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May 26

Programming

<Moved to Computing Desk>

Snowboarder

I remember reading a newspaper article about an Australian snowboarder called Sam Koska who died while practicing tricks on the roof of a car. Apparently, he was famous - he even participated in other countries - but I can't find any mention of him anywhere on the Internet. Anyone have a link that mentions Koska? 208.76.245.162 (talk) 01:11, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

His name was Sam Kaska, and I think his fame may have been overstated to you somewhat. Rockpocket 01:36, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

Baseball uniform

Is there an external link, reference, or wikilink that states when little league baseball used baseball uniforms? Thanks. -- RyRy5 (talk) 01:50, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

According to this link from our article, they had uniforms in their first year, 1939. Rmhermen (talk) 01:56, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

Thanks. Oh, and in the article baseball uniform, there are a several statements need referencing. Some examples are

• As official nicknames gained prominence in the early 1900s (in contrast to media-generated and unofficial nicknames of prior generations), pictorial logos began emerging as part of the team's marketing.
• the Boston Americans (an unofficial designation that merely distinguished them from their across-the-tracks rivals) adopted the Nationals' abandoned red stockings in 1908, and have been the Boston Red Sox officially ever since then.
• the stocking colors of teams in the 1860s onward were a principal device in distinguishing one team from another
• detachable spikes were designed and were seen multiple times until 1976 when they were prohibited.
• Further experimenting led to innovations such as the Houston Astros of the 1970s and 1980s putting numbers on a front pants pocket as well as on the back of the shirt.
• The team most often identified with pinstripes would be the New York Yankees. Legend has it that the stripes were adopted to make Babe Ruth look slimmer. That story is a myth, as the Yankees had already adopted pinstripes several years before acquiring Ruth.
• It became standard practice to wear white at home and gray or another somewhat dark color on the road.

Can we try to find references for them? Everyopne's help is very much appreciated. Thanks. -- RyRy5 (talk) 02:06, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

I think these are things best discussed on the article's talk page. That said, the Boston Americans deal has been discussed at Talk:Boston Red Sox#More on team nickname - "Americans" never official? and a source cited there seems to give the straight dope on the matter. For the other bits of info, one might similarly find sources in the corresponding articles. Deor (talk) 16:25, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

What type of fly is this?

i noticed these little bumps on my horses chest and underbelly. i thought maybe he had walked through some stinging needles or somethin. well a couple day later he was coverd with these little flies. they were all over especialy where the bumps were. the little flies were biteing my horse and createing scabs and makeing him bleed. they were under his belly in his arm pits, and on the inside of his legs. they were driveing him crazy. i did run him down with horser shampoo they repels flies, and put ointment on his scabs.i really want to find out what kind of flies im dealing with, so i can get rid of them better! there very small maybe like 2cm long. they almosy have the body type of an ant. they dont have big eyes.and there kinda striped with black and tan on there abdomen and leggs. what kind of flies are these? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 209.213.6.136 (talk) 02:36, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

It would probably help if you told us where (in the world and your country) you and your horse are.--Lisa4edit (talk) 03:14, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

Umm, wouldn't a local veterinarian be a better source for that kind of information than we wannabes? --hydnjo talk 03:32, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

Sounds like "Screwworm flies". Got any pixes? 65.163.115.254 (talk) 05:31, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

Sounds likely, there's our article on screw worm flies Cochliomyia_hominivorax, of maggots, these eat healthy flesh and a variety in the Old World – wiki's so good, I miss-spelled it as "screw work fly" and it still got there, Julia Rossi (talk) 06:52, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

You call 2 cm long flies "very small"?! Wher I live flies are no more than half a cm long ReluctantPhilosopher (talk) 08:56, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

I guess typos happen. I had assumed 2mm which would fit the bill. Lisa4edit (talk) 09:07, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

Which Birds are featured on the new UK Passport?

I think I've worked out: Avocet, Curlew (or is it a Whimbrel?), and Red Kite? (And a Kingfisher in the watermark). But what is the fourth one on the main pages? And is it a Hawfinch on the plastic coated page at the back? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Wondering Jon (talk • contribs) 07:28, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

The council of the European Union says it is a Merlin (and confirms the other three as Avocet, Curlew, and Kite). ---Sluzzelin talk 11:44, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

Vesna Vulović's fall duration

I posted the question on the talkpage of the Vesna Vulović article, before realising I could bring it here. Basically - how long does it take a person to fall 10,000+ meters? Lugnuts (talk) 07:54, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

Hard to say, since she was in (part of) the plane the whole time. For an unprotected human, it would be (going by terminal velocity) about three minutes, but I can't guess how much drag you get from a random hunk of blown-up aircraft. Algebraist 08:39, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

I would think that the equations for terminal velocity would be the best to apply, though I don't know what values to assign to the various parameters. If you don't get a full answer here, there may be more chance of an answer from Misplaced Pages:Reference desk/Science.--86.145.248.87 (talk) 08:37, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

About square root of (10000/4.9) seconds, disregarding air resistance, which you probably can't. Probably terminal velocity will enter the picture, as the above reply says, so it would take longer. ReluctantPhilosopher (talk) 08:44, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

A couple of sites not worthy of reference say 3 minutes but that could all be guesswork, I think someone on the Science desk would love to do the calcs on this. Checking the crash reports referenced in JAT Flight JU 367... Mhicaoidh (talk) 08:45, 26 May 2008 (UTC) ...which are hopeless, one even has the wrong height. Can't find a detailed and authoritative one. Mhicaoidh (talk) 09:09, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

Bear in mind guys she was a wreckage rider so could still have gained some aerodynamic benefit oops sorry Algebraist Mhicaoidh (talk) 08:47, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

Thanks people! Lugnuts (talk) 09:17, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

Michel Fournier is attempting to jump 40 000 metres, which will apparently take 15 minutes. Adam Bishop (talk) 12:12, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

Ummm, but it says 7 min in the article.125.21.243.66 (talk) 14:40, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

Cyclone

Why does everyone only ever complain about that cyclone hitting Burma? It's not the only country that was affected by the cyclone. Interactive Fiction Expert/Talk to me 08:09, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

Because it affected Burma vastly more than it affected other countries, and caused historic levels of damage and deaths. And I think you will find people are concerned for the Burmese, rather than complaining about the cyclone. You may like to read Cyclone Nargis. Mhicaoidh (talk) 08:21, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

Plus the military junta there makes relief efforts all the more difficult. ReluctantPhilosopher (talk) 08:49, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

searching for a video clip

The video clip was in New York, in a boat. There were also a scene of people waiting on a queue. I just remember the sentence "every time I see you, and every time I ...". I saw it on MTV (how amazing) on the late 90'. The song was also in a Lee jeans commercial.217.168.1.95 (talk) 08:27, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

Would that be Everytime by the Flames? (although I think that's not NYC in the background but Frankfurt) -- Ferkelparade π 12:05, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

Dankeschön!!! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 217.168.1.95 (talk) 12:56, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

people with problems: help or avoid?

Should we run from asshole men and psycho bitches OR should we try to help them? 217.168.1.95 (talk) 11:11, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

If we decide to label them the way you did, then perhaps we should run from them. ---Sluzzelin talk 11:37, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

Are they asking for your help? Do you like aggression? You could try throwing a help line number in their path as you scoot. Julia Rossi (talk) 00:50, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

This depends on the asshole man or psycho bitch in question, of course. Do you have an understanding of the situation, as well as of human psychology, that allows to you to even remotely accurately estimate whether they can be helped? Do you think that you can help them? Are they worth the trouble? Or are they just manipulative emotional black holes that demand ever-increasing amounts of attention without ever demonstrating any actual progress or even desire to change, let alone giving any real affection, friendship and love in return, save the bare minimum amount you require to keep coming around? Not that I'm saying that we should instantly give up on people in need of help, but in my experience, rewarding that kind of behavior with your attention or otherwise enabling them isn't doing them -- or you -- any good. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 13:38, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

Well, as for my limited experience, I wouldn't get perconally involved (as in a relationship), but I'd try to help them if their problem is, say substance abuse. If they're just assholes/control freaks/whatever, you can't really change it. People can't be changed after a certain age, that's just the way they are, can't "fix" them. Ziggy Sawdust 15:22, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

Oh, people can definitely change... As long as they want to change. Key thing. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 09:52, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

Low-pressure airports

According to Decompression sickness, airliners maintain a pressure altitude of 8000 feet or less. What do they do when going to high-altitude airports? --Serie (talk) 11:20, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

The pressure is gradually equalized during approach and landing, which his why your ears pop: the pressure is changing. Thus, the plane will land with the pressure equal inside and out.--NeoNerd 14:59, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

For safety reasons, the internal pressure aboard the aircraft should be very nearly equal to the ambient external air pressure on landing. (This minimizes stress on the airframe, and also ensures that cabin doors can be opened quickly in the event of an accident.)

Passenger aircraft have controls that allow the pilot to set the nominal landing altitude; the aircraft environmental systems will maintain an appropriate pressure. Here are some pictures and descriptions of the controls and hardware from a 737. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 19:26, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

Avril F-ing lavine

A few days ago, wiki had a vadalism on this page concerning avril lavine, for me, all that was displayed on this page was a picture of her, now, i am unable to see any picturwes on this site atall, wheather it be the globe puzzle logo, the featured article ect. I use mozzila fire box, if that info is needed, how can i revert this so that wiki is back to the way it should be? thanks Zionist —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.3.147.16 (talk) 11:56, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

Sounds like you might have blocked images from Misplaced Pages. Check Tools/options/content/load images automatically/exceptions and any adblock add-ons you have installed. Algebraist 12:00, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

Time difference between Great Britain & Cape Town, South Africa

Please advise the time difference between the above destinations. Thank you —Preceding unsigned comment added by 194.75.128.200 (talk) 13:49, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

At present, Great Britain is on Western European Summer Time (UTC+1), while Cape Town is on South African Standard Time (UTC+2), so Cape Town is one hour ahead. Algebraist 13:59, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

Damn, just beaten to the answer... Lord Foppington (talk) 14:01, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

I recommend this site for this kind of query. --Richardrj 14:06, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

I like this site for figuring world times. Useight (talk) 22:04, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

Or they make clocks, personal organisers and possibly other gadgets that can also work it out, if you happen to be away from the internet at the time.HS7 (talk) 14:57, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

Book recommendations.

Hello, I was wondering if anyone could recommend several large collections (I think I'll need four, at least) of short books (preferably under fifty pages each). They have to be non-fiction, too. Thanks in advance, · AndonicO 15:09, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

Sorry, but what exactly do you mean by "a collection of short books"? I'm a little confused. --Richardrj 15:15, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

A collection of many books, all of them short. · AndonicO 15:24, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

Yes, I understand that, but I'm having a hard time imagining what such a collection of books might consist of. But maybe I'm the only one for whom this doesn't make much sense. I'll shut up now. --Richardrj 15:30, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

No, you're not the only one. I don't really understand what AndonicO is looking for either. A personal collection? A collection published in series? Maybe it would help if you gave us more info about what you need them for. —Angr 15:47, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

I need to read over 40 non-fiction books this summer (a bet of sorts), but I don't want to slave away, so I'd rather read short books and get it over with rapidly. I figured a collection or series of books would probably be easier to find than 40+ individual ones. · AndonicO 15:59, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

Well, if you're interested in languages, a publisher called LINCOM EUROPA has a series of descriptive grammars of over 400 languages. You could pick the 40 shortest of them (most are no more than 100 pages long). They're expensive, though, so I'd check them out of the library rather than buying them. —Angr 16:07, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

The length limit is going to be trouble. Depending on your definition of "book" you could try reading collections of work. For example "Kalahari Hunter-Gatherers; Studies of the !Kung San and Their Neighbors" (edited by Richard B. Lee and Irven DeVore) is some 436 pages long, but has more than a dozen papers in it; they're not technically separate books, but they are standalone works that have been published together simply to make for an easier book list for students. Find a few collections that interest you and away you go. To be honest, non-fiction books less than 50 pages long are more likely to be geared to younger readers (not that I know how old you are...). If that's not an issue, you could probably rattle off a dozen or so in an afternoon at the local library. Matt Deres (talk) 16:38, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

Well, I was planning to go to the library to look for a particular set of books, but I guess it would be easier to look once there, as you say. Thanks, · AndonicO 17:06, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

The Bible has roughly 40 relatively short books. --Allen (talk) 18:54, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

But does it qualify as non-fiction? —Angr 18:55, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

Yes; as our article puts it, non-fiction is "an account or representation of a subject which is presented as fact". --Allen (talk) 20:49, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

Some of the Encyclopaedia Britannica's (yes, yes, boo to them) Macropædia might qualify, depending on the terms of your agreement. Our article describes it as containing roughly 700 articles between 2 and 310 pages in length. Pick out your fifty favourite midsized topics. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 19:13, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

Oxford University Press have a range called Very Short Introductions, each 100-150 small-format pages, on a variety of subjects. Easy to read, and you'll learn some good stuff along the way. Available in many libraries. See also their

Excellent, thanks. :) · AndonicO 22:27, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

Readers Digest has a line of condensed fiction books, also available second hand in thrift shops. Julia Rossi (talk) 00:57, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

Non-fiction smells of textbook to me. "Outlines", "study brief" or the likes can usually be found if you look for a particular title. Check out these, just for an example 71.236.23.111 (talk) 07:24, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

Oh, they're non-fiction. Too bad you didn't make it a fun bet, Julia Rossi (talk) 13:03, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

Non-Fiction books can be fun, too, if you choose the right ones. Maybe Andonico is approaching this from the wrong direction, maybe he shouldn't be looking for a collection of forty books (unless that is part of the bet), but for single suggestions for non-fiction books that are fun, easy to read, and that can be read in two or three days each if you put your mind to it. I bet we can come up with at least forty suggestions between all of us here :) I'll start off with Bryson's "The Mother Tongue" and "Brief history of almost everything", Diamond's "Guns, Germs and Steel" and Danto's "The transfiguration of a commonplace". -- Ferkelparade π 13:53, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

Ummm ... anything by Bill Bryson is a great read, but note that A Short History of Nearly Everything is over 500 pages long, and so may not meet AndonicO's criteria. I suspect that the title is ironic. Gandalf61 (talk) 14:22, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

I'll throw in Nature, it's pretty short, and I did once in fact own a tiny pocket-paperback that consisted solely of Nature without any other essays included. The Penguin Lives Series Series would be a collection of relatively short books that can be read in a short time (though nowhere near 50 pages). This Herald Tribune article mentions the series in connection with a recent trend of publishing short nonfiction and it lists further examples. ---Sluzzelin talk 15:19, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

Could you read large magazines instead of small books? And I'm quite sure you should be able to find old editions of them around somewhere, so you could quite easily read forty over a few weeks. And Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything is rather shorter than everything else put together, which it is a history of.HS7 (talk) 15:52, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

To celebrate their 60th anniversary in 1995, Penguin Books (a famous publisher of paperbacks in the UK) published sixty booklets with about 60 pages, that cost 60p each. They are less than A6 paper size. They include fiction and non-fiction I think. Other publishers (at least one, probably more) imitated them and sold series of similar books, for example "Phoenix 60p paperbacks", one of which I have in front of me. Disapointed not to find much about "Penguin Sixties" on the internet. I think you could buy a collection, although most were sold individually. 80.2.193.24 (talk) 23:59, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

What's Wrong With the ABC's

Good morning everyone. I had a strange curiosity last night as I sat in bed. How did our grades get the way they are today? By grades I mean A, B, C, D, and F. You know grades for school. Why isn't there an E? Because isn't it A, B, C, D, E, F. So, why did they exclude the E? Thank you for taking your time to answer my question. I appreciate it greatly. Have a positively wonderful morning.Rem Nightfall (talk) 16:43, 26 May 2008 (UTC)Rem Nightfall

Because they only wanted five categories and "F" for "Fail" was just too attractive? In any case, many school boards have abandoned the ABCDF system for either a bare number (87%), or gone in the opposite direction, with much more touchy-feely non-grades. When I was in elementary school, (20-30 years ago, in SW Ontario) it was E,G,S,N (excellent, good, satisfactory, needs improvement). Matt Deres (talk) 17:13, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

Oh, and according to our extremely long article on Grade (education), many US schools use E. Man, there's an article that needs trimming... Matt Deres (talk) 17:16, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

They used that when I was in elementary school too (same place but slightly later), up to grade 5 or so (about 1990) but then changed back to ABCDE by the time I was in grade 7. Adam Bishop (talk) 01:38, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

When I attended public school (from age 7 to 18) in the US state of Michigan, we used E for a failing grade, and not F. Thomprod (talk) 18:04, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

That could also cause confusion, since in some grading systems, E is used for Excellent. Corvus cornix_talk 20:35, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

What makes me laugh is FA, since I've known that as a "Fail" grade (professional exams with P = pass, FA= Fail A (ie almost passed), FB= fail B (way off). Gwinva (talk) 21:51, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

Thank you for the time you took to answer my question. I appreciate it. To help I would be gladly willing to edit that article.Rem Nightfall (talk) 17:32, 26 May 2008 (UTC)Rem Nightfall

At Caltech, at least when I was there, "E" was a failing grade if you didn't do anything more (it would turn into an "F" eventually), but you had the opportunity to bring it up to a "D" by doing something extra (such as turning in late work or making up a test). A grade of "I", "incomplete", was similar, except that it could potentially be brought up to any grade, not just a "D".

