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::My statement was about legal responsibilities, which are quite distinct from moral responsibilities. However, since you bring it up, do business owners deserve to be protected from the results of their own incompetence ? This will result in relatively more incompetent business owners, which could have other negative consequences (say when they chain all the emergency exits closed). I would definitely argue that cashiers who are incapable of giving the correct change should find another line of work, or, at the very least, should learn to double-check their work to avoid expensive mistakes. [[User:StuRat|StuRat]] 19:58, 3 November 2006 (UTC) |
::My statement was about legal responsibilities, which are quite distinct from moral responsibilities. However, since you bring it up, do business owners deserve to be protected from the results of their own incompetence ? This will result in relatively more incompetent business owners, which could have other negative consequences (say when they chain all the emergency exits closed). I would definitely argue that cashiers who are incapable of giving the correct change should find another line of work, or, at the very least, should learn to double-check their work to avoid expensive mistakes. [[User:StuRat|StuRat]] 19:58, 3 November 2006 (UTC) |
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:::The divorcing of "legal responsibilities" from "moral responsibilities" has led to, well, let's not get into that. In an ideal world there might be little difference, especially if we term "moral responsibilities" to be nothing more than [[Ethic of reciprocity|Golden Rule]]. Every question of behaviour has moral implications, this one much more than most. I am of course moralising to a poster that asked a legal question but when has introducing a tangent ever stopped us here? --[[User:Justanother|Justanother]] 20:08, 3 November 2006 (UTC) |
:::The divorcing of "legal responsibilities" from "moral responsibilities" has led to, well, let's not get into that. In an ideal world there might be little difference, especially if we term "moral responsibilities" to be nothing more than [[Ethic of reciprocity|Golden Rule]]. Every question of behaviour has moral implications, this one much more than most. I am of course moralising to a poster that asked a legal question but when has introducing a tangent ever stopped us here? --[[User:Justanother|Justanother]] 20:08, 3 November 2006 (UTC) |
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:::: I ask myself if the table was turned, and i had paid my money but neglected to collect the goods/service ''as we had agreed in our contract'', would the vendor go out of his or her way to ensure i got my service a month later? I seriously doubt it, infact i know if i went to demand it a month late I would probably be penalised for breaking the contract. I have no intention of trying to actively avoid paying the agreed fee, but i really don't see why i should go out of my way to help a business that can't even complete a simple credit card transaction (not to mention one rich enough that can afford to lose $7K without even noticing). If that makes me a bad person, then so be it. Thanks for your opinions, though. [[User:Rockpocket|<font color="green">Rockpock</font>]]<font color="black">e</font>[[User_talk:Rockpocket|<font color="green">t</font>]] 09:52, 4 November 2006 (UTC) |
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== wsup == |
== wsup == |
Revision as of 09:52, 4 November 2006
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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 --frothT C 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|(talk) 08:27, 1 November 2006 (UTC)
(edit conflict)
- Our article Stairway suggests the space is called the riser and the sharp edge is called the nosing.
- 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 TECI 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)
- Ask Monty to open one of the doors for you. --Justanother 14:38, 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)
- What? where did he second bird come from? Philc TECI 14:24, 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["Aye"], and if it turns out to be a naysayer you do ACTION["Nay"], 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". --LambiamTalk 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 talk email 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)
- 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)
- “We don’t need no education ...” – Pink Floyd, Another Brick in the Wall (Part II). — Michael J 20:34, 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)
- 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)
- 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 TECI 14:21, 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)
- 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)
- Is a "lay preacher" one that's allowed to marry ? StuRat 22:10, 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 [1] 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 (t)⁄(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)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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)
- While we're on that subject, Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin was revolutionary for it's time because it used a moving camera. But I found that boring too. But I can't remember now why that was. It can hardly be for the lack of things happening, because it was about a revolution. :) DirkvdM 07:23, 3 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)
- I thought the Rusty-spotted cat was the smallest. The Andean cat is the absolute coolest. -THB 02:08, 2 November 2006 (UTC)
Mis-information on the Cars flim pages
On the page about the Cars film http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/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 [3] 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)
- I found the article [3] 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)
- 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. [4] 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)
- This is precisely why I brought it up. There is no backing for these statments from an official Pixar or Disney person which is why it bothered me that some fan is trying to pass this off as fact. Some Pixar guy could come out of the blue and say they're all station wagons and then that would be the way it is. Coming from a scientific background I know that one should not make statements without having something to back them up. Seems to me this guy just wrote this stuff because he believes it. Another reason I didn't want to fix it myself is because he can come back at a later date and change everything back. What do you do when that happens? Snakey 63.21.9.150 18:37, 2 November 2006 (UTC)
- If "Some Pixar guy could come out of the blue and say they're all station wagons" then that would have to stand if it is reported in a reliable source (he can't come here and claim to be a Pixar guy and change everything). It is not our job to judge the credibility of a spokesperson (unless that credibility question is also reported in a reliable source); that is the job of the reliable source, that is why they are called reliable and that is why unreliable sources like forums or newsgroups are not. But that is unlikely. What is more possible is that "Some anonymous wikipedia editor could come out of the blue and say they're all station wagons". That is easy to handle. You make a commitment to wikipedia. Open an account, it is free and anonymous, make your edits, and then add the page to your watchlist so you can keep an eye on it. That is the only solution. Eventually other editors will come to agree with you and help you protect the page. Just don't think that all that goes there is "official" statements. Anything that appears in a reliable source can go there provided it is not misrepresented. Think of wikipedia as a mirror that can only reflect information from reliable sources but cannot judge that information itself or add to it. Have fun. --Justanother 19:42, 2 November 2006 (UTC)
- Yes I know that, which is why I brough this up. I know it's not likely but what I'm saying is if a Pixar person did just show up (yes he'd have to prove who he was let's say he did) then my example stands that as rediculus as it sounds they would all officially be station wagons. We're on the same side here I'm not trying to argue. You yourself said you couldn't find any reliagable sources after going through 100 links for Snot Rod. This is why I mentioned this in the first place. What I'm proposing is putting up the information that IS official from Disney and Pixar. I have my own ideas about what the cars are but that doesn't make it so. My ideas aren't backed in the credits and neither is what is here. Many people believe anything they read. I questioned the information right away. It sounded fishy to me and after looking around just as you did came to the same conclusion that there's nothing to back this up. I have the official books, have a printed copy of the credits and the official descriptions of the toys all of which were given the Disney stamp of approval. Well, I may just make an account and change those parts as you recommend. Thanks for the help.
