Revision as of 18:29, 2 November 2006

Reference Desk

October 30

Some doggy help!!!

I have a fairly simple question to something that is driving us crazy!!! We have a two year old mixed breed dog who is quite sweet, but lately she is at our neighbor's fence digging and chewing on the fence!!!! We have tried everything we can think of to keep her away from the fence but to no avail...when she is outside, she bolts straight to the fence...this is a new behaviour!!! Does anyone have any idea what to do??? We can use any and all suggestions! Thank you so much and have a great day!

Do they have a dog? Is she on heat? Theresa Knott | Taste the Korn 00:34, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

A 2 year old can suddenly behave quite badly. You could read some books or talk to a dog trainer, but it usually means that some strong corrections are needed. You have to do this very carefully, and always give her a big kiss after. --Zeizmic 01:30, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Spray bitter apple on the fence, dogs hate it: . Your local pet store should have it. Another option is to put the dog on a leash when in the yard. Make sure the leash doesn't reach the fence. To actually solve the problem, though, you dog needs obedience training. I would think they will pull a choke train tightly whenever she starts to dig, repeatedly, until she learns not to dig anymore. StuRat 06:10, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

I would second the bitter apple suggestion, but I'd strongly advise against choke chains under any circumstances. There is considerable evidence that they do lasting damage to dogs' necks and are unnecessarily cruel. -Elmer Clark 07:02, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Some jursidictions have now made it illegal to keep a dog on a chain or a leash attached to a permanent fixture for more than a couple of hours. User:Zoe|(talk) 20:54, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

You have to balance the risks. Having a dog that constantly tries to burrow out of the yard poses considerable risk of injury to the dog (being hit by cars, etc.) and others (dog bites). Another option is to use a shock collar, but some pain is required to for the dog to learn, as you can't explain things logically to a dog. StuRat 17:21, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Clearly, your neighbor is a serial killer who has been burying his victims near his side of the fence, and is only waiting for the opportune moment to whip out the old chainsaw and come for you. I'd move. B00P 10:06, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

No, no. That would be giving in to fear. Stay, and fight the terror. JackofOz 11:06, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

So the dog doesn't succeed in digging under the fence, you could trench down a foot or so and install chicken wire below grade and extending up the fence a couple of feet. Edison 16:55, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

That sounds like about 1000 times as much work as putting the dog on a leash that doesn't reach the fence. StuRat 17:16, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

A hot wire would be more effective and easier than chicken wire, and more practical than a shock collar. It only takes one or two zaps (not causing injury, only brief pain) to teach them respect.--Shuttlebug 03:04, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Do you mean an electric fence ? That would also pose a danger to others (I was once zapped by one while watching horses and leaning against the fence). StuRat 06:34, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

An electric fence designed for dogs is not as powerful as one for horses. Also, it would not have to be turned on all the time. We put a hot wire around the top of our pond fence to keep the cats out - they only needed one shock to learn their lesson. --Shuttlebug 19:13, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

CRAZY LENNY'S CRAZY DEALS!!!

I hvae no idea who is this guy, but it appears he's phenominally known. I think I might have have got his name wrong, because I can't find him on Misplaced Pages, any help? The velociraptor 01:00, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Crazy Eddie? -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 01:02, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

or one of our many Crazy articles. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 01:05, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Google? 惑乱 分からん 01:25, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

We also have no idea who he is. He appears to be phenomenally unknown. In what context did you encounter this (national TV, local newspaper, the pub, ...), and do you have any idea what kind of deals they are (political deals, six chastity belts for the price of five, iPod for 85 $ off, ...)?  --Lambiam 03:24, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Maybe we should have a "List of People with No Known Notability". It would take quite some time to compile, but it would come in handy for these sorts of queries. :) JackofOz 03:42, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

There was some guy in Milwaukee named Len Mattioli, who did a lot of crazy stunts trying to sell TV sets ... Could be him, possibly... 惑乱 分からん 12:35, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Maxwell Taylor's left hand

Did Maxwell Taylor have any injuries to his left hand prior to 1963 ?....

He wasn't born in 1963. Perhaps you mean a different Maxwell Taylor to the bloke I know. Perhaps not. It's difficult to tell without some context. Who are you referring to? --Dweller 12:15, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

I didn't see any reference to a hand injury in the article abnout Maxwell D. Taylor, even though he parachuted in at D-Day in WW2, and commanded in the Korean Conflict, and in Vietnam. Edison 17:02, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Familiar pattern

There's this pattern... in first grade the teacher used it to get us to pay attention (she clapped it). It goes:

CLAP (pause) CLAP (pause) CLAP CLAP CLAP

and then the students echo it.

I was playing counter-strike today and some guy who was camping was bored, so he fired off bullets in this very pattern. I echoed, and he did it back again. So I know this is "out there" and not just something used in my local elementary school. What's this pattern called? --froth 06:57, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Well this isn't much of an answer, but it's the first half of the iconic

CLAP (pause} CLAP (pause} CLAP CLAP CLAP (pause) CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP (pause) CLAP CLAP.

Anchoress 07:03, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

It's the beat pattern to the Cha-cha-cha.
B00P 10:11, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

According to football chant, the earliest notable use of the claps were used to advertise AAPT, with the company name spelt out to the beat (A. A. AAP. AAPT. Smart Chat!). Nowadays, you'll hear them at any football match (often with the last two claps changed to "Eng-land", "Uni-ted", "Chel-sea" etc.)

The longer pattern was how the strikers in May '68 scanned the slogan Ce n’est qu’un début, continuons le combat! ("This is just a start, let's go on with the battle!")  --Lambiam 21:51, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Who invented the iconic clap?

Who invented that iconic clap? When was that first used? --WikiSlasher 07:42, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Good question, I don't know. It does have a strong association with sports, and it's used by a lot of cheerleading squads, so maybe it originated as an audience clapalong or a cheer. Anchoress 09:03, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Do you think the question deserves its own header? --WikiSlasher 11:03, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Are you the original poster? You might want to edit the title to make it more detailed and inclusive of the discussion, but I don't think you should start a separate section for it. You could make a sub-section though, using three === instead of two. I should read. Yeah, I get your point, it's an offshoot question now. Anchoress 15:31, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

I have a feeling it was a tune, perhaps the signature tune to a sports programme, but I can't put my finger on it....--Shantavira 10:46, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Musipedia offers a rythm search, try it! --193.56.241.75 12:55, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Is this the "Let's Go" pattern? Clap-Clap-ClapClapClap-ClapClapClapClap-"Let's go!" It's a song, I guess, and they play it at sporting events. --Maxamegalon2000 15:24, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

No, that one is clap-clap-clap-clap-clapclap. As in let's-go-gi-ants-letsgo --Justanother 15:29, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

No, not that one. The one I'm thinking of doesn't have a team name in it or anything. It's just the claps and "Let's go" at the end. --Maxamegalon2000 16:01, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Oh, then it probably the same one as the OP asks about. Guess it is catchy. --Justanother 16:14, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Don't knock this one

And of course there is also the most famous of knocks: KNOCK - KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK - KNCOK --- KNOCK - KNOCK. Anyone know a background or name for that? And what does one call a phenomenon like this? I've had a quick look in rhythm, clapping, Category:Percussion and Knock (disambiguation), but couldn't find anything. DirkvdM 06:23, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

I luuuuuuuuuv Misplaced Pages. Shave and a haircut. Anchoress 08:24, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Wow I never knew that had a name. Also it's interesting that we both knew what notes go with a seemingly baffling sequence of KNOCKs --froth 03:34, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

numismatism

 I heard that for a product to be numismatic two conditions should be followed.

1.it should be of limited edition. 2.it should have an issuing authority. I dont know whether my information is correct or not.so please give me an answer and help me out of this.

Have you checked out the article on Numismatics? Natgoo 09:03, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

It sounds like you are contemplating buying some commemorative coins from some company like the Franklin Mint. I'd suggest against that, at least as an investment, as the vast majority of such items never attain a value any greater than the purchase price. Instead, buy actual antique coins. Being rare certainly helps, but many coins were mass-produced but are now rare, just due to the passage of time. The only "issuing authority" is likely to be the mint which created them. StuRat 17:11, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Buy gold coins in the best condition you can find that are the rarest you can afford. -THB 22:13, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Actually numismatics has to do with the study and collecting of coins, currency and exonumia such as tokens etc. By your definition almost anything else can be numismatic, which is not the case.

Furniture counterfeiting

Term for damage to furniture to make appear old.

The article on distressing is a good start, although I don't know if that's exactly what you're looking for. Anchoress 09:35, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Antiquing is related, but that's more adding what looks like dirt to it to make it look old (another meaning of the word is shopping for antiques). Am I the only one who thinks this is all a bunch of foolishness ? No worse than jeans that come with holes in them, I suppose. StuRat 16:57, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

'Antiquing' is actually covered in (and is redirected to) the distressing article. Anchoress 07:27, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Also, I detect an incorrect assumption in the title. Most furniture distressing is not done in order that the furniture can be sold, dishonestly, as a genuine antique, but rather so it can be sold, honestly, as a "simulated antique". StuRat 17:00, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

OK Corral

What (if anything) does the OK stand for in OK Corral?