At York University (the one in Toronto, not the one in England) when I taught there, if I recall correctly, "E" and "F" were both failing grades, but "E" was a slightly better failing grade. Just why this was thought to be useful, I'm not entirely sure. --Trovatore (talk) 22:08, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

In cases where the actual percent grade is not given or not used, it could be used by the student to gauge how close they came to a pass. That could come in handy when it comes to fighting for extra points on something or possibly retaking the course; a near-pass might encourage them to try again, while a definite F might encourage them to try their hand at pottery. :). When I switched to HS, we used the ABCDF system, but D was also a fail (less than 60%) similar to your E. F was less than 50%. Matt Deres (talk) 13:17, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

In my experience here in the U.S. through 11th grade in high school, the grades most often used are A, B, C, D, and E with + and - signs where needed.The Reader who Writes (talk) 00:12, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

My uncle, back in the seventies, had E's for both languages and still came in the top ten in the country due to extremely high marks for maths and science. E still exists in South Africa. E is from 50% to 59%. Sandman30s (talk) 13:28, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

In the United Kingdom on GCSE and A level exams, grades A to G are passes, N is nearly a pass and U is unclassified - ie, it was too low to receive any grade at all. Laïka 13:47, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

In fact, as you'll see from the article, A Levels are graded from A to E, with F for a fail. No Gs available.

And whilst an E at A Level or a G at GCSE are technically passes, it is widely considered that only grades of C or above count as passes, whatever the examining board may decree. 80.254.147.52 (talk) 14:15, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

In Scotland, Standard Grades are graded 1-8, where 1-6 are equally split into three sections, which are represented by three separate papers (you typically sit two of these papers); a 7 indicates that you completed the course, an 8 indicates that you did not. NQ exams (the higher level ones) are graded A-D, where D is a near-fail; for the sake of bureaucracy, there is also nominally an 'E' grade which indicates very poor performance in the exam and is represented as no award for that course. Grades A-D are also covered by 'bands' 1-6, where each grade is further divided into two bands (although you generally have to make a special request to receive your band; these aren't really used except, I believe, by Oxbridge to distinguish amongst their generally high-quality applicants). Angus Lepper 16:49, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

In addition, if a report card were hand-written it would be relatively easy to bump one's grade up by adding an extra line to convert an 'F' into an 'E'. Daniel (‽) 15:23, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

orange peel box

I am interested in learning the process for making an orange peel jewelery box. I rec'd one from Brazil by someone named Regina Nunes. I can find sites where they are made in Argentina as well and were once made in Santa Barbara, California. It is an ancient art form.

What is the process ?

Thanking you a million times for your help. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Zenbakery (talk • contribs) 23:38, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

Google spat out the following: and

"Make an orange peel box. The top sliced off becomes the lid. Soak the skins for several hours in water. Squeeze the peel until thin. Place around a mould and dry in the sun for several days. Add varnish. Other variations of this include orange peel baskets, wreaths and votive candle holders. Make an orange peel bird feeder ...."Lisa4edit (talk) 21:15, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

May 27

Missing Monsters

Things like bigfoot, the skunk ape, and sasquatch, if they live in the USA, why don't the Pentagon and Congress get involved? JeanLatore (talk) 01:42, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

Why would they? Nobody has even been able to prove that they exist, so it's a moot point. Dismas| 02:51, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

Or a moo point, as Joey would say 125.21.243.66 (talk) 06:24, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

Even if they do exist, they don't seem to be causing any threat to national security. Why would the Pentagon care about some extremely rare primate?

Perhaps if they could be proved to exist the Bureau of Fish and Wildlife would be interested in protecting them as an endangered species? APL (talk) 13:02, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

Unless they all vote for Ralph Nader to secure their biotope they will cryptically but zoologically survive, as they have done for millennia on the remote Island of woMan. I believe that the US census sheets have no checkboxes for ethnicities of skunk simians, even if the current president... However, I seem to digress. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 18:18, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

Haven't you ever seen The_X-Files? The Pentagon have been involved for years! Mike 87.113.106.125 (talk) 18:32, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

Good evening sir or madam. Creatures such as Bigfoot and Chucabra(spelled wrong I think) I believe are part of town folk hoaxes. To get more tourist or something like that. At least that is what I've heard from articles and documentaries. Now I don't believe them. I watched maybe a little to much science fiction, but I believe they are real and the government is hiding them in Area 51. Just like I don't believe Area 51 is really testing new planes out like they say. I think the planes are decoy for what is underneath. Like I said don't take my word to much science fiction. Have a positively wonderful evening. I hope I have at least entertained you and helped maybe just a little. Cause life like that needs a little imagination. :) Rem Nightfall (talk) 01:21, 28 May 2008 (UTC)Rem Nightfall

last will and testaments

How do I get a copy of my great uncles last will and testament from 1967 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.3.165.17 (talk) 01:59, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

Ask a lawyer. --hydnjo talk 02:42, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

If you are in the UK your local Probate Office may be a good starting point. They do nothing but checking the validity and execution of wills. Richard Avery (talk) 16:05, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

This does not constitute legal advice: If you mean he died in 1967 (as opposed to drew up the will in 1967 and is still alive) and he was a U.S. resident, then the will is typically produced after he dies, and in states I am familiar with it is filed at that time at the county records office. Edison (talk) 23:46, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Book of stories printed on cardboard - history

I have in front of me a book entitled "ADVENTURE CALLING! Action on Land and Sea, 18 complete stories". This book was printed by the Johnston Cardboard Box Co of Auckland, New Zealand.

My query is not only do I not know what year it was printed (I am assuming sometime WWII-ish), but also I was wondering if there is any history about the company available. Having searched the net quite extensively, I can't find any cardboard box company that did any book printing during the 1940's/1950's.

Thanks for your help in advance.

Cheers

Twyla Burt (Second Hand Book Dealer in Napier, New Zealand) email address removed —Preceding unsigned comment added by 218.101.45.166 (talk) 04:57, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

I've removed the email address; it is not advisable to display your email address on these pages. Moreover, we supply answers on this page, and do not reply personally. If you wish to have email options, then you can always set up an account. Gwinva (talk) 05:13, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

Many older books were published without a date. The abbreviation n.d. (no date) was invented specifically to indicate this in citations. Unfortunately the Internet has relatively little information about defunct companies. I suggest you trawl the local history archives in Auckland library, or give them a call.--Shantavira| 08:35, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

I second that, the Auckland Research Centre at the Central Library is very good, they may have info on the publications of the company, they certainly have business directories from the period that would show address, period of operation and perhaps more info on the company or its advertisements Mhicaoidh (talk) 09:34, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

Passenger Car Tyres

I want to know the height of the threads of a brand new passenger car tyre —Preceding unsigned comment added by 118.92.119.178 (talk) 06:46, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

I think what you might be looking for is a "tread depth gauge". Like this one, for example . If you don't want to go to the trouble of buying a gadget, you can also DIY a makeshift gauge. If you are talking of the actual thickness of the rubber tread, asking the tire manufacturer would be your best bet. --71.236.23.111 (talk) 07:33, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

Different cars have different 'profile' tyres, which will also alter the amount of tread they have. The depth of the tread will vary from tyre model to tyre model but according to this site usually new tyres are around 9mm in depth, while the minimum level for road-use is 1.6mm (in the UK) http://www.tyres-online.co.uk/techinfo/tread_depth.asp 194.221.133.226 (talk) 10:10, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

Since you're asking about brand new tires, it should be easy to get the answer. The initial tread depth is a standard tire specification. It should be listed on the manufacturer's web site (wherever they keep the detailed specs), or on a good retailer's web site (like Tire Rack). Here in the U.S., tread depth is usually quoted in units of 1/32 of an inch. (And 1.6mm, as cited by the IP above, is 2/32 inch, exactly the legal limit in many U.S. states.) -- Coneslayer (talk) 12:30, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

Question

What's the name of that fuzzy/baggy feeling that your leg gets if you sit at a computer for too long? Interactive Fiction Expert/Talk to me 08:03, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

Pins and needles, I call it, although that link is a redirect to the proper medical term. --Richardrj 08:39, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

Paresthesia or "heavy legs" or "circulation to the leg cut-off". When describing the situation to someone else, one might say "My leg fell asleep." --71.236.23.111 (talk) 08:51, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

Formication maybe? Or the feeling of insects crawling on the skin. WTucker (talk) 17:50, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

>The cat? 200.127.59.151 (talk) 22:35, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

That explains the "pins and needles" effect very nicely. Reinforced feline service request! --71.236.23.111 (talk) 23:43, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

An environmental studies related question

Why were the nilgiris in South India selected by the government to be the first National Bioreserve? 220.224.98.54 (Talk)

The article The Nilgiris District gives a few reasons as to why they would have chosen the area, particularly in terms of its flora and fauna. Fribbler (talk) 20:04, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

Hold water

Could the hypothesis that the Count of St. Germain, Napoleon, and hitler are all the same person. Furthermore, has anyone written such a book, or any book, fact or fiction, that proposes that various people in history were in fact the same person? Thanks 82.3.147.16 (talk) 16:58, 27 May 2008 (UTC)Zionist

I suppose that reincarnation would let you advance that thesis, though you shouldn't expect to be taken at all seriously. As for the book, throwing in "fact or fiction" made me chuckle. There's a knuckleheaded book about nearly anything you care to imagine, and this is probably no different. — Lomn 17:59, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

Yes but Lomm, if you read count of Saint Germain or wandering Jew you will see why i wish to make this conection without reincarnation —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.3.147.16 (talk) 18:09, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

You're right, I should have read more carefully. Napoleon and the Count lived concurrently, so it's definitely a load of hogwash. — Lomn 21:13, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

The death of Napoleon is pretty well attested, and his body still around. It's hard to come up with a plausible scenario that allowed him to be also Hitler, even if old-age wasn't an issue. DJ Clayworth (talk) 20:10, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

Hitler falls quite a bit short of Napoleon's military genius. Plus if former had been the reincarnation of the latter, you'd think he'd remember his prior venture into Russia. Clarityfiend (talk) 20:50, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

Chevrolet Blazer auto repair

I have an '94 S10 Chevy Blazer 4 wheel drive and I need to replace the speedometer cable. I cannot find where the cable attaches to the transmission. Can you help?68.22.255.4 (talk) 17:19, 27 May 2008 (UTC)Ray

My suggestion would be to get a factory service manual. They cover everything as far as maintenance is concerned. They run about $100+. If you don't feel like spending that much, I'd try either a Haynes or Chiltons manual which you can pick up at most any auto parts store for about $10. They may even be available at your local library, depending on the size of the library of course... Dismas| 18:01, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

Naive question: has this vehicle definitely got a speedometer cable? 1994 is already into the period where mechanically-driven speedometers were becoming passe; my 1991 Audi 200 TQ already had an electronically-driven speedometer. One clue that the drive isn't mechanical is that the speedometer (and odometer) will still give you a valid reading when you are driving in reverse gear.

Atlant (talk) 18:05, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

This link which describes how to change the clutch on a '97 S10 mentions removing the cable. So it's probable that the '94 has one as well. Dismas| 18:43, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

Blind the Facts

Good day gents and ladies. I have a curious thought itching at my toes. Its about blindness. I've read the article blindness first to see if my curiosity would be cured, but it wasn't. Why do those who suffer from blindness have their eyes closed? Do all of those who suffer from blindness have their eyes closed? Thank you for taking your time to answer my question. I greatly appreciate it. I hope you have wonderfully joyful and positive day.Rem Nightfall (talk) 21:04, 27 May 2008 (UTC)Rem Nightfall

Nope. A blind friend of mine keeps his open for social purposes, but says that the natural tendency goes toward closed. There are some that have lost the ability in the course of what caused their blindness, though. --Lisa4edit (talk) 21:23, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

Thank you. I would like to ask, why is that the natural tendency toward close?Rem Nightfall (talk) 22:06, 27 May 2008 (UTC)Rem Nightfall

I'd assume it's simply because keeping the eye open requires muscle tension to pull the eyelid up. If you let the levator palpebrae superioris muscle relax (and if you're completely blind, there's little to remind you not to), the eyelid falls down. —Ilmari Karonen (talk) 00:56, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

• Blind persons tend to close their eyelids.
• Popes tend to have their fly zipped up.
• The reason is identical: They can´t deploy the organ for its natural purpose.
• The difference seems to be that popes don´t wear trousers, but as this was not part of the question, it qualifies as a bonus morsel from the collected wisdom of the reference desk. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 23:32, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

I'm not following your answer Cookatoo. I understand it, but with the bits of pope jokes I'm not following it very well. Is there a better way of answering the question without pope jokes? Even so why does it happen?Rem Nightfall (talk) 00:39, 28 May 2008 (UTC)Rem Nightfall

If an organ, for whatever reason, is dysfunctional it - and the associated cerebral infrastructure - atrophies. The brain does not service millions of neurons which are dormant. This applies, inter alia, to the organs of reproduction after menopause.

My papal simile was simply a hyperbolic tool. I apologise for any irritation it may have caused.

