Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2009 September 4

= September 4 =

highest and lowest elevations in each state
where can find a list of the highest and lowest elevation in each U.S. state? I heard the lowest point in Colorado is still higher than the highest spot in Pennsylvania. is this true. I know Louisiana, Florida are flat but PennsylvaniaPayneham (talk) 01:29, 4 September 2009 (UTC)
 * Whoever told you that is correct. Colorado's lowest point is where the Arikaree River leaves the state, at 3315-ft. Pennsylvania's highest point is Mount Davis, at 3213-ft. Elevation information can be found in each state's article. Xenon54 / talk / 01:43, 4 September 2009 (UTC)
 * See List of U.S. states by elevation. Dismas |(talk) 01:45, 4 September 2009 (UTC)
 * If you want a bound (off-line) source, there are similar tables in, among many other places, the annual editions of the Statistical Abstract of the United States (table no. 363 in the 2003 edition, for example) and the World Almanac and Book of Facts (page 448 in the 2009 edition).
 * There's also a club that tries to visit and document the highest point in each of the more than 3,000 counties of the United States. I consulted their web-site when editing The Bronx, where you can consult the footnotes (or ask me) if you're interested. —— Shakescene (talk) 04:29, 4 September 2009 (UTC)
 * The high point of Manhattan is not mentioned in its article that I can find. Was Hilltop Park on the high point of Manhattan, or was there a higher point? Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc?carrots 05:00, 4 September 2009 (UTC)
 * That's because I added an extra S to the URL (I misremembered it as peakbaggers), and some enterprising cyber-squatter (may they all be machine-gunned before sunrise in front of their disconnected terminals) has exploited the difference. I fixed the URL above. Here's their list of highest peaks in each county of New York state: http://www.peakbagger.com/list.aspx?lid=13319 —— Shakescene (talk) 05:20, 4 September 2009 (UTC)
 * Aha. Thank you! It appears that while Hilltop Park sat on a fairly high point of the island, hence its name, but the true high point is a number of blocks north and west of that site. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 05:27, 4 September 2009 (UTC)
 * I'm guessing some of the counties in Florida (or Iowa for that matter) have the same figure for the high and low points. If you've ever been to Kennedy Space Center, you'll notice that the launchpad is an artificial hill with a channel running through it for the exhaust to dissipate. I was told on the tour that if they had tried to dig a trench on flat ground, it would have filled with groundwater rather quickly. The entire freakin' state is about 3 feet above sea level. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 04:53, 4 September 2009 (UTC)
 * Florida's highest elevation, Britton Hill, is 345 ft. Even the highest points in Rhode Island [Jerimoth Hill, 812 ft] and Mississippi [Woodall Mountain, 806 ft] are more than double that. —— Shakescene (talk) 05:07, 4 September 2009 (UTC)
 * What about Manhattan? Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 05:14, 4 September 2009 (UTC)
 * Yes, indeed, what about Manhattan? I'll have Manhattan, The Bronx and Staten/Island too. (It's lovely going through the zoo.) Her highest point is 245 ft, which is below Britton Hill's peak. See revised URL above. Unfortunately, this particular site doesn't yet list county maximum heights outside the Northeastern U.S. See http://www.peakbagger.com/ListIndx.aspx#1 —— Shakescene (talk) 05:34, 4 September 2009 (UTC)
 * Er, the site actually says 265 ft for Manhattan. To find it on the list, you have to know that Manhattan is the same as New York County or else guess that "Manhattan High Point" refers to the same Manhattan.  (Brooklyn, by the way, is Kings County, and Staten Island is Richmond County.)  The high point is in Bennett Park, approximately in line with 183rd Street. --Anonymous, 07:38 UTC, September 4, 2009.
 * My mistake (my 2nd in the same thread): it is 265 ft (81 m). That error was not from misidentifying Manhattan but just in transcribing the number, most likely when fiddling (unnecessarily in this case) with the "convert" template. Never post when sleepy. —— Shakescene (talk) 20:56, 4 September 2009 (UTC)
 * We have an article on this hobby: Highpointing. --Sean 15:54, 4 September 2009 (UTC)

