Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2008 January 5

= January 5 =

Ummm
Why don't things like crimes and natural disasters ever happen in a place when I am there? 138.217.145.45 (talk) 02:16, 5 January 2008 (UTC)
 * Because you live in a safe country? · AndonicO  Hail!  02:21, 5 January 2008 (UTC)
 * Indeed. I guess Canberra isn't a hot-spot for natural disasters (likewise Australia in its entirety). It is doesn't have particularly inclement weather conditions and is not on a major fault line, does not have active volcanoes and it has a well developed infrastructure. It also has a low crime rate. Try hanging out in Johannesburg (crime) or some Caribbean Islands (hurricanes) for a few years and crime and natural disasters will be more forthcoming to your presence. Rockpock  e  t  02:27, 5 January 2008 (UTC)
 * Or just go to Honduras or another Central American country and you get two for the price of one... (I think HON has the worst crime rate in Central, but I'm not sure). · AndonicO  Hail!  02:28, 5 January 2008 (UTC)


 * Think of it this way. The odds of a crime or natural disaster happening in any one specific place are very low. The odds of a crime or natural disaster happening somewhere at some time are very high. So there are always going to be crimes and natural disasters happening somewhere, but the odds of you actually being there when they happen is probably going to be low. It's the same thing as a lottery: someone is going to win, but it's probably not going to be you. The odds of you having any specific person in the world as a college roommate are so low as to be impossible; the odds of you having someone as a college roommate are by contrast almost equal to 1 (assuming you go to college).
 * Now this is a little different than a lottery since neither crimes nor natural disasters are equiprobably distributed (certain regions of the world are far more prone to both than others), but the general principle is valid. There is only one of you, there are many possible locations for crimes and disasters. Note that you could, of course, increase the likelihood of you being at a crime if you decided to become a criminal. --24.147.86.187 (talk) 04:11, 5 January 2008 (UTC)
 * Essentially, having access to newspapers and televisions makes rare, but exciting, events like hurricanes, earth quakes, and even violent crimes seem commonplace even though they don't happen to us personally. I suppose it's important to keep things in perspective so that simply reading the newspaper doesn't make you think you have an unusually boring life. APL (talk) 05:54, 5 January 2008 (UTC)
 * It's up to you personally to make your life not boring. Not by committing crimes of course. --Ouro (blah blah) 11:12, 5 January 2008 (UTC)
 * Just be thankful youre not! Remember what the Chinese say to people they dont like: May you live in interesting times.--TreeSmiler (talk) 05:49, 5 January 2008 (UTC)


 * May you live in interesting times is so not a Chinese expression. It has only been traced back to an American comic book.--Shantavira|feed me 17:47, 5 January 2008 (UTC)
 * Ah! So! (is that Chinese?)--TreeSmiler (talk) 21:38, 5 January 2008 (UTC)
 * No, it's a wine opener. -- Coneslayer (talk) 02:48, 6 January 2008 (UTC)


 * See anthropic principle: if it were otherwise, you might not be able to ask the question. &mdash;Tamfang (talk) 03:14, 7 January 2008 (UTC)

You could become a stringer for a media outlet so you get posted directly to the trouble spot. Julia Rossi (talk) 07:25, 5 January 2008 (UTC)

Weren't there pretty nasty forest fires in the Canberra area a couple of years ago  Corvus cornix  talk  20:49, 5 January 2008 (UTC)


 * Oh, yes. 2003 Canberra bushfires was no walk in the park.  --  JackofOz (talk) 22:15, 5 January 2008 (UTC)


 * If your aim is to increase your chance of encountering a crime you could move to El Salvador, Jamaica, Guatemala, or Honduras. In fact you could try going to any of the country high on this list. (Murder rates usually equate to more crime over all.) If you want to experience a natural disaster you could do what these people do for fun.  I wouldn’t suggest doing either though. --S.dedalus (talk) 02:57, 6 January 2008 (UTC)


 * Actually Kenya is probably your best bet to experience a crime at the moment (see Clashes in Kenya (2007–present)). However Iraq is another good choice especially if you want the crime to happen to your person (I suggest you bring an American flag and carry a poster of Saddam for maximum effect). Nil Einne (talk) 09:18, 6 January 2008 (UTC)


