Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2007 July 17

= July 17 =

OP??
Why do people answering questions here refer to the people who are asking the questions as "OP" - I guess it's an acronym - what does it stand for? SteveBaker 02:18, 17 July 2007 (UTC)
 * Original Post/Original Poster. What the heck kind of computer nerd are you? -- L augh! 02:22, 17 July 2007 (UTC)


 * Original Poster/Origami Partisan. 24.250.33.41 02:21, 17 July 2007 (UTC)


 * Optimus Prime. But seriously, L's answer is absolutely correct. Carom 05:49, 17 July 2007 (UTC)

If you'd looked at OP, you might have picked out the right one. --Anonymous, July 7, 2007, 05:40 (UTC).


 * This is, of course, a good reminder to "regulars" to eschew "forum-speak," as we can't always assume any specific knowledge on the part of the questioners. -- LarryMac  | Talk  14:50, 17 July 2007 (UTC)


 * Yes, excellent point. Also some of this might not be known, even to Wikipedia regulars.  I'd never heard of "OP" until I saw some people using it on the reference desk.  This term does not appear to be in usage elsewhere on Wikipedia.  Friday (talk) 16:28, 17 July 2007 (UTC)


 * AFAIK it's originally a usenet thing. PeteVerdon 19:31, 17 July 2007 (UTC)

Is there such as thing as an "Origamy Partizan"? 68.39.174.238 16:29, 17 July 2007 (UTC)
 * Certainly. There have been wars fought over which direction to fold the paper.   Corvus cornix 18:23, 17 July 2007 (UTC)


 * I recalled from the time I answered questions for the Internet Oracle that we used the term 'OS' for people who asked questions - that stood for 'Our Supplicant' - so I was thinking in terms of 'Our ...something-beginning-with-P...' and getting nowhere! Thanks for the prompt response. SteveBaker 18:27, 17 July 2007 (UTC)


 * My motto is "Eschew Obfuscation." Edison 23:25, 17 July 2007 (UTC)

Ironically I've seen it before (don't know where, perhaps here, perhaps usenet, perhaps elsewhere) more then once I'm sure but have never really given it much though... Nil Einne 14:53, 23 July 2007 (UTC)

Paranormal/Religious Source:
Did you know about this source ? It is ANGELS A to Z, written by James R. Lewis and Evelyn Dorothy Oliver, Editor is Kelly S. Sisung, Foward by a Andy Lakey, ISBN is 1-57859-051-5. This is a encyclopedia that discribes different entities. 205.240.146.58 06:42, 17 July 2007 (UTC)
 * If I'm not mistaken, it's one of the books on my shelf at home. So to answer your question, yes, I know about that source.  Dismas |(talk) 06:45, 17 July 2007 (UTC)
 * Can this be placed in appropriate articles ? I'd do it, but MY ISP is (polite) screwing up. 205.240.146.58 06:49, 17 July 2007 (UTC)


 * That book is already listed in the bibliography to our angel article.--Shantavira|feed me 07:47, 17 July 2007 (UTC)
 * If it was used as a source for any of the articles here, then it should have already been listed. Are you proposing that we just state that information regarding "Angel X" is available in that book?  If so, why that book in particular?  There are many many books on the subject of angels.  I really don't understand what point you're driving at.  Dismas |(talk) 08:37, 17 July 2007 (UTC)
 * It mentions fairies, demons, even elementals and other creatures, is some kind of encyclopedia. 205.240.146.58 09:25, 17 July 2007 (UTC)

GI-Joe Movie:
Will Hollywood make a movie based on the GI-Joe series ? It would be easier to make than the hit Transformers movie. 205.240.146.58 08:26, 17 July 2007 (UTC)


 * According to IMDb there seems to be a possible a G.I. Joe movie scheduled for 2010 — meaning that it would be in the very early stages of development and might not come to pass. There was, of course, a animated movie in the 1980s which was originally intended for theatrical release, but because of the poor reception of the animated Transformers movie of the 1980s it was made direct-to-video. --24.147.86.187 13:50, 17 July 2007 (UTC)


 * They were in the early stages of working on one until the Iraq War broke out; suddenly war didn't seem like such family-friendly entertainment and all work was switched to Transformers. Laïka  00:50, 18 July 2007 (UTC)


 * Perhaps Barbie can play the girlfriend back home. Edison 02:00, 19 July 2007 (UTC)

Oversalted Meat
Hi, I recently cooked some meat and found that I've way over salted it - any suggests as to how to reduce the level of salt in it? Thanks, --124.180.139.48 08:31, 17 July 2007 (UTC)
 * Try soaking it in water, drain, then reheat it. 205.240.146.58 09:22, 17 July 2007 (UTC)


