Wikipedia:Reference desk/headercfg

October 12

By what method is the fish in canned tuna cooked before it is canned?--The Fat Man Who Never Came Back 00:47, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

In the same spirit of "wow, Wikipedia has an article on everything," I now shall state "LarryMac's Conjecture" viz "All topics come up again on the Ref Desks." Here is an archive link to a question about tuna; the second link in my response says this about the first round of cooking - "Pre-cooking is carried out in steam at between 100° and 105 °C for as little as one hour for small species, or over eight hours for large specimens." I shall continue my research to determine if the six month cycle on questions is part of an established pattern. --LarryMac | Talk 13:28, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

in my Pee-wee Herman Steve Martin voice: well, excuuuuuuuuuuse me! It would be nice to make some kind of indexed, online book of all the good answers to WP reference desk questions. I know we have the archives, but this book would be more selective and easier to browse through. It would be roughly analogous to those "Fun facts" or "strange but true" books I used to read as a child. Thanks for the answer, btw.--The Fat Man Who Never Came Back 16:49, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

(after EC) No disrespect or anything bad was meant. Honestly, I was surprised to see something I'd once researched pop up again. Of course your question was not exactly the same, but it was a similar enough topic that I knew what to look for in the archives. Some day I hope to be able to bore my nieces and nephews with my arcane knowledge of tuna processing. And I've put a note in my calendar for next April so I can be ready for the next tuna question :-) --LarryMac | Talk 19:07, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

No disrespect was inferred; thanks again.--The Fat Man Who Never Came Back 19:37, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It's not a book but you can use Google to search through the archives specifically. Just go to Google and put in "site:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Reference_desk/Archives" without the quotes and then your keywords for the search. Google will only search through the archives that way. Dismas|^(talk) 19:01, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, I'm well aware you can find old content anywhere on wikipedia using Google. I was merely saying it would be cool if there were a well designed, carefully edited resource compiling some of the good answers to questions posed to the reference desk; I think there's some really useful information to be found in these past responses.--The Fat Man Who Never Came Back 19:37, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Ah, well that's there for someone else who doesn't know how to use Google as well then. And it would indeed be a good book idea. Dismas|^(talk) 19:43, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

One of the purposes of the ref. desks is to point out where Wikipedia coverage is lacking. Theoretically speaking, after a question is answered on the ref. desks, the relevant articles in main space should be examined and updated, so that future people who are interested should be able to easily find the information. Theoretically speaking. Practically speaking, I doubt it happens with any frequency. -- 16:37, 13 October 2007 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 128.104.112.200 (talk)

Some of us try − WP:RDAC. Rockpocket 23:06, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I didn't know that Pee-wee Herman used Steve Martin's catchphrase. —Tamfang 09:25, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Reubens makes the phrase his own in Flight of the Navigator, but perhaps I'm showing my (lack of) age.--The Fat Man Who Never Came Back 09:32, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Ha, ha, I just downloaded the original Steve Martin standup routine. You know, all these years I assumed it just another "Pee-wee-ism" like "I know you are but what am I." But I suppose Pee-wee didn't coin most of his insolent responses. Thx for the tip.--The Fat Man Who Never Came Back 23:00, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

What's the farthest distance that closed circuit cameras can be apart from one another to still work? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.127.165.136 (talk) 01:24, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

As long as the cables? A "closed circuit" camera just means one that doesn't broadcast via radio waves - these days you could call a web-cam "closed circuit" - so any distance. Truthfully, the term "closed circuit camera" is meaningless these days. SteveBaker 04:27, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

If you are talking about the viewing field of the camera and the ground they cover, that really depends on the design of the system and the specifications of the cameras used. --Kushal^{Click me!} write to me 04:40, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It depends on many factors. The first one is wiring. Depending on the gage of the wire, the data may not be transmitted over long distances. It also depends on the type of image. A camera which takes a black and white picture every few second is not gonna need that much "broadband" and it may be installed further away than a color camera constantly filming. Finally, it also depends on the controller. Depending on the controller, and its capacity to receive information, the distance may vary. Other factors include EM interferences, which may block out any transmission. Just because you can have a long wire, it does not mean the data will be transmitted. Except, I guess, over fiber optics but I don't know if CCTV systems support that. I recommend you look at some manufacturers' websites to get the precise information.Youkai no unmei 12:22, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

hello every body plz help me to write csv /Excel file with formated pattern means with Color,Height,Width seting to any perticular cell in C++. i m thankuful to you in advance! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 59.95.25.181 (talk) 06:08, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

You can't write CSVs with formatting. CSVs are just text files with comma separated values—they can't have colors, height, width, etc. Excel can read CSVs, but an Excel file format (XLS) is very different from a CSV.

Writing a CSV is very easy; the only difficulty is making sure that any data value that has a comma in it as part of its data is enclosed in quotation marks, and that any internal quotation marks in such fields are replaced with double-quotation marks ("Like ""this"""). See CSV for more information. As for Excel, I have no idea, but I imagine you will have to utilize Microsoft's OLE automation to do so, as is usually required to write to their proprietary formats, unless you are willing to really try and figure out how the XLS format works (which, if you have to ask how to do it, is well beyond your ability—as it is mine). --24.147.86.187 15:35, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

hello everyone, i m searching for the job in Good Software Company, i m BE(Computer Science & Engineering) with 67.70%, i m hardly need of job plz help me! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 59.95.25.181 (talk) 06:12, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Then I suggest you contact a Good Software Company. There are plenty of them around. Good luck.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 15:29, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Learning where the punctuation and shift keys are located would also be worth your time. We use a lot of punctuation in the software business, to the point where this occasionally causes crises, such as the Great Sharp Shortage of Oh-Six.

Atlant 16:09, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It's a good thing that those of us in the software business aren't required to speel correctly.  :) (just kidding, Atlant.) Corvus cornix 17:52, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

You raise a valid point, Atlant, but please allow me to cite the ref desk guidelines: "don't poke fun at a poorly-written question. The reference desk necessarily involves communication between questioners and respondents from different backgrounds and cultures."--The Fat Man Who Never Came Back 17:57, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I used to have amazing toe curling fist clenching orgasms, but not when i have them it's like they are over before they even start. I don't squirm like i used to. It's really frustrating. I am not overly stressed and my diet hasn't changed or anything. Any Help?! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.7.130.43 (talk) 07:05, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Perhaps you are getting older?86.202.27.20 14:10, 12 October 2007 (UTC)DT[reply]

As opposed to .... ? DirkvdM 17:24, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Rejuvenation (aging)? --froth^t 02:23, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Have you read the Wikipedia article Coolidge effect ? Edison 14:53, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Frequency has a lot to do with it as well. You'll find (in general) that orgasms after a period of abstinence are of a much higher quality than the third one of the day (lucky git). Other than that, try experimenting with different stimuli (alone or with a partner). Anal stimulation, erotic asphyxiation (careful), relaxing ones body before the "big moment", and any number of other things can help to increase the sensation. GeeJo ^(t)⁄_(c) • 17:35, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

My own experience is that orgasmic power is like food related to hunger, novelty or need. I am sure you will be aware of the hunger and novelty aspects but need might be new. Ever been stressed through travel or staying with others. You need release then. If you work out what you are missing you can work around it if your partner is willing. It might be called bed death or similar. Paul —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.86.166.234 (talk) 20:25, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Hi,

Can anyone put suggestion regarding Media Gateway control protocol for me at (email removed for your protection).

Thanks and regards Upendra —Preceding unsigned comment added by Ubhatnagar (talk • contribs) 07:30, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

What do you mean by "suggestion"? Arakunem 00:05, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Hello. I need a third-party to confirm or deny that the text, "John loved and prayed for the human race. Please do the same for him" appears in two books. The first one is on p. 212 of the January, 2007 tenth edition of The Rough Guide to New York City (ISBN 1843536927). There has been a little bit of confusion about this text, as a similar but smaller edition of the book may or may not include this information. The second book goes by the title of The Rough Guides' New York City Directions 2 (ISBN 1843537532). I recently confirmed that the text appears in the former book (ISBN 1843536927) by looking for "Lennon, John" in the index and following up to p. 212, however this has been disputed by another party. It is possible that due to misprints, the page numbers are listed incorrectly. It is also my guess that the text in question does not appear in the latter book, which is half the size of the former and is more of a condensed guide. It has also come to my attention that there may be several different versions of the same guide, (for example U.S./Canada/Euro/U.K. etc.) so please include the publishing date and any version/coauthor information in your reply. I have just confirmed that there are at least two versions of the tenth edition: a UK ed. published in January 2007, and a US ed. published in February 2007.[1] —Viriditas | Talk 08:35, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Google books turns up that exact phrase here: [2] on page 125 of "The John Lennon Affair" by Robert S. Levinson (ISBN 0765341565). The claim is that this phrase was written by Yoko Ono as a part of the public announcement of his death. The full text of the press release was:

"There is no funeral for John. Later in the week we will set the time for a silent vigil to pray for his soul. We invite you to participate from wherever you are at the time. We thank you for the many flowers send to John. But in the future, instead of flowers, please considers sending donations in his name to the Spirit Foundation Inc., which is John's personal charitable foundation. He would have appreciated it very much. John loved and prayed for the human race. Please pray the same for him. Yoko & Sean."

SteveBaker 13:50, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks, Steve, but the problem is, that while much of the information in Levinson's mystery novel is based on actual events, it's considered a work of fiction. I know this because I made the mistake of using it as a reference only to discover this later. That's pretty much the reason I am sticking to the Rough Guide's at this time. I have already confirmed that the material appears in the 2002 and 2007 version, and I would like to cite the most recent copy, but another editor claims that this material does not appear in his 2007 copy, which is why I have asked for independent confirmation above. —Viriditas | Talk 18:53, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Hi,

For a paper I'm writing I want to know how Wikipedia started. I have read the History of Wikipedia but it does not state if Wikipedia transferred articles from Nupedia as a starting base or imported articles from other sources. I also would like to know where the initial user-base came from. In essence, how did Wikipedia cope with the cold start problem?

Any help/insight is appreciated :)

--GrandiJoos 10:44, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Neither of those. It started with articles written by volunteers, just like now. Much later, a very few things were brought in from Nupedia and a large number of out-of-copyright (and out-of-date) articles from old encyclopedias were brought in and heavily edited. Wikipedia really started with a blank page. Probably with a CamelCase title too! Wikipedia was started so that random editors could help build articles that would later be polished by experts and added to the Nupedia. Rmhermen 13:31, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Which means that neither Jimbo Wales nor Larry Sanger had any idea that Wikipedia would become something so important. A.Z. 06:05, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I doubt anyone could have predicted that (and no one did). -- JackofOz 02:52, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

What we need to know is when Wikipedia will end.And if it does,there will be an article on it.But if there's an article then Wikipedia hasn't ended... If there isn't then the hypothesis that Wikipedia really does an article on everything will be wrong. I shall go and lie down now.That made my brain cells hurt Lemon martini 12:23, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Okay, then my question is, who started to create page's? How did people know back then about the wiki? And why did they start to write page's? If there where no pages and no or little users, why would someone start to create page's back then because the wiki idea was not new. --GrandiJoos 17:23, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I think site such as Slashdot had something to do with it. Mention some new web-concept to the geeks and they will come. So when Jimbo launched Nupedia and it began to attract attention [3][4], the then side project that was Wikipedia slowly took on a life of its own as interested technophiles warmed to the concept. Little did anyone know that it would turn into a monster and devour it's benign host. Note also, that many of the participants at GNUpedia came across to Wikipedia in the early days. Rockpocket 17:49, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you very much Rockpocket!!! One final question. I found that Wikipedia was started on January 10, 2001 and that 1,000 articles where created by Februari 2001. The first Slashdot article on Wikipedia is from March 10, 2001. Does anyone know where the users came from that created the first 1,000 articles in about a month??? --GrandiJoos 17:44, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

That is a good question. I don't know the answer, but at a guess I would suppose that the original contributors were made up from the reviewers at Nupedia. Nupedia has been running for 9 or 10 months previously, but it was very content poor because its editorial policy permitted only "experts" to write articles. However there was a community of non-expert reviewers who would offer criticisms, but not actually edit the article themselves. I don't know this, as I was not a reviewer or editor at the time, but I suspect when Wikipedia was launched the non-expert reviewers had a mechanism by which they could now write articles rather than review them, and the first Wikipedians were probably largely drawn from this community. The Whole whole point of launching Wikipedia was to encourage more content to be written, which kinds of suggest there was already people at Nupedia who were keen to contribute, but were not able to due to the editorial policy. If there was a community of 100 reviewers, it is no unfeasible that each of them could contribute 10 stubs in the first month, before new editors began to arrive from GNUpedia and Slashdot. However, the best way to get an answer to this particular question is to ask Jimbo himself. If he doesn't answer personally, its likely that the people that hang out at his talk page could direct you to someone who was there at the beginning and give you a personal insight. Rockpocket 21:47, 18 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

What is the origin of'to give someone the sack`?84.18.2.115 12:21, 12 October 2007 (UTC)Barry84.18.2.115 12:21, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I believe it refers to literaly having a sack put over ones head; either to kill them or just to humiliate. Shouldn't this be in the Language desk? Think outside the box 12:30, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable at Bartleby.com says the sack was a workman's toolbag. He was given it so he could carry his tools elsewhere. It also offers without comment the supposed fact that the Sultan would put an unwanted harem girl in a sack and throw it in the Bosporus. It doesn't say that this led directly to the invention of scuba, but I think it's likely. --Milkbreath 12:49, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Further to the first part of Milkbreath's answer, I understood that the employer would keep the sack during the employ of the tradesman and thus gave him the sack when he required him to leave.

scuba - as in "sack contained underwater breathing apparatus"?

Richard Avery 14:26, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Does the phrase "the moon to the tide" have lesbian connotations? Picture of a cloud 12:27, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It's the opening line to the song "Under Your Spell" in the Buffy musical Once More With Feeling, a love song from Tara to Willow, so in that light it might have Lesbian connotations. However, from this GoogleBooks link, we can see that it also is used in a heterosexual context. In general, I'd say it's a metaphor for "eternally bound together", or perhaps "inexorably attracted to another". --LarryMac | Talk 13:12, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Actually, thats not the opening line; it is towards the end of the song. The opening lines are:

"I lived my life in shadow

Never the sun on my face,

It didn't seem so sad, though

I figured that was my place"

Think outside the box 15:34, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for catching that, I meant to rewrite that part of my response and just forgot to do so. --LarryMac | Talk 18:58, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The moon really does pull the tide, so yeah, the metaphor could be used for any two people or forces that are bound together and effect one another. However, both the moon and the sea are classically associated with women (because of the menstrual cycle and chaotic beauty, respectively), so it was an especially appropriate choice for a lesbian love song. --Masamage ♫ 17:00, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It also is devoid of the aggressive/pursuit model of love/courtship which often takes a very masculine tone (whether it is used by men or not). The moon and the tides are simply locked; it is not a chase, it is not a hunt. --24.147.86.187 17:15, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

That and orgasms go in waves... Hyper Girl 17:17, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

And the moon is in the shape of a testicle, but I don't think these things are what the song is about -_- --froth^t 02:20, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

"Breaking with each swell" and "lost in ecstacy" might be ambiguous on paper, but they're sure not when you watch the episode. --Masamage ♫ 02:34, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The moon? shaped like a testicle? come ooon? what sort of testicles have you seen? Those delicate organs are oval - egg shaped, and that does not start to compare the size!! Richard Avery 07:42, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

If some one gave me a laptop, with windows already on it, is it legal for me to use it, and if so, STOP, let me refraze, I was given a computer, with windows on it already, but it also has a virus, and I can therefore not open Internet Explorer. How can I delete everything and start again, I have a 9gb hard drive but only 1.5gb free, what it is filled with I dont know. please can someone help me. ps, it is obviously not the computer I am using now. :-)12.191.136.2 12:32, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Did the laptop come with it's original Windows CD-ROMS and the corresponding license code? If it is still running the copy of windows that was on it when it was bought - then probably the original owner didn't have CD's. In that case, the manufacturer probably placed a backup copy of the OS in a special partition of the hard drive with a program to let you re-install Windows from that backup copy. On the other hand, if the original owner had installed Windows him/herself - then perhaps that person has the original CD-ROM and license codes to give you. If they are using that CD-ROM/license set for some other computer now - then it would be illegal to also run it on your computer - so you should go out and buy a new copy of Windows to run on it. Of course you could also wipe the drive and install Linux on the beast...that's what I usually do with old laptops. SteveBaker 13:37, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you very much. The person that gave it to me knows almost as much as I do about computers which is nothing, so I doubt they installed it them selves, they may have the cds but theyre now in south africa and I am in England. so can you please tell me how to find the special partition to save windows and wipe the rest. thank you —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.191.136.2 (talk) 14:47, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

If you are not "educated" in the Windows Explorer environment, you should just dump Windows[1] and move to a free (open-source) operating system such as Ubuntu Linux or Puppy Linux. Regards, Kushal

[1] The suggestion is based on the assumption that you do not have a compelling reason (such as internal dial-up modem). —Preceding unsigned comment added by Kushal one (talk • contribs) 16:11, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I am copying this section to the computer reference desk. --Kushal^{Click me!} write to me 16:12, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I was just looking over a couple of careers, from what I can gather an investment banker is someone who deals in analysis of market trends and constructs models so on so forth, it's meant to be big money but ridculously long hours and no social life. But as I was surfing through entries I kept coming across stock trader who appeared to be doing similar work but with less hours. Are they the same job, or is a stocks trader more like a stock broker?

