HOw do you clean up a mercury spill (like, from a mercury thermometer)? And how do you make sure there's none left, or any that would be dangerous? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.249.0.200 (talk) 02:03, 2 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Read this ASAP: http://www.epa.gov/mercury/spills/index.htm SteveBaker (talk) 02:27, 2 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

OK - first turn off the heating and A/C - open all the doors and windows - keep everyone away from the spill and be careful not to track it through the area on your shoes. Children are especially vulnerable keep them well out of the way...THEN read http://www.epa.gov/mercury/spills/index.htm SteveBaker (talk) 02:33, 2 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Sounds drastic. What about the mercury that the dentist put in my teeth 40 years ago? Cuddlyable3 (talk) 15:09, 2 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Just a question, but what good does ventilating the area do? Mercury is very heavy and does not boil at temperatures below 350C, so it is not like there would be a cloud of mercury gas formed. Googlemeister (talk) 15:23, 2 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

There would still be mercury vapour. Water boils at 100C, but we are pretty familiar with the fact that there is substantial water vapour in the air at temperatures below that. --Phil Holmes (talk) 15:26, 2 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

So then the question is whether mercury is more like water, or vegetable oil, because one readily evaporates at room temperature, and the other does not. The boiling point of the vegetable oil seems more similar to that of mercury then water. Even in such a case, the vapor would be denser then air as opposed to water vapor and would sink Googlemeister (talk) 16:36, 2 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Cuddly - I've not read it but that sounds like the questions asked in the dental amalgam controversy. Googlemeister, mercury is a bit more dangrous than oil - you really wouldn't want to take the risk...I'm not sure how evaporatey it is. (Oil does evaporate, albeit more slowly.) Vimescarrot (talk) 17:51, 2 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Many families went into [utter panics fueled by scare headlines because they learned that the gas company had spilled a bit of mercury in their basements in the process of changing out gas meters. The old meters contained about 136 grams (2 teaspoons) of mercury. Reports said that the spillage of this on the basement floor caused "elevated levels of mercury vapor" in the home. Children tested had elevated mercury levels in their blood (had they played with the pool of mercury or just breathed the air?). A few years earlier, no one panicked when children in high school chem and physics labs played with mercury, or when the fever thermometer broke and there was a blob of mercury to push around on the floor until it disappeared in the crack between floorboards, or when the dentist put mercury amalgam in holes in children's teeth and bits of the stuff inevitably got swallowed. Certainly habitual consumption of fish tainted with mercury can be unhealthful, and hatters and Daguerrotypists went "mad" from mercury exposure. The health effects of exposure to low concentration of mercury vapor require reliable sourcing. Governments worldwide are hell-bent on placing a mercury-containing compact fluorescent bulb in every light fixture, many of which will get broken or wind up in the trash can. Edison (talk) 19:00, 2 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Well the vapour is only absorbed slowly, so the worst is when the mercury gets into some accessible place, like a crack, and then evaporates for years, with people breathing it in. Graeme Bartlett (talk) 19:44, 2 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

But if you've spilt it in an aeroplane, don't bother cleaning it up - they'll just scrap the whole plane anyway [1]. Karenjc 20:40, 2 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

What is the correct name for the X-shaped button on a Playstation controller: X or Cross? jc iindyysgvxc (my contributions) 06:55, 2 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Given that the rest are shapes - I would assme it is cross. (Square, Triangle, Circle and Cross) - but it's not like it matters in the slightest whether you call it an 'x' or a 'cross'. 194.221.133.226 (talk) 09:08, 2 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

(I think we're being asked about the + shaped button - not the button with an 'X' printed onto it).

The + shaped button is called the D-pad - and (of course) we have an article about that! SteveBaker (talk) 12:56, 2 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I don't think s/he's talking about the D-pad. The four buttons on the right side of the controller are identified by three shapes and a letter, so he or she's asking whether that letter gets referred to by the letter (x) or by the shape (cross). I've only heard it being called "x", but I'm not a PS gamer. Matt Deres (talk) 17:45, 2 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I've never heard anyone call it anything except "X." Games just say "Press X" and since it is an X shape... ~ Amory (u • t • c) 15:39, 2 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

In print, I suspect the button is only referred to by its × symbol, so it depends on your personal preference (or a consensus among the PlayStation gamers you communicate with) if you pronounce it "x" or "cross". I think many Americans use the word cross exclusively for a † shape, and call a × shape an X ("eks"). So if you're communicating with Americans, they might be confused if you talk about the "cross button".

Interesting tidbit I noticed: The PlayStation article briefly mentions the names for the circle and cross buttons in Japan are the Japanese words for "right" and "wrong". So you might say the correct name for the × button is wrong :) . --Bavi H (talk) 04:35, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

The symbols ○ and × do (ubiquitously) mean "correct" and "incorrect" in Japan, but "maru" and "batsu" are just the names of the symbols, not the associated concepts. "Maru" means "circle" and "batsu" derives from "batten", literally "penalty mark". -- BenRG (talk) 18:10, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

That makes more sense. I was wondering how you would communicate the concept of "correct" and the symbol for "correct" if they were the same word. (I imagined confusing converstaions like "Did I press the right button?" "Actually, for that action, the right button is the wrong button.") Perhaps the article should be revised to say the symbols are universally used in Japan to mean "correct" and "incorrect", and remove the unclear parentheticals that try to shoehorn that concept next to Japanese names for the symbols. --Bavi H (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 05:11, 5 December 2009 (UTC).[reply]

I wonder why the OP thinks that there is a 'correct' name for it. By what standard? --ColinFine (talk) 01:37, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I know Sony used to suggest you call it an X if you need to refer to it in tutorials and similar, with the others being triangle, circle, square, but that was for the PS2. Maybe it has changed since then with the PS3 although I don't see why it would. Gunrun (talk) 09:19, 7 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I've been reading about blood tests before marriage, which are still required by law in some US states, and was trying to work out their purpose. Some websites claim that the blood tests check for STDs such as syphilis, while others say that it's to check for Rh compatibility. Both seem feasible, but I'm wondering what happens if you fail the test? Are you barred from marrying, or is it just to make the couple aware of any issues that may arise?Snorgle (talk) 16:40, 2 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Before modern drugs were developed which could cure venereal diseases such as syphilis and gonorrhea, it was abhorrent that an infected person would marry and infect the spouse, possibly causing their blindness or death, and the infection and death of any offspring. VD caused about 1/4 of infant mortality in 1916. By 1938, 26 of the then 48 states had enacted requirements for a blood test before a license was issued. If you failed the test, no license was issued.Unfortunately, like any test, the Wasseerman generated false positives, with 1/4 of the "has syphilis" results being incorrect, leading to cancelled marriages, and an innocent person having "some 'splaining to do." Earlier, many states had required that the wedding couple either attest or have a note from their doctor that they were free of venereal disease. This was practically worthless. There were also many quack doctors who falsely claimed their elixer could cure VD, so a prospective spouse might think the clap had gone away. Some states required HIV tests before a marriage license was issued, but citizens got angry at the suggestion they might have engaged in hanky-panky which gave them Aids, and drove to a neighboring state without the testing requirement, costing the local economy due to a 22.5% drop in license issuance in Illinois when the testing for HIV started, so the HIV test requirements were withdrawn, and some states apparently removed the requirement for any blood test along with it. This was also due to the belated recognition that sexual activities without condoms often begin before marriage[2]. In the first 6 months of HIV testing in Illinois, 6 infected persons were found, while 70,846 tests came back negative. Maybe those who thought they might be infected were the ones who went to other states to get married. The HIV testing law in some states did not prohibit marriage, but required notification of the other party. Edison (talk) 18:35, 2 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

(ec) Google finds lots of pages saying it is to check for STDs. Some say they also check for congenital diseases that could be inherited by children. What happens if you fail apparently varies depending on the state. --Tango (talk) 18:37, 2 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks! That's a lot of very interesting info. I checked some of the google links (I had googled previously but not using the right search), and it seems that they can refuse the marriage licence in some states. I guess you could still get married elsewhere though, so I wonder why they still bother?82.11.239.67 (talk) 20:03, 2 December 2009 (UTC)Oops, that was me! Snorgle (talk) 20:04, 2 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I don't know if they do still bother - they can, but that doesn't mean they do. The law exists for outdated reasons, so it may well not be enforced. --Tango (talk) 20:16, 2 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Cecil Adams covers it briefly in his column What's the purpose of premarital blood testing?] It's from 1996, so I suppose it's a bit out of date. APL (talk) 22:16, 2 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

What?! It's not to see if your intended is a genie? Clarityfiend (talk) 23:33, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I went to the bank today, to deposit a number of 5 and 10 Euro cent coins I'd been saving up. The device I had them in is probably called a "piggy bank" in English, even though it is not actually shaped like a pig, but rather like the Earth. I think I've had it for almost two and a half decades now. The actual bank has undergone two mergers in that time. Now, to my actual question: This act returns the physical coins to circulation, even though their monetary value remains my property. How does this actually happen? How are the coins physically transported from the bank back to circulation? JIP | Talk 20:18, 2 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

When a business comes into the bank to exchange paper money for coins to give out as change to customers, the coins will move from the bank to individuals again through change for cash transactions. Thus while the amount of money remains constant, individual pieces can move around, sort of like water in a large lake. The lake stays pretty much the same but an individual water molecule moves around over time. Has the Euro really been around for 25 years? Googlemeister (talk) 21:14, 2 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

No. I think he meant the piggy bank was 25 years old, not necessarily the money in it. Possibly he'd been saving in it since before the Euro and simply converted the money inside after the change. Vimescarrot (talk) 21:23, 2 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

If that is the case, the pre-Euro coinage will most likely not have a large amount of circulation and would most likely end up getting sold to a collector or melted at some point. Googlemeister (talk) 21:45, 2 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I have been saving up money in that piggy bank for almost 25 years, yes, but it's not like it has been the same money all the time, and I only just deposited the money I originally saved there when the Berlin wall was still around. I empty the piggy bank roughly every nine to ten months. Since the introduction of Euro cash, Finnish banks have a rule that pre-Euro coinage is accepted, but won't get credited - the bank will give it away to charity. JIP | Talk 19:26, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

