Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2009 April 11

= April 11 =

List of world newspapers
Where would Wikipedia have a list of notable national-level newspapers? It would be great if there was a list of notable newspapers that are translated into English (and into various other languages, if the information were available).

Anyway, going to the "Newspapers" article gives me nothing. Where can I find a way to find out what newspapers to read when in Rome or are read in Rome or Madrid or Manila or any other place? Do I really have to search country by country? Is that information standard in each nation's article?Levalley (talk) 01:19, 11 April 2009 (UTC)


 * Does List of newspapers, which breaks down various newspapers by country, help? Nadando (talk) 01:20, 11 April 2009 (UTC)


 * Always head to the see also section, in a scan of any article: Newspapers ;) 96.50.4.248 (talk) 02:25, 11 April 2009 (UTC)


 * Didn't think of actually using the word "list" in the search - there must be lots of "lists of" articles for me to explore. Thanks for the tip on see also, as well.Levalley (talk) 03:24, 11 April 2009 (UTC)


 * Actually, it's taking me awhile to get the hanging of using the list feature. The List of newspapers is helpful, it shows which nations are not yet listed on Wiki as having newspapers, which is what I wanted to see.  Took me a bit to realize I had to click on "show" to see the list.  I'm verry slooow.Levalley (talk) 03:30, 11 April 2009 (UTC)

Date and money
Is it possible to find a girlfriend if you have no job, no income and no perspective of improving your situation?--88.6.158.100 (talk) 12:44, 11 April 2009 (UTC)


 * Lol.--Crimpmunkla (talk) 13:04, 11 April 2009 (UTC)


 * Yes, mine married me!--79.71.217.59 (talk) 13:24, 11 April 2009 (UTC)


 * Having no job, no income and no "perspective" of improving your situation will make you extremely attractive to certain women (as will not knowing the difference between the words "perspective" and "prospects"). However, to seal the deal you really need to get yourself thrown into jail so they can come see you for conjugal visits. :-) StuRat (talk) 14:29, 11 April 2009 (UTC)


 * Plenty of teenagers manage to find love, and they don't seem to be thinking of future propsects. As for older people, I suppose it depends. Those with skills and talents will have a better chance: whether that be social skills (confidence with others, ability to flirt non-aggressively), cooking talent (who can resist having a meal prepared for them? Preferably involving chocolate mousse), dancing, massage, and yes even generous and unrushed love-making.  If you are open to others, able to listen, willing to learn, you may well find a girlfriend.  I am thinking of a "starving artist" I know who now has a gf with a big house, demanding job, troublesome teenagers, etc. She is willing to pay the bills for the household because he is very good at supporting her in her life and work, and I hear things are pretty good behind the bedroom door too. Another whole category is that of toyboy.  Yes, there are sugar mommas out there, as well as cougars. Live in hope! BrainyBabe (talk) 15:58, 12 April 2009 (UTC)


 * If you have no job and no immediate prospect of getting one - then I strongly recommend finding a "volunteering opportunity". For one thing, it'll give you a reason to get up in the morning and do stuff, for another, it'll look good when you DO start applying for jobs - having work experience and showing a "get up and go" attitude is something that employers definitely want to see...and (no small consideration) it's a certain turn on for the babes...it says "I'm caring - I'm proactive - I'm not so much 'unemployed' as 'more concerned to do good for society than further my own fortune'."...and it's a great place to meet people.  Finally - it'll do a lot to improve your self-esteem - something that clearly seems to be lacking.  A depressed person is not much fun to be with.  When you can be proud of what you do - your confidence will improve commensurately.  Most places that need volunteers will be happy to have you help out for just a couple of days a week - so you can pick a couple of different places to help out at and maximise your opportunities to meet people and maximise the probability that one of the things you're doing will strike a chord with the girl of your dreams.  Here in Austin, Texas - there are loads of web sites for organization looking for help.  Everything from heavy stuff like "AIDS outreach" and hospice visiting to less stressful stuff like people who work as volunteer guides in art galleries and museums to people who help out by walking dogs at the local SPCA rescue center.  You can also pick up free job training through volunteer organisations - here in Austin, they have people who help out doing free tax preparation work for the underprivilaged - if you sign up for 40 hours of voluntary work - they'll put you through a two day training course.  It can be a lot of fun too - my kid volunteered to help out at the Austin Film Festival - he got to stand around checking badges and name-tags while watching the movies, listening to the presentations and meeting a bunch of actors & actresses, directors and producers - he had a blast. SteveBaker (talk) 16:52, 12 April 2009 (UTC)
 * Many a girl is drawn to a poor little "pound puppy" or a "stray kitten." Makes little sense, but there it is. They might think an unemployed man with no prospect for being a bread-winner is attractive in the same way. Some also are drawn to "bad boys." Edison (talk) 05:36, 15 April 2009 (UTC)