And just to clarify, what are those guys who sit in front of their computers and buy and trade stock really quickly in order to make a profit (ie not buying/selling on behalf of someone else)? Someone told me they were called day traders but then someone else told me they were investment bankers , but aren't the latter meant to spend all their time modelling?

The reason I'm asking is because I'm soon to be selecting my tertiary subjects, and I'm really interested in that rapid pace buying and selling of stocks over a short period of time, except I can't seem to figure out what the career is actually called... Thanks 121.216.53.172 13:21, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Added some wiki-links in for you. They should show the difference between the roles. I don't know if there is a 'wikijobs' out there but certainly it could be a good addition to the wiki-universe, often people wonder what job X does and it seems it is often hard to find out. ny156uk 15:42, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks but I've already had a look at those articles and I can't seem to figure out which is which :(. A wikijobs would be great 121.216.53.172 00:16, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I'm collecting garden snails, ie Roman Snails (Helix pomatia) for my French friend. I intend to make her a lovly soup, and as this is my first girlfriend I want everything to go well. Unfortunately, I have no experience in cooking snails. Any advice? Weasly windom price 16:12, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

See escargot and land snails as food. Most garden snails are not edible, and they are not normally eaten in soup, so I suggest you check with her first rather than spring a surprise.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 17:30, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Yum. It is a little known fact, but true nonetheless, that girls prefer snail soup to flowers. Especially French ones. As an added bonus, Helix pomatia is a low-fat snail (only 0.49% fat) [5], so your Gallic gal will stay trim and svelte. Rockpocket 17:53, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Is that French girls, French snails, or French flowers?  :) Corvus cornix 18:06, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Ooh, svelte. Nice word. I'll add it to my repertoire (another fun word!) of my favorites --froth^t 02:18, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

This girl doesn't. XD Before we were a couple, my husband and I went on a gigantic group date with the explicit purpose of eating escargot, and I was one of only three people who chickened out. (He, on the other hand, was the first person to try them, and it was quite a show. Seems he prefered the snail to the bleu cheese it was cooked in.) Anyway, this makes me think that you might be able to get at least basic advice from a local restaurant, or of course you could check out a bookstore or library for cookbooks. --Masamage ♫ 02:20, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Also, are you 100% sure of the species? I just looked at a number of the pictures of land snails in snail and honestly most of them in the genus Helix look identical to my untrained eye. I think it would be hard to tell them apart unless trained a bit. --24.147.86.187 18:46, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

YIKES!!! I strongly recommend NOT doing that for many reasons. Snails that are raised for culinary purposes are fed on special diets - all sorts of special care is taken of them. Your wild snails will taste TERRIBLE (and they'll probably cause all sorts of "exciting" digestive issues). My wife is French and I can tell you that their reputation for eating weird things is greatly overrated - but their preference for really good, simple food is underrated! Your snails will do two things (a) they'll offend her because she'll assume you are reinforcing a ridiculous stereotype (which you are) and (b) they'll taste terrible and she most certainly won't enjoy them. So please, for pities' sake don't do this! NO, NO, NO, NO! (And if your thoughts even start to drift into the direction of Frogs' legs...slap yourself firmly across the face!)

If you really want to cook something that will appeal to her French background, then stick with something simple that you can do really well. Whatever thing it is that you cook the best (unless that's snails or frogs). The French love steak & fries - a good old standby would be 'Steak au poivre'. You can coat the steaks with crushed black peppercorns and add a cream & brandy mixture at the last minute - you could even get really brave and set light to the brandy. Before you cook the steaks be sure to ask how she likes them done (probably on the rare side...but you never know). Offer mayonnaise with the fries - that's something fairly uniquely French that will prove that you took the trouble to find something that would make her feel at home. The fies the French usually serve with steak are the thin, skinny ones like the ones you get at McDonalds (but NO! make your ownd!) If you can make your own mayo - better still - but it's easy to mess it up, so make sure you have some store-bought stuff around! (If you're really lucky, she might even offer to help you out with making the Mayo! You should have a really simple, fresh green salad on the side with a basic oil+vinegar dressing. Try to get some Dijon mustard - and if you're trying really hard, get both the smooth kind and the sort with lots of mustard seeds in them.

SteveBaker 12:12, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Or if you insist on sticking with a French stereotype of food, try something a little simpler and more palatable, like crêpes. — Michael J 18:51, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Some garden snails are POISONOUS!!!!! As in you could die from collecting garden snails to eat. This link suggests this is caused by the snails eating poisonous plants (to humans). Defiantly don't! --S.dedalus 20:37, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

You need to leave your snails for several days without food so that their gut is empty of any poisonous mushroom and plant. Even though wild snails can be delicious if prepared correctly I wouldn't advise on carying on with your plans. Why don't you cook something from YOUR country to impress her with new culinary sensations? You might be able to avoid a very polite disgusted smile from her. Keria 16:25, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Subject to the need to purge them first, you can eat most snails. You can certainly eat the ones you find in British gardens, properly called Helix aspersa, which can be delicious. The French cook them and call them 'petit gris'. Xn4 18:38, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Escargots have near-identical texture to Viviparidae, which is plentiful in Asia (and maybe Asian supermarkets, ask for 田螺). Maybe you wanna try that instead? :p --antilived^{T | C | G} 09:40, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Could you please help me by giving me information on and detail of to make a camberwell carrot wood joint as i have never heard of this joint Is there such a joint in woodworking or am i being wound up —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.159.156.214 (talk) 20:58, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The Camberwell Carrot is an extremely large joint invented by Danny in Withnail and I. I am not aware of a woodworking joint of the same name. Algebraist 21:11, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

What branch of the U.S. Military was a corps of only 50 soldiers when World War I broke out?

Thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by Airbornejerky (talk • contribs) 22:05, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

This sounds like one of those well intentioned but misguided bar trivia questions. The closest I could find was at Aeronautical Division, U.S. Signal Corps which had 51 officers and enlisted men in 1912. 161.222.160.8 23:31, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It does sound like a trivia question gone wrong, because based on that article, it seems like they want you to say the United States Air Force had only 50 members at the time. — Michael J 18:48, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Er, what? The US Air Force didn't exist then. It was created (from the United States Army Air Forces) after WW2. --Tardis 21:33, 18 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

What government agency is responsible for the personal protection of Queen Elizabeth II and the Royal Family? How does the overall quality of this agency compare with the US Secret Service? Thanks. Acceptable 22:43, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The Royalty and Diplomatic Protection Department of the Met. I am not sure how one would compare the quality with that of the US Secret Service. DuncanHill 22:47, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

We haven't had any successful assassinations of a British Monarch since at least 1649, so they and their predecessors could be regarded as having bettered the performance of the Secret Service. Occasions when the lives of members of the Royal Family have been threatened have almost always been resolved peacefully: the starting pistol attack on the Queen by Marcus Serjeant in 1981 was over quite quickly, and Ian Ball's kidnap attempt on Princess Anne was thwarted without loss of life. There was also the Free Wales Army Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru attempt to bomb the Prince of Wales in 1969 but that went wrong all by itself. Sam Blacketer 22:53, 12 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

That's a rather strong claim to make. I feel that gun culture, the political system, population size, even national 'personality' factor into the amount of successful assassinations much more than the quality of the bodyguards. And assassinating royalty is very different from assassinating a president. At the very least, you should normalize the number of successful assassinations by the number of attempted assassinations. I doubt that any statistics will give you a reliable answer on this, though. The best way to assess the quality of the protection would be to do a thorough study into the amount of training that goes on, the funding the agency gets, the status it has, that sort of thing. risk 01:51, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Agreed. As to Sam's list, I note that he didn't mention the various attempts to assassinate Queen Victoria. However, while I know no details about them myself, I don't believe they say anything about the effectiveness of the Queen's protection today. --Anonymous, 02:15 UTC, October 13, 2007.

Brigade of Guards?--88.111.33.45 09:59, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The Guards - horse and foot - are the monarch's military protection. Today largely a traditional role. Her everyday personal security is in the hands of the police (as above) but no doubt the security service(s) are also involved.86.216.250.225 12:03, 13 October 2007 (UTC)DT[reply]

Wouldn't the difference in the positions of President vs. King/Queen have something to do with the motive in killing either one? I'm not familiar with the British Monarchy as much as I am with the American Presidency but I didn't think that the King/Queen actually had any say in political matters. They're basically figure heads, no? So there would be no point in killing them to further an agenda. Dismas|^(talk) 18:19, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Well, in relation to political matters, the UK monarch has the right to be consulted, to advise, and to warn. He/she also appoints the Prime Minister of the UK, and there are historically recent precedents (see Alec Douglas-Home) where the majority party did not choose its own leader and it was left up to the Queen to make the choice. That would be more than enough incentive to assassinate the monarch, if one were so minded. -- JackofOz 02:51, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

My guess is the motive for killing either the queen or the president would be about the same -- to get attention. As far as I know, no attempted assassination on an American president since that of James A. Garfield has been about pushing an agenda. To affect change through assassination, someone would have to kill both the president and vice president, which is quite a tall order. -- Mwalcoff 02:55, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The British Royal Family commands an extremely high level of affection and support from the vast majority of the British people - partly because the Monarch does not have any political role and therefore does not take major decisions that alienate some people. It would be regarded as a disaster of the first magnitude were the Queen to be assassinated.86.219.32.234 09:51, 14 October 2007 (UTC)DT[reply]

Sidenote: I once met someone who almost bumped into the Dutch queen Beatrix in New Zealand (at least, that's how he told it). He walked into a shop while she came out. He was astonished that she walked around without any protection whatsoever. DirkvdM 18:13, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

October 13

do retards know that they are retarded, or do they need for someone to remind them????? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.157.23.219 (talk) 02:30, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Good question. I would imagine that those who aren't all that slow would know, or at least they'd realize from time to time when things went wrong. I remember being three, and if a retarded person had a mental age of three, he would think he was OK and that older people were mostly just mean and stupid, I guess. --Milkbreath 02:59, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It is not only likely that they have been told, but their own limitations (and abilities) are coded into everything they do during the day. Whether they know it by name, by clinical definition (which most people don't know anyway), or just through experience, I am sure they are aware of some of the more salient aspects of it. --24.147.86.187 12:44, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I believe our articles on introspection and self-reference may be relevant. Gandalf61 14:40, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Absolutely they know, since they get feedback all the time from everyone they interact with. Believe me, you never cease to be aware of being retarded. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.182.100.153 (talk) 22:30, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I recommend you read the novella Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. Mentally impaired people are very much aware they are "special" and are often very highly motivated to better themselves mentally. Rhinoracer 11:55, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I second that ... Flowers for Algernon ... a great book! (Joseph A. Spadaro 03:08, 17 October 2007 (UTC))[reply]

Is it true that George W Bush has another daughter but he disowned her because she was gay? --124.254.77.148 04:59, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

You may be confusing George with his Vice-President Dick Cheney, one of whose daughters is a lesbian. Afaik, he hasn't disowned her. -- JackofOz 05:41, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

He hasn't disowned her. Mary Cheney is the daughter you're thinking of. • Lawrence Cohen 06:36, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The Bush twins are more known for their "underage" drinking exploits than for any controversial sexuality. GeeJo ^(t)⁄_(c) • 17:24, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Please note I do not intend to try this. In movies and videogames, assassins are commonly depicted hanging from the ceiling and suddenly leaping down to snap or twist a victim's head in attempt to kill them. In real life, would this actually kill the victim? If so, how much of an angle of rotation would be needed for it to be fatal? Thanks. Acceptable 15:35, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Wikipedia cannot give professional advice relating to infiltration and murder by would-be secret agents. That said, yes, this would easily incapacitate and almost certainly kill the victim. Our article on cervical vertebrae note that injuries quickly cause widespread paralysis, including that of the diaphragm, which leads to suffocation. As for how far -- a quarter turn beyond how far you can pivot your neck, give or take. The amount of force probably matters, too (that is, a quick snap is more likely effective than a slow twist). — Lomn 16:11, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I figured that there must be a name for this move. I doubt it's used often in real life, but it's a staple of movies, tv and and games. The best I could come up with was this page (google cahce), which calls it a 'head wrench'. This CIA essay (may be fake, but it's on a lot of sites) says that bare hands assassinations are exceptionally difficult and even Judo experts (judo assassins? I knew the CIA was up to weird stuff) would reach for a nearby crowbar if possible. risk 01:45, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It's unlikely to be fake if it was posted by the National Security Archive. They are a very reliable and well-known private archive at GWU who excel at using FOIA requests to get documents that the government doesn't want people to see. They have been around a long time and are a mainstream group, not a fringe organization. If they say they got it by FOIAing the CIA, it's unlikely they are lying. Just FYI. --24.147.86.187 02:35, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I would imagine that using "judo experts" is evidence of fakedness. Althoguh judo does involve strangles and locks, being a sporting martial art, rather than a defensive martial art, it doesn't involve any instructions on breaks and snaps.Steewi 02:21, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Well, there are categorizations for these kinds of maneuvers. This forum post cites part of the US army training manual (I especially suggest the 'Belgian takedown'). The 'head wrench' isn't included, but they do show a neck-breaking technique where the victim's head is yanked backward with a knee to the back, using a helmet for purchase. They call this family of techniques sentry removal. This] is a pdf of the full manual. I'm developing a rather macabre fascination for the subject now. I just have to share this paragraph:

7-4. PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS

Killing a sentry is completely different than killing an enemy soldier while engaged in a firefight. It is a cold and calculated attack on a specific target. After observing a sentry for hours, watching him eat or look at his wife's photo, an attachment is made between the stalker and the sentry. Nonetheless, the stalker must accomplish his task efficiently and brutally. At such close quarters, the soldier literally feels the sentry fight for his life. The sights, sounds, and smells of this act are imprinted in the soldier's mind; it is an intensely personal experience. A soldier who has removed a sentry should be observed for signs

of unusual behavior for four to seven days after the act.

And while I'm at it:

He focuses his attention on the sentry's head since that is where the sentry generates all of his movement and attention. However, it is important not to stare at the enemy because he may sense the stalker's presence through a sixth sense.

Getting back to the question, I think it's a highly ineffective and unreliable technique, even if it is possible. I also think you'd need to provide some sort of counterforce to prevent the shoulders and upper body from twisting along with the motion. Since you're using both hands on the head, that's problematic. risk 02:28, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Well, the body has its own inertia, and it's a lot heavier. —Tamfang 16:01, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

That's true, but it's not rigid either. The shoulders can twist along quite easily, while the feet stay in place. Maybe a more upward angle would stop this. I'm trying to figure out how the rest of the body will react, but it's tricky without actually being able to twist your head that far. risk 23:19, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

As an aside, there are more effective ways to kill someone silently. A sharp stab with a knife through the lower back and into the kidneys, for example, will kill someone extremely quickly and not make a peep. --24.147.86.187 02:41, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

its basically the same thing as hanging a person. when you hang them, there neck is broken, they don't die instantly, unless your head falls off. the person just stops breathing and suffocates. its a really horrible death. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.210.23.83 (talk) 04:59, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I always get the willies when I see someone try to cure another's stiff neck with a sharp twist. Surely that's dangerous? —Tamfang 16:01, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I doubt you can actually break someone's neck accidentally that way, but I wouldn't let an unexperienced person do it to me. Chiropractors study for years to get that sort of thing right. I think you can do a lot of damage if you don't know what you're doing.risk 23:19, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

what is the differece between smart work & hard word? or both are related to each other? or both are the two wheels of the same cycle? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 210.212.154.205 (talk) 17:03, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

With all respect "smart work" sounds like bullshit-speak for not actually doing any work and getting paid for it..