The bank sorts the received cash. Worn or outdated items are returned to the central bank for destruction. The rest is aggregated into stacks, rolls, or bags (and sometimes into larger containers for wholesale use). Cash-intensive businesses like shops buy cash from the bank. Small businesses have to go to the bank and withdraw cash from their current account (really they're "buying" above rather than "changing", because they need to spend 1 or 2% cash handling charge); large businesses (department stores, casinos) get cash delivered wholesale by security van (and again they pay a charge). If there are marked asymetries between cash withdrawals and deposits at a given branch (and to handle the replacement of old items with new) the bank runs security vans from its branches to a central cash-handling centre. I know someone who worked at such a centre in Edinburgh, which he reports was an awful job: there were always tens of millions in the room (reminding everyone how badly paid they were), there was special lighting and massive surveillance, and reportedly large staff turnover. He tells me that, in industrial quantities, used bank notes smell like armpit. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 01:12, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

You hand over a pile of coins to a bank teller, who counts them and gives you the equivalent in paper money (or, deposits it into your account). At the end of his/her shift, the teller you gave the money to will count all his/her cash and other instruments (e.g., checks) and “balance” against the computer record. When he/she has too much of one denomination, say €0.05 coins, he/she with "wrap" them. That involves either hand- or machine counting, and then packaging a specific amount (say €5 worth of €0.05 coins) in paper tubes or plastic bags. In this way, large amounts of coin can be moved into and out of a teller’s drawer without the need to count every coin (although, good tellers will still count it all). Next, a retailer sends a cashier around to the bank with €5 to buy €0.05 coins. He/She receives the coins, and begins to use them to make change as customers require. Finally, you receive one of these coins when you buy something, and place the coin into your globe-shaped piggy bank and the process begins again. DOR (HK) (talk) 08:28, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

There is a rule in some places that coins are only acceptable up to a certain amount. IIRC, in the UK banks will only accept 1p and 2p coins up to £20 or some other surprisingly small amount. If you have one of those large jars of change, it might be better to take it to the banks in several smaller runs. Astronaut (talk) 08:11, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

According to our Legal tender article: "In the United Kingdom, only coins valued 1 pound Sterling, 2 pounds, and 5 pounds Sterling are legal tender in unlimited amounts throughout the territory of the United Kingdom . . . . Currently, 20 pence pieces, 25-pence coins and 50-pence pieces are legal tender in amounts up to 10 pounds; 5-pence pieces and 10-pence pieces are legal tender in amounts up to 5 pounds; and 1-penny pieces and 2-pence pieces are legal tender in amounts up to 20 pence." However, I believe that this applies only to non-bank transactions, and that banks themselves will accept any coins to any amount, although they might well charge a small fee if the coins have not been sorted and bagged into precise amounts using the standard plastic coinage bags (which can then be checked quickly by weighing rather than being emptied and recounted). 87.81.230.195 (talk) 18:05, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

How can I create a new post for a company? It is currently listed under another one--see Ares Management under Apollo Management: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Management http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Management#Ares_ManagementRhondapitman (talk) 00:23, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

You can create the article at Ares Management. But you should probably check WP:CORP to see if Ares is notable enough on its own for a separate article. Currently, Ares Management redirects to Apollo Management. Additionally, questions about the inner workings of Wikipedia are normally handled at the Help Desk. This page is for general knowledge questions about things other than Wikipedia. Dismas|^(talk) 00:32, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Note too that if you are connected to the company in some way you will have to be careful about your involvement in creating the article (see WP:COI). Grutness...wha? 00:57, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Someone I know is working in Leicester, and he says that no men wear scarves. However, on Doctor Who and Law & Order UK, the actors wear scarves! Admittedly, they are television shows and are filmed in other parts of the country, but are the wardrobe departments that out of sync with fashion, or is the person I know wrong?

It might be just a Leicester thing cos there were plenty on show in Birmingham yesterday. Of course, as the winter progresses, scarves may well make an appearance 35 miles north of Birmingham... --TammyMoet (talk) 11:37, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Clearly there are men in Leicester that wear scarfs. They are a standard thing to wear when the weather is cold. I would suggest your friend is perhaps suggesting that 'real men' don't wear scarfs? You do have people that have this idea that somehow feeling the cold is un-manly (usually numpties who see any form of 'feminimity' as making you less of a man). 12:13, 3 December 2009 (UTC)

I'd agree with the above. Sounds like an expression of preferential opinion, rather than fact. --Dweller (talk) 12:30, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

No true Scotsman wears a scarf ! Gandalf61 (talk) 12:39, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

No, they just wear skirts. "Donald! Where's yer trousers???" :) ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 13:03, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

It's "troosers" not "trousers" [3]Caesar's Daddy (talk) 16:36, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Aye, lad. Ah was trrranslatin' frrrom the Scottish. :) ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 18:00, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

As an ex-City worker whose industrial workwear was a two piece suit; you find a gap between collar & tie and the V of your suit jacket and/or formal coat which is protected only by your shirt. A scarf fills the void very nicely on those cold winter mornings and they are very commonly seen in the Square Mile. Posher types go for silk, often with a paisley print but I had a nice red lambs wool number that had better insulation properties. Of course, north of the border they all go about dressed like Scotts Porridge Oats man [4] and have no need of such soft southern luxuries. Alansplodge (talk) 13:15, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

...while some of us prefer a buff...--Shantavira|^{feed me} 15:48, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

You talk about "buff" to men in Leicester, and they'll think you fancy them, want to polish them, want them naked, or that you like a particularly dull shade of grey. Take your chances... wisely. --Dweller (talk) 16:14, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Aha - in the British Army, this is called a "cap comforter"[5] and has been issued since 1900. Before I looked at the link, I thought you meant you were so hard, you went out "in the buff" - ie naked. Apparently the Ancient Britons went into combat with nothing on exept a dollop of woad. No wonder they lost to the Romans. Bet they were surprised though. Alansplodge (talk) 17:12, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Probably worked out better in chilly winter since the Romans would have been rolling on the ground laughing at their enemies Googlemeister (talk) 20:01, 3 December 2009 (UTC) [reply]

Um - In the interests of nationalistic pride - I should point out that the Romans were defeated by the British "barbarians" around 400 AD. It's not clear whether woad and excessive nudity - nor yet scarves had much to do with it though. SteveBaker (talk) 02:18, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I asked someone else to question the person, and it turns out he was lying to me because he didn't want me to make a scarf. (I'm currently going on a knitting craze.) Thanks for all the answers! (and jokes.) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 218.186.12.241 (talk) 12:56, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

my friend just fell in love with his teacher!! he constantly talks about her, even though i tell him to shut up, he blabbers on about her hair and her eyes, and.... whatever else! i just wanted to know, this situation involving a student falling in love with his/her teacher, or vice versa, or both falling in love with each other, is it common around the world, in any country or city, or school??

thanx —Preceding unsigned comment added by 122.50.131.203 (talk) 13:18, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

It's What I Go to School For. Itsmejudith (talk) 13:35, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

You could say he is Hot for Teacher Livewireo (talk) 14:10, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

HO HO HO lets have some more jokes, that's what the reference desk is for. btw remember to use <small> tags for your jokes, otherwise they might detract from the usefulness of the ref desk. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.44.55.75 (talk) 16:50, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Ok grumpypants. TastyCakes (talk) 17:47, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

LOL —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.44.55.75 (talk) 18:26, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Students developing a crush on their teacher is fairly common - our article puppy love mentions it (full-blown love is slightly different and difficult to define). The other way round is probably less common, although it is difficult to know since it is taboo (and illegal if acted on) in most modern societies so most teachers would suppress such feelings if they had them. --Tango (talk) 14:04, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

A lot of students with have a crush on an attractive (even an unattractive) teacher, and teachers will often have crushes on students. But as for love, that's more uncommon and would usually result from lots of intimate between student / teacher, like a student attending after school classes or one on one tutoring. Most liekly your friend is just crushing on her. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.44.55.75 (talk) 16:54, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

It didn't work out too well for Pamela Smart and Billy Flynn, or that teacher from the Pacific Northwest who had two children in jail with her teenaged student. Or just about anyone else. Being attracted to older women/men is normal for teenagers. Acting on said attraction works out poorly vanishingly close to 100% of the time. If you are looking for some fictional accounts of these relationships; they play a key part of the book Lolita (from the opposite sex side as your friends situation) and the song "Don't Stand So Close to Me". --Jayron32 19:29, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

A quick Google search didn't turn up the woman who Jayron is referring to even though I know who he's talking about.... Anyway, this page has some interesting (read: amusing) reading. Dismas|^(talk) 20:31, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Found her! Mary Kay Letourneau. Dismas|^(talk) 20:33, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

That's her. I always remember Pamela Smart because I was in New Hampshire, in High School when that went down, and I was the exact same age as Billy Flynn, AND, I hate to say it, we looked quite alike, so kids used to rag on me for it. But yeah, the reason I had a hard time finding Latourneau's name is when I typed "Teacher student sex Washington state" I got, like, 100 unrelated articles just from the past year on different cases of teacher-student inappropriate relationships. It was sort of a low-point on my "faith in humanity" scale. Kinda depressing when you see how often this shit goes down. As a teacher, I have personally worked with no less than half a dozen teachers who have been disgraced for these sorts of problems. It really disgusts you when you start to think about it. Which is why I don't. --Jayron32 21:41, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Moving things up a bracket. I think having attractions (even fantasies) between college students and young profs and/or grad student instructors is pretty common in both directions, i.e. both students fantasizing about teacher and teacher fantasizing about a student. Even so, boundary crossing relationships are still quite rare. I assume acting on such fantasies are considered inappropriate for all college level instructors, and depending on the local laws may qualify as sexual harassment or similar. However, it would not qualify as statutory rape, as most high school student relationships would. And once the student-teacher interaction ends, consenting adults could act on their feelings more freely. I knew a college student who went back and dated her grad student TA six months after the class had ended. Dragons flight (talk) 21:56, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

