Wikipedia:Reference desk/Miscellaneous - Wikipedia

what does<dracula> talking about??(book) written by pauline francis

i want a plot of this book about 100-150 words. thanks!!Dansonncf (talk) 10:11, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Welcome to the Wikipedia Reference Desk. Your question appears to be a homework question. I apologize if this is a misevaluation, but it is our policy here to not do people's homework for them, but to merely aid them in doing it themselves. Letting someone else do your homework does not help you learn how to solve such problems. Please attempt to solve the problem yourself first. If you need help with a specific part of your homework, feel free to tell us where you are stuck and ask for help. If you need help grasping the concept of a problem, by all means let us know. Thank you.. 152.16.59.102 (talk) 10:38, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

We have an article on Dracula, including a plot summary. It still may be a good idea to read the homeopathic version published by Fast Track Classics, even if you think this sucks. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 10:56, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

What stops a bank from creating a false account with hundreds of billions of dollars in it, and then use it to buy out their competitors? --Leptictidium (mt) 10:57, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Auditors, for one. And general government scrutiny anytime there's a big merger or acquisition. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 11:20, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Laws against fraud. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 11:48, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Since when has a law against fraud prevented fraud?86.202.27.124 (talk) 12:59, 9 August 2009 (UTC)DTReply

That's why there are people whose job it is to enforce those laws. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 13:20, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Banks have to settle transactions at the central bank sooner or later. When they were unable to do so the authorities would get called in and would sort out the mess and the people responsible would go to jail. --Tango (talk) 15:26, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Of course, sometimes it takes quite a while before the authorities notice that assets are missing. How long it takes may depend on the type of institution, but it can still happen even with a bank. --Anonymous, edited 18:53 UTC, August 9, 2009.

I don't think Nick Leeson ever created money. He just made bad trades and hid them from his bosses. Bernard Madoff did lie about how much money he had in his accounts, but I don't think he ever trade to use non-existent money in transactions. --Tango (talk) 22:44, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

To a bank, an account is a liability: the bank is obligated to pay the owner of the account. Creating a false account is like creating a new debt. Not very smart, is it? DOR (HK) (talk) 04:28, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I am going to Cuba for a week's escorted tour staying in several hotels along the way before staying in a Havana hotel for a couple of days before then flying to one of the all-inclusive cayos for a week's beach break. I ma British and have several friends who have done this and they all report that I will have a brlliant holiday. I have also done a load of online and library research and whilst most reports are good, I have seen some that worry me. For instance, I am told that some of the hotels we will use have room safes that are locked with the room key so anyone who has room access has safe access too - and some reports have said their safes have been emptied (or robbed) by presumably staff members though denials by management were well - rehearsed. So, having said that, and having myself been the victim of theft in several European and US hotels (nothing expensive as we don't travel that way - but inconveneient nonetheless), my concern about that happening in Cuba is the risk of losing Passports, Credit/Debit Cards, Cash money, Flight Tickets and Visas none of which can be readily replaced in Cuba as I understand matters. I am not too bothered about cameras or watches or items of clothing disappearing but the other stuff is mega-important. So do I have to carry them with me wherever I go, even to the poolside or the Beach? Thanks folks. 92.8.203.168 (talk) 12:50, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

This [1] site contains reviews by guests of 75 hotels and 63 B&Bs in Havana. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 13:25, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Due to its non-Newtonian nature, when struck with a high-velocity object such as a hammer, Silly Putty hardens, thus preventing penetration of the object. But can silly putty be used to stop bullets? Acceptable (talk) 14:16, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Take some and see if you can stab a pencil through it quickly. That will suggest the answer to your question. Watch your hand, though. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 14:18, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

And by the way, a fired bullet would make a "high velocity" hammer strike look like it's standing still. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 14:19, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Anything is bullet proof if you have enough of it. The real question is how much silly putty would be required to stop a bullet. I have no idea what the answer is, though! --Tango (talk) 15:28, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

See [2] for the idea used for skiers. I don't believe it is practical for armour but there are some other ideas which would have the same effect and could work. Dmcq (talk) 15:33, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

(edit conflict) Yes and No - it just shatters unfortunately. However you might be interested in this https://www.inventables.com/technologies/impact-hardening-fluid (click the details tab).

In fact the idea of using an anti- thixotropic Dilatant material is quite a common idea eg [3] (seems it's the same D3O^TM? material mentioned above by Dmcq ) 83.100.250.79 (talk) 15:34, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I was thinking in terms of a single unit of silly putty. Anything will stop a bullet if there's enough of it. I think they use cotton to receive the bullet in ballistics tests. A single cotton ball won't impact a bullet much, but a sufficiently large box of them will. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 19:54, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

See Ballistic gelatin. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 22:23, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I think they use that stuff on Mythbusters from time to time for various experiments, not necessarily just those involving bullets. Part of the reason for a soft receiving material in ballistics tests, of course, is to minimize damage to the bullet so that the rifling marks can be measured accurately. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 03:16, 11 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I submitted this question yesterday, but it seems to have been deleted or lost somehow. Assuming the alcoholic drinks conventional alchoholic drinks of some kind. I'm wondering how big an impact the cost would have on their personal or family income. I recall that when I asked this question yesterday, Wikipedia seemed to think that it contained an url, even though there wasnt one. Thanks. 78.151.123.131 (talk) 15:37, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

That question is impossible to quantify without more parameters. 1. Over what period (days, months, years, decades...)? 2. Drink(s) of choice (beer, wine, spirits, champagne...)? 3. Capacity to remain conscious (gender, height, weight, ethnic origin, length of alcoholism... play factors)? -- Alexandr Dmitri (Александр Дмитрий) (talk) 15:44, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

According to this website, it can cost as much as $11,648.00 per year! Mgmvegas (talk) 16:14, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Of course that is an expensive choice of drink. I'd imagine a person drinking a bottle of spirits a day would choose a supermarket own-brand whiskey and cut the cost in half. Fribbler (talk) 16:46, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Boone's Farm is only about $4 a bottle... Cheapest crap I know. Dismas|^(talk) 16:59, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Yes jim beam is a rather expensive choice of brew, however so is Jägermeister and I know this dude who buys the larger bottle of jager and its like 13 bucks plus he buys beer as well. You have to imagine that hardcore alcholics spend at least over $6,000 on brew. Mgmvegas (talk) 17:13, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

From experience of working with alcoholics, the question is impossible to answer for all the reasons given above, but also, and probably more importantly, alcohol is a drug of utter dependence, which obliterates judgement and all sensibility. If the money outlasts consciousness there will be no monetary limits - alternatively, if consciousness outlasts available funds, the only limit will be the initial sum available - and that is when the sufferer, because that is what he or she truly is, will beg, borrow, steal or worse, sell themselves for more drink. Pity them - they are people with families and lives, usually broken. And unlike opiates, alcohol is a drug that some of us can enjoy in moderation without it making us addicts. The best way to give up being an alcoholic? Easy - just give up one drink a day - the first one. Believe me - there is no other way. 92.20.135.252 (talk) 17:14, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Even worse is an addiction to food - you can't abstain completely from food. --Tango (talk) 17:28, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I heard a bloke on the radio yesterday who said he drank up to 9 litres of cider per day (I find it astonishing that anyone could survive drinking 9 litres of anything per day, but this person reports their brother does the same). Tesco charge £3 for 2 litres of Dry Blackthorn, so that works out at £13.50 per day, or £4927.50 per year. I'd imagine that, by buying in bulk, picking a super-discount brand, and doing canny shopping things like knowing where to get stuff discounted just before/after its sell-by date, that a dedicated purchaser could push that cost below £4000/yr. That's really not a huge amount, and given that the person doesn't really have to eat (9 litres of cider works out at nearly 3000 calories) and that the drinking is much of their recreation (no cruising or playstation games or expensive ballroom dance lessions needed) it's a cheap, if abjectly horrific, way to live. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 17:28, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

That's just the mere cost of buying the alcohol. From my experience working as a volunteer for a well-known worldwide organisation for alcoholics, you also have to factor in things like costs of consequences of alcoholism. These can be, including but not limited to: DUI/other criminal charges, lost of income (loss of job and potentially your house), cost of healthcare, financial costs if the family splits up... Ask a group of 20 alcoholics and you will get 20 different answers. As to the advice given by the doctor that maybe if an alcoholic used a calculator it would deter them from drinking makes me seriously question his understanding of the physical and psychological dependence on alcohol an alcoholic has. -- Alexandr Dmitri (Александр Дмитрий) (talk) 17:52, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I wonder how much a year's worth of Thunderbird would cost. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 19:57, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

"3 Buck Chuck," or Charles Shaw wine sells for 2 to 4 dollars (U.S.) a bottle. Two bottles a day would handle most alcoholics, requiring about an hour's pay each day at minimum wage. Box wine is also cheap. Edison (talk) 02:52, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I know an alcoholic who holds down a job and drinks on average 120 units a week. I didn't imagine he could keep on going and he has had several seizures but I have been aware of him drinking this kind of quantity for the last 7 years. He likes to drink wine and strong beers and spends around £150 a week on alcohol. 86.152.23.214 (talk) 22:55, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

How many reliable sources do you need to make something notable. The Red Peacock (talk) 15:41, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

It's irrelevent, being referenced by a any number of reliable sources does not make a subject notable - please read the guidelines on notability you linked to. Specifically the bit about "general notability guidlines" 83.100.250.79 (talk) 15:47, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

It's not irrelevant. The general notability guidelines do involve mentions in reliable sources. It is not as simple as just a number of sources, though. --Tango (talk) 17:26, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Exactly - the number is irrelevent.83.100.250.79 (talk) 18:16, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

The number isn't irrelevant, it is just one of many factors. --Tango (talk) 22:40, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

If a subject is not notable it won't make it notable by providing reliable sources for information on that subject. Reliable sources are not a guarantee of notability quote:"... means that substantive coverage in reliable sources establishes a presumption, not a guarantee, that a subject is suitable for inclusion."