More likely it's (smart work) supposed to mean working efficiently

You will already know what 'hard work' is.83.100.254.51 17:30, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

also 'smart work' can be a compliment for a job well done.83.100.254.51 17:33, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Here's an example. Say you need to move a pig from one pen to another. You could lift the pig up and carry it over, which would be hard work, or you could get a carrot and lure the pig into it's new pen, which would be smart work. They are not really different concepts, I would think of them more as two phrases that are used together to show that there are different ways to attack a problem, and that it usually pays to think about a problem before jumping right in with 'brute force'. So I'd "smart work and hard work" is a single concept referring to situations like this where there are solutions to a problem. I'm afraid I don't understand the phrase 'two wheels of the same cycle'. risk 18:01, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The phrase 'two wheels of the same cycle' means a bicycle of course! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 88.111.61.118 (talk) 23:36, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

There is a phrase that goes "Work smarter, not harder". This is often meant as "Find a way to do the job that is more efficient and results in less physical labor". Dismas|^(talk) 18:02, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Damn dismas you nicked the phrase I was just about to throw in! And now this note is pretty pointless... ny156uk 18:04, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

(edit conflict) There is a saying or formula that goes something like "You can work smart or you can work hard." The implication is that if you apply your intelligence to a task you will find an easier way to do it. A point of grammar: "Smart" is an adverb here, even though the American Heritage Dictionary, for example, doesn't show it as one. We can't use "smartly" even if we want to because that already means something else and would therefore make for a fatally ambiguous aphorism, and it would ruin the symmetry with "hard". --Milkbreath 18:10, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Here's another example. The teacher, leaving the class for a few minutes, told all the students to add up all the numbers from 1 to 100. Well, most did it the hard way, but one student realized that by grouping the 1 with the 100 (=101), the 2 with the 99 (=101), all the way to the 50 with the 51 (=101), he was really just being asked to add 101 fifty times. So he just multiplied 101*50 and was done quite fast. He worked smarter, not harder, than other students, and ended up finished first. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.182.100.153 (talk) 22:25, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

To whom it may concern, that student was Gauss. (The Gauss article makes no mention of it, but doesn't seem to be apocryphal [6] [7]). risk 23:22, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Another version of the Gauss story is told by Eric Temple Bell (reproduced in the 1956 anthology The World of Mathematics, edited by James R. Newman). Note that essentially the same trick, adjusted appropriately for an odd or even number of terms, works for summing any arithmetic series (for example, 400+422+444+466+488+510+532+554+576+598 = 998x5 = 4,990). Bell gives the teacher's name as Büttner and, rather than naming the specific series 1+2+3+...+100, he simply says the problem was of this type and big enough to keep the rest of the class busy for an hour. And that "to the end of his days Gauss loved to tell how the one number he had written was the correct answer and how all the others were wrong. ... Gauss had not been shown the trick for doing such problems rapidly. It is very ordinary once it is known, but for a boy of ten to find it instantaneously by himself is not so ordinary."

A nice fictional example of "work smarter, not harder" appears in the movie of The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (possibly also in the original book, but I haven't read it). Dr. Watson has taken Sherlock Holmes to consult Sigmund Freud and a criminal case arises. At one point a past patient of Freud's, a prostitute named Lola, is kidnapped. Holmes and Watson go to the scene of the kidnapping, where they realize that Lola was carrying a bouquet of lilies and has dropped them one by one. "Ingenious creature", says Holmes, "she's left us a trail", and off they go. It turns out that the kidnappers, not having a place ready to hold a captive, have gone to a brothel and arranged to have her kept there. When Holmes and Watson arrive, they find Freud waiting for them. He explains simply: "Where else to hide a demi-mondaine but in a bevy of demi-mondaines?" And Watson says in some embarrassment, "We followed a trail of lilies."

--Anon, 05:05 UTC, October 14, 2007.

I'm just gonna say that I read the article-this is NOT Sir Arthur Conan Doyle work-this is just someone using the famous Sherlock Holmes to get trumped by Freud. --Jeevies 04:17, 19 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Sure. To be specific, The Seven-Per-Cent Solution was written by Nicholas Meyer. --Anon, 22:20 UTC, October 19.

Were any of the accidents that had previously occurred in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel investigated to determine if they could have served as a model for murder? Clem 20:59, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Why do people live in the city of Los Angeles where is the most best and 1st place winner to be affected by earthquakes?--Writer Cartoonist 22:40, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Entertainment? Clem 23:05, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I can't answer that question, but I know that the Japanese have trouble understanding why the Dutch are comfortable living below sea-level, whereas the Dutch have the same difficulty understanding the Japanese' constant Tsunami threat. I guess a lot of places have this 'sword of Damocles' quality to them. It's never as bad as it sounds, and when you do get struck by real disaster, you won't exactly have the means to move to another town afterwards, so the population is maintained. I guess the real answer to your question lies in the people that move to Los Angeles, rather than just staying there. The UCLA students, the people that get job offers. My guess would be that they think, if there are that many people living there, the earthquake threat can't be so bad. If you got the perfect job offer in LA, would you let it stop you?risk 23:32, 13 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It's a big city with a lot going on in it. And the weather is warm and dry year-round. Earthquakes happen sporatically at most and have relatively low levels of death associated with them in any case, as far as risks go. Compared to the North East U.S.A., which is snowed under and has tons of half-melted ice on the roads and sidewalks for about half of the year, it's not a bad trade-off. Truly nasty earthquakes don't happen there all that often.

As someone who lived for many years in another earthquake-prone zone (S.F.), it is my observation that people are collectively quite willing to ignore and downplay the earthquake threat on a day-to-day basis. There is probably a psychological reason for this — it is not a threat they can change, it is not caused by any given human, and it affects everyone equally, so it becomes an "acceptable" risk.

In any case, earthquakes kill far fewer people in L.A. than the freeways there do (in 1994, the Northridge earthquake killed 72 people; in the same year some 420 or so people died in car accidents; in 1995, nobody died from earthquakes, probably the same number of people died from car accidents)— you might as well ask why people would live there because of the driving, as that's a bigger threat to their individual health than earthquakes. Or why anyone lives in a hurricane zone, or a tornado zone, or a place often targeted by terrorists, or any of the other "big threats" that one has, and whether those "big threats" are really kill that many people per year in comparison to the "small threats" like driving, cigarettes, mis-prescribed medications, bad dieting, etc. --24.147.86.187 02:21, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

What are the chances of getting killed by an earthquake when you live in LA? I don't have the total death toll over, say, the last century, but divide that by the total amount of people who have lived there in that timeframe and you'll probably end up with a pretty low figure. Much lower than the 0.5% chance of getting killed in traffic (no, really, it's that bad!). Still people drive cars, so the real reason is that people won't accept a risk until they're actually faced with it. And how often are there serious earhtquakes in LA? Also, people often assume that bad things only happen to other people. Or take global warming. The vast majority of scientists say that we're headed for a global catastrophy and still voters hardly use that as a basis for what party they vote for. People will believe what they want to believe. DirkvdM 18:38, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Since no major party (so far as I know) has made global warming a campaign issue, and anyway party discipline barely exists here, letting that determine one's vote would be a bit daft. Of course it's daft in the first place to entrust decisions in a wide variety of fields to the same people, so perhaps this observation is irrelevant. —Tamfang 16:28, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

That bit was not about people in general, not about the US specifically. In the Netherlands, there is only one party that occasionally brings up the issue, GroenLinks, and they only get a few percent of the votes, not quite enough to cause much change. DirkvdM 18:42, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Concerning the risk of living in the Netherlands, about half of it is above sea level. And if a dyke breaks, only one relatively small section will inundate - there's not just one dyke around the country, it's a whole network, so the next dyke will hold back the water, and at least there will be plenty of warning. And the dykes have been built to withstand anything except the sort of combination of effects that only occurs once every 10.000 to 100.000 years (depending on the location) - it's a way safer system than in New Orleans, for example. And even if a dyke breaks and you live in the inundated area, you still have a good chance of surviving - it's not quite as sudden as an earthquake. Take the North Sea flood of 1953, which was a really big one, killed 1,835 people - that's less than one thousandth of the Dutch population. And 30,000 were evacuated. So only about 8% of those at risk were killed. And after that the Delta Works were built (apparently one of the seven wonders of the modern world). So we're pretty safe here. :) A better question might be why people would want to live in, say, Israel. For most Israelis living there was a choice, unlike, I presume, most LAians, who were born there. DirkvdM 18:38, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Just FYI, the term for a citizen of Los Angeles is Angeleno. --Trovatore 23:27, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Ha! In California we joke that "everyone" is from somewhere else. —Tamfang 16:16, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

There's a heck of a lot more choice involved in living in LA than in Israel. More than two-thirds of Israelis were born in the country, and most Israeli families are from places like Yemen or Ukraine, where they wouldn't exactly feel comfortable going back. On the other hand, fewer than half of the people in LA County were born in California -- most are either from another country or elsewhere in the US. It's very common for Americans to move around the country. An LA resident who doesn't like earthquakes can move to Florida just as easily as the millions of New Yorkers and Ohioans who move there because they don't like cold weather.

What I don't get are people who live in places like the Outer Banks of North Carolina, which seem to be wrecked by a hurricane every few years. But I'm sure they would have a hard time understanding why I live in a place where, for a couple of months, you put cans of soda in the fridge to keep them warm. -- Mwalcoff 02:49, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

list of earthquake deaths in the United States —Tamfang 16:16, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Wow, that's even less than I thought. In the past century (which only just excludes the big one in San Francisco), it's only about 600. And in LA only 9?? DirkvdM 18:42, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Houses in the US tend to be built of wood (unlike the rest of the world, which tends to use brick, stone, or mud brick). And wood-framed houses (unlike brick, stone, or mud brick) are quite earthquake-resistant. --Carnildo 20:13, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Northridge (60 dead in 1994), San Fernando (65 dead in 1971), Long Beach (115 dead in 1933) are all in Los Angeles County. —Tamfang 22:57, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Actually Northridge is part of the city of Los Angeles. I found this out sometime in the 1990s when there was a movement for the San Fernando Valley to secede from LA -- my reaction was "the Valley's part of LA?". (I was living in LA at the time, and the Valley always seemed like something separate.)

However I don't know whether your "60 dead" figure is all in Los Angeles -- some of them might have been, say, in West Hollywood or Beverly Hills, which are not part of LA. --Trovatore 23:03, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Funny, the same area is known both as Northridge and the Valley? And why isn't it then designated "Northridge, Los Angeles" or just taken together with Los Angeles if even people from the US are confused by this? Still, shame on me for not knowing this, because a niece of mine lives there, near van Nuys Airport. Nice and cheap because it's also nice and hot. :) But as I understand it, hot by LA standards is not nice by anyone's standards (except possibly mine - I've got the tropics in my blood). DirkvdM 18:00, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The Most Serene Republic of Los Angeles has an imperial history. In the early 20th century, it used its stranglehold on water to induce many communities to allow themselves to be annexed. But many of them never really assimilated, and every now and then a revolt in the hinterlands has to be put down. --Trovatore 18:09, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

There's nothing weird about a ridge within a valley, is there? (Though I lived in Northridge for a year without ever knowing where the "ridge" is.) One could say "Northridge, Los Angeles" but rarely does; possibly because the Valley's post offices were established before it was annexed to the city. (Others include Van Nuys, Reseda, Tarzana, Canoga Park, Woodland Hills, North Hollywood, Granada Hills, Chatsworth, Sun Valley, Sherman Oaks, Encino.) —Tamfang 21:08, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

October 14

Assuming one is driving alone in a family sedan and an inevitable frontal impact crash is about to occur. How should one brace for the accident? Should the head be rested against the headrest? Should the neck muscles be tightened? etc... Similarly, how should one brace for side and rear impacts? Thanks. Acceptable 01:46, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

According to Death of Diana, Princess of Wales article it was displacement and tearing of internal organs which resulted in death of the occupants even though airbags were deployed for the driver and the front passenger. It is claimed by the attending medical personnel that no one would have died had they been wearing seat belts. Although this may or may not be true it does seem highly unlikely that bracing, one's self, airbags, seatbelts or anything else would be sufficient to prevent internal displacement and tearing of organs for any collision with sufficient G forces, also High Acceleration and the Human Body.Clem 02:29, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I seem to recall hearing that people who were asleep (with seat belt on) survived more often than those who were awake, the theory I heard said this was because the sleeping individual didn't tense/stress their body as they were unaware of the impending crash. So if that theory is true it would seem 'relax' is the best (if most difficult) approach to take. ny156uk 02:37, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Also notable is the fact that persons who are drunk have a higher survival rate for crashes than people who aren't, due to the fact that they are more relaxed (in support of the previous statement). The position of the seatbelt is also important. If it is not across the hip bones, but across the stomach, for example, it can cause a lot of internal damage. From personal experience, however (bike vs. contruction vehicle at 55 m/h, believe it or not), I'd encourage anyone entering a crash situation to attempt to manuver their vehicle into the same direction as the other vehicle, and speed up to reduce the force of the impact. If possible, try to position something between the more vulnerable parts of your body and anything that could harm them (pulling you legs up between you and the steering wheel. You might break your legs, but you're probably less likely to crush vital organs). justice 04:40, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

A Honda CRV with ACC (Active Cruise Control), automatically tightens the seat belt and applies the brakes for you if it's radar anticipates an accident while giving a visual and audiable warning as well.--88.111.33.45 07:48, 14 October 2007 (UTC) Arrghh 4 got2 sin --88.111.61.118 19:41, 14 October 2007 (UTC) :-)[reply]

Seatbelt pre-tensioners are actually pretty common nowadays - usually they are set off at the same time as the airbag. My MINI Cooper'S has them. SteveBaker 15:53, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Indeed. same for drunk people. Problem with that is that you're more likely to get into an accident in the first place. And that also counts for sleepy people. Sleepy driving should be as illegal as drunken driving. DirkvdM 18:52, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

What about stupid driving? --88.111.61.118 20:02, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

No problem unless it's dangerous. Of course one could say the same about drunken driving and sleepy driving. Actually, there should be a general test for the physical abilities required for driving. If old people tend to fail that, then maybe they should not be allowed to drive. DirkvdM 18:44, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

My brother once crashed on a highway, so he was probably going about 100 km/h when he hit a bump in a curve. And he wasn't wearing a seat belt. I don't know too many details of how he hit what,but he said it certainly helped that he stretched his arms and braced himself against the steering wheel. After the crash he had a terrible muscle ache in his arms. But the pain in his head was even worse, because he crashed sideways into the railing, as a result of which his head crashed against the side window. Which broke, I believe. To illustrate the seriousness of the crash, when he tried to sell the car for scrap, he could only get some money for the tires, which were brand new. DirkvdM 18:52, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Bracing his arms would generally be a bad idea - but since he wasn't wearing a seat belt (idiot!) I suppose it may have helped. Smashing the window with his head probably saved him actually. Hard though that impact must have been, it would have absorbed energy from the sideways movement of his head that would probably have broken his neck otherwise. The value of side-impact air-bags should never be underestimated. SteveBaker 14:05, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Note that this was in the early seventies, when seat belts were a new phenomenon, not yet obligatory for old cars like his. And he could barely afford the car, let alone having it fitted with seatbelts. DirkvdM 18:06, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Are the UT buildings considered part of the Austin skyline? Æetlr Creejl 02:19, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Considered by whom? Are they in downtown Austin? How tall are they? If I could see them against the sky, from anywhere in or around Austin, then I would consider them to be part of the Austin skyline. However, no skylines are definitive; they all depend entirely on one's viewpoint. If I couldn't see them from where I was standing, they wouldn't form part of the skyline.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 11:20, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Are there any Incas still left today? 65.33.220.127 14:00, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