It should be noted that, even if not actually against the law, such types of sexual relationships, where there is an "assymetric power relationship" between the participants (boss-employee, professor-student, officer-enlisted) are almost universally banned by just about every organization in the world. In almost every case, though not illegal, engaging in such relationships will likely get you fired faster than you can say "assymetric power relationship". (as a totally personal aside, I had a lab class in college where one of my fellow students was sleeping with the TA. He didn't grade anything, and gave us all "A's", because he didn't want to grade the work of the girl he was sleeping with. When the department noticed the anomaly, the relationship came out, he got thrown out of school, and there was talk of forcing us to take the class over again. Ultimately, our grades stood, but it only goes to show how such behavior can cause drastic consequences for MANY people, most of whom are uninvolved. I also had a boss who was sleeping with an employee, and it completely ruined morale at the place I was working; what had been a great place to work decended into an aweful one pretty quickly. There are many social and monetary consequences for doing this sort of stuff. Moral is: don't do it. There are lots of ways to get your jollies off; try to do it in a way that doesn't mess up the lives of the people involved, and the lives of those nearby as well) --Jayron32 22:25, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I once worked somewhere where a boss and a recently hired employee realized that they were mutually interested in each other. They hadn't acted on it (to the best of my knowledge), but the employee decided to quit so she could then date the boss. I can't imagine that all that many people would be willing to go that far, but it worked out well for them. And it made the boss happier, which worked out well for the rest of us. Dragons flight (talk) 22:41, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

That's about the only way it can work; as long as the participants voluntarily remove the conflict of interest (for example, students may date a professor after the student has their degree, or the situation you describe). However, few people often have the foresight to do that; they usually naively assume that they can make it work out, and who should be hurt if two consenting adults do whatever in private. However, in assymetric relationships, one party cannot properly give consent (what happens to the underling if the relationship goes south? How can one be coequal in bed, but subordinate in work) and it is also unfair to other employees (one underling gets a priviliged status because they are fucking the boss/professor/whatever). Its great your friends made it work the right way, but sadly few do. --Jayron32 02:13, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

With students, anyway, at some point the student ceases to be a student (especially when one is talking about TFs in college and etc.), which rectifies most of the immediate problem. It is not that uncommon for professors to be married to former students, in my experience in the university system. --Mr.98 (talk) 03:37, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

what is an average cost to the consumer for hondoras mahogany in dollars per board foot in 2009 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 190.224.108.129 (talk) 13:34, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I don't know the average, but this site -- aimed at US customers -- has prices ranging from 12-40 $USD per board foot. It might be quite a bit cheaper in the country of origin, although things don't always work that way. Note for your searches that it's spelled "Honduras". --Sean 15:31, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Is Michaele Salahi, nee Holt, really a model? Due to many of the other debugged claims about this couple, one wonders if the claim that she was a model in many fashion magazines must be taken with a grain of salt. I've found pictures of her prior to her marriage at several Washington, DC-area social events, but she's never identified other than by name, it's just assumed that people viewing the photos would know who she is. Interestingly, http://shoporeum.com/Beauty-2/bridal+services+makeup.html lists her as a Nationally recognized Model and Make Up Artist, and I've found a reference to a Michaele Holt as a makeup artist for one TV movie, Lady Bird, but her name doesn't show up at imdb. And the link on that page to her website no longer works. 99.166.95.142 (talk) 17:35, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

SO, what you are asking is "Should we believe the claims of a woman and her husband who have made a career out of overinflating claims about themselves and their businesses." Answer for yourself... --Jayron32 21:36, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Conceded, but what I really was asking was, is there any independent proof that she was really a model in major magazines, such as Vogue, as she claims? 99.166.95.142 (talk) 16:30, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Incidentally, the way to check is to use the Fashion Model Directory. It is basically to the modeling world what IMDB is to movies and allmusic.com is to music. --Jayron32 19:34, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

What is world's heaviest cigar ? And exactly how much does it weigh ?

 Jon Ascton  (talk) 18:03, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

This [6] is the best I can find, from the Guinness World Records Site. It is actually the longest ever, but they beat their own record, so I suspect they are so far ahead it's also the heaviest. As for the weight that's harder. It mentions they bought 140lb of tobacco for it, but that doesn't include the glue and outside bits. Prokhorovka (talk) 20:03, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I came across this web page. Now never mind the faulty logic ("nasi goreng is evil because the Nazis ate it" - you could just as well say water is evil because there must have been quite a few Nazis who regularly drank water), the name of the dish comes from Indonesian and/or Malay for "fried rice", and the similarity to Nazi, short for German Nationalsozialismus, is pure coincidence. But did the Nazis even ever eat any nasi goreng, or would they have? JIP | Talk 19:15, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Were there any who were in Indonesia? I would expect that there was one or more at some point who ate the dish, but this is one of those things that one is rather unlikely to ever find proof for, one way or another. Googlemeister (talk) 19:28, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

It was not totally unknown to those outside of Indonesia at that time (Robert Oppenheimer served nasi goreng to guests in Berkeley in the 1920s, if I recall—they called it "nasty gory" and didn't care for it—and had probably learned it from someone he knew who had lived in Indonesia), but I doubt it was any more well-known then than it is now. But it seems like rather a stretch to wonder if any Nazis (however one is going to define that group for these purposes) ever ate a particular dish, especially one that is pretty simple (it's just fried rice with things in it, yes?). --Mr.98 (talk) 20:46, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I think the poster who assumed the Nazis ate the stuff is clue-challenged. I'd speculate that she doesn't have much experience with languages.

I remember coming across the Italian word nazireato in a dictionary. Now nazi means the same thing in Italian as it does in English, and reato means crime. But a nazireato is completely different — it's a sort of Biblical oath. I think it's cognate with the word Nazarene but I'm not certain of that. --Trovatore (talk) 22:55, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Ah, no, not Nazarene I guess. Here's the en.wiki article: Nazirite. --Trovatore (talk) 23:00, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

For clarification as mentioned in our article, nasi simply means rice in Malay and Indonesian (and possibly a few related languages) so you can have all sorts of other nasi dishes, e.g. nasi lemak, nasi kandar, nasi dagang, nasi kerabu [7], nasi briyani, nasi ayam, nasi tomato [8], nasi berlauk, nasi campur, nasi liwet, nasi pecel, nasi paprik, nasi kuning etc. Most Malaysians and Indonesians eat nasi all the time. So if the Nazi's ever ate rice, and I'm guessing some did, then they ate nasi and I guess rice is evil for that reason. Similarly, while it may be normal to associate nasi goreng with Malay or Indonesia style fried rice in English, any kind of fried rice can and is legitimately called nasi goreng in Malay and Indonesian. It seems easily possible some Nazi may have had some kind of fried rice. While this didn't seem to come up in that forum post, whether Hermann Göring ever had nazi goreng is obviously a more specific question and a lot less likely. It may be nasi goreng something, just as you may have Chinese fried rice etc in English, e.g. nasi goreng kampung [9], nasi goreng istimewa, nasi goreng pattaya, nasi goreng Cina, nasi goreng yang chow, nasi goreng USA so if they'd ever had any form of fried rice then they did eat nasi goreng, Incidentally as also mentioned in our article or you may have guessed, goreng just means fried (for example, there is mi goreng, pisang goreng, ayam goreng) and I'm sure some victims of the holocaust would have been happy to see some Nazi goreng. P.S. It also occured to me that if someone named a rice dish after Hitler i.e. that would be called Hitler's rice in English (not sure what in German) it should be translated in Malay and Indonesian (I think, my Malay is a bit scratchy and I don't know Indonesian) as nasi Hitler. This sounds possible but I'm not sure how it would have been received in Nazi Germany, perhaps it would have been seen as offensive Nil Einne (talk) 03:25, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

As the recipe poster hints, Indonesian food is known in the Netherlands due to its status as the former colonial power. Since the Nazis invaded the Netherlands, it's entirely possible^{[conclusion leap?]} that some would have eaten Indonesian food while there. AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 08:54, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

In our household we jokingly call it "Nazi Göring", but I'd never imagined anyone would take such a phonetic similarity seriously. Gordonofcartoon (talk) 11:39, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

There are several well known instances of a husband and wife holding office for the same political party. But are there any examples of a married couple holding office for opposing parties? --Richardrj ^{talk email} 20:10, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Not office holders, but Mary Matalin, a longtime Republican strategist, is married to James Carville, a longtime Democratic strategist. She was the deputy campaign manager for George H.W. Bush's 1992 reelection bid, while Carville was Bill Clinton's campaign manager. So you have an election where the campaigns of the opponents were being run by a couple. --Jayron32 20:21, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

If First Lady of California is an office I believe that Maria Schriver is a Democrat and Arnold is Republican. Googlemeister (talk) 20:22, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Those two pairs of opposites are almost like a mixed-faith marriage. The success of their marriages has to do with things that can transcend politics - namely, love of family and family life. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 20:29, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I don't think Arnold and Maria are necessarily that far apart. Arnold has been called a RINO, and his wife is no bomb thrower from anything I've ever heard.

When I lived in Texas, there was an event where the Texas GOP invited Arnold to speak to raise money for (IIRC) his '06 re-election campaign in California. I thought it was, to say the least, unusual, given that Arnold would clearly have been a Democrat in Texas. Texas Republicans would have crucified him if he'd tried to run there. But apparently he was OK for California. --Trovatore (talk) 21:50, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

There are of course plenty of marriages where the political beliefs of the partners are fairly different. A better comparison to the question might be some combination of a imam, rabbi and Christian minister, priest or preacher. Obviously not possible with those that are expected to remain celibate. And this isn't perfect since the reason people join political parties varies and may not be simply because their political views fit that of their party best and political biews within a party usually vary quite significantly (while the views of various religious leaders vary, their are specific things which seperate different religions) Nil Einne (talk) 05:19, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I read that the current Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, who is a Conservative MP, has a wife who wants to be a Labour MP. --TammyMoet (talk) 20:41, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Strictly speaking, he was a Conservative MP. Speakers give up all party connections when they become Speaker. --Tango (talk) 20:51, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Peter MacKay and Belinda Stronach were dating when they were in the same party. She then crossed the floor, but they broke up pretty much immediately. DJ Clayworth (talk) 20:49, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

The husband of Gro Harlem Brundtland (prime minister for the social-democrat party Arbeiderpartiet), Arne Olav Brundtland was a member of the conservative party (Høyre) at the time they married. I'm not aware that he held any important positions in that party, however. I also vaguely member reading that he many years later changed sides, but I was unable to find a source for that statement, and am not sure if it is correct. --NorwegianBlue ^talk 21:09, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

