Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2008 August 10

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August 10

M.I.T.T.

What is M.I.T.T. (Mastery in Transitional Training?)? A friend is trying to get my brother to take the class/course/whatever it is, and he has no information on it. I can't find anything online. Thanks 75.83.185.97 (talk) 03:17, 10 August 2008 (UTC) Joanne

Where is it being offered? --Tango (talk) 03:27, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

Why not Google Transitional Training (as I just did) ? All the answers are there.86.200.7.78 (talk) 10:25, 10 August 2008 (UTC)DT

Still looking for info. This is a self help type program - like The FORUM, I think, and it's offered in Los Angeles. When I Google any combination, I get all sorts of other courses (flying, equine, etc.) but not this one. - Joanne —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.83.185.97 (talk) 17:26, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

Is the flying course taught by ex-Pralite monks? I wanna take that one. --Trovatore (talk) 08:46, 11 August 2008 (UTC)

Offered where in Los Angeles? You need to look up the organisation offering it. --Tango (talk) 17:47, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

Finally found it - it's www.mittraining.com. Strange I couldn't find it Googling. My brother was finally told what the site was. Thanks for the suggestions. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.83.185.97 (talk) 21:27, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

Earthquake colors

We had a minor earthquake here a couple summers ago (big enough to shake everyone a bit around but small enough that no one was hurt)... They're pretty common for us, but this one was very odd. Right before it happened, our backyard starting glowing green. And I don't mean that it was especially bright out and the sunlight was reflecting the foliage or anything like that: anything and everything was tinted green. I actually did a double-take while walking through our kitchen and had to stop and stare. You know those sunglasses Dorthy wore in The Wizard of Oz when visiting the Emerald City? Yeah... I think I know what that must have looked like now. The bark on the tree, the trampoline, the lawnmower... It was like someone had dressed everything up for Saint Patrick's day. I was afraid to step out for a while for fear of what horrid things might have fallen from the sky and caused it. (I actually wondered for a split second if it was fallout or something to that effect).

As soon as the quake was over, everything was normal. I spoke to some people afterword and asked them if they had noticed anything strange before the actual earthquake (before telling them about what I saw, mind you), and every one of them made mention of changing colors before anything else. There was talk of bright yellow, deep blue, and I don't even remember what else... Anyway, my question is this: has anyone else heard about this? And is there a term for this phenomenon? I know that it's been seen before (I had a weather book at some point with a picture of a farmhouse in Japan minutes before a quake where everything looked dark blue), but all that I can find on the subject is the same video of right before the China disaster. It's similar, but not what I'm looking for... These colors weren't in the sky (they were everywhere), and every news site related to the video labels it as nature's warning for "severe" earthquakes, whereas ours was pretty mild. You'd think after hundreds of years of this happening there'd be more research on the subject, but so far as I can tell no one sans myself considers it even remotely interesting. --69.146.230.243 (talk) 03:52, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

Earthquake lights? Adam Bishop (talk) 04:00, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

If they lights were in the sky (aurora-style) then couldn't they be reflected on the ground? Plasticup ^T/C 04:26, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

Actually, I stepped out and looked around and the sky was normal. It was just the stuff on the ground that was tinted. Odd, no? --69.146.230.243 (talk) 04:31, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

It wasn't St Patrick's Day by any chance?  :) JackofOz (talk) 15:08, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

Supposing that it was indeed earthquake lights, the sky appearing normal wouldn't necessarily prove anything, if this earthquake took place during daytime. During the day, the sky is very bright, after all, what with the sun being up and all. There's not a lot up there to reflect the green light back down to you, unless it was a very cloudy day, so you could easily not notice it at all. Your back yard, on the other hand, is made of things that reflect light, so the green glow would be far, far more noticeable down there. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 01:48, 11 August 2008 (UTC)

Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization as self-defeating organization

The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization is described as an "international organization" for peoples who "lack representation internationally". The existence of the organization, however, gives these peoples international representation. Is there a name for this phenomena, other than, say "self-defeating" or "self-contradictory"? − Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 07:08, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

A Self-refuting idea? Fribbler (talk) 11:51, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

Paradox? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.4.187.55 (talk) 12:11, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

