Miscellaneous desk
< July 22	<< Jun \| July \| Aug >>	July 24 >

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

July 23

Lace Curtain Irish

WHAT EXACTLY IS THE MEANING OF LACE CURTAIN IRISH. DOES THIS DENOTE THE "SHANTY" IRISH OR THE "UPPER CRUST" OF THE IRISH COMMUNITY? HOW DID THE TERM LACE CURTAIN IRISH COME INTO BEING? 4.254.67.203 (talk) 03:05, 23 July 2008 (UTC) DEE MC GOWAN[reply]

Someone will be along shortly to answer your question, In the meantime, can I ask you to please not use ALL CAPITALS in future. It's the internet counterpart of SHOUTING AT US. -- JackofOz (talk) 03:33, 23 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

...It seems impossible to document the origin of the term "lace curtain," but oral tradition indicates it had come into common usage by the 1890's to denominate those more well-to-do Irish whose rise in the world enabled them to afford, among other prestige symbols, lace curtains on the windows. The radio comic Fred Allen once offered a capsule definition of "lace curtain": "They have fruit in the house when no one's sick." Like similar terms, "lace-curtain Irish," while denoting a certain level of financial achievement, has connotations that go well beyond mere prosperity. It connotes a self-conscious, anxious attempt to create and maintain a certain level and mode of gentility... Shannon, W. V. (1989). The American Irish: a political and social portrait. p. 142. OCLC 61450856

—eric 05:12, 23 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

By the 1930s, Americans used the term "lace curtain" as an adjective to describe "copying middle-class attributes; aspiring to middle-class standing." The derogatory comment referred specifically to people who could never reach American middle-class respectability. In 1934, the author James T. Farrell officially linked the phrase to an immigrant group—the Irish—in his Studs Lonigan trilogy. In a scene from Young Manhood, the young Irish Catholic protagonist took his girlfriend to a hotel dance and felt instantly "determined to become a part of it." After looking around, however, he decided that the glamour of the event was "artificial." "They were trying to put on the dog," he said to himself, "show that they were lace-curtain Irish, and lived in steam heat." Leavitt, S. A. (2002). From Catharine Beecher to Martha Stewart: a cultural history of domestic advice. p. 95. OCLC 49691258

—eric 05:29, 23 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Bitter aftertaste

Why when I drink pineapple juice or lemons does it taste ok while you're drinking it for however long (a second or ten, doesn't matter) but immediately after you stop drinking it gets the bitter aftertaste? What causes the bitterness to appear only after you stop drinking? 82.43.88.87 (talk) 15:24, 23 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I believe lemon zest (ground up peel) can have that effect. It's often included in lemonade. Not sure about pineapple juice, though. StuRat (talk) 15:34, 23 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Right, so why only after you stop drinking? 82.43.88.87 (talk) 18:52, 23 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Unfortunately our article on aftertaste doesn't explain the physiology. Much of what we identify as the characteristic taste of a food is actually the smell. Without smell (if you have a cold or sinusitis) you can only identify a handful of true tastes - salty, sweet, sour, bitter. I think what happens in the case you mention is that while your mouth is full of drink your nose is not working so well, but after you swallow, the vapour of the liquid passes into your nasal passages and you become aware of the full complex of smells. I might be wrong, but someone will know or be able to add to this. Perhaps they will be able to add to the aftertaste article as well. Itsmejudith (talk) 20:39, 23 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Somali sex

why Somali girls never get to have sex on the internet? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 192.30.202.29 (talk) 15:49, 23 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Maybe they're avoiding this http://majorityrights.com/index.php/weblog/comments/muslim_rape_wave_in_sweden/ ? 87.102.86.73 (talk) 16:14, 23 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Who has EVER had sex on the internet? I know technology is advancing, but seriously, cybersex is a long way off. 89.240.198.174 (talk) 16:17, 23 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Teledildonics to the rescue, per Time magazine,2000 :[1]. Electromechanical latex things that connect to the computer. Technology is your friend (with benefits). Edison (talk) 17:05, 23 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

What about for males who don't enjoy anal sex? Nil Einne (talk) 17:20, 23 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

