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June 18

Urgent London coffee query

I am hoping someone here is a knowledgeable Londoner. I am thinking of driving from London to Stonehenge to see the stone circle up close and without the crowds with a special 8:00 a.m. permit. This will necessitate leaving London at 6:15 a.m. However, I will not be able to drive anywhere at that hour without drinking coffee first, so before I commit to this plan, I need to know: Am I likely to find a place that sells coffee in or near Paddington Station between 5:30 and 6:00 a.m. on a weekday morning? A secondary and related question: Do UK motorways have service areas with (ahem) toilets? (As an American, I want to say "restrooms" but fear that I won't be understood.) Thank you. Marco polo (talk) 01:51, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Can't answer the first, but for the 2nd, yeah, all UK motorways have services, with full facilities, including free restrooms. All signposted, and marked on maps. You'll be on the M3 Motorway for some of the journey, which has the Fleet services. If you take the M4 motorway out of London, you'll pass the Heston services as well. WHAAOE! Gwinva (talk) 02:11, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

AA route planner] for your trip shows services on the A303 as well. Enjoy Stonehenge and all the other places we've told you to go. We expect all articles to be updated with new photos! And do report back! Gwinva (talk) 02:20, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Wow... That's all I can think to say... There are many individual articles for rest stops... Wow... Now I have to go to England before I die so that I might experience what it is that makes a rest area notable. Dismas|^(talk) 03:05, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

What makes them notable? That's easy. The fuel and the food prices (the rate of which is inversely proportional to quality). Fill up self and car elsewhere before setting off. Gwinva (talk) 03:33, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The problem with that is that drivers and passengers need somewhere to stop and rest in the middle of a long car journey, and motorway service stations are pretty much the only option. Some of them aren't too bad, especially the Moto ones. The trick is to look for the ones that have decent food concessions such as Marks & Spencer, which have good food at reasonable prices. --Richardrj ^talk ^email 07:44, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Although, having just read the Heston Services article, I find that there are those who appreciate the finer qualities of these service areas: "Celebrated chef Heston Blumenthal received his unusual forename because of his parents' love of Heston services." Well, after that recommendation by Mr & Mrs Blumenthal, Marcopolo, you MUST stop there. In fact, why bother going all the way to Stonehenge, with such a place on your doorstep? Gwinva (talk) 03:39, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Marco polo: feeling a little guilty for hijacking your coffee question so it looks answered, but not actually answering it, I now offer this Paddington Guide, which shows a few places which open early. Gwinva (talk) 04:13, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

For coffee, just go inside the station itself. There will be loads of places open even at that time in the morning, catering for the early morning commuters. --Richardrj ^talk ^email 07:44, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

As a relative local to the Stonehenge site I would advise 1. Use the M3 then A303 and you can't miss it. 2. Stonehenge was last year in the top 5 most disappointing sites to visit. Richard Avery (talk) 07:10, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Actually, I have already seen Stonehenge, and it was disappointing. However, my partner has never set foot in Great Britain, and for him Stonehenge is one of the "must see" attractions. So we have to go. I haven't had the heart to tell him that it is disappointing, and maybe for him it won't be. I was hoping that seeing it up close, with access to the actual stones, and before the crowds arrive, would be less disappointing, but I've now concluded that the ordeal of waking up at 5:00 and looking for coffee, then driving across London, and the expense of roughly £70 for car rental and fuel outweighs the potential thrill of seeing the stones up close and without a crowd. So we will see it later, along with the busloads of tourists, from behind the railing. Fortunately, my partner has a zoom lens. Thanks for your helpful comments. I guess I will have to consider adding the Heston Services on the M4 to our list of "must see" destinations! Marco polo (talk) 12:34, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

A great antidote to the disappointment of Stonehenge is to visit Avebury, which is just down the road, a lot less famous but more impressive. You can touch the stones, walk round the rings, etc. This really gives you a much better feel of the scale. On a summer evening there is real atmosphere there. -- Q Chris (talk) 12:46, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

There's a lot of good stone circles in the UK: List of stone circles has some (but not comprehensive). The ones off the beaten track can be very atmospheric, and as Q Chris says, you can touch them, sit on them, shelter beside them to eat your picnic etc. They make great shields for snowball fights, also (not that there'll be much snow, just at the moment). Best of all, most are free, and you'll be quite alone. Some require a walk (short strolls to energetic walks). Try Enhlish Heritage prehistoric sites and Historic Scotland. You're bound to find something close to where you're going. Gwinva (talk) 21:52, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