Also there are further requirements for those 'reliable sources' - reading the WP:Notability article would help. 83.100.250.79 (talk) 18:30, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Substantial is as important or more important than reliable. A person whose name is mentioned in passing in ten reliable newspaper articles, but where none of the articles deals with that person in depth would be LESS notable than someone who had a single reliable book-length biography written about them. Its about the quantity and quality of reliable text, not about the number of citations. --Jayron32 18:39, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

There is a section in an essay Wikipedia:Existence_≠_Notability#Don't_create_an_article_on_a_news_story_covered_in_109_newspapers which gives an example of why number of reliable sources isn't always everything.83.100.250.79 (talk) 18:51, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I'm a computer programmer. My father is an architect. My cousin is a fighter pilot. My typical workday consists of receiving feature requests and bug reports from internal testers and end users, and handling each of them by writing new code or fixing bugs in old code, testing that they work, and sending the fixes to the internal testers before shipment to customers. I imagine my father's typical day consists of creating 3D models of buildings and calculating every detail about how well they will work, and how much work and money they will cost to actually implement. But what does a fighter pilot's working day actually contain? What do they actually do when flying the planes? Are they told to fly from point A to point B and back, or something? Do they get paid for just being able to fly the planes or do they have a further use or purpose? Of course, in wartime, fighter pilots are needed to shoot down enemy planes, but I can't imagine what actual content their job has in peacetime. JIP | Talk 19:48, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I would imagine a lot of it is exercises to simulate actual warfare as closely as possible, so they are ready if they are needed. There are quite a lot of jobs like this; firefighters spend more time in training than actually fighting real fires and attending real accidents, etc. It would be nice to hear from a real fighter pilot -- Q Chris (talk) 20:21, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I'm not a fighter pilot, but I'm a licensed private pilot. One of the first lessons a pilot learns is to, regardless of distractions, fly the airplane. The fighter pilot has a lot of radios and computers and weapons to handle, but unless he flies the airplane he just makes a smoking hole in the ground and all that stuff is useless. It goes without saying that "he' includes "she" here. PhGustaf (talk) 21:01, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Fighter pilots, as with any pilots, have to stay in a state of readiness, whether they're actually in a combat mission or not. Otherwise, as Ph suggests, they could end up augering into the farm they buy. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 21:04, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

One of the best flight lessons I ever had was from a grizzled old-timer giving me a check ride. I followed the procedures, and turned down the throttle just after takeoff and took a gentle turn to avoid the golf course. He firewalled the throttle, straightened the plane out, and said, "Fuckem. They don't care if you crash, why do you care if they miss their putt?" Best advice ever. PhGustaf (talk) 21:16, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Did it occur to your grizzled oldtimer that those golfers get to vote on whether your airport stays open or not? DJ Clayworth (talk) 19:33, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Brilliant! Gotta love those guys. At any rate, as has been said, fighter pilots need to fly. Hundreds and thousands of hours flight time, maneuvers, technical limits, worst-case scenarios, etc. It's a hugely technical process, and increasingly so, and can require a very studious ethic. I'd recommend reading Yeager: An Autobiography - it's a great read, but it deals with a lot of the technical aspects of flying, and that was 50 years ago! As for what their job is during peacetime, well, they're in the Military, which is a full-time occupation. The role of the Military in peacetime is another question altogether, but deterrence and rapid response in a downfall of order seem to be the standing orders. ~ Amory (user • talk • contribs) 22:07, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

My scariest moment in an aircraft was the time I was practicing maneuvers solo in my Cessna 150 and managed to enter a full-power spin. I learned very quickly that the ailerons did not work well in that circumstance. Fortunately, I had 8'000 feet or so under me, and it took me only 2'000 feet to recover. Altitude and airspeed are good. The book procedure for a fighter pilot in this case would be to eject, but a) I didn't have an ejection seat handy and b) it would have been a bummer to show up at the airport missing an airplane. PhGustaf (talk) 22:32, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Surely a fighter pilot would try and recover from a spin like that - those planes aren't cheap (and if you're over enemy territory you risk capture by ejecting)! They would eject before they hit the ground, of course. --Tango (talk) 22:38, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

My spin was in a Cessna 150, one of the most forgiving aircraft ever. Somewhere around I used to have a manual for a P-51, which would lose 10'000 feet before recovery in a full-power spin. Modern fighters are pretty much bricks with big engines. PhGustaf (talk) 23:30, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Fighters, especially modern fighters, spin very differently from General Aviation aircraft. DJ Clayworth (talk) 15:58, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

How did you manage to get out of the spin? 89.240.34.84 (talk) 22:39, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I remembered my lessons, eased off on the stick, got the aircraft level once it started flying again, and recovered from the resulting dive. All in a day's flying, given adequate airspace underneath. It was a good thing I learned this lesson at 8'000 feet rather then 400'. PhGustaf (talk) 23:05, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Can I suggest you actually look up spin recovery technique for any aircraft you fly. It used to be compulsory to learn it, but I gather it isn't now. The technique you describe above, "ease off on the stick" will sometimes work but it's not the recommended technique. I strongly suggest reading the proper technique. It could be the difference between life and death. Here is a good starting point. DJ Clayworth (talk) 15:52, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

May I suggest you lose the condescending attitude? I have had training in real spins, and can recover from them quite handily. My explanation was simplified, but reasonable: with a mile of air under you in a C-150, just letting go of the controls until the aircraft starts flying itself again, and recovering from the resulting dive, is a reasonable technique, if perhaps a challenging one to one's underwear. (Yes, getting the throttle off happens sometime.) Spin training with a mile of air under me taught me to never ever get close to a spin at pattern altitude. Which is after all what it's for. PhGustaf (talk) 19:20, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Not intending to be condescending here, but if you thought that what you described was the best approach to spin recovery then my main objective was to potentially save your life. If you do indeed know the correct spin recovery method then fine. Forget I said anything. DJ Clayworth (talk) 19:32, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

What is this "peacetime" you are all talking about? There are wars going on all the time and fighter pilots will be doing tours of duty in Afghanistan, Iraq, etc. they will also be on standby in airbases at home in case of invasion, they will be on aircraft carriers ready to go into action anywhere they are needed, etc. etc. When they are in one of those places but not flying they will be keeping up-to-date with the situation, political, strategic and meteorological, they will be making sure their plane is in working order (there will be technicians for that, of course, but I'm sure the pilots keep an eye on them), they will be doing training drills and exercises, etc. etc.. When they aren't in one of those places they will either be on leave or training (which is much the same as action, just not real). --Tango (talk) 22:38, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

A paperback autobiography I happen to have in reach is Mustang Pilot, by Richard E Turner. Dated 1969, it is about his experiences in WWII. I think there are several other fighter-pilot autobiographies from that war. You have to admire their bravery - most of them were killed. 89.240.34.84 (talk) 22:38, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

As is well-known, fighter pilots endure long periods of profound boredom punctuated by moments of stark terror. B00P (talk) 01:14, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I recall a pilot saying, "Altitude is everything. Nobody ever crashed into the sky." DOR (HK) (talk) 04:32, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Read "Fighter Pilot" by Paul Richey--Artjo (talk) 11:14, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Tango has the best answer so far. The peacetime job of a combat pilot is to be ready for wartime. Flying tasks will mostly be exercises, which will probably include destination flights, formation flying , low-level flying and some live-fire exercises. If your cousin is a fight pilot you probably have better access to this information than most of us. DJ Clayworth (talk) 15:47, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Don't forget the occasional airshow that those guys might put on. 65.121.141.34 (talk) 16:22, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

And racing Top Gear presenters. --Tango (talk) 20:08, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

There's on old saying about the uselessness of the runway behind you, the altitude above you, and the fuel still in the truck. PhGustaf (talk) 19:27, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I wonder if they ever need to practise a regular gun? --194.197.235.26 (talk) 21:45, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Spare a thought for helicopter pilots who have to train hard not to use the ejector seat. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 22:16, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

A helicopter without power has a reasonable chance of autorotating to a safe landing. Early versions of the F-104 fighter had ejection seats that worked downwards, to spare the pilot the risk of collision with the empennage. This was of course a bad thing if a pilot had to eject at a low altitude. Some pilots responded to low-altitude emergencies by inverting the aircraft before ejecting, but their odds were not good either. The best solution to the problem was giving up on the airplane, but the intermediate one was an upwards ejection seat with a lot of explosives under it. PhGustaf (talk) 22:38, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

An autorotation is not a safe landing, just a more survivable form of crash except in some circumstances. Googlemeister (talk) 15:37, 11 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I was not sufficiently clear. A "good" landing is one in which all the souls on board walk away. A "great" landing is one whence you get to use the aircraft again. Autorotation is iffy for "good" and very unlikely for "great". PhGustaf (talk) 19:17, 11 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I have moved this question to Wikipedia:Reference desk/Science#Changes in DNA, as I think it's better suited there. JIP | Talk 21:03, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I am not here to start a debate or ask anybody for their opinion.

I am here to ask for help and advice. I want you to be a guide to help me do something that I don't know how to do myself.

I have been trying to search myself on the Internet, on Google, for responses by humanists about the world government or globalism criticism by the Christian right. I don't know what key words should I type in or how to search. I have been trying to search but I couldn't find any websites or webpages written by humanists responding to this particular criticism.

So can you please show me links to specific websites or articles which are humanists' response to this particular criticism? If not, then can please tell and advise me how to search and what key words to type?

I need advice.

Bowei Huang (talk) 23:32, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Google "bullshit" or the latin "Pulvus Taurei" and you have an answer. Seriously, though; check out one of the following: [4], or our very own Secular humanism article. I know "humanist/agnostics" who are far right and far left. But I can guarantee that world-government never features. My own mother is a a secular humanist, and she hasn't replaced my visits with a U.N. ambassador. After much verbosity....I feel this a soapbox.! Fribbler (talk) 23:53, 9 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Bowei Huang, if you'd like to understand what people actually believe, why don't you try to engage with them in an equal and understanding manner? I've spent a lot of time with secular humanists; I've never heard one suggest a world government is a good idea. The idea of a world government was popular during the Cold War because it was seen as the only way to get around the nuclear question between superpowers. Today that sort of thing is a lot less popular, amongst all people, secular humanists included. I think the reason you aren't finding what you are looking for is because it's really not the relevant issue—if you ask a secular humanist what they are most excited about, it is not world government. (Of course, there is variance there as well, but in all my dealings with secular humanists, I've never once heard the idea discussed, and all the ones I know personally would be very dubious about such an idea.) --98.217.14.211 (talk) 00:27, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I agree with 98. It has been difficult to refute the allegations you have been posting because they are un-serious enough that probably nobody out there has bothered to refute them. It is a little like telling us, "I have read that computer technicians want a flat tax. Can anyone refute this?" The two subjects have little or nothing to do with each other, so whoever makes the allegations has to provide some pretty strong proof that it's the case. I know that the authors you've cited have found an organization that calls itself a secular humanist organization and that one of their many, many aims is that they are sympathetic to a world government at some point in the distant future; but you might just as well find a computer technician organization that advocates the flat tax. There isn't a refutation at hand, because those authors have not provided any meaningful evidence. Tempshill (talk) 01:36, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

The secular humanists I hang around with[[5]] are middle-aged to eldering folks who enjoy listening to whichever "liberal" speaker happens to show up each week and having a nice potluck lunch afterwards. "World government" comes up less often in our conversation than, "Eeew, okra again." We're like Unitarians, but less dogmatic. PhGustaf (talk) 03:34, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Bowei, you've created some weird hypothesis about some connection between secular humanists and trying to take over the world; and now your looking for narrowly defined evidence to back up your hypothesis. Sadly, given the wealth of shit availible on the internet, you will likely find it, or at least find something that you can claim will support your hypothesis. You can prove anything with enough time to search and enough willingness to ignore any evidence which does not support your worldview. Heck, if David Icke can be taken serious by more than one person in the world, than you can pretty much find anything you want to "support" any harebrained conspiracy theory out there. --Jayron32 05:34, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Yes, be careful of confirmation bias. A Quest For Knowledge (talk) 23:08, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Jayron, Bowei asks here for help in finding evidence against such a connexion. Don't bite the sinner for trying to do better, unless you have reason to think it's a sham. —Tamfang (talk) 23:43, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Having problems finding a pair of words occurring on the same web page using google indicates you are close to a Googlewhack, i.e. the terms are unrelated. Dmcq (talk) 15:10, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