Have you read the article O.K. Corral? Anchoress 14:08, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

I didn't see it in there. So what does it stand for? Rmhermen 16:23, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Good question. It's the state abbrev for Oklahoma, but, since this was in Arizona, that probably isn't the meaning. If that was just a symbol used for branding cattle, then it may not mean anything, but could just be essentially a random symbol. Random shapes and letters were frequently used for brands, anything to make them unique. Of course, there is the meaning of OK as "all right". This could be used in a business slogan: "You don't have to be worried about being ripped off, because everything will be OK at the OK Corral". StuRat 16:45, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

"OK" was the name of the ranch, like "Circle Bar" or "Running W", "V Bar V". You might try calling someone at the city hall or gift shop in Tombstone and ask them what it stood for. -THB 19:07, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Could be the initials of the owner : O'Keefe, Oliver Kennedy, Old Knave or Ollie and Katrina ... -- DLL 19:57, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Google doesn't have much to say. A discussion on a bulletin board suggests the name might have been 'Ormsby Kimberly' for two families in the area, but if it were true, you'd think it would be more commonly known. Anchoress 02:32, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

I always thought it was because the brand for that corral looked like a K within a circle or "O". Therefore it was called the OK corral. Dismas| 06:54, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Well, yes, of course the brand and the name of the corral would match, as was the standard practice (is this where the term "brand name" comes from ?). The question is, why did they choose that brand/name ? Was it just random, or did it have some meaning ? StuRat 13:57, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Upon hearing that it didn't seem to refer to anything immediately obvious (like the owners), my first guess was that the name was chosen simply because 'OK' by all accounts was a popular word at the time (see Okay). A Google search seems to suggest that this is probably the case:

John Montgomery, founder of the corral and livery and feed stable at the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona, probably chose that name because it was in fashion at the time. So the present owner of the corral, Robert Love, tells me. (sauce)

There seem to be other cases of this in history. For example, there is a town in Oklahoma named 'Okay' (sauce). There are several other geographical features named 'OK', most prominently a mine in Colorado (sauce). There were also companies such as 'Okay Truck' and 'Okay Clothing'. ~ lav-chan @ 05:45, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Lav-chan, what does "sauce" mean ? Is that a funny way of saying "source" ? StuRat 20:38, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

Well, yes, but depending on who you ask. I was going to link to an article on the term, but it appears that Encyclopedia Dramatica is 'blacklisted' from Misplaced Pages. Google if you want i guess. :shrug: ~ lav-chan @ 23:40, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

needing help

i am looking for pictures or information on a relative who was born in 1893 but have not been able too turn up any information as yet where is the best place too go

Welcome to Misplaced Pages. You can easily look up this topic yourself. Please see Genealogy. For future questions, try using the search box at the top left of the screen. It's much quicker, and you will probably find a clearer answer. If you still don't understand, add a further question below by clicking the "edit" button to the right of your question title. And please sign your posts! -THB 14:22, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

With all respect to THB, I think that template assumes a bit too much. I tried "pictures or information on a relative who was born in 1893" in the search box and got nothing so I tried just "information on a relative". Still nothing. Perhaps the poster does not know that the subject he seeks is called Genealogy. In other words, I find the template a bit unwelcoming. --Justanother 14:30, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Ancestry.com and perhaps other genealogy-related sites charge a subscription fee, but have genealogies of millions of people. Latter Day Saints (Mormons) have family heritage centers located at many of their churches around the country. Public libraries or local city or county historical societies may have files and other materials which are helpful. The person is likely listed in the 1900 census, along with the place and date of birth and occupation of siblings and parents. The 1910 1920 and 1930 censuses of the US are available at Ancestry or through the LDS centers or some libraries. You should be able to find considerable info, but no guarantees of pictures. Your best bet to pictures is to find a relative who is a genealogy bug and has such pictures. The easiest route is often to find the person who has already done all the work for you, but you should not accept genealogies at face value because they are probably more full of errors than even Misplaced Pages, since they are the creation of an individual without collaborative editing. Edison 17:15, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

If your ancestor came to the US, there may be some info here and it is free to search (free registration is required to view records). --Justanother 17:33, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

And all of the above is discussed in Genealogy. -THB 18:51, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Actually, the Ellis Island link is not there at all; maybe I will add it later. But, overall, it is a good article.

acousticophilia

I'm trying to find a word that describes a kind of fetish for words,the sound of and use of long,often latin-derived and not commonly used words-that would normaly be regarded as pompous or pretentious.In the list of paraphilias,the closest to that was the above,a term that refers more to the love of sounds.I believe there is another type of a -philia,that has to do more with the love of 'high' language.Help. Veronika

'Logophilia' comes close, but that just means "love of words". By the way, you might have got a better answer if you had posted this to the language reference desk. --Richardrj 15:14, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Ohh, you beat me to it but see this anyway. --Justanother 15:18, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Due to my lethologica, I just lost half an hour at The Phrontistery. Although I couldn't locate a word that describes a fetish for words, here are some that were close: 1) epeolatry -- worship of words 2) grammatolatry -- worship of letters and words 3) lexiphanic -- bombastic; sesquipedalian; using many long words 4) sesquipedalian -- tending to use long or cumbersome words SWAdair 05:43, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Caffeine in Cigarettes

I noticed that cigarettes add along with many other chemicals caffeine to their tobacco leaves. Is it caffeine powder they add and if so how could they add a powder to the leaves and make it stick or not fall off?

I imagine that they would use a water-based spray that includes everything that they want to add; see this list. Here is a good site; look at Step 4 Primary Processing. I think it would be added in the "casing" or "top dressing" stage. --Justanother 15:54, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

If they use a water-based spray for the top dressing how do the leaves not get soggy and remain effective?

Just guessing but the site mentioned is good. Cured leaves are very brittle. Water is added to allow them to be processed into cigarettes. --Justanother 17:46, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

How do they get the flavors for cigarettes, I know some contain chocolate and marshmellow,do they include those things in the water base or top dressing and how could it even be tasted or be effective through all those other chemicals?

I imagine a lot of those others have no taste and they can make the taste they desire as strong as they like. Here is an interesting quote:

One flavourant developed to increase smoothness perceptions for project XG appears to have demonstrated significant results: a combination top dressing consisting of chocolate, vanillin, licorice, and "tobacco enhancer flavor". A personal memo from November 22 to the developer of the flavourant notes:

"I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the exciting flavoring work you have done on Project XG. The chocolate/ vanillin/ licorice/ tobacco enhancer is undoubtedly one of the most exciting and promising flavorants that has been developed during the last several years . . . As you know, this flavorant appears to have significant appeal among the 18–24 year old smoker group and this is obviously the group that we desperately are after."

That is from here --Justanother 20:20, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Candy flavored cigs appealing to 18-24 year olds ? Try about 10 years younger, the real target market. StuRat 21:15, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

So they must use artificial flavorings (like extracts or syrups that would typically be used in foods) in the top dressing not the actual chocolate or say vanilla bean?

Probably a lot cheaper... 惑乱 分からん 00:20, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Not only that, but most of the ingredients in chocolate (or any other syrup) would probably produce noxious fumes when burnt. The idea would be to extract the compounds which give those flavors their distinctive smell (aromatic compounds, perhaps), and only add those. StuRat 02:33, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Yea, because those fumes are so much deadlier than cigarettes. I'm not sure if I heard correctly, but I remember something about soaking the tobacco leaves in the aromatic water before drying it. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 03:10, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

The problem the tobacco companies would be concerned about is that it would be unpleasant, since, of course, they don't care if the fumes are toxic. StuRat 06:30, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

I might be wrong, but I heard that if you smoke something, it's generally much more harmful than most other ways of consuming it. Lungs are quite sensitive... 惑乱 分からん 11:32, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Agreed. The lungs have a very limited ability to deal with smoke, so we need to keep our exposure low. Intentionally inhaling smoke is not the way to do that. StuRat 13:53, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Complexity of antlers

Antler doesn't mention the assumed reason for the complexity of antlers like those on moose and deer. So... any answers? 81.93.102.20 17:21, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

You might try this question over at the science desk. -THB 18:45, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

I would assume there is a random element in their development to aide deer in the identification of particular individuals. For example, one buck can identify another buck which has already defeated him, and thus they can both avoid a pointless repeat of the challenge, which would only decrease both buck's chances of surviving and passing on their genes. StuRat 21:11, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Wow. This one had me stumped completely. -THB 22:15, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

The mechanism of antler growth and regrowth is actually a fascinating biological question, both mechanistically and evolutionarily. Much like the remarkable complex patterning of the kidney, prostate or lung, antlers utilize a form of controlled branching morphogenesis. Clearly there is a strong evolutionary pressure driving such a complex, energy sapping process. Some have argued that females select large, symmetrical antlers as proof of success in foraging, fighting, escaping predators, and overall health (e.g. Geist V. 1998. Deer of the world: their evolution, behavior, and ecology. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole.) However, the end result was a crazy, evolutionary antler arms race and now antlers are now so big and complex that it seems as if it would be disadvantageous, so how come they are selected for? If you buy Amotz Zahavi's Handicap principle then, as with most things, it comes down to sex. Like the tail of a peacock, huge antlers may make male deer more vulnerable and are therefore a practical handicap. But the message that the antlers carries to the potential mate is 'I have survived in spite of this huge coat rack on my head, hence I am fitter and more attractive than others'. Thus, to put it simply, big antlers get you laid even if they are a pain in the neck (literally). Rockpocket 08:20, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

While interesting, that discussion seems to be more about why antlers are large than why they are complex (with each one being unique). StuRat 13:47, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Size isn't everything. I would argue that patterned complexity is as impressive to a female as sheer size. Consider a peacock's tail. Its not only large, but patterned in an incredibly complex way. As for uniqueness, well, this has probably something to do with the mechanism of growth in a branching epithelia. By subtly modulating the frequency of branching verus outgrowth, one would get very different antler patterns, albeit based on a similar overall structure. Since this is a biological system, its hardly surprising they are all unique really. We don't express surprise that trees of the same species are all a unique pattern, even though they are all of a similar branched shape. Why should antlers be different? The really interesting question, as THB suggests below, is how some deer manage to regenerate their antlers each season. Rockpocket 18:29, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Is that a reason why females lack antlers? They would be too cumbersome during the act, itself? @_@ 惑乱 分からん 11:58, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

No, that's not the reason, it's a secondary sexual characteristic, like beards in men. Interestingly, in some species, such as reindeer, females do have antlers. StuRat 13:39, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Interesting read: Irish Elk --Zeizmic 13:26, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Something else interesting: moose shed and regrow those huge racks every year. -THB 17:54, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

What is minute rice?

Hi, currently I use a Zassenhaus 156 manual coffee mill. One site advised me to use "minute rice" or "Grape Nuts cereal" for cleaning the coffee mill, but ordinary Korean rice turned out to be very hard, so I gave up after a few tries in fear of damaging the burrs.

