Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2007 January 27

= January 27 =

Interesting plots
I need to write a short story and I have a little bit of writer's block. Can anyone give me examples of good sci-fi plots? Thanks.
 * You mean ones that are already written? If not, see Plot generator, or The seven basic literary plots. Anchoress 03:24, 27 January 2007 (UTC)


 * I agree with 'Seven basic plots, but for a little more detail...
 * Well now, that depends. There are the standard kiddy-adventure ones, where something new and exciting is discovered and you get to experiment with it, usually going a bit wrong in a way that means you have to solve a problem. There's ones where you encounter aliens, either through them coming to Earth or you going to their planet. That can either lead to war (over land/resources/human flesh), or you can use them as a device to show up something ridiculous about the world you currently live in, either by having them live in a utopia and not understand Earth's problems, or through them exhibiting a caricature of an Earth problem. There's ones where you explore new frontiers, like new planets or into the past or the future. There's ones where you just describe a normal day for someone in a fantastic setting, like on a different planet or in the future. There's ones where you describe sprawling empires and how people rise to power in some futuristic setting. There's ones where something goes terribly wrong, and something has to be invented to solve the problem. There's ones where you have your heros as freedom-fighters in an oppressive regime, working for a better life. Any help? It's often best to start with something you think's an interesting idea, or something about the world you think's ridiculous, then try to make a story around it. Skittle 03:29, 27 January 2007 (UTC)
 * There's a book called "How to write Sci-fi and Fantasy" that was published about a decade ago but which I read, and which has some very interesting tips about writing sci-fi. It's probably like 2 bucks now so I recommend picking it up. --Wo o ty Woot? contribs 03:47, 27 January 2007 (UTC)
 * Of course Wooty is speaking in the sense meaning "purchase the book," not the street slang version meaning "steal it." That would be horrible advice and I know Wooty better than that. I hope. ;-P V-Man737 03:58, 27 January 2007 (UTC)
 * What!??! I've never heard "picking it up" meant to imply STEALING!! --Wo o ty Woot? contribs 00:53, 28 January 2007 (UTC)


 * I'd suggest you start creating characters, a world and things and start experimenting with those to see what happens if you put them together in different situations. The plot will happen all of its own accord. - Mgm|(talk) 08:37, 29 January 2007 (UTC)
 * What about robots? The idea of a robot having consciousness always makes for an interesting sci-fi story. --Candy-Panda 03:17, 6 February 2007 (UTC)

about the organization of ALA
Please help me to know about the EU organization for Asia and Latin America. I've heard that before it was named Tacis. Please provide me with the website URL.ez go 04:10, 27 January 2007 (UTC) Thank you in advance Baibulatez go 04:10, 27 January 2007 (UTC)
 * Being an acronym, the article's title will be all-caps. TACIS! Ta-daaaa. Also, here is their main website. V-Man737 04:30, 27 January 2007 (UTC)

Pink Floyd
In the beginning of the Pink Floyd song "Wish You Were Here" there are voices talking. Does anyone know what they are saying?
 * According to the article, "...the song segues from Have a Cigar as if a radio had been tuned away from one station, through several others, and finally to a new station where "Wish You Were Here" is beginning. ...This passage was mixed to sound as though the guitarist was sitting in a room, playing along with the radio; it also contains a barely-audible whine that slowly changes pitch, as if receiving AM radio interference. The intro riff is repeated several times and reprised when Gilmour plays further solos with scat singing accompaniment." Would the voices be in the "tuning away" part in the beginning, or the "scat singing" part? V-Man737 05:50, 27 January 2007 (UTC)
 * The questioner may be referring to the extract from a radio play which can be heard at the start, as mentioned here. I think it's mixed too low to be able to make out any actual words. --Richardrj talkemail 06:12, 27 January 2007 (UTC)

Sub-Question
This made me curious, is there any connection between scat and scat singing? V-Man737 05:58, 27 January 2007 (UTC)
 * Unlikely; see here. --Richardrj talkemail 06:16, 27 January 2007 (UTC)
 * Well, I'd throw some of the former at you if you started doing the latter. Clarityfiend 19:11, 28 January 2007 (UTC)

Is this a free licence
I want to nominate this picture so it could be a fatured picture but in the Featured picture criteria it says that is has to have a free license I do not know if it has a free license.Bewareofdog 08:40, 27 January 2007 (UTC)


