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Contents 1 June 9 1.1 Unique City 1.2 NCAA data question 1.3 cosmetic 1.4 A deep, dark question... 1.5 Non-English Wikipedias 1.6 Chris Martenson, PhD. 1.7 Question about Terminal 5 1.8 Fantastical Fantasy 1.9 Samba carnival question 1.10 Get more information on a NY police report case number? 1.11 NBA Team vs National Team 1.12 History of Willy on Wheels 1.13 mortal combat deadly alliance 1.14 Game show judges 1.15 Zimbabwean_dollar 1.16 harmonics in metal 2 June 10 2.1 Subaru Outback Sedan diecast toy 2.2 What to say to an unknown girl? 2.3 Hemispheric Heat Wave? 2.4 Carbon Footprint 2.5 Help Me Name This Club Song 2.6 wood grain 2.7 Headlights-on audible alarm on door sensor 2.8 Society that eats lots of different animals 2.9 Free Editing Software 2.10 Home Sales % Ranking by State 2.11 Coal to Oil 2.12 Article Location 2.13 was cap anson jewish? 2.14 How much sugar in a day? 2.15 Metacafe earnings 3 June 11 3.1 The Dreadful X Nightmare 3.2 auto radiator fluid levels - how does it affect the radiator/thermostat/water pump? 3.3 How do libraries clean/wash books? 3.4 Raw Fish in Cast Away 3.5 What is a "Timber Tom (or Tomb)"? 3.6 How to deal 3.7 Travel -Cape Town to Cairo, some questions. 3.8 Safety signs 3.9 Sex With Aliens 3.10 Rumble packs 4 June 12 4.1 Chocolate and Coffee 4.2 UPI reports Hostile UFO Attack 4.2.1 Wikinews on UFO Incident 4.3 prostitution network 4.4 Has mininova been hacked? 4.5 Recent sexual activity 4.6 Orange 4.7 Battersea Power Station 4.8 M'alayah 4.9 Airport security 4.10 Shower curtains 4.11 A.F.I. 4.12 Ketchup 4.13 Self-employed, classified ads 5 June 13 5.1 Track and Field championships 5.2 Talking/chatting with other university students around the world. 5.3 Teatro Colon 5.4 Valley Of Flowers-Hemkund trek 5.5 The Indian National Anthem 5.6 Odd question 5.7 giraffe 5.8 Life expectancy of running shoes and flip-flops 5.9 Most-inclusive foreign-language Wikipedia 5.10 Book/Reading statistics 5.11 autumn blaze maple tree and sugar maple tree problems 6 June 14 6.1 Top Flutes 6.2 Another golf question 6.3 Pigs doing weird stuff 6.4 Origin of Word 6.5 Umm... 6.6 How to activate NNM on my nokia? 6.7 Removing Bloodstains 6.8 Alternating DC questions 6.9 Are cell phones making it impossible to turn the camera shutter sound off? 6.10 Greatest Mexican 6.11 What is a prostitute? 7 June 15 7.1 College 7.2 Give Me The Facts of the Yellow Summer Squeeze

[edit] June 9

[edit] Unique City

City names can be repeated in the US, with Portland, Oregon and Portland, Maine being perhaps the most notable case. Can a city name be repeated in the same state ? How about for other countries, do they reuse city names, too, as long as they are in different states or provinces ? StuRat (talk) 01:34, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

Certainly, Stu. In Australia, there are Brightons in Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania; and Armadales in Victoria and Western Australia. Many other examples. -- JackofOz (talk) 01:49, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

Frankfurts get distinguished by river, though they also lie in different states. Without specification, we usually mean Frankfurt am Main, but Frankfurt an der Oder is a notable German town too, and the article calls it a city. The Italian province capitals Reggio Calabria (from Greek Rhegion) and Reggio Emilia (from Latin Regium) are both just called Reggio when the context is clear. ---Sluzzelin talk 02:14, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

The UK has exactly 66 cities, none of which share a name, so the problem doesn't apply. For smaller settlements, disambiguation is not necessarily by region (e.g. Newcastle upon Tyne versus Newcastle-under-Lyme versus Newcastle-on-Clun). To me at least, the construction 'cityname, regionname' sounds very unEnglish, but I have heard (for example) 'Ashford in Kent' used. Algebraist 02:22, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

We also have Gillingham in Kent and Gillingham in Dorset, which are distinguished from each other by the way they are pronounced (with a soft G for the one in Kent and a hard G for the one in Dorset). --Richardrj ^{talk email} 09:22, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

California has two Brentwoods and two Westwoods, though only one of each is technically a city (the non-city ones are neighborhoods in Los Angeles; I think they may have been cities at one time before Mulholland built his water empire). --Trovatore (talk) 03:33, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

In the UK we have 40 towns called Newton, 22 called Sutton, 16 called Clifton, 15 Waltons and 15 Bridgends [1]. -- Q Chris (talk) 09:29, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

And that excludes places with those as part of their name (e.g., King's Sutton and Sutton Coldfield). FWIW, here in New Zealand things are far closer to unique... it's extremely rare for two places to have the same name unless one of them (or both of them) is/are suburbs of larger cities. There are a small handful of these suburban anomalies, but other than them as far as I know there are no duplicate names. It was New Zealand Geographic Board practice for many years to insist that if two places had the same name, the more recently settled one had to append either "North" or "South" to the end of the name - which is why there's a small settlement in the South Island called Palmerston and a big city in the North Island called Palmerston North (much to the chagrin of the latter's residents). Grutness...wha? 12:08, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

That does seem like a good idea, though, as duplicate names would likely cause much confusion and many mistakes. Imagine an ambulance being dispatched to Main Street in the wrong city, for example. StuRat (talk) 12:33, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

What would you do if your boss said "Quick, send this package to Springfield!" ? --LarryMac | Talk 19:46, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

The disambiguation page for Springfield also illustrates the first case - there are several entries for towns named Springfield in the state of Wisconsin. Rmhermen (talk) 00:21, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

But only one of them has the Springfield post office, and that's where anything addressed to "Springfield, WI" will go. --Carnildo (talk) 00:20, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

In the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, there are two unincorporated communities on the map named "State Line." Edison (talk) 14:27, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

The US Postal Service will not name two post offices the same in the same state. If there is already a post office with that name, they will suggest that the new place change is name. Corvus cornix_talk 16:43, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] NCAA data question

I was reading threw the NCAA men's basketball media guide looking at records. When I was looking at team's all-time records, I noticed the data doesn't span all the years. When I looked at the school's media guides, I saw different sets of data, over a larger span of years. Is the NCAA still researching data on these teams, and doesn't have the complete data yet?76.194.67.13 (talk) 06:28, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

Can you cite specific examples? It may be a case of years considered ineligible by the NCAA or simply a case of omission, but it is not likely a case of ongoing research. — Lomn 12:55, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] cosmetic

which cream can be used as an altenative to dermovate nn cream Manoj kc26 (talk) 09:10, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

Dermovate is a prescription-only medication, therefore it's up to your doctor to decide what to replace it with. Fribbler (talk) 10:13, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

In that case I suggest that this topic is getting pretty close to asking for medical advice, and I agree that any alternatives for prescription-only medication should come from a Doctor and not Wikipedia. -- Q Chris (talk) 10:16, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

Thank you, Fribbler. Until I got to your response, I thought that "dermovate" was a typo and I was rather confused as to what could have been misspelled. Dismas|^(talk) 10:40, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] A deep, dark question...

Well, there had been some stuff I saw that scared me. I saw some videos on YouTube where people talk that Barack Obama, now the democratic Presidential candidate, could be the Antichrist. They said that he could be the Antichrist because the name of the Antichrist was in his name, Barack "Hussein" Obama. They said that he had a Muslim church with his reverend who said "God Damn America" as the pastor. They also said that they perceive whites as the Devil, which worries me because that might mean that blacks and other minorities might be bad people, and they were set to destroy Israel. Also, I saw a video where they talked that Jesus hates the democratic party because they don't obey the first commandment, which worries me because I support democrats. So, here's the question that might be controversial: Does all this talk mean that Barack Obama might be the Antichrist? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Sirdrink13309622 (talk • contribs) 09:35, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

No, Obama is not the Antichrist, he's just a politician. This sort of thing is routine scaremongering and smear tactics by those who would not like to see Obama in the White House. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 09:38, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

Out of balance here is someone who thinks that McCain could be the antichrist [2]. Of course this rubbish too. -- Q Chris (talk) 10:10, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

Bush was labelled the Anti-Christ at one point. So were Hitler, Bin Laden, Emperor Nero, and plenty of others. Oh, and Jesus can't possible hate anyone, according to Christian tradition, as he teaches love and forgiveness. Don't listen to the Christian extremists or you'll be as bad as extremists all over the world and from every 'faith' that has them. Oh, and don't listen to the scare-mongers. They are there to get attention, not to provide valuable information.--ChokinBako (talk) 11:22, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

If he does turn out to be the Antichrist,we will gladly accept these folks were right whilst we're dodging fiery hail and brimstone from on high... Lemon martini (talk) 12:03, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

Whenever you hear rumors like this, check them out at Snopes.com. Here is their investigation into the "Obama matches the Biblical description of the anti-Christ" e-mail, which, of course, is all lies: [3]. The "Christians" who send out and forward such e-mails are all breaking one of the Ten Commandments, incidentally: "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor". "Christian Conservatives", in the US, contrary to the name, seem to be among the most un-Christian people in the world, being pro-war, denying charity to the poor, bearing false witness, etc.; "family values" which are the complete opposite of those values taught by Christ. Most of the country has stopped listening to them, and I suggest you do the same.

Obama's former pastor is quite radical and did say "God damn America", but Obama has now quit that church as a result, so it isn't fair to say he believes the same things his former pastor did (although joining such a church in the first place does show poor judgement). StuRat (talk) 12:07, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

Great point StuRat :-)--Serviam (talk) 15:06, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

As an evangelical Christian myself, can I say that StuRat ... has a very good point. May I be the first to apologize on behalf of my fellow evangelicals.

I find it interesting that there are Christians out there who assume that any preacher who teaches that America might be wrong about anything must be evil. DJ Clayworth (talk) 17:22, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

Hussein is not the name of the anti-Christ. Saddam Hussein, while a brutal dictator, was nothing close to the anti-Christ—he was a secular Baathist who imposed a particular type of pan-Arabism on the Middle East, the worst of which took the form of oppressing his own people and a brutal war against Iran (in which the US supplied him weapons). The name Hussein is just a common Arabic name meaning "Handsome." That's it. Please, please, please—don't let something as silly as a common middle name determine who will run your country. Learn about the issues. Learn about the candidates personal leadership abilities and styles. Determine who would be a good person to run a major superpower for the next four years based on that. Not on the fact that their middle name happens to be a common Arabic name that happens to have been the last name of an Arabic dictator. That is not a way to choose a leader. Be suspicious of propaganda you receive by e-mail—the people who wrote it are using you, they are trying to exploit your ignorance for their political gain. Be suspicious, be skeptical. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 16:22, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

"Jesus hates the democratic party because they don't obey the first commandment"? The first commandment is "You shall have no other gods before Me." That can't even apply to a secular political body. --Ye Olde Luke (talk) 00:23, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

How about Nasser Hussain? Is he the Antichrist? AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 08:57, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

Nowhere in the New Teatament does Jesus even FART the word 'Hussein', never mind SAY it. He just preached love and forgiveness and occasionally went beserk in the market. He didn't predict anything or even talk about an anti-christ. That was John, who was stuck on an island going psychotic about Emperor Nero. Nothing to do with Barack Obama (whose grandmother incidentally, lives in England and is leaching off our social security system - bloody immigrants!).--ChokinBako (talk) 17:03, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

Jesus didn't even say the word Hussein in the New Testament, much less the New Teatament. bibliomaniac15 17:12, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

I really hope this was a joke question, please how can you be so nutty. And if you are serious, ill tell you a secret. There is NO omniscient God, thus there is no Christ, thus there is no Anti-Christ. So relax buddy. 137.111.130.108 (talk) 04:58, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Non-English Wikipedias

Here, on English Wikipedia, we meet a lot of religious fundamentalists on talk pages like Evolution, Criticism of religion, Atheism, demanding to change articles' contents. Well I think it's due to high religiosity of United States. But what about other major Wikipedias (e.g. German, Japanese, French ones)? Do fundamentalists hang out there criticizing articles that do not suit their beliefs? It's interesting to me, as as far as I know, population of Germany, Japan, France is not highly religious as American folks. 89.236.214.174 (talk) 12:25, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

A quick glance at Discuter:Évolution (biologie) and Diskussion:Evolution suggests that it's not happening nearly as much. However, to guess why, I think you should also remember that the dominant denominations of Europe are not necessarily strongly anti-evolution. For example, see the Catholic Church's at-worst ambivalent position. AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 13:35, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

Thank you for answer. But what about other (other than evolution-creation) "hot" topics, articles, in which "clashes" between science and religion are highlighted? 89.236.214.174 (talk) 14:08, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

Yes Pope Pious (Can't remember what number Pious he was) actually endorsed it in a speech in 1950, and the Archbishop of Vienna last year labeled Creationists as madmen, I live in Europe and creatrionism is banned in school,s tew have no fundamentalists.--Serviam (talk) 14:50, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

Not teaching Young Earth Creationism in schools doesn't mean that there are no fundamentalists. I can tell you for sure that there are Young Earth believers in Europe; enough to form some organizations. DJ Clayworth (talk) 17:18, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

And whether they choose to vent on Wikipedia also depends on the status of their language Wikipedia in their overall media. My understanding is that none of the language Wikipedias have anything like the pull of the English one, so that would logically be the sort of place that would draw more of the contentious people for debate. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 18:29, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

This is slightly older data, but given the results of this survey, you may want to check the edit history for the evolution page on the Turkish Wikipedia.--droptone (talk) 18:58, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

Which is here. A little hard to find as it interwiki links not from Evolution but from Introduction to evolution. (made me initially think they didn't even have an article on it!) Fribbler (talk) 13:48, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Fixed. Algebraist 13:54, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Thank! I looked and was unable to find a link and gave up prematurely.--droptone (talk) 17:36, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Chris Martenson, PhD.

Is there a way to check out the scholastic credentials of the above person?

