User talk:WillowW/Archive15

TYK

Thank you kindly for your generous praise. Can I start calling you Matt Groening now, since you're the animation wiz of WP all of a sudden? =) Cheers. – Scartol • Tok 12:46, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

PS. It's nice to see I'm not the only one getting up insanely early on a Saturday.

Hi, Scartol, and you're welcome for the Congratulations dealie. ;) I tend to get up early because my kitties are rather insistent about their mealtimes, and I love watching dawn coming up over my garden (or a frozen tundra, as the season may be). ;) I also like being awake when the first birds start singing, although nowadays they're just darting to my feeders to get some choice safflower seeds to keep warm. Brrr!

Being called MG would be high praise, especially since I like Lisa Simpson and Leela a lot. :) But I'm still just getting my bearings with Blender, and honestly don't know if I ever will. I'm gradually learning what it can do, but I don't know what it should do; what colors should I choose, what camera angles, the choices are unfortunately as endless as the possibilities. I feel like a child blessed with an incredibly powerful toy. Moi, je n'ai pas la moindre idée, Willow (talk) 13:02, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

I know what you mean – I did some work with Bryce once upon a time, and it was always so hard to figure out which of the 17,000,000,000 options to use on a given image. I once dreamed up an animation project with that program, but it never happened. I tend to move quickly from project to project. Hopefully my WikiAddiction won't fade away anytime soon! Cheers. – Scartol • Tok 18:19, 2 February 2008 (UTC)

Misprint: Change "... le moindre idee" to "...la moindre idée", as "idée" is a feminine word; On dit une idée. Nice talk page; thanks for editing after my edit. Vql (talk) 18:01, 6 February 2008 (UTC)

Vous etes tres bienvenu ici, M. Professeur! Et bienvenue aussi au Wikipedia anglais! :) Je suis tres enchantée de faire votre connaissance, et tres heureuse que vous m'avez corrigé; tristement, je ne parle pas bien francais, comme vous avez deja vu, et je n'ai pas la moindre espérance que je l'apprendrai. :( Mais — on doit se débrouiller, et j'essaye de practiquer quand je peux. A un de ces jours, et merci aussi pour tous les additions aux articles de la mécanique statistique, :) Willow (talk) 21:03, 6 February 2008 (UTC)

Einstein list

Hi. I responded to your query at Wikipedia talk:Featured lists. (You may have given up waiting for input there...) --Orlady (talk) 23:34, 3 February 2008 (UTC)

Thank you, Orlady! :) I replied over there. Willow (talk) 02:00, 4 February 2008 (UTC)

Hello

How's it going? Ƿōdenhelm (talk) 13:45, 4 February 2008 (UTC)

Help with Featured List

Generally, we try to limit the WT:FL page to questions about the process, and it really isn't the place to ask for reviews. Because of this, I moved the discussion here. -- Scorpion⁰⁴²² 14:54, 4 February 2008 (UTC)

Hi, I've never really worked with lists on Wikipedia before, so I would be grateful for help and advice on bringing List of scientific writings of Albert Einstein to FL status. The difficult part seems done, as I believe that the list now gives all of his scientific publications, both in books and journals, together with the translations that appeared in his lifetime, in chronological order. Here are some issues that are vexing me:

• Should I split the list into journal articles, books and translations?

Umm, I did this already. :) Willow (talk) 01:42, 4 February 2008 (UTC)

• (trivial?) I put all the publications in the citation template format, for the convenience of people who would like to cite these works on Wikipedia. Unfortunately, there seem to be too many references (~320); the last four or so don't render now. I could write a computer program to transform them all into a sortable table, with each field being a different column, but that seems a little like overkill? One advantage of the table approach is that I could add a column for classifying and sorting the publications by subject, e.g., special relativity, general relativity, statistical mechanics, quantum theory, etc.

Umm, I did this already, too. Although possibly convenient for other Wikipedians, the citation templates couldn't be used because there were too many. Being able to sort by date and subject in the new table is also a win. :) Willow (talk) 01:42, 4 February 2008 (UTC)

The ability to sort by date and topic is definitely a plus. --Orlady (talk) 03:01, 4 February 2008 (UTC)

• I realize that I need to add explanatory text, to put the information in context. I can definitely write a lead section describing roughly the types of publications that Einstein wrote and why they're important. But it'd be also nice to have separate sections for each type, e.g., general relativity publications, describing in more detail what Einstein accomplished in that field. But to do that, it seems like I would have to break up the list into those sections? One solution might be to keep my present chronological indexing as a column in the table; however, that doesn't show at a glance the variety of topics that Einstein worked on in a given time period, e.g., 1910-1916.

I'm sure that there's much more needed to bring this list to FL status; any suggestions would be most welcome! :) Willow (talk) 06:28, 9 January 2008 (UTC)

It looks like you have done much good work on this article! I have several comments and questions:

Thank you so much, M'lady! I'll try to do follow your excellent suggestions throughout. I've added a few notes and questions below; your thoughts would be very welcome. :) Willow (talk) 01:42, 4 February 2008 (UTC)

• • The introductory part should be written as prose, not as a series of bullets. In this article, I would expect the intro to include information on his total number of publications. This also could be a place to discuss his productivity in different time periods. (Information on the scientific publication process -- particularly his pubs -- seems more important to have there than information on his scientific contributions.)

I wrote it originally in prose, but it was a daunting Wall of Text, even for me, who's spent some months reading up on Albert Einstein. I split it into bullet points to help the casual reader digest it. What would you suggest? Willow (talk) 01:42, 4 February 2008 (UTC)

• • The article would benefit from internal links to articles such as Scientific journal and Peer review.
  • The centered subheadings in front of the tables, such as Albert Einstein's scientific book chapters, are unneeded and bit distracting.
  • What is the source and meaning of the Index numbers in the first columns? Are they needed? (Is that column needed?) If the Index numbers are important, provide a note explaining them and their source.

The numbers are from the Schilpp reference cited at the bottom, with the exception of the last six or so, which I added in sequence (Schilpp's book was published in 1950, before Einstein died.) The Index numbers help with the cross-referencing, e.g., "translation of publication #239 above". Is there a better way of internally wiki-linking within a single page? Willow (talk) 01:42, 4 February 2008 (UTC)

Cool. All that's needed is a footnote.--Orlady (talk) 03:01, 4 February 2008 (UTC)

• • In the table of scientific journal articles, there is no value in having separate columns for journal name, volume number, and page numbers. These should be in a single column. (This will provide more space for the title and notes.)
  • Under Book chapters, Books and Personally authorized translations, I think that publisher name and city could go into one column, but you may have reasons for keeping them separate.