May the night not fall on you, Rem. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 01:10, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

A closed eye is less likely to get dry and itch. —Tamfang (talk) 07:18, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Thank you for the clearing that up. Now I understand some more. It didn't cause me any irritation I mind you. I was merely confused. You'll find that I am a good natured person it takes me a very long time to get me irritated. And my name is like a person name. :) Though I enjoy May the night not fall on you. Rem is the first name and Nightfall is the last name. Its my pen name when I write my comics, of course comics are for hobby =D Rem Nightfall (talk) 01:16, 28 May 2008 (UTC)Rem Nightfall

bamboo

I was given a bamboo plant for mothers day and I would like to replant it in a different pot how do I do this. what potting soil do I use or someone told me just rock and water. help! wizardsmom —Preceding unsigned comment added by Wizardsmom (talk • contribs) 21:33, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

Here is a short little article on growing bamboo indoors. . hope this helps --Nick910 (talk) 21:51, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

Did you get real bamboo or lucky bamboo? If you got lucky bamboo, then water and marbles in a vase/jar would be the way to go. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 02:30, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

Wood Burning Vehicle

Is there a vehicle or ever been a vehicle that uses wood as fuel besides steam engines? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.119.61.7 (talk) 22:25, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

Steam cars & steamboats (assuming that by steam engines, you mean steam railway locomotives). And they normally use coal, presumably because its energy density exceeds that of wood. --Tagishsimon (talk) 22:27, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

This article is about a Serbian man who converted his Yugo to run on the gas produced from partial combustion of wood. Fribbler (talk) 22:42, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

We also have an article on wood gas generators. —Ilmari Karonen (talk) 01:08, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

Loans

When one takes out a loan online, you usually have to select an option from a "purpose" form. If one receives the loan and later decides to use it for a different purpose, is this illegal? Do banks follow up on such things? (I took one out for a car, but I realised I'd rather spend the money on doing up the house...) 86.137.57.37 (talk) 22:58, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

You should check then terms of the loan. Whether criminal or not, the lender could perhaps have cause for a civil suit. --Nricardo (talk) 00:17, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

Agreed. It is not a question of legal/illegal in a criminal sense, it is a question of whether you are honouring the terms of the contract between you and the lender. You should check the terms and conditions of the loan and, if in any doubt, ask the lender. The purpose of the loan is often a factor in determining how much a lender will lend to you and at what rate. An application for an unsercured loan is more likely to be successful if you intend to use the money to purchase a specific transferrable asset. This is because if you default, it is easier for the lender to repossses your new car than to repossess your Caribbean cruise. Using the loan for different purpose than the one you declared without letting the lender know could be construed as withholding material information. Even if you have good reasons for changing your mind, this could still lead to the lender increasing your interest rate or withdrawing the loan completely if it came to light. Gandalf61 (talk) 15:16, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

Original research: when I recently completed paperwork for a loan, said paperwork included signing a statement acknowledging that the FBI investigates and prosecutes mortgage fraud. I would not consider it safe to assume that what you've suggested is not a criminal matter. Rather, consult with a mortgage professional and ask. Learning whether or not such behavior is grounds for trouble is certainly not prohibited behavior. — Lomn 19:36, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

May 28

I don't understand this

I'm Muslim and I read this Misplaced Pages article about halal. It says that "It is estimated that 70% of Muslims worldwide follow Halal standards". This is confusing me because I know that I have to keep halal. I don't understand it. Should I believe it. What should I choose to follow? Note: I'm not asking for legal advice and please don't tell me this is legal advice. Thank you. Jet (talk) 03:58, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

"Should I believe it?" isn't really applicable to halal; that's not a matter of faith. As for your obligations as a Muslim, perhaps you should talk with people at your local mosque. As for legal advice, your user page suggests you're in the US, where the First Amendment guarantees that this is not a legal issue. Secularly speaking, observing halal standards is entirely a matter of personal preference. — Lomn 04:29, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

Do you mean should you believe it from a religious/ethical standpoint or do you mean, "is it credible?" Theshibboleth (talk) 05:42, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

As with all religions there are people who practice at varying degrees and levels of discipline. The question is a matter of personal choice as Lomn says. The article refers to the fact that Halal is something that is practiced by a large percentage of the muslim population. That doesn't mean you have to (or don't have to) follow halal, it means that across the many variants of your religion there are sects that follow halal and those that don't. It's down to an individual to decide whether or not they believe it is fundamental to being a muslim. 194.221.133.226 (talk) 08:00, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

There may not be any entire sects that don't follow halal; it may just be that 30% of people who identify as Muslims are not actually religious enough to follow halal. I remember a friend of mine from Indonesia telling me about his very secular father who decided one year to fast for Ramadan – then told the family's cook to make him pork chops after the sun went down. —Angr 17:29, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

college gpa

How important is your college GPA? Does it have major effect on getting jobs later in life or is it usually sufficient to have graduated from a good school? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.114.222.188 (talk) 06:30, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

I've never known any employer to ask anyone what their GPA was. Nor have I even heard of it happening... Dismas| 06:56, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

Well, it definitely has some effect on admission to grad school, and that in turn has an effect on employment later. But supposedly your letters are more important even for that. Free advice, offered as is with no warranty: Don't blow off grades, they do matter somewhat, but also don't duck hard but rewarding classes just to try to be valedictorian, and focus more on understanding the material than on memorizing stuff that might get you an extra two points on the next test. All of which may be out the window if you're trying to get into a first-professional-degree program like med school or law school -- I have a generally low opinion of those programs, but if that's the way you want to go then I guess you have to jump through their hoops, whatever they are, which I wouldn't really know. --Trovatore (talk) 07:39, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

When I hire people fresh from college I do look at their GPA, but that's only part of the picture. It can be a smudge on the record or a gleam of sparkle or it can indicate an upward or downward trend. (And yes, it does contribute to the decision where in the payscale you end up :-$) Later on it's only interesting if it indicates some general good/bad work habits. --71.236.23.111 (talk) 08:49, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

What employers mainly look for is: experience, experience, experience. Not your GPA; not whether you went to a fancy college; certainly not whether you were president of the Glee Club in high school. They want to know what you've done and how good of an employee you were. It's amusing how I see so many young people freaking out over things like whether they're going to make National Honors Society in high school or whether they're going to get into a particular college. The wealthiest person I've ever met -- one of the wealthiest in the world -- is a dropout from an unpretentious public university. Another super-wealthy person I met has nothing but a bachelor's degree from Kent State University, which was, when I was in school, considered bottom of the barrel by snobby kids in the Cleveland suburbs. I admit that graduating magna cum laude from Harvard gives you a good start, but it's really all about how you perform on the job. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 21:40, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

Water bottle design

This may very well be one of the most pointless questions this Ref desk has seen but here it goes anyway... I have a water bottle, basically a Nalgene bottle but not made by the Nalgene company, which holds about a liter. The bottle is just under 4" in diameter and the mouth of the bottle is just under 2" in dia. The part that I don't understand and I've not been able to figure any reasonable explanation for is the fact that there is a small lip on the interior of the bottle that won't allow all the liquid to flow out. You can turn the bottle upside down and this lip around the interior edge of the mouth of the bottle will keep the last little bit, about two tablespoons, from pouring out. Why would someone design a bottle like this? What's the point? Dismas| 06:53, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

Without seeing the bottle to understand whether it might perform a useful duty I would assume that the design-flaw is a result of either the manufacturing process or stability/rigidity. The difficulty with designing a product is as much in making a machine-manufacturable/mass-producable design as it is in making something that is fit for purpose. I understand the grooves you see in plastic milk-bottles (you know the ones that seem pointless) are to do with increasing the rigidity of the plastic, and you can often spot the seam/place where machinery picks-up/holds products during the manufacturing process on low-cost items as the cost of overcoming the issue v aesthetic improvement is probably not worthwhile. Anyhoo if you could find an image of it someone might be able to offer a more reasoned explanation, but my gut reaction would be that it is due to manufacturing or structural reasons. 194.221.133.226 (talk) 07:54, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

I think it is supposed to hold last bits of drink, thus making you buy it more. 89.236.214.174 (talk) 08:19, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

Hardly realistic though is it? You buy a 500ml bottle and get 498ml, the 2ml it holds back is not going to make you purchase another bottle. It's not like say a marmalade where getting the last bit out will make it last another week and so slow re-buying, it's a full-use in one-sitting item. 194.221.133.226 (talk) 10:26, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

If it's one with a screw top then the inner lip will help seal the lid . If you turn over the lid you'll probably find a ridge inside about 2mm or so from where the top meets the side. If you look at your bottle the bulge on top (including the inner lip) will snugly fit into that space. In short the lip will help keep your drink in the bottle when the lid is on and you turn it upside down. Otherwise I'd go with 194. we'd have to see it. 71.236.23.111 (talk) 08:41, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

I'm about to leave work so I'll get pics when I get home. I'd just like to note right now though, the bottle is reusable. I didn't buy it with anything in it. I refill it at home with juice for my breaktime at work. Dismas| 10:54, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

Sorry for the delay. This should work for pics... . You can see the lip on the interior of the bottle in the second pic. It's a smooth lip. Dismas| 21:35, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

Do you not have manual focus? Nice ceiling, shame about the bottle detail :(. --Tagishsimon (talk) 21:38, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

I think Dismas entered the wrong URL, try this one. It's still out of focus but I can make out a 2 inch diameter cylinder internal to the bottle. I guess it is a half inch lip, such that the liquid retained would be a cylinder of liquid 4 inches in diameter and half inch depth (minus the 2 inch cylinder that woul pour out). -84user (talk) 21:51, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

Yeah, sorry about the focus. It's a simple point and shoot that I won in a raffle. So, what's the point of the lip? Dismas| 21:58, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

No idea about the lip, except that it indeed looks like just plain stupid design. Maybe they expect you to use a straw or something? As for the photos, looks like the bottle was closer than the camera's minimum focus distance. Does it have a macro mode? (Look for a flower symbol or something like that.) If not, you'll just have to make sure not to put your camera too close to the thing you're photographing. —Ilmari Karonen (talk) 22:33, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

(outdent) Here are some better pics. I went out on my porch for some natural light and used the macro function. Also found a wasp nest that I didn't know about... anyway... Pics: and . In the second pic, you can see a drop forming on the inner lip. Dismas| 22:42, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

OK, nobody's suggested this yet, so here goes...

Suppose you put something in the bottle that's not 100% liquid, like coffee with grounds, cocoa from mix that hasn't all dissolved and reappears at the bottom of your cup, or even an old red wine with a few lingering bits of grapeskin. You don't really want to pour the solids into your drinking utensil, you need a form of decanting, which said lip provides exactly, yes?

-- Danh, 63.231.153.176 (talk) 23:40, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

It looks as if the neck and the body of the bottle have been formed in separate pieces, which makes sense since they're different kinds of plastic (black vs. transparent; no idea if there's any other difference). Probably they didn't have a way of reliably attaching the body to the very base of the neck piece, so they had to leave part of the neck inside the bottle, forming the lip. It almost looks as if the neck might be two pieces screwed together. If you took the top off, grabbed the neck and twisted, they might come apart. (Just don't twist so hard you'll break it.) —Ilmari Karonen (talk) 01:35, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Isn't it not Ironic?

In Alanis Morissette's song "Ironic", she sings about things that do not appear to actually be irony at all, like a 98 year old man dying the day after he wins the lottery. Thats not ironic, its just bad luck. Irony is the use of words expressing something other than their literal intention. Has anyone told her this? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Copy of a copy cat (talk • contribs) 08:50, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

Have a look at Ironic (song)#Linguistic usage disputes Think outside the box 09:09, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

And Ed Byrne SGGH 09:55, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

Off topic, but your definition of irony is exactly the same as the one Bender sings in The Devil's Hands Are Idle Playthings :) Think outside the box 11:09, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

Killing and getting rids of fleas from your home- from cats and dogs.

Please help me. I have tried flea flogger, exterminator, and oil of eucalyptus. I ma a kidney diayysis patients and I need to find a cure to get rid of fleas. Please help. Send help to -email removed-. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.19.252.25 (talk) 10:52, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

See if you can find Neem oil or order online. Put the oil in a spray bottle and apply. You can also get the pressed out kernels/seeds (sorry I don't know which it actually is. They're like the press cake only they're not stuck together.) Sprinkle those on carpet and along baseboards and in places outside where your pets pick up fleas. The smell takes some getting used to!! You can cover it up some with lavender or mint but it is strong. Some also say that dusting with baking soda works, but I have no data to confirm that. Comb your pets with a flea comb every day in a tub and flush the fleas. Good luck. --71.236.23.111 (talk) 15:47, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

We had a cat which suffered badly from Flea Allergy Dermatitis, and needed to eradicate fleas effectively from both cats and our home to prevent her being ill. Our vet recommended treating both cats monthly with an insecticide containing Fipronil (we used Frontline Spot On Cat, but I believe other brands are commercially available). It works by disrupting the fleas' central nervous system, poisoning them whenever they bite the cat and preventing them from reproducing before they die. The reproductive cycle is broken and over time the infestation dies out. There can be side-effects for a small number of animals, but we observed none ourselves and the cats remain healthy and flea-free with no residual population in the house that we have noticed. With the other treatments suggested by 71.236 above to attack the existing flea population, this may be effective for you. The Fipronil is administered in drop form on the back of the cat's neck once a month. Because Misplaced Pages cannot give medical advice you should check with your doctor as to whether Fipronil use on your own pets is appropriate in view of your medical circumstances, and whether you would need to take any special precautions around the animals immediately after treatment. -- Karenjc 19:05, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

Eskimo

There is a legend that tells that some eskimos get rid off their old-aged parents sending them to the seas on a piece of ice. I think it's just a myth, but is it? 89.236.214.174 (talk) 12:22, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

From the article Inuit : "A pervasive European myth about Inuit is that they killed elderly and unproductive people." This is not generally true. In a culture with an oral history, elders are the keepers of communal knowledge, effectively the community library, and there are cultural taboos against sacrificing elders because they are of extreme value as the repository of knowledge. Fribbler (talk) 12:29, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

The people still exist and they do not commit senilicide now. There are certainly legends that, in times when the Inuit did not have the resources of the rich South and modern governments to call on, that adults did let elders die, or that elders chose to die in order to free the group of the burden of caring for them. (Cf the British polar expedition in 1912: Captain Lawrence Oates committed suicide, saying, "I'm going outside, and I may be some time" and walked into a snowstorm; his leader said after his death that it was the act of a brave man and a gentleman.)

The idea of the noble savage in relation to the abandonment of elders is discussed here:

Text from Aging and Ethics: Philosophical Problems in Gerontology By Nancy Ann Silbergeld Jecker

The ice-floe legend you refer to may have come from here:

"There is no evidence to support claims that they were sent to sea on an ice-float, and this seems unlikely, as it would be logistically difficult—imagine trying to pull an existent ice-float in to shore, or to create a new icefloat by cracking it away from the ice on the seaside…without accidentally cracking off the wrong section. This popular conception probably originated with the popular work of literary fiction, Top of the World (1950), or the 1959 film adaptation, The Savage Innocents."

Inuit did have a tradition of executing an individual who threatened the safety of the community: Harsh Justice

BrainyBabe (talk) 17:10, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

As a boy I read a book by Peter Freuchen which as I recall described elderly Inuits going out to freeze when they were no longer useful. Not sure which of his books it was. Edison (talk) 19:41, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Watch Type

On this page, there is a photo (4th row down, 2nd across) of a gentleman wearing a watch that looks like a bracelet. What is this watch called? Who makes it? I cannot find it on eBay. Any help would be most appreciated. --Endless Dan 13:21, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

List of Stubs for category tree

I want to get a list of the stubs for all categories under 'Biology' (and also Bacteriology and Physics) for he purposes of using these lists to evaluate a list extracted from an ebook. This is for evaluating some rsearch I am doing for my PhD in computational linguistics. trying to access the category pages directly from a program doesn't work as it is not a browser. Downloading the Biology pages is not what I need, just the list of stubs. —Preceding unsigned comment added by DDLing (talk • contribs) 13:49, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

Start here: . I /think/ this is the best list of stubs page. You might also have a word with the people who run the stub sorting project, since they're most likely to know where other stubs might be found. --Tagishsimon (talk) 14:11, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

Endonym map?