Autonomic alarm clock?
Is it true that some people can set a mental time clock to awaken at a given time? If so, can the skill be learned?86.197.169.220 (talk) 14:33, 11 April 2009 (UTC)DT


 * I used to do that when I was a student. I recall this being successful until I went out for one too many late nights and missed all my morning lectures. I decided it wasn't quite reliable enough and bought myself an alarm clock instead and I haven't tried it since. The biggest drawback, as I remember it, was that I had to positively think about the waking up time with respect to the current time before going to sleep. If I didn't 'set' my internal alarm, as happened when I was too far gone after a late night, it didn't wake me up. I've no idea if that can be learned. Mikenorton (talk) 16:20, 11 April 2009 (UTC)


 * I can do this but only if I've already set the alarm clock. Then I will wake up a couple of minutes before the alarm goes off. Adam Bishop (talk) 17:01, 11 April 2009 (UTC)


 * I often wake up shortly before an alarm, but only if it's an unusual time (eg getting up early to travel somewhere). It doesn't happen when getting up normally for work. I'd never rely on my "mental clock" for an important deadline, so I don't know whether the setting of the alarm is significant or not in triggering it. 93.97.184.230 (talk) 20:06, 11 April 2009 (UTC)


 * Yes. I've been doing that for over 40 years. It works for me but not my husband. No explanation. [bidnessone|talk]]) 23:33, 17 April 2009 (UTC)

Do you get use-once credit cards in the UK?
Like, you will pay 10 or 20 pounds for a card which can be used to make anonymous online purchases that won't show up on your credit card bills. I've heard you get these in America. If they do exist in the UK can you get them at ASDA, Tesco, Sainsburys etc?--Please let me die (talk) 14:35, 11 April 2009 (UTC)
 * A quick scan of Stored-value card tells me that they're available in Ireland. Dismas |(talk) 14:48, 11 April 2009 (UTC)
 * Ireland in itself is no use. But if they're available there they should be in the UK. But where do I get them? I want to get one today so I can get a month's pass to an internet porn site.--Please let me die (talk) 15:16, 11 April 2009 (UTC)
 * I thought maybe you could use paypal to be anonymous. I googled  and apparently they no longer allow payment for porn sites, but I found netcash through that search and I think it might be what you are looking for.--70.19.64.161 (talk) 15:37, 11 April 2009 (UTC)
 * Actually, now that I've explored their site it seems a little sketchy. But there has to be something like this so that you can use an existing card rather than searching for some one-use card that may or may not be able to be purchased in your area.--70.19.64.161 (talk) 15:42, 11 April 2009 (UTC)

There are a large variety of pre-paid debit and credit cards available, but most (if not all) require you to fill in an application and none seem to be available behind the counter in high street shops. Nanonic (talk) 16:48, 11 April 2009 (UTC)

Can you buy pre-paid debit cards? You can do that in the US. Visa, MasterCard and American Express all have pre-paid cards. Who then was a gentleman? (talk) 21:24, 11 April 2009 (UTC)
 * I looked for pre-paid anonymous credit (technically debit) cards in the UK a few years back after hearing of their use in the U.S.A. but I could never find anywhere that offered them. I don't think they're available, I'd suspect due to the differences in the banking systems in the 2 countries with the greater number of small local banks in the U.S.A. compared to the more consolidated U.K. system. AllanHainey (talk) 15:20, 17 April 2009 (UTC)


 * You can't get anonymous cards because anyone who wants anonymity in their financial transactions is either a terrorist or a drug-dealer or both (I think that's the reason) but you can get things like Cashplus cards. You won't get it over the counter, because the issuer has to check that you are who you say you are, and not a terrorist or drug-dealer. DuncanHill (talk) 01:44, 20 April 2009 (UTC)

query on article about the SPETSNAZ
the article on the russian special forces (SPETSNAZ) says, while discussing the spetsnaz knife, that the russian forces do not use the 7.62mm caliber round. but then what else do their kalashnikovs use?? the're the ones that made the 7.62mm so famous and lethal, alongwith the FN FAL. is it me or is the whole world conspiring to convince me that i'm delusional??? :P —Preceding unsigned comment added by Dustbite (talk • contribs) 17:16, 11 April 2009 (UTC)