Thank you. - nre43 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.253.192.138 (talk) 12:45, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

If you mean this Chris Martenson, I guess you could contact Duke University to ask. AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 13:12, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

Usually completing a Ph.D. means completing a thesis, which is then usually deposited in the university's library system. In this case, that seems to check out fine with the information on his page:

Martenson, Christopher Hamlin, 1962-

Acrylamide neurotoxicity : effect on neuronal growth cones and axonal fast transport / Duke Theses 1994

Location/Request: University Archives: Library Service Center (Reading Room only) | Ph.D. M377A 1994 LSC

So there ya go. Ph.D. in neurotoxicology, why not. Harder to check things like the MBA from Cornell online, as that doesn't produce a thesis. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 16:28, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Question about Terminal 5

Does anyone know if there are any designated smoking areas in/near the terminal building? Thanks in advance. Scarian^{Call me Pat!} 13:44, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

As far as I know, there is no smoking at ALL UK airports. You have to go outside to smoke.--ChokinBako (talk) 13:59, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

This was certainly the case in Terminal 3. Once you go through the security to the departure lounge there is no smoking until you get out in your destination airport. -- Q Chris (talk) 14:31, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

Yes, but at Heathrow there are designated smoking areas where smokers can smoke. I was looking for an area near T5 where this was possible. Scarian^{Call me Pat!} 14:56, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

Under new laws introduced last year, it is now illegal to smoke in any enclosed public place or enclosed work place in England. You now have to go outside if you want to smoke. If there is a designated smoking area it will be signposted.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 15:25, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

Okay, thank you for that. But what I was asking was where, if any, would they be? Scarian^{Call me Pat!} 15:28, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

Good day. Where you ask? Wherever they put the sign, but I doubt they would put a smoking section in the airport. It is just to closed in and I'm sure no one wants to smell the fine smell of a recently lit tip. I hope I have helped. Have a positively wonderful day.Rem Nightfall (talk) 16:24, 9 June 2008 (UTC)Rem Nightfall

I don't know the situation in the UK, but in many parts of the United States, smoking is banned in all public buildings, including workplaces, such as an airport terminal. A few jurisdictions in the United States are starting to ban smoking within 10 meters or so of a public entryway to a public building. However, everywhere in the United States it is still possible to smoke outdoors as long as you are not close to the doorway of a building. If similar rules apply in the UK, you should be able to light up anywhere outside Terminal 5. If the UK bans smoking near doorways, you will just have to walk 10 meters before you light up. As others have said though, once you enter the building and head for your gate, you won't be able to smoke again until you reach your destination (and depending on your destination, until you leave the airport there). Marco polo (talk) 17:47, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

Yup, it's outdoors. I have smoked there. William Avery (talk) 21:19, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

All enclosed workspaces and outdoor ones with a roof are no smoking areas in the UK. Doorways are not yet, but there is talk of making them no smoking areas, and some establishments have already implemented the idea (actually because the doorways end up full of people blocking the way out, and also full of fag ends, but not for any other health reason). You'll have to just have a fag before you go into the airport, stick a nicotine patch on for the length of the journey (you can get them free from your GP), and chew lots of gum to help you with the habit, then smoke your heart out (or your lungs) when you get to your destination. That's what I do, and I regularly travel on plane journeys of more than 14 hours. Good luck!--ChokinBako (talk) 10:24, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Before the ban came in the forward-looking thinkers at London Gatwick Airport designated a Smoking Area... in the centre of the Non-smoking Area and with absolutely no barrier between the two areas. Brilliant!86.202.30.131 (talk) 17:47, 10 June 2008 (UTC)DT

Aye, well, the managers at Gatwick and Heathrow were never known for their organizational skills. Just look at the comic tragedy that T5 turned out to be! They couldn't organize a gang bang in a brothel, those guys!--ChokinBako (talk) 16:53, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Fantastical Fantasy

Good day sirs and ma'ams. There had been something on my mind. I would like to create my own fantasy world, but I'm finding it hard to find heroes. The problem is simple really; dwarves, giants, etc. have all been done before. But then if I try to create something new it makes me look like a freak or it sounds just retarded. How could I overcome this? Is there any links to fantasy creating that could help me? Thank you in advance. I really appreciate the answers and the time taking to answer this question. Have a positively wonderful day.Rem Nightfall (talk) 16:21, 9 June 2008 (UTC)Rem Nightfall

Here's a suggestion: it doesn't matter if they are dwarves or giants or whatever. The creatures themselves have never been the real basis of the fantasy world. Tolkien's elves and dwarves would be nothing had he not carefully thought out the characters, the way they interact with each other, their deep histories. The analogy, from Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, is with a superhero: the question is not what the hero is, or how his powers work, but why they do what they do. That's what makes them a person, what makes them "real". If I were you, I would focus less on the population of your world from the perspective of "what D&D characters do they make up" and focus more on what the underlying driving tension is, and how that underlying tension is going to create all of the complexity that will make the world interesting. Once you've got that, populating it with peoples is not so hard. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 17:00, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

I can understand where you are coming from. That is true and I agree. I was thinking of a war against man and elves. And the reason for this war to start was because of the negative thoughts of men. The men believe the elves are being greedy not sharing ever piece of their knowledge. The elves have other thoughts. They have always like the they only fight in self-defense. The problem is this sounds unoriginal and so I get stuck.Rem Nightfall (talk) 17:29, 9 June 2008 (UTC)Rem Nightfall

Without wanting to be overly presentist, think about the world we live in today. There are many factions, some more powerful than others, some in weak alliances with others, some in strong alliances with others. They are dealing with both their internal interactions and the relations between their group and the outside world. There are underlying desires for certain resources. There are even some on-going wars—over resources, for political gains, for internal reasons as well as external ones, with multiple actors at all stages. In every group there is a strong range of opinion—there is no homogeneity to be found, even in the execution of policy by a single entity. That's the sort of richness and complexity that you want your fantasy world to have. Are the "men" all banded together, all thinking the same thoughts? Have we ever heard of human civilizations like that? Don't make them "the men". Make them a specific group of men. Perhaps united under the same culture and flag, but not the only men in the world. And not homogenous—not thinking the same thoughts. Not willing to stay in a costly, dangerous, and disruptive war if there is no end-game in sight, no obvious reason to be in it. Then, when you've fleshed out this kingdom of men, with all of the rulers and those with their eyes on the throne in place, do the same thing, more or less, to the elves (just because they are foreign does not mean they are not as complex). Make the fantasy world you create mirror the type of world we live in—complex, confusing, but mostly coherent. Just my two cents. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 17:56, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

And it is worth noting that even though Tolkien denied that Lord of the Rings was meant to be allegorical to actual historical events in any way, it seems rather unlikely to me that he could have not (even unintentionally) have been influenced in much of his approach to it by the events going on around him while he was writing it—World War II. Don't be afraid of taking a little from what you know and putting it into the broad structures of the plot—it's how these things are done. A radical thought: if Tolkien's epic was a WWII-style battle, and some of the later ones were clearly Cold War style battles (epic ideological struggle, fears of subversive spies), what does a post-Cold War (post-9/11?) fantasy world look like? What has our current world situation done to our understanding of military power, of the operation of nations, of the importance of culture and religion, etc.? Can these be integrated into a fantasy world? Do something like that, and you're out of the "unoriginal" territory... --98.217.8.46 (talk) 18:00, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

You know, one thing you could consider is playing off the elves' belief in self-defense. In most fantasy stories, noble causes like self-defense are generally shown to be all-around supported and positive. But, in the real world, such heroic beliefs are also sometimes excuses by the leaders to keep their subjects in line (patriotism is another popular excuse by leaders: "You don't agree with me? Do you hate your country?"). This opens up whole new possibilites. What would happen if an elf spoke out and said they weren't truely acting in self-defense, but in miserly isolation? What would the general popuation think of this elf? Could he get others to agree? Is he even right? By casting the elves in questionable light as well as the humans, the charcters all become expanded. (On a completely unrelated note, when you sign a post, you don't need to put your name after the four squigglies, i.e. "~~~~Rem Nightfall". Just put the squigglies, and the name comes automatically.) --Ye Olde Luke (talk) 20:59, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

Good evening. I've read both of your suggestions and I like them both. It gave me an expanded idea of my own. I thought this the humans are living in a condition in, which their leader believes in his own lies. So if he says the enemies have for an example a nuclear bomb (not likely in a fantasy world, but still) no matter what he will always believe there is a nuclear bomb. So the leader when his information is questioned he blames it on the coordinators the second in command, anyone who follows him. It's there fault they gave him the information. So the humans are living in a giant lie and have to follow the government even though the whole government system is a lie and is lying. While I'll take Ye Olde Luke's idea of the elves living in a self-defense control. A control in which they are forced by their own leader to do as the land ask. If you do not submit then you are considered a traitor of the land. Then of course there are other creature factions of course.Rem Nightfall (talk) 21:40, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

Sounds interesting, if you end up writing something, or doing something complete out of this, then be sure to let us know here. Chris M. (talk) 02:10, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Well I thought it would be interesting if you had two failing leaders just one on each faction. And each leader fails in a different way. That way it makes the humans and the elves almost on the same playing field. Except one has been created and shrouded by lies, while the other has been smothered in control. And of course there has to be some causalities in the middle...that is were the other creatures come into play. Of course there also will be the outside influence to stop the war with "peaceful" fighting. These of course would be the heroes.Rem Nightfall (talk) 02:32, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Even if the creatures you put in your world have appeared in novels and stories before, it doesn't matter. There are elves in both Harry Potter and The Lord Of The Rings, but look how different they are. In the former, they are utterly slavish and docile, while in the latter they are proud and extremely egotistic. As long as you bring a different and unique flavour into your characters, it doesn't matter whether it's a talking mouse or an orphaned boy-wizard. Best of luck! 117.194.225.130 (talk) 07:27, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

Not so long ago I read a piece by Terry Pratchett on this; it was in a printed compilation, and doesn't seem to be on the web, so I can't point you to it, and you'll have to rely on my memory for regurgitation. Anyway, on characters and plot devices, he mentions that they've all been done before, and will always be repeated (ie. there are always stories about elves, or time machines). But, they are merely ingredients, and good writers find new ways of mixing them, and occasionally add something new to the mix. Characterisation is as important in fantasy as in other genres: there is no excuse for cardboard characters. Let them live in your mind a bit, and you'll probably find they develop their own personalities and characteristics. Pratchett also pointed out that you need to know how your fantasy world works. Ask questions, such as how the magic is regulated, why the slipper only fit Cinderella, and no one else, and where werewolves get their clothes from. Fanatsy shoudl be taken seriously, he said. Also, read widely about the real world, its details and history; most of fantasy is the real world with a few tweaks and "what-ifs", and there are plots and devices everywhere. Enjoy your writing. Gwinva (talk) 08:31, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Samba carnival question

Having seen a samba carnival in Helsinki, I started wondering. Why are very nearly all dancers in the carnival women? Men only appear as music players. And why do the women dress so skimpily? In Helsinki they wear little more than bras and knickers and as I understand it in Rio de Janeiro they don't even wear bras. Not that I have a problem with that, but why is it? What does dancing have to do with (semi-)nudity? I would understand it if it were some sort of fashion or glamour show but samba is all about dancing. Is it because of more demand for seeing women, or because women are more interested in dancing than men are, or why? JIP | Talk 17:59, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

Well. for part of this question I think George Bernard Shaws quote is appropriate: Dance is a perpendicular expression of a horizontal desire. :-) Fribbler (talk) 22:20, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

I was so about to answer this question, but that quote trumps anything I could have come up with. Book me on the next flight to Rio de Janeiro! --Ye Olde Luke (talk) 00:14, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

I get the general idea, dancing in general is a romantic and kind of erotic activity, so it makes sense that dancers dress up attractively. But it still doesn't answer my question. I am singling out samba carnivals in particular. I have two points:

1. Why do only women dance in the carnival? I am pretty sure men dance samba too, in general. Is it some kind of tradition to only feature women, or are there simply too few men available?
2. Why do the women wear so little? Even given what I saw above, you don't see women going in bikinis or topless when they are dancing any other dance.

I hope I have made my questions clearer. JIP | Talk 17:41, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Remember that the word carnival means "farewell to the flesh" -- it's just before the start of Lent, when you're supposed to repent for your sins. Someone must have decided that, if you were going to go to all that trouble, you might as well have some sins to repent for :-). --Trovatore (talk) 09:34, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Get more information on a NY police report case number?

Im looking through this carfax report for a car im about to buy and its been involved in an accident and it gives you a police report case nnumber with it. Can i do anything with this number? are police case records made public? --Iownatv (talk) 18:29, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

I gather that police reports are ultimately kept by the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (NYS DMV). It appears that police reports are indeed public information and are available from the NYS DMV's web site: link. Their electronic search function requires "the NYS DMV accident case number of the accident (not the police agency number), or the vehicle plate number of a vehicle involved in the accident, or the driver license number (from NYS or from another state) of a driver involved in the accident." Searching their database costs $7, each report that you order costs $15 on top of that. I don't know how you would turn a police report case number into a NYS DMV accident case number, however. Perhaps you could contact the police department that produced the report...? TenOfAllTrades(talk) 19:20, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] NBA Team vs National Team

Suppose an NBA playoff team such as the Lakers, Celtics or Pistons was to play an European national team such as Estonia or Spain, who would generally win? It seems lately that the US Men's Basketball team is not as competitive as some of the European national teams, but how does a complete NBA team stack up? Thanks. Acceptable (talk) 20:29, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

I think a playoff-level NBA team with good chemistry and a couple of shooting specialists would fare pretty well. The last few US national teams were put together at the last minute, and the players just didn't complement each other (even though the collective talent was probably much higher than any other team).

