending on who is naming that tune). But even if the tune itself is in the public domain, the interpretation of the tune by the person recording the MIDI file also has a copyright, as Captain Disdain has pointed out. If it isn't a public domain tune, then the creator of the unauthorized MIDI file doesn't have a copyright in his or her interpretation, becuase he/she created an infringing "derivative work." So if you were to use those files even with the creator's permission, you too would be infringing the game company's copyright. Short answer: bad idea to use these MIDI files without the permission of whoever or whatever holds the copyright. It would be better to make your own sound files for the project (or pay someone to do it.) And I should add, you don't even have to "clearly recognize" the song, copying even a few notes has been found to be infringement if the original source can be identified. Crypticfirefly 04:27, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

On being the last person alive in the country...

Supposing tonight a freak virus breaks loose and kills everyone in the country except you. No buildings or anything have been destroyed,so the water,power and things are still working at the moment,just everyone else is dead.How long would you be able to survive for and what would be the most important...or exciting things to do first?

Sleep tight... 88.106.195.245 22:28, 9 July 2006 (UTC)Lemon

Depends on what country you live in and what exactly the cause is. If the virus can be dealt with, you might get lucky and be picked up by some rescue crew from another country. For instance if you live in Denmark, maybe some German scientists or army crew would go into the country.

The movie 28 Days Later describes what you say except for one little detail....

However, my fellow Wikipedians, I would like to grab this unique opportunity to ask for a film : there is a film in which a black man in the USA, probably New York, finds the complete city deserted for no obvious reason. Later he meets one other person : a white woman. The plot is interesting as one could say their relationship would never have begun under normal circumstances. The movie is in black and white. Please tell me the title. Evilbu 22:38, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

Other than going totally insane after a while from lack of companionship, you should live a normal life. Eventually the water and power systems will fail, so you won't be able to rely on them to keep you going, you'll have to learn how to hunt and how to grow your own crops, but other than that, there's no reason why you shouldn't live. User:Zoe|^(talk) 22:39, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

So many things... ---Proficient 23:14, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

If you are literally the last person in the world (not just the country), you would probably kill yourself by the time (or shortly after) the water/power systems fail. Five or ten years, I'd guess. zafiroblue05 | Talk 23:43, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

Step one: hold on to your glasses. --Cam 01:57, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

See also the New Zealand film (and book) The Quiet Earth in which the entire human race is wiped out except a few people. --Canley 02:07, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Zafiroblue, five years until the water/power systems fail? That would be almost instant if there is no-one operating them (or do they have built-in failsafe systems to prevent this? I wouldn't be surprised given the importance). I'll assume it's not limited to one country, but everyone on Earth died for whatever reason (what are you suggesting - a virus without a passport?). Then you're in a basic survival situation, with the advantage that shops will still have shitloads of tinned food and water, more than you could ever need in a lifetime. So make sure you always carry a tin opener. :) But the stocks in one city would probably be enough, so you wouldn't need to go from place to place (although that should not be a problem if you know how to operate an unattended petrol station). Other than that, you'd probably get bored to death, like Zoe said. I once saw something like this in a film, where the survivor regularly went to the movies (watching Woodstock) for entertainment. I don't remember if the film made it clear where he got the power to operate the projector. But if you've got enough time on your hands, all the tools and stuff you might want and a bit of a brain you could figure something out. And that's probably what you would dedicate your time to - getting something off the ground, building your own little 'society', like a Robinson Crusoe. And you'd have something to protect it against, because animals would start to take back the cities. Including some predators.

On the upside, climate change would be kept to a minimum. :) Then again, that minimum might still have a big impact, so you'd have to take that into account - move away from coastal areas, for example, and build hurricane-proof shelters. DirkvdM 07:13, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

With all those rotting bodies around, you wouldn't want to hang around in the city for very long.--Shantavira 07:23, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

I think that many of the problems that arise in water/power arise from people using them. If there are (basically) no demands on the power system/water, what would cause it to fail? (Thunder/snow-storms, perhaps, would knock over lines, but that's only for a limited area; you could always bike to another location. Or drive, even: once you figure out how to hotwire a car, or find one with keys, they all have gas in them!) To be honest, though, I think I'm basing most of this on Earth Abides, which may not be correct scientifically. zafiroblue05 | Talk 22:13, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Huh? Are you serious? Do you think power plants run themselves? We might build a society in which that is the case, but that certainly hasn't been done yet. DirkvdM 06:48, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Solar and wind plants pretty much run themselves, and hydroelectric plants come close. Nuclear power plants can keep running on automatic for between three and five years, assuming that either it's idling, or some other power plant is adjusting for changes in load. Coal plants will stop running within a day or two, and natural gas plants will stop when the gas stops flowing. With everyone dead, the loads on the system become predictable enough that the computers can usually handle it all -- no more overloads because everyone on the east coast turned up their A/C. Overall, I'd expect large-scale distribution to fail quickly as individual parts fail, but on the scale of individual power companies, many will continue running for years. --Serie 23:42, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

So nobody has an idea about that black and white film dealing with this?Evilbu 12:45, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Yes, I do actually: The World, the Flesh and the Devil (1959)... starring Harry Belafonte. --Canley 14:48, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Canley, thanks, that is quite certainly what I was looking for. Did you find it a good movie? I saw it once, but didn't get to see the end, and have regretted doing so ever since. For giving me the title, you have my undying gratitude.

As for water systems, some would last quite a while, such as if already purified water is stored in a water tower and gravity fed into taps. This would last until the water tower was drained. If people died with taps left on, that could be fairly quickly. Also, in northern climates a few water mains break every winter (apparently they aren't buried deep enough to avoid freezing). With nobody to bypass those mains the water would all drain out of the system fairly quickly. Automatic timed watering systems would also drain the water. Many other water systems rely on electrical pumps, so would fail almost immediately. Also note that once pressure started to drop, the water could become contaminated, so should be boiled before drinking any. StuRat 13:27, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Water in water heaters would last until they rusted out, which might be decades. The water might be rather rusty towards the end of the process, though. Water in plastic bottles would become unsuitable for drinking in a just a few years due to chemicals leaching out of the plastic. Water in glass bottles could last forever, unless the cap is made of something that would deteriorate. If I were the sole survivor, I would go claim a water tower or two, shut off the water to the system, and use the water from taps near the base. StuRat 13:27, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

It also would be wise to claim a farm, and keep enough of it operational to supply your food needs. This requires some foresight, though, as food in cans would last for decades, but eventually it would become unable to meet your nutritional needs. If you waited until then, however, the farms would all be in ruins and the crops and animals all gone wild or dead. I don't think power systems would last long, but you could use generators and gasoline siphoned from cars or gas stations to provide enough for your personal needs. You would also need to stay armed against packs of dogs or other dangers. StuRat 13:07, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

As for shelter, I would find a house with lots of woodburning stoves as a heat source. A house might last for decades with minimal maintenance. In the long run, I would expect office buildings to last longer, but there would be no easy way to heat them. Perhaps you could retrofit one with a woodburning stove, but it wouldn't be easy. StuRat 13:27, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Listening a song backwards

How can I in MS windows?

Maybe you can record the song onto one of the various audio editing programs available (some of which are freeware) and mess around with it there. --Proficient 23:15, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

win 95 had a program in it that could record and reverse, very entertaining, try Led Zep's Staireway to heaven, it does say SATAN over and over hahah

MSN Emoticon Stored?

In MSN Messenger for Windows XP when someone sends you an emoticon and you right-click on it to add it, in what folder does the saved emoticon save into?--Jamesino 23:09, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

They are saved as .dat files in a folder "C:\Documents and Settings\(your username)\Application Data\Microsoft\MSN Messenger\(numbered folder for your Passport account)\CustomEmoticons". --Canley 02:03, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Is there any way that I can edit them, using for example, ImageReady of Adobe Photoshop?--Jamesino 17:06, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

I think the emoticons are GIFs with a .dat extension, so you may be able to change the file extension to .gif and they should open in an image editing program. --Canley 23:18, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Any instructions on how I can change it to GIF's? I can't seem to open them in anything except internet explorer and notepad. --Jamesino 00:41, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

They already are GIFs. Their MIME type is image/gif, so depending on your image viewer, it should be able to open them as-is. If not, just change the extension to gif. --Optichan 15:51, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Remember that, in order to change the extension, you need to show extensions in Explorer (by default they're hidden). Tools -> Folder Options -> View, uncheck "hide extensions for known file types". — QuantumEleven 16:54, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Unless the .dat extension is registered with some program, it should be viewable already. But I do recommend showing extensions. It's one of the first things I do when I use a new computer. --Optichan 17:54, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

webcam support for mac

Hello, I know msn doesn't do support for Mac OSX for webcams and have so installed Mercury Messanger. Are there any other supported messenger programs that cater for Mac webcams?--russ 23:32, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

Um, there's iChat, but were you after MSN compatibility? You can connect to MSN through Jabber, there are some links on the article which explain how. --Canley 01:58, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

July 10

moths!

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

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

Grab it and throw it out the window. Crazywolf

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

Now the moth is in his hall ...... DirkvdM 07:15, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

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

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

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

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

Keyboard Remapping/Macros

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

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

Google Wikipedia

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

I tend to use Google, although Wikipedia will almost always come up in the top ten results. I don't think there's any threat to Google: Wikipedia, as comprehensive as it is, is only one website, and Google searches millions. I also prefer to check several different sources rather than rely on Wikipedia. There is a Wikipedia lookup/search option on the Mozilla Firefox browser. --Canley 01:50, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Google includes Wikipedia already (when it searches) plus it contains other valuable information; hence, I much prefer using google, despite Wikipedia's usefulness. --Proficient 02:41, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Wikipedia is an encyclopedia and Google is a search engine, so they serve quite distinct purposes. In many cases Google throw up all sorts of rubbish, but Wikipedia does at least have some checks in place. It all depends what you're looking for. If it's something very specific, like a plush carrot, Google is a better bet as Wikipedia still lacks this information. I use the external links from Wikipedia articles quite a lot as these are chosen by people and not by a computer.--Shantavira 07:34, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

After edit conflict:

Canley, you say that Wikipedia is only one website, but it is the information that counts. That it is all in one place only helps. I'd rather have my info on one (fairly) trustworthy site than 100 possibly shitty ones (and then how do I know which are the good ones?). Eventually, all info may find its way to Wikipedia. Think of how many people don't or hardly know about it yet and how big it already is. At some point, scientists will start to publish their findings on Wikipedia first (I've heard of this already happening). Another advantage of Wikipedia is that it organises the information. And that was the purpose of search engines. The Internet contains loads of info, but how do you find it? That's where search engines became invaluable. But now that necessity will disappear (eventually - in ten years maybe?). And will Google? They've already started scanning books. There's more than the Internet (no really!). Their business is info. If the basis of your business is disappearing you'll have to find an alternative, just like Shell is looking into renewable energy sources.

I can't say I'm unhappy with this. Google is, after all, a commercial company and they've got a virtual monopoly. That combination is lethal to service. Something similar happened to imdb. It used to be a nice site. Now it suffers an advertisement-overload that really is a pain. Noticed how little by little we're getting more and more (disguised) ads on Google? They're going down the drain, I'm sure. Just give it some time. DirkvdM 07:39, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

• Wikipedia articles are summaries of the known stuff. It is nice as a first stop, but if you want indepth information on a specific topic, you're better off reading external links, books and scientific journals. Google is very helpful in finding those and without Google most of us wouldn't even be able to find good references to back up the articles we write to begin with... - 131.211.210.10 08:10, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

It all depends on what kind of information you're looking for. If you want to know something pretty trivial, Wikipedia is fine. If you want to know something important, university/government/NGO sites found through Google are a better bet than articles written by 13-year-olds sitting in their pants in their bedrooms. Henry^Flower 10:07, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

There are many instances when Wikipedia articles are far superior than many which are found on university webpages, in my opinion. And some of our best editors are very young. And I'm not sure why people shouldn't be sitting in their pants. I'm sitting in my pants. :-) --Fastfission 19:19, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

I'm also wearing pants. However, I'm not in my teens. More to the point, like I said, how reliable is some site Google led you to? If the info is on Wikipedia, several people will probably have gone over it, which largely precludes the risk of some nutcase having written it, as can be the case on some other website. Unless you know it has to be reliable, for example because it's a university website. But even those contain errors. Nothing is certain, it's just a matter of being careful what you read and not believing everything. DirkvdM 06:55, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Deutsche Mark / German Money

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

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

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

Well, by Deutschmarks from before the war I assume you mean the marks from before the Wallstreet Crash in 1929 (as yours is). These would be worthless in the sense that they ceased to be currency a long time ago when new, revalued currency was introduced after the hyperinflation the crash sparked, which reduced the value of a mark to practically zero. (I think I have that right, but I did this a long time ago. Feel free to step in, knowledgable people) Bundesdeutschmarks I think the new ones were. Hence, a 1923 mark probably is worthless as currency, even if you find a bureau or bank who'll do it (by the end, people were using wheelbarrows to carry enough currency to pay for their shopping), but a collector might pay you for it. 19:35, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

The thing to bear in mind is that Deutsche Marks were only introduced in 1948 (the introduction of the DM in the three western occupation zones of Germany was what triggered the Soviet blockade of Berlin, and the Berlin Airlift). Earlier notes are either "Marks", "Reichsmarks" or "Rentenmarks". Only Deutsche Mark notes and coins (issued 1948-2001) are exchangeable for Euro by the Bundesbank, and I have my doubts that foreign banks would want to be involved in the exchange process at all, since they cannot resell the notes to other customers. As far as I know, DM notes and coins have to be presented at branches of the Bundesbank in Germany in order to be exchanged for Euro. Notes from the hyperinflation period (1922-3) are interesting, but have no great value to collectors as they were produced in vast quantities - people used to stick them to the walls of their houses, as it was cheaper than wallpaper. -- Arwel (talk) 21:29, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Oh, while I remember, old East German Marks ("Mark der Deutschen Notenbank") are also valueless - after reunification in 1991 they were all bundled up and dumped in an old mine. -- Arwel (talk) 21:33, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

What is Emulsifier 481 ?

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

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

According to the list of food additives, Codex Alimentarius, it's sodium stearoyl lactylate. If it's in food at least some people consider it safe to consume :) Ziggurat 02:34, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

• Emulsifiers are substances that ensure an emulsion doesn't separate in its constituents. For example, mayonaise is an emulsion of vegetable oil and egg yolk. The emulsifier makes sure it stays mixed. Otherwise the oil would float to the top of the mixture. If they're in food, they are safe to eat. - 131.211.210.10 08:14, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

• "If they're in food, they are safe to eat" is an attitude somewhere between trusting and naive. Things like this are usually in food because they are categorized as Generally recognized as safe, which means that they have probably never undergone any rigorous testing, but have not killed a conspicuous number of people. I am half-joking, but the GRAS system is extremely weak. Personally, I don't worry about these things, but I wouldn't accept their presence in food as proof of anything at all. bikeable (talk) 16:27, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

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

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

Vonnegut story

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

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

movie mystery

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

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

That's it! Thanks a lot! EdwinHJ | Talk 21:46, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Is this a phobia?

