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Reference Desk

November 5

Poppy?

I watched a video link on CNN.com just now about some child porn arrests that were made in Canada. A couple of the people in the video had a red circle (flower?) with a black center on their lapels. Is this some sort of symbol for the fight against child pornography or its awareness? Or does it have some sort of Canadian symbolism? Dismas| 01:02, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

The poppy is a symbol of remembrance that's worn on and a couple weeks before Remembrance Day (equivalent to the U.S.'s Veterans Day). Its symbolism stems from the poem In Flanders Fields. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 01:10, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

I knew that.... Hadn't thought about the date... Thanks, Dismas| 01:24, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

You mean, Americans don't wear poppies for Remembrance Day (or Veterans Day)? --Bowlhover 03:45, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

No, we don't. If we wear anything it would be American flag lapel pins. StuRat 06:06, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

Not true at all. The VFW and American Legion sell poppy lapel pins before both Memorial Day and Veterans' Day. User:Zoe|(talk) 21:10, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

BTW, it's a little misleading to equate Veterans' Day and Remembrance Day. True, they're on the same day, and presumably for the same reason (the armistice in WWI). But the emphasis on Remembrance Day is on hono(u)ring the war dead, which makes it more like Memorial Day. --Trovatore 08:00, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

Shows how much I know about the US. What I do know is Canada. Remembrance day seems heavily emphasised up here, hence you won't find any media people without a poppy two weeks (or more) before November 11. Remembrance day ceremonies always seem to be well attended too. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 08:08, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

I really don't think that you are correct; rememberance sunday is about the living, not just the dead. You won't attend a rememberance sunday service without hearing the words 'remember the dead; don't forget the living'. Where do you think all the money from the selling of poppies goes? BTW what is veterans' day about? is it the same or different? MHDIV Englishnerd 13:23, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

The sense I got when living in Canada was that the emphasis of Remembrance Day (what's "Remembrance Sunday"? never heard of that) was on those who had died in wartime military service. In the States they are specifically remembered on Memorial Day. Veterans' Day tends to be for parades by veterans' groups, which seems to emphasize the living.

Really, though, neither day is very deeply felt in the States. Memorial Day in practice tends to be more important as the unofficial "start of summer", kind of like two-four in Canada. --Trovatore 18:34, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

See Remembrance Day and Remembrance Sunday. As usual, we have articles about them. -- Arwel (talk) 10:20, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

I don't think Remembrance Day is "deeply felt" by most people in Canada either -- although obviously it is for some, and I don't mean to demean them in any way. Some people get a day off work, but most don't; many people do nothing more than wear a poppy, and many more don't even do that.

One possibly interesting bit of trivia: the preferred time for Remembrance Day ceremonies in Canada is 11 AM. This copies British practice and commemorates the time the Armistice took effect on November 11, 1918 — in the time zone then used in France as well as Britain, but not, of course, in Canada. (Nor in Germany, where it was noon.) The fact that it was "the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month" was a pure coincidence; the Armistice actually specified a 6-hour delay before fighting would end, the final negotiations finished a little after 5 AM French time, and they decided that since the time was critical, it was best to rounded off to 5:00 to minimize confusion.

--Anonymous, the 21st hour (British time, rounded to minimize confusion) of the 5th day of the 11th month.

I think the wearing of poppies around 11/11 is somewhat macabre. People wear poppies because of the poem; poppies are mentioned in the poem because they grow on top of dead people. Isn't that a little on the creepy side? -- Mwalcoff 21:44, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

It may seem a bit wierd for an American, but it's just a coustom to wear the poppies from a couple of weeks before rememberance sunday; it is a sign of new life springing up from death, if you see pictures of flander's field or any other poppy-supporting ex-battle grounds, you will understand the touching significance of them. And they raise a lot of money for the Royal British Legion! Englishnerd 22:35, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

You don't have Remembrance Day on the 11th, always? (I ask because you say "Remembrance Sunday" and not "Remembrance Day" - it's always on the 11th in Canada). --Charlene 01:06, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

But were the poppies that John McCrae saw at Flanders there before people were buried? He wrote the poem in 1915 only 10 months after the start of WWI. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 05:41, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Rememberance day is always on the 11th, we ahve a 2 minute silence at 11 o'clock. But all memorial services at war memorials and Churches are held on the second sunday of November, whether that falls before, on are after the 11th. Englishnerd 18:24, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Programmes they used to show us at school emphasised that the poppy thing wasn't just from the poem. Poppies were prolific in the churned-up battle fields and the programmes said they were sometimes included in letters to the family of the deceased. Hence both the soldiers, who saw the fields, and the families, who got poppies in their letters, associated them with the fallen. Anyone confirm/deny? Skittle 21:07, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Roseanne being 80s

Does Roseanne count as an 80s show?

Roseanne aired from October 18, 1988 to May 20, 1997. You decide. ×Meegs 01:48, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

I would certainly say it's an 80s show and a 90s show, considering it aired in both decades. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 02:00, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

Removing Caffeine From Coffee Beans

How can you remove the caffeine from green coffee beans? I read of a swiss treatment of putting them in hot water but when I did that and left it overnight I was just left with murky colored water, was the caffeine and flavors in the water, possibly and that is what changed the color?

Unsigned, but merged by --froth 03:38, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

Yes, Swiss Water Process (SWP). SweetMarias, a great coffee resource, describes it here. They are not impressed. --Justanother 04:28, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

How does it become caffeine powder and is it the powder they use in sodas?

I assume they evaporate out the water to make a powder. I know that it is indeed used to provide the caffeine in colas and many energy drinks. Skittle 21:01, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

population of the living compared to the dead

Laurie Anderson says that we passed the moment sometime in the early fifties when there were more people alive than dead. I was shocked to hear this. My friend however says that there can never have been more dead than alive, because he reasons if you start with 2 and then get 4 and so forth it grows so fast that....well, what do you think? Are there more now? and how can we figure it out?

Yes, I agree, it's not possible. I believe the estimate is that somewhere around 7% of the people who have every lived are currently alive and 93% are dead. StuRat 04:14, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

This has been asked so many times, including Sept. 27 (in the Science category). Rough estimates put the total number of people who ever lived at somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 billion. So there are more dead than alive. Clarityfiend 05:18, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

This is barely worth adding, but hey what are the referenced-desks for...I recall reading somewhere that half the people who every lived are alive. Looking at the world population page this doesn't seem particularly likely - their historic graph shows world population at 6bn now with estimates for the past.

Simplistically speaking if we took the population at the start of each AD century (which is very generous) and add them together we get something like 7.5bn - you could no doubt very safely double that (since live spans are nowhere near 100 years). I think, therefore, that maybe anywhere up to 20% of the population of mankind is alive, but that would be a very very rough guess. Good question though ny156uk 11:28, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

Snopes is your friend.--Shantavira 14:04, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

Not a Cat

There is a game you play where you have to get people to mention things without using key words associated with them (forget the name, taboo or articulate or something). Anyhoo the question was this" If I were trying to get people to say 'dog' I would probably say "not a cat" and people will regularly say "dog" as if they are the opposite of each other (if you said "not hot" people would assume 'cold'). Is there a specific term for things that become associated as opposites but are actually not?

Silly Sunday question I know but hey ho. ny156uk 11:44, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

The term is "association" or "word association", and our minds make those associations for many reasons. A common reason is that they are often used in phrases together (men and women, salt and pepper, etc). Opposites like hot and cold are a small subset of the larger universe of associations for all reasons. A term for commonly associated opposites is antonyms. alteripse 11:52, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

Actually a similar question was asked a few months ago on RD. Apparently there is a specific word for "this and that" pairs that are almost an entity unto themselves; don't remember what it is offhand but I'll take a look. Anchoress 12:52, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

I believe the name is Taboo (game). StuRat 20:59, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

That's the name of the game, but he's asking for the term that's the basis of Taboo. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 23:31, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

Interesting notion that cats and dogs are somehow opposites. In many modern-day households they are often found together. JackofOz 00:46, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Interesting notion that males and females are somehow opposites. In many modern-day households they are often found together. Sorry, I had to. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 02:12, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Talent does what it can, genius does what it must (Oscar Wilde). Congrats, wirbelwind, you're now officially a genius. JackofOz 02:00, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

Saturday and Sunday

How can we be sure that the Sunday of the Gregorian calendar is the same as the original Lord's Day, or that the Saturday was the original Sabbath, as mentioned in Genesis and/or celebrated by early synagogues? Maybe what was Saturday then is now Wednesday. NeonMerlin 14:00, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

Well, my opinion. Weeks are artifical divisions, not even related to something in nature like month is an approximation of moon phase (though some speculate it may have been noted as a 1/4 of the moon phase). But likely, and certainly for our purposes, week is Biblical as the six days of creation plus the day of cessation (God obviously not needing to "rest"). So to be "correct" in the sense of your question, we would have to have continuity of recording weeks back to creation. Obviously that is impossible. No, I think the Lord's Day would simply be taken to be the first day (Sunday) of whatever system of dating weeks is being used and the Sabbath is the last day (Saturday) (see Week#Liturgical week) and that would be entirely correct. In other words, their position is relative to your week, not to some fixed point in time. --Justanother 14:55, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

• From the article you link to "The last day of the Julian calendar was Thursday 4 October 1582 and this was followed by the first day of the Gregorian calendar, Friday 15 October 1582". Given that 10 days were taken out of the calendar, and the 15th of October would have been a Monday if not for the deletion, then you're quite correct and it's all a bit of a farce as far as the correlation of days to dates are concerned. I suppose they would argue that since the continuity of the days was not altered then it is all still correct, i.e., regardless of the deletion of 10 days there was never a period were there were more than 7 days from say one Saturday to the next. On a side note, I've heard it said that many people of the time were outraged about losing 10 days out of their lives (presumably especially those whose birthdays fell in that 10 day period!). --jjron 15:04, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

I believe that side note is something of an urban myth. What people weren't happy about was paying a year's tax, rent, etc whilst only being paid for the days or hours that they worked.--Shantavira 17:57, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

When the British Empire converted to Gregorian (in 1752, Wednesday, September 2 O.S., was followed by Thursday, September 14 N.S.), the law was specifically framed so as to prevent that sort of abuse by requiring payments to be made based on "natural days": for example, a monthly payment that had been on the 1st of the month was to change to the 12th. However, I have no idea whether it was actually followed in practice. --Anonymous, 21:15 UTC, November 5, 2006, N.S.