Of course, most NBA teams have a few international players. Would the Lakers be allowed to keep Pau Gasol, DJ Mbenga, Vladimir Radmanovic, and Ronny Turiaf? Zagalejo^^^ 21:42, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

It is my humble opinion that, even given the excellent level of international play in the past decade or so, the worst NBA team in any given year could cruise its way through the Olympics on its way to a gold medal if (a) it did not have to play a full eighty-six-game season in the year leading up to the Summer Games and (b) it were allowed to spend some of that year in international competition. And those two considerations might not even be necessary. This is all conjecture, of course, as it would be for anyone offering an opinion, and therefore perhaps inappropriate for the Reference Desk. Mitchell k dwyer (talk) 20:11, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] History of Willy on Wheels

Who is Willy on Wheels and what did he do to get himself copied by so many users? I'm fairly certain that someone has asked this before, so if there's any pre-existing pages chronicling this user, you could just link me to there. If not, I'd just like to hear a brief summary of what he did. --Ye Olde Luke (talk) 20:45, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

Page move vandal. There's an archived question and answers here. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 20:53, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

Thanks, I knew there must be.--Ye Olde Luke (talk) 21:03, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

This might also be informative. Grutness...wha? 06:50, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

That was indeed a fascinating read. Thank you. --Ye Olde Luke (talk) 08:22, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

Willy On Wheels? Sounds like a mobile male brothel! (drum roll)--ChokinBako (talk) 13:24, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] mortal combat deadly alliance

I would like to know if there is anyone that knows how to unlock the charactersBizzyb0007 (talk) 21:39, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

Good evening. To unlock characters in Deadly Alliance you have to go into the krypt and use your money to buy characters. The characters are in coffins. I have a list of what characters are in what coffin, but it is a long list. So I drop by your user page and give you the list. I hope I have helped. Have a positively wonderful evening.Rem Nightfall (talk) 21:44, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Game show judges

Here's something I've been wondering about: how does one become a judge on a show like Jeopardy? What kind of credentials do those people have? Zagalejo^^^ 22:35, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

It's likely to have almost nothing to do with credentials, but knowing the right people, being in the right place at the right time, and doing very well at a screen test and with audiences, etc. It is not something you can train for—there are simply too few of such jobs around. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 23:07, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

What do you mean by a "judge" on Jeopardy!? Corvus cornix_talk 18:01, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Sometimes, Alex Trebek needs to defer to a group of judges to determine whether a response is acceptable. I don't think you ever actually see or hear the judges on TV. Alex just reports their decisions and announces any necessary scoring changes. Zagalejo^^^ 18:49, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

You might find this interview with a former Jeopardy! writer interesting. -- Coneslayer (talk) 19:29, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Great read. Thanks! Zagalejo^^^ 20:09, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Zimbabwean_dollar

Why would someone want to use it? The inflation rate is between (official) 355,000% March 2008 and (estimated) 1,694,000% May 23 2008. GoingOnTracks (talk) 22:49, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

I imagine having little choice would be a reason cited by people living in Zimbabwe. --Tagishsimon (talk) 22:51, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

Tagishsimon is right, it's neccesity. But people are already using stable currency where possible. Fribbler (talk) 00:02, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

The point is if someone offers you 100.00 Zimbabwean Dollars for your services, products or whatever, how do you know how much is it? Is a terribly instable currency better than barter or cigarettes? GoingOnTracks (talk) 01:18, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Well, I've kind of been in this situation before. Basically; small (a cup of tea, dinner) is dealt with in the local currency; With something a little bit bigger like clothes or a hotel room, the transaction is in a stable local currency (in this case the rand). And for life-changing transactions, a world currency is used such as the euro, or us dollar. Fribbler (talk) 01:32, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Hyperinflation is worth reading, too, BTW. Grutness...wha? 06:55, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

In answer to the 100.00 Zimbabwean dollars question, according to this it is worth 0.334 cents US. But I doubt if you could actually get anyone in Zimbabwe (or probably anywhere else) to give you any amount of any stable currency for it. SpinningSpark 20:30, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] harmonics in metal

In what ways can harmonics affect the steel components of a large engine such as a 16 cylinder locomotive engine? Also, where do the harmonics originate from? The question derives from an injector I was shown at work today, I was told it split in half do to harmonics.Derulk (talk) 23:34, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

If you imagine that the injector has a resonant frequency which happens to be a frequency multiple, or harmonic of a frequency which the engine generates (e.g. an engine at 3,000 RPM generates a fundamental frequency of 50Hz, which has harmonics of 100Hz, 150Hz, 200Hz, &c) then you can probably imagine the vibration from the engine setting off the injector sufficiently to get it to vibrate itself to death. Successive impulses from the engine are picked up by the injector, each of which increases the vibrational energy in the injector because the two are vibrating at matched frequencies (just like successive pushes of a swing make the child go higher & higher). --Tagishsimon (talk) 23:44, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] June 10

[edit] Subaru Outback Sedan diecast toy

Has there ever been a die cast toy made of the Subaru Outback Sedan? This would include the 1999 Legacy SUS (the name was changed to Outback Sedan the following year)? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.71.223.87 (talk) 00:50, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

It appears that Kyosho made a diecast of the Legacy. One is currently for sale on ebay [4]. Librarians--Ask Us, We Answer!

Find your local Library here [5]

[edit] What to say to an unknown girl?

If you meet a girl in the subway/pub/park and she makes eye contact with you, what do you say? GoingOnTracks (talk) 01:11, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Smile and say hello - unless you're looking for a fight in which case "wot you looking at?" serves well  :-)) Astronaut (talk) 01:36, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

"Hi" Chris M. (talk) 01:59, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

This question has been asked before, with the same peculiar wording. Don't have time for a link or a diff right now, but it seems fishy.--24.189.12.121 (talk) 02:06, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Well, it was not asked before by me. And I also don't find the previous question. It shows how important these matters are.

And after that I said "hello" what else? GoingOnTracks (talk) 02:11, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

You could try waving as well 87.102.86.73 (talk) 16:43, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Good evening sir. I would expect you to know what to say after "hello" a nice "how is your day?" or maybe something about the weather. Then after she answers and ask the same questions maybe introduce. Then say "It was nice talking to you." and leave. Or if you are in to her ask her to catch her some time. I hope I have helped. Have a positively wonderful evening.Rem Nightfall (talk) 02:30, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

You might want to ask her name and tell her name, followed maybe by what she does for a living, or what college does she go to (Warning: You probably will have to answer the same questions, so don't ask anything you wouldn't answer yourself) Both questions can open up to wonderful discussions if she's outgoing, which since she appears to have started it, I'm asuming she is. --Ye Olde Luke (talk) 05:21, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Of course, she may also think you're intrusive if you ask too much, too soon. · AndonicO ^Engage. 16:47, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

True, that. Sigh, the guessing game that is relationships! --Ye Olde Luke (talk) 08:33, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

No sense in trying to pretend the situation is anything other than what it is -- an inevitably uncomfortable introduction between strangers in a public space. If you can turn that from a disadvantage into an advantage, or make light in a way that is both poignant and entertaining, I suspect that would go a long way. There's no getting around the fact, though, that you're putting your butt on the line. She may already be with someone, she may hate strangers, she may not be attracted to you... or she might. You can only try. If she doesn't seem responsive, chalk it down as experience and move on. E^robson (T^alk) 19:52, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

See this pick-up line site for some pick-up lines that might be good and for a whole lot that will get your ass kicked. bibliomaniac15 19:53, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

If I were that girl, and we were in England, I would expect anything more than 'hi' at the very most to be intrusive and would feel uncomfortable. A simple nod would be more expected. If you tried to engage me in conversation, I would do my best to brush you off with curt answers or ignoring if possible. If you didn't get the hint, I'd walk away. If you still didn't get the hint I would have to react in a more socially unpleasant manner. This is all assuming we are strangers and there are no other factors (like something interesting or dangerous going on). So, in short, don't assume just because you see someone in a public space that they are fair game, even if they make eye contact. At the bar in a pub is different, but still be prepared to take the hint if she is trying to shrug you off. 79.74.56.70 (talk) 23:51, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Well that's rude, hope you don't have to deal with someone with that mentality GoingOnTracks. And if you get that, don't worry, there are friendly women out there, just keep looking. Chris M. (talk) 03:42, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

Sometimes you have to be rude if you don't want people following you around. The first reactions would be absolutely polite, although going up to a stranger and trying to start a conversation when she's just trying to walk through a park is incredibly rude round here. As I say, the initial reaction would be to try to politely let the person know they have acted in an inappropriate way that is making me uncomfortable. If they don't get the hint, then you have to be rude. And it is hard to be rude, but the alternative is to have someone not leave you alone, potentially every time you pass them in future. I hope GoingOnTracks isn't surrounded by people who think like you Chris, because it will make it hard for him to learn appropriate behaviour around girls and he won't understand why things don't work out for him.

On the other hand, GoingOnTracks listed several different places in the hypothetical. In a pub, particularly at the bar, the rules are more relaxed (in England) and it would be appropriate to strike up a conversation with someone you made eye contact with. As always, pay attention to any clues that they want to stop the conversation, but you've got a good chance of getting to know someone, or at least having a nice conversation. Perhaps make a relevant comment about your surroundings, maybe saying "I like your hat/t-shirt/necklace/something else" or "Interesting choice" about their drink, or the decor, or anything you can see that's slightly unusual. These can serve as openers for conversation. 79.66.36.52 (talk) 15:15, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

Good call on the compliments. Those will work wonders for the starting of a relationship. (Not that I would know...) --Ye Olde Luke (talk) 08:33, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

I always ask "what's a girl like you doing in a nice place like this ?" ... then I duck. :-) StuRat (talk) 05:54, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

A few months ago guides to flirting on the subway were distributed on Toronto's TTC. It can be read online here and could offer some useful advice. - SimonP (talk) 16:05, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

"You might want to try talking to them or making eye contact and see if they open up." Hey, that woman must have read your pamphlet! --Ye Olde Luke (talk) 08:37, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Hemispheric Heat Wave?

I have seen discussions on this in Heat Wave, related articles. A hypothetical example is that the US has a heat wave going on, so does Europe, Asia, all going on at the same time. Would this qualify? I have read the article "Heat wave" and the different articles about various heat waves. That is why I had placed the 2008 Hemispheric Heat Wave there, since I believe it is possible to have heat waves going on in the US, Europe and Asia going on at the same time, setting up a Northern Hemispheric Heat Wave. Really appreciate the assisstance. 205.240.144.221 (talk) 04:37, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

There's no heat wave in the Pacific Northwest right now. Just the opposite. Pfly (talk) 05:07, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Wasn't there an attempt to write this last year, too? Ah, yes. Here it is. — Lomn 20:21, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

This seems to happen quite often. I did some research on it a while ago, and, if I remember correctly, it's called summer.HS7 (talk) 14:54, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Carbon Footprint

Some large (and smaller)corporations, in the frame of their environmental policies,have set as a target to become "carbon neutral" by the end of 2008. Others intend to become "Carbon Positive" before 2010.

Could you please explain what this "Carbon Positive" mean, as opposed to carbon negative, because at first, one has the impression that carbon positive is rather bad, suggesting excessive emissions.

Thank you very much

Kyratso (talk) 06:29, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Carbon neutral, Carbon offset, and Carbon footprint should help you out. And this site has a glossary including the term Carbon positive which we don't seem to have an article for. Dismas|^(talk) 07:37, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Logically...Neutral means having no impact on carbon-output, Positive would be (in this context) a process that actually removes carbon-output (so instead of creating none, it uses the carbon and gives back out something that isn't carbon). That'd be my assumption. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 194.221.133.226 (talk) 09:06, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Not to get too technical but you can't use carbon and get something that isn't carbon without nuclear fusion. It probably means taking CO₂ out of the air and putting it into a different form (which is difficult to do without using an amount of energy that would put out more C0₂ than you subtracted. -- Mad031683 (talk) 17:48, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Actually it's easy to do - plant a tree. DJ Clayworth (talk) 21:15, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

In such a case, you need to look at the entire product lifecycle. Papermaking, for example, is at best carbon-neutral: you plant forests that draw carbon out of the air, cut them down and turn them into paper, and the carbon is released back into the air when the paper decomposes or is burned. --Carnildo (talk) 00:29, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

Funnily enough, probably the most efficient way to remove carbon from the carbon cycle, and thus decreasing the amount of carbon dioxide that can be produced, is to make asphalt - i.e. build more roads. (Although a bicycle path might be more "green".) Confusing Manifestation(Say hi!) 03:41, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Help Me Name This Club Song

This is probably better off on the entertainment desk, but more people frequent here so I'm going to try my luck.

I've been hearing this song or splices of it many times in clubs around Sydney and I have no idea what it's called. It's an electronic song and the line that's stuck in my head is most likely played on a synthesiser. The main line consists of 4 main parts:

1. note twice, then a lower note twice, then a lower note three times
2. same
3. note twice, then a higher note twice, then a higher note three times
4. repeat 1 (I think...)

I'm sort of tone death but I did scrap together an audio file [6] (caution, for some reason it's about 2 mb for a 12 second sample) which gives you some idea of what it sounds like (if nothing more than timing).

It sounds like there are some 4ths or augmented chords in it, but it's been a long time since I've done music so I really wouldn't know. This has been on my mind all day, so it would be great if someone could help me out. Thanks Guycalledryan (talk) 07:05, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

The file's that big because it's uncompressed. Algebraist 07:28, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] wood grain

How do I get rid of wood grain when i paint an oak door that has already been painted —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.66.62.130 (talk) 11:06, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Strip the door down, sand it and repaint it. Painting on top of paint tends to produce a not-so-nice finish at the best of times. 194.221.133.226 (talk) 11:09, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

You might want to see our article about "Sanding sealer" (varnish). But merely sanding your door may achieve a "good enough" result.

Atlant (talk) 12:42, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Headlights-on audible alarm on door sensor

When i open the drivers door, the audible alarm that lets me know i left my headlights on does not work. Does anyone have a reason why this is happening and any possible solutions? Car is a 2003 Audi A6. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Johnbg999 (talk • contribs) 12:13, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

First question: Does the dome light operate for this door switch? If not, then the fault is almost certainly the door switch. Meanwhile, Audis sometimes use a funny three-terminal door switch where one terminal (with a brown wire) is (say) grounded, one terminal goes to the dome light, and one terminal goes to the electronic logic that operates the alarm, headlight beeper, and so forth. Because the current flow in the logc terminal is low, the contact gets cruddy over time. If you remove the door switch (but leave it wired in), you may be able to test this theory using clip leads to simulate the operation of the switch contacts. If the beeper now works, you've confirmed it's a defective door switch. If you're lucky and skilled, you can take the door switch out, take it apart, clean the contacts and reassemble it. If you're not so lucky or not so skilled, you can replace the door switch. (My 1991 Audi 200TQ suffered exactly this failure and I was lucky-enough to fix the switch.)

Atlant (talk) 12:37, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

If the dome light does not come on either, it may be a fuse. Dismas|^(talk) 12:55, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

thanks for the input. much appreciated. will try it out. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 193.120.148.36 (talk) 11:41, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Society that eats lots of different animals

I've heard of a society whose members get together to eat meals consisting of animals that people do not normally eat (badgers, puffins, etc). I think the name has some reference to Carolus Linnaeus, but I'm not certain. Thryduulf (talk) 17:04, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

There was a group like this on the David Letterman show a while back, wasn't there? DJ Clayworth (talk) 17:28, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

At Annual Ducks Unlimited functions I went to with my father as a youth there was always a variety of meats (various bears, snakes, etc, etc) available. I don't know if this typical for that organization or whether the local group my father was a member of was an outlier.--droptone (talk) 17:35, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

The Roman Empire did. Cooked chicken in a cooked duck/goose, in a cooked sheep/goat, in a cooked cow. Seen this on the History Channel recently. It had a documentary on that incl. Roman dietary habits. They also consumed exotic animals as well. 205.240.144.221 (talk) 18:47, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

I seem to recall John McPhee doing something like this—someone who has tried to eat all sorts of eclectic animals, knows others who do as well. I seem to recall him writing something in the New Yorker about this not too long ago. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 19:28, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Ah, here's what I was thinking about. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 19:30, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Apparently when Charles Darwin was at Cambridge there was an outfit called the "Glutton Club", which existed in order to eat rare and unusual creatures. Owls, hawks and, according to rumour, even a puma. 81.187.153.189 (talk) 23:10, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

There was a fictional movie based on this promising premise, called The Freshman (1990 film). StuRat (talk) 05:47, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

Discover magazine mentions a New York group called the Gastronauts it describes as "a club for adventurous eaters". Clarityfiend (talk) 20:40, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

William Buckland was notorious for eating pretty much every kind of animal he could get his hands on, and allegedly, the preserved heart of Louis XIV. -Karenjc 21:33, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Free Editing Software

Helllo,

If I was looking for some free, good video and photo editing software what would be my best options? I know how to use photoshop and premiere but they are far too expensive, and I am not risking my new computer downloading some virus ridden torrent.

Thanks.