 * Adding a sliced up potato to the water you re-heat it in can help draw off salt.hotclaws 09:47, 17 July 2007 (UTC)
 * adding potato is also a good tip if you over spice a dish, a curry for instance. Mhicaoidh 11:31, 17 July 2007 (UTC)
 * Indeed. cooks need to remember PSS - Potatoes Subtract Salt! Gzuckier 14:43, 17 July 2007 (UTC)


 * Feed the meat to your dog, if you have one, and start over. Both your dog and diner guests will thank you. Cheers! --Tom 15:39, 17 July 2007 (UTC)


 * Oh heavens don't do that. The dog will be very thirsty afterwards, and a few hours later will be begging to go out every ten minutes. -- Charlene  20:48, 17 July 2007 (UTC)
 * Hehe, true. Anyway thanks everyone I'll try the potatoes --124.180.251.47 22:13, 17 July 2007 (UTC)
 * I knew a dog who spent a night eating from a heavily salted country ham, throwing up, eating more, throwing up again, etc. Thus I would exercise caution in this regard. Edison 23:24, 17 July 2007 (UTC)

What is a smurf-jack? I heard it was like a jumping jack? I'am not making this up.
--QSYM 14:58, 17 July 2007 (UTC)
 * I agree, I thought it sounded fishy too, but first Google hit is a YouTube video explaining it (to the right of the video) and showing you how it is done. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4dlsn0ou8Y&mode=related&search= . Lanfear&#39;s Bane

What are these photographes to you? I got three. Please help me out
--QSYM 15:06, 17 July 2007 (UTC)http://freessourceinfo.org/images/Stock%20Car%201980s%20-%20Unknown.jpg http://rutgerbooy.nl/images/Frisian_Mystery_600RB.jpg http://www.pilotguides.com/images/content/destination_guide/africa/kenya/kenya_ruins.JPG

Thank You for helping me --QSYM 15:06, 17 July 2007 (UTC)

I am not sure what you expect. While the second image is labelled a mystery and looks like people lined up for a parade of some sort in about the 1920s, the two others are labelled and appear be to what the labels says they are. Are you thinking someone will know whose stock car, or the reason for the detsruction? As for the ruins, are you expecting someone to come up with a GPS or a tribal name? Bielle 15:19, 17 July 2007 (UTC)
 * I don't understand the question either... The object in the middle of the second image looks a little Photoshopped however. Lanfear&#39;s Bane
 * OK, trying hard to assume good faith here... The last image is of the Ruins of Gedi, which you could have found out on the same site where you found the image. --mglg(talk) 18:15, 17 July 2007 (UTC)

MBA with an Australian University
How good is a Masters of Business Administration from an Australian University? Universities like Monash and Queensland does it have any scope in todays growing job markets in the Us/Australia/Canada? Particularly for candidates from the accounting background...
 * Judging how "good" something is is subjective, and will include a balance of many different factors, like for example employment stats, avergae salary of graduates etc. Why don't you judge for yourself by analysing the data provided at MBA. Rockpock  e  t  17:37, 17 July 2007 (UTC)

Ask a Personnel (Human Resources) Manager from a big company. It is prospective employers who judge the worth - to them - of any degree. The academic world operates similarly, but their criteria is different.90.9.81.236 14:41, 18 July 2007 (UTC)petitmichel

Walt Mossberg Jewish
Is Walt Mossberg Jewish? rabmny 19:15, 17 July 2007 (UTC)


 * Does it matter? DuncanHill 19:17, 17 July 2007 (UTC) Why does it matter? He is a journalist writing about technology. He makes no reference to his religion or ethnicity in his webpage (linked below). DuncanHill 09:10, 18 July 2007 (UTC)


 * I imagine it matters to Walt. &mdash;Tamfang 19:37, 17 July 2007 (UTC)


 * Don't assume that "last name ending in -berg" = "Jewish". "-berg" is also a common surname suffix in Sweden and some areas of Norway. But you could ask him (through the link on his webpage) if you really wanted to know. -- Charlene 20:51, 17 July 2007 (UTC)


 * As a resident and [presumably] citizen of the USA, Mossberg's religious affiliation and ethnic identity are private matters and not necessarily on public record. Should such biographical information be pertinent, it might be found on the websites of any of the organizations such as the Wall Street Journal that publish or broadcast his commentary as a technology pundit. According to the page, he is an alumnus of Brandeis University and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, so perhaps either of those institutions might have records from his student period during which he might have been affiliated with a Jewish organization. -- Deborahjay 21:00, 17 July 2007 (UTC)


 * Mossberg can be a Swedish surname, but it also appears on a list of surnames of Jews from Zablotow, Poland . He's from Warwick, Rhode Island, which has a Jewish community. He went to Brandeis, the only secular Jewish university in America. The president of the Jewish Community Center of Rhode Island has the maiden name Mossberg. So it's very likely Mr. Mossberg is Jewish. However, as stated above, religion is a private matter, and he is under no obligation to tell anyone about his beliefs. -- Mwalcoff 23:15, 17 July 2007 (UTC)