What is "minute rice," and how is it different from ordinary long-grained rice that's common in Korea? If it isn't available in Korea, what's the best substitute for it if I want to clean my coffee mill? --Kjoonlee 17:31, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

See Uncle Ben's. Guess it is partially precooked and therefore softer. --Justanother 17:36, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Uncle Ben's isn't the same as Minute Rice. Uncle Ben's is much harder than Minute Rice and probably would cause the same problems. They suggest Minute Rice because it's much more porous than regular rice. --Charlene 01:59, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Another brand is Rice-a-Roni. I don't think it's partially cooked, but rather they grind it differently, to "soften it up", which promotes faster cooking. StuRat 21:03, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

http://www.kraftfoods.com/minuterice/ ---Nelson Ricardo 23:44, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

So it's precooked rice that gets cooked in under 30 minutes. Thanks, everyone. :) --Kjoonlee 03:15, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Zassenhaus mill

I tried uncovering the top part of the coffee mill, but that didn't expose the burrs like I had expected. There's a black plastic funnel beneath the burrs, and there's a black plastic cover being held by two huge screws. Would I get access to the mill if I unscrew those? --Kjoonlee 17:31, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Oh. I didn't know I had to set the mill to its coarsest setting. That way I can see and touch the bottommost part of the lower burr. --Kjoonlee 18:00, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Most of the comments on the internet just say to use rice, not specifying minute rice. It shouldn't harm a coffee grinder--coffee beans are quite hard, too. Here's a site with specific, illustrated instructions: ***. -THB 18:48, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

I was worried because rice provided a much higher resistance than coffee beans. The volume of rice I used is probably a quarter of the volume of beans that I normally use, yet it was much more difficult to grind the rice. Anyway, I'll try using fewer grains of ordinary rice the next time I try. Thank you. --Kjoonlee 03:15, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

I think instant rice noodles would have about the same hardness. --Zeizmic 13:22, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Naturally occurring monthly cycles

Dear Wiki users -

I am trying to find examples of anything which conforms to a natural monthly cycle(apart from the two obvious ones - moon phases and ovulation.) I have tried searching Misplaced Pages and the net in general, with no luck so far. Hoping someone comes up with some leads - thanks!

Best

12.111.201.34 20:35, 30 October 2006 (UTC)Alex Grant

Tides --Justanother 20:38, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Well, thats really the same as the moon one... Philc _TC 20:41, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Month means moon. -THB 20:42, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

I would think that any natural monthly cycle would be related to the moon. What else would cause such an "artificial" interval? --Justanother 20:43, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

nothing actually does in the direct meaning of a month. ovulation doesnt take a month and a mooncycle neither. a month is still something like time. and time is human, and therefore it is not a constant. (and even outside that last statement my second sentence is correct) - sorry for the bad cohesion of this- Graendal 20:45, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

edit conflict >.< month may be derived from moon but still it is incorrect. Graendal 20:45, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Oh, sure. I automatically translated month to moon cycle. Month being a total human invention. --Justanother 20:48, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

The original length of a month was set to follow the cycles of the moon. However, people then messed with the length, going for 12 per year instead of somewhere around 13, to make the seasons and such work out better. StuRat 20:59, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

The reason I am exploring this is because the lunar phase is a quantifiable thing (just under 28 days, on average) and the average ovulation cycle is 28 days(can vary markedly, but the average...)This seems to me to then raise the question: Are there other instances where naturally occurring phenomena conform to this cycle? Forget about the "month/human time" concept - I'm just interested in the 28-day aspect - which is not an artificial construct, but something fixed and tangible(inasmuch as time is tangible!)

12.111.201.34 21:03, 30 October 2006 (UTC)Alex Grant

Actually, it's not completely fixed, as the Moon's orbit changes over time. I don't have an answer for you, but suspect there might be some insect which depends on moonlight to navigate at night, and therefore has a 28 day cycle. StuRat 21:08, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

How about we forget the moon, or discount it as the cause - I just need any example of a 28-day cycle - the moon just happens to be the one we all associate with that period of time or causative factor...

cheers...

Alex Grant12.111.201.34 21:19, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

That's like saying, let's just forget about the sun and the earth's rotation or discount it as a cause, it's just one thing associated with a 24 hour cycle. The solar day causes 24 hour cycles. The lunar month causes 28 day cycles. -THB 21:48, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

My point too. The 28-day cycle IS the moon cycle. What other reason would such an interval exist though I imagine it does; perhaps there is an isotope with a 28-day half-life. Is that the sort of thing that you would like to find? --Justanother 21:54, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

No, the 28-day cycle is just that - a 28-day cycle. The moon-cycle is just the most common association we have with that period of time. A 28-day cycle is not necessarily implicitly or explicitly associated with the moon - unless we're suggesting that the moon governs ovulation, which I don't think would stand up to close examination(otherwise all women would ovulate at the same time!)

Your isotope example IS the sort of thing I'm looking for - it has no (obvious) moon connotations!

Thanks again,

Alex Grant.12.111.201.34 22:00, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Thank goodness. Now it's a question for the Science Reference Desk! -THB 22:03, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

The time it takes the Moon to go full cycle through its phases, known as the synodic month, is not less than 28 days but actually slightly more than 29.5 days.  --Lambiam 22:09, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for your efforts, guys - sorry that I seem unable to communicate what I'm getting at here - but it was worth a try!

Cheers.....

Alex Grant

I understand your question now, I just don't have any answers! -THB 22:16, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

That's the problem I'm having! But I'm hopeful that I might find some if I dig hard enough...

Thanks again,

12.111.201.34 22:20, 30 October 2006 (UTC)Alex

Right, Lambiam. Month#Synodic month --Justanother 23:26, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

So OP, what is the interval you are looking for; 28 days, 29.5 days, anything in that range; 27 - 30 days? --Justanother 23:28, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Apparently groundhogs have a 28-day gestation period: . StuRat 00:13, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

...as do seahorses: . StuRat 00:16, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

...and cottontail rabbits: . StuRat 00:17, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Here's a cool one, red blood cells (for sheep, at least) have a "half-life" of 28 days, meaning half of them have died after that period: . StuRat 00:21, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

In a human embryo: "the 28-day stage...marks the onset of human intra-embryonic hematopoiesis". OK, I'll let you figure out what that means: . :-) StuRat 00:37, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Protactinium-233 has a 27 day half-life: . StuRat 00:55, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Chromium-51 has a 27.7 day half-life: . StuRat 01:27, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Just another comment on the menstrual cycle. I think it is almost certain that this cycle is related to the lunar cycle. The reason we see different lengths and unsynchronised cycles in women might be light pollution. Before humans started lighting up the night (extreme: Las Vegas), the night was dark. The only significant change to the darkness of the night were the moon phases. The light pollution is confusing to all natural cycles that rely on the moon phases as a timed light source. Lukas 00:46, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Women have had irregular periods for centuries - it's one of the most common complaints addressed in ancient herbals. From personal experience, I can tell you that living hundreds and hundreds of miles from the nearest large city doesn't make a difference either. --Charlene 02:01, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

But even then, exposure to moonlight would be minimal and exposure to indoor lights would be high. StuRat 02:24, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Women living together synchronize their menstrual cycles. This would truly be the horror of having a harem. It was an early indicant that humans can respond to pheromones. Edison 04:43, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Is this nature's way of tellling us harems are unnatural? Damn, I just wanted to start me one. :) DirkvdM 06:59, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

We need a Wikiharem :) Lemon martini 08:46, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

And returning to the topic,many sufferers of manic depression often find that it runs in monthly cycles Lemon martini 08:46, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

I heard that crime rates vary with a lunar cycle, but that could be an urban myth. Certainly many sea creatures breed and feed according to the moon. And some types of monkey (can't remember which) ovulate in accordance with the lunar cycle. And I tear off my calendar pages.......--Shantavira 09:25, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

I can buy that crime rates vary, due to the following:

• Primitive man could only hunt at night during a full moon, as there was insufficient light at night to hunt otherwise.
• Thus, those who had an instinct to go kill things during the full moon tended to survive and pass on their genes.
• Modern man still possesses this instinct.

StuRat 05:53, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

Do dogs howl at the Moon, or is that a myth? I once was in a village in North East Thailand where I had heard warnings that the dogs went crazy at full Moon, and indeed, on a full Moon night I was followed by a barking and growling (!) pack for about 1 km on the way back to the hostel. The pebble throwing that usually works to scare dogs off only made them dodge. Dogs can scare me occasionally, but these almost had me shitting my pants. DirkvdM 07:52, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

So you mean the Dutch government only provides for all your living needs and arranges to pay for world travel on your behalf, yet refuses to spring for a team of security guards, asking you to pay yourself, even though you have told them you prefer not to work for a living ? This is criminal, you should sue them ! :-) StuRat 20:25, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

bash.org

What's the difference between Random and >0? Vitriol 21:23, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Are you talking computing?--Light current 21:44, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

At that website, people vote on whether they like the quotes. A quote can get a negative score. If you hit "random", random quotes with more negative ratings than positive ones are included in the results, if you hit ">0", then the set from which the random quotes are chosen includes those quotes that have no ratings, an equal number of positive and negative ratings, and more positive ratings than negative ratings. -THB 21:49, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Thank you. Vitriol 23:44, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Translations

I want to translate some English articles into Turkish and upload them.can I do that? Thank you Guner

Yes, but you should check the policies on the Turkish language Misplaced Pages regarding references being from English language sources. -THB 22:06, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Also, you should acknowledge the source, which you can do in the edit summary as you create the page, or on the talk page of the new article. Images that are on the Commons need not to be copied over; they will work as is. You can change "]" into "]" if you want to, but this is not necessary. For images that are only on the English-language Misplaced Pages you must check the copyright situation if you want to copy them.  --Lambiam 22:26, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Note, though, that Misplaced Pages:Reliable_sources#Some_definitions, under 'tertiary source' says "Misplaced Pages articles may not cite Misplaced Pages articles as a source". I'm not sure if that is about this too. But there is the danger that any bias in the Anglophone world will thus be passed on to other cultures, more than the other way around, because the English Misplaced Pages is by far the biggest. A great advantage of having different language Wikipedias is that, if an article is translated, people will get to know the pov of another culture. For this to have its fullest effect, all Wikipedias should be developed independently because else one will get circular confirmations. DirkvdM 07:16, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

jjtc?

what does that stand for? --Maorisurfer 23:53, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Lots of things. Could you please suitly emphasi your question by providing some context, such as where you saw or heard it or whether it may be a company, etc? Hyenaste  00:30, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

what do you come up with? --Maorisurfer 00:30, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Johnson & Johnson Technology Consultants, LLC, Jackson/Josephine County Technical Committee, Juvenile Justice Training Center, Jay Jones Tile Company, Jumping Jap Trading Company all come up in the Google Search. Hyenaste  01:57, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

