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

= March 17 =

Luggage question
Is most hardside luggage allowed to be checked and placed onboard any passenger aircraft--logger 00:29, 17 March 2007 (UTC)
 * Yeah, most. However, each airline has their individual luggage restrictions. A common one is that luggage must not have any protrusions or weigh more than 50 pounds (unless an additional fee is paid). Airline and Luggage can get you on the right track for more info. V-Man - T/C 00:39, 17 March 2007 (UTC)

I knew about the LBS that the luggage should weigh. it's just the issue with the luggage being metal.--logger 00:45, 17 March 2007 (UTC)
 * Which airline are you wondering about? In my experience, the majority of them should be fine with metal luggage, but if you had a specific airline in mind, I could probably dig up a source for ya. V-Man - T/C 00:56, 17 March 2007 (UTC)

I am using United and United Express/Trans states.--logger 07:20, 17 March 2007 (UTC)
 * this says nothing about hardside luggage, so I'm sure you'd be fine. ^_^ V-Man - T/C 01:00, 20 March 2007 (UTC)

Lastest model of LG by Verizon Wireless
What is the lastest model of LG by Verizon Wireless? -68.193.147.179 00:48, 17 March 2007 (UTC)
 * This seems to indicate that it's a version of Chocolate, but with such a trendy and active industry, you'd get a new phone pretty often. V-Man - T/C 23:37, 20 March 2007 (UTC)

Wikipedia
What is the oldest Wikipedia article? The first? The most recent? Did the founder of Wikipedia created the first article? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 68.250.185.25 (talk) 01:06, 17 March 2007 (UTC).


 * Neat questions, all of which can surely be answered with or from our various statistics pages...with the exception of the "most recent" article, which, like Zeno's paradox, cannot be pointed to faster than a new article can be created.  Enjoy your search! Jfarber 01:38, 17 March 2007 (UTC)


 * By the way, here's the story of the first (surviving) article... . Seems User:Jimbo wasn't the author. Jfarber 01:58, 17 March 2007 (UTC)


 * See WP:OLDEST --h2g2bob 08:25, 17 March 2007 (UTC)


 * For the newest, just scroll up to the top of your browser window and click on the "Recent changes" link on the menu to your left. Scroll down until you find one where the word 'diff' is written in black instead of being a 'blue link'.  This would mean it doesn't have a 'diff' with a previous version - so it must be a new article.  That article was the most recent at the moment you clicked the 'Recent changes' button.  But - as has already been pointed out - new articles appear at a rate of one every few seconds(!) so by the time you've found the 'newest', it'll be maybe the tenth newest! SteveBaker 14:32, 18 March 2007 (UTC)


 * As for the oldest article - yes, WP:OLDEST tells you the the first article to be put into the Wikipedia system - but a bunch of Wikipedia articles were created by taking an out-of-copyright edition of some print encyclopedia or other (I have a feeling it was the 1910 edition of Britannica). Those articles were typed in 'verbatim' from the original sources and are in a sense much older than Wikipedia itself.  SteveBaker 14:42, 18 March 2007 (UTC)

nymph human maiting

 * Discussion moved from Village pump (technical).

does anyone know of any occurence, or myth of a nymph being in the ansectery of a human?? if not what other creatures may this be linked to. i have many vivid lucid dreams where i interact for long periods of time. i am looking for reasons for this and for imformation about reciveing information unknown to myself, even words, ideas, creatures etc. that to my memery i have not hierd before. i am very sensitive to other peopls mood around me, they dont even need to be in contact, i can feal the negitive or positive energy in my suroundings, esspecily in sleep. it can make me happy(rarely, i live in nyc) or cause physical pain from depression and stress i feal that i recieve from others around me especily while they sleep. for 5 years i slept during the day and was awake at night, i still had a stressfull life myself when i was awake but the difference in my sleep during the day as aposed to at night is very different, the difference between wakeing up fealing good and wakeing up mad, upset etc. anyone that can help in anyway on this can eather reply to this post or contact me directly at email removed to prevent spam thankyou for reading this, its been an ongoing thing in my life for awhile, i spent 2 years in vermont and the difference there was amazeing, 1 night in nyc sleeping and i could feal the difference eventhough id be home sick and happy to be home, id go to sleep and wake in stress and unpest, ow also AXSITY comes in alot as well. smokey —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 24.29.137.159 (talk) 21:04, 16 March 2007 (UTC).


 * Perhaps you should see your doctor.--Paloma Walker 21:48, 16 March 2007 (UTC)
 * In reference to lucid dreaming and reciveing information unknown to yourself, there are many ideas surrounding this. A good site for finding information on these topics is www.crystalinks.com, a metaphysical and science website. Think outside the box 14:06, 17 March 2007 (UTC)

First of all, being a night person as opposed to being a day person is not too uncommon. If I am in certain countries and environments where my allergies are very sensetive, then I usually feel much better at night (when there's less pollen) - but by and large it is thought to be more healthy to sleep by night and be awake during the day because our bodies are supposed to follow circadian rhythms (the patterns of the sun) in several ways. There could be dietary factors as well, perhaps you feel better if you wake up and eat proten - as opposed to waking up and having carbohydrayes.

Secondly, please try and rewrite your question - I can't waste too much time answering a question I don't even understand. Rfwoolf 15:11, 17 March 2007 (UTC)


 * As near as I can tell, the actual question here is something like "Can supernatural creatures in a person's ancestry explain the fact that I experience my dreams as real or real-like, and also that I experience a predictable relationship between when I sleep and how I feel the next day? If so, which supernatural creatures would explain this?  And, if not, what other factors could explain it?"


