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Reference Desk

October 13

TV commercial credits

Does anyone know any source for finding specific data on actors, directors, etc. for television commercials?--Fuhghettaboutit 00:45, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

If you're talking about a database or compendium of commercials, I highly doubt it. If you're thinking of a particular ad or actor, it should be pretty easy. OTOH, since I am the Misplaced Pages Google Queen, I should actually check google before posting. Database of Television Commercials. Google results for 'database of television commercials'. Anchoress 00:59, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for the effort. I am quite the Google king myself and have found bubkis for specific actor credits for many nationally broadcast commercials. Databases such as the one you posted are not generally helpful. There must be at least a source that those in the industry use. I'm not necessarily looking for an online source. An industry book I could send away for would fit the bill.--Fuhghettaboutit 01:15, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

The thing is (this was my original thought), I don't think they'd bother. Unlike movie directories, there would be no economic benefit to justify the work. I think the best approximation would be that talent agencies probably keep records of all the commercials their representees (is that a word?) participate in, and PR agencies probably do the same for their clients. Networks might also keep catalogues, but I doubt they'd publish them. But, I may be totally wrong. :-) Anchoress 01:24, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Maybe. However, think about it from an actor's perspective. Being able to cite your previous work is everything, so they'd likely want such memorialization. Also I have noticed a number of actors who appear in multiple commercials but whom I have seen nowhere else. Plus, there's huge money in commercials and actors who specialize in it. I bet it exists (but both of us are flailing in the dark). Hopefully and insider will come along and we'll both get an answer:-).--Fuhghettaboutit 02:16, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Lactic Acid Pain

I don't really understand the article on Lactic Acid where it says where the muscle pain comes from. The article states that lactic acid is not directly responsible for the pain in your muscle and states other reasons. I didn't really follow the reasons, so could someone break it down for me in simple step-by-steps on why lactic acid is related to muslce pain in sprinting and what really causes the pain? Thanks a lot. --Jamesino 00:48, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

On an largely unrelated note: if you get lactic acid pain from drinking milk, stop drinking milk for a while. In fact, you may want to go off ice cream as well. Sooner or later you'll feel like eating ice cream again. Do not fight this urge! Eat ice cream again! Later, you'll feel like having milk again. Do not fight this urge! Drink milk again.

I'm not going to bother providing a 'scientific explanation'. Just give your body a break from milk for a time, and you'll feel much better as a result.

I apologize for the staggering irrelevance of this info. Chris 16:43, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Most embarassing way to die?

What do you reckon, guys? What would be *the* number 1 most emarassing circumstance for your loved ones to find your dead corpse in? Death by autoerotic asphyxiation? Death during a homosexual act when they thought you were straight? Death from pushing too hard on the toilet? Brain haemorrhage during masturbation? Opinions? --Kurt Shaped Box 01:01, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

It would never happen to me personally, but being found dead with one's genitals attached to the hind end of a sheep would be pretty high up in my estimation. Electrocution due to trying to stimulate one's prostate with a cattle prod would also figure prominently. Anchoress 01:04, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Oh yeah, how about the guy who was fucked to death by a horse? Just remembered that one... --Kurt Shaped Box 01:08, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

That raises a very interesting question: How many peoples prostates have you tried to stimulate using a cattle prod? BTW I thought all corpses were dead! --Light current 01:11, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

I think Stephen Milligan died in one of the worst ways imaginable for a British Conservative party MP... (it's just hard to remember that he had a promising political career in a party just kicking off a 'Back to basics' drive when you know that he was found by his secretary, hanging from electrical flex, wearing only suspenders, with an orange segment in his mouth...) Although horse guy might be pushing him for a winner...--Mnemeson 01:14, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

For the Americans reading this..."suspenders" in Britain means a garter belt. A frilly garter belt, in this case. (I understood he was also wearing pink satin knickers (panties for the Americans)). Charlene.fic 01:26, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

I dont understand the orange segment bit! Any explanation?--Light current 01:18, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

A dildo ? StuRat 01:28, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

I don't think that anyone else did either. --Kurt Shaped Box 01:24, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

I thought they found him with a whole satsuma in his mouth? --Kurt Shaped Box 01:24, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Maybe he was a fan of The Godfather. Anchoress 01:26, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

From memory, the point of the orange segment is that it was a popular method for self administring amyl nitrite at the time. I'm not exactly sure how - I thought the idea was that you buy a small glass phial of amyl nitrite from your local sex shop, wrap the phial in some orange rind, and once all your other preparations are complete (you might not have to go as far as Stephen Milligan), bite down on the orange rind to break the phial and release the poppers. However, on checking some online sources, an alternative might be to inject a segment of orange with the amyl nitrite then chew the orange to release the vapours when ready. -- Solipsist 13:40, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

What about replicating a Darwin Award winner? I could cope with my relatives thinking I was some kind of perv; but I'd really prefer not to have my heirs convinced I was dumb. --Robert Merkel 01:28, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

The guy who decided to play Russian roulette with a semi-automatic pistol has got to be a contender. --Kurt Shaped Box 01:38, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Wasn't there a woman that ended up with a womb full of mud shrimp after using a lobster to masturbate with? Then she died of an infection or something? I can't remember her name now but theres probably an article on her.

Yes, there was. In the twisted fantasy world of the email hoax. Anchoress 01:37, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

I was trying to post that when I got an edit conflict. You ever notice how 90% of urban legends about masturbation are about horrors that happen to women when they do so? Gee, I wonder why... --Charlene.fic 01:44, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Probably because most of the funny/embarassing stories about guys who have accidents whilst masturbating are true. :) --Kurt Shaped Box 01:48, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

List of people who died in the bathroom. List of unusual deaths. User:Zoe|(talk) 01:35, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Per the article Nelson Rockefeller die in the saddle, so to speak, and it took a couple of hours to get him dressed before medical personnel were summoned? Not really that embarrasing. I expect that many em-bare-ass-ing demises are covered up.Edison 04:57, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

I've heard that Stalin died because when he was in agony, no-one dared touch him for fear fo doing something wrong. This has happened to quite a few other autoritatian leaders, including some Roman emperors, I believe. DirkvdM 08:44, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Based on the above examples, I think Im going to go for Stephen Milligan. I mean thats pretty extreme in lots of directions at once. I can only think of one thing that could make it worse. And no, Im not going to say what (but it could involve a donkey or horse). 8-)--Light current 14:00, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

For my grandmother, it would have been to die with a house that was less than pristine.Edison 14:29, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

or die in a car accident with dirty underwear... --Zeizmic 15:18, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Ah that's the one that's most embarassing for your mother! People may think she never washed 'em! 8-)--Light current 15:23, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

This one didn't make the papers, but I'd rank it up there: about ten or twelve years ago I was Rollerblading in Central Park one weekend when an ambulance and some other emergency personnel came in. This was more than the usual someone-broke-his-leg fuss so I got the skinny on the situation. Down at the southern end of the park some horse carriages offer romantic rides, usually to out-of-town tourists. Now those romantic horses produce some rather unromantic waste. This produces an organic obstacle course of sorts for everyone else who traverses the same pavement. Given that thousands of people worked out in the park, I suppose it was only a matter of time until someone slid on the stuff, hit his head against a curb, and died of the head injury. Of course you could just say this whole story is a pile of manure since I don't have a source to prove it. Durova 19:01, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Gutting, somebody who actually slipped in shit and died. Philc _TC 19:28, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Well thats not embarassing at all for his relatives etc. It wasnt his fault. Surely someone should only be critisiced for some thing they consciously intend to do or do do (no pun)--Light current 10:46, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Mining claims

What is the difference between a patented mining claim and an unpatented one?

According to this you have to file a mining claim in order to eventually get a patent (applies to the US Wild wild west). I take it to mean you can pan gold on a standard claim, but if you really want to destroy all the land, you need a patent. --Zeizmic 17:00, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Miss Washington Pic

Hello, I am the current Miss Washington USA, and I was wondering how I can change my picture on this site to a more updated one? Thank you for your time, Sincerely, Tiffany Doorn Miss Washington USA 2006

Misplaced Pages:Uploading images -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 05:42, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

We'd all be happy to do it for you! Although Washington is a bit far for me to go with my camera ... ;) --Zeizmic 14:26, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

High quality video website?

I am looking for a website where serious people upload videos they've created. I hope to find a site much more sophisticated than YouTube. Does anyone know of such a site? Thanks for ideas. --70.231.133.238 04:53, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

If you're at all interested in videos created within video-game settings, check out machinima.com.  freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ  06:56, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

You're going to have to be a little more specific than "serious people" and "sophisticated". What kind of content are you looking for? Sports? Video games? Indie Films? Politics? youTube has a vast amount of content out there, some that might appeal to you, other stuff that might not(I'm guessing kids lip-syncing pop songs isn't your thing). —Mitaphane _talk 09:28, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, there are some good stuff at YouTube (as long as the movie isn't longer than a few minutes) like old music videos and cartoons. You could try a search engine for interesting topics... 惑乱 分からん 11:16, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Try Revver at http://www.revver.com/ ☢ Ҡi∊ff⌇↯ 14:53, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for your responses. I'll go back and explore youTube a little more, but what I'm looking for is a site where people "workshop" their videos with other people in a respectful and collegial way. The content is not so important to me, but documentaries or indie shorts ARE probably more appealing than lip-synching music videos. Thankx again.

How to post our question into mediawiki site

Hello, Any one please tell me how to post a question in midiaweki site. Thank You, Your's Friend

Anyone (including non-registered users) can post questions on talk pages within the help section of the community portal. First click on the button at the top if you are a user, system administrator, or developer.  freshofftheufoΓΛĿЌ  06:45, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Are There Bachelor Degrees In Landscape Architecture?

Danke.100110100 07:27, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Google is your friend. —Mitaphane _talk 07:52, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Danke schön.198.166.59.152 10:18, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

You already asked this if I remember correctly. I posted images of a thermometer and said something along the lines of "there are almost 100 degrees on this landscape" edit: Ah found it. Nice reply dirk I never saw that :D --froth 20:28, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Distribution Centers

How would you select a location to build a distribution center?

