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	= February 13 =

	== multiple shakles in a rigging scheme ==

	What is the porper configuration for back to back shakles i a rigging scheme? <span style="font-size: smaller;" class="autosigned">—Preceding ] comment added by ] (]) 01:07, 13 February 2010 (UTC)</span><!-- Template:UnsignedIP --> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->
	:What sort of "rigging scheme" are you referring to? Is this to do with ]? <span style="font-family:monospace;">]</span>\|] 01:49, 13 February 2010 (UTC)
	::Highly likely to be a ] position. Two subjects placed back to back, tied together then hoisted into the air using an overhead pulley or block and tackle. This is an advanced type of rope bondage and should only be attempted by someone knowledgeable and experienced. The fact that the OP is posting here and not on a specialist board indicates that they do not have the experience or knowledge to safely perform this. They should go to a series of local rope bondage demonstration lectures and gain much more knowledge and experience before they even consider this. ] (]) 14:26, 13 February 2010 (UTC)
	:::Are you sure the question is not about ] as the term is used in ]? --] (]) 16:47, 13 February 2010 (UTC)
	::::Hmm maybe ] (]) 18:09, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

	Here is a about rigging hardware including shackles and here is a that trains Concert, Theatrical and Entertainment Riggers. ] (]) 18:30, 13 February 2010 (UTC)
	:<small> If improper rigging resulted in a fatality, how soon would ] mortis set in?</small>] (]) 05:20, 14 February 2010 (UTC)
	::My guess this has to do with sail-boating or trucking. ] (]) 05:42, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

	== Canada and Olympics ==

	Whats are the chances of Canada hosting another Summer Olympics and which city will be the one hosting it? Especially, since their 1st one (Montreal, 1976) and there only one was a totally disaster for them. <small><span class="autosigned">—Preceding ] comment added by ] (] • ]) 01:20, 13 February 2010 (UTC)</span></small><!-- Template:Unsigned --> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->
	:We don't have any crystal balls, so your guess is as good as ours. The ] article may be of interest. <span style="font-family:monospace;">]</span>\|] 01:47, 13 February 2010 (UTC)
	::Would they want to? Our news has been full of Canadians moaning about the expense and disruption - this may be because ] are already moaning about the same things with two years to go. ] (]) 20:53, 13 February 2010 (UTC)
	:Toronto had a pretty good bid being organized for 2012 but cancelled after Vancouver was awarded 2010. <small><span class="autosigned">—Preceding ] comment added by ] (] • ]) 21:46, 13 February 2010 (UTC)</span></small><!-- Template:Unsigned --> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->

	Thanx for all of your answers to my question. Interesting and I'm highly aware of what goes on during bid process. Other hand I vaguely remember that Toronto wanted to host 2012 Summer Olympics during 2012 bid process. New York City also wanted host 2012 games, but in the end they didn't get it. Have to say I would love to see both New York City and Toronto to host games some time in the future.--] (]) 23:45, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

	:Unless something happens to doom the bid, it's almost a foregone conclusion that the 2020 Olympics will go to an African city, likely either Cairo or Johannesburg. The IOC is on record as wanting to put an Olympics in Africa. ] (]) 23:05, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

	::The crystal ball is cloudy, but it would be surprising if the next Canadian city to make a bid wasn't Toronto. Vancouver is hosting the Winters right now, Montreallers would never stand for another bid, probably the same applies to Quebec, and there probably aren't any others big enough. Canada is too spread out for a group of cities to get together and make a joint bid (except maybe Montreal and Quebec, but see above). Plus Toronto has got the Pan Am games, so they've got experience. However we're probably talking twenty years in the future. ] (]) 21:06, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

	== Msc syllebus of chemistry ==

	What is the Msc syllebus on chemistry of Boston University.] (]) 06:02, 13 February 2010 (UTC)
	:Did you try searching? Boston University appears to offer an MA in Chemistry. The details are . If you want any further syllabus details, they are the best people to ask. ]] 11:56, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

	== Mcs ==

	what is the Msc syllebus on chemistry of Harvard University.] (]) 06:03, 13 February 2010 (UTC)
	:Did you try searching? Harvard's information page on postgraduate Chemistry programs is . They "do not offer a terminal Masters degree" but a PhD is available. If you want more detailed syllabus information, they are the best people to ask. ]] 11:52, 13 February 2010 (UTC)
	::To explain a little deeper, Harvard (like many schools) does not offer a Masters degree in many hard sciences as a normal graduating degree. If you are a graduate student in Chemistry, you should be enrolled in a PhD program. Many such schools grant a Masters degree to students who do not complete their thesis, but still complete their coursework, often derisively known as the "consolation Masters", but students are ''expected'' to be working towards their PhD. Such special masters degrees are usually automatically granted to students after their second or third year in their PhD program, or they are granted to students when, after several years of research, it becomes apparent that it will be impossible to write a thesis (for example, if someone "scoops" their research and publishes first, or their research ends up at a dead end). I have known several people who have such "consolation masters" degrees for those reasons. --]''''']''''' 19:49, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

	== Hard cheese without the saturated fat? ==

	I like hard cheese, but I do not like the very high amounts of saturated fat it has in it. Is there any kind of cheese without any saturated fat in it, perhaps artificially produced? (Compressing cottage cheese perhaps?) I would not want to eat any hydrogenated fat either, or more than trace amounts of trans-fat. Thanks ] (]) 12:19, 13 February 2010 (UTC)
	:As an ex-dieter of many years standing, I share your frustration! The only thing I found that worked was to use very strongly flavoured cheeses (such as ] or ]) in small quantities, thus reducing your intake of saturated fats but also ensuring you get some of the nutrients (such as calcium and Vitamin D) contained in hard cheeses. The hard cheeses with the least fat, such as ] or ], simply aren't tasty enough for me. Commercially available reduced-fat cheeses are likely to contain trans- or hydrogenated fats. --] (]) 12:32, 13 February 2010 (UTC)
	::Half-fat cheddar is available in the UK from any supermarket. You'd struggle to taste the difference too, but it costs a bit more than bog-standard mousetrap cheese. ] (]) 20:51, 13 February 2010 (UTC)
	:::Yup, they're the "commercially available reduced-fat cheeses" I was mentioning above. You can tell the difference - they seem more rubbery to me, and a quick read of the label puts me off them. --] (]) 10:13, 14 February 2010 (UTC)
	::::Some are better than others in my experience. ] (]) 12:41, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

	== Cordoba Central Railway Company Limited ==

	I have a document dated 25th June 1932, River Plate House, Finsbury Circus, E.C.2

	To the Holders of the Companys Debenture Stocks and Income Stocks

	Mr Justice EVE
	Chancery Division

	In the matter of Cordoba Central Railway Company Limited
	and
	In the matter of the COMPANIES ACT 1929

	nO 00457 OF 1932

	Can you help with the history of this? <small><span class="autosigned">—Preceding ] comment added by ] (] • ]) 17:04, 13 February 2010 (UTC)</span></small><!-- Template:Unsigned --> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->

	:See the article ]. Financial problems forced the sale of the British owned company to the Argentine government in 1939. ] (]) 18:16, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

	== Those airline on-time statistics ==

	It would appear, but I have not been able to find a definitive statement, that the on-time statistic reported for the U.S. major airlines is a binary value: OnTime means within 15 minutes, Not OnTime for everything else. Thus, being 3 hours late (or being cancelled completely) both count the same as being 16 minutes late.

	Is this actually documented someplace? I can find lots of reports of what the statistics '''are'''; a few sites state the ''within 15 minutes'' phrase and thus '''imply''' the statement; but nothing that actually '''documents''' the latter statement. ] (]) 17:36, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

	:"A flight is counted as "on time" if it operated less than 15 minutes later the scheduled time shown in the carriers' Computerized Reservations Systems (CRS). Arrival performance is based on arrival at the gate. Departure performance is based on departure from the gate." (From the Department of Transportation's ) --- ] (]) 15:54, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

	== When did Suffield, MA become Suffield, CT? ==

	When did Suffield, MA become Suffield, CT? I am doing genealogy and need to know which colony or state to put with Suffield at various dates, please. Thanks - Janice <small>e-mail deleted</small> <span style="font-size: smaller;" class="autosigned">—Preceding ] comment added by ] (]) 18:14, 13 February 2010 (UTC)</span><!-- Template:UnsignedIP --> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->

	: The Suffield historical society website is here: http://www.suffieldhistoricalsociety.org/ it says they switched states in 1749. You could also email Arthur Sikes Jr., Suffield Historical Society Trustee at ArtSikesaolcom
	: ] (]) 19:26, 13 February 2010 (UTC)
	::Have taken the liberty to make his e-mail address a bit more obscure... don't want the man getting more spam than he already does, eh? If you feel this is an intrusion uncalled for, feel free to undo. --] <small>(])</small> 22:43, 13 February 2010 (UTC)
	:::<small>This is off-topic but: (a) His email address is already perfectly visible - so spammers who crawl the web will have found it already and (b) you don't seriously think the evil spammers didn't think to convert and to the corresponding characters? Evil!=Stupid (c) My email address is on LOTS of web sites - it's everywhere on a bazillion forums, web sites, etc and has been for 10 years or more...but my wife's address is almost nowhere online...she gets about the same amount of spam as I do. QED. ] (]) 00:31, 14 February 2010 (UTC)</small>
	::::<small>I actually had similar thoughts cross my mind when I did that edit, but I also thought-- what the heck. Point taken, Steve. --] <small>(])</small> 07:11, 15 February 2010 (UTC)</small>
	In his 2008 book ''How the States got their Shapes'', Mark Stein (who doesn't seem to have a Misplaced Pages article) says that the Massachusetts-Connecticut border was disputed until 1804 when the two states agreed on the present line. Suffield and three other towns in the disputed zone declared their ''intent'' to be considered part of Connecticut, and when the border was settled, they got their way. --Anonymous, 05:38 UTC, February 14, 2010.

