Revision as of 07:37, 6 March 2007

Misplaced Pages:Reference desk/headercfg

March 3

El Chapo de Sinaloa

Does anyone know any biographical info on this banda / norteno singer? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.175.138.41 (talk • contribs)

I googled and got this. Is that what you're looking for? --JDitto 01:16, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Eclipse

Today, for the US, there is a total LUNAR eclipse. Check your local weather forecasts. 205.240.146.224 05:20, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

Only the U.S. moon is having an eclipse? what about the rest of the worlds moons?--ChesterMarcol 06:01, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

I think he meant it was eclipsing for the US.... hey you.... yeah you.... stop looking at our eclipse!. Actually, I think I read Europe and Africa are getting the best views. Cyraan 06:45, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

Areas near the equator usually do. This talks about tonight's thingy. V-Man737 07:11, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

Tonight's eclipse begins at 20:18 GMT, and totality lasts 74 minutes from 22:44 GMT to 23:58 GMT - see our lunar eclipse article and this BBC article. And it has a small mention on our Main Page. Gandalf61 11:24, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

It's not hard to understand. A lunar eclipse happens when the earth's shadow is cast onto the moon. This event happens simultaneously for every place in the world and lasts a little over an hour from start to finish. The only question is whether you can actually see it happening from where you are. Since the shadow is only cast onto the moon when the sun is on one side of the earth and the moon is on exactly the opposite side - you can immediately realise that you can never see the eclipse if it happens in the middle of the day in your time zone. If it's day - then the sun is on your side of the world - so the moon must be on the opposite side and you can't see it. But if it's night-time for you when the eclipse happens - and presuming you are in a position to see the moon at all (ie there isn't a mountain in the way), you'll see the eclipse happening. You get the best view when the moon is high above the horizon (because the sky is darker at zenith) - so you get the best view if the eclipse happens closer to midnight - and a worse view if it happens near dawn or dusk. Solar eclipses work completely differently - but that's another matter. SteveBaker 15:46, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

Of course, before you need to worry about viewpoint, you need to ensure that the local atmospheric conditions allow one to see the moon in the first place, or all is moot. For example, as I type, those of us in the New England region are having a bit of trouble spotting the early stages of the eclipse through the heavy snow and dense cloudcover. :p Jfarber 22:18, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

Wifey and I sat in the Hot Tub and enjoyed the view of the moon for an hour in Scotland.--88.111.98.95 07:13, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

I'm happy to report that I have just seen the British moon in eclipse on a beautiful clear night. Still no sign of the American one, though! Clio the Muse 23:08, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

Congrats, Clio. I'm very jealous. Had wanted to show the kids something astronomical, but I guess we northeastern Yanks will have to wait for the next go-round. Jfarber 01:46, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

Sorry to hear that, Jfarber, and I wish you better luck next time. Several years ago my parents took me to Cornwall to see an eclipse of the sun, and all we saw was cloud and rain! Clio the Muse 01:55, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

Etiquette

What is the proper alignment of fork(s), spoon(s) and knives, from left to right, in a formal arrangement (just in case)? --hydnjo talk 02:27, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

My mother taught me: Forks on the left side of the plate, smallest fork on the outside, largest fork on the inside, no more than 2 inches from the plate. Knives and spoons on the right side, knives first, largest first, cutting edge directed at plate. To the right of the knives come(s) the spoon(s). Dessert spoons to the north of the plate, handle on the right side. ... fF (plate) KkSs ---Sluzzelin talk 02:42, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

Here's a link ... ---Sluzzelin talk 02:45, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

Hey Sluzzelin, thanks for your research and timely (15 minutes) response. I asked an obscure question at each desk tonight to see how responsive we are and it seems that we're doing just fine at the Miscellaneous desk! Please don't feel that I've been evil or such, I was just trying to see how we're doing. ;-) --hydnjo talk 03:55, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

I don't think the knives, forks and spoons are supposed to be arranged in order of size. The idea is that as you start eating, you start with the outermost set and with each course of the meal, work inwards towards towards the middle. This tends to result in the large knives and forks being in the center - but depending on what you are eating, it may not always be that way. SteveBaker 05:02, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

I agree with Steve, at least that's how I was taught. The table setter ought to have some insight as to the courses and their order so as to set the utensils in proper order from the "outside" and working in towards the plate. Damn glad that my dinner companions have no knowledge of that otherwise we'd be social outcasts. ;-) --hydnjo talk 08:08, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

The link I provided and my mother agree with Steve and hydnjo too. Looks like I have to go back to manners school. ---Sluzzelin talk 23:28, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

According to Miss Manners; the spoon, fork, and knife each have their own unique purpose for the evening meal:

1) The first time someone attempts to steal food from your plate a rap on the back of the knuckles with the spoon will serve as a gentle reminder.

2) The second time you may use the fork and drive it through their hand into the table.

3) If this does not dissuade them, it is time to use the knife to finish them off.

:-) StuRat 23:40, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

And the handles of knives have to face toward whoever uses them, or it looks like you are trying to stab them

collecting lint

In the novel "War and Peace" as Napoleon invades deeper and deeper into Russia, Julie (Princess Drubetskoy)describes spending her days scraping cloth to make lint. Presumably lint is needed for the war effort. Can you tell me what the lint is used for? 71.112.107.106 06:40, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

It was used to dress wounds. Clio the Muse 06:48, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

This was the only meaning of 'lint' I ever heard as a child: what dressings were made of. Note that the lint dab page linked to above does not list this meaning. wikt:lint does, however --ColinFine 00:25, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

V3i RAZR

Does the phone in the subject heading have a SIM card slot for the small Cingular SIM card. I suppose most cell phones do but i want to make sure.--logger 07:17, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

I would assume so, I'm pretty sure SIM sizes/shapes are standardized (but I haven't bought a new phone in a while so this may have changed), its usually the software vendor locks you have to worry about. Cyraan 08:42, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

The phone is unlocked so it should work. Thanks for the info.--logger 08:48, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

Visual thinking

Some people such as Temple Grandin claim they think solely in pictures, but they never give much detailed information of how _actually_ they do it to form complex sentences visually. Does anyone know any source about this? Thanks. --Taraborn 12:14, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

Pretty hard to explain it without direct thought transference... and it if that ever happens, we're in deep trouble. -88.111.29.222 12:31, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

I meant something like, for example... to "translate" the sentence This movie is boring and lasts very longinto images I imagine a man pointing at the screen yawning and an hourglass running veeery slow. --Taraborn 15:08, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

I'm a visual thinker - just as you have no problem drawing a picture, when you think in words (how weird that must be!) - I have no problem producing coherent sentences when I think in pictures. Keep that symmetry in mind and all should become clear! SteveBaker 15:36, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

I use images quite a lot to speed up my thinking, but could you (please!!) an example of a complex sentence in the way I said? If I tell you "Yesterday I went to the cinema", how does the word "Yesterday" picture to you? Thanks to all. --Taraborn 19:49, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

I can't. It's like me saying: "OK - draw me complex picture - a vase of flowers say - now, what words were you using to describe to yourself that particular S-shaped curve that described the side of the vase?" ...that's a bit overly simplistic perhaps because I'm typing so I had to use words to say it and that perhaps says what it is you think. But suppose you were remembering the way light striking the side of the vase causes a complicated pattern of light shading on the side of the vase? SteveBaker 23:53, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

I think in words most of the time, and can't draw at all

I'm pretty sure you don't mean that you can't draw - I'm 100% sure you can draw - what you mean is that you can't draw well. That's not at all the same thing. SteveBaker 23:53, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

I think it's very difficult for us to observe our own language of thought and even more difficult to express these observations to others. These questions have been captivating philosophers and cognitive scientists for a long time. The articles on private language argument, or, for a more recent concept, on language of thought might be of interest to you. ---Sluzzelin talk 23:17, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

And of course: visual thinking. SteveBaker 23:53, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

If you really want to worry about this - try to answer the following questions:

1. Do animals who posess no speech think in words?
2. Do people who have always been profoundly deaf think in sign language gestures? What if they never learned to sign?
3. Does my wife (who is French) think in English or French or both or neither since she was speaking exclusively French until the age of 18 and has been speaking almost exclusively English for the subsequent thirty years of her life?