There are no Incas in the world today, in the same way there are no Prussians in the world today; the empire which gave them their name no longer exists. However, there are certainly decendants of the Quechua and Aymara peoples who lived in the Incan empire; see Demographics of Peru, Demographics of Bolivia, Demographics of Ecuador. FiggyBee 14:23, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

First, what percent of Americans vote? Second, what percent of Amercans are mentally retarded? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 96.227.21.225 (talk) 18:18, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

1. Around 50-60%, depending on the type of election. It's generally around 50% for local (i.e. House, mayor, town council) elections, and higher for presidential elections. 2. A quick google search on "percent of americans who are mentally retarded" turns up an essay from 2000 that claims 12% of all Americans. NASCAR Fan24^{(radio me!)} 18:27, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Note that the second percentage is (theoretically at least) independent from anything in the real world. It is basically the definition of mental retardation that the bottom p% of the population is mentally retarded. IQ is defined such that 100 is average and 95.8 percent of the population falls between 70 and 130. (ie. if everybody gets smarter, the average IQ stays exactly the same, if the difference between smart and dumb increases, IQ values won't change). Mental retardation is defined as an IQ of 70 or lower, or more specifically a value below two standard deviations below the mean. This means that by definition, 2.2% percent of the population is mentally retarded. No matter how smart everyone gets, or how the distribution changes, that value stays the same. That makes the value of 12% (as measured statistically, I guess) very interesting. I guess that most diagnoses are based on more that IQ alone and that accounts for the bulk of the discrepancy, but it's a large gap. risk 18:53, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

According to the article on mental retardation there are two more criteria beyond the IQ thing required before someone is diagnosed as mentally retarded, so the definition is less strict than I made it seem, but really that should only serve to decrease the percentage, not increase it. risk 18:58, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

See Elections in the United States. Last time, for the president it was 59%, for the senate 29% and for the house of representatives 38%. (Usually good for a smirk in the Netherlands - hey, aren't those the guys who think they have to force democracy down other people's throats? :) .) Often, the figures given are for the ones who registered to vote, not for the entire electorate, so be careful when you read such figures. Not included in the given figures are people who are not allowed to vote, such as retarded people (is that the reason for the second question?) and people in prison. If you include those in the electorate, the percentages would be even lower. Especially the amount of people in prison in the US is quite high, I've heard, but I have no figures on that. DirkvdM 19:02, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

According to Prisons in the United States, 2.2 million are incarcerated, with another 4.8 million on probation or parole. Algebraist 20:57, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Can Americans be barred from voting for incompetence? I haven't heard of it. —Tamfang 16:19, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Ok, that would be just over 1% of the electorate, so not such a big factor. Still not good, though. this table (in Dutch) shows the number of incarcerated people over time in various countries per 100.000 inhabitants. For the US that's in the hundreds, and almost tripled from 275 in 1982 to 690 in 1999. The table stops there, but according to your figure, it should have risen a staggering 1000 by now. Most other figures are well below 100. So the numbers of prisoners per capita in the US is more than ten times what it is elsewhere. It used to be bad, but since Reagan it's been rising very sharply. I wonder how many of those are in prison for smoking a joint. From a joint to the joint. :) No, not funny. DirkvdM 18:59, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Between the two cities in Texas which would be the best to live in? Houston or Dallas? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.32.134.152 (talk) 19:10, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It really comes down to a matter of opinion. What are you specifically looking for in the two cities? NASCAR Fan24^{(radio me!)} 19:26, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I've been living in Dallas (which is really two large cities: Dallas and Fort Worth with Arlington and a bunch of smaller communities surrounding them) - and recently moved to Austin. I havn't lived in Houston - but I know a lot of people who have. My impressions of Houston are mostly that the extra humidity makes the hot summers truly miserable - the heat in Dallas is much more bearable. Aside from that, there is little to choose between them. Austin on the other hand (which is the capital city of Texas) is entirely different - vastly more culturally diverse. Austin's unofficial motto is "Keep Austin Weird" - and it certainly lives up to that. So, given the choice, I'd rate Austin as #1, Dallas/Ft.Worth as #2 and Houston a rather distant #3. But a lot depends on your criteria. SteveBaker 21:53, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I have to agree with Steve, the humidity in houston is terrible. The DFW metroplex is so huge that you can find anything you need so Houston's size doesn't give it much of an advantage there. I think traffic in houston is worse than the metroplex too. I also hate houston for a host of irrational reasons... We'd all live in austin if we could. -- Diletante 23:43, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

My biased opinion is that the drivers in Houston are worse than in DFW. They change lanes unpredictably, but won't let you change lanes if you give them any warning about it, and they drive way too close together. Infuriating and scary. But driving anywhere in Texas takes about six months to learn because of the very short merge zones -- you have to learn to start negotiating a spot to merge while you're still on the ramp, well before the merging actually starts. --Trovatore 23:54, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Enough original research, folks. Isn't there, like, a "most live-able cities"" index we could refer to?--The Fat Man Who Never Came Back 00:58, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Good point. Hmmm - so I checked: http://www.fortworth.com/ says that Ft.Worth is the 17th most livable city in the USA - and the most livable in Texas. Phah - nonsense! It goes on to extoll the virtues of "The Historic Stockyards". Well at one time (about 15 years ago), they truly were a historic site (well, the closest you ever get to history in Texas apart from "The Alamo"). However, they've turned the whole thing into a cheesy shopping mall. It's the only faintly historical thing for about 150 miles in any direction - and the best they could come up with was to fill it full of tacky gift shops and places where you can buy Texas-map-shaped belt buckles and fake Jackalopes. Pah! SteveBaker 04:07, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Oh, come on, the stockyards aren't the real Fort Worth. I actually find Fort Worth kind of charming; it feels much more genteel than Dallas. I very much enjoyed going to hear Buddy's Big Band once a month at the Southside Preservation Hall. On balance, yeah, I think I'd rather live there than Dallas. If you want to do something in Dallas, well, it isn't far. --Trovatore 04:38, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I've not visited Texas, but a friend told me Austin is pretty cool with some great live music venues and a good college town vibe. I hope to visit Texas someday. Astronaut 21:22, 20 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

do u guys know any places that i could find things about how to find heart rate and good exercise programs??? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.210.23.83 (talk) 20:11, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It's called Google. Jonathan ^talk \ _{contribs — er} 21:08, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Do not insult questioners. If you do not know the answer, abstain from responding. --Taraborn 21:24, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

That was not an insult. Jonathan ^talk \ _{contribs — er} 21:55, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

But it was dismissive and unhelpful.--The Fat Man Who Never Came Back 01:00, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

You may want to try WebMD. NASCAR Fan24^{(radio me!)} 21:25, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Cheapest way to find your pulse (which gives you your current heart rate) is by feeling for it with two fingers of (say) your left hand pressed against the radial artery of your right wrist (that's just on the thumb side of the bones you can feel in your wrist with your palm facing up). Count the pulses for 15 seconds, and multiply the count by four. The more expensive way of finding your heart rate is by purchasing a heart rate monitor (look in sports stores or on e-bay) and using it as per directions. See Heart rate for information on what heart rates you should aim for when exercising.

Since you're asking here rather than going to a gym, I expect you're looking for the sort of exercises you can do at home. For reducing fat you want cardiovascular exercise like running, cycling or swimming. For increasing muscle or strength you want um... the other sort of exercising. I'd suggest googling for 5BX (or XBX if you're female). They're exercise programs created for the Canadian air force for staff and aircrews posted to remote areas with no access to gym equipment. --Psud 11:12, 19 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Can someone help me please i was told if i come to wikipedia i would find inforation on the Conn Family from Inverurie/Huntly area, i have got lost and dont have a clue what to do next, please help. I am trying to trace this family as they are my Dad's birth family and he is in contact with them now and has some information, but we would like to go back in history if possibel how do i do this many thanks Dee —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.141.78.124 (talk) 23:10, 14 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Despite what you were told, Wikipedia isn't a genealogy reference, and there's really nothing we can do beyond pointing you to the usual suspects in that regard -- local libraries for historical periodicals, genealogy websites, and the like. Obviously, your father's contacts will provide the best possible starting point. — Lomn 00:20, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

A quick Google search produced this website: http://www.conn-clan.co.uk There is a history of the Conn Clan there: [8]. It says that 'Alec Conn' has been researching the family name for 27 years. A search for 'Alec Conn' (again, in Google) turned up this link that contains a family tree... http://www1.freewebs.com/connfamilytree/_sgg/f10000.htm they said they got their information from this site http://fp.ayrshireroots.plus.com/Genealogy/Surnames/Conn/Conn.htm which gives an email address of alecconn@teesdaleonline.co.uk - as the person who has been doing all of the family name research. Email him...now! SteveBaker 13:55, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

October 15

Does anyone happen to know where I can find a summary of the book "Son of the mob" by Gordon Korman? If you could post it here, that would be great. Thanks in advance! --IluvNicholas 00:04, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Amazon.com and other online retailers often include a short synopsis (for example) though they tend not to give you the ending. Google is your friend here. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 03:04, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Dear Wikipedia contributors,

What is the best way to smuggle cocaine from Colombia to the United States? The reason for this question is because I am planning to write a novel chronicling the adventures of Esteban Sanchez, a 17-year old teenager forced into drug smuggling by his poor single-mother. Esteban meets Rosario, a strange, but beautiful brunette much like Michelle Rodriguez. They talk and make deals and Esteban is at the point where he has to find a way to smuggle the powdered cocaine. How should Esteban do this? I beg of you to take into consideration his safety. Thanks you so much!

71.18.216.110 01:46, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I cannot tell you the various benefits of different methods (I expect the best methods are not yet discovered) as I don't go near the stuff, let alone deal or smuggle it. However, things you would need to take into account are the amount that they are supposed to smuggle (can it be taken by a single person?), the method of travel (commercial airline, surface travel through Mexico, ocean, etc), the amount of health risk the people are willing to take (carrying the cocaine in condoms inside the body is less detectable, but very risky, while a secret pocket in luggage is not a health risk, but easily detectable), and so on. Esteban's and Rosario's contacts are also important - are they able to bribe or blackmail a border official in advance? Bribery and blackmail is probably the safest method, because the border is the most dangerous part. However, the con to this approach is that there is someone in an official place who knows what you have done, and will dob you in if they are caught themselves. In addition it is also open to double-crossing (a common plot device in a thriller novel). A handy word for Esteban's role is 'mule', which refers to someone forced into smuggling drugs against their will. A mule's smuggling technique is often very risky, and they will not necessarily know for whom they are smuggling the drugs.Steewi 02:33, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

You might find the United States Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) Microgram Bulletin an interesting read. Skim through a few issues from the Bulletin archives to get an idea of the sort of creative things the DEA has run across. This issue describes plastic manufactured to contain 7% cocaine and formed into suitcase components, and hollow Aztec statues full of cocaine bricks. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 03:11, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Look up the book Snow Blind which is all about a guy who smuggled cocaine and his different methods. Also the various Howard Marks books as its all smuggling. Don't do it for real. Prison life is wasted life. Paul —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.86.166.234 (talk) 10:47, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Your novel would be more interesting if you invented a novel method of smuggling. I would think along the lines of the safest method being not to have any contact with the goods themselves; they make their own way over the border using a their own transport that couln't be traced back to the sender. For example, see radio-controlled aircraft, carrier pigeon, bat bomb...--Shantavira|^{feed me} 12:47, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It does sort of depend on the novel. If you want to convey the grim cold inhumanity of the drug trade, you need something believable, so you're best of with something that everybody knows about (like swallowing balloons). It would break the dramatic tension if young Esteban, in the middle of his despair, suddenly decided to build a cocaine catapult. (The whole thing could turn into a sort of deranged roadrunner-like string of failed schemes). risk 23:30, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

"(The whole thing could turn into a sort of deranged roadrunner-like string of failed schemes)." I would read such a novel. 69.95.50.15 13:24, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Certainly the most horrific thing i've had the mispleasure to read in my life was a short story of an individual who smuggled cocaine in the innards of a young baby, they had 'balled out' and the innards filled with the cocaine. I can only hope the story was made up. Personally I really enjoy 'con man' style movies/books etc. so something that is really 'intelligent' and thought through. Doing things 'right under the eyes' of the authorities often makes for excitement/interest as you can build tension about close-calls etc. I'm not sure of a premise, but something that involves maybe throwing the 'dogs' off the scent at the airport, perhaps by setting up a smaller but more vocal drugs bust on the same flight - you might then be able to make it believable that your individual could 'sneak' through in the middle of the excitement. After all you wouldn't expect to catch 2 drugs busts on the same flight (well I wouldn't!) ny156uk 13:07, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It would be pretty responsible writing if your "hero" got caught and spent the rest of his life in prison as a moral lesson to others. 87.112.85.54 12:19, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

• You might like to see Maria Full of Grace, which is about a drug mule. If I personally had to smuggle drugs into the US, I would design and build a cruise missile that I would launch from the Mexican desert, from where it would fly over a dropoff point (via GPS) in the US to drop its load, and then fly out over the Pacific and self-destruct. --Sean 15:37, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Hello, I have 2 questions.

1: In WWII, the Air Force fighter designation was "P" (like P-51 Mustang and P-47 Thunderbolt), why wasn't it F?

2: If a stealth fighter fought an enemy stealth fighter, they'd have to be in visual range to fire, right?

Thanks. Cheers,JetLover (Report a mistake) 02:40, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

• 1) "P" was the prefix for "Pursuit" aircraft. If you'll peruse the "Post World War II" paragraph in the P-51 article, you'll notice they talk some about when SAC changed the designators.

2) F-117A's (the current airframe usually referred to as a "stealth fighter") are largely invisible to radar, but they themselves do not carry radar equipment (it's impossible to use a radar and be invisible to other radar sensors, so there's a tradeoff). They use thermal imaging to spot targets, mostly, and anything with a jet engine does put out a thermal signature, so they can use that to track in on each other, I imagine. Luckily, they are only in use by the US right now, and so wouldn't usually engage each other. They are (according to the F-117 Nighthawk article) slated for decommissioning next year, and the Air Force has closed down the flight school. The next generation fighter, the F-22 Raptor, hasn't really been fielded enough to answer the question (imho). Deltopia 03:23, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It's also worth noting that despite the name, the F-117 isn't a fighter; it's a very small bomber. It's not very agile, and carries no air-to-air weaponry. FiggyBee 08:24, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks! Cheers,JetLover (Report a mistake) 22:35, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah - the stealth doesn't have any way to attack an enemy aircraft unless it's parked on an airfield someplace. They are also horribly un-aerobatic - they certainly don't 'dogfight' - and they are too slow to run away from any moderately modern plane. They are entirely dependant on stealth - once they've been spotted - they are in deep trouble. Whilst they certainly use really excellent thermal imaging - I'm fairly sure the camera looks mostly downwards. As for spotting a stealth fighter using thermal imaging - that's not as easy as it sounds. The F117 isn't just "radar invisible" - it's also close to thermally invisible too. The jet exhausts are much lower temperature than most jet aircraft (and they have no afterburners). The jet exhaust comes out at slower speeds through a bunch of special 'diffusers' along the wings that cool the exhaust before releasing it. It's engines are pretty quiet too - it's hard to hear it coming! It's weird shape even helps by confusing the eye - it just doesn't look like an airplane and it changes profile as it changes direction to a much greater degree than other planes. So it would be harder to recognise at normal air combat ranges. SteveBaker 03:52, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Isn't the B-2 Spirit US Air Force's current top-of-the-line specialty stealth bomber? Acceptable 02:09, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Playstation 3 or x box 360? i dont know which 1 2 get can anyone help me out, i have a new samsung so i wud like 1 with best graphics and sound quality but i dnt know much about it.......thanx : ) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.144.161.223 (talk) 08:42, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Wii, hands down! Aaadddaaammm 08:43, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

well both of them kinda suck wii is always the best but between those two.... XBOX 360 —Preceding unsigned comment added by Dlo2012 (talk • contribs) 20:27, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