- Great! Go for it. My point is that if a Pixar guy showed up here he still could not do his "original research" here. He would have to have it published elsewhere first (Pixar's website would be fine but not his personal website). Doesn't matter if he is the president of Pixar. You don't write original material here. These far-fetched examples can get dicey but I am sure you get my point. --Justanother 20:07, 2 November 2006 (UTC)
- Yes I know that, which is why I brough this up. I know it's not likely but what I'm saying is if a Pixar person did just show up (yes he'd have to prove who he was let's say he did) then my example stands that as rediculus as it sounds they would all officially be station wagons. We're on the same side here I'm not trying to argue. You yourself said you couldn't find any reliagable sources after going through 100 links for Snot Rod. This is why I mentioned this in the first place. What I'm proposing is putting up the information that IS official from Disney and Pixar. I have my own ideas about what the cars are but that doesn't make it so. My ideas aren't backed in the credits and neither is what is here. Many people believe anything they read. I questioned the information right away. It sounded fishy to me and after looking around just as you did came to the same conclusion that there's nothing to back this up. I have the official books, have a printed copy of the credits and the official descriptions of the toys all of which were given the Disney stamp of approval. Well, I may just make an account and change those parts as you recommend. Thanks for the help.
Oh one more thing. On the Delinquent's page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Delinquent_Road_Hazards there is no option at the top to edit the intro section where the makes of the four are mentioned. That part needs to be changed. Are there any admins that can fix things like this when this happens? And the citation needed links on the main page were removed already. Did you do this or is it our fan kid at work? Snakey 63.21.12.253 19:57, 2 November 2006 (UTC)
- Just hit "Edit this page" at the very top. --Justanother 20:07, 2 November 2006 (UTC)
- Now welcome to the "real" wikipedia! Skywatcher68 seems to be invested in that article. What you don't want to do is butt heads with him. Open your account then start a topic on the talk page about your {{fact}} templates. Work out with him how to best achieve what you want to achieve. He may well agree with you. You may also want to point at this discussion so others can see your logic and you don't have to repeat everything; copy and paste [[Wikipedia:Reference desk/Miscellaneous#Mis-information on the Cars flim pages]] By the way, you put a fact template on the one that I already fixed. Good luck. From here on out please go to my talk page if you need help as this has gone beyond the scope of the reference desk. I am happy to continue to help you. --Justanother 20:17, 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 ?
- I think a pink horse head pretty much fits your requirements. - 131.211.210.17 09:50, 2 November 2006 (UTC)
LOL... please suitly inform us as to the desired outcome of the placing of a fake horse head in your lover's bed. Chris 18:30, 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)
- The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is only for the United States however. Maybe report it to Interpol or something, I don't know. --WikiSlasher 10:51, 3 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)
- Well, while we might have a bizarre fascination with the face of the pure evil that man can bring himself to do (and eventually desensitize himself to), I would not call the gratification of that fascination, "enjoyment". Reminds me of the beheading videos; I kinda wanted to watch one but always seemed to "chicken out" before the actual deed. Mike the Headless Chicken being another matter entirely. --Justanother 18:44, 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 [5] 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!