The main reasons for these separations were sorting and the possibility that other Wikipedians might write a special computer program to make citation templates automatically. These seem like minor advantages, though, and I definitely see the value of combining them. Willow (talk) 01:42, 4 February 2008 (UTC)

I can't speak for all users, but I can't imagine much interest in sorting by both publisher name and city. If they are combined in one column, that column might as well be sortable, though. --Orlady (talk) 03:01, 4 February 2008 (UTC)

• • Who assigned the classifications to each item, such as Intermolecular forces, Special relativity, and Specific heats? If this is from somebody's analysis, cite the source.

I assigned them, although the classification is almost always part of the title itself. I can also link to various biographies that mention this-or-that paper specifically, e.g., the one by Abraham Pais. It would be exhausting to find and cite a referenced analysis of every one of his 300+ works, but I'm willing to do it if it's necessary. Willow (talk) 01:42, 4 February 2008 (UTC)

• • Under Book chapters, move the page numbers into either the column for the chapter name or the column for the notes. Page numbers do not need to have their own column (and certainly it does not need to be sortable!)

• • Also under Book chapters, consider combining the book author and title into one column. (Or maybe combine Author, title, publisher and publication location into one column...)

--Orlady (talk) 23:27, 3 February 2008 (UTC)

Greetings

the Eye in Wikipedia ;)

Just thought I'd leave a note to say how much I enjoyed reading your user page. It has an engaging mixture of personality, content and downright whimsy that I found very charming ;) Looking forward to working with you on the FA-Team! EyeSerene^TALK 19:21, 4 February 2008 (UTC)

Hi Eye!

You leave really delightful messages! I just looked over your userpage, and you seem very cool, thoughtful and interesting; I think we're going to have a lot of fun with everyone on the FA-Team, don't you agree? But I need to find an old episode on YouTube, so that I get all the jokes. ;) Was the A-Team a military group, or maybe ex-military? If so, then I could say, "Aye, aye, Eye!" ;) Ai-yai, Willow (talk) 19:35, 4 February 2008 (UTC)

I can't resist to join the company of two great Wikipedians! Speaking of Wikipedia, our article does a pretty good job of summarising what the A-Team was about (it is linked from the "citation needed" tag on the FA-Team page). I also think the FA-Team is going to be a lot of fun... Geometry guy 20:24, 4 February 2008 (UTC)

Yes it will; I'm really looking forward to working with such quality editors! BTW Willow, you get the Smarties for the most synonyms of 'eye' in a single post :D I like that pic too... This site is pretty good on the A-Team too, and nostalgic for those of us thirty-somethings that, unfortunately, are old enough to remember it first time around :P EyeSerene^TALK 21:09, 4 February 2008 (UTC) PS I also tend to overuse emoticons, but no apologies for that!

Yeay, this is fun already! :) I should ask the expert: how do you make an emoticon for rolling your eyes? I find myself often needing that, especially when talking of my latest glitch. ;)

I started reading up on the A-Team; umm, not many female role models there, are there? Tia Carrere is good, though, I really liked her character in Lilo and Stitch, which I'll confess is one of my favorite movies. :) Someday I'll go to Kauai, and visit Mother Nature at home. Willow (talk) 21:34, 4 February 2008 (UTC)

PS. A shiny, pretty picture will be going up soon. :)

Nice spheroids! Lets blow up them prolated surfaces!

Oh dear, I seem to be letting the A-Team attitude get to me...

Yes, it was a very sexist set-up, from the production to the output, but for me, with a tongue-in-cheek, laugh at yourself (if you are male), laugh at the 1970s and 1980s (whoever you are) attitude, this adds to the fun 8-| Geometry guy 22:27, 4 February 2008 (UTC)

I have been watching Star Trek: The Original Series recently. It also has an (ahem) sexist foundation. It is really only so funny though. Particularly when you watch Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. It is only at certain times that the later shows seem "progressive" - much of the foundational sexism remains. However, this is really a larger discussion about science fiction, I think. :) Awadewit | talk 22:36, 4 February 2008 (UTC)

Have you heard the joke about how many members of the Starship Enterprise does it take to change a lightbulb?

Nevermind, I'm nostalgic now for the good old days, when "men were men, women were women, and small furry brown creatures from Alpha Centauri were small furry brown creatures from Alpha Centauri" :) Geometry guy 23:12, 4 February 2008 (UTC)

Hi Awadewit and welcome to the party! :) I have to leave soon, but you'll all find various refreshments laid out for your enjoyment. ;) I hope to come home to a fuller Talk page, rich with witty banter. :)

I'm stuck trying to understand and illustrate conical coordinates, but I took a few moments to look for a good action-related heroine role-model. ;) I'm sure that I've seen at least one genius-level scientist, computer hacker, electronics expert, safe-cracker, encryption goddess, engineering sorceress, accomplished fencer, deadly archer, martial artist, willowy fashion plate, charming raconteuse, think-what-she-would-do-if-she-were-evil kind of heroine at the movies — but I can't remember where? She seems like such a good stock character that she has to have appeared somewhere. After a quick search, Emma Peel seems pretty good (despite the regrettable name <eye-rolling emoticon>), but can anyone think of an even better heroine? Willow (talk) 23:03, 4 February 2008 (UTC)

It sounds like you want a combination of Alice (Resident Evil), Ripley (Alien), Peter Jackson's version of Arwen (LOTR), Lara Croft, and Nigella Lawson ;) Hmmm... actually, if you know anyone like that... Gguy, if you're going to bring up Knight Rider, Airwolf, Battlestar Galactica, the Dukes of Hazzard or Buck Rodgers, I'd appreciate fair warning. I can put some Spandau Ballet on the stereo and dig out my Rubik's Cube to get into the mood ;) EyeSerene^TALK 16:57, 5 February 2008 (UTC) Correction: I meant homophones of course, not synonyms, in my earlier comment. If we had a blushing emoticon, I'd be inserting one about now :P

• What about the Smurfs? An odd social arrangement there, too, eh? :) Awadewit | talk 17:05, 5 February 2008 (UTC)

Odd indeed, although I always saw the Smurfs as a role model for Marx's "Communist Manifesto". Witness their simple agrarian existence, living in the woods in a happy worker's collective of the proletariat, with no bourgeoisie to exploit their efforts, and each contributing according to his ability and taking according to his need. Or maybe they were just a cult. EyeSerene^TALK 17:34, 5 February 2008 (UTC)

So many threads to choose from! :) Please don't get me started on Smurfette (shudder). And thank you for the reminder of the Hitchhiker's Guide; when Filll offered to question me, I almost wrote back that my answers were "42" and "what is 9 times 6?" ;)

Thanks for your helpful list, Eye! After I wrote, I thought of Leeloo from The Fifth Element and other magical girlfriends; but what I'm looking for is a human heroine. Ripley and Lara Croft are pretty good, but they seem to be defined mainly by their grit and fierce fighting, rather than their intelligence? Instead, I'm thinking more of someone human but supremely talented, who's clever enough to avoid most fights, someone with elegant solutions. (Bugs Bunny in drag doesn't count.) I feel sure that I've seen such a character, and even thought she was a stock character; but I honestly can't think of a movie where she appears. It's frustrating because my memory is usually pretty good. On the other hand, I haven't seen that many action movies, so perhaps I got a mistaken impression. Willow (talk) 17:45, 5 February 2008 (UTC)