	== Right of way ==

	Okay, here's the situation: Eastwest Road is a through-street - no stop signs, traffic lights or anything. Southnorth Road intersects Eastwest at a right angle and has stop signs so that cars crossing Eastwest in either direction are obliged to stop. Now, let's say we're in a car on Southnorth and we're going to cross Eastwest, continuing straight on Southnorth. We pull up and stop at the stop sign and see that another car, travelling in the opposite direction on Southnorth, is ''already'' at the intersection and indicating a left turn. We all sit and wait until Eastwest traffic is clear. Who has right of way? I was taught that it goes in order of arrival at the intersection (i.e. the other guy should go first), but every time I sit there waiting for the other guy, it turns out that he figures I have the right of way because I'm going straight.
	We're in Ontario, Canada. Is there a law relevant to this, or maybe one of those unwritten rules of driving? The norm here seems to be "straight has right of way", so I'll just get used to it, but it seems very odd to me. ] (]) 20:09, 13 February 2010 (UTC)
	<PRE>
	S-N Rd.
	│ ¦^│
	│ ¦ │
	⌂│ ¦ │
	│░¦ │
	«¯¯¯¯¯¯ █ ¯¯¯¯¯¯
	E-W Rd.______ ` ______»
	│ ¦ │
	│ ¦ │⌂
	│ ¦█│
	│ ¦░│
	│v¦ │
	</PRE><small>Map made by ] (]) 23:36, 13 February 2010 (UTC)</small>

	:I'd write to the council and ask them to put in a ]. ] (]) 20:11, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

	::Social conventions differ between different regions, which causes some confusion. In California, social conventions generally hold that straight-through people get preference over left-turn people (though there are exceptions), but that wasn't the case in Massachusetts, if I remember correctly. Don't worry about it - do what feels right, because the worst that can happen is you'll get honked at. --] 20:36, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

	:::This is my understanding of general procedures in the US: The stop signs are there so that Southnorth Rd. traffic does not intrude on the right-of-way of vehicles on Eastwest Rd. Since all Eastwest traffic is clear, the only conflict is between the cars on Southnorth. The car turning left across opposing traffic must always yield right-of-way to opposing traffic going straight (or even turning right). The only time that "it goes in order of arrival at the intersection" is when the intersection is a posted 4-way stop. --] (]) 20:47, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

	:In all Canadian provinces, the car going STRAIGHT has right of way priority over the car turning LEFT. <small><span class="autosigned">—Preceding ] comment added by ] (] • ]) 21:43, 13 February 2010 (UTC)</span></small><!-- Template:Unsigned --> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->
	:: ... and similarly throughout the UK (though we would be turning right). It seems strange to me that an alternative rule would be possible. Are there really regions where turners have precedence? ] 00:27, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

	:In the US (at least) the "The person who arrives first has priority" rule only applies to four-way stops. In the situation you describe, the person going straight has the right of way unless the other car is already moving past the stop sign when you arrive at the stop sign. But these detailed rules vary from place to place - so you should really find out the rules in your local jurisdiction - and no matter what, drive defensively - don't assume that the other driver knows the rules. It's better to be alive than to be right but dead! ] (]) 00:22, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

	::Contrary to Ludwigs2's memory, this rule applies in Massachusetts, too, according to the driver's manual. However, Massachusetts drivers are often unaware of or unconcerned with such rules. In practice, it depends on things such as who is driving, what they're driving, and who moves first. For example, old ladies in compact cars generally yield to young males in large pick-up trucks, especially when the young male's vehicle starts moving. The only way that the old lady would go first, regardless of the law, is if the young male waits and either flashes his high-beams or motions to indicate that he is yielding right-of-way (even if legally he never had it). Hopefully, it is not so complicated in Ontario. ] (]) 03:28, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

	:::According to the BC Motor Vehicles Act, in British Columbia, if there is sufficient space for the left turning vehicle to safely turn, he may. Once he begins, regardless of what controls may exist, he has the right of way. If you arrive at the same time, the idea is that you figure it out between the two of you. There is no legal preference. But in your case, he has the right of way. I forgot what section it is, though. I'm sorry. ] (]) 04:40, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

	The relevant Ontario law is the Highway Traffic Act, which can be downloaded under the "current consolidated statutes" section of www.e-laws.gov.on.ca, and the relevant subsections are 136(1) and 141(5).

	::136. (1) Every driver or street car operator approaching a stop sign at an intersection,
	:::(a) shall stop his or her vehicle or street car at a marked stop line or, if none, then immediately before entering the nearest crosswalk or, if none, then immediately before entering the intersection; and
	:::(b) shall yield the right of way to traffic in the intersection or approaching the intersection on another highway so closely that to proceed would constitute an immediate hazard and, having so yielded the right of way, may proceed.

	::141. (5) No driver or operator of a vehicle in an intersection shall turn left across the path of a vehicle approaching from the opposite direction unless he or she has afforded a reasonable opportunity to the driver or operator of the approaching vehicle to avoid a collision.

	So the stop sign becomes irrelevant once the two cars have stopped and waited for traffic on Eastwest Road. They are effectively approaching the intersection at the same time and therefore 141(5) requires the one turning left to yield (although it does not actually use that word). Thus, Matt's instinct is wrong.

	--Anonymous, 05:57 UTC, February 14, 2010.

	:<small>In Seattle, everyone assumes everyone else has the right of way, and thus no one ever gets anywhere.] (]) 07:37, 14 February 2010 (UTC)</small>
	::<small> ... unlike in Massachusetts where (according to the claim above) everyone assumes that they have right of way unless the other vehicle is bigger! Are there more collisions at intersections in that state?</small>
	:::<small> ... Or, most of East Asia, where the number of wheels and weight of the vehicle determines right-of-way. ] (]) 09:32, 14 February 2010 (UTC)</small>

	Thanks for the responses, everyone, especially Anon for quoting an actual regulation. And to Cuddlyable for the nice diagram; I think I can see my house there! I've been driving for years but have seldom had to face this situation so often. My "Eastwest Road" is a very busy street (so it's often the case that traffic on "Southnorth" is backed up a bit) and "Southnorth" is also fairly busy, so it's not unusual for there to be traffic both turning and going straight, etc. I guess my confusion came, as others mentioned above, with the rules for a four-way stop. This was combined with puzzlement over why turning left is such a horrible act; both the person going straight and the person turning left are going to cross all lanes of perpendicular traffic, so using FIFO would seem fairer. Well, I know better now, so thanks! ] (]) 14:36, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

	::If each street has one lane each way, the straight-through person has conflicts with two lanes of traffic while the left turner has conflicts with all three others. It's only when wider streets are involved that a left-turner may conflict with fewer lanes, and then only if you don't consider lane changes before and after the turn. By the way, that was a law I quoted, not a regulation. --Anonymous, 21:57 UTC, February 14, 2010.

	:If the intersection was a four-way stop, then the guy turning left would have the right of way. Otherwise you get to go first. As far as I remember this is how we learned it in driving school in Ontario. But I would probably sit there too, as confused as you. ] (]) 14:44, 14 February 2010 (UTC)
	::We have a similar confusion in the UK with "mini-roundabouts" where a similar "first come, first go" rule seems to apply. Using the can result in stalemate where everyone sits there giving way to everyone else. ] 09:55, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

	:::A bit tangential, but I've always relied on the philosophy of my long-ago driver's ed instructor: You never ''have'' the right of way, you can only ''yield'' the right of way. --- ] (]) 15:56, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

	== Watching tv ==
	{{resolved}}
	Would it be possible, assuming average sleep requirements and average life expectancy, for someone to watch every episode of every television program produced up to this point in time? <span style="font-size: smaller;" class="autosigned">—Preceding ] comment added by ] (]) 20:32, 13 February 2010 (UTC)</span><!-- Template:UnsignedIP --> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->

	:Without even doing any back-of-envelope calculations, I say the answer is a most definite NO. Just think of how many different stations there are, how many different programs and episodes there have been, how long TV has been around (well over 70 years in some cases) - and that's just English-speaking countries. No way. -- ] ] 20:59, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

	::], in a lengthy routine about radio ("Wonderful W-I-N-O-o-o-o..."), included a fake ad in which you could order "every record ever made!" TV in its early years only broadcast for part of the day, but even at that and if home recording existed, you couldn't watch every TV show ever made. Even considering downtime for reruns. ←] <sup>'']''</sup> ]→ 21:18, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

	:I believe it would be just barely possible for a single major channel. <small><span class="autosigned">—Preceding ] comment added by ] (] • ]) 21:41, 13 February 2010 (UTC)</span></small><!-- Template:Unsigned --> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->

	Thanks everyone, I didn't think it was possible but I just wanted to check
	:Well may be you can have several TVs running at once! One on each channel. ] (]) 21:04, 14 February 2010 (UTC)
	::I was just thinking that. That's about the only way you could have done it. Might be kind of hard to concentrate on 3 shows (assuming 1960s TV scenario). It's tough enough to concentrate on 2. Although perpetual channel surfing is kind of in the neighborhood, it's kinda like cheating, as watching little time slices of episodes is not the same thing as watching the episode. ←] <sup>'']''</sup> ]→ 01:29, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

	== MLB - World Series ==

	How is it fair that one of the divisions of the AL has only 4 teams and one of the NL divisions has 6 teams? Why don't they move one to the other division/league to make all MLB divisions have 5 teams. This is especially outragious considering only 8 out of 30 teams make the playoffs and winning your division in the regular season has higher importance than in the NHL and NBA. In the NHL and NBA, if every game's outcome is random, all teams have an equal chance of make the playoffs, and winning the championship. In the MLB, teams in the divisions with 4 and 6 teams are statistically significantly more/less likely to make the playoffs, and to win their league, and the World Series, especially compared to teams in the other unique division. Does this issue apear in other major leagues, namely, the NFL and CFL? Do any of the leagues where this is an issue make exceptions to the playoff qualification rules to solve this problem and put all teams on a level playing field? <small><span class="autosigned">—Preceding ] comment added by ] (] • ]) 21:38, 13 February 2010 (UTC)</span></small><!-- Template:Unsigned --> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->
	:<s>I've failed to notice this. You are absolutely right. Tuesday, I'll make some calls and see what can be done about this. Thanks for the insight. ] (]) 22:02, 13 February 2010 (UTC <span style="font-size: smaller;" class="autosigned">—Preceding ] comment added by ] (]) </span><!-- Template:UnsignedIP --> <!--Autosigned by SineBot--></s> (Blocked as sock)
	::In the case of baseball, if there were 6 divisions of 5 teams each, both leagues would have an odd number of teams. This would require an interleague series taking place at all times, as teams play just about every day during the regular season. This is considered more problematic than having two leagues with an even number of teams, but unequal divisions. The justification is that the cream will rise to the top, and that if a team finishes 1st in a 4-team division (the AL West), chances are it deserves a shot at the postseason, while a team that is 3rd in the 6-team division (the NL Central), is unlikely to be a serious contender for the World Series. The NFL used to have divisions with unequal numbers of teams, but did not adjust playoff structure as a result either. --] (]) 22:45, 13 February 2010 (UTC)
	:Not to mention that the AL went and changed the rules of the game. What self-respecting, baseball-loving team would want to leave the National League? ] (]) 00:36, 14 February 2010 (UTC) (Go Cubs!)
	:The source of the "problem" is that the leagues need to have an even number of teams. Y'know, cause it takes two teams to play a game. Right now there are 30 teams in 2 leagues, but 15-15 is not an option, so they go for 16-14. In the infinite wisdom of the baseball gods, it was decided that each league should have three divisions, which pretty much forces you to have divisions of 5, 5,and 6 and 5, 5, and 4. If MLB were to expand again, it's most likely that the AL would get two teams, creating divisions of 5, 5, and 6. Now, the whole issue would also go away if interleague play was to be done on a constant basis, but this is unlikely for historical and logistical reasons. In my opinion, it's probably more likely to have the leagues dissolve as separate entities and reshuffle the entire arrangement, though by "more likely" I mean "slightest glimmer of a vague possibility" versus "just not in the plans". When the AL expands, all will be well. ] (]) 04:19, 14 February 2010 (UTC)
	::They only need to have an even number of teams if there are dates when all teams are expected to play. The CFL for many years had 9 teams total -- 4 in the Eastern Conference (later Division) and 5 in the Western. The NHL had a total of 7 teams at one time and a total of 21 teams at another time. Concern with unequal size divisions is rare. Teams tend to be more concerned with ''which'' teams they share a division with -- either wanting weak opponents so they have a better chance of winning the division, or wanting opponents that will attract more fans to their games.
	::Anyway, teams do not all have equal abilities, and it's entirely possible that competition in one division will be much tougher than another no matter whether they are equal size or not. In fact, there's been at least one case where they were deliberately made unequal. When the NHL expanded from 6 to 12 teams in 1967, it put the 6 new teams in a separate division, the Western Division, thus guaranteeing that one of them would make the Stanley Cup finals no matter how weak the division was compared to the established Eastern Division teams. The 12-team league lasted for 3 years and in all 3 years the Eastern Division team (Montreal or Boston) won the Stanley Cup Final 4 games to 0 (in each case against St. Louis). (Of course there are also leagues with First and Second Divisions and a promotion system, but that's not what I'm talking about here.) --Anonymous, 06:12 UTC, February 14, 2010.
	:::The difference between baseball and other sports is that every team plays about 28 games per month (they get one day off every two weeks or so). At that rate, there is almost no time when they could work out two teams that just wouldn't play. No team has any down time with which to make the "odd number of teams" work. So, as already noted, a 5-5-5/5-5-5 arrangement would ''require'' that teams from opposite leagues play each other all the time, not just during the two weeks per year designated as "interleague" weeks; entirely possible but for traditional reasons unlikely to happen. It certainly make more 'logistical' sense to just do it that way, but the people interested in preserving the "history and tradition of the game" would never let something like that happen. Oddly enough, other baseball leagues also have weird divisional alignments, also for historical reasons. ''C.f.'' the AAA ] which has a 6-4-4 alignment rather than the more logical 5-5-4 (or even 7-7). --]''''']''''' 19:42, 14 February 2010 (UTC)
	:The NFL had an odd number of teams during 1999-2001, after they had added their 31st team (the Browns) and before they added their 32nd team (the Texans). They had already been doing a bye week since 1990, and it became a necessity during that three-year period. The NFL had 15 in each conference for several years in the late 90s, but they play many inter-conference games, so that was not an issue. If MLB ever realigns along NFL lines, it might become "fairer" than it is now. But as with any sport, the bottom line is you have to win. The NCAA basketball tournament, every year, leaves a few "borderline" teams behind from their 65-team chart. It's just how things go. (Let's not get into the BCS, which is an abomination unto itself.) ←] <sup>'']''</sup> ]→ 08:05, 14 February 2010 (UTC)
	::The definition of "borderline" is going to change when the NCAA expands the tournanment to . ] (]) 23:09, 14 February 2010 (UTC)
	:::Eek. Why not just double it again, to 192, and invite pretty much everyone. Unfortunately, that would reduce the NIT to a couple of all-star teams from neighborhoods, playing H-O-R-S-E or half-court or something. ←] <sup>'']''</sup> ]→ 01:39, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