For the third one, I've asked her this - repeatedly and with an effort to get a solid answer. She's definitely not a visual thinker - that much is abundantly clear. She claims not to know the answer. She says she does not translate her thoughts into either language. Her speech just comes out in whichever form is needed without special thought being required. However, interestingly, when she has to add a column of numbers without the aid of a calculator (and as many people do, she feels the need to vocalise: "Three and four, seven, and six is thirteen, carry the one...") - she can only do that in French. She can't add up a table of numbers in English without getting into a lot of difficulty! It's hilareous to watch her try! SteveBaker 00:07, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

Errr... This is becoming pretty weird. Temple Grandin says she had trouble understanding the word "under" until she made an image about her under a table during a drill, she also mentions she had trouble with more abstract concepts such as peace, she imagined a dove and so. That's what I understand for visual thinking. Can't you just give us an example of an image linked to a word or concept? PS: The example about the vase... well, you don't need "words" to "understand" an image... you just keep that image in your head and if someone wants you to describe it you do it. --Taraborn 00:50, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

In popular education culture there is multiple intelligence of Howard Gardner and many others who posit theories of how people think. 'Visual thinking' is a possible subset demarcation of thinking. In education terms, some people find it easier to learn reading from a blackboard, while others find they need to talk about what they learn, and others need to feel things related to learning. Difficult to actually prove, as people are supposed to display degrees of all types of learning, but occasionally favoring styles.

In terms of the metaphor of a visual learner (thinker), images are easier to process and interpret than sounds, as awareness lends itself to visual expression. So the word 'surprise' evokes an image, and the image of someone surprised is associated with the word.It is important to remember that words define thoughts, images in this respect, are lexical. DDB 04:47, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

I don't quite hold with what Temple Grandin says - I don't need to think of a mental picture for every word - just as verbal thinkers can recall the shape of a vase without needing to describe it in words. Visual/Verbal thinking is more to do with how you approach solving problems or how you like to explain things. I certainly don't have to think of hiding "under" a table or see a dove as a symbol for "peace". They are concepts that exist independently of the words that describe them. However, if I have to explain to a mechanic at the garage that my car is 'hesitating' during accelleration - I feel a strong desire to sketch a quick graph rather than trying to put it into words. Mathematical concepts are easier for me to comprehend if I can turn them into a geometric representation. I'm just generally much happier with pictures and diagrams than with (to me) long-winded wordy explanations. SteveBaker 06:19, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

Sir, I would like not to hurt your feelings, but from what you say I guess you have a pretty common mind, and definitely not what I was looking for. Everyone finds easier to understand the concept of, for example, real numbers using a ruler to picture it (an image, yes!) instead of countless and meaningless arguments, let alone the formal definition. --Taraborn 20:52, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

There is definitely a difference between visual thinkers and symbolic thinkers in mathematics. On seeing the expression ${\displaystyle x^{2}+y^{2}}$ a naturally visual mathematician thinks "circle" and a naturally symbolic mathematician thinks "quadratic form". Gandalf61 13:10, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

Steve, the question being asked is not about people who think best/most clearly/as a preference in images, but about people who think solely in pictures, of which Taraborn gave an example. People who do not think in this way do not necessarily think solely in words, but they use words in their thoughts as a way of thinking more clearly. That doesn't mean these other people do not have any images in their thoughts! In answer to the question "How does Temple Grandin form complex sentences?", I'd say (judging from the under example), with difficulty. However, if Temple Grandin is able to communicate with other people in any way other than pictures, I would guess she is able to think in words to some extent, although she may need to understand a concept visually before she can use it. However, as Steve says, most people in fact think in a combination of different forms, and just have a preference for some over others. (PS, I don't use a ruler to picture the concept of real numbers, although I do use a flexible numberline for calculation. I find the concept easier to understand through mathematical definition and graphs. Beware generalisations!) :-) 86.139.237.132 22:32, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

That's why I didn't type Everyone, I typed Everyone, since I expected some exceptions to the rule. Nevertheless, the concept is almost exclusively taught at elementary schools using the ruler method. Thanks to all for your responses :) --Taraborn 20:38, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Maybe she doesn't know she's thinking in words as she can't imagine any pictures to describe her thought.

Side thought - see Synesthesia. V-Man737 03:57, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

Three block warfare

Pl help me in finding ref material on this earliest by 5 mar 07. Will be highly obliged--202.83.175.66 15:45, 3 March 2007 (UTC)<Email removed>

I assume you've already read Three Block War and the Krulak article referenced there? Algebraist 19:48, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

Egypt's Natural Resources

Does Egypt have any natural resources that are unique to only Egypt? Thank you very much --(Aytakin) | Talk 18:35, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

Apart from the Nile Delta, threatened due to withholding of silt behind the Aswan High Dam, I can't think of any. Marco polo 19:05, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

I thought of one possible unique resource, the only quarry for imperial porphyry. Marco polo 19:09, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

THere was that comet that exploded there, and primary tourist resources, and amemaits.

Sand--88.111.98.95 08:06, 4 March 2007 (UTC).

Lots of places have sand

Is that a "resource"? 惑乱 分からん 23:18, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

For a while, mummies were a significant export. V-Man737 04:04, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

I believe mummies of commoners were dug up and used as firewood at one point, they apparently burn quite well. StuRat 14:22, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

Ameriphile?

The proliferation of questions concerning the U.S.'s upcoming election got me wondering why people outside the U.S. even care. But I guess a country of our size (I'm an American) and importance (arrogance?) in the world has a lot of bearing. So, I know that there are people in the U.S. who follow the lives of the British monarchy for whatever reason and they're called Anglophiles. So is there an equivalent word for people who follow the American scene? Amerophiles, maybe? Dismas| 19:49, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

I (in the south of England) have never heard such a term. As you suspect, anyone in Britain who follows politics much at all will be aware of US events to some extent (you do rule the world after all). If we were going to introduce a term for it, I would disagree with Ameriphile since it implies liking for America/American politics, rather than interest in it. Hope that helps. Algebraist 20:14, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

(after re-reading) btw, size has little to do with it. I (who like to think I pay attention to world affairs) cannot currently remember which party rules India right now, and have no understanding of Chinese politics at all. Algebraist 20:17, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

No, they are known as masochists. Lame joke, sorry. Amerophile (or, perhaps, Yankeephile) is as good a neologism as any, though it is unlikely to achieve wide acceptance over, say, pro-American (Is there such a thing as a Germanophile or a Russophile?). And in response to the above, America does not rule the world, no matter how much it would like to take up the white man's burden. As always, I am the half devil and half child. Clio the Muse 20:22, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

There are Slavophiles, but that's something different. And I guess I need to make it clearer when I'm being facetious. Algebraist 21:09, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

Indeed, so do I. Clio the Muse 21:13, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

Misplaced Pages has articles on Russophilia and Germanophile. Found no articles on Ameriphilia or corresponding neo-synonyms thereof. ---Sluzzelin talk 22:08, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

You forgot Japanophile, a hell of a lot more common. :) -Wooty Woot? contribs 23:20, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

Not to mention Francophile and Francophobe for the French. As a Brit living in Texas, I hear the words "Anglophile" and "Europhile" quite a bit - but I've yet to hear a term for people who love/hate America and Americans particularly. I'd go with "pro-" and "anti-" prefixes personally. SteveBaker 23:47, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

The word certainly exists in Serbo-Croatian and other South Slavic languages, if the ghits are anything to go by. Bhumiya (said/done) 00:44, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

I'm US born, but have lived in Australia for almost thirty years since age eleven. There are many insults and slights I have heard in pop culture regarding US peoples, but the most positive have still been denigrating. I might have heard a few conservative peoples refer to the US as 'friends in times of (our collective) need'. DDB 04:32, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

National Life and Accidental Insurence Co.

I need to contact this insurence company and don't know how. Can you help me? Thank you Dorothy O'Malley —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Dorothy omalley (talk • contribs) 20:45, 3 March 2007 (UTC).

Do you mean the National Life and Accident Insurance Company? They were bought up by American General some time ago. Apologies if you're after someone else. Algebraist 21:16, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

Places of Interest in New York State

Hello! I and my family will be visiting the US in April. We will begin in New York City, then drive to the Niagara Falls, to Washington, D.C. and back to N.Y. before we fly back to Sweden. We have no problem knowing what to do in N.Y., D.C. and the Niagara Falls. But, we will probablably have to stay overnight at motels on the road from

1. New York to the Niagara Falls
2. The Niagara Falls to Washington
3. Washington to New York.

We are not very familiar with what is situated between these well-known places. Are there any towns one would want to stay in, e.g. places of historical interest like battles, or other famous places? Thanks, Jacob Lundberg 23:16, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

1) Try a stay at the Adirondacks. StuRat 23:26, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

2) Try a stay at the Catskills. StuRat 23:26, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

3) Visit some American Revolutionary War sites, like Trenton, New Jersey. Once there, it's just a hop over to Independence Hall in Philadelphia where you can see the Liberty Bell. StuRat 23:26, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

On your way from Niagara to Washington, you may want to take I-90 west to I-79 south. Visit the attractive city of Pittsburgh. From downtown Pittsburgh, take State Route 51 south to Uniontown, then get on U.S. 40 east, which will take you by Fort Necessity National Battlefield. (It's also close to Ohiopyle State Park and Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater.) Continue on U.S. 40 east to scenic I-68 east, which ends at I-70. Exit at Maryland State Route 65 south toward Sharpsburg and the Antietam National Battlefield, site of an important Civil War battle. Harpers Ferry National Historical Park is nearby.