Lol, well, you've stumped me, unless Dana Scully fits the bill? Thanks for the Bugs Bunny in drag image BTW - that'll take a while to scar over ;) EyeSerene^TALK 18:10, 5 February 2008 (UTC)

I've been trying to resist this suggestion all day, but I give in after EyeSerene's painfully insightful list of all the rubbish TV I watched as a teenager. So here it is: how about Penelope Pitstop? A 1950s superheroine transplanted into the wrong decade, perhaps? But she always comes out on top and outwits the failure of a moustache-stroking villain that is Dick Dastardly (and his poor long suffering sidekick Muttley). :-) Geometry guy 20:48, 5 February 2008 (UTC)

Thank you

		My RfA
		Thank you very much, Willow, for your support in my RfA which I really appreciate. It closed at 83/0/0. I was surprised by the unanimity and will do my best to live up to the new role. All the best, --ROGER DAVIES talk 16:49, 5 February 2008 (UTC) The patio at the Partal Palace in the Alhambra, Andalucia.

Congratulations, ROGER! It was abundantly deserved. :) Willow (talk) 17:47, 5 February 2008 (UTC)

FA-Team and first mission (MMM)

Dear Willow of Wikipedia,

Many thanks for volunteering to join the FA-Team. We now have a first mission, to help the Murder, Madness and Mayhem WikiProject improve twelve articles towards featured article status. These articles are really interesting, and the person in charge of WP:MMM is enthusiastic about our support, so this mission should be a real pleasure. Please watchlist the mission page and the WikiProject page as well as some (or all) of the twelve articles. The students contributing to these articles are all new to Wikipedia, so please be ultra-friendly towards them.

The coordinator for this mission is Wrad (talk), who may suggest further ways in which you can help. I will provide back-up. In particular, it might be useful for you to indicate which of the twelve articles interest you most (or which ones you are watchlisting) on the mission page.

Thanks again for joining in. I think this will be a lot of fun for all of us, and hopefully we can make it fun for the students too and create a few more featured articles between now and April. Geometry guy 22:01, 5 February 2008 (UTC)

I'm on it, chief! Too bad that Like Water for Chocolate wasn't on the list, or some of Gabriel Garcia Marquez' earlier, love-centric works, which I know better. Oh, by the way, I think I'm finally understanding the Gergonne solution to Apollonius' problem — yeay! :) There's still a lot to fix there, though. :( Willow (talk) 02:35, 6 February 2008 (UTC)

With you in mind

Weavings for the weaver

Hey best friend, I know you're all into weaving and whatnot, so I thought I'd let you know about the page I started today on tais, the traditional textile dealie in East Timor. Alas, I don't know much about the world of weaving, so although this is merely FYI and a friendly "Hello, thought this might be of interest", I trust you'll let me know if I've made any boneheaded errors as I flesh it out into something worthy of a DYK. (Right now I'm about halfway done with what I plan to add to it.) Cheers! – Scartol • Tok 15:33, 7 February 2008 (UTC)

Hey Scartol,

What a wonderful surprise! :D That was really thoughtful of you, and it was great to have something so fun and colorful on my Talk page. They are beautiful, aren't they? They also sparked my curiosity, especially about the technical details of tais feto weaving. I'm not that good a weaver, though; I appreciate the art, but I've only done a few things, just, you know, to round out my education. I'm much better at another sort of weaving.  ;) Another question I had about tais was whether there's any gender distinction in the types of decorations, e.g., crocodiles are seen only on men's tais, that sort of thing? Thank you again very much, and I'll delve into it once I finish off my fascination with circles, Willow (talk) 17:39, 7 February 2008 (UTC)

PS. Foolishly or no, I'm engaged to help with some people and works of Latin American literature, such as Gabriel Garcia Marquez and The General in his Labyrinth. I'm more a fan of Borges and Laura Esquivel, but, unfortunately, they're not on the list. :( Can I call on your help once in a while? You're so good with those sorts of articles. :) Willow (talk) 17:39, 7 February 2008 (UTC)

I'd be glad to take a look, but I've not got much time right now. As for circles, you've said the magic word. I always quote the line about "Our life is an apprenticeship to the truth..." to my students at the end of every semester. I don't know about specific designs related to certain wearers, but who knows what I'll find in this dissertation I'm currently reading? Cheers. – Scartol • Tok 18:38, 7 February 2008 (UTC)

Peer review of Huldrych Zwingli

Hello WillowW! I was looking for a peer reviewer in the volunteers list. The articles I write do not attract much interest from the community :-( but I was very fortunate that an enthusiastic Awadewit reviewed my last FA. It got me interested in writing articles again. She is quite busy with her dissertation, of course. Her recommended colleagues like Scartol and Roger Davies are also equally busy from what I see on their talk pages. I saw your name and I noticed you are quite polyvalent (not the chemical meaning, in French it kind of means "jack-of-all-trades"). I was wondering if you might be able to help? My apologies for the dry boring prose though. --RelHistBuff (talk) 09:37, 8 February 2008 (UTC)

Hi, I'd be glad to, RelHistBuff! I've always wanted to learn more about Zwingli, whom I know mainly by name; I'm a big fan of Erasmus, though. :) Could you wait a day or two? I have a lot of things that I need to do today in the real world, and I also need to fix one of my pet articles, so that it doesn't lead people astray. Plus, there are one or two other wiki-promises that I need to finish off as well. Thanks for being patient — the article looks good already, from my initial look! :) Willow (talk) 16:57, 8 February 2008 (UTC)

Many thanks! In fact, please take your time. Next week I will be out in any case and I will probably not have internet access. So if you start a week from now that will be fine. My apologies for commenting, but your user page amazes me. Looking at your physics contributions brings back memories of my grad school courses! --RelHistBuff (talk) 17:35, 8 February 2008 (UTC)

Hello again. Just was wondering if you are free for the review. As you can see, two have commented so I modified the article here and there. If you are busy, then no problem. I will try to find someone else. In any case, please vote (up or down) when it finally gets to the FAC queue. Thanks. --RelHistBuff (talk) 12:55, 21 February 2008 (UTC)

Hi RHB,

You and Zwingli have never been far from my mind, although I allowed myself to be lazy and not work on your article until you got back — sorry! I'll try to review your article today. :) Nonetheless, that shouldn't discourage you from recruiting other people to help; the more eyes, the better and the merrier, methinks. :) Willow (talk) 15:21, 21 February 2008 (UTC)

Yes, I made a "reservation" with Roger Davies to take a look although he said he won't be free until the Ides of March. I might ask him to join in a little earlier because my library books are due soon. I'd like to have access to them during FAC, just in case. --RelHistBuff (talk) 15:41, 21 February 2008 (UTC)

Many thanks or vielen Dank/merci beaucoup/grazie as they would say in Switzerland (I don't know how to say it in Rumantsch off the top of my head). It's a little country, but with characters like Zwingli along with Jean Calvin and Henri Dunant, it has made a big impact on the rest of us, no? I will be responding to your comments on the talk page. Freundliche Grüße. --RelHistBuff (talk) 08:01, 22 February 2008 (UTC)

Druf hasch De eckt "geschwyzt", ken Späßle. ;) Bisch en gescheetle Jung und nött, wie der gude Zwingeli. Willow (talk) 09:39, 23 February 2008 (UTC)

Thanks!