- (deleted seemingly spoof-like (but accurate and potentially life-saving(if off-topic)) post). Edison 18:42, 2 November 2006 (UTC)
- In case it isn't obvious, I believe that last post was a spoof answer, as well. StuRat 20:16, 2 November 2006 (UTC)
- I didnt think spoof replies were allowed!--Light current 18:07, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
Pascal's waders can change legs with eyes closed. -- DLL .. T 22:41, 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. [6]. 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 are rocks in your grill? You got some funky cooker there. Philc TECI 18:34, 2 November 2006 (UTC)
- Not at all! Look at our gas grill parts article, especially the section "Rock Grates". Or, for that matter, any website selling grills; Weber doesn't use ceramic or stone, but quite a few manufacturers do. --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 18:59, 2 November 2006 (UTC)
- There are rocks in your grill? You got some funky cooker there. Philc TECI 18:34, 2 November 2006 (UTC)
- Hmm? Mine sure does. --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 16:45, 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)
- 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)
Thanks people for all the tips. Still a little confused about my new grill. My old one had the volcanic rocks as described and I used to turn on the gas and light it manually. The new one has an open flame that lights with a simple click (spark?) of the switch after turning on the gas. The people I bought it from claim that most new gas braais are like this. The grilling article does not really state that there is a different type of foodstuff that should be braaied over an open flame as opposed to rocks or briquettes. I also have a gas cylinder device that lights around the rim and cooks food on a detachable enamelled iron surface, but this is certainly no grill. Kadak have been making these things for decades here as well. Now there is competition locally between Jetmaster and Kadak. Also concerned about where I should store it. Hear horror stories about them blowing up and burning houses down. Should also not store it in direct sunlight or rain. Seems an awfully dangerous thing to have around for what it does. Sandman30s 19:18, 2 November 2006 (UTC)
- Barbecue, grilling and Regional variations of barbecue discuss different usages of terms. Where I am from barbequing takes hours over low, indirect and smoky heat will grilling takes minutes over direct flame or high heat. Quite a different final result. And millions of LP tanks are simply stored outdoors - they are rarely a problem. (Unless you shoot at them or hit the valve with a hammer, sort of thing.) Keep it out of the weather and it will last longer. Rmhermen 20:21, 2 November 2006 (UTC)
- It's an open flame and a pressurized tank of flammable gas. Of course there are safety issues. But don't be overly worrisome: learn the basic safety techniques (Google BBQ SAFETY and you will quickly find them) and then enjoy some tremendous food! You can cook all the same foods over gas grills as you can over charcoal. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the difference between direct and indirect exposure to the heat - some foods are best cooked directly over the flame, while others are better suited to indirect heat (accomplished by placing the food away from the flame and closing the lid of the BBQ to let it build up heat). :I highly recommend Weber's Big Book of Grilling as a crash-course in BBQ with lots of spectacular recipes. dpotter 00:08, 4 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)
- OK I have heard the answer to this but I was looking for the whole story. It is the time our last President was shot. Before Kennedy the clocks were set to the time Lincond was shot. Does anybody know the real story?
- 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 talk email 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 talk email 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 talk email 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)
- It's also useful for aligning times in a table so hours, minutes, and seconds line up, and for sorting them electronically. Overall, the leading zero is a very good idea. StuRat 20:05, 2 November 2006 (UTC)
- And as I've come to expect on Wikipedia these days, there is an article already at leading zero! -- Chuq 00:32, 3 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)
- Of course you could get to Buxton by changing trains at Stockport, rather than going all the way into Manchester. I'm not sure if the Manchester-Sheffield trains aren't also routed through Stockport. -- Arwel (talk) 22:51, 2 November 2006 (UTC)
- yea there's nothing at all in the transport section about getting to the district from lonodn! thanks for the suggestions.
- It may not be there in exactly the form you were looking for, but it states pretty clearly that Sheffield and Manchester are the nearest large towns, so it's not exactly a gigantic leap from there to working out that you would have to go to those places from London. --Richardrj talk email 08:37, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- yea there's nothing at all in the transport section about getting to the district from lonodn! thanks for the suggestions.
Although you don't have to book, this site may give you some ideas of duration and time os train journeys: http://www.gnertickets.co.uk/ -Stubblychin
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)
- no original research please, light current.
- No honestly, Ive seen it on TV (Dog Borstal) where you pull on a short lead to direct the dogs attention from something (like other dogs or toys or peoples legs) Anyway didnt you see the ? 8-)--Light current 23:46, 2 November 2006 (UTC)
- I saw another edition of 'Dog Borstal' tonite. Fascinating! Some owners walked their dogs on the right!--Light current 02:28, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
leadership /governance
I have heard a new term being used in regards to Board Governance (how Boards of Directors govern/lead agencies/corporations) the term is : Generative Governance. I am searching for authors/articles etc. to assist me in understanding this concept. Thank you for your assistance! Dianne --Dianne belliveau 21:32, 2 November 2006 (UTC)
Bass
Who is the greatest and most influential electric bassist in rock music history?
- Well, some would say Carol Kaye; but more would say James Jamerson (unless you've got a limited definition for "rock".) --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 00:13, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- This unsigned question is invalid. There is no objective standard by which the "greatest anything" may be named. (Largest, yes; greatest, no.) The best that can be done is to have folk name those who are, in their opinion, great and influential. Also, BTW, "great" and "influential" are by no means synonymous. B00P 00:13, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- There's no agreed-upon answer to that; many people have made contributions to the use of the bass guitar in rock, and trying to weigh them up is an impossibl task. See our electric bass article which mentions some bassists whose styles have been highly influential.