	Comparisons to the CFL and NFL should be taken under advisement; baseball teams play every day while football teams only play once a week. Giving a linebacker an extra week off is a gift; throwing an extra three or four days off straight would not carry the same benefit to baseball players and would throw the pitching rotation out of whack. Nobody in baseball would want to have leagues with an odd number of teams. ] (]) 14:15, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

	Another question that could be asked is, "How fair is it that MLB plays about twice as many games as NHL and NBA, yet only 8 teams qualify for the post-season?" Baseball has an incredibly long season, playing nearly every day for 6 months, and the post-season runs barely a month. Consider the old days, where 16 teams (20 in the 1960s) would play 140-154-162 games and only have TWO qualifiers for the post-season "tournament", which consisted of one round, a best-4-of-7 World Series. In baseball the post-season was almost like an afterthought. ←] <sup>'']''</sup> ]→ 01:35, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

	== Computer gaming good for the mind? ==

	I believe gaming is nothing more than a waste of time and energy so I've been abstaining from it consecutively for over two months now. But since then, I seem to be doing worse at school work, frequently making stupid mistakes on exams and homeworks and having a generally harder time with being on top of coursework. I also seem unable to derive satisfaction from my academic work and have a lowered short-term memory and decision-making skills.
	Are some, though not all, people actually better off by playing computer games? Long time ago, I read somewhere that no play but only work creates dull mind and that a playful mind is a necessary requirement for being smart/creative/genius. I suspect this has something to do with my decline in academic performance. So I'm considering if I should resume my computer gaming to get my playful mind back (while making sure to keep gaming to a minimum, not like over 10 hours a week as I've done in the past when I played games). But before I really decide to get into gaming again, I want to know if there is any research or evidence that actually deals with this, because my worse academic performance might merely be due to some other factors like difficulty of courses I'm taking this semester instead of being due to stopping playing games. <span style="font-size: smaller;" class="autosigned">—Preceding ] comment added by ] (]) 21:43, 13 February 2010 (UTC)</span><!-- Template:UnsignedIP --> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->
	:In my day we never had computer games. But which is what really counts. ] (]) 22:49, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

	:There are definitely studies about the effect of gaming on the brain (Googling "video games effect on brain" turns up lots of studies—a nice general article on the ups and downs of such conclusions is ). Some suggest they help with learning, but you'd really be hard-pressed to know if that applies in your situation, with your life, your brain, your games. These kinds of studies make meaningful data only when applied to large groups of people. As an individual, such studies will not be able to tell you anything about your own situation, your own habits, your own performance, your own life. Your university likely has ample mental health resources available for discussing things like this—you would probably get better, more personalized, more sensible responses from them than anyone on the internet. --] (]) 01:09, 14 February 2010 (UTC)
	::Any activity that requires concentration is "good for the mind", so yes computer gaming is. There are some side effects to very prolonged periods of play however (as there are to any activity).--] (]) 01:34, 14 February 2010 (UTC)
	:::What activity ''isn't'' a complete waste of time? There are good games and bad games, but, as often overlooked by anti-game people, there are also crap books and good books (I'm not suggesting classics are good, by the way, or that silly books are bad; just that there is a broad range in quality within each genre). Don't dismiss any form of media for any other reason than personal preference, or your just denying yourself some potentially great stuff. ] (]) 04:31, 14 February 2010 (UTC)
	::::] in all things. ] and ] may be of interest. '''--] (]) 04:46, 14 February 2010 (UTC)'''

	:I would suggest, humbly, that the local pro-gaming contingent posting here do not really know what they are talking about. Again, if you are finding your academic studies troublesome, I recommend speaking with one of the many professionals who are no doubt at your educational institution, rather than listening to fools on the internet. --] (]) 13:49, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

	:The decision to give up gaming should be balanced against what you're going to do with the spare time you gain back. Going to use the time to study, or read good books, or engage in challenging conversation? Then the time spent gaming is probably of little use to improving your brain. On the other hand, if you're going to use those extra ten hours or whatever to drink yourself into a stupor or watch Fox network television? Well, maybe firing up Oblivion would be a better option. Regardless of whether gaming or reading or anything improves your brain in some generic way, poor grades should probably be discussed with a teacher or counsellor. ] (]) 14:24, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

	= February 14 =

	==Flowchart==

	my question is..How can I make a flowchart and algorithm about a system programming about a cash register that you can buy a product and you will have a change after you have tendered the product.! please answer of help me in my question..! thank you very much! <small><span class="autosigned">—Preceding ] comment added by ] (] • ]) 07:09, 14 February 2010 (UTC)</span></small><!-- Template:Unsigned --> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->
	:Homework question, right? The purpose of such an exercise is to get you to think logically, to think like a programmer. Think of the various steps involved and the flowchart will emerge from that process. ←] <sup>'']''</sup> ]→ 07:43, 14 February 2010 (UTC)
	::Yes, and "play dumb"; try thinking out the steps as if you were explaining them to a small child. Break the process down into the tiniest, easiest steps you can and then chain them together. ] (]) 14:27, 14 February 2010 (UTC)
	:::See the articles ], ] and ]. ] (]) 23:17, 15 February 2010 (UTC)
	::::] might be of more use. --] ] 23:22, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

	== UK drink licensing laws ==

	Can my daughter (aged 16) and her friend (aged 17) go into a pub and order a soft drink and a meal?
	] (]) 12:15, 14 February 2010 (UTC)
	:Nobody seems to know, including people that work in pubs! I've just tried to find out and have found several websites, all of which look reliable and all of which give different answers. The law seems to be that you can go into a pub and order soft drinks and food from age 14, but not all pubs know that (I've been asked for ID when I ordered a coke once - I was over 18 at the time, so it wasn't an issue, but had I been younger I think I would have had to stay thirsty). I suggest you phone the pub in question and ask them. --] (]) 13:06, 14 February 2010 (UTC)
	::I should first state that Misplaced Pages cannot give legal information, and you would be advised to check any information you receive here at another source before taking any action. I think it depends on the type of licence the bar has. I may be wrong, but I think if the bar serves food and is considered a 'family pub' they can, if it is a bar that serves some food they can't. Large chains like Weatherspoons definitely don't seem to have an objection, and I think they have the right kind of licence. Finally, if in doubt they could always call the pub before hand and ask. ] (]) 13:07, 14 February 2010 (UTC)
	:::We can, and do, give legal information. We don't give legal ''advice''. There is a difference. --] (]) 13:44, 14 February 2010 (UTC)
	:::Fair point. ] (]) 14:13, 14 February 2010 (UTC)
	:Back to the point. Are you sure that this is a ''UK'' question? The "United" Kingdom is not quite united in several aspects. Back when I was in Edinburgh, Scotland had very different laws about pub opening (or rather closing) hours, for example. No "last orders, please" north of the border - or at least not at times I was awake (and I'm a night owl). --] (]) 19:20, 14 February 2010 (UTC)
	:It's perhaps also worth remembering that while the above answers are concentrating on the legal aspect, the pubs are likely ultimately entitled to deny service if they desire. I'm not sure if the UK has age discrimination laws but even if it does, these most likely won't stop them denying service based on age, they could easily argue there are legitimate reasons for their policy, e.g. to make it easy for their staff or for the benefit of their clientele, they may check ID at the door or automatically remove someone who is either underage or looks like they could be underage and doesn't have ID. Some may offer service but only when accompanied by an adult. Trying to argue with them in such cases is likely to be futile. Some may also be confused about whether they can offer service but even in such a case, most likely the person who you'll be arguing with lacks the authority to change their policy. To put it simply even if a pub can offer service, it doesn't mean they will. If you have a specific pub in mind, I would agree with Prokhorovka you should call first. Else my summary of the above is some can, some can't ] (]) 19:36, 14 February 2010 (UTC)
	:I know it's probably a bit late, but might have your answer. I'm sure there are some subtleties, so it's probably best to ring the pub. ] (]) 16:51, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

	==Code==
	KING=4221 QUEEN=21451 PRINCE=??????