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

A phobia is a fear of something, so that isn't a phobia. Forgetting names is perfectly normal, some people just aren't very good at it. I am terrible at it, and it's sometimes very embarrassing. Notinasnaid 07:53, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

It appears to be mild anxiety, maybe you could use some kind of mnemonic technique to remember the names? Oh, and I don't believe this consistutes as a disease.--John Brown 10:05, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

• I just flat out say "I'm hopeless at names" and write them down in a little notebook I carry with me.Most people are flattered that I bother and the act of writing it down helps me remember.If I still forget,I just say so.No-one has punched me yet for forgetting their name and asking for it again.Hope this helps-hotclaws**==(217.39.9.153 08:06, 11 July 2006 (UTC))

Short-term memory loss. --Proficient 21:58, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Adding / Editing Articles in Wikipedia

Dear Sir / Madam,

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

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

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

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

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

Kind Regards.

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

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

The 'article' was copied directly from the company's home page. If that was done with permission, it was an advert; if it was done without permission, it was a copyright violation. We really can't accept either. Henry^Flower 10:11, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

If the material was copyrighted, it could not be used even with permission. There would have to be a notice on the website stating that the content was released under the GFDL or a similar licence. Otherwise the article couldn't be edited or redistributed. --Sam Blanning^(talk) 10:21, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

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

Please also see Wikipedia:Notability (companies and corporations).--Shantavira 11:52, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

• If a company is notable, the article should not assume the reader knows but spell out why this is the case and use sources other than the company to back up those claims. BTW, User:Elizabeyth/Desk is the user's desk from the Cleanup Task Force project. Their name is User:Elizabeyth. - 131.211.210.10 12:31, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

OK, the company's certainly notable enough in my opinion and I'm sure it would pass WP:CORP - a reference from the BBC and I've seen more in the Australian media over the years. I've recreated the article at Kookaburra Sport. To the original poster: it's not recommended that companies themselves create or edit articles about that company, WP:SPAM explains that many such articles are "advertisements masquerading as articles" which are not welcome on Wikipedia, particularly is they're just copied from the company's website as explained above. Your contributions are welcome of course, but if you have any corrections or ideas on how the article can be improved, might I suggest that you post them to the Talk:Kookaburra Sport page and some Wikipedians will help you add that info so it falls within Wikipedia guidelines? Also, one more thing, this should probably have been posted to the Help Desk. --Canley 14:41, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

One final note; you have to keep in mind that Wikipedia is a global project, and many editors may not recognise just how important certain topics are in certain countries. Elizabyth, for all we know, might be an American who thinks that cricket is a quaint English hobby of approximately equal interest as royal tennis. --Robert Merkel 00:50, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Royal Salute and Gibraltar by Richard Waterer

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

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

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

Is the use of amphetamines for college entrance exams common?

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

Which country are you talking about? Which exams? (Are you talking about SATs?) I doubt there is much data on this in any case, since no drug screening is done at these sorts of tests to my knowledge. As for whether it would bias the tests, I doubt it. Amphetamines make you alert, but they don't make you smarter, and they don't necessarily make you a better test taker (they also make you paranoid, overly-confident, and sometimes very scatter-brained). --Fastfission 19:24, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

No, I would say that although some test takers have done so, it is not very common. The ones that you hear about in the news appear to be few. --Proficient 22:00, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Copyright

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

Permission isn't enough - the content of the article must be released under the GFDL or similarly free licence, so that it can be freely edited and redistributed.

If you can show that the Choir meets our standards for notability of musical groups, then I recommend entirely rewriting the article in your own words. It's unlikely that the website is written from a neutral point of view. --Sam Blanning^(talk) 10:53, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, there are two issues here. First, we need you to authenticate that the text is releaseable under the terms of the GFDL. You need to read it over pretty carefully first—it allows for other people to use it for almost any purposes, it allows commercial re-use, and so forth. Not everyone is happy with that. (I think it's a good idea anyway.) Then, as Samuel Blanning pointed out, you need to make sure it falls under the notability criteria for articles on Wikipedia. --Fastfission 19:21, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Chineese article

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

• Yes, we do: Hainan Island incident. --Canley 13:28, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Place question

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

That's an awfully vague question, or pair of questions, so many answers could be right depending on how they are worded. For a start, I believe Vancouver, Canada has the world's longest driver-less mass transit system, the SkyTrain.--Tachikoma 13:22, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Both awfully vague and contradictory. How can something be new compared with its contemporaries? Another possibility is London, which has (IIRC) the world's largest underground railway system in terms of daily traffic (though New York's system is longer), and has 30 St Mary Axe , which looks much newer than its contemporaries. Grutness...wha? 01:28, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

• Manchester's tram system and the Trafford centre are pretty new.Any help?hotclaws**==(217.39.9.153 08:11, 11 July 2006 (UTC))

Language question

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

depends where you are doing bussiness. Jon513 13:27, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Of the languages you speak of, generally you'd probably want French in Northern Europe and Canada, Spanish in the U.S., South America and Southern Europe and Chinese in Asia. Andrew (My talk · World Cup) 14:29, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Chinese gets you very little in Japan and South Korea, so "Asia" is probably misguided. Likewise with Brazil, as a Portugese country, but Spanish and Portugese are more similar than the East Asian languages. --ColourBurst 23:36, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Spanish in the United States, as mentioned above, is extremely useful, assuming you are in the United States. --Proficient 15:00, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Depends on the type of business as well, of course. On face of it, Chinese would be useful as there are so many of them, but all enterprising Chinese businessmen learn English.--Shantavira 17:21, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

This is not exactly correct. You can get by without Chinese (Putonghua to be exact) in China. However, you'll suffer for it, and it's probably better to learn anyway. As for the U.S., Spanish is useful in the southern part of the country, and in many large cities, but less useful elsewhere. To answer the original question, the answer is: learn as many languages as you can get your grubby little hands on. --ColourBurst 23:36, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

French in Northern Europe? Not really. Western Africa? Yes. DirkvdM 07:02, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

In Europe, German tends to be more of a business language than French. Spanish is handy in the US. Chinese probably in the future, if you're going to be dealing with chinese businesses. Skittle 19:22, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Computer Storage capacity

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

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

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

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

Yes, your iPod has a much greater storage capacity than the average computer from 1985. Note, however, that some evil spirits are not USB compatible, and may be difficult to transfer to an external device. Contact Apple technical support if you are having trouble moving or duplicating your evil spirits for portable use.

If you wish to transfer an evil spirit using a floppy disk, it must be a high-density disk. Most evil spirits are at least one megabyte in size. Both 5.25" and 3.5" disks are acceptable; single-sided or low-density double-sided disks are insufficient, unless you use a third-party utility to compress or split your evil spirit.TenOfAllTrades(talk) 14:32, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Do evil spirits compress well with WinRAR? And do the non USB compatible spirits work on any other plug and play media (firewire)Philc _T^E_C^I 16:08, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

PC are pretty frightening now but just imagine how scary things will be when terabyte storage becomes common. MeltBanana 16:08, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Firewire is an excellent choice for evil spirit transfer, as it natively supports the BoIP (Brimstone over IP) protocol. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 16:32, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

According to some people, getting an evil spirit on your iPod is easy; all you need is a rock album... smurrayinchester^{(User), (Talk)} 20:09, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Really? Damn, I've got loads, whats the best antivirus for getting rid of them, and for prevention, do firewalls work, or should baptise my computer? Philc _T^E_C^I 20:27, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

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

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

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

Carry On films

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

I doubt they were popular throughout the world, but I imagine they would have been quite popular in Commonwealth countries such as Australia or New Zealand as well as in Britain. --Canley 23:23, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

I gather they are popular in India, as the level of smut is seen as acceptable when carried out in this fashion by non-Indians (according to an Indian I know, but that is a small, anecdotal sample). Skittle 19:18, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Personally, I find the notion that they should be a British institution beloved by Britons curious. The running theme appears to be one in which an ageing foreigner (Sidney James), attempts to cultivate sexual relationships with young girls variously playing schoolgirls, student nurses and chambermaids. All of these could be described as paedophillic or 'grooming' in nature - two aspects of sexuality tabloid newspapers who give the films away for nothing in a bid to increase circulation, are keen to regulate against. --russ 00:04, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

They were extremely popular in Australia. I still remember my Mum taking me to see the very first one "Carry On, Sargeant", and later seeing the sergeant (William Hartnell) popping up as the original Dr Who. JackofOz 00:12, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

"Carry On, Sergeant" isn't really typical of the rest of the series - it was just a fairly typical late-50s National Service comedy. The title, of course, was a common enough army command, but it didn't take long for the series to get going. I suppose the series had hit its stride by about "Carry on Cruising" in 1962. -- Arwel (talk) 21:46, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

That's right. It's often the case that the first item of a series is not typical of how the series develops over time. Apart from being Presidents of the USA, George Washington's integrity and leadership had nothing in common with Richard Nixon's lies and Bill Clinton's doublespeak. And David Tennant is much more attractive than William Hartnell. JackofOz 05:26, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

swear

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

See Hippocratic Oath.--Shantavira 15:32, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Someone should tell them to watch their language. JIP | Talk 16:57, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

tracking down Dmoz editors from user boxes

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

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

working in the US

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hey, for a free trip to Disneyworld, who wouldn't go look for him? ;-) --Maelwys 19:51, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Remember, this guy has described himself as completely selfish. The orgasm he speaks of is probably his own. --LarryMac 19:58, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

I'm not completely selfish, I just don't like to go out of my way to help others. Fortunately, it requires almost no effort for me to provide women an orgasm, as just looking at me usually causes them to experince a WIO, or Westfall Induced Orgasm.

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

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

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

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

Oh and construction workers can make $16/hr, but I'd say that's pretty rare, most start out making much less like ~8-10. Mayor Westfall 14:18, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Cool as in temperature, or cool as in "hip, happening, trendy, etc"?

Regarding your type of employment, be aware the wait staff in restaurants are subject to an even lower minimum wage, because they are expected to be receiving tips as well. In fact, they are even taxed as if they receive tips, regardless of what they actually receive. --LarryMac 13:23, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

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

who sings it?!

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

                                                   ~Hot F.L.I.P.

Flip, is this woman's version the version you are searching for?

By the way, in the process I came across this a capella version of another song called "Lemonade" :)--Robert Merkel 16:05, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

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

~Hot F.L.I.P.

TrueSkill Ranking

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

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

Coke Zero

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

Standard Wikipedia Health Disclaimer applies

I am not a doctor, but drinking almost 6 litres of water-based fluids a day, I'd say a major risk is drinking too much at once; 3 litres (100 fl oz.) of liquid taken in a short time period (1 hourish) can cause hyperhydration, or water poisoning, as your kidneys can't cope with so much fluid and salt levels get dangerously low. If more spaced out though, and you don't have use Lo-Salt or similar products, it shouldn't be an issue. smurrayinchester^{(User), (Talk)} 19:45, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

I'd be more concerned about the sweeteners than the water. See Aspartame#Health risks controversy and Acesulfame potassium#Safety. —Keenan Pepper 23:02, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Not to mention the amount of caffiene. I wouldn't be surprised if you had trouble sleeping. BenC7 01:19, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

The stuff has to have scads of sodium, as well. User:Zoe|^(talk) 02:23, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

According to my can, not a speck of sodium. No nutrients in the nutritional information except half a calorie per 100 ml. Aspartame and Acesulfame K, "flavourings (including caffeine)" (!), E331 as an acidity regulator, E150d as colour, phosphoric acid. Mostly it's water. I'd agree with the dangers of drinking too much of anything; it could even be that this is disguising an increase in thirst that needs checking out. Maybe go a day without the Coke and see if you drink the same quantity of liquid. Skittle 19:10, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

I think you should cut down. --Proficient 22:41, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Help with music video artist/title from 1980s MTV

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

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

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

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

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

Headlights

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

One Headlight by The Wallflowers. --LarryMac 19:56, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

Also, go to The AllMusic Guide, type in "headlight" or "headlights" in the search box, drop-down the box below to select "Song" and Bob's your uncle. --LarryMac 20:10, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

I googled headlights lyrics and a bunch of stuff turned up, including Headlights by Dispatch and Rabbit in your Headlights by Radiohead.--Anchoress 10:07, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

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

Computer Problem

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

File:Figure1.1.JPG

Figure 1.1

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

File:Figure 1.2.JPG

Figure 1.2

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

May seem obvious, but have you done a virus scan? BenC7 01:21, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Yes I have and it returned no erros, I also used several reliable spyware removers. However to add to my problem my internet explorer does not work, despite having a long list of tasks operating! Kingstonjr 10:51, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

You can reinstall Windows without having to clear all data on your computer. No other suggestions, sorry. BenC7 02:18, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Windows Media Player codec

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

sounds horrid - don't try to fix it. Just download VLC player, and your multimedia worries will be over :). No, it's not perfect, but it will open practically anything. --Bmk 23:13, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

And get the Real Alternative for Real files. Search the internet for it. WP 00:41, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Media player classic rocks my world. Natgoo 13:23, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

• I'm sure it does, but that's not gonna work for a Windows 98 user like me. = Mgm|^(talk) 18:50, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Indeed. VLC is solid. --Proficient 22:43, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Nielsen Ratings question

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

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

Yeah, that would probably be useful if they added it to the article's contents. --Proficient 22:44, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

finance question about U.S. national debt

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

The US financial situation is bad, but not horrid. Look up List of countries by public debt and you'll see as a percentage of GDP, it is not the worst. In the same way, a $1,000,000 debt is nothing to Bill Gates. For most countries, if they get into terrible debt, nobody wants to invest, and the interest rates for more debt climbs. This is the terrible 'debt spiral'. The US is lucky that China still pours in billions in US debt, in order to devalue their currency. As well, their foreign debt is in US dollars. If other countries pull out investment, the US dollar tanks, and interest rates go through the roof. There is still a chance this might happen. --Zeizmic 00:27, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

The debt is funded primarily through US Treasury bonds with varying interest rates and maturities, so "average interest rate" is perhaps not particularly meaningful (the average rate varies at least every few months as new short term bonds are issued), but it's clearly not 0% - perhaps somewhere in the neighborhood of 3-4% might be a reasonable guess. What must ultimately happen is taxes will rise, spending will fall, or the debt will be inflated away (or some combination). You might be interested in United States public debt. -- Rick Block (talk) 02:24, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Space=Water?