In the Scottish Parliament, Rob Gibson MSP sat alongside his wife Dr Eleanor Scott in the 2003-07 term; he was elected for the Scottish National Party while she is a member of the Scottish Green Party. In the House of Lords, Lord Howe of Aberavon was enobled in 1992 and took his seat as a Conservative; in 2001 he was joined by his wife, Baroness Howe of Idlicote who sits as a Crossbencher. Also, although not a husband and wife relationship, note that Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin (Conservative) was joined in the House of Commons in 1929-31 by his son Oliver Baldwin who was in the Labour Party. Sam Blacketer (talk) 21:14, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Caroline Jackson was a Conservative MEP until 2009. Her husband, Robert V. Jackson, was a Conservative MP, but defected to Labour in 2005. Hilton Philipson was a National Liberal MP in the 1920s. Following his death, his wife, Mabel Philipson, was elected in the same seat as a Conservative MP - but the two parties were in an alliance at the time. Warofdreams talk 21:25, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Actually Hilton Philipson didn't die, he had his election declared void because his election agent had corruptly lowered his election expenses in order to get them below the limit. The circumstances are explained in Berwick-upon-Tweed by-election, 1923, now I wonder who wrote that. Sam Blacketer (talk) 21:34, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

In the National Assembly of Quebec, MPP and Deputy Prime Minister Nathalie Normandeau, a Liberal, was recently dating François Bonnardel, a member of the opposition ADQ. --Xuxl (talk) 21:38, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Although not married Gareth Evans (Labor) and Cheryl Kernot (Australian Democrats) had an affair. There were not necessarily on opposite sides, though, as the Democrats are (were) a minor party. Steewi (talk) 02:26, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Do any other species besides Homo sapiens engage in agriculture ?  Jon Ascton  (talk) 22:08, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Some species of ants are known to keep aphids around and milk them. I can't remember the species of ant or aphid involved, but this would fall under just about any definition of "agriculture". Perhaps some entomologist who patrols here can remember more of the details. --Jayron32 22:15, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Not the ones I was thinking of, but Leafcutter ants use leaves to grow fungus, and harvest the fungus for food, also a type of agriculture. --Jayron32 22:16, 3 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

As regards the aphid thing, I'm not an entymologist, but bog-standard British black ants do this with bog-standard British greenfly on the sycamore tree just outside the door in the summer. Alansplodge (talk) 00:07, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Limpets "farm" algae (the technical term is "gardening"). Robinh (talk) 08:21, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Honeypot ants do something like ranching, and the article has a wonderful picture. You'll really have to pin down what counts as "agriculture". Birds and bugs spread seeds far and wide, and later benefit from doing so, but that's not what I would call agriculture. --Sean 15:23, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Could anybody please expain how the crossing man light (i.e. the red/green man shown to the pedestrians on the crossing) at this example junction would be timed compared to the traffic lights on the junction? I imagine that when the north-south lights are green the man is red, but does he turn green when they turn red, and what about traffic coming from the east and turning north?

There is no light to directly "protect" the crossing (i.e. there is no traffic light in front of the crossing, preventing traffic from entering the crossing), so I don't really understand how it works. There is a button on the lights from the pedestrians to press, but what does it actually do? Perhaps it prevents the east side lights turning green, so that vehicle can't enter the junction from the east and turn north? Thanks JellyTelly (talk) 01:44, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

The green-man lights only come on when the lights are red for any traffic that might enter that arm of the junction. The trouble with that (in the USA at least) is the "right on red" rule that allows cars to turn right - even though the light in front of them is red - so long as they stop first - and so long as the road is clear. Since there is absolutely no combination of lights to prevent cars from going right on red - you're left with two possible fallbacks:

1. Sometimes there are "No Right On Red" signs. The seem to do that at junctions with pedestrian lights here in Austin, Texas, but drivers don't seem to notice them - they might as well not be there!
2. No matter what - you are only allowed to turn right on red if the way is clear...which means no pedestrians. So in theory, if you're crossing a pedestrian crossing with a 'green man' or 'walk' sign - then the cars that might be thinking of doing a right on red should not do so because you're crossing the street. Sadly, that doesn't work worth a damn - so people get hit by cars anyway.

Note that the "right on red" rule is not universal - it's not legal in New York City (presumably because there are a lot of pedestrians there). Aside from the USA - there are very few countries that allow right on red. SteveBaker (talk) 02:04, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Most drivers will look out for pedestrians, most of the time. As a pedestrian, you need to realize that the one coming up to your intersection may be the exception. The most dangerous situation is when he's looking the other way for oncoming traffic. Before you step out in front of him, make sure you see his eyes! That'll take care of the problem almost all the time most of the rest of the time.

Of course there are always exceptions even to that, but as they say, we all have to die of something. --Trovatore (talk) 03:10, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

It's quite simple - in the UK, traffic cannot pass a red light - a regulation which is almost always obeyed - and is not permitted to enter a box junction (marked with the yellow diamond pattern on the road) unless an exit is clear - a regulation which is more frequently ignored. So lights turn red to stop traffic in every direction, and after a short interval, to allow traffic to clear the box junction, the crossing lights turn green and it is safe for pedestrians to cross the street. Warofdreams talk 02:20, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

There is no "turn on red" rule in the UK. The safe way to phase the lights would be to repeat:

1. Stop all traffic on red and turn all the pedestrian lights green
2. Pedestrian lights to red everywhere except St. Thomas's Rd and traffic lights on Seven Sisters Rd to green
3. Pedestrian lights on St. Thomas's Rd to red, traffic lights on Seven Sisters Rd to red and on St. Thomas's Rd to green.

The pedestrians crossing St. Thomas's Rd get longer to cross because the traffic there also needs to wait for the traffic on Seven Sisters Rd. At very busy times, I can imagine the junction getting filled with vehicles and ending up stuck in the yellow box while pedestrians cross (a situation the yellow box is there to prevent).

Maybe there are too many laws there. Shadowjams (talk) 13:13, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

In the UK, the green "filter left" arrow controls and regularises the equivalent of the USA "right on red", making pedestrian crossing much safer. Is there no "filter right" signal in the USA? Dbfirs 18:28, 5 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

There is obviously no need for a "right filter" light where there is right-on-red, so you don't see them at 99% of junctions - however, in those few places where right-on-red is disallowed, there are sometimes right-filter lights. I bet you find them all over the place in New York city - where right-on-red is prohibited. SteveBaker (talk) 23:14, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

What does a right filter light look like? Googlemeister (talk) 17:08, 7 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Why are stairs inside a building called stairs, but when outside a building called steps? This is a very important issue in my life right now. --20.133.0.13 (talk) 13:16, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

They're not. Sorry. --Dweller (talk) 13:36, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah, I am pretty sure that the words, in this case, are pure synonyms. I have heard the terms "steps" and "stairs" to be used for the same object, regardless of location. --Jayron32 13:46, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

The posters above notwithstanding, I refer to steps and stair in exactly the fashion you mention - the steps of the library are the ones out front leading to the entrance, the stairs of the library are the ones that take you to the second floor. While some apologists might claim that we're experiencing a regional variation in terms (are you in S. Ontario?), an impartial observer would conclude that you and I are completely correct and that Dweller and Jayron32 are verbal deviants who need to be severely punished. (In the future, you may want to ask questions like this on the Language desk). Matt Deres (talk) 14:12, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

What the OP is saying squares with my experience and, yes, this is more of a language question. If I were near my dictionary, I would look it up. Stairs have steps, by the way. I think stairs is a more specific term, possibly related to "stories". There is also the term "stairsteps", which is usually used in reference to indoors. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 15:18, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Perhaps the indoor/outdoor distinction is just an artifact of the fact that the very steep architectural climbing devices are usually called "stairs", while the broad and non-steep architectural climbing devices are usually called "steps". For reasons of space, cost, and safety, the former are much more likely to be indoors and the latter outdoors. --Sean 15:31, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Typically only outdoors when used as fire escapes. Basically at a 45 degree angle, or even steeper. Outdoor steps, like at the front of a building, are typically at a lower angle, i.e. the risers are shorter than the steps. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 15:38, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

The city of Montreal is known for its its neighbourhoods with steep outdoor stairs leading to upper floors see here for example. No one would call these "steps". --Xuxl (talk) 15:46, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Aren't "stairs" the totality and "steps" the individual components? "The stairs were very convenient for ascending the height, but one of the steps was broken." Bus stop (talk) 15:52, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Not really - in English we talk about "A flight of stairs" when we're talking about the totality. If "flight" is a collective noun then "stair" is a singular. I don't think there is a proper linguistic difference between "steps" and "stairs" - but I do concur with our OP that there is more common usage of "stair" for indoor applications. SteveBaker (talk) 19:32, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Not quite - a flight of stairs is specifically a continuous run between floors/landings. If you have something like a stairwell, the whole 16+ floors/landings are "stairs", but may consist of multiple flights. I agree with Bus Stop that conventional usage (at least in my experience) is that "stairs" references the ensemble, and a "step" is a single tread+riser. I would never say "there is a stair" (referring to a single tread/riser)- it sounds awkward to me. The closest I come is "there are the stairs", or "there is a stair step". And if there are only one or two steps indoors between one room and the next (e.g. in a ranch home), I would never call them "stairs". My gut impression is that the stairs/steps distinction is due to rise, or rather what it's leading to. If it's leading to another level/floor, then it's stairs. If it's on the same "conceptual" level, it's steps. The Spanish Steps or the Rocky Steps are still "steps", despite there being a large number of them, because they start at "ground level" and end at the "main/ground level". Likewise with front steps. However, if you have, say, basement access, they're stairs because they go from ground level to a subterranean level. Likewise with access to an elevated rail platform/pedestrian bridge/boardwalk (ones which have an open "below") those would be "stairs" to me. -- 128.104.112.95 (talk) 20:22, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

The online etymology dictionary states that 'stair' was originally a collective plural[10]. Samuel Johnson gives this:

STAIR, stayr, n. s. steps by which we rise in ascent from the lower part of a building to the upper (stair was anciently used for the whole order of steps, but stair now, if it be used at all, signifies, as in Milton, only one flight of steps).[11]

Milton is 'III.540-1:

Satan from hence, now on the lower stair,
That scaled by steps of gold to Heaven-gate,

so, originally, a 'stair' was not just a single flight but the whole lot used for ascending and descending within a building. To find more, google: "pair of stairs" to find various pedants discussing the etymology and arguing as to whether or not the phrase is proper.—eric