- It also depends on how you phrase the question. Paul McCartney is an enormously influential artist, and an influential bassist, but his contribution to the art of the bass guitar is arguably secondary to his achievements as a songwriter and arranger (particularly in the collective efforts of he, the other Beatles, and George Martin). --Robert Merkel 00:13, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- This question has no factual answer and therefore cannot be answered. I propose it is deleted along with the existing responses.--Light current 00:39, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- THat is one of the penalties of censorship, but at least is stops discussion going off on a tangent like this is now doing. 8-(--Light current 18:05, 3 November 2006 (UTC)--Light current 18:05, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- And why is it a bad thing for discussions to go off on tangents here? Anyway, if the question were framed, "who are among the most influential bassists" then one could indeed state a factual answer; so let's assume questions of the form "who is the best/most influential/etc" of anything can usefully be answered and discussed as who could be considered candidates for such superlatives. --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 04:28, 4 November 2006 (UTC)
- THat is one of the penalties of censorship, but at least is stops discussion going off on a tangent like this is now doing. 8-(--Light current 18:05, 3 November 2006 (UTC)--Light current 18:05, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- Les Claypool of Primus, is the undisputed king of bass, no one, no one plays as well, as fast and as technical as him, and he does it while singing! But the acctual quality of the song writing is rather limited, especially of the album Sailing on a sea of Cheese. Its not the kind of thing you would listen to, but if you wanna learn how to play bass VERY WELL, then he could probably give you a tip or two. but you would have to be exelent already. He really is the best!
- I have been influenced by Tony Levin more than any other bassist in rock music history. dpotter 00:01, 4 November 2006 (UTC)
In my opinion, although this probably wouldn't help you, Nikki Sixx in my opinion is one of the best ever. Temp 16:06, 4 November 2006 (UTC)
November 3
More bass
Just something I've always wondered. If a person can play the bass guitar, does that mean that they could also play the double bass without much extra effort? --Kurt Shaped Box 01:06, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- No, other than both being string instruments I don't think they have much in common. A cello , viola or even violin would be closer to the double bass. StuRat 02:41, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- You'd have an advantage over a complete novice at some things: having the basic musicality you've acquired while learning to play the bass guitar, knowing intervals, how far along the string you have to move to change an interval, and so forth. But in other ways you'd have a lot to learn: how to use the bow, and how to be perfectly in tune without frets to guide you are a couple of things. Producing a beautiful sound is a rather different challenge on a non-electric instrument. So it's mixed. :) Antandrus (talk) 02:46, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- Aha. Now its funny you should ask that one! I played bass guitar for about 25 yrs then decided I would like to try something different. So I took up the EUB. In fact thats mine in the article. Whilst mine is not exactly the same as the Double bass I did find it relatively easy to adapt to because mine has a 36" scale length compared with the 34" of a bass guitar and the 42 " scale length of a DB.
- I find that I can play the EUB with essentially the same fingering as the bass guitar. I cant use a bow on my EUB altho' you can on some versions. You are correct that you have to learn to use your ears more and always be on the look out for bad intonation, but the improved tone is more than worth the extra hassle. Actually after a while its not a hassle but a satisfation in getting the note perfectly in tune and saying to your self 'I made that note-- all by myself, no frets!'--Light current 03:09, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- Of course it makes a big difference if you bow it or pluck it. DirkvdM 07:34, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
I took one of my old electric basses and levered the frets out recently with the back of a claw hammer, and filled in the resulting gaps with filler. Not recommened on an expensive bass, but it has worked ok and seems to be an instrument some way inbetweem an electric and double bass...it sounds a lot like a double bass now, especially around the higher registers. --Amists 11:29, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- The standard tuning on a double bass is the same as the standard tuning on a bass guitar. My son played electric bass for about a year and a half before I bought him a double bass, and he was able to play it right away. Of course, he has an excellent ear, which is necessary for correct intonation. --Shuttlebug 22:58, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- That is truly amazing considering the 20% increase in scale length. How did he learn the new positions and the different fingering in zero time?--Light current 00:11, 4 November 2006 (UTC)
- I play both the electric and upright bass; the tuning is the same, but it takes some time to get used to bowing and the distance between notes. Because I also play violin, I simply jumped on a string bass and started playing. It's not that hard even with no bowed instrument experience; you'll figure it out in 30 minutes to 1 hour tops. It also helps to be able to read Bass Clef Good luck. Sturgeonman 00:30, 4 November 2006 (UTC)
- When you jumped on it, did it break?--Light current 01:18, 4 November 2006 (UTC)
M*A*S*H
On the television series (maybe the movie too, I haven't seen it in a while) M*A*S*H, the door to The Swamp has a symbol on it. It looks like a trident that is pointed down and it is roughly 2 1/2 - 3' in height. There is no handle, just the tines. The outer tines are somewhat curved and would make a rough oval shape if they were to connect and they also have a number of triangular "teeth" on the outer edges of the tines. The middle tine has something that resembles a split on the end of it so it's a bit forked. I can't find a picture of it on the net right now. Does anyone know what this symbol meant or why it would be on the door to the tent? Dismas|(talk) 01:33, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- This page says it is a North African symbol meant to ward off the evil eye. Someone talks about a variation of the symbol here, and gives a little more background. --Cam 02:04, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
Square county/state
Are there any perfectly or NEAR perfectly square counties in America? Thanks! 81.93.102.50 18:18, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- Iowa seems to have a lot. See Image:Iowa counties with names.jpg. howcheng {chat} 18:57, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- Holy spanking! Thanks, that's.... immense. 81.93.102.50 19:14, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- Google search for "perfectly square county" produces claims that the following are perfectly square: Walworth County, Wisconsin, Trumbull County, Ohio, Newton County, Mississippi. Also there are a lot of square looking counties in and around the Texas Panhandle. Dave6 19:43, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
There isn't really such a thing as a "perfect square" (or a "perfect rectangle" for that matter) on the surface of a sphere. The original surveying of land in much of North America was based on boundaries running north-south and east-west. An area with boundaries aligned that way has equal-length sides on the east and west, but (since we are in the Northern Hemisphere) the north side is slightly shorter than the south side. If you wanted the opposite sides to be equal, you could have that, but then they could not run straight north-south and east-west; in practice this was not done, because the north-south and east-west boundaries allow things to fit together nicely.