Find out where the geographical center of your customer base is, put up a building or lease one. Not a good answer for your essay question since you'd probably want something longer but I'm sure you can find more to back it up in your text book. Dismas| 09:39, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Seems like you would want to consider the lowest overall cost. Depending on the goods, you might want to have rail access. You must distribute the goods, so factor in putting it near the location from wich distribution costs will be lowest, minimizing distance to the retail locations. But the cost of the land is a variable to consider, so maybe put it in a location which is not at a premium. You have to have workers available who will work tirelessly at low pay and not organize to demand high pay. Edison 14:35, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Somewhat depends on how your product line is distributed. If quick delivery is important, then you might want to locate near an air hub of one of the major logistics companies. As Edison said, if your product will be delivered by rail, then you would want to choose a centrally located rail hub that would minimize your transport costs. If your product will be delivered by truck, which is probably the case for most products these days, then you want a central location close to a major highway. If your product is imported from overseas or exported overseas by ship, then locating close to a major port would make sense. In any case, you want relatively cheap land, so a declining industrial district might be sensible, particularly if it is vacant or if you can reuse the existing buildings. Marco polo 17:46, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

historical item

Hello i just do not know where to start i find myself suddenly in possesion of an unusual item and do not know how or where would be best to have it identified/explained etc . It is or appears to be a walking cane spindle like with a whole through at top presumably for a strap then various carvins such as the german nazi symboland ss also a tank skull & cross bones also the word Friesenwall 1944 .Please can anyone enlighten me or perhaps point me in the right direction i would be very grateful, Thank you for your time and trouble. Kind Regards Andrew

Sounds like the stick a Nazi tank commander would have. Look up Panzer--Light current 13:05, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

There's nothing about sticks in the panzer article. And nothing to suggest that others in WW2 Germany might not have had sticks. There seem to be abunch of people interested in nazi memorabilia, doubtless ranging from auction/clearance houses, to right wing idiots. I'd take some photos of it & start talking to them. (Actually, I'd probably toss it into my next bonfire, but there you go.) --Tagishsimon (talk)

Whats that thing on the table in front of the officer? looks like the top of a stick to me! 8-)--Light current 13:51, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

You must have a better monitor than me. or something. --Tagishsimon (talk)

Yeah if you load photo into a viewing program and zoom in you can see that the white thing resembles a cylindrical ribbed object (probably carved ivory) like the handle of an umbrella or stick. THere also seems to be a strap attached to the top, but its very difficult to be sure about that.--Light current 17:21, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

This babelfish translation of a German wikipedia page may explain Friesenwall 1944. --Tagishsimon (talk)

coughing and weezing? asap

What does this mean? That you have a serious cold? Cursa 14:34, 13 October 2006 (UTC) asap

That you have a respiratory tract illness. Could be a cold or flu. Could be bronchitis (sp). Could be all sorts of other things. Could be air pollution or the inhalation of particulate matter. Always check with a Doctor if you have concerns, never rely on the interweb. --Tagishsimon (talk)

Willy on Wheels

Who was this guy and what did he do. I know he was notorious, but I can't find any records of things he has done. THL 14:40, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Did you Google? 64.198.112.210 15:22, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Ah, thank you. THL 16:08, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

See WP:DENY. User:Zoe|(talk) 04:27, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Well, that explains why there are no records. Obviously the community feels that it was necessary to remove almost all records, but that seems really outrageous to me, especially making the page histories available to Sysops only. Then again, I wasn't here when he was around, so who am I to express an opinion. THL 07:12, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

I think that is so that no one can recreate the pages, but I may be wrong.--Light current 10:32, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

• Page histories are available to everyone. You're talking about deleted page histories. They're not available, those are deleted because they violate rules and if everyone could read those, it would defeat the use of deleting them in the first place. Blatant adverts or attacks on people that get deleted would still be visible. It would make Misplaced Pages a mess instead of a work in progress. You can always ask a sysop to provide you with a copy or a summary if you really need it. - 131.211.210.14 10:12, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

I just wanted to know what exactly he did. The google results gave me all of the info I need. Thanks everyone. THL 13:08, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Credit Card Offers

I understand you can send letters to a group of organizations (US), and the credit card offers will stop. (Experian Target Marketing, Equifax Options, Trans Union Corporation, I believe.) What, exactly, are you supposed to send them? Should it just be a piece of paper saying "Stop sending stuff"? Should I include both my mailing addresses? Do I need to give them my name, social security number, some kind of proof I am who I say I am... What? Black Carrot 16:10, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

What you would want first, is concrete proof that any of this actually works. --Zeizmic 17:02, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Take a look at https://www.optoutprescreen.com/ -- considering its support, I suspect it actually works. I'll let you know in a few months... --jpgordon 17:10, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

In a few months you will already know if it works? How many of those things do you get? I suppose this is a US thing. I once saw in a film that if someone gets hold of such a credit card they can start using it *there was some trick involved) and the addressee gets billed even though they never did anything. Is this true? DirkvdM 07:34, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

I get several of those offers a week. No big deal, just work for the shredder. The addressee can get pretty badly messed up via identity theft somehow, is my guess. --jpgordon 08:25, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Usually the method of validation is to call them from your home phone and they'll check the incoming call number against the number they have on file for your address. So I guess you could break into their home and call, then take the card, or maybe a skilled phreaker could do it --froth 19:18, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Ah, yes, I think I recall now that in the film they rewired the phone lines or something. But this is ridiculous. If a company thinks up a spamming scheme that goes wrong, then how can they expect the person they spammed to pay for it? How can this be legally possible? DirkvdM 06:31, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

When you make the call you agree to their terms of service (ie you'll be charged for purchases). Yeah, they make it as easy as possible to get into crushing debt --froth 19:43, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

How can a phone call replace a signature? That could be anyone on the other side of the line, especially if it is not the company that makes the phone call. DirkvdM 04:09, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

• Check snopes.com first. I've heard about scams that mask as such services but actually spread the info you're trying to stop since you are a confirmed target when you respond. On my email I use filters to get rid of such offers, when I get them in paper through the mailbox, they'll go straight to the paper recycling bin. It will take a while, but eventually they'll stop because you're not useful to them. - 131.211.210.14 10:08, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Problems trying to goatse

I've been trying to goatse for about a month now and am considerably more able now than before; however, I am beginning to experience pain during defecation. Any ideas on what it is? P.S. I will go to a doctor, but I still would like some advice.

You're probably trying to do too much too soon. Rome wasn't built in a day - the Goatse Man probably took years to work his way up to that diameter. --Kurt Shaped Box 18:51, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Btw, to prevent such accidents to happen in the future, is there a manual at Wikibooks? @_@ 惑乱 分からん 19:02, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

For the love of God why? --froth 19:28, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Behind every legend there is a thousand followers. ☢ Ҡi∊ff⌇↯ 19:39, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Because they can! --Kurt Shaped Box 20:43, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

How much money will you have if each living person in the world gives you ONE unit of his/her own currency (dollar, euro, pound, yen, RMB, ruble, won, ...) -- Toytoy 19:42, 13 October 2006 (UTC

This is actually not as hard as it looks. Take a population estimate from a country and insert it on http://www.xe.com (my favorite) and select the country and to change it into your currency. Do this with every country (which may take a while), and then add. This is your answer. Reywas92 19:55, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Several hundred million from america alone. Latin america and japan would probably add up to like a thousand dollars USD. EU states' money is worth a lot but I don't think they have as much population as america. not sure about china and india's currency exchange --froth 20:26, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Derail - the population of the EU is half as large again as that of the US - you would get the most money from the EU as they have the 3rd largest population and the strongest currencies (Euro and GBP). Natgoo 08:14, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

What do you mean with "derail", "half as large" and "3rd lardest population"? Also, you might lose some of the money trying to find a good way to get rid of your millions of North Korean Won. 惑乱 分からん 12:26, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

'Derail ' indicates a tangent - it's a sort of a shorthand for apologising for posting something somewhat off-topic (derailing the thread). 'Half as large again' means 1.5 times as large, as in the population of the EU (~450m) is 1.5 times that of the US (~300m). Taken as a whole (which is appropriate in this context), the EU is the world's third most populous geo-socio-political entity (after China and India). Natgoo 16:05, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

OK, I didn't know about derail, but still wonder whether "half as large again" really is correct English. It sounds rather weird to me... =S 惑乱 分からん 17:10, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Chess - must say check?

I can't seem to find it anywhere, is a chess player required to say check when he moves into the position? Thanks! Reywas92 19:42, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Only one dissenting (wrong) view on the entire first page --froth 20:14, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

The rules of chess seem to say so. AMP'd 20:23, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

No they don't. They actually say the opposite. Anchoress 20:29, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Go easy on the newbie! I was assuming that he wasn't playing professionally! AMP'd 22:00, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Are you the newbie? Because I was replying to you. The OP asked if it's required to say check, and the article you linked to says no, it isn't. Anchoress 22:05, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Yes, I am, and that was what I got out of the article on chess. Sorry.AMP'd 22:07, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

LOL How is it being hard on you to point out that the article you linked to doesn't say what you indicated? I'm sorry if I've seemed harsh or if you took offence, but I really don't understand. Anchoress 22:13, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

I quote from the linked article "In informal games, it is customary to announce check when making a move that puts the opponent's king in check. However, in formal competitions this is not only unnecessary but may be considered annoying or distracting." -- SGBailey 22:39, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Exactly. In other words, it is not required to say 'check'. Anchoress 22:49, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Glad we've established what I said two hours ago --froth 19:12, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Considering his asking about Chess rules on wikipedia id say its fairly certain his not in any formal competition, and therefore it would be "customary to say check". Joneleth 00:44, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, but look at his question. He actually italicised required. That's what he's asking. Is it required. Anchoress 02:44, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Sidenote: speed chess (5 minutes or so each) is often played with the rule that moving the king into an attacked position isn't illegal. Nor is it required to say 'check'. So you can actually take the opponent's king. But if you fail to do so, they can then move the king out of harm's way. All this because the warnings would take too much time for speed chess (which happens to be my favourite version of the game). DirkvdM 07:39, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

• In formal tournament chess, saying "check" is not required. In a friendly "skittles" game, the rule is whatever the two players say it is (the default being that there is no such requirement). Saying "check" (and "guarde" when the Queen is attacked) went out of fashion with the advent of the chess clock in the late 19th century. B00P 09:42, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Quotation mark usage

I am in an argument with my teacher about this. Does an individual letter in writing or a list need quotation mark around it?
I say: . . . . My teacher says:
Lunch B . . . .Lunch "B" . .(it is specifying one of the different lunch times at my school)
I earned an A on the test. . . . I earned an "A" on the test.
It says nothing about it on the article (Quotation mark), leading me to probably be right. Which is correct? Please be definite. Thanks! Reywas92 19:42, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

This is a perfect question for the language desk :) But I think you can do it either way. --froth 20:20, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Your teacher is wrong. You only need the quotation marks if you are discussing the letter as a letter. In the examples you gave, you are not actually discussing the letter itself. If teachers were all that intelligent, they would have better jobs. --Nelson Ricardo 01:19, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

There is an implication that something unnecessarily placed in quotes is questionable. That's why it is funny to see a menu that says "Enjoy our 'fresh' salads."Edison 22:26, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Tom Monagahan

Hi, Can you please tell me how I can reach Tom Monaghan (ie)e mail address or any other address, thank you for your help on this matter. Kind Regards Diarmuid Scullin

Who's Tom Monagahan? We don't seem to have an article on him and you don't give us any clues as to where he lives/works/etc. So the best I could offer is trying the phone book. Dismas| 21:59, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Spelling counts, dearest Diarmuid. Tom Monaghan—the Domino's Pizza guy. Hyenaste  22:56, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

If you reach him, tell him my pizza too arrived cold. TIA  --Lambiam 00:13, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Tell him my pizza arrived a solid brick of grease with no distinguishable pizza features --froth 19:16, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

October 14th

is there some reason all the questions under October 14th have disappeared?--66.65.155.117 20:33, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

• That was odd--66.65.155.117 20:36, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

dewey decimal system

What is the dewey decimal system?

See Dewey decimal system Reywas92 20:07, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

who's dewey?!! --froth 20:22, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Same answer - see Dewey decimal system B00P 09:30, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Didn't you ever see that episode? :) The whole arthur gang was singing about how having fun isn't hard when you've got a library card. One of the lines in the song is about the dewey decimal system. Throughout the episode D.W. demands to know who's dewey?!! A bit esoteric I guess. --froth 19:14, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

How many countries are poor and consistently getting poorer?

The heading is my question.

Basically most countries in Africa. --69.51.87.130 20:56, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Most are getting richer. Philc _TC 22:07, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Globalization is pretty much making all poor countries richer with the exception of various african countries because of their continious state of war between the local tribes. Joneleth 00:41, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

52 .THL 04:56, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Depends very much how you define 'poor'. Do you measure GDP or something more realistic like the Human Development Index? But those are about the averages. If you focus on just the poor people in a country, Human Poverty Index makes more sense (alas the article only shows rich countries). And at what level would you put 'poor'? I'm fairly sure I once saw a map on Misplaced Pages that answered your question, but I can't find it right now. But very roughly speaking 'most of Africa' just about covers it. DirkvdM 07:52, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Depends very much how you define "poor". If you compare GDP or GNP, you would not go much further than the obvious.

