Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2006 October 26

Welcome to the Wikipedia Miscellaneous Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.

October 26

Remington Electric Shavers

I've been looking for the article on the Remington Titanium Microflex 400, because I wanted to see if it's worth buying. However, no matter what search terms I use (I've tried and least ten different variants), I can never find an article on it. Can you help me find it, or give me your own thoughts on it? --RockMaster 01:53, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

Try Microflex 400, although it appears to be replaced by the 800. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 01:56, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

That's nice, but it's just stuff from the company, with no comparison to other brands, or any critisism. Are there any objective ways to check? Personal experience from anyone? --RockMaster 01:55, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

If WP had an article on this particular product (which seems unlikely, as it would fail the test for notability, it may not contain an evaluation of the product against others, as this would be POV, original research or both. If there were a published article that made the comparison, it might link to it.

In the UK, http://www.which.com/ is a subscription service that publishes comparisons and evaluations of products: I don't know whether there are equivalent services elsewhere. --ColinFine 13:19, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

I know that Wikipedia does have articles on consumer products, and will frequently place a Critism section, as well as Reception, or other similarly titled article to deal with positive critism.--RockMaster 23:38, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

Baseball jerseys

Is there any website where we can view that were worn in from 1970s to 2006 and I mean the Major League Baseball teams, both American and National League? Is there any website where we can view the Canadian Football League Jerseys that were worn in from 1970s to 2006?

outsourcing and first company

Can anyone tell me when outsourcing began and which country was the first to receive this benefit?

Sure, it was when the 10th caveman had the neighbor's kid instead of his own skin his kill. --Justanother 03:03, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

Which of the two countries do you consider to be the one that recieves the benefit? Aren't they both considered to benefit? Anyway, it's between businesses, not countries. DirkvdM 09:36, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

On a serious note, he would probably like to know what was the first instance, on a large scale, of a firm or industry moving something that they did in-country, to sub-contractors in another country that could do it cheaper. I think he might want to distinquish that from simply buying cheaper foreign raw materials at the expense of domestic firms, like what happened to the US steel industry over the last 30-40 years. I think that outsourcing service activities like call centers is very new as they rely on our modern global communication network but I imagine that in manufacuturing it could go way back. Maybe to the 11th caveman. --Justanother 15:07, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

I believe the concept of outsourcing predates the concept of "off-shoring," where the work is performed in another country. The Electronic Data Systems article (although not an example of Wikipedia's finest work) claims that the company (led by Ross Perot) invented the idea in 1962. --LarryMac 15:15, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

United Auto Workers President Douglas Fraser was quoted as having said in June, 1981 at a labor conference, "They've got to think seriously about preventing companies from outsourcing our work." This was in an article discussing Ford and General Motors consideration of turning to lower paid foreign workers if concessions were not made by U.S. auto workers. This is the first instance in a search of the NY Times computerized index back to the 1850's. The term might have been common in labor-management negotiations before that. "Detroit Still Seeks U.A.W. Concession; Maneuvering in Detroit 'Some Job Protection'"Author(s): By JOHN HOLUSHA Special to The New York Times. Dateline: DETROIT, July 17.Section: Business & Finance Publication title: New York Times (1857-Current file). New York, N.Y.: Jul 20, 1981. pg. D1, 2 pgs.Source type: Historical Newspaper.ISSN: 03624331.ProQuest document ID: 112068627.Text Word Count 814 Edison 15:29, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

Right LarryMac, though from the way he phrased it I think he means Offshoring. That article put US start in the 1970's. I just wonder if there is some much earlier instance of, say Britain in her Colonial Era, what with all those "wogs" they had under their thumb (that is a joke please). --Justanother 18:21, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

Offshoring, as defined by our article, depends on quick and seamless international telecommunication links (in the case of services) and cheap transportation links (in the case of product assembly). The article explains that the offshoring of services was virtually unknown before the development of hte internet in the 1990s. However, the offshoring of product assembly has a somewhat longer history. The article looks for the beginnings of this kind of offshoring with the enaction of NAFTA in 1994, but it certainly predates this. In North America, the Canada-United States Automotive Agreement of 1965 led to widespread offshoring of auto manufacture between the United States and Canada. I suspect, but don't know, that similar arrangements existed, perhaps in other industries, even earlier than this, in the European Community, which dates back to 1957. It seems unlikely to me that offshoring, as we define it, existed in the colonial era because of the much poorer communications and relatively slow and expensive transportation systems of that era. Marco polo 19:04, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

If it's about companies that exploit people abroad, the first one might be the VOC (Dutch East India Company). Other European countries colonised as a country, but with the Netherlands it started with a company, around 1600. Only 200 years later would the Dutch government take over. DirkvdM 07:58, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Wasn't the 49-ers' laundry all outsourced to China? --ColinFine 13:21, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

Hockey Jerseys

Is there any website where we can view the hockey jerseys that were worn in from 1970s to 2006 and I mean the National Hockey League teams?