 * I think the concept of Lucid Dreaming is one possible explanation for that last question, as are the dietary and other factors you suggest; other possibilities might merely be an active imagination, with a "see also" to Deja vu and other mentally/socially constructed ways humans use to explain the unexplained, and their scientific basis, or even my own issue -- I am very sensitive to both night noise and light pollution, and, as such, sleep much better in Vermont than in NYC.  But I'm not sure that a reference desk is a place to answer the other questions, esp. the conjecture that something "inhuman" is happening here  -- I see plenty of mythos available, but no encyclopedic or factual content available for supernatural creatures in human ancestry, especially as a way of explaining sleep cycle/mood relationships; Occam's Razor suggests plenty of other, perfectly biological and neurological reasons for this without conjecturing an ancestral line that includes, say, vampires or nymphs. Jfarber 16:14, 17 March 2007 (UTC)

There's an old northern-European tradition about selkies or silkies (essentially were-seals), such that several families are alleged to have some of that ilk in their ancestry. The Secret of Roan Inish (film derived from a book) was based on that tradition. I would not be surprised to discover that other seafaring, coastal, or island peoples had similar legends. -- Ben &ensp; TALK/HIST 02:08, 18 March 2007 (UTC)

And then of course there is Aeneis' father, or uncle, or something

R Lee Ermey says Roswell UFO incident is all Bullshit
Just seen this on the History Channel/Mail Call today. Agree ? Disagree with the "Sarge" ? 65.173.105.125 02:35, 17 March 2007 (UTC)
 * Is that worthy of inclusion in appropriate articles ? The guy is well known. 65.173.105.125 02:37, 17 March 2007 (UTC)
 * In fact, he said the whole UFO matter is bullshit. 65.173.105.125 02:39, 17 March 2007 (UTC)
 * Uhm, what exactly did he say? There are essentially two sides of that story, and calling it all bullshit would be rather ambiguous. V-Man - T/C 02:42, 17 March 2007 (UTC)
 * At any rate, people have been calling the various theories about UFOs bullshit for ages. Likewise, people have been supporting the various theories. I see nothing shocking or new in this. V-Man - T/C 02:44, 17 March 2007 (UTC)
 * He said the usual Party Line message on the matter, such as "you're a idiot", worse, green men on the show. Someone E-mailed him about the whole thing, and it was on today's issue of Mail Call. 65.173.105.125 02:55, 17 March 2007 (UTC)
 * He was in the Air Museum of Wright Patterson AFB when the matter came up, and he spouted chapter and verse the entire Party Line on Roswell and UFOs in general. 65.173.105.125 03:09, 17 March 2007 (UTC)
 * Well, if you can cite a reliable source for it, I'd say go ahead and do so on his article. V-Man - T/C 03:11, 17 March 2007 (UTC)

"I'll bet you're the kinda alien that would probe a person in the anus and not even have the goddamn common courtesy to give him a reach-around." ) --TotoBaggins 12:25, 17 March 2007 (UTC)

What makes him an expert? Corvus cornix 05:02, 18 March 2007 (UTC)

Question about links to userspace
I am of the understanding that links in articles that go to Wikipedia userspace are not permitted; and that this would be the case whether it was a link directly to userspace or using the URL for that user's page. Unfortunately, I cannot find a reference on this (no doubt looking in the wrong place). Is this correct? Risker 03:48, 17 March 2007 (UTC)
 * It requires just a little bit of logical thinking: why would you normally need a link to the userspace in an article? They aren't signed, for one. Two, userspace is not a valid reference for an article. I can't think of a reason one would need it. --Ouro (blah blah) 16:17, 17 March 2007 (UTC)
 * In general, there is little reason to link to userspace from the article space. However, there are certain exceptions.  Jimmy Wales quite reasonably links to User:Jimbo Wales, for instance.  (Note that such a link should be formatted as an external link rather than a wikilink.) Perhaps you could provide the details of your specific situation? TenOfAllTrades(talk) 16:25, 17 March 2007 (UTC)
 * Okay, but Jimbo Wales is an exception. One could thus surmise that should anyone of notability and fame be an editor at Wikipedia (thus having their own article in the mainspace), they could disclose it by linking to their user page. So, tell us who you are :) --Ouro (blah blah) 18:08, 17 March 2007 (UTC)
 * Interesting. I understood this exception to be much narrower -- to only apply if it was someone's association with Wikipedia which was what was fundamentally notable about that person.   After all, even if George Bush were a Wikipedian, that would not make his personal userpage somehow relevant to the article George W. Bush.  Jfarber 18:36, 17 March 2007 (UTC)

Biggest railroad passanger carrying coach manufactuters
Dear Sir, I would request you to mail me the list of top 10 largest rail road coach manufacturers in the world in terms of no. of coach produced per annum in last three years. To my information, the largest coach manufacturer in India is RCF which produce Approx. 1200 coaches per annum. B M Agrawal (E-Mail removed to prevent spammage) —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 59.94.137.10 (talk) 04:09, 17 March 2007 (UTC).


 * Answer has been sent to you via telepathy-mail. Seriously this site does not answer reference questions by mailing answers, rather volunteers post same place you posed the question. User:AlMac|(talk) 21:37, 17 March 2007 (UTC)

There are several articles in this encyclopaedia which may be helpful to you, such as: User:AlMac|(talk) 21:43, 17 March 2007 (UTC)
 * Rail transport

Speeding ticket and court
I got a speeding ticket when I made a quick right turn and the cop was right there. My tire was on the double yellow line (left tire) because I didnt make a perfect 90 degree turn (because I turned too fast), but the cop claims that based on his experience, what I'm saying is BS, and I had to have been speeding. He said I was going 50 and turned at 50 miles per hour. Is there anything I can say in court to try to get out of it? I feel as if I should have gotten a ticket for turning too fast, rather than speeding, so I'm hoping I can get out of it. Any ideas on what to say to the judge? Thanks guys —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 76.167.136.84 (talk) 06:09, 17 March 2007 (UTC).