It seems likely to me that the integrity of the 7-day week is intact, at least since the time of Jesus. The seven-day week was used by nearly all Mediterranean peoples and would have been maintained both by government officials and ordinary villagers during the time of the Roman Empire. Thereafter, despite the chaos of barbarian invasions, the Christain Church in Rome and Constantinople and parish churches across Europe would have maintained the seven-day week right down to modern times. Marco polo 23:56, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

I agree with that. The dates (eg. 9th February, 13th April etc) may have changed due to changes to the calendar, but the 7-day cycle of the days of the week has never to my knowledge been interrupted. Except for one specific case, whose details escape me for the moment, where a Friday was followed by another Friday. It had something to do with an adjustment to the International Date Line, not to the calendar as such. JackofOz 00:53, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Ooo, I was just reading about that somewhere. Wasn't it when Alaska went from being Russian to being part of the US? Or have I made that up? Skittle 17:57, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

From Alaska: "Russia still used the Julian Calendar in 1867, and the world had not yet been divided into standard time zones; thus, there was no international date line, and the day began in the morning instead of starting at midnight. So, while the American day now ends with sunset in western Alaska, the Russian day then started with sunrise in "eastern" Alaska. Thus, Friday, October 6, 1867, the day before the physical transfer of ownership, was followed by Friday, October 18, 1867—which was Saturday, October 7, 1867 in Russia. The change in date was due to America bringing the Gregorian Calendar to Alaska, while the lack of change in day resulted from Alaska's shift from being the starting point of the Russian day to being the ending point of the American day." Skittle 17:59, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

That's the one. Well done, Skittle. JackofOz 02:03, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

Other places that have jumped to the other side of the date line include the Philippines, Kwajalein, and most of Kiribati. --Anonymous, 02:20 UTC, Nov. 8.

Okay, so is there anything in the Bible to stop a church or synagogue from holding its services on Wednesdays if that was worked best for its members, assuming that wasn't regulated by a pope or archbishop? NeonMerlin 04:07, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

You are not paying attention. The seven-day day-of-the-week cycle has been continuously observed for thousands of years. It is the dates that were altered.

If you want to start your own Church ("The Fourth Day Adventists") and run services on Wednesday, go ahead. But don't expect the Pope to start celebtrating Masses on Thursday afternoons so that Catholics can sleep late and still get in a round of golf on Sundays. B00P 07:23, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

black thingy on aircraft

what's this black thing warpped about the hull?

http://en.wikipedia.org/Image:Astor_SentinelR1.JPG

http://en.wikipedia.org/Bombardier_Global_Express

The Bombardier Global Express article points to Raytheon Sentinel. Weregerbil 15:43, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

• Fairings for radar and other communications equipment, I do believe. Kinda like the disk on the AWACS radome, though that's a rotating thing. --jpgordon 15:52, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

The appearance of it being wrapped is an illusion, I am sure. There is probably a pod on the top and another larger one on the bottom, nothing wrapped. --Justanother 16:09, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

The Erieye (here seen mounted on a Saab aircraft, I think) by Ericsson is another example. It contains an array antenna with many elements. You can choose the angle in which the radar is looking by operate the elements in proper phase to each other. (Makes for a faster sweep than if done mechanically.) —Bromskloss 17:12, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

Air Canada strike of 1969

I am trying to confirm the beginning date and end date of the Air Canada strike that occured in 1969. I am unsure what part/union/workers/locations were striking but I know that it grounded all flights in/out of Toronto Pearson International Airport. I look forward to your responses, josephine

Well if nobody answers your question, you can just ask them. Anchoress 16:13, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

This link says it began at the end of April, 1969, and was a strike by mechanics and other ground service personnel. I can't find anything online that says when the strike ended. The union might be able to advise you - try IAMAW District 78 in suburban Toronto at this page . --Charlene 00:57, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

The journal The Muse Project ] available through library login, lists it as a four month strike. CMacMillan 05:31, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

sat. night live school of filmaking

from

http://www.wpxi.com/entertainment/10227262/detail.html#

"Borat" can hardly be compared to the "Saturday Night Live" school of filmmaking. This is not a feeble attempt to stretch a 3-minute skit into a 90-minute movie. It is much bigger than a one-joke movie.

what are some examples of the SNL movie genre?

• It's Pat!
• Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo
• The Master of Disguise

--Anchoress 17:02, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

• On the other hand, The Blues Brothers, Wayne's World, Coneheads...they're not all awful. Just most. --jpgordon 18:12, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

I would disagree "SNL movie genre" is a genre. What exactly defines this genre? Movies based on SNL sketches? Movies with actors who were on SNL? Putting those two criteria for a genre aside, what else defines the genre? I think, at best, you can say all these movies are in the comedy genre with a similar style of humor. —Mitaphane _talk 18:34, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

Isn't it defined above? A whole movie based on a 3-minute skit? That seems pretty clear. Anchoress 18:40, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

If that's the definition, I'd say that's a bit of a strech for a genre, especially one called the "SNL movie genre". I'm pretty sure SNL hasn't been the first to take a comedy sketch routine and expand it into a feature movie. Would Office Space fall under that genre? It was based on short series of sketches called Milton that ran on SNL.—Mitaphane _talk 18:50, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

Well a) if you have a problem with the definition, you should take it up with the person who wrote the article. And b), maybe that movie fits, I don't know. Anchoress 19:02, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

Three-minute skit? --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 18:34, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

I don't see anything inherently bad about taking a sketch and stretching into a movie or TV series, it's all in the execution that makes it a success or failure. For example, The Simpsons started as a small animated sketch on The Tracey Ullman Show and The Honeymooners started as a sketch on The Jackie Gleason Show. StuRat 20:23, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

Saddam's Sentence too harsh?

Moved to talk:Saddam Hussein Deleted per WP:NOT. Misplaced Pages is not a chat room or blog. -- Jim Douglas _(contribs) 00:06, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

Oooo! Thats bold--Light current 02:02, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

I did tell you light current, that talk page is for discussion of the article, I dont know what your respons was though as it has now been deleted. Philc _TC 18:36, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

Interstate Highway Exits Project

Roman Soiko I want to start a massive project which objective is to enumerate every interstate highway exit in the country, in the style of communter rail networks that are already expounded upon by this site.

I can use of course, Mapquest to find the exits, but how do I go about the editing phase of this project?

My immediate reaction is, why is this needed? Dismas| 19:07, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

I also have to wonder, with the huge holes that exist in Misplaced Pages, and the articles that desperately need expanding and rewriting, is this energy not better spent in other areas? However, if you want to do it, I guess you will. However...--Filll 19:35, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

See Portal:U.S. Roads. User:Zoe|(talk) 21:20, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

Many of our interstate highway articles have exit lists already. See Interstate 95 in Massachusetts for an example, and Massachusetts Route 128 for a more detailed example. —Steve Summit (talk) 23:02, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

How a project to create an article for every slightly moldy object in the back of the refrigerator,every pothole in a street, every crack in a sidewalk, every unmatched sock and similar important and interesting topics? Edison 00:43, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

Well, one way to look at it is not how universally interesting a topic is, but how likely it is to be interesting to somebody. Now, Britney Spears is (to judge by the google search statistics) interesting to just about everyone, while those moldy objects in the back of your refrigerator are probably interesting to no one. But what about the highway exit numbers? Well, the reason I know about the Massachusetts Route 128 article is that a little while ago I needed to find some information about those exits, and I was pleased to find it here. (I was also pleased to correct one or two errors in the exit number table.) De gustibus non disputandum est. —Steve Summit (talk) 02:32, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

advantages/disadvantages of rechargeable batteries

86.144.154.112 20:07, 5 November 2006 (UTC)mandielou

See Rechargeable battery. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 21:09, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

If you want a comparison between single use batteries and rechargables, one only needs to look at the devices that use them. Look at all the devices that have rechargable batteries(laptops, cell phones, PDA's, etc) vs those that typically don't(remote controls, clocks, portable CD player, etc.). I think you'll see a pattern; single use batteries are often used for devices that don't consume much power so that it's worth getting new single use batteries that won't lose its charge over time (as rechargables do); and rechargable batteries are used for higher power devices that would be expensive to replace all the time. Regardless of that, as far as time/convenience (cost I'm not sure of) goes, I think rechargables would win in almost every comparison (unless someone thinks it requires less effort to drive to a store to buy new batteries compared with popping old batteries in a charger). —Mitaphane _talk 21:20, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

Maori Scenery

Hi, Im doing some work on some new zealand scenery and i recall a Old legend of a Giant chief that fell in love with this Maori woman and he died through trying to eat his way through a Hillside Can someone help me with this?

You'd be referring to The Legend of Te Mata o Rongokako recounted around Havelock North, New Zealand Rockpocket 20:49, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

The photo in link above shows the hill very well - the head is to the left. Lisiate 21:12, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

There is also a more detailed recounting of the legend here. Rockpocket 21:36, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

You asked the same question here on October 15.  --Lambiam 21:38, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

Plagiarism

Two of your Misplaced Pages articles were plagiarised from the website planetmadtv.com. The articles that I know of are about Bryan Callen and Mo Collins. There could be others but I haven't seen them. Please remove these articles or re-word them. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Startist (talk • contribs) .