 * If you click on the image and go to its page, it says the picture is copyrighted. It was taken by a camera, thus implying it already has a copyright, and only the owner of the picture can change it to free license. --Wirbelwind ヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 16:40, 27 January 2007 (UTC)
 * No, the uploader of that image (User:Hectorian) has specifically claimed that the Patriarchate placed it under a copyrighted-free use license. I can't find this on their webpage, though...--Pharos 21:50, 27 January 2007 (UTC)
 * The page is very vague about how the "press" can use them. I wouldn't consider it a valid "free" license. --24.147.86.187 02:46, 28 January 2007 (UTC)
 * In any case, it's a poor picture and wouldn't stand a chance. Please see Featured picture criteria.--Shantavira 19:19, 27 January 2007 (UTC)

The puzzle of the pegs
Puzzle for ye: You are being chased by an angry mob out in the desert when you chance upon a cave. The door to get in is in the form of a large disc that can spin. There are four slots in the disc for pegs, and four pegs already there. These pegs are red at one end and blue on the other. The disc only opens when all the ends are the same way, as in all blue facing out or all red. You can change around any pegs you like to see if the door will open, but when you do the do the disc will spin a random number of quarter-turns. Lastly, the disc is covered by a hood so you can't see what you're doing! How do you open the door? Ludraman 11:35, 27 January 2007 (UTC)
 * Is this from a computer game? 惑乱 分からん 13:14, 27 January 2007 (UTC)
 * Not that I know of. It's a logic puzzle. Ludraman 13:35, 27 January 2007 (UTC)
 * Well, you don't say that I can't have my hand on a peg while it spins =8-) --Justanother 13:46, 27 January 2007 (UTC)
 * In that case you get your hand chopped off and you've only one hand to complete the task with :/ Ludraman
 * Can you take out all the pegs, or leave one out so you know the orientation of the pegs? Even then, would it be a good idea to go in a cave where there might be nothing but an angry mob waiting outside? --Wirbelwind ヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 16:37, 27 January 2007 (UTC)


 * Keep running. Anyway, if you can work it out quickly, so can the mob.--Shantavira 19:21, 27 January 2007 (UTC)

The IQ of a mob is that of it's stupidest member, divided by the number of people in it
 * Why does there have to be a mob chasing me? I can't think when mobs are chasing me. ;_; V-Man737 15:14, 28 January 2007 (UTC)


 * Ummm...remove the hood? Clarityfiend 16:30, 28 January 2007 (UTC)
 * Keep flipping pegs until inevitably by random chance they are in the right position? (And then take the pegs with you into the cave to keep out the mob...) Duomillia 04:46, 29 January 2007 (UTC)

BUYING US STOCKS
HELLO FREINDS

I AM ENQURING ABOUT HOW I CAN BUY US STOCKS IF I LIVE IN INDIA. THANK YOU, AND GOD BLESS.


 * Contact a stock broker and tell them you want to buy stock in a US listed firm. I've no idea about the rules in India but I would be surprised if you cannot trade in international stock markets in India. You could, alternatively, invest in a bond on investment-fund that puts its money into US markets and this would open you into the market as a member of the fund.ny156uk 17:43, 27 January 2007 (UTC)

Editing a box without an edit link
I was at our city http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placerville%2C_California and wanted to revise the Mayor's name in the right sidebar. (We have a new one.) How would I have gotten to that to edit it?

206.170.49.153 22:22, 27 January 2007 (UTC)


 * Use the "edit this page" link at the top to edit the whole page. Those right sidebars are usually "infoboxes", in this case generated by the code at the top of the page beginning  {{Infobox City ... .  Some infoboxes contrive to have their own built-in "edit" links to make editing them easier, but it looks like {{tl|Infobox City}} does not.


 * By the way, questions about editing Wikipedia can also be asked at the Help Desk. —Steve Summit (talk) 22:45, 27 January 2007 (UTC)

What pitch is this?