If cornball Americana is more your taste, there's the kazoo factory in Eden, New York, the Zippo lighter factory in Bradford, Pennsylvania (near pretty Allegany State Park) and the Little League Baseball museum in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. (You may have more appreciation for the Little League museum if you visit the excellent Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York on your way from NYC to Niagara.

One thing you might want to consider while you're at Niagara is to take a ride north on the Canadian side along the Niagara Parkway to Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario, a charming, colonial-era town that's a great contrast to the gaudiness of the Falls. Lewiston, New York, on the American side, is nice, too -- it's one of those towns where the McDonald's doesn't look like a McDonald's because of the strict laws on historical preservation. -- Mwalcoff 00:36, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

But make sure before you get there that you have any required visas, etc. to enter Canada. Every year hundreds of tourists don't get to Niagara, Ontario, because they assume Canada is part of the US and not a separate country with its own laws. I kid you not. --Charlene 05:39, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

A few odd possibilities:

• Corning Glass Works and the associated Steuben Glass Works (along the Quickway/Southern Tier Expressway from NYC to Niagara)
• Erie Canal (along the New York State Thruway from NYC to Niagara)

In Pennsylvania from Niagara to Washington, D.C.:

• Many attractions in Philadelphia including the Franklin Institute and the Philadelphia Museum of Art
• http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/PASHAroad.html (How can Wiki not have an article on this place? An obvious example of Systemic bias!)

Atlant 15:18, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

These are all good ideas, but I would point out that you really don't need to stop at a motel on the last leg of your trip, from Washington to New York. It takes only 4 or 5 hours (even allowing for traffic) to drive between the two cities. Marco polo 01:19, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

One more thought for the leg of the trip from New York to Niagara: the beautiful Finger Lakes. Marco polo 01:22, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Thank you very much, all of you! I am sure we will have a wonderful stay in the best country of the world. Jacob Lundberg 15:35, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

I'm sure you will if you ever decide to go there.

Consider the Lake Erie wine trail, and Westfield, which it goes through - a charming little town famous for antiques and grapes. From there you can access Interstate 90, taking you to the city of Erie, Pennsylvania; you can check out Presque Isle State Park, which is just starting to get pretty by April. From there you can take the Interstate 79 (which I found to be very scenic during summer and autumn) to Pittsburgh, as Mwalcoff suggested. The towns along the way are all very country-style, and if you really feel like it, you can stop by to visit the (real) Amish in Sugar Grove, Pennsylvania. After that, I am clueless about travel between Pittsburgh and Washington DC. I hope what I have helps, though! ^_^ V-Man737 05:02, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

March 4

Background music in Nissan Sentra ad

What is the background music in this Nissan Sentra ad? It's been bothering me for a while and I cannot find it using Google. --Blue387 08:10, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

Okay, no such luck either in googling the lyrics. Here are the lyrics I managed to get from watching the ad:

• and I know
• and it's all right
• come on
• know that your mind's made up
• forever
• poison
• never
• hold on tight

The agency that did the ad was TBWA. Here's their websites page on the campaign:

Here's a splurt on that page about the music:

How did you choose the music for the spot? What were you trying to accomplish?

The goal was to find existing music that we could license from bands that was relevant to the target but largely unknown to mainstream audiences. We looked for music that would give the campaign even greater credibility. Music that the target would have on their iPod.

My advice is that you email the ad agency - or if you can find out the production company you can email them to - or you could even email nissan.

Don't forget to come back here and tell us the answer!

Rfwoolf 09:50, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

Answered

Got it! According to it says "Featuring the music of: Artist: Oranger Song: Sukiyaki

So I googled those terms to find: - where you can preview the track (at the top)!

Answer: The song is Sukiyaki by Oranger.

Rfwoolf 10:09, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

In a way, I'm a bit let down that Marc Horowitz isn't protected from being recreated. Where are all the internet meme geeks that think everything on the net is notable? Dismas| 13:32, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

Is that an invitation? (jokes). I see the article has no deletion log or history - so nobody's tried to create the article. Given that the article ran in October 2006 and the campaign has now long died out, the chances of someone trying, die out as each day passes. Rfwoolf 15:18, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

Otto Rank's view of Death, Life

I'm interested to know of specific references that provide information about Otto Rank's views of the influence of death anxiety or death awareness on our psychology, and whethe he had developed any idea of a "life" force or instint24.164.180.8 00:17, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

There is a Misplaced Pages page on Otto Rank, but it's not especially illuminating. You might be best referring to his writings, including Beyond Psychology, where he notes All religion springs from the most powerful fear in man-not so much fear of natural death as of final destruction. Yet the actual creative force expressing man's belief in personal immortality as against racial survival appears as a manifestation of his will for eternal survival (1941, p. 208). Clio the Muse 00:35, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

The Sun, Earth, and the Moon

Lunar Eclipses diagram showed at http://en.wikipedia.org/Image:lunareclipsediagram2.gif#filehistory

Reason for the Question: The diagram shows both the moon and the sun revolving around the earth.

Question: Was not Galileo responsible for proving Copernicus' theory was correct: That the earth revolves around the sun, not the sun revolving around the earth --24.3.49.57 03:14, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

This picture merely shows the apparent orbital paths of these two objects from the perspective of a stationary Earth. The emphasis is on the slight differences in the elevation of the orbits which make eclipses only possible at certain times. Deco 04:01, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

Galileo and Copernicus were both correct - but in modern times, scientists often find it useful to take a leaf from Einsteins book and be prepared to view the universe from any convenient position - moving everything relative to whatever location makes for the simplest explanation. So if it makes for a convenient explanation, we can draw the diagram from the perspective of my house, or from the center of the earth - or from the perspective of the sun - or of the center of the galaxy (about which the sun orbits)...so long as you make it clear which coordinate system you've chosen, everything works out OK. SteveBaker 06:04, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

Also note that they shortened to distance from the Sun to Earth to be about the same as the Earth-Moon distance and made the Sun the same size as the Moon. Back when all the planets were modeled as orbiting the Earth, this did lead to the discrepancy in the "apparent retrograde motion" of some planets, where they sometimes seem to orbit backwards, from Earth's perspective (really caused by Earth overtaking those planets.) StuRat 14:28, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

It's impossible to draw useful diagrams of the solar system to scale. If the Sun/Earth distance fills the diagram (90 million miles) then the Earth/Moon distance (250,000 miles) is 1/360th of the width of the diagram. In a large-ish digital image at (say) 800 pixels, the entire earth/moon system would have to fit in two pixels! That's not much of a diagram! So unless you are talking about a huge poster covering an entire wall or something, you can never draw things accurately to scale. SteveBaker 14:47, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

Fine to pay after being convicted

Is there a time limit in which a convicted person has to pay a fine which the court has handed down? If there is, how long is the time limit, and can the convicted person go to jail in that time (if this is part of the sentence as well), or only after, if not being able to pay the fine? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Zoomzoomj (talk • contribs) 06:19, 4 March 2007 (UTC).

This is an interesting question and I'm afraid I'm not sure of the answer.
But my advice is to phone a local courthouse and maybe speak to one of their clerks - who should be able to tell you.
I do believe that if the court orders you to pay something, they typically have someone talk to you like the sherrif and you discuss how you are going to pay it, and by when. After a certain date if you miss a payment or whatever, the sherrif will get an order to repossess some of your goods in luie of payment. So I'm guessing that they would only put you in jail when they hand down the judgement and offer you either jail or fine. I'm guessing that they won't arrest you outright for non-payment, unless you're paying off a very large fine and have very few assetts and you miss a payment.
Good luck. Rfwoolf 09:55, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

Might it perhaps depend on the country you are in? --ColinFine 00:29, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

Everyone's American! :-) Actually, it depends more than anything on local laws and the contents of the court order. Sometimes orders will say that a fine has to be paid within 30 days. Sometimes they say that a payment plan has to be discussed. Sometimes it's more complex. If you have a law-line in your community, Zoomzoom, call them and ask - they'll know whether there are any statute requirements. Also get a copy of your court order. --Charlene 18:31, 7 March 2007 (UTC)

Someone just created Arachnobutyrophobia

Sounds like a hoax, can't find any sources, so my question, hoax article, yes or no? I would have added {{db-hoax}} but it does get a few google hits--VectorPotential 16:03, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

I don't think all of it is a hoax, just some of it, so maybe deleting that part would help

According to our own article, it is in the list of Jocular and fictional phobias. There is absolutely no need for an article on this - it's never going to be more than one line. I'll put it up for AfD. SteveBaker 17:10, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

It's only a one sentence hoax so I don't think it's too much of a stretch to nominate it for speedy deletion--VectorPotential 17:12, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

What's that supposed to mean? Spider-butter? Isn't there a Greek word for butter, preferable over a Latin? 惑乱 分からん 23:22, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

I thought it was fear of rubber spiders, but see here. —Steve Summit (talk) 04:07, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

Hehehe, it's gooone now... --JDitto 01:05, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

That is a misspelling of Arachibutyrophobia and is a very real and dangerous health issue. V-Man737 05:25, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

religion

In both Christianity, Judaism and Islam, how many people are actually commonly believed to have met, or spoken to, God instead of one of his assistants? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 172.200.101.68 (talk) 16:15, 4 March 2007 (UTC).

