Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2006 December 9

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December 9

Wikimedia Commons

Could you please give me you opinon on commons? Should I upload my images to Wikipedia, Commons, or both? Should I bother to move the images already on wikipedia to commons and then delete them here? Why doesn't wikipedia remove uploading to it and have a uniform, multilingual image repository at commons instead of having one on every language? Thanks!! Reywas92^Talk 00:02, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Some images are only available under licenses allowed on Wikipedia (Some smaller Wikipedias have had uploading disabled.) Commons only allows completely free licenses, no fair use but if those conditions are met, and the image is likely to be useful in multiple languages, please do upload/move it to Commons. Rmhermen 00:36, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Fair use images can't be uploaded to the Commons. Other than that, most/all free images should probably go there, since it makes it far easier to gain access to them across languages. There's no need to upload to both. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 01:08, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Underpants

Why? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 88.110.117.31 (talk) 00:50, 9 December 2006 (UTC).

From undergarment: In addition to keeping outer garments from soiling, undergarments are worn for a variety of reasons: warmth, comfort and hygiene being the most common. Undergarments are often used for modesty or erotic display; sometimes both of these motivations are simultaneously present. Hygiene is a major reason for the use of undergarments. It is usually more acceptable to have a soiled pair of undergarments than a pair of soiled trousers when one has an accident. See freeballing --froth^{T C} 02:16, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

I sometimes feel like wearing underpants can be more hygenic and comfortable than not; other times I think the reverse. It all depends on the situation: climate, temperature, where you're going, what you'll be doing, and so on. Vranak 18:19, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

Civil War widow's benefits

I heard that as recently as the late 20th century the U.S. government was still paying survivor benefits to widows of American Civil War (1861-1865) veterans. Apparently some of those veterans took a young bride late in their lives, perhaps into the 1920s and 30s. These brides would have been born early in the 20th century. Are any still receiving survivor benefits today?

The Oldest Living Confederate Widow, Maudie Hopkins, is still alive (although that article says that after 1939, she was not eligible for a pension. (Not to be confused with the subject of the book Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All). Rmhermen 01:46, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Alberta Martin got a state pension from 1996 or 7 until her death in 2004. Rmhermen 02:04, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Some calculations: Theoretically a U.S. (or Confederate) soldier might be 16 at the end of the conflict in 1865. He might marry an 18 year old when he was 80, in 1929. There was a case similar to this; a pension is a powerful inducement to marry. She then has a child in 1930, presumptively that of the her husband, and the child is handicapped. She collects a pension when the veteran expires, until she dies at age 90 in 2001. The handicapped child then continues to receive the pension until he dies at age 90 in 2020. The last payment for benefits from a war might thus be 155 years after the end of the war. By this logic, if the Iraq war ends in 2006, the last payout to a veteran's survivor might be in 2162. This of course assumes that the veteran is entitled to a pension, as when crippled by a war wound, and that the pension provides a benefit for his widow and handicapped orphan if any. Edison 18:45, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

xbox troubles

okay...so my x box is pretty old...like 5 years old. It does not seem to want to play most of my games and DVDs. it says they are scratched but the thing is...i can put a brand new disc in there and it says that. whats going on? is there a way without taking it in and having to pay a lot that i can fix it? it seems to be the disc reader thingy but i dont know...im not an electonics person. HELP? --Kittycat rox 00:55, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Is it a v1.0? Chances are, especially with the earlier versions, that the DVD drive has gone bad. Since you're "not an electronics person", the only solution may be for you to pay someone else to fix it. There should be a phone number in the manual or such to get in touch with Microsoft. It's not unlikely that the repair bill will cost as much as a new or used Xbox does nowadays, though. There is a guide on Xbox drive repair, but you should only follow it if you actually read and comprehend everything in it. If you just skip through it you're liable to screw something up. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 01:01, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

If cleaning your current drive doesn't work, its possible, and (relatively) easy to replace the dvd drive in an xbox, I have a modded 1.0 that I've had to disassemble several times. If you've ever worked on a PC, you can work on an xbox. The same site consumed linked to has replacement drives for sale here (Ive heard the Samsung drives are excellent, dunno first hand though), as well as a guide to open it up and get to the drive here. Be aware opening it up will void your (likely already expired) warranty. Cyraan 21:46, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Eidting

how do I edit an image of an article?Dragonfire 734 01:04, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

That depends on what you want to do with it.