See also self-reference and linked articles. There's nothing deeply paradoxical or self-defeating about this organization, though, since it becomes perfectly sensible if you replace "lack" with "otherwise lack" or "formerly lacked", and that's undoubtedly what the original phrasing was intended to mean. I'd call this a false paradox arising from an incorrect logical interpretation of an English utterance. -- BenRG (talk) 12:58, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

Maybe "otherwise lack", but not "formerly lacked", since they have former members such as Estonians, Latvians, and others. — Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 01:12, 11 August 2008 (UTC)

Heterological. Malcolm XIV (talk) 14:08, 11 August 2008 (UTC)

I see nothing wrong with it, and "otherwise/formerly lack" is unnecessary. "Peoples who lack representation internationally" defines who is eligible to join; it doesn't describe their status after they've joined. Look in any set of eligibility rules for a club, organisation etc, and you won't find any mention of "members" because they only become members at the moment of joining. That's why joining rules don't need to include such crazy sentences as "Membership is available only to persons who are not already members". -- JackofOz (talk) 21:24, 11 August 2008 (UTC)

cooking

is corn starch the same as corn flour —Preceding unsigned comment added by 125.239.124.20 (talk) 08:21, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

According to Cornflour and this, in the UK, cornflour is the same as cornstarch in the US. But according to this, "if you are talking in American terminology. Cornflour is finely ground corn, which is essentially polenta. Cornstarch is a common ingredient used to thicken sauces..." Zain Ebrahim (talk) 08:43, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

I've no idea what corn starch is, but from both of Zain's descriptions above, corn starch sounds like the US name for what we call corn flour here in the UK - something to thicken sauces with. Astronaut (talk) 15:56, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

Really! Then what do you call corn flour, meaning the stuff you make cornbread out of? --Trovatore (talk) 22:09, 11 August 2008 (UTC)

We don't make cornbread. DuncanHill (talk) 22:12, 11 August 2008 (UTC)

So much the worse for you.... --Trovatore (talk) 22:14, 11 August 2008 (UTC)

I suspect that we would call it polenta flour, or cornmeal, if we did have any call to use it. DuncanHill (talk) 22:17, 11 August 2008 (UTC)

Corn meal -- yes, we use that term too, sometimes. Polenta flour sounds like it's specifically for making polenta, which is not very likely what we'd use corn flour for. (You really should try cornbread; you're missing out. The best cornbread is made from coarse-ground flour, possibly with a few whole kernels mixed in, and is a bit greasy and salty and not too sweet. There's a version of cornbread that's way sweet but I don't really like it much — if I wanted cake, I'd have asked for cake.) --Trovatore (talk) 23:54, 11 August 2008 (UTC)

what is the difference

what is the difference between an Atheneum and a Museum? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.173.188.133 (talk) 12:33, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

Have you read Atheneum? Zain Ebrahim (talk) 14:20, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

did you know that the Atheneum in Hartford Connecticut is the oldest Atheneum in the country? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.173.188.133 (talk) 19:00, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

Based on the Wadsworth Atheneum and Boston Athenæum articles, that doesn't seem to be true.

Atlant (talk) 22:56, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

abandoned vehicles

Why does it seem that every abandoned vehicle on the side of the freeway has a t-shirt hanging from one of the side windows? We can't come to any logical conclusion as to why anyone would do that after their car breaks down, but maybe we don't know something that everyone with an unreliable car does. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.218.82.112 (talk) 15:39, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

A T-shirt or other flag means "I need help." It indicates that the car is not merely stopped for the convenience of the driver and that the driver cannot deal with the situation without assistance: it is a request that another motorist please stop and provide assistance or carry a message. When the driver no longer desires that other motorists stop, the flag should be removed. -Arch dude (talk) 16:04, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

door knob

looking for ways to keep door knob from comming off, this is a glass door knob with a set screw that screws down on to the shaft,and keeps working off the shaft.Rpzeoh (talk) 16:06, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

If you mean that the set screw is loosening gradually, a little bit of nail polish may be enough to prevent it rotating. Franamax (talk) 16:33, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

Loctite is a thread locking material which helps to keep screws from working loose. You can also buy a new setscrew for less than a dollar at a hardware store, which might be tighter than the old one, or you can buy a new knob and screw if the threads in the knob are worn. Edison (talk) 19:44, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