	Please its a tricky question. <small><span class="autosigned">—Preceding ] comment added by ] (] • ]) 13:13, 14 February 2010 (UTC)</span></small><!-- Template:Unsigned --> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->
	:Per a , it . (The king and queen conceive a child from the DNA of both parents. Thus, 4221 + 21451 = 25672) Hope that helps. -{{User:Avicennasis/sig}} @ 17:45, 14 February 2010 (UTC)
	::I'm not really sure how that works. The price receives DNA from both parents, but only a haploid set of chromosomes and single set of genes from each parent. Even presuming these traits are perfectly/100% heritable (which was never specified), without knowing how many genes are involved in the 4221 and 21451 traits, whether these genes are linked (if there are multiple genes involved), how the genes and alleles interact and what alleles each parent has, (and probably other things I forget and excluding odd/very rare stuff happening like mutations) it's impossible to know how they will combine although most likely there will be several possibilities and it is unlikely the only possibility will be the 25672. In fact in many cases it won't even be possible. In the absence of anything else, I'd go with something in between as the most likely answer. In conclusion, the answerer of that question on answers.com might want to take more care before they go saying "u stupid idiot" ] (]) 19:25, 14 February 2010 (UTC)
	:::Depending on how you interpert the question does vary the anwser. In humans, when two ] meet to form a ], it takes roughly half of it's genetic material from either parent. (<small>I think, but my biology may be rusty.)</small> That being the case, if figured into the answer, you may use (4221+21451)/2 to get 12836 as your answer. -{{User:Avicennasis/sig}} @ 19:52, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

	::::I don't see what the numbers have to do with DNA. This is presumably a code so I suggest you take this question to the ].--]\|] 20:08, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

	::Avicennasis—did you even read the page that you linked to? It hardly looks like a very good answer. It is certainly not a reliable source in any sense of the term! Just putting things blindly into Google is ''not'' very helpful. --] (]) 22:49, 14 February 2010 (UTC)
	:::<sub>I did indeed review it. From the search terms I used, it seemed the only probable result related to the query - and the answerer, while rude, seemed confident of the conclusion he reached. If nothing else, it was a start to understand the nature of this code, even if link has an incorrect answer. -{{User:Avicennasis/sigsmall}} @ 01:13, 15 February 2010 (UTC)</sub>
	:Surely it's some sort of code per letter? Not really much to work on - but only numbers up to 5 are used, N is encoded differently twice, but there are one per letter in the word. - ] <sup>]? ].'']</sup> 08:49, 15 February 2010 (UTC)
	::"PRINCE=??????" gives one "?" per letter as well. ] (]) 11:10, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

	::: Are you asking the right question? It is phrased completely differently on Wikianswers. The way it's expressed could be significant.--]\|] 16:05, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

	== The truth about Colonel Sanders ==

	Does anyone know if there's any truth to the stories that Colonel Sanders (of KFC fame) was a Nazi sympathizer who lied about his military exploits in WWI and service record? I was told that some journalist pulled his records several years ago under freedom of information and that they showed that the guy had never actually been promoted above Private, spending less than a year in the army and never once being deployed overseas. I was also told that in the 1930s, he gave speeches and interviews in which he stated that he believed that the Nazi ideology could help America. Just heard this from a guy I was getting drunk with in a bar last night and I thought I'd come check it out. Thanks. --] (]) 14:12, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

	:I heard he puts an addictive chemical in his chicken that makes you crave it fortnightly. Was the guy in the bar, like Colonel Sanders, too drunk to taste his chicken? ] (]) 14:38, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

	::] was a private who served in Cuba; much later he was an honorary ]. ---'''''— ]<span style="color:darkblue"> '''''</span><sup>]</sup> 14:52, 14 February 2010 (UTC)
	:::<s>Thank you for the relevant link Gadget. Looked like this was going to spiral in fast. I was surprised that ] hasn't added his "lost in the sauce" 2 cents yet. ] (]) 15:03, 14 February 2010 (UTC)</s>{{spa\|John Zajc}} (Blocked as sock)
	:::(EC) To put it a different way, there doesn't seem to be any dispute that he was never promoted above Private. Therefore, any 'revelation' that includes this fact as something special is automatically suspect ] (]) 15:11, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

	:::(edit conflicted)So the guy never actually claimed to be a US Army Colonel? In this conversation (the man I was talking to is ex-British Army) was saying that Col. Sanders was the olden days equivalent to one of those guys who says he was a POW in Vietnam, who killed his guards and escaped after walking hundreds of miles through enemy territory and was awarded the Medal of Honor for it - or the Navy SEAL Black Ops guy who brags of his Rambo-style assassination missions (i.e. lying scumbags). --] (]) 15:12, 14 February 2010 (UTC)
	::::The granting of the honorary title of "Colonel" for ] can be found ]. I cannot find any reliable source that suggests he ever claimed to me a military officer. ] (]) 16:03, 14 February 2010 (UTC)
	::::: talks about rumors about Sanders and the KKK. Maybe this is what you're drunk bar buddy was referring to. <span style="font-family:monospace;">]</span>\|] 16:31, 14 February 2010 (UTC)
	:::::Pfft. I'm an honorary Alabama Colonel, and have the certificate to prove it. All I had to do was to write to the Governor's office and ask for one. ] (]) 23:12, 14 February 2010 (UTC)
	:wow - do people still use the term 'Nazi sympathizer'? next you're going to start in with something about 'stopping the ]' or maybe 'remember the ]!'. (sad that I have to link those, but I don't think most people will get it if I don't)--] 18:01, 14 February 2010 (UTC)
	::You mean people have actually forgotten about the Maine? For shame, for shame! What would our President think? <sub>He probably wouldn't give even half a damn for one thing.</sub>--] (]) 18:32, 14 February 2010 (UTC)
	:::I hadn't forgotten it, because I'd never heard of it. In fact, I'd never heard of the ]. Thanks, fascinating reading. In gratitude, I offer you some European history to read: ]. --] (]) 11:24, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

	::Guess someone has been reading his . Many folks in the 1930s thought the Nazis were the good guys since— among other things —they opposed the Communists. For views of Communism in the US before WWII, see ]. ---'''''— ]<span style="color:darkblue"> '''''</span><sup>]</sup> 18:31, 14 February 2010 (UTC)
	:::] was a prominent public figure who felt that way. ←] <sup>'']''</sup> ]→ 05:15, 15 February 2010 (UTC)
	:::Erm... surely it would be possible to oppose both the Nazis and the Communists for the terrors that both acting regimes in WW2 committed?--] (]) 05:23, 15 February 2010 (UTC)
	::::The enemy of your enemy is your friend. At least until they turn on you. --]<sup>] \| ] \| ]</sup> 06:07, 15 February 2010 (UTC)
	:::::Lindbergh's view was that it was better for Europe to be overrun by the Nazis than by the Communists. A lot of folks modified their views once the US entered WWII. ←] <sup>'']''</sup> ]→ 06:10, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

	::::::What most people forget is that Nazism in the early years had a lot of appeal as a political philosophy. It presented itself as a populist, moralist approach that privileged liberal ethics over corrupt, decadent, violent ideologies. The Nazi (fascist) promise was that citizens bound together behind a 'pure' nation would be stronger than citizens acting alone, and that all would reap the benefits of that strength. It wasn't until later that the 'pure state' officially morphed into the 'pure race' and the collective empowerment turned into a de facto form of oppression (and it was that transformation that lead all the later atrocities). --] 06:40, 15 February 2010 (UTC)
	:::::::There has been endless strife and war resulting from taking a seemingly benign philosophy and perverting it. ←] <sup>'']''</sup> ]→ 06:52, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

	::::::::<small>Yeah, that's pretty much Neitzche's point at the beginning of ''Thus Spoke Zarathustra'': There's just no point in having smart ideas if you only have stupid people to tell them to. {{=)\|biggrin}} --] 07:05, 15 February 2010 (UTC)</small>

	:::::::::The above is ''very'' far from the truth. Anti-Semitism, racism and virulent nationalism were part of German Nazism from the start. Italian Fascism also included virulent nationalism from the start. Those "all" who would "reap the benefits of that strength" were limited to the nation (in an ethnic, and, for Nazism, racial sense). From the start, both ideologies were pronouncedly opposed to liberal democracy - or any kind of democracy for that matter - and advocated a dictatorship with iron discipline (even while they were also populist). It was egalitarian democracy and individual freedom that they viewed as "corrupt and decadent", as well as most other ideas stemming from the Enlightenment. At no point could their ideologies be described as "liberal ethics", they despised liberal democrats almost as much as they despised communists and regarded them as two sides of the same coin. I won't argue about this any further, but for evidence anyone can just search for the relevant words within an online edition of the Mein Kampf. (Mussolini's "Doctrine of Fascism" is also instructive in this regard.)--] (]) 15:05, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

	:The whole discussion of Nazism is tangential. The questioner asked whether Colonel Sanders was a Nazi sympathizer. I can find no reliable source indicating that he was or that this rumor is anything other than libel or slander. We don't want to reinforce this by discussing reasons why some Americans might have sympathized with Nazis, implying that this is somehow relevant to Colonel Sanders. Incidentally, 91.148.159.4 is quite right that Nazism was antiliberal and racist from its inception. ] (]) 15:55, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

	== Michelin stars ==

	What, in 2007, became the first city to gain more Michelin stars than Paris.17:51, 14 February 2010 (UTC)17:51, 14 February 2010 (UTC)~ <span style="font-size: smaller;" class="autosigned">—Preceding ] comment added by ] (]) </span><!-- Template:UnsignedIP --> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->

	: <small>Tokyo</small>--] (]) 22:05, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

	:: and ] (]) 00:04, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

	== When Rabbit Howls by Truddi Chase ==

	I have come across a listing entitled When Rabbit Howls: 2. Is this a sequel to When Rabbit Howls or is is just another edition?

	Thank you,

	Jo Neubauer <span style="font-size: smaller;" class="autosigned">—Preceding ] comment added by ] (]) 19:02, 14 February 2010 (UTC)</span><!-- Template:UnsignedIP --> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->

	:To the best of my searching, it's just another edition. --] ] 03:15, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

	== Sateliite phones in INDIA ==

	1.What is the net worth of the satellite phone market in India, approximately?

	2.What does the sales come up to including government and civilian subscribers?