 * In most jurisdictions, making an unsafe turn results in greater penalty than a speeding ticket, particularly in the insurance aftereffects. Take your ticket to court, or hire one of those firms that specialises in getting people out of tickets; they have a higher than average result rate. In many jurisdictions, if the cop doesn't show up for court, you will get off because of lack of a witness; and cops are often very busy doing, well, police work.  Good luck - and slow down ;). Risker 06:55, 17 March 2007 (UTC)


 * No he is going to show up, its LAPD, they are required to show up. They can't give me a ticket for something else later, they can't say you were doing this also and give me a ticket in court. Yeah I think i'm going to have to get a lawyer. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 76.167.159.75 (talk) 19:46, 17 March 2007 (UTC).

the quality of methamphetamine
how come some methamphetamine tastes bad and burns "dirty" while some tastes relativly decent and burns "clean"? I understand about the cookware being clean or dirty affecting the taste but it seems that if a person does a rinse of acetone it improves both the taste and burning .Do some of the precursors have a shelf life that might affect taste and solubility? Or is it simply the "cooks" recipe that decides the quality of the product ?Shredder0288 07:24, 17 March 2007 (UTC)shredder0288
 * Because you're burning something made in someone's basement? Luigi30 (Ta&lambda;k) 17:26, 20 March 2007 (UTC)

Shotgun
I was reading the sawn-off shotgun article, and it said how sawed off shotguns are sometimes dubbed 'wristbreakers'. This made me think. Could a person actually break his wrist firing a shotgun (normal length) one handed? If not, why not?Cuban Cigar 08:55, 17 March 2007 (UTC)


 * Various disorders, such as osteoporosis, can make bones weak and brittle enough that even relatively small forces can cause injury. Certainly firing a shotgun one-handed would be dangerous for someone with such a condition. --TotoBaggins 12:20, 17 March 2007 (UTC)
 * Just a guess but I would have thought that the OP was thinking of a person without degenerative bone problems. Just an average healthy person.  Most anything is possible when you start tacking on diseases, handicaps, the possibility of alien abduction, Nazis, outrageous coincidences, etc.  Dismas |(talk) 15:40, 17 March 2007 (UTC)


 * A shotgun, especially a 12 gauge, kicks like a mule, and is likely to bruise your shoulder, especially if you do not hold it firmly against the shoulder when firing. If the gun's mass is decreased by sawing off part of the barrel the kick would increase unless the muzzle velocity decreased enough to compensate. If the stock is sawn off as well as the barrel so that the shotgun is more concealable, the kick could be much greater (again unless the muzzle velocity decreases). The energy to be dissipated should be (1/2)*(mass of shot and wadding and gases expelled)*(muzzle velocity squared). I expect that a robber aiming such a gun at a victim is aware that he might get a broken wrist, but the victim could expect much worse injuries from the shot ripping into his flesh, and so the weapon will be effective as a persuader. Edison 16:52, 17 March 2007 (UTC)

Wow i thought that a saw-off shotgun would kick less than a regular shotgun (but Edison's formula makes sense so I guess I was wrong). So, if say a a 12 gauge shotgun was sawn off (is this even possible) was fired one handed, could it in fact break a person's wrist (an 'average' person)?Cuban Cigar 23:50, 17 March 2007 (UTC)
 * This is still a poor question. Do you want 'statistics'? Do you want to know if it has ever happened? I'm sure it's happened, just as I am sure there are ways to minimise the chance of it happening. Tape up your wrist and such. Have you even thought what it means to break your wrist? Do you mean actually break a bone in your wrist? Because that's probably less likely, but if you mean tear a ligament or badly sprain something then I'd guess it's not so unlikely. Vespine 21:36, 18 March 2007 (UTC)

Derek Plante's name on hockey's Stanley Cup
In June 1999, the Dallas Stars beat the Buffalo Sabres in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals (a game made famous by the controversial "skate in the crease" goal scored in overtime by Brett Hull). One of the members of the Stars was Derek Plante, a former Buffalo Sabre, whose name was subsequently engraved on the Cup. However, Plante did not appear in any of the games between the Stars and Sabres in the Final nor did he play 41 regular season games for the Stars (at the time, one of these two qualifications had to be met in order for a player's name to be included on the Cup). Any help with this matter would be greatly appreciated. I would have posted this question in the "Arcane Sports" category it existed on Wikipedia. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 71.243.174.150 (talk) 12:29, 17 March 2007 (UTC).

Question
In the Psychopath thread it notes that most psychopaths have no sight of long term consequences but it also states that most research are done on prison populations. Is it therefore safe to assume that there is indeed Psychopaths with clear long time consequences sight but who havent been researched. Joneleth 15:15, 17 March 2007 (UTC)
 * Safe to assume? I wouldn't assume it.  Is it possible?  Sure, most anything is possible and there are normally exceptions to every rule.  Dismas |(talk) 15:20, 17 March 2007 (UTC)


 * According to the article in question, Psychopathy is defined by only two things: lack of empathy/conscience, and poor impulse control OR manupulative behaviors.   The article then notes that the essence of this behavioral set is that "What is missing, in other words, are the very qualities that allow a human being to live in social harmony."


 * It seems to me that, if you wanted to assume that there were a whole group of psychopaths out there who were distinctly different from those in jail because they could see the long-term consequences of their actions, what you are assuming is that they are exercising that assumed foresight to act in social harmony -- that is, to not act on their psychopathic impulses, and thus keep out of jail.


 * But if you're assuming THAT...then, according to the definition, you're assuming they're not psychopaths anymore.  In fact, I'd suggest you're assuming, instead, that they are just people who have some issues.   We ALL have urges which are counter to social harmony sometimes; most of us, however, either choose not to act on those impulses, or are something else which is itself clinically definable (for example, we feel bad about our actions, but we have poor impulse control, which might put us in jail but would not put us in the group of psychopaths being studied there), or seem to be clinically no different from those psychopaths we might see in jail.