 * "is it me or is the whole world conspiring to convince me that i'm delusional?" - Yes. –  7 4   17:46, 11 April 2009 (UTC)
 * I would imagine that they don't use the AK-47. It is common for special forces to have weapons more suited for their particular needs than the common infantry issue one. Rmhermen (talk) 18:16, 11 April 2009 (UTC)
 * I just read that section of the article and am certain that it is a mess but not sure what it is trying to say. Rmhermen (talk) 18:20, 11 April 2009 (UTC)


 * They may well not use Russian standard weapons, as Rmhermen suggests, but even if they did it wouldn't be the AK-47. The newer AK-74 looks broadly similar, but uses a smaller calibre much like NATO moved from 7.62 to 5.56. I can't remember what the newer Russian calibre is, I'm afraid. Incidentally, you talk about the AK-47 and the SLR both using 7.62 - it's true that they both use bullets of that calibre, but I'm pretty sure the rounds themselves are very different, the Russian ones being shorter and having less propellant (and hence being more suitable for an assault rifle). 93.97.184.230 (talk) 20:04, 11 April 2009 (UTC)
 * The newer replacement for the AK-47 is the AK-74 which fires a 5.45x39mm round. The Russian army hasn't really used the 7.62 round since the late 70's early 80's (they changed at around the same time NATO did). The AK-47 fired the 7.62x39mm while NATO used the 7.62x51mm NATO (which was used in the FN FAL).  There is also the 7.62x54mmR which is used in the SVD sniper rifle or in the PKM Machine Gun.  While the both rounds are the same diameter, the bullet length 39 vs 51 vs 54 mm were all different as was the amount of powder.  So, the rounds aren't interchangeable.  As for what that section of the Spetsnaz article is trying to say isn't really clear.Tobyc75 (talk) 17:07, 13 April 2009 (UTC)

Learning shorthand
Can you point me to some free resources for learning Teeline Shorthand? The first google hit for teeline shorthand has a "Free Lesson", but excluding that google seems to be failing me. Any other shorthand is also good, but it needs to usable for both Finnish and English (ie not too phonetic). Thanks --88.194.237.199 (talk) 19:18, 11 April 2009 (UTC)


 * I found http://www.scribd.com/doc/9436925/Teeline-Complete, which looks promising. The problem now is that my flash plugin has been a bit angry lately so I cannot view it / the download link for the pdf format of the document doesn't work. Could somebody upload the pdf somewhere for me to download, or mail it to kmav81 AT-SYMBOL gmail DOT com (no worries, I'm already receiving lots of spam). Thank you --;93.106.154.207 (talk) 18:52, 12 April 2009 (UTC) I broke up your email address so that at least programmes crawling the web for addresses won't find it. Seriously, this page is a baaaaad place to put an email address. 217.43.141.59 (talk) 19:52, 13 April 2009 (UTC)
 * Got it. Googled for teeline complete pdf. --88.194.195.137 (talk) 20:49, 12 April 2009 (UTC)

seeds/spices
can you grow a plant from uncooked poppy seeds found in the spices rack? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.237.50.35 (talk) 20:18, 11 April 2009 (UTC)
 * They are supposedly sterilized but some will germinate. Please note that the growth of opium poppies (yes the common poppy seed on your bagel is that kind of poppy) is illegal in many locations.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 21:33, 11 April 2009 (UTC)
 * Where? --jpgordon&#8711;&#8710;&#8711;&#8710; 21:38, 11 April 2009 (UTC)
 * Well, for one, the United States, as in all 50 of them. Under the Federal Controlled Substances Act, the growing of any somniferum papavarum plants is illegal. Of course, it would not make sense to enforce this is any real way, but it is the law. I imagine when a person is actually caught cultivating for actual opium harvesting purposes, is about the only time the technical letter of the law is enforced.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 00:54, 12 April 2009 (UTC)
 * Sure. You can buy them on Amazon, for gosh sakes. It's one of those laws that is ignored until you get blatant about it -- if you go out of your way to get the somniferum varieties that are best suited for opium production, you might raise some red flags. Very pretty red flags. Or if The Man just wants to give you shit. I'm surprised the laws aren't more specific -- but then, the vagueness works to the advantage of the DEA. --jpgordon&#8711;&#8710;&#8711;&#8710; 01:43, 12 April 2009 (UTC)
 * Many varieties of Papaver somniferum are grown as ornamentals. They are very easy to grow and I find them one of the most beautiful of all flowers. I presently have several kinds growning in my yard, including the Hungarian Blue Poppy that reseeds itself. See this link for some of the different kinds. As far as I know these ornamental types (including the breadseed) do not produce the drug opium in any significant fashion. Instead of trying to grow the seeds sold for eating (which may very well be treated to not germinate), buy some seeds from your nursery.--Eriastrum (talk) 22:24, 11 April 2009 (UTC)