	3. Who are the current providers of network and handsets and what is the future of the demand?

	4.What are the new technologies in that field that will make the product more user friendly and popular? <span style="font-size: smaller;" class="autosigned">—Preceding ] comment added by ] (]) 19:46, 14 February 2010 (UTC)</span><!-- Template:UnsignedIP --> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->
	:
	:Welcome to {{#ifeq:{{BASEPAGENAME}}\|Help desk\|]\|{{#ifeq:{{BASEPAGENAME}}\|Reference desk\|]\|Misplaced Pages}}}}. Your question appears to be a homework question. I apologize if this is a misevaluation, but it is ] to not do people's homework for them, but to merely aid them in doing it themselves. Letting someone else do your homework does not help you learn how to solve such problems. Please attempt to solve the problem yourself first. If you need help with a specific part of your homework, feel free to tell us where you are stuck and ask for help. If you need help grasping the concept of a problem, by all means let us know.<!--Template:Dyoh--> <font style="font-family: Vivaldi">]''']'''</font> 20:01, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

	::Misplaced Pages has articles on ] and ]. Some mobile operators in India have their own articles: ], ], ], ] (]), ], ], ], ] and ]. ] (]) 23:48, 14 February 2010 (UTC)

	== Old Yankee Stadium, The Bronx, New York 1972 ==

	Read everything on the Yankee Stadium. Am searching for the Greek family that had the rights to the concessions stands at the Old Yankee Stadium in 1972. I have a list of the vendors but they had concession stands, not the overall rights. Not sure how that worked.
	(''e-mail addreess deleted'' <small>] (]) 23:30, 14 February 2010 (UTC)</small>)

	Canada <span style="font-size: smaller;" class="autosigned">—Preceding ] comment added by ] (]) 20:48, 14 February 2010 (UTC)</span><!-- Template:UnsignedIP --> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->

	:This same question was posted about 5 days ago at this site: Something about a "Marcell", although that doesn't sound very Greek. ←] <sup>'']''</sup> ]→ 05:18, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

	= February 15 =

	== Best Brazilian News Websites ==

	What are the most popular and/or acclaimed Brazilian news websites/online newspapers? - ] (]) 00:18, 15 February 2010 (UTC)
	:For the most popular see: --] (]) 14:21, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

	== "megapixel lens", etc ==

	Retailers such as avsupply.com of surveillance (?) cameras seem to have a fairly standardized terminology; for example, "megapixel camera" and "megapixel lens" pop up all over the place. Googling for these terms takes me to descriptions of consumer cameras with this or that number of megapixels -- not obviously explanatory, because after all if your DSLR offers 12.8 megapixels, you hardly say that the lenses designed for or usable with it are 12.8 megapixel lenses. I'm sure explanations for ignoramuses of industrial video terminology are out there on the, er, information superhighway, but I know so little about the subject that I don't even know how to google for it effectively. Tips? -- ] (]) 00:51, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

	:I can't find any mention of megapixel in lenses in my cursory search on the website, perhaps you can provide a link to a description with that phrase? --]<sup>] \| ] \| ]</sup> 06:06, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

	::Yes, is Kowa's range of "1″ megapixel" lenses; is a list of products sold by avsupply.com, in which "megapixel lenses" (together with "megapixel cameras" and other inscrutable stuff like "telecentric lenses") is a major category; is another retailer's list of lenses, including Pentax/Cosmicar "MegaPixel" lenses (the odd capitalization suggests a brand name, but even if this is so the name must have been chosen for a reason); is Fujifilm's blurb (in somewhat dodgy English) for its range of Fujinon megapixel lenses. And there's more. (Incidentally, "1″" in the first example means "one inch" and I believe it somehow indicates the maximum recommended image circle. I think that rather than the diameter it's the length of the side of the largest square that would fit within the image circle, but I'm not sure.) -- ] (]) 12:59, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

	::: is apparently a "3 megapixel lens" and has "High image-quality monitoring with optical performance supporting 3 megapixels." I have absolutely no idea what that is supposed to mean. A lens is a piece of glass that changes the direction of light, it is an entirely continuous structure. It is not divided into pixels. Presumably it has something to do with the active mechanisms for improving the image quality, but I can't work out why they would work in pixels. --] (]) 13:31, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

	::::Yes indeed. It all sounds quite potty. Of course more pixels don't mean higher quality, but all right, there is some sort of vague correlation between number of pixels (and "resolution" in the computer graphics sense) and image quality (and "resolution" in the lens testing sense). So if a company were to market a range of, say, "20 megabyte lenses" I'd know what impression they were trying to make. A single megabyte sounds like something from twenty years ago. On the other hand these lenses are intended not for still but for videophotography; for all I know one megabyte may be an impressive figure for one "frame" (?) of a surveillance video. -- ] (]) 15:41, 15 February 2010 (UTC)
	:::::As a hobbyist photographer, I have to agree that I don't understand how megapixels could be related to lenses. In fact, the only digital part in a lens is communicating with the camera to let the lens know what aperture and shutter length it should use, and none of these have any relation to pixels - a film camera would do the exact same thing. In my opinion, the term "megapixel lens" is either meaningless marketing-speak or simply a recommendation about the class of cameras it should be used with. ] \| ] 20:44, 15 February 2010 (UTC)
	::::::The concept of a 'megapixel lens' appears to primarily originate in the CCTV camera arena I think because many earlier lens were crap and couldn't realisticly work well with megapixel CCTV cameras. These links may be of interest, particularly to Hoary. Also I guess because the CCTV camera market cares a lot about cost and does actually consider what the benefit is to their high megapixel setup particularly given the data rates it would entail (unlike the P&S market where for most people 12mp camera=sounds good, regardless of whether their 12mp camera is actually really any better then the 8mp camera ).
	::::::While I agree the idea of a 'megapixel lens' is mostly nonsense and there doesn't appear to even be an consistent way of rating a lens's 'megapixel rating', the general idea is that the manufacturer recommends these for use with 1 megapixel (or higher depending on the rating) CCTV cameras (without the lens being a significant limiting factor). The quality of the lens does of course make a big difference to the quality of the image and if you have a very shitty lens, using it with a higher megapixel sensor (depending on the size of the sensors as well) would have limited benefit (although I think in most cases is still likely to have some benefit in a few circumstances ).
	::::::There are of course real world measurable parameters about the lens that have far more meaning but understanding how these relate to their specific purpose is perhaps fairly confusing partially why 'megapixel lens' marketing speak arises. And manufacturers prefer made up stuff which makes it easier to 'bend the truth' anyway (the comments in one of the early links mentions the Australian standard plan to require some of the specs be published).
	::::::Incidentally from the earlier links, the megapixel rating appears to relate primarily to the resolving power (which of course does make a big difference in whether you'll get any benefit to a high megapixel sensor) but also other factors like optical distortion and chromatic aberation.
	::::::] (]) 18:45, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

	== How to expose a fraud charity? ==

	Hey so this isn't legal advice, it's more "activism" advice. I really believe I've discovered an elaborate fraud which involves a "seemingly" legitimate charity organization. There is a website called malariainitiative dot com which claims to be part of the "Lutheran church charities" . Under their links to malaria treatment science they proclaim the efficacy of a substance known as Acidified Sodium Chlorite, a common disinfectant, as an effective cure for malaria. This is actually marketed as "Miracle Mineral Solution" by a guy called "Jim Humble" which after a bit of investigation I have come to the conclusion that he is a total fraud and MMS is a scam. My evidence is that he claims it not only cures Malaria, but also AIDS, hepatitis and most cancers and of course there is not a single piece of evidence to support any these claims, and I have done a lot of searching, including in the medical literature. malariainitiative don't mention Jim or MMS by name, but they are obviously talking about the same stuff. The evidence on their website includes videos and links to "research" is probably enough to fool most casual observers. If they are using this as a "cover" it's anyone's guess where the donation dollars are going. Feel free to look up Jim Humble and MMS, there is a mountain of websites full of personal accounts that this stuff works, but of course none of it is backed up by a shred of evidence. There is another website called lutheranmalaria dot org which seems like a more legitimate version. So if the two are linked, or if the 1st is just masquerading as the 2nd I don't know. I'm going to email united nations foundation and the Lutheran charities but I was wondering if there was more I could do. I live in Australia so I'm not familiar with the laws and stuff of American charities. Is there a charities ombudsman or some sort that could be made aware of this? I've posted on SGU (sceptics guide to the universe) but only got a luke warm response, I'm also going to email quackwatch. Does anyone else have any suggestions? I'm a bit outraged by all this, it all just started when a close relative of mine actually bought some MMS and tried to sell me on it. ] (]) 05:06, 15 February 2010 (UTC)
	:If I were you I would indeed start by contacting a Lutheran church. I'm sure they would be very interested to know if someone is using their name for fraudulent purposes. ←] <sup>'']''</sup> ]→ 05:12, 15 February 2010 (UTC)
	::The website is registered by a John Peterson in 405 E. Pierce St. Elburn, Illinois 60119. If that makes any difference. I've looked on Google maps and it looks like a regular house in the burbs. ] (]) 05:27, 15 February 2010 (UTC)
	:::If there are any Lutheran churches in or near that town, that could be a good place to start. ←] <sup>'']''</sup> ]→ 05:28, 15 February 2010 (UTC)
	::::Or if you don't feel like calling long distance, start with a Lutheran official website and see if there's a "contact us" on it somewhere. I keep saying "a" Lutheran church because there is more than one "sub-denomination". ←] <sup>'']''</sup> ]→ 05:29, 15 February 2010 (UTC)
	:::::Showing up at a pastor's door with a ] couldn't hurt. ] (]) 06:32, 15 February 2010 (UTC)
	::::::You betcha! ←] <sup>'']''</sup> ]→ 14:46, 15 February 2010 (UTC)
	: appears to be a specific, real organization, presumably with a trademark on its name, and a legal interest in not having it misused. There is no one ] organization, so "Lutheran" is presumably not trademarked, so I believe that neither the ] nor the ] (the two major Lutheran denominations in the US) will be able to help. (But I am nothing like a lawyer.) ] ] 13:27, 15 February 2010 (UTC)
	::That would be the most obvious place to start, as they are among those most likely to be motivated to do something. ←] <sup>'']''</sup> ]→ 14:46, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

	== Fr. Chris Riley and Boys Town ==

	Boys Town is an "organization in District of Columbia, providing more than 400,000 children each year with a safe, caring, loving environment where they gain confidence to get better". I got that quote from the official Boys Town website and from what I can gather the organization houses homeless youth. But the question I want to ask is that in the Chris Riley (priest)article is states that he was the "Principal of the charity Boy’s Town" but how can that be if the organization isn't a school of some kind? Unless i'm not getting the right impression of what a principal is. ] (]) 07:04, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

	:Boys Town does operate some schools. Perhaps the meaning is that Riley was the principal of one of those. According to the Boys Town web site, the present head of the organization is called the Executive Director, so presumably that's not what was meant. --Anonymous, 08:08 UTC, February 15, 2010.