I have recorded myself singing (singing is used in the loosest way possible here) what I think to be a B1. However, I do not think it can be. Also, about 13 seconds into the recording, the note starts to waver slightly more than before. Does anyone have any tips on how I can sustain notes for longer and achieve lower notes? If it helps, I'm a 14 year old male who plays the clarinet, is studying music for GCSE, but does not have any vocal coaching and would not like any. Thanks. --Catalyst2007 22:34, 27 January 2007 (UTC)


 * I can't get that soundfile to work, possibly because it has been uploaded as an image? This might also be why others have not responded yet. Might be worth trying to sort that out, unless it's just my computer being funny. Skittle 19:00, 28 January 2007 (UTC)
 * I can get it to play, you just need to click on the link underneath the icon of a speaker. If anyone else has trouble playing it, please tell me. As an aside, how do I upload it as anything but an image? --Catalyst2007 21:55, 28 January 2007 (UTC)


 * Hi Catalyst, Yes it does appear to be close to a B1 although as you point out the pitch wavers some. To sustain notes longer work on breathing in a controlled way from your diaphragm. Also, practice loosening your vocal chords as much as possible. As for your question about achieving lower notes, even trained basses rarely can sing any lower than this. In this range it is nearly impossible to sing in full voice (as you may have discovered.) S.dedalus 08:00, 29 January 2007 (UTC)


 * Maybe it is just my computer then, since that's just what I did. Hmm. To practise breathing from your diaphragm, try putting your hand on your tummy below your tummybutton. Then try to breath in so that place inflates: that lets you take deeper breathes, but make sure you don't hyperventilate! Without hearing, I don't know if you're doing this, but people often have a problem with singing in a 'breathy' way, which means they get less note for their breath. A way to try to avoid that is by paying attention to when you breath out normally: notice how you do it silently. Then try to get the same 'silent breathing' effect while singing. Skittle 16:34, 29 January 2007 (UTC)

Thanks for the advice. My music teacher recently told me something like breathing from the diaphragm to improve my clarinet playing. I didn't quite get how to make sure I was doing so though. Thanks for explaining how to do that. As an aside, can anyone advise me of some good ways of loosening my vocal cords? I'm not quite sure what to do and don't want to risk damaging them by doing it improperly. --Catalyst2007 17:33, 29 January 2007 (UTC)

Toilet Water
I am asking this with all seriousness...Why doesn't my urine make the toilet water bubble up sometimes?


 * Why doesn't, or why does? And what kind of bubbles are you talking about?


 * Are you male or female? And what is the nature of your local water supply - acidic or alkaline? And what does your solid and liquid diet consist of? And irrespective of gender, do you stand or sit to piss? Do you have some kind of surfactant cleanser block suspended in the cistern or over the bowl rim? And if so, what are the predominant chemical components? Is it blue or green? Do you ever drink carbonated drinks? And if so, do you move around i.e. dance a lot?

Ok, I am a standing male pee-er i noticed when i pee that sometimes the water will become bubbly. I am wondering why sometimes it doesn't become bubbly.


 * I noticed that when I was losing weight, my pee tended be bubblier. Could be something to do with fat lipids exiting the body. I really don't know though. Vranak

That's a possibility, I have been dieting and lost 203 lbs in the last year.


 * Really? That is fantastic. Well done! --Justanother 09:36, 28 January 2007 (UTC)


 * Could be the agitation of the liquid and whatever surface-tension-increasing compounds were suspended in it. 68.39.174.238 05:35, 28 January 2007 (UTC)


 * 203 pounds? Amazing... That's more than I weigh... @_@ 惑乱 分からん 08:27, 28 January 2007 (UTC)


 * When I was 14, I found my urine foamed in the morning (only) if I had masturbated the night before. (This only happened in my teens.) I don't know the chemistry involved though.--Shantavira 09:18, 28 January 2007 (UTC)


 * The explanation is probably that a small proportion of your seminal fluid went "backwards", and entered your bladder. When mixed with the urine during the night, its protein content would make the urine foamy. --NorwegianBluetalk 22:01, 29 January 2007 (UTC)


 * The articles on surface tension, surfactant, and Human urine draw the connections closer together. I suspect that, as the content of urine varies, so its molecular structure might. If it contains a lot of surfactants (which, in the article, seem suspiciously similar to lipids), that would lower the surface tension of the water. V-Man737 15:30, 28 January 2007 (UTC)

I know that phosphates tend to foam up when agitated in water. Does urine contain a variable quantity of phosphates ? StuRat 12:30, 4 February 2007 (UTC)

submitting an article
how do i submit an article i cannot find a submit button!!

dennis fisher


 * See Help:Starting a new page. — Mitaphane  ? 00:51, 28 January 2007 (UTC)