For example, I find on the web that Colorado's boundaries follow along 102° and 109° west longitude, and 37° and 41° north Latitude. Taking the Earth (for simplicity) to be a sphere of circumference 40,000 km, the south side of the state is then 40000×(7/360)×cos 37° = 621 km = 386 miles long, while the north side (changing 37 to 41 in the formula) is only 587 km or 365 miles.
Of course, the difference will be less for a smaller area, like a county. Presumably these counties each have sides that are straight north-south and east-west, and are very close to equal length. Which meets the original poster's requirements.
--Anonymous, 04:48 UTC, November 4.
A riddle I forgot
I remember that there is this famous riddle that I think Wikipedia has a page on, but I forgot the riddle. I think it's unsolvable or something unless u attack the syntax of the question. Anyone know what the riddle is? Jamesino 02:16, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- Gry? Hyenaste (tell) 02:22, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- Sorry, I don't think it's that one. Jamesino 02:33, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- Its the one that relies on formal logic to solve it.--Light current 02:39, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- HAve you checked Category:Riddles to see if its there? CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 05:15, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- The one with the $30 and the missing $1? BenC7 03:46, 4 November 2006 (UTC)
End of Wikipedia
What will bring about the end of Wikipedia? (apart from spontaneous combustion of all the servers) --Light current 02:36, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
What are the possible scenarios that could bring about the end of Wikipedia? (apart from spontaneous combustion of all the servers) --Light current 19:21, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- The end of the internet, of course. :-) Marco polo 02:39, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- When I gather enough seagulls together in one place and collapse their mass to create a black hole. --Kurt Shaped Box 02:40, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- Look we've already discussed that topic (a few weeks ago). Minus 20 points!--Light current 02:44, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- You mean it hasn't already ended? --Justanother 02:41, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- Yes. Alphabetagamma 03:48, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Info-pictogram.png)
--Light current 04:13, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
The Wikipedia reference desk works like a library reference desk not a crystal ball. Its purpose is to respond to questions requiring facts. --hydnjo talk 04:26, 3 November 2006 (UTC)addendum: My response is no longer valid as Lc has significantly altered the original question. BTW, if the context of a question is to be altered then it should be stricken and posed again with the new time/date so as to add context to responses to the original question. --hydnjo talk 19:15, 3 November 2006 (UTC) addendum 2: Well done and thank you Lc. --hydnjo talk 19:34, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- It will end when people post funnybut templates CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 05:13, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- Yep, funnybut templates it is. Couldn't that image be made with vector graphics, by the way? —Bromskloss 11:46, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- A spontaneous combustion of all the servers wouldn't end Wikipedia either becausse there are loads of copies on other servers and on cd or dvd and even if those would be lost somehow, people would just start all over again. So Marco Polo is right, only the end of the Internet would end Wikipedia. That is, it would stop being developed, but people would find different ways to spread the copies around. DirkvdM 07:37, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- Unless, of course, Wikipedia ends because there is a nuclear holocaust or some other natural disaster.
- A more pertinent question - would there ever be a lack of hosting funds? Sandman30s 09:14, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
I am convinved I saw a page a year or so ago that listed several possible ways for Wikipedia to end. Sadly, I've never managed to find it again. Does anyone here remember this, or know where the page is? Carcharoth 12:13, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- This sort of has a list, but it's not that long. – AlbinoMonkey (Talk) 12:22, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
I could picture Wikipedia becoming obsolete once we all have brain implants that allow us to know the answer to any question by thinking of the question, and having a computer search a repository of all human knowledge (all books ever written, etc.) for the answer. This technology might take a year or two to develop, however. :-) StuRat 19:54, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- Yes but the implant would need an efficient 'bullshit filter' 8-)--Light current 21:13, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- When fanboy cruft comprises 97% of the content. Are we there yet? --Justanother 23:29, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- Hmmm. Good point. What is the solution?--Light current 00:21, 4 November 2006 (UTC)
- The end of Wikipedia approaches as the proportion of pointless articles increases. If you look at 20 articles via "random article" how many are worth reading, i.e. "verified and notable knowledge" and how many are crap? I just did the experiment and found 5 of 20 remotely interesting or useful. The rest were info-void stubs, vanity, spam about someone's grade school or unknown rock band or a stub about a state highway. The best hope for Wiki is to work out sensible guidelines as to what is encyclopedic, then eliminate the WP:VSCA "vanispamcruftisements," WP:CB "complete bollucks" stuff only tenuously connected to reality, or WP:NFT "things made up in school one day." Edison 00:38, 4 November 2006 (UTC)
- That's a rather unreasonable standard, to be able to pick articles at random and find them all of personal interest to you. How many paper encyclopedias would meet that standard ? If there are lots of articles which don't interest you, don't read them, they don't do you any harm. Many of those items you mentioned likely interest quite a few people, although not the majority. StuRat 05:34, 4 November 2006 (UTC)