	I've done some research and found thae answer for my self. In an article it says: "he came to Boys' Town as school principal in 1986". ] (]) 10:08, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

	:Principal has other meanings than headmaster or leader of a school. Principal is merely the head person or authoritative person associated with any group or organisation. --] ] 10:45, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

	== Need help naming a hairstyle ==

	Hey, I'm trying to find the name of a certain haristyle, and example of an action figure with the hair, ] from the Mummy kind of has it as well, if you wanted a picture of a real person. What's the name of this hairstyle? --] (]) 10:41, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

	But hard to tell off A) a Lego figure and B) a picture when his hair is messed up because of the movie he's in.I'd go with "curtains" myself.] 15:47, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

	:Or an Undercut. ] (]) 15:52, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

	::Firstly, that's not Rick O'Connell, it's Brendan Fraser. Secondly, I would call the hairstyle a centre-parting.] (]) 20:30, 15 February 2010 (UTC)
	:::As a popular style among the "cool" when I was in high school, it was referred to as "wings." ''']''' <sup>(] \| ])</sup> 21:14, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

	:I'd just call it a centre parting. It looks like it has ] as well. Its not a ]. It looks like the photo described as an "undercut" in the ] article. ] (]) 12:58, 16 February 2010 (UTC)] (]) 12:50, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

	== Canadian pints ==

	How many fluid ounces are there in a Canadian pint? ] (]) 13:14, 15 February 2010 (UTC)
	:If you read ], it's rather confused, especially for beer; a pint or "une pinte" can be 20 fl oz (an English pint), 500 ml, 375 ml, 952.1 ml, an imperial quart, or any large glass. According to the Vancouver Sun, it's legally 20 fl oz in British Columbia, but this is not a universal standard, and it probably varies from province to province, particularly in the French bits. --] (]) 14:27, 15 February 2010 (UTC)
	:Canadians tend to avoid the pint, for exactly those reasons. Most things are bought and sold by the litre, and the one that isn't (beer) is generally measured in floz. ] (]) 20:53, 15 February 2010 (UTC)
	:: Not at all true. I buy all my beer in pubs and restaurants by the pint or glass, which are relatively consistent in size. The glass is smaller than a pint, but they don't vary from pub to pub. ] (]) 00:51, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

	A pint in Canadian measure is 20 Imperial fl.oz., same as in England. Any other usage is informal. --Anonymous, 09:51 UTC, February 16, 2010.
	:From reading the pint article, it seems that in Canada other sizes of pint are the formal ones - defined in law - and that a 20 fluid ounces pint would be the informal one, and apparantly rather rare as well. ] (]) 13:01, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

	== Sentence formation ==

	Hi, i am assigned to train a felow who has weird sentence formation ,while speaking professionally,(verbal and written)which gives me a chill whenever i assign a task with a customer,is there something i can do,maybe that way i can improve him <span style="font-size: smaller;" class="autosigned">—Preceding ] comment added by ] (]) 16:30, 15 February 2010 (UTC)</span><!-- Template:UnsignedIP --> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->

	:I'm afraid that your own sentence formation is nonstandard. Before you try to train someone else, I would suggest that you study English grammar yourself. I am guessing that your spoken English is fine, but it would be worth your while to learn about English ] and how to avoid ]s. ] (]) 17:05, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

	::That aside, we'd need an example. I'll point out, though, that I have some friends who are professional academics who use odd sentence structures (mostly due to ] issues. They communicate perfectly well in spite of it, though. remember that the goal here is to be understood, not to be proclaimed the next ]. --] 17:13, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

	:::Wouldn't this be answered better at the ''']'''? —] (]) 17:55, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

	:There is no quick fix; perhaps enroll him in an English class that emphasizes spoken communication. If you have an unlimited budget, send him on a year's vacation to ] with the provision that he has to insert himself in the culture, marry an American, and otherwise maximize his spoken interaction with others. ] (]) 19:48, 15 February 2010 (UTC)
	::<small>Why Topeka, Kansas? ] (]) 08:58, 16 February 2010 (UTC)</small>
	:::<small>So he can learn English with a midwestern flat-as-the-prairie accent; pick up American cultural tips on political matters such as race and evolution; and also to experience some good old American tornadoes. ←] <sup>'']''</sup> ]→ 09:14, 16 February 2010 (UTC)</small>

	:Sometimes, managers put people who have a certain flaw with someone else who also has this flaw with the instruction that they are to get this person to improve. The thinking is that, in teaching someone else how to do things, you improve your own skills as a by-product.--] (]) 20:14, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

	== nice way of saying grow a thicker skin? ==

	anyone know a sort've half polite way of saying to grow a thicker skin that is unlikely to aggravate the person further?--] (]) 18:48, 15 February 2010 (UTC)
	:Depends on who's insulting them. If it's you, and you tell them to grow a thicker skin, that's just another insult. If it's someone else insulting them, presumably you're trying to be helpful. I wouldn't tell them to grow a thicker skin. I'd say something like, "Don't let 'em know if they got to you." ←] <sup>'']''</sup> ]→ 18:50, 15 February 2010 (UTC)
	:: Where am from we tend to either say "Don't break down the touch fuzz" or "Pal, your hands leak shard 'o glass ampoule" to either the most touchy of people and they're putty in your glassy hands. ] (]) 18:53, 15 February 2010 (UTC)
	:::That would be an awesome pair of quotes if they made any sense. ←] <sup>'']''</sup> ]→ 18:57, 15 February 2010 (UTC)
	::::P.S. The guy with the glass pencil has since been blocked for trolling, and can be seen nightly on Indef Comedy Jam. ←] <sup>'']''</sup> ]→ 08:42, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

	::It wasn't an insult I told someone else that their company's work from before this person joined the company was unsatisfactory and the company should improve its quality, she heard it and got all insulted--] (]) 18:55, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

	:::If that's all accurate, I'd say her irritation has a basis: By casting aspersions on a company that she (probably recently) decided was good enough for her to join, you indirectly insulted her judgment. That said, maybe she does need thicker skin, and I think Bugs's line is nicely indirect. Ice Pencil Made of Glass is trolling. ] (]) 19:18, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

	::::''"Consider the source"?'' ] (]) 19:24, 15 February 2010 (UTC)
	::::Well considering I'm a big customer of her company and I was simply critizing it's work not the actual company I don't think she really should be irritated but I'd like to calm her down gently.--] (]) 19:34, 15 February 2010 (UTC)
	:::::If you're a third party to the exchange, ] or its translation is a good one. Won't help much in this case - I'd just keep my head down for a bit if I were you. "When you're at the bottom of a hole, stop digging!" ] (]) 19:56, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

	:::::Why does it matter? You told her your opinion of her company, which you are entitled to and is indeed very relevant since you're a big customer. It's her problem if she doesn't like that, give her the opportunity to retort if she's that sure you're being unfair. But ultimately, it's her problem, not yours: it's her company that has a shitty reputation, if anything she should be glad you brought that to her attention. Of course if this person is an old friend, family or romantic interest, things become a little less straightforward. But otherwise, maybe it's you that needs to stop worrying so much about hurting someones feelings with the truth, when it is in that person's best interest to know the truth. In short, you are the "customer" in the relationship, she's the one that should be worrying about all these nuances about personal feelings. ] (]) 20:06, 15 February 2010 (UTC)
	:::::: Depending on the situation, words to the effect of "nothing personal, just business" may make things either better or worse. ] (]) 21:03, 15 February 2010 (UTC)
	:::::::If the OP gets real desperate, then as a last resort he could try ''apologizing.'' :) ←] <sup>'']''</sup> ]→ 01:24, 16 February 2010 (UTC)
	:::::::: Jeez, there's irony for you!! ] (]) 08:43, 16 February 2010 (UTC)
	:::::::::I am quick to apologize when I'm in the wrong. 0:) ←] <sup>'']''</sup> ]→ 08:48, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

	== A real estate term PPO ==

	Once a bank forecloses on a home it becomes REO (real estate owned). Prior to that the bank may refer to it as a PPO. What does PPO mean in this context? Could it be private party occupied?
	Thank you ] (]) 20:15, 15 February 2010 (UTC)
	:Good question. Whoever finds the answer could add it to ]. That page lists several other items, include the 2 different but synonymous health-care related term that's what I think of when I see it. ←] <sup>'']''</sup> ]→ 07:37, 16 February 2010 (UTC)
	::According to this site, anyway, PPO is being used in real estate the same way it's being used in health care: Preferred Provider Organization. I have not spent much time googling this, so I can't say for sure that it's definitive. ←] <sup>'']''</sup> ]→ 07:45, 16 February 2010 (UTC)
	:::My shot on topic is Property Preservation.
	:::Off topic: PPO also means ], which I have found . --] <small>(])</small> 07:50, 16 February 2010 (UTC)
	::::This, from Yahoo answers (which might be a[REDACTED] mirror for all I know) said a month ago that it was Percentage Price Oscillator. So far I'm not convinced that any of the above answers fit. ←] <sup>'']''</sup> ]→ 08:40, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

	== "Bund" vs. "Reich" ==

	Is there any instance in current German society where people refer to the country of Germany with the term ''Reich'' (realm) instead of ''Bund'' (federation), in a neutral context, without even the slightest connotation to World War II era Nazi Germany? The only thing that comes to mind is the name ''Reichstag'', which has come to mean the building where the Parliament of Germany assembles, whereas ''Bundestag'' refers to the Parliament itself. I think I once called the eagle on a German 2 Euro coin ''Reichsadler'' when speaking with an Austrian, but would ''Bundesadler'' have been a more correct term? ] \| ] 20:31, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

	:The short answer to your first question is ''no''. The only exception would be perhaps a Neo-Nazi or perhaps an archconservative royalist, who might use the word as a kind of political statement (indicating that they desire the restoration of the second or third Reich). Even the word ''Bund'' is not often used to refer to Germany or the German state. The more common words used today are, simply, ''Deutschland'', or, if a person wants to refer to the German state, they might use ''Bundesrepublik''. With the sole exception of the Reichstag, which is the name of the building, you really want to avoid compounds using the word ''Reich'' because of its nasty connotations. For example, referring to the Bundesadler as the Reichsadler might make someone wonder whether you are a Neo-Nazi. (If you are a foreigner, they will probably give you the benefit of the doubt.) The Bundesadler actually has a different appearance, by the way. is the Bundesadler. is the Reichsadler of the Kaiserreich (1871-1918). is the Reichsadler of the Third Reich. ] (]) 22:00, 15 February 2010 (UTC)
	::A proper name that seems to turn up is ''Himmelreich'', which I take to mean "Kingdom of Heaven". I'm guessing that's considered an honorable use of "Reich". ←] <sup>'']''</sup> ]→ 01:22, 16 February 2010 (UTC)
	:::I agree that it is not problematic to use the word ''Reich'' in historic or religious contexts. It just means "kingdom" or "empire". ''Himmelreich'' does mean "kingdom of heaven". There is also ''das Reich Gottes''—"the kingdom of God". The problem comes if you use the word ''Reich'' to refer to present-day Germany or its official symbols. ] (]) 01:32, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

	== Use of "mainframe" or "main frame" in Technical Publications ==

	I am a technical writer stumped on the use of mainframe and main frame. We use this term in the sense of a large mobile construction type machine that is welded together and then we install drivetrain (crawlers) and many other components. It is the same as a frame in an automobile including drivetrain but "main" has always been added in one form or another in our business.

	All references to "mainframe" mention the computer use. I can find nothing on the use of "main frame." Presently I use "main frame."