So where do sets of steps that can be carried around come into this argument. These range from simple 3 or 5 steps for hosehold use to 16 or more for professionals.Froggie34 (talk)` —Preceding undated comment added 15:53, 4 December 2009 (UTC).[reply]

That is a relevant point. They are commonly called "steps" as a shorthand version of referring to them. 16:08, 4 December 2009 (UTC)

It's short for stepladder, i.e. a ladder made of steps (not rungs which are narrower).--TammyMoet (talk) 16:18, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I'm in the UK and always use "stairs" for those indoors, "steps" for those outside, with the proviso that I would also use "one step on the stairs is broken" or "sitting on the bottom step of the stairs", also "where do we keep the steps" as short for "stepladder". I would say "sitting outdoors on the steps" but not "on the bottom step of the steps". Itsmejudith (talk) 17:40, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I would never say "sitting on the bottom step of the stairs" - I'd say "sitting on the bottom stair". Ghmyrtle (talk) 20:07, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

"Halfway down the stairs / Is a stair where I sit: / There isn't any other stair quite like it." Now, you can't argue with Christopher-Robin can you? Alansplodge (talk) 22:50, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

There's also "As I was going down the stair / I met a man who wasn't there / He wasn't there again today / Oh how I wish he'd go away" - my kids used to love that. Mikenorton (talk) 19:08, 5 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

"I saw a mouse! Where? There on the stair! Where on the stair? Right there! A little mouse with clogs on. Well I declare! Going clip clipetty clop on the stair. Right there." 86.166.148.95 (talk) 22:31, 5 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Steps are the things that stairs are made of. Many steps together are called stairs. Only a few steps together are just called steps. Because you often find a few steps outside the main door of a building (for example a doorstep) then steps are mostly commonly found outside. By extension, outdoor stairs are also called steps, especially since outdoor steps are rarely used to get to an upper floor. So a rule of thumb may be: if they lead to an upper floor and there are lots of them, then they are stairs. Otherwise they are steps. Case closed. 92.29.42.147 (talk) 00:46, 5 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Wow didn't expect to cause such a st(a)ir but thanks for all of your answers. I'm actually fron England so maybe that's something to do with it. I was asked by a girl at work and promised her I'd find the answer out and now I'll look like a real hero! --Coolcato (talk) 20:58, 5 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I refer the honourable gentlemen to the answer I've given quite a few times before --Dweller (talk) 17:43, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

• I believe the difference is not the location, but the length. Stairs are usually longer and higher than a set of steps. - Mgm|^(talk) 12:21, 7 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Not so sure on that, you have the steps in front of the US Capitol Building, not the stairs, even though there are several dozen steps. Googlemeister (talk) 20:14, 7 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

How do I find a publicly traded company on the stock market? I believe that their stock is listed as a 10&Q (?) fund.----- —Preceding unsigned comment added by Wikfan6200 (talk • contribs) 15:40, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Do you know the name of the company or a part of the name? You could try e.g. finance.yahoo.com or finance.google.com, they have a search function. Or are you trying to find a specific company in the first place? Please explain your question some more. 88.112.56.9 (talk) 19:21, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I think you've misinterpreted something you've been told -- particularly easy to do in an industry that's (1) full of acronyms, and (2) regulated by government agencies. "10-Q" is the name of a standard form, the Quarterly Report, that companies file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Perhaps you were advised to "look at a company's 10-Q" and took it to be their name?

As said above, the finance sites of Yahoo and Google have built-in search functions which recognize trading symbols, company names, and so forth. --DaHorsesMouth (talk) 00:23, 5 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Would have been nice of you to say which stock market you mean. 92.29.42.147 (talk) 00:51, 5 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

OK, so I'm about to buy a new LCD and I would like to fit it into my present entertainment center. The demensions of the TV says that the TV is 28 inches tall, but when the little TV stand that keeps the screen upright is attached, it goes up to 30.5 inches. The problem is that the hole in my entertainment center is only 29 inches high. So my question is, do they make a low profile stand that would allow me to get it to fit? Or is there any other way to safely stand my TV up without the extra height? All my google searches just come up with low profile wall mounts or low profile tables to set your TV on. Neither of those are what I'm looking for. Any help would be appreciated since I don't want to buy a smaller TV or get rid of my entertainment center. Tex (talk) 17:18, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

If you are handy or know someone who is, you could build a wall inside the appropriate compartment at an appropriate depth from the front of the compartment and then use the wall mounts, or alternatively you could build your own stand. Marco polo (talk) 18:27, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Depending on the entertainment centre perhaps a wall mount will work? Nil Einne (talk) 01:27, 5 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

1) So, I have finally finished my first novel, actually two different versions of the same story, I was unsure which would be the better of the two, and now would like it to be published. I know, I know, I'm supposed to get an agent to read it first and send it on, but I would like at least to try by myself. I was wondering therefore, 1)a Can I send both versions and ask them which they think is best? 1)b Do I have to print out the entire manuscript to send, or can I put it on a CD or such like data storage device? 1)c Does anyone know where I can find the addresses of publishing companies, the only source I have ever heard of was long enough ago that all I can remember was it being very expensive.

2) While I'm here, for my next novel, does anyone have any idea what sort of things a small group of school children can do as a charity fundraiser event at their school, that would involve them being able to organise the whole thing themselves and spending a while each day for perhaps three weeks working on the whatever? It's a school project they volunteered for, and at least one of the teachers will be very interested in how well they do. Also, what sort of advice might they get if they had asked about it on here?

148.197.114.158 (talk) 19:50, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I'm no published author, but it strikes me that 1a: I would not. You need to sell them on publishing it at all first. If they think it has promise, they will then want to talk more turkey about the editorial decisions. Overwhelming them with text, or asking them to do (before they've decided to take you on at all) tough editorial work is likely to be an instant trip to the reject pile. They will not read two copies of your novel right off the bat. Frankly I do think that trying to send it directly (without an agent) is almost surely a waste of your and their time. If you can't get an agent to pick it up, you will probably not be able to get a "real" publisher to pick it up. --Mr.98 (talk) 20:56, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

1a) No, you're the author, you need to take ownership for everything that happens; the end should be an inevitable consequence of what has gone before. 1b) Most want paper (call them); in practice received manuscripts are filtered by a barely-paid Sarah Lawrence grad called Moon who has to get through twenty books a day - so send the first chapter, a precis of the rest, and a cover letter saying the whole thing is finished. Moon is so overworked that if she doesn't like the first paragraph, she'll bin the book without reading the second, so you need to grab her attention and keep it (it's no wonder that so many books have someone dying on the first page). 1c) Your local bookshop will sell a handbook for professional writers, which lists publishing companies, the genres they work in, and their editorial addresses. That generally has notes about format (single or double space, single or double side, binding). The thing about the precis leads to a (perhaps sad) reality about fiction publishing - it's very faddish. A few years ago anyone could get a magical-child novel published, now no-one can, no matter how good it is; so a lot of professional (middle-ranking) authors just write the precis, and only write the book if their publisher thinks it'll fly (saves the work and the heartache when they don't). -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 21:35, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

While I'm not an author nor ever tried to be one, I've looked at these guides for writers before and they will also tell what the above two have said, as will a lot of webpages. I.E. if you're thinking the publisher is going to decide which version is better for you you're sadly mistaken. In fact as you can probably guess from the above, even if you have a decent story if it has sufficient problems or simply something a publisher isn't interested in, they're liable to reject it outright. They're not likely to help you work thorough the problems. For these reasons and others I think it's highly recommendable to look at one of these books or guides first. Understanding how the publishing world works will likely save a lot of heartbreak and wasted time. It may be worth remembering you're almost definitely going to want an agent at some stage. Remember a literary agent doesn't just helped you get published, they now how things work and ideally make sure you don't get screwed. I can understand why you may feel the fees an agent something to aboid but as I'm sure I've read many times before there's a good chance you'll still be making more money when you have a good agent working for you then when you try to go solo. Perhaps as a final word of caution remember the multiple rejection stories of a number of authors (who do usually enlist agents), J. K. Rowling obviously being the most prominent. Some people may take away from this 'if you keep trying eventually you'll be published' but I think a better thing to take away is 'even if you do have a very good story it may still be very hard to get it published' and think of what that means if your story isn't so good Nil Einne (talk) 01:39, 5 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Also, if you are really still having major plot issues, you need to show it to people OTHER THAN publishers right now. Friends? Family members? Members of a "budding writers" club (of which there is almost certainly one nearby, if you look for it)? Getting a book published by a major publisher is not quite like getting a good part in a movie but it is probably pretty close in terms of difficulty. You need to have your stuff together WELL BEFORE you start trying to shop it. You will not be able to shop your novel an infinite number of times—get things sparkling BEFORE trying to pitch it to the big leagues. --Mr.98 (talk) 03:13, 5 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

1) I can speak from some modest success writing for magazines. Magazines are a good market for an aspiring writer because they constantly need fresh material. But it is vital to know the magazine's preferences first i.e. type of article/story, length and level of language. The material that you submit first must be simple to grasp and properly laid out. There is good advice above to begin by sending a precis. Paper is still the best medium for introducing yourself. Consider also enclosing a brief description "About the author" of yourself with a photograph, such as could be used on the back of a book's dust jacket. I think that will encourage a publisher to take you seriously.

