Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2006 September 11

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September 11

why is steve irwin a asshole?????

I was reading the article on Steve Irwin. I was wondering what religion he was, if he did believe anything. I know that it was his own personal business and probably no one will really know other than his own family. Thanks for any information. Van00:23, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

There has been no mention of Irwin's religious beliefs in any of the voluminous coverage of his death here in Australia. If he was a member of any organised religion, he and his family have kept very quiet about it. --Robert Merkel 02:53, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

Australians generally do not talk to strangers about their religion (or lack of). When I said "strangers", I do not just mean non-Australians. Strangers include other Australians as well.

On the subject of religion in Australia, do you know there are about 400,000 chinese in Australia in 1996 but only 3815 "Chinese Traditional Religion" which consists of Taoism (2,981); Ancestor Veneration (653); Confucianism (578); Chinese Religions not further defined (257). So either the chinese in Australia are completely non-religious or they are all die hard christians. 202.168.50.40 23:34, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

Why couldn't they be Muslims or Buddhists? User:Zoe|(talk) 02:52, 14 September 2006 (UTC)

What's the statistics for China, itself? It hasn't stricken me as a very religiously devoted country. 惑乱 分からん 00:04, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

Statistics for China which being a communist country from 1949 to ???? is officially non-religious. However lately there was a relax in political policy to allow religious observations by its citizens. 202.168.50.40 00:08, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

Isn't China officially still communist? (Their status in practice is a completely different discussion...) 惑乱 分からん 01:11, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

Back to the steve irwin question...there is a rumor that apparently his wife was a christian and that sometime before his death he himself made a commitment but thats only a rumor as far as i know

Apparently, Terri is indeed a churchgoing Christian, but Steve wasn't and the rumours that he converted shortly before his death appear to be false [1]. --Robert Merkel 22:47, 21 September 2006 (UTC)

baseball field question

This is just a question that was brought up to me and now im trying to get an answer for it, Should the fences on any baseball diamond in the nation or world whether its major league or even just t-ball be tight to the ground on the bottom so nobody can get a foot caught under the bottom pipe support and the ground and get a broken ankle or foot. What is the correct answer or specifications or rules to this question?

I doubt there are any rules for "every" field especially considering as there is not even a rule on how far the fences are. Rmhermen 02:05, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

This seems to me to be nothing to do with baseball, but rather to do with the local regulations on safety and excessive precautionary measures. ColinFine 12:55, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

Major League Baseball makes no specification as to the construction of fences (see Rule 1.04). However, there is a rule concerning how far the fences are; however, said rule has leeway rather than a single fixed value. — Lomn | Talk 13:57, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

Why do all my cactuses die?

All of my potted houseplant cactuses die the same way: they get soft and dark green and they fall over and go flat. Their base sort of dies first. Why do they die? I don't water them much, only like once a month (and only like 2tbsp). These particular cactuses died after they were repotted: File:Thedeadcactusses.JPG The one in the bottom right has died, the one in the bottom left has started dying in it's base.(I realize that it's supposed to be 'cacti', but I prefer 'cactuses')

Actually, "cactuses" is an acepted spelling, at least by the Merriam-Webster Unabridged. Alphabetagamma 18:58, 17 September 2006 (UTC)

Could be a number of things. Temperature? Sunlight? Repotting procedure? You could try leaving them in the thing you get them in from the nursery and see if they still die. You could also try leaving them outside to see if that makes any difference. BenC7 02:40, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

I've heard they do best in very sandy soil; from the picture your soil looks kind of loamy. Don't know if that's important enough to mean the difference between life and death, though. --Allen 04:59, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

Which species of cactus do you have? 惑乱 分からん 07:02, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

Yes, it looks to me as though the soil needs to be much better drained, with the addition of plenty of sand or fine gravel.--Shantavira 12:17, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

Cactuses is quite acceptable for the plural of cactus[2]. Cacti is another word for it, which takes the original Latin form. In English though, both are fine. - Rainwarrior 02:29, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

I only water my cactus about three times a year (when I notice it getting smaller, I put some water in the saucer under the pot). It may be that the soil is too damp from overwatering - because they only look like small cacti, they probably need little water, which they may already be able to get from the damp soil. I think the soil should be dry - mine is. You might also have humid air where the cacti are. So they get too damp and the roots and base start rotting. I think I remember hearing on a BBC radio gardening programme that the most common mistake people make with cacti is overwatering them. Also, you should not water them in winter. Perhaps the soil stays damp enough that you should'nt water them.

catholics

if you don't know already, I went to a Catholic mass to see what it was like, to try and learn some things about Christianity, and to meet the cute ,clean, Catholic girls (is it so wron g to only want to date prima materia ???)

oh ,I forgot to add, this isn't homework. Jasbutal 05:03, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

Questions:

1. what's with the cross on the staff that they kept moving around the Church, in and out, aisle to aisle? I'm familiar with the cross, but why were they walking around with it at what seemed randome times?