October 31

Senior Master Sergeant

roughly how many Senior Master Sergeants are there in the US army, and how long would you have to spend in the forces in order to attain this rank, and how much responsibility does it hold. Thanks, the article didnt help btw, so dont just point me there. Philc _TC 00:07, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

First of all, it is the Air Force, not the army. Second, the time spent with the Air Force before this promotion will be more dependant on one's skills than anything else. However, it should be noted that the rank of Senior Master Sergeant is very difficult to attain. Of the 352,000 odd people in the , at most 2.00%, or 7040 people can have the rank of Senior Master Sergeant. The rest is in the article (less than 10% that qualify are given the promotion, etc., etc., etc.)--AstoVidatu 03:05, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Ok, sorry, a mistunderstanding has caused me to list the wrong rank, I meant First Sergeant, which is the US army equivalent of Senior Master Sargeant I think (they're both E8) does roughly the same criteria apply for this job as Senior Master Sergeant? Philc _TC 09:07, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

There are also First Sergeants in the Air Force, but in their case, it's a position, not a rank. An Air Force First Sergeant is the chief administrative enlisted person in an Air Force unit, and they could have any rank from about E-7 up. User:Zoe|(talk) 20:59, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

The Army has two positions at the rank of E8 - First Sergeant (1SG) and Master Sergeant (MSG). Master Sergeant is typically an administrative rank, First Sergeant is a command rank (leadership). Rarelibra 15:41, 3 November 2006 (UTC)

Apropos of nothing, my brother was a Senior Master Sergeant in charge of a large maintenance facility for years but could not seem to make Chief Master Sergeant. I believe he was given one last chance to make Chief and then urged to take his retirement. Anyway, this is good for the difference ; see quote below: --Justanother 19:29, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

5.2.1. Master Sergeant (MSgt). MSgts are transitioning from being technical experts and first line

supervisors to operational leaders who merge their personnel's talents, skills, and resources with other teams’ functions to most effectively accomplish the mission. They are continuing to develop their leadership and management skills. This rank carries significantly increased responsibilities and 12 AFI36-2618 1 DECEMBER 2004 requires a broad technical and managerial perspective. MSgt selects should immediately enroll and complete Course 12, SNCO PME Distance Learning Course, in preparation for their new roles. MSgts normally operate at the operational level of leadership. The official term of address is Master Sergeant or Sergeant.
5.2.2. Senior Master Sergeant (SMSgt). SMSgts are key, experienced, operational leaders, skilled at merging their personnel's talents, skills, and resources with other teams' functions to most effectively accomplish the mission. SMSgts continue to develop their leadership and management skills in preparation for expanded responsibilities and higher leadership positions. SMSgts normally operate at the

operational level of leadership. The official term of address is Senior Master Sergeant or Sergeant.

Anti-tobacco shakespeare

Hi, I'm making a poster to raise awareness against smoking. On my poster I will depict all the harmful ingredients of cigarettes and say what they are used for. I need a title and I'm thinking of modifying Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet quotes:"What's in a name? That which we call a rose, By any other word would smell as sweet." I'm going to change it to "What's in a cigarette? That which we call (blank 1), by any other word would (blank 2)" Could someone help me fill in the blanks with a word or words? This is to be anti-tobacco and grammatically correct please. Thanks =) --Jamesino 01:29, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

The original is about how the nature of a thing is not determined by nor contained in its name. Not sure how you would carry the analogy. The chemicals in a thing are not limited by their inclusion is a cigarette? That which we call tar, . . . would caulk a ship?? Sorry if I am getting too deep here. --Justanother 01:48, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Actually, the idea of saying "by any other name" locks it to the original. You might say "by any other use" i.e. "What's in a cigarette? There where we put tar, in any other place would caulk a ship." That makes a better analogy, I think but perhaps it strays too far afield for you. --Justanother 01:58, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

"What's in a cigarette? That which we call a carcinogen, by any other word would also be an air pollutant." bibliomaniac15 02:09, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

"What's in a cigarette? That which we call 'flavor', by any other word would be a carcinogen." -- Chris 23:56, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Oh for the love of all that's poetic please don't do this. Try Sonnet 34 instead. MeltBanana 02:31, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

AHGH, SHAKESPEARE MANGLING! IT BURNS! The velociraptor 06:17, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Spin, Billy, Spin. --Justanother 13:54, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Well, this marvelous piece is from the right era: A_Counterblaste_to_Tobacco. It's from 1604, which is concurrent with Shakespeare's most famous tragedies. If you don't know it, it's a good read. "A custome lothsome to the eye, hatefull to the Nose, harmefull to the braine, dangerous to the Lungs, and in the blacke stinking fume thereof, neerest resembling the horrible Stigian smoke of the pit that is bottomelesse." Maybe you can mine this for something good; it's by King James I. Antandrus (talk) 06:21, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

address

63.235.107.167 03:56, 31 October 2006 (UTC) where can i find travelers insurance building in 388 greenwich village

Greenwich Village is a neighborhood in Manhattan, not a street. What kind of address is "388?" There should be a street. Edison 04:46, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

388 Greenwich St is on the west side between North Moor St and Beach. The 1989 building by Kohn Pedersen Fox was once the headquarters of the Travelers Group insurance company. Travelers was bought by Citigroup, but it retains the enormous and garish light-up Travelers umbrella . The address is: 388 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10013. Rockpocket 05:29, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Well done ! StuRat 06:22, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

I like that umbrella! -THB 17:08, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

That's a bumpershoot, for you Brits. StuRat 05:03, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

one dollar per negative gram

I'm looking at racing bicycle and I noticed that the more extra money you pay, the less extra negative grams you get. So my question is at what price does paying an extra dollar only buys you one extra negative gram. Ohanian 07:29, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Reminds me of the sign I used to see in the auto speed shops: "Speed costs money - how fast do YOU want to go?" --Justanother 13:53, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Isn't this an expression for the Marginal cost of negative grams? (note: I did poorly in economics) -sthomson 14:54, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

I don't know the answer to the actual question, but it does occur to me that the diminishing returns are pretty clearly inevitable — after all, if the weight reduction per dollar did not asymptotically approach zero, there would have to be some price for which you could buy a bicycle with negative mass, which is obviously physically impossible. So a number answering the original question must, in theory, exist, though its actual value may well depend strongly on market fluctuations and sampling effects. (How's that for a typical mathematician's answer?) —Ilmari Karonen (talk) 02:22, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Phenytoin sodium

I have been taking this drug for several years. (Marketed as Dilantin® in the USA and as Epanutin in the UK) Now I am moving to France where only Phenytoin (Di-Hydan) is available through my GP. She and my UK doctor do not agree if it is OK to switch - advice will be welcome, please.----meredith

Misplaced Pages does not give medical advice. Please consult a doctor. JIP | Talk 11:03, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Even if the the former of that reply is the case, you could atleast do her the dignity of not mocking her situation with the latter. Philc _TC 11:54, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Sorry, I didn't mean to mock her. I was very serious about Misplaced Pages not giving medical advice. None, or at least very few, of us are qualified to give any medical advice. At least I'm not. Therefore I wanted to avoid the trouble of a potential mistreatment. However I did not consider any implications of the latter part of my reply. It was only meant as a standard disclaimer and not as any sort of insult or mockery. Maybe she could ask a different doctor from both of her UK doctor and her GP? JIP | Talk 12:09, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Fair enough, if it was unintentional, im sure all is forgiven. Sorry If I came off a bit harsh. Philc _TC 12:14, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

You're not Misplaced Pages. You may say that you don't want to give an aswer, but then, well, don't! And to tell someone to go see a doctor when they just told you they already have really takes the cake. If I come off a bit harsh, rest assured that that was completely intentional. :) DirkvdM 05:38, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

I must jump to JIP's defence here. Our instructions say "If requesting medical or legal advice, please consider asking a doctor or lawyer instead". Surely any one of us who responds to this sort of question is perfectly justified in saying we don't give that kind of advice and the questioner should seek answers from the relevant professional. That doesn't mean this is the only valid answer, but it is still a valid answer. For the life of me I can't see how what he said was offensive, either in tone or substance. I certainly don't blame Meredith for asking the question, given that she's had conflicting advice already, but equally I have no problem with JIP saying what he said. JackofOz 07:58, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

First of all, notice the smiley. That last sentence was a inspired by Philc. But my complaint stands. The medical disclaimer is already at the top of the page and Meredith said she had already consulted two doctors, no less. Now I don't mind people saying "I'm no doctor but ...", but JIP didn't give an answer, so he had no useful point to make, so why did he bother (and bother us and her)? DirkvdM 08:04, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

If your seizures are controllable with Dilantin, they will probably be controllable with French phenytoin. Check with a neurologist

for assistance with the dose conversion and monitoring. alteripse 12:28, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

No offense taken. Point understood. I was hoping not to have to locate a specialist.... ho hum.---meredith

This is not really a medical question, it is a question regarding the equivalence of two different brands of phenytoin. The answer is that they are NOT necessarily equivalent in effectiveness. Google search Now, the medical question is whether or not she can safely switch brands, and that is a question she and her physicians must answer. -THB 17:05, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Right, and it is also the question of what does one do when doctors disagree. The answer to that part has already been presented; get another opinion, preferably from a specialist. --Justanother 17:20, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Get a specialist, and/or go with the most conservative opinion least likely to cause harm. -THB 20:31, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

myopia and mirrors

Hi, I've asked this question in the Science section but have not received a reply yet - so I thought I'd go to the real brains behind Misplaced Pages.... the Misc desk.

I'm short-sighted (I believe the correct term is myopic). without my glasses, objects far away are out of focus. when I look at a mirror - close enough for it's frame to be in focus, why are reflected distant objects out of focus?

thanks Spiggy.