- So you marked the other 15 with a {{verify}} or {{cleanup}} or {{prod}} tag, right? -- Chuq 03:22, 4 November 2006 (UTC)
- That sounds like a deletionist argument 8-)--Light current 00:45, 4 November 2006 (UTC)
Citizendium may become so better than Wikipedia that it (Wikipedia) will eventually make no sense anymore...A.Z. 03:05, 4 November 2006 (UTC) (I wrote this, but had not signed)
Wikipedia will end with a mass exodus of most of it's users after some policy fight. That or when people realize that they cannot act on a neutral point of view as viewed from various talk pages and Afd's. I know it will involve a mass exodus. Pacific Coast Highway {Gobble Gobble! • Happy Thanksgiving!} 03:28, 4 November 2006 (UTC)
ZZZZZ. Howard Train 05:45, 4 November 2006 (UTC)
Statute of limitations for a transaction
That i really should consult a lawyer notwithstanding, could anyone shed any light on whether an agreed financial transaction has a statute of limitations under law in Caliornia? So here is the deal. I agreed a fee of around $7000 for a service. The service was provided to my satisfaction and i provided my debit card to the provider as per our contract. However, the provider did not debit my account with the amount we had agreed, on the date our contract stated payment was due. Over a month has passed and the amount has still not been taken. I'm beginning to wonder whether they have forgotten completely and am wondering whether i should contact them to remind them or just wait and see what happens. Now, what i would like to know is this: am i legally liable for the amount i owe him forever - so he could wait 10 years then demand the money from me - or at some point in time does his claim expire? Thanks. Rockpocket 06:54, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- As stated above, we do not give legal advice, and it would be generally useless, since laws vary all over the place. In general, you may have to show you made a reasonable effort to inform them, such as a registered letter. That way they can't come back at you for interest charges. The debt can stand for a very, very long time, as many court cases have shown. --Zeizmic 13:12, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- Assuming that you do not want to cheat the provider of a service that you are satisfied with; you should contact your bank and ask their advice. Perhaps the bank will contact him for you. If your question is about cheating him out of his money - see a lawyer. --Justanother 13:57, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
Don't worry about it. It's their responsibility to bill you, not the other way around. Eventually, the statute of limitations will run out. As for interest, I doubt if they would have any right to that so long as it was their negligence that caused the delay in collection. You can contact them to be a "good guy", but I doubt if you have any legal responsibility to do so. StuRat 19:45, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- Right and, when the cashier gives you the wrong change, just put it in your pocket and walk out. Never mind that the error might come out of their pay (like it did when I worked as a cashier many years ago) and never mind that the owner of firm may really need that $7000 (and the lose comes out of his pocket). --Justanother 19:49, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- My statement was about legal responsibilities, which are quite distinct from moral responsibilities. However, since you bring it up, do business owners deserve to be protected from the results of their own incompetence ? This will result in relatively more incompetent business owners, which could have other negative consequences (say when they chain all the emergency exits closed). I would definitely argue that cashiers who are incapable of giving the correct change should find another line of work, or, at the very least, should learn to double-check their work to avoid expensive mistakes. StuRat 19:58, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- The divorcing of "legal responsibilities" from "moral responsibilities" has led to, well, let's not get into that. In an ideal world there might be little difference, especially if we term "moral responsibilities" to be nothing more than Golden Rule. Every question of behaviour has moral implications, this one much more than most. I am of course moralising to a poster that asked a legal question but when has introducing a tangent ever stopped us here? --Justanother 20:08, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- My statement was about legal responsibilities, which are quite distinct from moral responsibilities. However, since you bring it up, do business owners deserve to be protected from the results of their own incompetence ? This will result in relatively more incompetent business owners, which could have other negative consequences (say when they chain all the emergency exits closed). I would definitely argue that cashiers who are incapable of giving the correct change should find another line of work, or, at the very least, should learn to double-check their work to avoid expensive mistakes. StuRat 19:58, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- I ask myself if the table was turned, and i had paid my money but neglected to collect the goods/service as we had agreed in our contract, would the vendor go out of his or her way to ensure i got my service a month later? I seriously doubt it, infact i know if i went to demand it a month late I would probably be penalised for breaking the contract. I have no intention of trying to actively avoid paying the agreed fee, but i really don't see why i should go out of my way to help a business that can't even complete a simple credit card transaction (not to mention one rich enough that can afford to lose $7K without even noticing). If that makes me a bad person, then so be it. Thanks for your opinions, though. Rockpocket 09:52, 4 November 2006 (UTC)
wsup
u guyz are awesome..thanks for all the help u give us for answering our questions.the question bout the first pre historic animal on a show,,,cud the answer be the flinstones or sumthin by hanna barbera?