rephrase of the last question.. (seeds)
can you grow a plant from dried seeds? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.237.50.35 (talk) 20:21, 11 April 2009 (UTC)
 * Well, sure; the problem isn't the drying (a pack of seeds from the florist will be pretty dry too.) But seeds for culinary use are often steam-sterilized; still, throw a bunch in the dirt and some of them will likely sprout. You can also just go to the gardening shop and buy poppy seeds to cultivate; I wonder which ones cost more? --jpgordon&#8711;&#8710;&#8711;&#8710; 21:37, 11 April 2009 (UTC)
 * Spices are sometimes irradiated. I think some culinary seeds are as well. So if they do grow they could be Giant Mutant Plants!!!! (or not) Rmhermen (talk) 00:42, 12 April 2009 (UTC)
 * It is possible to grow plants from many of the seeds you get in fruit and vegetables bought from a supermarket. There are some books about this, one now out of print is called as far as I remember "The Pip Book". I have recently sown some flax seeds bought as food from a supermarket in my garden, and am waiting to see if they will grow. You can also, of course, grow seeds from packets of gardening seeds, or from seeds you have collected yourself in the autumn. 89.242.147.172 (talk) 13:10, 19 April 2009 (UTC)

Bugs on my car!
I drive to work along the Lake Michigan shore line every morning and soon when it warms up that will mean passing through swarms of millions of shore flies every day. Since my car is white the front quickly turns black from all the dead flies stuck to the bumper. As some of you may know getting the flies off of the front of a car isn't easy. So my question is does anyone know of anything that can either be applied to the front of my car to keep them from sticking or anything that will make them come of more easily? Thanks for any help!--ChesterMarcol (talk) 20:54, 11 April 2009 (UTC)


 * A bra? Who then was a gentleman? (talk) 21:27, 11 April 2009 (UTC)


 * You could try driving much more slowly so that you just nudged them out of the way instead of splattering them to death.92.23.7.187 (talk) 00:02, 12 April 2009 (UTC)


 * After putting on your usual car wax, maybe you could apply a thin coat of dishwashing liquid? I'm not sure if it would wash away the wax but it would make getting the bugs off easier since they aren't pitted into the wax (as much).  Dismas |(talk) 00:55, 12 April 2009 (UTC)
 * That's TERRIBLE advice! Firstly, the function of correctly-applied wax is to fill in those teeny-tiny pits and cracks in the paint - this makes the car shiney - but also easier to clean and it protects the paint from water getting under it.  If you use dishwashing liquid, you may well remove most of the wax - resulting in a car that will look dull rather than shiney - which will rot away far faster - which you'll have a much harder time removing the squished bugs from.  The best advice here is to ALWAYS wax you car carefully after washing it and to make 100% sure that all traces of soaps and detergents are removed from the car before you do so!  Jeez - please - if you don't know the answer - don't answer the question! SteveBaker (talk) 16:31, 12 April 2009 (UTC)

Back when I was a kid (in the dark ages before the Internet was even conceived), folks used to add bug deflectors to their hoods (Brit. Eng., "bonnets") to keep squashed insects from defiling their windshields (Brit. Eng. "windscreens"). You might look at this search for appropriate remedies. Deor (talk) 01:09, 12 April 2009 (UTC)
 * I remember those things. I was about to suggest something like a cow-catcher anyway. That's just as good, even if it looks very early-60s. At the very least, though... next time, the guy should buy a black car, so the squashed critters won't be so obvious. And at the speeds he's probably driving on LSD or wherever, maybe he should get "stealth" technology also. :) Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 04:20, 12 April 2009 (UTC)
 * Black cars no help. Lots of bugs shplat bright yellow. --jpgordon&#8711;&#8710;&#8711;&#8710; 14:59, 12 April 2009 (UTC)
 * Bug deflectors were a good idea when cars had terrible aerodynamics - but with a modern car, all that's going to do is increase your gas consumption and make bug-splats worse...unless you drive something hopelessly un-aerodynamic like a Scion xB (as my son said: "Wow - that car looks like the box your MINI was shipped in!").  Car 'bras' come in two kinds - the loose ones that you can remove and clean and the permenantly stuck on kind.  The former are a disaster and should be avoided at all costs because dirt and small rocks can get trapped behind them and as the bra shifts around and vibrates, that abrasive material is ground into the paint.  The glued-on kind are like a quarter-inch of rubbery stuff (sometimes clear, sometimes black).  They work great for avoiding paint dings from small bits of gravel kicked off the road - but washing the bugs off of them is no different than washing the car itself...possibly worse because they aren't as smooth as the underlying paint.  SteveBaker (talk) 16:31, 12 April 2009 (UTC)