1. If you want to edit how it appears in the article (dimensions, thumbnailing, captioning, etc, see Wikipedia:Image tutorial for a brief run-through.
2. If you want to edit the information on the image description page, like the licence or source, click the image in the article to get to the page, and then just edit it as if it were a normal article. If the description page has a note saying it's over on Wikimedia Commons, you'll need to head over there to alter any information.
3. If you want to edit the image itself: cropping, adjusting brightness/contrast etc, you'll need to download it (make sure you click to get the high res version if there is one), and use image editing software to make your changes before re-uploading it.

In the future, you may find that you get a faster or more informative response if you post questions about Wikipedia itself over on the Help Desk. GeeJo ^(t)⁄_(c) • 02:30, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Uranus

I thought it was gas giant, but my friend who like astronomy says its actuly a black hole with the methane gas made from Hawikins radiation. Is that right? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 88.110.117.31 (talk) 01:22, 9 December 2006 (UTC).

No. He's probably pulling your leg. --Wooty Woot? contribs 01:38, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Also I think you mean Hawking radiation --froth^{T C} 02:09, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

A black hole would suck everything into itself. So no. BenC7 02:10, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Yes apart from Hawking radiation--Light current 02:14, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Yep, its very supermassive properties cause it to leak. Nature's inexorable irony. IIRC Hawking radiation also keeps us safe from black holes created in the laboratory because they'd be so small that they'd peter out into hawking radiation almost instantly --froth^{T C} 02:30, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

But my friend said uranus can eject gas at high speed. How does that happen.

LOL! Maybe he's suggesting that "your anus" ejects flatulence at high speed :) --froth^{T C} 02:32, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Shucks i been fooled again by him. Thanks. Hes a complete asshole

How appropriate. --Anonymous, December 9, 02:47 (UTC)

Don't be too mad at him, just blow off a little steam here, instead. StuRat 08:27, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Anytime this planet is mentioned, I always hear jokes. --Proficient 05:27, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

Book Subjects

Is there a site where I can type in a subject and it will find all published books about the said subject? Thanks for any answers. Яussiaп F 02:06, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Doubtful. A brief look at the International ISBN Agency website shows that there are more than 760,000 publishers out there. There would be too many books to fit into a single catalogue, and then finding the books themselves would be another task in itself. Try a few university libraries or a state library if you are having trouble finding books on a particular subject. Also try amazon.com. BenC7 02:19, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Well, I agree with BenC7, but I think Amazon.com wouldn't be a bad bet. Just to test, I searched for a peculiar topic and got 286 hits, a lot, I was surprised. It may be only the books in print, but then again, it may be a lot more than that. I would also suggest the Library of Congress (Library of Congress here on WP), but I don't know if they do online searches. Anchoress 02:28, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Sure they do. Just follow the "Library Catalogs" link. --Anonymous, December 9, 02:48 (UTC).

Many Movies,Many Romances

what do you think are some of the greatest romance films of all time. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 68.161.71.58 (talk) 02:26, 9 December 2006 (UTC).

Why ask just the 20 or so RD regulars, when you could have the opinions of thousands of movie critics, angry loners and artsy hangers-on? Anchoress 02:29, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Romance film and Romantic drama film list some examples and suggest some links. Personally, I don't think they're particularly good examples of "great" romance films, but it's all a question of taste and opinion. It's better to watch a few examples and decide for yourself in which direction you wish to go.--Shantavira 10:13, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