A previous question referring to exonyms and endonyms piqued my curiosity: Does anyone know of a map or atlas published entirely with endonyms? It may not be very practical to speakers of a single language, but it would be interesting to see. Thank you. — Michael J 14:05, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

Maps of Switzerland often give the name in the regional language(s). German Zürich (not Zurich, Zurigo, or Turitg), French Genève (not Genf, Ginevra, or Genevra), Italian Ticino (not Tessin) etc. In bilingual towns or regions, both varieties are given (e.g: "Biel/Bienne", "Ilanz/Glion" etc.) I'm assuming the same applies to some other countries with multiple official languages (Belgium, Canada, South Africa, ...). I can't remember whether I've ever seen an entire world map printed in this style though. ---Sluzzelin talk 14:37, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

Google Earth (mine, anyway) shows city endonyms with the english term in brackets (and un-ticking "alternate place names" even gets rid of the english names). Doesn't show country names at all though. Fribbler (talk) 14:48, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

European road atlases are very often published entirely with endonyms, including untransliterated Greek and Cyrillic. Atlases that also show parts of the Mideast and North Africa, though, generally do transliterate Hebrew and Arabic. —Angr 15:06, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

I'm sorry I can't give you a name or store to try, but I can at least tell you that maps of the kind you want do exist. I had a wall poster at university that showed all of Europe and some of North Africa and the Near East, all in local endonyms. It was not very detailed, though. Matt Deres (talk) 16:34, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

I have an atlas that does a fairly good job of this, showing place names in both regular English form and various local forms, with a system of transliteration or transcription for non-latin alphabets. Unfortuantely out of print, it is Rand McNally's "Illustrated Atlas of the World", 1992, revised 1994, ISBN 0-528-83492-4. For example the map of the Baltic Region shows several names for the Baltic Sea, each located near the country in which that name is used, including Östersjön/Itämeri/Baltijskoje More, Balti Meri, Baltijas Jura, Baltijos Jura, and Morze Baltyckie (I'm not sure how to type a couple of the diacritics used -- a horizontal line over a u and a slash through an l). Egypt is shown as Misr (with a diacritic squiggle under the s), the Persian Gulf as Khalij-e Fars / Al-Khalij al-'Arabi (with several diacritics in there). The Sea of Japan is "Japonskoje More / Tong-hae / Nippon-kai". And so on. I haven't seen another atlas that does this. It's too bad this one is out of print because it is pretty nifty. Pfly (talk) 21:52, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

Thanks, all. Perhaps I will attempt to construct a moderate scale world map entirely with endonyms. I may even place it as an image on the exonym and endonym article. — Michael J 17:47, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Which boss wrote a compassionate email immeidately after 9/11?

I post this here becasue I can't see that Wikiquotes has a ref desk. A beautifully worded email circulated in the days after 9/11. I think it was written by a high-up corporate type (a woman in publishing, maybe?) to all the company's employees. The email said, there are more important things than your job. If you need to skip some meetings to spend time with people you love, go ahead. Does this ring a bell with anyone? Who was she and what has happened to her? Is the text available? I know it's not much to go on. Thanks BrainyBabe (talk) 16:36, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

Alot of these are well-meaning hoaxes/mis-attributions. Take a look over at snopes.com. They critique a lot of well circulated emails, especially of this variety. Fribbler (talk) 16:40, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

Just because many are false does not mean that the one I seek is not true. The page mentioned above does not seem to provide any information about my query. Can anyone help? BrainyBabe (talk) 14:02, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

I do not know if this helps, but in the barrage of television programming that immediately followed the collapse of the twin towers, one person I saw interviewed was the CEO of some kind of big-time firm whose offices were IN the twin towers. The company had a two-name title (you know, like Smith Barney or Berkshire Hathaway or something like that; I know this doesn't help much). It was one of those firms people more into money than me are well aware of. Anyway, this guy said he told his surviving employees to stay home, hug their families, be with their kids. Through his sobs, he said they almost all said they had to be there, to come to work and DO stuff. It was much more touching than I expected it to be. Anyway, I'm quite sure it was on ABC's Nightline, or at least on during the time period if Nightline was one of the shows that suspended broadcast. My guess is that it was the night of September 11 or September 12, so perhaps that will give you somewhere to start if this is ringing any bells. Good luck. Mitchell k dwyer (talk) 22:46, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

The person that Mitchell refers to is Howard Lutnick, head of Cantor Fitzgerald. The interview he gave was on ABC with Connie Chung. I couldn't find anything about him writing an e-mail, though. — jwillbur 08:05, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

Is a penny saved a penny lost?

I've noticed that my school cafeteria has an interesting sort of informal change policy: if you don't have the correct change to pay for something whose price ends in one or two cents, they round down the price to the nearest five or ten cents. (On one occasion, they even rounded a $1:20 item down to one dollar, when I didn't have any change.) However, I've never been shorted any change at the cafeteria. I have two questions about this:

-Firstly, is it at all illegal? -Secondly, is it possible for a business to lose a substantial amount of money by rounding down prices now and then? 207.233.87.236 (talk) 17:33, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

No it is not illegal. Yes, it is possible to lose money, but it is as likely that a) there's enough headroom in the pricing to cope with it and b) it may pay back by encouraging those with 0.7% less than the purchase price to buy anyway. Assuming profit on the item is greater than 0.7%, then profit is still made. --Tagishsimon (talk) 17:46, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

And depending on the purchase volume per day it amounts to very little, potentially as much as is miscounted/lost anyway. I used to work retail and at the end of the day you counted up your box and compared it with your receipts, and you were usually off a bit, anything in the range of a few dollars or so was normal. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 18:56, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

You only get such prices if you adopt the usual policy in the USA of displaying prices without the sales tax added on ... so $1.99 + 7% tax = $2.13 and the checkout operator might round down to $2.10 or even $2.00. In Europe (and most other countries?), sales tax is already included in the price displayed ... so €1.99 already includes the tax, and there's no potential to round down at the checkout. Astronaut (talk) 22:33, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

I don't know about "most other countries", but in Canada it's never done that way, and in some provinces it's actually against consumer protection laws. I suspect that's because some shady characters double-dipped on the tax by advertising the post-tax price, then adding tax at the till again and pocketing the difference. Tax can also vary depending on who's buying - tourists, status Indians living on reserves, and other government agencies don't always pay sales tax. --NellieBly (talk) 03:20, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Whereas in most European, Australia and NZ, advertising the GST/VAT exclusive price is likely to be against consumer protection laws, unless it's made abundantly clear. Also, in countries without 1 cents or even 5 cent coins, stores don't always round down. In NZ for example they used to round 1, 2 cents down; 3, 4 cents up when they had 5 cents. (This is often called Swedish rounding). Now without 5 cents, they round 1-4 down, 5-9 up. This isn't in law thought, it simply recommended (enforced?) by the retailers federation, a store is free to round however they want e.g. always round down, always round up, although they have to make it clear what method they use particularly I suspect if it differs from the norm (if they always round down I presume it doesn't matter). Of course, since the vast majority of transactions are probably not cash, no rounding usually occurs. (And yes, most items are still advertised as .99, .49 etc) Nil Einne (talk) 15:27, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Canada, as in many things, follows the US policy on this. DJ Clayworth (talk) 14:43, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

In Wisconsin, a merchant may either state prices with or without the sales taxes. If prices as stated include the tax (vending machines, for example), that fact must be clearly advertised (presumably to avoid the kind of double-dipping NellieBly references). --Orange Mike | Talk 16:48, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

If they want they can sell with a €1 price tag for 2 cents or €1,000, the price is just an invitation to bargain, so you can even haggle the price down (Though don't cos other people in the shop will think you're a moron and the people who run it might get annoyed and bar you).--Serviam (talk) 23:09, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

gasoline in diesel engine

what happens when you run gasoline in a diesel engine? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Evant1129 (talk • contribs) 18:21, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mdieselvsgas.html --Tagishsimon (talk) 18:28, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

Also, this, this and this might help. Anonymous101 (talk) 18:29, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

FIRE. 71.74.178.225 (talk) 03:11, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

parapsychological contact

Moved here from WP:New contributors' help page

Please fill in the subject box above, then replace this text with your question, and don't forget to sign by leaving the following four tildes (~'s) in place which automatically formats to your signature once you click "save page" below. 216.174.242.140 (talk) 17:35, 28 May 2008 (UTC) name jerry l capps recently i was contacted by several mediums and several psychics around the world all the big names as in biggest such as anthony carr lee moorehead etc my question is this i have been told by one ri--research in brooklyn that there is a thing called beyonders and i have the ability to heal people by touch how real is this my name is jerry l capps thank you am baffled at such things

(Removed personal contact info) Hi Jerry: we answer questions here rather than individually by email or other means, and contact details should not be added to Misplaced Pages for reasons of personal security. -- Karenjc 17:47, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

I've done some Googling on the specifics of your question. "The Beyonders" refers, among other things, to the nickname of an amateur nonprofit paranormal investigation group based in Michigan; a couple of bands; and a fictional race of beings in the Marvel Comics universe. I cannot find anything linking the phrase to supernatural healing abilities, although I may not have looked hard enough. As for the existence of psychic healing abilities and the effectiveness or otherwise of such methods, this is a matter of opinion: see our article on Faith healing for discussion and further references. You do not state whether the people who have contacted you are asking for anything, and Misplaced Pages does not give legal advice, but before entering into any important legal or financial commitment it would be sensible to consult a professional advisor. -- Karenjc 18:12, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

book

Who is the author of Goldielocks and the three bears —Preceding unsigned comment added by 217.171.129.69 (talk) 20:35, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

According to The Three Bears, it was composed by Robert Southey. Zain Ebrahim (talk) 20:40, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

Or, rather, first published as a Southey composition, but possibly based on older tellings ... and I'm with Byron on Southey: You, Bob! are rather insolent, you know, / At being disappointed in your wish / To supersede all warblers here below, / And be the only Blackbird in the dish. I'm sure Bob didn't claim it as his own, and neither should we. --Tagishsimon (talk) 22:30, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

"The earliest recorded version of the tale was found quite recently in 1951 in a collection of early children's books in the Toronto Public Library. The story was published in a homemade book titled, The Story of The Three Bears metrically related, with illustrations locating it at Cecil Lodge in September 1831. Apparently an aunt, Eleanor Mure, had written the story in verse and illustrated it for her nephew from the story she already knew through oral tradition. Mure's version of the tale featured an old woman who intrudes into the bears' home, sampling their food and other amenities (Opie 1974, 199-200)." BrainyBabe (talk) 14:07, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

T-shirt

Hello, I'm a 24 year old guy in the U.S. Do you think I could get away with wearing this shirt without getting laughter or weird looks? The one I have is size XL (14/16) so it fits me fine. 76.8.208.24 (talk) 20:45, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

Depends where you wear it. To a Pokemon convention, no problem. I wouldn't recommend wearing it to a wedding, funeral, or job interview though. —Angr 21:13, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

There's a bloke in my neighborhood (or was, I haven't seen him a year or two) with batwings tattooed around his eyes, and that's just the start ... I saw him once in the Kwik-E-Mart wearing Pikachu slippers. You never know about people! —Tamfang (talk) 07:34, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Unless it's a job interview for Nintendo or The Pokémon Company perhaps. And if it's your funeral, feel free to specify that you want to be buried in a Pokemon shirt in your will. And if it'd your wedding and your spouse agrees Nil Einne (talk) 15:18, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Haven't you asked this almost exact same question before? The answer then, as well as now, is sure, you could wear it, and it would look just as silly as some of the other silly t-shirts people wear. I don't think most people would notice or care very much about what you wear, in most cases, special situations (such as those mentioned above) as the exception. In any case, to some degree the deliberate embrace of kitsch can be considered "hip", though you have to realize it is kitsch before that can be the case. If you're doing it earnestly, that's never hip. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 21:25, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

Yes, it was asked before. Dismas| 21:31, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

This reminds me of the time I bought a T-shirt with a picture of George W. Bush with the text "International Terrorist" from an online store. I did it because I had heard of some American guy that had got expelled from school solely for wearing such a T-shirt, so I felt I just had to get one for myself. When I wore it to the World Bodypainting Festival 2007, no less than three people asked me to pose for a photograph for them. JIP | Talk 21:39, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

Ball-thingies on shoes

Do those nice-looking ornamental ball-thingies found on women's high-heeled shoes at the top edge of the shoe have a name? JIP | Talk 21:16, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

?pom pom like ], , or would you have an image as to what you mean.--71.236.23.111 (talk) 22:48, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

Bots

I would like to know, how do you make your wikipedia bots that can clean up vandalism and the like? I would like to do this on a wiki I am currently a member of and would appreciate it if you told me ow. Any help is grealy appreciated :) --Seablue254 (talk) 22:51, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

I'm no expert on computer programming, so I wouldn't know how to program one from scratch. ClueBot is one of the best anti-vandal bots on Misplaced Pages, and it is open source. One should simply be able to copy the source and run it on any wiki. For future reference, questions about how Misplaced Pages works should go on the Help desk, not the reference desk. I hope this helps. Paragon12321 (talk) 01:55, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Have a look at the Misplaced Pages:Bot policy page. Note that all bots must be approved before use. - Akamad (talk) 10:05, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

We have a page on creating a bot. --Milkbreath (talk) 10:23, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Darn. Way for me to miss the obvious. Sorry guys! Thanks for your help! --Seablue254 (talk) 19:24, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

May 29

Paypal and payoneer

I want to transfer money from my paypal account to payoneer What can I do? 217.168.0.4 (talk) 03:41, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Yahoo answers had a go at a similar question. Fribbler (talk) 14:34, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Homeroom

What are the chances of there being only one female homeroom teacher in a year level at a particular school? What are the chances of there being no female homeroom teachers in a year level at that school? Interactive Fiction Expert/Talk to me 06:24, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

One could do a statistical analysis based on the number of teachers and the observation that (approximately) half of the human race is female, and use something like a binomial distribution table at p=0.5 . But this would be correct only as an exercise in statistical methods - it makes the fundamental assumption that the probability of being a teacher and the probability of being female are independent, and I don't think this is a reliable assumption. You'd need real-world data (from surveys etc) on the proportion of male and female teachers - at that particular year level, since in the UK at least it seems that teachers of younger children are more likely to be female. Getting that data would be the hardest part of the task; once you have it you can use tables or whatever to find the probability of a particular number as you asked. I'll let someone else explain that bit (binomial or an appropriate approximation for larger numbers) as my A level stats course was a very long time ago :-) 81.187.153.189 (talk) 07:41, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

There's a huge number of extra variables here which would affect the probability. For example my high school had only one female homeroom teacher in the entire school (around forty teachers). My grade school had only one male teacher. DJ Clayworth (talk) 14:38, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Try an all boys school or a quran school to get better odds.--71.236.23.111 (talk) 19:26, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

I was going to ask what on earth the question meant, but found that we have a homeroom article which tells me. --ColinFine (talk) 21:55, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Career

Is it possible to become a computer software engineer before becoming an animator? Aanusha Ghosh (talk) 08:13, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Simple answer: Of course. It's not like one prevents the other from happening? It's easier to move through branches/major careers if you can find some 'link' or something that helps you transfer the knowledge/experience you gain in the former into the latter (or at least at the interview stage give the impression that your unrelated prior career is beneficial to the role). 194.221.133.226 (talk) 08:28, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Fleshing this out a bit more, there's no meaningful similarity between a software engineer and an animator (even a computer-using animator) at all. One would similarly ask if it's possible to become an airline pilot before becoming a doctor. — Lomn 13:01, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

However it is possible to be a software engineer working on computer animation; that isn't the same thing as an animator of course. DJ Clayworth (talk) 14:36, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Or an animator drawing a software engineer. — Lomn 17:14, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

One problem you'd be facing is that unless you do some of your studying part-time while holding a job, it will take you an awful long time to reach the job market studying two unrelated subjects sequentially. You can get fewer credits for your existing degree applicable to a major that has little in common. That means you can't shave that much time off the time required to get a second degree. Employers look for job experience. It will take more effort to find, but there are always some jobs that overlap in several areas. For those a degree in one of those areas is usually sufficient. "Sliding" into a new profession not generally associated with ones original degree isn't that uncommon. As career path planning I'd not recommend aiming for it, though. --76.111.32.200 (talk) 06:06, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Burn

what is the minimum temp. for combustion to take place? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 193.115.175.247 (talk) 11:08, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

See Combustion and look at the "Temperature" section. -- SGBailey (talk) 11:27, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Some chemicals, like white phosphorus, start to burn in air a fairly low temperatures, 35 Celsius . Edison (talk) 19:37, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Pyrophoric chemicals burn at or below room temperature. -- 128.104.112.147 (talk) 16:11, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Flash point, fire point, and autoignition temperature may be of interest. --Carnildo (talk) 21:04, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Small plant, suitable for an office environment

Hi all,

My department at work is marking World Environment Day next week by running a Secret Santa-style draw in which we each buy each other a plant to go on our desks. This will be to the value of £3 to £5 (GBP). I'd appreciate some advice/recommendations on suitable and interesting plants which are likely to be easy to find in an ordinary garden centre in the UK, and which are appropriate for an office environment – so, at a guess, small, slow-growing, hardy and not needing too much water or other care.