     Yes. Here it is: http://statshockey.homestead.com/historyofhockey.html

Questioner - please sign your query with four tildes ~~~~. responder, please sign your contribution with four tildes, and if you want to indent use a colon ':' rather than spaces. --ColinFine 13:22, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

NFL Jerseys

Is there any website where can view the NFL jerseys that were worn in from 1970s to 2006?

Canadian Football League Jerseys

Is there any website where we can view the Canadian Football League Jerseys that were worn in from 1970s to 2006?

You really could have put all those under one heading, dontcha know. =P--The Corsair 02:32, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

Yeah. People might find it annoying that you posted several of these related questions. --Proficient 03:56, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

In other words, click here and edit them into one question about jerseys. --Justanother 04:35, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

Indonesian names

According to the Wikipedia article on Indonesian names, Indonesians only have a single name (the rest beign their mother's or fathers names). But all the Indonesians invovled in the 2002 Bali bombings have extensively long and complicated names (such as "Ali Amrozi bin Haji Nurhasyim"). How does that work? Battle Ape 03:40, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

Well, the "Haji" might be an honorific if Amrozi completed the Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca), see Hajji. --Canley 06:50, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

'bin' is arabic for "son of" ( see arabic name). I wasn't aware they spoke arabic in Indonesia, but if he's an islamic extremist I guess it's not impossible that he took an arabic name. Ironfrost 10:20, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

I don't think extremism factors in; from the article, "Islam is the largest religion in Indonesia, it is quite common to find Arabic first names or words (e.g. Amir, Rashid, Saiful, Bahar) being used by Indonesians, both as first names and surnames." --Justanother 13:07, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

Which football team should I support?

I've recently moved to a city with two rival football (soccer) teams. How should I decide which one of them to support? Because I'm new here, I don't have any loyalty to one or the other based on family history, location or any of the other things that might normally lead a person to favour one team over another. Their stadiums are pretty much equidistant from me. I don't want to just support the more successful of the two, because then it looks like I'd be glory-hunting. I guess I should maybe go to one or two of each team's home games and think about which I enjoyed most. Any other suggestions? --Richardrj ^{talk email} 06:08, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

That seems like a good idea. Just choose whichever's style of play you like the most. Since you can't immediately decide on loyalty, perhaps visit a couple games of each before deciding. It's up to you. --Proficient 06:21, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

Find out which one most of your new friends and coworkers support, and go with that one. StuRat 07:08, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

I had a similar problem when I moved to Melbourne in 2002. I wasn't a follower of Australian Rules football, but the locals here think you're from outer space if you don't have a preference for some team or other. Indifference is not permitted. There are 16 national teams to choose from, about half of them based in Melbourne, where the game originated. So, because I was living near Collingwood at the time, I thought it would be a good idea to support Collingwood. I sometimes got some funny looks from people when I mentioned this, but I didn't know why. Then I discovered Collingwood occupies a unique place in the footy world - those who support it (about 5%) do so with a passion, but the other 95% despise and detest the club and its players with just as much passion. They really do rub their hands with glee when Collingwood loses, or a Collingwood player is injured, even when their own team isn't even involved in the match. If indifference to football generally is unacceptable, indifference to Collingwood in particular is punishable by death. That's sport for you. And they say we're laid back, laconic people down here. Hah! I realise this doesn't help you with your question, but I think you're doing the right thing by doing your research before making your decision. JackofOz 10:15, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

Ah, so is that why you decided to "switch to the other team" ? :-) StuRat 14:01, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

Nice try, but in fact I still support Collingwood. They have the cutest players (or did, till Chris Tarrant went to Fremantle). JackofOz 20:41, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

Not to be confused with the not-so-cute Chris Tarrant :) Lemon martini 12:06, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

• Look up the histories of the two teams involved and something may stand out which appeals to you.(hotclaws**== 14:54, 27 October 2006 (UTC))

I assume (from your userpage) that it's Vienna we're talking about. To me the choice would be obvious after a memorable meeting between my boyz and one of Vienna's clubs in my formative years. I would have to say serendipity is the key factor in the "choice" - after all, clubs choose their fans, people don't choose their club.  sʟυмɢυм • т • c  00:19, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

Approximately how many active Wikipedians are there?