I've edited Romance film to make the examples less heavily biassed towards recent movies. How could An Affair to Remember, Random Harvest and The Sheik have been omitted? Clarityfiend 01:24, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

the internet movie database (www.imdb.com) has lists of the top 250 films as voted by their users. They have a section that allows you to filter by genre, so try there for a list. Personally I believe the IMDB has a very reliable top 250 list. They seem to have most of the critically acclaimed films up there instead of just the big films from the last 5 years (best-of lists tend to suffer from long-term memory loss, focusing predominantly on newer films). If you want romantic comedies then I personally enjoyed Serendipity (film), You've Got Mail, When Harry Met Sally and the Audrey Hepburn film Sabrina. ny156uk 11:00, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

None of them, unless you consider Evelyn as a sort of romance film. Cernen Xanthine Katrena 15:51, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

Il Postino and Cinema Paradiso are the bomb, especially because Ennio Morricone is my composer-hero. Sashafklein 06:13, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

If I recall correctly, the only romance that has moved me to tears was Four Weddings and a Funeral, during the scene where a gay man reads a poem in honour of his dead partner:

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephones

Stop the dog from barking with a juicy bone

Silence the pianos and with muffled drum...

...Bring out the coffin

...Let the mourners come

Let the aeroplanes circle moaning overhead

Scribbling on the sky the message

...He is dead

Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves

Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves

He was my North, my South, my East and West

My working week and my Sunday rest

My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song

I thought that love would last forever

...I was wrong

The stars are not wanted now

...Put out everyone

Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun

Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood

For nothing now can ever come to any good

Feel free to delete this poem if it is deemed superfluous. Cheers -- Vranak 23:50, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

U.S. penny

What does the "d" under the date on a United States penny or cent signify? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Rhododendrum (talk • contribs) 02:37, 9 December 2006 (UTC).

Denarius? Latin for coin.--Light current 02:40, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

It's a mint mark, in this case indicating the penny was made at the Denver Mint. -- Rick Block (talk) 02:45, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Similarly, S indicates the San Francisco Mint and the absence of a mint mark indicates the Philadelphia Mint. Other US coins also use these marks, but in different places; in some cases P is used for Philadelphia.

D does stand for denarius (which was a specific ancient coin, not a word meaning "coin") when it is the abbreviation for the old British penny; this traditional abbreviation conveniently left p available for the new penny when they decimalized their currency 35 years ago. Thus £1 = 240d. = 100p. --Anonymous, December 9, edited 03:01 (UTC).

Nail sizes are called "penny" but abbreviated "d" for denarius, perNail (engineering). But this has nothing to do with the U.S. "D" mint mark. Edison 18:49, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Incidentally, it turns out that about an hour before the question was asked here, a form of it was asked on 1 vs. 100 (US game show) (if I've computed the time zones correctly; I happened to watch this on tape later). The wording on the show was something like "If you have a penny with D under the date, was it made in (A) the motor city, (B) the mile-high city, or (C) the gateway city?" --Anonymous, December 10, 07:12 (UTC).

Fingerprints

While heading back home I had an odd train of thought that left me with a few questions about fingerprints. Any help answering 'em would be appreciated:

1. Do politicians in any of the Anglosphere countries typically have their fingerprints taken (for security purposes etc.)?
2. If not, which heads of state of the above are likely to have had their fingerprints taken at some point (arrest, prior job, etc)?
3. Focusing on the U.S., if a Federal employee takes someone's fingerprints, who owns the copyright on the image produced?
4. How about if they're taken by a private citizen, or without the person's knowledge or consent?
5. Anyone happen to have a copy of Adolf Hitler's fingerprints lying around?
6. If not, what'd be the most likely place or object to still have his fingerprints on with only a small chance of the prescence of others' making identification more difficult?

Yeah, my brain goes off on some weird tangents when it's not kept occupied. GeeJo ^(t)⁄_(c) • 02:52, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

I think those are great questions! Don't think they can be answered here, but some could be the subject of a good Google search. --Zeizmic 03:31, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Well, let's start by observing that Hitler was convicted in 1924 in connection with the Beer Hall Putsch. Fingerprints as a criminological technique were 25-30 years old by that time, so presumably the Germans would have routinely fingerprinted him then if not at any other time. Whether that fingerprint record still exists and where, after all that has happened since then, is another matter. --Anonymous, December 9, 04:46 (UTC).