For example, I think people in the U.S. are getting poorer and poorer despite of the obvious. Let's see, if you see mass transportation as important as clean water supply, many U.S. towns and even cities are without a usable mass transportation service. You may drive a car. You may buy each family member a f**king huge SUV or a military surplus M-1 main tank. You may also provide old and handicapped people free buses. These things cannot replace a mass transportation system that works.

Many people in the U.S. are also unable to afford medical care, because of high wages for medical workers and lack of insurance coverage. Many could not afford a plumber. You can import cheap DVD players manufactured in China. You can import butchers from Mexico. But how do you import all your bus drivers, garbage collectors, chefs, florists, dentists ... from India, Yugoslavia, Gabon, Albania, ... ?

Many children in the U.S. are unable to receive enough parental care. Either their parents are spending countless hours driving to and from work, or their parents are watching TV, or all of them are watching TV. Families could not afford to go to a show with live performers. These kids may also receive no wholesome education other than a cheap calculator that replaced basic math training.

A great majority in the U.S. cannot afford wholesome food. Either they have too much soda or they have to eat canned and frozen food. Many do not buy beef or pork and cook at home. Most do not even go to a restaurant with a chef who really cooks. Instead, they have miserable fast food. They eat too little greens and too much fried potato and fat.

In many places, personal safety and privacy are also becoming more difficult to obtain. In many U.S. cities and towns, jobs are more difficult to find nowadays because local business owners are closing their doors. People would drive to a far away Wal*Mart rather than walk to the main street to buy their food. As a result, more people are jobless and hopeless than ever. They may not survive a winter without strong U.S. dollar, cheap oil and dirt cheap importation from the 3rd world.

Now tell me how many countries are getting poorer and poorer because they follow the footsteps of the U.S.? -- Toytoy 12:28, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

If you define poverty based on a fixed set of reasonable criteria, we are getting to be poorer and poorer. For example, you may afford to watch 1000 hours of programs on TV and 50 computer graphics SciFi movies in theaters a year, but how many quality live performance shows can you see?

You may have a zillion downloaded MP3 songs in your hard disk. Can you play an instrument such as a flute like a poor farm kid in India?

If you change the items in your basket of goods, you may find yourselves getting richer and richer. But otherwise, you are getting poorer and poorer. For example: in the 19th century, you could walk to the shops and talk with the person behind the counter. Today, you can drive to a Wal*Mart and ... whatever. You get machines and machines but you lose yourself and friends. -- Toytoy 12:47, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

somebody's jealous of america :) --froth 18:50, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

And obviously it's not Toytoy. DirkvdM 06:39, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Toy-toy, your idea of 'wealth' and 'worth' etc. is your own. Mine is mine. Do not look down on my idea because you believe live-performances beat tv, or playing an instrument beats listening to one played. One man's rubbish is another's treasure. Be careful not to fall into the trap in believing your treasure is more worthy than anyone elses. ny156uk 21:01, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

I'm pretty sure that I saw in the Economist and table which showed that almost everywhere in the world had increased its wealth. Disparity of wealth across a nation, however, will lead some to quesion wealth based purely on a whole naiton. If by poor you mean little possessions then there may be more poor than you think, if by poor you mean few of the vital requirements for life (food/water) then fewer than realised. Whilst it is extremely sad that some will have more than others, envy shouldn't be displayed at those more fortunate. A A Gill said when he visited Africa that the thing that scared him most was the laughing and flirting, and fun that children had. I believe that across the world almost everybody has benefited from global trade but many will disagree - unfortunately wikipedia doesn't have a 'debat forum' i know of so here's not really a place to detail why. In short depending on the timescales you compare (poorer than 50 years ago?) and the definition of poor, you will get different results ny156uk 09:34, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

I have also noticed that the poorer people are, the happier they are (provided they are not starving, of course). It seems weird, but is may have something to do with the point Toytoy seems to try to make. Poverty is not just measured in physical wealth. There are also values like a good community and friendship. The basic necessities of a human are enough to eat and drink, protection against the elements, preferably good health care and good companionship. Wealth can actually get in the way of good companionship. The best example I can think of is Cuba. Cubans are possibly the happiest people I've ever met. They're not rich, but they've got enough to eat, proper drinking water, a much better health care system than other poor countries and some of the best music in the world. What else could they need? DirkvdM 04:19, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Happiness is almost impossible to define, even harder to compare across nations. Surveys rarely work as cultural differences have a big effect (or is it affect?) on people's responses. Some national identities mean they will rarely say they are much more than just 'ok', others never less than 'great'.

I agree money is no guarantee of happiness, but neither is the 'simple life' - which is what many people seem to yearn for. I am sure many Cuban people are very happy, but I am also sure they have their fair share of social problems. I guess the answer is nigh on impossible. In real wealth terms someone can answer who has become more poor, but when people begin to put a value on that which is not monetary based then it becomes opinion. As Toytoy notes it could be live-performances/time with children/etc. etc. or as I tried to say it could be almost anything. I think overall happiness is a state of mind, not a state of circumstances, but said circumstances will influence how easy it is to feel happy. Good chat everybody ny156uk 07:09, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Colonization

What are the most likely candidates(places) for future colonization? --18.85.18.23 20:42, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

On Earth or elsewhere? As far as somewhere on the Earth, basically every landmass large enough to sustain a population of people already has a population of people there. As far as off world goes, we may see colonization of the Moon or Mars within the next ~50 years but that's about it for the near future. Dismas| 21:56, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

I would expect to see orbital colonies at about the same time as colonies on the moon. --WhiteDragon 19:42, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

The presence of a population has never been a disincentive for colonization.  --Lambiam 00:10, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Due to global warming, areas now covered by glaciers, like northern Canada, Greenland, and Antarctica, may become habitable in the future. StuRat 00:02, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

We can try to colonize Bikini Bottom.  --Lambiam 00:10, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

And lower ourselves to Krabby Patties? I'll take the moon, the Toast King and Insanity Prawn Boy live there.AMP'd 00:15, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Iraq? (Oops, that's present, not future.) DirkvdM 07:55, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

You'll not have much luck in colonising melted glaciers in Canada as only 2% or 200,000 sq km in the whole country. What might be more likly is that if global warming continues then more people might be tempted to move to areas that currently support only a marginal number of people. However, that would probably be a gradual mirgration north through the provinces rather than a sudden move to Nunavut/NWT/Yukon/Alaska. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 16:09, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

If global warming gets worse and the oceans recede, you've got a whole new waterfront to expand onto. --froth 19:07, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

You've got that topsy turvy. Global warming will cause sealevels to rise and potentially inundate most of the Netherlands, Florida, Bangladesh and the Seychelles, to name just a few of the worst struck places. But a much bigger problem here is that all over the world most people live in narrow strips very close to the sea, preferable in the more fertile lowlying areas, exactly the places that would get flooded. So colonisation of other areas (with less sustainability) will become a necessity. DirkvdM 06:41, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Texas has a big, empty spot its western region. That could hold a lot of people, probably. A huge number of people could migrate to Africa; there is a lot of empty space there. I forget the name of it, but there was this kind of ice invented during WW2 that takes ~1000 years to melt. It is a frozen mixture of water and wood slurry. America and the UK were going to build an aircraft carrier the size of an island out of this ice for use in a future invasion of Japan. They abandoned the project because they were winning by more conventional methods, and the atom bomb was coming along nicely. They did build a scale model, and they sank it just off the coast of Canada, it has barely begun to show any signs of melting. We could use this ice to create our own islands if necessary; I don't foresee us having to colonize other planets. THL 20:21, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

We have articles on this. Pykrete takes a long time to melt but not that long. See Project Habakkuk for more. The 1000 ton scale model took all summer to melt. Lisiate 21:33, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Health Symbols

The symbol for low carbohydrates is a diamond with a ckeck in the middle, the symbol for low fat is a triangle with a check in the middle. What is the symbol for low calorie?

I have never seen these symbols, and Google isn't very friendly today. Perhaps this is only on the box you are looking at?AMP'd 01:53, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

It's not exact, but the Heart Smart symbol often means low calorie. Anchoress 04:29, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Actually, that is low cholesterol. I don't think low calorie has a symbol, but a pentagon with a check in the middle would look awesome. THL 05:01, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Oh, I didn't know that lol. :-) Anchoress 05:20, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

The Goatse Man

Does anyone know if the Goatse Man ever made any money from his online fame and unusual talents? I'm guessing that there'd be a niche market for 'Goatse' branded videos, for one thing - there would be a heck of a lot of people who'd buy Goatse T-shirts too (I know I would). --Kurt Shaped Box 20:49, 13 October 2006 (UTC) ${\displaystyle Insertformulahere}$

What? And make a really big asshole of yourself? 8-)--Light current 21:54, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

That would be the general idea. :) There has been a fair bit of unofficial Goatse merchandise over the years - but why would I want to help someone who takes credit for someone else's work get rich? --Kurt Shaped Box 22:24, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Simplified baseball rules

I put a couple of questions on Talk:Simplified baseball rules back in June. Whilst the article is good, those questions haven't had answers added either in talk or the main article. Could someone answer them (either here or on the talk page or even the article page). If they are clear enough I'll add them into the article. Cheers. -- SGBailey 22:32, 13 October 2006 (UTC) (PS, I presume "Sport" counts as micsellaneous - I was surprised that it wasn't explicitly listed on the reference desk starter page.)

Actually, sports are considered to be a subset of humanities. StuRat 23:45, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

What part of "History, art, politics, literature, religion, philosophy, law, music, fashion, culture, and society" includes sport? -- SGBailey 21:24, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

The article describes both of those situations. Specifically the questions were: 1. When is a "Strike-out"? Is it after 3 failed attemnpts to hit the pitched ball? 2. "Ground-out" Is this hitting the ball whilst on the ground or hitting it in the air but so that it strikes the ground after being hit?

1. A strike out occurs as the result of getting three strikes. A strike is either a complete miss of the ball or hitting the ball out-of-bounds (a foul ball). Except that a foul ball cannot be the third strike. (A foul ball ball after two strikes is simply not counted for anything) 2. The batter cannot hit the ball while it is on the ground (nor would he try as it is out of the strike zone) (also I don't think that the ball can hit the ground before reaching the batter even if it returns to the strike zone.) A ground out specifically means that the hit ball lands in fair territory, a fielder then catches it either off the ground or in the air off the bounce/s and throws it to the first baseman before the runner reaches the base. Neither of those is exactly a simple explanation, though, for the article. Rmhermen 07:04, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

The are some minor exceptions to Point 1.

A foul ball does count as a third strike if the ball was bunted.

A foul ball also counts as a third strike if the pitch was merely brushed by the bat without altering the trajectory greatly (a "foul tip") and the catcher catches it as if it weren't touched at all.

It should be noted that "hitting the ball out-of-bounds (a foul ball)" if caught by a defensive player before it hits the ground, is an out. B00P 09:57, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Thnaks all - that clears up the strikeout well for me. I remain confused about ground out - which doesn't seem to be mentioned in the main baseball article. It would appear that "hitting the ball whilst it is on the ground" is not what is meant by ground-out. So I assume it is the latter when the ball lands or bounces and is picked up from the ground or caught after the bounce and thrown to first base in time. If you can confirm that I'll bung something into the artcile about it. -- SGBailey 21:21, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Exactly. -- Mwalcoff 23:25, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

The Green Green Grass (BBC 1)

Hi, first of all I apologise if this is the wrong place to ask this. If anybody knows who the actress was who played the French Exchange student in tonights episode then I'd be greatful. I've already google and had a look-a-round on here but to no avail. Thanks.