Dear WillowW, thank you for your message, i hope i am editing this talk page correctly, geez, it all seems so new and strange! OK, i will post my article next week, as soon as i get back from a trade show i am going to (or maybe even while i am there! i dont have events in the evenings...) and i will contact you to let you know. There are a couple of facts and dates i want to check out for sure before i post anything where others can see it. you are right, the article is mostly written. I have written lots of magazine articles and a book, so I am used to the writing part, just not the technical part here, and the Rules! (thanks for permission to ignore them, hahaha) I have a bunch of cool photos to put up, too, they are all over 50 years old, so i think are in the pub domain. thanks for leaving the great piping bouguereau for me! i love it!

If i didnt post this correctly can you let me know? thanks! MB

Hey Mimi!

Your enthusiasm is so infectious, I'm grinning from ear to ear! :D I'm really glad that you liked the Bouguereau, although I thought it was a pretty safe bet. ;)

I'm really looking forward to reading your article! I'll try to read up on when photographs enter the public domain; they're definitely so if they're from before 1923, but I'm not sure otherwise. But they're some of the best ways of livening up an article, aren't they? :) We ought to be able to find a way to include them.

You did fine in posting, but usually people put their messages at the end? It doesn't really matter, and maybe someday I'll make everyone write to me topsy-turvy. ;) Tip of the Day: you can make those section headings with two equal signs on either side of your heading. :)

I wish you tons of luck at the trade show; I hope people are swarming around your work. :) Willow (talk) 18:02, 9 February 2008 (UTC)

Hi Willow , uh-oh, i dont know what i did to make my post be in the topsy turvey place (you are very generous to not say "wrong" lol! i guess that is why everyone here luvs you so much! your good attitude!) i am not even sure if i posted this part right or not. anyway I went to my dixie page and wow it was magically perfected! YAY! beeeeee-yuuuuuu-teeeee-ful!! i figured out how to look at who fixed it and i saw you there, so i guess you are my magical pixie, thanks! this is pretty cool, how the pixies romp around this wiki-land to prettify everything up, YAY! now i am not sure how to go about finding out how i can use my photos. i have a few photos of the tap dancer dixie. she actually loaned them to me to scan in. i have her permission to use them. the photographers are long dead, most photos are from 1940-1948, and she said she has used these same photos over the years (gave them to whatever newspaper or magazine was interviewing her to use) ... so that seems to be the nature of these photos, to be used to illustrate her. is there some photo copyright whiz here that i can ask? i did post a question but i didnt get a very encouraging answer: [[1]] i am hoping if the photographer is dead, that dixie herself can write a permission for the use of the photos. whew, this is a big learning curve for me but i am encouraged to see my pretty page! thanks for your sprinkling of magic pixie dust, *twinkle twinkle*

-)

MimiBelle (talk) 02:52, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

MORE -( i keep posting to this one because I am not sure how to do it otherwise.) I don't see an edit link to click on for the first portion of my page, the part before Early Life, how do i find that? (It now indicates that Elmhurst is in upstate NY, but actually it is in Queens, so i should fix that.) thanks a million! a zillion! MimiBelle (talk) 03:39, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

a little animation goes a long way

just a note to say lovely animation and explanation of what a sundial does. Being picky I'd liked it a bit slower, but then a person looking for an understanding of sundials might not sit there and watch. The problem is in my head there are other things that could be added; for example a clock face with corresponding movements to the shadow, or one that shows the created time does not always follow sun time. But now I am being silly. Lovely bit of work, thanks. Edmund Patrick ( ^confer _work) 07:26, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

Thank you, Edmund!  :)

I have to confess, I've always loved your name, because of its associations with the young Mr. Bertram of Mansfield Park. You should thank your parents! :)

The sundial animation was one of my earliest, and I have high hopes to improve it, since I've learned a lot since then. I'm toying with the idea of making an animation for every major type of sundial, from a mockup of the Samrat Yantra to the sadly neglected Lambert dial. But I'm not that good with aesthetics, you know? I have a hard time knowing what colors or camera angles to use, and all that sort of thing. :P Please send me any wishes or suggestions you have; my poor imagination doesn't stretch very far, so I would be truly grateful for any ideas you had. It's pretty easy to do multiple drafts of a sundial animation until we get them right. Thanks, Edmund! :) Willow (talk) 08:12, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

re:Domestic sheep

Thanks for your kind words. Actually, this evening I plan on adding some side bits about sheep activities and products: including showing/4-H, soap/candlemaking, ram stud service, and "mowing" rentals. I do not work with sheep, I'm a city boy in the heart of Portland, Oregon. I do aspire to keep a flock one day though. As for what's next, I may take another sheep breed article to GA. I may also go on to the Goat article, which is only slightly better than the sheep article was originally. Llama and Alpaca are also possibilities. If there's anything you need or would like to suggest, I'd happily take suggestions. VanTucky 03:01, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

Hi Van, and welcome to my Talk page! :)

I'll confess, I'm that much more impressed knowing that you're not from the country. I like your suggested additions, too, especially the showing and 4-H, although I imagine that it might seem foreign to readers from faraway countries. For your next article, I guess I would suggest Goat, because they're so important historically, not to mention making good cheeses,cashmere and mohair. There also could be a devilishly fun symbology section on Pan and other creatures with horns and cloven hooves. ;) Personally, I feel the more horns, the merrier. :)

This might lie outside your interests, but I think the MCB WikiProject would really benefit from having an FA on scrapie or, more generally, prion diseases. If you wanted to throw yourself into that, I think that would be a real boon for Wikipedia. But you should do whatever makes you happy and chirping as you type :) Willow (talk) 03:39, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

I would second this suggestion. I have myself scratched along and made a few amateurish additions to the prion disease articles here some months ago. But we could certainly use a more complete treatment, and there is lots of information out there on the web. It is completely fascinating I have to admit and we really should have better articles on them here.--Filll (talk) 02:55, 14 February 2008 (UTC)