You are a coffee addict. You would feel a lot better if you gave up all caffeine, as you would feel alert and refreshed all the time as if you had just drank a cup of coffee, and be instantly alert as soon as you wake up in the morning. You will feel groggy for a few days after giving up, but it is worth it. 80.2.201.59 (talk) 22:39, 24 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

dock your pay

Just wanted to know the origin of this phrase. Is this a nautical term and how was it first used? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.21.238.180 (talk) 02:11, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

"Dock", in this sense, means to cut, and derives from a word relating to an animal's tail. Tails are often cut, or docked. This sense of cutting (or curtailing!) was transferred to other things, like pay: essentially, it means "cut your pay". Gwinva (talk) 02:31, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Not quite. It is used in the sense of a short term deduction, perhaps to pay for some damage. It does not refer to a long-term pay cut.86.211.108.138 (talk) 14:25, 18 June 2008 (UTC)DT[reply]

Influences of Visual Arts/art in 21st century Architecture (modern houses, landmarks etc.)

Has visual arts/art had a postive influence to 21st Century Architecture (modern houses, landmarks etc.)? Has Visual Arts/art had much of an influence on architecture (modern houses, landmarks etc.) within the 21st Century as it has in previous centuries?

I just want to know some facts or maybe an answer for these questions. If someone could tell me some good sites or articles for these questions that'd be great. Thanks

Happysnaps (talk) 13:41, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Let's look at some. Firstly "positive" influence of art -- that's subjective so maybe we could make it "actual" -- has art influenced or been reflected in architecture (say, as it did at the turn of last century eg. the Vienna Secession, Gustav Klimt, decoration, art nouveau and design)? Looking at those elements for the 21st c, you could say it has. But I'd rather say, art and architecture reflect the thinking of the times and express it physically. As arts together they reflect and respond to current ideas. The impact of postmodernism is still around so that we can talk about art being analytical, aware of its own history and more flexible, so is architecture. Arts now include not just painting, architecture and sculpture, but design, craft, the computer. Image art permeates the internet and the internet invades architectural space and affects how we use that space, as well as how it is designed. A further inflluence is changing technologies so that something like CAD allows for more freedom in designing architecture.

Have you seen our articles on Deconstruction with links to Vorticism and Constructivism and then there's analytical cubism? Art used ideas from deconstruction and post-modernism to discuss place and space and decentralisation. Theories questioned the dominance of the museum (using installation works), and art went outside to public gardens or onsite in historical buildings -- engaging the buildings, then transcending them by taking the reproducible image via photography to the internet. Architecture also analyses itself so that architects of the domestic would be thinking about avoiding the dominance of the front

door, about not facing the street, and be more sympathetic to place (the site, the sun and green power); in public spaces, of being more transparent (lots of glass), of being green (especially in landscape architecture: conserving water by using wild grasses etc). I'm not sure if the big bucks are available to architects in the present world climate as they were for say Frank Gehry's Guggenheim in Bilbao, so architecture may be less about monumental display, impressing the public as it is about accommodating the public: personal scale, sympathy to the environment, flexibility of materials. I guess there are parallels, but in painting there's been a trend towards realism and existentialism over the past few years. There's a nice site here[1] for an overview of 20th century art movements to give you some background. Julia Rossi (talk) 08:06, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Architecture is itself a visual art form. Marco polo (talk) 12:25, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Now that you've changed the title, Happysnaps, are you asking a different question? It's better to join the discussion by expanding your question in text than changing the title and making nonsense of people's answers. I could give you examples but they were not 21st c buildings as you first specified. However, Minimalism is still big.Julia Rossi (talk) 03:59, 20 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Where exactly is discussion? Happysnaps (talk) 12:02, 21 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

On an internet forum maybe? (which is not here). We've provided you with facts, answers, links, even themes, now it's over to you to make the connections... Julia Rossi (talk) 12:33, 21 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Ok, thanks Happysnaps (talk) 14:55, 21 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Crab boat "Ocean Spray"