84.13.41.179 (talk) 17:27, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Free photo editing: GIMP or Paint.NET. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 17:46, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

As for video editing, in my experience, the free video editors are mostly not up to par, almost all having extremely difficult interfaces, and many of the more "simple" ones being too feature poor for real use. But you can take a look for yourself here: List of open source software packages#Video_editing. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 17:54, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

IrfanView is another good choice. Corvus cornix_talk 18:02, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

An intermediate choice is Adobe's "Elements" line, $~100 each. — Lomn 20:23, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Thanks a lot, I may try some of these out, or if I can't find anything I like; gain the adobe software through less... *honorable* routes.84.13.41.179 (talk) 21:12, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Home Sales % Ranking by State

I'm looking for a list of which states are doing best/worst in the real estate market. Preferably one that includes all of the states, but basically I just want to know the percentages of home sales (relative to the population) each state had in 2007 or as current of a list you have.

Rachfeinberg (talk) 19:21, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

You can find the 2007 sales volume by state in this list. (I am linking Google's html cache because the source page would not display for me.) You can paste the numbers into Word if you want and then edit them to show only the 2007 totals. Insert an extra carriage return after each state's number, then perform a search and replace turning carriage returns into tabs. Perform a second search and replace turning double tabs into carriage returns. Save as a .txt file and then import this file into Excel. Download the Excel file from [http://www.census.gov/popest/states/NST-ann-est.html this Census page) and then cut and paste a column containing population estimates for each state into your file with sales volumes. (First check to make sure that both columns have the District of Columbia in the same place so that you can adjust as needed.) Then you can create a formula in the third column expressing the sales volume as a percentage of each state's 2007 estimated population.

I'm not sure how much this number will tell you. State A might have a higher per capita sales volume than State B but still have a more depressed real estate market if that sales volume is substantially lower than in previous years while State A's sales volume is similar to those of previous years. Different states have different rates of mobility and home ownership, which would make a comparison of these raw numbers difficult. Marco polo (talk) 20:41, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Coal to Oil

Does it take a special gas tank if you used the coal to oil? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.126.243.106 (talk) 21:45, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Are you asking "what modifications would be needed to an automobile designed to run on oil derived from coal (versus traditional gasoline) ?". StuRat (talk) 05:39, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

I can't figure out this question either. However, you definitely should not put either coal or oil into a gas tank.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 07:02, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Article Location

I'm looking for an article I found a while back that listed a whole bunch of English words derived from Germanic languages and their Latin-derived counterparts. I can't find it anymore. Any help? --Russoc4 (talk) 22:39, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

List of Germanic and Latinate equivalents in English? Adam Bishop (talk) 23:50, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

That's it! Thank you! --Russoc4 (talk) 02:38, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] was cap anson jewish?

I think that cap anson a famous baseball player from long ago was jewish. i want to clarify. can anyone help? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Cocoster (talk • contribs) 23:01, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

The article Cap Anson doesn't mention it. A google search for "Cap Anson Jewish" gave me nothing, and Anson, the article about the surname, doesn't seem to list any Jewish people. Are you sure you aren't thinking of someone else? Fribbler (talk) 23:13, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

If he were Jewish, wouldn't he have been called "Skullcap" Anson? Clarityfiend (talk) 15:59, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] How much sugar in a day?

I am just wondering; Does anyone know what the normal amount of sugar that should be consumed in a day is? When you look at the Nutrition Facts on food, it tells you the amount of carbohydrates, fat, sodium, etc. and the percentage that amount is out of how much you should have in a day. However, there is no percentage for sugar. Diabeties runs in my family, so I am somewhat concerned. Thank You! Grango242 (talk) 23:36, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

According to this, simple sugars should be 10% of your diet. With a 2000 Calorie diet, that's 200 C, or 50 grams (can someone confirm that?). If diabetes runs in your family, it never hurts to go lower. Paragon12321 (talk) 23:53, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

That sounds like a reasonable maximum. I don't see any need for a minimum amount of sugar, however, as our bodies can easily convert complex carbs (starches), as well as other calorie sources, into simple carbs (sugars). StuRat (talk) 05:33, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Metacafe earnings

Metacafe pays you after your videos reach the mark of 20.000. How difficult is to reach this amount? GoingOnTracks (talk) 23:40, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] June 11

[edit] The Dreadful X Nightmare

Good evening. I am going crazy. I'm about to destroy my Xbox 360. Why didn't Microsoft make the system completely backwards compatible, you know like the Playstation 2? Why did they have to do it the way they did it? I've read the games that are backwards compatible for the Xbox 360, why are half of them lame games like James Bond, ugh I wouldn't play that game that is why I didn't buy it(movie based games are always the worse)? Not only that, but the games that I can play on the Xbox 360 don't work properly. It's slower, the audio screws up and makes strange static sounds(like the audio is farting), and when I play Fable parts of the level are missing, I get map face so the face of Albion is on my character, and the loading time is horrible. All the games that I can play on the Xbox 360 that were originally on the Xbox are slow, laggy, and don't load properly. Thank you for taking your time with my questions. I appreciate it. I'm sorry if my questions are mixed in with a rant, but frustration is getting to me (sometimes that even happens to me.) Have a postively wonderful evening.Rem Nightfall (talk) 00:57, 11 June 2008 (UTC)Rem Nightfall

Possible answers include:

• Microsoft needed to shift processor architectures. That makes true compatibility difficult (xbox emulation is done via software)
• There's enough compatibility to provide a selling point
• There's no significant money in full compatibility beyond said selling point

If you really want to be playing these original xbox games, though, the solution seems clear -- haul out an xbox. — Lomn 05:03, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

I don't have that option. My Xbox is a tard. Morrowind doesn't work. Every time I am at the menu that says press start. I press start and nothing works. I play Munch's Odyssey on my Xbox and my characters are stiff and don't move while I move the analog. I press button nothing happens. Menu screen doesn't work either. My Xbox doesn't like me and obviously neither does my Xbox 360Rem Nightfall (talk) 06:22, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

So get another. Gen-1 Xboxes are cheap. — Lomn 15:26, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

My paycheck is coming in soon. I won't have enough even for the cheap Xbox. I'll just buy what I can of Xbox 360 games. I have few Xbox 360 games, but non impressed me much. Halo 3 was awesome though. Gears of War wasn't as good as people said. Sonic the Hedgehog was just lame. Project Gotham Racing is okay, not my style of cars games. Beautiful Katamari Damashi is fun, but it's very difficult, time runs fast in that game and its hard to find the things they ask you for. All I am saying is that I wish the Xbox 360 was backwards compatible like the Playstation 2. It would have made things more convenient for me and I bet a lot of other people who want to play Xbox games without using an Xbox.Rem Nightfall (talk) 18:18, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

The problem is software emulation, really. For example, the 80GB PS3s use software emulation, so it's now running less PS2 games than the 20GB or the 60GB versions, which had hardware support. This was done to cut production costs. However, did you ever consider a) selling your XBox 360 if you don't really like it, and buying an XBox instead, or b) going with something like GameFly so you can afford to play more XBox 360 games at a cheaper upfront cost? --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 03:25, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

I really think your just making bad purchases in the games you are getting for your 360. I would suggest the Call of Duty series or GTA:IV. Id suggest watching G4 or go to gaming websites for ideas on a good game. If all else fails just save up for a Xbox. RoyalOrleans 16:05, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] auto radiator fluid levels - how does it affect the radiator/thermostat/water pump?

Hello - could someone please explain how the level of radiator fluid in an automobile (modern) affects the way the radiator, thermostat and water pump function? Specifically, I am wondering how having a low level of radiator fluid affects the way the car functions. Thank you! Lou211 (talk) 03:00, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

A couple of thoughts occur. Like any physical stuff, radiator coolant has a specific heat capacity. The radiator has a specific range of heat exchange efficiencies (depending on ambient temperature, speed of air-flow, &c). The water pump moves water at a specific velocity. Diminishing the amount of coolant in the system diminishes the heat carrying capacity of the system, all other things being equal. Think of it this way: the system is designed to ensure that hot coolant stays in the radiator for a long enough time to ensure that its temperature drops sufficiently; the risk with insufficient coolant is that that the water is recirculated to the engine block before it has sufficiently cooled. The effect is, mainly, seen in the system, not in a specific component of the system. The radiator continues to radiate (albeit if there is a sufficient insufficiency of coolant, the radiator may work less efficiently since coolant will not be in contact with the maximum colling surface available). The thermostat stays open, variously, longer or wider than it otherwise would. The water pump thinks to itself, gee, it's hot; but I guess I'll keep on pumping. The engine block gets warmer than it otherwise would. The cooling fan is engaged for longer that it otherwise would be. So. though one was the system effect. Thought two is the possibility of introducing air-locks into the system. These can be fatal to the engine in that they can disrupt entirely the circulation of coolant, and cease the transport of heat away from specific spots, which thus increase in temperature to the point that a mechanical failure - typically a blown gasket - occurs. --Tagishsimon (talk) 03:36, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

At a low-enough fill level, you'll probably find that the water pump is no longer being fed a steady diet of liquid water but is receiving a gas/liquid admixture. Through processes such as cavitation, this is very bad for the impeller in the pump. And if it pumps this mixture into the engine, as Tagishsimon observes, there won't be enough specific heat cpacity in the gas/liquid mixture to remove the required heat from the engine. Things then go very bad vey rapidly.

Atlant (talk) 12:48, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] How do libraries clean/wash books?

Hi - I heard a friend mention that our local library washes books to increase their shelf life. Where can I find that information? I have my own small private library and would like to understand what is involved in maintaining books over a long period of time. Omer (talk) 05:11, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

Er, why not go to the library and ask them if they do anything like that? It's not as if they'd want to keep it secret. But having said that, I've never heard of such a thing myself. --Anonymous, 06:24 UTC, June 11, 2008.

Ummm.... won't washing books ruin them more than save them?? I mean, the pages are bound to get soggy, and even after drying them, the pages will become crinkled and puffy, and the book will look much more disagreeable, don't you think? I personally feel that it's hogwash, or someone's been pulling your leg.Aanusha Ghosh (talk) 07:04, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

Books are difficult to clean, but keeping them behind glass helps to stop dust settling in the first place. In our archive/library we also have a dehumidifier running all the time to reduce the risk of mould. One problem with vacuuming them is that this can actually help to spread mould spores. Here are details of a book cleaning machine for use in libraries.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 07:41, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

Original Research Alert but my wife, a librarian of 25 years and veteran of floods, says no way. Libraries throw out dirty books and replace them. For the conservation of rare books see Preservation (library and archival science) and conservation. Shelving books behind glass is good, it controls exposure to dust, moisture, temperature etc. For comics, newsprint etc Acid-free paper folders, boxes, envelopes etc are desirable. Mhicaoidh (talk) 10:46, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

Washing might only mean wiping the library's plastic covers on the books. Otherwise books and moisture don't mix. Maybe the word you want is "cleaning"? Julia Rossi (talk) 12:07, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

I agree with most of the comments here. It's very labor-intensive to clean books, so a library would never bother with a book they could just replace. Only valuable books that can't be replaced would be cleaned. There are many methods used, depending on the material used for the pages, ink, binding, and cover. A typical technique might be to remove the binding, seperate the pages, go over each with a brush, repair any damage, then rebind the book, possibly with a replacement cover. Of course, nobody will do this with a Harry Potter book, they'll just order a new one, and hopefully give the old, worn copy to someone who will appreciate it. StuRat (talk) 15:55, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

I also wouldn't take the word too literally. "Wash" in this case might very well be a bit of specialized jargon referring to a process that has little or no resemblance to washing your hands, your dishes, or your car (and may not even involve liquids). That's just a guess though. --Prestidigitator (talk) 16:44, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

Thanks folks for all your time. This is all good and important info for me! I'll also go over the links for preservation and conservation to understand what those processes entail. Some of my books are indeed too difficult or expensive to replace. Omer (talk) 06:57, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

There is also electrostatic dusting. WikiHow explains how to use liquid compounds; see here for more details. BrainyBabe (talk) 15:23, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

It really depends on the damage to the book. In the library I work at, for simple things like pencil marks we use an eraser, the white art ones work best, I've found. For the crud that accumulates on the hardcover books, which can lead to worse damage later on, a mild cleanser and a paper towel will work fine. We use a local brand biodegradable one and it seems to do the trick. We also put a sort of laminent on the covers of popular soft cover books, so that they put up with more wear and tear and can be cleaned in such a way. Paperback, if they are damaged are either repaired with book tape (think packing tape but much more robust), given a new cover, or depending on our weeding policy tossed. Books with water damage are billed to the patron and replaced. We also try to dust our shelves when it's slow, as this will also aid in keeping the books in good condition, as well as help those of us with dust allergies.142.33.70.60 (talk) 22:47, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Raw Fish in Cast Away

In the movie Cast Away, Tom Hanks is depicted eating raw fish (he actually puts one in his mouth). Did he really eat it, or was it some kind of a movie trick?? Aanusha Ghosh (talk) 07:01, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

I'm not sure if Tom hanks actually ate the fish (I suspect not), but eating fish/bugs/little things whole like that seems to be standard issue in a series by a guy called Bear Gryls or something. 194.221.133.226 (talk) 07:52, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

Maybe someone steamed it for him first, or maybe he spat it out afterwards. However, lots of people (and lots of animals, including bears) eat raw fish. Yummy!--Shantavira|^{feed me} 07:55, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

Raw fish is a very common dish in the South Pacific, usually marinated in coconut milk (Samoa, Tonga, Tahiti, Hawaii), but also common in variations on what is called in Japan, sashimi. Many ship wreckee's have lived off it, such as Rose Noelle. Not much in the article, but it was a staple for them. Mhicaoidh (talk) 09:53, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

Two problems here. Hawaii is NOT in the South Pacific, AND if fish was 'marinated' in coconut milk, it would not be raw, would it?--ChokinBako (talk) 16:42, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

Well actually since ocean fish marinate in brine for all their lives I guess they aren't raw at all ; ) Mhicaoidh (talk) 05:10, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

Check out sashimi Richard Avery (talk) 15:21, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

Good day. 196, you are absolutely correct Bear Gryls does eat raw fish and an assorted variety of other meats. The latest episode he ate an eyeball. And the eyeball juices came out of his mouth. It was pretty awesome. If you are into those things and want to watch Bear eat nasty food, it will turn your stomach sometimes, watch Man v.s. Wild. That show has its sheer value of grossness. I doubt that Tom Hanks ate a real raw fish. I hope I have helped. Have a positively wonderful day. Rem Nightfall (talk) 15:36, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

If the actor in Oldboy can eat 4 raw squids, I'm sure Tom Hanks can manage a fish. Recury (talk) 19:45, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

I'm just saying. Since I notice a lot of American actors was wussies when it comes to things. They have to have stunt doubles.Rem Nightfall (talk) 21:19, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

I am not sure what you mean by "a lot of actors are wussies," but don't you think it was more of a threat to the actor's health to lose all that weight and then to pack it back on? If an actor would do THAT for a film role, why wouldn't he eat a few pieces of raw fish, which, depending on the fish, can be absolutely freaking delicious? I don't know much about Tom Hanks personally, but he seems like the kind of guy who might dine in a Japanese restaurant once in a while, or who might travel to Hawaii on occasion. Not only is the consumption of raw fish not unusual in such places, it is held in such high regard as to be the kind of thing one sees at gatherings, parties, and special occasions. On New Year's Eve in Hawaii, demand for sashimi-grade ahi is so high that it typically drives prices up to $25 per pound (and we're not talking Zimbabwe dollars). The suggestion that to eat raw fish requires non-wussiness is preposterous. Most people I know pay a hefty price for the privilege. Mitchell k dwyer (talk) 22:14, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

I'm sorry. I sounded a bit rude and I shouldn't have said that. Or should have phrased it better. I'm saying most actors are wussies. I guess Tom Hanks would do it, but I don't know many actors. Since I'm pretty isolated when it comes to "idol" stuff. The reason I say they are wusses is not because they wouldn't eat raw fish, but how easily they are seduced into socialism. Most actors follow socialism. If you are woman you have to make yourself thin to beautiful and if your a man you have be tough. In a society like that I have a hard time believing that they are able to explore somethinge exotic. And if they do explore the exotic it might be because of peer pressure. It seems to me that a lot of actors are seduced into societies negative views. Or it seems that way. I wouldn't know I am not an actor. I'm just some kid who lives in a ranch and passes boredom everyday.Rem Nightfall (talk) 22:28, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

I just watched that scene again, and he actually puts a tiny live wriggling fish in his mouth, chews it and then grimaces, saying "Eww". 117.194.225.130 (talk) 07:21, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

Apropos nothing in particular, here's Andy Serkis ("Gollum") describing how his similar trick was done in LOTR: [7].