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

Ships and spacecraft are similar in purpose. Space is the sea but in 3 dimensions. --mboverload@ 00:09, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

True, but that doesn't really answer why we don't see "space == air", which I suspect is the thrust of the question. My quick view is that spacecraft more closely mirror the scale and endurance associated with naval vessels than aircraft. For instance, it's practical to operate a 90 million kg ship capable of independent operation over a period of months and possessing its own subordinate vessels (that is, an aircraft carrier). It's relatively easy to conceive of a spaceborne vessel capable of the same, and far less easy to conceive of a similar airborne vessel -- consider that a hypothetical manned Mars mission ship with an associated lander craft more or less fulfills the notion with present-day technology, and certainly no current aircraft comes close. — Lomn | Talk 00:20, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Yes, you often don't see spacecraft traveling "upside-down." --Proficient 22:46, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Because it's land -> sea -> air -> space. Air and space are too alike. To help our puny little minds grasp space, we imagine it's like the sea, to delineate the connection between air and space. -- Миборовский 23:00, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

July 11

Chronological order on internet...

Writing an article about a persons life or career normally starts with date of birth and then the pinpoints follows in a cronological order. In traditional books/encyclopedias that is more or less the rule. Using that principle on Wikipedia means that the oldest stuff is on top and fresh stuff is far down under... On internet it is normally the other way around - the latest news is on top and older stuff "stored" further down. I like the internet order and I assume internet users are getting more and more used to that "new" way of making "time-descriptions". So, I simply want to update the article about this particular person with the latest stuff on top and the birth information etc at the bottom. Do you think that is a good or bad idea? If I get the feeling that the first alternative is the concensus opinion I will simply rearrange what is already written and update new facts and information on top and hope that others wont think I am vandalizing...If you/consensus think its a bad idea, I will wait (sooner or later the inverted cronological order will win in appreciation anyway I believe...).--Openmind

You're more or less suggesting that a biography should be like a blog (or a résumé) which, while not right or wrong, isn't likely to become a standard at WP in the near future. For that matter, I rather doubt blog-chronology will supplant the usual first-to-last order of biographies at any point. And of course, WP uses the "newest comes last" model anyway :) — Lomn | Talk 00:24, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

For substantial biographical articles, it is appropriate to have one or two summary paragraphs at the very top of the article. These paragraphs serve to introduce the person and their major accomplishments; they should briefly explain why we have an article about a given individual. More detail then follows in chronological order in the sections which follow. To take an example, our article on John Glenn is probably just about right. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 03:03, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Reverse chronological order might work for a list. But if it gets more like proze it'll become a mess. Also, going to the end of a list is actually easier on an Internet page than in a book - just hit the 'end' button. DirkvdM 07:20, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

It's also worth noting that any article with three(?) or more sections will also have an automatically-generated table of contents at the top that lets you jump to the desired section immediately. It's yet another way we're different from paper. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 15:55, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

The automatically generated table is indeed quite useful. --Proficient 22:47, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Concealed carry

In the US, if you don't have a concealed carry permit, does that mean you have to carry your gun in the open? Do you need another permit for that? thanks WP 00:48, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

IANAL, and IANAAmerican, but don't gun laws vary greatly from state to state? --Robert Merkel 00:57, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Indeed, as well as between jurisdictions within states. User:Zoe|^(talk) 02:26, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

All that said, if you don't have a concealed carry permit (and you're in a jurisdiction that issues them), yes, you'd have to keep the gun in the open. Things like "stashed under a car seat" can also violate the "concealed" bit. As for basic ownership permits, applications, fees, and whatnot -- that will vary too drastically for a good general answer. — Lomn | Talk 04:11, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Um... I think that if you don't have a permit to carry a concealed weapon, you probably have to keep it at home, unless you're a cop or something or are transporting it unloaded somewhere. -- Mwalcoff 04:50, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Not really. In 11 US states you can freely carry a visible weapon, and in others it is available with an open carry license, in others forbidden. See article for a map. Notinasnaid 19:05, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

I remember reading in the novel Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson about some people who liked having guns, but the state they were in didn't allow concealed carry, so they always carried large rifles in plain view, like in an old western, just because it was legal for them to do so. --WhiteDragon 20:17, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Lip synch?

Is Shakira lip-synching here? (I think so, but the football remix of Hips Don't Lie has so many random vocal sounds that it seems it would nearly impossible to lip-synch to.) zafiroblue05 | Talk 01:04, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Dunno, but as I understand it that particular song's chorus has Shakira's voice so heavily processed by Auto-Tune you'd be hard-pressed to tell the difference. --Robert Merkel 04:26, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

STAMPS OF THE U.K

Queen Elizabeth's Coronation was on June 3rd 1953, yet her postage stamps were first issued in 1952 I would like to know what day in 1952 they were issued. Thank you

The penny halfpenny and twopence halfpenny definitives were the only two QEII stamps issued by the UK in 1952, issued on December 5th 1952. Grutness...wha? 01:48, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

ballistics gel

Is ballistic gelatin edible?--Anakata 02:52, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

I can't say that I know this for a fact, since I don't, but if it is indeed made of pork gelatin powder and water (and nothing but pork gelatin power and water), I don't see why it wouldn't be perfectly edible. (Well, unless you're keeping kosher.) Still, I can't imagine it being a particularly interesting meal. -- Captain Disdain 04:13, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

• To avoid mould growing in the gel, sometimes propionic acid acid is added. Depending on the concentration that could be dangerous. Also, I don't think that the pigs the gelatin is made of are checked for diseases, so if they are ill, eating it could be a bad idea. Besides, anyone who watches Myth Busters knows the stuff smells. You'd have a really bad breath if you did eat it. - Mgm|^(talk) 10:58, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Thanks. I probably won't try that soon!--Anakata 13:04, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Why wouldn't the pigs be checked for disease? I mean, isn't pork gelatin a perfectly normal and common food ingredient? Am I missing something obvious here -- are they using some kind of a different, more industrial and less picky process for the pork gelatin that they use for ballistics gels than foodstuff gelatins, or...? -- Captain Disdain 05:58, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

the life cycle of an resort

resort life cycle

This isn't a search engine. If you have a question, please type it out so that we can understand it. --Fastfission 04:25, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Did you not type the complete question? --Proficient 22:50, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Designed, built, used, demolished. Next non-question? Grutness...wha? 04:20, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Physics exist thus. Well, you asked! DirkvdM 19:03, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

2 homers 2 stolen bases same game

Has anybody hit 2 homers and stolen 2 bases in the same game?

The best place to ask this is likely at Jayson Stark's Useless Information Department at ESPN.com. — Lomn | Talk 04:15, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Yes, but in MLB, I am not sure. --Proficient 22:50, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Sunni and Shia

Of the violence by the "insurgents" in Iraq, is it mostly committed by the Sunni or the Shia? Or are both sides in the "civil war" equal in their killings? (You hear about so much violence in the news, but you never really get the broader perspective of who is doing what and who wants what.) zafiroblue05 | Talk 04:47, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Have you read the article Iraqi insurgency? DJ Clayworth 17:44, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Don't forget that apart from Iraqi sunni and shia muslims, there are also Al Qaeda insurgents from Saudi-Arabia, Egypt, Jordan (like Zarqawi)... in Iraq. Al Qaeda is sunni (they have even targeted shia muslims) : just a few weeks before his death, Zarqawi seemed intent on war with the shia muslims. What I was wondering myself : you often hear of brutal suicide bomb attacks on simple civilians, sometimes a bunch of kids just playing in the street. Which of these groups target civilians (of their own religion?). Is that mostly an Al Qaeda thing? Evilbu 11:55, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Online Gaming

Hi am new to online gaming.My question is simple one.I intend to play a sci-fi, say Anarchy online.So how do i start? what are the requirements(i have a system that plays POP-TTT easily. i need info about te kind of connection, etc..)? And where should i register? ...Phoenix.

Try the official site.  -- Run!  11:49, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Warhammer calendar

Hi, in the Warhammer Fantasy setting, which calendar do the High Elves use? Is it the same as the Imperial Calendar? Would "c. -4000" imply IC? If it doesn't, what would it mean? --Kjoonlee 08:28, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

How can I prepare mango sauce?

--213.207.212.229 08:52, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Go to www.google.com. Type in mango sauce recipe. Hit "Search". Weregerbil 09:57, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Don't literally hit it. Move your mouse until the cursor is above the 'search' box and press the left mouse button. Wikipedia accepts no responsibility for damage to computing equipment caused by people taking it too literally. —Daniel (‽) 10:59, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

What kind of trauma is your mango sauce about to experience that you feel the need to prepare it for? DJ Clayworth 17:41, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

All things considered, being eaten can be a pretty traumatic experience. —Ilmari Karonen (talk) 01:27, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Are you speaking from personal experience, or just guessing? -- AJR | Talk 01:35, 12 July 2006 (UTC) (P.S. I was just about to make that same joke, but when I hit edit you had beaten me to it. Great minds think alike, eh?)

I'd say use a very ripe mango, peel it, then spoon the mango flesh off of the pit, as opposed to cutting it off, to avoid including fibers attached to the pit. If you do cut it off, you will need to use a widely spaced strainer to remove the fibers or pick them out. Use a blender to liquefy the flesh. I don't see any need to add sugar, as a ripe mango is quite sweet already, but suggest brown sugar if you do. May be served hot or cold. StuRat 01:41, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

You might add that to the chutney article. Or is that not what this is? DirkvdM 19:06, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

I think of a chutney as being more like a relish than a sauce. That is, it contains larger chunks. In the case of mango chutney, they seem to use unripe mangoes, as well. StuRat 00:06, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Urinal Design

Many male urinals have a image of a fly printed on it. Normally it is printed at a place slightly above & off centered to the place where males discharge their urine.I would like to know what is the the purpose of it.

Best Regards, Rajeeva

As opposed to female urinals ? StuRat 01:34, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

The Japanese used to make female urinals. They were cone-shaped and set into the floor. Bhumiya (said/done) 15:34, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Many men will aim at the fly when pissing. "Fly-in-urinal research found that etchings reduce spillage by 80%." [4] David Sneek 09:45, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

I now appreciate good urinal design. In the new office building, we have these god-awful waterless urinals that were designed by a pee-brain! You always have to step around the puddles. They are testing some new ones with a better design, and a 'kill the bee' picture at the back. --Zeizmic 11:54, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

This question was asked in the Totally Official Summer Doldrums Competition in 2005. See [5]. Hope this helps.—msh210℠ 19:22, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

That is pretty disgusting. --Proficient 22:52, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Newspapers

What is the actual name of the board that is put outside newsagents' shops showing the headlines of the daily newspapers?

I don't think it has an actual name. It's just a board. --Richardrj 12:10, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

I've seen them called "A-boards", though the term is not in my dictionary, but it does seem to be appropriate. I've also seen them called sandwich boards, but that seems not to be correct.--Shantavira 12:40, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

I used to work in a newsagents'. If I remember correctly we called them A-boards or A-frames. But it was a long time ago. Phileas 05:36, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

• A-boards because of the shape.hotclaws**==(81.134.99.206 08:48, 12 July 2006 (UTC))

Can someone recommend some nice instrumental rock?

Especially some with emphasis on the guitars.

When you say 'nice', I presume you mean not too heavy. I'm with you on that. One recent band you could investigate is Tortoise. They are the original post-rock band, with guitars, loping percussion and a jazzy feel. Have a look here for some more ideas. And one other fun website is this one. You type in the name of a band you like and it comes up with a bunch of similar ones, floating prettily on the screen. --Richardrj 12:21, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

You might like Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Their tracks are long, long (20 minutes plus) instrumentals that are mostly quite chilled out. Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven and F Sharp a Sharp ∞ are ideal places to start. --Howard Train 19:58, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Or you could try Ghosts and Vodka (specifically the album 'Addicts & Drunks'), members of Joan of Arc if memory serves. The band Karate is aslo known (in the New England area I guess) for their jazzy instrumental work, though detractors often toss around adjectives like 'over-worked' and 'mastrabatory' when the style of the lead guitarist, Geoff Farina, is mentioned.72.200.191.145 22:42, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

It's only a single track, but one I like is "Kids from Philly" by George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers. It's from their second album in 1980. — Michael J 23:36, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

How about "Classical Gas"? User:Zoe|^(talk) 02:12, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

I Advance Masked by Andy Summers and Robert Fripp has been on my playlist a lot lately... Grutness...wha? 04:23, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Mogwai are the best guitar-based instrumental rock band out there, in my opinion. Especially their first album, Mogwai Young Team Phileas 05:38, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Any Malmsteen Album, especially rising force.Anton 15:36, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Nice? What about the Nice then? :) And the follow-up Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Not all instrumental, but quite a fair bit. Actually, there are way too many examples because 'rock' is such a general term. Pink Floyd has some wonderful pieces too. The best style to check fro instrumental rock would probably be symphonic rock. DirkvdM 19:33, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Inefficent goverment

Our goverment seems to be inefficent, i.e. goverment subsidized farming, housing, foolish spending (FEMA, Boston's Big Dig), over-regulation of business, tarriffs, welfare, and a tax code that overtaxes income, while undertaxing wealth--making it harder to become wealthy, but easier to stay wealthy....There are (many) people that contribute nothing to society, and instead of letting them starve or go homeless, our goverment takes resources away from the contributors and redistributes it to these worthless people.

My question is, someday, there will be a nation that is much more efficent, would it be able to quickly surpass the US (and all other ineffecent nations) quickly? A nation that refused to support its non-contributing citizens (the lazy, the mentally-challanged, the perminately infirmed, etc), would clearly be more efficent in its use of resorces, and should therefore have a huge advantage over other nations. Mayor Westfall 12:31, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

So the plan is to let Internet trolls starve? Sounds good to me. Please stop wasting our time. --Robert Merkel 12:35, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Go screw yourself, Robert Merkel. Mayor Westfall 13:42, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Ooooh, you are never going to get a Wiki-date with that attitude... or maybe you will.. --Zeizmic 13:50, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

No, really, Westfall. We're sick to death of your stupidity and of our time being wasted by you. Is there any possibility at all that you would either a) wise up or b) go away. Quite why you want to put your very many inadequacies and your limited intellect and paucity of understanding on display as you do is way beyond me. Please understand that you are repeatedly committing the most grevious sin: you are boring, so very very boring. Please find some other site to troll; who knows, there's probably a K9-15 site somewhere that wouold think you're ahead of the pack. --Tagishsimon (talk)

Who's "we"? Are you the Official Spokesperson for the Reference Desk now? And to answer your quesiton no, but there's always the possibility that I'll be killed by a drunk driver or eaten by wolves. But, I wouldn't hold your breath.

Thank you for condesendingly insulting my intellectually capibilites. Although I am certainly lack the knowledge & understanding I would like, I am a member of Mensa, and therefore feel you personal attack is...inaccurate.