In the early 1980's there was a crab boat out of Dutch Harbor, AK named the Ocean Spray. I am trying to find out if it is still in operation and if possible get a photo of this boat.208.98.128.54 (talk) 06:11, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

If AK = Alaska, there's this photography site[2] with two pics of Ocean Spray, commercial fishing vessel (scroll down, four row far right and second last row centre - use find command). You could get in touch with the photographer. Julia Rossi (talk) 09:05, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Plastic bag ban

Apparently South Australia will ban supermarket lightweight plastic bags by the end of the year and Australia is following (eventually). What are the green alternatives for disposing of household rubbish, then? Julia Rossi (talk) 12:44, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Paper bags are better, in my opinion, since they are biodegradable. They can also be reused more easily as trash bags since they, unlike plastic bags, can stand upright on their own and hold more volume. The bags should be brown, not dyed or bleached. As long as whoever cuts down the trees uses proper forest management techniques (regrowing trees at a rate that replaces those they cut down), the trees shouldn't suffer. Better yet, the bags can be made from recycled paper.

An even better choice (for shopping) is reusable canvas bags. StuRat (talk) 12:54, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I don't think a reusable canvas bag is a good solution for Julia's question regarding disposal of household rubbish. Even with supermarket bags being banned, perhaps the stores will still sell bin liners? In any event, composting and recycling can drastically reduce the amount of rubbish produced. For the question below, our Biodegradable plastic article states "degradation of biodegradable plastic occurs very slowly, if at all, in a sealed landfill." There are also other concerns mentioned. --LarryMac | Talk 14:32, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I'm trying to look at the whole life cycle from production, to getting the bag at the store, to reusing it for garbage. The canvas bag would only be used for garbage once it was worn out. StuRat (talk) 16:10, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Aren't there such things as biodegradable plastic bags now? --Richardrj ^talk ^email 12:56, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Reusing a trash bag could be awkward. And perhaps unsanitary, unless there was a cleaning step involved. (Which would sink energy and water, of course.) APL (talk) 13:18, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The reuse is from when you get it while shopping to using it to collect trash. You can also resuse a paper bag for trash again if it only contained dry items. StuRat (talk) 16:10, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

France moved away from throw-away plastic bags a year or so ago. Instead we can buy large and long-term use bags for a few cents. These can be exchanged, free, when necessary. The store then disposes of them. Unfortunately one forgets to take them in and so I now have about a dozen in my car ! But the scheme is good, and popular.86.211.108.138 (talk) 14:23, 18 June 2008 (UTC)DT[reply]

Plastic bags/canvas bags/paper bags it is difficult to say which is better without access to recycling-rates. The institute for lifecyle asssesment (think that's their name) look at the whole product lifecycle from cradle-to-grave (as it were). I'll try add the link later but can't find it right now. 194.221.133.226 (talk) 14:53, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I think some people haven't properly read the question, or perhaps are ignoring it. The OP is interested in what to use for disposing of rubbish, I presume primary bin liners and similar. I don't think many people will be interested in canvas bags or large long-term use bags for this purpose. I suspect LarryMac is right, bin-liners will still be available. (I already use bin-liners for my kitchen rubbish since the bin is too large for most plastic bags). As will large rubbish bags. The large rubbish bags may not be so important anyway, I'm not sure what things in Australia are like but at least here in NZ in Auckland, most councils use prepaid large rubbish bags which are definitely not going to disappear. Some others (and some independent contractors) use wheelie bins. Either way, the primary issue is bin-liners. N.B. These are of course not green but the general concern is people have too many and don't dispose of them properly meaning more waste then is necessary and plastic bags clogging up drains etc.Nil Einne (talk) 16:08, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

FWIW, we have cats and a cat litter tray. We get through several plastic bags a day clearing it up. No way am I using over 1000 canvas bags a year for this. Paper would be possible if there were a convenient source of bags. -- SGBailey (talk)

The best solution is to rinse and dry plastic and glass recyclables and then put them in a recycling bin, to recycle paper waste, and to put organic waste in a compost container that you empty regularly into a larger compost bin and then rinse. (It helps to have a vegetarian diet, since meat scraps and other animal proteins don't compost so well, but having a dog or cat would solve that problem). Once you've separated out the organic wastes, your remaining trash should be fairly dry, or you can dry it out before disposing of it. Then you can dispose of your dry trash in paper bags without a danger of breeding microbes in your trash bin. As for cat litter, the greenest solution might be a pair of washable textile work gloves, which you could use to clean/change the litter. You could probably reuse these and/or have several of them that could accumulate before you wash them. The cat droppings presumably can go in the toilet. No need for plastic bags. Marco polo (talk) 17:28, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