References at Teledildonics indicate that bot male and female adapters are available to intergace the computer with the human. {"Jacks and plugs" or vice versa, depending on how you interpret the terminology and on personal preferences). Edison (talk) 11:39, 25 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

flying boats

Are any flying boats still in service around the world? 89.240.198.174 (talk) 16:15, 23 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Yes. Here is one fighting the recent fires in California. --Sean 16:50, 23 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you. So they are still in active service and not just historical pieces. 89.240.198.174 (talk) 16:53, 23 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

See the modern versions section of the article. Dismas|^(talk) 17:28, 23 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I was in Seattle a few years back and there were two flying boats taking off from one of the city lakes - are they still working? Richard Avery (talk) 06:46, 24 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I was going to say the same thing about Vancouver, but apparently there's a difference between a flying boat and a floatplane, which is what I saw. --Sean 13:54, 24 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

cricketers

When a professional cricketer gets a catch, they throw the ball in the air and start celebrating. Are there any recorded incidents of one of them being hit on the head by the falling ball? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 89.240.198.174 (talk) 16:51, 23 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I'm gonna say not that i know of - but i have seen a few of them turn their eyes to the skies during celebration as to not get clobbered by said throw Boomshanka (talk) 04:45, 24 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Which is what I'd expect them to do. They catch balls for a living, so they should really, um, catch the ball and keep their eye on it. Fribbler (talk) 09:10, 24 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Tim Parker

Anyone know what Tim Parker's full name is? -- SGBailey (talk) 17:42, 23 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

What makes you think it isn't "Tim Parker"? Many people only have two names. 82.43.88.87 (talk) 18:54, 23 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Because in the 1950s in the UK naming someone "Tim" was very rare. I expect his birth certificate says Timothy Parker and just possibly Timothy John Parker (or whatever). -- SGBailey (talk) 21:24, 23 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

According to his Curriculum Vitae (resumé, for any Americans), his full name is Timothy Charles Parker. Sam Blacketer (talk) 22:58, 23 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks -- SGBailey (talk) 23:02, 23 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Both "CV" and "résumé" are used in the U.S., with "CV" being more common in academic settings, and "résumé" in business and industry. A CV is more likely to have a long list of every paper you've written, conference you've presented at, committee you've served on, graduate student you've advised, etc., while a résumé would be more concise. -- Coneslayer (talk) 11:30, 24 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

smoking weed

Why do I feel chilly within about an hour after smoking a lot of marijuana? Moop Fan 17 (talk) 18:25, 23 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Because you're a troll? Maybe not overfed quite yet, though lets not cook her dinner. See Wikipedia:Requests for checkuser/Case/Avril Vandal 82.43.88.87 (talk) 18:55, 23 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I'd guess it's because you're standing in front of an open fridge, looking for munchies. StuRat (talk) 02:43, 24 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Stu, your standing on this ref desk is not enhanced by writing "your standing" where "you're standing" is required. :) -- JackofOz (talk) 03:49, 24 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Fixed. I usually catch such typos, but not always. (At least I didn't say "Ur standing", which sounds like something a Babylonian without a chair might have done.) :-) StuRat (talk) 13:59, 24 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Unless it's a moop with standing... Julia Rossi (talk) 14:07, 24 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Now that was a sitcom with standing, and that's no lie (as I'm sometimes prone to do, even to the point of rampant lying). StuRat (talk) 03:10, 25 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Travel Information Needed!

I'm currently in Lafayette-Indiana, i have a situation where i need to travel from Lafayette to State College-PA, every 2 months. Tell me the best mode of making my travel. Would trains be the best option?..how long would it take for me to reach? how much would the tickets be costing, how is the train system like in the states. kindly provide me all the information, that i need to no. thanks a lot! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 123.252.224.65 (talk) 18:34, 23 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Probably not by train. It can be done but when I ran it through Amtrak it suggested a route which required 3 trains and 27 or 30 hours of total travel time depending on the day chosen. The distance is only 475 miles (so 10 hours or less by car) Rmhermen (talk) 20:29, 23 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

yea this is no direct train on Amtrak, isnt there any other alternate train service available that would have a beginning either from Lafayette or Indianapolis to near by stations of College Station or may be College Station itself? and yes how is the bus service like? how long would it take me to reach college station from lafayette?thnx —Preceding unsigned comment added by 123.252.224.65 (talk) 04:33, 24 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