Request your services

You were referred by Scartol to give To Kill a Mockingbird a look. Scartol graciously gave me a heap of good suggestions, and I did my best to address them all. If you have the time and opportunity, I would appreciate your input. You can find the peer review here. --Moni3 (talk) 02:30, 14 February 2008 (UTC)

Wow, I'm honored to be asked by the artist of Ann Bannon! :) Scartol is awesome, isn't he? I bet he gave you some wonderful suggestions. Give me a little time to look it over, and I'll see whether I can add anything. Willow (talk) 18:16, 14 February 2008 (UTC)

PS. Judging from the little window of your user-page (a fun read!), we're pretty similar in temperament; it's nice to meet you! :) I totally sympathize with not being able to focus on one article — but I just say that I'm, ummm, "hopelessly distractable". ;) Willow (talk) 18:16, 14 February 2008 (UTC)

Are you an Ann Bannon fan? I just had the immense good fortune to spend a day with her last week at her home. I'm still walking on clouds because of it. Completely smitten. It's also good to meet you. I appreciate your help very much with TKaM, and look forward to working with you in the future! --Moni3 (talk) 20:32, 14 February 2008 (UTC)

Same here! :) You are so lucky; you'll have to tell me how it all happened! :) But of course you did do a smashing good job on her article. :) I'm going to have to leave soon for work, but hopefully I'll get through TKaM before I leave. :) Willow (talk) 20:37, 14 February 2008 (UTC)

Oh, gosh. It happened because I pretty much won't leave her alone. Actually, I read her books in 2003 and I thought they were the best things since spice racks. I wrote her a fan letter in 2004, and last summer I painted this, offered it to her and she accepted it. It's hanging over her fireplace - that is some surreal nonsense that I can't comprehend. I sent it to her, asking her for no payment, but that if we were in the same state at any point in the future I would love to have dinner with her. While on an unrelated trip through the Atlanta airport, I jumped at the chance to take a later flight for a voucher, and cashed it in. I stayed at her home, had lunch, dinner, and breakfast with her and asked her a kajillion questions and yammered on for a long time. She's perfectly wonderful and she signed all my books, Cleis and Gold Medal editions. I'm going to see the play in NYC in a few weeks. There's enthusiasm, and then there's what I told her before I left: if you ever have a shortage of people to take care of your literary legacy, put me on that list. I'll buck up and do what's right. I think I've gone from fan to love slave/toady, and am completely happy in that role. I will go on forever talking about it... --Moni3 (talk) 21:02, 14 February 2008 (UTC)

Then you're even more lucky in having a rapt listener. ;) I'll be smiling about your story all day!

That's a seriously good picture; I'm not surprised she has it over her fireplace! The cat and the shoes are wonderful touches, too. :) I'm a little jealous; I'm pretty good with calligraphy and anything associated with textiles, but I can't draw worth beans. I've tried my whole life to draw horses, which I love and spend time with, but they end up looking like platypi. :P It's that bad, really. Recently, though, I've taken to trying to draw the heads of models from Marie Claire, and they're coming out as the right species at least; so I have some hope. ;) Willow (talk) 21:20, 14 February 2008 (UTC)

peer review request

Hi, I am trying to get some feedback on the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority article and saw your name on the list of volunteers under the general copyediting section. The peer review has been around for over a week but no one has given any feedback. I am not sure if you are comfortable giving feedback on the article, but I looked over the volunteer list and none of the catagories seemed particularly relevant to the subject of the article. I've also asked relevant wikiprojects for feedback but haven't gotten any from them. If you have time can you give more feedback on the article, particularly with regards to whether or not the article is ready for FA status. Thanks for your help. Biomedeng (talk) 02:51, 14 February 2008 (UTC)

Universe and Core Contest

Willow,

I wanted to thank you for your superb work on Universe. I was one of the judges on the Core Contest and I rated your work as one of the very best. This kind of broad topic (and what could be broader than the entire universe???!) is incredibly hard to write about, yet you managed to do an amazing job with it. Wikipedia is much better for it, and I don't know if you appreciate the fact, but more than 100,000 people have already admired you work. (I also loved your comment on the contest entry page - ""Universe - I'm all-too-apt to take on more than I can manage...") If your article does end up as one of the top five (and there are some other amazing entries, so it's not guaranteed), I hope you'll be willing to graciously accept a prize. Even if you don't, I really want to thank you a lot for your contribution to Wikipedia- it's an example of the community at its best. Walkerma (talk) 16:26, 14 February 2008 (UTC)

Hi Walkerma,

Thanks for your incredibly nice letter! :) I think I've already had my reward for the universe, which was the fun in doing it. I still need to go back and reference everything and try to bring it to FA, so that I can finally finish something. ;) (sheepish grin)

But I don't think I'd like to be considered for the prize money. I couldn't be happy if I got it, and I want to simplify and speed your decision. I know, it was foolish to even submit my entry for consideration, and I'm very sorry for making you work in vain; I was stupidly tempted by the idea of turning any money over to the Reward Board, to hopefully encourage someone to bring the wolf to heel. But I know that others, harder-working and better Wikipedians than me, would benefit more from the prizes; nothing would make me happier now than if you three reached a decision that much sooner. My own decision is final and further discussion would be fruitless for both of us. Thank you again for your kind words; I'll keep trying my best to improve Wikipedia, as I'm sure you will, too. :) Willow (talk) 17:04, 14 February 2008 (UTC)

THANK YOU!

Hi WillowW, thanks for your instructions! I am now back from my travels, so I played with my article today. I uploaded it (I think!), followed all your instructions and saved it ... I am not exactly sure how to find it again though. The name of the entry is Dixie Roberts. I am not sure what to do next ... I have a bunch of cool photos that go with this article, all of them are promotional photos taken in the 1940's, so I think that any copyright there might have been, is now out of date ... but the wiki photo copyright stuff looks pretty scarey, LOL!

Thanks again! I hope you can see my article ... that is what is supposed to happen, right?