This pair have a few tips [3] Mhicaoidh (talk) 22:01, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

It looks like there are some limits to recycling in a hands-on way for people who don't have a space resources. I guess I will go with finding a good source of strong paper bags or wrapping in newspaper. I used to think that plastic bags were being recycled after shopping with them when you used them for rubbish, imagining them buried for good in a dump somewhere. But when a local creek flooded a couple of times recently, I saw them hanging from the trees like a weird harvest. I guess someone will have to legislate against selling them as bin liners too. Julia Rossi (talk) 00:56, 19 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Although you won't be able to get shopping bags with your shopping, you should still be able to buy plastic household garbage bags (including biodegradable ones) at your supermarket. I've seen them in both Woolies and Coles. Steewi (talk) 01:00, 19 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Do the biodegradable plastic bags really break down? Awhile ago people nailed them to the shed roof, buried them and so on, but found they didn't dissolve. Wondering if there's been developments on that since. Julia Rossi (talk) 05:22, 19 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I'd have thought you'll still be able to buy bin liners, as in plastic bags specifically made for the purpose of lining bins. Among other things, they tend to be thinner (meaning less plastic is used) than shopping bags. Noöne's going to legislate against them until an acceptable alternative is found. 79.66.85.219 (talk) 12:29, 19 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

That and the fact that many communities (including mine) refuse to pick up trash unless it is bagged in large green or orange garbage bags tied securely at the top. No other method of disposal (and certainly not cardboard!!) is acceptable. (The bags can be placed inside trash cans, but if the trash inside the can isn't bagged they don't empty it.) --NellieBly (talk) 21:38, 19 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

T shirts

Are there any websites you guys know of that sell shirts with weapons or Tank's on them? RoyalOrleans 14:03, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I found one at http://www.forumosa.com/taiwan/viewtopic.php?t=54141 -- SGBailey (talk) 16:54, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Not what i was exactly looking for but thanks. Im suprised there arn't many websites that sell shirts like that. RoyalOrleans 18:08, 19 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

You can always buy transfer paper. I've done t-shirts that way, and it works quite nicely. Just print onto the paper, and iron onto the top. Angus Lepper^{(T, C, D)} 22:34, 19 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Increasing Credit Score

What is the absolutely the best way to increase your credit score if you have very poor credit? --Anthonygiroux (talk) 14:43, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Credit history#How credit rating is determined has some relevant information but I'm not sure there is an "absolute best way". Zain Ebrahim (talk) 15:01, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Assuming that you can afford it, I have heard financial advisers recommend taking out a small loan (unnecessarily) the immediately setting aside all the money required to pay it of, plus its interest. A common load size is $500 to $1000 US, then pay each payment on time, but do not pay it all at once. The objective of this is to show your creditor that you are: responsible, able to make payments on time, and can control your debt. After you have completed paying off the loan, consider waiting several months and taking out a larger loan, again setting aside money so you may pay it on schedule.

Watch to see if you think the (probable) increase in credit score is worth the expense, and repeat if you find it necessary. Please note that this process WILL take many years to complete. If this seems like it may work, please discuss this with your financial adviser before taking drastic action. Freedomlinux (talk) 15:47, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

You may also want to read Credit Score or Credit score (United States). Freedomlinux (talk) 15:50, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

(EC) I've sometimes heard people suggest you should consider increasing your credit limit on your credit card even if you don't need it because it can help as it shows you are able to control your spending and repay on time (meaning before you incur any interest). This is of course presuming you do have the discipline to control your spending and repay on time and that your credit limit is not so bad that you can't even get a credit card or an increase in credit limit. More generally making sure you pay your bills on time or better, early (particularly if there is an early payment discount) helps. Obviously, make sure you have a job. And if you can, stay away from 'instant finance' or other high interest money lenders, hire-purchase, getting a loan to buy a car (or other items which devalue) etc (if you do have any of these, make sure you repay them on schedule). Nil Einne (talk) 15:56, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