Because the mirror does not change the distance that the light travels from the object to your eye and the blurriness is a function of that distance. A mirror is not a picture. In a picture you see "distant" objects clearly when you get close because they are not really distant, they are in the picture in front of you. In a mirror they are still distant, only the direction has changed. --Justanother 13:51, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

thank you. that sound you just heard was my brain melting. spiggy

You are very welcome; stick your head in the freezer for 10 minutes and call us in the morning. --Justanother 14:04, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

That's right, think of a mirror as a window which changes light direction. Assuming it's a flat mirror, it doesn't focus the light, but uniformly changes the direction. StuRat 14:06, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

I remember I was once taking an eye test at a doctor's office, and they used a mirror. The sheet with all the letters was behind me, and I had to read them through a mirror on the opposite wall. My mom was really worried because she was standing by that wall, and couldn't believe that I couldn't read all of the letters. Of course, because she was looking at them directly and I was looking at them in the mirror, I was looking at them from twice the distance. --Maxamegalon2000 15:26, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Spiggy, melted brains are so unsanitary. Let's see if we can sop them up.

You are standing with your back to a mirror looking at a painting on the opposite wall. The light bouncing off the painting travels 10 feet to reach your eye.

Turning around, you look at the painting in the mirror. The light bouncing off the painting travels 10 feet to reach the mirror, and then reflects and travels a few more inches to reach your eye.

In both cases, the image source is the actual painting, so you measure the distance from there. B00P 17:22, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Like someone said, a mirror is just like a window, only the light is coming from a different direction. It still travels the same distance. Now, if someone were to take a life-size photograph of the scenery, and put that in front of you, then you would be seeing everything in focus, even the things at a distance. JIP | Talk 18:38, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Spiggy: Now come on, you have asked on the Science Desk today. You should have at least one or two days patience to get an answer. And by now (after less than a day), I've even made you a drawing (though with my ugly handwriting). But it's over, at the Science desk. Simon A. 20:19, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

And although flattery will grease a lot of wheels, come on now... --AstoVidatu 23:02, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Type o negative

can some one please give me a link to a place where i can buy a type o negative t shirt online, preferablly from thier world coming down album. thank you

eBay has plenty of shirts but none from World Coming Down. --Justanother 14:17, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

You could also try sites such as the official site, fan sites, metal message boards etc... 惑乱 分からん 14:46, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

I checked the official site first but the store was "coming soon". --Justanother 14:57, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

I found a few different sites on google just typing "Type O Negative" + "Shirts". A few different types of tees came up. Best of luck. WiiAlbanyGirl 01:32, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Brachet

I am reading Le Mort De Arthur, and there is a reference to a bratchet chasing a white hart and I was wondering what exactly is a brachet?

Is that an English or French word? 惑乱 分からん 14:46, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

I think a brachet is a kind of hunting dog (and a hart is a deer). --Canley 14:57, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Right, usually spelled bratchet, and the likely source of "brat" for a child? --Justanother 14:59, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

You could translate it as "hound". -THB 17:00, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Just to point out that it IS an English word. Somewhat archaic, perhaps? --Justanother 17:23, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

English by way of French. And apparently it can mean "bitch-hound". -THB 17:39, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Funny thing but it looks like it would have to be where the term "brat" for a child came from, especially as bratchet was applied to children derogatorily, but here they say brat possibly came from elsewhere. I would have to look at the OED to figure this one out and I don't have one to hand anymore. --Justanother 17:55, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Both dictionaries I have agree with this as the possible source of brat. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 18:34, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

That doesn't sound like a good etymology to me. -THB 20:13, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

In King Lear Act III Scene iv, Lear, Edgar and the Fool conduct a mock trial of Lear's elder daughters, Goneril and Regan. Kent, disguised as Caius, is also present, but keeps his counsel, only looking toward Lear's comfort. Edgar, disguised as 'Tom o' Bedlam, free-associates about what is being said. At one point Lear imagines dogs barking at him. Edgar says,

Avaunt, you curs!

Be thy mouth or black or white,

Tooth that poisons if it bite;

Mastiff, greyhound, mongrel grim,

Hound or spaniel, brach or lym; (bold mine)

Or bobtail tike or trundle-tail;

Tom will make them weep and wail: III iv 47-53.

I'm guessing 'bratchet' is a diminutive of whatever kinda dog a 'brach' is. Nb: Malory's C15 Middle English "ch" would needed a 't' in front of it to be pronounced as /tʃ/, the "ch" of Shakespeare's Early Modern English. --Shirt58 12:52, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

OED says for "bratchet": "apparently the same word as BRACHET: cf. the application of whelp, cub, etc. to a child; but perhaps associated with BRAT n.2 as if a diminutive of that." If it comes from "brachet," that comes from "brach," a French word for a hound hunting by scent; if it comes as a diminutive of "brat," then it may come from the "coarse garment" etymology; OED says "Of uncertain origin: Wedgwood, E. Müller, and Skeat think it the same word as the prec. , but evidence of the transition of sense has not been found." zafiroblue05 | Talk 07:35, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Yes, it's an intriguing pair of words. But I'm not buying the coarse garment/bad child connection. -THB 09:31, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, I like the braying hound/annoying child combo better myself. But OED will look at the dates that words first appear and it appears from what Zafiro says that brat predates bratchet? --Justanother 14:49, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Well, it's interesting, because the first use of "bratchet"/"brachet" is medieval (1340), while "brat" to refer to a child only first appears in 1505. zafiroblue05 | Talk 21:00, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Well then it would seem brach (dog) -> brachet (pup) then bratchet? But when was the "t" added. Perhaps OED is saying the addition of the "t" was influenced by brat? But if bratchet clearly appeared before brat then I vote for brach (dog) -> brachet (pup) -> bratchet -> brat (kid) and to Cambridge with Wedgwood, E. Müller, and Skeat. --Justanother 21:11, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

I think t before ch is a natural sound evolution in English. (Cf. which, such etc.) I don't think it proves anything... 惑乱 分からん 22:47, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Marco Polo in India

I am trying to help out in the article on Kollam. According to the State government's site , Marco Polo visited Kollam in 1275. But most online sources mention only about his visits to India in 1288 and 1292. 1275 also seems implausible because he reached Kublai Khan's capital only in mid-1275 after a four year journey, and travelling all the way to the Southern tip of India by the end of the year isn't an easy task.

Can someone who know the subject please confirm whether he did travel to India in 1275. Tintin (talk) 14:45, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

I can't resist answering this one. Most sources agree that Marco Polo traveled overland across Central Asia during the early 1270s and was at the Mongol court in 1275. It would have been extremely difficult, given the modes of transportation of that time, to be in South India in the same year, and his published records of his journeys do not record such a side trip, which surely would have merited mention. Marco Polo did not leave the Mongol court until 1290 or 1292. When he left, he traveled by sea, by way of southern and western India, to Persia, from where he returned to Italy by both land and sea. The date of a visit to Kollam is not known for certain, but it was probably in the early to mid 1290s. He would not have visited it twice. Marco polo 16:13, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for answering this personally :-) Tintin (talk) 16:28, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

November 1

tourettes

What would be a good way, seeing as though there is no actual cure, for suppressing or maybe even stopping a coprolalia or copropraxia episode? Becuase unless it goes away on its own, this could probably be the only way to help. Just wondering. Temp i'm bored

See Treatment of Tourette syndrome. -THB 01:37, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

I believe that the page for coprolalia mentions the use of the Botulinum_toxin in the paralyzing of vocal cords to control outbursts. Although this will help, I believe the above posted treatment link will help you best. WiiAlbanyGirl 01:41, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Sinking a military ship

What would it take to sink an Adelaide class frigate, apart from another Navy ship? What effect would an attack on a ship by fighter jets or helicopters have on it?

Looks like basically any kind of military explosives would sink that thing: rockets, torpedos, shells, etc. Bullets wouldn't do anything of course --froth 04:47, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Of course, it matters with what and where you hit it, but in the Falklands war HMS Sheffield was sunk by a single Exocet missile strike launched from an Argentinian aircraft.

A helicopter is an unlikely method by which an attack on a surface ship would be carried out, as helicopters do not generally carry heavy, long-range weaponry, and are too slow, giving ample time for them to be shot down by an Adelaide frigate's anti-aircraft missiles. Those missiles also complicate an attack by fixed-wing aircraft, of course. Many defence forces (including Australia's) therefore have long-range cruise missiles for attacks on shipping, some of which are sea-launched and others launched from aircraft.

Other possible attack methods include sabotage and sea mines. --Robert Merkel 05:15, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

How about an iceberg ?---petitmichel

Sure, but they are a bit hard to aim. Since these ships are Australia's "primary air defense vessels" I wouldn't want to approach one in a helicopter. A stand-off weapon, like an air-launched cruise missile, would be good. Rmhermen 17:11, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

A trained Kraken might do the trick. The vaunted air defences woould be useless against it. But first you have to find one and catch it. Edison 18:15, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Maybe you wouldn't need to train it. Just make it irate enough against Australians that it attacked anything Australian on its own initiative. Maybe feeding it a couple of million gallons of Fosters... DJ Clayworth 00:18, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

Total number of insurgency casualties? (Iraqi war)

I've heard a lot of the US troops' total deaths, is there a source for estimated amout of insurgency deaths? The velociraptor 06:55, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Some data is available in The Brookings Institution's Iraq Index (PDF, p16) Rockpocket 07:18, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Thanks. The US casualties pale in comparison with the insurgent casualties... The velociraptor 07:31, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Please refer to the question below.

Where below?

I heard around 600.000. The big question is who does the tallying? For the US army there is the US army, but who collects the causes of death throughout the country? It's a big country and a notorious problem is that there is no central organisation for what ever, so not for this either. DirkvdM 08:34, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

Advice required

Hi

Need advice on the following:

1. What is the space between each step in a staircase called and also the sharp edge of each stairs?

2. When writing, do i use use "...that operates on kinetic principle" or "....that operates on kinetic principles"?

The space between each step? If you mean the vertical part, that's called the riser. And the edge of the step would be its nosing. For more info see Stairs. Dismas| 08:27, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

(edit conflict)

1. Our article Stairway suggests the space is called the riser and the sharp edge is called the nosing.
2. I would suggest that there is no such thing as a single "kinetic principle", instead it is number of principles that define kinetics, thus your latter suggestion is what i would go for. Rockpocket 08:31, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Do you mean "operates on kinetic energy", like a flywheel? --Justanother 14:42, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

A riddle

You are having a treasure hunt. After exploring a cave for days, you find yourself in front of these three doors. In front of these, there's this little bird, and also a note.