Melmer 22:37, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Actually, TV is considered to be a subset of humanities. StuRat 23:46, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

Have you checked the links at the bottom of the Green Green Grass article? IMDb is also a good place to look. Anchoress 23:50, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

I hate to argue with Anchoress again already, but none of those external links told me anything about this exchange student, who apparently only appeared at the end of the episode...AMP'd 00:09, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

I didn't say they would have the info, I just asked if s/he'd checked them. It's useful to know if s/he checked them, because undoubtedly other people will wonder. And I didn't know we were arguing before. Anchoress 02:27, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

According to this page, Beatriz Romilly is the actress who played the French exchange student.LondonSE16 09:23, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Thanks alot :) Melmer 15:13, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

October 14

HOFFSTEDE STUDY

What is "Hoffstede Study"? What is its importance in International Business?

It is to do with national culture. See Geert Hofstede. BenC7 07:17, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

news headlines in present continuous

why news headlines are written in present continous form instead of past tense? I think it's because news stories are often still happening. There are commonly headlines saying things like "Local Woman Wins First Prize in Pumpkin Growing Contest" stating things that have already happened. Ask Anchoress for her opinion.AMP'd 03:54, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

From what I've seen, Spanish language newspapers use past tense in their headlines. User:Zoe|(talk) 04:30, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

This seems to be largely an English-speaking phenomena. I haven't seen any Scandinavian newspapers use such headlines. Indeed, I've come to hate short, attention-begging headlines that drag things out of context. But that's O/T. :) 81.93.102.3 11:40, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

In English-language headlines I see mainly the present simple: The New York Times: "U.S. Hits Obstacle" • "Leader of a Georgia Mosque Pleads Guilty"; The Times: "Army throws weight behind chief" • "Ministers say general was out of order". Looking at today's headlines of the German newspaper Die Welt, I see likewise mainly the present indicative for things that already happened: USA messen Radioaktivität • Aachen genießt den Moment • Agenten führen Mädchen aus Schulunterricht ab. In Le Monde, on the contrary, I find mainly (but not exclusively) the perfect tense. Apparently there is no simple rule like English versus the rest or Germanic versus Latin.  --Lambiam 12:42, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

I suspect it's done intentionally to make the news seem more current. That is, people would rather know what is happening now that what has happened in the past. BTW, this question belongs on the Language Ref Desk. StuRat 16:52, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Just a nit: They don't ordinarily use the present continuous, aka present progressive, tense, but just the plain old present tense. The present continuous would be where the verbs end in "ing". --Trovatore 16:58, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

What's the Average Weight?

hey I was just wondering what would be the average weight for someone in the U.S. about 5'6"-5'7"?

According to this CDC study, the average body mass index for males 20 years and older for 1999–2002 was 27.8, which for a height of 5'6" corresponds to 172 pounds. —Keenan Pepper 07:31, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

I am only European, and have problems with the unit lbs, but.... isn't that very fat? 81.93.102.3 11:37, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

BMIs over 25 are considered overweight, so yes 27.8 is. At 30, they are considered 'obese'. --Mnemeson 13:08, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

I think thats just under 80Kg, which for someone 5'6" is rather overweight. That would be a suitable mass for someone around 6' possibly taller. Englishnerd 13:10, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

what about like 15 and u weigh like 120lbs i dunno how much that is in like kg or ne thing just 120 lbs??

Depends on your height. Hyenaste  22:10, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

What is the Meaning of Life?

What is the meaning of life? THL 07:13, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Meaning of life. I believe in the view that we're just around because we havn't figured out a way to destroy ourselves yet. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 07:17, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Some great philosopher once opined that it is: "Try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations" and also, that people aren't wearing enough hats.--Fuhghettaboutit 08:29, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

And who told you that it has a meaning? B00P 10:01, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

I have to wonder about the seriousness of questions like this. But I will (naively?) assume that there is some degree of actual desire to know behind it. If you ask me the meaning/purpose of life is to live in relationship with God. Not God as defined by an individual ("I think God is like this"), but God as he has revealed himself through the Bible. BenC7 10:30, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

THats oK if he exists. But if not...?--Light current 10:40, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

And if It exists, how do we know It revealed Itself through the Bible, and not through the works of H. P. Lovecraft? As to the original question: I'd say, the meaning of your life is what you choose it to be. So choose well.  --Lambiam 12:15, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Is there anything to make you think that God has revealed himself through said person's books? Has he made numerous prophecies which have subsequently been fulfulled literally and accurately? Has he performed miracles? Has his work changed billions of people's lives significantly? In fact, what book has ever done this, besides the Bible? BenC7 01:17, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Obvious answer. 42! Englishnerd 13:08, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Well if it takes 7.5 million years for the computer to come up with 42... and we are probably about 7.5 million years away from building a computer of that magnitude... i would say you have to come back and ask that question in 15 million years. Good Luck in your quest! Croat Canuck Go Leafs Go 17:51, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Man doesn't have much of a purpose unless you bring religion into the mix. Many many philosophers (theistic and atheistic alike) have commented that life is pretty bleak without a god, though of course it takes some wading through philosophical red tape (more like red concrete thanks to voltaire and nietzsche) to come to such a position --froth 18:48, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Notice how the previous post shifts the point of the question in three ways. (1) It goes from "meaning" to "purpose." The latter implies a goal, while the former does not. (2) "Man" is being substituted for "Life." Obviously written by a believer that "Man is the measure of all things." (3) Nobody asked whether things might be "bleak." Our Poster, however, constructs his reality so that he gets his desired outcome, and answers on that basis.

Notice how the parent post tries to look smart and intelligent while belittling the previous poster. His arguments have no merit. I will demonstrate why in three ways: (1) "What is the meaning of life" is often asked in the context of purpose. Also "meaning" is a concept very closely tied to "purpose". Meaning is often described in terms of purpose. For example "What is the meaning of spatula?" "Spatula is a word representing an object that flips eggs and pancakes". Asking what is literally the meaning of life (in a biological concept for example) is a more specialized meaning.. not to mention that this is historically an attractive place to post mystifying questions. The biological definition of life isn't considered nearly as mystifying as the purpose of life and reality. In other words, almost every time someone asks "what is the meaning of life" they really mean "describe the cosmology of the universe" though they might know that exact term. (2) I wasn't necessarily answering his question; rather I was providing follow up information that was related to the topic. Look around on this page; you'll see it's a common practice, especially with more general or controversial questions. (3) When Protagoras wrote that "man is a measure of all things," he was saying that man is ultimately the only thing in the world of value. How can you say that I obviously believe that when I just said that in fact man has little value or purpose without a god to serve? Our good Flamer therefore constructs his reality so that he gets his desired outcome, and replies on that basis. I wish I could end this with something funny but I can't think of anything that's not directly insulting... --froth 04:32, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Englishnerd has, of course, come up with the most viable answer. But for you, 41.95.

B00P 21:54, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

"Many many philosophers (theistic and atheistic alike) have commented that life is pretty bleak" Yeah. It has been said that life is like a restaurant where every day you have to eat a chicken sandwich for lunch. But some days it is chicken salad, and other days it is chicken shit, and you have to eat it all the same. Then you get old, then you die. Or there is a God, and he likes you, and you get pie in the sky, bye and bye, and live happily ever after. Cheers.Edison 05:57, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Life is mean? Clarityfiend 06:45, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Why does religion have to wreck everything? This was a joke, and I was hoping to get some BS answers that I could have a good laugh about, but what do I find when I return, a theological debate. The best answer I got was 41.95. Dang it religion, wasn't causing almost every war in human history enough? I'm very depressed now, I'm going to go and slit my wrists. THL 07:05, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

A-ha, I was right! "not to mention that this is historically an attractive place to post mystifying questions " By the way if you're God how can you kill yourself? --froth 17:50, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

I didn't die. I was just so depressed that I inflicted pain on myself. Also remember when I posted this comment I still had amnesia from Darwin's chair shot. That hurt, he was way stronger than he looked. THL 19:49, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

See wikt:life. Confusing Manifestation 11:39, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

what about like 15 and u weigh like 120?

a band with no original members

I'm scearching the answer to the following question: which band had already no original members, when releasing the first album? that means that no original member of the band participated in the creation of the first album, they all left before the releasing, but the name of the band stayed the same. i would appreciate any help thank you in advance kat

riddle

1.what has to be false to be true?

• Q. "Are you going to answer NO to this question?" JackofOz 07:15, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

2.what is the capability of a nuke?whats all the hype bout n.korea having them.can it really destroy the world?how?

I'm not sure if you're asking a standard riddle with a set answer, but for a lie to indeed be a lie it must be false for it to be true that it's a lie. Something like that?. As for the second, I suggest reading the articles Nuclear weapon, Nuclear warfare, Nuclear winter, etc. In short though, a nuclear bomb can have a capacity of 50 megatons, meaning that the explosion is equivalent to 50 million tons of TNT exploding and yes, enough nuclear bombs exploding can destroy the world. As for North Korea, please see 2006 North Korean nuclear test.--Fuhghettaboutit 11:24, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

One nuke won't destroy the world, but it could do pretty serious damage to a city: Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the only cities ever to be attacked by nuclear bomb, were almost completely flattened by the blast, although isolated buildings did survive, and those bombs (Little Boy and Fat Man) were tiny by today's standards (but not by North Korean standards; the DPRK bomb was ~ 1 kiloton, which is /₂₀ of the Fat Man bomb). Laïka 13:57, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

One nuke could destroy Tokyo or Seoul or Los Angeles, which sounds bad enough to me. StuRat 16:04, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

That would be a very high-yield weapon.. are you sure about that? Think of a nuke as an unusually powerful bomb- they don't have any strange power to "destroy the world" but while a normal bomb might destroy a building, a nuke could destroy much of a city. Also there's nuclear fallout, which inhibits rebuilding and may affect surrounding areas --froth 19:54, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

The center of the Greater Los Angeles is more than 100km from any point on the border of the area. The most powerful nuke the US has ever detonated is Castle Bravo, a 15 megaton yield. This page says that for a 20mt yield the maximum range for any damage at all (first degree burns on exposed skin) is 50km. --froth 20:09, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Well, StuRat didn't say "Greater LA", but LA. Speaking as a former Angeleno, Greater LA is definitely not LA. In fact not all of LA is LA (for example, the Valley is not LA). --Trovatore 21:50, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

I believe the biggest nuke ever detonated was the Tsar Bomba. As long as the LA suburb of Woodland Hills survives (where they make porno movies), then I'm OK. :-) StuRat 23:40, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Tsar Bomba doesn't count it's too big for actual warfare. --froth 04:16, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Car's main shaft producing power

Why should a car's battery EVER run flat? Can't one simply fit a sort of magnet onto the shaft somewhere between the gearbox and the rear wheelshaft? (Not sure about the nomenclature for these parts)

Even if that would lessen the structural integrity of such a shaft, which is quite important of course, can't one just duplicate the solution which makes the engine shaft run the shaft of the cooling prop? Surely a lot of the potential for energy from a car can be used by fitting magnets/coils of wiring onto a part of the shaft (ANY moving shaft), and harvest the energy that 3,000-5,000 RPMs can produce? 81.93.102.3 11:35, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Batteries run flat when you leave the headlights on. Newer cars all have things to prevent that, which is good for me! Also, batteries more than 6 years old lose their capacity to hold charge, and many people notice that when winter starts to bite. The final problem is that the alternator rusts out (for Detroit cars) at 7 years. --Zeizmic 11:53, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Most cars do have generators attached to the axles, and some have regenerative brakes. However, the big problem is that any dynamo will generate massive resistance when a current is flowing. This is fine for braking, where you want to slow the wheels down, but a pain when trying to drive. Laïka 14:47, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

There isn't any problem generating electricity when the car is running (unless the charging system fails, that is). The problem is losing charge when the car is off. This happens slowly over time, which can be a problem for a car in storage. It can happen more quickly if there is an electrical short somewhere, which converts the charge into heat. StuRat 15:53, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Also, if trying to generate electricity from some new source, try a source of energy which is currently wasted, like braking (in most cars) or excess heat from the radiator and exhaust. StuRat 15:57, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

In a dynamo like you're suggesting, energy is taken from the shaft and converted into electrical energy. You don't want energy taken from the drive shaft while you're trying to drive. --froth 18:41, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Lots of interesting responses here, but not a single one mentioning the increased fuel consumption associated with placing ANY additional energy draining device to the propulsion system??????

scarborough

local address

I think there are several places called Scarborough across the world. I know about one in South Africa, for instance... 惑乱 分からん 13:48, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Are vague questions about Scarborough Fair ? StuRat 15:43, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Scarborough, Ontario Ontario? --The Dark Side 01:54, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

I don't know where Joe Scarborough lives. User:Zoe|(talk) 21:28, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

space, empty?

is space really empty or is that a matter of opinion 205.188.117.68 14:41, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Well, Intergalactic space is really the closest we know of to a perfect free space, and even that contains a few hydrogen atoms. Even in a perfect free space, some virtual particles might pop in and out of existance and, if too close to a large source of gravitation, become real particles. Laïka 15:01, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

I don't know who the source was – if someone knows, I'd appreciate hearing about it – but it was once said that the Universe is made of five things:

1. nothing;
2. nothing;
3. nothing;
4. a bit of energy; and
5. a little dirty hydrogen.