There are certainly people who think that a world government of some sort might be a good idea. After all a world government might be able to stop massacres in Rwanda and Darfur, force Zimbabwe to actually feed its people. DJ Clayworth (talk) 16:51, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I'm not sure why the evangelical types Bowei has been reading about are so opposed to it - it's a necessary component of the rapture. Oh well, I guess we can't expect them to be logically consistent. Adam Bishop (talk) 19:56, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

The one thing a world government can certainly do is stop emigration, at least for now. —Tamfang (talk) 23:44, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Welcome to the Reference Desk, Bowei. Since you asked for help on how to search, please read:

• Google - Google search basics: Basic search help
• Microsoft Bing - Search effectively
• Yahoo! - Search Basics
• Wikipedia - Wikipedia:SEARCH

We also have a WikiBook, "How To Search", with information on major search providers. Each of these services have different algorithms and different philosophies about the way search result information will be presented to you. You might find our list of search engines helpful if you want to locate other web- and offline- search databases. Nimur (talk) 21:03, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

"I don't know what key words should I type in" ... that problem won't likely be helped much by "Basic search help". —Tamfang (talk) 23:43, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

This situation is a bit like a reference librarian being asked by a patron: "I can't find any books on growing my own kryptonite in the backyard. Please, tell me what I should be typing into the catalogue computers to find books on growing my own kryptonite in the backyard." --PalaceGuard008 (Talk) 05:40, 11 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Bowei, you don't need to know fancy category names to be able to search. The search engines find words inside every site. All you need to do is put in the words you already know about -- humanist world+government globalism Christian+Right.

That will bring you thousands of hits, the first page mostly from humanist organisations. It should not take long to find one that contains the kind of responses you are seeking, or links to suitable further reading. - KoolerStill (talk) 18:19, 11 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Hello,

I'm trying to figure out where people actually live in Denver. Does anyone know where I could get a map of the residential / commercial zones or the population density?

--Grey1618 (talk) 04:08, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

http://www.census.gov/ is a good place to start. --Jayron32 05:29, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Denver Zoning Report, Map of neighborhood boundaries, Land use and transportation map. 152.16.59.102 (talk) 05:39, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I was gifted an iPod Nano two years back. A few days ago, it fell from my computer desk while charging, and from that moment on, it's touch sensitive wheel has stopped working, and the display screen's frozen on the language menu. Googling turned up results as diverse as people telling others to paint the wheel with varnish, or sticking scotch tape, and even trying to bang the device against a hard surface to unstick the hard drive. Needless to say, none of these remedies have worked for me... Causing me to turn up here, hoping for a better answer.. Please help fix my iPod. It's a gift I'll be sorry to say goodbye to... And I'm sure the person who gave it to me won't be particularly happy either.. Please help me out guys..... 117.194.225.119 (talk) 06:27, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I really hope you didn't actually bang the device against a hard surface.... That could easily loosen more parts inside and break it even further, especially if the soldering job isn't that great, like on Nintendo DSes. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 06:43, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Hitting a hard drive to unstick it is a well known technique, but you need to know what you are doing (a rubber mallet is preferable to hitting the drive against something). However, iPod Nano's don't have hard drives, they use flash memory, so trying to unstick it is a complete non-starter. --Tango (talk) 11:30, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

So your warranty is expired then? —Akrabbim^talk 12:23, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

It is if you banged it on a hard surface. DJ Clayworth (talk) 15:43, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

iPod Nanos have a small swittch on the top that can be flicked to lock the ipod on the current screen, and can be activated by dropping. If a padlock icon is displayed at the top of the screen (Next to the battery bar) this is your problem. Library Seraph (talk) 13:57, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Try to lock and unlock it, then hold down two of the buttons at the same time, then lock and unlock it again and hey presto! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.172.58.82 (talk) 16:33, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Did you try all of these? --98.217.14.211 (talk) 22:48, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Firstly, my uncle (he gave me the iPod) didn't want to pay the extra taxes that are supposed to be paid if someone lugs a gift from abroad to India. So he kept all the papers, including warranty and proof of purchase, at his home in the US. All he gave me was the Quick Start instruction manual,which shows how to sync stuff, etc. Secondly, I tried resetting my iPod, reformatting it, even reinstalling the software, but it was of no use. And the padlock symbol is toggled on and off every time I toggle the Hold button. So that part's alright as well. Nothing seems to work.... 117.194.229.153 (talk) 05:23, 11 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Here's a link to how my iPod looks.. Don't know how that may help... But still... http://www.copytaste.com/hw39f75c 117.194.233.138 (talk) 06:38, 11 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Please, guys... Help me out... I'm really sweating with anxiousness now... It's been a long time since I received a decent answer... 117.194.229.128 (talk) 13:27, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

In the above mentioned article they state that there were 25 points, a)these should be in the article. and c) what were they pls —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.172.58.82 (talk) 19:18, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

They have an article of their own - see National Socialist Program 83.100.250.79 (talk) 19:42, 10 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Does anyone know where is the tomb/shrine/grave of Nasir Khusraw located? the wikipedia article says that he died in Yamagan, but does not specify if there is any grave associated or believed to be His?

According to this source ([6] an oasis near Yamagan called ziyarat-e hazrat-e sayyid (Holiness Sayyid Shrine) is probably the burial place of the traveler poet. --Omidinist (talk) 04:47, 11 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

i wanted to know what is the importance of time in our life.Please Reply.... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 59.92.253.210 (talk) 11:08, 11 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Have you read our article (and its many related topics) on time? We note there that "time has been a major subject of religion, philosophy, and science, but defining it in a non-controversial manner applicable to all fields of study has consistently eluded the greatest scholars." Additionally, WikiQuote's time-related content may be of interest. — Lomn 13:05, 11 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

It's a human thing. Animals live in the present. Humans think about the past and the future. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 13:09, 11 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

So squirrels hiding nuts are not thinking about the future at all? Googlemeister (talk) 13:32, 11 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Not consciously. It's instinctual behavior to be sure. Their little brains are wired for hiding nuts (and they can hide hundreds of them and recall where they are kept, if I remember correctly), and so they hide them. They aren't thinking, "gosh, this nut will sure do me well in December." I suspect it is different than my dog, for example, who hides bones primarily because she fears I will take them away from her after awhile (which I will). (Things that I don't take away, she never bothers to hide.) --98.217.14.211 (talk) 14:35, 11 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Are you implying that instinctual behavior not count as cognition? Just because a squirrel doesn't ruminate over his nut cache or other affairs, it does not mean he's not a thinker. In any event, I get a little irked when people make presumptions as to what animals do and don't think about. You don't know, you're not them. The only thing we can say with certainty is that if they did have any such thoughts, we possess no means of knowing them. Vranak (talk) 14:58, 11 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I took the question about squirrels to be whether the squirrel considered "the future" as a concept to be worth worrying about. I don't think the squirrel is actively thinking about the future. I suspect the squirrel has an urge to collect and hide nuts and to go get them again when he can't find more nuts to collect and hide. We actually can determine that most animal instinctual behavior is not part of a generalized way of thinking that humans have. Animals on the whole don't generalize—they don't conceptualize. (See, e.g., work of Temple Grandin on this subject.) I am not impugning the squirrel's brain, tiny and specialized though it is. It can do a lot of things with its brain that humans can't do (like routinely memorize where it has hidden tiny nuts over a vast area of land), which indicates quite strongly that our generalized notion of "intelligence," broadly speaking, is heavily species-specific (humans are "dumb" if being able to do that is your metric). And I do think animals vary quite a bit in their cognitive capacities—dogs are clearly much more able to adapt and generalize complicated concepts that squirrels, and at certain tasks are much smarter than, say, human children. --98.217.14.211 (talk) 16:49, 11 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Humans have the luxury of recording information, which probably no other form of life has. Thus time becomes slightly less relevant, because books and all the other "recording" devices address certain aspects of the time problem for us. We need not remember where we parked the car because our "Record-O-Vac-Auto-Park-Remembrance-Device" (patent pending) has that information available for us whenever we need it. Bus stop (talk) 16:59, 11 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Probably as an iPhone ap

The squirrel analogy is a good example of evolution / natural selection. Squirrels don't have any way to record where they've stashed their food except to remember it. So the squirrels that were best at remembering it would have had a survival advantage. Only a few humans could remember where they had stashed each of hundreds of things (I'm thinking idiot savants and serial killers, for example) the rest of us would have to record it - and then we have an advantage over the squirrels, provided we don't lose track of the records themselves. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 13:08, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

See also memory, which covers how we perceive time and events, sentimentality, which covers how we perceive those parts of our life in the past, and related links. The question is incredibly broadly based, but those will help you on your way.Somebody or his brother (talk) 22:21, 11 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

One of the best ways of understanding the importance of time is to consider two events that each take the same amount of time, but which would seem to be very different. For example, during a 10-second period, holding one’s breath might seem to be a short time, but holding one’s hand over an open flame would seem to be much, much longer.DOR (HK) (talk) 03:16, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I have in my hand a letter addressed to my grandmother which came to her via the airship Hindenburg on it's last trip to the U.S. The letter is postmarked 2 5 37, four days before the Hindenburg was destroyed by fire while landing at Lakehurst Naval Air Station in New Jersey. How could this letter have survived the destruction of the Hindenburg? Could the mail pouches have been dropped to the ground just before the Hindenburg caught fire? Was that standard practice to expedite mail delivery? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.252.46.46 (talk) 14:54, 11 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

You may have something very interesting on your hands! Some of the mail was salvaged and delivered to it's destination. Have a look here: [7]. Fribbler (talk) 16:06, 11 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Of the 17,609 pieces of mail on board, only 358 pieces were salvaged in a burned condition. Cool! --jpgordon^{::==( o )} 18:43, 11 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

And only about half of those were cancelled. The examples on the site listed by Fribble show them selling for 10 to 20 thousand dollars. There are probably some fakes around as well, so provenance is important. You can compare your envelope to the samples shown. Did Grandma write to someone about receiving it, was there an article in the newspaper at the time, etc. Congratulations on finding a postal treasure. Edison (talk) 22:17, 11 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

If that's genuine then it's pretty amazing. I saw a nice doco about airships and the LZ_129_Hindenburg and was surprised to find out that most of the people on board actually survived! I had no idea. Including one very young cabin boy who survived practically unscathed, they had an interview with him filmed for the doco of his reminiscing about the events. Vespine (talk) 03:27, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