Just to get things started, in Judaism and Christianity (and possibly Islam; not sure how much of the OT they believe) we have a bunch of people in the Old Testament: Adam, Eve, Cain, Abel and I have no idea how many more. In Christianity (barring some moderately obscure branches) we have a whole bunch of people who happened to be living in Israel around 30AD (though this is complicated by the doctrine that Christ was the same being as God the Father but a separate person - see Trinity). Doubtless there are more, but I hope this helps. Algebraist 16:32, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

Oh, and since I can't resist pedantry, very large numbers of people indeed have spoken to God, though not all get direct replies. Algebraist 16:33, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

Can you be more specific about what you're asking here? What would constitute speaking to an 'assistant' of God? For example Jesus was not God himself, but the son - would that be counted as God or an assistant?
You also ask how many people are actually commonly believed to have met or spoken to God -- in which case you may be disappointed if it turns out that there's no official answer to your question.
Perhaps you can also explain the nature of your question. If you're serious about finding out the answer to your question, and normal avenues fail, you may have to contact some theologians and perhaps get them to do some original research -- which may involve 3 separate religions! Rfwoolf 17:28, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

If you don't mind be asking, "commonly believed" by whom? Muslims don't believe the Christian Literature. Christians don't believe the Muslim Literature. And Jews don't believe both Christian and Muslim Literature. 202.168.50.40 21:56, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

Further to Algebraist, Judaism believes that only one Jew ever "spoke with God face to face", and that was Moses. All other prophets have had lesser experience, with God-appearing-in-a-dream being one of the lowest and most common forms of prophecy. However, there's also a curious tradition that other non-Jewish prophets may have had prophecy that exceeds that of Moses, notably Balaam. --Dweller

Just to be nit-picky, in Genesis 18:1-8, God shows up at Abraham's tent (perhaps in triplicate, but certainly in body); Abraham washes his feet and offers him food, so although technically their relationship in this moment is "face to foot", it seems like this would probably fit the "face to face" standard for Jews as well. Jfarber 16:05, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Nit-picking back, the feetwashing is of the three angels, not God ("behold, there were three men..." etc. --Dweller 19:08, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

I thought that too, but every translation I've found refers to the three men as God, not angels, and further uses third person singular (he) or "The Lord" to refer to those three men. I'd not have remembered, but I always thought it was interesting that God would appear as three men, and only have two feet. Jfarber 20:25, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

The Hebrew is clear and specific - "Anashim" means men. This is the Jewish perspective, so if you must use a translation, check out a Jewish one! one, for example. I suspect there's some confusion here. Abraham had a vision of God immediately before he sees the three men. He then refers to his visitors as "Adonay", which can be translated as God, but in biblical sources usually means "My master" or "My lord"; for example, Judah repeatedly refers to Joseph as "Adonay". Now, Judah at that time doesn't know who the "Egyptian" he's speaking to really is, but he's quite aware that he's not speaking with God! --Dweller 22:18, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

An abashed Jew who consulted a Catholic translation to get to the above, I stand corrected...and will ever wonder why my college theology prof -- a world renowned authority on sacrifice in the old testament -- allowed me an A on a paper which suggested that Abraham's visit with God established the prototype for all subsequent human ritual encounters with God. Jfarber 00:47, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

digital thermometer

looking for a digital thermometer I can hook up to my PC to track the temperature almost real time (if the temp changes at t=0 I want my thermometer to pick up on it by t=30 seconds). —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 68.249.184.156 (talk) 17:44, 4 March 2007 (UTC).

What is wrong with thermometers built into the motherboard? --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 22:56, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

You can check your system temp (and possibly configure alarms for overheating) by going to BIOS setup when your computer boots. Your motherboard may come with software to monitor system temp on Windows. On Linux, GKrellM - and probably other programs - can display system temp. --h2g2bob 01:41, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Yeah - but you guys are talking about measuring the CPU core temperature and such. Perhaps our questioner wishes to monitor the temperature of some external thing using a digital thermometer hooked up to the PC. http://www.electronics-lab.com/projects/pc/014/ perhaps? I did a Google search on 'PC software digital thermometer' and came up with quite a few hits. I would expect most digital thermometers to be able to react in well under 30 seconds. SteveBaker 04:12, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Removing a stuck light bulb from a lamp socket

I have a light bulb stuck in a lamp socket. I can't get it to come out. I'm afraid to turn it too hard, for fear that the bulb will break in my hand. Any ideas on how to get it out? I've heard about using a potato to pull out a broken bulb, but this bulb isn't broken. Yet. Corvus cornix 21:11, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

My two cents: I'm no physics major, but I'm thinking the implosive nature of lightbulbs demands that you break it off at the base (preferrably after you wrap it completely in tape of some sort, so the pieces stay together), turn off the breaker, and use the potato / take the socket apart. You could TRY just the tape thing first, to protect your hand, and then try turning just a WEE bit harder than you had before...but the usual screw-too-tight solution of creating a temperature differential between bulb and socket doesn't seem advisable or plausible, here. Jfarber 21:23, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

What type of light bulb fitting are we talking about here anyway? Algebraist 21:24, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

Just a typical incandescent bulb, screw-in. Corvus cornix 21:45, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

I had this happen to me recently when I was removing a bulb. What I did was use a towel to grab the bulb, and hold it near the base so there's less torque on the glass. Then I applied a constant force with my wrist to untwist it. Luckily, it worked without breaking the bulb, but it's not really a guaranteed way to get it out without it beaking. You might want to try it if no one else has an answer. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 22:58, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

It can be very dangerous to twist a bulb out of the socket if there is any chance it is still getting power, because besides the bulb shattering and spraying glass shards, the bulb may become detached from the base so that the internal leads twist around and short, causing a small explosion which might burn you, blow the fuse or breaker, or startle you causing a fall. Having killed the power, make sure you're not looking up at it to avoid blindness from bits of glass if it breaks or from a short circuit and explosion if you were wrong about the power being off. Tape the bulb up to keep shards from flying and twist it out while wearing gloves to protect your hands. In the past, when the bulb has shattered and only the base with jagged glass in it is left, with the power off, I have used wire pliers stuck into the base and opened (extended) to grasp the interion of the base and twist it out. Bulb bases are a technology which hasn't improved in about 120 years. The present aluminum bases seem to get stuck more than the former brass bases. Edison 01:46, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

I always do the same thing. To avoid future problems, always use nose grease before screwing in a new bulb! --Zeizmic 02:09, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

A TV DIY programme here in the UK once advised when dealing with screws that are stuck to try tightening them slightly before trying to remove. Could apply same here? --Dweller 12:41, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

I second that motion, that's just what I was about to suggest. Definitely try variations on wiggling and jiggling, in both directions. I wouldn't want to just apply more and more force -- that's quite likely to break something. (I doubt you could break the glass this way, but it's easy to break the bulb away from its base, or to break the threaded part of the light socket away from the rest of the light fixture.)

What kind of light fixture is it, anyway? This might just be a good time to replace it with something newer. Often sockets stick when they've gotten too hot, indicating that (a) they're likely to keep sticking and (b) they may be inadequate for the temperatures encountered (or just plain too old). —Steve Summit (talk) 02:00, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

I recommend against any kind of grease including nose grease because of the extremely high temperature of an incandescent light fixture. The grease is going to oxidize and cause a high resistance connection leading to even higher temperatures, possible failure of the insulation on the wires going to the socket, and consequential problems. Westinghouse says not to use any lubricant on ligh bulb bases . See This Old House for their take favoring potatos or soap bars. has another view favoring pliers. Edison 17:36, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Well, there are worse places to get a light bulb stuck: . StuRat 18:39, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

social classes

there is upper class, middle class, and lower class, but what is working class and where does that go. Is it part of the other classes or is it another name for one of the classes or is it seperate from those other three classes —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 216.134.173.128 (talk • contribs).