 * Alternately, I suppose, you could be assuming that those folks are either just lucky enough to stay out of jail, or better at hiding. But in neither case does that allow you to assume that they are therefore clinically different from those in jail -- just more skilled, or more randomly lucky.


 * The answer, then appears to be NO -- it is unsafe to assume that there are psychopaths out there who do not have the same symptom set as psychopaths, because those people are either not psychopaths, or are psychologically matched to psychopaths anywhere. They are jsut either lucky or more skilled (neither of which are clinical issues), OR they just have some of the symptoms and qualities which, when coupled with other specific symptoms that they do NOT Have, are defined clinically as psycopathy.  Jfarber 16:32, 17 March 2007 (UTC)


 * Anyone who has spent time in corporations or academia or other organizations may well have observed behavior judged typical of sociopaths: manipulative poeple who see nothing wrong with using others, in those who are clawing their way to the top. The ones in jail or institutions may be those who were less lucky or less successful in getting aweay with ruthless behavior and the using of others. In a business meeting an attorney said it would be immoral to engage in a certain course of action. An executive said "But we would never get caught would we? and could not see the point of discussing morality. The more successful such persons are certainly able to look at the long-term consequences of their actions in terms of the likelihood of being caught and punished. Edison 16:58, 17 March 2007 (UTC)


 * But are those people still, clinically speaking, psychopaths?  By definition, psychopaths are lacking the abilities that allow them to live in social harmony; you've described a coping mechanism that allows people to function socially.    Isn't it that very success which makes them NOT psychopaths anymore?   (Doesn't mean they don't have psychological issues, but the symptoms and differenced required to earn the label Psychopath seem narrowly proscribed.)  I would encourage closer reading of the "related disorders" section of the original article.  Jfarber 17:57, 17 March 2007 (UTC)


 * Human behavior is extremely complicated and multi-faceted. Beware of the halo effect and its opposite, the devil effect, which cause many people to judge others as either being all good or all bad. A person might well show manipulativeness and lack of empathy toward some people, or in some contexts, while being a veritable eagle scout in other contexts. As I heard a comedian say recently, "You kill one person, and people call you a murderer." The same business executive who ruthlessly destroys his competitors, bending and twisting the rules as necessary, might contribute vast sums to a children's hospital. He might let you step in line ahead of him at the grocery. In fact this inconsistency is so common it's almost a cliché: predatory capitalist becomes noted philanthropist (see: John D. Rockefeller, Howard Hughes, Bill Gates, etc.). There are good and bad traits in everyone, and often it depends on who you ask. For example, in nations such as the USA, driving automobiles is taken for granted, nobody sees anything wrong with it, but automobiles are a greater source of violence than what is ordinarily labeled crime, not to mention the resulting petroleum dependency that pushes the USA into ceaseless military involvement in the Middle East. To someone who sees the problems with automobile dependency, much of the ordinary population in the USA appears to be sociopathic, but of course no psychologist would define sociopathology that way, any more than a murderer in a whole society of murderers would be sociopathic. The average person just doesn't notice the external costs he or she dumps on others, except where his or her culture happens to be making an issue of some item of external cost. --Teratornis 16:18, 20 March 2007 (UTC)

Jfarber the thread also states how Psychopaths learns to mimic emotions and feelings to hide their Psychopathic tendencies but that doesnt make them any less Psychopaths. My thesis where that there is also Psychopaths out there that learned to mimic social behavior in order to get better long term consequences but that wouldnt make them any less Psychopaths either even though they would officially be working members of society. Joneleth 17:25, 17 March 2007 (UTC)


 * I'm hoping we're both seeing the same thing, because I'm referring to a Wikipedia entry, while you're describing a "thread" -- the term I'm using assumes that there is ultimately some consensus and fact available, and the term you're using is not one associated with encyclopedia entries, but with opinion-sharing.


 * That said, and to the question, is it fair to restate your question as asking whether it is safe to ASSUME that the ability to mimic social behavior (at least enough to keep themselves out of jail) is due to a fundamental ability to foresee LONG term consequences...because if the answer were "yes", it would challenge the validity of extant studies of psychopathic behavior?


 * I assumed that this was what you were really asking. And I assumed that, since this is a reference desk, the question would be answerable using reference materials -- that it is an issue of question redefinition and information location, in other words.   If all that is true, then, armed with the definition of "psychopathy", and with logic, I maintain that you cannot assume what you are asking to assume -- that logic leaves other possibilities both available and probable which would contradict your assumptions.   There are many other possible reasons why some psychopaths might not end up in jail; there are many possible answers ways to explain the differences between jailed psychopaths and non-jailed (or even non-jailable)psychopaths; we need not assume a fundamental difference in, specifically, the ability to see long-term consequences in order to explain even these differences in behavior.   For example, there are plenty of SHORT term reasons why one might be constantly reminded to behave in (mostly) socially appropriate ways; we need not assume a difference in LONG-term psychological outlook to allow for even Edison's examples. Jfarber 17:57, 17 March 2007 (UTC)

IPod-nano
How would I go about putting a new playlist on my IPod nano? I have already created one, but I simply cannot put it on my I-pod. Thanks,  Яussiaп F  15:22, 17 March 2007 (UTC)
 * The following is assuming that you have the most current version of iTunes. Create the playlist in iTunes. Connect your iPod.  On the left the iPod should be listed, amongst your library and all the playlists.  Click on the iPod.  That should bring up, in the main view, info about the iPod.  In this window there should be four tabs: Summary, Music, Podcasts, and Contacts.  Click on the music tab.  Click or unclick whichever playlists you would like to have on the iPod.  Hit "Apply" in the lower right.  Done.  Dismas |(talk) 15:38, 17 March 2007 (UTC)
 * Danke :)  Яussiaп F  15:42, 17 March 2007 (UTC)
 * Bitte. :)  Dismas |(talk) 15:47, 17 March 2007 (UTC)

U.S. Military
What percent of the soilders in the U.S. military joined after the war started?--ChesterMarcol 17:58, 17 March 2007 (UTC)