"Only one of the doors leads to what you are looking for. The others will lead to your death. The bird will tell the truth while you are pointing to the right way, Otherwise it may or may not tell the truth. You can ask only one question only once that may answered by Ay or Nay as the bird can't say more than that"

Which question should be asked? (and no, you can't train/bribe the bird.)

No, I don't actually know the answer, so any speculative guesses would be much appreciated.

--218.186.8.10 09:34, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

one door, bird will tell the truth

two doors bird may tell lies

You need to ask the bird a metaquestion while pointing to one of the door.

Point to any door and ask "Will you say that one of the other doors will not lead to my doom if I ask you the question QUOTE will the one of the other doors lead to my doom? UNQUOTE ?" 211.28.178.86 11:17, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

TWO questions!!!---petitmichel

I disagree; if there is only one yes/no answer then it is one question no matter how convoluted. I doubt his question solves the problem. --Justanother 15:06, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

The problem has too many variables for a single question to provide the answer. Therefore:

• 1. See if there is an alternative route.
• 2. See if you can retreat.
• 3. Only if necessary consider the given problem using risk minimisation:
• 3.1 The problem is obviously set by an evil person (a good person would simply have one door - or none). Thus:
• 3.2 The middle door is most likely to be dangerous (since most choose the centre of three)
• 3.3. Ask the bird of the left-hand door “is this door safe to use?”
• 3.4 If the answer is positive, select it (50% probability). If negative select the right hand door.
• 3.5. Pick up bird, open centre door, throw bird through.
• 3.6 If bird lives, follow though.
• 3.7 If bird dies then go though the door selected above - and hope.---petitmichel

The old solution I heard, although I'm too lazy to be sure if it fits here... (Can I do a spoiler tag?)

Ask bird A "Would the other bird say door X leads to doom?", If Bird A says yes, door X leads to safety, if bird A says no, door X leads to doom... (I didn't figure out this myself when I heard the question, I read the answer quite quickly...) 惑乱 分からん 14:03, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

What? where did he second bird come from? Philc _TC 14:24, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Whoops... I didn't read too carefully, and mixed it up with another problem (Two persons, two options, one person always lies, one person always tell the truth) 惑乱 分からん 14:49, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Ask Monty to open one of the doors for you. --Justanother 14:38, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Well, I have been wrong about these sorts of things before but I don't think that you can get enough information to solve the problem. Better would be if the bird had to always tell the truth. Still a riddle but solvable? Try that one. --Justanother 15:03, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Suppose that "MQ?" is the magical question to pose to the bird. So you pick a way to point and ask the birdie: "Oh my precious pretty, prithy tell me: MQ?" If birdie says "Aye", you now perform ACTION, and if it turns out to be a naysayer you do ACTION, where these denote, of course, the appropriate actions to be taken for the given answers. But wait... these are only two possible actions, but we need three possibilities. Apparently there is a third possibility beyond "Aye" and "Nay".  --Lambiam 17:14, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Hey, it really doesn't say that the bird can only say AYE or NAY once in reply to your single question. You could probably craft a single question with an answer like "AYE, AYE, NAY" meaning Door # 2. I am joking a bit but . . . --Justanother 19:03, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

You can't solve this through pure logic, because you don't know if the note is telling the truth or not. Logic is a way to reach conclusions that cannot be wrong if all the assumptions are true. If any of the assumptions are not known to be true, you can't say you've applied logic correctly. See this logic quiz. --Kjoonlee 05:01, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

English songs

I have been wondering how come music artists from non english speaking countries (like, Sweden, Germany) can write songs in good english. I believe that one must have a very good commond over the language to write lyrics in that particular language- pavanto

Abba are a good example. Yes, I'm sure they do have a very good command of English. Is that so surprising? --Richardrj 10:05, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Also songs by a major band pass by lots of eyes before they get published. Any remaining grammatical errors can simply be considered artistic license. Songs and poetry easily get away with sentences that would be considered ungrammatical in prose. Weregerbil 10:33, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Hehe, yeah, even in your native tongue. Consider The Beatles' Ticket to Ride:

She's got a ticket to ride,

But she don't care.

That can't be correct, can it? Or am I just showing a lack of command of the English language (as opposed to other Swedes, like ABBA)? —Bromskloss 12:39, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

That's the Beatles writing in colloquial English. Actually, foreign language singers are usually more prone to accentuate words incorrectly than to use jarring English. --Dweller 16:39, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Japanese artists often write songs in bad English, though... ;)

We don't really need another words!
We can see the another world!
                                      (Gackt)

惑乱 分からん 14:08, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Also, it's amazing what a small lexicon lyrics have (in whatever language they're written). I used to study opera, so I sang in French, German and Italian, but I didn't speak any of them (well a little French). Just for fun, I wrote a song in Italian just based on the libretto lexicon I'd learnt from the Italian opera I knew, plus a bit of modern Italian slang. I showed it to a couple of native Italian speakers, and they said that it would pass. If you're familiar with a lot of songs and a little bit of slang in the language you're shooting for, you can go pretty far. Anchoress 10:42, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

No non-English speaker will dare to come up with lyrics like Battleships confide in me and tell me where you are; Shining, flying, purple wolfhound, show me where you are Tintin (talk) 13:17, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Poetic licence has always been used in songs especially modern songs I think. The correct grammar in Ticket to ride would of course be: She does not care. That sounds a bit old fashioned and awkward though as it has too many syllables.--Light current 13:20, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

If you want bad grammar, I think the king is Louis Jordan's "Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby?" howcheng {chat} 23:40, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

What is the more common practice - do they compose the music and write lyrics to fit it, or set the lyrics to music ? Tintin (talk) 13:29, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

I think the music's usually written first, but that probably depends. For text-based writers such as rappers and Bob Dylan etc. (?) it might well be otherwise... 惑乱 分からん 14:08, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

In pop music, it's actually very common for the words and music to come together. Often the hook (either musical or lyrical) comes first, then the rest of the song is written at once. Anchoress 14:11, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Of the two areas you mention, English is very widely and well spoken as a second language, particularly in Scandinavia. In my travels in those areas, many people you meet could just about pass for native speakers. --Robert Merkel 14:46, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

Addiction to Infornography

Do wikipediholics suffer constantly from an intense craving for explicit infornography? 211.28.178.86 11:17, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

yes by definition--Light current 12:53, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

I made the redirect. -THB 20:29, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Non-religious leaders?

Are there at present, or have there ever been, any atheist or non-religious world leaders? --Adam (Talk) 13:05, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Duh? The velociraptor 13:50, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

I wouldn't describe either Bush or Blair as "religious". But I suspect you're looking for Communism. --Shantavira 13:57, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

N.B. Bushy= Some american Xtian Denomination (quite devoupt). Tony Blair = Catholic (or soon to be converting from angliganism to,)

Maybe the questionner means if there have been world leaders who do not believe any sort of god or other higher power exists. Bush and Blair certainly believe God exists, as far as I know. They just don't keep bringing religion into everything they do, I hope. JIP | Talk 14:02, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Jawaharlal Nehru was an atheist. Tintin (talk) 14:06, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Oh, there is also a Category:Atheist politicians Tintin (talk) 14:10, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

What defines world leader? As there technically is no such position, just of their respective countries. Philc _TC 14:21, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Isn't George W. Bush a world leader? Even if he really isn't, he acts as if he is. JIP | Talk 14:35, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

By "world leader" I mean the leader of a country. I thought this was common usage? Anyway, Bush and Blair are always bringing religion into everything (e.g. I remember a headline on the front page of The Independent about a year ago: Bush: God told me to invade Iraq). Thanks for the responses. --Adam (Talk) 16:17, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

A world leader is someone who thinks he rules the world.--Light current 16:21, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

According that definition, I've met dozens of world leaders. --Dweller 16:23, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

We all have. I ve met a lot here 8-|--Light current 16:31, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

There are many levels of religion influencing politicians:

• A theocracy is ruled by religious leaders. Iran is an example (although they also have a parallel "pretend" democracy).

• Other countries are not ruled directly by religious leaders. However, their leaders may have deeply held religious views which stronly influence their policies, such as in Saudi Arabia. There is some concern, that under Bush, the US is becoming like this.

• A secular nation is not ruled by religion and tries to keep religion out of politics. Note that under such a system the individual leaders may have strongly held religious views, but don't try to impose those views on others. Or, the leaders may themselves be atheists or agnostic.

There have been many nations with all levels of religious influence. StuRat 17:00, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

You never, ever, ever hear any mention made of God in Canadian politics. Perhaps swearing-in ceremonies, that's about it. -- Chris 17:07, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Stephen Harper was invoking God in nearly every speech he made prior to the last election, actually. Stockwell Day is a former pastor (google search him for some fascinating stories). To answer the original question, though: I think you'd find that most communist countries are led by people who could be considered atheists. I'd be surprised if Kim Jong-Il professed any kind of religious beliefs. Tony Fox (arf!) 17:18, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Has he made much mention of God since being elected though, I wonder? -- Chris 21:56, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

I wouldn't know; I tend to block most of what he says out of my mind ... Tony Fox (arf!) 17:18, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

From my part of the world, both Gough Whitlam and Bob Hawke are avowed atheists. While he was PM (1972-75), Whitlam even went so far as to make a statement to the effect of "anyone who believes in God is an idiot". I don't remember his exact words. He copped a lot of flak, rightly so. Funnily enough, Bob Hawke's current wife Blanche d'Alpuget is a lay preacher. JackofOz 21:47, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Is a "lay preacher" one that's allowed to marry ? StuRat 22:10, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Slightly ambiguous question. Any adult is allowed to marry (subject to the usual conditions such as not already being married). Maybe you mean people who are not ministers of religion but are allowed to conduct marriages (of other people, of course). We call them "Civil celebrants" - see Marriage Act 1961 for details of how it works. Blanche may well be a civil celebrant as well as a lay preacher, but I don't know. There's no necessary connection between the two things. JackofOz 22:29, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

My impression is that most of Europe is governed by secular politicians, not even Christian Democrats seem to talk much about God. 惑乱 分からん 22:49, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Many of the early U.S. political figures were only nominally Christian. See List of United States Presidential religious affiliations. -- Mwalcoff 23:59, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

okay i need help

i have 5 questions which av tried researching but nuthing doing,

1. morse code dash dash means what

• According to Morse code, it's the letter M. How did you miss this ? StuRat 16:39, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

2. which team is reffered to as the aints when they r losing

• New Orleans Saints ? StuRat 16:36, 1 November 2006 (UTC)
• Possibly southampton? Englishnerd 17:40, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

3. the nike tick stands for what

• Another name for the Nike, Inc. logo, the Swoosh ? StuRat 16:42, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

• Or perhaps you mean their stock ticker symbol, which is NKE, on the New York Stock Exchange ? StuRat 16:46, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

• See tick.--Shantavira 19:05, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

4. who is the patron of saint of carpenters

• Jesus ? StuRat 16:49, 1 November 2006 (UTC)
• According to Patron saints of occupations and activities it's Saint Peter. However, many would consider Saint Joseph to be an acceptable answer as well, since he's the patron saint of workers, and was a carpenter during his life. --Maelwys 17:01, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Joseph is one of several patrons of carpenters. See for others. Rmhermen 17:03, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

• I've always known it to be Saint Peter. Englishnerd 17:40, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

5. which is the first pre historic animal on a show n by who?