What part is even plagiarized? That site looks like it's just a news blog with mostly quotes. I can't even find the bios for the two above. Can you point to the specific page involved? Or are you just trolling? --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 23:26, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

Here's the Bryan Callen page http://planetmadtv.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2617 and here's the Mo Collins page http://planetmadtv.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2618. Notice at the bottom of those biographies, there is credit given to the members who wrote them.

Thanks for telling us! I'll admit I can't fix it now, but somebody else should pretty soon. X (SUPERDESK|Help me improve) 04:52, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Thank you for fixing it.

Removing crankshaft bolt

My dad is trying to remove the crankshaft pulley bolt on his Honda Accord to replace the crankshaft seal, but it's stuck on there so tight that when he turns it with a 3' length of pipe on the end of a wrench (with the transmission in Fifth and me standing on the brake), the clutch slips and the bolt doesn't loosen; penetrating oil, a propane torch, and constant hammering have done nothing to change this. Any ideas on how to get the thing off without buying an expensive crankshaft immobilizer or going to the shop? 65.87.184.11 21:56, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

His WHAT oil ? StuRat 22:07, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

Er, I think you got caught by vandalism that was not part of the original question: FreplySpang 22:12, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

Try an impact wrench. You might be able to borrow one, if you don't already own one. StuRat 22:08, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

Also, soaking the bolts in gasoline (petrol) may loosen rust, if that's the problem. StuRat 22:12, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

Hey StuRat, would a mild acid (like vinegar) work? I use it to remove rust from my "Iron Chef" butcher knife. I love that show. I also am dumb.Anchoress 22:22, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

Maybe, but if the vinegar makesiehe rust "puff up", it could actually make it worse, because the rust is between the nut and bolt, with no way to get it out. Gasoline has the property of being drawn into tight spaces by capillary action, which tends to pull small particles of rust along with it. Also, gasoline typically contains lubricants (lead in the old days, then MTBE, not sure what they use now) and detergents, for dealing with corrosion in car engines. StuRat 23:17, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

Have you tried an ultrasonic spanner yet? That may work. Also, he could try simulating an impact wrench by hitting the spanner handle with a dirty great hammer! This will act against the moment of inertia of the system and hopefully free the nut. Also could try soaking the whole nut with WD40 if not already tried.--Light current 22:24, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

Before StuRat so rudely interjected I was onside with the penetrating oil, otherwise known as gas-oil. It is by far superior to WD40 and leaves gasoline (Petrol) in the shade. But it does take a little while to actually penatrate the seized joint (open to you StuRat). But if all else fails, I am afraid the workshop with its specialised tools (and prices) is the answer.

Read the post again, he already tried penetrating oil. StuRat 02:10, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

I rememer working somewhere, wher we had to replace the dessicant balls in a steel vessel. THe 2" dia plug had, of course, rusted in with all the moisture it had been exposed to. A 36" Stilson wrench would not budge it. So the boss of the operation decided to take charge. His solution? A Twelve foot steel scaffolding pole attached to the end of the wrench and four people swinging on the end. It worked! Torque about a bit of a wrench!--Light current 01:25, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

OP, been there, done that. The problem is you cannot get enough torque on it if the clutch is slipping. You either have to pull enough crap out of the way to get an impact socket on it (radiator, AC condensor, etc.) or you have to stop the engine from turning. Ideally, you can get to the ring gear and jam it (or the clutch pressure plate) with a large screwdriver. Maybe there is a access cover on the bottom of the bell housing. Otherwise, pull the starter. I have also (carefully) jammed an engine using the cam chain. Not so good if you have a belt and dangerous in either case. Good luck, you are on the right track. --Justanother 02:01, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Before you do anything else, make sure that you're turning it in the correct direction. Might it have right-hand threads? Bunthorne 02:55, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

(of course, I meant left-hand, but my heart was in the right place) Bunthorne 05:02, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Yeah LOL. Thats a good point!--Light current 03:01, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Yes, no matter how dexterous your hands are, turning the tool the wrong way can still be a sinister problem. StuRat 06:09, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Hey, did you hear about the two wheels that were torquing? But only for a moment. Haven't used that one since, never mind when. --Justanother 06:17, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

I think that this particular bolt requires a huge amount of torque to tighten or to remove and that you need to use a power tool, at least to get it back in properly. If it is not tightened with sufficient torque, the vibration from your engine will allow it to loosen, your cranshaft pulley could be destroyed (this happened to me), and your engine could even fall off your frame! Replacing this bolt is very tricky, and I would bring it into a shop or at least rent the proper tools. Marco polo 15:47, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Update: (note - that was me who posted the question, I didn't realize I wasn't logged in) - he tried an impact wrench and it didn't help, and in continuing to use the pipe he managed to permanently twist a half-inch-thick forged-steel Craftsman breaker bar 45 degrees. Now he's just going to take it to the shop and have them remove it with a wrench, then put it back in just tight enough to drive home and work on. Do you think a power wrench is really necessary to reinsert it, or would by hand with a 3-foot moment arm be sufficient? Just how much torque is needed for safety? ~~ N (t/c) 00:23, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

If you read the service manual, there may actually be a torque specification, in which case you can use a torque wrench to get precisely the fit specified. StuRat 17:17, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

Looking for a type of program...

I was wondering if anyone could help me find a program. I would like it to take input from a QWERTY keyboard and then place a recording into another sound file at the time I press the key. Like a recorder that will replace my keypresses with other recordings. Ideally this program should automatically pitch-shift any recordings that are played so that all tones and semitones you can normally get would be played. I did find something like this on SourceForge, but I can't remember what it was called and it didn't seem to work anyway. Oh, by the way, the program must be free (gratis or libre, I don't care, as long as no money is involved). Thanks very much. Oh, even telling me what this type of program is called or something like that would be a great help. Thanks again. --80.229.152.246 22:14, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

"Sampler playback" (the ability to assign any sample to any key) Seems to be the name of the thing I'm looking for. I just found a program on SourceForge that should do the trick. I'll leave the question just in case it doesn't work.

Gratis and libre is a trivial distinction in this case. I'd encourage you to write it yourself, it seems like a simple enough problem. --froth 04:51, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

I was going to if no one could come up with something that has already been done. I've found a few programs on SourceForge but they don't seem to work very well. What language do you think I should write it in (Python/C/Visual Basic/Other that I don't know)? I think I might write it in something really obscure, just to be different. Thanks for your help. --80.229.152.246 17:25, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

I have found a program that does what I want. If anyone else is interested, take a gander at . Seems to work quite well. Oh, a little tip, don't set the sample keys to numbers on the NumPad, it doesn't seem to like that. --80.229.152.246 17:43, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

November 6

Cops being 80s

Does Cops count as an 80s show?

Do you mean this show? That show's first run was in 1989, but it's still being broadcast now. --Bowlhover 01:43, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

I would say yes (but barely), and it's also a 90s show and a 2000s show. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 01:46, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Perhaps they mean C.O.P.S. (TV series), the cartoon? That ran from 1988-1989, so it would be. Adam Bishop 21:48, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Maybe they mean Cop Rock -- remember that? In spite of being on air in 1990 (only) 1990, it had some 80's hallmarks (Steven Bochco) and some...other qualities (singing cops!) Dina 22:57, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

I think it will depend on what sort of question you're trying to answer. If you were asked to name a show that was on in the 80s, Cops would certainly qualify. On the other hand, if somebody who'd never heard of Cops asked you for information about it, do you think that telling them it was "an 80s show" would be accurate? From that answer I would infer that it was on in the 80s and only the 80s, and it would therefore be somewhat misleading. You couldn't truthfully answer that question by reference to only one decade. JackofOz 01:55, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

insurance industries

Why are the insurance industries involved in car safety devices?

So they don't have to pay medical bills from people who were in an accident. StuRat 02:06, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Famous Accounts

I am doing some research on Misplaced Pages culture. I would like to know if there have been any "troll" accounts operating on wikipedia in the last year and who they are and also what their themes are. Adam Nicholson 02:29, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Misplaced Pages:Long_term_abuse would make a good starting point. -Elmer Clark 03:07, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Thanks, but that's mostly "vandals." I'm talking about trolling, users who initiate flame wars and use Misplaced Pages simply to agitate others, etc. Adam Nicholson 03:10, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Some have said the Encyclopedia Dramatica case and its fallout contained some measure of trolling. Naming individual editors may be problematic due to WP:NPA, WP:AGF, WP:CIVIL. Also go to the TrollWarning template and click "what links here". Weregerbil 12:13, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Equus (play)

what was the story behind the real crime that inspired Peter Shaffer to write this play?

Try this or this and google "Alan Strang". CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 05:53, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

you don't understand the question. Please don't respond unless, at the very least, you actually understand the question.

he's asking about the actual, real-life incident, not commentary on the play....

Have you read Misplaced Pages:Civility? I gave the person asking the question two links so they could see what the story was behind the play. I read the two links myself, so I knew exactly what they were, and that is why I gave the link to Alan Strang. But based on the question, all they asked was the story behind the play which can be obtained from the first two links. I thought they might want more information so I gave the third link with the name of the person who did it. If you look at Equus (play) and Peter Shaffer it does not state the type of injury that was done to the horses. And perhaps that is all the person wanted to know. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 22:58, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

I think you are all confused. Alan Strang is not real....he's fictional. I think the questioner would like to know about the real person that Strang was based on, and the what and why of this real person's real crime.