Hi there, I can't seem to find the answer to this question by searching, so does anybody have any idea of roughly how many active Wikipedians (in this case, with user accounts) are there? Just wondering, and thanks! --Kyoko 06:39, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

The Special:Statistics page shows the number of registered users, but that's not necessarily reflective of the number of active users. --Canley 08:43, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

Some users may not be active,but may be asleep or at rest.Others may be indulging in exercise.I at present am contorting myself into various physical shapes so I am an extremely active Wikipedian :) Lemon martini 09:55, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

I am very active, trying to become inactive: retired, fishing, bugging the wife, etc. --Zeizmic 11:50, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

If I was active, I wouldn't be on wikipedia. I gotta get more active! --Justanother 13:04, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

This is probably the sort of stuff you seek but it is two years old. "There are hundreds of thousands of "Wikipedians" who have contributed or edited articles. But the core community, according to Wales, is about 200 people who, by now, know each other quite well. Outside this inner-inner circle is a core of about 2,000 people who make more than 100 edits each in the last month. Beyond this, you have around 10,000 people who will have made more than five edits. There are administrators, bureaucrats, stewards and developers all with different levels of technical and administrative authority." The above is from here. Here is another but I don't see a date "Wales decided to run a simple study to find out: he counted who made the most edits to the site. "I expected to find something like an 80-20 rule: 80% of the work being done by 20% of the users, just because that seems to come up a lot. But it's actually much, much tighter than that: it turns out over 50% of all the edits are done by just .7% of the users ... 524 people. ... And in fact the most active 2%, which is 1400 people, have done 73.4% of all the edits." The remaining 25% of edits, he said, were from "people who [are] contributing ... a minor change of a fact or a minor spelling fix ... or something like that."" --Justanother 13:31, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

Wow. Those are very interesting statistics. --Proficient 23:31, 29 October 2006 (UTC)

Nickname Origin

Please explain the origin of NHL Hall of Famer Reginald Smith's nickname "Hooley". Is it from "hooligan"? He played for the Senators and Maroons.

Thanx in anticipation.

81.89.88.106 06:52, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

enquiry about animal communication.

Respected Sir/Mam

This is Sony here,from INDIA,i did my BA in JOURNALISM HERE,and am planing to apply for post graduation in NEW ZEALAND. I have a deep passion for animals and i wish to chose a career in this field.Howeve,since i am not from any science background i cant go for vetanary nor animal science.But as i was surfing thru "WIKIPEDIA" i came across a course called animal communication.How can i get into this field and thru which course,will MA IN MASS COMMUNICATION will be right choice?? if not then how can i get into animal communication or any animals realated field,though am not a science student???

Plz reply,i would be really greatful for your precious advice which will make my future. Thanking you, sony

Is it that type of work where you ask animals if they're sick, etc? I don't think there's any university classes required... 惑乱 分からん 11:21, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

Try reading the article. "Animal communication" is not a degree course or job category like journalism. The academic study of animal communication is an aspect of ethology, which is itself a subdiscipline of biology, which of course is science. I have to say I am enjoying the novel concept of pioneering mass communication from humans to animals. Since most human-to-human mass communication is for purposes of getting us to buy something, vote for someone, or change our behavior in socially beneficial ways, I am having a little trouble imagining the message to be communicated to masses of animals. Maybe "don't bite humans" to the mosquitoes? "Pull harder" to the mules? "Don't poop over the sidewalk" to the pigeons? "Hang in there and don't go extinct on us" to the whales? Good luck. alteripse 11:38, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

Note that this is a rather esoteric research field. As such, it's not going to be profitable and needs to be funded by some government or private organization that isn't concerned about profit. I doubt that India can afford this type of thing, so you would likely need to move to Europe, North America, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, etc. I just want to make sure this is your plan. I don't think an MA in Mass Communication will help, as that's for human communication only. You would want classes in zoology and animal behavior, instead. Human and animal communication are fundamentally different, as humans use symbolic logic, and animals don't (although there is some overlap in nonverbal communication, etc.). StuRat 14:43, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

Sounds like you would like a job in journalism working for something like Animal Planet. How about being Director of Communications for a large zoo or some sort. Point being, that you studied journalism and communication so you may want to stay in that field, no? Start by getting an internship. Also, if you really want to be a vet, then chuck the jounalism and become a vet. You can change your mind, you know. --Justanother 15:15, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

Perhaps you could get a job as an animal trainer ? StuRat 17:09, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

In that case, stick with the journalism and become an editor. (Hey, you try training a green reporter and tell me it's easier than keeping a lion from eating you!) Tony Fox (arf!) 17:45, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

gustav peter

what is there known about him

You're going to have to be more specific, like where he live or what he does. Try Google. —Mitaphane _talk 17:15, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

riddle

my begining is my end..what am i?