And I must respectfully disagree with your subjective opinion on morality that being boring is the most grevious sin. Of all the apparent evils mankind has committed, you think being boring is the most worst act a person can commit? Regardless of how boring you think my question is, it is valid. If it is not, why don't you refute my claim that certain actions that may seem heartless, would make our society more efficent, rather than by throwing ad hominem attacks around?Mayor Westfall 14:46, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

As long as we're all being silly... Mensa? Seriously? Why? I've always seen it as a club for people who want to pay money to tell people that they are smart. 128.197.81.223 15:15, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

(Oh, I meant that as an honest question as I've never met anyone who bothered to join Mensa, but I imagine it may come across as me being an ass like the above people.)128.197.81.223 15:28, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

It seems most Internet trolls are self-proclaimed Mensa members with poor spelling. It's an unexpected correlation. ("Inefficent" in this question and "Chineese" in another.) —Bradley 19:01, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Getting back to the original poster's question (though it's only barely that) "My question is, someday, there will be a nation that is much more efficent, would it be able to quickly surpass the US (and all other ineffecent nations) quickly?" - As you seem to be able to see the future with enough accuracy to assert that "there will be a nation that is much more efficent" you should be able to answer your own question. Were any of us, without your oracular powers, to answer all we'd be doing would be speculating on a hypothetical question riddled with questionable & arguable assumptions.

On a seperate point I don't think your assumptions are accurate. You seem, from the tone of your comments, to think that those citizens which don't contribute to society (in what way isn't made clear) are all homeless, lazy, mentally-challenged or infirm and are being paid for by those who contribute (which I take to be taxpayers). In effect those at the lower end of the social spectrum subsidised by those at the top. Actually I believe it is the case in the U.S.A. that taxes currently favour the 'rich' rather than the 'poor' (defined as something like top 10% & bottom 10% I think) with the rich being subsidised by the poor. That is the top 10% are gaining more than they pay due to exemptions, company tax rules, rebates, etc. This is ignoring those who don't pay any taxes because their investments are held in Lichtenstein or somewhere similar. Frankly you could refuse to support these people but it wouldn't make much of a difference. AllanHainey 15:49, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

I find it blissfully ironic that the sentense which tells us how clever he is goes "Although I am certainly lack the knowledge & understanding I would like,...". In response to your question about why Mensa, I can confirm that it's basically a way to pay for a)bragging rights b)the chance to meet people who will not laugh at you for being obsessed with your IQ. That said, I have an IQ of 161 and am in Mensa (once my form arrives at their office). —Daniel (‽) 15:55, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

In response to your actual question I would like to say that you strike me as incredibly cold-hearted and much too lacking in humanity. Please don't become ruler of the world. —Daniel (‽) 15:57, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

When people tried this before, the US (and other countries) beat the countries that tried it. See WW2. So no, this 'more efficient' country would most likely not overtake the US (or whatever country was ahead at the time). For one thing, people would be unlikely to take business risks if there was no safety net, otherwise useful citizens can be lost to the system if there is nothing to catch them when things go wrong, etc. And that's without the moral issues. (By the way, it's taking every ounce of resistance I have to avoid creating a redirect at Official Spokesperson for the Reference Desk to User:Tagishsimon) Skittle 18:51, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Redirect away, old chap. --Tagishsimon (talk)

That might be the best option, assuming that the goal you choose for society is making it more efficient. However, that isn't a safe assumption. As well as discouraging risk, a policy like that would hurt foreign relations, which would have negative effects on the domestic economy. You also have to consider what belief systems would have to be in place before policies like that could implemented. Most collectivist societies respect the elderly too much to just throw the infirm out on their asses. And in an individualistic society, it's nice to have a safety net in case you are unlucky, get hurt, or just suddenly become lazy. Crazywolf 21:49, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Perhaps. But the Earth's territory has already been divided into nations, generally. So it is unlikely that a new nation with extreme efficiency will generate suddenly. An efficient nation would more likely grow slowly, but surely. In fact, many would say the United States is heading that direction (in getting more and more efficient.) This is debatable. --Proficient 22:56, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

In terms of efficiency, Japan and China probably have it one-up on the US in some cases. But I think you are missing the point - a nation may be extremely efficient, but that does not necessarily mean that it respects the value of a human life. The goal of a nation is not to be "the most efficient". There are a lot of important things that could be sacrificed for efficiency (marriage, family, friends, warmth towards others, kindness), but what kind of world would that be? We are people, not machines. BenC7 02:27, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

• Maybe a lot of inefficient, handicapped people use their considerable knowledge on here helping useful members of society like you? hotclaws**==(81.134.99.206 08:54, 12 July 2006 (UTC))

I dunno, this sounds like an actual question to me, doesn't seem very 'trollish'. Why don't you people actually help people instead of calling people trolls. I appluad the people who actually answered the question asker rather than calling him trolls.And I've always wondered why the government helped those kinds of people anyways. Wizrdwarts (T|C|E) 18:46, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Who do you think write Wikipedia? The more time people have on their hands, the more they can spend writing. So a large portion of Wikipedia must be written by unemployed people. Also, where does our wealth come from? Put differently, would someone from a rich country earn as much if they would have grown up in a poor country? Nowhere near. The wealth we live in was produced (or stolen) by our ancestors. Not by us. So who decides how this wealth is to be distributed? If everyone has equal rights (that's a constitutional thing) then it should be distributed evenly. Anyone who works now contributes just a tiny part of the wealth and should thus get just a tiny bit more. What we have is not justice but a practicalsolution to the fact that a just distribution would stop people from working. Which makes a lot of sense. Alas it gives some people some wrong ideas. Thirdly, a dynamic society needs a dynamic work force, where people are easily fired and hired, and thus always have a group of people literally 'between jobs'. Most of the unemployed are next years work force. Don't cut off the hand that feeds you. By the way, I'm also a Mensa member, but that is neither here nor there. DirkvdM 06:17, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

To the anon who said "I've always seen it as a club for people who want to pay money to tell people that they are smart". That may be true of some members, but in my case (I failed the test, by the way), my desire to join was in order to become associated with people of like minds with whom I could create friendships, have stimulating intellectual discussions, and promote harmony. I would think that most persons of such lofty intellect would have a similar attitude. I certainly would never gratuitously flaunt my membership in the way that Dirk here has just done.(Lol) But then, that's speaking as an outsider. Maybe if I had achieved the Parnassus of Mensaship, I would be different. But I doubt it. (However I can still decline "mensa": mensa, mensa, mensam, mensae, mensae, mensa; mensae, mensae, mensas, mensarum, mensas, mensas. I think. Vale.) :--) JackofOz 06:34, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

In stead, you flaunt your not having been accepted as a member. I haven't reached that level of modesty yet (nor do I think I ever will). :) If this makes you feel better, I don't even know what 'decline' means in this context, so you're ahead of me there. And as for the reason I joined, that was the travel sig (special interrest group), similar to servas, of which I am also a member, but it works way too complicated, so I never used it. Servas is a great alternative to meet people from all over the world. It's sort of like travelling without leaving home. I recommend it. DirkvdM 17:51, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Decline: see declension. Mensa is a Latin word, and the ending changes depending on the case. It's typically the first noun that students are taught. Why, I don't know. JackofOz 21:20, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

My new account is not being recognized!!

Hi there, I have just signed up with a new hotmail account (email redacted to prevent spam) and I get a message saying this user is not recognized. Since I am trying to set up something important for my business, can you please tell me why it is not being recognized??

Thank you

Perch Creek Press

Um, do you mean that your Wikipedia account is not working? If so, the best place to ask this question is the help desk.

Secondly, don't put your email address on Wikipedia pages. You'll get deluged with spam. Questions are answered here, not by email.

Thirdly, and this is just a matter of opinion, you shouldn't ever use Hotmail for something important connected with your business. It's too buggy and insecure. --Richardrj 15:06, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

[I only noticed point 1 above when I typed this out] I think he means that his Hotmail account is not working. Firstly, I emphasize that you should not put your email adress here, because within 30 seconds it will be on someone's email list and people will be paying money to buy it. Secondly, if this is so important for your business I strongly suggest that you don't use Hotmail. It's badly organised, lacks storage capacity and people won't want to spend money on whatever it is that you're doing if they see you have a free email adress service. Get a personalised address (with your company's name on it) or use GMail (the coolness factor of GMail counteracts the freeness). Thirdly, you could try waiting a day or two (perhaps the server hasn't updated), see if there's a confirmation email you have to reply to to active the account, check to see that you've typed the address and password correctly, or just sign up to a new address. Don't put the new one on the internet. —Daniel (‽) 15:47, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

• Unless you're planning on violating WP:SPAM, I don't see how a Wikipedia account can be important to your business. - Mgm|^(talk) 05:03, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Ha, you guys have protected a potential spammer from getting spammed. :) DirkvdM 06:25, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

least expensive

Panamanian Cross Country Oil Pipeline

Because this question involves accounting (mathematics) and business (humanities) I have decided to ask it here. Which would be the least expensive means of transferring oil from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico by Supertanker:

1. navigation around Cape Horn, or
2. offloading and on loading via cross country pipeline from the West side of Panama to the East side of Panama?

...IMHO (Talk) 14:50, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Why doesn't the supertanker with the oil in it go through the Panama Canal? This would seem to be easier, and presumably cheaper, than option 2. By the way is there even a cross-country pipeline in Panama? If there is and the 2 options above are the only ones there are then I would say pumping it over Panama is still likely to be cheaper than sailing round the horn. AllanHainey 15:26, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

A problem is that the Panama Canal was made long ago, before the current supertankers existed. It is already too small for some of the largest ships, as I recall, but an effort is underway to create a larger canal. It is probably true, however, that a cross-country pipeline would be cheaper than sailing all the way around Cape Horn. 128.197.81.223 15:50, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

FYI, panamax is the relevant term for vessels with the capability to traverse the Panama Canal. Along the lines of the original question, as I understand it, current economic considerations dictate that oil simply isn't moved (in meaningful quantity) between the Atlantic and Pacific. For instance, despite being a net oil importer (primarily on the Atlantic coast), the United States exports Alaskan oil in the Pacific region because of relative costs. While a Panama pipeline would almost certainly reduce transoceanic shipping costs, it might still not be an incentive to implement such shipments. — Lomn | Talk 16:26, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Or option 3, transferring the oil into a group of panamax tankers, which could presumably just sail up and down the canal if this is a common requirement, or just one tanker with oil holding facilities at each end. This would require much lower investment than a pipeline, but might have higher running costs (perhaps $100,000 per tanker??) Notinasnaid 18:33, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

That would also be far more risky from an oil spill standpoint -- close-quarters maneuvering is where most stuff goes wrong. — Lomn | Talk 03:45, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Spills in areas of coastline not equipped to handle them or to perform recovery operations coupled with far greater distances with much greater risk of bad weather, mechanical failure, operator and navigational errors, encounters with other shipping, etc. would seem to increase the risk and cost of an oil spill rather than lower it. ...IMHO (Talk) 18:31, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

I'm sorry, I don't grasp your point -- How has the pipeline, with an additional point of loading and unloading, removed any coastal approaches? The ultimate beginning and end of the transit remain unchanged. — Lomn | Talk 19:40, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Driving in America

According to driving licence, different US states have different ages for driving. So, if I were a 15 year old South Carolinan with a driving licence, could I drive in New Jersey, where the minimun age for driving is 17-18? Also, should the hypothetical 15 year old South Carolinan move to - for example - the UK, with a minimum age of 17, could they drive? smurrayinchester^{(User), (Talk)} 15:43, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

I believe that they are not allowed to drive, but I am not certain. Jon513 15:46, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

I remember my teacher talking about this and I remember him saying that they usually let this go... but I'm not sure. One of my relatives got pulled over for not having headlights (for some reason that I can't remember that that state does) but he only got a warning.

I think it just depends on the state's rules... in order to answer that question, you would have to tell us what state you're talking about.

There is national law and then there is state law that handle things like marriage, traffic laws, divorce, and so on.

In the UK, anyone can drive a car on private land. Anyone aged 17 or over can drive a car on the public highway, provided they have a licence or are accompanied by someone with a licence and attach L plates to the vehicle. Finally, only someone with a licence can drive on the motorway. --Howard Train 20:04, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

As with many laws, I expect it varies by state both in law and in active enforcement. This site shows that it is illegal to drive in New York under age 16 even if you have a valid license from another. Illinois allows other states' learner's permits and claims "Most states reciprocally recognize the Illinois instruction permit." Rmhermen 20:29, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Does the fair faith and credit clause not require states to recognise the licenses of other states? Crazywolf 21:21, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

No, any more that the clause requires states to recognize the medical licenses or other professional licensure from other states. Full Faith and Credit Clause might or might not be of interest (not valid in Delaware, New Mexico, or Alaska.) --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 14:04, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

How do I....

How do I create an artical?

What article are you trying to create? XM 17:57, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

See Wikipedia:Your first article. BTW, you can sign your comments by adding four tildes (~~~~) to the end of your comments. Emmett5 22:10, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

I believe you mean an article.

Of course. We've got an article on 'article'. :) DirkvdM 06:27, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Number of Stores nationally that sell liquor

How many stores, liquor, convenience, gas stations, mass merchants, sell liquor, not just beer, but liquor?? I am interested in finding the total number that sell alcohol for consumption off-premise.

Globally? In Lichtenstein? Could you be more specific? Skittle 18:34, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Nationally, United States.

• The US Economic Census collects this sort of data. I found your answer in about 30 seconds by drilling down through the tables. From the 2002 economic census, go to "reports by state", select "United States", find "retail trade" and hit "more data", then "food and beverage stores". The NAICS code for Beer, wine, & liquor stores is 4453, and in 2002 there were

28,957 establishments

$28,246,426,000 in sales

133,035 paid employees.

Looks ok off the top of my head, but you can get more details. But note that this is not all stores that sell alcohol! In many states groceries and other stores may do so. bikeable (talk) 16:25, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

An Average Question

This may sound odd but what can be the average amount of belts that a girl of woman in general may own?--Biggie 18:16, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Perhaps two? This is extreme speculation. --Proficient 22:59, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Is she my sister? If so, only God knows! If it's not my sister, I'd say it could be anywhere between zero and a hundred. I doubt you'll find any sort of statistics anywhere for such a specific item. Dismas|^(talk) 00:35, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

My wife owns three, my daughter two. That's the best I can do.