2. what's the point of singing stuff?

3. greater than 75% of the mass was singing ! wtf, the priest only talked for like 5 min on the Bible. why so much singing !?

4. one of the reasons I came was to take the eucharist, because that's the whole point of why Christianity is a living religion, because the sacrifice of Jesus actually happens every day and every week. It's not just confined to 2000 years ago .

can i just go protestant and take it there!? They'll give the supper to anyoone.

5. I f catholics barely even talk about or read the Bible in Chruch how do they learn about ti? just reading it on their own? Do they have bible studies like the protestants?

6. if I go to an orthodox church, will all the shit be in Greek? fuck that.

7. What's with the red light on the staff they carried around with the cross sometimes?

8. do any churches do Gregorian chant? That' sthe only signing I want to do, forget these egocentric hymns and egocentric songs like "AMazing Grace"

9. The priest talked about the "Culture of Death" (something the pope talked about on youth day or somethign) is this a common Catholic perception of the current American/Western culture?

10. he said that a personal intimacy with the God and Jesus was possible. I thought catholics were famous for saying that the only way the comman man can communicate or "get to" God/jesus was by proxy through the Priest!? ??

I'm pretty sure Orthodox churches hold services in whatever language is most convenient for the parishoners. Catholics definitely have Bible study just like Protestants. Not all Protestant churches have the Eucharist, and of those that do, they have different requirements for who can receive it. At some, anyone can receive it; in the Episcopal Church, you have to be baptised in the name of the Trinity but you don't have to be Episcopal. (Like the Catholics, of course, they don't actually check.) I don't know the answers to a lot of your questions. I'm curious to know about that red light on the staff; I went to a Catholic church as a kid and I don't remember that. Maybe it was a safer alternative to carrying a burning candle on a staff? You might be interested in reading Mass (Catholic Church). --Allen 04:57, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

1. and 8. The cross is just a symbol. The movements were probably not random. (I can only remember it moving when the priest comes in or leaves?) 2. Singing is a large part of how the church members participate in the mass. Gregorian chant is used (see that article which describes chants like the Alleluia, Agnus Dei and Kyrie) perhaps you didn't recognize it or perhaps as a college service, a very modern liturgy was used? In some churches, the priest, cantor and choir seems to do almost all the actual singing (although the parishioners are encouraged to sing as well.) 3. Catholics are known for short sermons although there has been increased focus since Vatican II. Protestant sermons are generally much longer. (In Catholicsm the central point of the Mass is the Eucharist, with the singing secondary and the sermon least important. In Protestant church, generally the sermon is most important - although in some, and more recently, it is the singing that is most important in the average service. The Lord's Supper is not part of every service but is central when it is.) 4. Protestants would emphatically disagree with this statement and even the Catholics interpretation is more subtle (Eucharist (Catholic Church)#Transubstantiation) 5. Catholics are perceived to study the Bible less than Protestants but home Bible reading, Bible studies and church classes outside of Mass do occur. 7. Another symbol (Jesus as the light to the world.) 10. Catholics believe in a personal relationship with God (such as prayer). The priest has certain roles to fulfill (such as absolution and consecration of the Eucharist) So perhaps communicate - no; get to God, yes. Rmhermen 05:45, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

appreciate the response, Rmhermen. The wiki article tells us a lot about transubstantiation but not why it's done. In regards to that, I was doing some googling just after I asked this, and check this out: "In the Eucharist, we don't merely "remember" the death and resurrection of Christ, like we remember some historic event. Rather, the Eucharist is a living memorial that makes Christ's sacrifice present anew in every parish community which offers it at the hands of a bishop or priest."

from http://www.kofc.org/publications/columbia/detail.cfm?id=2273 Jasbutal 05:57, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

appreciate the response, Rmhermen. The wiki article tells us a lot about transubstantiation but not why it's done. In regards to that, I was doing some googling just after I asked this, and check this out: "In the Eucharist, we don't merely "remember" the death and resurrection of Christ, like we remember some historic event. Rather, the Eucharist is a living memorial that makes Christ's sacrifice present anew in every parish community which offers it at the hands of a bishop or priest."