Yes, I agree. This says that Peter Shaffer was inspired to write Equus by the chance remark of a friend at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The friend recounted to Shaffer a news story about a British youth who blinded twenty-six horses in a stable, seemingly without cause. Shaffer never confirmed the event or discovered more of the details, but the story fascinated him, provoking him ‘‘to interpret it in some entirely personal way.’’ His dramatic goal, he wrote in a note to the play, was ‘‘to create a mental world in which the deed could be made comprehensible.’’ If Shaffer never confirmed the event, it may not ever have happened at all. I'm just glad he wrote the play. The film is on my list of all-time favourites. JackofOz 08:29, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Bidding for sport events

In monetary terms, how much does it cost a government/country just to bid for say, the FIFA World Cup? --iamajpeg 03:17, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Do you mean the costs associated with the bid alone, or the costs associated with staging the event? According to The Independent, a British bid for 2018 "could cost tens of millions of pounds". According to a feasibilty study by auditors, the 2010 Cup in South Africa will have:

• A projected direct expenditure of R12.7 billion ($1.7 billion)
• But will contribute R21.3 billion to the GDP of South Africa ($2.9 billion)

Its an expensive business, with with the potential of great rewards if you don't mess it up (*cough* Wembley Stadium *cough*) Rockpocket 09:35, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, just the cost of the bid ideally :) --iamajpeg 22:29, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Sadaam Hussein

I know Saddam has been in the news a lot lately. While I freely admit that he was a brutal dictator, there are other sides to his persona that are left understated in conventional Western media depictions of Saddam. For instance, have you ever noticed that he's a particularly stylish dictator? Great suits, charisma, and those cool oversized aviator sunglasses? Do you agree with me that Saddam was a "pimp" back in the day? What about other dictators with a rico-suave "pimp" style? All I can think of right now is Momar Quaddafi, back in the 1980's, before he ditched his designer labels for the fundamentally boring Islamic garb he prefers now. Hizzizzle 03:21, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Evita Peron, wife of Argentine dictator Juan Peron, was renowned for her fashion sense. StuRat 03:41, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Imelda Marcos was known for her shoes... Dismas| 04:03, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Interesting way to look at things... --Proficient 04:14, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

I hate to be a killjoy, but would the OP try to rephrase his question please? Im not sure what you are asking 8-)--Light current 04:19, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Kim Jong-il has that Dr Evilesque two-piece look going on. You can thank his father, Kim Il-sung for that. Sure, he may have been a self-obsessed tyrant, but he was not all bad. For example, he recognised the benefits in dressing his child and heir, like a dapper little sailor. You really can't overestimate the importance in instilling a sense of style on a dictator from a young age. Rockpocket 08:50, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

His mother died when he (Kim Jong-il) was seven. I didn't know that. Carcharoth 14:07, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

thumb|left|Pinochet (sitting) as head of the newly established military junta.

Pinochet had pretty stylish sunnies back in the day, and the whole macho man pose thing going on. Lisiate 23:01, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

TV show

I have been haunted by a image from my past of a tv show. I have looked for it but i havent been able to locate the show. What I can remeber from the picture is a group of people/super-heros that are crime fighters / Military type civillian group. they ride Motorcycles and have them suped up with addons. this includes mini roceket launchers. this is all circa 1995 in the US. Any help in finding this show will be welcome. Betacommand 06:16, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Sounds like some version of the Power Rangers, to me. Specifically, it sound most like Power Rangers: Zeo, in which each ranger had a Zeo Jet Cycle. StuRat 06:35, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Was it cartoon or live action? One of the members of MASK had a motorcycle from what I recall. Dismas| 06:41, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

It was cartoon and there was no costumes they were humans with no real "powers" Betacommand 08:03, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

It's not Biker Mice from Mars, right? =D --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 08:25, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Na they were human. Betacommand 09:50, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Could it have been Anime? 惑乱 分からん 19:53, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

From what I remember it was distinctly american. (perhaps some kind of spin off of the GI Joes??) Betacommand 20:52, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Was it a Saturday morning cartoon, or an afterschool syndicated-type cartoon? (I shouldn't even be able to answer this as I was in college in 1995, but, um, I have varied interests) Dina 23:04, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Could it have been from earlier, but just being replayed? The conceit sounds awfully 80's to me. There's Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors & C.O.P.S. Dina 23:21, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Let me guess, one of the main characters rode a wheel-like thing from the inside? Yeah, I've been looking for that one too. ☢ Ҡi∊ff⌇↯ 19:00, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Furby Prank Call

The Jerky Boys recorded a prank call to a Wal-Mart about a satanic Furby threatening to kill them and promoting drug use. One of my friends showed this to me and said that she got it off of iTunes. She also said that iTunes incorrectly listed it as having been recorded by Weird Al Yankovic. I looked and looked for that thing, but I can't find it anywhere. What would I have to search for to find it? Cheers -- THL 06:33, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Search "jerky boys" "walmart" furby download and you should find it. --WikiSlasher 08:24, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

If you're sure it's by the Jerky Boys, maybe you could also drop the maintainer of the Not Al Page a line to tell him - it's currently listed as "Artist Unknown" on the big list of recordings commonly attributed to Al. Ironfrost 15:36, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Thanks, but none of those searches worked. I think that iTunes figured out that Weird Al didn't write it because my friend found it by searching for Weird Al, but it was gone when I searched for it. The only way I found out the Jerky Boys did the song was browsing the internet for a while looking for clues how to get it. It isn't listed under Jerky Boys or Weird Al, but I know it is on iTunes. Furby turns up no results, not to mention Furby Prank Call. I looked at the results for "prank", "call", and "prank call" but didn't find anything. -- THL 04:26, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

OK since I'm nice...http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=12464&songID=66251. I got to it from the first result when I searched that string I mentioned earlier, but now this page is the no. 1 link. Have fun! --WikiSlasher 10:16, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Oh just a quick note - if that's not what you were looking for, I'm sorry. --WikiSlasher 10:18, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

highest score

what is the highest score in toefl and gmat from india and the names of the persons

I'm not sure if the TOEFL scores are made public, otherwise I'd guess it's close to the top score possible. 惑乱 分からん 19:52, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Election Day Results

When will the results of the mid term elections tomorrow likely to be out? Harwoof 13:26, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Depends on which country's elections you are talking about. JIP | Talk 13:41, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

United States Senate elections, 2006 Harwoof 13:43, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

The polls do not close on the west coast until 8:00 p.m. Pacific time (04:00 Wednesday UT), and it typically takes another hour or two for the final poll results to be recorded. If it comes down to the west coast (which it might), the results won't be known until at least 10:00 p.m. (22:00) PST, 1:00 a.m. (01:00) Wednesday EST, and 06:00 UT. Marco polo 15:54, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

I assume that statement is about when control of the Senate will be known as each state elects it own senators and those results are variously announced after the poll closing time (which differs by state) in each time zone. First results are expected about 6 PM Eastern. Rmhermen 16:34, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

I heard a pundit say this morning that the majority of the 'toss up' races are in the East and MidWest, so that the many of the unpredictable results will be known relatively early Tuesday night. ike9898 16:40, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

That pundit obviously has no idea what he/she is talking about, unless he/she is only concerned with Senatorial and gubernatorial elections. Virtually every statewide race in California, pace the Ahnold landslide, is too close to call at present. Which means that the Republican Secretary of State, following the behavior of his cohorts in Florida and Ohio, will do all he can to assure a Republican victory in every race. User:Zoe|(talk) 02:46, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

American terms

Reading novels by American authors I come across "duckwalk" and "crabwalk". What do these terms mean, please ? meredith

Look at Duckwalk. The Crabwalk article is less helpful. Rmhermen 16:36, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Crabwalking (to me) means a person walking on all fours, but chest facing up instead of down. It's hard to do for a long time because it feels abnormal. I remember doing it in elementary school gym classes. To me, duckwalking means to walk normally, except with your toes pointed outwards. ike9898 16:38, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

To me (in the US), crab walking is down on all fours, chest down, walking sideways, just like a crab walks, hence the name. Duck walking is normal two foot walking, but with a bit of a waddle added. StuRat 16:50, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

We always did (Canada) what ike9898 described as crabwalking. I saw a similiar thing in one Family Guy episode. Ehh, the specifics can vary, I guess. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 17:12, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

You aren't a Brachyuran crustacean by any chance are you? ;-) Carcharoth 17:27, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Meridith, could it be that you were thinking of cakewalk? CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 22:44, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

The song "Step Right In" might be relevant here ... Everybody's talkin' 'bout the new way of walkin'.  :) JackofOz 01:41, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

Walking like an Egyptian may be relevant as well. -THB 02:14, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

Health and Saftey

Is it me, or are rediculous Health and Saftey rules taking over our lives?! Earlier today I was buying a poppy, which were on display in a bank, and was told that I couldn't have a pin, as the buisiness wasn't qualified to hand out pins! Rediculous, no? MHDIV Englishnerd 18:31, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

partly to blame is a money digging culture that seems to have come out of the US, where people sue for just about anything, regardless of wether they are actually financially worse off as a result of the incedent, what happened to politeness, and occasionally taking something on the chin eh? And partly to blame is the labour governments current view that accidents dont happen, and that everything is someones fault, this is fueled by the tabloids who criticise from both sides of the argument. Philc _TC 19:04, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

You blame British over-regulation on Americans ? Wow. StuRat 20:41, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

One of many contributing factors, but it is one of the more prominent ones that is clearly not a part of british culture. It doesnt fit with the people we used to be. I dont blame americans, its not your responsibility what parts of your culture infiltrate into our culture, but rather our responsibility, or everyones. Its all globalisation, national identities are lost as "common western culture" spreads. However if I am wrong, and the sue everyone practice did not originate from america I apologise, but if it isnt the case, it is certainly a widely upheld urban myth. Philc _TC 22:49, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Two pack of fools - The stiff englishman and the liberal Americans to push the idea of freedom & equality.

Hey, those pins are dangerous! --Zeizmic 22:48, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

• sues everyone for talking about pins* --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 01:33, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

And to think that poor Adam Smith, who modelled his "The Wealth of Nations" on how to increase productivity and profitability by creating a series of lower skilled processes where previously the operatives did the whole process from beginning to end, chose to do it in a pin factory. And he is about to adorn one of England's new currency notes in his honour and recognition, in a country that won't allow the use of said pins to affix a poppy to a lapel. Shame..