Thanks! Hassocks5489 (tickets please!) 11:35, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Do you guys have cactuses readily available in the UK?--droptone (talk) 12:19, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

With max respect cacti are the most boring plants in the world to have on your desk. They need large amounts of sunshine to ensure flowering and confining one to a desk would come close to plant cruelty.You need to think about plants that will flourish in shady places. Ferns, peace lily and the like. Any plant will be fine for a few weeks so you need to select with at least the medium future in mind. Have a look here for a wide selection of indoor and office plants (makes it sound as though some offices are outside).Richard Avery (talk) 12:34, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Love Palms grow well in this enviroment. Also, I used to have a rosemary plant on my desk, and a Mint plant, that way I could eat parts of if when I got bored. They all three lasted a year or so each. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 193.115.175.247 (talk) 12:44, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

If you want to grow more exotic plants, have a look at this USB Greenhouse Think outside the box 14:34, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Cacti, rosemary, mint are not good because they need a lot of light to do well. Most ferns need more humidity than the office environment provides. I have no idea what a "love palm" is. Plants that will do well in the typical office environment (low light, low humidity, mid temperatures) include Spathiphyllum (Peace Lily), Syngonium (Arrowhead Plant), Sansevieria (Mother-in-law's Tongue), Dracaena , Chlorophytum (Spider Plant), and Philodendron . Some of these will grow large with time (depending on the specific varieties), but they are all plants that will grow and be healthy--not just hang on until they die!. Simply buy small specimens of any of these plants--all are readily available in nurseries and plant shops. They are all plants that I have grown successfully in my own home for many years.--Eriastrum (talk) 17:19, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

That's great – thanks to everybody for their suggestions! Hassocks5489 (tickets please!) 18:08, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Tillandsia can be arranged in interesting ways, because you can just stick them on to a rock or something. Go visit them with a spray-bottle occasionally and they're happy. Even I have failed to kill a Yucca (Not for lack of trying :-o) They come back after a lot of neglect. 71.236.23.111 (talk) 19:46, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Carnivorous plants? They do need some care with what they are watered with but my Venus Flytrap gave me amusement for some time until a cat decided to bite back.hotclaws 09:21, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Tillandsia needs a lot of bright light and fairly high humidity; it will last quite a while, but it is slowly dying. Yucca is also very tough and will last a long time, but it needs very bright light to grow. All the carnivorous plants I know of are very tricky to grow, needing high humidity and just the right amount of water and light. Although they are frequently sold as novelties, they are very poor choices as house plants. Ask yourself, do I want a plant that will simply survive for a while? Or do I want a plant that will grow and be happy (if plants can be said to be "happy"!)?--Eriastrum (talk) 20:33, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

child custody laws

My great niece has been told by her Mother who is not her primary custodian, that she MUST come to stay with her for 2 mos this summer or she will have her Father thrown in jail. The child is 17 1/2 & gainfully employed & does not want to go stay with her Mom & stepfather (who hates her) & little sister who is spoiled. Can the Mom throw the Dad in jail if the 17 yr old girl refuses to go spend the entire summer out of state? Also, the Mom is behind on child support...does this factor in in any way? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.183.39.118 (talk) 12:54, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

If there's cause for the father to be jailed already (assuming that the police aren't yet aware of it), then the mother can opt to turn him in independent of the niece thing. Beyond that, though, this falls afoul of our "no legal advice" policy. These questions can be reliably answered only by a lawyer. — Lomn 12:59, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

The other thing I guess would be if the father has repeatedly violated or helped his daughter violate a custody arrangement then it may be a jailable offence if he does so one more time (which may be the case if the daughter does not stay with the mother during the summer). Your niece may want to seek the help of a lawyer to look into some sort of emancipation or at least to change the current custody arrangement Nil Einne (talk) 15:13, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Why does this always happen?

Does the toast really always fall buttered-side down? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 123.239.42.255 (talk) 13:15, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Essentially it's because of the height people have tables. If you drop it from 2m or so, it should land butterside up. -mattbuck (Talk) 13:18, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Have a look at Think outside the box 14:32, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

A science programme on British TV ran this expirement a couple of years ago. They found no evidence to support the claim. Their results showed random up and down results, the same as flipping a coin. (Don't people have better things to do?)86.200.130.105 (talk) 14:52, 29 May 2008 (UTC)petitmichel

Just blame it on Murphy. Or perhaps consider how memorable it is when the toast lands right-side-up; probably you'd just pick it up and go about your day without much thought. When bad things happen though, it seems our minds tend to flip into "Grr! Why, and how do I fix it?" mode. But that's just my take. --Prestidigitator (talk) 15:18, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

I question the premise of this question on the grounds that it is not a usual occurrence for toast to be free falling often enough for this to be a notable phenomenon. Moreover, it is even rarer for buttered toast to be falling, accepting for the time being that some toasters may expel the toasted bread from the cooking instrument at a sufficient force for it to become airborne. Therefor, I can only assume you are intentionally dropping the toast, once buttered, to prove this point - which in itself seems somewhat paradoxical. Plasticbounceman (talk) 15:39, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Anyone else thinking of Sheldon? Think outside the box 15:46, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

No, it doesn't. I've dropped buttered toast and it landed butter-side up. Vranak (talk) 19:20, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

@Plasticbounceman: Rather than being due to a faulty toaster (which don't usually take buttered toast}, the phenomenon is usually more due to the fact that someone has to do the dishes, load the dishwasher or owns only 2 plates (both of which still have yesterday's leftover pizza on it). So you butter the toast in your hand and as you reach the edge it usually flips and leaves your hand holding it. (Also contributing the momentum getting what used to be the top you were spreading stuff on to become the bottom that messes up the floor.) Quite a few people who eat toast engage in OR during their student years. 71.236.23.111 (talk) 20:05, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

This question made me think of the Buttered cat paradox. 152.16.16.75 (talk) 09:40, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Not sure if Mythbusters declared it a myth or just inconclusive, but any buttered toast I've dropped (or cracker, for that matter) has landed butter down, with one exception only. My guess is the butter weights one side against the other as it falls from a reasonable (elbow) height, or the space allows for only one flip with no real thrust for a second turn. Julia Rossi (talk) 08:00, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

This is, of course, associated with the five-second rule, where most people think that toast which has been dropped on the floor is still edible if it's picked up within five seconds! -- Arwel (talk) 23:45, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Help with psych questions

I don't understand the wording of a couple of questions my psych teacher gave us and I'm not sure how to answer them. Here they are:

1) Describe the most common methods of studying perception and provide examples of each, including preferential looking, orienting response, habituation and dishabituation.

What am I supposed provide examples of? Perception or studying perception? Do I have to describe each of the perception terms or just the methods of studying them? Are there certain names for these methods or do I just describe how you can dangle a new toy in front of a baby and it will look at that instead of an old toy? Is "x is often tested by doing y" good enough to answer each of them?

2) Briefly describe the relationship between motor, perceptual, cognitive and social development.

Do I describe how they are all related or how each one is related to another? eg. "A, B, C, and D are all connected because they are all F" or "A is related to B because... C is related to D because..."? And how brief?

I know the material but I need to know how to answer these questions properly so she doesn't keep giving me half-marks and not explaining why! Please help. --124.254.77.148 (talk) 13:31, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

The answer is in the questions if you read carefully. DESCRIBE (give a detailed account of) the MOST COMMON methods (perhaps the five most used methods to STUDY perception (describe how perception is studied). She asks for examples of those you choose but insists that your choice must include the four she has specified. Briefly (concisely) describe how the four she gives are related (make or show a connection between). I am very sad that she won't explain. First and prime role of a teacher is to help students to learn. Best of luck.86.200.130.105 (talk) 14:50, 29 May 2008 (UTC)petitmichel

In order to show your teacher that you really try to get it right and are willing to put in the effort you could put in both versions, each heading with a sentences like you did here: Interpreting the question relate to overall relationship between A,B, and C. ... If we interpret the question to mean relationship between individual items .... That way you can be sure to get full marks or at least more sympathy from the teacher next time you ask an "I don't get this .." question. Going from experience such student questions are usually phrased in a way that take a lot of effort to figure out exactly what the problem is. Make your teacher feel it's worth giving you a little extra help. Saying something like "I seem to miss full marks because I fail to understand your questions. Could you help me with a method to figure out what the question is." Gets a heck of a better effect than "(I'm a dumbo)- I don't understand the questions." You could also swap something for a bit of help from the class star (there's always one). Feed him/her the occasional free pizza or game cheat or something in exchange for telling them what you think the question means and how to answer it. (The less time and effort the process takes the cheaper it'll come you.) Do forensics on past projects and see if you can figure out where you misunderstood and how you could have read it better. Good luck 71.236.23.111 (talk) 21:05, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Was there an assigned text or assigned readings for your course? I have done a fair amount of reading in psychology of perception, and this particular set of buzzwords seems to coexist only in texts from the last several years. A Google scholar search particularly points to shows particularly Emese Nagy and Peter Molnar's "Homo imitans or homo provocans? Human imprinting model of neonatal imitation" in Infant Behavior and Development, Volume 27, Issue 1, February 2004, Pages 54-63, which you can find in most college libraries. If they have a good literature review, that could help you in creating a scholarly answer to the question. "Preferential looking" seems to be the most recent buzzword or experimental paradigm. It is fascinating. I have long known that neonates will often imitate gestures, such as sticking out one's tongue. These researchers have apparently made an experimental paradigm of such play. The infants will also provoke gestures from the adults, and the researchers have physiological measures related to imitation or provocation. Edison (talk) 03:11, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

BFE

"Bumfuck, Egypt" is sometimes used to mean "the middle of nowhere", some remote human habitation. I would have sworn that there actually is a town in Egypt of that or a similar name, but I can't find it. Is it there, and, if not, why Egypt? --Milkbreath (talk) 14:34, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

I've heard it said before that there was a place called "Bamfouk" in Egypt. There isn't. I guess it was chosen as Egypt, to Americans, is a faraway place of which they know little. Fribbler (talk) 14:50, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

P.S. here's a discussion on the topic. Fribbler (talk) 14:53, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

See Placeholder_name#Places. BrainyBabe (talk) 14:13, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

lost fish -- I need a more plausible story!

I am in really big trouble and none of its my fault. I very kindly offered to look after my girlfriends fish whilst she went on holiday to Teneriffe with some of her friends from work, one of who is getting married soon to frankly a very boring bloke from Sales called Darren. We don't live together despite having been in a relationship for the past five and half years. To be honest the crux of our lack of commitment to a long term relationship, marriage and kids is due to her obsessive need to love her goldfish named Kenny after the late DJ and comedian Kenny Everett. When she's had a couple of pints of Merlot she insists on recounting the tale of how she won Kenny at a fair on the Downs just after the erstwhile entertainer passed away in 1995. Her deep held belief is that Kenny the Goldfish is the reincarnated soul of Mr Everett. Sadly after only two days of looking after every whim of the ageing fish he decided to move on to having a bit of a laugh with me after I had smoked a scoobie or two. Lying with barely a movement at the top of his tank - I thought he was a gonner. I thought perhaps the kiss of life would save the fish but the slippery little sod wriggled out of my hands when I got him out of the tank - and to cut a long story short exited the seventh floor flat via the window. Please send me some help as to a more plausible story of how the fish dissapeared - as I will be accused of murder and dumped and I love her and don't want to lose her. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Copy of a copy cat (talk • contribs) 15:59, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Buy a new one, she will never know, and if she does and you get dumped, then a woman that loves her fish more than you is not the woman for you any way. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 193.115.175.247 (talk) 16:20, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

The problem, as I see it, is that you lost the dead fish. The fish dying on you, that's not a problem, that could happen to anyone. But dropping it out the window, well, that's the slapstick aspect you need to get away from. The answer, as I see it, is to produce a new dead fish, not a new live one, and to treat it in a matter of respect, rather than dropping it out the window. Getting a new live fish will invite a variety of potential problems based around a BIG lie, whereas getting a new dead fish is a much SMALLER lie, as you are only covering up the aspect of your story that is totally unacceptable and also, coincidentally, quite improbable. She might think something is, err, fishy, but she'll never suspect you got high and dropped him out of the window, because that's just absurd. Additionally, she will never believe the story as you tell it: she will think you killed the fish by dropping it out of the window. She will never believe that it was dead first and you took it out to perform CPR on it. So you can't go with the actual truth, as she will never believe it to be the truth anyway. So you might as well be a liar in a way that makes her feel better about this ridiculous situation. So, I advise...:

Buy a new one of similar size. Take it out of the tank and let it die. (Sad, I guess, but I don't consider goldfish to be very high on the chain of being.) Then put it in some sort of ornate box. When she gets back, explain that the fish died on your watch, and that you didn't want it to get all nasty and bloated and whatever in the water, so you put it in a suitable burial device. Then you two can go bury it in a matter she would find fitting. She'll think it is sweet, in the end, and she won't be able to tell one dried fish from another (they all look pretty similar in that state). --Captain Ref Desk (talk) 17:24, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Let me get this straight, you are not satisfied with your own lie so you want someone to invent a lie for you. It's a f***ing fish for Christ's sake. Get over it, tell the truth and sleep in peace for evermore (maybe alone, but you're young!). 1 lie is the first step to a slippery slope. If a dead fish is all that stands between you and an ex-girlfriend you'll be well rid (and I don't mean the fish). Richard Avery (talk) 17:40, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