Atlant (talk) 12:36, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] What is a "Timber Tom (or Tomb)"?

I am doing some process documentation, and have come across the words timber tom. I think it is a reference to a piece of timber that is cut to size to prop up something or brace something. I am very widely read and also a great handyman, but have not come across this terminology before. The use of the word is accepted in the department I am currently working in, but nobody can give me a correct spelling of the word or the correct variations of parsing - that is, something can be "tommed", but how do I spell it correctly? Any information on this would be greatly appreciated. Fido37 (talk) 07:17, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

Hi, I am in the same industry in the southern hemisphere and have heard the term too, but am equally vague. I thought that to "tom" something was to insert a true perpendicular post for others to follow. A quick google shows nothing but Im keenly following it up."Thom" might be another possible spelling. Mhicaoidh (talk) 10:01, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

Nothing in the online OED providing obvious support in this context for Tom, Tomb, or Thom. --Tagishsimon (talk) 10:18, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

Afaik, it's a "tom" – a long metal pole with an adjustable (screw action) piece on one or both ends. It's used to prop up part of a building as a temporary support – such as a wooden balcony cross beam until the timber column can be installed. Can't find it on google for all the tom cruise hits that turn up. Julia Rossi (talk) 12:27, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

I've never heard of an acro-prop being called a tom. --Tagishsimon (talk) 13:01, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

Do you live in Australia? Carpenter-builder types use the term. Is it a pet-name? I don't know. The pop-up dictionary doesn't have it but what it does have is a variation on the parsing of the word tom, which is to do with Uncle Tom aspersions, so quite different. Carpenter use seems to be afaik, the noun. Julia Rossi (talk) 07:37, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] How to deal

I made the stupid stupid move of having sex five weeks ago whilst very drunk (No excuse I know) I later asked the guy if we used protection and he said no. And now, I think I'm pregnant. I am two weeks late,and also have some random symptoms going on..... my boobs are bloody massive,and I'm so exhausted for no reason. I'm so scared. I'm only 21 and am planning a career and life and now this?? I know it's my fault, but I just don't know what steps to take. Re: telling him? getting an abortion? How does it all work? Any advice on any of these things, or any stories of how you handled it would be so appreciated. Thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by Shrinker32 (talk • contribs) 09:09, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

This is a difficult situation and not really the kind of question you would ask on the Wikipedia Reference Desk, but I'll try and give a few pointers. First step would be to confirm that you're actually pregnant - get a pregnancy test kit from a pharmacy or your doctor, several medical conditions can give similar symptoms to pregnancy. If the pregnancy is confirmed, the next step is personal - depending on your relationship with the man you had sex with, you may wish to discuss it with him. Discussing with people you trust (friends, family) will also be helpful, as they may give you a different perspective on the matter. For abortions, consult your doctor, but do it soon, depending on where you live abortions may be difficult / time-consuming / expensive to obtain. It certainly never hurts to ask your doctor about your options, bearing in mind any moral issues or beliefs you may have about the issue. Organisations such as Planned Parenthood (or your local equivalent) can also provide you with advice if you don't know who else to turn to. In short, talk to people you trust, and don't bottle it up; accidents happen to the best of us. Best of luck. — QuantumEleven 09:50, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

Good pointers Quantumeleven. Richard Avery (talk) 15:18, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

I agree with the above. You need to talk to someone, ideally face to face or at least on the phone, who can help you sort through your options. Best of all would be someone who knows you, i.e. your family and friends, but if you feel you cannot approach them, or you fear their reactions, then there are other sources that are set up not to judge but to inform and support. Are you at a college or university? Their counsellors and health service staff have seen it all before. If they try to fob you off with an appointment in a couple of weeks' time, tell the receptionist why your need is urgent. If you are in Britain, an equivalent to Planned Parenthood is BPAS, formerly the British Pregnancy Advisory Service; another option is Marie Stopes International, which has an anonymous chatroom on its website. Be careful of ads for agencies that promise free pregnancy tests and a chat: often these are organisations that lobby against abortions and they may pressure you to go through with the pregnancy. On the other hand, don't forget that adoption is also a possibility. And don't be too sure that you really are pregnant: your own self-castigation at the unprotected sex might be enough to trigger the symptoms (see phantom pregnancy). But, you are right, you may well be, so find out quickly and deal with it, with the help of others. Good luck! BrainyBabe (talk) 15:18, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Travel -Cape Town to Cairo, some questions.

Hi, I'm planning a trip, overland, from Cape Town to Cairo and i have quite a lot of questions as I'm not an experienced traveler. Firstly, if any one could suggest the best time for me to start the trip it would be useful as I'm not sure how to coordinate it around the rainy seasons. I hope to spend around a month in each country on the way up, apart from Egypt and the Sudan, which i'm sure means that i can't avoid them in at least some places. Second I would like to know if it is safe to travel through the northern area of Sudan across the Ethiopian border. And if not how else would i reach Egypt without using planes? Thirdly, what is the protocol for obtaining visas on the way up? Can i get them in advance? Also, what sort of jabs will i need and if i got them at the beginning would they continue to be effective throughout the 8/9 months that i plan to spend in Africa?

If anyone could help with any of these questions i would really appreciate it as it is a bit daunting trying get everything planned.

Cheers —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.96.161.104 (talk) 10:39, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

I'd say you should plot the route first, as that will give you some insight into when you need to avoid hot weather (say when passing through desert areas) and when you need to avoid rainy weather (as when passing through areas where the roads wash out when it rains). There are several dangerous areas between those two points to avoid, such as the genocide region of Western Sudan (Darfur) which has now spread into Eastern Chad. I'd also avoid Zimbabwe, Kenya, Somalia, and Eritrea. So, this leaves you with a possible route following the Western nations up to the Equator, then maybe going through Western Chad and Southern Libya to get to Egypt. You would be going through some 7 nations, so you'd need to check the requirements for each nation (passport, vaccinations, permission to enter, etc.). Also, are you dead set on driving yourself, or would you consider taking trains and/or buses ? That might be quite a bit easier and safer. StuRat (talk) 15:25, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

Also, even if it's possible to safely travel through Sudan, I'd personally feel quite badly about myself if I provided them with tourism dollars whilst they were engaging in genocide against their minorities in Darfur. StuRat (talk) 15:45, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

Most visas require that you enter the destination country within 3 months, so if you are planning on travelling for 9 months you will need to apply for visas in the countries you happen to be in at the time. AS for jabs, you should ask your GP. He'll know more than anyone else what is needed. Malaria and Hep B are the only two that come to my mind, but you will most certainly need more than that.--ChokinBako (talk) 16:34, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

If you have a problem with supplying the local militias with 'dollars', just print your own money and use that. They will never know the difference at the local shops and restaurants. To get past the counterfeit currency laws, print clearly at the bottom in Russian or some other language they won't understand 'This is toy money'. It worked for me in Vietnam.--ChokinBako (talk) 17:38, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

That's the stupidest thing I've read in a long while. Passing counterfiet money is a serious offence in every country and in most cases attracts a lengthy prison sentence (or worse) if caught. Many countries on your proposed route, have poor standards of human rights and have records of torture and murder of crime suspects. The last thing you want to happen on a visit to any foreign country is to attract the attention of the police by comitting serious crimes. Astronaut (talk) 18:34, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

That's quite a trip for an inexperienced traveller. I have visited both Egypt and South Africa, though I have not travelled between the two. Apart from the high crime rate, the travel experience in South Africa is much like it is in Europe or the USA. In Egypt, I have traveled by train from Cairo to Alexandria and found Egyptian railways to be fast and efficient. I was also hoping to travel by car or train from Cairo to Luxor and Aswan, but was very much discouraged by the travel company who said they could not recommend anything other than flying (though this was just a year after the 1997 Luxor massacre). My travel guide book also suggested that train tickets were hard to get due to official policy to discourage western tourists from train travel. However, I have since read that such train travel is now once again possible.

Zimbabwe has severe economic problems and current political strife. In Sudan, I believe there is a train (but no road) from Khartoum to Wadi Halfa and a ferry running from Wadi Halfa to the Aswan Dam, which both operate on an irregular schedule and are sometimes inexplicably delayed for days at a time. However, both services might be indefinitely suspended due to the situation in Darfur. That said, I came across our Cairo-Cape Town Highway article and the related Trans-African Highway network, so maybe it might be a bit easier than I imagined. Two other sources you might find interesting are the TV documentaries Pole to Pole and Long Way Down. Astronaut (talk) 19:31, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

I would not recommend attempting to travel through countries along Africa's Atlantic coast. Many roads in Angola are virtually impassable. Roads are also very poor through both Congos, and both Congos are subject to sporadic unrest. Likewise, Chad is very politically unstable now. If you want to avoid Zimbabwe, which is also quite troubled and economically desperate, it is possible to travel from South Africa through Mozambique and Malawi to Tanzania, where you can rejoin the main Cairo to Cape Town route. The roads in these countries can be rough, and some of them become impassable during the rainy season, which in this region is roughly November through March. So if you are starting in South Africa, you might want to start in September or October. There is no way to avoid crossing the intertropical convergence zone (ITZ) and its rains at some point on your trip. If you are traveling north while a weakened ITZ is moving south, and if you can plan to pass this belt along better roads, you will minimize delays. If you leave South Africa in late July or early August, you should reach northern Kenya by late September, before the ITZ passes over. You can take advantage of paved roads from here to northern Ethiopia, which will by this time be north of the ITZ and therefore dry. You can find an account of this route at this website. Marco polo (talk) 00:42, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

This is indeed a serious trip for an inexperienced traveller. You don't say if you will be travelling with other people and what experience they have. I concur with most of the advice above (except passing fake currency: STUPID and immoral too ) but would suggest that your GP or family doctor might (depending on where you live and their expertise)not have all the relevant info on immunisations and prophylaxis, especially important for malaria. There are commercial travel clinics that specialise in these matters.

More broadly, I suggest you have a look at our sister projects Wikitravel and Wikihow, specifically on Africa and on solo travel. Good luck! BrainyBabe (talk) 14:51, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Safety signs

Does anyone know where I can download safety/warning signs, free, in EPS format? Thanks. ╟─TreasuryTag (talk ╬ contribs)─╢ 16:39, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

Our hazard symbol article links to [8]. Unfortunately they're only free as in beer - you're only allowed to use them in technical documents. The AEM Pictoral Database here looks pretty good. You can see the full list of their symbols here. Are there any signs/symbols you're specifically looking for? — Matt Eason ^{(Talk • Contribs)} 09:31, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Sex With Aliens

Considering bestiality is illegal in most places (besides New Zealand, Australia, Wales, and certain southern states of America), would you not be arrested if you claimed to have had sex with an alien. After all, they are not 'human'. At best you should be stuck in a mental hospital, but if it was actually true, wouldn't it be a criminal offence?--ChokinBako (talk) 17:13, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

You got something against Mexicans? But seriously, it's unlikely anybody has actually enacted any laws against it. Maybe with the alien's pet ghorzmat? Clarityfiend (talk) 17:34, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

Good day. First off, haven't you seen an alien their eyes are always filled with love. Okay Ill put that aside. I am sure if there are aliens and we had sex with them their wouldn't be a law against it. If you think about aliens are foreign they may come from another planet, but they are still foreign. When the Spanish went to Argentina the Spanish having sex with the other Spanish didn't provide children because they wasn't enough oxygen in the thin mountain air. The Spanish had sex with an Argentina and they had children. There are no laws against having sex with a foreigner. And maybe our children might gain some abilities of the aliens. Like breathing toxic gases and living in thinner atmosphere. Who knows. Most foreign sex is for the breeding quality. I hope I have helped. I hope my information was to confusing. Have a positively wonderful day.Rem Nightfall (talk) 18:14, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

...didn't provide children because they wasn't enough oxygen in the thin mountain air. I would love to see a ref or source for that. Sounds strange. 200.127.59.151 (talk) 19:05, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

Claiming to have had sex with an alien is, at least in America, not evidence that sex has been had. If somehow evidence could be brought against someone for having sex with an alien, everything depends on the wording of the law, of course. Having sex with a non-human simply cannot be, all by itself, bestiality. People have sex all the time with certain sexual implements, completely absent the presence or involvement of another human. My feeling is that the spirit of bestiality laws is that animals, even when seemingly willing, are not prescient partners capable of giving legal consent. If I'm right, it would all depend on what the alien life forms were like. I mean, if the alien in question were Kim Basinger, for example, I'm thinking it would be difficult for the state to prove the alien were exploited against its wishes or otherwise ignorantly taken advantage of. If, on the other hand, the alien were more like a Tribble, a case might possibly be made. Good luck in your pursuits, and let us know how it works out for you. Mitchell k dwyer (talk) 19:56, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

Good day 200.127. My source is a documentary called BBC-Earth, The Power of the Planet. It talks about the four main systems that sustain life, create life, and help life. It's the episode of the atmosphere. I've watched the episode of volcanoes and atmosphere. And that is what they said when in the Argentina mountains.Rem Nightfall (talk) 21:18, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

If you have the staying power for a long article, this scholarly piece should enlighten on the high altitude hijinks that were less than fruitful. Fribbler (talk) 23:25, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

The thing about "Sex" is that it's a biological process that evolved on Earth. Since the Alien evolved on a different planet, it might not (in all honesty, probably would not, unless sexual organs are miraculoulsy an example of cross-planetary paralell evolution) reproduce sexually. Therefore, it wouldn't acutally be "Sex" since the alien would not have sexual organs. --Ye Olde Luke (talk) 08:46, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