The "Why is it done" is simplest and applies to any Christian church: because Jesus said "This do in rembrance of me." (Luke 29:19) Our Eucharist article gives: "Eucharist is therefore understood to be not simply a representation of Christ's presence, or a remembrance of his Passion and Death, but an actual participation in the Sacrifice of Christ, the manifestation, in the present, of an event that occurred once for all in time. The Eucharist makes present that one sacrifice, not a different sacrifice." You can see how this differs from "the sacrifice of Jesus actually happens every day and every week." Rmhermen 06:12, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

so you're saying an element of the eucharist is that we sacrifice ourselves during it, just as Christ sacrificed himself to the Father? Is this the meaning of Galatians 2:20?

also, I honestly don't understand how "the manifestation, in the present, of an event that occurred once for all in time." is different than "the sacrifice of Jesus actually happens every day and every week."!?? Jasbutal 06:23, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

from http://www.kofc.org/publications/columbia/detail.cfm?id=2273 Jasbutal 05:57, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

From a non-Catholic: 1. Sometimes they Process. It is a symbol of salvation through faith in Christ. see http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12448a.htm for Catholic info 2. Psalm 150: Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament! Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp! Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with crashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord! 3. See 2. 4. You raise good points. 5. Catholics have traditionally not been really big on weekly Bible study compared to some Protestant denominations, but traditionally they had a great deal of Christian education in the catechism before first communion and learned a great deal of doctrine as developed by church theologians. 6. Some people have indeed heard a fair amount of Greek in Orthodox services. 7. A long burning light may be the Sanctuary Light, a sign that Christ is present in the tabernacle or church. 8. Gregorian chant are in Latin, which I thought went out of Catholic church liturgy after the Second Vatican Council, but the Gregorian Chant article says it is still fine for Catholic worship. There might be choirs in some Catholic, Lutheran, or Episcopal (Anglican) churches which do Gregorian chants on occasion. 9. Culture of death: perhaps he was echoing the Catholic Church's opposition to abortion or capital puinishment. 10. The more "evangelical" protestant churches speak of "accepting Jesus as your personal savior" and being "born again" to receive salvation. I expect Catholics who are devout feel they too have a close relation to Jesus.

You are asking good questions. I strongly encourage you to "church shop," something many college students do as part of their exploration of life. Perhaps the Holy Spirit will lead you to a particular church. Edison 06:08, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

Gregorian chant is a musical style. It isn't all in Latin - and many Catholic churches still use at least some Latin. The Kyrie for instance is Greek. Vernacular (local language) translations are used primarily. Rmhermen 06:19, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

Hmmmm, my first impression, by reading that, is that you should change your definition of dating material. It'd seem you're heading for disappointments... =S 惑乱 分からん 07:06, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

~!?? explain how! The vigin Mary was prima materia...I'd date her. Jasbutal 07:14, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

Having gone to a Catholic grade school for eight years, I don't see any issue with wanting to check out the women. Those starched white shirts and plaid skirts that the female students wore were... nice! Yeah, nice.  :-) Dismas|^(talk) 09:32, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

Would it be sacrilegous to talk about Mary's assumed connections with Roman soldiers? I just think it's silly to choose a girlfriend on such a matter as intact virginity, and, as a personal opinion, I would guess that girls who think it's important to keep their virginity until marriage in a Western society must be one of the most neurotic and hysterical persons you can find... (Maybe I shouldn't start this...) 惑乱 分からん 14:38, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

well, sorrz if this sounds harsh but I could find a word or two for girls AND bozs who have had a sexual )and I mean real sex..) partner or two or three before the age of 21. Hell, before the age of 30! Weäre not rabitts, people, weäre human and we can show a little dang respect for something that is so universallz important. ßßJASBUTAL

If you still care, I'd show respect to a virgin girl. I just don't consider it to be that important. 惑乱 分からん 23:56, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