-) MimiBelle —Preceding unsigned comment added by MimiBelle (talk • contribs) 00:28, 15 February 2008 (UTC)

Forever soliciting favors

I've just finished the major work on Indonesian occupation of East Timor (1975-1999), probably my most important (and exhausting!) Wikipedia work to date. Once it's reached GA status, I'll be soliciting peer reviews, so I thought I'd ask early so you can either put it on your schedule or let me find backups. =) Hope you're well. – Scartol • Tok 01:38, 18 February 2008 (UTC)

Hey b.f. Scartol! ;)

I'll be delighted to look it over; you always choose such interesting topics to cover! And you should never be shy about asking for favors, or granting them; I like hearing from you anytime. :) Willow (talk) 10:19, 18 February 2008 (UTC)

It's already hooked me. :) Hopefully, you won't be shocked that I never made the connection between Portugal's change of government and Indonesia's invasion. More generally, I know Portugal mainly through fado and Camoes, and never thought through the consequences of its age of discovery. Food for thought, Willow (talk) 10:48, 18 February 2008 (UTC)

Yes indeed. I never knew anything about Camoes, so you've also fed me as well. And did you know Timor was the original destination of the HMS Bounty? (I wish I could have worked that into the article somehow, but it just couldn't work.) Cheers! – Scartol • Tok 12:34, 19 February 2008 (UTC)

The Wikipedia article on Camoes doesn't do justice to his love poetry. ;)

BTW, your article does a depressingly good job of convincing me that international law is a fig-leaf fiction to cover up more nasty naked truths. Legal scholars merely cough ink while others cough blood. :( On the other hand, I suppose I ought to be grateful that self-determination returned eventually to East Timor. Willow (talk) 17:24, 19 February 2008 (UTC)

And it's a tremendous source of inspiration for me. Any time I think: Why bother?, I immediately think: If the people in East Timor never gave up, neither can I. As the Timorese say: A luta continua! (The struggle goes on.)

I think international law is like any other law – a good idea whose reality depends on implementation. I'd much rather live in a nation of laws than a nation without them. But of course they must be enforced fairly and consistently. The shame of East Timor is the discrepancy between rhetoric and reality. Then again, the fact that we even have a standard of war crimes and we can discuss the possibility of punishing the guilty (even if one of them recently was punished by the universe) shows that the struggles of humanity's evolution have not been in vain. (And there are others we can still try for their crimes.) – Scartol • Tok 18:18, 19 February 2008 (UTC)

I don't give up, either, and I believe whole-heartedly in the strength of persistent gentleness. Sometimes, though, I get into a blue funk and think like Thrasymachus, that powerful nations only pretend to submit to the rule of international law, and that they will always flout it for even trivial short-term gains whenever they think they can get away with it. :( Still, there's hope; governments have done some good over the past centuries: abolition of slavery, women's suffrage, civil rights, public education, public health, religious toleration, etc. Politicians aren't all degenerate monsters. ;) I need to exorcise such dark thoughts, and focus on doing what is good before me, like my own little tidbits of public education and empowerment. :) Willow (talk) 22:13, 19 February 2008 (UTC)

And so you do. Thanks again for your careful review. – Scartol • Tok 23:24, 19 February 2008 (UTC)

I've fixed most of the things you've suggested and responded to the others. I know you're busy, but when you have a second..? With thanks as always. – Scartol • Tok 16:41, 21 February 2008 (UTC)

Of course, b.f.! :) I'll do it as soon as I pay my outstanding debts to others; I know you'll be patient with me. :) Willow (talk) 21:27, 21 February 2008 (UTC)

Thank you, my dear Mina

Our project has arrived and I'll be stuffing this weekend. I appreciate all of your hard work. I'll take a picture when I'm done, so you can see it. Thanks again! Awadewit | talk 04:47, 20 February 2008 (UTC)

Thank you, dear A! I'll be smiling over our fun for a long time, and your letter will give me the happiest of dreams. Perhaps you'll see a radiant little aurora tonight, just over the horizon, from within the Castellum Draconellae? ;) Willow (talk) 04:57, 20 February 2008 (UTC)

I think I'll be in bed with my chamomile tea. That's the flavor I go for. Awadewit | talk 16:03, 20 February 2008 (UTC)

I like chamomile tea, too, especially in tranquil evening hours. I hope it brings you a lot of good, and that you're feeling stronger today. Did you know that I grow chamomile in my garden? I have both the German and the Roman, Chamaemelum nobile, the "noble" chamomile. The German chamomile grows more easily and it's better for tea, its dried flowers re-opening to new life in the hot water; but the noble chamomile is better for walking on, soft and fragrant. I love rubbing my hands on it and smelling them afterwards. :) Get well soon, won't you? :) Willow (talk) 23:45, 20 February 2008 (UTC)

I'm doing a bit better. Too bad I can't pick leaves from your garden! :) Awadewit | talk 06:59, 22 February 2008 (UTC)

Non-experts and children

On an adventure in Wikipedia; unsure what exactly we are going to accomplish. But surely something of import!

Aw Willow, I wish our paths crossed more often. I see you have a new and improved user page! And just reading your talk page always cheers me up too. I let myself get pulled along unhappy paths of the Wiki far too often, I'm afraid. I've been having fun this week though. Reviewing Moni's work has been a pleasure, reading Emily Dickinson also a delight. Makes me feel like a kid again, you know? And speaking of delights and children, I happened to stumble across this picture on Commons the other day when I was uploading some photos and it amused me greatly. Perhaps it symbolizes me on one of the happier paths? You can be my friend in the hat. But what is the purpose of this expedition, do you imagine?

As for O'Connor, I wish I could share your optimism but I fear her statement "I think for a child's book it does all right" is damning with faint praise, if I've ever heard it :( --JayHenry (talk) 07:09, 20 February 2008 (UTC)

Oh, thank you, Jay! You should always treat my Talk page as another home, coming here for sunshine when other corners of Wikipedia are dreary. :) It has been a very good week, and it's not even half over. :) With all these wonderful articles, friendly people and nice letters, I feel like I'm bathing in light. I also thought Emily Dickinson was well-nigh perfect, but I didn't want to say so until they're all done with their "major revision".

But the purpose of the expedition? I'm surprised that you don't remember, but perhaps you were bewitched in the same spell that transformed the beautiful but pampered Princess Mertensia into the black Scotty. The Lady of the Forest cast the spell, having been scorned by the proud Princess. Bored of her own realm and matchless magic, the Lady had gone wandering in search of fresh adventure and to weigh the hearts of mortals. With wily impudence, and disguised as a hideous hag, the Lady entered our castle just before midday and begged a generous gift of the Princess: a large smoked ham, from which everyone was soon to be fed.

Unfortunately, the Princess failed to recognize the Lady's leaf-strewn hair and emerald-green eyes, nor did she notice the Lady's tail twitching in back beneath her rags. "Bah!" said the Princess, "I'd sooner feed the ham to my dog." And then - then it was too late. Angered and insulted, the Great Lady threw off her disguise and said, "You shall learn what it means to beg!", transforming Mertensia into this black dog. The noble-hearted young Sir Robin, who had long loved Mertensia from afar but without hope, leapt to her defense but alas! was transformed for his pains into our collie companion. Her curses unleashed, the Lady returned to her Forest throne, grimly satisfied.