Given the wide range of ways humans and other animals have found to get sexual release, ((some images not work-safe) see Paraphilia, Non-penetrative sex , Animal sexual behaviour#Cross species sex ,and Animal sexual behaviour#Sexual fetishes), they might use a wide variety of indentations, orifices, apendages, limbs and organs. After Tentacle rape, would the perpetrator be able truthfully to say, had he the means of speech, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman?" Edison (talk) 22:47, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Rumble packs

Have any studies been done on the use of video game rumble packs as masturbatory aids? Is it common practice, percentage of people who have tried it? Any info would be appreciated. Kackers (talk) 19:17, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

Rez is somewhat infamous for this. --Carnildo (talk) 22:12, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

Good evening. I don't know if there are studies in video game rumble packs as masturbatory aids, but I am sure if there aren't you could do the study. I'm sure its a common practice I've heard some kids at school say they use their phone vibration as masturbatory aid. I think it might be a more common practice for the game geek. You know the guy who lives with his mother, who does nothing, but plays video games watches anime. The guy who kinda gives cute girls creepy smiles. Has a strange fantasy for Kasumi from Dead or Alive and whenever he see her celebrates with his game rumble pack. Anyway that was to much description, but I have always had the image in my head whenever I hear rumble pack being used for masturbation. I hope I have helped or at least gave you some words to read. Have a wonderful evening and good luck on that study.Rem Nightfall (talk) 22:33, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

Really? Because like Carnildo, I tend to think of Rez, although I believe it's better for females than males. I always thought it a poor marketing decision by Microsoft not to reproduce the infamous Rez vibrator for their XBox port. Confusing Manifestation(Say hi!) 03:33, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

But... but... three extra controllers! — Lomn 18:06, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

Here is a review of Rez with pictures D0762 (talk) 10:32, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] June 12

[edit] Chocolate and Coffee

Are there any northern varieties of plants used to make chocolate and coffee? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.119.61.7 (talk) 00:04, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

Chicory was used as a coffee substitute during World War II. Though by all accounts it wasn't very nice. (If this what you mean by northern varieties i.e. plants that can grow in cooler climes). Fribbler (talk) 00:13, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

Chicory was also used as a (partial) coffee substitute in the UK during a time of high coffee prices in the eighties. And no, it doesn't taste very nice. DJ Clayworth (talk) 14:49, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

Depending what you mean by "cooler climes", you could also look at carob tree. Grutness...wha? 06:04, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

Chicory is getting a bum rap in this thread. In the U.S, "French Market" coffee is sold nationally. It is a blend of coffee and chicory, sold at a higher price than pure coffee.`, a mixture of coffee beans and "French chicory." The printing on the can says that the Dutch introduced the admixture of chicory into coffee in the 1600's, , and that a coffee/chicory mixture is drunk in Europe which has a "stronger, darker less bitter brew" with less caffeine than coffee. Recommend cream/milk with it. I add some of this French Market blend to coffee and find it improves the flavor. History of coffee/chicory at their website: [9] Edison (talk) 15:45, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] UPI reports Hostile UFO Attack

Where can this be placed? In this, the UPI said that a Romanian fighter plane was hit by UFOs. This is all over the place.

Where can this be placed ? 65.173.104.109 (talk) 02:51, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

I cannot place this in the Romanian article at all. It is protected with a View Source indicating that I can't place it. 65.173.104.109 (talk) 02:54, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

I cannot place this in any realevent article at all. They're all protected. 65.173.104.109 (talk) 03:18, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

By the way. This is a GREAT website. 65.173.104.109 (talk) 03:21, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

Here's the simple answer - it doesn't belong on Wikipedia. It's a single news item that certainly doesn't belong in an article on Romania, or jet fighters, and probably not even UFOs. If you can find a few reliable, independent sources for it, you might be able to get it an article on Wikinews. Confusing Manifestation(Say hi!) 03:31, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

Hello there, UPI is United Press International. Same as the Associated Press - AP. 65.173.104.109 (talk) 03:37, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

The Romanian govt. NOT a reliable source ?! 65.173.104.109 (talk) 03:40, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

Given that UPI has filed it under their 'odd news' category, it seems that they are taking it with an appropriate level of skepticism. Also, the phrase 'unidentified flying object' means 'something we can't identify flying through the air'—not 'little green men'. It appears that the entire story is "A military jet crashed after a an apparent collision with an object or objects that have not yet been identified." TenOfAllTrades(talk) 05:03, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

Hah! Could have been frozen wastes dumped from a restroom on a high-flying jetliner for all we know. Clarityfiend (talk) 06:00, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

Just to be clear what has been reported is that two planes hit airborne objects that have not (yet) been identified. The press called them "unidentified flying objects" which is technically true but conjures up pictures of flying saucers (if nothing else the objects were presumably a good deal smaller than your typical flying saucer since the planes survived). Nothing, even in what is reported, indicates a "hostile alien attack". I agree that the answer to "where does this belong on Wikipedia" is "nowhere" unless evidence comes to light that this is more than just an object impact. DJ Clayworth (talk) 14:47, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Wikinews on UFO Incident

Seen this on WikiNews. they have more info on this matter, incl. another website. Looks we may have a major UFO incident since Captain Mantell was allegedly killed by a UFO in 1947. 65.173.104.109 (talk) 20:55, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

• 1947: Captain Mantell allegedly killed by a hostile UFO
• 2008: UFO attacks Romanian fighter plane

65.173.104.109 (talk) 21:02, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

Now, can this be placed, since all all pertainable articles are protected from any editing ?! 65.173.104.109 (talk) 21:04, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

What is the rush? The incident is reported on WikiNews, which seems reasonable as it is news, of a sort. But there is little or nothing to go on for an encyclopedia article. The notability of the incident is unclear and the facts are unclear and may not be verifiable. Let's wait, see what develops, and then see if there is anything encyclopedic that comes out of it. - Eron^Talk 21:25, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] prostitution network

There seems to be a form of prostitution I could not find in any of the Wikipedia articles (save possibly the article on groupies) that is based on an informal network of girls who stay with one guy for awhile and will then move on to another guy connected to the network. Unlike street prostitution or escort services this type of prostitution operates on the basis of girls having all of their expenses paid plus spending money and is more like a normal relationship that a real boyfriend and girlfriend or married couple might have. Elvis is said to have been connected with such networks (in addition to the groupies or or "road wifes" most musicians have) and had relations with well over 4,000 of these girls. These girls only provide services for the client they are with while they are with them and their clients are their Johns rather than being their pimps. Is there an article that describes such networks in detail? -- Taxa (talk) 03:09, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

There does not seem to be such an article. You are welcome to create such an article as soon as you find some reliable sources to satisfy the requirement for verifiability. It really sounds like someone's fantasy. Edison (talk) 04:09, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

At the moment my knowledge is limited to public nodes such as strip clubs rather than private nodes such as the Hilton ranch, etc. -- Taxa (talk) 05:05, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

This sounds like the system described in the science fiction novel Stand on Zanzibar (but not covered in our article on the novel). Warofdreams talk 21:19, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

Also the two girls that use to swim around in the Whitehouse pool during the Kennedy administration come to mind. Once siting in first class discussing this with a friend two girls across the isle giggled and remarked, "Sounds like [he's talking about] us." -- Taxa (talk) 21:40, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

Out of curiosity, what would make this prostitution when normal, "traditional", relationships where the woman doesn't work is not? Many a woman might leave a man (or at least his bed) if he stopped providing for her. Doesn't the fact that the sexual favors are based on monetary support fit the very definition of prostitution? As a corollary, aren't people in the pornographic film industry paid to have sex? What kind of special dispensation does that fall under, that they can do it publicly, with plenty of proof lying around, without fear of legal consequences? Freedom of expression allows you to make movies with sex in them, but it doesn't seem like it covers paying people to do it.... --Prestidigitator (talk) 23:46, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

Porn actors are not necessarily paid to have sex, but to let someone watch them doing it. Imagine a couple of porn actors with a web-cam. They would have sex with each other anyway, but the cash in for having the camera. GoingOnTracks (talk) 00:24, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

The key thing with porn stars is that the person they're having sex with isn't the person paying. --Tango (talk) 01:20, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Has mininova been hacked?

Loads of torrents on mininova.org are reporting 640 seeds, when yesterday they had only a few. What the hell is going on? They can't all be a conensidence with having exactly 640 seeds. Is the government involved? Dozendough (talk) 11:25, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

More likely to be these guys. Fribbler (talk) 14:43, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

Apparently it was caused by a server problem D0762 (talk) 17:15, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Recent sexual activity

It is obviously possible for a medical examination to determine whether a woman has had sex recently; we often hear about this kind of forensic testing in crime investigations. But it is similarly possible for an examination to determine whether a man has ejaculated recently? And would such an examination be able to determine whether it resulted from intercourse or masturbation? --Richardrj ^{talk email} 12:17, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

There is a lot of information here on what procedures are involved in forensic examination of the male genitalia in various situations. Fribbler (talk) 12:56, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

It is not always possible for a medical examination to determine whether a woman has had sex recently. The "obviousness" referred to is presumably the presence of semen in the vagina or rectum. In many sorts of sexual activity this does not occur -- most commonly, because of the use of a condom. BrainyBabe (talk) 15:30, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

It doesn't even necessarily mean she's "had sex", in the usual meaning of that term. It may well be evidence of having been raped. -- JackofOz (talk) 21:56, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

In some of the Eleanor Roosevelt mystery novels by son Elliott Roosevelt (1910-1990), the forensic techniques used by the Washington DC police in the 1930's and 1940's included testing whether a dead man's seminal repository (Epididymis? Seminal vesicle?) was empty and whether there was semen in his urethra. No idea where Elliott got the information or how reflective it was of period or present police forensics. Edison (talk) 22:25, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Orange

Hi whats that song that is on the UK orange phone network TV advert? Thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 90.197.223.177 (talk) 12:45, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

What song? What advert? How does it go? What is the lyric? Can you post a clip, or a link to one? --Richardrj ^{talk email} 12:50, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

Is it among any of these? Fribbler (talk) 12:51, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Battersea Power Station

I have purchased prints of the power station the last couple of years and am looking for new site to go to so as to purchase more prints / photos of the power station. I have some real great pictures from a pro photographer but would like to see if there are others who have some for sale. Always loved this building and have sent over support as to seeing it stay up, with the right renovation it can be a beautiful area to go to. We have a similar area in Boston Mass. USA on the waterfront. All shops, areas to sit and look out, parks and nice condo's. Hope they respect this building and do the same.

---thanks - bob —Preceding unsigned comment added by 153.103.190.11 (talk) 13:40, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

There's a few nice ones available to buy here. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 13:48, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

excellent - thanks - if any others pop up will very much appriciate it - thanks again - —Preceding unsigned comment added by 153.103.190.11 (talk) 13:56, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

Bob, as a fellow Bostonian, I am curious which part of the Boston waterfront you think compares with the Battersea Power Station? Marco polo (talk) 20:30, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

I think the point Bob was making is that there is a part of the Boston waterfront which the area around Battersea Power Station might resemble if it is redeveloped in a similar way. He wasn't comparing the present power station or its surrounding area with Boston. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 07:37, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] M'alayah

Where can I get music for m'alayah dance, the common dance in UAE? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 192.30.202.29 (talk) 14:27, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Airport security

Why is airport security so over-the-top tight? I recently read about a British man being refused entry to a plane to Düsseldorf because he was wearing a T-shirt showing a picture of a Transformers robot with a gun. A picture! The same story said that a few months earlier, some Canadian person was refused entry to a plane because he/she was wearing a necklace with a very small gun-shaped pendant. What are the security personnel thinking? Do they seriously think the man would start shooting people with a picture of a gun? I have a hard time believing they could be that stupid. Is it then because they think other passengers would get upset and anxious after seeing a picture of a gun? But the other passengers can't be that stupid either, and the personnel must know that. So are they merely being strict for the sake of being strict, like we say in Finland, "reading the rules like the Devil reads the Bible"? Are they knowingly enforcing farcical rules, thinking "well, if you ask me, that guy is all OK, but we were told that we must forbid anything that could even evoke the most remote thought about a gun, so we'll forbid it"? And are they enjoying this, or just obeying orders? JIP | Talk 16:29, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

At a personal security guard level, the motivation naturally varies. At a more institutional level, it's hard to say -- there's presumably a large belief that the regulations enhance security somehow, but some of the regulations seem quite pointless. The whole thing is complicated by the inability to prove deterrence -- is the lack of a successful repeat of 9/11-style hijackings a result of new security or simply that no reasonable attempts have been made? The general public has no way to know.

On a personal note, the only time I've felt airport security to be particularly onerous was a flight from Amsterdam to the States some 10 hours after the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot became known. All passengers were individually (though politely) interrogated before being permitted to board. — Lomn 18:04, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

I don't know if these things happened. All that you are describing could be n urban legend. GoingOnTracks (talk) 00:25, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

I heard about it on the webpage of a Swedish newspaper (in Swedish). JIP | Talk 05:48, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

Yes, both stories were reported in the mainstream press in the last couple of weeks. --Anonymous, 05:55 UTC, June 13, 2008.

This is just a guess, but I expect there is a policy somewhere that states that any gun/weapon/terrorism related clothing cannot be worn. Imaging if somebody turned up for a flight wearing a t-shirt with images from 9/11. You'd expect them to be told to change or not get on the flight. By having a blanket ban on anything showing weapons etc., it removes any arguments about whether an item of clothing is suitable or not. Alphazulu (talk) 08:28, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

Beyond Fear (book) by Bruce Schneier might interest you. --antilived^{T | C | G} 08:42, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

"You'd expect them to be told to change or not get on the flight". No. No, I wouldn't. Assuming a piece of clothing is acceptable on the street (and by acceptable I mean "doesn't cause its owner to be arrested", not "could not possibly offend anybody") then why should it be any different at an airport? I really don't understand the thinking here. 81.187.153.189 (talk) 18:03, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

If you were not constantly being shown how much you need to be afraid, you might not tolerate the eggregious incursions into your civil liberties that our various governments are now promoting "in the name of safety". Surely Antonin Scalia's dissent on yesterday's Gitmo decision should have made this manifestly clear -- he's ready to toss out the United States Constitution in support of his NeoCon friends.

Atlant (talk) 17:10, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

I think that in the instance referred to by the OP, the decision to make the passenger change his t-shirt was completely over-the-top. However, if I was on a plane with a passenger who was wearing something more directly related to terrorism (eg. 9/11), I would be anxious. But if I walked past that person in the street, I wouldn't feel the same way. It depends on context.

The problem is the policy makers are probably over-cautious, resulting in the clearly ridiculous situation with the transformers t-shirt. It's my guess that the individual security officials are only following excessively tight regulations. Alphazulu (talk) 20:34, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Shower curtains

I can't find any shower curtains in the exact colors I want, but I can find fabric, so I've determined to make my own. The dimensions I'll need are printed on commercial curtains, so that's not a problem, but is there a special kind of fabric I need to use? My impression is that something light like cotton would be best, but do I need to spray it with anything?