Question about name of scarf

Question…what is the name of the scarf that women put on their knees so that you can’t look up their dresses or skirts?65.123.26.1 18:44, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

This question was asked at the help desk, and I have moved it here. Skittle 23:51, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Are you asking about Hijab? -THB 00:04, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

Probably a more generic modesty cloth. Rmhermen 01:26, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

How to remove something that pierced an elevated vein?

I got a lot of veins elevated above the skin surface right where the leg is joined to the foot (I don't know if I should call them varicose veins), ad I just happened to get pierced on one of them (I guess you could call a splinter). Problem though is I couldn't see the thing that pierced me (all I felt was a sharp pain that wasn't an insect bite or anything), so I just blindly scratched at the affected area to get whatever it is that pierced me out. I don't know if that worked or not, though, so I'm asking if what I did was right, how do you deal with those things and what are the risks if I don't get it out of my body and if it stays in (can they travel around the body through the blood vessel and clog something or cause bleeding?)

Your biggest risk is of infection. You should speak to your physician about this accident. -THB 00:02, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

November 7

Shortest marriage

Can someone provide me with a list of the shortest marriages in history or recent history? Also, was Hitler's marriage shorter than Britney Spears marriage? Jamesino 00:35, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

Um, Dennis Rodman was married to Carmen Electra for like six hours I think?? --Cody.Pope 01:09, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

It depends on how you define the length of a marriage. I'm sure that Rodman's and Electra's marriage continued beyond their 6-hour sojourn, because it would not have been possible to obtain a divorce that quickly. They may have gone their separate ways after 6 hours, but they could not have married other people the next day because they were still legally married to each other. Funnily enough, we have a List of people with the longest marriages, but not a List of people with the shortest marriages. JackofOz 01:37, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

I've heard that in the Middle East, prostitutes take advantage of a loophole in the law. Before the actual act takes place, the prostitute and her client are wed, and they are divorced immediately after the act. That must count as the shortest marriages in the world. JIP | Talk 12:24, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

We have Short-term marriage and Nikah Mut‘ah on the Islamic tradition. See also Hollywood marriage. We also used to have List of people with the shortest marriages but it was deleted; google still has it in cache. Weregerbil 13:02, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

How long (in hours) was Hitler's marriage? Jamesino 23:45, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

Based on our article Death of Adolf Hitler, that would have been about 15 hours.  --Lambiam 11:02, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

dress

What is the name of a dress that worn by women which is half skirt and half tank-top? I want one of those.

I know them as a tank dress Dina 01:46, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

And is someone who wears them called a Tank Girl ? StuRat 05:14, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

Why are they called 'tank tops'?--Light current 10:16, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

The article on tank tops says that it's because they resemble tank suits. Dismas| 10:20, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

Tanks!

nude scenes in Shakespeare movies

How many Shakespeare's plays that have turn into movies that have nude scenes? I mean like how many of them have nude scenes from the first to last play?

Romeo and Juliet for one. Rmhermen 01:27, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

Which version of Romeo and Juliet?

The 1968 version with Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey certainly did, although it was tame by today's standards - no full frontal stuff, unless my memory's faulty. Whiting's bare butt (shock! horror!) attracted quite a bit of notice among reviewers in those stuffy times. Some non-reviewers also noticed it ... JackofOz 08:19, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

I'm pretty sure hethat Hussey's breasts were exposed at one point in the film. Not the end of the world, but a bit more exciting that Whiting's bare butt. ;-) --Fastfission 11:53, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Or apparently all of them at once:

Prospero's Books, an adaptation of The Tempest, had quite a bit of nudity. StuRat 05:11, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

Roman Polanski's version of Macbeth had Lady Macbeth sleepwalking in the nude and had one of the witches flash Macbeth. JoshuaZ 05:16, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

MidTerm Elections

I am an Intelligence analyst currently working in Iraq and it is very important that I find out (something I should know) when the results of the elections will / projected to be. Do you know the answer to this question? Please reply as soon as possible.

See "Election Day results" a few questons above for an answer. -THB 02:15, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

My projection of 06:00 UT translates to 09:00 Iraqi Standard Time Wednesday morning. Marco polo 02:37, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

If you're an intelligent analyst, why are you asking us? --Nelson Ricardo 05:20, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

The OP didn't claim to be an intelligent analyst, but an intelligence analyst. Such people have to get their information from somewhere, and we're obviously the best source of all possible information on all possible subjects, so why look elsewhere?  :) JackofOz 08:14, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Timmy and Jimmy - Red Eared Sliders

A friend of mine told me about a story about 2 sliders...they lived to about 40 years of age. Do you know of this story and can you locate it for me? Thank you.

A turtle Mom.

I couldn't find the two you were asking about but the Red-eared slider article says that in captivity they can live for over 40 years. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 04:21, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

Skid Marks

I have been hesitating to ask this question for fear of not being taken seriously! Any way: what is the best way of removing 'skid marks' from underwear? And dont say brake wind carfully! 8-)--Light current 10:14, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

I would think that bleach would work fine for tighty whiteys. For colored briefs and boxers some sort of spray on stain treater should work. Dismas| 10:19, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

Bleach can rot the fabric very quickly 8-(--Light current 10:25, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

The standard stain sprays work well, and I always throw in an extra dollop of oxygen cleaner. --Zeizmic 12:42, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

You mean you just spray before tossing them in the washer? Does that get it all out?--Light current 13:55, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

Yup. Add detergent and don't mix your colours! --Zeizmic 14:07, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

I think it's time to throw out underwear when that happens. And it's also time to re-examine your personal hygiene habits if this happens on a regular basis (unless you have a medical problem, then it might be time to consider adult diapers). StuRat 17:10, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

Throwing out the underwear should not be necessary. After all I'm sure you (or your mom) dont. And I dont think its necessarily a personal hygene or health problem--Light current 03:42, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

There are stain removers, pre-wash treatments, and detergents that have enzymes that remove organic material. Bleach alternatives or oxygen bleaches or hydrogen peroxide may work as well. There are also enzyme products especially designed to clean pet "accidents" that are very effective. -THB 02:05, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Well OK. But what did people do before these new pre wash treatments came out? Scrub or soak or something?--Light current 04:27, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Parents wash their babies' nappies with products specially made for this very purpose, eg. NapiSan. Forget you're not a baby and use some of that. Ever seen skid marks on a nappy? I haven't. JackofOz 08:12, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Sound intensity?

In school we learn that the lowest sound we can hear is 0 dB, namely ${\displaystyle 10^{-12}W/m^{2}}$, but my amplifier has a sound range of -60 dB to 45 dB, and at around -20 dB the sound is quite loud already, and I cannot stand listening to sound played at 0 dB on this amplifier. So, what's the deal here? Why do I think sound at -20 dB is loud when we're not supposed to hear sounds below 0 dB?

DarkPhoenix 10:22, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

See sound. dBs are only ratios and your amp has a different dB reference level from the 20uPa (equ to ${\displaystyle 10^{-12}W/m^{2}}$ ). See Decibel for more on this--Light current 10:40, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

How hard is it to quit smoking

Is there any truth to the joke:

Quitting cigarettes is easy! I've done it hundreds of times.

211.28.178.86 10:24, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

Yes--Light current 10:26, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

With apologies, I repeat a very recent entry on this same subject. And believe me - it's no joke.

I haven't smoked for over 20 years since I was told by a Consultant Cardiologist in Scotland that I could either smoke or live, but not both. And that was after having smoked 60 a day for the previous 20 years. The pain of giving up smoking was terrible, but I had only been married for a year or so and the choice was made for me by the doctor and my wife (and my conscience). The above responses do not begin to approach the torture of going without cigarettes. I cannot liken it to giving up anything else including sex, food or booze(I have never used any other recreational drugs by the way). Your behaviour changes to being angry, irrational and moody. Eating and drinking do not satisfy the craving - that's the word - craving. I would not go to bed without making sure I had a full pack of 20 cigarretes in the bedside locker. If I went to the swimming pool, I would have to get out and go to the lockers for a quick smoke. I would smoke in between each course of a three-course-meal and sometimes during the meal itself. I was disgusting, but even knowing that, wasn't enough to stop me smoking. I reckon that at today's prices here in the UK, by not smoking 60 a day of my favourite brand, I have saved over £135,000, around $270,000 over the last 20 years - but I am emphatic in saying that had anyone told me 20 years ago how much money I could save by giving up cigarrets, I would not have been motivated to stop - only my health did that. Finally, in trying to answer to the question posed above, I do not consider myself a non-smoker - I still suffer the most awful withdrawal symptoms, and still say quite sincerely, "I am dying for a smoke", and for that reason, I dare not go into any enclosed space where smoking is permitted. Thank God that Scotland has now banned smoking in public places. I can once again go into pubs, clubs, cinemas, theatres, restaurants and public transport without the temptation of smoke in the atmosphere.

At best, it's a half-joke. -THB 02:03, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Duckworth Lewis method of one day cricket

Can duckworthluis law be used without the completion of 25 over of second inning of the one day cricket match? if it can;then have it ever happened in any of odi?

A little clarification may be appropriate here - the questioner is referring to the Duckworth-Lewis method for deciding the target score for the side batting second in a rain-affected one-day match. 'ODI' is one-day international. As for the answer, this link suggests that the method can be used at any stage of the match - it allows for any number of overs to have been completed. I don't know if the specific scenario referred to by the questioner has ever happened. --Richardrj 11:59, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

Light Current, why did you make the change you did to the heading for this question? D/L isn't a law, it's a method. You could, if you wanted, have corrected the whole heading to read "Duckworth-Lewis method in one-day cricket", but just correcting the spelling of the name on its own seems pointless. --Richardrj 13:11, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

THe original post said law didnt it? I changed it now. THe point of spelling corrections is so that no one is tempted to make fun of the OP spelling errors. Discussed on the talk page. Sorry I know nothing about cricket as you may have guessed. 8-)--Light current 14:00, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

Letters of reference

I am currently working on a motor yacht, privately owned. I have handed in my resignation and given the company a 1 month notice. They are now being funny in that they say they will not give me a writen letter of reference. The said that under a NEW BRITISH law it is either illegal or they cn be sued if any information is incorrect on it. Please advise me of this as i do not believe them and seen as i have worked for them for over a year feel it my right to get a written reference.