The entry on Working class addresses your questions in the first few paragraphs. It's a controversial term, but I think you'll see that, while there is a complex relationship and often much overlap between lower and working class, the latter is much more about specialized work and workers in industrial cultures, and the economic and social status associated with those workers and their families, and as such the terms are not often treated as synonymous. Jfarber 22:00, 4 March 2007 (UTC)(after ec)

You should also refer to the page on Social class. This is a fairly complex issue and has been subject to a wide variety of interpretations, depending if the issue is approached in political or sociological terms. The term 'working class' only really begins to emerge in the nineteenth century, taking the place of the earlier and much looser 'labouring classes'. In the classic Marxist model one's position in the social hierarchy was defined in accordance with the relationship to the means of production. The working class-or the proletariat-are those who produce commodities, and the bourgeois-or the capitalists-are those who control the means by which these commodities are produced, and cream off all of the 'surplus value.' It is a simple, indeed simplistic, model which was meant to explain the tensions that build up between the producers and the consumers, and how these tensions allegedly become the motor of social revolution. But the Marxist model hardly serves to understand the complexities of post-industrial societies, and would unite the brain surgeon on the one hand with the street cleaner, on the other, as members of a homogenized 'proletariat'. Post Marxist theories focused more on the divisions between 'blue collar' and 'white collar', industrial and managerial, as the main line of division. Contemporary sociology and government statisticians more commonly use the concept of stratification as an explanatory model, defining relative position in terms of income and patterns of consumption. In the United Kingdom, for example, the Registrar General, the main government department concerned with gathering and collating official data, bases the notion of social class exclusively on occuption. In other words the whole of the population might in a sense be said to be 'workers', from the managing director to the unskilled labourer. This, of course, leaves out the 'sub-classes', like the unemployed and the unemployable. Clio the Muse 00:31, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

"In other words the whole of the population might in a sense be said to be 'workers'" apart from Landed Gentry etc :-) Skittle 15:55, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

In Canada everyone thinks they're middle-class. Even billionaires claim to be middle-class. Well, other than Conrad Black, but he left. But then again, nobody really thinks about what class they are unless a Briton or American asks him. --Charlene 18:38, 7 March 2007 (UTC)

Red and Blue Ribbons

Why do Canadians and Americans differ in the colour of their first place show ribbons? I had thought that the award of red might have been something that had started in some olde shewes somewheres in Late Medieval England, and the rebellious Americans, disdainful of all kinds of frivolity and monarchism, chose the more democratic blue in the establishment of their new Republic. Whatever my prejudices are, the Wiki doesn't seem able to give evidence either way. The EB, for what it's worth, was even less helpful, stating that "ribbons" are provided at fairs but never deigning to specify a colour.

Thanks in advance for your help! 207.35.41.4 23:38, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

Excuse me, but what do you mean by "show ribbons"? --JDitto 01:03, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

This.--droptone 03:38, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

March 5

Question Restated

My Linksys unit had really ------ up while asking a question. Question was that will the documentary aired on the Discovery Channel will destroy the Christian religion. A debate had followed this documentary. 205.240.146.224 01:02, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Question is this: Will the documentary aired here destroy the Christian religion ? 205.240.146.224 01:04, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Website is http://www.discovery.com and the documentary claimed that some scientists have found Christ's remains. 205.240.146.224 01:06, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

It airs at 11PM EST, just in case you wanted to catch it (a bunch of guys in the dorm are about to watch it). So be quick.--droptone 03:39, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

I dont think a Discovery Channel special is going to destroy a religion that has existed for thousands of years.--ChesterMarcol 03:16, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Hmm, if millions of years worth of fossil records hasn't managed to destroy Christian religion then the remains of one more man certainly won't do it:). Vespine 04:42, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Fossil records don't speak very strongly against it since Creation nicely incorporates 'apparent age' such as fully grown trees, and adult humans and animals, and a full fossil record. Also FYI the discovery channel special is based on ridiculously shaky evidence IMO. There are just much better arguments out there --froth 05:59, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

• What do you mean by destroying the Christian religion? First of all, no matter the claims of the discovery channel, there will always be a group of people that will disagree with it or refuse to accept the level of evidence offered. Secondly, I believe there are a huge number of people that are Christian to whom the Christian concepts disproved by Discovery channel do not factor into the reasons behind their religious beliefs - in other words even if they proved that jesus didn't go up to heaven, they'd still ask "So what?". Keep in mind there are a lot of people who were converted to christians that didn't speak English as a first language and aren't in touch with much of the news/media - and wouldn't even properly understand the findings of the discovery channel. So this means that there are people that simply don't care about these Discovery findings, or find them irrelevant.

My general answer is no. Rfwoolf 11:34, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Is this the one that say "OMG, we found the remains of someone called Jesus. And look, he was buried with a woman with a name a bit like Mary Magdalene, kind of. And another man that could be his son! It must be the Jesus in the Bible, there is no other possible explanation!"? :-D Skittle 15:49, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

"OMG, we found the remains of someone called Jesus." Was that a pun? ;-) FWIW, I thought they'd already "found his remains," multiple times? Also, I thought The DaVinci Code would destroy Christianity... V-Man737 05:51, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

Picture of Milwaukee's Borchert Field

I wondering if anyone knows where I could find a good picture of Borchert Field the only one I can find is the one in the article. I need it for a power point presentation on the history of baseball in Milwaukee.--ChesterMarcol 03:36, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

This image is different, though equally crappy. (From this article, which has another image that you might find useful.) − Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 09:14, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Camera angles

I'm watching through Pulp Fiction -one of my favorite movies- again and I've begun to notice the spectacular camerawork. In particular, there's one part where Butch is trying to sneak up to his apartment, and he squeezes through a small crack in the fence. The camera swoops through a hole in the fence and continues following him. Now a person holding a video camera maybe could have gotten through, but the view was very solid and straight like it must have been on a track. But it couldn't have been on a track since the camera is following Butch and you can clearly see 5 seconds before that there's no track there. And the camera can't just be rolling on the ground since it's fairly rough terrain (some trashy lawn). How is this accomplished? --froth 05:55, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

I don't recall the shot you're talking about -- I've seen the movie but long ago, but perhaps this will help... A lot of this kind of work can be accomplished by Steadicam - which is when a person holds the camera and walks with it but the steadicam device manages to keep the camera rather steady - and of course steadicam operators are usually very skilled at walking without bobbing too much. Hope that answers your question Rfwoolf 11:18, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Some other possibilities:

• The camera may have been on a cantilever out in front of the track, with a counter-balance to keep it from tilting. This would work if the camera only goes a few feet past the fence before they switch to another camera.

• There may have indeed been tracks which were removed by CGI afterwards.

Also, by "5 seconds before", do you mean 5 seconds before in the same camera shot ? If they have changed camera shots you have no idea how much time actually passed, they regularly stop action, make changes to the set (like laying down track), then continue with the same scene. StuRat 18:27, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Well he walked from his car, across the street, through the side yard of someone's house, then through a hole in their back fence, then across a large vacant lot. So the cantilever probably wasn't viable. And yes I mean 5 seconds before in the same shot. I'm thinking that steadicam is how they did it, thanks --froth 19:35, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

I've seen the movie a lot too and listened to the four or five commentaries on the special edition disk and I'm having trouble recalling the specific scene you are talking about too. But regardless, I'll add that Fight Club did use a lot of tricks with composition of real, special effect and CGI camera work so it's best not to assume anything you see is real. It's possible they used a combination of zoom and digital zoom tricks to acheive the effect of going through the hole. Vespine 22:48, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Hm I doubt it was some sort of zoom effect; the camera followed him quite a distance after the fence (admittedly it was straight forward) and kind of came up and sat on his shoulder at the end, something impossible if zooming from the fence. I'm convinced it must have been steadicam or something like that --froth 01:20, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

Fight

In a fight which would be more effective, Karate or Tae Kwon Do? Do you have any suggestions besides jiu jitsu or judo?

• Depends on which one you know better. If you've mastered them sufficiently, both can be equally effective. - 131.211.210.19 08:51, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

It would also depend on the training of your opponent, I imagine. − Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 09:07, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Tae Pwn Do. V-Man737 05:55, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

"ER" on Doormats

Hi, I often see doormats with "ER" written on it in big letters... what do they stand for or mean exactly? Thanks. 08:08, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

• Where are you located in the world? - 131.211.210.19 08:49, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Based on the IP (203.208.88.170), Australia. − Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 09:19, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Could be ER as in Elizabeth Regina (Queen Elizabeth in Latin). They, make all sorts of Royal tat for the tourists these days. Rockpocket 09:22, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Whereabouts are these doormats?If they're in a big building with lots of nurses and doctors and bleeding people lying round that might give you a clue ;) Lemon martini 10:32, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Haha, but a doormat in the halls of a hospital would impede the movement of gurneys in and out of the the emergency room. − Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 10:34, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

What colour are they, and what style are the letters in, and where are they?

As a middle-aged Australian, I can confidently report that I have never seen such a thing. I'm frankly quite surprised the questioner claims to have seen it "often". (But I guess it depends on which circles one moves in.) If it were just the letters ER, I'm not sure I'd know what to make of it. But if the letters were inscribed in a royal emblem, such as used to appear on red letter boxes, then yes, I'd say it was Elizabeth Regina. However, the adulation that was once afforded to the Queen is very much a thing of the past here these days. We take an interest in the Royal Family's doings, as many other countries around the world do, but this sort of brazen fawning is extremely unusual, in my experience. JackofOz 00:03, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

Solitaire question

In the game of Perpetual Motion (solitaire), suppose I have the following columns in the tableau:

4 5 6 6

2 K A 5

I can certainly move the 6s together. Is it permissible to then move the 5s together, or must I only make the possible moves on the top cards? I have one reference book that seems to suggest the latter; are there any other references which clarify this?