I suspect any records of criminal behavior on his part would have been destroyed once he became dictator. StuRat 08:22, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

I'm not sure, the Nazis were remarkably fastidious when it came to record-keeping, which came in handy at Nuremberg. GeeJo ^(t)⁄_(c) • 17:08, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

South African citizens all have their fingerprint taken for the Identity Document (issued at 16 years), and for many when they get a drivers licence (18 years). That information is not available to police for use in investigations. -- Seejyb 12:07, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Then what is it for? Rmhermen 15:25, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Presumably to prevent identity fraud. Rockpocket 22:23, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Archivists are tenacious. When Stalin became ruler of the Soviet Union, the archivists of the Secret Police were ordered to destroy all documents on his pre-revolution activities, but reportedly they retained copies but certified that the original records were destroyed. Edison 18:52, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

George Bush was likely fingerprinted being arrested for drunk driving, before he was "born again". Works by U.S. ferderal employees as part of their jobs are in the public domain. --Nelson Ricardo 13:05, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

Damn, and I almost put down that answer, too. Cernen Xanthine Katrena 15:53, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

But was his arrest by Federal authorities or State authorities. While the former'd be in the public domain, ownership of records created by the latter are a bit murkier. GeeJo ^(t)⁄_(c) • 00:04, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

All Canadian civil servants in positions requiring security clearances have to be fingerprinted. This includes everybody from the Prime Minister, members of Parliament, and Senators to the guy who cleans out the boiler rooms at CFB Trenton. --70.72.19.133 19:09, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

Do psychoactive drugs usually have effects on the central nervous system after their initial effect has worn off?

I was just wandering if psychoactive drugs could effect the effectivness of the brain after their effect has worn off? Ecspecially in a harmful way. I also was wandering what commonly used recreational drugs are considered to have the worst effect on the brain, and which ones are considered to have the least harmful effect on the brain and CNS (excluding nicotine). —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 70.254.195.86 (talk) 05:59, 9 December 2006 (UTC).

LSD#Flashbacks and HPPD Rmhermen 06:04, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Almost all psychoactive drugs can have long-term effects. There is a very good chart of psychoactives at Psychoactive drug, with links to each drug listed. SWAdair 07:30, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

I believe tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), from cannabis, has relatively mild long term side effects. However, for political reasons, research has been limited. Synthetic versions have been marketed as medications. The synthetic versions don't have an inherent medical advantage, but can be patented and are politically viable, so those are pushed, instead of the natural version. StuRat 08:13, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Maybe you should stop your wandering and check the answers in your health textbook? Cernen Xanthine Katrena 15:54, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

ninjutsu

what is ninjutsu —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 24.7.130.42 (talk) 06:11, 9 December 2006 (UTC).

See ninjutsu. Dismas|^(talk) 06:24, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

One cannot simply be told what ninjutsu is... Cernen Xanthine Katrena 15:55, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

As far as I can tell, a rogue samurai (not a ronin) is roughly equivalent to a ninja. They aren't too worried about the bushido (code of the warrior), so that allows them all sorts of leeway -- getting into stealth, projectiles, subterfuge, illusion, espionage, assassination, etc. Basically, a samurai who's fed up with the caste system, and does things his or her own way. Vranak 18:17, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

Logically Defending Beliefs

Since its beginning, Christianity has gone through a lot of criticism and skepticism. Many people, especially secular evolutionary atheists, criticized and scoffed at Christianity and its holy book, the Bible; saying that it is false, unscientific, superstitious, illogical, fake, or impossible to be true, etc. They claim that there is no evidence for Christianity to be true, and they use things like evolution and the fact that nobody has ever seen God to argue that Christianity is false.

Because of that, Christians have started and tried to logically defend their religious beliefs, ideas, teachings, and claims, etc. This includes:

1. Giving arguments and evidences that they are true, logical, or scientific.

2. Refuting, disputing, and arguing against any arguments or evidences against them; refuting, answering, responding to, and arguing against any criticism, skepticism, or objections towards them.

3. Refuting, criticizing, and arguing against any religions, philosophies, or ideologies that contradict them.

But what about people such as "witches", "sorcerers", fortune-tellers, astrologers, psychics, parapsychologists, pagans, pantheists, nature worshippers, believers in paranormal phenomena, and believers of New Age religions, etc? Have they also logically defended their beliefs, ideas, teachings, and claims? (Or have they at least tried to defend their beliefs logically?) Don't tell me whether their attempts to defend their beliefs are successful or not (or more or less successful than attempts to defend Christianity). Just tell me if they have, and if so, what those attempts are.

There are three reasons why logically defending beliefs is especially important to them. First, unlike Christians, very few people believe in or are involved in what they are. There lots of Christians in the world, billions, but there are very few people who believe in fortune-telling or paranormal phenomena. Second, many Christians claim that many of their beliefs and associated activities are evil, and come from the Devil. Third, as I said above, Christians have been trying to logically defend their own beliefs. All this makes their need to logically defend their beliefs all the more important, urgent, and serious.

If they can't or haven't, then I'm afraid they'll eventually have to abandon those beliefs and claims. If they can or have, then, partly because they have faced more criticism and skepticism than people like Christians, that would be one of the most important and interesting events and moments in human history.

The Anonymous One 06:21, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

I believe that many of them do attempt to come up with scientific-sounding explanations. One example is the 'New Age" crowd, who use some real properties of crystals to imply that they can do magical things. I should point out, however, that none of these religions/beliefs actually uses the scientific method, which would have them start with ALL the evidence, then that would lead them to a theory, which they would then test, where possible. Instead, they start with a "theory", then selectively pick any bits of "evidence" that could possibly justify their religion/belief, and ignore the much larger accumulation of evidence against. Scientists who engage in this type of behavior are quickly discredited. StuRat 08:04, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

For a jumping off point for info on what sort of work is done in parapsychology, see that article. Reading that, one notes that your assumption of "very few" is not valid. Observations of the processes at work can be subjected to standard statistical analysis, and analysis of the work on paranormal would suggest that something is definitely happening. Explanations for observed phenomena are not that easy. -- Seejyb 13:08, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Religion, including Christianity, is an area based on faith, and not on science. There is no way to logically prove a faith based system. Of course religions have a collection of facts around their faith, but in all cases, it boils down to that a person has to accept or reject a concept that is presented to them, or that they have come to realize based on faith. Some would say that having a believe in a religion is designed to be a matter of faith. That this design in and of itself is an important part of the faith, and is what makes up the line between determinism and non-determinism. What is primarily important is that we each have a path through life that we follow, and we use a set of values and judgements to make decisions. Whether a particular religions faith is "scientifically true" or not is irrelevant. The path you choose to follow directly affects the quality of your life, and your ability to help others through their path.

Trying to incorporate faith into a scientific only system fails, as does trying to incorporate science into a faith-only based world. Science is the accumulation and system of categorization, and proof of things that we know. Religion is the accumulation of values and mores based on faith (believing without facts). At any point of history, there is a multitude of things that humanity did not, or does not know.

What is important is that we respect others rights to follow their path, and know that regardless of their similarities or differences to our own path, that they lead to the same place eventually. There is no religious system that is more correct than any other, only paths that are more heavily traveled than others. A more heavily traveled path may offer more companions, but still takes just as long to get "there". What is most important is to focus on the adventure of the travel, and not on the destination. Atom 13:19, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

In addition, most of the "New Age" and related pseudoscience is just that, pseudoscience. It is taken from a system of belief like Christianity and then used and sold to others. By doing so, it has taken itself willingly outside of the realm of faith and decided to go up against traditional science - like an amateur refusing to fight until he can face the champion in a boxing match, it could have stayed in the amateur class, but now, you know it's going to get pummeled. Or at least that's how I see it. When you start making medical or physical claims about faith, you cross the line, and you are now open to being shot down by traditional science. With a few notable exceptions, I would guess most of Christianity falls into the faith camp. --Wooty Woot? contribs 20:48, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Major to Minor