You go to church as a part of your relationship with God, to connect with others who also have a relationship with God, and to learn more about God. It is not about checking out girls. If you are going there for that reason, you're going for entirely the wrong reason. If you want to learn about God, start by reading the New Testament. BenC7 10:11, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

ben's the type of guy who walks out of a woody allen movie and asks himself "was that supposed to be funny?" Jasbutal 12:57, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

...but then again, so is Woody Allen. :-) StuRat 13:23, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

So are many... Btw, Match Point was good. 惑乱 分からん 14:44, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

Some people experience Hamlet as a murder mystery, and watch all the way through trying to figure out who does the killing. Edison 19:18, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

I am wondering about your paedophilic adiction to virgin Catholic schoolgirls right now. — [Mac Davis] (talk) (Desk|Help me improve)

As immature as I might consider an attraction for virginity to be, I must admit it doesn't in itself necessitate pedophilia (which, strictly speaking, is an attraction to children not yet reached the age of puberty, not to be mixed up with ephebophilia, attraction to adolescents who haven't yet reached full adulthood). 惑乱 分からん 00:53, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

davis ..>! ?? ooooooooooooooh....I get it.....davis is jealous now that's he got some competitioN ! did you not catch that I'm a college student goign to a college church with college girls? Jasbutal 03:45, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

BTW, if you wanted answers to the 'how do Catholics get to know the Bible' question: having been brought up Catholic (do not ask my current beliefs) I found I knew a lot of it better than Protestant friends. This was because, as well as the 3 readings from the Bible every week (Old Testament, New Testament, Gospel) and the responsorial psalm every week, there were the antiphons and Gospel acclamation, meaning I tended to know verses. Because the cycle of readings repeats every three years, by the time you're a teenager you're recognising and remembering bits word-for-word. The Homily (like a sermon) is varying lengths depending on the person giving it (not always a priest), and often looks at how the different passages from the Bible read that week link together, and how they relate to the present day. Skittle 11:16, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

Australia (continent) is wrong

moved to talk:Australia (continent) --Light current 00:03, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

Video/computer game design process

In your page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_design#Video.2Fcomputer_game_design_process under the title Video/computer game design process you say "Game design begins with a concept: some are original inspirations, while others are client-mandated, often as part of a broader marketing campaign." But what is "client-mandated"??? Thanks

Client-mandated means that your client (a movie company, a fast-food chain that wants to use a video game for marketing purposes, or whatever) has some definite requirements of what they want the finished game to look like, and your job as a game designer is not so much to come up with clever ideas of how the game could work but rather to bring the client's ideas (which may or may not be good) to life. Say you're designing a video game as a tie-in to some movie franchise (like designing the latest Star Wars game). In such a case, the movie studio will have a very definite idea of their target audience and of the image they want to project, so they will give you a pretty definite list of what can and can't be done in a video game. On the one hand, it will be pretty much impossible to just design the game you want to design - on the other hand, you can profit immensely from established brand recognition, and you won't have to worry too much about marketing your game. -- Ferkelparade π 10:00, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

The Peoples' Democratic Partiy of Nigeria

Please i would like to know the contents of the PDP of Nigeria —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.206.136.83 (talk • contribs)

See People's Democratic Party (Nigeria) and also this website (Search first – it's quicker) --Shantavira 14:17, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

Use the little box on the left side of the screen to do that. — [Mac Davis] (talk) (Desk|Help me improve)

Raw Spinach and your teeth

Can eating too much raw spinach be un-healthy for your teeth?

Spinach stains the teeth. Ask your Dental hygienist. --Zeizmic 15:33, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

If you don't wash it first. Anchoress 17:06, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

This has worried ref desk visitors before Wikipedia:Reference_desk_archive/Science/2006_July_9#Spinach MeltBanana 19:31, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

POSTUM

HI PLEASE HELP WHERE CAN I FIND POSTUM FOR MY MOM OUR AREA CODE IS 38261 THANKS SARAH

Do you mean zip code ? And what's postum ? StuRat 16:22, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

Did you try calling supermarkets, like E W James & Sons Supermarket? --Lambiam^Talk 16:36, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

Hello Sarah. If you do not have any luck calling the grocery stores in your area. Try health food stores for similar cereal beverage products. If you still have no luck, contact me at gaspdesign AT earthlink DOT net and I will purchase a jar for your mom and send it to you. Coffee flavor or original?--JosephWisdom 20:18, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

Joseph, I strongly advice you to remove that email or you'll get endless spam. I've made it less obvious to a bot, but it's still going to end up all over the internet. Skittle 10:45, 14 September 2006 (UTC)

Thanks. I still want to believe the world is filled with good people. I need people to remind me of what I have know for years... and that is that when I was young I used to say that the world was like a bushel of apples. There are a few bad apples in the bunch. Over the years I have seen this change to that there are just a few good apples left. Thanks for watching out for me. --JosephWisdom 20:16, 15 September 2006 (UTC)

Make it an image, upload it to your user space, and use that every time you want to post your email --Froth 13:41, 14 September 2006 (UTC)

Question about job position - service coordinator / executive assistant

I want to know that who is senior - a service coordinator or an executive assistant? What are their job profiles?