A poem by T.S. Eliot? ˉˉ^anetode╦╩ 09:28, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

Any palindrome? Clarityfiend 10:31, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

You answered your own question. Anchoress 10:33, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

post a joke

<am looking for really cool jokes dissing manchester united or liverpool or chelsea.any ideas or a really short but funny general jokes.alsso political jokes like bush and osama jokes.if u have any short jokes plse share them.am collecting short jokes.google av searched but theres nuthing extremely good.

Manchester, and Arsnal are having a kick about and a chicken runs onto the pitch, being footballers they kick it to death. one of the managers comes out and shouts at them saying if you are gonna kill something you have to eat it, so they devide up whats left of the chicken...manchester take the chest as the are man CHESTER, and arsnal say, no thanks you can have it all.193.115.175.247 14:58, 26 October 2006 (UTC)hahaha

go to http://www.humorsphere.com/football/ or just Google <jokes> --- petitmichel

the y in citibank

i posted this before, but apparently to the archive page. my fault.

Where is the Y in citibank? they themselves say the following about the name change:

"1976 - The First National City Corporation holding company changes its name to Citicorp to better suit its global businesses."

Source: Citigroup Website

I suppose they refer to the shortening of the name and dropping of "national" as better suiting, as i can not conceive how the y>i-change should make any change in citicorps global businesses.

nothing about the Y ? Where is it, and why was it dropped ?Thanks very much-- ExpImp^talkcon 11:54, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

In other words, why isn't it "Citybank"? I think it is because to an American (or any native English-speaker?) that looks like a Compound (linguistics) (two words crammed together) because you usually only see a "y" in the middle of a word when it follows as "s" or "ps" and they wanted it to look like one word. Otherwise, people would likely just keep saying "City Bank" and probably spelling it that way too. Just a guess. --Justanother 13:46, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

Deliberate misspellings used to be a common branding technique in marketing. Durova 14:23, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

True. I was also thinking that, since they mention "better suit its global businesses", it is because Romance languages like Spanish would not use the "y" like that. And maybe the one-word name is "more international". --Justanother 14:30, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

Doesn't it stand for Citizen's Bank? Thus Citibank? Maybe not, but where have I heard Citizen's Bank? --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 16:19, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

"In 1828, Citizens Financial Group got its start as a small community bank called the High Street Bank in Providence, Rhode Island" --Justanother 16:31, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

Under the Glass-Steagall Act, banks couldn't do stuff like sell mutual funds. If they wanted to get into other lines of business besides simple banking, they had to establish a separate corporate entity with a different name. That's why you'll sometimes see "Bank" spelled "Banc," and presumably why City Corp. became Citicorp. -- Mwalcoff 00:44, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

So why does the Bank of America/Banakamerica Corporation call its financial services Bancamerica? User:Zoe|(talk) 01:51, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

I don't know, but remember that Glass-Steagall was repealed several years back. Or maybe Bank of America decided to use its old name for the holding company and change the name of the actual bank, instead of the other way around. -- Mwalcoff 02:32, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

can anyone identify this plant description?

The houseplant has many long skinny leafed shoots growing from the pot. The leaves are dark green with small clusters of tiny white star shaped flowers. The flowers have tiny yellow spec in the middle. The flowers are thick and almost look like candy or wax. I saw this plant in a home in Canada and was told it was a star of david. I have found nothing with this search that comares to it. The plant is indoore, potted and has a hanging plant quality to it. I would be grateful for any info or suggestions on how to find this plant as I would love to have one. Thank you

(~~Tammy~~)

Is it Star of Bethlehem? --Shantavira 12:17, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

no it looks nothing like it. thhe leaves are as tiny as a fingernail,the shoot comes out and there are leaves all the way down on either side so it is kinda flat and it hangs from a pot planter.