- I don't know about TV-shows, and couldn't find anything older than The Flintstones in the article on Dinosaurs in popular culture, but Gertie the Dinosaur (1914) is a milestone of animated film history. ---Sluzzelin 09:00, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- Also, the old King Kong movie included dinosaurs... 惑乱 分からん 10:56, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- According to dionosaur.org it was D. W. Griffith with Man's Genesis that is the first known movie with a dionosaur in it. This is followed by his Brute Force (check out the dinosaurs name) in 1913. They do say though that there may have been others before that. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 12:01, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- Also, the old King Kong movie included dinosaurs... 惑乱 分からん 10:56, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
Sour cream
Can you freeze sour cream, thaw it, and have it taste the same as sour cream that you just bought "fresh"? Or does the freezing and thawing do something to it which is undesirable? Dismas|(talk) 11:39, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- Don't know about the taste but google says no. AS does this, this and this. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 12:06, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
Usually, you can't freeze anything that is a colloid, or a colloidal gel. The freezing disrupts structure, and separates the components. --Zeizmic 13:07, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- I've done it, and yes, it does tend to separate, but stirring will fix that problem. StuRat 19:30, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- This is a bit late, but it also depends on the ingredients in the sour cream. If it's proper sour cream - just cream and various bacterial cultures - it will likely separate. If it's that locust bean gum-laden gel that they try to pass off as sour cream at the supermarket, it won't separate per se, but it might lose its texture and become thin. --Charlene 07:05, 4 November 2006 (UTC)
To prove a single status to get married outside the U.S.
I live in Buffalo, New York and I need help to apply the following certificate/letter: 1. A marriage letter/search issued by a Registrar General office to confirm that the marriage registration or there is no registration. 2. A non-impediment certificate issued by the federal office to confirm that I am free to marry because there exists no impediment to such marriage.
I look forward to receiving your reply.
Joseph
- Dear Joseph, would you care to rewrite your question so that it makes sense? Do you want to "apply" a certificate or "apply for" one? By the way, I am unaware of any such thing. Who wants to see it? There is also no such thing as "the federal office." Marriages are matters of state law. Again, who wants to see such a thing? Where is it that you want to get married? What is your citizenship? Your bride's? B00P 14:23, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- For a non-citizen to get married, many (most?) countries require a Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage to prove that they are not already married. I applied for mine at the nearest British Embassy (I'm British), but if I still lived in the UK I would have been able to get it at my local register office. Presumably this would be the same for Americans, but you should ask the US Embassy of the country you want to get married in to make sure. Remember that if you pick up the certificate at home you may have to have it translated into the local language by some official agency (the embassy sorted all of that out for me). Ironfrost 08:32, 4 November 2006 (UTC)
- By the way, the "Registrar General" is a Canadian office, and I suspect that Joseph wants to marry in Canada. Joseph, can you please answer BOOP's questions so that we can try to help? Marco polo 16:09, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- Also, if you are trying to get these certificates from Canada, *what province* are you getting them from? The regulations and requirements are startingly different from province to province, even though the database itself is federal. --Charlene 07:03, 4 November 2006 (UTC)
currecny exchange
I have currencies x (S$) and y ($). I wish to get currency z (pound sterling).
ideally (given no commission or fee) is it EVER advantageous to convert x -> y -> z ?
If there are very small commissions and/or fees, is x -> y -> z ever better than the direct x -> z?
I assume not.....or else people would convert till it _did_ equalize/
- No, it's never advantageous. If you can, always prefer direct conversions from x to z instead of going through y. Currency agencies always take a small cut from the currency they convert, either by a difference in buy and sell rates, or as a straight provision. It's how they make a living. So the more conversions you make, the more money you lose. JIP | Talk 15:06, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- Yes there are advantages of "juggling currencies" on a large scale where the minute differences are multiplied to much exceed the trading fees. It is called arbitrage and can be a part of forex trading. --Justanother 15:23, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
excellent, I got both the practical answer and the economics theory answer in under an hour! Thanks guys.
- You are very welcome! --Justanother 15:42, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- X > Y > Z is not strictly arbitrage. -THB 00:42, 4 November 2006 (UTC)
- You would be trying to take advantage in an imbalance between the X > Y, Y > Z, and X > Z markets. While not what people traditionally think of as arbitrage it is still the same principle. --Justanother 02:02, 4 November 2006 (UTC)
- X > Y > Z is not strictly arbitrage. -THB 00:42, 4 November 2006 (UTC)
Two questions about global warming
(1) What are the two atomospheric effects of global warming? (2) Is the layer of gas thatmay be causing global warming close to the layer of ozone gases that protects us from the ulotraviolet radiation? (3) What does the word close mean in this situation?
- We won't do your homework for you, but you can probably find the answers you need in Global warming. Philbert2.71828 17:19, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
There are two types of air pollution that effect global warming:
1) Greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide, allow light through but tend to reflect heat, holding the heat inside the lower atmosphere. This is the dominate effect.