You, my friend, are young Sir Robin's trusty page, resourceful and true, don't you remember? And I am the Princess' most faithful maid-in-waiting, clever and capable. Together, we four are making the dangerous voyage to beg the forgiveness of the Lady, kneeling at her throne and melting her anger with sincere tears of contrition. But the Princess still has not unlearned her wilful ways! She insists that we transport her in a royal palanquin, as befits her station. Time is running out; both Sir Robin and Princess Mertensia are becoming ever more dog-like, slowly losing their human reason. We have just crossed into the Lady's realm, which is still sunny and garden-like here; but soon we must venture into the dark Forest, armed only with a whip, where I fear our fidelity and love for one another will be tested sorely. I only hope that the Princess can learn compassion and gentleness before we reach the dread Lady! Your affectionate traveling companion, Willow (talk) 15:52, 20 February 2008 (UTC)

Thinking back, I remember it a bit differently. As I recall Sir Robin and possibly a princess were kidnapped by the evil Forest Queen, but I was not his page; rather I was the young boy king -- also known as the Silver Knight Lieutenant (Lieutenant obviously being an even higher rank than General because it is a longer and fancier word, though I recall you thought I was mistaken on this point). At any rate, I was the only one in the kingdom brave enough to rescue Sir Robin and the Princess from the clutches of evil. We prepared rations of lembas and dragon steaks, knowing this would give us strength.

We embarked on our journey and were immediately confronted by the most dreaded wargs in the world, bahamut and taweret. To tame the ferocious beasts, we used the Magical Golden Amulet of Kronus. Once we had pacified the wargs and made them our allies, we visited the royal armory where you procured the Whip of Ages, and we readied the Carriage of Defense (though the photographic evidence suggests otherwise, the Carriage was being pulled by a Crimson Stallion).

Though my traveling companion (whom in hindsight I will confess to occasionally finding insufferably ornery) suggested we try crying in front of the queen, I recognized our only option was to vanquish the Forest Queen once and for all with heroics. We never made it to rescue Sir Robin that day, though. We entered the forest, where we were attacked by a frumious bandersnatch. Startled, I dropped the magical amulet into a festering swamp. My companion, evidently struck by a laughing curse, began giggling at me for being scared of the bandersnatch. I was then struck by a reddening curse, which intensified your laughing curse. It was then we realized that somewhere along our journey the wargs had betrayed us and consumed our dragon steaks.

Defeated for one day -- though determined to rescue our friends soon -- we returned home. I recall father made me clean the mud off his gold pocket watch that night and promise not to take it on any future adventures. --JayHenry (talk) 19:01, 22 February 2008 (UTC)

You're right, that's just how it happened! I must've been the one who was enchanted, at least by your story. ;) But you shouldn't be too hard on our faithful wargs. I gave them our dragon steaks, since they looked so tired and hungry from our long wandering, poor things; besides, I'm, ummm, not too fond of dragon steaks. ;) There's a very nice dragon who sleeps in my bed, next to Wally the Whale; late at night, she whispers wise and comforting things to me in the dark (but that's a secret!). :) Willow (talk) 10:02, 23 February 2008 (UTC)

thanks again

Dear Willow,

many many thanks for all your help! yes Ciar is really nice! and thanks for connecting me with Durova, I am excited to find out the next steps with the photos! I have some really great ones. Probably I can only use the ones of just her, but I have a really great one of her and Gene Kelly! Also, I suppose that any of the photos that I can’t post on wikipedia, I could put up on a separate site with a link from the wiki to the external site…so thanks SO MUCH for your help, now I’m off to write to Durova! And thanks for being Dixie’s fan! she is having difficulty walking now, has a walker and a wheelchair. But she is a real survivor, has beat cancer two or 3 times! and what a character, LOL! MimiBelle (talk) 10:12, 20 February 2008 (UTC)

Dear Mimi,

Please tell her that I'm sending supportive thoughts her way, and that I like to dance as well, albeit not on the stage. There's a kinship between dancers, I think, that reaches across time and place. :) I hope things work out with the photographs and if they don't work immediately, we'll try to find another way. :) Willow (talk) 15:52, 20 February 2008 (UTC)

Your note

Thanks, good to hear from you. On the positive side, I have a new inhibitor that works on my current enzyme of interest - so that counts as a very, very good week indeed in the real world! Yours, cheerily, Tim Vickers (talk) 19:50, 21 February 2008 (UTC)

How very odd — everyone else is trying to get rid of their inhibitors, and you're actively looking for them! ;) Congratulations on your success, but what will you do with your new enzyme now that it's shy and inhibited?

Oh, so would you prefer having your new enzyme's article made nice, rather than your old one's? My distractable brain has imprinted already on the old one, and is following it around like an enchanted baby duck, but maybe I could change over? Say whatever you'd like, since the gift was supposed to be something you'd like. :) Willow (talk) 21:08, 21 February 2008 (UTC)

I haven't edited the article on my current enzyme and I won't until the work is published - academic competitors and all that. No, I'm very happy for GLO1 and 2 to get a bit of limelight! Tim Vickers (talk) 21:47, 21 February 2008 (UTC)

Whew, that makes it easier on me. When my brain starts running away like that, like a team of horses, it's hard to stop them. I can't really control my enthusiasms; I see something shiny, I get hypnotized and then away I fly, forgetting all the beautiful things I left behind... I have a few more debts to pay here and then I'll start brooding over GLO1. If you had any good articles to send me, that's be great. One of my lace knitting students offered to help me last night, and she explained a little about how metals might be used in enzymes; but I don't want to beg and bother her too much. Of course, I don't want to bother and burden you, either; I really hope I won't make too many mistakes that you have to correct. But my intuition tells me that it'll be fun for both of us! :) A shy sinner shamefully slinking and sidling to sly Zwingli (quick, say that 3 times fast), Willow (talk) 22:06, 21 February 2008 (UTC)

I had a look at the Lactoylglutathione lyase page and the IUBMB enzyme nomenclature database had the reaction wrong! Sheesh. Tim Vickers (talk) 22:59, 21 February 2008 (UTC)

I'm tripping over your toes! I'll go and count some parasites. Talk to you later. Tim Vickers (talk) 01:10, 22 February 2008 (UTC)

Actually, you're totally not! I was trying to say that I'm leaving soon, and that I've just about reached the limit of my present knowledge — but not my good humor ;) — and that you should take over. I was really grateful that you fixed all those mistakes and gave me new insights! :D The T. brucei thing was an extra cool mystery; maybe there's a super-secret second pathway for detoxifying methylglyoxal in the trypanosomes? What happens if you get rid of GLO1 in other organisms; can they live without it? Waltzing off to dancing, Willow (talk) 01:21, 22 February 2008 (UTC)

I don't know. That's something I left to Neil to sort out when I moved labs. This shows the importance of luck though, since a very competent German group had been working on glyoxalases in T. brucei before I started on the project, but since there was no GLO1 in these organisms they only published a paper on a trypanothione-dependent GLO2, which was less exciting from a drug-design viewpoint since nobody could see what it would be for. However, since I tried exactly the same thing in L. major, the project went really smoothly for me and I got a PNAS paper from about six month's work. Tim Vickers (talk) 01:31, 22 February 2008 (UTC)

That is lucky — I think the humanities majors are going to be jealous that scientists need to write only one page a month. ;)

I read this morning in an antique paper that there's another detoxification pathway for methylglyoxal, one that uses aldose reductase? Maybe you could find a way to turn GLO1 on and off? Like, add the inhibitor and see what happens, or maybe damage the enzyme slightly so that it shuts down at high temperatures, but turns back on when you cool it off? It's probably all "old hat" and passé for you, but I'm enjoying learning about methylglyoxal and this enzyme! :) Willow (talk) 15:56, 22 February 2008 (UTC)

Speedy deletion of Template:Biochemical family templates

A tag has been placed on Template:Biochemical family templates requesting that it be speedily deleted from Wikipedia. This has been done under section T3 of the criteria for speedy deletion, because it is a deprecated or orphaned template. After seven days, if it is still unused and the speedy deletion tag has not been removed, the template will be deleted.