U have a pix of this plant that U can E-mail ? Martial Law 03:57, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

Dwarf Hamsters

My friends bough some dwarf hamsters a few weeks ago, i laughed at them. But they bought 2 and now have 14, what can they do with them or how do they stop them from breeding?

I believe they are very nice after being roasted on a spit. I believe they are a delicacy in some parts of the world (or is that guinea pigs -- same thing really). MMMMMMMMM Dwarf hamster for dinner 8-))--Light current 15:17, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

See [1] on the yummi ness of guinea pigs.--Light current 15:32, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

"Micro-livestock". Great term!! Guess that makes dwarf hamsters "mini micro-livestock". How small do we have to be to get "nano-livestock"? Protozoa? --Justanother 15:38, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

See Tribble. On the other hand, dwarf hamsters make fine pets for the couple of years they live. Give them away free or sell them to friends, who will buy $50 worth of cages, toys, and food and spend perhaps $100 on vet bills over the animals lifetime. Edison 15:35, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

To stop them breading either seperate them or have them neutered. Remember that they will not worry about in-breeding so keep all males and females seperate, also males may fight if they are kept too close for too long so you may want to make selling them your priority. --AMX 18:21, 26 October 2006 (UTC)AMX

How can you tell the diff? Serious question 8-|--Light current 22:03, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

A vet can tell you when she does the first wellness check, for about $25 U.S.Edison 00:05, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

So with 12 offspring, thats quite a bill just to get rid of em! Better to roast em! MMMM--Light current 00:15, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

A book on hamsters will usually come with pictures of male and female genitalia. Alternatively, since you know one of the grown-ups is male and the other female, just seperate them into the-group-that-look-like-one-adult and the-group-that-look-like-the-other. I believe it's to do with how far apart two tiny holes are. This is assuming they're tame enough to pick up and turn upside down in your hand. And Dirk: neutering Skittle 14:46, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

"Have them neutered", is that a euphemism for cutting the guy's balls off? DirkvdM 08:02, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Not an euphemism, as much as a fancier word... =S Perhaps you could give them neuticles to cheer them up, afterwards... 惑乱 分からん 15:19, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

mmm

I keep sitting on my testicles, is this normal, and how can it be avioded without cupping myself in public?

Cut holes in all your chairs. --Justanother 15:44, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

Have the operation --- petitmichel

Put on some pants. --Justanother 16:32, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

Heaven help me, I thought of an answer. --Justanother 16:34, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

ROFL, you can't serriously be telling the world that you have deformed genitailier? Try sitting down slower. Hit the edge of the seat 1st and then slid back. Good luck --AMX 18:18, 26 October 2006 (UTC)AMX

But you have to admit, it takes balls to ask this kind of question. :-) StuRat 22:51, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

Wear briefs? - Rainwarrior 20:13, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

Castration? Lemon martini 12:09, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

spread your legs farther.Lrpelkey 11:00, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

Fortunately, eunuch programmers don't have this problem. :-) 01:00, 29 October 2006 (UTC)

If this was titled "mmm" I don't think this is a serious question. --Proficient 23:32, 29 October 2006 (UTC)

Maybe not, but every cloud has a silver lining. We now have the fabulous new word "genitailier". I love it. JackofOz 07:42, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

Terrorist

Does the United States really know if Osama bin Laden ran planes into the World Trade Center?216.253.128.29 16:12, 26 October 2006 (UTC)nicholassayhsi

Yes, there is lots of evidence including several confessions by bin Laden and other al-Qaeda operatives. See September 11, 2001 attacks. As with pretty much any major event (such as moon landings, Elvis' death, the Earth purpotedly being spherical) there are inevitably "alternative theories"; see 9/11 conspiracy theories. Weregerbil 16:29, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

Let's just say that, for me, Controlled demolition hypothesis for the collapse of the World Trade Center is VERY plausible and the criticisms of the argument are weak. There was some suspicious funny business with the buildings' insurance and some other issues like all the put options on the airline stock right before the event too that indicates perhaps somebody knew what was coming, not to mention all the missing gold bullion. Check here --Justanother 17:54, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

Bin Laden didn't actually fly the planes, of course, but he went on television and took responsibility for it. 72.199.30.31 20:31, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

Actually, at first I think he denied it which he would have no reason to do had he been responsible. I think some tape later showed up with a guy that, to me, looks nothing like Bin Laden saying "Yep, I did it". --Justanother 02:10, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Ugh. The OVERWHELMING majority of evidence confirms the official report. Yes, there are (ridiculous and wrong) "alternative theories," but all they ever focus on is finding "holes" in the official story, never explaining away the 99% of it which lines up completely with the evidence available... -Elmer Clark 03:01, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

I don't find all of them "ridiculous and wrong", especially when it comes to the structural design of the buildings, how improbable the buildings failing as they did is given their design, and how even the committee "investigating" was not given the full building plans so they could properly evaluate structural issues. There is lots more on that but this is not the place to go into it. And they line up just fine. --Justanother 05:14, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Another one is that the planes went off course for hours and were not followed by fighters, as they should have been according to protocol. You don't 'lose' four big airplanes and not notice. The things are constantly followed by air control.

Anyway, there has been no decent independent research and the site was cleared very quickly, also against protocol because that could eliminate evidence. If the US government was somehow involved, then the official reports are worthless. If you want to investigate human rights in China, you don't let the Chinese government do it for you, do you? :) DirkvdM 08:11, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Yes, I think we know. Edison 12:33, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Ehm, know what? DirkvdM 18:57, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

That everything you read on the internet is true!. 192.168.1.1 9:33, 27 Rocktober 2006 (PST)

Oh, I thought that everything your government tells you is true. :) Anyways, I based this on a documentary by good Dutch documentarymakers who looked at all those allegations with a critical eye (sort of a serious version of 'myth buster', with the help of experts) and found that they couldn't explain certain things away. DirkvdM 06:50, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

South american pink... stuff

http://www.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=-&ie=UTF8&z=11&ll=-2.740044,-67.138138&spn=0.204386,0.367355&t=h&om=1

Anyone know what this is?68.228.111.2 17:21, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

It is probably some sort of artifact of the satellite's imaging hardware or software. I see odd colors on Google Earth all the time. —Mitaphane _talk 17:39, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

It's a candyfloss farm. Vitriol 18:19, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

Just clouds ? compare with Wikimapia's image where the rivers are thinner and the land is quite clear. -- DLL ^{.. T} 21:13, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

A lot of Google Maps satellite imagery isn't true color, it's false color imagery reprocessed to simulate true color. The pink area was probably bright in some infrared band which happened to map to pink. See NASA's description of Landsat 7's frequency bands. —Keenan Pepper 05:52, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Alright, so what's all the infrared doing there. :) DirkvdM 08:33, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Canadian Social Insurance Numbers

I was wondering if anyone knows how to get rid or recind your social insurance number. I no longer wish to pay down Canadas debt and receive CPP payments. Perhaps you can assist with a person or a file that can help me. Thanks.--Prong1 19:32, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

If you want to work in Canada legally you need to have an SIN. I don't think you have to get rid of it, just stop using it, and convince your employer to pay you illegally "under the table". Or quit your job and stop working. - Rainwarrior 20:13, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

In Canada, there are 2 sure things: death and taxes. You can ditch your SIN number (which controls taxes) by death... --Zeizmic 22:40, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

You can also leave the country and become a tax exile. -- Mwalcoff 00:41, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Ooh can it be any SIN you like? In that case I will move to Canada and take Gluttony,Lust and Sloth :) Lemon martini 12:11, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Gun laws/registration

My grandfather passed away recently, and I inhereted a handgun he used in WW2. I am located in California, and not a minor, felon or any class of persons I know can't own firearms. According to http://www.bradycampaign.org/legislation/state/viewstate.php?st=ca ..it does not need to be registered since it is not an assault weapon. However, is there anything else I need to do? There are state safety class requirements for purchasing a gun, but I don't know if this applies to this instance (inheritance). For that matter, I don't even know if he was supposed to keep it, or return it to the army - is there any way to check? I don't want to be in illegal possesion of the gun, in any way, shape, or form. 64.164.147.81 20:40, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

This isn't really the right place if you're looking for legal advice. However, I would say you're probably in the clear, especially if your only intent is to keep the gun as heirloom. I'd suggest contacting local legal authorities to see if there is anything else you should know. Otherwise, keep the gun in a safe place and make sure it's not loaded. —Mitaphane _talk 21:56, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

Headlights staying on while car is off.