2) The children could have an idea for recycling some material that is presently treated as rubbish, that turns it into something saleable. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 16:22, 5 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

As a cautionary note, you may wish to review the material at Writer Beware, which discusses some of the more common ways that disreputable publishers and agents may try to unethically separate an author from his money or rights. Relevant to this discussion is their page on The truth about literary agents' fees. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 23:15, 5 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

As a reader, I suggest throwing away the first chapter (as happened with Golding's Lord of the flies and also ruthlessly cutting out any introspection that is more than the ocassional brief sentance. 78.146.29.54 (talk) 00:03, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Alright, I guess that makes sense, I'll try to remember it all. There aren't really any major plot issues, I was just getting toward the end and thought 'maybe it would be better done more in this sort of style instead' which, as it happens, did actually cut most of the introspection. I'm not sure I can cut the whole first chapter, it simply wouldn't make any sense then. Perhaps cutting chapter three might help instead? Anyway, it looks like I have a lot to do before actually sending the work to anyone, lots of letters and introductions and such like to write. 148.197.114.158 (talk) 13:18, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

• After you've read Writer Beware, try http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums They've got all the info you'd ever need on publishing. - Mgm|^(talk) 12:19, 7 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

When did all the middle schools in California ban soda machines. Is it 2005 or 2006? I thought the all the high schools stop soda machines in 2008 7 01.--209.129.85.4 (talk) 20:44, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

A law was passed in 2005 to ban them all by 2007. [12] --Sean 21:36, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

What are they selling instead? Water? Carrot juice? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 22:54, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

They might not even have beverage vending machines at all - see drinking fountain (actually, despite being a regionalism, bubbler is a better article). But anyway, the answer is in the news article Toto linked: "From 2007, students will only be allowed to buy water, milk and some fruit and sports drinks that contain a controlled amount of sweeteners." -- 128.104.112.95 (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 00:06, 5 December 2009 (UTC).[reply]

• Let's hope there are no diabetics there that would be in need of a hefty dose of sugar after some coma-inducing sugar level lowering. Schools like that would kill them. What's wrong with having them learn from mistakes? Alcohol still hasn't been banned from the world... - Mgm|^(talk) 12:16, 7 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Because kids do not learn from mistakes that take years to show up as mistakes. Children will not get obese from drinking 1 sugary drink, they will get it from drinking 4 a day for 8 years. Googlemeister (talk) 16:55, 7 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

This for a few day i have been trying to find a new jacket to wear for snowboaring. so far i have found to awsome coats that i would LOVE to buy. they both look awsome but im worried they arent insilated at all or only have a little bit of insilation. I have been looking around franticly trying to find out but i have been reletivly unsuccesful. if someone could give me any information it would be GREATLY apretiated! here are the links to websites with the jackets. http://686.com/products/mens/jackets/acc/20/acc-spyro/ProductInfo.php http://www.overstock.com/Clothing-Shoes/Nomis-Touch-Shell-Mens-Large-Yellow-Buffalo-Snowboard-Jacket/4389306/product.html?cid=123620&fp=F&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=12353820 Thanks much --99.89.176.228 (talk) 20:46, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

The second one you link to (on overstock.com) appears to be a shell, which probably won't have any insulation (it'll be like a thick raincoat). The idea with those is that you wear a fleece or something under it, the fleece provides the insulation and the shell stops it from getting wet. The first one says it's insulated but who knows how much. I think your best bet would be to go to and REI or something, try one on there and ask them about it. TastyCakes (talk) 21:52, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

What you really need to find out is the "Tog value" of the coats you are considering. That gives you an objective measure of the insulation value. Sadly, I don't see many places on the web that indicate what the Tog value is for their jackets. SteveBaker (talk) 23:43, 4 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I wouldn't worry about insulation. Snowboarding is a physical activity and you'll quickly warm up. In my experience, layers are more useful than insulation. I usually wear 3 layers: a T-shirt, a reversable fleece (fleecy side in) and a waterproof outer; and I often find myself too hot. The fleece and the outer are actually 2 parts of the same jacket from Nordica. Of course, I take extra shirts and long-johns in case the weather forecast takes a dramatic turn for the worst. Astronaut (talk) 00:40, 5 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

It's only a physical activity when you're actually doing it! When you in a long line waiting for the ski-lift - or (worse) sitting above the tree line with icy winds cutting through your skimpy jacket...you may wish for that extra insulation. But the point of dressing in layers is well taken - when you're actually heading down the mountain, it's good to be able to lose a layer or two into a handy back-pack. SteveBaker (talk) 23:00, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Maybe Steve has a point. I did once get very cold sitting on a stopped chairlift in icy winds, but I had a nice bask in the warm sun once I got back over to the sunny and sheltered side of the mountain (so much so that I caught a little sunburn on my head!) However, snowboarding is a physical activity; though I have noticed that some boarders spend in inordinate amount of time sitting around (usually in large groups right in the middle of the piste). Astronaut (talk) 16:57, 8 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I don't get the joke for this t-shirt. What exactly is the joke? I notice the first letter of the first three words start to form a swear word ("FUC"), but the P doesn't work. Sorry, can someone explain this joke to me? A Quest For Knowledge (talk) 03:23, 5 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Potassium = K. Xenon54 / talk / 03:24, 5 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

As an aside, the description running down next to it spells out "Innocuous shirt FTW." ~ Amory (u • t • c) 03:30, 5 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Doh! Thanks. A Quest For Knowledge (talk) 03:32, 5 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Has anyone ever flown to the top of Mount Everest? jc iindyysgvxc (my contributions) 09:22, 5 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

And landed? If not, there is apparently a company that will fly you past the peak. A quick Google search for Mount Everest Flights brings up a number of ghits. Dismas|^(talk) 09:27, 5 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

A little more searching resulted in this find. So it looks like someone has landed on the summit. Dismas|^(talk) 09:30, 5 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

However, the truth of that story has been questioned, see [13]. --NorwegianBlue ^talk 10:53, 5 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

The FAI seem to have confirmed it: [14]. --Tango (talk) 12:07, 5 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

When trying to turn it on, instead of the normal constant red power light, instead it now often regularly blinks on and off about once a second. When this happens it will not start. Any solutions pleas? Where can I definately get a user guide or manual of any kind? I've searched lots of manual sites without success. Durabrand is a brand of Walmart (or Asda in the UK). I believe it was manufactured by Funai - does anyone know what their model number would be please? Their website does not recognise DCT1481. Thanks 92.27.148.85 (talk) 14:58, 5 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Do universities in the US accept gpa scores of 3.26 for prepatory college program?115.132.246.253 (talk) 15:01, 5 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Which universities? Surely you aren't interested in all 4,300 or so U.S. universities/colleges for this. Individual educational institutions almost surely have their own policies on this (and their own ways of calculating high school GPA, as well, as a way of standardizing across such different curricula, much less across different countries). If you tell us the institutions you are interested in, we might be able to show you how to find that information. Even narrowing it down to "Ivy League schools" or "schools in California" will make this more straightforward. --Mr.98 (talk) 15:25, 5 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Most universities will happliy answer questions about their admissions standards. If you have questions, your best option is to find the university's website, and call them directly on the phone. That is going to get you the fastest, most accurate results. --Jayron32 18:13, 5 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

What is the address to write for the Pullman Corporation retirement pension plan? The plan was for the Barnes Pumps Incorporated company in the city of Mansfield and the state of Ohio.

pink59 —Preceding unsigned comment added by Pink59 (talk • contribs) 15:10, 5 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

(Warning: an image with explicit female nudity behind following link. If generous pubic hair grosses you out, no clicky!) This album cover is by a famous painter I'm pretty sure. Which painter is that? 88.112.56.9 (talk) 16:06, 5 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Gustave Courbet. The painting is called L'Origine du monde (The Origin of the World) and it is from 1866. --Saddhiyama (talk) 16:16, 5 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Ah yesss! Spank you very many! 88.112.56.9 (talk) 16:22, 5 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

On the Youtube.com homepage, an announcement is made for the release of 1080p support for videos. But since most people watch Youtube videos on a computer screen, is the "p" part (progressive scan) of 1080p irrelevant because all computer monitors, in contrast to TVs, are progressive scan anyways? Acceptable (talk) 22:32, 5 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Depends what the frame rate is - most online video doesn't normally go over 30 frames per second, whereas 1080p in broadcast television can be 1080p50 or 1080p60. But I think the main consideration is the fact that the term '1080p' has become established in the mind of quite a lot of people, only a minority of whom know what the 'p' stands for and what it means. Sam Blacketer (talk) 13:03, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I suspect the 1080p is mainly relevant for people downloading YouTube videos for use with other devices. And perhaps some of these devices and TVs that directly access YouTube will use the 1080p videos. --Bavi H (talk) 17:21, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I'm pretty sure it's redundant. (An interlaced video would require extra processing to be displayed on a modern computer monitor.) But redundant isn't the same as useless. Like Sam Blacketer says the "p" clues people into what the number means. If you just said that the videos had "1,080 lines of vertical resolution" most people would be no wiser, but if you say "1080p" even the layman instantly "gets" that you mean a high resolution HD image. APL (talk) 19:10, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

No - it's not irrelevant. The computer's display is indeed progressive scan (well - it COULD be interlaced - but they hardly ever are) - but that wouldn't in any way prevent Youtube from sending an interlaced video (1080i, perhaps) over the network and have the computer sort out how to display it. After all, if you have a flat-screen TV, it is just a grid of colored dots - it can be 'driven' by updating all of the pixels 60 times a second (1080p60) or by updating only every alternate scanline 60 times a second to deliver an entire new image only 30 times a second. The computer can just as easily only update half of the pixels in each field of the video. However, the reason YouTube uses progressive scan is that it's higher quality - and computer displays have the resolution to show that quality. 1080i would require very little extra work on the part of the computer - the advantage would be that it consumes half the bandwidth - produces still images that (on a monitor capable of 1080 scanlines) are identical in quality to 1080p - and only really looks worse during high speed action. SteveBaker (talk) 22:56, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

If you get someone's phone number, and find out that the number itself is kind of cool on its own right, how do you tell a third party how cool it really is without that third party actually learning the number and being able to call its owner? JIP | Talk 23:17, 5 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

It depends on what about it is cool. Is it a repeating pattern? If so, you can just change all instances of a particular digit to something else (eg change 474747 to 575757). If it is an ascending or descending sequence, try adding 1 to each digit (eg change 123456 to 234567). They key thing is to work out why it is cool and change it in some way that doesn't change that. --Tango (talk) 23:30, 5 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

If you are in North America, change the area code if that doesn't affect any part of the cool. (Most effective in an area with multiple codes.)Aaronite (talk) 02:03, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Of course, the trick would be to make sure that the resulting number doesn't send calls to some innocent fourth party, the innocent bystander of a drive-by posting. The experts here would know what are currently dummy or invalid Area Codes or City Codes. Or if it wouldn't affect what's remarkable about the number, leave out a digit or two or replace it with some non-keypad symbol like @, ~, § or ¶ —— Shakescene (talk) 03:08, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I'm guessing the "cool" feature is some special mathematical property. For example, say the phone number is a prime number. If there are only a few numbers that are both prime and valid phone numbers, then the third party might discover the correct phone number and call the person. In this case, it might be best not to tell the third party anything about the phone number at all. --Bavi H (talk) 17:35, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

There are 168 primes with 4 digits or less, 78,498 with 7 digits or less and if you include the area code there are 50,847,534 possible prime-number telephone numbers (well, it'll be less than that because some area codes don't exist and some short numbers (like 911) are 'reserved'...but there are at likely to be millions of prime-number phone numbers). SteveBaker (talk) 22:46, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Maybe you can tell your friends about a cool number without insinuating that it is also somebody's phone number. If you don't format it in the usual (###) ###-#### format, there's no reason to assume a particular number is a telephone number. You might also be interested in Key exchange, which details the mathematics of cryptography. Specifically, two parties are interested in verifying that they know the same number, but neither wants to say what that number is, in case the other party "shouldn't" know. Often, this is accomplished via an asymmetric algorithm, exchanging a different number called a public key. Either party can only verify their authorization by knowing both the public information and the private information. Nimur (talk) 17:46, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

What I am trying to ask is what are the most useful methods for making effective use of study time? While I do usually get pretty good grades, I feel that there may be a better approach when trying to ingest and retain the material at hand (right now I am trying to study for a cummulative Chemistry final). Thank you. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 161.165.196.84 (talk) 04:43, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

There is a technique known as SQ3R which I used to find works for me: Survey - Question - Read - Recall - Review. Survey: give the chosen material a quick skim read through. Question: formulate some questions provoked by this quick read. Read: read thoroughly. Recall: write down as much as you can about what you've read. Try and put it in your own words as much as possible. Review: Did what you've written match the piece itself? Also, did the questions form themselves more distinctly, or did you find they were answered, or did you find you had more questions? --TammyMoet (talk) 09:23, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

(ec) I had always found that for me, learning goes most well when it's quiet around and when nobody disturbs me. I also always tried to go to all lectures, because I learned best from my own notes, even if they might have been chaotic at times. Also, reading the own notes allowed me to remember things from the lecture that I had never written down, but which were related to the contents of the notes themselves. Also arrange the situation so that you will not disturb yourself - i. e. if you are, like me, a tea man, prepare a pot of your favourite brew so you don't have to run to the kitchen every hour. What I am trying to say - read, digest, understand, in the whopping majority of cases this seems to be enough. And good luck! --Ouro (blah blah) 09:27, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

A technique that helped me, and which I've passed on to my children, is that after each revision session you discuss the material you've just revised with someone willing to help you, preferably someone reasonably bright but not necessarily informed about the subject. Explain what you've been studying, discuss its implications, and (most importantly) answer any questions the other person has. This helps you order your thoughts, exposes any gaps in your revision, and prepares you for the task of demonstrating to an examiner that you understand your subject and can explain it clearly. Most disciplines can benefit from this technique to some degree. Karenjc 10:54, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Something which I found very useful \at university was summarising notes. If you've got, say, five pages of notes on a subject, rewrite them, cutting it down to two pages. Then take those two pages and rewrite them again, cutting it down to under a page. The information sticks! Grutness...wha? 22:56, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I m thinking of buying a flat screen TV to mount on the wall of my living room which is 12' x 12' approx. What size screen would be big enough but not over powering, and at what height above floor should it be mounted for optimum viewing comfort?

Here is a chart and some discussion on the topic. --LarryMac | Talk 15:35, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I have a packet of chinese noodles. On the front of the package it says "MaMas" in red. The noodles have two packets of stuff to add to the noodles before cooking in water. One packet contains some sort of spice powder, and the other contains some sort of milky white fluid with black stuff inside it. Does anyone know what this milky white fluid might be?

Thanks 137.81.112.176 (talk) 17:00, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Last time I had chinese noodles with two packets, one was the flavouring (salt, spices, MSG etc) and the other (milky liquid) was palm oil. -=# Amos E Wolfe ^talk #=- 17:20, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Reading the parts of the article you posted, i wonder if it is palm oil. It is clear so if it is palm oil, it would be boiled to get rid of the red color.

It might be helpful to add that the liquid was quite thick, viscuous. I still also wonder what the black stuff inside was. Thanks for the help so far!

137.81.112.176 (talk) 17:27, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Is the ingredients list in English?Aaronite (talk) 18:54, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

http://www.veryasia.com/mama.html they seem to make a lot of different kinds and flavors of noodles - it's hard to guess what it might be. SteveBaker (talk) 21:46, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I'm not sure why i didnt think of this! Yes most of it is written in chinese with english alongside for the instructions, but I removed the wrapper from the garbage and found that it is indeed palm oil, with "fresh shallot" ... thanks all!

137.81.112.176 (talk) 23:53, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Why do my parents never seem to have enough money? Dannyboy1209 (talk) 19:00, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Because they spend it all on you. That's their job. --TammyMoet (talk) 19:04, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Because it is often difficult for people to find well-paying jobs? Really, without knowing them, we can't do more than guess. APL (talk) 19:12, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

This is a better question for them, although don't expect to like the answer(s) or for them to be happy. ~ Amory (u • t • c) 20:38, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

You have it easy I used to drink tea from a rolled up newspaper. Dmcq (talk) 20:50, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Once you have enough earnings to get above the poverty line and are able to pay for the essentials in life, "having enough money" is a matter of balancing what you earn with what you spend. If you borrow to the hilt and spend every penny you earn - then you could be earning a million dollars a year and still not "have enough money". Of course, if you aren't above the poverty line - then there isn't enough money to go around no matter how careful you are - and that's an unfortunate situation that's not easy to recover from. We don't know enough about your parent's situation to answer your question. SteveBaker (talk) 21:42, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

(ec) Nobody can answer your question seriously (even yourself) until you complete the question, "Enough money to what?" I have noticed that irrespective of the actual amount of income, people have a devil of a time living happily within their means. Once you have enough money for basic food, shelter, heat, etc. you ought to be satisfied, or at least be able to recognize that you should be satisfied. But you don't; you want more. So you get a better job, but you also spend more, so you seem to have less. I guess it ties in to "Keeping up with the Joneses." But you continue to work your way up, getting more and more money and less and less satisfied with it. A long time ago, somebody very smart realized that the problem was not so much with "not having enough", but with "wanting more." Matt Deres (talk) 21:43, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Also, your parents may have a budget in mind, and have a different idea than you do on what "enough money" may constitute. For example, you may ask for a really cool new video game system for Christmas, and your parent's may say "we cannot afford that", which may mean "if we spend our money on things like that, then we take money away from our long-term goals". As in, they may have thousands of dollars in the bank, but that money is earmarked for things like your college education, a new car, home maintenance, retirement, etc. etc. When I was first on my own, and away from my parents so that I had to spend all of my own money, it shocked me

• a) how much money I had coming in once I had a real job, but more importantly
• b) how much money I had going out once I had real responsibilities.

Just some ideas to think about. Telling your child "we don't have enough money" is sometimes a lot easier than saying "well, we could buy that expensive gadget, but we have our priorities on other things, so it is important that we keep focused on spending our money on what really matters to us, and what is most important, rather than trivial things." --Jayron32 03:00, 7 December 2009

(UTC)

Do they tell you that "We can't afford it?" Or something like that, for whatever you want? If they don't and say "Maybe another time", they're trying not to spoil you. Trust me, parents love to spoil there kids, but they don't want their children to take it for granted whatever they gave to you, you know? Moptopstyle1 05:24, 7 December 2009 (UTC)

hi. looking for a group or agency that handles camera trips to europe. mainly germany and or france. would like to find travel expences, etc. [email removed for privacy] —Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.124.191.222 (talk) 19:14, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I happened to notice the addition of a category, Category:People executed for treason against the United States, on the biography of Mary Surratt. I am trying to figure out whether this addition was appropriate (and, by extension, whether the category should be deleted).

For those who don't know, treason against the United States is defined extremely narrowly; the Founders had seen the charge used in England as a means of political suppression, and did not want a repeat of that here. So the Constitution requires that treason be limited to "levying War against" the United States or "adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort", and also requires specific evidence to prove the charge: Either there have to be "two Witnesses to the same overt Act", or the defendant has to confess in open court.

For these reasons, for example, the Rosenbergs were not charged with treason, but with espionage; I have accordingly removed the category from their page.

That leaves a handful (six) articles, all from the Civil War era; four of them are the Lincoln conspirators. I doubt the Lincoln conspirators were charged with treason but I'm not sure. Of the other two, one (David Owen Dodd) was for spying; that could have been treason by the constitutional definition, but the "two Witnesses" requirement does not seem to have been met (certainly, it's possible he was unconstitutionally executed for treason, but I saw no direct citation for that). The other (William Bruce Mumford) was for tearing down a Union flag in occupied New Orleans, and might be the sole article that actually belongs in the category.

But to know how to proceed, I really need to know the official charges against the Lincoln conspirators. Oddly neither the Mary Surratt page, nor the Lincoln assassination page, is very specific about this. --Trovatore (talk) 20:09, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

They were tried under a special military commission as enemy belligerents (essentially agents of the Confederacy). The charges [15] don't correspond to the civilian legal code very well but mention treason or traitor 22 times, to such an extent that saying the crime charged was treason is probably reasonable. The trial lasted a little less than two months. They were convicted and the four sentenced to death were summarily hanged 8 days later. As it happened, the Supreme Court later held that the use of a military tribunal was improper, which may have benefited the surviving conspirators but didn't do the dead any good. Dragons flight (talk) 20:57, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

OK, thanks. Do you happen to know whether the "two Witnesses" requirement was applied at their trial? --Trovatore (talk) 21:16, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I don't know. I do know that hundreds of witnesses were ultimately presented, but I don't know if they used to the two witnesses standard as set out for treason. Dragons flight (talk) 21:19, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I don't think it needed to be; seems to me, reading the charges, that they were convicted of conspiracy and aiding and abetting. --jpgordon^{::==( o )} 22:58, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Well, if they weren't convicted of treason, then they shouldn't be in the category. --Trovatore (talk) 23:00, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Might be worth discussing this at Talk:Abraham Lincoln assassination. (The discussion will be too ephemeral here.) --jpgordon^{::==( o )} 23:29, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I am reading this article in The Washington Post, and I am very, very puzzled. I have more questions than I can sensibly ask on the ref desk, but I will ask the two simplest ones. (1) Can a person just build a hut in Tahoe National Forest, or is it squatting? (2) Assuming the answer to (1) is "yes, one can do that legally", the second question is: how suicidal is this idea? I mean, considering the mugging / armed robbery / home invasion rate in these parts of the US. --Dr Dima (talk) 20:50, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