If you would like to be on TV, I bet these people would find that a fun thing to investigate. It's the kind of oddball thing they go for, that could be used to tell an interesting story. (Even if it is for some reason not authentic, that itself would be an interesting story.) --98.217.14.211 (talk) 14:47, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I was recently allocated the tightest seats imaginable on a British charter flight and I am only 5'4". The cabin staff told me that after every sector they routinely pass on to management the complaints from all 12 occupants of similarly arranged seats on that aircraft - but nothing ever happens to improve matters. So, in planning my next holiday - a 10 hour flight - I have been browsing as many holiday review sites as possible and to my amazement, found thousands - yes literally thousands of similar complaints about tight seating, inedible food, lost baggage, late arrivals/departures, and unresponsive cabin staff, and dirty, smelly rooms and bathrooms in hotels. Yet despite being able to see this stuff so easily, the airlines/operators seem not to be interested in improving things so as to attract more and repeat business. Question - do these review sites have any impact at all on the operators or are they perceived by the bosses as mere whingeing sites that don't deter future business? 92.22.87.92 (talk) 16:00, 11 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

To focus on the airlines, they are aware of complaint levels, but there are several reasons that service and comfort are as bad as they are: You get what you pay for. Most traffic on airlines is composed of passengers who intentionally choose the very cheapest fare available to get to their destination, and comfort and service are secondary considerations. Knowing this, every airline has to cut every cost in order to be able to offer fares at the lowest possible price, just like every other business; and some of those costs include food and the number of seats they cram into each airplane in order to maximize revenue per flight. That's why you have the CEO of Ryanair actually claiming this year that they were considering installing pay toilets in their aircraft. The solution, unfortunately for you, is to pay more to get a business class or first class ticket. From time to time the service gets so bad that some airlines make service or comfort improvements in coach that are hawked as a big deal — JetBlue has made a big deal of the TV at every seat, and American Airlines ran an ad campaign a few years ago bragging that they had 2 inches more legroom in coach (meaning they did reconfigure the seating, an expensive endeavour for all their aircraft, to remove some seats to make room for this). I think that since then they've crammed the seats back in. By the way, I would keep in mind that a seeming flood of complaints may be dwarfed by an ocean of travelers who take their trip without a problem — "normal" experiences don't drive people to rush to the Internet to express their displeasure. You're reading the angry outbursts that come from the worst travel experiences, and these complaint sites don't give any weight to other data. Tempshill (talk) 16:35, 11 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Thanks to legislation sponsored long ago by March Fong Eu, pay toilets are illegal in California. Presumably the crappers would be unlocked over our fair state, as the bars used to be locked whilst flying over Kansas. The solution to the pay-toilets-on-planes problem is simple, and Samuel L. Jackson could put it into words better than I. Bummer for the cleanup crew, though. 18:54, 11 August 2009 (UTC)

The problem is this: When people choose an airline to fly with, they go to one of the big online sites (Expedia or Travelocity, etc) and they see all of the flight times and prices laid out - and, almost inevitably, they pick the cheapest. (Those who don't - fly 1st class or Business class). Given that, if one airline puts in bigger seats, spends more on food, etc - they'll have to charge more for the flight and NOBODY will fly with them. You can see this effect in action because the airlines compete very hard in the 1st class sector where people do care more about the facilities than the price - and the adverts talk about the way the seats recline so you can sleep comfortably - that the food is better - that you get better service. The problem is that while we dislike these problems, we don't seem to dislike them enough to pay a bunch more money to get them fixed. The airlines are simply responding to market forces - as most big businesses must. The lost baggage thing is generally nothing to do with the airline and has everything to do with the baggage handling system at the airport. Once again, people don't choose their holiday destination on the basis of which airport loses the least baggage - so again, there is little or no pressure to fix things. That's also why the airlines are pulling crazy stunts like charging for hand-baggage, charging for meals, in one case even charging to use the bathroom. SteveBaker (talk) 19:16, 11 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I doubt airlines pay much notice to review sites; unless there is a sudden and dramatic rise in complaints about a particular part of their service across many reviews. The trouble is, people who had a bad experience might complain, but hardly anyone ever writes a review saying the flight met their expectations or they had a great flight. If you do have a complaint, go directly to the airline customer services.

As others have said above, it is all about cost and you get what you pay for. In my experience, the worst offenders are the holiday charter airlines closely followed by the budget airlines. Regular, scheduled airlines, usually the flag carriers, are generally OK in economy. If you want better service and lots of room, pay extra for business class or first class. It is particularly nice for a long flight - the company I used to work for had a rule that you could fly business class if the flight was 10 hours or longer; so my flight to Johannesburg was really nice. Astronaut (talk) 00:22, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

As for other complaints:

• In-flight food is rarely good. Even in business class it is still rapidly heated in a metal tray, but you do get a wider choice. It is probably unrealistic to expect gourmet food in a £5 sandwich (see British Rail sandwich).
• Lost baggage is a problem, but your bag usually shows up - eventually. Many suitcases look very similar, so accidental removal from the baggage carousel by another passenger can happen (it happened to me once, the airline eventually delivered my bag to my hotel that evening).
• Departure and arrival are often at the mercy of air traffic control. At a busy airport the time between 'slots' is short and the slightest delay (whether caused by passengers, the airline, the airport, or mother nature) can affect many flights.
• Working as cabin staff is low paid, hard work, with a lot of time on your feet; and is nowhere near as much fun as it sounds. I find being pleasant works almost every time. If you are rude and keep jabbing the call button, I doubt they will be very responsive.
• With hotel rooms, it is again a case of you get what you pay for. Many 4 or 5-star hotels have a reputation to uphold and if anything is wrong they are quick to do what they can to fix the problem. Of course, you might not get such a good response at a cheaper hotel or hostel. Also note that location can also play a part, with hotels in tropical parts often providing anti-mosquito items and warning guests that lizards in the room are to be expected.

Astronaut (talk) 01:10, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I understand Continental is offering lots of extra time on the plane at no extra cost. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 01:04, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Being the OP, I am grateful for all the above answers, except the tongue in cheek one above about Continental as I have always found their services and staff to be highly commendable, including coach/tourist class - unless something has changed recently? And whilst I do accept the volume economics of travel bookings, what I can't accept is how on the same flight and class, some seats are very acceptable, whilst others are not - all I want is equitability throughout the cabin ie, the guy in front of me gets to recline his seat whilst I can not due to being backed up against a mid-cabin toilet block. If I am going to be so restricted, then why not fractionally reduce everybody's legroom accordingly so I can recline on a long flight too - no loss of seats, no loss of revenue, and everyone is treated equally - with those in front losing say half an inch of legroom. But also, if I do decide to upgrade to business or first class, am I not advertising (as some above correctly suggest)that I am not interested in the resultant cost, only the comfort factors - and get ripped off accordingly? 92.21.137.39 (talk) 18:32, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

To go back to your original question, if you are planning a holiday that involves a ten-hour flight, will it actually be a British airline charter flight? I see that Monarch Airlines goes to Trinidad and Tobago from Scarborough and maybe there are others, but the charter flights tend to be shorter distances. An economy seat on a scheduled flight on a long-haul flight on major airlines is a huge improvement on budget airlines. As to the equity of seats, I can assure you of appalling experiences in Business and First with some very reputable airlines. They are also not untouched by lost baggage. Finally, there are physical constraints to placing seats on an aircraft, in order to align them to emergency exits. -- Alexandr Dmitri (Александр Дмитрий) (talk) 21:38, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

So there are worse seats and better seats. To make a price differential, they either have to increase the price of all of the other seats (which results in everyone on Expedia, etc buying tickets from the $1 cheaper carrier who doesn't do that) - or you have to decrease the price on the less nice seats (which loses you money). Most of the people who book on an airline don't check the location of their seats - and while they might complain, that doesn't affect the business model very much. The bottom line here is that it's not about "fairness" - it's about making money (or, typically, losing money less quickly). SteveBaker (talk) 03:13, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I think the reason they don't let the rear seat recline is that it takes 3 or 4 inches of cabin space to do so, and if they were to scoot all the seats in the section forward 3 or 4 inches, then the frontmost row of seats would have really bad legroom, so a decision was made that the lack of rear row reclining was less important than unacceptable legroom in the front row. Probably it's claimed to be a safety issue if the front row is also an exit row. The solution is to get rid of a row of seats, but, since you're in coach, they have crammed all the seats possible onto the aircraft, and won't decide to remove a row. I would normally discount your concern about getting "ripped off", because you're just paying more for an improved seat, just like at a concert or theater; and there is competition, after all; you can shop for a Business Class seat at many airlines. You're not advertising that you don't care about the cost; you're stating, "I will pay 400 pounds for this Business Class seat and all the services accompanying it." Tempshill (talk) 16:53, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I am the OP and I thank you all for your comments and fully accept I am entirely at the mercy of the airline operators ie., I can either risk being landed in an uncomfortable (cheap) seat or elect to upgrade to a more comfortable seat at a premium cost. But I can't see the logic set out by Tempshill above that to allow my midcabin seat to recline by 4 inches would cause every seat in front of it to move forward by 4 inches also. The flight I was on and which energised me to pose this query had 27 rows in front of me right up to the front bulkhead row and there were no emergency exits in between. So why couldn't the 26 intervening seat pitches have been reduced equally by 4/26ths of an inch each i.e. about one-seventh of an inch or the thickness of a sick-bag. Oh, and about upgrading - I have done that at significant cost for my next holiday from Scotland to Cuba, and as a precaution have checked out the seat plan for the Upgraded cabin and guess what??? That cabin is separated from coach by toilet blocks. And guess what else??? The rear row of the upgrade cabin has 7 seats that - guess what??? - don't recline! So guess what I am now in the process of doing?? I am paying a further upgrade charge to select any 2 adjacent seats other than those on the back row. But pity the poor buggers who get landed in those non-reclinable seats and who will have paid a significant upgrade charge to ensure they are in a better seat than in coach. Wheesshhh. But I have no one else to blame but myself (and a few zillion others) who volunteer repeatedly to be treated like sheep being transported to market whilst paying handsomely for the privilege. 92.22.186.27 (talk) 20:10, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

The reason they can't take out 4/26ths of an inch from every seat is because the seats in modern airliners are fitted into a track system that allows the seats to be removed and put back - to change the spacing or to turn the plane into a cargo plane. Those tracks don't allow the seats to be adjusted to just any old spacing - the slots that the seats fit into have a spacing of something like 2" - so you either have to take away 2" or give back 2" - you can't adjust by (say) 1/2" or whatever. They can't redesign the track system to make them infinitely adjustable because the seats have to lock firmly in place for safety reasons. SteveBaker (talk) 03:44, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

OK Steve et al. I think I have exhausted my rant and will now shut up. But thanks again to all above. I will let you know how I fared on our trip to Cuba (January 10). Maybe I should take some Valium just in case. 92.20.18.207 (talk) 09:20, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

You might be interested in seatguru.com, with its aircraft seating plans and descriptions of the best and worst seats. Unfortunately, it doesn't cover all airlines or aircraft types and some of the judgements are in my opinion a bit too picky.