2) Particulates, such as smoke, which tend to reflect or absorb sunlight in the upper atmosphere and thus prevent it from heating the Earth's surface and lower atmosphere. This is a lesser effect, somewhat reducing global warming. Unfortunately, pollution initiatives which focus on reducing particulates exclusively may actually worsen global warming. StuRat 19:20, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
who owns christmas songs..
hi, i'm hoping to put together a christmas covers charity album where local bands each choose a classic christmas song, cover it in their own way then record the collection of songs, design an album cover and package and sell the result with help from local radio stations to raise money for the homeless this christmas. the problem is, i'm sure there are copyright issues to deal with, it's just i can't seem to narrow down the record companies who own the copyrights for the songs. can you help.. thanks a million jeums194.46.252.83 18:35, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- Some are old enough to be public domain songs, while others are not. Try looking up each on Wikipedia, or elsewhere, to find out who wrote them. If it's a recent song, then copyrights may well be an issue. StuRat 19:00, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- [After edit conflict] We cannot give legal advice, but as long as they are traditional Christmas songs you should be alright. Read our copyright article. (Haven't you left it a bit late for "this Christmas"?)--Shantavira 19:01, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- Acknowledging we do not give legal advice, check ASCAP and BMI. If by "traditional" you mean songs like Silent Night you can probably assume the song (if not a particular arrangement or performance) is public domain. If you are thinking Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer think again. You will probably need to find the copyright holder and follow the proper legal procedures, which might require obtaining rights and paying a royalty of so much per recording. The penalties are high in comparison to the royalties, and composers rightly love their payments. Edison 21:47, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- A little bit of searching will provide you with both lyrics and sheet music that are in the public domain. Some of them are available for free but most will charge under US$5 (or used to). These are usually scans of public domain sheets in PDF format. However, you must read the information on the site you buy the PDF from to see what their license agreement is for public performance and redistribution. As an example Sally De Ford provides free sheet music but it's her arrangment and requires you contact her for the commerical license. On the other hand Roger McGunn's might be providing free arrangments as his is available at Project Gutenberg. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 23:48, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
Terrorstorm
Several weeks ago, the entry for the documentary Terrorstorm was deleted. As I recall, notability was one of the issues. However, I believe that was a smokescreen.
However, the film has become available via "mainstream" sources (e.g., Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble) and is currently 17th on Amazon.com's DVD sales. [8]
I would like to repost an article for it. GeorgeC 18:45, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- It was redirected. The deletion log doesn't have anything too informative. But there is information on the page Terrorstorm redirects too (near the bottom). You might want to work on adding cites etc to that article first (?) --Cody.Pope 19:18, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- Sorry, it looks like it used to go here: Alex Jones (radio)--Cody.Pope 19:21, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
I was just seeking permission from an administrator. GeorgeC 19:31, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- This is the Reference Desk. You want the Help Desk.--Shantavira 19:55, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
touching an lcd screen
My screen is constantly dusty so I use my shirt to wipe it off... and every once in awhile of course I push a little too hard and make it "ripple". Can this damage the screen? "Common knowledge" says yes but I can't think of any reason why anything short of piercing the screen or smashing the front so hard that it damages the electronics under the liquid crystal should damage it in any way --frothT C 20:07, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- Its the glass you are slightly distorting putting stress on the liquid hence causing the color change. I dont think this causes any damage.--Light current 21:19, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- This site indicates that it is possible to damage the screen by touching it. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 23:53, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
pension?
As I approach 40 and have no pension apart from the uk state pension (uk resident), is it better to just invest in tax free ISAs (at 5%) rather than giving my money to some random pension company to invest it for me? The question is what will the difference in monthly returns be? Will a legitimate pension be worth the risk? TIA
- This gets technical but addresses your issue, I think. Modern portfolio theory You are, of course asking about risk vs return. A weighty topic to be sure and one I am not expert on. There are tons of websites geared to the investor like Motley Fool. You should post on the boards at those sites. Not to say that someone here more knowledgable than I on the subject won't give you good advice, it is just beyond the scope of this forum, I think. --Justanother 23:25, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- This question is more suited to an Independent Financial Adviser who can take into account all the relevant circumstances. For example, the rate of return will depend on your attitude to risk, initial commissions, and your tax environment. Your tax situation will depend on your economic activity and conjugal situation. You also need to consider your spending requirements and need to access the capital when choosing between the two. Some ISAs have performed well over the medium to longer term, but some have failed miserably. Equally, some pensions have been very disappointing. -- zzuuzz (talk) 23:33, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
THe best approach IMO is a company pension scheme. Failing that, you can open a personal pension that has tax advantages on the contributions. Who to choose as your pension company is a very difficult question. Go see an IFA Oh BTW expect to put a very large amount in per month at your age 8-(--Light current 23:29, 3 November 2006 (UTC)
- Life is extremely risky! 8-)
November 4
Question to smokers about addiction
A smoker in my philosophy class was discussing the addiction of smoking today. She seemed careless to it, and she unconvincingly told us (many times) that she's tried quitting and is trying. What does the addiction to cigarettes feel like? I was thinking about it and compared it to eating spicy foods with only water to quench your thirst. Milk or dairy products are better for stopping spicy foods, while water just spreads the spice around, but not before some temporary relief. Is this what it feels like to be addicted? Is it like a need you have that you temporarily quench with something that only makes it worse? 70.50.103.86 01:18, 4 November 2006 (UTC)
- What's your favorite food? Do you ever crave it, and if you have it nearby or have the money, would you not eat it? It's roughly like that for cigarettes, only I guess it might be more of a habitual behavior than a craving for food. At least, that's my take on it. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 04:13, 4 November 2006 (UTC)
- High level course? Over here, philosophy is a freshman level college course, I believe. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 05:30, 4 November 2006 (UTC)