You need to ask the company concerned. All these words have a range of meanings, and in this context sometimes no meaning at all. A 'service coordinator' might be a fairly senior person who is responsible for organising a company's entire after-sales service. On the other hand, it might be a junior person who tracks what is going on in one 'service' (whatever that might mean in the industry concerned). An 'assistant' is usually quite low-status; but an 'assistant director', for example, may be almost at the top of the hierarchy. It is impossible to tell the answer to your question without knowing the company concerned. ColinFine 23:39, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

Commercial break in Pro Football Game

Can anyone shed some light as to why there is a commercial break after a kick-off in a NFL game? Is there any reason why after the kick-off(takes about 30 seconds or so), a commercial break occurs? This doesn't happen in college football games.

Money. The networks trust that anybody who sat through the commercials prior to kickoff will likewise sit through a round of commercials prior to the next play. — Lomn | Talk 18:21, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

Im glad I'm a assoc football fanatic as if I had to watch ads for a minute every minute as you guys seem to have to put up with in american football, I would get fed up so quickly. Philc _T^E_C^I 20:29, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

What do you call the jerseys if not "watch[ing] ads... every minute"? It took me years to realize that Brits weren't actually rooting for "Carlsberg." — Lomn | Talk 21:36, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

The NFL's TV contract says there are supposed to be five commercial breaks per quarter. Generally, these are taken after punts and scores. They can also put in some ads during injury timeouts and replay challenges. However, if there have yet to be enough stoppages of play, they can add extra ads after the kickoff. If you go to a game, you'll see a guy on the sidelines with bright orange elbow-length gloves. His job is to inform the refs with hand signals whether there will be commercials at a given stoppage of play. The ridiculous number of ads during NFL games is one reason I think college football makes a better sport. -- Mwalcoff 22:53, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

The refs are informed about the commercial breaks? Bloody hell, what on Earth for? DirkvdM 06:51, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

Because the leagues make a tremendous portion of their money from TV deals, the games are paused while the networks show commercials.— Lomn | Talk 14:50, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

In all fairness those jerseys dont interfere with the game the way the ad breaks do, but point taken, all pro sports are riddled with advertisements. Philc _T^E_C^I 19:35, 16 September 2006 (UTC)

I had a good laugh once, when I watched some series on tv in the US. There was this introductory scene, then the tune, and then ... a commercial break! Before the story had even properly started! I never bothered to watch US tv after that. When a US guy was over at my place and we watched a US series on public tv and there wasn't a commecial break where one was obviously intended by the makers he was highly surprised. He couldn't imagine tv without commercial breaks. Judging by the fact that, for example, 24 (tv series) episodes last only 45 minutes in stead of one hour, I conclude that 1/4 of tv time in the US is wasted on commercials. Or are there other stations as well? Does the US have public stations? And are they watched? DirkvdM 06:48, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

Yes, the US has the Public Broadcasting Service, which is quite good. Unfortunately, they do buy commercial programs from the UK, at times, then they have to find something to fill in for the missing time. They tend to use ads for themselves as filler. The commercial channels seem to have figured out that they lose viewers if they show commercials before the show starts. The latest method is to have one show end, and the next begin, with no commercials, credits, or even title sequences in between. They still have plenty of ads, but now they wait until they figure you are "hooked" on the new program before they run them. StuRat 07:00, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

You're right, Dirk -- about 1/4 of TV time in the U.S. is taken up by advertising. To Americans, this is the only logical way to do it. Generally, governments in the U.S. only get involved in providing a service if it's of public benefit and the private sector can't or won't do it. The government subsidizes educational and cultural programming on PBS because the private sector won't do it, or at least won't provide it without commercials. Americans would find it ridiculous for the government to be involved in showing something that is nothing but entertainment, like 24. We do have subscription channels like HBO that do not show third-party commercials. We don't have anything like the TV licenses that they have in Europe. I find it crazy that British people have to pay £131.50 for the BBC if they want to watch any television station, even if they hate the BBC. The U.S. government's subsidies for public broadcasting come out of the general budget but amount to less than $5 per household. Different strokes, I guess. -- Mwalcoff 23:18, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

It happens at the start of each half in (soccer) World Cup matches too, Dirk. Thats why the ref and players are to be seen hanging around till the ref gets a signal to blow for the kick-off. Jameswilson 22:51, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

That's fairly different - there is a half time break anyway, so of course they are going to show ads at that time. They don't stop DURING the half though. Although, I did watch them on SBS (Australian government funded broadcaster) which generally only shows ads between shows, so Aussies may be luckier in that regard. In cricket they show one ad (30 seconds) after each over (while the bowlers/fielders change ends), and Australian rules football's coverage (in Australia only, obviously) is (currently) divided between two channels - one of them shows uninterrupted quarters, and the other shows ads after each goal - a source of many complaints! -- Chuq 02:43, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

The teams and leagues have to make their money one way or the other. When you watch hockey on Czech TV, there are no commercials during periods, but you can't see the puck because of all the ads on the ice and the players' uniforms. In the U.S., the only ads on players' uniforms are the logos of the clothing manufacturers. There are also no ads on the playing surface, although the NHL, NBA and MLB now have ads around the playing surface. I don't like all the interruptions for commercials any more than anyone else, but I don't know what the alternatives would be, other than defiling uniforms and fields with ads or showing the games on pay-per-view. -- Mwalcoff

Mwalcoff (4 posts back), having no commercials is not the same as having the government handling the programming. In the Netherlands, there is competition between broadcasters. They get allotted time depending on their popularity. This used to be measured in a rather stupid leftover from the verzuiling (pillarisation), based on the sales of their programme magazines. That has changed now, but I'm not sure how.

About the use of commercials (any kind anywhere), they're the pits for the free market system. The way that is supposed to work is that people 'vote' for good products by buying them (dollar voting). So their choice is supposed to be based on the quality of the product, not how much money the company can waste on commercials. And has to becuase else they couldn't compete. This not only eats at the basis of the free market system, it is also a threshold for new companies that can't afford big commercial campaigns and thus holds back innovation and hampers competition. DirkvdM 05:07, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

I don't understand. How do the networks make money if they don't show commercials and don't get money from the government? -- Mwalcoff 05:37, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

They are funded by the government (and therefore the people), but that doesn't mean the government bothers with the details. It does give rough guidelines (how much of what sort of thing should be shown where and when), but could even decide not to bother about those. Just allot time to the stations based on their popularity. Of course, who gets prime time on which of the three stations and weekends and such needs to be sorted out, but the principle is quite workable. DirkvdM 07:22, 14 September 2006 (UTC)

I'm afraid this could be better explained somewhere. The article "Television networks in the Netherlands" simply lists three public and seven private networks, without any mention of networks coming and going based on viewership levels. It also says that even the public networks run some commercials. -- Mwalcoff 00:01, 15 September 2006 (UTC)

• You could tape it then fast forward through the ads at your leisure(hotclaws**== 20:13, 13 September 2006 (UTC))

That's what I do all the time (I never watch tv direct), but sports fans will want to see matches live, so they're stuck. What's worse, though, is that game time gets lost through commercials (right?). Glad I'm not a sprts fan in the US. :) DirkvdM 07:22, 14 September 2006 (UTC)

No, they only show commercials during stoppages of play. -- Mwalcoff 04:08, 15 September 2006 (UTC)

school of thought

what school of thought is it called when one desires to have his/her virginity "lost" by another virgin ? ßJASBUTAL

AssumptionsÖ ß )I mean virgin in the traditional sense....ya weirdos) ß n ot talking about marriage here ß I am talkiong about love in the casual but not immature sense ß i am not talking about myzself...itäs just a freind iäm worried about ß sorry but mz kezboard is all fucked up

Islam. --83.245.29.27 18:44, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

good one. Jasbutal 23:36, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

Actually, I guess that in muslim countries, the female virginity is considered much more important than male one. Tradition of bleeding the bed sheets and all that... 惑乱 分からん 23:52, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