While wii is the best, it's as unhelpful as going to the computer desk with a windows problem and being told "switch to linux". Between PS3 and Xbox 360, my personal choice is the 360 - I've got that lined up for a second console purchase. It's much more affordable, and PS3 doesn't have any exclusive games that, to me, justify the price tag; in addition, I can't afford an HD TV, so blue-ray and HD capacities are useless to me. The best graphics and sound quality are in the PS3; if you want it for playing movies, and your samsung is a giant HD monster of a TV, that's your best bet. If you want to play games, however, I'd go 360. And hey, pick up a copy of Orange Box while you're at it, a friend brought over their 360 and I've not had as much fun with a game in years (Portal, natch). Kuronue | Talk 04:04, 18 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Playstation 3 or x box 360? i dont know which 1 2 get can anyone help me out, i have a new samsung so i wud like 1 with best graphics and sound quality and which 1 would have the best games but i dnt know much about it.......thanx : ) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.144.161.223 (talk) 08:43, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Well the PS3 hasn't got that extensive a library yet (compared to the 360) but when you buy either you have to remember that the last generation of consoles lasted around 5/6 years so whatever you choose the games on them will only get better. Just compare the first few years of PS2 games to the most recent releases. I personally prefer the PS3 control pad so would go for that but it really is preference. I think the PS3 has slightly better raw power than the X-box a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_video_game_consoles_%28seventh_generation%29 gives a nice side-by-side comparison though. ny156uk 12:59, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

For me it's not much of a decision, because Halo 3 is only ever going to be available for the Xbox 360. But you may not be the Halo fan that I am so you should take a hard look here and here and decide for yourself. Also the Wii is super cool and should be given consideration. Man It's So Loud In Here 16:52, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Get the one that's cheapest and has the biggest library with the most popular games, of course: The PS2. (Seriously, $600 for a launch system with no game library? That's rent money in a lot of places. And ridiculous.) If saving money is important at all to you, wait a year or two before you buy any of the next-gen consoles -- there will be more games, better games, and cheaper prices if history is any indicator. Early adopters get screwed hardest. (Just my opinion.) Deltopia 17:52, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Rent money? For over two months! Skittle 22:25, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

True story - my mortgage when I lived in Augusta, Georgia, was just under $600, for a three bedroom, nice house in a decent neighborhood. I live in Maryland now; you can rent a mailbox for that much here. A lot of it is definitely in where you live :) But still, if I lived back there, I would be too tempted to spend the spare $500 to make a principal payment on my home loan; I would never be able to convince myself to buy a playstation with it. Crazy. Deltopia 14:25, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I recommend getting the one that has a game that you simply must have - until then hold onto your money and bide your time - let them come to you>83.100.252.179 18:53, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I'm a games programmer - I work with both Xbox-360 and PS-3 consoles every day. I could list yards and yards of pro's and con's for each console type (well, I couldn't - we sign NDAs and stuff) - but it doesn't matter. It really doesn't. For the majority of games that come out on both systems (or on both systems AND the PC - such as the game I'm working on), it's very unlikely that games teams will go to a lot of effort to produce a game that looks different on the two consoles because one is better than the other. So for games that come out on both machines, it doesn't matter a damn which console you buy - or even if you run it on a PC - the game experience will be very, very similar. So the only reason to prefer one over the other is for 'exclusive; titles that come out specially for that machine and not on the other. Hence the decision comes down to price and whether you prefer the kinds of exclusive games on one console versus those on the other. The Wii is something else - it's cheap - nowhere near as capable as the other two - and the games are WAY different. If you like Wii games, buy a Wii - nothing else will do. SteveBaker 01:58, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I strongly suggest wikipedia start a new wikiproject for trivia and popular culture references. I know the official policy is to incorporate the trivia sections into the main text of the article, but personally, my favorite wiki/websurfing activity is to read the trivia sections of articles. I find so many fascinating odds and ends and tidbits of information. Plus, the trivia section has so many interesting links to other wiki articles. Occasionally I revisit an article only to find the whole trivia section removed. That always makes me sad. I wonder how many articles I've visited and never got to read the trivia section. I check the history but it rarely says "trivia section removed." It just says "cleanup."

Anyway, just a thought I wanted to pass on to someone or at least release it into the ether of wiki and the internet. Could someone at least pass this on to someone who makes these types of decisions? Or maybe wikipedia should have a suggestion box or a poll for ideas like this that people can vote on and users could view the results. Thanks.Ozmaweezer 11:37, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Its a community wide decision to remove trivia sections from articles, one that I disagree with, by the way. Think outside the box 12:03, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I agree, it is a shame and I feel that Wiki has lost one of it iconic 'quirks'. Lanfear's Bane 12:38, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I feel it's not so much a community wide decision, as a community-wide ongoing endless debate. See Wikipedia talk:Trivia sections for part of it (including 8 archived pages, and I'm sure there are other places where the discussion rages on). Considering that the first four people in this thread (me included) believe that trivia sections should be allowed, I don't think we have a consensus just yet. risk 13:03, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Make it five in favour of allowing trivia sections. DuncanHill 16:25, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I'd favor them if they could be managed better, i.e. if they weren't magnets for ever-growing heaps of badly-written clutter. —Tamfang 16:29, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Perhaps Wikimedia needs to be extended to "understand" trivia sections and show them to the (seeming) large majority who like them and hide them from the (small but vocal) minority who think they're sub-elite cruft. Personally, I've cut way back on my contributions to the encyclopedia as certain cliques have made it less and less fun to contribute.

Atlant 18:15, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The biggest problem with trivia articles and sections is that they're hardly ever sourced. It's all along the lines of "well, read the book or watch the movie", but that violates WP:V. Corvus cornix 17:06, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I too love the trivia. What more can I say? I'll bet there are some awful ones in the popular culture/latest fads articles - anyone got a really bad example - just for fun (I know this is fundamentally wrong)83.100.252.179 18:51, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Why don't you guys just start a trivia wiki? It could have no real content, only trivial content. Your "What TriviaWiki Is Not" statement could be "a real encyclopedia". I'm sure people would flock to it. Make it GFDL compliant and you can use the deleted Wikipedia sections without any trouble. --24.147.86.187 20:11, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I've removed trivia sections and incorporated them into the main article. This has been because trivia sections are supposed to be places for people (inexperienced with Wikipedia usually) to add facts that they don't know how to incorporate into the article, or so I understand. Also (and this is usually why I do it) because a trivia section gathers stupid nonsense. After a few weeks of sorting through rubbish, I tend to incorporate good stuff into the article (in a way that usually adds to the meaning of the 'trivia' and increases the usefulness of the article) and delete the stuff that doesn't belong. I've tried just maintaining the sections, but it's never-ending and it's really unfair to expect people to work out what doesn't belong in Wikipedia, and how they can improve it by writing lovely, cited facts, when this stuff is there, inviting them to add rubbish. Plus, the 'trivia' and 'in popular culture' sections have to be among the most mocked, devaluing sections to the general public, reducing Wikipedia as a whole in the public's eyes. Which is annoying. Skittle 22:23, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, it is a conundrum. Some "trivia" sections do contain some truly awful stuff; but on the other hand I've found some gems there too, which have sent me off in unexpected directions, leading to the creation of new articles. We also find bits of "trivia" embedded in the guts of articles, which have to be surgically removed. I guess it comes down to what one means by "trivia" - one person's trivia is another person's valuable information, depending on their particular interests. Some articles have what is essentially a trivia section labelled as "Other" or similar. Maybe we should re-label "Trivia" sections as "Pending Inclusion" or something like that (I know it's a contradiction in terms, because they're already part of the article, just not in a very prominent place in the article). That way, readers would get that that they're not fully accepted, and may never make it into the article proper - or, they may. -- JackofOz 22:39, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Indeed. If the pages didn't have to look encyclopedic in the meantime, I'd heavily favour such an option. Part of the problem does seem to be the title, since people assume it should be filled with trivial things they happen to know (or 'know') about the article's subject. It can seem a bit like the theory whereby people fill whatever space you provide (which I'm sure has a proper name, and probably an article, plus many interesting links to fascinating articles, but sadly I must go to bed now :) rather than look it up on google, as my heart truly desires). I've found lovely things in trivia sections, but then I've found lovely things in all parts of articles (except perhaps the dense middle-sections of some technical articles, which seem to be written for people who already understand and know everything the section says). I suppose the challenge (which I shall now make my life's work) is to incorporate 'trivia' into articles in such a way that skim-readers read the section and notice the interesting fact. Skittle 23:36, 15 October 2007 (UTC) Oh, and if you want an example of how stupidly awful such sections can be, I seem to remember And did those feet in ancient time being very bad in the past. Try checking the history, maybe how it looked in May... Skittle 23:54, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

This is certainly a tricky one. I'm not a deletionist - I want Wikipedia to contain all information of all kinds. However, the problem with trivia is that it's just never kept at the quality levels a truly useful encyclopedia demands. It's FAR too easy for any random person to come along and tack on a trivia item to an existing list - who ever checks it? If they don't provide a solid reference, how can you check it? We've all seen those emailed "List of 101 amazing facts" - about 90% which are urban legends - or easily disproved - we can't allow that to happen to Wikipedia. Sure a good, solid list of boo-boos in a particular movie is interesting to read. But how interesting would the list be if 90% of the items in the list were flat out untrue? It would just be pointless and annoying.

These lists all too frequently end up a complete and utter mess. A dedicated editor, trying to maintain a high quality article has a HORRIBLE time. If the trivia section has a handful of items in it, people (mostly anon editors with zero prior editing history) will relentlessly add more and more - none of them checkable - half of them untrue - most of them entirely irrelevent. When you try to clean them out, the people who stuck them in there will rant and edit war and threaten to set the admins on you (like that's going to work!) - they'll generally be an utter pain in the ass. So - in the end, we're better off without this stuff.

I've written two articles to the best standard that Wikipedia espouses (ie they made it onto the front page as featured articles) - and one of them had a trivia section of sorts. That article was about the Mini (a variety of British car). At the time, it seemed a good idea to list the important movies that the Mini appeared in. This was for the serious reason that the car ended up being a cult icon of the 'swinging-60's - and that had a lot to do with how it was shown in the media. Well, I picked a handful of movies in which the car had 'starred' prominently (eg, "The Italian Job", "Goodbye PorkPie", etc) without which the Mini would not have been the success it was. I swear - within a month of doing that, we had 'grown' a list of 60 or more movies and a bunch of TV programs! Some of them (eg "The Bourne Identity") undoubtedly 'starred' the car - but couldn't possibly have 'influenced' it because they were made after the car ceased production!

Then I watched one of the movies that was listed (I think it was "Hotel Rwanda") - and after watching the movie all the way through, I didn't spot a Mini ANYWHERE in the darned thing. When I challanged the editor, he pointed out that it was off in the distance, parked someplace in ONE scene. Argh! That's a totally USELESS piece of information. If every item appearing in every movie for the briefest of moments should be listed in a trivia section for that item, the encyclopedia would end up being mostly gigantic lists of completely irrelevent information! When I decided to delete that entry - we ended up with a 3RR violation from the other guy - then all sorts of other nastiness. Appeals to higher authority...you name it.

It was WAY out of hand. Back then, we hadn't gotten to the present situation where trivia sections can be reasonably be deleted on sight - so to avoid any more major arguments, I decided to fork off a second article "List of Movies with Mini cars in them" - linked to it from the main article and moved almost all of the list over there - keeping only those few items that could be worked into nice prose descriptions of how these movies influenced sales and popularity of the car. In other words - ONLY mention movies that influenced the history of the car - not mentioning any where the car merely happened to be the one the producer happened to have handy on the day!

Eventually, the deletionists AfD'd my "List of Movies with Mini cars in them"...which I think is a shame, actually. But the article about the Mini is MUCH better off without that ever-growing, unmaintainable, unsourced, never-complete list. Overall, I think that getting rid of 'trivia' sections everywhere is not appropriate. Having sourced lists of errors in movies, easter eggs in computer games, that kind of thing - IS relevent - and the suggestion to turn those into prose is often unhelpful. But having "Trivia" and "Appearances in the Popular Culture" sections being tacked onto articles as automatically as "See Also" and "References" are is a truly terrible idea and it absolutely has to be stamped out.

SteveBaker 03:28, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

A problem is that the deletionists made this {{trivia}} tag and it would be silly for the inclusionists to have a tag that says that the section should stay. Thus, the impression is given that the deletionists form a majority. Maybe if there is such a section that has gotten out of hand, there should be an alternative that says "Trivia sections are meant for information that is side-ways related to the article. Before adding info here, please first check if it shouldn't go into another section of this or another article." Or something along those lines. Of course everything in Wikipedia should be true, however trivial it is. (And vice versa - if it's true it should be in Wikipedia. Somewhere.) Maybe the disputed info there or elsewhere in the article should go to a separate 'fact sheet', as I proposed on my user page. However, that is not entirely the same thing, so this suggestion is only is-ways related, so is it a trivium? Ah, good, I've already added the tag. :)

Steve, what you did is also something I suggest on my user page - if an article or section becomes too long, just make a separate article out of it and leave the main entries in the main article, with a link to the long list at the top - that's the standard way Wikipedia works, something I doubt many people will disagree with. If even that list becomes too long, it could be split into even more separate sub-articles. However, I agree that your mini example is rather over the top. But it is also quite exceptional - I've never encountered something as extreme as that. DirkvdM 07:03, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Oh, and regarding the original question, it already follows from the above that I disagree with splitting off specific sorts of info from Wikipedia. Everything should stay here. I'd also like to see other wikiprojects integrated into Wikipedia. Such as Wiktionary. If the title of an article is a dictionary word, then the meaning should be given in the article. That will in most cases be a very short section, so it's silly to make what is basically a stub for that. And on a different site even. DirkvdM 07:08, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

My only comment on "if it's true it should be in Wikipedia. Somewhere" is that it's undeniably true that any notable person you care to name goes to the toilet, has pimples on their backside, and sometimes has bad breath. That's an extreme example, obviously, but extreme examples have their uses. The purpose of this one is that it demonstrates that a line has to be drawn somewhere between trivial and non-trivial true information. The only question is, where? -- JackofOz 09:25, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I actually agree with both Dirkvdm and JackofOz here - but drawing that line in the sand is tough.

In the end, I like the rule we use in the WikiProject:Cars group - which is to say that in 'trivia' lists of "Movies this car has appeared in" or "Famous owners of this car" you should restrict yourself to movies (or owners) who had an influence on the history, fate or development of the car. This sharply limits the extent to which these lists can grow - and also makes it more likely that the section will be written in more-acceptable prose style.

But even so, I note with growing horror that the Mini#Exotic Minis and celebrities section of "my" featured article (yes, I know it's not "my" article - but I did 95% of the grunt work to push it from a stub to an FA) has started to grow unreferenced junk in it again and will soon have to be pruned. So now we have: Niki Lauda, Enzo Ferrari and Steve McQueen all owned (and regularly drove) Mini Coopers. Does it matter that Steve McQueen owned a Mini? It's perhaps relevent to the Steve McQueen article - but did his ownership of the car have any measurable effect on the brand? I very much doubt it - and we certainly don't have any references to that effect. Are we really sure he regularly drove his Mini? I very much doubt we know THAT for sure - with references.

I happen to know that Enzo Ferrari discussed the car at length with it's designer - and maybe that is worthy of mention. That the designer of some of the most elegant high performance cars in the world loved this tiny little $1000 family car to the degree that he bought one says something pretty significant about the car. I think I can even dig up a reference in my Mini book collection.

But this stuff is a major pain for an article maintainer to keep up with. Anyone who happens to read the article and who has some vague recollection will go and tack it onto the end of the trivia section - and those things are just NEVER properly fact-checked or referenced. They are more likely to be incorrect than any other kind of information we have here. So all in all, I don't want that kind of cruft in my article unless it comes pre-fact-checked.

Pushing trivia sections out into other articles is a way to deal with that - the resulting 'trivia' article can then be appropriately tagged and attacked by the deletionists without greatly upsetting the work of serious editors who are trying to turn out quality articles. "List of Trivia relating to 'X'." articles could then stand or fall on their own merits. No doubt people reading that article can be given a blanket "This is a trivia article and you should treat unreferenced items with deep suspicion" - without dragging down the tone of an otherwise great article.

The trivia-section problem is a serious one - something needs to be done about it.

SteveBaker 13:23, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Two little points. "Having sourced lists of errors in movies, easter eggs in computer games, that kind of thing - IS relevent - and the suggestion to turn those into prose is often unhelpful." While it's generally a good idea to incorporate 'trivia' sections into the article, this doesn't necessarily mean they have to be in prose. If you have a list of information, you could make a small list incorporated into the article (or a table, or an image, etc). The problem isn't something not being prose, it's having a 'dump' section in an article where people drop random thoughts and 'facts'.