In a way, all of them as this is just a continuation of a much older war :] HS7 20:54, 17 March 2007 (UTC)


 * By "the war", I assume you mean the war on terror; while I do not have any numbers I do recall hering in a local news story that after 9/11 one of the U.S. Air Force recruiting offices here in the city averaged one new recruit a day. I would assume that most recruiting offices had something similar happen, so mathamaticaly the number is probably a few thousand or a few ten thousand. TomStar81 (Talk) 00:40, 18 March 2007 (UTC)


 * 1.4 million people are currently on active duty with 1,25 million more in reserves. I'm not sure what the average length of service is - but if it were 10 years - then 10% of that number would have to be replaced every year - 140,000 active service people per year - about 400 per day - maybe 700 per day if you include the reserves. There is a drive to add 100,000 new soldiers over the next 5 years - but that's only another 54 recruits per day.  So I doubt that they are recruiting a few thousand per day unless the average time in service is a lot shorter than 10 years. SteveBaker 14:20, 18 March 2007 (UTC)

Animal Pak
Does Animal Pak contain any substances that would show up on a drug test, or would be considered "cheating" in high school or college level sports? And does Animal Cuts contain any such substances? Thank You. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 74.135.232.208 (talk) 19:18, 17 March 2007 (UTC).
 * There is an ingredient list on their website. Animal Cuts has an ingredient list here.  I don't see anything obvious, in fact a lot of it looks like multivitamin stuff.  Anyone know of specific banned substances that athletes need to watch out for in supplements like this? Dave 6 talk  10:37, 18 March 2007 (UTC)

Cricket Rules
What on earth are the rules of cricket? How is it scored and what is a ducky? Ireland are actually doing quite well in the Cricket World Cup and as we haven't won the Rugby Six Nations I need to move on. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 64.38.3.218 (talk) 20:42, 17 March 2007 (UTC).
 * The article on cricket would be a good place to start, but if you have specific questions about the rules, please post them here. As to the second part of your question, a duck is a term used to indicate that a batter scored zero runs in their innings. Carom 21:10, 17 March 2007 (UTC)
 * Two minor points: firstly, they are batsmen not batters (at least in England; batter was common in the 19th century and possibly into the 20th). Secondly, to get a duck one needs to score zero runs and be out; 0 not out is not a duck. And while I'm here, congratulations to Ireland for their ludicrously good performance in the world cup! Algebraist 18:03, 18 March 2007 (UTC)
 * What Algebraist said, but... Strictly speaking, 'duck' is either the score of any batsman who did not make a run before being dismissed; or,  the score of any batsman who has not been dismissed but has not yet made made any runs - in cricket parlance, they are still 'on a duck'.  When a batsman who had previously not made any runs in an innings makes his or her first run/s and remains undismissed, they are said to have 'broken their duck.'
 * Under the standard Laws of Cricket, two undismissed batsmen must be 'at the crease' for an innings to continue (this rule may be ignored in Backyard cricket); when there are no wickets left to fall at the end of an innings, one batsman will have not lost his or her wicket, and will be 'not-out'. Perversely, and just as Algebraist said, a batsman who is 'not-out' but has scored no runs is not considered to have made a 'duck'.  Why?  Who knows.  Cricket's a funny game.  ps: Vale Bob Woolmer.
 * See also:
 * Duck (cricket)
 * egg shape maybe meaning zero
 * --Shirt58 11:29, 20 March 2007 (UTC)
 * You know the odd thing about using 'Duck' to infer 'Egg' to mean zero is that in Tennis we use 'love' to mean zero (from the French l'ouef - egg) - but in British Bingo calling, "two little ducks" means 22 because the digit '2' looks a bit like a duck sitting on the water with it's neck curling over the time (I always thought a swan was more appropriate but you get the idea). Weird. SteveBaker 14:29, 20 March 2007 (UTC)
 * So how many runs before you arrive at Mornington Crescent? Luigi30 (Ta&lambda;k) 17:29, 20 March 2007 (UTC)
 * 0 n.o. (not out) is (I presume) not a duck for the same reason n.o. innings don't detriment your average: because you scored no runs, not through bad batting, but by your all your teammates getting out/your side winning the game/your side declaring the innings/running out of time/whatever, so it's not reasonable to count it as a mark against your batting ability in stats etc. Algebraist 17:40, 20 March 2007 (UTC)

O hare question
Does the Chicago o hare airport have any observation decks or rooms where aircraft can be watched taking off our landing other than the gate areas.--logger 21:06, 17 March 2007 (UTC)


 * Yes, if you are an air traffic controller, then these towers will allow you to watch takeoffs and landings. − Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 22:55, 17 March 2007 (UTC)

O'Hare International Airport doesn't mention any specific observation deck, but I'd bet there are numerous lounges, etc. where you can watch planes taking off and landing. You can also often see this from the parking areas. StuRat 01:30, 20 March 2007 (UTC)

Counterstrike
How can you find a server where you can kill your teammates without actually going into every server to check? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 71.185.133.233 (talk) 22:24, 17 March 2007 (UTC).
 * Isn't that defeating the purpose of being on the same team. - Mgm|(talk) 21:49, 18 March 2007 (UTC)

Surely it would be easier to kill people on your team, as they wouldn't be expecting it :] HS7 18:58, 19 March 2007 (UTC)
 * Yes but most servers which have FF on will usually kick you plenty fast if you kill your team mates on purpose. In response to the question, many servers with FF on say so in their server names Nil Einne 02:38, 20 March 2007 (UTC)

Article Removed -- Don't know why
I created an article for the Director of Public Health Dr. Jonathan Fielding in January 2007. I use materials provided from his standard Bio and Resume. There were not copywright violations, however, some of those materials are used elsewhere on the web to describe him, e.g. when he is a member of a prestigious committee, etc. I indicated that in the Discussion for his article when someone removed the Overview section since it appeared elsewhere. I can no longer find any history in my contributions either. Dr. Fielding has made major contributions to the field of public health and he is nationally recognized in many areas. Clearly, he should have an entry in Wikipedia. Is there anyone I can write to which will help resolve this. Thanks Dr. Strassburg Mstrassburg 22:40, 17 March 2007 (UTC)