I suggested nail polish because it can be reversed with nail polish remover (you just dab it on the top of the setscrew). Loctite definitely does the job - but it might also make removal of the screw more difficult when desired, especially for an older screw where the driver slot is widened out. I've seen the nail polish method recommended for securing eyeglass screws, and it has the benefit of being widely available in almost any purse around the globe. :) Loctite and a new setscrew are valid options. As far as buying a new knob - I personally will spend hours farting around with repairs before buying something new, long past the point when I should - but I like fixing stuff! Franamax (talk) 23:44, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

Username

Hi, I've looked over the username policy, and fully understand it. But I just can't think, so I'd like some suggestions on a good username. Thanks. 79.75.153.179 (talk) 16:39, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

Loyal to the Group of Seventeen. Algebraist 16:50, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

If I'd thought of it before creating my account, I'd have gone with Trout Slap Replica.[1][2] (It's not taken if you want it.) Deor (talk) 17:02, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

It's difficult, isn't it? Your username, ideally, should represent you, but still protect you (i.e. not tell people who you don't know who you are). Lots of people choose something to do with their favourite tv show/book/movie/historical person ("HomerSimpson"/"OpheliasSuicide"/"GWashingtonWasHere", etc.). Others use a reimagining of their real-life name by changing letters, changing the order, spelling it like another language, and so on. Others use a creation of their own ("SarahJaneP.Fothering-Ettisburg"), or a witty reference to the site their working on ("WorldsBestWikiEditor"). Still more use a random combination of letters which may or may not be their initials ("sDjL"/"RMcD73") Steewi (talk) 04:18, 11 August 2008 (UTC)

Hmmm...WhaleOilBeefHooked? Lemon martini (talk) 12:29, 12 August 2008 (UTC)

Uneven bars

When did the Asymmetric Bars in gymnastics become the Uneven Bars? The latter just sounds child-like to me. They were called Asymmetric bars when I used to watch the Olympics as a kid. Jooler (talk) 17:16, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

Moved to Wikipedia:Reference desk/Entertainment as it covers sport. Jooler (talk) 20:38, 12 August 2008 (UTC)

Getting robbed by the police

This is something that happened to me recently and I know it will happen in the future because I will continue traveling so it will happen again. But I want to do better.

I arrived in Maputo the capital of Mozambique by bus. At the bus station a man dressed in plain clothes climbed into the bus and flashed his badge. He demanded I show my passport. I turned to the man sittng next to me for the last 40 hours, a guy who said he was an instructor at the police academy. He verified that they were police officers. He said they were in plain clothes. He suggested they might be trying to find Chinese illegally entering to visit their families (I'm ethnic Chinese).

The man with a badge went on to find three Kenyan nationals of Somali ancestry (Somalis are highly reviled immigrants in Southern Africa) and asked them for their passports too. He then told us all that we would have to go to the police station with him. There were four other men with this guy with a badge. I went to get the police instructor to ask what was going on. He talked with them but they still persisted. I asked the instructor to go along with us but he didn't want to.

So with the Kenyans were marched to a police station (a real police station to my initial relief). But in the back, we were all searched and taunted for being Somali and Chinese (a uniformed officer even went up to us while we were back and did a "ching-chong-chong" dance. The Kenyans did not have the protection of American citizenship and were strip searched and had all their USD taken. I was just hand searched and had some money taken. I forked it over, hoping to get the hell out as quickly as possible. We were released then.

It has always been standard advice to defuse corrupt police by going to the station. Apparently in Mozambique that's how you really screw yourself. So what could I have done differently? Demanded on the spot that the embassy be called and accompany me? Bluffed somehow? What would have been likely responses by the thugs and how would I have handled it best? Help me think this over guys!

Lotsofissues, Finally in Cape Town, 18:46, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

I'm really sorry to hear about this, but I'm afraid that when you are in the hands of corrupt police, sometimes your only recourse is to pay them off. They have absolute power to do what they want, short of provoking a foreign-relations incident. I'm afraid that they can probably get away with roughing up a US citizen, so you were lucky. In some countries, you just have to include bribes as part of your travel budget. Marco polo (talk) 19:29, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