Secondly: "However, I agree that your mini example is rather over the top. But it is also quite exceptional - I've never encountered something as extreme as that." I have often suspected this is a problem; those who think others are 'deletionist' have perhaps not seen the accumalated junk that the so-called 'deletionists' have. I can assure you Dirk that such examples as Steve's Mini list are not 'quite exceptional' in the encyclopedia as a whole, although they do tend to be exceptional in the articles on art, engineering, hard science, history, etc. They are so common that they crop up (sometimes named, sometimes not) in almost every joke about or criticism of Wikipedia that I have encountered made by a member of the public who is not a regular editor. Skittle 15:58, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Jack, that sounds like a good point. Concerning the going to the toilet, I grant you that we should exclude the blatantly obvious. Concerning the pimples on the back - if someone wants to write something down, chances are that other people will want to read it - it should just go into a 'gossip' article that serious people will not read, and until then can be stowed away in the trivia section. Concerning the bad breath - the info also has to be verifiable, and how are we going to verify (source) that? Anyway, it's pov, and that does not count as fact.

Steve, your point about McQueen owning a mini illustrates my point nicely. If there were no article on McQueen yet or the editor doesn't know it, then that fact could have gone into the mini article. Until somebody else moves it. It's a nice section for "I want to put this somewhere, but don't know where, so I'll put it here." If you don't allow people to do that sort of thing or just bluntly delete it, then info that might be useful somewhere would be lost. By extension, if there is info in an article that is not relevant there, then a copy editor who doesn't know where it should go can put it in the trivia section. Which makes it very useful. Of course, my fact sheet idea might be better, but until we have that...

Lastly, I don't see why info in the trivia section should be less verified. If it isn't and you seriously doubt its correctness, then move it to the talk page, with an explanation. That's borderline deletionist, but still quite acceptable even to me. DirkvdM 18:29, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

You have a curious mental model for how Wikipedia works!

• A random fact strays into someone's head - they rush to Wikipedia and need somewhere to put this fact. They have to find somewhere to put it or the fact is somehow lost. At some subsequent time (by means unspecified) the fact is classed as TRUE (or perhaps FALSE so it is removed). Somehow a readable article emerges from this process. At any given time, many of the things said in the article are utterly false.

• My model is: Someone sets out to write or improve an article. They presumably know a lot about this subject - and between their knowledge and (hopefully) their reference books - a set of lucid, carefully laid out facts - along with the references for those facts are placed into the article. Subsequently, people fix tiny errors and flesh out areas that need it - using facts from some source that the original author(s) missed. The article gradually gets better - but throughout the process, it's always true, useful and well written.

OK - I'm probably wrong about the way you think - and my way is hopelessly idealistic. But it's abundantly clear to anyone who actively maintains high quality articles that the first model is exactly what 'Trivia' sections encourage and the second way is the only way that decent encyclopedia articles come about.

There was some skepticism about whether the Mini article is typical or not. Well, my other featured article (Mini Moke - yeah - not entirely a separate subject from the first one) was a much more deliberative work. The original article literally was just a stub - two paragraphs and a crappy photo. I bought the only four books on the planet ever written about this funny little car/jeep/dune-buggy thing (one of which is a children's story!) - I crawled all over an actual Mini Moke owned by a friend of mine and got photocopies of a rare owners manual from the UK owner's club. People from Australia and NewZealand owner clubs sent me photos. The article was written, perfectly referenced (little blue numbers at the end of every single paragraph) - and unsurprisingly, it pretty much sailed through the featured article process...and goddamit - someone added a bunch of annoying unsourced 'factoids' to it!

You can see the things I didn't write - they stick out a MILE: "In the Dick Francis mystery Smokescreen, a crew shooting a film in South Africa travels in a Mini Moke. The Jimmy Buffett song 'Autour De Rocher', from the album Far Side Of The World, also mentions the Mini Moke. The Traffic song 'Berkshire Poppies,' from the album Mr. Fantasy (US release: Heaven Is In Your Mind) also mentions the Mini Moke. Mokes were also used in the reality TV series The Amazing Race: All-Stars. Teams were to locate one and drive the Mini Moke to the pit stop."...I mean - who the heck cares?! Dick Francis used the name of the car twice in a cheesey mystery book written 35 years ago. The name of the car is briefly mentioned in a bunch of albums that nobody has ever heard of and appeared for 30 seconds in one episode of some reality TV show? How can any of us confirm those facts - and why would we ever bother? Aaaarrggghhhh!!!

The best place for those half-baked unreferenced and not 100% relevent thoughts is on the articles "Talk:" page. If you have a 'fact' - but no proof - then go to the talk page and write "I recall that XXX is true - does anyone have a reference for that?" - the possibility that this is true is recorded for posterity - but it hasn't been put up as "THE TRUTH" where Wikipedia's audience will see it.

SteveBaker 00:39, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Does anybody object to moving or duplicating this discussion on one of the Village Pumps and continuing it there? That’s seems like a more appropriate and useful place to me. --S.dedalus 05:07, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Here is a wikiproject proposal for trivia and a fresh look at trivia policy by the admins. Support the wikiproject proposal. Add your name to the list here: [wiki project proposal for wikitrivia] Please send this link to other users that you feel would be interested. Thanks Ozmaweezer 14:11, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I'm 25 years old and I don't use any chemicals in my hair I don't straighten my hair and I do not blow dry my hair. I have recently noticed that a lot of my hair is changing from dark brown natural color to very very coarse black hairs and I don't know if this is an aging issuse or what so if someone knows then please let me know what's going on... Thank You, Amanda P 75.67.39.27 17:44, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

We can't answer medical questions here - if this bothers you, you should see a doctor. SteveBaker 12:55, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

i need powerpoint presentation on general communication. where can i get it. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 59.161.46.62 (talk) 18:03, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

You can use the google search key filetype: to search for specific file extensions. For instance, filetype:ppt "general communication" gives you powerpoint presentations on the internet that contain the phrase "general communication". It's probably best to ask for permission if you want to use it for a presentation of your own. risk 19:26, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

• You'd probably be better off making one of your own. If you are learning at this seminar, using someone else's presentation will come out and get you in heaps of trouble. If you're teaching, I'd be wondering why you've been asked in the first place. - Mgm|^(talk) 08:50, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I would like to join this dating site but when I do the compulsory quack personality test, or "Compatibility Predictor" as they describe it (which cannot be changed or retaken) it says I have "no self control". I believe I have very high self control - the exact opposite of what it says. I would imagine that someone with no self-control would be an aggressive, rude, emotional, heavy drinker. I am very polite, cool, and do not drink. I cannot bear to be described as someone with no self-control, hence I cannot join the site. The other aspects of my personality are fine.

Could anyone tell me how to fill in this 48-question test to give a more realistic result - ie that I do have excellent self control? 62.253.53.14 19:43, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Maybe your [spelling edit: he means "you're"] just in denial, or you could just make a new account and try until you get it.--Dlo2012 20:30, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

If one of the questions is "Do you wet the bed", answer "No". That might help. But more seriously, if you answered the questions honestly then either A) you have no self control or, more likely, B) the analysis of the questions is poor. If its the former, misrepresenting yourself to get a better "review" is not going to help you in the long term. If its the latter, do you really wish to be part of a site that gets it so wrong, especially since you will be using the same analysis to choose a potential partner? Rockpocket 22:46, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Indeed. If they are willing to start throwing such ambiguous terms around based on an algorithmic analysis of a small questionnaire, I doubt the psychological research behind any of it is anything to write home about. If the site drops the ball this badly at the introduction, why would their matching algorithm be any better? In fact their matching algorithm probably works off this initial misguided analysis. risk 23:37, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Short answer: just find a new dating site. --Candy-Panda 12:35, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

A reason for joining it, is that its free, also very large. The twenty-something owner says he employs no staff but makes $5-10 million a year from it. (Yet he still only lives in an apartment, hmmmn.)I agree they should do something about the quack test. I wonder if there's a software bug. 80.2.192.65 18:08, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Ok, so if you have to be sworn in for court (after I'd read the article before about not swearing on the bible) and you are a bona fide card-carrying Satanist, what are your options? I personally wouldn't feel proper swearing on a book I'd consider false, but if I did go ahead and swear on something I didn't believe, would that still hold me libel for perjury? Why take an oath on the bible anyways and not the Constitution? Wouldn't THAT make more sense? Hmmm...65.248.93.200 22:51, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

From the Perjury article - "Perjury is the act of lying or making verifiably false statements on a material matter" - i.e. when you are giving material evidence. The taking of the oath is a procedural matter. As to what would happen if you took the oath, gave evidence and then informed the court that you swore to tell the truth on the book of a belief system you didn't personally acknowledge - I don't know. I'd save yourself the trouble and simply affirm instead. Exxolon 23:11, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Those who do not believe in swearing (and there are even Christian groups, such as Jehovah's Witnesses, who will not swear) may "affirm" instead. Corvus cornix 23:17, 15 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Why would a Satanist even worry about this moral dilemma? Clarityfiend 02:53, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I have had to appear in court a few times. (I'm a journalist; it goes with the job.) I live in the U.S., and I carry a little pocket-sized copy of the Constitution with me. They always accept me using that. (How could they not? After all, that's what the whole legal system is based on.) — Michael J 05:27, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Of course, this very much depends on the country. You appear to live in a predominantly christian country. How is this done in, say, Indonesia? I'm sure one can use the bible there too. How is that in christian countries? Can one swear on the Koran or Torah in such countries? DirkvdM 07:16, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Religious Jews are exceptionally reluctant to take any kind of oath (even one privately between oneself and God) and the Rabbis have discouraged it for at least two millenia. In particular, swearing on the Torah would be an anathema. (Besides, you're not supposed to touch a Torah's parchment) In western courtrooms, Jews generally affirm to tell the truth. To the best of my knowledge, a Jewish religious court (Bet Din) has no true equivalent to swearing in. --Dweller 10:18, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Ok, I didn't know that, but my question was if one could if one wanted to. DirkvdM 18:37, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The Straight Dope covered this a while ago here - [9]. Cecil knows all. Deltopia 14:30, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

That sounds like a reasonable method. Still, even if one religion is predominant in a country, it's a bit iffy for a court to first assume that a person follows that religion. Because if they don't then they are treated like an exception. But before the law, everyone should be equal. DirkvdM 18:37, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

My only direct experience of it in court was when I was in the jury pool (I didn't get chosen). We all had to "affirm" en masse that we would truthfully answer the questions put to us by the examining attorneys and the judge. This was in Los Angeles; I suppose things could be different in the Deep South or somewhere. --Trovatore 19:50, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

See ACLU_of_N.C._&_Syidah_Matteen_v._State_of_North_Carolina and similar cases Kuronue | Talk 04:10, 18 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

October 16

Why are some shores rocky while others are covered in fine sand? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.55.72.254 (talk) 00:17, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Rocky shorelines are formed by weathering and erosion, while sandy shorelines are formed by deposition. Not all shorelines formed by erosion are necessarily rocky. Rocky shorelines occur only where bedrock is exposed at the surface. Typically, along rocky shorelines, soil and weathered rock are carried away by the action of currents and waves above low tide. This leaves only the underlying rock. Sea currents running along shorelines transport sediment, such as sand, from rocky shorelines and the mouths of rivers to shorelines where the sediment is deposited to form beaches. Shorelines where beaches form are typically bays enclosed by headlands or barrier islands that develop from shoals offshore of long, linear coastlines. In both cases, sand and other sediments are deposited in places where the rapidly moving water that has swept sediment from the mouths of rivers and coastal headlands slows down. When the movement of the water slows, for example along a shoal or a recessed shoreline, the sediment falls out. It is then washed up by waves and becomes part of a sandy beach. Marco polo 01:54, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

There are a lot of pages in Wikipedia that deals with various semi-automatic/sequential manual transmissions and I am somewhat confused by them. What is the official/technical name for a sequential manual gearbox (one with a clutch and paddle shifter) such as those found on modern Ferraris? Acceptable 00:32, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It seems like Sequential manual transmission is the correct name. However, sequential, manual, clutch, and paddles don't always go together. I think some paddles are actually connected to what I'd call an automatic transmission -- the paddles are just used to manually select gears, but there's still the usual torque converter. Others actually have a clutch, but might not have a clutch pedal, since the clutch is computer controlled.

I see your problem, though. The Sequential manual transmission article says that they are used in Ferraris. However, the Enzo Ferrari (car) article says it uses a Semi-automatic transmission. Maybe we can coax Steve Baker out of the woodwork. He seems to be the resident car expert. --Mdwyer 02:31, 18 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I was watching a anime film but i dont know the name,its about some guy who's like a space adventurer,at the start of the film,he shown as a baby,boy.teenager and adult,he has a female robot who falls in love with him,and then some unicorn or whatever,and finally the adventurer becomes a baby again and he is taken by the female robot now a human woman,i would like to know the name of that anime film,thank you!!! —Preceding unsigned comment added by Lord Lutz (talk • contribs) 02:19, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

My A Maths ten year series doesn't have worked solutions. I can practise, but I don't know whether my working is correct. Where can I get worked solutions to past year O Level A Maths papers? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 166.121.36.10 (talk) 02:25, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

ESPN Used to have a Bottom Line sports update at the 28th and 58th minute of every hour. What is the reasoning for changing that to the 18th minute instead of the 28th minute?

Could this work? An American overstays his 3 month tourist visa in France, hoping to get deported and out of the country for free. 63.199.241.243 08:38, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It could work, but bear in mind that once you've been deported from a country, that will stay on your record and they may never let you back in (in the case of France, that may apply to the entire EU). You might also find you have trouble getting into the country in the first place if you don't have a return ticket. But WP:IANAL. FiggyBee 08:58, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

They might choose to lock you in jail for three months while the legal nicities are taken care of prior to your deportation. I don't think you'd like that. It's definitely not going to be a matter of you showing up at a police station, giving yourself up and walking out 10 minutes later with a plane ticket and taxi ride to the airport! SteveBaker 12:48, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

And there'd be nothing to stop them from suing you for the cost of the flight in the US courts. --Tagishsimon (talk) 12:53, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

If you get a chance to read Catch Me if You Can, the book (but not the movie) has a truly terrifying account of the protagonist's stay in a French prison. IIRC, he was sentenced to six months, wound up staying around four, and was positive that six months would have either killed him or driven him insane. Locked stone cells with no light, no sensory input, no toilets, sporadic food, filth, and vermin. While taking the autobiographical word of Frank Abagnale literally is often a bad idea, if the account in the book is even one percent true, you will want to avoid it at all costs. Deltopia 14:38, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Try it in the UK.There are ads on buses offering you flights home. Being American they will reckon you can pay so you need to destroy your passport etc. Currently there are no leaving checks so if you go through passport control with an OD visa they just wave you on. French prisons serve beer with the food so thats not too bad. UK prisons are full of drugs so six months in Wandsworth will pass in a haze. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.86.166.234 (talk) 17:43, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

If it were not already obvious, DO NOT TAKE LEGAL ADVICE FROM RANDOM PEOPLE ON THE INTERNET. They could be poorly informed, have an axe to grind, or just think it's funny to make stuff up. Skittle 23:34, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

In the UK we are subjected to various health groups telling us how much to drink and when and in what way. It tends to be contradictory as one day we should drink red wine the next day it should be white wine.

What are the recommendations or weekly allowances recommended by the health police of these two countries ?

Thanks.

Paul —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.86.166.234 (talk) 10:07, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

• I wouldn't take much notice.At one time,doctor's recomended smoking as relief for asthma .It changes so often and some studies are not really bias free.hotclaws 10:27, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Don't do anything to excess and you should be OK. 87.112.85.54 12:06, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I don't think I have ever encountered a reputable group claiming that white wine is better for you than red... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 130.88.140.121 (talk) 12:30, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Its the cultural bias I am after. Would two wine and spirit making nations accept that what was good for their fathers is now bad for their sons ? There is an independence in their national mindsets that makes me wonder if a governemnet warning would be accepted. In the UK everybody pays lip service to these oracular statements and carries on as usual. The downside is wimp doctors will use these guides to decide if you are to have treatment or not. Paul

Wimp doctors? Reputable groups? Come on guys, give a proper answer instead of personal opinion and ditribe. If you are worried about your own personal alcohol consumption, consult a medical professional. Consult Alcoholic_beverage#Alcohol_consumption_and_health and the related links and Alcoholic_beverage#Alcohol_and_religion - although I am not aware of any 'cultural bias' regarding alcohol. It is a fact that alcohol is bad for you if you over indulge, however in moderation it is believed to be beneficial, however deciding exactly which types or amounts are beneficial is more difficult. You also have to take into account that people have different tolerances to alcohol or other maladies that may be worsed or agrivated by alcohol. It is a less than exact science.

Some wines are even named to indicate they have health benefits, e.g., Buckfast Tonic Wine. Lanfear's Bane 15:13, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

This was a simple question relating to different cultures appreciation of the risks of alcohol consumption. It seems to have gone astray. You need water to survive but too much and the chemical responses of your body fall part such as Ecstacy takers who get weird. People who drown suffer a surfeit of water. My use of wimp doctor was my own bias. I hold them in contempt. I will not apologise, its my view. Whats the shit on how much you should drink in a society where alcohol is cheap. Not like Russian or Finland or Ireland or Iceland. Spain and France. Just give me the links and I will see for myself. Thanks And kisses. Paul —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.86.166.234 (talk) 19:30, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I agree with you Lanfear's Bane, well most of it - the "Tonic Wine" wouldn't be a marketing gimmick then? Richard Avery 17:45, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

• Wincarnis had added iron to make it into a tonic--hotclaws 08:41, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I would like in depth information about the electric arc steel making process.

My primary interest is in:

1-the production flow especially the related to electrical power

2-the usage of electrical it takes to make a ton of steel

3-how the electrical energy is used

Flow charts and diagrams are my main focus

Thank you. timcoughlin1 —Preceding unsigned comment added by Timcoughlin1 (talk • contribs) 13:53, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

We have this article Electric arc furnace which may start to answer your questions, however it doesn't currently have any flow charts (I like flow charts). DuncanHill 13:56, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

And this external link [10] looks like it could be helpful. DuncanHill 13:58, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Question 1 The electricity goes literally - in through the top - there's not much more to it unless you are interested in power control

Question 2 per tonne http://www.energysolutionscenter.org/HeatTreat/MetalsAdvisor/iron_and_steel/process_descriptions/raw_metals_preparation/steelmaking/electric_arc_furnace/electric_arc_furnace_energy_consumption.htm

here's one sort of diagram http://www.uksteel.org.uk/diag1.htm

Electric arc is probably of interest. Question 3 the electricity is used to make an arc Electric arc is probably of interest. 87.102.12.235 15:06, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Diagram http://www.ec.gc.ca/nopp/docs/cp/1mm8/en/images/f2_1.jpg from http://www.ec.gc.ca/nopp/docs/cp/1mm8/en/c2.cfm

You can find many more diagrams (and pictures) using an image search like this http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=electric%20arc%20furnace&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi87.102.12.235 15:10, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Can anyone tell me any good games that are out on the ps3 i already have resistance:fall of man and Heavnly sword but i am not 2 sure which game 2 buy nxt as i can only afford 1 untill i get paid.......i am a big gta fan and like games such as medal of honour and need 4 speed but i was hopeing people would have sum suggestions of games that are not such big titles but are still good thanx —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.144.161.223 (talk) 15:20, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Do not request regulated professional advice. No but seriously, have a look at Ps3#Games, it really depends what you like. Everyones opinion as to what is good varies. I mean I bet there are people out there who liked Star Wars: Force Commander living untaged and unmonitored amidst the general population. They could be living next door to you, or just around the corner. And that's just wrong. Lanfear's Bane 15:41, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

ninja gaiden sigma —Preceding unsigned comment added by Dlo2012 (talk • contribs) 16:23, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I imagine Genji: Days of the Blade is ok-or maybe not have a look at some reviews anyway, oblivion is enjoyable87.102.12.235 17:37, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

There's the tom clancy games - which are a safe bet eg Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter.. some good ones in the pipeline as always87.102.12.235 17:41, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Have there been attempts at making milk and chocolate milk sodas? :) Thanks! 81.93.102.185 15:27, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The Google indicates - [11] - yes. If you have a SodaStream you can carbonate most liquids (only) water (apparently - I have now learned) - fizzy hot coffee anyone? A nice big mug of fizzy Bovril?. I am not sure fizzy milk would be a commercial success; now blue milk, that's a different story - I can't get enough of it. Lanfear's Bane 15:32, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

No no no no no! If you have a Soda Stream, you're only supposed to carbonate water. Anything else is liable to get yucky, as the component that dips into the liquid is basically uncleanable. You can flavour the water, but only water should be carbonated. However, I believe there is something in America called Egg cream or something like that, which involves a fizzy drink and milk and chocolate syrup. In addition, a few years ago in the UK you used to be able to buy "Freekee Soda" which was a sort of fruity fizzy milk drink. My younger brothers loved it, I thought it was a rather unpleasant, nauseating experience. It is no longer available as far as I know. <ec> Skittle 15:39, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I said you 'can', not that you should... According to the Sodasteam article apparently there was a Milkstream as well specifically for milk... however this just frothed the milk according to the article. (I never owned a Sodastream, I didn't realise they were so delicate.) Also don't forget Creamola Foam. Lanfear's Bane 15:46, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I gather a Milkstream was just a milkshake maker really, or so I've been told. Creamola Foam? Intriguing... Skittle 16:52, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Yoo-hoo is still around but is uncarbonated. Canfield's Diet Chocolate Fudge is apparently dairy free. Maybe combine the two. Rmhermen 16:15, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I recall Canfield's. Man, that was some naaaasty stuff. There are reports of a carbonated milk product called e-Moo. Everything2 even has a recipe for making it yourself. The product is apparently terribly gross, and the process is somewhat dangerous (exploding bottles, anyone?), but I have to admit that I'm ready to give it a try... --Mdwyer 20:48, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

You could try adding some carbonated drink to a chocolate flavoured liqueur, on the lines of making a snowball with advocaat and soda. It'll be different from a milkshake, though.SaundersW 21:27, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

In Australia there is a popular drink called a "spider", which involves putting a scoop of ice cream into a fizzy drink (such as lemonade) - the Wikipedia article for this beverage may be found at the American name for it: ice cream soda. The popularity of this type of drink here is enough that Coca-cola produced a limited edition "Fanta Spider" a couple of years back, here is a website which reviews the drink. Thylacoleo 01:09, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Wow, I didn't know that. I haven't heard that term "spider" used for years. Maybe I'm out of the loop. -- JackofOz 07:13, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I have heard a spider called a float... ha, we have an article on root beer float. If you change the drink you substitute the drink used for the root beer prefix, e.g., coke float. Article mentions spiders too. Lanfear's Bane 09:22, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Help Needed with getting licensed with the SEC, via the Series 22 Study material. There is not enough people taking this type of test as compared to other securities tests so the examination facilities don't put money into the 22 exam because it's not worth their time and effort. This makes it hard to find material to study the 22. I have some material and have already taken the test once and failed. I need more material via CD,DVD...ect. Is there anyone out there who can help me???? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Pittpat1 (talk • contribs) 16:13, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

What prison was Vincent Clarkson in with Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald when the Lopez-Fitzgerald family arrived? Ericthebrainiac 16:56, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Why did this fictitous company name figure so often in American movies, especially in the '50s and 60's?--88.111.37.134 21:05, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

According to Acme Corporation (which is specifically about the Looney Tunes use of the name), the name was fairly common because the "Ac" puts a company at the top of phone listings. The word indicates the best of something, which also makes it a good generic company name. Check out Acme for a bunch of real companies using the name. -FisherQueen (talk · contribs) 22:06, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

What a fantastic resource! Thanks--88.111.37.134 06:52, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It means "climax" in French. --Masamage ♫ 06:58, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I'll bet Wile E. Coyote didn't know that. -- JackofOz 07:11, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Given the existence of Pepé Le Pew from the same gang of cartoonists, I'll bet Wile did know about that!

Atlant 12:48, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I don't recall any evidence that Pepé spoke French, though. :P —Tamfang 21:47, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Read the second sentence of our article, nést pa? He may have spoken French like I speak French, but 'e did!

Atlant 12:46, 18 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Growing up, I remember older folks in their dialect pronouncing it as a three-syllable word, as in, "I'm going to go shopping at the 'Ack-a-mee'" — Michael J 00:04, 18 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Acme (Greek: ακμή, the peak, zenith, prime). —Preceding unsigned comment added by SaundersW (talk • contribs) 09:24, 18 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

By mass and by volume, what is the most toxic poison/toxin in terms of its ability to kill a person. Thanks. Acceptable 22:17, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

LD50 has a list of a few selected toxicities. Botulinum toxin is the most toxic proteins, and one of the most toxic substances generally. Ricin is in the same neighborhood. Tetrodotoxin ditto. --24.147.86.187 22:43, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The most toxic (life threatening) toxin I know of is lead. It just has to be applied to the interior of the brain: for maximum effect, preferably at high velocity. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 88.109.65.125 (talk) 23:56, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

That's not the lead itself so much as the delivery. I think warm butter would kill a person just as fast if you managed to punch it through their brain at high velocity. --Masamage ♫ 00:42, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Lead – even delivered as a bullet to the brain – is small potatoes. Per the discussion on botulinum toxin below, there are potent neurotoxins far more deadly than lead. Other nasties include the tetanus toxin (tetanospasmin), the shiga toxins, conotoxins, nerve agents like VX (nerve agent and ricin...the list goes on. You wouldn't even notice a few micrograms of lead, but the same amount of any of these toxins will kill you immediately. (For reference, a .22 rifle bullet weighs in somewhere between two and four grams—some tens or hundreds of thousands of times the lethal mass of any of the toxins I've listed.) TenOfAllTrades(talk) 13:07, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The page on Botulinum toxin gives the median lethal dosage for it, but what is the fatal dosage for it? How much is needed to kill an average human being? Acceptable 01:42, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The median lethal dosage (LD50) is the average fatal dose. It's the amount that would be enough to kill half the people who took that much. 1 ng/kg means that, for an everage person who weighed, say, 70 kg, 70 ng (nanograms) would be all that would be needed to kill them. However, half of all people weighing 70 kg would survive this dose (although there could be other side-effects). 79.65.86.14 08:19, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Weren't we recently offered an existence proof that Polonium-210 rates right on up there?

Atlant 12:50, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The median is not the same as the average, but you'll have to look for original studies if you want to know the latter more precisely.

FYI, ²¹⁰Po has got a specific activity of 166 kBq/ng, specific radiation power of 144 nW/ng, specific equivalent dose of 2.88*10^-6 kg Sv/s/ng. That means that with 1 ng/kg ²¹⁰Po, you need about 4 days to accumulate even 1 Sv equivalence dose. Since in typical LD₅₀ experiments, the animals have to die within short time (I think usually 24 or 48 hours) to be counted as dead, you would need a higher dose than that, maybe about 50 Sv according to Wikipedia's article on radiation poisoning, within 48 hours. That would mean that the lethal dose, measured the same way as with botulism toxin, is probably about 100 ng/kg. Of course, you'll likely die with lower doses, but it needs a longer time.

Icek 13:55, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

"The median is not the same as the average" depends on which country you're in... In Britain, the usual averages taught to students up to GCSE statistics (and the usual ones to be found in statistics) are the (arithmetic) mean, the median and the mode. They are all called averages, and there are others taught later. I gather in America it is usual to call the mean 'the average', but I thought for what Acceptable was asking, median was really what was wanted. Also, I don't know which usage is common in Australia (which is, I gather, where Acceptable is), so maybe further disambiguation should have been given? Ah well. Skittle 14:07, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Isn't Plutonium the correct answer? Rhinoracer 10:06, 18 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

No. Think again after reading my previous comment and the relevant Wikipedia articles. Icek 12:53, 18 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

October 17

I saw this auction for Delta skymiles--just an example, my question isn't speciffic to skymiles--and I realized that buying miles is apparently the cheapest way to travel. Anyone have experience getting a ticket through miles bought on Ebay? What would be some forseeable problems if I tried to buy 80,000 miles from multiple auctions and redeemed them for a cheap ticket to Africa?

Thanks.

128.54.77.38 00:31, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

From the seller's phrasing I wonder if it's in fact illegal to sell miles? He refers to what he's selling as "an email", with the 30,000 miles thrown in as a "free gift". So that might be a complication, or else maybe his recasting of the situation is actually legal. I have no idea. --Masamage ♫ 00:36, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I doubt it's illegal - but I bet it's contrary to eBay's policies. If that's the case then you have zero buyer-protection in the event that the promised air-miles don't appear. SteveBaker 00:46, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I took a look at the listing and I think it's highly dubious. Ask yourself: Why is he so carefully telling you that ALL you are buying is an utterly worthless email - with this large and valuable "free gift"? That just screams "SCAM!". I bet that when the PIN number that he sends you doesn't work, he can duck out of his responsibilities by pointing out that you got your email as promised and the 'free gift' is probably not covered by PayPal/eBay refunds anyway. He claims "I have excellent feedback and been a member of ebay for several yrs!!!"...well, no. That's a lie. Check his feedback - he's sold exactly two things on eBay - ever (an iPhone and a David Yurman bracelet) and he's only been a member for 1 year and 10 months. WORST OF ALL: One other listing for Delta Skymiles said "Please note Delta charges a fee for transferring miles - NOT included in this auction."...so this may well be nothing like as good a deal as you think! How much is this transfer going to cost? Why didn't this seller warn you about that? I definitely wouldn't risk this a couple of hundred bucks on this kind of thing. SteveBaker 01:17, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Note that Delta's SkyMiles Rules & Conditions ([12]) specifically bars the sale or barter of mileage:

"The sale or barter of mileage credit, vouchers, Award Certificates, or Award Tickets by SkyMiles members is prohibited. Delta will terminate or deduct mileage from the account of any member who violates this rule. Award Certificates or Tickets obtained through prohibited sale or barter transactions are VOID, invalid for travel, and will be confiscated. Persons trying to use such tickets will not be permitted to travel unless they purchase a ticket from Delta at the applicable fare."

I would expect other reward-mile-type programs would have similar rules, but you should check the specific rules of each program to be sure. While it's not illegal for him to sell (or for you to buy) the miles, Delta is apt not to let redeem them. I strongly suspect the "I'm buying an email and getting the miles as as a free gift" gambit won't fool anyone, should Delta actually suspect something fishy is going on. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 01:15, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Aha! That explains why the SkyMiles are "A Free Gift" - that gets him out of the "sale or barter" clause. SteveBaker 01:20, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I travel between New York City and Washington DC quite often.(about once or twice per month) I almost always fly from Newark Airport to got there. Recently however, it has gotten to be very frustrating because I have to get there at least an hour early, and sometimes the plane is delayed. I was just wondering, is it better to take the Acela train? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.172.221.158 (talk) 00:43, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I couldn't tell you what's right in your situation, since I don't know how far you are/ how far you are going from the train/airport staions, and I don't know what kind of luggage you take. I can tell you that our article on the Acela Express notes that typical transit time between DC and NYC is 2 hours, 48 minutes. --Ybbor^Talk 01:25, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Of course, trains can be delayed too, but from what I read on Usenet, the Acela has a decent reputation, and when I've used it myself it's been on time or only mildly late. It's also a lot more comfortable than plane seats nowadays. Many people prefer to take the regional trains, which are not that much slower and noticeably cheaper, but that's a personal choice. Note that if you use Newark Airport because your starting point is nearer Newark than Manhattan, you can save some time by boarding the Acela at the Penn Station in Newark instead of the one in New York. --Anonymous, 02:01 UTC, October 17, 2007.

Per Tylenol, it says that children have a higher tolerance of acetaminophen than adults because of their larger liver and kidney to body size ratio. However, on Tylenol packages, the maximum recommended adult dosage is frequently higher than that for children. Is the packaging wrong?

Thanks. Acceptable 02:02, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Best to put questions in separate postings when they aren't much related. I edited your question into two parts.

For many drugs the correct dose should be calibrated according to the patient's body weight -- or some other measure of size, depending on the drug. Since children are smaller than adults, they have a lower recommended dose. For further detail on this you should consult a doctor or pharmacist, of course, not the reference desk. --Anonymous, 09:52 UTC, October 17.

Secondly, on a completely different note, how does a heroin/morphine high feel like exactly? I don't ever plan on trying, so I'll never have the experiential knowledge of it, but I'm still curious. I've heard of it being described as "...a 5-hour long orgasm." Is this accurate?