Just to be clear, I will not be using this as a shower liner, so it doesn't need to be water-repellent. It's just going to hang on the outside of the tub to look nice. But with all the moisture that's gonna be in the air, I don't want it to get moldy.

Thoughts? --Masamage ♫ 22:36, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

As you know, the wet duty kind is shower curtain nylon or polyester by the metre; crystal plastic (clear, heavy weight) by the metre. Anything probably grows mold, but these are more easily cleaned of it. If it's only decorative, any fabric will do (says Google), but when it comes to cleaning off mold with bleach, say, may not stay pretty. Julia Rossi (talk) 00:31, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

But if it's "normal" fabric, won't it be easy to just launder it regularly?hotclaws 07:12, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] A.F.I.

Is there a place to go an ask questions and get answers to them? Mr. T. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.128.192.82 (talk) 22:42, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

Which AFI? Paragon12321 (talk) 23:43, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Ketchup

Any particular way to store a bottle of ketchup after it has been opened? Everyone I know stores it in the fridge, but my family has always just stuck in the kitchen to achieve room temperature. My parents have done this all their lives and it lasts quite a long time. Any guidelines? The bottle does not say either way, although it does say it is purposely shaped to go on the fridge door...

I guess my question is, does it matter how it is stored? Thanks, The Reader who Writes (talk) 23:20, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

Total OR here, but we keep it in the press/cupboard (room temperature). Use it once a month or so. It has never gone "off", ever. Even after six months. I'm guessing the vinegar preserves it. Fribbler (talk) 00:41, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

Yeah, I mean, it has never gone bad for us but everyone I was wondering why people keep it in the fridge if it does not go bad. I guess just a place to put it.The Reader who Writes (talk) 01:31, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

Good evening. On a more personal note I put the ketchup in the fridge because I don't like warm ketchup. My ketchup has to be cold. So no it doesn't matter, but to some people who are picky about warm and cold, yes.Rem Nightfall (talk) 02:49, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

Agreed, the contrast of hot food and cold ketchup is agreeable, something like the contrast of hot and cold in a Baked Alaska. Also, I have noticed that old ketchup eventually gets rather dark colored, more of a blood red. Perhaps keeping it cold will slow this effect. StuRat (talk) 04:54, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

Keep the ketchup (almost) anywhere, but do not top up a bottle from another. Learned this the hard way when working in a restaurant - given time the mixed ketchups ferment - and the bottle explodes !86.197.173.82 (talk) 10:40, 13 June 2008 (UTC)DT

Yes, and, in the case of glass bottles, you can't get the ketchup out if they always keep it full like that, unless you slide a knife into it, which isn't very sanitary. StuRat (talk) 12:44, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

Would it be more sanitary to stick a french fry in it?(Deep fat sterilization and all that). Edison (talk) 15:31, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

From the Consumer FAQ page of a well known brand (a "reliable sauce" ?): "Should ketchup be refrigerated? - Because it is a very acidic product, ketchup does not spoil easily. Once opened, in order to maintain the product's quality more effectively, we do suggest that ketchup (and any other processed food) be refrigerated after opening because refrigeration retards spoilage." Gandalf61 (talk) 15:48, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

I've started to rely on the advice of bottles for this sort of thing. If the bottle says to store it in the fridge after opening, I do so. If it says to store it in a cool, dark place, I just leave it in the cupboard since I live in a temperate country. From my experience, most bottles of tomato ketchup or sauce recommend you keep in in the fridge. Soya sauce is usually fine in the cupboard. Nil Einne (talk) 12:51, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Self-employed, classified ads

Where (online) do self-employed people can place classified ads in the US or UK? GoingOnTracks (talk) 23:58, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

Are you looking for work or looking to hire someone? And in what field of employment?

You could try http://www.craigslist.com/ and for something more widely accepted in professional circles you could try http://www.monster.com/ or http://www.monster.co.uk/

Astronaut (talk) 03:50, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

http://www.gumtree.com/ D0762 (talk) 08:47, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

I am looking for work. I thought that monster was more for employees seeking employment. GoingOnTracks (talk) 17:42, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

It depends on what work you do. Monster and similar sites also carry ads for short-term contract positions and many contract workers are self-employed. However, if you are a self-employed house painter, construction worker or other tradesperson, then perhaps Monster is not the place to look. Astronaut (talk) 20:45, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] June 13

[edit] Track and Field championships

Does anyone know where I can watch the NCAA Track and Field championships online? Or is it on TV?76.194.67.13 (talk) 01:57, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

It's on College Sports Television apparently. They don't have a live internet feed, though I'm afraid. Fribbler (talk) 16:35, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Talking/chatting with other university students around the world.

I realise that this might be a broad question, but could anyone of you guys recommend me a way to talk or chat with other university students around the world? I'd like to meet people from other parts of the globe enrolled at any kind of universities, so I can improve my language skills, share resources, analyse opinions and information with them, etc. It could be a website, a forum, a group, an association... I'm certainly open to all possibilities. Thanks in advance. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 190.19.185.185 (talk) 04:50, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

Well, the major social-networking websites are well populated with university students. e.g. Myspace and Facebook. Fribbler (talk) 10:24, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

At least for the language skills part, online games with chat might work. I've learned some interesting terminology by playing chess and chatting with my friend in New Zealand on www.pogo.com. That is, when he's not "eating tea", "washing his hands in the toilet", or "calling his Mum out at housey" (taking his Mom out for her weekly bingo night). StuRat (talk) 12:37, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Teatro Colon

At the top of the article, I'm told this theater opens in 2010. By the time I've finished reading, the article has decided I don't get to go to the theater until 2012. TripAdvisor said the theater opens May 2008. When does it open? 69.143.227.107 (talk) 05:49, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

Remember, TripAdvisor is a reliable source, while Wikipedia can be edited by anyone (including you), and whatever you read should be taken with a grain of salt. When I Googled "Teatro colon closed" the first three sites all agreed that it reopens in May 2008. Since the other dates are unsourced and not backed up, I'd go with May 2008. --Ye Olde Luke (talk) 09:07, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

Actually it appears wikipedia is correct in this instance. When I Googled teatro colon reopen, I found this [10] and other sources (e.g. [11]) indicating it will reopen in 2010. Evidentally it was planned to reopen in 2008 (the centenary) [12]) but they missed the date (see the IHT article). I've updated the article accordingly. Nil Einne (talk) 12:46, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Valley Of Flowers-Hemkund trek

For a 70 year old man, having undergone a spine decompression surgery in may 2007, is it advisable to visit the Valley of Flowers alongwith a tour company, sometime in August 2008?Main concern would be the trek to the the Valley of Flowers and also the trek to the Sikh shrine at Hemkund Sahib, which apparently is quite difficult for an aged individual.The person in question has no other medical history except what's mentioned above. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.112.80.139 (talk) 06:10, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

I had been there once, and I can tell you that it is not a simple trek. Read 'Some things to Remember' section of Hemkund article. - manya (talk) 08:27, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

If a medical history is relevent, then you are likely asking for medical advice. Please do not ask for medical advice here; ask your medical practitioner. Wikipedians who have done the trek may know jow hard it was for them or others, but are constrained from commenting on how a specific medical condition could affect, or be affected by, the trials of the trek. ៛ Bielle (talk) 17:53, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] The Indian National Anthem

I have read a lot about India's flag rules and about the national anthem, "Jana Gana Mana", but I have found nothing about it that i wanted. I read somewhere that it must be 52 seconds long. Can you confirm to me if it is unlawful to sing it for longer or shorter than 52 seconds? thank you, Balaji.s —Preceding unsigned comment added by 59.96.60.134 (talk) 11:12, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

According to our article, Jana Gana Mana, it only lasts 52 seconds. It isn't unlawful to sing it for longer or shorter than 52 seconds, but the song only lasts 52 at the correct speed, though I suppose you could slow it down.--Serviam (talk) 12:52, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

When we sing it at school, (yes, I'm an Indian, so this is perhaps more authentic) it's usually about 40 seconds, because we are generally in a hurry to get it over with. ^_^ Aanusha Ghosh (talk) 12:09, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

Really, you mean they don't have music for you to sing it to? Nil Einne (talk) 14:35, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

No. All of us sing it together, standing under the bright sun in the school-field. I've studied in three different schools so far, and it's the same thing everywhere. Just the song, no accompanying music.What do you do at yours??Aanusha Ghosh (talk) 17:34, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Odd question

This is a very random question, but does anyone know if bare butt is considered pornography or age-restricted in the U.S., or is it just run of the mill "art" now? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 139.76.224.67 (talk) 14:53, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

Well you can be sure that buttocks not "private parts in terms of indecent exposure in North Carolina. A bit of a specific example perhaps. But I'd guess that it's not considered pornography. You can wear a thong on the beach and not be arrested or be subject to "age-restricted viewing" (as far as I know). Fribbler (talk) 15:43, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

It depends on the context in which the bare butt is seen. A painting, photograph or statue in an art gallery is art. A brief appearence in a movie rarely merits more than a PG-13 certificate. Mooning passers-by from your car is offensive to many. A butt covered in syrup in the pages of Hustler is pornography. And the water filled barrel in your yard is a completely innocent use of the word butt. Astronaut (talk) 17:29, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

Okay, let me be more specific. The picture was a small picture. It was almost entirely taken up by the female's butt. I have no idea what the rest of her looked like. The picture was at a site that is definitely not a pornographic site. The site discusses sports, etc. They do have pictures of other attracive women, but they are clothed. In the picture you see the girl's bum and her panties are down almost all the way (you can't see her anus or vagina). Is this considered pornography or just a racy image? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 139.76.64.67 (talk) 18:15, 13 June 2008

Whether it is pornography or not depends on your community standards. From my liberal, european POV, I think it just sounds a little racy; but I can also see the feminist argument that the particular image might only serve to degrade women or to titillate, especially as it shows only the butt in a provocative way and is in the context of a sports oriented website. However, even if I think it's just a little racy, I certainly wouldn't show it to a preacher, my mother or anyone under 18. Astronaut (talk) 20:14, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] giraffe

Do giraffes make a sound? If so what does it sound like. RoyalOrleans 15:52, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

Not the noisiest of animals by any stretch. Here's some info. Fribbler (talk) 16:00, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

Agreed that giraffes don't make much noise, but when I saw some in Tanzania (Africa), I heard one of them sort of grunt, maybe because he/she was uncomfortable with how close my vehicle had come. Marco polo (talk) 16:16, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

Thanks ref desk peeps. RoyalOrleans 16:29, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

I'm sure a giraffe would make a noise if you stretched it-a sort of sluppp noise :) Lemon martini (talk) 18:45, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Life expectancy of running shoes and flip-flops

What do you think is the average life expectancy of running shoes and flip-flops before they are thrown out by most people? I know it depends on the use, but what do you think it would be on average? From what most people say, I think it would be 1 year for flipflops and 2-3 for running shoes. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 192.30.202.29 (talk) 17:06, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

Dunno about the actual numbers, but I would have put flipflops and running shoes the other way round to you. Flipflops can last for ages, being worn only for a short time in the summer and not for anything particularly strenuous at that. Running shoes would be used regularly (if someone has gone as far as buying dedicated running shoes, presumably they do it fairly often) and are put under considerable load while they're in use. Worn running shoes can be bad for joints etc, so they'd need to be replaced. 81.187.153.189 (talk) 17:57, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

I suspect it depends a lot on how they are manufactured. I believe that--like most products--shoes are designed these days to wear out very quickly (see planned obsolescence), though I don't have any real authoritative sources to base that on. Heh. My dad had a homemade pair of sandals he built from car tires that he wore very often and that literally lasted him decades. --Prestidigitator (talk) 18:14, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

It also depends on where in the world you are wearing them. The answer from 81.187 presupposes a climate with seasonal differences strong enough that a change in footwear is required. In Puerto Rico, for example, I wore through a pair of flip flops in about 4 months, and I didn't wear them to work. Running shoes (the high-end ones), in a northern climate, do last me a year, but I drive more than I walk. If they get wet in winter because I failed to change to boots, and the wet is full of salt, then the runners may last only months. My "sea shoes" that I used for walking in the water in Australia (old-fashioned, white canvas with rubber soles) came apart in less than 6 weeks. There are too many variables to come up with an average that is anything more than purely arithmetic. ៛ Bielle (talk) 20:16, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

One place where I worked used to spread sand in the parking lot for traction in winter, and I noticed my shoes wore out far quicker then. StuRat (talk) 23:13, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

This question may be complicated by the fact that many people probably retire shoes before they cease to be functional. The old shoes may go "out of fashion", the person may buy better shoes, or the old ones may just get ugly (salt stains, for example). StuRat (talk) 23:16, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

This is personal experience from a decade ago, but when I started playing tennis in high school, I was wearing Payless tennis shoes, and after going through 2 pairs in 2 months (the treads disappeared from a large portion of the soles), I went ahead and paid like $70 for a pair of Nike's, which lasted me a year with the same amount of activity. So which shoes also have a huge impact, imo. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 01:33, 15 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Most-inclusive foreign-language Wikipedia

I know that the German wikipedia is a lot less inclusive than the English version. Are there any foreign language Wikipedias that are more inclusive than the English version? Zagalejo^^^ 17:19, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

I'm not sure I understand your meaning of "inclusiveness", but the English Wikipedia has the most articles, by quite a margin. Here's the complete list, with the number of articles and other stats. Matt Deres (talk) 18:12, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

By "inclusiveness", I'm referring to the general attitude of the site members towards borderline-notable topics. Sorry, I wasn't clear. I know the English version has the most articles, but I'm wondering if there's another version out there which would be more willing to keep articles on, say, fictional characters, grade schools, minor league athletes, etc. Zagalejo^^^ 18:39, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

Yeah, I had a feeling I was missing the point. I don't think there's a reliable way to give a general answer to that, if only because everyone's idea of borderline-notable will be different. Do we really need an article on every postmaster general? We're very close to having one for every PG for the US, UK, and Canada; how important is, say, Allen Bristol Aylesworth compared to Spider-man or Steve Dalkowski? There are people who would say he was the least notable of the three, but I'm sure there are other folks who'd rank either of the other two as last. To satisfy your own curiosity, I suppose you could pick a topic that was at least cross-cultural (like cryptids or species of louse) and see which Wikis have the most articles of that subject.