Kind Regards Michele Franco

This sounds like a legal question. IMO I dont think anyone has a right to a written reference. You could ask them if you could put them down as a referee on you application form for new jobs. THat way they will fill in a form sent by the new company (or maybe just phoned up)--Light current 12:32, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

AFAIK, ex-employers will no longer write a *bad* reference for someone - as they can be sued for libel if what they write prevents their ex-employee from getting a new job (instead, they simply state that they do not wish to write a reference for that particular person). A good reference shouldn't be a problem though. You weren't on the verge of getting sacked or done anything to really piss your boss off, have you? --Kurt Shaped Box 12:39, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

Sadly, a good reference could indeed be a problem. Many if not most British companies and institutions are adopting a cripplingly risk-averse attitude towards pretty much everything. They are terrified of getting sued and will do everything they possibly can to avoid it. In this case, if they write a good reference for someone, another company hires the person on the basis of that reference and the person turns out to be an idiot (not saying you are, Michele!), the hiring company could well sue the first company for negligence. So the first company just prefers to protect its position by not giving any reference at all, beyond the bare facts of when the person worked for them and in what capacity. So, in answer to the question, you will probably not get anything out of them. --Richardrj 13:05, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

Of course, at my place, it was always standard practice to give a good reference to somebody really bad, in the hope that they would move to another department... --Zeizmic 13:24, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

All the above responses are very pertinent to what is happening in British employment nowadays. I worked for the UK Civil Service in a recruiting capacity and was specifically not allowed to offer a job unless a reference was forthcoming irrespective of the quality of the application form/CV/and Interview(s). And yes, you guessed it, I was not allowed to give anyone a reference when or after they left, for all those reasons listed above. The only person in the department allowed to supply a reference stating the bald facts only, was the Human Resources Director, again, irrespective of the outgoing employee's credentials and performance. In fact,if anyone junior to the HRD was found giving even a telephonic reference, it was treated as a serious breach of contract with the possible sanction of dismissal - without a reference of course.

I liked the letter of reference in the movie Bartleby, based on the book Bartleby the Scrivener, by Herman Melville of Moby Dick fame. In that movie, Bartleby, who stayed in the office 24 hours a day and stared at a vent in the ceiling, instead of working, was given a letter of reference in hopes that some other company would take him off their hands. He was said to "always be the first one there in the morning and the last at night", "never wastes time in distracting conversation with coworkers", and had a "single-minded focus and attention to detail". :-) StuRat 17:04, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

Reference letters are not as common as they once were because of the threat of lawsuit for bad references. It is standard in the US for a company to only confirm dates of employment and job titles. However, references are still given informally, over the phone. Ask your immediate supervisor (not someone in Human Resources) if it would be okay for a prospective employer to call him. Unless you are sure you will get an absolutely "wonderful" recommendation, don't do this; a "good" reference is considered bad. Also, do not give the reference until the final stages of the hiring process, when both you and the employer believe that you will be hired barring unknown problems. An alternative might be a peer reference. Good luck! -THB 02:01, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

I was told once that somewhere (in Germany?) a code had developed dressing negative meaning in positive verbiage, like a secret code. For example: "shows initiative" = "does something else than told to do"; "is socially gifted" = "keeps others from their work". It is easy to see how this can lead to miscommunication at both ends if one of the parties is not aware of the code.  --Lambiam 11:16, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

More song questions

Who sang an 80's sog that went...

Stop your fussing boy please stiop your fussing for your time will come.

And who sang the 80's song called another day in Eutopia.

Thanks

Toni Childs sang "Stop Your Fussing". Dismas| 14:14, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

There are no songs called "Another day in Eutopia" or "Another day in Utopia" referenced on the internet. -THB 01:55, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

There's an Alphaville album and song called Afternoons in Utopia, though... Also, Phil Collins sang Another Day in Paradise. 惑乱 分からん 07:55, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Posting a new article

Hello, I wrote a new article yesterday and saved the page. How long does it normally take for it to be published? I tried finding the article with the search function and no results appear. Is there something else I'm supposed to be doing in order for it to appear in the encyclopedia? Thanks. — Preceding unsigned comment added by FileHawk (talk • contribs)

Err, do you mean the one you put on your userpage, at User:FileHawk ? -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 15:00, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

You don't appear to have succeeded in creating an article. Maybe you didn't click the "Save page" button after you wrote it? Otherwise your article might have been deleted if it wasn't appropriate. What was the title of the article?--Shantavira 15:35, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

Oh, I see, maybe I wrote the article that I wanted to post as a Userpage? I went into my contributions tab and the it says User:FileHawk and the article is there. If I want to create an article, all I have to do is search for a term and then from there create the article? The title of the article I want to post is called FileHawk. It is a basic description of a software written in a neutral tone (I was careful about that, I also looked at other software descriptions that are posted). Sorry, I'm really new at the Misplaced Pages. I use it all of the time for information and research, I wanted to contribute but I'm having a bit of trouble. Thanks for your help. FileHawk 18:12, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

If you're the creator of the FileHawk software, you shouldn't be writing about it (WP:AUTO). Otherwise, follow FileHawk, start the article, sign up for a new user account, and mark the User:FileHawk page for deletion under WP:SPEEDY (using {{db-userreq}}). EdC 21:41, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

Temple of the Vampire

Does anyone have more information about them besides what they say in their webpage? or will I need to buy the bible to find out more...? I read it's a state recognized religion...I think the whole idea is pretty cool, even if it is a hoax, which is the most likely, it's still fun...they did it nicely.--Cosmic girl 15:02, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

I think questions about any religion that has half a claim to legitimacy belong at WP:RD/H. NeonMerlin 17:32, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

questions need help.ian

1. why does james bond like his drinks shaken not stirred
2. which body part is the favourite to most women
3. which fruit was not eaten by maya women
4. i had earlier asked who put the first pre historic animal on a tv show n which animal was it.i was told its a dinosaur n by richard orwell..how is this so?

Im quite certain maya women never ate oranges, that is if you mean maya women before they meet europians othervise i suspect theyve eaten everything.

As for James Bond, I think that's just a way to show he has extremely discriminating taste, if he can actually tell the difference between the two. StuRat 16:48, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

AS for #2, If your talking about mens bodies, its the wallet area. 8-)--Light current 16:53, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

For #1, it was because the martini culture was being very anal about their martinis being stirred (and not shaken) so it doesn't bruise the liquor. James Bond's pop culture helped in disspelling that, since he likes it shaken, not stirred. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 17:33, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

You can also look at the shaken, not stirred page. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 17:36, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

No. 2 is eyes. -THB 01:52, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Pardon my scepticism, but how do you know that, THB? JackofOz 08:02, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

This is not a question - it's a big thankyou to you wonderful Wikipedians.

I suspect someone will give me short shrift for NOT posing a question here; whilst it is likely that someone else will tell me this should be on the Computing Question Page - but I have chosen to say thankyou here as I think it more a miscellaneous matter. I ordered a new desktop PC today and thought I had asked all the right questions before doing so. Only afterwards did I visit the supplier's website and discover he no longer fits parallel ports, using only USBs instead. And my printer and scanner are both quite old but still working perfectly, and of course, they are fitted with the former. So the supplier invited me to invest about £150 or $300 on new kit that would be fitted with USB ports and cables. But instead, I used Misplaced Pages and discovered I could buy a USB - Parallel adaptor. I just ordered one online, and spent £6 or $12. You saved me a load of dosh and for that, many thanks to each. Next time I shall be more careful and ask my questions here (or on the Computing page) first.

Yeah you could even use some of that saving to make a small donation (If you were so inclined) 8-)--Light current 16:40, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

Also, don't do business with that company any more. Any company that would charge you $300 for a $12 fix is either incompetent or dishonest, and either reason is sufficient to shop elsewhere. I would also make a point of letting them know you won't be doing business with them in the future, and why, so they might actually change their ways. And why not "out" them here, so we know not to shop there, as well ? StuRat 16:45, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

Because they'd sue us! Or slap us with a DMCA Takedown Notice, because we used their name :) --Zeizmic 17:00, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

Account receivable and payable with same company

If OK Computer buys a desk from ABC Furniture for $1000 on account, and later sells a computer repair service to ABC Furniture for $1000 on account, it has both an account receivable and payable with the same company. Is there a standard accounting procedure in this case for OK and XYZ to agree that the two debts cancel each other out, with no exchange of cash? NeonMerlin 17:21, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

Note that, depending on the jurisdiction, they may, or may not, still owe taxes as if $2000 had been exchanged, and this may affect the accounting practice. StuRat 17:24, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

Not only that, but both companies (in English Law at least) would be in Breach of their respective Contracts, each with the other, in having failed to conclude the essential elements of the contracts, namely, Offer, Unqualified Acceptance, and Consideration (Money). In such a Breach, the Law would not smile upon either of the parties who might subsequently claim the Goods they had received and accepted, and purportedly claimed Title to (but not paid for), were not fit for the purpose specified in the Contract. Fulfilling a Contract in its entirety allows both parties to enjoy the protection of the Law; failing to fulfil makes a mockery of it.