 * Have you tried leaving messages to this effect on the talk pages of the two editors mentioned on the deletion log for that page? Jfarber 01:57, 18 March 2007 (UTC)


 * If that doesn't work, WP:CP notes that talk pages are limited in thier effectiveness as spaces to "prove" legitimacy of sources, and suggests several alternatives. Jfarber 02:01, 18 March 2007 (UTC) again

I have a question about wikipedia
How do i nominate an article for Featured Artice status?1 —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Partapdua1 (talk • contribs) 22:55, 17 March 2007 (UTC).


 * Have a look at this page: Featured article candidates. - Akamad 00:03, 18 March 2007 (UTC)


 * WP:FAC is a hard test to pass - and nearly everyone tries to get through it before the article is ready for it. In my experience, it is a good idea to first put the article through Peer Review - then when it's been there for a week or two, put it up for "Good Article" candidacy - that's easier to achieve than "Featured Article" and gets you more high-quality feedback.  Then, and only then, would I shoot for Featured article candidacy.  The reason for this is that your best chance of making it through the barrage of criticism at the FA level is the first time.  If your article fails WP:FAC once - then it's MUCH harder to get through the second time because the editors look back on all of the criticisms that were put up the first time as well as making new criticisms of their own!  So - I advise taking it slowly and also reading all of the guideline articles listed under 'See also' and 'Advice from individual users' on the Featured article criteria page. Be 100% sure you are meeting all of them! SteveBaker 14:07, 18 March 2007 (UTC)

Jobs...
Can you get any kind of office job with just a highschool diploma? I just want any kind of office job that pays okay. Like I dunno any of those guys you see working in an office building in a movie. (Believe it or not I've never been in a purpose-built office building. Actually I don't think there are any in my hometown.) Anyway, what I'm trying to figure out is do I have to get a university degree or college (community) diploma? Another thing is, like any job, I'm asuming they're gonna expect some relevant experience, and I don't have any at all. I need experience to get experience--where the hell do I start? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 209.53.181.36 (talk) 23:33, 17 March 2007 (UTC).
 * You don't say where you live but your IP address is Bradford New Hampshire, so this answer is relevant mainly to the US, and I will assume you are between 16 and 21 or you would have already begun to discover the answer for yourself. I also don't know what you consider "okay" pay; I assume your standards are pretty low if you are asking this question. There are huge numbers of low-paying clerical jobs in offices that require only a high school diploma, but you may lose out to someone else who has at least a little post-high-school schooling (even community college or local business school or technical school). Here are some suggestions:


 * 1) Often the best way to get one of these entry level jobs is to have a connection (friend or relative) in the company, or at least make it widely known to all your friends and relatives that you are looking hard and would be grateful for tips.
 * 2) Do anything to get a little experience that might be relevant. Many schools have "internship"-type arrangements with companies.
 * 3) Take part-time or minimum wage non-office work in a company that has lots of offices. Many managers rise from the ranks and employess usually get first shot at newly opened jobs.
 * 4) Talk to your guidance counselor. Many of them sincerely like to help, and will know much more about local conditions and employers. Most have access to enormous lists of types of jobs that most of us might not think of. If you are out of school, go back to your HS and talk to one of them anyway.
 * 5) Remember that low level office work does not pay as well as skilled craftsman type work. If you hate school that much or have that much trouble with it, maybe an office isn't what you want anyway. If you do okay at school, you shouldn't even be thinking of not getting enough school to get you a job that sounds good to you. Good luck.alteripse 00:46, 18 March 2007 (UTC)


 * you can get a high-paying office job without a college degree. it's really not hard - you just have to know where to look. also, do not expect to make much the first year, but after that you'll be making more and more as long as you stay with them (if the company is decent). Coolsnak3 19:36, 20 March 2007 (UTC)

Married Wikipedians?
How many Wikipedian couples are there? Just curious to know.  bibliomaniac 1  5  23:36, 17 March 2007 (UTC)


 * I guess there's Category:Married Wikipedians. But I doubt it really reflects the entire community. In fact, I doubt there's any reliable statistics for wikipedians as a whole anywhere. — Mitaphane  ? 00:08, 18 March 2007 (UTC)

Repair squeaking floor boards
How do you repair squeaking floor boards? Ross50 00:00, 18 March 2007 (UTC)

You might have to check to see if the board is nailed in right- if not, fix it! :) also, if they're just old boards with problems, you could add new ones, but that would probably be too much work to just get rid of squeaking for some people -Dixie48 01:45, 18 March 2007 (UTC)


 * You repair them by stopping the sequeak. The squeak is a result of two peices of wood rubbing against each other. You can pull them up, and nail down the underlying layment, then use a glue like ... crap, I forgot the type of glue. OH! Polyurathane. Thats it. use a thin a layer as possible. that should stop the movement of the boards, and the squeaking. 67.180.27.49 03:43, 18 March 2007 (UTC)


 * It's not as easy as it sounds, though. Once you glue two boards together, you will frequently find they will then move relative to the boards on one or both sides.  You may end up having to glue the entire floor together, only to find that it insists on moving relative to the walls.  For a quick and dirty fix you can put baby powder in the areas that squeak, and be sure to get it down between the boards.  The talc acts as a lubricant, allowing the boards to move relative to each other silently. StuRat 01:42, 20 March 2007 (UTC)

Grapes of Wrath Online Text
Hello! Does anyone know where I could read "The Grapes of Wrath" online, or download the eBook for free? Thanks - Vikramkr 00:47, 18 March 2007 (UTC)
 * I would start by checking out articles on the refrigerator, as I would assume they would have wrathful grapes :) On a more serious note, I have been told by my fellow student friends that if you have a line or quote of some sort from the text you can punch the entire thing in online and websites with full text copies of the work in question will pop up in the search results. I have no idea how true that is, but you may want to try if nothing else works. TomStar81 (Talk) 00:49, 18 March 2007 (UTC)
 * Unfortunately, it's not in the public domains yet, so any means you find will be likely illegal. --Wirbelwind ヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 01:26, 18 March 2007 (UTC)

(after edit conflict)
 * Wirbelwind is right that this book is under copyright; we can't recommend illegal activities. edited to add:Also, out of curiosity, I tried TomStar's strategy armed with google and a famous quote from the book, and got no results.   Guess you'll not get to illegally download the book!  (/end edit.)