Forget the hydrogen atoms; there are gobs of neutrinos everywhere. The current estimate in our article is that there should be a few more than fifty neutrinos per cubic centimetre of space left over from the Big Bang. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 15:19, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Just because there's a lower concentration of mass doesn't mean we should call it nothing. What if a hydrogen atom out in interstellar space was talking to his friend and said "I heard the earth was made of Solid matter, Solid matter, Solid matter, Solid matter, and a little bit of empty space. He would be equally wrong --froth 19:01, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

He might be wrong, but as a gendered hydrogen atom that could talk, he would be very, very valuable;-) --Mnemeson 00:11, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

In this context the value of a hydrogen atom is assumed to be irrelevant >:| --froth 04:15, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

I echo the neutrino thing. So, no space is not empty, just the things taking it up are not stuck together and are so small they are transparent. THL 11:29, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

And then there's the seething sea of quantum foam, the vacuum fluctuation that (in the absence of aether) keeps space from not existing.  --Lambiam 19:50, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Is this illegal?

A man bumped into me on the street and caused my coffee to spill. So I followed him to his apartment, and beat his skull in with a baseball bat. I want to know if it is legal for me to do this, since he violated my rights first.

Yeah, turn yourself into the police; they can't touch you. --Zeizmic 15:05, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Well it probably depends on where you live. The law will probably exist in almost any place, but may not be enforced in some countries. In the US it would almost definately be prosecuted and you would probably lose for the gross over-reaction. If it was, say, tthe other way around, the man came to you to bash your skull in and you threw coffee in his face and the coffee had some infectious disease in that infected an open wound and he died, you would probably get off on self-defense. schyler 15:10, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

I didn't kill him though.

I sure hope this is all theoretical. If it really happened, you are seriously out of control and need some anger management training immediately, and possibly some meds, too. If you won't get those things on your own, hopefully the courts will order them as a condition of your parole, once you are released from prison. StuRat 15:26, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Did you not think that the baseball bat thing was a trifle disproportionate to the initial minor mistake? Anyway, do you always walk down the street carrying a baseball bat? You could be arrested: its probably seen as a weapon of man destruction! 8-)--Light current 18:29, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

It's illegal in the United States and many european countries. See you in 5 years --froth 18:38, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Try 15 to 25 for felony assault. Martial Law 05:34, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Rich white kid who's lived most of his life in a gated community.... what do you want? --froth 17:48, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

It depends on the size of the baseball bat, and what brand it is. THL 11:26, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

And whether it's wood or aluminum, and what type of wood. User:Zoe|(talk) 21:29, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

fastest spring

what's the fastest spring ever?205.188.117.68 15:10, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

this page says about 800 cubic feet per second, though that's only in florida. See Spring (hydrosphere) or possibly Spring (device) or even Spring (season), which did you mean? --froth 18:56, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

The big bang was pretty fast--Light current 02:26, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

No, too hot. Definitely summer. ☢ Ҡi∊ff⌇↯ 02:38, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

I was going to suggest 1752, but turns out the Gregorian calendar reforms took place in early September, making this the fastest summer. User:Zoe|(talk) 21:35, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

That was in the UK and its dominions, which were relative latecomers to the Gregorian calendar. The calendar was first adopted in Italy, Spain, Poland and Portugal in October 1582, making it the fastest fall. JackofOz 07:12, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Vandalism

Somebody vandalised Britney Spears article.

Did they add false info, like that she has any talent ? :-) StuRat 15:29, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Do not upset yourself too much. Our policy concerning such acts are lengthily explained here : Misplaced Pages:Vandalism. And I imagine that, while we answer, some reacted and reverted to the truth : The amount of her talent, according to (1), is ... -- DLL 18:23, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Longest Professional Wrestling Match

What is the longest professional wrestling match ever? Also, what is the longest WWE Match ever? Thanks.

Look here for some information but be aware that they are not talking about the type of wrestling that you see at the WWE or Olympic style wrestling. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 16:14, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

As far as thw WWE goes, I know it was a ladder match, Shawn Michaels was in it, and it was at a Wrestlemania. See Shawn Michaels, it should be in there. THL 15:32, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

girl in whale rider.

whats she up to? --Cursa 16:41, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

According to the Internet Movie Database Keisha Castle-Hughes is currently filming "Hey, Hey, It's Esther Blueburger". She's also pregnant. -- Arwel (talk) 17:08, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

She's PREGNANT? SHE'S 16! -- Toytoy 12:00, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

That's the biological reason why people enter puberty, you know... It's rather young, but we shouldn't judge her beforehand, I'd guess... 惑乱 分からん 13:34, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Are you kidding, she's 16! --froth 19:49, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

The age of consent in New Zealand is 16 (and many other places). In many US states it would be legal as well. Don't get so huffy. --Fastfission 21:36, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Huff huff! --froth 03:24, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

The age of consent in Sweden is 15, by the way... 惑乱 分からん 04:33, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

And in Spain, 13. --GTubio 07:12, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Lost

I saw the first half of season 1 and all of season 2, but I don't own a TV so could someone tell me what's going on in the 3rd season? Or at least direct me to a website with a synopsis? --froth 18:53, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Try Lostpedia. Laïka 19:10, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

You can watch season 3 episodes online, I think on the show's website.

Two rugby union questions from an American

1. Since you get more points for a try than for a kicked goal, and there's no equivalent to "fourth down," why would a team ever kick instead of keeping the ball and going for a try?-- Mwalcoff 23:33, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

Because kicking for goal is often an easier and more certain way of scoring points than always going for a try. Many games between even sides are won by goal kicks. When you are playing for a try you risk losing possession and scoring no points. BlueValour 01:16, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

OK, but how does a team decide on a given possession whether to kick it or go for a try? -- Mwalcoff 04:01, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

There's no equivalent to downs at all - play runs until the ball goes dead and a scrum, lineout, penalty or points are awarded. As Blue Valour points out it's often in the teams interest to take the 'sure' three point penalty rather than gamble on a try. Lisiate 21:45, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

OK, let me rephrase. Let's say my team has the ball 30 yards from the goal line. How do I know whether to keep running or to drop-kick it? -- Mwalcoff 21:56, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Well, it would depend on how many opposing players are between you and the goal line (or just behind you). If there are few or none, you'd keep running, since your chances of scoring a try are pretty good. If there are plenty of opposing players in the way, you'd likely go for the kick. --Richardrj 11:03, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

2. Some rugby union competitions, such as the Super 14 and Air New Zealand Cup, seem to have teams assigned to territorial areas, such as provinces or regions. Does that mean that players have to play for their home territory (like in national-team competitions)? Or can teams sign players from anywhere, as with other sports? -- Mwalcoff 23:33, 14 October 2006 (UTC)

In New Zealand players can and do move around. The provinvial system is basically an historical thing and predates the National union by a decade or so. Lisiate 21:45, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

October 15

Is it illegal?

Is it illegal to reach your hands down a woman's pants on the street if you're wearing a mask?

Maybe not illegal, but they would probably arrest and sue you for sexual harassment, regardless if you're wearing a mask or not. bibliomaniac15 00:13, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

It'd be illegal in most places. --Robert Merkel 00:48, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

The mask has nothing to do with it as you well know!--Light current 02:24, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Its not illegal if she wants it. Otherwise, you'll go to prison and be raped for the next 40 years. THL 11:23, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Where I live it's illegal whether she wants it or not. Something with indecency.  --Lambiam 13:30, 15 October 2006 (UTC) disguise

Right, on the street. Yeah, that's illegal. Whether or not they charge you depends on how cool your mask is. THL 15:00, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

LMFAO Chris 19:35, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

It's assault in many jurisdictions. (If unwanted.) --jpgordon 15:37, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Dress like Jushin Thunder Liger when you do it. Then you've got nothing to worry about. THL 19:12, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Not if they're your pants. Clarityfiend 02:30, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Of course! Well done for seeing thru that. Two Americans walking down the street. On is the father of the other one's son. What the Relationship?--Light current 10:20, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Parents of the same child. Possibly married, but not necessarily. And if married, not necessarily to each other. JackofOz 19:48, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Yes but the important point is: its one man and one woman. Its tempting to apply the male gender by defualt to indeterminates like 'someone', American, Russian etc.

Is it illegal to reach your hands down a woman's pants.... We assume (not necessarily correctly) that the 'your' in this sentence refers to another person, probably male.--Light current 21:51, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Is someone wearing the pants? Philc _TC 21:53, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Exactly! Another assumption. The pants could be in a shopping bag-- in which case I think it would be OK to rummage around inside as much as you like.! 8-))--Light current 21:55, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Any way, enough beating around the bush, to be on the safe side I think its better not to try it 8-)--Light current 21:59, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

A letter

Dear Reader,

Let the bells of randomness ring! If ignorance is bliss, then I am certainly joyful right now. You should join in on this jubilance; seriously, it very much can change your life if you think about it. Continue to read this monologue; it is very confusing; yes, it is; yes, this is, no? It may contain a very, very mysterious subliminal message. Maybe, when you read this, you can see a visible sign. I beg you to look at the moral of this; your life may be changed as a result. If you can name any trace of mystique inside this monologue, mull it over. Under these warnings, you should consider these messages. Understandably, all of this must be done with great secrecy, so sneakily should this letter be read. After reading this, I pray, you will understand. Don’t be feeble, and refuse to acknowledge this letter’s contents. I reveal all this for your amusement, therefore you should feel obligated, this is a special privilege. I hope you will unlock this code. Ring the bells, should you feel that this is your duty.

bibliomaniac15 01:12, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

No. Vitriol 01:46, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

When I read that, my ears started ringing. I have no idea what you are talking about, but I love how you try to confuse us. I can't understand those sentences most of the time, but nonetheless I'm not into books. =D Hyenaste 04:27, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

By the way, I'm removing one word. The word possibly really broke up the message in the seventh sentence. Seventh? Eleventh? Ha! Hyenaste  04:27, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

I'm scared. Even though that letter clearly had no meaning, I understood it. Am I God? THL 11:21, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

This sounds like the stuff I read in my Viagra spam e-mails. The random texts they insert to fool spambots are at most times a lot more interesting than what they advertise... 惑乱 分からん 13:12, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

You read those? THL 19:09, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

You don't? Hyenaste  19:42, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Why would I? THL 19:56, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Legal in US?