And it rhymes. DirkvdM 06:28, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

spicing food

Some people put salt, herbs, spices, and seasonings into food in quantities that allow someone eating the food to recognize the seasoning included. For example, some people put salt into soup to the extent that someone can actually taste the salt. Others frown upon this, thinking that the seasoning should just bring out the flavor of whatever food is being made. (An obvious exception would be something like onion soup.) Of course, one can't argue over what tastes good: it's a matter of personal preference. But I wonder two things:

1. What do most of you prefer? (Straw poll.)

1. What do experts (chefs, I guess) think on the matter?

—msh210℠ 19:13, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

When I was young, I'd always add so much salt that it gave food a clear salty taste. Since then, I've backed off a lot on the old NCl, using it in a more "proper" manner. While I'm no expert, I expect that if you're going to go to fair lengths to make a good tasting food item, you want to taste the food itself and not the salt. Salt is definitely important (try eating rice, potatoes, pasta, etc. without any salt), but I think it should be used in a manner to turn up the volume on flavor without adding its own flavor. For other spices, I think it depends on the dish. Curries obviously depend on a large amount of spices to the point where they are the prominent flavor, whereas a nice hamburger is better off with just a few grinds of pepper for a nice background flavor (in my opinion). 128.197.81.223 19:47, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

I prefer little to no salt. I think most chefs would add enough salt to suit their needs, but no more. They definitely would not want to overpower their dish, nor make it underflavored. Through experience, chefs tend to develop their own style in garnishing meals. --Proficient 23:01, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

The point of adding seasonings, herbs and spices to food is not to directly make them taste of the ingredients. Soup, for instance is a chemical mixture of lots of different substances, and is designed to stimulate as many of the senses as possible: visually, texturally, flavourwise and oderous. Humans are capable of sensing roughly five distinct flavours - acidity, bitterness, sweetness, salinity and umami. Salts, vegetable acids, fats and sugars excite the palate by keying into tastebuds on the tongue. Herbs and other flavourings are added to produce an interesting aroma, as almost 90% of what we perceive to be our sense of taste is actually retro-nasal in nature. The overall point is to introduce as many harmoneous but contrasting elements as possible, so as to produce an interesting and enjoyable flavour. No elements should jar, but should work together, and this is something which comes through practice and patience. --russ 22:56, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

You can influence the taste in useful ways with things like salt without making the taste notably salty. That is because each taste bud has taste receptors for more than one of the 5 tastes, but only a single neuron to transmit information to the brain. So the brain recieves really confusing information from your taste buds, and has to decode it based on the frenquency of the firings of all the different taste buds, not just whether the sweet receptors or the salty receptors are firing. So adding salt or sugar can influence how your brain interprets the effects of a sour taste, but there is a threshold below which you can't notice a difference, even subconsciously, since the concentration of spices has to be large enough to have a chemical effect on a large number of the taste receptor cells. So if you are diluting your spices to homeopathic levels, you aren't going to affect the taste. But if you add too much of one flavor, you are likely to actually decrease the sensation of some of the other flavors. Crazywolf 23:51, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

it should be noted that some foodstuffs excite the palate by deliberately keying into a desire to be stimulated, as is the case with salted nuts, or ice cream. Similarly one's perception of taste is personal, so if you are dehydrated salty flavoured foods may be perceived as unpalatable --russ 00

00, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

Downloading Streaming Videos

OK, so I'm trying to find a good free program to download that will download streaming videos... I've tried a few and they all don't work or don't work right. So any suggestion would be great! Thanks!

What kind of streaming videos? Have you tried youtube or google video? TastyCakes 21:42, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

You can use google to find plenty of videos (the actual search engine as well as google video.). --Proficient 22:59, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

I think the question-asker is wanting a program that will allow him/her to save streaming videos onto his/her computer. (I don't know of any personally - leastways not a free one.) BenC7 02:32, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

UnPlug is a Firefox extension which lets you save video and audio which is embedded on a webpage. (I used to look in the source code and search for file format extensions). I works great most of the time, but sometimes the site has done a bit more to protect their videos (youtube and good video for example) and unplug won't work. Jon513 15:36, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Now stop me if I'm wrong, but if he saves it to his computer it's no longer a streaming video. No? In any case, most videos that stream through Windows Media Player can be saved just by clicking file, save as, and a lot of google videos let you download the movie. TastyCakes 15:43, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

No, it's no longer streaming once it is downloaded, but I don't see how that's really an issue here. Many streaming video formats will not allow you to download them (often if you click "save" you are really just saving a link to the streaming video, not the actual video content itself). --Fastfission 20:11, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Mattress sizes

What's the difference between a regular king or queen mattress versus a split king or queen mattress? And what's the advantage if any? Thanks, Bill

Google gave me this page, which gives dimensions and even shows your a little pictures of the relative sizes. The split mattresses are easier to move through tight spaces and around corners—at least in my experience. —Bradley 23:08, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

old stock

I am trying to determine whether stock my parents purchased in the 1950s is of any value today. The stock was Mollusca Oil Ltd., and was purchased through the stock brokerage firm of Francis I. DuPont & Co., the latter being located in Los Angeles, CA. I have searched the internet for both companies, but with no result. I would like to know if either of the two companies was purchased by another company which I could contact to determine whether the stock has any current value. Thank you for any help you may be able to provide.

Allen Abersman

Hmmm. Do you have any other information, for instance what exchange the stock was listed on? --Robert Merkel 16:08, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

this news article refers to a firm which specialises in investigating, for a fee, precisely this kind of question. --Robert Merkel 16:14, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Probably your best bet is either paying a professional finance person to track down the history of the company or to do a bit of research at the stock exchange. You should be able to find at least the years trading in that stock started and ended & probably whether there was any takeover/merger too. If not it gives you some dates so you can check old newspapers which may have some info. AllanHainey 07:36, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Creature Inhabiting Blackpool Tower

I've recently heard rumours of a goblin like creature that supposedly inhabits Blackpool Tower. I was wondering if anyone had any details of this creature or even just the name of it? Cheez talk 22:38, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Hmm... Robert Smith's from Blackpool. Could it be...? Grutness...wha? 04:27, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Utilizing old photographs in marketing and advertising

I have a 30 year old photograph that I wish to use in an advertising piece for my business. It was given to the owner of our business as a gift. The photographer at the time was just starting a business. The photo was not copyrighted, marked with instructions or limitations, nor was the photographer's name and address affixed to the photo, or any document attached to the photo. It is a great photo however, and we would like to utilize it. My question surrounds guidelines for doing so. Can we use it given that we have ownership of the photo, or should we not even though we can't find the photographer. Thanks for any suggestions!

As far as I know, you probably can't use the photo legally, although, depending on local laws, a good lawyer just might be able to argue otherwise, or at least make an attempt. The real question presumably is, do you want to take the risk that the photographer finds out and sues you? The answer to that will depend one several factors, not all of them legal. For the legal issues, I suggest asking a lawyer. —Ilmari Karonen (talk) 01:24, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

As with all legal questions, we hesitate to give you an uninformed opinion without knowing your location. In general, in the US, anybody could sue you for anything, but in other countries, such as Canada, they would have to demonstrate damage. --Zeizmic 12:10, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

These days you often see disclaimers on books and websites saying something like "we have not intentionally infringed any copyright, if you find that we are using something to which you own the copyright please let us know." Maybe you could try putting in something like that. --Richardrj 12:59, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

If it was an unpublished photo in the U.S. then it has an automatic copyright of life-of-the-author plus 70 years. Unless you have any good reason to suspect that it was given with the express agreement that it could be used in advertising then you shouldn't assume copyright is not an issue. Saying that you are not intentionally infringing a copyright doesn't really help you much, legally. Of course, it is up to you as to whether you think it is a real legal threat or not: if nobody out there knows to sue you, then you won't get sued. --Fastfission 20:09, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

He didn't say he was from the US. Which also probably greatly reduces the risk of getting sued. DirkvdM 06:37, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

GIF Resize

Can someone resize this picture for me to something under 200xsomething? I can't find any programs that will, so could someone also give me a link to a free GIF resizer? Wizrdwarts (T|C|E) 23:47, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

You should probably specify that it's a moving picture. StuRat 00:42, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Try gifsicle. The command gifsicle -O2 --resize 200x_ -o zidaneff6vy_200px.gif zidaneff6vy.gif will produce this. —Ilmari Karonen (talk) 01:18, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

That is pure genius! -Benbread 17:31, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

The miracles of the command line. It's so powerful that it's crazy I haven't yet taken the time to fully master it. DirkvdM 06:40, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

July 12

Date format

Does anyone know why the US chose to use the middle-endian date format, rather than the little or big- endian format that is used elsewhere? Bob.appleyard 01:57, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

I would think it mimics the way people speak. In the US, you would say "let's meet on July tenth". So, that becomes 7-10, or 7-10-2006, if the year is appended. StuRat 02:44, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Do you say "July 4th" or "the 4th of July"? JackofOz 02:51, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

In the case of "the 4th of July", we say it that way, although that's a somewhat archaic format, since it's become associated with Independence Day. We would be far more likely to say "July 10th" than "the 10th of July", however. It's similar to how you say "Thou shalt not kill", even though it's archaic, that phrase is just traditional. StuRat 02:57, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

So would a USAn be likely to say, for example, "we can meet on July 2nd, July 3rd, 4th of July, July 5th or July 6th"? JIP | Talk 06:21, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Saying "the 4th of July" specifies the holiday (like "Christmas"), while "July 4th" specifies the date (like "December 25th"). It's so ingrained as a synonym for "Independence Day", that I witnessed this odd converation at work:

Guy from India: "What do Americans celebrate on July 4th" ?

American: "The 4th of July !"

StuRat 02:24, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Well, sure, in the same way one might say, "We can meet on December 23rd, December 24th, Christmas, or December 26th." In the case of July 4, it would generally be the 4th of July. --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 13:56, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

So the Independence Day is the only day whose date can be said in the form "nth of Month"? If I were to mention, for example, "5th of July", to an American, would he/she think I was weird? JIP | Talk 10:43, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Well, they would think it rather formal, yes. It might be considered normal in some contexts, like a wedding invitation, though. StuRat 13:33, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Is it only people from the US who say the date month first? I've noticed that some non-Americans (even British people) will, when saying or writing the date (spelling out the month), use the month/day/year format then when using numbers only write it day/month/year. So you get one person who will say and write July 12th, 2006 and then write 12/07/06. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 14:08, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Sometimes a person prefers it one way. --Proficient 15:31, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Sometimes its purely for convenience. For example, it's less of a tongue-twister to say "November the twelfth" (my birthday) than "the twelfth of November". But "The Twelfth of Never" - now, that's something else again. JackofOz 23:51, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

I suppose that stems from the time when science hadn't yet taken off and people didn't think systematically enough to link the day/month order to the position of the yearnumber. Maybe the question should be reversed to "why does the rest of the world use a more logical order?", to which the answer might be the French Revolution brought that about. But that's just a guess. DirkvdM 06:47, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Framegrabbing

I've been wanting to framegrab (copy an image of a single frame) from DVDs for a while now and still cannot get anything to work. I have Windows Media Player version 10.00.00.4036 and PowerDVD 5.3 (it does not have a little camera next to the play button). Is there a way to get frames from any of these two programs while playing a DVD? If not is there a safe, reliable, but free program I could get to do this? --WillMak050389 02:05, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

I'd suggest VLC media player. --Robert Merkel 02:36, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

I also recommend VLC media player. Jon513 15:11, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Not me! Ha! Frequently, video players don't render to system memory, but instead render to memory on the video card, so when you try to do a screen shot you just get a black box. Sometimes you can get around that by going into the options of your video program and changing how it renders (if it gives you the option, maybe try rendering in the earliest version of DirectX it supports). Or, of course, you could just use VLC Player... but I do recommend Media Player Classic, myself. It's a nice program. 128.197.81.223 15:30, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Or turn hardware acceleration off. That will make screengrabs work with WMP. Wizrdwarts (T|C|E) 18:43, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

I thirdly recommend VLC. --Proficient 15:32, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

I also recommend VCL, if not for framegrabbing but for general playing, has a built in DVD decoder which is good because neither Realplayer nor WMP worked for playing DVDs for me. -Benbread 17:27, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Best study method for content-heavy courses?

Hi,

I was wondering, does anyone know of a good way to study content-heavy courses? What I mean by 'content-heavy' is that they require you to memorize a lot of information and specific details and test you in a variety of ways. Although any help would be great, methods that would work for studying Classical Music History would be even better.

For example, I need to memorize facts such as:

- characteristics of composers' musical style

- Detailed questions on compositions (i.e.: name two librettists for this music; which city does Act I take place)

- Recognize excerpts and identify the piece's title, composer, genre, form, tempo indication, which instruments play in them etc

A method I know that's effective at memorizing huge amounts of information is mnemonics, but they don't help much when it's not about dumping huge amounts of information out at once, like for specific questions (i.e.: "When did this opera premiere - 1815, 1853, or 1883?)

Would anyone be able to me help out by suggesting some effective methods that will help me memorize and recall these facts?

Any help would be greatly appreciated, Alex Ng 03:24, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

LOL that's really, really funny. Cuz I'm a musician, and when I saw your question I thought, 'gee, I have to come answer this one', and it's funny that you're in music school too. Most people don't realise how bloody much work music school is!

Anyways, the first piece of advice I have to give you is to not get behind. Do a study plan and study every day. Have weekly goals and make sure you meet them. For many of my music courses (history and theory) I did flash cards, with a question or a piece of info on one side and the answers on the back. Like, I'd write 'Phrygian mode' on one side and the mode, info about the mode, etc on the back. Also, for music history I find that - even if you won't be doing listening tests - it helps to actually listen to the music while you're studying it. It may be a no-brainer to you, but lots of people don't do it. Also, form a study group and meet regularly. I had a study group with two other people and we were 1-2-3 in all our classes. We met to study after every class we had together, and it was a perfect time to go over the lesson, cement it, etc. In music, there's no substitute for rote. Also, speaking the info aloud helps, not just studying silently.

Hope that helps; if I think of anything else I'll add it.--Anchoress 03:30, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

I read your question more carefully and here's a supplemental answer, including my experience: in my Jazz History class, every week we were given 20 new songs to listen to and study, along with info about them, and every week we had a quiz. The quizzes were a combo of listening tests (song recognition) and written info, and there were about 10 pieces of info we needed to know on each song, everything from basics like dates and personnel, to style and form analysis, to weird trivia like what city the composer wrote the song in, or if it was in some screwy key like C#. We had 16 25-question quizzes during the course.