It's not about whether she likes the fish more than him. If she thinks he killed her fish in a crazy fashion it's about whether he's reliable, whether he's trustworthy, whether he's careful to understand what she appreciates. Think of it this way: if your spouse purposefully killed your pet, and you were upset by this, would it be because you loved the pet more than the spouse, or because what the killing of the pet symbolized? --Captain Ref Desk (talk) 19:05, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

You got a phone number, telegram address, telegraph wire? Just give her a ring and tell her the fish died due to old age and would it be o.k. if you gave it a decent burial. Find a nice spot in a park or friend's (her?) back yard dedicated to piscine memory. (See if you can find a picture of Kenny to mark the spot or look around at "odds and ends" places for a little ceramic deco fish.) If she's going to be back tomorrow you may have to produce a dead fish for her to be present at the ceremony. Also buying a replacement would show you care for her feelings. --71.236.23.111 (talk) 18:16, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

It's not about it being a "fish". It's about him being trusted with something. And in the end, it will be about him lying, whether he lies or not. Maybe it will work if he claims he flushed it, but it sounds like she is emotionally attached to it and will want more closure than that. If you don't lie, you'll still be thought to be lying: she'll just think the fish was not already dead when you tried to do CPR on it and threw it out the window. To believe that you really thought you could bring a dead fish back to life and then accidentally dropped it out the window would be to assume you are a total moron—it'll be easier, I bet, for her just to assume you are lying and you killed her fish. --Captain Ref Desk (talk) 19:05, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Good day sir. Many people have given you good advice for lying. I do not particularly care for lies. Just tell her what happened. Maybe not the high part. That you got high. You could leave that out of the story. But tell her what happened. And if she dumps then she wasn't in love with you enough. A fish is a fish you can always get another. A relationship between two beings is a wonderful thing and if she loves that fish more then you she was never the right one. I prefer if you told her what happened instead of telling her a lie. Because that lie may hurt you in the end. I hope I have helped. I hope that what I have said may or may not reflect anything. I just appreciate if you took my words into consideration. Have a good day.Rem Nightfall (talk) 19:09, 29 May 2008 (UTC)Rem Nightfall

Did you try looking for the dead fish beneath the window? It would help if you managed to produce the actual dead fish. (Maybe refrigerate or freeze it if she will be gone for a while.) It would show that you at least cared enough for her feelings to go look for the body. (Even if her feelings for the fish don't make much sense.) Marco polo (talk) 19:29, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Please, never offer to babysit someone's children. Edison (talk) 19:30, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

You need a plausible story? Yeah, you do. Because frankly, the one you're telling here is pretty much completely ridiculous. The doobie notwithstanding, you thought the goldfish could have been saved with the kiss of life? What, were you going to take a mouthful of water, spray it at the fish's face and hope for the best? But -- oh no! -- the fish, whom your girlfriend, who drinks pints of Merlot, believes to be the reincarnation of Kenny Everett, escaped out of the window, and now she'll kill you? It's a funny story, but frankly, I have a lot of trouble believing it, unless you live in a sitcom. If you do, by all means, come up with some kind of a crazy and convoluted explanation or buy a new fish in the hopes of fooling her. Then you can enjoy the laugh track when she comes home and wonders out loud why Kenny's fins seem to have moved or how weird it is that Kenny is still alive, even though she forgot to mention that he's been ill and the vet didn't think he'd make it through the next few days. Or, alternatively, in the unlikely event that this really happened to you, you could just trust your girlfriend to realize that a 13-year-old goldfish wasn't going to live forever anyway, and that you really didn't mean to hurt it. (If she can't take that, it's okay, because I hear next week her mother's popping over for a visit, and unfortunately your girlfriend has been telling her that you're a chef, so she's going to expect a gourmet meal. So if you break up now, at least you won't have to ask a real chef to cook for her while you run in and out of the kitchen in a chef's hat and pretend to be the guy doing the cooking, prompting yet more laugh track action. Trust me, you're getting off easy here.) -- Captain Disdain (talk) 20:45, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

I think the discussions of whether the girlfriend's affections for the fish are absurd or not are off base. The fish was a favorite pet. Who cares if it is fish or a dog or a pet rock. The point is, she's going to be distraught when it is dead, especially if the death has circumstances that make it look like he killed the fish through negligence or accident. It doesn't have to be a fish; it could be a favorite piece of pottery. If he destroyed the cherished thing by being a fool, as appears to be the case, she's got every right to question whether he's a good mate, whether he is being truthful, etc. It has nothing to do with liking the fish more than the fellow. If a girlfriend of mine destroyed my laptop in a ridiculous manner, I would be plenty mad, not because I liked the laptop more than the girl. The problem as I see it, as I've said, is that the truthful story, assuming it is true (unlike Captain Disdain), is that it is totally unbelievable, so she's going to think he's lying anyway. So if you're going to be thought a liar by telling the truth, you might as well tell a smaller lie that will make everybody happier, as I see it. Maybe there's an intrinsic value to telling the truth but in that case it'll never be appreciated, so tell a more plausible lie, one that conveniently overlooks the fact that you desecrated the dead fish, but has all of the other aspects intact. Don't try to pass of a new, live fish, you've no idea whether she'll be able to tell or not. Get a new dead fish. Then just write the story around it. --Captain Ref Desk (talk) 23:39, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Seems to me that this has got well into debate status and I refer my learned friends to the guidelines. Richard Avery (talk) 07:15, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Say the fish died so you buried/flushed it. If you want to make your frankly bonkers girlfriend feel a little better, get her a replacement pet (rabbit, dog, hamster, or whatever - something you like) and say the fish was reincarnated as this new pet and that's why you've named it "Kenny". Just a note of caution though: she might not believe you, dump you and you'll be stuck with the rabbit, dog, hamster, or whatever for the rest of it's life - and remember a pet's "not just for Christmas". Astronaut (talk) 17:44, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Annals of Improbable Research, Ignoble awards

Hi

I would dearly like to see an entry for the word "cogno-intellectual". It is a fictitious word invented by the above people hoping it would spread and has, being treated seriously by others.

Regards

Martinmrt (talk) 16:06, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

See Misplaced Pages:Avoid neologisms --Tagishsimon (talk) 16:09, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Arse Numbing Seats

Is it just me or are the seats on buses becoming more and more like torture especially if you are on the bloody bus for a long time. I have noticed this over the last couple of weeks and this morning I got on the bus sat down and by the time I arrived at my destination it felt like I had been fucked up the arse. These bloody bus companies need to get those seats sorted out and put in some really nice soft comfortable seats.Legoastheelf (Talk | contribs)

Felt like you got fucked up the arse huh?, how do you know, have you been fucked up the arse? <193.115.175.247 (Talk)>

I wouldn't be surprised to learn it is done purposefully in an attempt to keep homeless individuals from hanging out on the buses, though that is just a guess. Buses and fast food places both seem to do that, though in the latter case it may be aimed at all customers. Probably saves having to pay for something that's been ergonomically designed as well. In other words, I personally wouldn't hold my breath, nor waste it complaining to deaf ears. --Prestidigitator (talk) 17:17, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

We can't tell if it's "just you" without knowing which bus system you use, but here are three possible reasons why you may find bus seats less comfortable than you used to. (1) Due to budget problems, the bus company is buying cheaper seats. (2) Due to vandalism problems, the bus company is ordering seats that are harder for vandals to damage, or cheaper to repair. And (3) you are heavier than you used to be, and the seat doesn't have the necessary amount of padding for your present weight. --Anonymous, 00:01 UTC, May 30, 2008.

Good evening sir or madam. I understand what you mean. Actually I see a lot of dirty bus seats as well. Bus seats are hard and not very comfortable. It might be because if vandalism. Not sure why they aren't cleaned at least.I think some people notice because they might not live a rock bottom life. Now I'm not saying you may or may not live a rock bottom life, but I am sure its hard to live rock bottom. I can only imagine. Only buying at convenient stores and just trying to survive with the minimal wage. I'm sure anyone who lives a life like that doesn't care if the bus seats are hard or not.They don't care if the seats are dirty. Just as long as they have a means of getting home and getting were they need to. Now, I'm not just trying say poor people use the bus and buses are for poor people. No that isn't what I am saying. I am saying I notice most people on the bus don't have the life and the luxury we have. The kinda of life to complain about gas on cars, the kind of life to complain about hard seats on the bus. Now complaining isn't bad either. And I'm sorry I dragged this a little to long, but I'm trying to make a point. Or some of point. I hope I have helped. I hope I haven't said anything to offend anyone. I hope that my answers has helped. Have a wonderfully positively wonderful evening.Rem Nightfall (talk) 01:08, 30 May 2008 (UTC)Rem Nightfall

Rem, there's generally no need to apologise for a lengthy paragraph. Brevity is not necessarily a virtue. If you think what you're just about to post is long-winded, then you have the option of rethinking and shortening your text before you post it, thus obviating the need for any apology - rather than compounding the problem by taking even more words to apologise for what you believe is already too long. That's from your frame of reference. However, if you do apologise for taking too long, your apology is somewhat undermined in the eyes of the readers if you then go on for 6 more sentences, particularly if they're unnecessary sentences. We operate on the assume good faith principle here, so that takes care of most problems of perceived offence. -- JackofOz (talk) 23:53, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Thinner seats on buses: harder to slash, take up less space; hard seats in cafes: moves customers through more quickly, saves the waiter asking if you want more coffee. Is there a trend towards profanity happening here on the desks? Julia Rossi (talk) 01:00, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Pollution

Does holding a handkerchief over your nose actually help reduce the amount of toxic fumes you inhale on the streets?? Aanusha Ghosh (talk) 16:43, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

To an extent. A handkerchief can help filter particulate matter above a certain size, though many fumes and such will still pass through. — Lomn 17:10, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

If you wet the hanky you can also catch a few of the chemicals that would otherwise react with the water of your Mucous membranes. For instance they could form acids that will then eat into tissue. Much better to have acid eat your handkerchief instead. The effect is going to be short lived and not highly effective, though. --71.236.23.111 (talk) 17:42, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Will dampening handkerchief with water make any difference? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.129.237.147 (talk) 03:23, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Yes. It will prevent you from breathing.--Shantavira| 07:50, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Visual style of Dorling Kindersley books

Is there a good term for the visual style used in most Dorling Kindersley books? Specifically, I'm looking for a way to describe how the photographed objects are always contrasted against plain white backgrounds. Is there a specific term for that technique? See here, for example. Thanks! Zagalejo^^^ 17:37, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

In graphic design, the "cutting out" of part of an image to remove the background, and show only the object of interest, is called silhouetting. Is that what you're referring to? Deor (talk) 18:55, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

I've worked with a number of designers, some of them at Dorling Kindersley, or DK, and they generally call it "DK style". I don't think that this is a recognized term, just a reference to a well-known style that is emblematic of that publisher. Marco polo (talk) 19:19, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

In the UK silhouetting is a related but opposing process (ie. it hides the selected material rather than hiding the background), the DK books are using masking. I'm surprised that wiki doesn't have articles on these, but maybe this is UK terminology. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 87.113.106.125 (talk) 22:36, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Yeah, "masking" seems to be the word I was looking for. Thanks, everyone! Zagalejo^^^ 23:43, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Questions, questions

• Why do people find it hard to accept that other people will shoot at Bigfoot, UFOs, aliens, even at ghosts (Seen one matter on Discovery Channel's A Haunting in which someone used a .45 on a ghost)? I've read the articles on each, even the "talk" pages. I've been with people who will actually shoot at strange things.
• Can a "IP's Corner" be set up (Other than the Sandbox, which is filthy by the way), so that IPs can create articles ? 65.173.105.197 (talk) 20:53, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

I have seen a "Monster Quest" matter in which someone had tried to shoot at a Bigfoot, and I do NOT mean with a camera. The guy allegedly caught a Bigfoot in a dumpster and shot at it with what looked like a .45 ACP. IF that was some idiot in a costume, he/she would be DEAD. 65.173.105.197 (talk) 20:57, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

As for Q2, someone else asked about why IPs cannot create articles. 65.173.105.197 (talk) 21:00, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Question 2 may be partially addressed by WP:RA. Angus Lepper 22:23, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

The best fix for question two is to create an account. However, if you have something you really need to get written down in Misplaced Pages format temporarily, you do have your talk page. Not really a solution, but a workaround. Useight (talk) 22:49, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

If you want to create articles, create an account. It's as simple as that. It's not a very onerous requirement. It will be less effort, in the end, to just create an account than it will be to whine about how you'd like to create articles. --Captain Ref Desk (talk) 23:41, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Hand to Balls Ratio - Contact Juggling

I'm starting up on contact juggling and was wondering if there was a good ratio from hand size to ball size, I have small hands. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.191.102.55 (talk) 20:57, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

And I have small balls. Let's meet!, —Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.41.139.85 (talk) 23:12, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Please ignore the immature users, I would say a good ball size would be one that you can fit two of the balls in your hand at the same time comfortably, as you need to in juggling.  Atyndall93 | talk  00:55, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Your response, while not immature, leads me to believe that you misunderstand what contact juggling is. It's not normally done, at least starting out, with more than one ball. The most popular example of contact juggling would be from the movie Labyrinth where David Bowie's character juggles a crystal ball. But back to the original question... You want a ball that is heavy enough that it won't fly off your hand while doing the juggling, especially when flipping from the palm/fingers to the back of your hand/fingers. The ball that I have is a bit bigger than a baseball but not as large as a softball. I have, from what I've been told, long fingers and I find this very comfortable for contact juggling. I think this size should work well for you, though I've never known any other contact jugglers in person so this is just a original research guess of mine. In my opinion, you want a ball that is not too large but also not too small. Also, it will be easier to learn with a larger ball and then get smaller with experience. Dismas| 01:13, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Well, if you want to do palmspinning, you'll need to be able to fit three balls in your palm, and still be able to move them in a circle (if only clumsily at first). I'd say get the biggest balls you can, given that constraint. --Allen (talk) 06:05, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

GWB parting shot.

Given that the American people seem bent on "change" (because they can) at the forthcoming Presidential election, which presumably means change from a Republican leadership to a Democrat(ic) one; and further given the rumour-mongering that GWB is planning a last-minute (of his own Presidency) attack on Iran so as to win favour with the Saudi Arabian government and so obtain vast puddles of lower cost oil in return, would it be likely that his proposal to carry out such an attack (which he also supposes would win support and a decisive victory for John McCain) would win a vote of support in Congress, given the apparent war-weariness of the American people? A lot of givens I know, but as a UK observer, t'would be nice to have your views. Thanks. 92.0.97.156 (talk) 21:15, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

It seems extremely unlikely that the current US Congress would support a new war with Iran unless the provocation was direct (I think people have tired of the doctrine of "preemptive strike", given how the Iraq threat proved to be fairly nonexistent). Even the Republicans in Congress are now saying that it was a bad idea to get into the war; the military would certainly not support it, as they know exactly how stretched thin they are and how taken for granted they are. All in all it would be a pretty hard sell. Americans are also not too fond of "October Surprises" of that sort, and given that GWB is by far the least-liked President in living memory, I doubt people would be terribly sold on something just because he started it or urged it. But again, this is speculation. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 23:27, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

What would he attack with, considering the U.S. army is stretched to the limit in Iraq and Afghanistan? Clarityfiend (talk) 03:46, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

The Air Force and the Navy are pretty rested. Aren't there still two carrier groups in the Gulf, just sitting there hoping Iran will attack them? Corvus cornix_talk 19:07, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

The Air Force and the Navy can't win a war. They can reduce Iran to rubble, but without troops on the ground, you can't hold territory or force Iran to do anything. --Carnildo (talk) 22:01, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Feel This

Good evening gents and ladies. I was intrigued by a curious thought. What is the worse pain? Emotional pain or physical pain? Thank you for taking your time to answer this question I appreciate it. Have a positively wonderful evening. I hope this question is fine to ask.Rem Nightfall (talk) 23:29, 29 May 2008 (UTC)Rem Nightfall

How about: whichever one you are experiencing at that very moment? --Captain Ref Desk (talk) 23:42, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

It might differ by person. Some individuals would endure torture to the point of death to avoid the emotional pain of betraying their fellows , their God, or their country. Others would find the emotional pain to be more bearable than the physical pain in the same situation. Edison (talk) 23:52, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Boredom. Mind-numbing eternal boredom.--droptone (talk) 00:39, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Droptone: Sometimes. Captain Ref yes, in some cases that is true. But other times that isn't true. Or at least the right kinda of question. There are times when you feel emotional and physical pain at the same time. Then what happens. Which one overcome the other? Which pain reaches you? Which pain will be felt for a long long long time? Even if its just a slap across the cheek, a twisted ankle, and you are being verbally abuse at the same time. Which overcomes the other? And I'm talking about the brain aspect not necessarily what someone is feeling at that moment. I'm sorry this question really does seem inappropriate for the ref desk. At least to me. I'm sorry if it does seem that way to anyone else as well.Rem Nightfall (talk) 01:11, 30 May 2008 (UTC)Rem Nightfall

Hi Rem. There is an article on physical pain which deals with some of the biological reactions. There is also some stuff on suffering (emotional pain) which has a short section on neurological aspects.