• Do you mean the first fossils of an extinct prehistoric animal shown on TV ? StuRat 16:43, 1 November 2006 (UTC)
• Prehistoric animals on TV?? and it should be by whom.lol Englishnerd 17:40, 1 November 2006 (UTC)
• Don't quite understand the question but one of the first prehistoric animals regarded as such is the ichthyosaur found by Mary Anning. MeltBanana 19:28, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

- - = M--Light current 16:34, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

A show by Who, eh? That'd be one of the Tribe of Gum :) GeeJo ⁄_(c) • 01:18, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

Deer Hunting

What kind of 12-guage slugs are preferred for deer hunting? Musli Miester 16:34, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

12-guage slugs would be too messy. A 12 on the International Guage Scale, is one of those big huge gooky things that you can find in your garden. --Zeizmic 17:06, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Ew. Ah, to actually answer the question (minor spelling nazi aside: it's "gauge" - hey, I'm an editor, I can't help it): here's an article that discusses slug guns and other topics; an interesting article on slug guns from Game and Fish magazine; this one actually talks about slugs... that should give you some places to start. Cheers! Tony Fox (arf!) 17:15, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Oh, my bad! We have this Shotgun slug. --Zeizmic 17:31, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Halloween - the movie

I just watched the movie halloween. It's about a guy who kills people. There's no plot. There's no special way in which he kills people. He just sneaks up on them and kills them. His psychiatrist tries to catch him by waiting for him to appear. The sound and acting are lousy (in keeping with the budget). The teenagers aren't teenagers. And things only get going in the last ten minutes. I don't get it. What made this movie such a success? DirkvdM 16:54, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Because we like to be scared: Rmhermen 17:00, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Check out the IMDB page for the film, including the "Check for other user comments" subpage. A bunch of people explain what they liked or didn't like about the movie. The article on Halloween (film) also suggests that the movie originated much of the now-cliche guy-wastes-people-one-by-one horror genre. So it was much more original back in 1987 than it is now. Weregerbil 17:03, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

I don't get the entire slasher genre, myself. I understand suspense and mystery, but just racking up a large body count hardly seems like entertainment to me. About the only mystery in those movies is whether the next victim will be hung by their intestines of thrown live into the wood chipper. StuRat 17:38, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Well, that's part of my point. I'm not into horror movies either (unless they're funny, like from dusk till dawn)), but this one is so famous that I forced myself to watch it. But nothing much happens in the film. There are no special ways in which people get killed, no gore at all, no attempts even at special effects, only four people in all get killed and the only action is in the last ten minutes (apart from the opening scene) and even that was rather slow. Even people who are into horror should be bored to death by this. It's a 1987 film? That makes it even worse (because it is set in the sixties and because of the image and sound quality I assumed it was a sixties movie). I thought that maybe the fact that it pioneered the genre explains its classic status, but for that it would have to have been an oldie. Hell, even pre-war dracula movies look better. DirkvdM 18:12, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

It's the start of the slasher sub-genre of the much older horror movie genre. StuRat 21:59, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

1978, not 1987. Rmhermen 21:29, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

I've never seen it and don't plan to. But as a general comment, you could probably criticise a classic like Citizen Kane, on the basis that most if not all of its innovations are now either standard, or even passe. People seeing it for the first time in 2006 may well say "what was all the fuss about?". But at the time, and for a long time later, it was a groundbreaker. JackofOz 21:40, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, so everyone says. But let's be honest--Citizen Kane is a horrifically dull movie. Granted that it's historically important for the filmic techniques it introduced, it's still a snoozer, and I think it's just absurd that it keeps getting trotted out near the top of those "best films of all times" lists.

There must have been a time in the Seventies when everyone thought art films were supposed to be boring, because there was a whole run of them -- 2001, Silent Running, Duel, Vanishing Point, and I assume others that didn't manage to take two hours of my life I'll never get back. --Trovatore 17:31, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

Yes, and even Shakespeare just threw together plays out of a bunch of common phrases and stereotypes, right ? :-) StuRat 21:56, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

No, it's not that nothing new happens, it's that nothing happens at all in the movie, but I now realise that that may just be it. First, the 'normality' of everything you see (well, to a US audience anyway) makes you identify more with the people in the story. Next, you know that the killer is (or will be) in town. So I regularly thought "Ah, someone is going to appear behind you now". When that doesn't happen again and agian, I get bored (because I only believe what I see, that sort of thing), but others may tense up every time. And then when the killer finally appears, they're so tensed up they'll be standing on their chairs, despite how lousy the scene is. Something like that maybe? DirkvdM 08:24, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

This is so funny. This reminds me of the time when one of my friend finally decides to read "The lord of the rings" (note: this was before the Peter Jackson movie came out). And what was his reaction to reading the book. It was hilarious.

He said that The lord of the ring books was so cliche, it was obvious a utter ripoff of all the other fantasy books that was around back in the eighties. There is hardly anything original in The lord of the rings. Ha. Ha. ha. 211.28.178.86 09:04, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

Brits wanted to identify celebrities

Please watch the Make Poverty History Click ad on YouTube and complete (or correct) the following list: Ewan McGregor, Rachel Stevens, McFly, Lemar, Sugababes, Craig David, Ana Matronic, Steve Jones, Faithless, ?missing?, Girls Aloud, Daniel Bedingfield, Natalie Imbruglia, Ronan Keating, Estelle Swaray, ?missing? 18:01, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/t4/stars/events/mph.html Billie Piper, Cat Deeley MeltBanana 19:19, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

They don't look anything like Billie Piper and Cat Deeley.

Pretty Baby

What happens at the end of the story ( Brooke Sheilds movie ) ? Does Violet go back to her Husband , or is it an open ending ?

Pretty Baby (1978 film) may assist. --Tagishsimon (talk)

It doesnt give the ending ..

I saw this film quite a while ago, but can't quite recall. I believe Violet goes back to her family, then her husband pursues her and they all live happily ever after.

November 2

wild cats?

lion biggest? fastest cheetah? smallest osolot?

not sure about smallest

what about largest teeth and smallest?

--Thebirds07 00:09, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

Liger biggest (usually tiger largest), wild cat smallest. See also Felidae and big cat. Rmhermen 00:13, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

Actually a number of lesser known species are even smaller than the Wild cat. Including the Black-footed Cat, Little Spotted Cat, Kodkod, Leopard Cat. Rmhermen 00:25, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

I thought the Rusty-spotted cat was the smallest. The Andean cat is the absolute coolest. -THB 02:08, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

Very cool, thanks. Part cat, part squirrel? --Justanother 16:16, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

Mis-information on the Cars flim pages

On the page about the Cars film http://en.wikipedia.org/Cars_(film) Many of the cars are labled as being certain makes when there is no backing about this by Disney or Pixar. The characters that come to mind are Lightning McQueen, Boost, DJ, Snot Rod and Wingo. They have their own pages with misinformation about what their makes are. The cars that have official makes are listed in the credits and none of the ones listed there are in the credits of the film and books. The ones listed in the credits are: Dodge, Hudson Hornet, Volkswagen, Model T, Fiat, Mack, Mazda Miata, Kenworth, Chevrolet Impala, Porche, Jeep, Mercury, Plymouth Super Bird, Cadilla Coupe De Ville.

There is no mention of a Ford GT, a Mitsubishi, A Nissan, a Toyota or anything else listed on those pages. I do not have an account so I did not edit myself. I still feel that it's wrong to edit pages. Things like this end up happening.

Snakey 63.21.29.88 00:12, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

There are references. Did you not see them? For instance saying that Lightning McQueen is "A hybrid between a stock car and a more curvaceous LeMans endurance racer (like Lolas and the Ford GT40)." That apparently came from Pixar in this article ""A grease geek will guide you: 'Cars' decoded" by Dan Neil, Los Angeles Times, June 4, 2006". That link no longer works but we can probably assume that that is a true quote. The link needs to be updated. So you are saying because you did not see it in the credits, it should not be in the article here? The articles here can draw on many sources. Show me a specific one that you dispute and I will help you figure out if it is legit or not. --Justanother 00:39, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

I found the article and you may have a good point. There is no GT40 mention there but that can probably be forgiven as whoever put it in the article was trying to explain "curvaceous LeMans endurance racer". I will adjust that bit to show you how it should probably look. --Justanother 00:46, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

Take a look at Lightning now. When a wikipedia editor adds his own ideas to an article, that is called "original research" (OR) and it is not allowed. Mentioning the Lola and GT40 looks like original research as does the mention of the Buick Regal in a later one. Usually on a noncontroversial article like Cars, editors can get away with a lot of OR but if someone challenges them they have to source it or remove it. If you want to address it go ahead but be gentle. First try to find where that idea may have come from and supply the missing citation see WP:Cite. If you can't find one then just tag the fact asking for a citation; just type {{fact}} after the bit you dispute. If no-one comes back with one in a few days, go ahead and remove the uncited part. --Justanother 01:05, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