California's easy: Mount Whitney is the highest, at 14,505 ft (4,421m), and just 76 miles away is Death Valley (-282 ft, or 86m), the lowest point. Both are also the extremes for the Lower 48. DOR (HK) (talk) 08:08, 4 September 2009 (UTC)


 * Hi, low -- it's much squealing for little wool (as the devil said when he sheared the pig) when the state in question is flatter than a pancake. --- OtherDave (talk) 21:52, 4 September 2009 (UTC)
 * And in reference to a section farther down, you know why the prairie is so flat, don't you? Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 22:16, 4 September 2009 (UTC)

jokes
i have always been curious to know that who (makes or)comes up with jokes ,we often hear being circulated through gossips.i even saw some joke books like 1000 funniest jokes. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 115.186.22.171 (talk) 03:48, 4 September 2009 (UTC)


 * Henny Youngman used to say there are no "new" jokes. In any case, one of the earliest joke books was called Joe Miller's Jests, a posthumous collection of jokes by Joe Miller (actor), the Henny Youngman of his day. As to a collection of "funniest" jokes, that's always a matter of opinion. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 03:53, 4 September 2009 (UTC)
 * It might be early, but it is still a newborn compared to the oldest existing collection of jokes. --Saddhiyama (talk) 15:12, 4 September 2009 (UTC)
 * Henny's example was that in ancient Rome, the Emperor, in a rush to get to some destination, said to his slave, "Call me a chariot!" The slave answered, "OK. You're a chariot." Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 04:36, 4 September 2009 (UTC)


 * I once read that jokes are made up by men in prison with lots of time on their hands. I do not believe this is entirely true because I have originated topical jokes myself. Edison (talk) 04:11, 4 September 2009 (UTC)


 * The writers for Your Show of Shows might have agreed with that metaphor. That leads up to the old one that's a bit of a shaggy dog story so I'll keep it short: A prison in which the same jokes circulated so often that they numbered them, and a prisoner would simply say "37!" or "93!" or whatever, and everyone would laugh. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 04:26, 4 September 2009 (UTC)


 * [edit conflict] Bugs, uncharacteristically, has missed (or was never given) the punchline to that joke. My father told it about a pub (or a bar or a club) where a newcomer is surprised by the uproarious and continued laughter when an old-timer shouts out "93!", only to be topped by even greater hilarity when one of his friends immediately responds with "27!". When it's explained (as Bugs did) why the jokes are numbered, and after fifteen or twenty minutes of hearing increasing laughter even when the same number's repeated several times, the newcomer ventures forth "27!" only to be met with stone-cold, dead silence, and finds the same response when he later tries the hitherto surefire chuckle-raiser, "93!". When he asks his host why no one's laughed or even smiled, he's told "it's not the joke itself that's so important, it's the delivery!" —— Shakescene (talk) 04:45, 4 September 2009 (UTC)
 * That would be the shaggy dog version. :) Not too shaggy, but longer than a typical Youngman (or Rodney Dangerfield) offering. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 04:49, 4 September 2009 (UTC)


 * Then someone said, "83!" and there was dead silence. "What happened?", asked a visitor.  "He told it wrong." PhGustaf (talk) 04:32, 4 September 2009 (UTC)
 * The obvious punch line to all this is that under that scenario, an IP address could be a prison monologue. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 04:36, 4 September 2009 (UTC)
 * The alternative ending is the newcomer says "138!", and everyone nearly wets themselves laughing. Why? Because they'd never heard that one before. AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 08:45, 4 September 2009 (UTC)
 * I've also heard it where "45!" isn't met with laughter because it's not suitable for mixed company. Matt Deres (talk) 13:06, 4 September 2009 (UTC)

I wonder if any of this is remotely within the universe of answering Opie's question? Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 04:49, 4 September 2009 (UTC)
 * Taylor-made answers, BB. DOR (HK) (talk) 08:13, 4 September 2009 (UTC)

I suppose the answer is that people come up with jokes. All people from all walks of life. Some people collect them into books. There is no joke factory. Although the Ref desk has a go at times.91.109.206.248 (talk) 08:04, 4 September 2009 (UTC)