 * But don't despair! There IS a great way to get this and many other eBooks legally, if your local library (or school library) is part of a network which subscribes to eBook or other computer-based subscription services, and if the book is part of that subscription service. Before despairing, I'd march right in to your local school or public library, or call them, and ask someone at the reference desk to help you. Assuming you have a library card, this service IS free, legal, and actually quite easy; I used this system to download a copy of Lord of the Flies just last month through interlibrary loan. (Gee, it seems to weird to refer someone from the Reference Desk to a reference desk...but I guess that's what librarians are for!) Jfarber 01:36, 18 March 2007 (UTC)


 * Project Gutenberg is a great place for free books - it's like Wikipedia in that it's user-supported and run as a non-profit. People go there and type in and proof-read entire books and give them away for free:  http://www.gutenberg.org - however, they can only put up books that are out of copyright or with the permission of author/publisher/etc.  Since "Grapes of Wrath" was published in 1939 and it's author only died in 1968, it's still within copyright - so Gutenberg doesn't have it.  For that same reason, I doubt that anywhere will have a legally downloadable free copy - so you're probably out of luck.  SteveBaker 13:56, 18 March 2007 (UTC)


 * Good call on Gutenberg, Steve, but see above -- library books are free; library eBooks are free & legal downloads.  The only caveat is that you don't get to keep them...and you have to return them on time, lest they stop being free. Jfarber 18:02, 18 March 2007 (UTC)


 * Project Gutenberg of Australia has similar goals to PG but works on works that are public domain in Australia. Such works may still be copyrighted in other countries. In this case, it is rather unlikely the book in question is public domain in Australia either and it doesn't appear to be there but it might be a useful for future reference. Bear in mind the legality of downloading and using books from either project depends on where you live. If you live in Australia, I think all books in the normal PG are legal but I'm not sure. However it's rather likely that some books on PG-A are not legal in the US. If you live somewhere else, you will have to consult your local laws. Nil Einne 02:48, 20 March 2007 (UTC)

Completely OT but I like eMule. It's a great program. Nil Einne 02:48, 20 March 2007 (UTC)

getting rid of it
Hey, I was wondering how to get rid of stomach fat quickly? Do jumping jacks & crunches do it? if so, how many a day? if not, what does? what should you refrain from eating? etc. etc. -thanks alot — Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.211.8.100 (talk)
 * Figure out the number of calories you take in during one day. Burn at least that many during the day.  Weight will be lost.  It's a simple equation.  Where the fat is (stomach, butt, hips, thighs, etc. ) doesn't matter.  A healthy diet will help by getting more nutrition from the food you eat.  Dismas |(talk) 03:15, 18 March 2007 (UTC)
 * How to loose weight: Eat less, work out more. That is what burns fat. I eat plenty of fruit, and especially Bananans. Bannans contain Colene, which stimulates the hippocampus area of the brain, which produces growth hormones naturally. The best type of health/excerise programs convery body fat to muscle, hence you do not lose weight. DO NOT GO ON A DIET WITHOUT THE SUPERVISION OF A PHYSISAN. 67.180.27.49 03:22, 18 March 2007 (UTC)
 * To lose weight, follow directions @ http://health.howstuffworks.com/calorie.htm. Unfortinately there is no way to "target" belly fat; you have to lose fat all over your body in order to lose it from your belly. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 75.138.84.159 (talk) 05:38, 18 March 2007 (UTC).
 * The assertions about 'fat being fat' don't appear to be 100% true. Sorry I'm too tired to look right now, but several recent studies I've read (including a news item from just a couple of days ago) have found that endocrine problems (notably but not exclusively exposure to environmentally-borne pseudo-sex hormones) seem to result in more belly fat. IIRC the same is true of excess carb consumption in insulin-resistant people, although that is from not-so-recent memory. Anchoress 06:05, 18 March 2007 (UTC)


 * I concur.


 * On the one hand, eating loads of greasy bacon and fat-laden sausages is likely not going to improve your silhouette, but on the other, you've got loads of evidence to suggest that fats and oils from fish, and from olives, are exceptionally good for you, and as such probably aren't a bad idea to start bringing the belt size down. Vranak

How do you add a userbox to your page?
ditto -Dixie48 01:43, 18 March 2007 (UTC)


 * Answer here. Jfarber 01:44, 18 March 2007 (UTC)


 * See Userboxes --⁪frotht 14:25, 18 March 2007 (UTC)

Chess Club
isnt it ironic that chess players and by extention, the "chess clubs" at schools are seen as nerdy and effete when in reality, Chess is an important element in the study of war and fighting. Indeed, most Medieval squires had chess as part of their training to become Knights. And most chess players in reality today are very martial and fearsome. Hallibrah 02:59, 18 March 2007 (UTC)
 * Is there a question in there or are you just making an observation? Dismas |(talk) 03:13, 18 March 2007 (UTC)

That is a question. I was like "why is it that . . . ?" Hallibrah 03:18, 18 March 2007 (UTC)


 * I play chess, as do many of my friends, who are neither 'nerdy and effete' nor 'martial and fearsome', for which I am truly thankful! Clio the Muse 05:23, 18 March 2007 (UTC)


 * There's no denying that Chess is not a physical sport (it's certainly a mental sport, and any sport if you take forms of organized competition as a sport) - Chess does not increase the heart rate, there's no physical training involved, Chess won't make you physically stronger, Chess won't make you run faster or hit a ball more accurately.