I found it useful for the date info to a) contextualise it v/v the personnel involved, like where it occurred in the arc of the career of the performer or composer; b) contextualise it with historical info in the rest of the world (like wars and significant events, personal dates in my family, etc). This may not be useful to you if you aren't a history buff tho (I am); c) ask the same question different ways in different contexts (as in, on different cue cards related to different things, to help you turn the info into a big network rather than a bunch of disparate facts); d) as I said, speaking aloud is very useful, but I found not if I was saying the wrong thing. Here's what worked for me: I put the questions on one side of the cue card. I asked myself one, and if I didn't know the answer, I looked, not just at the answer to that question, but I read all the info on the card. Then I asked myself the question again and answered it aloud. The next time I came across the question, if I was pretty sure I was right I'd answer it aloud, then check. After a while, I could look a the cue card (like for Duke Ellington's Harlem years or something) and list off *all* the info on the card at once.--Anchoress 03:48, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

I would suggest trying to relate them together and to yourself. Make note of which order they were released in, and which works of which composers influenced which works of which other composer. This allows you to use deep level processing and use some of the information as retrieval cues for the information you are looking for. Also, it's important that you distribute your practice out over a wide range of time, when studying for something difficult. Both of these tips have proved useful to me, and are backed up by scientific research. You can find these tips and other at places like http://www.web-us.com/memory/improving_memory.htm which you can find by searching for the level of processing effect on memory. Crazywolf 03:54, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

See Amphetamine. I kid, I kid.. But seriously look into it TastyCakes 15:40, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Hmmm... except according to recent studies, Sleep helps the brain remember facts better.--Anchoress 02:20, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for the replies! I'll definitely force myself to stay on task and on time. The idea of linking everything together into a big picture seems very interesting, I'll try it out! Thanks again (and no drugs for me, thanks) Alex Ng 18:00, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

1950 Census Missouri

I need to find the 1950 census for St.Clair, Missouri

This site has a lot of census-like information for Missouri. schyler 03:32, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Due to privacy concerns, no federal censuses are available after 1930. The 1940 census will be available in 2012. User:Zoe|^(talk) 02:01, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Picture of Bill Randle and Elvis Presley in the Pied Piper Of Cleveland

Hello, I was researching and saw your article on the Pied Piper of Cleveland and Saw the Picture of Elvis Presley, Bill Randle and Bill Black, I would like to know where that picture came from ?? and who could i talk to about that particular piece of film footage, The picture states that it is a clip from the Oct 20, 1955 performance. I am researching that Show for a Personal Project and would appreciate any help, names or email addresses you could direct to me

Thanks,

Sandy Tomlinson

The image was uploaded by User:Ted Wilkes, you can ask him on his talk page. David Sneek 11:10, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Pantheism,Natural Order,"Magic", and the Origin of the World

This time, I'm going to ask you about those questions in the "right" way, without using the term "supernatural".

In science, we know that everything in the universe has what we call natural order.That is, everything in the natural,physical, and material world is governed by certain laws,rules, and principles,etc, and they function in and follow a natural order and pattern according to those laws.One of those important principles in natural order is causality, which states that every effect,event, and existence much have a cause.Christians believe that God can do things that defy those laws of science, for example, raise someone from the dead.Most atheists and humanists believe in a philosophy called naturalism or materialism, which states that everything that happens or exists in the entire universe, both in the present,past,and future, acts according to the laws of science,the natural order, and causality.

But what about pantheists?Do they (generally) believe that Nature and everything in it always acts according to those laws,rules, and patterns? Do they believe that sometimes, for some reasons or not, some things that exist disobey natural order,physical laws, and/or causality to some degree?If so, then when,in what conditions, and for what causes do they believe this would happen? Do they (generally) believe some violations of the laws of science and/or some divine, "magical" properties of Nature are neccessary to at least partly explain the origin,causes, and existence of the universe,the earth,life, and people? If not, then do they believe that they either came into existence completely by natural and materialistic causes or that they are at least enough to explain their origins?

60.241.125.149 11:07, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

No, I don't think they believe that those principles can be violated. Baruch Spinoza, perhaps the most famous pantheist, wrote:

"Others think that God is a free cause, because he can, as they think, bring it about, that those things which we have said follow from his nature--that is, which are in his power, should not come to pass, or should not be produced by him. But this is the same as if they said, that God could bring it about, that it should not follow from the nature of a triangle, that its three interior angles should not be equal to two right angles; or that from a given cause no effect should follow, which is absurd."

David Sneek 11:22, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

You said they don't believe those principles can be violated.Just like atheists?Then, panthiests aren't really different from materialistic atheists (in their beliefs about natural order,"magic", and the origin of the world)?If so, what's the real difference between pantheism and materialistic atheism?

In science, we know that everything in the universe has what we call natural order.That is, everything in the natural,physical, and material world is governed by certain laws,rules, and principles,etc, and they function in and follow a natural order and pattern according to those laws...But what about pantheists?

Pantheists do exactly the same thing. Everything that exists follow the laws of Nature - the ones that human science is aware of, the ones which have not yet been discovered, and the ones which are of a form which are incomprehensible to us.

Do they (generally) believe that Nature and everything in it always acts according to those laws,rules, and patterns?

Yes. That's exactly like asking "Do Christians believe that everything operates because of and according to the will of God?"

Do they (generally) believe some violations of the laws of science and/or some divine, "magical" properties of Nature are neccessary to at least partly explain the origin,causes, and existence of the universe,the earth,life, and people?

Of course not. How could anything defy the laws of Nature? How could Nature itself defy the laws of Nature?

If not, then do they believe that they either came into existence completely by natural and materialistic causes or that they are at least enough to explain their origins?

Natural = divine. everything came into existence through natural, divine causes. Those causes follow the laws of nature, as explained above.

You said they don't believe those principles can be violated.Just like atheists?Then, panthiests aren't really different from materialistic atheists

That's as faulty a conclusion as saying that if you believe that people shouldn't be bought and sold as slaves you aren't really any different from a communist. Just because atheists (who believe there is no divine) and pantheists (who believe everything is divine) share one small point of agreement does not mean they are the same thing.

Grutness...wha? 07:46, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

I think the fact that pantheism has inflections in a number of religions shows that it doesn't really have any absolute standard (eg. Christianity = Bible, Islam = Koran). It seems to be just a matter of "I think...". So it is possibly difficult to answer specific questions when there is no absolute standard from which to obtain the answers. BenC7 01:26, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

Ferry service to Madagascar

I would like to know if there is/are ferry (boat) services to Madagascar from either South Africa or Mozambique or even elsewhere in mainland Africa.

Thank you,

Peter Kip Botswana

Using Google would have gotten you an answer much more quickly, and in this case, that answer is "no". --LarryMac 14:34, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

You can rent a boat. --Proficient 15:34, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

no, you would have to organize something, it is not like the english channell, madagascar is very far away from the coast of africa.Anton 16:02, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Fart Smells

Why do farts seem to smell worse when 'let off' in a bath?

I don't believe that that is true. Jon513 15:06, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Perhaps you're around soaps and scented candles, causing bad smells to seem worse in comparison.

Maybe because when you fart in the air the fart immediately begins to disburse in the atmosphere, so it's diluted by the time it gets to your nose. In the bath, the fart stays 'pure' until it hits the air, and in fact it's probably compacted a bit by water pressure, making it more of a 'bomb'.--Anchoress 15:40, 12 July 2006 (UTC) ADDED: Also, there may be less of an air current in the bathroom.--Anchoress 15:42, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

I believe this is original research, with no available citations. :) --Zeizmic 17:26, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

This is too subjective. --Proficient 22:32, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

I've noticed water farts smell different, but not stronger. I suspect some reaction takes place with something in the water. I say we need to fund a billion dollar study on this. :-) StuRat 23:50, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Then it could get an Ig Nobel Prize. --Halcatalyst 00:48, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for all your comments, much appreciated.

July 13

Automatic Downloads

I recently had "Malicious Software Removal Tool Update Stub" try to load itself on my computer. Before I allow it, can someone tell me what it is, and what it will do?66.167.119.162 14:45, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Do NOT allow it. See here. --LarryMac 14:54, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Or maybe not. Some pages seem to indicate that it's a valid part of Microsoft's "Malicious Software Removal Tool." I prefer AdAware and Spybot myself. --LarryMac 15:00, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

The real thing will only download itself via Windows Update. If it's trying to load itself from anywhere else, it's a fake. --Serie 23:15, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

I would like to know the original colors of the Oliver #11 horse drawn ploes.

That's nice. Perhaps some background information would be useful, like... what the hell is a ploe? --Howard Train 05:16, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

and what was it made from? If it was made of wood and steel, my money would be on it being somewhat brown and silver. Painting one's ploe was never particularly fashionable in the days when they were horse drawn. Did you read our article on the ploe?--Shantavira 08:12, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Residential Sewage Treatment Plants

I would like to know if there are any regulations as to how close a treatment plant can be built near a residential home plus how much can be funneled though a pipe through two residential homes and into the river behind the homes.

We live in a unique area by the river and we are being threatened with this new development. I feel the plant would devalue the existing homes with the odor that comes from these plants. The builder wants to build 497 homes on the acreage above us that would drain down to the sewage treatment plant and we live at the bottom of that hill acreage. Sometimes the river floods our homes and we do not know where the sewage drainage would go during this type of situation. I need some information about these questions. Thank you, Carol L. Sweeney

It may be best to contact your local authorities for details of the consent the new plant is planning. Don't forget that this desk is staffed by volunteers who may not have legal expertise or, in fact, any professional knowledge of your situation. The local authority may also be able to help point you in the direction of any relevant legislation.

EVOCATIVEINTRIGUE TALKTOME | EMAILME | IMPROVEME 18:35, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

If an environmental study is required for the new development, I'd take a close look at that. Also, start a grass roots movement in the community affected and get them to go to council meetings to voice their concerns. StuRat 23:44, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Which country you're in would be an essential bit of info here. DirkvdM 06:51, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Car Sales

I am wondering what the most you can sell a car in the state of Massachusetts is without being subject to a sales tax or stating your sale in some manner to the state. Thanks!!!

I live in Michigan, but here there is sales tax on any amount, unless the sale is to a relative. You also must record all sales when you get a change of title. I suspect the rules are similar in Mass. StuRat 23:40, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

national crime squad badge/emblem

Please can you tell me what sort of flower is on the emblem for the national crime squad and why this particular flower was used? Many thanks

--87.114.10.67 20:36, 12 July 2006 (UTC)steve

What national crime squad? There are lots of nations. (However, thank you for signing your name and not listing your email address.) —Daniel (‽) 20:53, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

thanks for replying the england & wales national crime squad

The above reply was misplaced, just moving here where it belongs. 128.197.81.223 22:08, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Oh, but as long as I'm in here, this: [6] seems to be the flower-bearing image in question. This was the biggest picture I could find quickly. 128.197.81.223 22:10, 12 July 2006 (UTC)*

• Appears to be the Tudor rose but I don't know why,apart from the fact it signalled the end of the War of the Roses.hotclaws**==(82.138.214.1 08:54, 13 July 2006 (UTC))

26 = L T C S

At school we did a sheet for the end of the year which had lots of puzzles such as "100 = P in a P" => "100 pennies in a pound" or "3 = B M (S H T R)" => "3 blind mice (see how they run)". Our class got all of them but one "26 = L T C S". Some were rather obscure, and a few were out of date (records of running and heights of buildings). Can any of the super-genii here at RD duty help me out, lest it bug me the whole summer holiday? —Daniel (‽) 20:52, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

26 letters that can spell? It's certainly a tough one. Ziggurat 00:55, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Neither 26 nor 26 will be of much help so far as I can see. Sounds like some lateral thinking is called for - stretch your brains with these everyone:

10 G B H O A W 10 green bottles hanging on a wall --Richardrj 07:33, 13 July 2006 (UTC)
W I 64 When I'm 64 --Richardrj 07:33, 13 July 2006 (UTC)
1.21 G (apologies in advance for this one) -- GREAT SCOTT! Adam Bishop 15:17, 13 July 2006 (UTC)
4 Q A C (and this one):For Queen and country Grutness...wha? 07:58, 13 July 2006 (UTC)
4 W D: 4-wheel drive JackofOz 07:30, 13 July 2006 (UTC)
1000 M I A K: 1000 metres in a kilometre JackofOz 07:30, 13 July 2006 (UTC)
W D 40: that's this stuff, right? --Richardrj 07:41, 13 July 2006 (UTC). Amazing, we even have an article on that. JackofOz 13:32, 13 July 2006 (UTC)
1952 Q E A T T: 1952 Queen Elizabeth ascended the throne JackofOz 07:30, 13 July 2006 (UTC)
133 P S S F
P L I 1999:(tonight we're gonna) party like it's 1999. Grutness...wha? 07:51, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Answers later, if nobody figures them out. --Howard Train 07:13, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Wow - halfway there and we're only an hour and a half in!

How about these:

1492 C S T O B 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue--Richardrj 08:07, 13 July 2006 (UTC)
12 D O J 12 disciples of Jesus --Richardrj 08:23, 13 July 2006 (UTC)
#### #### #### #### M C C N
1605 G T & P Gunpowder treason & plot --Richardrj 08:25, 13 July 2006 (UTC)
2.17645 × 10-8 P M I A K: (something to do with Plank mass) SWAdair 08:21, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

2.17645 x 10^-8 Planck masses in a kilogram, I think ... Proto::type 16:00, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

--Howard Train 07:59, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

1.8 * 10^12 FpF=SoL? --Tagishsimon (talk)

Something about the speed of light. Proto::type 16:00, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

What about my question‽ You people, getting distracted over your own silly little games! Help, please! The best I could come up with was 26 Long Time County Supporters, but that doesn't really make sense. —Daniel (‽) 19:03, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

We're thinking, Daniel. Not getting distracted, honest. --Tagishsimon (talk)

No-one figured out my credit card number then, or the planned space shuttle flights. For my part, 26 = L T C S has me frickin' stumped. Daniel, could it be a reference to somethine in your local area or school? --Howard Train 01:39, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

Music in Master and Commander

What is the name of the violin music that is played in the movie Master and Commander when the doctor is visiting the Galapagos Islands? --Jamesino 21:23, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

try a search for master and commander soundtrack. Jon513 22:18, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

Automatic Downloads

LarryMac: Thank you for looking, but I think you see what I mean.

code???!!!!!!!

hi... is there any code for myspace so that when you place a video on your profile page the video will play automatically; viewers don't have to press play button? if so.. what is it?/ where/ what website can i copy from?

---

Thanx! Hot F.L.I.P.

You really think people reading your MySpace page wanna have this video blasting at them, regardless of whether or not they have any interest in seeing it? I can tell you that I, at least, absolutely hate MySpace because of stuff like that, and I think it's a fair bet most of your friends would prefer not to see this video every time they view your page. -Elmer Clark 04:25, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Albert Einstein's Connection with Greenville, SC.

I came across information that Albert Einstein had a son that lived in Greenville,SC. He is also said to have spoken at Furman University, and establishment rather close to Greenville. Is there a reason he's not listed as a signifigant person in the Greenville,SC page? And if not, i would appreciate someone adding it as I am not confident in my ability.

http://frontieregulator.blogspot.com/2005/06/history-of-greenville-county-sc-part_21.html

http://www.metrobeat.net/gbase/Expedite/Content?oid=oid%3A1061

These two reliable sources state that Einstein visited Greenville,SC because his son, Hans Albert Einstein, resided here for a portion of his life. ——————————————— Russell Quarles

While we appreciate the time you took to check this, saying "X visited a city" isn't really cause to consider that person a notable associate of the city. Consider that a standard like that would make every presidential candidate associated with nearly every state capital as part of the campaign trail. Then consider, on the other hand, the associations of the people already listed: taking the first three names as an arbitrary sampling, we find "born in Greenville", "born in Greenville", and "born in a rural county immediately adjacent to Greenville." — Lomn | Talk 03:56, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Q: financial indecies

were can i find the list of companies that part of major indecies like NASDAQ 100, S&P 500, other world markets. that can be downloaded to Excel with their relative weight in the index.