It would require a neurologist to answer you question. It may not even be possible to compare subjective mental processes, as individuals seem to react differently to the entire spectrum of sensations. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 07:48, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

4.0 on the Schmidt Sting Pain Index: "Pure, intense, brilliant pain. Like fire-walking over flaming charcoal with a 3-inch rusty nail in your heel." Cluster headaches and trigeminal neuralgia are also contenders for "worst pain", apparently. --Sean 14:05, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Different Youtube players?

Why does Youtube seem to have two different players? One had play/pause and restart, while the other one was rounder and only had play/pause. But it looks like they've updated the viewer's looks today. 24.6.46.92 (talk) 23:45, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

They've got a new player that was in beta until recently (i.e. in the last few days). Perhaps you somehow caught it in transition? Angus Lepper 16:15, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

I hope they fixed it. Every time I backed up a page using the pre-install beta version, it crashed my browser. Corvus cornix_talk 19:08, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Even before the transition, I could see 2 different kinds. 24.6.46.92 (talk) 22:21, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

YouTube partner videos (i.e., those where the account holder gets a split of the advertising income for the page) got the beta version earlier than others. In fact, partner accounts still appear to be using this beta version, which is slightly more rounded and has different icons: compare the official YouTube version of this video (a partner video) to the unofficial, non-partner version. Laïka 11:56, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

U.S. Oil Industry

Would there be any benefit to the U.S. if we nationalized the Oil Industry. Would there be negitive or positive effects on the industry, or no difference at all? Hypothetically, do you think this would lower oil prices? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.76.145.177 (talk) 23:55, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

Would never happen. The U.S. is the capitalist nation, and would not nationalize any industries. --Nricardo (talk) 03:39, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

I never asked if it would happen....I asked would there be a benefit. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.76.145.177 (talk) 03:45, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

I don't see too many positive effects that could come out of it. Oil is on is way out; the US would waste lots of money on something that simply won't make a profit 5-10 years from now. Paragon12321 (talk) 03:57, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

I would epxect that it would have negative effects on the industry. The industry is already hugely political, with constant influence/pressure from the political world, making the industry nationalised would, in my eyes, only make it more likely that oil be used a political tool. That could range from things as cynical as reducing the cost of oil in the lead up to election (although reducing tax on fuel in this manner is currently popular in some countries) or could be using oil-exports as a carrot (or stick) for other countries. I expect it would have an effect on the global market for oil too. The 'benefit' could be that you could argue you would be able to increase fuel-supply security, it would increase tax-revenue (it's a profitable industry any profit made by government ran business is effectively a tax), it could improve stability of resource management, and it could allow bigger bargaining power on the world stage. I don't believe they are strong arguments and doubtlessly they are flawed but my instant reaction to the question is that those would be the sort of thing that could be touted as a 'benefit' to a nationalised oil industry. To be fair though the rest of the world is generally following the much simpler policy of: privatise and provide entry for the poor. The two most required things in society are privatised virtually the world over (food and water), and of those food has (to my knowledge) never been a wholly nationalised industry (dairy production was government owned in Britain in the 70s). Government just needs to ensure that the poor/unable are given the necessary means to be able to utilize resources that are vital to their survival/wellbeing. 194.221.133.226 (talk) 11:20, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

May 30

Thin Condoms Vs. Regular Condoms

Extra sensitive, thin condoms claim to be just as reliable at preventing pregnancy as normal condoms. But this just doesn't seem to make sense. Isn't it common sense, that if something is less thick, it has a higher chance of breaking or tearing? For example Durex Extra Sensitive Condoms say they are 20% thinner than normal. How can it be 20% thinner and keep the same durability? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.7.126.152 (talk) 05:43, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

I don't know the answer to your question, but it's conceivable that the thinner condoms are made out of a better and more expensive grade of latex, so that all you sacrifice by buying the thinner ones is cost. But are you sure they claim to be just as reliable? I looked on the Durex website, and all I see is a claim that Extra Sensitive still gives you "the protection you need." All that really means to me is that it still meets some basic standard, not that it's necessarily just as reliable. --Allen (talk) 05:56, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Our condom article says the pregnancy rate is typically 10–18%. Using plenty of lubricant wll reduce the chances of tearing. And FWIW I find that ribbed condoms are better for increased sensation than the so-called extra sensitive ones.--Shantavira| 09:15, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

I find it hard to believe that a device with a failure rate of 18% is still considered an effective form of contraception. I wouldn't buy a pair of shoes if there was an 18% chance they were going to leak. DJ Clayworth (talk) 18:10, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

It's worth noting that the 18% failure rate doesn't come from condoms breaking, but from improper use. The article also says, "With proper knowledge and application technique—and use at every act of intercourse—users of male condoms experience a 2% per-year pregnancy rate." The typical failure rate apparently includes things like the couple not using a condom every time the have sex, which is, well, a kind of a no-brainer. Personally, I've never had a condom break, slip off or otherwise malfunction. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 19:52, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

According to this breakage and slippage may be of primary concern in a small group of users. While failing to use a condom consistently is obviously a problem, I suspect improper usage which may result in breakage and slippage is just as much of a problem. Evidentally "not living with partner" is significantly associated with increase breakage or slippage. Condoms is one area where size does matter Nil Einne (talk) 07:16, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Oh, other issues absolutely contribute to the condom failure rate, yes. I wasn't trying to claim otherwise. I was just saying that the 18% failure rate shouldn't be taken at face value, because it includes situations where condoms weren't used at all. (That's really misleading, too, incidentally; I'm not sure it's doing the article any favors.) -- Captain Disdain (talk) 10:56, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Birds and hot chips

moved to the science desk here where our resident gull specialist hangs out

indian nationality

it's written here in wiki that -

Citizenship by Birth Any person born in India on or after 26 January 1955 but prior to the commencement of the 1986 Act on 1 July 1987 was a citizen of India by birth. A person born in India on or after 1 July 1987 was a citizen of India if either parent was a citizen of India at the time of the birth. Those born in India on or after 3 December 2004 are considered citizens of India only if both of their parents are citizens of India or if one parent is a citizen of India and the other is not an illegal migrant at the time of their birth.

does this mean that someone who was born before 26 january 1955 isn't a citizen of india? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 122.50.248.96 (talk) 09:56, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

No. Anyone domiciled in India in 1949 and born in India is a citizen, for example, under Part II of the constitution (which also grants citizenship to a bunch of other people). I'm not sure what the status is for people born after the constitution was passed but before the 1955 citizenship law. Algebraist 10:16, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

I said thanks to a ticket machine

I was miles away, and when the ticket popped out, I involuntarily said thanks. Has anyone else had any experience of this? Perhaps with snack dispensers, coffee machines? What is it called? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Matt the barber (talk • contribs) 10:17, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

No idea. My father once said "Give!" to the car door when the key was jammed in it, as if speaking to a dog. —Angr 15:46, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

I'm always talking to machinery. Astronaut (talk) 16:52, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

The Anthropomorphism article may be relevant. DJ Clayworth (talk) 18:06, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Good evening. Clayworth has probably the best answer. But I think its a natural response. Especially since most of our life is talking to people. We just get confused sometimes. Kinda like that thing were the person makes you say tin for every answer, but the very last answer is aluminum and you answer tin. Don't worry I think everyone talks to a machine once in their lifetime. I talked to a candy machine once. My candy was stuck and I said that it was a clever little devil and that I would get my candy. :) Have a positively wonderful evening.Rem Nightfall (talk) 21:45, 30 May 2008 (UTC)Rem Nightfall

People talk to television sets and cars all the time, does that count? My favourite is when the machine talks back.

I used to say thanks to my highschool coke machines all the time. --Candy-Panda (talk) 07:22, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

I frequently yell at my computer. And I talk to my flatmate's cat. OK, maybe I am crazy... :) Steewi (talk) 02:21, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

Lending money

I confess, I really am in a tizz. You see, the thing is, I lent my friend (of many many years, not some geezer I spoke to in a pub)some money and now he won't pay me back. Alright it's not a fortune but its the principle of the matter. My friend won't return my phone calls or emails so I sent him a letter, recorded delivery, and he still ignores my requests. Now, I have little option but to consider going to the police. Grassing on your mates doesn't sit easy with me but in my opinion, my friend who won't pay me is the real Judas in this affair. I have emailed him to say that he has 24 hours to pay or I go to the old bill. This whole matter is bang out of order, and I have considered going to my doctors for anti depressants. Any advice (not legal or medical of course) on what I should do? Abwischbar (talk) 10:20, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Consider that this sort of loan may not be enforceable by the police. I'd think small claims court a more appropriate venue. — Lomn 13:05, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

I don't remember who said it, but I've always like the quote. "If you lend someone $20, and never see that person again; it was probably worth it." Principle is one thing, but if the amount is fairly insignificant...it might just be money well spent. --Onorem♠Dil 13:15, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Perhaps a piece of advice and a joke will cheer you up. The advice: when lending money, have the borrower write you a check for the amount, but post-dated to when they agree to repay you. When the day comes, just go cash the check; they probably have the money and just have better things to spend it on than paying back loans. If they don't have the money, a check is more legally enforceable than a verbal agreement. The joke: two friends were walking down a dark alley when a man with a gun tells them to hand over their wallets. As one of the men is handing his over, he takes out a twenty-dollar bill and gives it to his friend, saying "hey, here's that money I owed you". :) --Sean 13:51, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

I agree the principle of the matter is a lot more important than the need for the money. When I borrow from friends, I make damn sure I pay them back as soon as I can. If I've loaned some small amount to a friend, I'll give them several opportunities to pay me back without me asking, and then I'll start dropping hints. It's never failed me yet.

After that, I think the general rule of advice here is: If it's a small amount (say, £20 or less) then give up on it and just don't loan to them again. If they do ask again, just remind them of the previous loan. If it's a substantial amount (say, several hundred), then maybe you should seek the advice of a solicitor. If it's something in between, then you'll need to weigh up what's more important - your money or your friendship. Astronaut (talk) 17:10, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

But then you'd have to wonder what sort of friendship it is where your "friend" borrows money from you, and promises to pay it back (which is, after all, the definition of borrowing, as opposed to a donation), but then doesn't come to the party. He may as well have come into your house and stolen it. Maybe he's skint and can't pay right now, but at least he could say so and negotiate a new payment date or some suitable repayment arrangement. To simply avoid any contact with you is not the hallmark of a friend, in my book. So, you have nothing to lose by taking legal action, and everything to gain (assuming the cost of the action doesn't outweigh the amount that's recoverable). I don't see how the quantum of the loan has anything to do with the principle involved here. There again, your "friend" appears to have a hazy concept of principle, but that's no reason why you should have to be the victim here. -- JackofOz (talk) 17:53, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Lord Polonius, is that you? "For loan oft loses both itself and friend"... --98.217.8.46 (talk) 20:25, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

We don't give legal advice. But don't waste your effort going to the police! They have no more to do with this than your doctor or your milkman. If you want to pursue it, go to a solicitor or try a Citizens Advice Bureau. --ColinFine (talk) 22:22, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Bumblebees

Hi, I posted this earlier but it looks like it has been lost in the system. I am an artist and I'd doing an exhibition in the new few weeks. The piece I'm working on involves a bee. I had a bee, but it seems to have got lost. I it on a windowsill, but I wouldn't want to kill one, and I didn't kill mine, so if anyone knows good places to find dead bumblebees, in good condition, then please tell me. Many thanks. Thiagara (talk) 11:22, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Have a look at the Bumblebee article where you will find about a dozen pictures of (live) bumblebees. Also click on the link to Commons at the very bottom of that article, where you will be taken to hundreds more pictures. I know you wanted a real one but I'm sure the pics will help. Best Wishes- Adrian Pingstone (talk) 11:45, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Had you considered googling beekeepers or honey farms in your local area - they would probably have a fair few they could offer you -russ (talk) 22:42, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Windows are your best bet. Try looking in your neighbors greenhouses, where bees might have gone in and gotten trapped. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Clingfilm clive (talk • contribs) 15:08, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Girl in the photograph

I'm looking to trace a girl from an old photograph, taken in 1918. It was taken during the commemorations the end of the first world war. We were stood in the same street, a sepia tinge to your skin, you had nearly every inch of your body covered in excessively thick garments. Your perfect deportment was only marred slightly by the vague air of tuberculosis. I was the bow-legged gentleman with rickets. If she is still alive, how can I get in touch with her? Eff wone (talk) 13:51, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Craigslist missed connections? --Sean 13:54, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

She's probably hanging out with the goldfish and the bumblebee. They're having a ball on some money they loaned and never paid back. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 14:10, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Maybe, though their arses might be numb from the hard seats on the bus! JohnComputer17 (talk) 14:21, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

It depends on which country the photo was taken in. Whilst Craigslist might be useful in the San Francisco bay area or New York, I doubt a 90+ londoner would be as familiar with Craigslist. How about trying the local paper instead - sounds like a great "human interest" story a paper might love to publish. 17:18, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Sounds nothing like a great "human interest" story. Sounds like a fucking idiotic load of fiction. Does any seriously believe that a 108-year-old man is trying to get back in touch with a woman he hasn't seen for 90 years through the Misplaced Pages Reference Desk? This sort of crap should be deleted on sight. Malcolm XIV (talk) 18:27, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Whilst it's likely he's a troll,I was assuming good faith here :-) Astronaut (talk) 18:43, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Good evening. All though its highly unlikely a ninety-year-old man is looking for his long lost Jane Doe. It might be possible that you look at some of your other old photos that might be from the same year. Look on the back of the photo to see any names and dates. But there are always two options on this one she is alive and will probably not remember you or the second one she is dead and had never made that ninety-year leap. Whatever the possibility, have a wonderful evening.Rem Nightfall (talk) 21:42, 30 May 2008 (UTC)Rem Nightfall