Set-off is a very common and accepted practice in English and commonwealth law. I disagree with the above poster's claim that setting-off debts in this way would invalidate a sale of goods agreement. OK Computer has given consideration for the furniture by agreeing to forgive ABC's $1,000 debt for the computer services supplied. Similarly ABC has given consideration for the services by forgiving the debt OK computer owed ABC for the furniture. As tot he accounting procedure you'd have to check the relevant accounting practices in your region. Lisiate 20:43, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

It's called Barter. The benefit is that both companies got something that was worth $1000 to them but both only gave something that was worth $700 (for example). Vespine 01:03, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Secret Ingredients

This is a topic of much interest for me. I am asking for dishes that employ a secret ingredient that make them incredible.

Most commercial food products have secret ingredients, hidden under "natural and artificial flavors". 17:39, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

"natural and artificial flavors" does not mean "secret ingredients". It usually means "synthesized flavors", or "chemicals which trigger certain flavor responses in humans", the natural/artificial distinction just refers to whether or not the flavorant is developed using artificial (chemical) means or not (the contents are the same in either case). --Fastfission 11:49, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

If the ingredients are secret, we're not going to tell you our recipies. ;-) --Maelwys 18:19, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

My favourite soft drink is Barr's Ir'n Bru', which is sold as "made from Girders", and also known as "Scotland's ither national drrink", and advertised blatantly as such. The secret recipe ingredient that gives it its livid orange colour and distinctive taste is reputedly known only to a very small clique within the family owners. And then in Yorkshire we have a firm of bakers named Allison who advertise their bread as being better because it is, "Allison's Bread --- the bread wi' nowt taken out."

Almost all commercial foods and drinks now have to list their ingredients by law, so there can be no secret ingredients.--Shantavira 19:25, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

That varies extremely from country to country. Most countries don't require any labels whatsoever on alcoholic drinks. Look at a French wine and see what the label says. It may mention that it contains sulfites (or it may not, depending on what country you are in), but it likely doesn't mention that it may contain raw egg white, dried and ground fish bladder, or ground shellfish shells (all fining ingredients, traces of which can't help but remain in the wine after bottling).

Dried ox blood was another fining agent (although banned in 1997) which briefly made the news. Our fining article really needs expanding. Rmhermen 05:04, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

When it comes to food, some countries have strict rules but don't have any enforcement. Right now there's a mess going on because about 25 brands of flavoured instant coffee from Asia contain milk not declared on the label and not obvious to the drinker (the products are supposed to contain soy milk powder, not real milk). The investigation began when a couple of people in Vancouver, BC ended up in hospital with anaphylaxis over it. This kind of stuff often happens with processed foods from east and southeast Asia, for some reason. Another problem is misstating the amount of sodium in processed foods like soup, which can be a huge problem for a person with CHF, for instance. --Charlene 22:58, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

A particularly interesting story of an historic secret ingredient is that of mustard. The Colman's museum, located in Norwich (England) relates the story of Mrs Betty Keen, who in the 18th century devised the secret final ingredient for every batch of her mustard. By the time Colman's took over Keen & Son in 1903, Mrs Keen was long since dead and her secret died with her. Colman's claim the expression "as keen as mustard" derives from the Keen family and the secret ingredient(Some information on Unilever's Colman's page]), although some English language experts believe that the phrase predates this. It is possible that both are correct and that the Keens helped the phrase become popular. --Dweller 21:01, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

In most western countries things like the secret ingredient of Coca-Cola fall under a special law called Trade Secret and therefore are subjec to certain exemptions from other laws like ingredient listings and the like. There are still some things which can not be exempt, like peanuts and MSG and many others which MUST be listed because of health reasons. Vespine 00:45, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

I think all the secret ingredient stuff is just marketing hype, but see Coca-Cola formula where all is revealed. (Or is it?...)--Shantavira 18:37, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

dreaming of things I've never seen or heard of

Hello: I had a curious dream about things I do not know about. I have tried to find answers but really I do not even know where to look. I was told that my dream was about Kabbalistic lessons. I am hoping you can give me some information to point me in the direction of a book or two etc. in order to gain understanding. In the dream I was given a project to do where I was to fix a film that was to have a nature theme but the producer had included women in very little clothing. I went to the book store to get info. and met a women who I somehow knew was Hesetic. I do not know how I knew she was Hesetic because as far as I know Hesetic women do not wear any type of religious clothing other than being modest. She was wearing a head dress that had ribbons that dangled of it, I believe the ribbons were black. In my life I have no knowledge of Hesetic women involved in religious teaching, beyond the raising of the children and the running of the home. In my dream, however; I seemed to know that she could help me or I was at least instantly ready for her to teach me. We sat at a low brass table where she had a gold object that is hard to discribe. This devise symbalized the solar system and she was teaching me nature/the nature of life by moving what I believed where the planets on the object. It looked like a ring on a stand that had rings and balls of different sizes on it (as best as I can remember). I do not remember any of her lessons but I do remember understanding and being surprised at the simplicity.

After I left I went to a old church that looked interesting. A priest let me in and as I entered the small room I noticed that the room was very dark and damp and I could barely differenciate between the stained and moldly status and people. I left! I could fly.

Went back to the book store and found another Hesetic women wearing the same head dress. There may have been a man there too, pretty sure there was. They had a collection of wooden objects that were tall and stood on the table (kind of looked like pepper mills) and I beleieve they represented the planets as well. They were teaching me again and I was thinking I could aford to purchase the wooden set vs. the gold set.

Long story I know but I did not want to leave out details as I do not know which details are necessary since the dream is crazy since I dreamt of things that I have no knowlegde of. That's why I have come to you. Can you help? I appreciate you time. Thank you Ellen Bengston

I doubt that Misplaced Pages editors are especially skilled at dream interpretation, so I'm not sure how much help we can be. I can tell you that I often dream about places I've never been or experiences I've never had. If you are interested in Hasidism, you might want to look at our articles Hasidic philosophy or Hasidic Judaism. Marco polo 18:44, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

As far as science and oneirology is concerned there is no "meaning" or way to "interpret" dreams. I always love more intricate dreams like that. X (DESK|How's my driving?) 21:06, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

I believe that you should consult a Hasidic rabbi. G-d may be calling you to convert to Judaism. -THB 01:48, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

BSG Stick

In the original BattleStar Galatica series, whenever the control stick for the fighters (sorry, forgot what they were called) piloted by the humanlike race was shown, there were three buttons on the stick. One was for the laserlike weapons, and another was for the 'turbo' feature on the engines. What was the other for?

150.134.120.220 19:56, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

Don't know about the button, but see Cylon (Battlestar Galactica) for the robots. StuRat 22:04, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

The third button was IM, probably for Inverse Maneuver. For reversing the engines, thereby stopping quickly and flying backwards. Weregerbil 10:49, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Is There A Flag Of The Cantonese Language? How About A Flag Of Guangdong?

Thanks.

Jeff.100110100 20:46, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

Chinese provinces seem not to have flags of their own. However, Hong Kong does have a flag. If you needed an icon for Cantonese, you might use that, since Cantonese is the predominant spoken language in Hong Kong. Marco polo 21:13, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

But there official languages are cantonese and english. Philc _TC 22:50, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

You should also consider that using flags to represent languages is potentially very confusing, as many countries have several languages and many languages are spoken in several countries. See Why you should not use a flag as a symbol of language. Foolip 03:53, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

U.S. Navy uniform

my u.s navy uniform does not fit anymore. where do I go to buy a replacement uniform??? fred groehl

Sorry that I can't help you with your question. I did add a heading so that people will see it. You might want to add your own for any future questions. Marco polo 23:34, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

Are you still IN the navy? And if not, should you still be wearing it? Perhsps try the costume shop? Wasn't there a sailor in The Village People ;)?? But seriously, if you are ex-navy and you are wearing a navy uniform, aren't you a member of a club or something where you could ask? Vespine 00:37, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

At the PX of course. -THB 01:44, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

I'm guessing you're retired and want to wear it for Veteran's Day parades and such. I'd try a tailor first. They can let out the seams, then add new material, if needed. If you've really gained a lot of weight, then maybe you do need to get a new one. You could ask at a VA office if there is some way to get a replacement (be sure to tell them what it's for). If not, maybe a costume shop wouldn't be a bad idea. StuRat 03:00, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

What about looking through your yellow pages for a local Army/Navy surplus store? Dismas| 05:51, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Chemicals in Cigarettes

You posted in an earlier thread a link to show the chemicals in cigarettes. Where could I find the chemicals that are in an alternative cigarette? They (Herbal/alternative cigarette company)claim its all natural but wouldn't it be impossible or hard (to smoke)and for it to burn if there weren't chemicals added to the mixture inside? Even though the chemicals are probably in the papers they would still would be too difficult for dried leaves to burn without assistance of at least a couple chemicals wouldn't it?

Why do you say that? There are many 'natural' volatile substances that could be used instead of chemicals, saps, waxes and the like, perhaps it uses something like that? Also, don't kid yourself, just because natural substances are used doesn't mean they are less harmful then man made chemicals when you smoke them. Vespine 00:34, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

I don't doubt they are just as bad. Do you know or does anyone know of how to find out the real chemicals or whatever else is used in the alternative cigarettes? I know they were sued a while back for false claims of being healthier and all-natural. BTW, what kind of saps or waxes would make it possible to burn? I never heard of that before.

Natural hair colour

What is the natural hair colour of Iranian and Afghani people? Is it black only or other colour?

What is the natural hair colour of Chinese, Korean and Japanese people?

See Hair color —Mitaphane _talk 23:58, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

Jet black for CJK countries, although I can tell you from experience that some young children in Korea have brown hair. Here's a photo of my hair taken before I was 9 years old. (My hair's black now.) --Kjoonlee 02:08, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

LOL, is it the custom in your country to take pics of each other's hair ? StuRat 02:54, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

The image title says "cropped". Is it a custom in your country to avoid photographing the hair, altogether? @_@ 惑乱 分からん 07:48, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Your question seems to be about a certain age group. I'm certain that many older Iranians and Afghans have white or grey hair, achieved through the natural process of ageing. JackofOz 07:57, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

manga and anime differences

why are some anime different from the manga they originated from like Beyblade and B-Daman?The people make the characters look different and they change the characters stories and sometimes,they have characters the characters that existed in the anime but not and vice-versa!And im not talking about filler-arc characrters,im talkin bout main characters that appear throughout the story.Thanks for answering!