My criticism of holiday charter airlines was mainly because on both flights I've made with Thomas Cook Airlines I have not been able to pick my seat or change it a check-in, without having pre-booked a "premium seat" for £25(?) extra each way (you are also deliberately separated from your travelling companions unless you pay another £25(?) to be seated together). Most other airlines allow you some latitude in requesting a seat at check-in, and the online check-in systems I've used let me pick my own seat from those still available. Astronaut (talk) 15:18, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Hi everyone! I'm trying to finish this table that I inserted into Advanced Placement Statistics. Would anyone here have any idea of the number of students that took the AP Statistics exam in 2001?--Edge3 (talk) 18:58, 11 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I've updated the page. Does it seem fine now?--droptone (talk) 12:26, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Thank you so much! I've looked everywhere for that!--Edge3 (talk) 13:56, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

If you wanted to do work on the other AP subject test pages, College Board's archive is very data rich.--droptone (talk) 13:59, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Wow that really helps. Thanks!--Edge3 (talk) 14:12, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I realize this is a VERY strange question, so bear with me.

I like playing the piano. I am also female. Stubby fingers run in my family, and mine are laughably short. I can just barely reach the breadth of one octave between my pinky and thumb on my piano. I don't think my fingers have any more growing to do, so I seem to be stuck. Does anyone know of any devices (gloves, prostheses, whatever) that can even slightly lengthen the fingers to make it more comfortable for me to play things that require speed outside of a single-octave range?

--✶♏‭ݣ 01:43, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Fing-longer . Sorry, couldn't help myself. Vespine (talk) 02:02, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

That really needs to be real! --✶♏‭ݣ 02:09, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I think it's unlikely that there is a way to do that. I suggest you develop an interest in electronic keyboard instruments - many of those have smaller keys than a standard piano. SteveBaker (talk) 02:20, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

See Janko keyboard. Arise ye nonlinear downtrodden masses! Clarityfiend (talk) 02:44, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Tony Iommi, one of the top heavy metal guitarists, sliced off the tips of several of his fingers in an industrial accident before he and his friends started Black Sabbath. He wears some kind of prostheses; you could probably find some. I would have assumed they would have trouble staying on while you're hammering on the keys; but they seem to stay on while hammering on guitar strings. Tempshill (talk) 04:21, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Postscript: His article says he made his own initially and now they are "custom made", so it doesn't sound like they are off-the-shelf items. Tempshill (talk) 04:26, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I don't see why it wouldn't be technically possible; the question is how much you're willing to pay. You'd want something with a soft tip so that you wouldn't be making clicking sounds with every note, and ideally something that would attach to every finger (rather than a glove), to avoid restricting movement. I bet there's someone out there who could make them for you. Exploding Boy (talk) 05:26, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

It is surprising that the email boxes of pianists are not full of spam promoting bogus "Pianist enlargement" via herbal supplements, pills, pumps, or exercise devices. Edison (talk) 15:52, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Just last week I saw a TV medical show about a prosthetic finger, made of metal, which works with picking up signals through the skin, so they are removable. They showed the presenter try some on and wiggle them, on the ends of his own good fingers. But they said they're around $10,000 each.

Try getting gloves with longer fingers, and filling the tips with play-dough. Dig in your own fingers before the dough sets, so some of the dough forms a "sleeve" and becomes a good fit. See if this gives you enough (or any) feedback to feel the keys as you play them.- KoolerStill (talk) 18:02, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Does anyone make pianos with more closely spaced keys for musicians with smaller hands/shorter fingers? Edison (talk) 18:27, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Googling on "Narrow key piano" yields [8] as the first hit, a pianists' forum wherein the availability of pianos with narrow keys is discussed. 87.81.230.195 (talk) 02:41, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Since our ears pop during the ascent and descent of a commercial airliner, does this mean that the pressurized cabin is an imperfect one? If so, what is preventing airplane manufacturers from making a perfectly pressurized cabin? Acceptable (talk) 05:19, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

See cabin pressurization. To sum it up in one word, money, although the new Boeing 787 is supposed to improve on both the cabin pressure and humidity. --antilived^{T | C | G} 05:32, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

It's not so much that it is imperfect (although of course it is, nothing is perfect), the intended air pressure is equivalent to about 8000ft altitude in most aircraft. Lower air pressure makes the plane easier to design/maintain - see the article linked to above for details. --Tango (talk) 05:44, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

OK, so if I'm hearing you right, your ears pop until about the 8,000 foot level, and after that things should be stable? Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 05:58, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Yes, but some people's ears take longer than others to equalise the external and internal ear pressure so popping and squeaking can be experienced after the plane has achieved 8000ft. 86.4.181.14 (talk) 07:17, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

That's why some folks help that along by chewing gum or doing something to encourage the equalization process. I find that yawning helps. I feel sorry for the small children on board whose ears are in serious pain and they have no idea why. Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots 07:40, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Holding my nose and trying to blow out through it works for me. (I did read somewhere that there are risks involved with that method, so I don't necessarily recommend it, but I've never had a problem with it.) --Tango (talk) 15:51, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Valsalva manoeuvre, NB Valsalva retinopathy. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 20:39, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

No, it's not that simple. The pressure inside isn't equal to the pressure outside until you reach 8000ft. They start off equal and then the pressure inside goes to 8000ft gradually, but not necessarily at the same rate as the pressure outside is decreasing (in fact, I think it is quite a bit slower). Interestingly, there are some airports that are above 8000ft which means the pressure has to be increased after takeoff or decrease before landing. --Tango (talk) 15:51, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

This pain has a lot of names: "Airplane ear," "Aviator's ear," "Otic barotrauma," "Barotitis media," "Aerotitis." If Eustacian tubes are blocked then pain can be bad. The sinuses can similar be painful if there is blockage and pressure changes. Edison (talk) 18:28, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Yes, I was going to add—don't fly while you have a cold, unless you want some serious, serious pain. It sucks. I had a long-running cold (months and months) and had to fly a bunch. It was like torture. Gum, drinking water, yawning, you name it, did not help at all. Piercing, agonizing pain, until finally it would release, in its own good time. Youch. Avoid it, if you can! --98.217.14.211 (talk) 21:48, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Its actually the design of the human ear that is the problem...for anyone that scuba dives you will know that the ear does not have the ability to compensate for an increase in atmospheric pressure which is why when we dive to depth we must constantly pressurize our ears to match the pressure exerted on them but when we ascend to the surface we need to do nothing to our ears. The design of the human ear allows for the release of pressure, but not the ability to increase the pressure on its own173.3.235.48 (talk) 22:33, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

do you have an article on Herb Cohen, the negotiator and Larry King best friend? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 117.0.28.174 (talk) 15:03, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

We have an article on a man called Herb Cohen no idea if he was Larry King's best friend though. Is this your guy? 194.221.133.226 (talk) 15:07, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Doesn't look like the same guy. Here is the negotiator's website: [[9]]. Fribbler (talk) 15:35, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Herb Cohen the agent is Larry King's friend. They met while teenagers at Lafayette High School in Brooklyn, N.Y. (The article on the school has a famous alumni list.) — Michael J 22:04, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

WHICH IS THE LARGEST RIVER ? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 218.248.75.149 (talk) 15:16, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Take a look at List of rivers by length, List of drainage basins by area, and List of rivers by average discharge. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 15:19, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Size of mouth could be another form of "largest" (Río de la Plata) 75.41.110.200 (talk) 15:25, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Nile is the longest, Amazon is the biggest —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.172.58.82 (talk) 17:15, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Man is the oldest. DOR (HK) (talk) 03:23, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Some people say Finke River is older. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.41.11.134 (talk) 23:30, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Hiya, still trying to get my Ipod to work with my Hi Fi, I have read the manual and it states that I needs a cabel to go from the Ipod, to the Hi Fi, the Ipod side needs to be an Ipod connection and the other side needs a tiny litte connector, it is this connector that I needs help with. It looks a bit like a USB port, but is about half the diameter and half the width. Imagine a tiny paper thin, narrow USB port. What is this called, where can I get one of these. Any info would be helpful. Thank you very much. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.172.58.82 (talk) 17:28, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

That's simply called the iPod Connector or iPod Dock Connector. Any TV or audio shop will sell you a variety of cables that connect to it - you probably want an iPod<->RCA cable. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 17:35, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I think we need pictures. So you're saying the ipod side needs an ipod connection, as in the top picture, but the stereo needs something else, right?

Is it any of the connectors pictured in the middle image?

If not, Finlay was suggesting there might be a pair of RCA sockets, as in the bottom picture. Are there? AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 18:00, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

aka ipod to phono - here's an example http://www.amazon.com/Cables-4-Feet-Stereo-Connector-Cable/dp/B000JG3WBY/ref=pd_sim_dbs_e_2/188-8246905-1039269 83.100.250.79 (talk) 20:27, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

What does it call the stereo connection? what stereo? what sockets on the stereo?83.100.250.79 (talk) 20:29, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Thanks a ton, I think it is the 8 pin, furthest to the right in the middle pic, but where can I get a cable with this on one side and a ipod connector on the other? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.3.147.65 (talk) 21:56, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Warning: The 8-pin is furthest to the left in the photo. The one on the far right is a standard USB A plug. iPod to USB-A cables are readily available; you may have got one with your iPod, or you could get one from the Apple store. On the other hand, I have no idea about iPod to 8-pin. AlexTiefling (talk) 22:10, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

If you do mean the one on the left, I also have never seen an iPod to "mini A". However, adapters do exist (like this one) that you can plug your standard USB into. I'm not sure if you discussed this earlier, but going through the USB connection on the HiFi probably isn't the easiest way to do this... Going through the headphone jack probably is. TastyCakes (talk) 22:27, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

sorry, meant furthest to the left, where can i get one or a different one with an adapter

You really want to make sure it is the right kind of port.. it should say in the manual what it is named. If you get the wrong kind, it won't work. --98.217.14.211 (talk) 23:59, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Yeah i think headphone jack is the easiest and surest way. The only devices I've ever seen that can play ipod through a usb socket always have iPod in the model name and written on them in big letters on them and are quite a lot more expensive then a similar device without the ability to play ipod. Just because a stereo has a usb socket does NOT in any way mean it will play an ipod, much more common use for a USB socket is the just ability to play mp3 off a usb thumb drive, which is NOT the same as plugging in an ipod. Vespine (talk) 00:26, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

If you are serious about your hi-fi, you won't want to use the headphones socket, it is not as high quality. While I'm dubious about the iPod->USB idea without seeing the actual manual page, I'm sure there is a better way to do it than the headphones option. I would seriously look into whether the iPod->RCA option would work, as that seems tried and true. --98.217.14.211 (talk) 13:21, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