	Question: Which term is most correct and/or appropriate to use in our technical service publications to reference this structure?] (]) 21:56, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

	:I am a little confused by the question because you seem to be saying that the term for it in your business is indeed "main frame". I think you have answered your own question, no? Are you just worried that the term "main frame" is wrong because of your Googling? It sounds like you must be the expert and should use the term you think is right. Incidentally, googling ''"main frame" -mainframe'' will get rid of all the pages talking about a "mainframe" (1 word). ] (]) 23:07, 15 February 2010 (UTC)

	:A "main frame" can simply mean the main metal frame of a construction. A "mainframe" usually means a computer server. I think you should use "main frame".--] (]) 01:41, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

	Thanks. I will stick with main frame. People get so picky on the use of a word in my business it can cause arguments and ill will. I needed agreement from outside sources on whether to use it as one word or two for my own well being. <span style="font-size: smaller;" class="autosigned">—Preceding ] comment added by ] (]) 14:46, 16 February 2010 (UTC)</span><!-- Template:UnsignedIP --> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->

	== Poison Sumac ==

	I live in California and I've gotten many rashes that I believe are caused by ]. Also, all the Sumac plants I've gotten rashes from live in dry areas. However, the Misplaced Pages article (and most other sources) state that Poison Sumac only lives on the East coast and prefers wet, marshy areas. Is it just the article that is incorrect or am I mistaking some other plant for Poison Sumac? Could somebody who also lives on the West coast confirm that Poison Sumac does actually grow here? If it helps, I'll see if I can get a picture of one of the plants I think is Poison Sumac.--] (]) 00:21, 16 February 2010 (UTC)
	:Perhaps ]? ] (]) 00:50, 16 February 2010 (UTC)


	:(ec) I may have seen somewhere the claim that '']'' species other than poison oak are '''occasionally''' found in California, but overwhelmingly the most important one is poison oak (which our article idiosyncratically names ], a spelling you won't see many places other than here). Poison oak ''is'' a sumac; if it's a time of year (like now) that you can't usually see the "leaflets three", then I wouldn't be surprised if it looked a lot like poison sumac at the same time.
	: On the other hand you might have some other allergy, and it might not be ''Toxicodendron'' at all. --] (]) 00:52, 16 February 2010 (UTC)
	::(ec) The chemical in poison sumac that causes a rash in most people is the same one found in poison ivy and poison oak. Apparently there is a variety of poison oak toward the west coast. I have no idea about poison sumac or poison ivy in that part of the country. And, as a standard Misplaced Pages disclaimer, we can't identify what's causing your rash. We can only confirm that certain plants that are known to cause rashes in some people are known to be present on the west coast. <font color="009900"><b>Falconus</b></font><sup>] ] ]</sup> 00:55, 16 February 2010 (UTC)
	]
	I'm pretty sure it's not poison oak. It looks pretty similar to the picture at the right but it's leaf is a little more taco shaped and has a more rounded tip. --] (]) 01:02, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

	:I am an avid hiker and used to live in California. I'm fairly sure there is no poison sumac there. But there is plenty of poison oak. Poison oak leaves come in all kinds of shapes. They generally have rounded edges, unlike poison sumac. In drier areas, the leaves do tend to curl into what you might call a taco shape. Though this is the rainy season in California, so I'd expect the leaves to be green and flatter at this time of year. If you are in an area that has not had much rain, though, the leaves could be a little curled up. has a couple of pictures of different types of poison oak. ] (]) 01:38, 16 February 2010 (UTC)
	:::I went hiking just the weekend before last — there weren't yet many leaves on the poison oak. However there were lots of little green buds, and it looked like it was getting ready to burst forth, so there might be by now. Here's a shot of it: ]. --] (]) 03:32, 16 February 2010 (UTC)
	:::Disclaimer: I take no responsibility if it turns out that this is ''not'' poison oak. Please do not rely on a plant not being poison oak, just because it doesn't look like this. --] (]) 03:36, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

	Alright well I'll see if I take and upload a picture of one of plants and by tomorrow. --] (]) 02:25, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

	:According to page 136 of the ''Jepson Manual of Higher Plants of California'' (1993), which is the major complete flora for California, there is only one species of ''Toxicodendron'' found in the state: ''T. diversilobum'' (Western Poison Oak). None of the other species of ''Toxicodendron'' (''vemix, rydbergii, radicans, and pubescens'') found in the United States are found in California. Therefore, the plant that is causing your rashes is either Western Poison Oak, OR (as pointed out above) some other plant that you are personally sensitive to. The photographs in our article ] give a you a good idea of what it looks like. Also, as Trovatore points out above, it is deciduous and without leaves at this time of year; it will still cause rashes even when it is leafless.--] (]) 18:41, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

	==Identity==
	I have been asked to identify myself, as in what my Ph.D. is in. It is in military/naval history from London University. I have published 8 books and variius peer-reviewed articles on the subject. You can also look me up on the net.

	I was asked this quesiton at the head of an article, but the questioner did not identify him(her) self.

	Stanley Sandler <span style="font-size: smaller;" class="autosigned">—Preceding ] comment added by ] (]) 00:46, 16 February 2010 (UTC)</span><!-- Template:UnsignedIP --> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->

	:Might I suggest your self-identification would be most appropriate on the talk page of that article you referred to, not here. This is a Reference Desk, where we answer general questions, just like in a library. -- ] (]) 01:10, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

	::There is never any need to identify your self on Misplaced Pages, so don't do it unless you really want to for some reason. remember, as a wikipeida editor you are just presenting material available in sources; who you are as an individual is irrelevant. --] 01:26, 16 February 2010 (UTC)
	:::Well, that's one view. Personally I don't buy it. When I'm evaluating an editor's contributions, there are a couple of things I frequently want to know, to which his identity is not irrelevant. One is, is this person expert enough in the field to be able to deeply ''understand'' the source material, and therefore interpret it correctly in context? Another is, does this person have a strongly-held view on the merits of the question, that might color his interpretation and/or presentation? --] (]) 02:34, 16 February 2010 (UTC)
	::::Yes, but the problem is that identity is not in itself sufficient to trump reliable sourcing of articles. Being a PhD and well respected in a field is not enough to say "I don't have to provide sources for my writing because I am an expert". I am not saying that is what the OP is talking about, but having witnessed some conflicts at Misplaced Pages, that is most often the biggest problem. People believe that because they have personal knowledge about a subject, it absolves them from having to provide ] to back up their writing. I agree that identity is '''not irrelevent''', entirely, but we should also not place too much emphasis on identity. The primary concern is, and should always be, on faithfully representing the existing published knowledge which exists in reliable sources; and on avoiding ] or other unreferenced information in Misplaced Pages articles, even if the editor who writes that information is an expert or whatever. --]''''']''''' 05:14, 16 February 2010 (UTC)
	:::::::Oh, I agree completely — I'm not suggesting that we let people add whatever they want to to articles based on ''credentials''. That's not the point at all. My point is more that I don't completely trust editors who won't say anything about themselves. I don't know where they're coming from, what background (or agenda) they might have.
	:::::::Your next point is going to be that I don't know that even if they ''do'' say who they are, and of course that's true. But I at least have a starting point. --] (]) 07:19, 16 February 2010 (UTC)
	::::::::My next point is to reflect that when A says they do not trust B, that is not a statement about B, but a statement about A. -- ] ] 10:23, 16 February 2010 (UTC)
	:::::::::Well, yes, of course, what else could it be? I am making an assertion about my own attitude, my own approach to evaluating the contributions of others. I am not making an assertion about the others per se.
	:::::::::However, first, it is an attitude I consider justified and encourage others to adopt. And second, I encourage those who have been reticent to let others know some basic facts about themselves, to be aware that this may come with a cost. --] (]) 10:37, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

	:::::Plus, you can say you have a PhD. That doesn't prove anything. I can say I'm a man (I am), but let's see you prove it. This isn't to say that our OP isn't a PhD, it just means that people can say lots of things. It doesn't just doesn't advance their credibility. ] (]) 05:40, 16 February 2010 (UTC)
	::::::Indeed, we had a ] when it turned out one of our editors didn't have the doctorate that he was claiming. ] (]) 08:52, 16 February 2010 (UTC)
	{{od}} I think you're all missing the point. People without PhD's can understand and fruitfully contribute to any topic on wikipedia. any editor who doesn't understand a topic will rapidly expose the fact that s/he doesn't understand in discussion, through the misuse of concepts and the misapplication of sources. The only assessment you ned to make about any editor is that they are using sources appropriately, without misinformation or misrepresentation. Misplaced Pages is a tertiary source: we don't do peer review here, we don't engage in research, and we don't make novel conclusions about topics, so there is never any reason to be concerned about whether a given editor is qualified to do those things (which are the primary functions of a PhD). --] 16:21, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

	== Solar Energy ==

	I have heard that one of the sources of energy is solar energy. You can use solar energy for generating electricity, heating water, and cooking. But what about when it's at night or raining? What do you do about solar energy then?

	] (]) 04:18, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

	:Solar energy is best used in conjunction with means of storing excess energy during sunny times for use at times when it is not. If you generate electricty via solar power, you often generate lots of excess energy which can be simply wasted by letting it drift off as heat energy. However, lots of solutions to this have been proposed, and implemented to various degrees:
	:*You can use solar power to generate hydrogen gas for use in ]s, see from Honda, that does exactly that.
	:*You can use excess electrical power to pump water into a large resevoir; you can then release the water at night to run a ].
	:*Wind power can be used in conjunction with solar power to fill in some of the gaps, for example it is often windier when it is cloudy and raining.
	:No single energy resource is really a great idea ''in isolation'', the idea is to develop a system using multiple systems which can introduce enough redundancy to smooth out the problems with each other. A hypothetical fully "green" energy system that was devoid of fossil fuels would require contributions from ] and ] and ] and ]s and ] and ] to be successful. Solar is a necessary part of this equation, but it is not the ONLY part.--]''''']''''' 05:09, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

	::You missed one important method of storing energy from solar cells: ]. Solar power is often used in places where other ways of getting electricity are not feasible (on ], ], or remote ]s, for example). In many cases, the small amount of electricity generated is easily stored in a chemical cell.

	::To minimize the problems from clouds, many commercial solar arrays are built in areas that are very sunny. For example, the ] is in the desert in Nevada. This still leaves the obvious downtime during the night, however. We recently had a ] about a proposed system to put solar cells in space (where there are no clouds, and it's nearly always day), and beam the energy down to Earth. This obviously incurs other costs though. ] (]) 06:00, 16 February 2010 (UTC)
	:::Cost is a primary deterrent against alternative energy sources. If and when fossil fuels get too expensive, other sources will gain popularity. ←] <sup>'']''</sup> ]→ 07:34, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

	::::I have a solar water heater on my roof. I have hot water 2-3 hours after sunrise. Unless I plan on showering during the middle of the night, I generally have hot water. On cloudly days it can take 4-5 hours (after sunrise) to get hot water, and I can also heat it electrically. ] (]) 10:00, 16 February 2010 (UTC)
	:::::You've kind of hit on what's really going on, which is convenience. People have gotten used to being able to do what they want, e.g. showering anytime of the day or night as needed. Having to plan things around restrictions like that is something a lot of folks just plain don't want to do. ←] <sup>'']''</sup> ]→ 10:36, 16 February 2010 (UTC)
	:The demand for power peaks during the day, so solar power presumably would be able to take some of the load off ], according to the article. ] ] 13:31, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

	:Solar panels do generate electricity when it's raining - after all, you can still see, so there must still be light. They generate less, of course. --] (]) 13:29, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

	== menstrual period ==
	{{rd-deleted\|—''']'''<sup>]</sup> 06:48, 16 February 2010 (UTC)}}

	== Fr. ] ==

	Does any one know what year Fr.Chris Riley became a priest? Also I read somewhere what kind of priest he became but I forgot so could you answer that too. Thanks ] (]) 07:06, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

	:: He became a priest of the ] order according to the WP article. His ordination date is in 1982 according to this site. ] (]) 08:37, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