 * I'm a little surprised at some of the above responses. True, religion is a private matter, but a great many of our biographical articles indicate the religious beliefs of the subjects, because they happen to be on the public record.  So it's certainly of encyclopedic interest where it's known.  Jewishness is a special case because it is both a religion and an ethnicity, and many of our subjects fall into both camps (but some fall into only one or the other).  Saying "does it matter?" is not my idea of a proper way to respond to this, or any, question for the Ref Desk.  If it didn't matter to rabmny, why did he/she ask the question in the first place?  I'm assuming good faith; aren't we all supposed to do that?  --  JackofOz 03:35, 18 July 2007 (UTC)
 * I agree, and a quick scan of the questioner's edits gives me no reason not to assume good faith. It's a totally legit question to ask about a person in public life, and if the answer is "Mr. Mossberg maintains it's none of your business", then that's a totally legit answer.  --TotoBaggins 15:49, 18 July 2007 (UTC)
 * While it's true that "a great many of our biographical articles indicate the religious beliefs of the subjects", it's also true that this is somewhat controversial. In particular, there have been charges that biographies of Jewish people on Wikipedia are much more likely to mention their religious affiliation than do biographies of Christian, Muslim, Hindu, or Buddhist people.  There have been charges that various editors have gone through systematically tagging everyone they believe is Jewish.  It's not clear to me whether this is boosterism, or anti-Semitism, or some of each.
 * Personally, I don't think that biographies should prominently mention people's religious affiliation unless their religion figures prominently in their notability, any more than, say, biographies should mention sexual orientation. But this is more a discussion for some policy page or another than this Reference Desk. —Steve Summit (talk) 12:56, 20 July 2007 (UTC)


 * Due to these references, I believe he is Jewish:  Elfgot (talk) 08:15, 25 March 2009 (UTC)

Refilling a refrigerator with coolant
In your estimation, in a simple home refrigerator, how easy is it to patch a puncture in a coolant pipe, and refill the coolant? Is it worth it to have someone fix the fridge, or is replacing it cheaper? -- Ec5618 22:39, 17 July 2007 (UTC)


 * If it's old enough to break, it's probably worth replacing. The fridge is going to be sucking a lot of cash out of you in energy anyway -- L augh! 22:34, 17 July 2007 (UTC)


 * Suppose the puncture was accidental, and not a result of normal wear and tear. It could have been caused, for example, by a chisel used to remove excess ice. -- Ec5618 22:39, 17 July 2007 (UTC)


 * This is not to be taken as legal advice I suspect that the use of a chisel to remove excess ice may invalidate your warranty. DuncanHill 23:14, 17 July 2007 (UTC)


 * If you have a great deal of fondness for your refrigerator, and do not just regard it as a fungible beer cooler, you might be able to find a repairman who could replace the damaged section of tubing, vacuum the system, and refill it with refrigerant. Only the repairman could tell you what he would charge. Edison 23:22, 17 July 2007 (UTC)


 * On a side note, people are constantly giving away or selling their fridges at huge discounts on Craigslist, presumably to upgrade to "dual Sub-Z's".--TotoBaggins 15:52, 18 July 2007 (UTC)


 * If you took a course in refrigeration at your nearby community college, you might be able to repair it a no cost. You need soldering and tubing cutting equipment, a vacuum pump, and a freon tank with gauges to determine when the system is adequately refilled, if the hole is in a place where the tubing can be repaired at all. I once had a landlord who took such a course and bought a couple of items of equipment and kept elderly refrigerators and air conditioners going indefinitely. Edison 01:58, 19 July 2007 (UTC)

Poker website commercials
How can commercials for poker websites say in the fine print "This is not a gambling site" even though they totally are? Recury 23:15, 17 July 2007 (UTC)


 * It has to do with the legality of gambling websites in the United States. My understanding is that online gaming is illegal in the States, so the commercials do indeed point viewers to free gaming sites.  The site advertised for FreePokerGamingSite will be FreePokerGamingSite.net (or something similar).  No money changes hands, and its nice and legal.
 * The trick is that if you go to FreePokerGamingSite.com, you'll find a business that looks exactly the same and is owned by exactly the same people&mdash;but which is based in Bermuda or some other place where online gaming is legal. The "This is not a gambling site" messages and the free sites are just a dodge to allow the for-profit cash-gambling sites to advertise on U.S. television. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 23:26, 17 July 2007 (UTC)
 * see Online poker, the above is essentially correct except for the legality in the US. The DoJ says it may be illegal, based on our article it seems nobody really knows. Pay particular attention to the North Dakota case mentioned in the article. 161.222.160.8 00:59, 18 July 2007 (UTC)