In the context of a lossy compression replay system, alleged shortcomings in the headphone socket department are the least of the serious hi-fi issues. --13:25, 13 August 2009 (UTC)

I'd actually wager there is no difference between the signal that comes out of the headphone socket and that from the $15 "iPod to RCA" cable. Are you suggesting there is a second and better DAC inside the iPod for the RCA output? I very much doubt it. And as the above says, the fact your source is mp3 pretty much precludes "serious hi-fi". Vespine (talk) 00:11, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

The difference is that the headphone output goes through whatever passes for a volume pot these days, whereas the RCA output does not. As the primary focus of the iPod is the headphone wearer, it is counter intuitive to suppose that that output is degraded. --Tagishsimon (talk) 00:20, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

http://real-funny-lady.livejournal.com/1005066.html what is the point of this website, it is lovley and has numerous pages of art grouped together with a common theme. But why? What does all the russian stuff say? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.3.147.65 (talk) 21:53, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

If you paste the link into Google, there is a "translate this page" option. Obviously mechanical translation is unreliable but you can get a feel for it. It seems like it is just a personal blog, of someone who likes art, among other things. --98.217.14.211 (talk) 23:52, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I am trying to confirm the ages of the oldest and youngest people to murder a police officer in the line of duty in the United States. I was told by someone that the oldest person was 88 years old and that the youngest was 8 years old, but i can not find information to confirm or dispute this 173.3.235.48 (talk) 22:25, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial list over 18,000 officers who died in the line of duty, along with at least some of their stories. 75.41.110.200 (talk) 22:49, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I have been fishing around all those sites for several days and have sent requests for information to all the contact us links but i have yet to get a response from them —Preceding unsigned comment added by 173.3.235.48 (talk) 23:33, 12 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

And if you find that the 8 year old shot the officer by mistake and not to "murder" him, what then? Dismas|^(talk) 02:12, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Could an 8 year old even be convicted of a crime in the US? If not, he can not technically commit homicide any more then a bear or a dog could. Googlemeister (talk) 14:26, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Minors can be tried as adults in special circumstances (in some states, at least). These are usually reserved for cases where a judge has decided that the minor knowingly and maliciously acted with intent to commit the crime. Even if the child is tried as a minor, I think there are still felony convictions - but they fall into a separate category with a different legal consequence. Nimur (talk) 16:11, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Which hollywood film has the longest running nude/sex scenes (in the most explicit manner)? i am not talking about any porn movie, but normal movie which may be an R18-rated —Preceding unsigned comment added by 115.186.5.105 (talk) 01:36, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

That's probably going to be very hard to answer. there isn't a very clear cut line between what is or isn't a "hollywood film" and what is or isn't a porn movie. I'm sure there would be heaps of "soft porn" type "straight to video" movies which would still qualify to be a Hollywood movie and got an R rating. If you're asking for mainstream release, big budget, with hollywood stars, my money would be on Basic Instinct. Vespine (talk) 01:58, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

9 1/2 Weeks and Last Tango in Paris both were noted as mainstream releases with significant sex scenes... --Jayron32 02:05, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Shortbus? Or possibly Showgirls? Or maybe Caligula with Jeremy Irons Malcolm McDowell. I always get them mixed up. Dismas|^(talk) 02:07, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Why's everybody whispering? Clarityfiend (talk) 02:40, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

An anon IP removed only part of the "unsigned" template from the OP's post. So everything after the first small tag was made small. Dismas|^(talk) 02:42, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

There's a lot of difference between "nude" and "sex". I seem to recall that Amanda Donahoe is naked for most of Castaway (film).--Shantavira|^{feed me} 08:15, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

By "hollywood film" do you mean mainstream? 9 Songs maybe? I haven't seen it, but it seems like a likely candidate. Also, Lars von Trier has caused a lot of controversy over some of the extremely graphic content in his films. Not all of that is just sex of course. :P --S.dedalus (talk) 08:49, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

For sheer length of nude scenes, I'd go with La belle noiseuse which is about 4 hours long, much of which is Emmanuelle Béart being drawn nude. The hours just seem to fly by somehow... It's not Hollywood, and I don't think it's rated either, but it would probably be an R if it was. Recury (talk) 16:45, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Consider also Lifeforce featuring Mathilda May. — Michael J 21:55, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Hi all; I would like to know how to make origami boxes. Thanks! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 94.163.5.72 (talk) 01:38, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

There are a large number of different styles of origami boxes. here is a simple pattern. And here are a bunch more. Hope this helps. APL (talk) 01:41, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

• That's perfect! Thank you! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 94.163.60.69 (talk) 22:21, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

How widely known, if at all, were depictions of demons wielding whips before Tolkien gave whips to his Balrogs? NeonMerlin 04:37, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

(recommend you move this to the humanities desk)83.100.250.79 (talk) 10:41, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I can't imagine that that would be the first use, as demons have long been associated with punishment and torture, though I have no sources to back me up. —Akrabbim^talk 12:19, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Dante's Inferno, Canto XVIII, references "horned demons with great scourges". — Lomn 13:02, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Are there any whips held by the daemons on Michelangelo's Last Judgment? Googlemeister (talk) 14:21, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

No - [10] --Tagishsimon (talk) 14:25, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

A fresco in a Danish church, painted early 1500s show a devil type character with a whip, herding the harvested souls to hell. Can be seen here (not very clear I am afraid, but it cost a subscription to be allowed to zoom in, the guy with the whip is the black devil to the left in the picture, the red devil to the right is only holding a chain that is bound to the souls). --Saddhiyama (talk) 14:45, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Wikipedia even has an illustration (probably of Dante's Inferno) by Botticelli. The image is from the Kupferstichkabinett Berlin, the caption translates to "Pimps and harlots flee from flogging devils.". ---Sluzzelin talk 15:27, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Intriguingly, the Flemish 15/16-century painter Hieronymous Bosch produced several works graphically depicting hell and the tortures of the damned therein, but on cursory examination of all those reproduced on Wikipedia I could not spot any showing whipping (though he seems to have had an inordinate preoccupation with impalement). 87.81.230.195 (talk) 00:21, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Here are some more depictions of flagellating devils, all illustrating Dante's Inferno and all made before Tolkien was born: As seen by Stradanus, by Botticelli again (larger image here), and by Gustave Doré. ---Sluzzelin talk 12:55, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Where could I find a list of the most successful marketing companies in the USA? --Ye Olde Luke (talk) 09:54, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Hmm, here's a list for worldwide [11]. I'd wager many of these companies are American Fribbler (talk) 10:28, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Are you defining success within a particular market or industry segment; or overall largest revenue, or some other definition? Nimur (talk) 17:13, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Overall profits. Of the largest and most successful companies in America, what marketing firms are hired by those? --Ye Olde Luke (talk) 19:16, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Sorry, this is 2 questions. If Fribbler's excellent link isn't enough and you really mean profits and not revenue, the next source I would go to is the last paper-printed "Forbes 500" issue of Forbes Magazine, which in the same issue has lists like "Top 10 Energy Companies" and, I believe, "Top 10 Advertising Companies". I don't think they publish these lists on the Net (at least, I'm having trouble finding the list), so I'd go to the library and find the last "500" issue of theirs. If you are asking the second question, "which ad agencies are hired by the largest and most successful companies in America", that sounds difficult to evaluate and a bit subjective, and I'm unfamiliar with any such list; Advertising Age is the most likely source of such a list. Tempshill (talk) 19:41, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

My co-worker found this blurb on the Coca-Cola website:

"If all of the Coca-Cola ever produced was put into 8-ounce contour bottles:

• There would be more than six trillion bottles, which stacked end-to-end, would reach 468 miles high - 85 times taller than Mount Everest.
• The six trillion bottles roughly equals 966 bottles - or more than 56 gallons of Coca-Cola - for every person in the world.
• If laid end-to-end, these bottles would reach to the moon and back 1,677 times."

We quickly determined that "stacked end-to-end" and "laid end-to-end" could not mean the same thing, as 1677 round moon trips certainly is a much larger distance than 85 Mt. Everest elevations. We figured that "laid end-to-end" is simply all the bottles added lengthwise, which gave the accurate moon distance number, but we couldn't figure out how we could orient the bottles to get the 468 miles value. Any thoughts? —Akrabbim^talk 12:15, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

You could have given us the dimensions of an 8 ounce bottle to help out :-). Nonetheless, I calculate that the average distance of the earth to moon is 38440300000cm and going there and back 1677 times, divided by the estimated 6 trillion bottles, gives the bottles a height of 21.49cm (which is probably about right, as you suggest). However the 468 miles converts to 75317299cm, which divided by 6 trillion is 0.00001255cm or about 125nm which I think (at this late hour) is smaller than the wavelength of visible light. So doesn't seem to add up. I'd say Coke have stuffed up. --jjron (talk) 13:27, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

When they say stacked, I think they mean in a (semi-)structurally sound way. If you place one bottle on top of another, you may reach the moon 3300+ times, but you'd be lucky to get one bottle to balance on top of another. What if you tried to make a pyramid? That might be what they were implying - you'd have an enormous base, and it wouldn't be hollow, but you'd still go 468 miles up! ~ Amory (user • talk • contribs) 13:50, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Volume of Pyramid = Area of the base * Height * 1/3

Volume of Pyramid = (753172m²) * (753172m) * 1/3

Volume of Pyramid = 1.424*10e17

(Assume a cubical coke bottle)

Volume of Coke Bottle = (21.49cm)³

Volume of Coke Bottle = 0.0099m³

Coke Bottles In Pyramid = Volume of Pyramid / Volume of Coke Bottle

Coke Bottles in Pyramid = 1.44x10e19

So, if I haven't slipped a decimal point here, a pyramid that size would require at least 14 quintillion bottles of coke. APL (talk) 14:04, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Yeah, they goofed somewhere. According to my calculations, they could have a pyramid that tall, but the base would only be 75m square, and it would be 753000m tall, so probably not easy to tell it is a pyramid. Googlemeister (talk) 16:02, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

But most cola is not bottled - it's sold as industrial syrup supply, and probably mixed with carbonated water at the point of sale. In the US, this usually means a fountain drink style machine. Nimur (talk) 16:14, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Yes, but the whole thing is prefixed with the assumption that it all being put in standard bottles. We know that isn't true, but these numbers are only being used to look impressive. --Tango (talk) 16:34, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

<- stack them as a pyramid, but two dimensional, not three. I get 84 times Everest, but close enough. One on top, two underneath, then three etc. 6 trillion will stack (roughly) square root of twice 6 trilllion, or 744,000 rows.--SPhilbrickT 17:09, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

DOH! Silly us, thinking in 3D. Googlemeister (talk) 19:20, 13 August 2009 (UTC) Reply

It's Hip to Be A Square! Fribbler (talk) 20:28, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Looks like they've started. Not far to go now... Gwinva (talk) 04:16, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Is there any precedent of someone aged 8 years or younger being tried for a felony in the US in say the past 100 years, specifically for homicide or manslaughter? Googlemeister (talk) 19:28, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Even though there is an article "Youth justice in England and Wales", there is no American parallel. This will take further research. —Akrabbim^talk 19:52, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

According to this and this, many states have a minimum age for being tried as an adult (12 for CO, 14 for KY). But as I started answering this time, I can't remember if a minor can be tried for a felony without being tried as an adult? —Akrabbim^talk 19:58, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Defense of infancy cites this Amnesty International document and say this about the US:

"Age determined by each state; the minimum age is 6 (North Carolina) however only 15 states have set minimum ages, which range from 6 to 12 years. States without statutory minimum ages rely on common law, which means that 7 is the minimum age in most states; for federal crimes the age has been set at 10."