And there's actually a point where your credit score will be hurt by having too much credit card limit, but you probably won't reach it while you have bad credit (the example a financial person gave me was someone with $200,000 credit limit total spread out on a few cards, and the credit rating went down a bit). --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 16:05, 19 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

There is no best way as it depends on why you have bad credit. Get you credit reports and examine them carefully. Look for things that are wrong and dispute them. But the best way is to make sure you are current with your creditors and stay that way. If you have a legitimate debt that can't be repaid because the creditor is defunt, dispute that too. There is no fast way, short of removing false or unpayable records on your credit report, to improve your score. Think of credit like you would think of trust. It takes a long time to earn it and a very short time to burn it. Leftus (talk) 20:02, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Laptop and linux

Moved to WP:RD/C#Laptop and linux Algebraist 16:00, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

crossword answer

What is a Mississippi quartet? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.65.165.161 (talk) 16:38, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

It's not that kind of clue. You need to think of something or someone that comes in fours and is associated with Mississippi somehow, or something like that. (By the way, I'm deliberately being a bit obscure there. I know the answer because I did a Google search for "Mississippi quartet", but I think it'd take away the fun if I said more. If I'd actually been doing the puzzle, I'd have needed to see some letters in the word before thinking of the right answer.) --Anonymous, 16:55 UTC, June 18, 2008.

I'm guessing and probably wrong, but is it 4 Eyes? Sorry.. couldn't help myself. Boomshanka (talk) 05:49, 20 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

If you gave two guesses like that, your second one might be right. Further hint: the correct answer is in my previous sentence as a sequence of consecutive letters within one of the words. --Anon, 02:52 UTC, June 21, 2008.

Two Teleological Questions

Two pretty much unrelated questions:

Firstly, my watch (an analogue quartz watch, made by Richelieu) has a circular component around the dial, inscribed with the numbers 10, 20, 40 and 50 in the right places and with marks to indicate the other minutes on the circumference, which can be manually turned anticlockwise to any minute (ie it moves in steps one minute wide). What is its purpose?

Secondly, on several suit jackets I've seen there exists an inside pocket on the left-hand side, in roughly the same place as the outside pocket but smaller. The inside breast pockets I can understand as convenient, but it seems like a strange place to put a pocket. Is there some specific purpose to it?

Thanks for the help, D aniel (‽) 18:10, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

For question 1, I believe the component you are speaking of is called a "bezel" (a term for which we don't have an article, and which has several meanings, anyway). Please take a look at Diving watch for a photograph of a watch with an "elapsed time counter" bezel and see if that is similar to your timepiece. There is also a description of how this is used within the article. I'm not good at clothing design, so I'll pass on the second question. --LarryMac | Talk 19:09, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The first thing I think is a bezel, which doesn't seem to have a wikipedia page. Ah well, I always thought it was for 'timing' things - you set it to the current time so you can see how much time has passed in minutes. But my watch doesn't have one...

The second, I use for my mobile phone (and seeing from your use of 'anticlockwise', I avoided saying 'cellphone'). It seems really convenient to me if this is indeed its 'true' purpose. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 91.125.225.157 (talk) 19:12, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I agree with the answers on the first question, so won't repeat. But for the second, I've always used this pocket for pens. Dismas|^(talk) 19:33, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, the first item is indeed a bezel; thanks for teaching me a new word! As for the pocket, I suppose I'll have to become a sartorial pioneer and come up with my own purpose. Perhaps I shall start a new trend. Thanks, all.

D aniel (‽) 18:00, 19 June 2008 (UTC) I understood the pocket was inside for safety.[reply]

When I worked in a tailors' shop, it was always called a wallet pocket.hotclaws 05:16, 20 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

meat

How long will meat last in your refrigerator before it goes bad? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.167.13.173 (talk) 20:10, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

There's a lot of variation. Type of meat? Exact cut? Raw or cooked? Sealed how? My personal rule of thumb for raw meats is the sell-by date plus three, but I don't have any sort of scientific backing for it. — Lomn 20:47, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

No single duration for all meat. The answer depends on: 1. the mass of the meat 2. the bacterial count 3. how long it has been since the animal was slaughtered 4. the temperature of your refrigerator 5. your olfactory and gustatory tolerance for meat breakdown products 6. presence of any substances or treatments to retard spoilage Dalembert (talk) 20:48, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Well generally I don't put meat in the refrigerator when its raw unless I'm going to use it either the very next day or the day I put in the refrigerator. It kinda also depends on your refrigerator. I find that my refrigerator has meat last a pretty good time (five days at the least) when I put it in the meat locker. When meat is cooked it has to kind of depend on the meat. Fat tends to rot first so if you have particular fatty piece of meat then it probably won't last that long. When it comes to cooked food I like to say its good for three days after you cook it. answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070520013423AAvvQEN - 46k - That might help a little. But I think everyone said everything else.