Like many fictional works that jump artforms, the people who work the manga aren't the same from the people who work on the anime(e.g. Rumiko Takahashi did not work on the Ranma ½ anime series). They are different artists with different visions. Furthermore, sometimes a direct translation between artforms isn't workable. For example, often times books that are turned into movies have to be altered to fit a 2 hour format. —Mitaphane _talk 00:08, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

This was actually a question on one of AnimeNation's recent recent Ask John columns. See http://animenation.net/news/askjohn.php?id=1427 . Ironfrost 12:09, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

November 8

culling bettas?

i just read something about how when you breed bettas, you should "cull" the the babies. i understand that its something where you get rid of the "bad" fish, and just keep the good ones. what i dont understand is how. can anyone clear this for me? thanks.

Try Google search for "culling Bettas". Or you asking how to actually "dispose" of them? -THB 03:22, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

thanks, that helped me! :)

Anti-Monster/Undead Strategy

So I had this crazy dream where I was hanging around this "abandoned" house with some people I didn't know and it suddenly became incredibly clear to me that we had to detain a "werewolf". We fought the werewolf and I bound its mouth with a belt (the werewolf was really big), but while we were trying to tie up its feet it snapped the belt and bit off my legs. I backtracked in the dream and instead of using the belt I knocked the wolf out (which caused it to turn back into a portly, middle-aged man) and used a knife I didn't know I had to hack at his lower jaw until it was a useless mess. Is this a viable strategy for protecting yourself from disease transmission from the bites of the cursed undead? Zombies? Vampires? This is not homework. 24.250.33.247 03:25, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

I'd stay away from the teeth/jaw, as it might not be the bite, but being slashed by a fang. If all else fails, find an item of pure silver and press it against any wounds. User:Zoe|(talk) 03:42, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

For a while there I thought maybe this was homework.  :) --Maxamegalon2000

And since you've mentioned strategies against the undead, may I suggest Max Brooks' The Zombie Survival Guide? It's a great book. ☢ Ҡi∊ff⌇↯ 07:15, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Hmmm, dream strategies for monsters made me think of the end of A Nightmare on Elm Street. 惑乱 分からん 07:41, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Maybe you're just a little nervous about tomorrow's dental appointment?--Shantavira 08:16, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Misplaced Pages Editing

How many edits are made to Misplaced Pages by editors under the influence of Marijuana or other drugs? Does it affect the quality of the project? Or does it simply impart a new perspective on the project? Hizzizzle 05:42, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

• If you click on Special:Recentchanges, every place you see a little bold m means that the user was high on marijuana at the time. (A little known fact is that the capital Ns stand for "naked"!) It's a pretty neat Javascript feature that was implemented pretty recently. --Fastfission 05:51, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

• LOL. And here I thought the "m" meant they were typing with one hand only. StuRat 07:27, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

13 letter word

Its a 13 letter word. Doctors hate it, Fishermen like it and childern love to eat it. What is it?

If you enter "doctors hate it fishermen like it and children love to eat it" in Google you'll easily find the answer. Google has unfortunately ruined the art of riddles. --Fastfission 05:57, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

See our earlier discussion here: . StuRat 07:21, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

what standing for asl plz

—what standing for asl plz 59.162.198.152 06:34, 8 November 2006 (UTC)santosh —

Asymmetric Subscriber Line? Arithmetic Shift Left? Age, Sex, Location? Oh, and please write in English, not in h4xx0r d00dsp33k. JIP | Talk 06:36, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

It's quite obvious to me that English isn't their first language, so we should have patience. StuRat 07:13, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

I was referring to the "plz" bit. Is it so hard to write "please"? JIP | Talk 07:17, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

If the only English he knows is from chat rooms, then he may not know "plz" is short for "please". StuRat 07:25, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

In Internet chat rooms, the person who says it is asking you your age, sex (male or female), and location. StuRat 07:08, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

ASL? (57MUK) --Shantavira 08:20, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

And the PLZ might be part of the original question. Somebody could easily ask you "asl plz" which would mean, roughly, "Please, what is your age, sex, and location?" --Fastfission 11:44, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Or American Sign Language, depending on the context. Edison 15:54, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Name of this bomb test

This is one of the most iconic images of mushroom clouds and nuclear weapons: http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/755000/images/_756742_mushroom150.jpg

Anyone knows the project, bomb or at least the location names? ☢ Ҡi∊ff⌇↯ 07:29, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Manhattan Project? 惑乱 分からん 07:40, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Searching for hydrogen bomb in google image search suggests it's a hydrogen bomb. Couldn't find the name of the bomb though; nothing on List of nuclear tests jumps out immediately. The image is sold as a poster in several places; there is a non-zero possibility it is a painting rather than a real bomb. Weregerbil 10:31, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

It is an image of a French hydrogen bomb test. Give me a minute and I'll figure out which one it is... --Fastfission 11:33, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

It is the Licorne test from 1970. If you watch the movie footage on that page you'll see that it has the same cloud effects as that photo at one point. --Fastfission 11:38, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Dang those are impressive pictures! I'm a complete noob as to image copyrights; is there anything we could use on the France section of List of nuclear tests? Weregerbil 12:07, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Yes! Licorne! Excellent! Now I just need to find a high resolution image of this! Thanks, Fastfission! ☢ Ҡi∊ff⌇↯ 17:42, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Trinity seriously!

Life Aquatic

Near the end of the film there is song that acts as the climax, what is it? It starts at 1:47:36 (the lyrics aren't in English). --Cody.Pope 07:41, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

I think it is a portuguese cover of a David Bowie song, remade as a guitar-based bossanova or something... 惑乱 分からん 07:45, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Sure, but I want I name. It is not on the album. --Cody.Pope 07:58, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Apparently, the songwriter kept the English title, even when translated. It could probably be found on The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions by Seu Jorge. 惑乱 分からん 09:08, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

riddle mind boggling

check me tomorrow and i will be different..what am i?

gosh - the date. truly boggled!--Bilbo B 08:37, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Most things will be different tomorrow. It's called Impermanence. --Shantavira 12:52, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Or more general, Time. Joneleth 15:08, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

tuition fee

how much is the tuition fee that i will pay for an education course

• Please be more specific. Fees differ from country to country and also differ per course or by educational institution. - Mgm| 10:53, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Hotel made of gold

Weeks ago I read about a hotel (maybe in Hong Kong? I don't know) that was totally made of gold, from the beds to the toilets. Can someone tell me the name of that hotel? Thanks! --RiseRover| 15:05, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

I severly doubt it was completly made of gold or it would fall apart instantly, even all the interior is most likely not gold either due to the excessive weight of it would make the floor crash. Most likely it just has a thin layor of gold plating on everything. Joneleth 15:07, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

I expect one could build a hotel out of gold. "Gold" includes alloys, which are stronger than the elemental metal. Gold foundation? No problem. Then build beams and columns of gold to constitute the structure, or use goldbricks if cost is no object. Corrugated gold panels for walls and floors, held together with gold bolts or welded construction. Have to come up with a nonconductive oxide of gold to insulate the wires. Gold beds are going take a little work to be soft and comfy.Way easier to build than a House of Wax or even a Cheese Castle as found along the interstates in Wisconsin, or a literal steak house, a Gingerbread House or the Corn Palace if it were truly as described. Edison 16:04, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Golden Palace, in Hong Kong. http://en.ce.cn/Life/news/photo%20news/200609/20/t20060920_8643778.shtml --Kjoonlee 17:05, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

But this hotel certainly is not "made of gold". According to the source, two tonnes of gold were used to build the hotel. This is approximately the weight of a large sports utility vehicle. This amount of gold would be insufficient to construct a hotel. Certainly the hotel's internal structure uses other materials. Relatively small amounts of gold must have been used for surfaces and furnishings. Marco polo 17:14, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

You have a point, but I think it's likely to be the same hotel RiseRover mentioned. I saw the hotel on TV the other day as well. --Kjoonlee 17:25, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Information on a company in buisness prior to1853 through 1863

History of a fire arm manufacturing company in buisness prior to 1853. Company name- Cooper Fire Arms Manufacture. Located in Frankford Philadelphia Pennsylvania

I may be surprised, but I doubt whether any of us at Misplaced Pages has easy access to this kind of archival information. I would recommend seeking guidance with a reference librarian at the Philadelphia Public Library. Probably you will need to visit state and/or county archives and get hold of old census records. Marco polo 17:16, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

If you are only trying to see what years it was in business, old city directories are a good source. Rmhermen 18:33, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

google came up with this: http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/Bah/dam/rg/ys/r26ys15.htm . There is an entry "Cooper Fire Arms Manufacturing Company, charter and list of subscribers" in the box 14 list. At least now you know which box to look in 8-). --Dementios.

DD3 Report from Canada Revenue Agency

I would like to know what is a DD3 Report from Revenue Canada. Specifically, I would be interested what information Revenue Canada discloses about a person in this report. I also would like to know who has the right to obtain this report or who is authorized to view this report.

I would really appreciate an informative answer as I do not know anything about this subject.

Thanks so much,

Ed

Looking for a yearly overview of world news events

I need info on what the major news, sport and entertainment highlights were for every year of this century - a kind of "yearbook" article. My searches have been fruitless. Any ideas?

Misplaced Pages has a growing set of articles such as 1995 (and other years) for news. And check out the 1995 by topic box to the top left - that points to music, sport, &c &c. --Tagishsimon (talk)

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