The same place you might find ?s and ~s. Google is your friend!

After the World Cup

Does anyone know what happens to all the official World cup adverts that were in the host cities during the world cup? There were banners and flags everywhere and they must go somewhere.

That's a great idea . . . I'll go downtown today and try to pick some up, and let you know how I fare. -- Markus, Frankfurt, Germany

Probably thrown away. --Proficient 16:51, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

After the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, those sort of banners were auctioned off a few months later, together with lots of other memorabilia. -- Arwel (talk) 19:20, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Vandalizing Wikipedia

 If...
 
 Art is good.
 -Graffiti is art
 -Graffiti is vandalism
 -Vandalizing Wikipedia is graffiti
 -Vandalizing Wikipedia is art
 Then...Vandalizing Wikipedia is good!
 
 My questions:
 -What do you call this type of sequence of facts that leads up to a fun conclusion?
 -Is it true that "Vandalizing Wikipedia is good"?
 --Chachacha333 11:07, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

I believe that is refered to as affirming the consequent. --Sherool (talk) 11:16, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Mostly, it's just logic based on ridiculous premises and fallacious logic. Firstly, you can't gather that because graffiti and vandalizing Wikipedia are both vandalism, they are both art. Secondly, the premise that all art is good and all graffiti is art are shaky at best. And vandalizing Wikipedia is pointless. Crazywolf 11:21, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

OkayChachacha333 11:23, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Agreed, I would say "some" graffiti is art, but not all, or even most. StuRat 13:46, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

It's a (faulty) syllogism. If graffiti is art, and graffiti is vandalism, then art is vandalism. If people who make vandalism are criminals, and people who make art are artists, then artists are criminals (using previous conclusion). If criminals should be put in prison, then artists should be put in prison. —Daniel (‽) 19:10, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

There is so much false logic, it's ridiculous. --Proficient 21:00, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

I remember this type of logic being called "chop logic". GAMES Magazine used to have a sample of it every once in a while. --Joelmills 21:42, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

• On the mafia (game) boards I frequent, that's called Crap Logic^TM. - Mgm|^(talk) 23:06, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

I want flags

I want to download all of the world flags at once, in one (free) download. Is there any way that I can download all of the flags that Wikipedia uses (the .svg file ones) all at once? I'd like it to be in a (rather) small download (a couple of megabytes maybe). I want them because I like flags and I wanna find some interesting ones so that I can get ideas for creating my own flags when I create my own country.--Chachacha333 11:17, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Grutness might be able to help out here. JackofOz 12:12, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

You can probably find it using google, but perhaps a couple flags might be variegated in different areas. --Proficient 21:01, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Tampon Usage

I would like to use tampons, but really don't know much about how to insert them. Is there a certain way to put them in. Is sitting on the toilet the best way, or crouching down over the toilet the best way. I've tried them before and just couldn't seem to get them to work. Are they easy to remove? I don't want to leave them in too long and have toxic shock syndrome

1) Make sure that you are female.

2) Follow the instructions on the box.

Also, there are applicator and non-applicator types, depending if having a stinky finger bothers you. :-)

StuRat 13:38, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

That last bit was unnecessary and possibly offensive, StuRat. --Richardrj 13:56, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Don't you just love the guy? :) DirkvdM 18:04, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

inappropriate question

i agree, i also question the validity of this question as questionable in its integrity and would sugggest that the writer seek out a gynecologist if she has questions with regard to her menses.

Yes, there are instructions on the box. Follow them for best results.

It's odd, you know, there have been all manner of sexual and anatomical questions from (presumably) young males and I don't recall anyone ever saying "inappropriate question" or such a tendency to take offence on behalf of others. Do I detect a slightly embarrassed "boys only" atmosphere here, or "systemic patriarchal bias" to use a fancier term? To the original questioner, the first few times, you need to be really relaxed and not in any kind of hurry. Try taking a long bath first, and use a hand mirror. Some people, on the other hand, just never come to accept them. If that doesn't help, take advice from your friends, or try and find a forum not full of embarrassed males. Notinasnaid 17:25, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

I can proudly proclaim I didn't find this question the least bit inappropriate. Having said that, I never find anything inappropriate. But then I'm a dirty Dutchman (who was rather looking forward to intimate details).

On a more serious note, it is indeed almost all guys here, which is rather unfair to any woman-questions. Then again, I wonder if there are any women reading those all male questions with red cheeks (in the face, I mean). Cosmic Girl, do you have anything to say on this? DirkvdM 18:04, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Seeing the lack of helpful information, I asked my girlfriend what advice she had, and I hope her knowledge proves useful.

The best way to insert them depends on the person. Try standing and putting one foot on the edge of the sink or putting the tampon in while sitting on the toilet. If you have problems inserting it, you might try different angles of insertion. They're fairly easy to remove, especially if they aren't dry. It might irritate you a little if they are dry, but not too badly. You should remove them after 8 hours or when they start to leak. TSS isn't all that common, and people I know have accidently left tampons in for weeks or months without any serious problems. But it's best to be safe in situations like this. Crazywolf 23:33, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Am I wrong about there being instructions on the box (the tampon box, that is) ? StuRat 00:39, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

OK completely *appropriate* question, although I agree that it's not necessarily the best place to get a good answer (as is evidenced by most of the replies).

1. First, StuRat, your stinky finger comment was *completely* inappropriate, and actually really really disgraceful. The last thing a young girl needs is to feel ashamed or stigmatised about touching her own genitalia, or afraid that it's gross.

Sorry, but it is gross. At least gross enough that washing your hands afterwards is necessary. StuRat 03:05, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

1. Second, StuRat, no, there aren't any instructions on the box, they're in the box.

It makes no difference, the instructions are there in either case, so she should read them. StuRat 03:05, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

1. Third, DirkvdM I don't think you're much better than StuRat. If you want 'intimate details' about a young girl's first experience with tampons, I suggest you read the 'True Confessions' pages of Penthouse.

What prompted this vicious attack ? I'm sure what DirkvdM said was meant as a joke, as was what I said. Don't take everything so seriously. StuRat 03:05, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

1. Fourth, CrazyWolf's and Notinasnaid's answers were thoughtful, appropriate and helpful. To their words I would add that you should make sure it's the smallest size of tampon, that you wait until your flow is heavy, that if you are still dry or tight you consider lubricating the applicator, that if it doesn't work give it a few months and try again, and that to protect against TSS (Toxic Shock Syndrome) you always choose the smallest tampon appropriate for your flow, never use a tampon when you're not menstruating, and you change them often.

And a last piece of advice; start NOW to ignore the dumbasses who can't answer a simple question without insulting you or bringing up their own sexuality. You'll be doing yourself a BIG favour.--Anchoress 01:00, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

My last piece of advice, always have a sense of humor about life, or you will end up full of hatred, and be unpleasant to be around, as well. StuRat 03:14, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

Zeenat Aman

I am a great fan of the erstwhile leading lady of Hindi Films, Zeenat Aman.I would like to correspond with her or atleast speak to her. How can I get her postal address/ phone number?Ihave tried the net and film magazines but no luck. Can anyone help me out? sumal 13:09, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Famous people tend to keep those kinds of detail private, precisely because they don't want to speak to or correspond with fans. You'll be very lucky to find the information you are looking for. Your only chance is to find out who her manager or agent is, and write nicely to her c/o them. --Richardrj 13:59, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

If you go to http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0023868/contact and click on "Click here for a free trial!", you might get her contact information (although more likely her agent's contact information), I don't know if you are required to continue with the "free trial" after the trial period is up, though. User:Zoe|^(talk) 01:49, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

name that tune

Could someone please tell me who sang "it's got to be me?" Does anyone know the words? thanking you in advance.

Perhaps the song that you are after is I've gotta be me. It has been performed by a number of people, a well known version was by Sammy Davis, Jr. Lyrics can be found here.--Melburnian 13:53, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

thank-you for your help

why is there such a stigma against homeschooling in america?

the libs are always complaing that there isn't enough money going to public schools, wouldn't reducing the number of students actually be a BETTER thing then?--Crbbydemds 14:21, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

the standard of education provided by parents is often not up to the standard of most schools. therefore the education recieved is inferior to that of publically schooled people. Also, home schooled pupils often get given miss leading information due to a parents views on a subject, where as in a classroom, they may hear the teachers views, but will also hear the views of the other ppupils and will get different views from different teachers.193.115.175.247 15:01, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Looking over at Science, why do I suspect somebody has changed names? --Zeizmic 15:09, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Part of the reason for having schools in the first place is so that children are exposed to ideas which their parents dont like! So they can make their own mind up later on as individuals and not necessarily follow their parents' beliefs {however sincerely held). Jameswilson 23:09, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

What is the name of this cryptid?

I remember reading an article (I think it was a stub) about a bizarre European cryptid. I can't remember much about it, except that it had a two-word name, was headless, and was very violent. It might also have been made of metal or something. It was very strange. I think it may have been from Finnish or Swedish folklore. Does this seem familiar to anyone? Bhumiya (said/done) 15:29, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

The only headless one I can find is the Irish dullahan. Did you look through the list of Cryptids?--Shantavira 16:55, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Yes, I've gone through it, but it isn't there. I'm afraid the article may have been deleted. It contained an image, I recall. But it certainly wasn't Irish. It was a bizarre creature, containing fire or something, and I know it was partially metal, with claws or blades on its arms. It was a recent thing, more of an urban legend than a piece of folklore. It's driving me crazy, though. Bhumiya (said/done) 17:12, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Aha! It's the Clutchbone. We used to have an article on it, but it must have been deleted. It shows up here, though. Bhumiya (said/done) 17:23, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

What are the bendable stick figure toys made out of?

I went to a conference and we received a toy everyone is calling a 'bendable'. It’s a small 3-4 inch stick figure that can be bent over and over again in any position but never breaks and the feet and hands have magnets in them. I found a company that produces something similar called 'bendables', (www.hogwildtoys.com).

I’m trying to figure out what they are made of, is it rubber, plastic, metal with a coating? I sent hogwild toys a note but never heard from them. I would love to find who manufactures this material and what it’s composed of.

Any ideas? Thanks!

try http://www.hogwildtoys.com/contact.html companies are sometimes very happy to help. Jon513 15:45, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

"The Benders are durable plastic coated wire characters that have magnets in their hands and feet." [7] Wendy Bender watches over all my London based wikipediaing, from her place atop the hole punch that sits on my monitor. But what gauge of wire & how many strands is another question entirely. I have not the heart to dissect her. --Tagishsimon (talk)

Note that pipe cleaners have rather similar characteristics. StuRat 20:22, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

epoch o civilization

If one looks at history it is clear to see that on great civilization lasts forever as can be seen in the lost cities in south east asia, as well as south and central america. The Romans i am sure though thier culture and civilization would last forever, as did the egyptians. Now, some civilizations left monuments behind that would last for milenia. An example of this is the pyramids. Now noting this and how much knowlege can be lost though such a drop in a society, i propose we in the technilogical age leave something behind, not only to say: We were here. But also to try and preserve some of the knowlege we have gained. So, my question is how would you propose we save all our knowlege such as electricity, spirituallity ect ect ect. and have it last millenia. or just comment on my observation. I propose: thousands of stone tablets inscribed with various knowlege and buried along with a rosetta stone type artifact beneath a new pyramid build some where other than egypt. what is your sujestion? sorry for such a long question 193.115.175.247 15:45, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

That's a great idea. I think you should start digging now, before the apocalypse hits us. We are clever enough now to make big artificial diamond tablets, rather than stone, which would last longer. Proto::type 15:56, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

beautiful idea! diamond would last longer but are fragile and crumble easily and who would pay for it? come on people this is for ALL of us.193.115.175.247 16:17, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

lol - we're building it right now - it's called WIKIPEDIA!!! Cool, huh? Of course, if the apocalypse hits, there's no guarantee that the wikipedia servers will survive, so we have to keep making CD versions of wikipedia. Perhaps we should launch a few hundred into stable near-earth orbits! That would be cool. We'd have to launch some radiation-shielded intel chips into orbit too, and maybe a few copies of windows XP, because there's no guaranteeing the next civilization will have compatible logic systems. --Bmk 17:15, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

If we want to impress those future archaeologists, we sure shouldn't let it run on msWindows. It'll probably crash. What impression would that leave? And since Wikipedia is a great example of worldwide human cooperation we should use an OS that was built the same way: Linux. Anyway, it would have to be a complete system that somehow starts itself when uncovered because we can't know what kind of knowledge those people will have. (Or if they will be people, for that matter.) But a computer system is way too volatile. Stones (or diamonds) would make it way too big. Books will do. But not on modern paper. Old paper is much more durable (though I can't remember why). But that doesn't last too long either. Plastic might be a good choice.

As for the rosetta stone. That helped because it had the same text in different languages, one of which was known, so that's how the other languages could be deciphered. But we don't know what languages the discoverers might understand. Maybe we should make a translation into esperanto or some other logical language. Or just do the whole thing in esperanto and forget about the other languages. This is an intriguing thought. How does one make sure that some other, unknown, civilisation understands what you're trying to say? Was this solved in some way with the Voyager Golden Record? DirkvdM 18:31, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

I think a likely scenario is a nuclear war or pandemic that kills off almost the entire population. This would bring about the need to preserve all human knowledge until the population recovered enough to use it. I would think they would still speak a language close enough to modern languages that they could understand us. Preserving the knowledge where it could be accessed, but not destroyed, would be tricky. Perhaps a small nuclear reactor in a mine with the data could send power and info to terminals displaying the info on the surface. That way, if the terminals were destroyed, the data would still be safe until some future generation dug it up. StuRat 20:18, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Yeah! The Time Machine thingie! --Zeizmic 21:23, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Cool, the Morlocks can operate the reactor. StuRat 00:42, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

starter motor

i purchased a replacment starter motor for my motorcycle and found it was turning the wrong way, how do i change the direction of thr motor

thank you in antisipation dave tucker

Would it not be best to return it for the correct motor? CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 16:04, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Are you sure you haven't simply connected the electric supply the wrong way? DJ Clayworth 16:29, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Orchid Classification using foliage

Despite the plethora of data on orchids, I'm still having difficulty "typing" a couple of my orchid plants. Unfortunately, virtually all the visual references to orchids focus on the flowers, often to the exclusion of the stems and leaves. The thing that seems to distinguish these two plants is more in the basic plant and less in the flower. Can anyone point me to a source?--67.188.185.59 16:11, 13 July 2006 (UTC)--67.188.185.59 16:11, 13 July 2006 (UTC) Thanks

Adding an article rather than editting one

Hello,

I am a campaign manager for a man running for municipal office in Toronto, Ontario. One of our opponents (Adam Vaughan) has a listing in Wikipedia and we want one too. I know that you can edit an entry, but can you add a new one? My candidate's name is Desmond Cole (www.desmondcole.to). I can be reached at [email removed per instructions at top of page].