Is it legal to beat somebody to death with a cactus as long as you make it look like they were eating the cactus? If not, then what if you wear a mask? If it still isn't legal, what if you bring your friends?

I'd like to vote that we delete any and all future questions that ask the legality of things that are obviously illegal, especially if the question refers to wearing a mask. All in favor? Dismas| 03:56, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

I'm just curious- how do you beat someone with a cactus? --froth 04:35, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

The same way in which porcupines have sex? Dismas| 04:56, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Wouldn't that defeat the object of beating them to death?

I agree with Dismas. There's far too much crap on the misc desk; we should rv stupid questions in future. Anything that doesn't have an answer likely to be in wikipedia should be removed from the desk. Talk page discussion. Howard Train 05:07, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

"Likely to be in Misplaced Pages" is a little harsh IMO. There are a number of questions asked that don't have to specifically do with an article but are legitimate. The "roaches in cold" question isn't dealt with here but there should be an answer somewhere. And the user has already done their homework by searching google first. In short, they've looked here, googled it, and are now hoping that one of us might have some knowledge which isn't already in an article. I've often heard it said that the only stupid question is the one that you already know the answer to. In the "Is this illegal..." questions, the poster should be intelligent enough to know the answer if they're intelligent enough to be able to get on the net and post here. Dismas| 05:15, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Alcohol is good in moderation and even a little beyond, but please refrain from posting questions when beyond moderation.Edison 06:01, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

I've made a proposal on the talk page; the sort of question I'm really on about are those like this. Questions that don't have factual answers, dumb comments, patent nonsense and trolling. Howard Train 06:07, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

We don't need a proposal for that. It's common sense. - 131.211.210.14 09:55, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

The amopunt of detail in the question suggests that it refers to something that actually happenened. Either that or the questioneer is a total whacko. DirkvdM 06:49, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Look around, he's asked several such questions. I doubt he's still on the street if he's actually done all of this. --froth 17:45, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

It is only illegal if they figure out he wasn't trying to eat the cactus. Whether or not they charge you depends on:

1. How cool the mask was

2. How cool you and your friends are

3. (This only matters if you, your mask, and your friends are cool.) If they are pathetic loosers who would be jealous of you, your cool mask, and your cool friends. THL 07:39, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

A woman was arrested the other day for hitting her boyfriend with their baby. User:Zoe|(talk) 21:41, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Dang! THL

Cythoria, Troop and Jarron!? haha, what the hell! Philc _TC 22:03, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Roaches and cold

Several sources on the web (Google) say that coldness prevents a cockroach population from increasing. Unfortunately, they never say how cold cold is. A cold day in Alabama is completely different from a cold day in Minnesota. How cold is cold when dealing with a population of cockroaches? Hyenaste  04:12, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Average temperature here is 44 degrees, and we never have roaches. Florida, which has an average temperature of 80-something, is the most roach-infested place I've ever seen. So yes, cold will keep their population down. --172.198.40.82 07:58, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Arizona has a fair roach population as well, though not as large as Florida's. THL 11:18, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Roaches like humidity and water. Durova 14:39, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

They live in our very humid sewers. I wouldn't drink that water though. THL 14:41, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

They certainly can't do anything but hibernate when it's below freezing where they are. However, if they are inside a nice warm building, the outside temp shouldn't matter. The effect on their rate of reproduction relative to temperature would need to be shown on a chart, in any case. StuRat 02:46, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

History Channel's Mega Disasters

Why has'nt the History Channel done a "Mega Disaster" about alien contact ? Should there be alien contact, the whole planet could erupt into rebellion, and/or that the aliens could blow up the planet. Imagine that you're watching the news, etc. when it is announced that aliens have found us. Would that be a disaster, especially if the aliens are hostile ? They've done speculation on all other disasters, incl. what'll happen if a asteroid were to hit the planet. Why not one about aliens ? Those who are religious will assume it is the Devil, other evil comming to Earth, thus they'll revolt, while others will rebel because of the ridicule initiated to stop people from reporting UFOs, aliens as persuant to the CIA protocol, the Robertson Panel, related protocol I've found in, of all places, a issue of the Popular Mechanics magazine. It would be interesting to see what will really happen, should aliens find this planet. Will the discovery of aliens/alien contact be a disaster ? Just asking a question that would be asked eventually. Martial Law 05:27, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

The copy of the magazine I have has a color pix of a UFO on the cover. Martial Law 05:31, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Doesn't the program cover only natural disasters? I wouldn't count hostile first contact as a natural disaster, but I admit it would be a nifty idea if done right. ☢ Ҡi∊ff⌇↯ 05:46, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Didn't you ask essentially the same question just three days ago? I don't know what makes you emphasize the notion of revolt so much. Few people have even heard of the Robertson Panel. The topic of alien invasion has been extensively covered from many angles in science fiction books and movies during the Cold War, rarely involving scenes of rebellion or revolt.  --Lambiam 13:56, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Yes I did. Someone else wanted to know about why the History Channel will NOT cover this matter. Martial Law 23:52, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Why do you assume that aliens would blow up the planet? It would take far less energy just to bathe it in high-energy radiation until everything on it dies. Since we have no planetary shield, a Death Star attack is just a waste of power --froth 17:59, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

I've seen info that suggests we may be a threat, due to "our"(humanity's) hostile nature. Of corse some aliens may take advantage of that and we end up as "shock troops". I have met peopel who are devoutly religious who will revolt, should there be alien contact, while others will revolt, due to being ridiculed as persuant to certain govt. protocol, and I've met these people while I was travelling all over the US. Martial Law 23:52, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

If the planet was blocking them from something, then they would blow it up. However, I did not create life on any other planets, so no worries. THL 19:52, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Any aliens that could travel to Earth from distant solar systems or even galaxies would be so advanced over us they would not see us as a threat, but perhaps a curiosity, at best. If we knew there were some strange ants that lived on a remote island, would we go there to kill them ? Why bother ? The only justification to go there at all would be to study them. StuRat 02:26, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

DOF Glass

What exactly is a "double old-fashioned glass", as compared to an old-fashioned glass? Is it just generally twice as large, or what? Daltonls 06:22, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Not twice as large, but larger according to these links: OF glass and DOF glass. Natgoo 11:43, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Maybe twice as thick (see double glazing). But what's the new fashion in glass, anyway? Simon A. 09:31, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

The Old fashioned glass is a glass for a single serving or shot of whatever, like an Old Fashioned or a single wodka on the rocks. Presumably the double variant is then for a double serving or shot.  --Lambiam 14:18, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

A game I can't find

I spent hours in front of the PC when I was younger, playing this game. It was an RTS, named "Dark ---", I can't remember the last part of the name. One could be either aliens or humans. The humans were really robotic, with all kinds of weapons and vehicles, while the aliens were all-organic, with artillery units who launched big balls of death from their behinds. The camera was situated relatively close to the ground - closer than Starcraft, anyway. There was blood in this game, with lots of fun effects when the aliens got smashed up by fire, even the humans' heads blowing straight off. There were a few really cool video snippets in between the single player game's missions - but there was also MP possibilities if I don't remember incorrectly. It might have surfaced around 1996-1999... Any help would be greatly appreciated. Maybe this goes into Humanities, I can't tell. The BASE structure, that is the HQ, was always a single platform. When enough resource was gathered, a dropship could come down, and plant a module on the platform, enabling the possibility to make Rambos or two-legged gunrobots and whatnot. 81.93.102.3 11:45, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Lol, I know exactly what game you mean I just cant remember the bloody name of it. Joneleth 13:53, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

For a list of games whose name starts like "Dark—", see List of computer and video games: D-H. I didn't spot one that seemed to be what you described, but have a look for yourself. I see we're lacking in historical perspective, or else the arcade game Dark Invader would have been listed.  --Lambiam 14:08, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Dark Reign perhaps? Great game, I loved it back then. ☢ Ҡi∊ff⌇↯ 17:32, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Aw yeah, I played the demo for that dozens of times when I was like 12, and I've been casually looking for it for a couple of years. Great game :) --froth 17:40, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

I eventually found it. :) Dark Colony was the game! 81.93.102.3 19:12, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Ah, Dark Colony... I wouldn't have remembered of it, since I never could get the damn thing to run in my computer. :P ☢ Ҡi∊ff⌇↯ 22:25, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Linking to Wiktionary

Is it possible to link a word in a Misplaced Pages article to the corresponding word in Wiktionary (assuming, of course, it does exist there). (The idea is to allow the reader to make a quick check on an unusual word.) If this is possible, what is the exact syntax of the expression to be used? Honti 12:48, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

] produces Link. You could do it with other language wiktionaries too, I think, but I forgot the expression, now. 惑乱 分からん 13:05, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

If you don't want to change the word, you can use the pipe thus: "]", resulting in "word".  --Lambiam 13:16, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

• Yes you can, but remember that links to other Misplaced Pages articles are preferred if it's possible to make an article instead of linking to an external one and that you shouldn't go around mass-linking to Wiktionary without extensive discussion. - 131.211.210.14 09:51, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Musical by Janov???

This is a serious question, believe it or not. In my copy of a book by Arthur Janov, The New Primal Scream (1991), there is on the first page inside the soft cover, the following: "He is concluding a musical for the stage called Scream! and is in the process of creating a film video series , The Universe of the Mind." I have been unable to find any reference to these in Misplaced Pages or through a Google search, but I ran across a mention of the musical some time back in an interview with Janov which I found on-line somewhere but have misplaced the link and it doesn't come up in any of my searches. Any clues would be most welcome. -GrahameKing 13:54, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

• There's a bit of weirdness. One site I found says the Celine Dion song, The Colour of My Love, comes from that musical; however, both our article and All Music Guide give the credit to Arthur Ganov, not Janov. I think those are both mistakes, though; read this interview with David Foster. --jpgordon 15:30, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

• Well, that is very interesting! Thanks very much.-GrahameKing 21:20, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Anyone with the DVD of The Rules of Attraction?

At 46:00, there's a trumpet solo in the background where Mr. Lance Lawson (Eric Stoltz) and Lauren (Shannyn Sossamon) are. Can anyone identify it?

Thanks.

Harwoof 13:35, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

• Does the soundtrack list offer any help? --jpgordon 15:13, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Can you buy The Legend Of Zelda: Majora's Mask in any store in Orlando,Florida?

Is there any place near Orlando, Florida where you can buy Majora's Mask? Please it needs to be new.The game was released in 2000.The name of the store and price would be greatly apperciated. Thank You. -Millie Ramos

If you want to play it with an N64, you'll need to get an Expansion Pak too. If you merely want to play it, and don't matter what console it is on, and you have a GameCube, you could endeavor to find a The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition disc- however, it's likely not to be new. For the cartridge, try eBay or similar, but again they're likely not be new. I don't think you'll be able to get a new one at all easily. Vitriol 14:49, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

What has labelling got to do with media? On my list it says Editing Procedures: Labelling! help

I bought this game in 2003 and I had a lot of trouble finding it. $60 for the game and $20 for the expansion pack. It's a very good game -on par with ocarina of time- so it's worth the price. I'd recommend searching ebay for the zelda collectors edition disc. It's pretty expensive (though not the $80 I payed for it) but it also includes every other zelda game up to wind waker, including link to the past which is the best zelda game IMO so yeah definately worth it. --froth 17:36, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

You mean "excluding A Link to the Past" which isn't on the Collector's Edition disc, since it was released on the GBA. --jh51681 18:12, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Gasp you're right! :( --froth 18:53, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

I got the collector's disc in the used games bin in my game shop for cheap :D I don't like Majora's Mask though; it's tricky and it's never clear what you have to do. Vitriol 21:27, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Well it's the only challenging zelda game besides A Link to the Past. I get all nostalgic over woodfall, I love the idea of snowhead (literally bringing spring to the area, plus the dungeon was very cool not to mention tricky), I had a great time in the gerudo fortress, hated the water temple but the bosses were great, and ikana / stone tower is some of the best that nintendo has ever done. So many amazing memories.. yeah that game was great. So many memorable areas like the deku palace, the zora concert hall, the beavers dam, the goron city, and above all clock town --froth 23:06, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Setting up a company in UK

Hello, I may set up my own design company in UK. I am under 18, and wouldn't require any additional money etc. What pages are good for reading up on setting up a (very) small business IN UK (ENGLAND)?