Unless you read the short story Jokester by Isaac Asimov..88.96.226.6 (talk) 10:01, 11 September 2009 (UTC)

Comedians, Comedy Writers, Satirists and any Tom, Dick or Harry that thinks up something funny. The Internet was it's own Internet Memes, but it's also (I suspect) responsible for the wider cascading of jokes across nations (though I find suprisingly few topical jokes cross cultural borders). 194.221.133.226 (talk) 08:19, 4 September 2009 (UTC)
 * The previous two answers are the real answers, but Anthony Horowitz wrote The Killing Joke, a novel whose premise is a man who tries to track down the source of a rude joke above his recently deceased mother.
 * As mentioned in the book, jokes are often rewritten. Political jokes switch allegiance, jokes based on celebrity deaths or scandals change names, ethnic jokes change according to which neighbouring regions are considered stingy or stupid. The "World's funniest joke" turned out to have been written by Spike Milligan for The Goon Show, but a version where the stupid hunters were from New Jersey has been seen. AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 08:45, 4 September 2009 (UTC)

I recall reading a story once (I can't remember the details) in which somebody (a scientist, psychologist?) wondered where jokes came from, so did some serious reseach and determined that nobody ever made them up - they were only ever repeated. So then he deduced that they must have been implanted in our brains (or something like that), by aliens or God, or the creator of the virtual world we were all actually living in - and humour was some way of "testing" us or learning about us. When asked what the consequence of us knowing that humour was only an artificial test, he realised that we would never find anything funny again. Sure enough, he never found anything funny after that. Mitch Ames (talk) 10:15, 4 September 2009 (UTC)
 * Multivac says alien origin... this is one of Asimov's robot stories. 128.148.38.26 (talk) 15:21, 4 September 2009 (UTC)
 * For a high-class, philosophical treatment of the subject of "The Jest", there's a segment covering that in Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl. There's a lecture delivered by Graham Chapman, and other Pythoneers demonstrate variations on a jest that it's fair to say could cross all cultural lines. Namely, the Pie in the Face. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 13:21, 4 September 2009 (UTC)
 * That would be the "Comedy Lecture" originally written for Cambridge Circus. The number joke appears in the new novel Wake that I am currently reading. ---— Gadget850 (Ed)  talk 13:58, 4 September 2009 (UTC)
 * A far older joke collection than Joe Miller's Jests mentioned above is Philogelos  meltBanana  15:51, 4 September 2009 (UTC)
 * Very cool. There are a few of its jokes here. What's amusing is that they had Polish jokes even way back then, but they were about Abderites. PhGustaf (talk) 02:54, 5 September 2009 (UTC)

There's a number of places jokes come from. One of the big ones these days is TV comedy writers. Jay Leno/David Letterman/Saturday Night Live/etc. need jokes to tell every night or every week. They have a room filled with comedy writers who spend their days making up jokes. Usually these are the day jobs of stand-up comedians, who create new jokes for their acts. These get broadcast over the television or in comedy clubs. Alternatively, there are some laypeople who come up with jokes or clever comments to tell their friends. Sometimes there are even humorous true events which get retold (Reader's Digest gets a lot of these). The jokes get remembered, and retold the next day, frequently without mentioning where they were heard. The good ones then get passed from person to person. The joke is subject to the Chinese whispers (telephone) effect, as well as shaggy dog story effects from tellers embellishing it. 10-20 years later, people may not even remember where the joke originated, or what the original form was. -- 128.104.112.179 (talk) 20:48, 4 September 2009 (UTC)