 * It is nonetheless interesting to note that the chess players I knew in school didn't really participate in the sports, and vice verse. Rfwoolf 08:00, 18 March 2007 (UTC)


 * Well, there's chess boxing...--Mwalcoff 09:07, 18 March 2007 (UTC)
 * Great link! I also recall a game invented by Alan Turing, called running chess or around-the house-chess or something, where both players make their moves in the time it takes for the other opponent to run (or walk, if already exhausted) around the house. ---Sluzzelin talk  15:46, 18 March 2007 (UTC)

Dirt roads
Why and how do 'washboard' ridges form on dirt roads? 68.231.151.161 06:10, 18 March 2007 (UTC)


 * Suppose there is a little bump in an otherwise smooth dirt road. When a car's wheel goes over it, the springs are compressed and the car bounces up and down a couple of times before the shocks eventually dampen down the motion and the car rolls smoothely again.  When the car is propelled upwards, it doesn't put so much pressure on the road and therefore wears it out less - whenever it's propelled downwards, it hits the road a bit harder and wears the dirt off a little bit more than usual.  Since every car that goes over that bump does the exact same thing, and cars tend to bounce about the same amount, you get a series of bumps and hollows forming behind that very first bump in the road at exactly the right spacing to hit the 'resonant frequency'.  Those secondary bumps and hollows get each car's suspension bouncing up and down still more - so the ripples gradually spread along the entire length and width of the road - and every car that travels along it makes them deeper until - after enough years and enough cars - you have a washboard.  Also, if it rains, then the rain will run off the bumps and down into the hollows - then flow along the hollows until it reaches the ditch on the side of the road.  That flow will erode dirt out of the hollows - still more emphasising the washboard effect.  SteveBaker 13:49, 18 March 2007 (UTC)
 * And then if the road freezes with a lot of moisture in it, that pressure has to go somewhere. That could create the initial bump.  Dismas |(talk) 13:58, 18 March 2007 (UTC)
 * The seminal study on this surprisingly complicated topic was done by nuclear physicist Keith Mather and reported in Scientific American in 1963: . Cheers Geologyguy 15:29, 18 March 2007 (UTC)


 * A wonderful book aimed squarely at this and similar imponderables is "The Flying Circus of Physics". --TotoBaggins 23:55, 18 March 2007 (UTC)
 * no, acctually it is caused by rain water falling ion the road and running off to the side, when raods are made, dirt roads, they try to get the middle higher than the edges so water will runn off, thus you will not have a muddy road, ridges are an unavioidable side effect.81.144.161.223 15:18, 19 March 2007 (UTC)


 * If you start a sentence like that with 'no', it is expected that you will be disagreeing with previous answerers. If you read SteveBaker's thorough reply, you will see that your answer is included in his as a minor way in which this effect is enhanced. You will also see that the source provided by GeologyGuy backs Steve up, and describes an actual study someone did which produced this effect in the way that Steve described it. You will also notice that that the study found a road had to be dry for this effect to emerge. Do you have a source for your answer? Skittle 16:30, 19 March 2007 (UTC)


 * The effect can't be caused by water runoff alone because that would produce an irregular set of ridges. The defining thing about washboard roads is the amazing regularity of the ridges.  They always seem to be spaced such as to produce the worst kind of vibrations in your car.  You can actually measure the distance between the ridges and they are exactly regular over hundreds of feet of road.  This is not a coincidence - they form at the resonant frequency of the suspension systems of 'typical' cars.  If they were formed by water erosion alone, they would form sinuous, forking patterns of erosion at random spacings. SteveBaker 01:06, 20 March 2007 (UTC)

Champagne cork deaths
How many people die each year from champagne corks popping in their direction? --Candy-Panda 08:25, 18 March 2007 (UTC)
 * Snopes.com lists this rumour as unanswerable. A lot of websites and emails state it's likelier to die of a champagne cork popped at you than from a poisonous spider. Statistically, that's true in my case, as I'm far more likely to meet a flying cork than a spider to begin with. But seeing as snopes can't find any evidence anyone ever died of a champagne cork, I'd say it's a myth. If it ever happened, someone would've reported it. - Mgm|(talk) 21:45, 18 March 2007 (UTC)

To compare, The Discovery Channel show MythBusters proved in the "Penny Drop" episode that a penny dropped from the Empire State building can't kill a person; it would only give them a small cut. Even though the penny's terminal velocity was 113MPH, it did not have enough mass to accumulate the energy needed to pierce someone's skull. A cork may be larger, but its mass is similar to that of a penny, and is spread across a much larger surface area. That would make it less dangerous than the penny. --Kelaniz 06:33, 19 March 2007 (UTC)
 * There have been many people bruised, cut and (rarely) blinded by a popped cork, (and for that matter, soda bottle caps) but as the previous poster mentioned, Snopes.com has no evidence of it. With that said, common sense should tell you that death by cork is extremely unlikely, if not impossible, due to the extremely low mass of a popped cork. While a Champagne cork's ejection speed is around 60MPH (if I remember correctly), it's such a light and rounded item, it doesn't have the shape, let alone the mass to pierce skin, much less bone.


 * If the cork enters you mouth, it could make you choke and die. But as this is extremely unlikely to occur, it may very well have never happened Nil Einne 02:51, 20 March 2007 (UTC)


 * You can probably increase the champagne death rate by always using the sabre method to open your bottles. Nothing mixes quite so well as alcohol and sword play. Even though it's a crowd pleaser, I do find it's a terrible waste of good champagne. - Nunh-huh 03:50, 20 March 2007 (UTC)