Well, having read Perpetual Motion (solitaire) they only mention 4 piles of cards - whereas you have 8. These 4 piles get dealt on-top of each time, and the article specifically mentions that "only the top card in each pile is in play" (meaning that you cannot reach under a pile to get the card you need. It seems that you can only discard a set of four cards when they come up all at once in a deal, i.e. you deal 4 cards and all of them are the same -- which is highly unlikely and would probably only happen very seldom.

However, if for whatever reason you are playing the same game but with two rows (2 sets of columns) (perhaps to make it easier), then I would answer your question by saying that it's optional - depending on how difficult you want the game to be. Keep in mind that the more you pile/group cards together, the sooner you will end up with 4-in-a-row and be able to discard that set. So if you want to play an especially longer game, then you'd only be able to group one set of cards per deal.
In closing, perhaps you would like to ask your question in the discussion section of the article Perpetual Motion (solitaire) which can be found here: Tallk:Perpetual Motion (solitaire) -- but it may take a while before someone responds, if they respond at all.
One of the Wikipedians who contributed to the creation of that article is User:Nanami_Kamimura - you might want to ask her this question. Rfwoolf 11:29, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

No, look, you have this wrong. The first four cards that were dealt was a 2, a K, an A, and a 5. No matches could be possible, so another four cards were dealt on top of these (a 4, 5, 6, and 6). The sixes can be matched, but this opens up the possibility that the fives can be matched; the "only the top card" rule may apply since the 5 is now on top, but this could also mean "only the four cards that were on top at the start of the deal" -- that isn't clear, and is what was being sought clarification on. I know that if I group faster I play faster, but I want to know what the original rules are.

Rock gods

What is the relationship between Lemmy Kilmister and Ozzy Ozbourne like? do they know each other and if so do they get on? Which one considers the other to be the original God of rock ect. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 81.144.161.223 (talk) 12:03, 5 March 2007 (UTC).

negroid philosophers and scientists

Is there a list of negroid scientists, or list of negroid philosophers, or could you give me examples of such people? I want to disprove a claim I heard that there are no important negroid philosophers or scientists. 193.65.112.51 12:13, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

They must be pure negroids or he will claim their intelligence is not from negtroid ancestors 193.65.112.51 12:16, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Just to add that even if there aren't any/many negriod (or shall we say African) philosophers or scientists, this may be to being previously disadvantaged - where Africans (or blacks) weren't entitled to the same opportunities or education systems as others. But I do know for a fact that there are black people with degrees in philosophy and I can only strongly assume that there are black people with degrees in science. It would be odd to find any say, 150 years ago. Rfwoolf 12:36, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

There are many African scientists working in Africa or (in search of greater opportunities) in Europe and North America. Here is an organization devoted to science and technology in Africa. Several individual African scientists are mentioned in this document. You can find more by searching "African scientist" in Google. Kwame Gyekye is just one of the many African philosophers working today who do not have European forebears. Marco polo 14:07, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Also check out African philosophy and Category:African philosophers. --Richardrj 15:41, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Television set problems

Being an undemanding British consumer who wants nothing more from a television than the four main channels and teletext, I bought a combined TV and video recorder (small "desktop" style; Matsui brand) in October 2005. It had been working normally up to and including Saturday evening ... but appeared to be dead on Sunday morning. The normal routine is to press the power button on the front, which puts it into standby mode, then turn it on by pressing the standby button or channel up/down buttons on the front, or pressing the standby button on the remote control. When I did this yesterday, the standby light came on after pressing the power button, but nothing else happened. No matter which buttons I have pressed, I have not been able to turn the TV on. I have tried the plug in different sockets (not that that was likely to help!), but I'm at a loss to know what to do or try next. Does it sound like it is irretrievably broken? Does anybody have any suggestions on what the problem might be, whether it might be fixable, etc.?

Also, there is a video cassette in the video recorder bit, which is now "stuck" in there because with the TV being out of order, I can't eject it. How can I retrieve this?

Thanks, Hassocks5489 12:50, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Disassembly can always retrieve the video cassette, although you may need to drive some small motors by hand to crank the cassette loading/unloading mechanism.

With regard to the set's overall status, this is a long shot, but one thing you might try is ensuring that all of the control panel buttons operate; a stuck button may result in the rest of the controls becoming disabled. (This actually happens quite a lot in cars, where beverages get dumped into the controls and glue down the buttons.)

Atlant 14:16, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Some possibilities: If there's sound and other functions - but just no visuals then your tube may be broken. Go right ahead and check if you can get sound at all by making sure any volume gauges are set to 'up'. Also, the tube could be broken. But I suspect in both these cases the video would still physically "play". Check if there are any funny switches on the back of the TV that might have brought the TV into a different mode. Check that no buttons are stuck. You said that currently the standby light comes on - if it didn't then it would indicate a power problem so for now you can rule that out. Also make sure that your remote control is not just simply out of battery power.

Sorry if these ideas seem obvious - but I'm just trying to help Rfwoolf 14:41, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Sometimes the electronics get their knickers in a twist. Try unplugging from the wall socket for 20 minutes. It often works.86.202.31.98 14:56, 5 March 2007 (UTC)TVbuff

I had a remote malfunction and constantly send the "VOLUME UP" signal. Perhaps, in your case, your remote is sending the "POWER OFF" signal. Try pulling the batteries out of the remote and controlling the TV manually. If that works, you know the problem is the remote. StuRat 17:57, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Thanks for all the advice so far! My Dad has kindly taken it down to the village electrical shop today, to see if anything can be done. As it stands, the only thing that happens when the power button is pressed is that the standby light comes on: absolutely nothing else works on either the video recorder or the TV part of the unit. I have eliminated power supply problems and the remote as potential problems; Atlant's suggestion has potential. Anyway, I'll report back when I hear from the electrical shop! Hassocks5489 21:09, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Shoelaces wearing out

Has anyone else experienced the phenomenon of one shoelace wearing out long before the other? All too often, one shoelace frays and eventually snaps while its partner is happy to continue for many months afterwards. I would have thought that both laces were subject to the same amount of wear and tear and should expire at more or less the same time, but no. And before anyone asks: no, it's not just the left or right lace that goes first, but it can be either. --Richardrj 13:02, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Do the heels wear out at different rates too, if so there could be a clue there somewhere.--88.111.98.95 13:09, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

I witness the same thing, but I fear it may be due to canine intervention Capubadger 13:12, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Parrot intervention may be another cause of the problem; they are also famous chewers. Atlant 14:16, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Thanks for the replies. Last time I checked, my shoes hadn't ever been attacked by dogs or parrots, but I'll keep an eye out in future :-) --Richardrj 15:38, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

If you'd like a serious reply instead, you might want to consider that the life of a shoelace is greatly affected by the eyelets through which it passes. One slightly-rougher eyelet, multiplied by many back-and-forths of the lace across that eyelet, will have a profound wearing effect on the lace. There may also be slight differentials in how you tie your shoes, pulling a tiny bit harder on the left than the right, or always managing to place one lace in precisely the same position time after time whereas the other lace ends up in a more-random position; the wear will be localized on the same-placed lace and distributed on the randomly-placed lace.

Atlant 17:46, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

What is the next word in sequence, and WHY?

Alm Stag Eden Stack Fred Dam Iced Kris

Answers: Dell Treat Adam Doe Igloo Coin Stop

Sandman30s 14:36, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

First of all, have you given the answers for us? With the "Answers" is that whole list one answer, or is each word in the list a possible answer? If so are any of the words in that list possibly an incorrect answer? Do you know where this question was posed? (In some cases there isn't an answer - so we need to know where you saw this question). In the future, please provide as much information as possible when you ask a question. Rfwoolf 14:51, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Each word in the list is a possible answer, with only one correct answer. Can't remember where it was first asked, I think it was in a book of Mensa questions. Sandman30s 15:29, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

I kicked ass at my Mensa exam (147, bitch!), but I have honestly no idea. Oskar 16:15, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Hmmm. Normally I'd try look for this or SIMILAR answers on google - but a brief attempt at this has failed and I'd like to try figure it out myself. But no such luck yet.