			= January 11 =
	== Buying ] pencils ==

			== Young adult novel series called Blitzkrieg ==
	Does anyone know of a high-street (physical) shop in the UK which would sell this American brand of pencil? Or, failing that, a relatively cheap and reputable online store? <font color="#C4112F">╟─]]►]─╢</font> 09:32, 16 February 2010 (UTC)
	:You can buy them --] (]) 13:02, 16 February 2010 (UTC)
	::Of course, many of those are not based in the UK, and none are high-street shops which was my first preference...! Thanks anyway, <font color="#00ACF4">╟─]]►]─╢</font> 16:18, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

			Does anybody remember who was the author of a novel series, aimed at middle and high school students called Blitzkrieg? It was about a high school football team and I think it was or were published in the 1970s or 1980s. --Donmust90-- ] (]) 00:49, 11 January 2025 (UTC)
	== desalination for biofuels for developing nations? ==
			:The series was actually called ''Blitz'' and was written by Paul Nichols (about whom we don't seem to have an article). There are some examples . --] 07:46, 11 January 2025 (UTC)
			::"Paul Nichols" is the pen name of Robert Hawks (b. 1961).<sup></sup> More about him . He has also published under his own name,<sup></sup> as well as young-adult horror under the pen name "M. T. Coffin" :).<sup></sup> In any case, neither the author nor the books appear to meet Misplaced Pages's notability criteria.  --] 09:42, 11 January 2025 (UTC)

			= January 20 =
	I am investigating whether desalination application in the developing world would be profitable if the water produced was used to make crops that produced biofuels. So I am looking to know how many cubic metres of water would be required to produce a hectare of rapeseed crop grown annually in the developing world to add to my calculations to see if this option was economically viable. Thank you. <span style="font-size: smaller;" class="autosigned">—Preceding ] comment added by ] (]) 13:10, 16 February 2010 (UTC)</span><!-- Template:UnsignedIP --> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->
			== Yokohama Chinatown ==
			(14:31-14:56). Please, can you help me to find the name of the dress and the sword of that Chinese antique shop's owner, and that of the statue's face? You can see also these three files: , , . Thank you. <!-- Template:Unsigned IP --><small class="autosigned">— Preceding ] comment added by ] (]) 10:16, 20 January 2025 (UTC)</small> <!--Autosigned by SineBot-->
			:Don't post your question on more than one desk. Entertainment was the right place for it. --] 09:06, 21 January 2025 (UTC)

			== Trump presidencies ==
	== Mouthwashes without alcohol or chlorhexidine, available in UK ==

			Hello. Trump's current term is as the 47th president. The previous term, (45th), should be put together with the old respective dates in the template (2017-2021). Better not to merge the two terms together, it makes no sense, they are two different things: terms, dates and presidencies. Don't you agree? ] (]) 17:37, 20 January 2025 (UTC)
	According to the article here, http://www.australianprescriber.com/magazine/32/6/162/4/ using an alcohol-based mouthwash increases your chance of oral etc cancer by five to nine times. Regularly using mouthwashes with ] may also be harmful according to both the linked article and the Misplaced Pages article.

			:The reference desk is not the place to discuss this. Better venues may be ] or (since the issue transcends the specific person who now happens to be in office) ]. The problem may be due to a limitation of {{tl\|Infobox officeholder}}, the design of which does not accommodate the possibility that the incumbent is a repeat offender. For the only other repeat offender thus far, ], the issue could not arise since his repeated incumbency did not overlap with the lifetime of {{tl\|Infobox officeholder}}.  --] 21:39, 20 January 2025 (UTC)
	I was using the alcohol-free variant of the brand "Dentalux" sold at Lidl UK, but I see it includes ]. Does anyone know the brand name and/or UK retailer of a mouthwash that contains neither alcohol nor chlorhexidine please? Thanks ] (]) 15:34, 16 February 2010 (UTC)
			::If I'm reading the documentation right, you should be able to do it with that template. Use the <code>office</code> field for the first term and the <code>office2</code> field for the second term, with <code>term_start</code> and <code>term_end</code> being the dates for the first term, and <code>term_start2</code> and <code>term_end2</code> being the dates for the second term. Or maybe vice versa? --] (]) 22:13, 20 January 2025 (UTC)
			:::These infoboxes list offices (being) held in reverse chronological order, each with a heading identifying the office in a light bluish grey banner, like {{color box\|#e6e6f9\|'''13th Head honcho of ]'''\|border=#fff}}, below which there is an unbannered heading '''Assuming office''', '''Assumed office''' or '''In office'''.
			:::The convention for nonconsecutive terms of an office held is that they are combined under one light bluish grey banner, as seen e.g. for ], {{color box\|#e6e6f9\|'''34th & 39th Governor of California'''\|border=#fff}}.
			:::The convention for current office holders is the appearance of a second banner {{color box\|#e6e6f9\|''']'''\|border=#fff}}, immediately below the office banner but in the same style; see e.g. ].
			:::These two conventions don't combine well.  --] 08:32, 22 January 2025 (UTC)

			= January 21 =
	:Not an answer, but a suggestion. Mouthwashes marketed for children are less likely to contain alcohol, so it may be worth reading the labels of some of those next time you are out shopping. Perhaps the best thing to do would be to ask at your local chemist's. ] (]) 15:40, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

			== Peugeot models only available Europe or North America ==
	:DRosenbach may be able to better answer this question although not specifically regarding the UK ] (]) 17:52, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

			Which models of Peugeot, made from 1970 to 2010, could be available only in North America if Peugeot was participating in the North American market?--Donmust90-- ] (]) 20:45, 21 January 2025 (UTC)
	== ] ==
			:I don't think they made any model specifically for the North American market. They modified some existing models to make them conform to North American rules. The range of available models was always much smaller than in Europe. ] (]) 11:50, 22 January 2025 (UTC)
			::You may be interested in (YouTube clip). ] (]) 11:57, 22 January 2025 (UTC)

			= January 23 =
	Is our recession over yet? The list say the economial black this time last from December 2007 to December 2009 it seem it just end. Until how long will the economy grow again and everyone to have a good amount of jobs again? Is unemployment still rising or is it dropping? how much is US deficit right now, still rising or it is starting to fall now--] (]) 17:43, 16 February 2010 (UTC)
	:Is there anything in particular that the link article and references doesn't answer? "By July 2009, a growing number of economists believed that the recession may have ended. This view was bolstered with the initial estimate of a 3.5% rise in the GDP (Q3 09). As is often the case at the end of a recession, unemployment is still rising. The National Bureau of Economic Research will not make this official determination for some time." We obviously can't offer personal predicitions on the RD ] (]) 17:54, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

			== Year in review ==
	:As for your question about the deficit, see ]. The rising debt does not have an immediate impact on the number of jobs available. ] (]) 17:58, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

			I just received the WP year in review summary. 100 million edits world wide seemed low to me, until I saw 4+ billion bytes figure. Still trying to wrap my mind around these statistics. Did WP publish any kind of "deep dive" into this statistical analysis: minor vs major edits, bots, logged in vs logged off, etc.? Thanks. ] 15:36, 23 January 2025 (UTC)
	== Freight elevators in the ] ==

			= January 24 =
	Why are the freight elevators in the ] locked? --] (]) 17:51, 16 February 2010 (UTC)

Latest revision as of 00:05, 24 January 2025

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January 11

Young adult novel series called Blitzkrieg

Does anybody remember who was the author of a novel series, aimed at middle and high school students called Blitzkrieg? It was about a high school football team and I think it was or were published in the 1970s or 1980s. --Donmust90-- Donmust90 (talk) 00:49, 11 January 2025 (UTC)

The series was actually called Blitz and was written by Paul Nichols (about whom we don't seem to have an article). There are some examples here. --Viennese Waltz 07:46, 11 January 2025 (UTC)

"Paul Nichols" is the pen name of Robert Hawks (b. 1961). More about him here. He has also published under his own name, as well as young-adult horror under the pen name "M. T. Coffin" :). In any case, neither the author nor the books appear to meet Misplaced Pages's notability criteria. --Lambiam 09:42, 11 January 2025 (UTC)

January 20

Yokohama Chinatown

Detective Conan Episode 418 (14:31-14:56). Please, can you help me to find the name of the dress and the sword of that Chinese antique shop's owner, and that of the statue's face? You can see also these three files: 1, 2, 3. Thank you. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 87.17.55.190 (talk) 10:16, 20 January 2025 (UTC)

Don't post your question on more than one desk. Entertainment was the right place for it. --Viennese Waltz 09:06, 21 January 2025 (UTC)

Trump presidencies

Hello. Trump's current term is as the 47th president. The previous term, (45th), should be put together with the old respective dates in the template (2017-2021). Better not to merge the two terms together, it makes no sense, they are two different things: terms, dates and presidencies. Don't you agree? 93.150.82.178 (talk) 17:37, 20 January 2025 (UTC)

The reference desk is not the place to discuss this. Better venues may be Talk:Donald Trump or (since the issue transcends the specific person who now happens to be in office) Misplaced Pages talk:WikiProject Presidents of the United States. The problem may be due to a limitation of {{Infobox officeholder}}, the design of which does not accommodate the possibility that the incumbent is a repeat offender. For the only other repeat offender thus far, Grover Cleveland, the issue could not arise since his repeated incumbency did not overlap with the lifetime of {{Infobox officeholder}}. --Lambiam 21:39, 20 January 2025 (UTC)

If I'm reading the documentation right, you should be able to do it with that template. Use the office field for the first term and the office2 field for the second term, with term_start and term_end being the dates for the first term, and term_start2 and term_end2 being the dates for the second term. Or maybe vice versa? --Trovatore (talk) 22:13, 20 January 2025 (UTC)

These infoboxes list offices (being) held in reverse chronological order, each with a heading identifying the office in a light bluish grey banner, like 13th Head honcho of Team America , below which there is an unbannered heading Assuming office, Assumed office or In office.

The convention for nonconsecutive terms of an office held is that they are combined under one light bluish grey banner, as seen e.g. for Jerry Brown, 34th & 39th Governor of California .

The convention for current office holders is the appearance of a second banner Incumbent , immediately below the office banner but in the same style; see e.g. Gavin Newsom.

These two conventions don't combine well. --Lambiam 08:32, 22 January 2025 (UTC)

January 21

Peugeot models only available Europe or North America

Which models of Peugeot, made from 1970 to 2010, could be available only in North America if Peugeot was participating in the North American market?--Donmust90-- Donmust90 (talk) 20:45, 21 January 2025 (UTC)

I don't think they made any model specifically for the North American market. They modified some existing models to make them conform to North American rules. The range of available models was always much smaller than in Europe. Xuxl (talk) 11:50, 22 January 2025 (UTC)

You may be interested in Here’s how Peugeot tried and failed to remain relevant in America (YouTube clip). Alansplodge (talk) 11:57, 22 January 2025 (UTC)

January 23

Year in review

I just received the WP year in review summary. 100 million edits world wide seemed low to me, until I saw 4+ billion bytes figure. Still trying to wrap my mind around these statistics. Did WP publish any kind of "deep dive" into this statistical analysis: minor vs major edits, bots, logged in vs logged off, etc.? Thanks. Ditch ∝ 15:36, 23 January 2025 (UTC)

January 24

Categories: