Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2007 March 27

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March 27

Hemmeroids

How many hemmeroids is it possible to have. My friend says you can only have 4 max, I dont know, can you tell me>

We cannot give medical advice, but you could read the article on Hemeroids -- Diletante 01:29, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

Two things:

1. This user didn't want advice, he wanted facts. I think that slapping a disclaimer on every question about law and medicine is a bad practice.
2. The hemeroid article doesn't mention number.

In the future, try to actually find an answer to the question, instead of directing a user to an article filled with medical terms he/she may not understand. - AMP'd 02:05, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

I don't see why there would be a limit of 4, but 4 probably means you should practice better hygiene? --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 03:00, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

Read the article, Wirbelwind...the article lists several causes, the most likely of which are not hygenic, but either genetic or medical/injury/stress related. Hygene is listed as a weak possibility, which may be associated with bowel movement and straining, but not ... conclusively proved to cause hemorrhoids. Jfarber 03:13, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

Hmm, I could have sworn I read before elsewhere that it does contribute, as in increases the chances but not the only reason. But Then again, there really aren't any definate proof either way, I guess. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 05:49, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

It's unlikely that a particular number would be known or published in sources available to those who reply to queries here. AMP'd, rather than suggesting that Wikipedia Reference Desk respondents "try to find the answer," would do well to:

• Read the indicated article, that includes External links to extensive and informative sources on the Internet;
• Consult a dictionary or other resource (including on the Web) that explains unfamiliar medical terms;
• Consult a physician about an actual medical problem, should one exist.

For best results in seeking information, I suggest it's reasonable to "use" the Reference Desk this way. -- Deborahjay 04:45, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

That's right, we may never find any numeric limit to the number of 'roids a person can have, no matter how much data we browse, even if we look at many piles. StuRat 04:58, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

I've just had a very painful piles op and the specialist surgeon explained it to me. He said that everyone has 4 - he even drew a clock and identified the position of each one on the clock (which signifies the rectal opening). Some people's piles get inflamed and hence they think they have more than 4, but that is due to complications that can arise, which have levels from 1 to 4 according to the doc. If your condition is level 4 then you have a lot of inflammation and it would probably seem to you that have a 'bowlful' of roids. I wince as I say that. Very very painful. Sandman30s 13:59, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

This seems like an answer, but it remains in the form of anecdote. For the sake of Wikipedia, would your doctor (or anyone's doctor) have a reference/citation we could use to add that note to the relevant articles? Jfarber 20:55, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

I don't think Sandman30s gave us a half-assed answer. He did have a reference, of sorts, to a doctor. I imagine he wants to keep the name of his proctologist private, and that's OK with me. So, I would put the onus on you to find info which conflicts with his. StuRat 04:08, 28 March 2007 (UTC)

A hemorrhoid is a varicose vein condition, i.e. a pathology that may but generally doesn't develop. The quoted "statement" of Sandman30s's "specialist surgeon" (i.e. proctologist or ??) — "everyone has 4" – seems unlikely to refer to hemorrhoids. So, four what? Veins in the rectal/anal area that may or may not become varicose? This is a reply, but hardly an answer, and the original query seeking a particular number may simply be unrealistic. -- Deborahjay 10:33, 28 March 2007 (UTC)

Hmmm, Googling suggests there are four degrees of severity/types of hemorrhoid, and 'four minute miles' is rhyming slang for 'piles', but no other references. Skittle 21:55, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

I thought the asshole (anus) had four pads (filled with blood vessels) that clamped together to form a seal an the aforementioned hole. My interpretation of piles is that one or more of these four pads gets inflamed and the blood vessels can get distended. But even with a gross case of piles, you only have four main lumps protruding (even though each one may have grossly distended veins/blood vessels). Is that right or wrong?

Birchmount Park controversy

Where can I read the Facebook posts by Bradley Parsons that led to his suspension? Have they been taken down or put behind a password, and if so have mirrors been set up? I can't make an informed decision about whether the protesters were right about Brad being within his rights, if I can't read what he said. NeonMerlin 02:41, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

For anyone who doesn't have a foggy what this post is about, HERE is a list of news stories. Anchoress 06:30, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

Thanks, I was wondering myself. StuRat 10:40, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

The second article in Anchoress's link seems to suggest he made the group private so as not to be found out. But obviously it didn't work. More details are given on the case of the students who commited the terrible crime of suggesting white people had a culture!

Prune juice

How is juice extracted from a dried plum? Is a prune not completely dry? V-Man - ^T/_C 05:43, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

No, it's not completely dry. If it were, it would be a powder. StuRat 05:46, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

Prunes aren't completely dry. And I think prune juice is really just plum juice, as I don't see why there'd be any difference between the two, or maybe prune juice is just slightly fermented? --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 05:47, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

Dried fruit isn't just dehydrated, some chemical change takes place, causing the change in color, taste, and other properties. Perhaps someone else can give some details on the nature of this chemical change. I only know that it's not reversible: no matter how long you soak raisins in water you never get grapes back. StuRat 06:30, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

I'm going to pose the question about what happens to fruit when you dehydrate it on the Science Ref Desk. StuRat 17:13, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

If it comes from plums and not prunes, then the following quote from the Prune (fruit) article seems out of place: "Prune juice is richer in fiber than plum juice and is often marketed as a treatment for constipation, and it helps with kidney stones." Dismas|^(talk) 06:23, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

Well, this page tells you how to make prune juice from prunes. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 06:53, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

Red vs blue

Why are some IP address signatures blue and others red, i.e. why do some get userpages and others don't? Clarityfiend 06:15, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

They all get userspace, just the red ones haven't made them yet. --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 06:46, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

Note that IP editors can't create new pages; this includes – I believe – creating userpages. IP userpages are usually created by admins or registered users to note something important about an IP, from the standpoint of managing Wikipedia—identifying addresses that are used by schools or particular companies, or marking open proxies. Some may be left over from when IPs could create new pages; that was only a few months ago. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 13:09, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

IPs can create new pages, just not in the main namespace (and perhaps some others). They can certainly create talk pages. Shimgray | talk | 13:14, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

Notability

Do you think that it would be notable content to include in an soft drink brand article's trivia section about how the soft drink brand's bottles are used to make a type of bong? Because the article SoBe is getting stuff like that added to the trivia section, see the discussion on the talk page. --Spebi 11:16, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

Although notability standards for "trivia" sections would seem to be an exercise is futility, we've got plenty. These pages seem to generally agree that trivia should only be supported if it can ultimtately be included within the larger article, and I would suggest that an association of a non-traditional use of the container FOR the article's subject by only a very small subculture (waterfall bong users) is hardly notable enough to include in the article on SoBe itself. As such, I agree that this information does not belong there; see relevant talk page for my thoughts. Jfarber 12:52, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

Aside from that, my understanding is that it's possible to make a bong out of just about anything. That some people have done it with a bottle (even a specific brand of bottle) strikes me as "huh. So what?" TenOfAllTrades(talk) 13:04, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

Reservations

Lately, here in the U.S., it seems as though fewer and fewer restaurants take reservations. Why is this? I hate going to a restaurant and being told "It'll be an hour wait, here's a beeper so we can let you know when your table is ready". Why would I want to wait an hour when I can call ahead and make reservations? Dismas|^(talk) 12:21, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

I can think of a few possible reasons:

• It solves the problem of people reserving tables and not showing up;
• Not operating a reservations system saves them administrative effort;
• The restaurant is so popular that they can fill the place on walk-up trade alone;
• (probably the most important) They stupidly believe that their own convenience (see points 1 to 3 above) outweighs their obligation to provide a decent level of service to their customers. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 12:31, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

Restaurants are in the business of making money, though surely customer service and other factors affect that one way or another; one of the biggest factors which determine how much money they can make in a given evening is how many meals they can sell in that evening. Underlying Richardrj's points above is a more general truth which speaks directly to this: restaurants which do not take reservations do not have to hold tables empty to make sure they are available to those who called ahead, but can fill tables immediately after they empty out (assuming higher demand than table availability, which both models do assume).

As such, even IF the problem of "people reserving tables and not showing up" went away, and even IF the reservations system took more effort (which I doubt, actually), the truth is, if we assume that demand for tables is higher than table availability, in a beeper system, tables fill up more quickly throughout an evening, and can turn over more rapidly/immediately as well. Thus, the non-reservations model holds significantly more profitability.

Of course, if enough people see this as a lack of "decent service", or if too many restaurants swamp the area, then demand for tables will no longer be higher than table availability, and the models may change back. Until then, however, you can complain all you want, but unless you and everyone else stops going to the restaurants, there is no incentive for restaurants to change this model. Jfarber 13:28, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

JIT: Also, to reinforce the rationale of the "beeper profitability model" already well-covered by Jfarber above, compare Just_In_Time_(business). Restaurant patrons can be viewed as just another factor of the production process necessary to get inventory out the door. Hooray efficiency! dr.ef.tymac 22:07, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

I have wondered if anyone ever finds the beepers buzzing away in trash cans when patrons got disgusted waiting and left. A "beeper" restaurant seems very downscale compared to a "reservation" restaurant. Beepers are an improvement over giving them your name and waiting for someone who speaks highly accented English to call it in the usual noisy environment. That said, it was always fun to hear people give fake names and then hear the host calling for, say, the "Donner party."Restaurants with bars can increase their profits by having you wait in the bar for your table, buying expensive drinks all the while. At Olive Garden, the bar has (small) tables and offers the same menu as the restaurant with no waiting (usually) for a table. In restaurants in shopping malls, the beeper lets you browse while waiting for the table, increasing profits for the mall but perhaps letting you get something you need instead of just sitting and waiting. Edison 14:29, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

Good call to Edison for pointing to the bar scene and the mallculture; I had forgotten those equally economic factors. In addition, Edison's answer-set points to yet another reason why an increasing number of restaurants in the US use a beeper system instead of a resevration system: eating out in the US has become increasingly normative. As it does, what was once special, and thus demanded special treatment -- respectful service, having a special table, the reservation system itself -- begins to wane in the face of the need to provide service quickly on the side of the restaurant, and the lessened sense on the behalf of eat-outers (eaters out?) that "special" is a part of the restaurant experience. Though there are still upscale restaurants around which DO take reservations, in other words, there is an increasingly large middle-to-upper-spectrum set of restaurants that caters to folks who eat out so regularly they neither need nor want to bother with the reservation system, and are willing to wait instead, because there is an increasingly large social demand for such an experience. Jfarber 15:47, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

I find both reservations and waiting to be unacceptable. Reservations are unacceptable because I have to watch the clock and make sure everyone meets in time to make the reservation, and waiting just plain sucks. I go to restaurants that can seat me immediately without reservations. There are plenty, at least in my area, except perhaps for at certain "peak times", which I avoid. StuRat 21:18, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

I turned up at a restaurant recently, and was asked "Do you have reservations?", to which I replied "Well, yes, but when you're as hungry as I am, you'll eat anything". (Apologies to The Wizard of Id) JackofOz 03:57, 28 March 2007 (UTC) (what a pleasing juxtaposition)

When I became old enough to get it, I always enjoyed my dad giving the people the name "Jackson" since there were five people in our family. "Jackson, party of five." People's heads would turn, for real. Also, Edison, I don't think that speaking in highly accented English is particularly a problem... V-Man - ^T/_C 02:41, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

Most high-quality restaurants (read: high-priced restaurants) still take reservations. If they don't, you can generally call ahead, assuming you can find their phone number, usually up to 45 minutes in advance, and they'll put your name down on their list (these are places like The Outback, Red Robin, TGI Friday's, etc.). Any place where they won't reserve a table for you, IMO, isn't really worth going to (service quality being a major factor). Cernen Xanthine Katrena 10:39, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

Soy milk + Vitamin D?

• http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/27/health/27brody.html

... soy milk cannot be legally fortified with vitamin D and provides only 75 percent of the calcium the body obtains from cow’s milk.

What's going on in the United States that you don't have the freedom to make your soy milk more nutritious? Every time you add vitamins to a food, God kills a kitten? -- Toytoy 13:50, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

Answer: The NYT article is in error, as is the source it uses. See below for how/why we arrived at this conclusion. Jfarber 13:17, 28 March 2007 (UTC)

This is a good exercise in following information back to its source, actually. The article in question is about a study which includes a "Beverage Guidance System", so I looked it up on Google and found the full text of a study called new proposed guidance system for beverage consumption in the United States with little difficulty. I then used the "find in page" function to search the document for the word soy; the THIRD incidence of that word in the original study is, as expected from the context of the NYT article, in a sentence which is almost word for word what is reported in the NYT. The original study, in turn, cites this particular piece of information as from an article published in J Clin Endocrinol Metab in 1971.

Unfortunately, without an actual medical library at my disposal, the trail gets cold here; the 1971 article is not available online. We are left with two possibilities:

1. The law as cited in 1971 has not changed.
2. The law as cited in 1971 has changed, but the folks doing the "Beverage Guidance System" study did not realize that.

It is easy to conjecture, since even a cursory Google search of the terms "Vitamin D" soy FDA fortified demonstrates that many FDA-cited releases from the last decade mention vitamin D-fortified soy products, that our second assumption is correct, and that this law no longer exists -- thus saving some kittens, a whole mess of lactose-intolerant and vegan-parented infants, and a bunch of other interested parties a bit of stress. But we are not here to assume. Ways to find out which of our two conjectures are accurate, then, would include tracking down the original 1971 article to see which FDA resource IT referenced, so we could then figure out if that resource had been replaced by a newer standard, or to contact the FDA directly, since they surely have some sort of reference desk themselves. Or, one could contact a soy-milk company which sells milk in the US, and ask if they had such a product, and if so, why not. I leave that part as an exercise for the querent, with a reminder that the onus for journalists is truth, but the mandate of a reference desk staff is to point in the right direction, and provide roadmaps like this one, so that querents can learn and locate their own information.  :-) Jfarber 14:31, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

This sure looks like it's based on obsolete information. Both brands of soy milk I currently have in my pantry (Soy Dream enriched and Edensoy extra), I bought at my local supermarket in the U.S., and both are fortified with vitamin D. And according to the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference,[1] lowfat cow's milk (1%) has about 290 mg/cup of calcium, which is less than the 368 mg/cup listed for calcium fortified soy milk. (The two brands of soy milk I have differ; one has less calcium than cow's milk, one has more.) MrRedact 21:13, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

I found this in the Federal Register (71 FR 44801) (2006):

• http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/retrieve.html

IOM recommended allowing as milk alternatives only soy-based beverages that are fortified to contain nutrients in amounts similar to cow¡¦s milk. The IOM also recommended minimum levels per cup of 300 mg calcium and 120 International Units (IU) vitamin D. FDA, at 21 CFR Part 131, specifies that if added, milk should provide not less than 2000 IU vitamin A per quart (500 IU per cup) and 400 IU vitamin D per quart (100 mg per cup.) ... Since soy beverage may be allowed as a substitute for milk over a variety of fat content levels, a single, broadly applicable standard is needed. Further, FNS believes that the statutory requirement of Public Law 108¡V265 for nutritional equivalency takes precedence over the IOM recommendations for WIC. Therefore, whole milk was used as a benchmark for all nutrients except vitamins A and D, which already have Federally established standards for fortification of fluid milk. The chosen levels of vitamins A and D derive from the milk fortification levels required by the FDA. Based on the above, this rule proposes that authorized soy-based beverages provide, at a minimum, the following nutrients:

Per cup

Calcium ..................... 276 milligrams (mg).

Protein ....................... 8 grams.

Vitamin A ................... 500 International Units (IU).

Vitamin D .................. 100 IU. ...

I think adding Vitamin D to soy milk is legal. -- Toytoy 04:28, 28 March 2007 (UTC)

Follow-up This morning I sent the following email to Jane Brody, c/o the New York Times, via their website:

Ms. Brody:

The last sentence of your 3/27 article "You Are Also What You Drink", which cites the subject of the article as reporting that "soy milk cannot be legally fortified with vitamin D", was recently referred to the Wikipedia Reference Desks for fact-checking.

Going back to the source articles, Wikipedia Reference Desk volunteers found that the "Beverage Guidance System" uses an outdated 1971 journal article as its source to make this claim. Subsequently, and armed with only the Internet at their fingertips, Wikipedia researches found plenty of evidence that the information in question is out of date and factually incorrect.

This evidence included recent documents from the Federal Register (71 FR 44801) (2006), which not only appear to recommend the fortification of soy milk with Vitamin D for the purpose of providing "milk alternatives" for school children, but provide specific recommendations for just how much Vitamin D should be included in these fortified products.

Wikipedia respondents also noted, by way of corroborating anectodal evidence, that soy milk fortified with Vitamin D is available at their local supermarket.

Clearly, if current federal-level discussion about soy-based alternatives to milk is concerned with quantifying Vitamin D as a sufficient additive for the purpose of school lunch and other WIC-supported programs, and if one can walk into any store and buy soy-milk fortified with Vitamin D, it seems safe to assume that it is perfectly legal to fortify soy milk with Vitamin D.

Just as clearly, for all the bad press about Wikipedia, there are some ways in which it works very well indeed.

In the interest of providing accurate legal and nutritional advice to parents everywhere, we appreciate your attention to correcting the misinformation contained in this report, and in your article.

Jfarber 13:51, 28 March 2007 (UTC)

YEAH! HECK YEAH! Soak 'em for Crutchy!!! V-Man - ^T/_C 02:49, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

Did she reply? I don't see a correction posted by the NYT. I thought after Jayson Blair fiasco, the NYT adopted a very high standard for factual accuracy. -- Toytoy 17:48, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

She did NOT reply, and no correction has been noted...but the article was changed sometime yesterday, switching one part of the relevant sentence in the original study for another part of the same sentence, to make it look as if the original study (and the NYT article) had been accurate all along, and leaving readers with the implication that the study still is entirely accurate. Two "problems" arise from this: one, the article now covers up for the error in the study, and two, the article now looks different from how it used to, but no one will notice, and thus the misinformation will still flourish. Make of that what you will; I've submitted my concerns about the journalistic, ethical, and public-information ramifications of this "pretend it never happened by making retroactive changes" strategy for correcting errors to BoingBoing. Jfarber 14:29, 30 March 2007 (UTC)

Hey! We made BoingBoing! Jfarber 17:52, 30 March 2007 (UTC)

I thought Mark Frauenfelder and Carla Sinclair made it? V-Man - ^T/_C 00:38, 31 March 2007 (UTC)

And this is exactly why the NYT cannot be considered a WP:RS ;-) - O^O 01:28, 1 April 2007 (UTC)

When I checked the supplied link to the New York Times late in the day on 1 April, it showed the correction explicitly, and gave the date of the correction as March 31. (Though no credit to Wikipedia was offered!).

Correction: March 31, 2007...The Personal Health column in Science Times on Tuesday about healthful beverages included incorrect information from the Beverage Guidance Panel about soy milk. It can indeed be legally fortified with vitamin D.

EdJohnston 01:03, 2 April 2007 (UTC)

healthful. So they're illiterate as well as shoddy? --Tagishsimon (talk)

I actually heard from a NYT editor about this yesterday -- yes, the correction has now been added to the article, and it seems that the delay is caused by a desire to accomplish two things simultaneously:

1. to correct articles ASAP, the moment they know about them
2. 2 to not issue formal correction notices until they can check with the article's author.

I also learned that the archived version of the Times in such cases will reflect both the original text and the correction.

I admire these goals. My concern here remains, to some extent, however -- though Mr. Blake (the editor in question) acknowledges the delay between these two, and says that the resultant PERCEPTION of impropriety is something that they "can live with", I believe that this policy works for print version, but suggest that, on the web, emending an online article without acknowledging that change in ANY way is confusing to readers and, in an age where information travels (and is forgotten) quickly, will retain the impression of impropriety...and can cause problems (for example, a student who cited the article on Tuesday will include the falsehood in her paper; a teacher who checks that fact on Thursday will have no way of knowing that what the student saw actually exists).

On the other hand, as I suggested to Blake, were the consequences of that policy-set to be made public (perhaps via the public editor's desk), AND were article DATES to be changed in online versions if the text has been changed, I beloieve the matter would be resolved. The public would have a better awareness of this policy (and would probably support it) due to the former; more importantly, information on the NYT web site would AT ALL TIMES be labeled with the proper date-stamp to represent the actual text in the article, and when it was published AS TEXT. Such is life, when one has no "history" tab to click for articles! Jfarber 12:47, 2 April 2007 (UTC)

Consider writing a summary of this for the Signpost. -- Zanimum 13:14, 2 April 2007 (UTC)

I'd love to -- how do you submit to the signpost? Jfarber 13:43, 4 April 2007 (UTC)

Further research

Here's what Popkin et al. write in the paper cited by the NYT: "Fortified soymilk is a good alternative for individuals who prefer not to consume cow milk, although consumers should be aware that soymilk cannot be legally fortified with vitamin D and provides 75% of the calcium bioavailable from milk (95)."

(95) refers to the 1971 article by Heaney/Sillman in J Clin Endocrinol Metab mentioned by Jfarber above. I got a scan of that article. As far as I can tell, it mentions neither laws nor soymilk anywhere. A 75% figure occurs once (p. 662), but in a very different context. Anyone interested in confirming that? Rl 15:00, 2 April 2007 (UTC)

Thank you all! -- Toytoy 22:59, 2 April 2007 (UTC)

What is the full citation of the Popkin et al. article? (title, author, journal/website - that is, the nutrition study, not the NY Times article about it.) I would like to look in its use of the the 1971 article; that is, to see if they really did get their information about food laws and nutrients from things published 36 years ago!

Please forgive me if this is not the right place to post this query. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.235.238.156 (talk • contribs)

Here is the full citation, and the URL:

Barry Popkin, Lawrence Armstrong, George Bray, Benjamin Caballero, Balz Frei and Walter Willett (2006). "A new proposed guidance system for beverage consumption in the United States". American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 83 (3): 529–542.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

Click on the title to open up a free version of the article.

Comment. User:Rl in a comment just above (under 'Further research') quotes the actual passage from the Popkin et al. article that repeats the information we now realize is incorrect. Popkin's reference 95 is the following paper: Heaney RP, Skillman TG. Calcium metabolism in normal human pregnancy. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1971;33:661–70. That is the very paper that was scanned by User:Rl. I had a chance to look at his copy, and for sure it has nothing to do with soy milk, fortified or otherwise. That paper was trying to study the depletion of calcium from the bones of pregnant women due to the demands of pregnancy. I think that Popkin et al. made a mistake with their reference 95.

Suggestion: Does anyone feel like following up with the first author of this paper, Barry Popkin? Maybe Jfarber would like to pursue this, since he wrote to the NYT. The full copy of the article reveals Popkin's email address. EdJohnston 04:11, 3 April 2007 (UTC)

I wanted someone else to confirm my tired eyes. Thanks, EdJohnston, I'll contact Popkin. Rl 07:18, 3 April 2007 (UTC)

Update: I heard back from Mr. Popkin. He writes: "we published an erratum in th eNYT and are submitting one to our journal now". Rl 18:06, 3 April 2007 (UTC)

question

1.what is mh exit on a strip?i heard sumthin like that but wasnt sure what the guys were talking about. 2. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 212.49.87.190 (talk) 14:12, 27 March 2007 (UTC).

Would you please clarify? What sort of strip are you talking about? Google has a great many possibilities for "mh exit", but it's impossible for me to distinguish which you're interested in. — Lomn 15:21, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

Female Celebrity Quote

which female celeb made this quote on an interview? "they do that so you have to look at all the advertisements" she is close to the royal family

[2] Yields Anne Hathaway. [Mαc Δαvιs] (How's my driving?) ❖ 16:46, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

Board of Selectmen - NH

What can citizens do about their Board of Selectmen not doing their job? Who to contact, what avenues to take?

Thanks! Brenda —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 65.175.139.11 (talk) 15:17, 27 March 2007 (UTC).

Thanks Brenda, for your question, and although I have not answered,and cannot, I have removed your email address for spam reasons sorry.

Unless they're breaking a law and someone's willing to prosecute them, about your only choice is to unseat them during the next election. Occasionally, this requires that you, yourself, be willing to run for and possibly serve in the (generally thankless) job.

Atlant 16:28, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

You could try contacting them; I wouldn't have high expectations, but if it is some particular issue they are not addressing, they might possibly show an interest in it if you lobby them. Alternatively, the media is a good place to highlight that they are not doing their job; local media is often interested in stories about local politicians messing up or not doing anything. Warofdreams talk 16:49, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

I would bring it up during a town meeting, assuming they allow questions from the floor. Phrase it as a question, such as "When will you do X, as you had previously promised on Y date, but so far failed to deliver ?". The press should be there and is likely to report on such a question and the response. If this method gets no results, perhaps a recall election is in order, if those are allowed in your jurisdiction. A petition drive is typically needed to authorize a recall vote. StuRat 17:09, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

Rasputin

I am trying to find a book or books writen by Rasputin, the mad monk, apparently he wrote at least two, My life in Christ, and My Thoughts and Meditations. Where can I buy these, I have managed to find a book at Abebooks.co.uk by his daughter maria, called My Father, would this contain anything by him? If he wrote any others that I am not aware of I would be willing to buy those too. Any help would be greatly appreciated. But just to clarify, I am not interested in books about him or second hand accounts, I specifically want to read what the man himself put onto paper. Therefore his daughters book may be interesting but are of little use to me, unless they contains his own works. She also wrote Rasputin the Man Behind the Myth a Personal Memoir By Maria Rasputin. But what of Rasputin himself. Thankyou 81.144.161.223 16:10, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

Which languages do you know ? I would expect books by Rasputin to be in Russian, or possibly French (as that was the "in" language with Russian aristocracy at the time). I'm not sure his books would be popular enough to have been translated into English. StuRat 17:01, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

You could possibly ask on the talk page of our article on Rasputin, where an editor named Artmann mentioned both those titles back in August of 2006. Sadly, said editor does not have a user or talk page, and does not seem to have been active since October. I could find no other evidence of a book by Rasputin called My Life In Christ; there was a book with that title by (Saint) John of Kronstadt, published in 1911. Regarding the other title, the following showed up in a Google search "My favorite is 'My Father' by Maria Rasputin, because it contains 'My Thoughts and Meditations,' the only book ever written by Rasputin." Unfortunately, I am unable to access Y! Groups sites from this computer, but here is a link --LarryMac 18:43, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

According to this excerpt from The Rasputin File, a biography by Edvard Radzinsky, Rasputin wrote (or rather dictated) four books, Life of an Experienced Wanderer, Great Festivities in Kiev!, Pious Meditations, and My Thoughts and Reflections. Perhaps this helps. Crypticfirefly 00:59, 28 March 2007 (UTC)

The only copies of books by Rasputin I have found in my university's rather large and extensive catalog are in Russian (they are the "My Thoughts and Meditations" book: Moi mysli i razmyshleniya / Мой мысли и размышления). I admit to being a bit surprised by that — one would think that something published almost 100 years ago by a figure of major historical interest would have eventually been translated into English. If you can read Russian, there are a few recent (post-Soviet) reprints of his books published out of Moscow; if not, you seem to be out of luck. --24.147.86.187 18:50, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

That would be Мои мысли и размышления, not Мой мысли и размышления. Мой is singular, Мои is plural.  :) JackofOz 00:37, 28 March 2007 (UTC)

Yeah, my bad. I realized that after the fact. --24.147.86.187 15:04, 28 March 2007 (UTC)

Hi, I'm back again and I'm glad to announce that I have set up my user page so anyone may contact me on topic of Rasputin and other topics :) Artmann 14:45, 6 June 2007 (UTC)

Sandstone wall cladding

Can somebody kindly provide me with advice on affixing sandstone (real stone, not artificial) cladding to an interior cement brick wall. The stones measure 100 x 300 mm and weigh about 1.6Kg each - hence I will be using the strongest cement based tile adhesive available being that intended for porcelain tiles. I have also scrubbed the surfaces clean of all dust and thoroughly dried the stones, and will be applying the adhesive with a 6mm grooved tiling trowel. Any other pointers will be appreciated ! Thank you in advance. --Dr snoobab 17:32, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

Just speculating here, but I would think you would use different types of adhesive for a permeable material (like sandstone) than a nonpermeable material (like porcelain). StuRat 19:39, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

Another thought is that (if you have more than one row) you may want to install the bottom row first, and allow them to set, before putting on the next row, and so on. This will allow the bottom row to better withstand the weight of the tiles above. I also assume you're using some type of spacers to keep the proper gap between the tiles until they set. StuRat 19:45, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

We do not provide medical advice. V-Man - ^T/_C 02:53, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

Or how about this example of medical masonry: Horta (Star Trek) ? StuRat 02:14, 31 March 2007 (UTC)

Gay prosecution

In how many countries are people who have committed homosexual acts not prosecuted? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by LadnavEht (talk • contribs) 18:28, 27 March 2007 (UTC).

You'll want to check out our detailed article on Homosexuality laws of the world. Cheers, TenOfAllTrades(talk) 18:51, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

Are you asking, "In how many countries is it not illegal to be a practicing homosexual?" or "In how many countries which have laws against homosexuality are the laws not enforced?" or "In how many countries are people not persecuted legally for homosexuality regardless of whether there are laws against it?" or what? Your question is highly ambiguous. --24.147.86.187 18:52, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

Also, we should check -- does the querent mean prosecuted or persecuted? I'd assume the best, but it's such a common error, I thought we'd best be sure. Jfarber 20:52, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

Not wanting to split hairs, but I don't think it's illegal anywhere in the world to "be a practicing homosexual" or that there are any laws against "homosexuality" (which is a state of being, not a behaviour). I might be wrong. The querent asked about homosexual acts - these are the things that are, unfortunately, illegal in some places. JackofOz 00:34, 28 March 2007 (UTC)

The article on gay rights in Nigeria states that "included in the bill [proposed by the government] is a proposal to ban any form of relationship with a gay person". I don't know whether you consider this a law against being homosexual or not. A.Z. 21:35, 28 March 2007 (UTC)

Really?? How awful. What about being the parent, sibling or friend of a gay person. Those are relationships too. What is going wrong with this damned world. JackofOz 01:09, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

(after edit conflict) That's some pretty broad wording. I'm trying to picture what it would mean when my daughter grows up and announces she is a lesbian -- would the law ban my fatherhood? Jfarber 01:11, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

It's really awful, I agree. I think the law would ban your fatherhood. How come no one mentioned the nazist regime so far? Wasn't it illegal to be gay in Germany during Hitler's rule? I know he is asking about the present, but this was not too long ago. A.Z. 04:48, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

Not wanting to split hairs with the above respondent but his "practicing homosexuals" are only trying to do it better, whereas I think the OP is aimed at those who "practise" i.e. commit homosexual acts. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 81.145.240.73 (talk) 18:52, 28 March 2007 (UTC).

Not wanting to call attention to what may be inappropriate linguistic assumptions of the above respondent, but just because the noun/verb distinction between practise and practice exists in HIS country doesn't mean it exists in everyone else's. source. To assume the speaker is from one of those countries where the distinction exists is outside the bounds of good faith. In a wide swath of the world, there is no such thing as a "practising" anything; for those folks, a "practicing homsexual" may be committing an act, or "merely" working his way up to it. Jfarber 20:48, 28 March 2007 (UTC)

College Basketball

In the article that came up when I searched "College Basketball" it stated in a section called Trivia that unlike the NBA, college basketball plays 2 20 minute halves. I am trying to find out if it has always been that way, or did they play quarters at some time in the past. If so, when did they make the change from quarters to halves. Thank you. Mike44022 20:52, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

From 1951-52 to 1954-55, the NCAA used four 10-minute quarters. Before and after that, they played halves, according to the association's Men's Basketball Records Book. -- Mwalcoff 22:42, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

Suing p2p users — what time of the day?

Here's just a silly thought I had: we all know that occasionally the RIAA et al go after college kids and sue their pants off for their p2p activities (or threaten to sue them if they don't pay $5000 or so). They obviously figure out who these kids are by going on p2p sites or programs, looking to see who is sharing (or downloading?) copyrighted works, get the IP address and then demand the ISP turn over the identities, or something like that.

Now here's my question: do the RIAA stooges lackeys employees who do this do this during normal working hours? That is, is there any way to know what time of the day they search for college kids? I imagine the pickings are so easy that they don't bother to mix it up a bit — would it be possible or likely that they only do this before 5pm on weekdays in whatever time zone they are? It seems like this information would not be too hard to get from court papers, but I don't know if anyone has collected it. Just a curious and amusing thought I had — imagine resting a lot easier in terms of copyright infringement because you only shared files on non-standard hours and on the weekend! Again, it would be an easy thing to get around (and since the RIAA is mostly interested in terrorizing people into not using p2p technology, they have an incentive to go after the non-standard here to make a point), but I just wonder if the RIAA has ever bothered. Any thoughts?--24.147.86.187 22:02, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

If I were trying to get IP addresses of file sharers, I'd use an automated program to do the work. The program collects addresses and lists of files all the time, and I'd only need to collect the results every day or so. --Carnildo 23:22, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

Yes, I think the application that gathers the list of IP addresses is almost certainly designed to run without human interaction. That's how I'd do it (I'm a computer programmer.) The program could be running any time, day or night, 24x7, with no inconvenience to the RIAA's employees. MrRedact 23:29, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

I've always suspected that they must get their Russian friends to help them crack the PC's. Or else there are colleges that instantly hand over all the demographics. Normally there is some effort to go from IP number to legal identity. --Zeizmic 11:55, 28 March 2007 (UTC)

Seventh Amendement

Only a handful of Americans, like these two in costume, exercise their right to bear arms. − Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 07:48, 28 March 2007 (UTC)

Suppose some guy owes me 20$. I take him or her to court. Under the 7th Amendment to the US Constitution, does the other person (or me if I wanted) have the right that a jury will decide the case? Or is the interpretation of the amendment mean a value equivalent to what 20$ was worth in the late 18th century - around 2 000 $, I read somewhere. Duomillia 23:19, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

I believe the wikipedia article on the US constitution states that 20 dollars back then is now worth 300 dollars now after accounting for inflation Coolotter88 01:24, 28 March 2007 (UTC)

The $20 rule still applies at $20, but the Seventh Amendment only applies to federal courts. It's unlikely a $20 claim would be heard in a federal court. -- Mwalcoff 02:34, 28 March 2007 (UTC)

A fine example of the antiquated character of the U.S. Constitution. Unfortunately the country is now too populous and diverse (and partisanly divided!) to make any attempt at drafting up a new constitution. − Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 06:19, 28 March 2007 (UTC)

I think it would mean $20 present value, but the interpretation depends on the philosophy of the judge—purposive theory or textualism? Original intent or original meaning? − Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 07:48, 28 March 2007 (UTC)

The dollar value really doesn't matter because no Judge Wapner-like small-claims case would wind up in federal court. Had the Supreme Court ruled that the Seventh Amendment applied to the states, it would have created a major problem. -- Mwalcoff 23:16, 28 March 2007 (UTC)

Definitely; while the law applies to twenty bucks now just like it did back then, it's surely less-recognized, since someone is less likely to sue for a fifty-dollar damage (although you'd be surprised). But yeah, as Mwalcoff stated, those aren't likely to go very far before some exasperated judge tosses it out. V-Man - ^T/_C 02:58, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

• A court case and the legal counsel you need for it are much more expensive than the money you'd get out of it. $20 is not worth sueing over. Depending on the situation, you could report them to the police. - Mgm|^(talk) 09:54, 29 March 2007 (UTC)