Is there a good reason why car headlights stay on when the vehicle is off and parked? Leaving the headlights on while the car is off seems like very poor user interface, and led to the draining of my battery. It seems like allowing the battery to drain when the headlights were clearly not intended to be on is a safety problem -- is there a compelling reason to leave them on, or would it be an appropriate safety complaint to make to the car manufacturer? -- Creidieki 20:46, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

There will be circumstances in which people wish to use their headlights when their car engine is off. More modern cars do things like dip the headlights, go to side-lights, beep at you if you open the door with engine off and lights on ... meanwhile batteries have been flattened since the start of battry-lit cars: you'd have precisely no grounds for complaint, in my view. --Tagishsimon (talk)

What circumstances are those? That was basically my question; in what situations would "headlight switch on, engine off" reflect a user's desire to leave the headlights active? As an end-user, I found this behavior very unintuitive, because I thought that I had turned the car "off". I also don't understand what you mean by "flattened". -- Creidieki 21:39, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

I break down whilst driving along. My engine stops. It's night. It's dark. I'd like to be able to steer to the curb, please: for which headlights are a boon. I'd like to leave my lights on whilst I'm parked for five minutes on a dark country road, to alert other cars to mine. That sort of thing. Flattened = all current discharged from the battery. BTW, you can sign your posts using ~~~ or ~~~~. --Tagishsimon (talk)

"Flat" = "dead" in US English. I think headlights should go off after 30 secs unless you turn the key to the accessory position. I agree that car designs which allow the headlights to stay on indefinitely when the keys are removed from the ignition are really stupid. I would imagine, if someone was injured as a result of the resulting dead battery (perhaps you couldn't get a wounded child to a hospital), then you would have a basis to sue. StuRat 22:41, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

I'm not looking for legal action, it simply struck me as an odd default behavior, and I was wondering whether there was a legitimate reason. I'm a novice driver and I hadn't been thinking about the car breaking down; I can understand that. I'll probably still try to register a complaint with the manufacturer and/or some government agency, since it seems like the user should have to specifically request "keep the lights on while the battery is off". (Aren't the flashers more appropriate for most of those situations?) Also, is my signature not showing up? I thought I included it. -- Creidieki 23:35, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

Looks like you're typing your user name. You don't need to do that. Your signature and the date of your post will appear when you type 4 tildes (~~~~). JackofOz 03:27, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

The reason is just cost. Any device to prevent the battery from being drained when not in use would add to the vehicle cost. However, if they could add such a feature for $100, that certainly would seem like a selling point they could advertise, to me. They add so many thoroughly frivolous features, like the "power glove box" I saw in one car, that you would think they would do some important things like this first. High-end cars do tend to have automatic headlights that turn on when it gets dark, off when it becomes light out, and turn off shortly after the engine is turned off, but this feature isn't available on many economy cars. StuRat 02:55, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

I for one would not buy a car in which it was necessary to leave the keys in the ignition to keep the headlights on. That would apply doubly if it turned off the taillights and the smaller front lights. The small benefit of not having a dead battery is more than outweighed by the big benefit of being able to be seen under al circumstances. My car beeps at me if I open the door with the lights on, and I've never left them on accidentally yet. DJ Clayworth 20:15, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

I don't get it, under what circumstances would you like to leave your headlights on and yet can't leave the keys in the ignition ? Would a timer that shut the headlights off after a few minutes work ? StuRat 00:50, 29 October 2006 (UTC)

My car, a 2003 Pontiac Vibe, has a light sensor which turns the headlights on automatically when it gets dark. They turn off automatically when I shut the engine off. You can also turn them on manually, but I never do, because then I have to turn them off manually. However, if I wanted to have them on when the engine is stopped, I have that option. The only downside to the setup is that I cannot turn my headlights off while driving. --Shuttlebug 00:09, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

what's a round screw-like thingy called?

The object in question is like a small screw or nut with a hemispherical cap on it. I don't know what it is called. 152.3.245.221 21:07, 26 October 2006 (UTC) It's a bolt by the way not a screw.

It sounds like some form of hemispherical headed bolt. You confuse me slightly by suggesting it is either a screw or a nut. They're somewhat the yin & yang of the cylindrical fixing world. Ah. Screw#Shapes_of_screw_head is probably your friend: round head: dome-shaped, commonly used for machine screws. --Tagishsimon (talk)

Sounds like a coach bolt--Light current 22:18, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

Light current is correct but I know it as a carriage bolt. --Justanother 23:07, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

Yeah thats it!--Light current 23:17, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

If you mean a nut with a hemispherical cap on one side, then you are thinking of an Acorn nut. Like the ones these folks sell. 192.168.1.1 4:52, 26 Rocktober 2006 (PST)