 * Also if you want to experience a natural disaster without too much trouble . Hurry now... Nil Einne (talk) 10:10, 6 January 2008 (UTC)

You could always move to Colombia or Venezuela, countries with the highest murder rates.--Dlo2012 (talk) 02:32, 11 January 2008 (UTC)

Typhoons seem to happen in Bangladesh with sad frequency. And when these disasters strike, it's not hundreds of casualties, it's in the thousands. I don't care how poor, I would start walking until I got out of there. It doesn't seem like a place meant for people to be in. TresÁrboles (talk) 08:26, 11 January 2008 (UTC)

creatine
was wondering what the longterm ffects of creatine were, are there health side effects? is it good for you? is it bad for you? does it increase the amount of aggresion a person may have as is seen in cocaine users? or is it just because the guy thinks he is bigger and can take on the world. i found our article on it rather lacking in this sort of information. But then again the people that would know about it probably have the all braun and no brain problem lol. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.3.151.98 (talk) 14:07, 5 January 2008 (UTC)
 * Well, we have articles on creatine and creatine supplements that you might want to check out. Cheers, Ouro (blah blah) 14:54, 5 January 2008 (UTC)
 * stay with whey protein or soy-based. -- 'n1yaN t  23:10, 5 January 2008 (UTC)

Petting My Dog
Whenever I pet my dogs they put their arm over mine. What does that mean? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.119.61.7 (talk) 15:13, 5 January 2008 (UTC)
 * Its probably a sign of affection (you pet me I'll pet you kinda thing). It could be he saying "leave me alone" and pushing your hand away. Depends. Does he look happy when you pet him? Think outside the box 16:09, 5 January 2008 (UTC)


 * They are aiming to keep your hand there as they like it. Do they pant at the same time?--TreeSmiler (talk) 21:37, 5 January 2008 (UTC)
 * They are tagging you as their property. -- 'n1yaN t  23:10, 5 January 2008 (UTC)


 * My lab/huskie mix does this all the time with me. Dismas |(talk) 05:15, 6 January 2008 (UTC)

Your dogs have arms? TresÁrboles (talk) 08:27, 11 January 2008 (UTC)

Points to consider before buying a house with sibling
My brother has asked me to help him buy his first house. We don't live in the same city, but I would like to, eventually. The idea is to buy a duplex; half would be rented out, and I would have the option of moving in when I wanted. We have not shared finances before. What sorts of issues do I need to consider before taking this on? 1. Can I afford it? I will see my bank about mortgages. 2. What might go wrong? Roof falling in, etc. Who pays for what? 3. Emotions. Are there guidelines for dealing with these? 4. How long to promise to not need the money for something else? 5. Advantages of me providing a loan vs. me establishing equity in the property. Others must have gone down this path before. Are there useful websites or questions I ought to ask? Sample contracts? I am not asking for direct advice (do it/don't do it) but tips of what to think through before making my own decision. Any suggestions welcome. Thanks. BrainyBabe (talk) 17:55, 5 January 2008 (UTC)


 * Have you read this article? SaundersW (talk) 19:42, 5 January 2008 (UTC)


 * Do you have a partner? This would be a very important factor when living with a sibling. Seraphim  Whipp 19:50, 5 January 2008 (UTC)


 * Thanks for the link; it provided a little more than I had thought of, but still seems pretty introductory rather than in-depth. We are both single but wouldn't be living together, just close neighbours: separate front doors, bathrooms, kitchens, etc. BrainyBabe (talk) 01:37, 7 January 2008 (UTC)


 * A written exit policy, so you know what will happen in advance if either of you want to sell up.Polypipe Wrangler (talk) 08:32, 7 January 2008 (UTC)

Independent cities in Virginia
Why are all of Virginia's cities independent? Heegoop, 5 January 2008 (UTC)


 * This is discussed to an extent in Independent city and in Political subdivisions of Virginia. --—  Gadget850 (Ed)  talk  -  20:41, 5 January 2008 (UTC)
 * In the Commonwealth of Virginia, all municipalities incorporated as "cities" have also been "independent cities," also called "free cities," since 1871. Other municipalities, even though they may be more populous than some existing independent cities, are incorporated as "towns", and as such form part of a county. An independent city in Virginia may serve as the county seat of an adjacent county, even though the city by definition is not part of that county. -- 'n1yaN t  23:09, 5 January 2008 (UTC)