I can't find anywhere that has individual extreme cases mentioned. —Akrabbim^talk 20:06, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

According to this, it looks like child felonies are not unheard of, though I can't find anything about child murderers. Whenever I google "child murder" I come up with results about the murder of children, not murder by children. "Murder by children just comes up with non-relevant abstracts. —Akrabbim^talk 20:21, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Here's a 13 year old, claimed to be the youngest in US, but youngest to be convicted of murder, doesn't mean youngest tried for manslaughter.--SPhilbrickT 21:58, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Here's an 11 year old.--SPhilbrickT 22:00, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Isn't there some law about keeping crimes by the very young secret? I have a vague recollection that if they aren't tried as adults - then they are not exactly responsible for what they did - so when they emerge from 'the system' they need to be able to carry on with their lives in some sort of normality. That would explain the lack of specific information about very young offenders. SteveBaker (talk) 03:34, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

When an 11 year old girl named Ryan Harris was found murdered in Chicago, Illinois, with evidence of a sex crime, police charged 7 and an 8 year old boys with the crime, and claimed they confessed. They were later exonerated. [12], [13]. The felony charges had devastating effects on the innocent boys [14], [15], [16]. Edison (talk) 03:45, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Steve, in Canada (thanks to the Youth Criminal Justice Act and its predecessor the Young Offenders Act), young criminals' names are kept secret, but not their crimes. Apparently this is not the case in the US, although I suppose it might differ from state to state. (It also doesn't apply to Wikipedia - there are a few Canadian "young offenders" whose names I wouldn't know if they weren't mentioned in Wikipedia articles, which seems a little sketchy to me...) Adam Bishop (talk) 15:20, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Wikipedia:Reference desk
(Gee, I didn't know you guys had what maybe a better alt to Yahoo! Answers!)

In some answer sites, like Answerbag, questions are open indefinitely. On YA, they are open for a week--hence the repetition ("What's your favorite Michael Jackson song?").

How does it work here?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if a question get's old, and I didn't get a good answer, I understand that I am to ask it again, with a link to the old question.
Sounds good.

Now what if I want to answer an old question?

Thanks people.
:-D
68.179.108.25 (talk) 23:18, 13 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

We don't encourage answering old questions. They cycle through about once a week. You could, potentially, answer an old one (there is nothing that stops you from doing it). But it's not generally encouraged. The Reference Desk is more about the here-and-now than it is about the long-term; answering a question when nobody will be looking at the answer does us little good.

And yes, incidentally, the Reference Desk is about a million times better than Yahoo! Answers if you want actual answers to things. My experience in reading Yahoo! Answers results is that there are 20 responses by people who don't know a thing and maybe one decent one; on here the ratio is much higher. (In part because people who give incorrect or stupid answers get berated for it.) --98.217.14.211 (talk) 00:04, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Thanks. It just seem that as Wikipedia articles can be editted everyday, minute, or month, so might the questions. How about answering on the person's user:talk page. Say hi, refer to the question, and give an answer.68.179.108.25 (talk) 00:10, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

The convention is to answer here at the desk, though it's possible to do what you're suggesting if the questioner were to request this. One problem with answering on a talk page is that other Refdesk viewers will only visit the Refdesk and will not visit the talk page, so you won't get any corrections to wrong information. Tempshill (talk) 03:07, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Very few of us are prepared to respond on user's talk pages (or via email or anything else) - it's best to assume that nobody will. The idea is that these answers enrich the encyclopedia (and very often, we change the encyclopedia to better respond to the needs of our questioners). Questions don't need to be here for more than a week. If you don't get a really good answer within a day or two - then the odds are good that your question is unanswerable. Most of our questioners stop coming back to check after just a few days anyway - so answering something after that time basically means that you're talking to yourself! However, both questions and answers are archived forever - so you can always come and check the archives to see if a question has already been asked. I agree that our responses here are VASTLY better than Yahoo Answers - it's hard to say exactly why that is - but I suspect that it's the nature of people who gather to this site to write an encyclopedia, who are just better read and better researchers than the general public who tend to frequent Yahoo Answers. SteveBaker (talk) 03:29, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

We generally see the archives as a record of past discussions, to which we might refer someone, rather than a forum for continuing discussions. But if you did happen to find an inadequately answered question in the archives (and answer it) it would probably be courteous to drop a note on the OP's (original poster's) talk page with a link to answer, since they would be unlikely to go back to it. The ref desk is FAR superior to any other Q&A forum on the internet I have seen; along with the reasons noted above, I think this is due to the stated purpose/guidelines: we are here to provide references, not offer opinions, or discussions. Thus, an emphasis on veriable fact. This style attracts people who are well read, good researchers (etc) to contribute. As Steve notes, we are interested in encyclopedia writing, not blogging. Gwinva (talk) 04:09, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I think (perhaps quite wrongly) that if you answer a very-recently-archived question, it may pop back up here. Maybe that only happens in the weird situation in which I've sometimes found myself, where I'm answering a live question and then suddenly find myself in the archives, as the question's been archived while I'm composing an answer. With some questions that relate closely to an existing Wikipedia article or articles (e.g. a recent one asking the distinction between Fascism and National Socialism), it might be more useful to offer your response on that article's talk (discussion) page. There's a chance the original enquirer keeps an eye out on those pages where he or she might not bother looking at this page's archives. But in other cases of archived Ref. Desk questions, I think the user's talk page is a better bet; an orange flag usually appears the next time she or he logs in, if a registered user, or looks at a non-article page. Or at least you could drop a note on that user's talk page with a link to the revived discussion here. —— Shakescene (talk) 07:01, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I think it hasn't been archived yet, at that stage. I asked about it recently. AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 07:11, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

The RefDesk gets a lot more traffic than users talk pages, so if other people also had your same question, they can see the answers here rather than having to try and sort through who posted what where. Although, we do get a few repeats (but thankfully not as many as the Help Desk). Livewireo (talk) 18:01, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

One reason questions don't need to stick around indefinitely is because the Reference Desk is part of a larger project - the encyclopedia at large. If a question is persistent enough that it is commonly asked, then we need an article on that topic - and we often will write one. (A lot of redlinks in questions and answers get turned into articles). Many of the questions are indicators that our coverage of some topic needs improvement. I also think the wiki format makes our responses much more dynamic - we can link to relevant articles within our answers. Finally, I think we're better than many other internet forums because our responses (in fact, most everything on Wikipedia) is freely licensed - so the information may proliferate with minimal restraint. Nimur (talk) 04:21, 15 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I want to use Chinese characters in a particular font on a website, and I don't have any fancy software. I have word 2003, and Micrografx Windows Draw (a stupid little free program that won't let me input Chinese characters). Exploding Boy (talk) 01:52, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I'll assume that you can input Chinese characters other than in Windows Draw, e.g. in Word 2003.

Using Word (for example), input the characters. Select the font, select the size, select the zoom percentage, select the font color and background color. Capture the window. Save (perhaps as PNG). Crop the result. Save again. There's your image file. -- Hoary (talk) 02:19, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

(EC) :Set the word up in MS-Word, take a screenshot, crop it, save it as a jpg. Download GIMP if you do not have a jpg editor. --Tagishsimon (talk) 02:21, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Ahhh, much better. Thank you! Exploding Boy (talk) 02:58, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Avoid using JPEG (.jpg) for things like this - it's a "lossy" file compression system and it does particularly badly with solid-color images such as the one you're talking about making here. Use PNG or GIF. JPEG is really only useful for photographs that you intend to be viewed from a normal viewing distance at close to their original size. SteveBaker (talk) 03:19, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

JPEG is terrible for bilevel images, but there is such a thing as lossy compression for bilevel images, e.g. JBIG2. -- BenRG (talk) 11:00, 14 August 2009 (UTC) (Edit to add: this had nothing to do with the original question, I only mentioned it because SteveBaker's reply made it sound like lossy compression and bilevel images don't mix.)Reply

I suggest that while you are working on the image that you avoid using any and all comptession-type formats. Srick with bitmaps (.bmp) until you're done, then convert the image to ,png ot .svg. or .gif or wharever. Of course you could just lwave it as a .bmp. B00P (talk) 07:17, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

.svg is not a lossy format, nor is it a bitmap format. Leaving it as BMP is not recommended. You can save non-lossy PNGs that are much, much smaller than BMPs. --98.217.14.211 (talk) 12:58, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Wooaah guys. The OP wants this for a website - since I don't think any browsers support JBIG2, BMP is not well supported in all of it's complicated variations - and Microsoft don't support SVG - you should ask a graphics guy (oh - wait, that's me) and stick with PNG or GIF. SteveBaker (talk) 14:14, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I believe IE6 also has issues with transparency on PNG so that's another thing that could cause problems. Also while this is fairly OT I guess, you may want to make sure you are allowed to reproduce the fonts you plan to use in the way you wish to particularly if we're referring to a commercial website here. In other words, do the license terms of the font allow it? If they don't, while this should not be construed as legal advice, this may complicate things. Bitmap fonts are not copyrightable in the US [17], I'm not sure if this is definitely the case outside the US [18] [19]. The situation with Chinese fonts may be more unclear given the greater level of freedom in creating them [20] and I would expect and even greater uncertainty over PRC law. In other words, while it's possible what you are doing may be legal whatever the license terms of the font says, it's possible they won't be. Finally remember what you are doing is likely to have a significant negative effect on the website's accessibility. At the very least, remember to include an alternative text for the image you are using, and I would suggest you also consider whether the problems what you are doing is liable to cause is worth the perceived visual benefits. Nil Einne (talk) 16:18, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Indeed, IE6 doesn't do transparent PNGs without a hack. However, it's not a very difficult hack - and it works for IE5.5 too: [21]...but perhaps our OP doesn't need transparency. SteveBaker (talk) 02:44, 15 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I have this blog titled, (redacted, don't advertise it here, please TenOfAllTrades(talk) 12:19, 14 August 2009 (UTC)) on Salon.com, which warns people about the content of this website, but I don't know how to advertise it. I've heard of optimizing, but the whole process is difficult to understand and most require payment, which, especially in this economy is impossible. Is there anyway I can spread word about my blog so more people will read it? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.4.130.216 (talk) 05:37, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Optimizing is a way of trying to get your page at the top of search engine results, and yes, it does cost money. You could just buy adverts, e.g. through Google AdWords. Text-based ads wouldn't necessarily cost very much (Google suggests an amount of 10c per person clicking on your link, up to a $5 limit per day). You can also put a link on your Facebook/Myspace/etc. page(s) if you have them. 212.114.159.142 (talk) 07:06, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