Thanks

As an individual you can just do business (as what is called a "sole trader"). You don't need a licence or to register for VAT and you certainly don't need to incorporate (that is, to properly set up a limited company). You can even call the business something (and have premises, or advertising, or business cards or whatever in that name), so long as you make it clear that you're not really a limited company. So you could call your business "Incredible Designs", but you have to have (at least on the premises and on receipts and contracts and tax declarations) "Timmy Smith trading as Incredible Designs". Don't use "inc.", "ltd.", or "plc." in the name of your business, as they mean it really is a company. I don't know what the tax and National Insurance situation is for traders who are under 18 - call the "new business" helpline at the HMRC - http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/home.htm . And keep records of everything you take in or put out. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 20:23, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

• I don't think you can legally run a business's financial site if you're underage/a minor. You'll probably want to get an adult in to avoid legal problems. - 131.211.210.14 09:49, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Homework

I know that the referance desk is not a place to ask homework questions. I am not doing that. I am asking a question about homework. So don't chide me for that.

I have a sizable dilema. I cannot understand my math homework. I looked in the textbook, I do not understand it there either. Everyone I know that has the same homework is not home, or will else not answer their telephone. I cannot go to my math teacher before, during, nor after school (for lack of a study hall and time). I must do this assignment, for I do not want to put a dent in my grades. What do I do? Musli Miester 20:13, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

It's not true that you shouldn't ask homework questions here. People are (rightly) chastised for asking Misplaced Pages just to do their homework, but if someone asks for pointers to information on a specific topic or asks a reasonably general question, it's very likely that someone will be helpful. So asking "Factorise this quadratic equation" isn't going to work, but saying "I'm having trouble understanding how to factorise quadratic equations" is fine, and people will point you at stuff to read and non-wiki tutorials. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 20:18, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Well what is the work you are tuck with? 172.201.152.4 20:21, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you meant to say "stuck". :-) StuRat 23:30, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Hehe, Looks like I forgot to sign in too, not a great post... Ahwell, hehe. Philc _TC 21:36, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

And remember to ask it at the math reference desk ;-) —EdGl 20:33, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Maori Legend

Hi, When i was young i remember hearing a legend of a maori giant that had fallen in love with a maiden and had somehow died and when he died his body became part of the countryside i also remember a Picture and Photograph coming along with this legend

Can someone tell me what the name of the legend is or even better provide me with one of the pictures or the photograph

Thanks Catman503 20:59, 15 October 2006 (UTC)Catman503

Could it be the legend of Te Mata written about here (or for a text in HTML, see here)?  --Lambiam 21:32, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Hedge mazes

Anyone know where to find a list of the top "n" longest hedge mazes in the world with their years of accession (planting) and dethronement. I read elsewhere that Longleat had the title from 1975 but has since been outdone. -- SGBailey 21:29, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

From our article Maze and various other sources:

• Longleat, Warmimster, England: 2.72 km
• Noah's Ark Zoo Farm, Bristol, England: with 3.2 km said to be the longest hedge maze in the world, planted 2003.
• Peacemaze, Castlewellan, Northern Island: 3.15 km, planted during December 2000
• Klaas Voogds Maze, Soekershof Walkabout, Robertson, Western Cape, South Africa: 13870 m² net area, October 2001
• Wandiligong Maze, Wandiligong (near Bright), Victoria, Australia: 2 km according to a cached page of their web site , although you'd never say so from the image on the Ovens River page.

I did not find a consolidated list (but did not look hard). In ant case, a Google search for gets 0 hits.  --Lambiam 22:19, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

This page has collected information about the "World's Largest Mazes", using also the Guinness Book of World Records 2005. It does not confine itself to hedge mazes, and I can't tell in all cases what we have.  --Lambiam 22:32, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Thanks. It appears to not be a simple answer - with much of the problem being the definition of largest - path length, maze area or ... I had wanted to add a section to (or order the existing info in) hedge maze, but it looks like it will take more effort than I expected. -- SGBailey 09:45, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Potatoes

In terms of nutritional value, do potatoes count as a Fruit and Vegetable serving or a Grains serving? Jamesino 23:19, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

In the U.S. new Food Pyramid, potatoes are vegetable (sub-type starchy along with peas and corn) Rmhermen 00:18, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Looks like they were counted as vegetables under the "Four Food Groups" plan as well. Rmhermen 00:26, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Since starch is a complex carb, I would count them as a grain. StuRat 00:32, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Potatoes are starchy vegetables. -THB 12:00, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

In practical terms I'd say it depends on whether or not they're served with the skins, since nearly all the nutrition is in the skins. It also depends on whether they're fried. Durova 15:34, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

They aren't vegetables, but rather are tubers. Since there isn't any category on the food pyramid for tubers, that leaves open the question of where to place them. StuRat 15:42, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

If you were wondering, potatoes do not count as one of your 5-a-day. Englishnerd 17:53, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

October 16

college basketball

what is the biggest stadium capacity for college basketball and which school has it? also, if its not the same school, which school has the largest average attendance?

Doing a google search for "largest college basketball" had Marriott Center as the second or third result. That page says: "...would remain the nation's largest basketball-specific facility on a college campus until 1987, when the University of Tennessee opened Thompson-Boling Arena. Previously, the Cougars basketball team played at the Smith Fieldhouse." And the article for the Thompson-Boling Arena states: "In terms of seating capacity, Thompson-Boling is the largest facility ever built specifically for basketball in the United States." Dismas| 00:11, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

As far as attendance goes, this gives date for the 2004 season. Dismas| 00:17, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Doléen

How do I find the town of Doléen in France, near Brest?--Filll 00:16, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Find the town how? Find the Doléen article? That will literally only tell you it's on the west coast of France. Or do you need lat/long coordinates? Dismas| 00:50, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

I asked your question on the French Misplaced Pages reference desk (here). Maybe somebody there will know the answer. Philbert 01:25, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

I used multimap, which has good detailed, interactive online maps of France (and the rest of Europe), searched extensively around Brest, and found nothing. I searched Doléen using their search function and got nothing. Then I tried strings similar to Doléen. The closest approximation I could find is Doëlan, a tiny village, on the coast of Brittany southwest of Clohars-Carnoët, near Quimperlé, but over 100 km from Brest. The fact that the tiny village, or hamlet, of Doëlan, is searchable in multimap, but Doléen is not, makes me suspect that "Doléen" is misspelled or has been renamed. Marco polo 02:37, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

It is quite possible that Doléen and Doëlan are the same town. The reason is that in this part of Brittany, they do not speak Parisian French and there can be considerable differences in some words, place names, pronunciations, etc. The reason I am interested is that the first few submarine transatlantic telegraph cables went through Doléen/Doëlan I believe, but I have not established it yet to my satisfaction.--Filll 03:14, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Dear all, here is a translation from the french-speaking help-desk : “A friend of mine from Brest proposes Déolen, hamlet included in the town of fr:Locmaria-Plouzané, neighbouring Brest (). It seems to match better and is confirmed by this book.” HaguardDuNord. The reference is a journal article: Jean-Francois Douguet, Locmaria-Plouzané: a mad dream, crossing the Atlantic Ocean, Les Cahiers de l'Iroise, no. 188, pp. 59-60 (2000). — Jérôme Borme 09:50, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Again from the French-speaking reference desk. More information from this document (in French). Relevant excerpt: “On the French side, the first cable, installed in 1869, was ending at the north of the fr:Goulet de Brest on a beach under the fr:Petit Minou lighthouse. In 1879, a place away from Brest was chosen to build the terminal installations. The Déolen bay at the north of Petit Minou lighthouse was chosen. However, the extension to Porthcurnow ended at fr:Brignogan to avoid a long detour around Ushant island.” — Jérôme Borme 12:40, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

It appears that the first cable of Déolen was installed the 20 June 1869, according to an exposition about transatlantic cables presented last Febuary at Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. — Jérôme Borme 12:52, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

CSI Miami Commercial

Does anyone know the song that is played during the commercial to the episode that will air on Monday, October 16th? Deltacom1515 02:42, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

• In what country? - 131.211.210.14 09:45, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Notable Siblings Marrying Siblings

I’ve just been to see Hephzibah, a documentary about Hephzibah Menuhin. I knew she was married to an Australian for a time, and I knew her brother Yehudi’s first wife was also an Australian, but I didn’t know the 2 spouses were themselves brother and sister (Lindsay and Nola Nicholas). Does anyone know of other cases where notable siblings married siblings? JackofOz 05:16, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Chang and Eng Bunker. Clarityfiend 05:50, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Truck sales in Antananarivo?

Hi I am looking for truck sales in Anatananarivo Madagascar. I need to contact a dealer for information but not sure how to reach someone who can help. To be more specific I am look for Nissan Diesel sales.

Try this, in Mozambique: -THB 12:05, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

According to the Nissan Diesel website, the distributor in Madagascar is "Ocean Trade Compagnie." The website gives a phone number to dial. You will probably need to speak French. Marco polo 19:55, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

suicide

whats the best,cheapest n least painfull way to commit suicide...not that am thinking bout it

Trying watching the Fox News Channel. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 10:23, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Are you reccomending Fox news because they often report suicide, or is the channel really that boring? :p Яussiaп F 12:04, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

I would hardly call that painless. User:Zoe|(talk) 18:42, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Drowning has no pain or cost at all, except transportation to a large body of water. "Best" is subjective. -THB 12:07, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Jumping off the top of a tall building head first is quick, cheap, and painless. Not that I would recomend any form of suicide. THL 13:03, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Best and most painless way is 12-gauge shotgun in the mouth (pointed upwards, of course). Click. Bang. Dead. Not cheap unless you already own a shotgun though (EDIT: DON'T DO IT!!!!). --Kurt Shaped Box 13:24, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Librarians have refused to stock the suicide how-to book, Final Exit, not because they object to the contents, but because nobody ever seems to return the book. :-) StuRat 15:09, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Razors pain you.

Rivers are damp.

Acids stain you

and drugs cause cramp.

Guns aren't lawful.

Nooses give.

Gas smells awful.

You might as well live. - Dorothy Parker Durova 15:31, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

You should probably talk to a doctor, counselor, psychologist, friend, minister, teacher or crisis hotline about your feelings and what is going on in your life if it occurs to you to ask this question, (not that you are thinking about it). Misplaced Pages is not the best place to seek guidance with questions of this sort. Edison 18:17, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Falling asleep in the snow would be painless, or so I've heard. User:Zoe|(talk) 18:42, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Ecopave

Why is it that Ecopave Australia article page was deleted recently without it being given a proper opportunity to have it descussed in the same way as Eco-cemet did? Eco-cement article page is absolutely no different to Ecopave Australia so why were we dealt with differently?? Does this mean that Misplaced Pages follows its own guidelines when it comes to the deletion criteria, or is this a case of bias?