Thanks. Acceptable 02:02, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Isaac Asimov was given morphine for a kidney stone attack in 1950, and wrote about it in his autobiography In Memory Yet Green (chapter 49, section 24):

There they gave me a hefty shot of morphine, and in a little while the pain left. More than the pain left. All my troubles, all my concerns, all my worries left. I lay there, I remember, facing the wall, in complete peace. It wasn't euphoria; it was better than euphoria; it was quiet, calm nirvana. I didn't feel bored. I didn't have to think. I just lay there at rest. Neither before nor since have I ever felt so free of all the endless indignities of life.

Gertrude sat at the bedside and I, with my back to her, felt her holding my hand. I don't know how much time passed, but a nurse came in and asked Gertrude if she would care to eat and assured her I would be all right. Gertrude left. I did not know this at the time; Gertrude told me of it afterward. All I know was that after a while, I was conscious that Gertrude was not holding my hand. I wondered if she were still there, but it seemed too much trouble to turn around. I felt only the smallest, most distant pang of regret at the thought that she might not be there, and then I left that go, too.

The memory of that one time under morphine convinces me that I will have to be under equivalent pain before I ever accept another shot.

--Anonymous, 10:13 UTC, October 17, 2007.

It starts off with energy, clear thought, ability to do things and be hard working. As the world gets organised you slow down and relax. Deeply. You observe. then the observation becomes yourself and all is right. Then you may sleep. Took it once and it was so good: Never again. Serious. Never take something like that twice. Paul —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.86.166.234 (talk) 11:14, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I've had morphine before when my appendix was removed and had a subsequent infection. I noticed nothing but a odd "rush" (but not really pleasurable at all) sort of reaction after it was injected, and maybe a tendency to want to sleep more (this could also have been an effect of sitting in the bed all day though). It worked pretty well for the pain, though. It might be a subjective opioid receptor sort of deal, I've also taken hydrocodone and had no effect that would make me think I took anything other than really strong ibuprofen. -Wooty [Woot?] [Spam! Spam! Wonderful spam!] 12:16, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

There are probably different levels. If you're my grandma, morphine feels like a medical emergency; some people are really intensely allergic to it. --Masamage ♫ 14:22, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

When I had morphine, it was the middle of the night and I'd been unable to sleep due to frequent and intense intenstinal pain. I remember getting the shot, then the pain was utterly gone. I had periods where I must have been asleep interspersed with periods of semi-lucidity; I remember suddanly being aware that I'd not been asleep, but had been staring at the wall for the past period of time. Time, in fact, pretty much lost meaning - I had no way of telling if it'd been 20 minutes or 2 hours. I have no idea how long I was in the hospital, except that it was almost dawn when I got out. My boyfriend (who drove me there, I couldn't drive doubled over in pain) says that I didn't sleep any longer than about 15, 20 minutes or so at a time, so that's probably a decent estimate of how long the stretches were. It wasn't pleasureable and nothing like an orgasm - it's kind of like how, when you have REALLY good sex, after you orgasm, you kinda don't want to move much. I tend to fall asleep post-orgasm, and I tended to fall asleep for short bits of time on morphine, so that's another similarity.

What 81.86 seems to be describing, on the other hand, is heroin, which is usually taken to get a high rather than to numb pain. I suspect the concentrations, the method of production, et cetera differ vastly to produce a different effect. But yeah, Morphine isn't worth it as recreation unless you're very stressed and in a lot of pain and just want to relax for a few hours. And even in that case, pot's probably easier to get and I suspect it works just as well (I have lung issues so I've never smoked anything, but I've seen others on pot and they seem much more relaxed). Kuronue | Talk 04:22, 18 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

• I've taken heroin for pleasure and been given morphine for pain.While there is some similarity in the feelings,they are not quite alike.How much of the difference with the morphine was due to the relief at being out of excruciating pain I don't know.Hitting up heroin was like a quiet orgasm,a rush of pure pleasure followed by a golden glow that made you feel invincible.Except ,it was damn hard to get out of your seat to do anything(known as "gouching out")It was something I liked better than almost anything else in the world.On heroin nothing else mattered.The rush is both a physical pleasure and a mental one. I'd substituted all my problems into just one;getting the next fix..Stopping being an addict was the most horrible experience ever.Please,don't try it.--hotclaws 10:05, 18 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Hey All,

Which commercially avaliable handgun would be the most powerful in terms of stopping power. The .44 Magnum as suggested in the film "Dirty Harry" is suggested, however wikipedia claims in the article that it is not, Does anyone have any ideas? Also comparitively could a gun with a lower stopping power loaded with a .50 Action Express for exmaple have more stopping power than say a model with a higher stopping power loaded with a weaker kind of bullet

Cheers Catman503 02:06, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The .50 AE Magnum is generally considered the most powerful handgun cartridge, although more obscure, larger and potentially more powerful rounds (in terms of stopping power) exists-such as the Nitro Express. A hollowpoint would add to the stopping power when fired at an unarmoured target, as the hollowpoint fragments upon impact, creating a much more painful experience for the recipient. For the second part, I don't think guns have any rated stopping power, but instead, stopping power is an unofficial measurement of a bullet. Acceptable 02:13, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Looks like .500 S&W Magnum although a handgun which might have existed (Triple Action Thunder) that fired a .50 BMG machine gun round. Rmhermen 02:55, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I saw a video on youtube of a custom handgun that fired a .50 BMG. Some guy volunteered to test it out, aimed, and when it fired it knocked him back and the gun flew out of his hand. -Wooty [Woot?] [Spam! Spam! Wonderful spam!] 12:07, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

"Stopping power" is not an exact science. Muzzle energy is a function of both the round and the gun (larger charge = more energy, longer barrel = more energy). A handgun with a full-length barrel will do much more damage with the same ammunition that a handgun with a short barrel. FiggyBee 05:07, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Ah i see, Well concerning the various models of handguns what would be the most powerful in terms of pentration and velocity? 203.173.131.12 02:23, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

That would be a matter for endless debate. My problems in trying to answer this question are several. I suppose that by "handgun" you mean "gun like you see people fire with one hand on TV", but there lots of kinds. The most "powerful" in foot-pounds is going to be a single-shot chambered for a large rifle cartridge, like the .460 Weatherby or the 50-caliber machine gun round, but these will not have the highest velocity. A small round propelled by a large charge will have the highest velocity, like a varmint round. As for penetration, that will depend to a great extent on the bullet. A bullet can be designed to mushroom or fragment on impact, or go right through the target like it wasn't even there. If you want "stopping power", you don't want penetration, necessarily; you want all the energy in the bullet to be delivered to the target, and that only happens if the bullet comes to rest within it.

Of course, all the talk about "stopping power" of a particular round or weapon is moot. Shot placement is by far the most important factor in that, so that accuracy is really the most important factor, and that depends on the combination of shooter and weapon. Annie Oakley, arguably the best shot ever, would probably not have done so well shooting a .44 Magnum, but she could choose which eye to shoot you in at 100 yards with her gun. --Milkbreath 11:33, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I know nothing about weapons but... what about the IMI Desert Eagle? --Taraborn 15:54, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

You need to understand the concept of a cartridge. The model of gun doesn't matter (much= barrel length can influence velocity)- it's the specification for the ammo it uses that determines how powerful it is. Friday (talk) 16:19, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Given what's said above, this means that all the various assault rifles chambered for the standard 5.56mm NATO round are pretty much similar in terms of power and behavior right? There are difference in barrel, bolt and etc.. but at the end, it mainly the bullet itself that places the emphasis right? Acceptable 21:34, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Right. NATO ball doesn't much care what weapon it's coming out of in terms of "power", though a longer barrel will give more velocity, up to a limit (and greater accuracy, as a rule and all else being equal). I'm sure there is an optimum twist, but I'm too lazy to look it up. A gas-operated rifle will take a little zing out of the round compared to a bolt-action, but not enough to make an important difference. (When you say "bullet", I'm guessing you mean "cartridge". The bullet is the thing that flies downrange.) It's the weight of the bullet (and to a much lesser extent its shape), the amount of propellant, and the time the propellant has to work that dictate what you might call "power", regardless of the weapon, for the most part. There are relatively minor factors like the loss you get between the cylinder and barrel in a revolver. --Milkbreath 23:57, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

why pen is broken on capital punishment —Preceding unsigned comment added by 122.163.48.206 (talk) 07:51, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Sorry? can you clarify the question. Richard Avery 07:58, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Just a guess, but maybe 122 is asking about a practice I've seen in movies, where upon signing a document with a quill one smashes the tip into the parchment destroying the nib. I always imagined it was a sort of superstitious act; that the pen had become an instrument of some momentous force and should not be used again trivially. In the case of a death warrant, this would be doubly true. The question suggests that this is still done with modern pens. I wonder. --Milkbreath 10:33, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

[13] shows it is still carried out in India, although this will soon be replaced - "Time is not far when, while pronouncing a death sentence, a Judge in India will click a computer mouse instead of breaking the nib of a pen" - from Pronouncing verdict online likely soon —Preceding unsigned comment added by Nanonic (talk • contribs) 18:47, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I can't remember what it's called, but there is a phenomenon in anthropology where in certain societies the object that caused death or injury has to be punished. The pen used to sign a death warrent or sentence of death has killed a person, so could be seen as dangerous. DuncanHill 12:58, 18 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Why is it that whenever I lie in bed after going on a boat or swimming at the beach that day, I can faintly feel the rocking of waves as if I'm still in the water or on the boat? --Candy-Panda 07:55, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The common name for it is sea legs. New Scientist's Last Word printed a Q&A about it which you can find here. Mal de debarquement is a much rarer but far more serious condition. — Matt Eason ^{(Talk &#149; Contribs)} 09:55, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Over time, your brain adapts to most forms of continuous stimulus, whether it is sound, smell, motion, or what-have-you. When that stimulus is suddenly removed, you often perceive the opposite stimulus (so if you've been oscillating around on waves all day, when the oscillation stops, you perceive the anti-phase oscillation that your brain has been using to cancel the real oscillation).

I once got a very dramatic demonstration of this when I rode the entire way down on the Mount Washington Cog Railway seated on the tailgate of the train. After spending those forty minutes puttering down the mountain at five miles per hour watching the scenery go backwards by me, when the train finally stopped, I had the overwhelming sensation that we were progressing back up the mountain at that same snail's pace.

Atlant 12:57, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

You can practice this at home in your own living room. Spin around on the spot just moving just your feet (stretching arms out optional) then suddenly stop. The room will continue to spin and you will feel dizzy. That's the miracle of science. :P Lanfear's Bane 15:15, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I dunno - stretching your arms out isn't very scientific - it's just a small step from that to you yelling "Wwwwweeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!" while you are doing it - and then we all have to edge slowly towards the door, whistling tunelessly as we go. SteveBaker 20:21, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

A number of researchers, starting with one G.M. Stratton in 1896, have done experiments where subjects wore devices that reversed their vision -- and this, too, proves to be something that people can adapt to, at least partially. And again, there is a reverse adaptation period when returning to normal vision. Here's a short note giving a reference to Stratton's paper and some later ones. Here's a paper (in PDF) that discusses what goes on in the brain when that happens. --Anonymous, 23:53 UTC, October 17, 2007.

• On a perhaps-related note, I recently read that an anti-IED scheme where a soldier in a trailing vehicle controls a drone vehicle at the front of the convoy through some kind of remote control was problematic in that the differing inputs that his/her eyes and inner ear were receiving led to serious nausea. --Sean 00:31, 18 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Let's make it more scientific then, write down the method and apparatus and you can be the control. I am sure we can get funding for this, or white coats at the least. The Diverse Effects of 'Sticking out your arms and yelling Wee!' in relation to Human Centrifugal Action. Lanfear's Bane 09:13, 18 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I feel an Ig Nobel Prize headed our way for sure!

In the meantime, with regard to the anti-IED device driver, yes, humans fare quite badly when their visual stimulus is not well-synchronized with their inner ear stimulus. This is the principal cause of sea-sickness and explains why you often feel lousy in your cabin (where you feel the boat shifting but can't see any obvious effect) and feel better out on deck (where the horizon shifts in synchronism with what your inner ear is telling you).

Atlant 12:43, 18 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I have been playing some old games recently, like Strife, but they do not run smoothly on my pc, although I have plenty ram, how do i alocate more ram to games? thanks12.191.136.3 11:01, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The problem is not RAM - you have plenty to run and old game. The problem is the operating system. I think you will have more help on the computer reference desk. Jon513 12:26, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Probably you should download something called 'ZDoom' which has an updated version of Strife that should take good advantage of modern graphics hardware. SteveBaker 14:41, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

You might also like DOSBox. --Mdwyer 17:33, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

What nutrients do I need the day after taking LSD? Are there any vitamins or supplements that the body craves after a trip? 24.249.210.2 16:45, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Nothing, from reading I've done on LSD in the last few minutes on the web. What makes you think that LSD depletes anything from your system? --Tagishsimon (talk) 17:34, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

"Food" is a good one - the stress of hallucinating may cause you to use for energy than you usually do..

Isn't this medical advice?87.102.123.108 17:37, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Try some reality. I used to drink heavily after LSD as I tried to readjust to the world. This is not medical advice so shove your moaning. Paul —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.86.166.234 (talk) 17:45, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

LSD itself doesn't deplete anything (that i know of or recall) but depending on what you do during the experience you may need to get yourself back on track the next day (eating habits, etc). As a general rule, I'd say Gatorade is a good thing after you put any drugs or alcohol in your body. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.155.80.115 (talk) 18:58, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

LSD depletes Serotonin from your body's system, as it binds to the chemical compound. After a while, you'll feel realllyyyy depressed, although it IS against my belief to use drugs, I have no problem with this question. Oh, and by the way, go see a psychiatrist/ doctor, pal. LSD has been illegal for a lonnnngggggg time. ♥ECH3LON♥ 22:15, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I am currently participating in a Fantasy Congress league. Im looking for a way to find what legislation is going to be voted on a day or two before it acctually happens so I can adjust my roster accordingly. There are serious bragging rights at stake here so if anyone can help me out it would be greatly appreciated.--ChesterMarcol 22:22, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I was flying from Rome, Italy to Newark Airport in the USA. Looking out the window, I could see the coast of Italy. We then passed into France, flying over the western Alps. As I looked at the mountains, I saw on the side of one mountain what appeared to be a figure of a red bird - it looked like a stylized eagle. The image faces west. I remember the image being mostly red with a white head and some black markings. It was clearly recognizeable as an object from - what was probably 30,000 feet in the sky. This image must be visible to anyone looking out of an airplane flying in this region. It has to be visible to people on the ground. Any idea what this is? Sorry I can't pin it down anymore, but it is definitely visible from any airplane flying that general route.65.219.208.17 23:39, 17 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

October 18

Suppose someone if torturing you by slowly manipulating and cutting your legs into pieces, burning you, and inflicting as much pain as possible, all the while you are awake and do not go into shock. If you were to be injected by a sufficient dosage of morphine, would all the pain go away? Thanks. Acceptable 01:52, 18 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I'm not sure, but I do know that some things are resistant to morphine, generally toxins. Platypus venom is one example. It seems like a sufficient amount of pain and discomfort could override the drug, although it would take a lot. --Masamage ♫ 02:07, 18 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Why do dogs howl at the moon?steve irungu —Preceding unsigned comment added by 41.220.112.202 (talk) 10:13, 18 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Watching Match of the Day last night, they gave a brief, unexplained glimpse of the Russian football fans during the game against England making an odd gesture, en-masse. It vaguely resembled a Nazi salute, but was more of a sideways gesticulation than the famous near-vertical salute. They were all pretty much in time, so I guess it was co-ordinated with a song or chant. I was curious as to what this was. Anyone? --Dweller 10:39, 18 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I am not asking for medical advice, mearly a "push in the right direction" for a specific problem. My girlfriend and I have been going out for several months and a few days ago we decided to concertmate the relationship. However, my girlfriend is quite petite, and being a large man myself we experienced some difficulty. Basically what I am asking is are there ways of solving the problem of, er, how should I put this, the mans penis being too large to fit comfortably into the womans vagina? She is very upset because of this as she feels that she has somehow let me down. I have tried to reasure her, but unless I can produce a viable solution soon I feel I may lose her. Thank you for you help. Picture of a cloud 13:01, 18 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]