If you read the article carefully, you find that he's living in a cabin with an "old horse corral" - what you hear about him building is just a storage shed. The article is a little misleading - it gives you the impression that he's "gone back to nature" and is living in a tiny little shed - but he's using a nailgun to construct it and there is evidently a way to charge his blackberry - so he has electricity. They talk about having to drive a mile to get to his mailbox - but that means that there is regular mail service there. He's hardly living rough. (I'm picturing a fairly luxurious cabin.) So there is evidently an existing property on the land in the forest - and it's big enough to have a horse corral - so he's presumably building the shed on his own land. According to our article: Tahoe National Forest, "The National Forests are for the purpose of preserving a perpetual supply of timber for home industries, preventing a destruction of forest cover which regulates the flow of streams, and protecting local residents from unfair competition in the use of forest and range. The timber,water, pasture and mineral resources of the national forests are for the use of the people" - which presumably means that if you have an entitlement to use the pasture - you can raise horses there - hence the corral. SteveBaker (talk) 21:34, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Also: mugging? armed robbery? home invasion? In the forest? Really, not very likely. There are a lot easier targets closer to town; and people who live out here in the boonies (note: I have to go three miles to get my mail) have a tendency to have ways of dealing with varmints of all sorts. --jpgordon^{::==( o )} 22:52, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

...and facing two very large dogs is a good incentive to try the next house down the trail. SteveBaker (talk) 23:02, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

For the moment, let's pretend that this person really was living in a shed in the middle of nowhere. Why would you assume that armed robbery, mugging would be a danger? While the woods is secluded enough to commit any crime you like, I can't imagine anyone trudging all the way into the woods with the goal of ripping off a guy who lives in a shed. What are they going to steal? APL (talk) 23:30, 6 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

If you’ve ever had a bear break into your campsite and steal your food, you wouldn’t question “home invasion,” or “armed robbery.” DOR (HK) (talk) 02:26, 7 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

What are good Community Service projects that a 4-H Club can do? Possibly after a Club Meeting that takes place at 7PM? 23:50, 6 December 2009 (UTC)Moptopstyle1 —Preceding unsigned comment added by Moptopstyle1 (talk • contribs)

It's never too late in the day to pick up garbage/litter/refuse and dispose of it properly! Just be sure to equip everyone with garden/work gloves and (if working along roadsides) reflective vests. 218.25.32.210 (talk) 02:25, 7 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah, but where this club is at, at 7PM it's about 40 degrees. Moptopstyle1 (talk) 07:04, 7 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Over this past summer I have dutifully swapped out approximately 8 lights in my home with CFLs, in most cases changing from 60W to 13W bulbs. In my house, this covers fixed lamps, the light over the sink, the light over the shower, etc -- lights that are on for 15 minutes to a few hours per day. (The big lights are all on dimmers, and I'm not going there yet.) So, I'm trying to get a handle on how much my efforts are saving me, as opposed to how much some theoretical saving might help a hypothetical family.

I get hung up because a Watt is actually a rate, not an absolute measure of energy, right? If so, I have to multiply by some unit of time to get actual joules or watthours or whatever. I'll post some assumptions, and the engineers and other evangelists can review this and tell me where I've erred.

• Suppose my 8 lights are on throughout the house for a total of one hour apiece on average. My savings is 47W * 8 bulbs * 1 hour = 376Wh. (I think that's high, because I think one hour per lamp is high, but round numbers are good enough here.)

OK, the reality checks:

• If I turn on the space heater in the bathroom before I get in the shower, and it runs for 10 minutes, how much of my savings have I used up? I think 1800W * 1/6th hour = 300 Wh = almost all of it.
• If I stand in the shower for 7 minutes instead of 5, how much energy (to heat water) does the extra two minutes use? I have no idea how to compute this or compare it to light bulb savings.
• Another facet: I'm driving down to my kid's school for their Christmas Concert this afternoon. It's 50 miles each, which I can drive at an average speed of 60 mph on the freeway or 45 mph on county roads; the latter is 6 miles shorter but longer timewise due to traffic lights, which means some stop/start driving as well. Suppose that translates to 32 mpg on the freeway vs 26 (does that seem reasonable?) How do I convert that to something I can compare to the CFLs -- in other words, how does one round trip compare to a day's electricity savings?
• That car gets pretty good mileage. Just for grins, let's compare that to two semitrailer trucks, one driving at 60mph on the freeway, the other barrelling down the same road at 70. I understand that 6mpg is the high end of efficiency for big rigs, but let's assume that one truck gets 5 and the other 7mpg. How much energy does the faster one "waste" compared to the slower one -- in one hour, say -- and how does that compare to my 8 CFLs for a day?

See, I have the nagging doubt that saving 376 watts per day on lighting is small potatoes -- it may be low-hanging fruit in ease of execution, but the results are noise in the real signal-to-noise ratio. (Heck, leaving my computer on all day probably burns more electricity than two of those lights are saving!) The only calculations I have any confidence in (the space heater, above) leads me to believe that I can do far more with just about anything else I can think of, and that tolerating CFLs is probably best left for when I get to trying to squeeze out just one more kilowatthour someplace. But, I can't be sure without some math help!

DaHorsesMouth (talk) 01:45, 7 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

You might want to check the Energy Literacy blog posts currently running on BoingBoing, which to some extent cover the ground you're interested in - notably EL3, which points to a number of apropos wikipedia pages:

• Orders of magnitude (power)
• Orders of magnitude (energy) --Tagishsimon (talk) 02:18, 7 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

To me you seem discouraged that the change you made is not drastic enough? Maybe this will help -

Imagine you've got 300 cups of water sitting in front of you, and a bathtub to fill. Each cup is an example of some resource you use in your life, and that bathtub is the daily net. You've just changed all your lightbulbs, so you remove one cup and replace it with a thimble of water. Now, if you were to toss everything into the bathtub the change in water level would likely be imperceptible. However, there has been a change! And this is why you should ignore the bathtub and simply focus on taking things one cup & thimble at a time. Don't lose perspective! Eventually, once you've swapped enough cups for thimbles, that bathtub WILL be clearly less full!

Hope that helps! 218.25.32.210 (talk) 02:32, 7 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I think you've just convinced me to go back to incandescents. APL (talk) 02:54, 7 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I think part of your disappointment stems from the fact that you seem to have replaced only your lights that you burn the least. People who can easily replace the majority of their lights would see a greater result. (But lights are the low-hanging fruit. Especially compared to HVAC systems and automobiles. )

Anyway, this may help you in your calculations --> Energy Density of Gasoline] APL (talk) 02:54, 7 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Look at it this way - what is the effect of replacing one incandescent with one CFL?

• Over the life of the CFL, you'll safe $30 in electricity.
• CFL's last 10 times as long as incandescents - so you'll save the energy cost of manufacturing 9 light bulbs.
• At todays prices, a 26W CFL is around $8. You can buy a four-pack of 60W incandescents for the same price.
• You'll add some mercury to a landfill someplace about a decade from now when the incandescent craps out. That's not great - but until LED lamps get cheap enough, it's the best we've got.

So completely aside from modest savings for the environment - you buy a CFL - you save ($30+(10x$8/4-$8)) = $42 over the life of the bulb...it pays for itself in a year or two. I suspect your estimate for the number of lights you have on though the day is likely to be a serious under-estimate - not many households have that little usage.

It's a start. If we don't make a start - how will we make any difference? So yeah get CFL's - and the next time you buy a car, find one with better MPG (they way I drive, mine does a pretty solid 40mpg - twice as good as the national average - and not a battery in sight). When you move house next time - find one with better insulation (ours has foot-thick walls and uses a fraction of the amount of energy compared to our neighbours). Get a thermostatically controlled attic fan. Do you REALLY need that space-heater on for 10 minutes when you shower? Will 8 minutes do? Consider 6 minutes. When you next buy a household appliance (especially a heater, airconditioner, washing machine or fridge) - actually look at the energy ratings on the label.

This is not one single-point solution. There is no one thing you can do that'll solve the problem - you're kidding yourself if you think there is. CFL's are a part of the solution - but you certainly can't expect to solve global warming by changing a few lightbulbs. Yeah - you need a more efficient way to take that shower, you need a more efficient car (heck, even people who drive Prius's need a more efficient car!) We need to move less stuff by truck - partly by moving less stuff (Buy local!) - partly by having more efficient hybrid trucks for long haul routes - partly by using railways - partly by having people buy less stuff. Maybe eventually by making our own stuff using things like 3D printers.

However, that doesn't mean we shouldn't change lightbulbs...it's just a part of a larger solution...and for the incandescent hold-outs - bad luck, incandescents are gonna be legally outlawed in so many countries around the world that you'll have no choice but to buy CFL's or LED lamps as your incandescents die off.

I have LED lamps in a couple of places where the light is turned on the most (family room) and in fan fittings where the vibration would rapidly kill off a CFL (CFL's don't like vibration - it shortens their life to about the same as an incandescent). But really, truthfully, LED lamps aren't cheap enough yet.

SteveBaker (talk) 06:03, 7 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

What is Magus Peter H. Gilmore, High Priest of the Church of Satan's date of birth? Korvulite (talk) 03:46, 7 December 2009 (UTC)There isn't one on his page, and I can't find an answer elsewhere on the internet.[reply]

How do I find out which bank owns a home in CT, USA?--Reticuli88 (talk) 03:58, 7 December 2009 (UTC)?[reply]

There's no need to shout. People can read your question just fine if you use lower case letters. --Jayron32 04:06, 7 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Fine, changed--Reticuli88 (talk) 04:25, 7 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I haven't dealt with this kind of property question myself, and I don't know the exact system in the Nutmeg State, but I think that the appropriate Town Clerk, City Clerk, County Clerk and/or Secretary of State would keep the records of property and deeds that establish ownership of real estate, as well as recording liens and other claims upon it. If it's no intrusion on anyone's privacy (and don't be shy about declining to answer this), in what Connecticut town or city is the home located? You can find the website for the Connecticut Secretary of State from the National Association of Secretaries of State at http://www.nass.org . —— Shakescene (talk) 05:44, 7 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Hi

I was curious if you had a photo of the new Triumph Thunderbird cruiser?

Thanks,

NirocFX