 * Sigmund Freud wrote a book: 'Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious' which says that all jokes are based on one of seven basic premises:
 * Absurdity
 * Allusion
 * Analogy
 * Exaggeration
 * Incorrect reasoning
 * Reproach
 * Word-play
 * I'm not convinced of that - I don't see which of those the 'shaggy dog' story ends up in. The canonical shaggy dog story says that some guy is seeking the world's shaggiest dog - the story goes into long and tedious details about how he addresses his search, the troubles he goes to find this dog, etc, etc.  When he finally tracks it down, he looks at it and says: "It's really not all that shaggy." - and that's the end of the joke.
 * There are undoubtedly "joke writers" out there who come up with utterly original jokes - but those evolve through continuous retelling - details get confused - better versions outlast the older versions. It's evolution in action - memetics in fact. SteveBaker (talk) 03:34, 5 September 2009 (UTC)
 * It may be significant that shaggy dog stories and puns are the two main types of joke/humour that normally elicit groans rather than laughter.
 * One theory of humour is that it involves confounded expectations; i.e. the "punchline" of any joke presents something unlike that which the audience might logically or experientially have expected. In the case of the shaggy dog story, the expectation may be that something funny is anticipated, but is not delivered. 87.81.230.195 (talk) 13:52, 5 September 2009 (UTC)
 * It's mostly in the telling and the psychodynamics of the situation. Edison (talk) 04:33, 5 September 2009 (UTC)

Hahah I get it, the Emperor meant fetch me a chariot! Cuddlyable3 (talk) 11:43, 6 September 2009 (UTC)
 * Yes, the original version of the more modern joke, where the man tells his employee, "Call me a taxi!" Hey, I'm not making these up. Blame Dr. Youngman. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 11:58, 6 September 2009 (UTC)
 * My favorite name for a red wine is "Call me a Cab!" DOR (HK) (talk) 03:25, 7 September 2009 (UTC)


 * Regarding what makes people laugh at jokes and what makes jokes funny, there is another kind of humour where the audience laughs to show they understand the wit or 'humour' in the joke often as a way of showing superiority, or what about when people laugh to show that they 'relate' to the joke -- and yes as others point out it can also be about presenting the unexpected. There's another form where you're laughing at someone's reaction to something (often used in situation comedy). There's also sympathy laughter like when a comedian on stage asks a fat person in the audience to stand and congratulations them on their fight against anorexia -- some of the audience laughs to make the fat person feel better - others laugh out of surprise because they didn't expect such an insensetive comment - others laugh to show superiority ("I'm not fat, but you really are!") - others laugh when they see the reaction of the fat person trying to laugh it off when inside they must be pissed off (and by laughing they are saying "I understand the unobvious here: I understand that he's laughing but inside he's dying"). I think humour is a human reaction but it's also a construct - different cultures laugh at different things because it has different roles according to their culture. Rfwoolf (talk) 17:33, 9 September 2009 (UTC)

Las Vegas $10 Gaming Token - 1996 Stratosphere, .999 Fine Silver?
What company minted the Las Vegas 1996 Stratosphere $10 Gaming Token, .999 Fine Silver? —Preceding unsigned comment added by GIANA0904 (talk • contribs) 15:16, 4 September 2009 (UTC)
 * I'm pretty sure it's Global Minting; here is a website dedicated to those "Silver Strike" token collectors. --jpgordon:==( o ) 15:49, 4 September 2009 (UTC)

Something on the end of a howitzer
Can anyone tell me what this is? I was wondering if it was some sort of guidance system, but I don't think so, as it's actually bigger than the tank itself. --KageTora - (영호 (影虎)) (talk) 15:56, 4 September 2009 (UTC)


 * Apparently it's a muffler used during range testing - more photos here. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 16:05, 4 September 2009 (UTC)


 * Here is another one. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 16:10, 4 September 2009 (UTC)


 * And here is a PDF explaining how they work. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 16:13, 4 September 2009 (UTC)


 * Thanks a lot! And it's interesting that you found the exact same picture! --KageTora - (영호 (影虎)) (talk) 16:26, 4 September 2009 (UTC)


 * These two may very well be the only ones there are. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 17:27, 4 September 2009 (UTC)