Thank you for the help. Would I add the fact dispute after each sentence? I could post a link to most of the pages I found. The Lightning reference of course would be one. Then the fact that they mention Boost is an Eclipse, Wingo is a Silvia (this is also sadly mentioned on the Nissan Silvia page not to mention the images are labled as such which would mislead people), DJ is a Scion, and Snot Rod is a Barracuda are wrong and has not backing from Disney. Should I also provide Disney/Pixar approved material such as scanning the pictures of the toys where the characters are merely described as "tuners". The toys that are based on real cars and the ones that Disney was approved to use have the manufactuer logos on the bottom of the boxes. I think the reason the villains in the movie were composites that look like parts of cars but not any real car is because the companies would not give Pixar the right to portray their products in a negative light. But some of the cars mentioned in this don't even look like the ones in the movie. Snakey 63.21.41.23 04:50, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

Remember to first try to verify it yourself. You should make a decent effort before tagging it. For example I tried to find a reliable source for Snot Rod being a Barracuda. I searched google here. There are 477 hits and I looked at the first 100 of them (you may want to look at more) and there was no reliable source. Remember, wikipedia and similar sites are NOT reliable sources. Nor are forums. A reliable source might be a newspaper or website of a reputable news firm. Here is an example of a reputable source; check it out, they mention the Buick Regal. Remember also, that the internet is only a small portion of the resources available so perhaps the source exists but we can't easily find it. That is why you ask first. Sources do NOT have to be available on the internet, they just need to be reliable and cited. It is also possible to state something in different ways that can make less than reliable information acceptable here. If a Pixar or Disney representative says Snot Rod is a Barracuda then it would be represented as a fact. If an auto columnist in a reliable source says he looks like a Barracuda, or is one, that would be presented as "Joe Blow, columnist for the Terrible Times, stated that . . ." or perhaps "Terrible Times: 'Snot Rod is a Barracuda'" in that chart. Finally, if there is a lot of fan buzz that he is a Barracuda, you might be able to say "Fans claim . . . " but that one can get dicey. And yes, you should put the tag once for each group of related facts that you dispute; once for each car perhaps but not once after each part of a statement about a specific car if you dispute it all. Just be clear about what you dispute. You should also open a topic on the article discussion page for people to talk about your ideas. And remember that although other editors may have more experience or be "better writers" (though you seem a competent writer), none are "more special" than others. We are all equal. And that one article is not "more important" than another when it comes to our desire to "get it right" so go ahead and fix Cars. Hope this helps. --Justanother 14:17, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

pink object?

size of horse head? --Thebirds07 00:18, 2 November 2006 (UTC) a toy? --Thebirds07 00:20, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

A Barbie dollhouse??? 惑乱 分からん 00:36, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

whats the question ?

An industrial size bucket of suitly emphazi? Hyenaste  01:56, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

This should make you happy: X. -THB 02:04, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

• I think a pink horse head pretty much fits your requirements. - 131.211.210.17 09:50, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

Where can I report Child Pornography sites?

I found a site that is posting ACTUAL child pr0n, where can I report them? The velociraptor 00:43, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

Google can keep you happy for hours. --Tagishsimon (talk)

The you can report the site to National Center for Missing & Exploited Children here. Jon513 14:16, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

Just go right ahead and report it here, so that the rest of us can enjoy... err... become thoroughly enraged by it.

This joke has been brought to you by. Chris No child pornography sites have been visited by this user in the past 1... 2... 3 seconds. -- 17:20, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

Chris, we are talking REAL child porn here, you know, like 5 years old; I doubt that you would enjoy it. --Justanother 17:25, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

That's kind of the idea. -- Chris 18:29, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

WWI .303 British vs 5.56 NATO

Can someone compare the World War One .303 British round fired by the British Lee Enfield Rifles with the 5.56mm NATO round fired by the US Standard Issue M4/M16? (In terms of accuracy, power, range, etc..) Thanks --Jamesino 01:52, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

We have articles on both of them. Rmhermen 02:17, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

Slightly painful lip zit

I have a tiny whitehead zit just on the corner of my lips. It's rather painful to touch, and a little jarring to see in the mirror. Should I leave it there if it's painful and wait for it to pass? Any suggestions? Just a minor annoyance, is all. 70.50.103.86 03:02, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

Try acne meds? The velociraptor 04:16, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

Attack it gently after a long hot shower since it hurts. -THB 04:41, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

Wait for it to pass. Bacteria from a whitehead can travel deeper into the skin if it's disturbed, which can lead to more whiteheads. A little witch hazel (available for a pittance from a good pharmacy or for a king's ransom at good cosmetics counters) will "dry up" the whitehead faster, which makes it less prominent and less painful. Durova 05:42, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

A little hydrogen peroxide applied two or three times a day with a q-tip will work the same way as Durova's suggestion. Anchoress 07:36, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

Whiteheads aren't caused by bacteria, they're caused by a buildup of glandular secretions (sebum). The pain is caused by the pressure. -THB 09:14, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

They're not caused by bacteria, but they do contain some, and squeezing can sufficiently irritate the pore walls to allow the bacteria entree into the surrounding tissue, leading to a pimple. Anchoress 16:53, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

It's irritating because your lip wants you do to something about it. The nagging discomfort is like a protest to the government (your brain). You can ignore the protestors, or you can appease them. A fingernail or two is the ideal tool in my vast experience. -- Chris 17:18, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

Blue heron

How long does a blue heron stand on one leg before switching legs?

Dang, I thought that was a really obscure answer to the zit question. I liked it better that way. --Justanother 04:09, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

Until it gets tired I suppose. See for some info. --Light current 04:29, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

I believe they can stand on one leg indefinitely. Unlike our legs, which must constantly use muscles while we are standing, to maintain balance, some birds seem to have a way to lock a leg into position so that the bones directly support their weight, in a stable manner, much like a tree trunk supports a tree without requiring any muscles. StuRat 05:40, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

That would seem to be correct. Budgerigars can certainly stand on one foot for 12 hours at a time whilst sleeping, so the answer will either be 'indefinitely' or 'for a very long time'. --Kurt Shaped Box 07:41, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

Having long toes of course also helps (if you don't want the wind to blow you over). DirkvdM 08:30, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

214 out of 220 blue herons measured in your locale -- wherever that may be -- stand on one leg for 381.40 +/- 57.34 seconds before switching. Each heron was given a unique and distinctive 2 oz. leg tag as to prevent it from being timed more than once. Regrettably, the tags made them easy prey for mud sharks and eagles, and 112 out of the 220 were recorded as dead before the study had ended. But, at least your question as been answered with thoroughness and precision!

This spoof has been brought to you by Chris. -- 17:13, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

Gas barbeque (or braai)

I have just bought a gas braai - that is what we call it here in South Africa - also known as barbeque. It has a gas cylinder attached to a device that allows a controllable open flame - like a gas stove I guess. The grill where the food goes is about 10 cm above the open flame. Question: is it safe to sprinkle water on the meat to keep the meat moist while cooking? Is there any danger if water falls on the open gas flame? Any danger when fat from a sausage falls on the flame? It throws quite a flame up when it does. Any other safety considerations I need to watch for? Thanks Sandman30s 11:39, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

Here is a link for safety. . We, in North America, have been blowing ourselves up for decades with these things. Number one thing is lighting it. Don't let the gas build up, or light with the lid down. Lost a few eyebrow hairs that way.... --Zeizmic 13:19, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, watch out for Carbon Monoxide buildup, too. The velociraptor 14:19, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

Gas "barbecues" often use a layer of volcanic rock or ceramic briquettes to allow the slow indirect cooking required for barbequeing. (It also helps keeps the grease and water out of the burner) Gas grills (for grilling) don't have these and are like a gas stove. Rmhermen 15:01, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

Hmm? Mine sure does. --jpgordon 16:45, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

There is absolutely no danger whatsoever in sprinkling water over your sausages. In fact it sounds like a most excellent idea. Pouring water, of course, would be highly inadvisable. -- Chris 17:02, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

10:10 clock setting

Why are new clocks displayed in jewelry stores set to the time 10:10.— Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.29.79.146 (talk • contribs)

This has been asked before. The main reasons seem to be that (a) it is symmetrically pleasing to the eye and (b) it allows the name of the clockmaker to be clearly displayed. --Richardrj 13:32, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

And what do you know, we have an article on it: 10:08. Mention of which enables me to ask a question of my own. Why are times of less than ten minutes past the hour always written with a leading zero, e.g. 10:08, 5:05. That zero serves no purpose. The number after the colon (or decimal point, sometimes) is just the number of minutes past the hour. So these times should be written 10:8, 5:5 and so on. --Richardrj 13:44, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

I can only think it is a typographical convention. I think railway timetables will be some of the oldest things to have had need to write lists of times. (Docuemnt before that, I hazard, would tend more to the "ten past two of the clock" text strings. It would be interesting to find some pre-1800 stage-coach timetables, though.) Reaching back to 1881, we see the convention observed by the Central Pacific Railroad, for instance. --Tagishsimon (talk)

When I was a kid I remember the Radio Times (which I studied religiously) used to write 5.5 for 5.05, but I've never seen it written that way anywhere else. --Richardrj 14:24, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

It's natural law, actually. ISO 8601, to be specific. —Bromskloss 16:03, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

My guess for the leading "0" is to avoid confusion. That way you know the printer hasn't dropped a digit in error, 10:3 could be 10:03 or 10:30. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 16:37, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

peak district

how can I get to the Peak District from London is there a train ? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 128.174.159.34 (talk • contribs)

Did you read Peak District#Transport? CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 16:14, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

It rather depends exactly where in the Peak District you want to get to, but travelling by train from London, you would probably need to go either to Manchester or to Sheffield and then take the local Hope Valley Line which connects the two cities.--Shantavira 16:43, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

frost wire not working

my frost wire is not working i log in and it never gets past starting connection. i have already tried your ideas on trying to work aroung the fire wall nothing has worked. please help not sure what to do?

If this is a computing question, you might fare better at the computing desk.--Shantavira 18:18, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

Why are dogs traditionally walked to the owner's left

In almost all dog training books, and all dog training television programmes, the dog is walked to the left of the owner. Is there a technical reason for this? If not technical, is there some other viable reason?

So you can enforce short lead working with the right (stronger in most people) hand?--Light current 18:17, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

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