The reason I gave you the first link is that, in a way, the gross number of articles is the only way to get an actual measure of inclusiveness. However you want to define notability, you'd have to agree that the more articles you have, the greater the number will be that are borderline. Matt Deres (talk) 13:14, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

Indeed, I have noticed that in some cases where English articles have been deleted, they continue to exist in foreign language Wikipedias. I suppose this is due to the fewer numbers of users and administrators. Less law and order, if you will. Also when a featured English article on which a featured foreign language article is based loses its featured status, the foreign language one will remain unchecked. Maybe if you compiled some ratios of users/administrators/articles/pages/edits, you might find what you are looking for. That would be a complicated task though. --Russoc4 (talk) 00:06, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

It could mean less law and order; or it could mean less zealotry. -- JackofOz (talk) 22:31, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Book/Reading statistics

I was wondering if anyone knew of a webpage which provided a great number of statistics about books and/or reading (and may have included statistics on many other topics). Many of them were not of the normal sort, an example being percentage of people who thought their life warrented a biography. It had quite a large number of statistics and a few Google searches have not returned any promising leads.--droptone (talk) 18:51, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

http://www.humorwriters.org/startlingstats.html ? --Russoc4 (talk) 00:00, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

Nope. I found that one with the basic Google searches and it isn't what I was looking for. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Droptone (talk • contribs) 16:51, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] autumn blaze maple tree and sugar maple tree problems

Have one 3" of each tree typed above. Autumn blaze is showing light red leaves already in early June and Sugar maple also showing some stress. Both planted late last fall in back yard. Should I wait to see if they decline further and is it possible to prune now? thanks24.1.236.248 (talk) 19:57, 13 June 2008 (UTC)Ŵ

Possible to prune? Yes. Would you want to? Not sure. --Ye Olde Luke (talk) 22:59, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

3" as in 3 inches? What is there to prune? If you mean 3 feet then I would still be hesitant about pruning. You think they are stressed, maybe trying to correct the cause of the stress would be helpful. Richard Avery (talk) 06:16, 14 June 2008 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Richard Avery (talk • contribs) 06:15, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

What would you hope to gain by pruning? If the trees are showing signs of stress, surely the last thing they need is more stress - pruning now would reduce the tree's ability to make food and so further reduce its ability to overcome its problems. Matt Deres (talk) 13:22, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] June 14

[edit] Top Flutes

Which company is considered to be the "Steinway" or "Stradivarius of Western concert flutes"? Acceptable (talk) 00:23, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

I honestly don't think there is "one" company in the flute world. Here are some brands and top classical players of the Western concert flute who play them.

• Muramatsu Flutes (James Galway, Trudy Kane, Aurèle Nicolet, and Amy Porter)
• Yamaha (Irena Grafenauer, Joshua Smith, Christian Larde, Massimo Mercelli, Philippe Bernold, and Dieter Flury).
• Brannen Brothers (Timothy Hutchins, Paula Robison, András Adorján , Bart Feller, and Mark Sparks)
• Powell Flutes (Robert Aitken, Maxence Larrieu, Elaine Shaffer, William Morris Kincaid, James Pellerite, Keith Underwood, Robert Langevin, Mathieu Dufour, and Anne Zentner)

Jean-Pierre Rampal, one of the greatest flute players ever, performed on an instrument made by the William S. Haynes Flute Company. It was modeled after the famous 18 carat golden flute made by Louis Esprit Lot (1807-1896) which Rampal had been using from 1948-1958.

Note that a number of players use a headjoint manufactured by a different company (most frequently by LaFin, but also by Oleg, David Williams, Drelinger, Albert Cooper, and others) ---Sluzzelin talk 07:40, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Another golf question

So I'm watching round 2 of the U.S. Open tonight. The majority of the players played hole 18 (a par 5 with a deadly water hazard) as their final hole. However, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson played hole 9 (which, to my eyes, looked much less challenging) as their final hole of the night. I believe the announcers referred to it as their "second 9." Now, this just doesn't seem fair. Can someone please explain?--The Fat Man Who Never Came Back (talk) 01:46, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

To speed up a round, starting holes are staggered. Presumably Woods and Mickelson began on the back nine (10-18) and finished on the front nine. Regardless, all golfers play all 18 holes. After the cut is made, play shifts to all golfers playing 1-18 in the usual sequence. — Lomn 03:59, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Pigs doing weird stuff

About a week ago, I was watching this show on TV about TV bloopers, and I saw one where a reporter was at a farm. It showed two really huge pigs in the background, and the larger one that was black got on top of the pink one's back in a very clumsy manner because it was so fat. I'm not sure what it was trying to do, maybe tackle the other pig or something. Anyways, the cameraman started laughing, and the reporter turned around and saw it, and she started laughing too. I don't know why they were laughing, to me it just looked kind of weird but not very funny. Am I missing something here? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 로그인 계정 만들기 (talk • contribs) 02:56, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

yes, my young innocent, they were Piggybacking. Mhicaoidh (talk) 03:54, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

In other words, they were mating. StuRat (talk) 05:11, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

Not necessarily, The one underneath may have been blind and the one on top was guiding it towards the food. (after Noel Coward) Richard Avery (talk) 06:10, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

The version I heard, using dogs, was "Well, Jimmy, the dog on the bottom was just tired, so the dog on top decided to help by pushing her home". StuRat (talk)

No, the fat piggy was being the bridge, and the one underneath was playing trolls. --Karenjc 19:52, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Origin of Word

Where does the word "alphabet" origin from. Is is from Alpha and Beta, the first two Greek letters, or from Aleph and Beit, the first two Arabic letters?? 117.194.225.38 (talk) 05:44, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

The former appears to be correct. [13][14] Rockpocket 06:44, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

This is taken directly from the article Alphabet:

"The word "alphabet" came into Middle English from the Late Latin word Alphabetum, which in turn originated in the Ancient Greek Alphabetos, from alpha and beta, the first two letters of the Greek alphabet. Alpha and beta in turn came from the first two letters of the Phoenician alphabet, and meant ox and house respectively."

So, the English word "alphabet" came from a Latin word, which came from a Greek word, which came from alpha and beta. So, in a roundabout way, "alphabet" did come from "alpha" and "beta." --Ye Olde Luke (talk) 07:12, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

But, the English word "alphabet" came from a Latin word, which came from a Greek word, which came from alpha and beta, which came from aleph and beit, so in a roundabout way it can be either the former or the latter, depending on how far back your analysis goes. -- JackofOz (talk) 22:22, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Umm...

[15] Which WA is it referring to, Washington State or Western Australia? Interactive Fiction Expert/Talk to me 10:50, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

Did you notice that the website is Australian? Adam Bishop (talk) 11:30, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] How to activate NNM on my nokia?

[[16]]====>After seeing this I'm very interested to activate that feature on my nokia 3310. Plz tell me what should i type on my keypad or what shud I do with my phone to activate that feature....Infact I didn't Understood what is that feature & how is it useful for? So plz tell me more abt that feature & how to activate it on my phone? Plz giv me in detail How to activate....Temuzion (talk) 11:11, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

The article is shit, but appears to have a number of useful links. Is there anything they didn't answer? Nil Einne (talk) 12:34, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Removing Bloodstains

Is it possible to completely remove bloodstains from asphalt (blacktop) paving? If so, does the removal process change the color of the asphalt, even slightly? RAhicks (talk) 13:47, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

If it's crimescene the police may be able they may be able to point you in the right direction now that they're done with it. In any case particularly if it's human blood, you might want to refer to a professional as you also want to make sure you adequetly disinfect Nil Einne (talk) 14:33, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

Scrub the stain with Coca cola to clean it off (Yes, that actually does work), then rinse down with water. This might stain it a bit if you leave the coke too long, but if you rince it fairly quick with water you'll be fine.--Serviam (talk) 16:12, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

[17] Suggests wiping with a sponge or cloth soaked in warm or cool soapy water. You might consult professional crime scene cleaners: [18] . Edison (talk) 04:28, 15 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Alternating DC questions

In the US, the District of Columbia was set up for the location of the capital, Washington, so that it wouldn't be placed in any existing state. The concern was, that if they put it in an existing state, like Virginia, then that state would have disproportional power. So, my questions are:

1) Have any other nations done something similar ?

2) If not, how have they dealt with the concern that the state/province/region housing the capital may gain disproportional power ? StuRat (talk) 14:57, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

Many other federations have a distinct territory that is not a state that is home to the capital. For example, Malaysia has 3 Federal Territories of Malaysia, the first set up for the capital, the second is an offshore banking facility and the third set up as a new administrative capital in an effort to reduce congestion in the current capital (amongst other things). Similarly Australia have the Australian Capital Territory. India set up (admitedly only in 1991) the National Capital Territory of Delhi which has always been one of the seven Union Territory (although our article claims, unsourced, it is one the way to statehood). Obviously for non-federations, without states, this isn't so much of an issue. However Wellington was made the capital of New Zealand partially due to concerns the distance of Auckland from the South Island (not entirely the same thing but some similar concerns perhaps Nil Einne (talk) 15:45, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

It was for similar concerns. At the time Wellington was made capital, NZ had provincial governments, similar to those still operating in Canada - also at the time the country's economic power was all in the southern South Island, due to the Otago Gold Rush. Grutness...wha? 00:55, 15 June 2008 (UTC)

Another is the Distrito Federal in Brazil, which is occupied only by the capital, Brasília. Deor (talk) 19:57, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

The ACT is physically inside New South Wales, although administratively and legally separate from it. The Constitution came up with a solution to the rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne, by specifying the seat of government was to be at least 100 miles from Sydney, but still within the borders of NSW. The payback was that, until such time as the capital Canberra was built, the parliament would meet in Melbourne, which it did for the first 27 years of federation. -- JackofOz (talk) 22:15, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

Alternating DC sounds like a contradiction in terms, electrically speaking. Edison (talk) 04:19, 15 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Are cell phones making it impossible to turn the camera shutter sound off?

I just bought one (Toshiba) and couldn't turn it off. I don't get it. Who would want a loud sound every time you take a pic? GoingOnTracks (talk) 17:57, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

Yes, that is annoying. On my old Sony Ericsson K750i, I could switch the phone to silent mode and the camera would be silent too. My new K850i however, keeps the camera sound on no matter what - I can however modify the sound to be a more discrete "tennis ball" sound. If you want it to be totally silent, there are some sites on the internet which give info about flashing the phone's memory, but at the price of potentially invalidating the warranty or permanently breaking your phone. As to why phone makers are doing this, perhpas it's something to do with privacy concerns or copyright issues in galleries, theatres, etc. Astronaut (talk) 18:14, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

Toshiba make cell phones? I didn't know that. Perhaps they're not available in Europe. Astronaut (talk) 18:33, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

Yes, it does. see. The thing with flashing the phone's memory seems like too dangerous. The phone is brand new. Anyway, I am not trying to make upskirt pics of schoolgirls, so for me is just annoying, but no deal breaker. GoingOnTracks (talk) 19:31, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

For a workaround, how about putting your thumb over the speaker holes when you snap a pic ? StuRat (talk) 00:04, 15 June 2008 (UTC)

Or for another workaround, does the phone allow you to save sounds and use them for various actions? If so, you could record a "blank" sound and assign that to the shutter noise. By "blank" I mean just recording a half second or so of just ambient noise. In a quiet enough room, the sound file won't be very loud when recorded. So when taking the picture in a relatively noisier place, the sound will just go unheard. Dismas|^(talk) 02:44, 15 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Greatest Mexican

Who do you think was the greatest mexican of the 20th century? and also who is the greatest mexican scientist of the 20th century? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 206.170.104.24 (talk) 21:42, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

Regarding your second question, Mario J. Molina is the only Mexican to have won a Nobel prize in a Science (Alfonso García Robles won the Peace Prize and Octavio Paz won the Literature Prize). Rockpocket 21:50, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

Though such speculation is widely frowned upon at the Reference Desk, for the first question you could make a pretty good case for Frida Kahlo. Or her husband, for that matter. Grutness...wha? 00:47, 15 June 2008 (UTC)

Or even Emiliano Zapata depending on what you consider of the 20th century and what you consider great. GoingOnTracks (talk) 02:34, 15 June 2008 (UTC)

Though it is difficult to argue with a Nobel prize, Luis E. Miramontes is the first name mentioned in the article on combined oral contraceptive pill, which in turn often appears in lists of "the most significant invention of the 20th century". Since this is also an opinion question, and 'cause I can, I will add Consuelo Velázquez, who, at the age of fifteen, wrote one of the catchiest and most successful tunes of 20th century popular music. ---Sluzzelin talk 03:14, 15 June 2008 (UTC)

Well in that case, 'cause I can, I will submit Mil Máscaras. Greatness is in the eye of the beholder sometimes, and Mil is way, way up there on my list. Mitchell k dwyer (talk) 07:49, 15 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] What is a prostitute?

Is it fair to call a woman a prostitute if she earns no money from a relationship, but demands/expects that her partner earns/has money? GoingOnTracks (talk) 22:59, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

Whether it is fair or not is a matter of opinion. Our article on Prostitution explains the various meanings of the term. Technically, your scenario probably doesn't fall under those. I would suggest a more common pejorative term would be Gold Digger (the song of the same name explains why). Rockpocket 23:18, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

I wouldn't call such woman "gold diggers" if they are not trying to earn money from the relationship. It looks much more like a form of classism to me. Perhaps internalized classism. I wouldn't call that prostitution. And probably it is not fair to call a woman a prostitute just because you think she is one. 217.168.0.245 (talk) 23:34, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

If the woman contributes nothing but sex to the relationship, and expects money in return, and also has sex with others, then I'd call her a prostitute. However, money is only one way to contribute to a relationship. Housekeeping, raising children, hosting parties, etc., are other ways which women have traditionally contributed. StuRat (talk) 00:01, 15 June 2008 (UTC)

I agree with StuRat. It all depends on how this relationship is constructed. Is it a win/win situation? Is she leeching the partner? Consider that all this extra contributions (raising children, housekeeping, ...) don't bring money directly but also have an economical value. (there is certainly some scholar who analyzed the value of this kind of non-retributed services). Prostitution is normally the exchange money-sex or privileges-sex. In a healthy relationship is much more involved, beyond this simple exchange, something is being built. 217.168.0.245 (talk) 00:11, 15 June 2008 (UTC)

On the other side of the coin, so to speak, the OP might also be interested in the term Sugar Daddy. Dismas|^(talk) 02:38, 15 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] June 15

[edit] College

Can anyone give what they think is the single most invaluable tip reguarding searching for and applying for colleges and univeristies? --hello, i'm a member | talk to me! 06:13, 15 June 2008 (UTC)

I don't know if this question is appropriate for the Reference Desk, but this high school teacher has watched hundreds of students march off to college, and my best advice is this: Look for the kind of school that's right for you and don't try to be the student who's right for some school. Look past the familiar names of schools, and instead look at yourself. What kind of student are you? What environments have you thrived in, and what environments have you struggled in? The first question I'd ask myself about any school is whether or not the school is looking for someone like you. Mitchell k dwyer (talk) 07:47, 15 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Give Me The Facts of the Yellow Summer Squeeze

Good evening. I was drinking some lemonade and then it came to me. A question and a thought. Why is lemonade considered a summer drink? What makes lemonade a summer drink? Why does everyone drink lemonade when it's hot outside? I drink lemonade summer and winter because I love lemonade. I love lemons. I am a lemon head. But back to the topic. Where in history has it made lemonade a summer drink? Thank you for answering my question. I really appreciate it.Rem Nightfall (talk) 07:13, 15 June 2008 (UTC)