International news programs website
I once encountered a website where you can view news broadcasts from all over the world (taped, I believe, not live), but I can't find it again. Does anybody know what it is? Who then was a gentleman? (talk) 21:28, 11 April 2009 (UTC)
 * youtube?

Elephant and Mouse
I was watching a cartoon with my children and in a scene the mouse scared the shit out of the elephant and got me thinking were did this myth come from or in fact is it a myth. So what I am asking are elephants scared of mice thanks. BigDunc Talk 21:35, 11 April 2009 (UTC)
 * MythBusters (2007 season) looked into this and found that, amazingly enough, elephants did walk around mice; they didn't determine if they were scared of them though. Clarityfiend (talk) 22:23, 11 April 2009 (UTC)


 * War pig states Pliny the Elder reported that "elephants are scared by the smallest squeal of the hog". Excluding porcines, most animals only squeal from pain, fear or distress.  Perhaps elephants interpret high-pitched sounds (squeals, mice squeaking, etc.) as sounds of danger and simply try to avoid the percieved danger.  152.16.16.75 (talk) 02:06, 12 April 2009 (UTC)


 * Maybe elephants don't like that squishy sound they hear when they step on a living creature. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 23:38, 15 April 2009 (UTC)

Vodka in plastic bottle
I buy vodka from shop. Vodka is in plastic bottle. It was never in plastic bottle before, was always in glass bottle. Please explain.--Motionflackflank (talk) 22:12, 11 April 2009 (UTC)


 * Alcoholic drinks have been popular for many years with British tourists to Spain, who prefer them to glass bottles as they weigh much less and thus permit the tourist to bring them back to the UK without as much risk of exceeding their baggage weight allowance. The only problem is that the plastic bottle is significantly more expensive than the glass one, but given the much lower price of alcohol in Spain than in the UK it is still a bargain to the British tourist. For instance, in Spain in January this year I was buying a litre bottle of supermarket brand Gin for 3 euros (currently about £2.75) whereas a litre bottle of supermarket own brand Gin in the UK is about £13. So I suspect that the answer to your question is more to do with the lower freight cost to the manufacturer than the tourist issue. And to me, there is no difference in taste - though other respondents here may disagree. 92.23.7.187 (talk) 23:58, 11 April 2009 (UTC)
 * Follow on question from the above, I didn't know that plastic bottles were more expensive to glass ones, why is that almost all non-alcoholic drinks are mainly sold in plastic bottles rather than glass? It's weird because I tend to associate glass bottles with higher prices (for instance bottled water).MedicRoo (talk) 11:39, 12 April 2009 (UTC)


 * I asked that question in Spain and was told it had to do with current volume economics i.e. traditionally all alcoholic drinks were supplied in glass bottles and many people are still reluctant to switch to plastic, so glass remains the dominant partner and producing plastic bottles is less economic for the manufacturer/distributor, so they pass the additional costs on to the consumer, whereas there is less of such a hardcore tradition in the supply of non-alcoholic drinks so the culture is different, added to which is that people are allowed to carry non-alcoholic drinks and consume them in public places in contrast to alcoholic drinks where that practice is either illegal or frowned upon. 92.23.90.215 (talk) 19:01, 12 April 2009 (UTC)

Site that will show you your picture as the opposite gender
I'm sure there a site where you can upload your picture and it will show you what you look like as the opposite sex.Googling 'photo upload opposite sex' produces several sites,none of which are relevant or pleasant... Lemon martini (talk) 23:52, 11 April 2009 (UTC)
 * The Perception Laboratory's Face Transformer? -- BenRG (talk) 03:03, 12 April 2009 (UTC)
 * That is way cool! When I show my opposite gender self, I actually look like someone I know... scary!--TammyMoet (talk) 10:37, 12 April 2009 (UTC)
 * Cute, but the age regressed photo does not really resemble photos of the same person as a child for the ones I tried. The "person as Manga" and "person as rendered by El Greco and other famous artists" were way cool. Edison (talk) 05:31, 15 April 2009 (UTC)