Always

Cardinal Raven (talk) 23:25, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Wait, your fat's rotting? 79.66.85.219 (talk) 12:07, 19 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Couldn't find a good simple reference, but as a rule: the more processed it is, the less it will last. Sausages, patties, ground meat (mince in some countries) involves working with the meat, temperature variation, moisture and mixing of various products, all good opportunities to introduce bacteria and induce spoilage. Respect the use-by date. Slabs of meat such as steak are much safer, indeed steak is sterile on the inside. You can let the use by date slide a few days and it will still be fine. If in doubt, check with your cat first. Mhicaoidh (talk) 11:16, 19 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Don't Mess up the Rolling Groove

Good evening. I love Katamari Damashi games especially the ones on the Playstation 2. I have a few questions about Katamari. What drugs were they on when they made this game? Also, what is missing in Beautiful Katamari? I've noticed while playing Beautiful Katamari that I am not enjoying it as much as the other games. It seems like Beautiful Katamari is missing something. I like the way the Playstation 2 games played. In Beautiful Katamari all you have been doing is rolling in a city. Where is the odd places? You know in We Love Katamari they had garden, a snow level, an earth level, etc. There is only a city. I don't want to just roll in a city for every goal I am suppose to do. Then they have you find items that you can't find in the level. They say find expensive metal. You only find a few expensive metal stuff in that level. Why didn't they design the way they did with the other games? I remember in the first Katamari it was difficult not because you couldn't find the bear they were asking for because there was so many bears and you wanted pick up the biggest bear. I also remember giving you the ones were you just rolled up and got bigger, then they had the challenges like make a snow man head, and then they had collect us much as you can in a certain time. Where is that? Where is the rotation? Then they give impossible time limits to get things. I'm suppose to get 500m in nine minutes(I usually get to four hundred meters then I only have fifty six seconds to get the rest). It would have been much easier if they made the time not go by so fast.(Even so I still get extremely larger then what they ask me when the time limit goes so fast.) All they did was suck the fun out of what use to be a good game by doing whatever they did in Beautiful Katamari. They have ruined my Rolling Groove totally. Thank you for answering my question and sifting through my rant. Have a positively wonderful evening.Rem Nightfall (talk) 22:17, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The Reference Desk is not a soapbox for posting rants. Is there an answerable question here? — Lomn 22:42, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I'm sorry. I will watch what I put on the reference desk.Rem Nightfall (talk) 01:37, 20 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Cheap Bike Parts

Where are some cheap bike parts in Spokane, WA?

I have already googled some stores down, but i just need a few parts —Preceding unsigned comment added by Ratheinea (talk • contribs) 23:22, 18 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Bicycle or Motorcycle? Dismas|^(talk) 00:39, 19 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Here are the hum desk contributions:

Where are some cheap bike parts in Spokane, WA?
I have already googled some stores down, but i just need a few parts —Preceding unsigned comment added by Ratheinea (talk • contribs) 23:22, 18 June 2008 (UTC)

What does this have to do with the humanities? Wrad (talk) 23:26, 18 June 2008 (UTC)

Where else was i supposed to post? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Ratheinea (talk • contribs) 23:37, 18 June 2008 (UTC)

Miscellaneous, possibly? Algebraist 23:46, 18 June 2008 (UTC)

Perhaps we should humor him and discuss the philosophical, cultural, and religious implications of cheap bicycle parts ? :-) StuRat (talk) 00:31, 19 June 2008 (UTC)

Already well covered by Robert M. Pirsig, amongst others. --Tagishsimon (talk) 00:40, 19 June 2008 (UTC)

Ok I am sorry I didn't mean to post in humanities. The miscellaneous blog wasn't working. Bicycle Parts.