It seems you accidentally installed a German keyboard layout. Are you using XP with a "DE" sign close to the lower right corner? Then, click on it and change it to "EN". 惑乱 分からん 23:52, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

i dunno, it was a shared PC and I've since left it. peopel are always messing with those things. Jasbutal 03:49, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

Could you give me some details about your friend, and the relationship he's in. Nothing personal, just stuff like his age, his girlfriend's age, how long they've been together, their views toward each other etc. Might help us understand the issue better... 惑乱 分からん 00:58, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

"he" doesn't have a girlfriend at the moment, I was just wondering what his school of thought would be classified as. He's just a tad bit disappointed when the girls taht he dates have already been there done that. He believes it's important (not a stipulation, but still important...), in order to be intimate with someone, to not have a lot of baggage and expectations from past relationships and sex leads to this. Jasbutal 03:49, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

Possibly idealist. ;) 惑乱 分からん 10:00, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

Instead of losing your virginity, you could always misplace it... --Dweller 14:25, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

Samurai and Ninja

What is the difference between a samurai and a ninja ?

Try Samurai and Ninja. ColourBurst 20:47, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

If there was a fight between a Samurai and a Ninja..... (forget it. The ninja has a harder shell doesn't it?)--Shantavira 09:12, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

But the samurai hops better... 惑乱 分からん 10:08, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

A samurai will stab you in the front, a ninja in the back. Clarityfiend 03:45, 14 September 2006 (UTC)

Looking for the film "Flame of Persia"

Hello, I am looking for the documentry "Flame of Persia" (1971) which was the 2500 year anniversary of fthe Persian Empire. Does anyone know where I can get it? For more info on the film : [3]

Thanks --(Aytakin) | Talk 21:09, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

Improving my strength further

I've been for 2 years in the gym and already have a decent form. However, I'm somewhat stuck at this point... Can anyone recommend me some kind of powerlifting routines or something useful for my purposes? Thanks.

What kind of body shape do you have now, and what kind of body shape are you striving for? What kind of training are you practicing, how often do you do it, and what kind of diet do you follow? 惑乱 分からん 23:53, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

This might be a good time to stop lifting, why don't you... find another hobby? Maintain your look of course, but maybe you can learn a new skill or help somebody? — [Mac Davis] (talk) (Desk|Help me improve)

Take a bike to work in stead of a car, take the stairs in stead of the lift, that sort of thing. Build up muscles that are actually useful and do it without spending time or money on it (actualy saving some). Clever, eh? Of course, if you want to look puffed up and ridiculous, use the stuff at the gym. DirkvdM 07:00, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

Well, those exercises may be useful for a cripple granny, but not for strong youth like me... The money I spend in weightlifting is minimal (close to 0€)... Maybe we could try the "usefulness" of my muscles against yours in a fight, can't we? :P... Agreed that bodybuilders look ugly because they look strange, but just with using the stuff at the gym (without using drugs) is pretty hard to get that shape. Hope this helps.

Vandalising my user page [4] doesn't really help. If that is the fight you were looking for, I'm not picking up the glove. DirkvdM 09:19, 15 September 2006 (UTC)

This is the kind of question you should be asking a trainer at the gym, that's what they are there for. Describe what you've been doing up to this point, what you would like to achieve, how much of a time committment you're willing to make and so on. The trainer should then be able to work out a set of exercises with you. It's much safer and better doing it like this, as you'll be focussing your efforts and there is much less risk of injury through improper exercises. — QuantumEleven 07:30, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

If you want to become tough you need to get tough on yourself. The fiction writer Terry Pratchett describes a "religion" that believes "the only way to get the soul to heaven is to put the body through hell". I base my routines on this, and build muscular and cardio-vascular strength by going for long (2 hour plus) mountain runs with full pack and gear. I am talking about rough terrain which gains big altitude and there are no real paths. Burns you up, but boy do you get strong !!! (Can anyone recommend any good sites about "exertion headache"? --196.208.61.88 18:55, 15 September 2006 (UTC)JohnSmith--196.208.61.88 18:55, 15 September 2006 (UTC)

Thank you very much to all.

Clipping Mask vs Normal Layer mask

In Adobe Photoshop CS, what is the main difference between a clipping mask and a normal layer mask? In what situations would you use which one? Jamesino 22:18, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

A clipping path is a vector-based path, you would use it where you want a straight line, a precise mathematical curve or a hard edge to the object. A layer mask is pixel based and can use transparency, so you would use it for soft "faded" edges like a photo montage, or for fine detail like hair. --Canley 03:42, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

How many people in World trade center on 9/11?