Analysis of Question:
Alm Stag Eden Stack Fred Dam Iced Kris
3   4    4    5     4    3   4    4    (Number of letters in each word)
V   C    V    C     C    C   V    C    (Whether a word begins with a consonant or vowel)
  C    C    C     C    C   C    C    C (Whether a word ends   with a consonant or vowel)
VCC CCVC VCVC CCVCC CCVC CVC VCVC CCVC (Which letters are consontants or vowels)
VCCCC VCVCVCCC VCCCC VCC VCVCVCCC VC   (The pattern found in this)
ALMST AGEDENST ACKFR EDD AMICEDKR IS   (Arrangement of letters in pattern)  

Analysis of Answers:
Dell Treat Adam Doe Igloo Coin Stop
C    C     V    C   V     C    C       (Whether a word begins with a consonant or vowel)
   C     C    C   V     V    C    C    (Whether a word ends   with a consonant or vowel)
CVCC CCVVC VCVC CVV VCCVV CVVC CCVC    (Which letters are consontants or vowels)

Observations:
1. None of the Question words end in a Vowel.
2. Of the Answer words, 'Dell' is the only word to end in a double-consonant (CC)
3. None of the Question words or the Answer words end in a Consonant-Vowel(CV)
4. All of the vowels except 'U' are used in both the Question and the Answers.
5. None of the answers contain a letter that the questions haven't used, with the exception of 'Stop' which uses the letter "P".
Current possible answers:
1. "Treat" since the Question seems to follow a pattern in the number of letters in each word: "3 4 4 5 4 / 3 4 4 " -> "5",
   and also because in the Question no words end in a vowel
   (Of the answers, Treat is the only word with 5 letters in it that also doesn't end in a vowel)

Other avenues to check:
Binary, morse code.

Theme analysis of question and answers:
Question
Alm    - Alpine Grassland (possible singular of alms?)
Stag   - Deer (type of beetle?)
Eden   - Location (Garden of Eden, Eden project, Anthony Eden)
Stack  - (Chimney stack, a stack of things, to stack)
Fred   - Name
Dam    - Water (manmade structure, verb, landscape-altering, power source)
Iced   - Water (past participle of verb, adjective, military usage - thrown out?)
Kris   - Weapon/Object (manmade)
Answers 
Dell   - A small valley (computer company, probably a name as well)
Treat  - (A verb, a noun, a sweet, manmade?)
Adam   - Name (first man in Eden myth, a made man, godmade)
Doe    - Deer 
Igloo  - Water (Manmade structure)
Coin   - (verb, noun, manmade)
Stop   - Verb (noun)

(Things in brackets are me 86.139.237.132 18:53, 5 March 2007 (UTC))

Alphabet Analysis:
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
A AAAAA A AAAAA  AAA       <- (Question)
   AA      A               <- Dell  in Answers
A   A            A A       <- Treat in Answers
A  A        A              <- Adam  in Answers
   AA         A            <- Doe   in Answers
      A    A  A            <- Igloo in Answers
  A     A    AA            <- Coin  in Answers
              AA  AA       <- Stop  in Answers

Rfwoolf 16:26, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

But Igloo ends in a vowel, which as you've said none of the others in the question do. And Treat has 5 letters last time I counted... and ends in a consonent as bonus. --Maelwys 16:37, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Sorry I meant Treat - and I have corrected this above. Thanks Rfwoolf 16:40, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Btw, also see Kris for a non-name use of the word. --Maelwys 16:47, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

If there is a repeating pattern of 3 4 4 5 4, the next word has to have 5 characters. The words start with V C V C C, while the second iteration has it reversed, C V C, so the answer has to start with a vowel, which eliminates Treat, leaving Igloo. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. Clarityfiend 17:00, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Yeah, Igloo does stand out, and based upon your answer we now have yet another posibility for an answer. However, it must be noted that we don't have a definited pattern. The letter count goes: 3 4 4 5 4 / 3 4 4. If only there was one more word in the question that could confirm if this was a pattern or not. But right now both my suggestion for a possible and your suggestion aren't very convincing as a pattern. Same goes for your idea of a reversal in the arrangement of consontants and vowels -- it's leaning towards a reversement, but if we only had 1 or 2 more characters in the question we could be more sure. Rfwoolf 17:12, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Personally I think this is all testament to the human ability to find patterns in anything :-) And these solutions seem rather unlikely. Do genuine puzzles ever really have that kind of solution? :-S I'd go for something based on their meaning or a letter progression, if there actually is a pattern, since the words don't seem to have anything in common. 86.139.237.132 18:53, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Yes I know the answer :) I purposely changed the original question so that it cannot be googled. Let's see if any bright spark out there can get it :) There is a definite pattern with a simple but fiendish rule. Will leave it open for a day... Sandman30s 19:00, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

MyNetworkTV's telenovela programming

Hi, Wikipedians! My name is Eric Hartley and I think that the two previous telenovelas titled Desire (TV series) and Fashion House, in my own personal opinion because I am an easy-to-please type of person, did get good ratings just like Wicked Wicked Games and Watch Over Me did. I have an idea about MyNetworkTV's scheduling, instead of canceling all telenovelas, why can't the television network have telenovelas and reality shows co-exist on the same network just like Univision's programming.

The article Fashion House states

• Its debut week saw modest viewership; an average 1.3 household rating and 2 share, slightly higher than its lead in, Desire, according to Nielsen. The second week dipped to 1.1 million viewers. During the next few weeks, ratings stabilized at a 0.6 rating. National advertising spots sold for between $20,000 and $35,000 for a 30-second spot as of September 2006.

YOU might consider that relatively good, and I suppose it is, for such a small network. You may have liked the shows, too. But ratings are not based on opinion - they are weighed in terms of market share. I think the term "modest" is an accurate and non-WP:POV term to describe that particular percentage of overall available viewers in that market.Jfarber 15:40, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

This looks more like an opinion than a question... =S 惑乱 分からん 15:48, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Yes, it does. But it also contains a criticism of the way those articles linked above refer to those show's ratings as other than "good". Jfarber 16:10, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

"Bite the bullet"?

I think I've heard that in olden times (as in the wild west), when something exceedingly painful had to be done, like an amputation, and there was no laudanum or anything around, patients were sometimes given a bullet to bite on while the doctor chopped away. Hence, "bite the bullet". Is this true? If it is, what was the thinking behind it? Oskar 16:06, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Dictionary.com has this to say: "Bite the bullet is first recorded 1891, probably with a sense of giving someone something to clench in the teeth during a painful operation." And it goes on to say "Behave bravely or stoically when facing pain or a difficult situation, as in If they want to cut the budget deficit, they are going to have to bite the bullet and find new sources of revenue. This phrase is of military origin, but the precise allusion is uncertain. Some say it referred to the treatment of a wounded soldier without anesthesia, so that he would be asked to bite on a lead bullet during treatment. Also, Francis Grose's Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1796) holds that grenadiers being disciplined with the cat-o'nine-tails would bite on a bullet to avoid crying out in pain." . Dismas| 16:30, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

surely this would have been life threatening as what would happen if the bullet went off while in ones mouth?!

This likely goes back to shot and powder days when the bullet was just a piece of lead and in actual fact even today bullet is the projectile while the entire assembly with powder, primer, and cap is a cartridge. --Justanother 16:53, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Agreed. Also note that the reason for the lead bullet is that many people bite down when in extreme pain and can even damage their teeth or gums if they bite too hard. Lead, being a relatively soft metal, absorbs the force without damaging the teeth. StuRat 17:50, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

But of course is now known to be quite toxic, especially if ingested. So it may not damage your teeth but it is a particularly bad choice of substance to bite on. This is why it is no longer in use for common things such as lead paint or lead Toy soldiers. Vespine 21:43, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Chunks of lead aren't going to break off and be swallowed, as is the case with lead paint chips. StuRat 00:16, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

I'm thinking of removing that in accordance with WP:NOR, but it's just too darn funny. V-Man737 06:21, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

Tomatoes in Mexico

Are you allowed to bring tomatoes across the border into the US? Nick 18:12, 5 March 2007 (UTC)nicholassayshiNick 18:12, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

If you are a tourist, generally, no. Only importers who have obtained licenses and who are subject to inspections can import produce. Marco polo 19:34, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Is there any possible legal way to have them shipped to your house without them getting spoiled? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 216.253.128.27 (talk) 19:51, 5 March 2007 (UTC).

Dry ice would probably cause them to freeze, so that wouldn't work. By the way, the application for a license seems to be here. The basic fee seems to be a mere $650. Now, how badly do you want those tomatoes? Is there some other way that you could accomplish what you want other than physically importing the tomatoes? Perhaps you'd want to consider importing the seeds and growing the variety you like yourself? Marco polo 20:57, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

NO! You cannot, due to concerns over diseases and pests. In some states in the US, you have to have them checked. In California, you could not bring any agricultural and livestock there from even the other states. I brought a orange from Arizona to California. The State Inspection officer told me to throw it out or end up in jail. Of course I threw it out. Martial Law 23:15, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Mystery car to identify

Another one from me...