Thank you, Geordie.

Hello Geordie - to add new articles to Wikipedia, one must have an account. It doesn't cost anything and takes almost no time to sign up. Bear in mind that articles need to portray a Neutral Point Of View. --LarryMac 17:51, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

(after edit conflict) Yep, there are a couple ways to add new entries. Easiest is to simply sign up for an account here (free) and then follow the instructions at Help:Starting a new page to create the new page. The second way is to go and post the new page request on the articles for creation page, where we'll review it, and if it's suitable will create the page for you. However, before attempting either of these you have to keep in mind that in order for the page to be created (or kept, if you create it yourself) you have to meet certain criteria of the encyclopedia. The page has to assert the notability of the person, and has to be written from a neutral point of view. Wikipedia is a forum for learning, not a political soapbox to use as a campaign tool. --Maelwys 17:53, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

(after three edit conflicts)In order to add an article you would first need to create an account. This can be done by clicking the "Log in/Create an account" link at the top right of the page. After that, see Help:Starting a new page. Although, please don't think of Wikipedia as an advertising medium. We endeavour to stay neutral. You may want to read over the neutrality policy as well as WP:VAIN which talks about writing yourself or someone you are closely associated with. Dismas|^(talk) 17:55, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Finally, keep in mind that if your candidate is not notable (see WP:N), there's a good chance that it'll be deleted. Please use independently verified sources to write the article. Oh, looks like it's being considered right now. --ColourBurst 23:54, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Also keep in mind that you will no have no control over the article once it is created. It is quite possible that imformation harmful to your campaign can end up in the article. If it is verifiable and significant you should not remove it (and if you do, others will reinsert it). Jon513 18:57, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

I live in Toronto and shall follow this with interest. An entry in the Wiki is a 2 edged sword, especially with politicians. --Zeizmic 19:40, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Yes! I found a cited controversy for Vaughan! Mel Lastman hates him! He now meets the criterion for notability. I wonder about this other guy. --Zeizmic 20:27, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Looking for very very repetitive Japanese Power Rangers-like show

Before Power Rangers became quite big, I used to watch a show (as a kid of course!) on French tv (TFI) : they would broadcast a lot of dubbed Japanese stuff. Of course I didn't understand much as I didn't know French at that time.

There was this japanese show (the actors looked Asian, and considering the Japanese genre it's safe to say it is Japanese) that was located near a rocky beach, and every episode a monster would pop up. Three teenagers (I think one was a girl) would always change in superheroes in red, black and yellow costumes. In the end, they would always (and I mean always!!) jointly aim a huge cannon at the monster and fire, however when the monster was nearly dead, he would always get a boost from his boss or something, making him grown into a giant as well. Then the heroes would always summon some robots/vehicles and with that they would crush the monster.

This may sound like Power Rangers, but it wasn't, and I am quite sure it isn't one of those Japanese shows the Power Rangers creators took footage from either. I do think that at some point in the series, they met two other guys (who also owned their own robots/vehicles) and they sticked around (I think all the robots could merge together).

So does anyone have an idea what this was? Thanks Evilbu 18:02, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

I'll keep my eye out for it, and if I see it, I will reply with the name of the program. Google seems to suggest that there is a Japanese Power Ranger version. --Proficient 21:15, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

It's going to be tough, because there an inordinate amount of sentai shows (Power Rangers isn't Japanese; it's a remake from Saban and Levy, now part of Disney.). Also as unfortunately, what you quoted is practically the sentai formula and many shows of that category fit your description. Could you give us more information? Or you can just use JapanHero, it has a pretty comprehensive list. The only distinctive thing I noticed is that you mention only three protagonists instead of five (the formula is five). The only sentai show that matches that description is Sun Vulcan. --ColourBurst 23:46, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Do you mean G Force (anime)? HERE is a picture. They originally had 3 members, although the crew grew over time.--Anchoress 00:36, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

I doubt it. From Evilbu's description it's not an anime, which rules Gatchaman right out. --ColourBurst 02:19, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

I will give more information (this time I will really get into detail). As I said most actions took place near a rocky beach. In the beginning there were three heroes. About the cannon : they would stand next to each other, and then the cannon would actually appear( being teleported) between them. First it was transparent and then ! it was there and they were holding it together. About the vehicles : I think the three heroes had a separate vehicle, and those three could merge. However, I am not sure, it could also be that they one big vehicle in common. However, in some later episodes, two other heroes would appear (I don't remember them having a true own colour), both male, and they definitely both had their own vehicle. I think those two new ones could fuse together, and that it was also possible to merge all of the heroes' vehicles as well. Those two heroes sticked around then. I remember when they were introduced one of them did something, and when he came out of his vehicle, the other new guy for some reason slapped him?? And now I am really going crazy : there is an episode where a lady joins them, and she didn't look asian, she looked European. I asked another guy, and he said he had seen that too, and he claimed it was actually Dorothée, the host from French television show Club Dorothée( which was the immensely long show in which all Japanese stuff on French television like DBZ was cramped together) making a cameo. I always found that weird, probably that show wasn't even made at the time of the French broadcast, and even still, a French host making a cameo in a Japanese action show for kids, I don't think so.

O, and as I said, very very repetitive. Really Power Rangers seemed full of variation compared to this (in Power Rangers, they would sometimes fight the putties unmorphed, they would sometimes beat the monster withot the monster growing, they wouldn't always use that Sword coming from heaven) Does this help? Evilbu 02:16, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

Do keep in mind that Power Rangers was a conglomerate of edited super sentai shows and therefore would mix them around; this is probably what accounts for the "variety". The shapes of the vehicles would be very useful (were they animals like lions or falcons or were they airplanes or bullet trains?) Choujuu Sentai Liveman also had three protagonists in the beginning and two males that came later on, but they used a cannon to make the monster big; but I think this is the one, because Dorothée does indeed makes a cameo in this series. So yeah, that's my answer for you. --ColourBurst 02:31, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

Here is the Liveman cannon. --ColourBurst 02:35, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

Dorothée did act in episode 30, surprising as it sounds. [8] shows her as "guest star" (and not as "Doctor Dorothée"). I'm guessing that because Asahi had a TV deal with TF1 at the time, she was brought in specifically for her club. --ColourBurst 03:09, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

Unpassed UN Security Council Resolutions

Where can I find the list of UN Security Council Resolutions that didn't pass. I know there's a lot of them that have been vetoed. CG 19:34, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Here [9] is a list of resolutions that have been vetoed by the US. In my quick search I couldn't find a list of all vetoed resolutions. Digfarenough 19:52, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Adrenaline

Hi, i would like to know if, and how, someone can raise the level of adrenaline(epinephrine) in their body, by some kind of drug or medicine?--Captain ginyu 20:37, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Well, you can inject yourself with it, which is actually done to treat anaphylactic shock. Or you could just exercise or get someone to startle you. —Keenan Pepper 20:50, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

• Go on a rollercoaster. No better source of adrenaline (apart from injection, but a lot safer). - Mgm|^(talk) 23:01, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Amphetmines mirror many of the effects of epinephrine through sympathetic nervous system activation, but for a much longer period of time. They also have other effects, however. Crazywolf 23:13, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Using Rifles at School

At my school, children from the age of 13 (year 9) in the CCF are trained in the use of rifles. We do not get to use any automatic weapons, and we are only allowed in the prone position (lying down). However, it strikes me that allowing children to use weaponry, even when in a controlled environment, is stupidly dangerous (not that I'm complaining...) What are the relevant laws (UK)? How can they do this? —Daniel (‽) 20:47, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

The main relevant law is the Firearms Act 1968, but there are a bunch of others - Firearms (Amendment) Act 1994, Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997, and a number of statutory instruments such as Statutory Instrument 1997 No. 1535 (C.60). There are also firearms provisions in various Criminal Justice & Public Order Acts, such as that in 1994, the Criminal Justice Act 2003, &c. I can't find an online copy of the 68 act, but know it has sections such as 22(2) which makes it an offence for a "Person under 14 having firearm in his possession, without lawful authority - (Group I)". Most of the age related sections deal with possession, or "having with him" a firearm or air-gun. All of which points to the law not legislating absolutely against the use of weapons by minors, except perhaps by stipulations made in the firearms certificate under which the weapon is held. And that certificate may well forbid its use by minors. And if so, I'd be reasonably sure that the licence under which the military possesses weapons does not restrict their use by cadets, irrespective of age. But as you'll see, there's a fair amount of speculation in this answer. The Metropolitan Police have a page on firearms & age. Who knew a person under 14 could hold a shotgun certificate? Scary. --Tagishsimon (talk)

Stupidly dangerous? Given two children who may at some later point come into contact with a firearm which may or may not be loaded, which one will be more dangerous? The one who has received training on the proper way to handle, treat, and unload a firearm, or the one who has never been trained whatsoever and has no idea what to do?

I once saw a documentary showing Armenian kids in Nagorno Karabach, assembling weapons in class (each day!) to prepare for an Azeri return. I was quite shocked , and this is a war zone. So I think the idea is really weird, is your school unique in the western world concerning that matter?Evilbu 02:04, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

rape + incest

why do people always give the condition of "rape and incest" when talking about abortion? Is the "incest" in this case a subset of rape? I assume they're not referring to consentual-incest... -Steve

Certainly they don't always seriatim use the two terms. They are different. If they are talking about rape and incest when pertaining to abortion, they probably mean that a woman was raped by a relative and someone wants an abortion. --Proficient 21:19, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Some of the probably are talking about consensual incest too, incest (and more specifically inbreeding) can do nasty things to the genes of the poor child. Plus, the cultural view of incest is highly negative and the stigma would follow the kid forever. Emmett5 21:34, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

To be more scientific, incest or inbreeding don't create bad genes, but the offspring of such matings are more likely to have a pair of such genes by receiving one from each parent. In the case of recessive genetic disorders, two copies are needed for the gene to be expressed. StuRat 23:13, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Another possibly negative effect is the magnification of traits. For example, if both parents have one normal ear size gene and one (rare) huge ear size gene and thus have large, but not huge, ears, their offspring have a 1 in 4 chance of having two huge ear genes and thus having huge ears. When you multiply this by all the genes a person has, they are more likely to have some "extreme" characteristics than the offspring of unrelated pairings. Of course, some of these extreme traits might be good, like extremely high intelligence. StuRat 23:13, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Purpose of Yahoo!IM spam?

In the past few days I've received several chats that all go the same way (obviously a bott, although I didn't figure it out at first). The message says something like:

Hi! I saw your profile and liked what I saw! I'm looking for friends to chat with. Wanna see my profile? It's www.whateverqc.com/mypics

Oops! Sorry, I typed wrong, take out the extra letters.

Then when I reply, they always say the same thing:

Wow, thanks! Well, some friends are here, bye, ttyl.

I'm somewhat paraphrasing. Obviously they're spam and after the first two times I figured it out and am just reporting them, but what's the point? The website, in its original (supposedly mis-typed) format is a dead end, and so is the amended version without the extra letters (which btw are always different). Anybody know what's going on?--Anchoress 22:56, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

It sounds like they are trying to get around SPAM filters that look for their web address. They want you to correct it and go to their site, possibly just so they can tell which email addresses have suckers willing to do that type of stuff. StuRat 23:04, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

That's what I thought too, except that none of the web addresses actually worked. And I don't know how they could get email addresses from Yahoo!Messenger IDs.--Anchoress 23:22, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

As I was going to St Ives, I met a man with seven wives...

This is a question on polygamy. If someone from a country from a country where polygamy is legal moved to a country where it was not accepted, what would be the status of the wives? Would they all be wives? Would none of them be wives? Would only the first be a wife? In Britain, polygamy is illegal, but we do acknowledge that in other countries, particularly middle eastern ones, many men claim many women as wives and accept this as unusual but accepted. We would never question a ruler's (who was entertained by the Queen) right to take more than one wife; but is it legal in that respect, or is it just put up with?--russ 23:23, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Too Hot to Handle

I have noticed that some Wikipedia pages have been withdrawn from editing due to vandalism, such as that on George Bush. Are there any subjects WP regards too difficult to allow people to edit, purely on the grounds that the edits may be difficult or sensitive? Clearly I understand that vandalism is one thing, but freedom of speech, backed up by citations and evidence is another (this does NOT directly relate to any one article but is a serious question) --russ 23:30, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Free speech doesn't apply to private websites (see WP:NOT#Wikipedia is not an experiment in anarchy), even ones created by volunteers. Note that George W. Bush is not completely blocked from being edited, just blocked from being edited by very new users. This is done because the page sees a lot of vandalism, which primarily comes from new editors, but even new users can propose changes on the talk page, so it's not completely restricted. Ziggurat 23:37, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

• Not that I know of; we protect pages from vandalism, but that's about it. Of course, those subjects that we might regard as "too difficult" are the ones that generally get vandalized the most. Regarding free speech: There is no free speech on Wikipedia. The goal here is to create an encyclopedia; if your idea of "free speech" disrupts creating an encyclopedia, you won't be allowed to do it. --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 23:38, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Thank you for your insightful comments. It is good to hear that the exchange of knowledge is really impartial. We seem to have beaten the Orwellian view of current times --russ 00:07, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

Yes, Wikipedia is doubleplus good. StuRat 00:47, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

But Big Brother is still with us. Unfortunately. JackofOz 00:58, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

sale of car

dear sirs IAM trying to find a site that i can post my 64 hillman conv super minx if you could help it would be very much help to me as i am new to this computer thing

Thank you Chris Sabatell--72.70.204.24 23:37, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Removed duplicate request. Note the comment at the top of the page: "Do not list 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." Ziggurat 23:43, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

You could sell your car on eBay: http://www.ebay.com --Canley 00:28, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

Ziggurat, I'm not convinced people even read that notice, or any of the notices on the top of the page. --ColourBurst 03:13, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

Necro Porn

What do necrophiliacs use as porn? Would it be people having sex with dead people, or dead people themselves? My friend suggested snuff films...

Seriously, I actually want to know. I'm not a necrophiliac, the question is just kind of burrowing into my brain, and giving me a headache.

172.128.104.172 01:47, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

Handkerchief on head

What is the purpose of wearing a knotted handkerchief on one's head, as in this photo? I've seen this practice before. For example, the Gumbies. Is the handkerchief moistened? Bhumiya (said/done) 03:06, 14 July 2006 (UTC)