Whatever drollness may be assumed: the OP should be awarded an antique rusty barnstar with verdigris and barnacles for being the first supercentenarian rickety bow-legged trollOP to grace this referential desk. If, in mumblety years, anyone of us has the computer skills and keyboard aptitude of the ancient one, we can then cast the first stone. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 22:22, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

And incarnated as an op who lost a goldfish called "Kenny". Time to put your t-specs on Cookatoo, Julia Rossi (talk) 01:49, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Its Hard to Part

Good evening sirs and ma'ams. I was just a bit curious. What would be the most productive way of stopping a drug addiction? Cause it seems, to me at least, that no matter how clean you are from a drug you are never clean. It always seems like that drug haunts you and your addiction may be subdued, but not entirely gone. So, what is the most productive way of stopping drug addiction? And, what would be the most productive way of never getting addicted again? One answer would be not to do the drug in the first place, but I am talking about those hopeless individuals. I hope I have asked a question that can be answered here. I hope you don't get trolled anymore, cause I quite like it here. Have a postively wonderful evening.Rem Nightfall (talk) 21:39, 30 May 2008 (UTC)Rem Nightfall

A good night to ye sir :-)! the best method I found, when studying Psychiatry a few years ago, was gradual withdrawal. Slowly reducing the dose of the drug (whatever it might be) over a month or two allowed the patient to adapt to abstinence and also avoided the nasty physical symptoms associated with the withdrawal of some drugs: Heroin and in many ways Alcohol. Drastic withdrawal can kill. Fribbler (talk) 23:01, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

As a seamless sequitur to user:Fribbler:

Rigor mortis. My favourite panacea for all minor ailments, including impotence. Mind you, I have not tried it yet, but, one day, the night will fall... --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 23:12, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Speaking from my own experience, I think that the only way for a person to overcome addiction is the person must be committed to overcoming it, and the person needs support from others. Fribbler is probably right that gradual withdrawal is the only safe way for drugs that involve a strong physical addiction. However, that kind of gradual withdrawal is probably beyond the ability of even the most iron-willed addicts to accomplish on their own. Because each new dose brings a nearly uncontrollable urge for more. I think that a person trying to accomplish such a gradual withdrawal would be best off in a residential detox program, where he or she can receive constant psychological support and where his or her substance intake is controlled by others. My drug of choice was marijuana, and it is certainly addictive, despite the claims of some that it isn't. Fortunately, the addiction does not have a strong physical component. For me, the only hope was cold turkey, quitting completely and finally. I experimented with keeping a cache of marijuana somewhat remote from my home (buried in some woods), such that getting more involved an inconvenient drive and then hike through the woods. But I found myself organizing evenings or weekends around that trip, and I found that the drug was still dominating my life and impairing me socially and professionally. So I resolved to stop completely. Fortunately, I was involved at the time in a therapy group, without whose support, I don't think I could have done it. I think a person needs emotional support from a person or a group that also holds him or her accountable. (This could be, but I think need not be, a twelve-step program.) For several months after my last marijuana high, I experienced periodic intense craving, but the need to face my therapy group and my own commitment kept me from giving in. For more than a year, intense cravings would occasionally recur, but I reminded myself of how much better my life had become without recourse to marijuana. Even today, more than three years later, I still have occasional cravings, but they are milder, and the improvement in my life since giving up marijuana has been so dramatic that I am not very tempted to use it again. 24.91.137.158 (talk) 00:53, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

I used to play an online game called Neveron, and one of the game's great players developed a crack cocaine habit. He claims he quit when he realised how much he could buy on Neveron for all the cash he was spending on drugs. -mattbuck (Talk) 18:19, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

Outstanding Young Woman of America Award

I received this award in 1979, but can't remember much about it. Do you know the name of the organization that gave this award, and if it is still in existance? The little I do remember is that you paid a fee to be listed in a book, and then you were sent a certificate (suitable for framing), and I always used the reference on my resumes with some interesting results!Torriekster (talk) 22:57, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

It appears to have been presented by the association of Outstanding Young Americans. But that's the only reference I can find for that organization. Corvus cornix_talk 23:29, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

May 31

Thoughts

How do we "hear" ourselfs think? That is kinda creepy... Thanks, 86.148.184.99 (talk) 00:14, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

The same way you can imagine what something looks like without actually seeing it through your eyes: your brain can activate the visual and auditory parts of it without stimulus, but it is not as vivid or "real" as actual stimulus. Hence the blind can usually visualize things in their head just as well as a sighted person, so I have heard. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 00:52, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

You can hear you inner voice, but that isn't the actual process of thinking. You don't hear the neurones firing for example. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Clingfilm clive (talk • contribs) 15:09, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Beef Prices

Where can I find the price of beef for highland cattle? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.119.61.7 (talk) 00:15, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

You could try Google or get in touch with your national Highland Cattle Association. Looks like it's considered high grade beef, Julia Rossi (talk) 07:41, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Blood type

Generally, what blood type to africans have? Also, asians? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 96.227.103.202 (talk) 01:54, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

This page has some figures. I'm not sure where the data are from or how reliable they are. -- Flyguy649 04:29, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Jaw exercise (please don't delete)

I've moved the OP's reply to the talk page.

Yahoo

I am trying to use yahoo email but I am finding it difficult. Is there any manul or online guide I could read? Many thanks. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Cosmickly (talk • contribs) 10:23, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Here is the Yahoo email help page. Is there anything in particular that you are having trouble with? - Akamad (talk) 10:58, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

This is a FAQ page that looks like its a relic from the good old' days http://docs.yahoo.com/docs/info/help.html In fact its dated 1994-98, I think yahoo might have forgotten about this one :) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Clingfilm clive (talk • contribs) 15:11, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

I use yahoo email on occasions. Is there something you are having particular difficulty with? Astronaut (talk) 13:05, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

The Human Brain

My Question:

Is the human brain a muscle or an organ? My husband and i are in a discussion about this and we would like to know the answer? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.209.20.51 (talk) 14:35, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

The brain is not a muscle. It is an organ. Algebraist 14:44, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Someone should add this to the brain article, as it doesn't say this anywhere. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Clingfilm clive (talk • contribs) 15:13, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

I have —Preceding unsigned comment added by Clingfilm clive (talk • contribs) 15:14, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Maybe someone should also say that it that it is not a bone either!!! Do we really have to cover all such options? Richard Avery (talk) 17:36, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

It could be cover in the definition. BTW, my penis is organ or a bone?

You might have a boner, but that doesn't mean your penis is a bone or contains any bones. It's made entirely of flesh, tissue and blood. Whales, on the other hand, are different. They and many other mammals have a penile bone called a baculum, surrounded by flesh, tissue and blood. -- JackofOz (talk) 11:58, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

It's not uncommon to hear people say that "the brain is a muscle", but I think this is almost never intended literally. It's one of those "higher truth" thingies. It is certainly true that cognitive performance can be improved through mental exercise, and that it will tend to degrade without it, and it may even be true that in some cases it's possible to "overtrain" (I seem to recall a study that suggested that some neural pathways could "burn out"), so it's a fairly good rough analogy. --Trovatore (talk) 18:58, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

If it's not made of muscle tissue, doesn't act like muscle, isn't listed in the muscle article, then it isn't a muscle. Btw, "muscle-head" gives a clue: being not-intelligent in the way of physical strength/intellect opposition. Julia Rossi (talk) 08:23, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

Two same website sources in a row

I've got two websites in my footnotes in my report, though both websites are the same. How do I reference the second instance? I'm using the MLA style. Would I just use "ibid"?--Richard (Talk - Contribs) 17:56, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Ibid. means, "the source is exactly the same as the previous". If that's the case, yes, use it. Not that it is Ibid. with a period (it is an abbreviation). --98.217.8.46 (talk) 20:20, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Post-OP TS refractory period

This is a genuine question and I am not a TROLL, NPOV or VANDAL.

When a post-OP transsexual from male to female has an orgasm, is the refractory period the same as when they were a guy or can they experience multiple orgasms as women sometimes do? Is the orgasm the same except for not ejaculating? 79.75.195.226 (talk) 17:57, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Theres a lot of info here (not for those who are squeamish) but I couldn't find anything specifically mentioning the refractory period. Then again I didn't bother reading it all! Fribbler (talk) 21:58, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Capitalism 3.0?

I've been reading Capitalism 3.0 - A guide to reclaiming the commons by Peter Barnes and came to the authority that answers all my questions, Misplaced Pages. Only I can't find anything here. Any suggestions on what to search for are very much appreciated! -- Dale E. Moore —Preceding comment was added at 18:02, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Could you give us an idea of what type of questions you want answered? Zain Ebrahim (talk) 18:09, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Does building trusts work? Are there any examples of failures and successes? What reasons are there to avoid building commons trusts? Are there better solutions to protecting the environment, future generations and non-human life? —Preceding unsigned comment added by DaleEMoore (talk • contribs) 18:42, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

I am now not eligible for the bright futures scholarhip, what do I do?

I got a notice that I am not eligible for the renewal of my bright futures scholarship because my GPA is too low (it is right below the limit of 2.75). I still need a year to finish by degree. What is the best course of action in this situation? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.171.42.135 (talk) 18:26, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Take out a student loan? Work part-time? Both? (That's what I did.) 24.91.137.158 (talk) 19:11, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Yeah, pretty much. You've gotten yourself into a fix, better buck up, take out some loans, start earning some money. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 20:19, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

I'm surprised that nobody has suggested that you talk to your lawyer doctor advisor yet. Your advisor should be able to give you information on scholarships that you may still qualify for. They may also be able to give you information on businesses that would hire you on a part time basis until you finish your degree and then bump you up to full time once your degree is finished. In short, talk to your advisor, dean, counselor, or whatever your school refers to them as. Dismas| 22:02, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

That's true. I was assuming that with that low a GPA and this late in the game (most deadlines have probably passed) he/she would be out of luck (not to mention that the advisors have probably gone home for the summer), but if you can get in touch with them, give it a go. But coming at this in the beginning of June strikes me as a little too little time to secure serious funding by the fall. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 01:09, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

not sugary

Is there a legal difference between "sugarless" and "sugar-free"? I don't hear the first one much anymore. —Tamfang (talk) 20:49, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Per , "the label 'sugarless' food sometimes means that no sugar was added during processing, but these foods may not be sugar free. They may contain natural sweeteners, such as honey, molasses, evaporated cane sugar". It appears that the USFDA does regulate the use of 'sugarless' (as well as sugar-free, which is more straightforward). — Lomn 21:02, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Names of Guns

I know a lot of names of guns, from the M40A3 sniper rifle, to the M16A4 assault rifle. i would like to know what the "m" in front of the name of the gun means. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.101.1.186 (talk) 23:26, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

According to these sources it stands for "Model" though all but the first is just people making an educated guess. Dismas| 23:56, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

June 1

college rowing question?

how does the college rowing championship work in the NCAA system?Summonmaster13 (talk) 01:12, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

You'd think this (http://www.ncaa.org/wps/ncaa?ContentID=81) would help, but the Championships Handbook link appears to not work. Oddly, they seem to sanction only women's rowing. --Nricardo (talk) 02:01, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

Portable TV sets

WHAT DO WE DO WITH OUR D.C. POWERED PORTABLE T.V.'S AFTER THE DIGITAL SIGNAL CHANGEOVER IN JAN 09? THE CONVERTER BOXES ARE A. C. POWERED WHICH MAKES THEM NO LONGER PORTABLE. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.227.198.169 (talk) 03:12, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

The converter boxes are DC powered from an AC adapter, so in theory you could strap a battery pack to it and it will work just fine. Of course once you've got the tv, digibox, and battery pack to carry around it's not so portable. You're better off getting a portable digital tv.--Shantavira| 07:10, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

When it comes time to get rid of it, call up a local recycling center or even a local computer store. They will give you info on how to dispose of it. It'll be better for the environment if it doesn't end up in a landfill. A local computer store here (Small Dog Electronics) has an annual event that they advertise in all the papers asking people to drop off their e-waste to have it disposed of properly. They normally net several tons of equipment each year. See e-waste. Dismas| 18:54, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

WHILE YOU'RE AT THE COMPUTER STORE YOU MIGHT WANT TO GET YOUR CAPS LOCK FIXED AS WELL Ziggy Sawdust 22:47, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

TARAN TARAN TRAGEDY

WHAT IS TARAN TARAN TRAGEDY 61.1.232.189 (talk) 12:31, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

Actual question transcribed from IP user's talk page by Angus Lepper

Some Googling gives lots (a few thousand) of results, but nothing actually talking about it. Interestingly, it's also shown as a 30-something 'hot trend' on Google Trends. Put it in quotes, though, and the results drop dramatically (10 unique results). I'm guessing it's probably a contrived internet meme of some sort. If I wasn't assuming good faith, I'd wonder if this question wasn't designed to further its spread. The only plausible possible reference is to the death of a Taron or Teron Francis who seems to have died in some circumstances that lead to a wrongful death suit being brought against a medical practice. For this, see (CNN transcript; search 'Teron') and (memorial website).Angus Lepper 15:06, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

ELL4

Could someone who knows the WJEC English exam board please tell me if the ELL4 paper on tuesday 3rd June will be Duchess of Malfi or spoken language. It is the ELL4 paper for A level English lit and lang in the UK. Thanks. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.75.241.52 (talk) 15:40, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

You want us to help you cheat on your exam?? I suggest you revise both, and be quick about it because you only have one more day. Astronaut (talk) 19:22, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

Rent deposit in the UK

What is the procedure to pay a security deposit for rent in the UK? Do you just give the landlord a check? 217.168.0.192 (talk) 16:17, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

Yes, or you pay the letting agency. Due to large numbers of landlords unfairly keeping deposits, the government introduced a mandatory Tenency Deposit scheme in April 2007. It applies only for an Assured shorthold tenancy (which in practice, you will almost certainly be on one of these), and within 14 days you should hear from the landlord or agency about how your deposit is protected. See this site for all the information. Astronaut (talk) 19:19, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

Taxi transfers to Playa de Las Americas, Tenerife????????

We are a group of 3 adults and have just been looking on the Web for typical transfer prices from Reina Sofia to Las Americas and getting a bit confused. Some sites say we MUST pre-book (hard to believe), whilst others say we must pay anything between 20 euros and 80 euros per taxi per direction. Another site that sounds reasonable in all respects says 24 euros will secure a taxi and a Rep waiting to greet us. Any advice on this would be much appreciated. 92.3.27.116 (talk) 17:22, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

It's about 20 km, mostly along a motorway. Misplaced Pages's own Reina Sofía Airport article has a link to the official site which readily told me about bus and taxi options (suggesting a fare of around €21 one-way). This site has a breakdown of how the fare structure is supposed to work, suggests a fare of around €21 and indicates how to identify official taxis. But, my google search did reveal lots of tales of people being ripped off and various scams like claiming the meter's broken - if that happens, just get out again and get in the next taxi. Astronaut (talk) 19:54, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

Wide differences in cost of living

I'm in Egypt right now. I notice prices are much lower than in Jordan. Restaurants in particular are 2.5 times cheaper. (The kind of lower end restaurants locals go to.) The countries are similar in income. So what accounts for the differences in COL? I know gas is extremely cheap in Egypt. And Jordan has a massive water crisis. Can these two reasons explain the whole story?

I also remember Haiti being extremely expensive compared to many countries that were better off. I couldn't find a hotel for less than $30 and it was a prison cell where no tourists patronized. Also food was more expensive than in all countries.

I have never been to Indian but I've heard if you try hard you can live on $5/day. Gas prices are high in India too.

What gives?

Lotsofissues 17:30, 1 June 2008 (UTC)