If the template is intended to be substituted, please feel free to remove the speedy deletion tag and please consider putting a note on the template's page indicating that it is substituted so as to avoid any future mistakes (<noinclude>{{transclusionless}}</noinclude>).

Thanks. --MZMcBride (talk) 01:59, 22 February 2008 (UTC)

Peer review for Jack Warner

Hi Willow, Thanks, again, for all of your help on Jimmy McAleer! The FAC languished for more than a month, but I'm happy to report that the article was promoted. Earlier today, I requested a peer review for a piece on movie mogul Jack Warner. The article includes a good deal of information, and it's reasonably engaging, but I know it can be improved. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated, as always! Cheers, -- twelsht (talk) 15:37, 22 February 2008 (UTC)

Speedy deletion of Image:AT Watson Crick basepair.png

A tag has been placed on Image:AT Watson Crick basepair.png requesting that it be speedily deleted from Wikipedia. This has been done under section I1 of the criteria for speedy deletion, because the image is redundant copy (all pixels the same or scaled down) of an image in the same file format, which is on Wikipedia (not on Commons), and all inward links have been updated.

If you think that this notice was placed here in error, you may contest the deletion by adding {{hangon}} to the top of the page (just below the existing speedy deletion or "db" tag), coupled with adding a note on [[ Talk:Image:AT Watson Crick basepair.png|the talk page]] explaining your position, but be aware that once tagged for speedy deletion, if the article meets the criterion it may be deleted without delay. Please do not remove the speedy deletion tag yourself, but don't hesitate to add information to the article that would would render it more in conformance with Wikipedia's policies and guidelines. Hennessey, Patrick (talk) 02:06, 23 February 2008 (UTC)

I think the new SVG versions of my images are much nicer, anyway. Thank you for the warning, but you should give people more than four minutes to respond before deleting their hard work! Willow (talk) 10:35, 23 February 2008 (UTC)

Milhist copy-editing

I've been meaning to post something about Milhist copy-editing for ages and have actually done it here. Is this of interest? It's just an extension of the peer review sign up really. --ROGER DAVIES ^talk 05:56, 23 February 2008 (UTC)

Hi ROGER and congratulations on Emily Dickinson! :)

I'm really honored that you ask me, but I think that reviewing military history articles would be extraordinarily stressful for me, being a committed pacifist. I totally see their importance and value, and in rare moments of clarity, I can detach myself enough to admire the tactical brilliance of Erwin Rommel and Alexander Suvorov, or even the scientific cleverness of a napalm that burns underwater. I would review an article for you as a friend, to the best of my powers, but please don't ask me to go there on a regular basis; it would take its toll on me. :( Willow (talk) 10:29, 23 February 2008 (UTC)

Emily Dickinson and opulence

Hi, Willow, thank you so much for the kind words! That means a great deal coming from someone who was brave enough to take on the universe. :) I know exactly what you mean about the word "opulent"; I was struggling with how to phrase this sentence, so I just took a page from one of the sources, which used exactly that word. I read it and immediately thought, "great word! why didn't I think of that?" It's one of those words, I think, that you read once or twice and immediately forget that it exists. My thesaurus (yellowed and falling apart; I think I've had it since middle school) isn't much help either in this regard, but if you do think of an alternative, please feel free to change it! Take care, María (habla conmigo) 16:16, 23 February 2008 (UTC)

Review of TKaM

I hope I haven't crushed our mockingbird. It really is an excellent article and just needs that extra little nudge to push it over to FA greatness. :) Awadewit | talk 03:00, 24 February 2008 (UTC)

Thank you so much, A! :) I was rather agog that you spent eight hours meticulously combing through the article, but I'm super-grateful; the article is definitely improved, and your keenly observed roadmap to FA-dom on the Talk page is an irreplaceable gift. I confess, I got a little nervous at first from your metaphor of being pushed off a cliff to achieve greatness — eep! But then I imagined we'll unfold our wings and catch the air. :) Willow (talk) 13:20, 24 February 2008 (UTC)

Some of that time was spent watching DS9. :) By the way, after our recent arts-and-crafts endeavor, I thought you would get a kick out of the particle zoo. Awadewit | talk 00:53, 25 February 2008 (UTC)

I'm really glad that you're feeling better. :) So far, I've dodged the flu this winter; if I feel like I'm tired all the time, it's only because there's no rest for the wicked. ;) I'm really exhausted but also too tired to sleep, which means that I'll have learn something new before dawn. :) Willow (talk) 05:23, 25 February 2008 (UTC)

GSOC ideas

Hi Willow, care to chime in on ideas for Google Summer of Code 2008 (see also the talk page there for context)? Originally I thought I'd only list PBB improvements, but it might also make sense to broaden it to any bio-related computer-assisted projects. Perhaps something relating to the EC pages you and Tim have been working so hard on? Ideas on this or any other topic are welcome... Cheers, AndrewGNF (talk) 17:55, 26 February 2008 (UTC)

Thanks! Have a great trip! Cheers, AndrewGNF (talk) 21:48, 29 February 2008 (UTC)

Interview of sorts

Since you "play so well with others", I was wondering if you would be willing to offer your unique perspective for my Wikimania paper. I am planning on writing a paper on "online collaborative writing" and I was wondering if I could "interview" you over email about your experiences writing on Wikipedia. I'm trying to collect as many perspectives as possible. I would really appreciate it! Awadewit | talk 01:45, 27 February 2008 (UTC)

Dear A,

I'm always glad to help you however I can; but, honestly, being interviewed seems kind of scary to me? Instead of interviewing me, let's play-pretend that we're in a coffee-shop, and that you saw me reading Wikipedia: The Missing Manual and came over to talk to me about it. I'm know it's really silly, but I think I'll be a lot less shy about talking if I imagine that. Oh, I'm leaving soon to visit my sister, to help organize the Big Event and go shopping — no meringue for me, please, I'm trying to cut down ;) — so you should probably write me soon. Willow (talk) 14:54, 27 February 2008 (UTC)