 * Judging by the shape in the picture the OP posts and the macho nature of war, the object is intended to impress an enemy that size is important. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 09:15, 5 September 2009 (UTC)
 * Let the innuendo flow! Anyway, I've sent an email to the Federal Ministry Of Defence (Germany) asking them what they need a silencer for, because even if the gun is muted, the explosions that the shells will make won't be, so it won't make much difference to nearby residents, etc. I'll keep you all updated if I get a reply. --KageTora - (영호 (影虎)) (talk) 11:14, 5 September 2009 (UTC)
 * It's not uncommon for a modern tank's main gun to have an effective range of 4 to 5 km and up, while self-propelled artillery can have effective ranges of well over 10 km. That's a fair bit of distance between the point where the shell is fired and the spot where it lands &mdash; possibly enough that it will make a difference to the neighbours.  Perhaps more important, for some types of testing one needn't use 'live' rounds of ammunition.  Non-explosive shells don't make quite such a loud bang when they land (and they're somewhat safer for the test personnel), but there's no easy way to similarly eliminate the propellant charge.  Making the initial firing quieter may make the neighbours happier in such a circumstance &mdash; or at least save the test crew from having to set up quite so far away from the base.  From an occupational health and safety standpoint, the muffler probably also provides some valuable protection to the technical crew who are developing and testing the guns.  Exposing the test crew – especially their ears – to slightly less sound is probably a good idea if they're working on these projects for years on end.  TenOfAllTrades(talk) 13:46, 5 September 2009 (UTC)


 * That makes sense. --KageTora - (영호 (影虎)) (talk) 14:24, 5 September 2009 (UTC)
 * What I don't understand is why it has to be camoflaged?!? SteveBaker (talk) 14:36, 6 September 2009 (UTC)
 * Maybe it's a remnant from the Cold War. If the Soviets invaded West Germany, the Germans would want to fire back. They would need the camouflage to remain hidden from the enemy and the silencer so as not to wake the neighbours. Stands to reason. --KageTora - (영호 (影虎)) (talk) 14:44, 6 September 2009 (UTC)
 * Ah - I was assuming that the silencer didn't work worth a damn and they had to camoflage it to prevent angry neighbours from finding out where all the goddamn noise was coming from. SteveBaker (talk) 17:04, 6 September 2009 (UTC)

"African" Font Question
Why is this font in the title of this poster used so often in posters about Africa and what font is it? --KageTora - (영호 (影虎)) (talk) 19:36, 4 September 2009 (UTC)


 * I can't identify the font at a glance, but I think what you're seeing is not one font used for African topics but a family of roughly-similar-looking typefaces from which some designers draw to suggest the carving of letters on wood. Three examples of similar fonts from a defunct computer of mine are Bremen, Lithograph and Showcard Gothic. —— Shakescene (talk) 20:44, 4 September 2009 (UTC)


 * Thanks. I have Showcard Gothic on Word 2007, and it does look very similar, though not exactly the same. The other two I don't have. I'll keep looking around. --KageTora - (영호 (影虎)) (talk) 22:00, 4 September 2009 (UTC)


 * If that map comes from the Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia Africana, the typeface might be one especially commissioned for that work. I know that, as it was being created in the early 1990's, the compilers commissioned a graphic design firm to draw 300 new maps specifically for the Encyclopedia. —— Shakescene (talk) 23:21, 4 September 2009 (UTC)

I tried http://www.identifont.com on it. It asked 17 questions and then presented a list of 30 best matches, of which the 3rd and 4th were correct. The font is Lithos, which was inspired by ancient Greek inscriptions carved in stone and gives a "primitive" feel that some might think appropriate for Africa. --Anonymous, 23:33 UTC, September 4, 2009.


 * That's the one! Thanks! --KageTora - (영호 (影虎)) (talk) 23:44, 4 September 2009 (UTC)


 * One paragraph in the Lithos article seems rather à propos of your question and my response:"Publications associated with African, African Americans and Southwestern cultures have used Lithos for its 'ethnic' feel, even if it is the wrong ethnicity. Lithos has also become something of a generic stand-in whenever a 'primitive' feel is desired. For this reason, Lithos has been compared to Rudolf Koch's typeface, Neuland, which was originally intended to be a modern reinterpretation of blackletter, but received similarly broad use." —— Shakescene (talk) 00:31, 5 September 2009 (UTC)