Why is it that Ecopave Australia article page was deleted ruthlessly without it being given a proper opportunity to have it discussed in the same way as Eco-cement did? Eco-cementt article page is absolutely no different to Ecopave Australia so why were we dealt with differently?? Does this mean that Misplaced Pages follows its own guidelines when it comes to the deletion criteria, or is this a case of bias? 144.137.45.71 10:31, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

What article is this exactly? Ecopave Australia does not seem to have ever existed. You can check who deleted it and why at Special:log. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 10:33, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Exactly, our articles on Ecopave Australia were sitting fine for 2 weeks when 3 admins decided to attack it, see this link

Oh, yeah, and the place to ask this would be Misplaced Pages:Help desk. The Reference desk is for asking about all things not Misplaced Pages-related, the Help desk is for help with the Misplaced Pages itself. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 10:40, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

It was deleted by community consensus at Misplaced Pages:Articles for deletion/Ecopave Australia. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 10:57, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, never mind me. I typo'd when I entered it into the search box, and did it properly up above. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 15:35, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Starbucks

Why is Starbucks so expensive in the UK? In the US, it only costs $1.80 for a coffee; whereas in the UK it costs a little under £3 ($5.60). Thanks, 81.131.56.242 11:52, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Most things are more expensive in the UK than in the USA and most of continental Europe, in my experience. The answer usually given is that companies' fixed costs are higher in the UK than elsewhere. See Rip-Off Britain. --Richardrj 12:31, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

I think it's simply because people are willing to pay that amount. It's the same with a lots of products, certainly books and electronic equipment are cheaper in the US than in the UK, houses and cars are cheaper on mainland Europe, etc.--Shantavira 12:30, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Is there much competition in the UK ? Are there any other coffee house chains ? StuRat 13:17, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Yes, plenty. --Richardrj 13:29, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Because that's the right price for a cup of coffee. I'm serious! If the cup is overprice then noone would buy it. If it is underprice then lots of people would buy it. It has been priced just right. If you think it's overprice then you should not buy it. 211.28.178.86 13:29, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

What you are saying is that the price is set by the market. I agree, but this begs the question of why the market sets a different price in the UK than it does elsewhere. --Richardrj 13:31, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Don't forget that the coffee Starbucks use comes from South America. This is the difference between a 3 or 4 day lorry journey to the US and a 2 month bulk freight to the UK. Plus, maybe the UK charges VAT on coffee and the US doesn't (I'm not sure on that one). Also, see Rip-Off Britain. Laïka 15:17, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

I already linked to that article. --Richardrj 16:13, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Sorry about that...silly me. Laïka 17:14, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

One day a Starbucks tall latte will replace the Economist's Big Mac Index. This measures comparitive purchasing power. Basically, if a commodity locally-made item (used to be a loaf of bread) costs way more than anywhere else in the world, then that currency is overvalued. However, I think Starbucks is a novelty in some parts of the world. Wait until it's on every corner! --Zeizmic 17:30, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

• Could there be any taxes involved? In the United States, the only taxes on a cup of Starbucks coffee are the standard sales taxes, if any, of whatever state you happen to be in at the time. The UK, like the rest of Europe, does like to use taxation as a means of social control, after all (e.g. making gasoline/petrol cost ~$5 per gallon purely to prevent citizens from being able to afford to use much of it). --Aaron 19:31, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Transport costs should not be too much different between the UK and the US. In either case, it travels thousands of km by ship from South America, Africa, or Indonesia. There are no roads between the US and South America! If anything, the greater per-mile cost of truck (lorry) transport from a port in the US to an inland city 1000 km or more away would be greater than the transport cost to a UK location, which can't be much more than 200 km from a port. A couple of things that might contribute to the difference: 1) Wages are higher in the UK. In some parts of the US, you can pay low-skill people like Starbucks staff as little as $5.15 (£2.77) an hour (the minimum wage). Even in New York City, they are likely to make less than $10 an hour. 2) Commercial rents tend to be higher in the UK than in the US, with the exception of Manhattan. (Incidentally, I don't think that you will get much at Starbucks in New York City for $1.80.) 3. The pound sterling has been driven up relative to the dollar (and the euro) because sterling interest rates are higher. That means lots of international investors are selling dollars and buying sterling. So prices will look higher in terms of sterling than in dollars, even if their purchasing power is the same. Marco polo 20:10, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

news

any news on the court case of fred boyle australia

check google news. Jon513 16:35, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

'edit' tag

Is it my imagination, or does the 'edit' box/tag/thingy keep moving from the right to the left of the page and then back again?--Light current 14:08, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

I know it was doing this a couple days ago. I went on IRC for the express purpose of finding out, and apparently it was some sideffect of other changes someone was doing to the Mediawiki software stuffs. The Right-to-left projects all had their edit links switched to the right (the wrong side for them) after this was "fixed", so I'd speculate that you might have seen them in the process of fixing that. Or not. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 15:40, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

how to open up a restaraunt

i would like to know how to open up a restaraunt. as in the steps involved and things to do before once can open up a cafe or restaraunt. as well as how to run one.

If you buy into a franchise, then it's far easier (although potentially more expensive). If you don't have any experience running a restaurant, this would likely give you the best chance of success. The company you buy the franchise from will do a number of things for you, possibly including the following:

• Scout out a good location for the restaurant.

• Construct the building and furnish it with their standard decor.

• Provide food in a form suitable for cooking.

• Provide you with a menu and cooking instructions for each item.

• Provide advertising.

• Provide training for employees and management.

Why do they do all this ? For money, of course. They will want a substantial up front payment (possibly in the millions) and may want a yearly cut of the profits, as well. If you don't have the funds for this, I suggest you start small, like a food kiosk in a mall. StuRat 15:28, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

• Work in one first,this should either give you some idea or put you off completely.I'm being serious.(82.138.214.1 16:51, 16 October 2006 (UTC))

I agree that it would be foolish to try to open a restaurant without having worked in one so that you know what is involved. Assuming that you have worked in a restaurant, and you don't want to purchase a franchise, then you need to plan out your marketing strategy. A big part of that is location and decor. Think about who your customers will be and what will appeal to their taste aesthetically. Where are your customers geographically? Do they get around by taxi, on foot and by city transit, or by private car? The first answer calls for an upscale shopping district. The first two answers call for a location on a major commercial street with lots of foot traffic. The last answer calls for a location with parking on a major suburban street or highway. Once you have your concept, you need to find a suitable location through a (real) estate agent, negotiate a lease, and purchase all of the necessary kitchen equipment and tableware. Depending on where you are located, you may need to obtain a number of permits from your municipal and/or state/provincial government. You will then need to renovate the location with the appropriate decor. Part of the renovation should be an attractive exterior that will get noticed from the street, or signage if you are set back from a suburban street behind a parking lot. You need to hire a skilled kitchen staff, crucially a chef, who can present the kind of food that your clientele will want. You will also need to hire waitstaff who present the right image. Finally, you need to market your restaurant. You might want to hire a designer to work with your chef on a menu. You should then send copies of the menu and an announcement of the restaurant's opening to reviewers from local print, online, and perhaps broadcast media. You might try offering discount coupons, either to passers-by, or along with an advertisement in a local media outlet, to bring in new customers at the beginning. Then you have to hope that your plan was successful and that you draw new customers by word of mouth. Marco polo 20:23, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

no more ghosts? ASAP Please

what song has this in it's lyrics? Thanks Heynow07 15:41, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Any of these? http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=lyrics+%22no+more+ghosts%22&btnG=Search&meta= Benbread 18:31, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

My kitten is sick

I don't think it is feline distemper, because the symptoms aren't there. The kitten started with "yucky" eyes, which eventually dried the eyes closed. Now that I can get a hold of this kitten (mama is wild!), I washed the eyes enough to get them open and put in some penicillin eye ointment. Other than being "goopy" in the eyes--and a bit underfed and underwatered from lack of sight--the kitten seems fine. I'd like to know what this might be so I can deal with it better. Any recommendations for specific medication and/or treatment would also be welcome. Thank you so much! KT

The best advice anyone here can give you would be to take her to a vet. --Richardrj 16:13, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Yucky eyes? Get more fresh air into the house, or allow your kitten some time outside. If you feel this would be dangerous, so is keeping your cat inside for months on end. You might not notice the steady, gradual decline of an indoor-only cat, like you would notice a cat torn apart by panthers, but it's the same effect regardless: bad.

Fresh air will cure all sorts of maladies, but most immediately, things like eye, nose, mouth, gum, throat, lung, and skin problems.

If you buy cat food for your cat, you may want to give it some human food too. Things like stir-fry chicken, beef, even nice soft bread. Cats can and will eat almost anything a human eats, if it's good food of course.

If you want to make sure your cat lives longer than you, give it fresh-from-the-restaurant sushi. Cats just love fresh, raw, salmon, crab, virtually anything made by a Japanese man. Chris 19:41, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

• Have to disagree with almost everything Chris has said.See if you have a local charity which can deal with what appears to be a feral cat.(82.138.214.1 16:57, 16 October 2006 (UTC))

Likewise, the first advice is best: take the kitten to a vet. Durova 17:29, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Definitely go with the vet visit. A young animal may have worms, fleas, ear mites, and any number of other problems. Edison 18:20, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Yes, we must keep the vets in business. If pets don't continually get sick, vets have no money coming in, then we'll have horribly sick vets instead of horribly sick kitties. Yes, disregard all my advice. Don't let your cats get a breath of fresh air. Feed them canned food, exclusively. Cats exist purely for your amusement, and to filter your air. God bless America! Chris 19:38, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

How to contact David Gilmour of Pink floyd?

Please help,

I need your help in finding/writing to David Gilmour of Pink Floyd. I'm not happy with him at all at this point, you will have to see the DVD "Pulse" in the tune "Money" where he is singing and when it comes to the part about buying a Lear Jet he steps back away from the Mic and says to the other band members "Maybe two" with a shit eaten grin on his face. I don't know why but it has upset me with him more than I can stand and I just need to let him know for some reason.

Gary

Well, you could try contacting him via his website, but the chances of a megastar like him reading emails sent to a website are very slim. Especially if it's the kind of message you outline, which sounds like it would be abusive. --Richardrj 19:26, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

A little confused?

I sorry for being so idnorent but I don't understand he reason for open editing. I was confused when I stubbled on your site and I hit edit just wondering what would happen. I typed some random useless words and you posted it. I quikly relized what I did and delated it. But my question to you is. How do you guys control all this information? Can't any one just delate everything or post anything? Maybe I still don't understand.

Try reading about Misplaced Pages.

Long story short, the thing that makes Misplaced Pages Misplaced Pages is the fact than anyone can edit it. If it wasn't editable, it would be just another boring encyclopedia that, first and foremost, rich old white men make money off of.

Also, an article is only as important as how many people read it. So, the more people who read an article, the faster any garbage is spotted, and the faster it gets fixed. Misplaced Pages is self-healing. Chris 19:49, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Rich old white men, a bit racially vindictive isnt it, do coloured people prefer not to invest in information technology? Philc _TC 21:39, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Brochure Templates

Does anyone know where I can find some good brochure templates at? I just need them to look good, as I will provide all of the content. I want complete control over it, not like at my brochure maker where one cannot edit it freely. Any help to find some brochure templates would be greatly appreciated. A quick Google search didn't weild any usable results. --205.213.6.3 20:05, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Reccomendations

Quick! Reccomend comics/anime/manga that are based in actual mythology (not one made up for the purposes of the comic/anime/manga)! 64.198.112.210 20:12, 16 October 2006 (UTC)