When being mugged, I have often read the best advice is to cooperate and hand over your small stash of "muggers money", while keeping the rest of your cash safe in your underwear, boots, hat, or whereever. But I have also always believed that it is best to cooperate with foreign officials. It is however an unfortunate fact that in some countries the police and other government officials are poorly paid and are therefore tempted by corruption. Foreigners are often targeted because they are usually ignorant of the law and/or don't speak the language. Western visitors are often simply relieved of their cash, while other "undesirables" who are less likely to kick up an official fuss, are treated more harshly. You could ask at your nearest US consulate but I doubt you would get very far without specific details like the names/ID numbers of the police officers involved. Best advice: put it down to experience and don't visit Mozambique without taking precautions (hide your money, learn Portugese, find out what Maputo police uniforms and IDs look like) and if you are unfortunate enough to be mugged like this again try to get some details like names, ID numbers etc. However, it is also worth remembering that $50 is a big payday for these guys, and a cheap night out for you or I. Astronaut (talk) 19:50, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

Sorry it happened to you LOI, but maybe afterwards, you could write a piece about your experiences for a travel supplement and make a profit. Julia Rossi (talk) 01:03, 11 August 2008 (UTC)

You ought to report it to the US consulate. They probably won't do much for you but it's a good thing to have it on paper along with the location of where it happened—it could prevent it from happening again, or at least they could modify their current copious travel warnings on the country to include police crime. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 13:40, 11 August 2008 (UTC)

Web phones

I am thinking of getting a new cell/mobile phone that offers web access. I particularly want to be able to use this phone while traveling outside of the United States, so I'd like to be able to replace the SIM card with a local prepaid SIM card to avoid the astronomical "roaming" fees that US cell-phone providers charge for network access outside the United States. The iPhone seems to be the premier web-accessible phone, but it does not seem to have a replaceable SIM card. Are there other phones, available in the United States, that feature replaceable SIM cards? Also, one of the main reasons I want web access for mapping sites like Google Maps. Are Google Maps (or, say Multimap) files large enough to strain the bandwidth of most cell phones? Thank you! Marco polo (talk) 19:40, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

Is this to do with your forthcoming trip to the UK? Here in the UK, the full iPhone service is only available on the O2 network on special iPhone tarrifs. The O2 iPhone help implies that the iPhone needs a SIM card (either per-paid or post-paid) to be inserted in the "Sim carriage" slot and the iPhone needs to be connected to iTunes to complete it's activation. To be honest, I wouldn't bother getting an iPhone just to use google maps or multimap, when the car rental company can probably offer a satellite navigation device or you can buy a decent (approx 4 miles to the inch) printed map of the whole country for about £5 from any gas station. Astronaut (talk) 20:20, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

Almost all J2ME compatible phones can run Google Maps Mobile, and the original iPhone has the slowest internet compared to modern 3G phones due to its very huge deficiency of not being 3G. The whole thing of iPhone being premier web-accessible phone is complete BS when the rest of the world had Google Maps Mobile, Opera Mini and others all along. --antilived^{T | C | G} 04:35, 11 August 2008 (UTC)

But that complaint no longer applies as the iPhone 3G works fine on 3G networks.

Atlant (talk) 22:51, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

How come Chris Kaman gets to play on the German national basketball team?

I wuz watchin the Olympics and somebody on the telly said it's because his grandparents are German or something.... but what are the requirements, exactly? Don't you have to be a citizen?--The Fat Man Who Never Came Back (talk) 20:10, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

As of July 2, 2008, he is a naturalized citizen of Germany, though I don't think his special case is mentioned in the article on German nationality law. Apparently Kaman's naturalization was conditional to his expressed commitment to henceforth only play for the German national team, and to keep his primary residence in Germany. Germany's Interior Minister Wolfgang Schäuble seems to have pulled some strings as well. [3] ---Sluzzelin talk 20:21, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

If the England cricket captain can be born in South Africa, I'm sure Chris Kaman can play basketball for Germany. Anyway, the Chris Kaman article says: "Kaman is a dual citizen; he is a citizen of the United States and of Germany. His great-grandparents were German, so he acquired German citizenship in July 2008." Another thought, perhaps he missed the cut to make the US team, but still qualified for the German team. Astronaut (talk) 20:31, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

Yes, but as Sluzzelin points out above, the only reason he acquired dual citizenship last month was so he could compete with the Germans internationally. Just seems a little shady. In any case, I enjoy watching Shaggy play, so I suppose there's no real harm being done.--The Fat Man Who Never Came Back (talk) 21:14, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