 * I happen to have been one of the editorial leads on Encyclopedia Africana, which was partly funded by Microsoft and published digitally as an Encarta product. The encylopedia was created in the late 1990s, not the early 1990s.  I should know, as I helped to create it.  I am unaware of any special graphic design done for project maps.  I am certain that the maps for the Encarta product were done by Microsoft's in-house cartography division at the time, since spun off as part of Expedia, Inc..  I don't understand the basis for Shakescene's claim above about Africana.  Marco polo (talk) 01:46, 5 September 2009 (UTC)


 * I wasn't trying to make any special claims or points about the Encyclopedia Africana, and I'm glad to have my chronology corrected. I remember an informal presentation at the Rhode Island School of Design by a graphic designer who said his (or her) team or firm had been asked to draw several hundred maps for the Encyclopedia, which had not yet been published, and showed several examples of their work. (Perhaps, in the end, Microsoft decided to use an in-house team of cartographers or designers instead or in addition.) The only reason I brought this up was the possibility that the example offered by KageTora looked as if it might have come from the Africana (although looking at the URL in edit mode that isn't visible on screen, I now see that's unlikely), and I was hypothesising that if the Encyclopedia were creating or commissioning its own maps, then perhaps it might also order a new typeface (at least for titles and display) to fit the new project. But the typeface is Lithos (originally commissioned in 1989 by Adobe Systems), and the map is likely not from the Encyclopedia Africana, so neither premise turned out true.—— Shakescene (talk) 06:18, 5 September 2009 (UTC)
 * And blowing up that map several times to readable size, I see that it's from the Outreach Program of the African Studies Center at Boston University, whose trustees claim the copyright. The other typeface used in the map is Gill Sans (a sans-serif font designed by Eric Gill). —— Shakescene (talk) 06:54, 5 September 2009 (UTC)

I actually like the font, which is one reason I was asking. Anyway, I've found a site here where it can be downloaded. Thanks for all your help, guys! --KageTora - (영호 (影虎)) (talk) 11:20, 5 September 2009 (UTC)

The Topic of Chick Culling
I've heard alot of disturbing things about this practice, something I was not made aware of until recently, and all centered around the eggs that I eat. Now, I'm not saying we should stop eating eggs, but I think we can enjoy an omlett or two without mindlessly killing newborn chicks! My question is this: is there anything being done about this? Where can I go to speak out against it and what can be done that'll make some kind of difference against this practice? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.202.139.241 (talk) 21:36, 4 September 2009 (UTC)
 * You could look into joining PETA, which opposes farm animals as well as research animals, seeing eye dogs, zoo animals, and pets. You could promote Veganism. You could start a shelter for the male chicks who are killed soon after hatching, and cherish millions of roosters who would greet you each morning. The hatcheries say they would be happy to give them away. Certainly they cannot lay eggs, and apparently they are less desirable as meat producers, since the meat is said to be stringy. You could go to work castrating them to make Capons, which are prized for their tenderness. Edison (talk) 23:52, 4 September 2009 (UTC)
 * If this is what it sounds like, maybe you'd like to know that hatcheries like Murray McMurray give away their male chicks with every order of chicks. If you order 25, they'll send you a free "mystery chick".  Every time I've ordered, it's a male.  Also, if you don't order a lot of 25 birds, they include males until your order has a multiple of 25 birds.  That's how we once ended up with 18 roosters.  Didn't make that mistake again!   Dismas |(talk) 02:13, 5 September 2009 (UTC)
 * Are you wanting to advocate somewhere that the percentage of males among the embryos should be lower, i.e. that almost all the chicks should hatch out as female? Then there would be no unwanted roosters to kill. If they are to be killed, then quicker is probably kinder. Edison (talk) 04:19, 5 September 2009 (UTC)
 * Being killed as chicks is pretty far down the list of cruelties that factory chickens endure -- debeaking, tiny cages, overcrowding, and unnatural conditions are lifelong torments inflicted on them. Just buy your eggs from a local small-scale farmer and they'll have come from chickens living many times more humanely than what you buy in the grocery store.  Not perfect, but at least not a torture chamber.  Better yet, raise your own; they're great fun!  --Sean 15:30, 5 September 2009 (UTC)