When taking photos of street scenes and whatnot in Brighton on Saturday, the car shown to the right (copied and enlarged from the full photo) passed my camera just as I took the picture. Now, I am quite interested in cars, especially from the 1970s and 1980s, and consider myself familiar with most makes and models - but although it looks "familiar" in an "I-can't-quite-place-it" way, I can't positively identify it. Needless to say, it was off down the Lewes Road before I could turn my head and check! I'm also intrigued by the nice array of lights, the large aerial-type thing on the right, and the object between the lights on the roof.

A positive identifcation would be much appreciated! (The registration number dates it to 1981-1982, if that helps.) Hassocks5489 21:48, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

I'm not certain, but Subaru Justy would be my best guess.  Sʟυмgυм • т • c  21:53, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Thanks for the suggestion Slumgum; I've had a look at the Subaru website, and it may be a Subaru of some description - although not a Justy, as they apparently first appeared in 1984 and are a bit smaller. Hassocks5489 22:44, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

That is a Subaru GL wagon. I think it is an '81. The rally lights are all after-market. See here: www.theeel.com/cars/images/subaru_GL.jpg 161.222.160.8 05:20, 6 March 2007 (UTC) (forgot to sign)

Elvis

People say Elvis Presley is dead, but others say he's not. I heard that Elvis's middle name is "Aron". And that there is a federal law stating you can't put your own name on a tombstone.(Is this true?) That's why the grave is selled "Aaron". Saying hes still alive. I also heard that somebody, for whatever reason, spent the night by the gate of Graceland the night he died. He said that he didn't see any body come out of the house. Also that when people tour Graceland, they don't let them go upstairs. They did the same thing when he was alive. Could he possibly be up there? Could he have just cracked under the pressure of being so famous and payed people to stage his own death? Would his family be in on it? If he was still alive, He would have to pay somebody to get him a new look. Could somebody please help me shed some light on this subject?

Who would choose to fake their own death while "straining at stool" ? If I was going to fake my own death, I'd pick something that didn't involve the toilet. Also, why would any living person allow their daughter to marry Michael Jackson ? (Then again, one could be reasonably sure her virtue would remain intact, unless perhaps she had a pageboy hairdo.) StuRat 00:00, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

If you can't put your own name on a tombstone, whose name can you put on it? Are you suggesting that someone other than Grant lies in Grant's Tomb? Or someone other than JFK lies in JFK's tomb? JackofOz 00:08, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

Surprisingly, we don't have a separate article on "Elvis is still alive," but this section of the Evlis Presley article touches on some of the things you mentioned - and provides references! Carom 00:20, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

We do have an article of sorts on "Elvis is still alive" -- see Elvis sightings. Jfarber 00:43, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

tatoos

How much do tattos hurt?24.104.25.254 23:52, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

Well, Tattoo appears to be hurting Henry Winkler in this pic: . StuRat 00:11, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

Pain is subjective, there is no way to accurately gauge & explain it to someone. It hurts about as much a needle just slightly piercing the skin several times a second can, maybe someone who has gotten one can at least compare it to something you may have experienced. Cyraan 00:38, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

Probably a lot. It's just a matter of whether you think a tattoo is worth a few minutes of pain --froth 01:13, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

I don't consider my self a very pain tolerant person and I got tattooed for almost an hour of some solid black on my chest and it did not really hurt that much, it wasn't like I'd "never do it again" or anything. I've had my tongue pierced and that hurt more but for less time. The tattoo thing is that it does go for a long time and the pain comes and goes a bit, one section might not hurt that much but then half a centimetre next to it, seemingly almost the same spot can sting quite a bit more. Also where you get the tat has a lot to do with it, I've heard that the soul of the foot is almost unbearable, but the shoulder blade and upper arm are not so bad, which is probably why those two are very common places you see tattoos. Vespine 03:07, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

Today, March 5

My calendar refers today as Labour day in Austrailia and WA. What place is WA? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 69.210.72.105 (talk) 23:57, 5 March 2007 (UTC).

Western Australia. JackofOz 00:06, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

That may be the australian state of Western Australia. I'm not sure. Reywas92 00:06, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

Maybe it says WA IN Australia? I live in the state of Victoria, Australia and our Labour day isn't until next Monday the 12th. Vespine 03:00, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

So why is Western Austrailia considered a different entity?

Yeah that's my point: it isn't, and it is also NOT Labour day in all of Australia, which is why I'm guessing the calendar says, or should say, WA in Australia, not and Australia. Have a look at Monday the 12th and see if it says anything about Labour day for Victoria, Australia. Vespine 03:23, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

My Calendar says on March 12, it's Labour day in Austrailia-Vic and Eight Hours day in Austrailia-TAS. I'd assume TAS is Tasmania

March 6

Adding links to your website

Hi there,

We are a whitewater rafting resort in the Fraser Canyon, BC, Canada. We operate in Boston Bar, Lytton, Spences Bridge and Hope BC. I noticed that you have other rafting company links on these pages. Could you please let me know how we can get a link here as well. Our website is www.reorafting.com. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Mark Bond General Manager REO Rafting Resort —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 70.68.192.71 (talk) 00:55, 6 March 2007 (UTC).

We do? Where? Mark, wikipedia tries to avoid links to sites which primarily promote or offer products or services. The article on Whitewater rafting lists popular rafting sites and at least one international organization, but I don't see any companies listed there. Jfarber 01:03, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

Unidentified Coin

I found this coin on eBay, and the seller doesn't know what it is. Do any of you have an idea? Thanks!! Reywas92 01:00, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

Well, there's zodiac symbols around it. Don't know from where the seller got the idea it's German... I'd like to see the other side of it... 惑乱 分からん 03:36, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

Yes, depending on what the reverse contains, it looks like an obscure medallion, most likely not any form of currency (except if the silver can be considered as such); I wouldn't think it as very old, unless it has been very carefully preserved over the years. There aren't significant wearings or scratches on it (another clue that it isn't money), and the thought of it being a graduation reference of some kind may be feasible, as it depicts a loose sheaf of wheat and flowers, symbolic of success and happy living (Looks like that page could use some work). V-Man737 06:35, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

Empire State Building/ thickness of glass

Okay this is gonna sound really odd and creepy if I don't give you some background. I'm a writer and I've got some rebels taking over NYC. they have set up the Empire State Building (ESB) as a base of operations. Now the idea is the army is trying to get in. I need t know if the windows on the ESB are thicker than 100mm-120mm thick (the thickness of bullet proof glass). The article on the ESB within Misplaced Pages doesn't say. Anyone that knows can help me out thanks. On the alternative, anyone who knows how (if there is a way) to turn regular glass into bulletproof please tell me. Thanks. Ianhrrngtn 02:43, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

Ill do some googling, but anecdotally, last time I played tourist in the city, I seem to remember the windows looking normal, didnt seem overly-thick. This was also on the last leg before the observation deck, so ones on the lower floors could be different. Cyraan 03:11, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

I doubt the windows are 100mm, I have worked in a few high rises and the windows are deceptively thick (as in they seem thinner then they really are) but still no where near 100mm, maybe 20-30mm. As to making it bullet proof, have you seen the bullet proof glass article? Short of Bringing panels of bullet proof glass and installing them on the existing windows, I doubt there is any effective method to make existing glass "bullet proof". It would be easier and maybe just as effective (especially if there were also hostages inside) to cover the windows in plain aluminium foil so no one can see inside. Vespine 03:20, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

The windows are thick, but I don't think 10 cm thick. I remember seeing an episode of something... maybe Mythbusters, with the myth of throwing a coin off the ESB (I think), and the lady tour guide was telling them how thick it was. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 03:23, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

It would be prohibitively expensive to install bulletproof windows in the ESB. Have you any idea how many windows there are?! And to what purpose? Clarityfiend 06:11, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

Karate Kid

What type of karate is in the movie Karate Kid? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 72.191.114.194 (talk) 04:34, 6 March 2007 (UTC).

Just a guess, but... karate? --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 04:37, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

I'm not stupid. There are different types of karate.

Maybe you are getting confused with kung fu. Karate is a single style of Martial art, unlike kung fu which is a wide variety of styles which originate from China. Vespine 05:05, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

Of Shotokan, Wado Ryu, Shito Ryu, Goju Ryu, Kyokushin, and Kenpo, the style used by the grasshopper appears to me to be Kenpo, although it could also be Wado Ryu (I've not seen much of Wado Ryu). V-Man737 05:16, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

Printing classical art

I'd like to furnish my new apartment with some classical art and I see that the creative commons has some pretty high quality images (2000px square on average). However, the quick research that I did suggested that 300dpi is necessary, which would limit to me fairly small printings. Is 300dpi required or could I double the size to 150dpi without really noticing? I have no background in printing things. --Brad Beattie (talk) 06:02, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

An image can be both 300 dpi and 2000 px × 2000 px − Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 07:30, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

FYI - if you double the dimensions of the printing, you cut DPI by a factor of 4 (basically, if you go from a 1x1 to a 2x2 printing, you spread out the same number of dots over four times the area; hence, a quarter the DPI). Raul654 07:37, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

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