All long-distance passenger trains in the US (outside of Alaska) are operated by Amtrak. Other agencies operate urban and suburban trains in and around major cities, but not in the sort of places you're talking about. So there are no other options by train. I don't know about buses; the obvious thing, since you're there in Lafayette already, is to phone the bus station there and ask them. --Anonymous, 05:50 UTC, July 24, 2008.

i have looked up a few bus services, they would take me much longer than the train, it would almost take me a day and a half, which i cannot afford to waste, and also, i don't have a car with me, n nor do i no really good driving to start driving on the highways. So i think bus is outta question too. So, then could i be able to hire car with drivers? How muc would this service cost me? I would be needing to stay in State college only for a day or so, so how much would it cum up to? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 123.252.224.65 (talk) 07:16, 24 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Have you tried looking up nearby airports? Maybe talk to a local travel agent? Rmhermen (talk) 16:24, 24 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

i have tried the AirLines sites for the same, the thing is that, State College has flights only from, DC, NY n Detroit, so i will have to hop a flight which will make it around $700 for me, which i think for a day is quite expensive! that is y i was actually thinking of Buses or Trains. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 123.252.224.65 (talk) 18:14, 24 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Have you thought about rideshare? See http://tippecanoe.craigslist.org/rid/ and http://pennstate.craigslist.org/rid/. Both are college towns with budget-minded students either seeking rides or seeking someone to chip in for gas. Renting a car may be worthwhile, especially if you can find someone to share expenses & driving duty. —D. Monack ^talk 00:10, 25 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

A quick search on Orbitz shows Indianapolis-State College PA flights on USAirways (via Philadelphia), on Delta (via Cleveland & Cincinnati), & on Northwest (via Detroit) all for under $300 round trip. Total flight times are 4-6 hours depending on length of layover. Flying seems to be the way to go unless you're really price sensitive. —D. Monack ^talk 00:22, 25 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

heyy thanks a lot, yea under 300 is manageable, n when its the quickest of all, thats what is most important!..thnx alot!... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 123.252.224.65 (talk) 19:51, 25 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Cuba

I'm an American citizen who'd like to travel to Cuba. Any suggestions? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.111.188.251 (talk) 21:26, 23 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Look both ways before crossing the street. Don't accept candy from strangers. What other suggestions were you looking for? Things to see in Cuba? How to get permission to go there from the US gov't? You gotta help us help you. This google search should help you out. Dismas|^(talk) 22:18, 23 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

How do I get around the restrictions? And don't be a smartass. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.111.188.251 (talk) 22:28, 23 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Did you read the articles from the link Dismas provided? -- SGBailey (talk) 23:01, 23 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Okay, now that we know what you're looking for, a more direct link... This one from the same search looks like it has some good info. Dismas|^(talk) 23:28, 23 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Wikitravel has plenty of info, especially on the subpage Americans in Cuba. You can link there from Cuba. You might have to go via the Bahamas. Poor you! Itsmejudith (talk) 23:38, 23 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Be prepared for the time warp by watching the Buena Vista Social Club (film) (nothing much would have changed since 1991) and do you have some Spanish? Julia Rossi (talk) 03:00, 24 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

He he. The thought of the guys from Buena Vista Social Club singing "Let's do the Time Warp again" sends shudders down my spine. Cuba is decidedly a little more than just "a jump the left". :) -- JackofOz (talk) 12:35, 24 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Art Community

Where are some good places to share art on the web? Black Carrot (talk) 21:34, 23 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Yessy.com is an efficient site that gives you a gallery and locks your images to the page. There's Flickr for an online portfolio. And beststuff.com just loves deviantART.com, a contemporary designy progressive art sharing site. Best, Julia Rossi (talk) 03:03, 24 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Interesting. I'll take a good look at Yessy and Flickr. I'm looking for something like DeviantArt, which I'm a member of, but with more relaxed rules about explicit content. It's the best I've found, but it still draws a pretty sharp line pretty early on. Black Carrot (talk) 04:54, 24 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Afaik Yessy had levels of exposure/accessibility. There was a competitor site but I forget its name for now, Julia Rossi (talk) 14:12, 24 July 2008 (UTC) Found it -- it's ArtWanted.com[reply]