Surely eggs sold for consumption are unfertilised?86.200.130.198 (talk) 15:27, 5 September 2009 (UTC)DT
 * Yes, they are. The eggs in question come from a totally different production line that are intended to be hatched to make the next generation of chickens.  Since the male chicks are useless as egg layers - and not much good for meat - they are culled.
 * Indeed. Here is a video of a chick-dispatching machine.  --Sean 15:45, 5 September 2009 (UTC)
 * The site also links to "Dixie Chicks," "Chicks wrestling in panties," and "Meet sexy girls in your area." Edison (talk) 04:11, 6 September 2009 (UTC)

I know all about chick culling. It's called the Miss USA Pageant. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 18:27, 5 September 2009 (UTC)

I have a quick question
I`am an aspiring screenwriter, writing a screenplay about a young female college student who the devil gets to paint,his interpretation of the bible. On the walls of Her house. My question is basically how do you say the words DEVIL`S HOUSE in Latin. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Yeats58 (talk • contribs) 22:23, 4 September 2009 (UTC)


 * Being a mere latinitaster, I will not attempt an answer. But I do have a quick response: If you titled one of your screenplays "Screenplay", would anyone have any idea what it's about?  No?  Then please do not tell us that your question is a question.  Instead, use some brief words that give some clue to what the question is about.  --  JackofOz (talk) 22:30, 4 September 2009 (UTC)


 * For clarity: Jack is complaining about the section title "I have a quick question". --Anon, 23:34 UTC, September 4, 2009. (Edited later for, uh, clarity.)


 * Villa diaboli. I think.  --Saalstin (talk) 22:38, 4 September 2009 (UTC)
 * Maybe 'aedes diaboli'?Duomillia (talk) 23:23, 4 September 2009 (UTC)
 * There are several Latin words for house or home. "Domus" is perhaps the most basic one; I'd go with "domus diaboli".  (The use of the letter U and lower-case letters is the usual modern practice; in ancient Rome they would have written "DOMVS DIABOLI"). By the way, there is a separate Language reference desk which would have been a good place for this question. --Anon, 23:34 UTC, September 4, 2009.
 * "Domus diaboli" is also a medieval way of referring to the physical world...in case you were wondering. Adam Bishop (talk) 03:01, 5 September 2009 (UTC)

I release the following screenplay under GFDL Reel #1. Female student is sleeping uneasily, fade to the dream she is having. She stands in a field and a knight in shining armour on a white horse approaches. She smiles in welcome but her expression turns to horror as the horse turns to black and gallops towards her. She runs but the thundering hooves will run her down.... She wakes, it was a nightmare. Reel #2. She gets out of bed and finds her house walls are daubed with horrific grafitti painted in blood. Who could have invaded her house and done this? She phones the police to report an intruder and they advise her to order new doorlocks, which she does. Reel #3. The nightmare happens again but this time the black knight half opens his visor before she wakes up. More and worse grafitti appears on her walls. Now the girl is desperate. Reel #4. She notices that the bloody grafitti is everywhere except where she keeps a photograph of a young man wearing a priest's collar. We learn (voice over) that this was her fiance who abandoned her to become a celibate priest. Reel #5. She goes to bed and this time she prepares for the dream by putting the photograph of the priest under her pillow. The nightmare begins again. The black knight appears. This time she does not run and defies him to open his visor. When he open his visor he is revealed to be.... (If you aspire to be a screenwriter then completing this tale will be good exercise.) As the student cast Reese Witherspoon unless you can interest Meg Ryan. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 08:48, 5 September 2009 (UTC)
 * ...revealed to be Marty Feldman.....--KageTora - (영호 (影虎)) (talk) 14:36, 5 September 2009 (UTC)
 * Meg Ryan as the student? Disbelief can only be suspended so far! Adam Bishop (talk) 07:39, 6 September 2009 (UTC)

Due to translations not always making sense - i would ask for various diffrent translations wording could be along the lines of Evil House - house of Evil- Devil's House of course being one of them. Going to google and asking for a Latin To English translation should give you a free site that you can experiment with the best wordingChromagnum (talk) 08:11, 8 September 2009 (UTC)