Rule 42 of the Olympic Charter sets out the nationality requirements for the Olympic Games (it's on page 81 of the Charter). If he is a dual citizen, then bye-law 1 would apply: "A competitor who is a national of two or more countries at the same time may represent either one of them, as he may elect. However, after having represented one country in the Olympic Games, in continental or regional games or in world or regional championships recognised by the relevant IF, he may not represent another country unless he meets the conditions set forth in paragraph 2 below." So, as long as he has never played for the US team, he can choose to play for Germany. (If he wants to play for the US in future, there is a three-year waiting period after the last time he plays for Germany, unless the German Olympic Committee agrees to waive it.) - Eron^Talk 21:01, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

That makes a bit more sense. Thanks everyone for the replies.--The Fat Man Who Never Came Back (talk) 21:14, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

Where can i obtain reviews about Jones International University?Priscila02 (talk) 21:16, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

On Google there are a few paid reviews by Jone International University (JIU), and a few other add on college searching engines. The school is accredited, it belongs to the Better Business Bureau, but why can't i find reviews on discussion forums by students or alumni's else where? I am very interested in their curriculum but would like more reassurance from the community other than provided by JIU ? Thanks! Priscila Priscila02 (talk) 21:16, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

Where money for covering budget deficit comes from

Almost every government in the world is having negative budget year after year. there is this money coming from? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 78.157.85.105 (talk) 22:20, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

Most major currencies no longer adhere to any sort of standard (such as a gold standard or silver standard). Instead, the modern practice of fiat currency allows a government to simply print more (or electronically create more, which is even simpler). As such, the value of money is driven primarily by the user's confidence in it. — Lomn 22:30, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

More commonly, governments borrow the money. See government debt. Algebraist 22:36, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

It is financed by the private sector which buys government bonds. Plasticup ^T/C 23:46, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

As others have said, it's covered by borrowing from individuals and private companies. That means many governments have ever increasing debts and never pay them off (they pay off individual bonds, but only by selling new bonds). This may seem to be a problem, but it isn't necessarily. The key measure of debt isn't the actual size of the debt itself, but rather the ratio of the debt to the country's GDP (the size of its economy, roughly speaking). If GDP rises at least as fast as the debt rises, then the ratio doesn't get any worse. That all goes horribly wrong, of course, when economic growth drops (or even goes negative, ie. the economy is shrinking) as it's doing in many countries at the moment - governments have to keep borrowing to get their country their the economic crisis, but the economy isn't growing enough to compensate for the extra debt, and that's when the problems start (it starts to become difficult to afford all the interest, for example). --Tango (talk) 00:11, 11 August 2008 (UTC)

For the U.S., it's basically money loaned by China. Edison (talk) 00:40, 11 August 2008 (UTC)

@Tango, nice Freudian "borrowing to get their country their the economic crisis" as it does (though take it you meant through or over)  ;) Julia Rossi (talk) 00:44, 11 August 2008 (UTC)

In case you're serious, only a small fraction (less than a trillion dollars) of the United States public debt is held by China. Most is still borrowed from US citizens. Algebraist 00:50, 11 August 2008 (UTC)

However, China's enormous US dollar reserves are effectively an interest-free loan to the US government (or Federal Bank, I suppose), see seigniorage. I expect that's what Edison was talking about. --Tango (talk) 00:56, 11 August 2008 (UTC) Scrap that. On second thoughts, I doubt much of the reserves is actually in currency, they'll be in bonds, so are already in Algebraist's figure. --Tango (talk) 02:22, 11 August 2008 (UTC)

To add to Tango's point about debt not necessarily a huge problem, bonds issued by governments of developed markets like the U.S. and Western European nations tend to have credit ratings of between A and AAA (anything BBB and higher is considered investment grade, while BB and lower is considered a risk), since their ability to pay off debts on schedule (bonds take anywhere from 6 months to 30 years, possibly longer to mature) is rarely in doubt.

An Alternative to bond issues is a sovereign wealth fund, which typically invests the surplus in a government budget, often in other governments' bonds, and can be used to raise funds for downturns. China's SFW famously invests heavily in US government bonds, and it's especially popular with oil producing nations, who have more money than they know what to do with, but are particularly vulnerable to market volatility and geo-political events. Mosmof (talk) 01:04, 11 August 2008 (UTC)

100 Essential Thinkers

What's the name of the painting on the cover of this book? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 124.6.132.190 (talk) 23:17, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

From a Google image search, it looks like a cropped The School of Athens by Raphael. AlexiusHoratius (talk) 23:21, 10 August 2008 (UTC)