I've taken a look a them. ArtWanted forbids explicit content of any kind. Yessy has no rules against it, but they don't seem to have anyone posting anything very objectionable, so I worry there might be some sort of "unwritten rule". Flickr looks more promising, though it seems to be focused primarily on photography and I like to draw. Any other ideas? Black Carrot (talk) 22:02, 24 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Photographs of your drawings? People do use Flikr as an email link to showcase their art as you know, so... If you have explicit kind of material, there might be a site that supports your genre. I'm thinking of an artist who made comic style books or magazine using unrendered bondage/fetish line drawings – Robert Bishop... is that your line? At Yessy I don't think there was an unwritten rule about three years ago but trust your instincts. You could try getting onto relevant ezines to showcase work, but I guess you're covering all that. JR 11:09, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

This is a GREAT website

Come on people, please DONATE. The Admins on here are very sexy, cool and helpful. One has even helped me out. Will you please donate?65.173.104.138 (talk) 21:42, 23 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Hi. Uh, well then, what exactly is your question (because that's what the refdesks are for)? Thanks. ~A H 1^(TCU) 21:59, 23 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Astro, 65's question was "Will you donate?".
65, many of us have and will again in the future. There isn't a specific campaign at the moment though. -- SGBailey (talk) 22:56, 23 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

At the moment, I am poor, but I plan to leave all to money to the WMF when I die. Someoneinmyheadbutit'snotme (talk) 23:01, 23 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Woman orgasm

How to detect woman orgasm by man. Is it best with penis or fingers?

Honestly, I would suggest using other organs entirely instead -- your eyes, ears and brain. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 00:07, 24 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Ah no no. women can easy fake orgasm. I need to know if its true she has one. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.76.201.254 (talk) 00:10, 24 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Physical signs include, but are not limited to: Flushing of the Skin, rhythmic contractions of the Vaginal wall (and other pelvic muscles) and increased vaginal secretions. But as with all things, these vary from woman to woman. Fribbler (talk) 00:14, 24 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Ah so if i have my hand in her woo woo, I can feel it , yes? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.76.201.254 (talk) 00:17, 24 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I think you are out of luck. And if you are in a relationship in which you are unable to trust the verbal communication you have with the woman, you are doubly out of luck: should you really be having intercourse with someone you do not trust? You'll forgive me for saying that I find the thrust of the question somewhat unsettling. That notwithstanding, the physiological signs of orgasm are described here ... you'd be fooling yourself, if you are already uncertain, if you thought you could make a diagnosis based on these. --Tagishsimon (talk) 00:18, 24 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Use an Orgasmeter. − Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 01:41, 24 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I prefer to use penis for orgasm detection. Or fingers.. Not sure really, perhaps orgasm is urban legend; please correct article.87.102.86.73 (talk) 07:32, 24 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Zapatista Army of National Liberation

Is it true that the United States government considers them a terrorist organization? -anon

They don't get onto the team-sheet-o-terror: [2]. Fribbler (talk) 00:17, 24 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

No sheet. Clarityfiend (talk) 03:04, 24 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

My own page when Im dead?

If I leave all my money to WP when Im dead, can I have my own page saying I did it? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.76.201.254 (talk) 23:37, 23 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Nope. Well, okay, you might, if the sum was large enough and thus automatically noteworthy -- say, a hundred million dollars or something like that. That would be a pretty major event by any standard and thus a worthy topic of an article. But even then it wouldn't really be because of the money, it would be because the act of doing so would be notable and significant enough. Actually, even if it was only, say, a dollar, but the act of leaving it to Wikipedia somehow made you posthumously famous, that would probably do the trick as well. But you can't "buy" an article on Wikipedia; the act of leaving that money itself wouldn't qualify you for an article. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 00:05, 24 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

On the other hand, if you become a prominent Wikipedian, you can be mentioned at WP:DIED when you die. Useight (talk) 00:40, 24 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Is someone giving the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation an opportunity? They already have their own page/s, dang, so there's hope for you! Julia Rossi (talk) 03:09, 24 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

If you got written up in newspapers then that would probably give you enough notability for a page. So make sure you do it in a way that gets some press attention! --98.217.8.46 (talk) 15:16, 24 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]