Hello. How many people, were in the world trade center, when they were hit by the planes in 2001? I heard in a film as many as 6000. Yet I read that 2000+ people died there.

Thank you very much, Catherine Fowler

See September 11, 2001 attacks#Fatalities. Total 2,973 confirmed deaths stemming from all four hijackings, of which ~2,600 were people in the World Trade Center towers. Just under 2,000 of those were at or above the areas where the aircraft hit; the other 600 were presumably killed when the towers collapsed, and included about 400 rescue workers. Shimgray | talk | 23:20, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

The number who were in the Towers waas much higher as most of them successfully evacuated: "On any given day, some 50,000 people worked in the towers with another 200,000 passing through as visitors." World Trade Center. Rmhermen 00:00, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

Also take a look at Survivors of the September 11, 2001 attacks. It claims 16,000 - 18,000 World Trade Center complex at the time of the attack. It does not appear to say how many were in the centre it'self though. CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 00:06, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

This is a good time to whip out one of my favorite graphs[5]! I remember that week on the news they were saying 12,000 deaths. Eventually it went down to nine, six, and four thousand, and I guess it is 3000. — [Mac Davis] (talk) (Desk|Help me improve)

Mac, that graph is not a good example to quote becasue of the different dates. More info comes out later, and I would say the lter estimates are probably more accurate.--Light current 01:57, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

Not only that, but (unlike the WTC attacks) the situation with Chernobyle is a lot more confusing. If someone at the WTC was crushed, or killed by falling debris, or incinerated, it's fairly obvious that they were ultimately killed by the terrorists. On the other hand, if someone lived 5 miles from Chernobyle, and a decade later they got cancer and died - is that a Chernobyle-related death? Raul654 05:29, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

According to the NIST report:

• • South tower, above impact -- 2,600 people, 619 deaths
  • South tower, below impact -- 6,000 people, 11 deaths
  • North tower, above impact -- 1,355 people, all died
  • North tower, below impact -- 7,545, 107 deaths -- Mwalcoff 02:07, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

Which gives a total number of 17,500 in the two towers when they were hit and shows that only 15% of the people in the Towers died. I never realized that so many escaped from above the impact zone in the South Tower. I had remembered something vague in the "dozens" area. In a related note, USA Today estimated that about 200 jumped or fell out of the towers to their deaths. Rmhermen 14:47, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

That's how many people were above the impact level when the first plane hit. Most of the nearly 2,000 survivors on the top of the south tower had probably begun to leave after the first attack. I forgot to add that another 54 people, not including emergency responders, were at unknown locations in the building when they died. Thirty of them were known to have been below the impact zones, but it's unknown which tower they were in. 421 emergency responders; 18 people who were outside or in other buildings; and 17 people whose whereabouts at time of impact are not known died. As horrific as 9/11 was, it could have been much worse. Had the attack happened in the middle of the day, had the first tower not stood for as long as it did after the attacks or had many people in the south tower not have begun to leave after the first attack, many more people would have died. On the other hand, had the first plane's impact not blocked all three stairwells in the north tower, the death toll might have been far lower. -- Mwalcoff 23:06, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

I didn't catch what you meant. I think you understood what it was implying. It doesn't incorporate the IAEA, WHO, and some of the Soviet studies, but they are all less than 60 deaths, and around 20 due to acute exposure. The bar graph for estimated cancer cases and deaths looks about the same. — [Mac Davis] (talk) (Desk|Help me improve)

2004 Idian Ocean tsunami (answer as soon as possible please!!!)

When did the tsunami end? I can't find in the article.

You mean:

• when did the tidal wave end OR
• when was the disater officially declared over?

--Light current 01:54, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

A tidal wave is actually an entirely different type of wave, though that term was frequently misused to mean tsunami, until recently. StuRat 03:43, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

According to 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, the last death occured in Port Elizabeth, South Africa on December 26, 2004 (the same day as the tsunami started), some 8000 km away from the source. Do you need the time of day ? StuRat 03:49, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

december 26th, 2004. I was there. Jasbutal 03:51, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

Do you have a wet t-shirt to prove it? DirkvdM 07:05, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

Also see Timeline of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. StuRat 04:03, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

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