The tried and tested way is to provide quality content that people will find interesting and link to. Most modern search engines rank page results based on (amongst many other things) the number of times the page is linked to by other, well-respected pages. The way for that to happen is the aforementioned quality content. Otherwise, as 212.114 said, either buy adverts which will be displayed on other websites, or raise awareness by participating in discussions elsewhere on the internet which may lead users back to your site (just don't [[Link spam#Using world-writable pages|]] in forums and blog comments, that will only annoy people). — QuantumEleven 09:27, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Advertising criticism of Wikipedia on Wikipedia itself is perhaps not the best way to go about it. Adam Bishop (talk) 13:19, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

The now-redacted title indicated the criticism was of another site. --LarryMac | Talk 13:22, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Oh! Haha, I see. Adam Bishop (talk) 15:16, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Look at search engine optimization this way: if you write interesting things that people actually want to read, brainiacs at Google will be *working for you* to get your site to come up in searches, but if you write stuff that nobody's interested in and then spend effort trying to game the search engines, they have an equally fell team of brainiacs *working against you* to prevent your site from coming up. If you're smarter than all those nerds put together, then the world will be beating a path to your blog anyway. Otherwise, just write something interesting. --Sean 16:32, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

How does a marketing firm distinguish itself from other marketing firms so that clients will hire them? --Ye Olde Luke (talk) 07:48, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Presume that you mean a Consulting firm, since all firms have some degree of marketing. The answer is very simple to explain, very hard to implement. Every trading company needs one or more USPs. Unique Sales Propositions. Something that they offer in such a way as to be attractive to the potential clients. Possibly the most famous is the turn round of a failing Avis by researching carefully and idenitying one single USP. The ":We try harder" campaign. brilliantly executed, turned Avis' fortunes and set them on the way to being number two to Hertz,86.219.161.186 (talk) 09:40, 14 August 2009 (UTC)DTReply

They do Bids and Tenders for business, they pitch based on their illustrious past-successes, they compete on price. Infact, in essence they do prety much what all businesses do to attract new customers. They sell themselves by saying what they do, how well they do it, why they're better than the competition, and sell their 'price' (if they're cheaper they hammer that, if they're more expensive they'll point out the great service and value for money you're getting etc.). 11:23, 14 August 2009 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 194.221.133.226 (talk)

It sounds like the OP is asking about advertising agencies. An AA will present to a prospective client a plan for a campaign. They make the campaign idea attractive by showing artwork, slogan(s) and statistical projections about how many of the intended target audience the campaign will reach. They allege to have advantages over competitors such as value-for-money, good contacts in the industry, skilled employees and a good track record, illustrated (if possible) by previous campaigns or customers. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 12:41, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Let us just clarify that the one key factor is to offer what the client is seeking to buy. He will check your qualifications, experience, etc. But what will sell him is an understanding of his needs, and a solution that will help to satisfy those needs. The suggestions, above, are "Product Centred" i.e. what we have. The solution is to be "Client centred" i.e. understand and satisfy his needs. Consider these openings to a job application: I am just about to leave school and am hoping that you will offer me employment, and: You are, I am sure, looking for people who will fit into your firm.86.219.161.186 (talk) 15:24, 14 August 2009 (UTC)DTReply

How much commission do sales representatives receive at high-end designer retailers such as Gucci, D&G, Lacoste, etc...? Needless to say, everyone will be in a good mood when a Saudi princess comes shopping? Acceptable (talk) 10:16, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

A good friend of mine worked at Louis Vuitton (doing some kind of long-term marketing, or acquisitions, or something) in the United Arab Emirates. Suffice to say, she found the work unsatisfying, the salary unsuitable, and the environment too hot; and she moved to North Carolina. This is merely anecdotal, but I suspect it's pretty much the case that the "luxury-goods-for-Saudi-princesses" retailers are not making as much buck as you might think. Nimur (talk) 04:27, 15 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I should know this, but can't find it via Google. Specifically, I'm curious about bank managers - in general, what would an aspiring bank manager study at university (if anything)? Considered accounting and business as possibilities, but honestly have no idea. Thanks in advance, --124.184.89.119 (talk) 16:27, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Just a guess, but perhaps a Bachelor of Commerce or other business degree? Maybe an MBA... TastyCakes (talk) 16:31, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I went to monster.com and typed "bank manager" in the search field. The first page of results had one listing that asked for a "Bachelor's Degree" which in the US means a 4-year university degree without any requirement of being in a particular field. I would assume accounting would be useful. Tempshill (talk) 16:35, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I'd also guess most of them work their way up through the bank's lower positions first, and may have a variety of degrees, some of which don't seem very related (this goes for most jobs, in my opinion). I would think it also depends on the type of bank, if you're talking about a run of the mill Bank of America branch or something, that's gonna be different from a "banker" at a hedge fund or something like Goldman Sachs. TastyCakes (talk) 16:37, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Economics perchance? Or Finance. Both of those were majors at my University Googlemeister (talk) 16:37, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Thanks for the responses, all. Hadn't considered the possibility that there wouldn't be a specific prerequisite. --124.184.89.119 (talk) 16:41, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

When I was at university a couple of years ago, the Milkround targeted people in degrees with a lot of maths (like Chemistry, Physics and obviously Maths). This was for investment banking. AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 18:27, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

For what it's worth, there is one open position on Monster for an assistant bank manager and all that's required is a high school diploma (12 years of school). Tempshill (talk) 19:08, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

While you can generally parlay any degree into a job at a bank, some pretty high up, (I have known English majors to later become bankers) you would be best served to get a degree in some form of economics/finance/accounting field OR get a degree in magagement. You should definately consult a career/academic counselor of some sort, but I would think some combination of a money-related bachelors (economics/finance/accounting) with a managament masters degree (like an MBA) would give you the best options if banking is your desired field. --Jayron32 04:23, 15 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Knowledge of Law, Statistics, Real Estate or Taxation couldn't hurt, if those are subjects to which you feel inclined. And given what's happened to banking, Marketing and Public Relations are also more relevant than they would have been earlier. But I have no personal knowledge of the banking business, so take that for whatever little it's worth, and pay more heed to those above who do know the business. —— Shakescene (talk) 06:52, 15 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

The only I know are Private Media Group and Jill Kelly Productions RIP. I don't count Playboy Enterprises (although they own Spice Network and ClubJenna). Are there more public companies in this field? 217.132.110.10 (talk) 20:47, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

What's your definition of a "porn company" if a sometimes-porn-producer like Playboy doesn't count? --Sean 21:16, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

A company that produce hardcore porn. 89.139.90.83 (talk) 11:45, 15 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Try starting off with List of pornographic movie studios. I'd be surprised if it were an exhaustive list worldwide though. -- Alexandr Dmitri (Александр Дмитрий) (talk) 11:25, 15 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I think they're all private companies excluding the two I mentioned above. 89.139.90.83 (talk) 11:45, 15 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Where did the term "hitting paydirt" originate? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 63.149.222.193 (talk) 23:15, 14 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Mining [22] http://paydirt.com.au/ 83.100.250.79 (talk) 00:11, 15 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

On what days do Turkish university students have holiday? - Vikramkr (talk) 02:32, 15 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Are crop circles found in greater density near universities? If so, is this more true at those specializing in the sciences or in the liberal arts? Have any been found near seminaries? NeonMerlin 04:00, 15 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Well in the UK universities are in towns, and crop circles are found in fields, which are not in towns. Go figure, as they say. --TammyMoet (talk) 08:56, 15 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Yes, but fields still vary in their distance from universities. There was a famous example of a crop circle near Cambridge a few years ago in the approximate shape of the Mandelbrot set. Cambridge University is particularly strong in mathematics, so make of that what you will (and die-hard believers certainly did). AndrewWTaylor (talk) 13:44, 15 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Well, there you have it "a famous example near Cambridge". So what does that tell us. Not a great deal. To my knowledge the majority of crop circles were in southern England where cereal crops tend to be grown in comparatively more isolated places. I guess it depends where the lads fancy making their patterns and how sharp their sense of humour is when they plan them. 86.4.181.14 (talk) 14:18, 15 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I've been using SiteBuilder to make a website, part of which includes Japanese characters. I can enter Japanese in certain areas, such as the Page Properties (which includes things like the page title and keywords) and the navigation bar editing window, but I when I type Japanese in a text window I get those annoying little boxes -- the Japanese shows up in the browser, though, just not in Site Builder. Yahoo clearly doesn't understand the issue; does anyone know if there's some way I can see what I'm doing when editing Japanese text in SiteBuilder? Exploding Boy (talk) 06:20, 15 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Sounds like SiteBuilder does not support the Unicode characters. ---— Gadget850 (Ed) ^talk 11:51, 15 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Things to try: search around in preferences, as there may be a hidden setting to make it understand Unicode. Also make sure you have the latest versiion (2.6) Things that WILL WORK : All things Yahoo have (and often need) work-arounds. Text boxes in particular are very basic. The solution is to type your text in some other editor program that DOES understand Japanese characters, then copy and paste it into the SiteBuilder box. - KoolerStill (talk) 12:16, 15 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I am trying to find any information on the song that I think is called O'brian is tryin' to learn to talk Hawiian, Chords especially, but any info would be appreciated. inclueding who wrote it, when, notable recordings etc —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.172.58.82 (talk) 08:44, 15 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I saw this picture on Facebook. How can they have "hit her house" when they're in that condition? Is this news item real or a parody? If it's real, then hasn't she ever seen a fired bullet before or what? JIP | Talk 12:15, 15 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

I wish to know more about the above, this was held in Cape Town about 10 years ago or so, and I beleive it is held every year. any info? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.172.58.82 (talk) 13:04, 15 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Parliament of the World's Religions has some info. Note the "a" in the middle of parliament, it might help with the searching if it wasn't just a typo above. - Jarry1250 ^{[ In the UK? Sign the petition! ]} 13:21, 15 August 2009 (UTC)Reply

Can the concrete structures inspired by the (original) tetrapod now be referred to as tetrapods themselves?

The article and sub-articles are a little confused on the matter. Given that the idea is seemingly covered by none of our many fine WikiProjects, I thought to ask here. I'm going to have a guess at "becoming generic" myself (biro-style) - but what would be great is some evidence of the usage so that the mess that those pages are in can be cleaned up successfully. Thanks - Jarry1250 ^{[ In the UK? Sign the petition! ]} 13:22, 15 August 2009 (UTC)Reply