THats a trade name only. Not a proper generic name 8-)--Light current 00:01, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

The name is "cap nut", and "acorn nut" is also a generic name for a similar nut with a more acorn-shaped dome. This page shows both.  --Lambiam^Talk 12:17, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

---

a "male" thread with a blunt leading edge is either a bolt or a machine screw by definition- the distinction is usually one of size, with bolts having relatively large diameters and larger thread bores (denoted by smaller number of threads per inch). if the head of the bolt is basically hemispherical, and smooth, lacking any depressions or cavities for driving it (such as the slot of a flat-head screw or the X of a Philip's head) it is called a "carriage bolt"- which Light Current probably refers to as a coach bolt. Carriage bolts may or may not have a square section between the head and the threaded shaft, smaller than the former and larger than the latter, which contributes to the bolt's stability by becoming wedged in the substrate surrounding the shaft as the nut pulls the bolt tight.

--inf

---

Are There Fashion History Courses? And If So, Where Could I Take Them?

Danke.100110100 21:10, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

google seems to think there are. All over the place. --Tagishsimon (talk)

Thanks, I'm looking for univeristy courses transferable as a 100 University of Alberta course. Thanks.100110100 10:30, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

I saw from your user page that you are Canadian. This Google search might be helpful. Marco polo 01:00, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Thanks, I'm looking for univeristy courses transferable as a 100 University of Alberta course. Thanks.100110100 10:30, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Female USMC Snipers

Can women apply to become a United States Marine Corps sniper? Jamesino 21:35, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

If you're female and interested in becoming a sniper, I'm afraid that's against US Military policy. According to our recources, "women are not permitted to serve on submarines or to participate in special forces programs such as Navy Seals. Women are barred from serving in Infantry, Special Operations, Artillery, Armour, and Forward Air Defence." Unfortunately, I beleive Marine Sniping would fall into the category of barred services for women. But hey, I'm not an expert. (see: Women in the United States Military)--Porsche997SBS 23:49, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

Women aren't allowed to serve in the infantry? Does that mean women aren't allowed to hold a M4 rifle and shoot at enemies as their primary job? What are some of the jobs that they can do? Jamesino 00:28, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

They can fly jets and helicopters into combat and serve on combat ships (and give birth on them!): [2] Rmhermen 03:33, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Woman serve in pretty much any secondary support role: technical specialists, medical staff, transportation, logistics, 'etc. They are barred from direct combat roles (read: firing weapons), but when faced with an insurgency, that distinction becomes trivial. Raul654 05:02, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

How bout females in Canada?100110100 10:32, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Not sure about special ops positions, but we recently had our first female combat death since WWII [3] in a firefight in Afghanistan. Far as I know, women can serve in front-line positions up here. Tony Fox (arf!) 16:09, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

See history of women in the military for a good discussion of historical points, and worldwide rules. As to whether women could make effective snipers, the historical record suggests they almost certainly could. See Lyudmila Pavilchenko and Nina Alexeyevna Lobkovskaya, who reputedly managed to kill hundreds of Germans in the Soviet Army during WWII. --Robert Merkel 05:36, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

Until the 1990s, women couldn't serve in the Finnish Defence Forces at all. The best they could hope for would be a normal desk job in some military executive office. So it appears that there are some areas where the USA is ahead of us. JIP | Talk 16:53, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Another note, the Marines are the most male of all military branches (94% male), while the Air Force is the least (80.4% male)--Porsche997SBS 04:33, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

DaDa article in Art Journal

In the past 3 - 4 months was an article regarding the dada movement. Anyone know what periodical and issue this may have been. Thank you.

I believe you would get a lot more help if you were a bit more specific.-- ExpImp^talkcon 23:01, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

Not exactly an art journal, but this was published a few days ago. Ziggurat 23:46, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

The DaDa movement was present after World War I, in Germany. The disfigured human shapes were caricatures of what the artists were thinking of man, with all value and menaing removed from life. I hope that helps you. --RockMaster 01:49, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

I know what Dada is. I just wanted more specifics about the art journal (country of origin, language it is written in, where have you read it, etc.) the article (you know of a title, prevalent theme, keywords beside Dada) and timeframe (3-4 months really isn't that specific). Unless i get these even starting to search is futile. You know how many journals/periodicals there are, talking about (at least partially) Art ?-- ExpImp^talkcon 11:27, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Several of the items on this list are art periodicals. Anchoress 11:33, 27 October 2006 (UTC)