I have a piece of music, and I want to play one part of it in a minor key. I want it, obviously, to stay in relatively the same place on the score (i.e. not transposed up a third, or such, but perhaps with the addition or subtraction of sharps or flats or some small transposition--i hope that makes sense) :-) I have looked around Wikipedia and Google some, but I'm not even quite sure what exactly to look for. If you have any suggestions for me or any sites that you think might be helpful, please relate them to me. Thanks in advance!! --Dimblethum 06:38, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

I'm not sure if you really mean you want to change key, or if you just want to use some minor chords. But, maybe those articles will help. See also relative minor if you want to know which minor chords work easily with which major ones. Simple answer: if you are using a third in your music, try dropping it a half step to a minor third for that "minor" sound. Friday (talk) 07:24, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Great a music questing. I love music questions! If you can provide more information about what exactly your doing I will be able you help you better. Usually going to a different key in the middle of a piece will require a modulation to sound right. To avoid any change of place on the staff go to the relative minor. In other word the minor key that has the same number of flats or sharps as the key your in. Simply change the cords. For instance go from C major to A minor. Here are some links that might help you. Feel free to ask me about anything that is confusing you.

• Tonality
• Harmony
• Chord progression
• Musical scale
• and again Modulation (music)

S.dedalus 07:29, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

I think Friday explains well what I'm trying to get at. I want to have basically the same chords, just slightly altered to give it that minor sound. I'll do some reading on what you've said and see where that gets me, but I fear that I don't know enough about music theory to understand much of it. --Dimblethum 08:56, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

What I'm trying to do is to have the third verse of this song be minor. Image:I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.jpg --Dimblethum 08:56, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

The simplest thing to do, if the key (as here) is E flat major, is to change the signature to that of its parallel key, which is (surprise) E flat minor. Then you may want to change some of the seventh and sixth degrees of the natural minor scale to those of the harmonic or ascending minor scale where that sounds better in the melody, which in this case means restoring some D flats to D and C flats to C. This then may necessitate changes in other voices as well to get nice harmonies. Of course, the accidentals in the score must in general be appropriately adjusted, for which there is no straightforward method; for example, you can't leave the F sharp in place and at the same time change the next G to G flat: either "naturalize" the G to a G natural, or change the F sharp to an F by leaving out the sharp accidental.  --Lambiam^Talk 14:59, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

OK are you wanting to use the same melody but with more minor-sounding chords? If so, I just did a bit of fiddling with the guitar, and with my copy of the song in F, I'd change the opening F to Dm, the C7/F to Am, the Dm to G7 (kooky but just to have a different 2nd line opening), the E7 to Em, the F/A to Am. I didn't bother doing the second verse. Anchoress 21:59, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

"What's Up"? and other social awkwardnesses

I am a high school student. Grade 11. I have no friends and I prefer not to talk to others. However, there is always the unavoidable greeting which I must respond to. So my question is:

-When somebody (either fellow classmate or teacher) says "What's up?" to me as a greeting, how am I supposed to respond? I currently respond by just saying "hey," and I used to respond by saying "nothin'", but what is the most socially un-awkward way of responding to this greeting? (Nothing is ever "up" in my life, and even if something was "up", I would not care to share this information anyways). By responding to this question by saying "hello" or "hey," doesn't directly answer the question posed, but saying "nothin'" every single time gets awkward. Please help me!

Another question I have regards seeing teachers in the hallways.

-When I see a teacher in the hallway whom I had teach me, am I expected (by the teacher) to greet him/her by saying "hi"? I, personally, never greet anyone. I always wait until they greet me, but is this socially unaccepable? The teachers even often look at me as their passing me in the hallway, as if waiting for me to greet them first, but it may just be paranoya.

Thank you for your time. --172.146.41.157 06:40, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Not really the answer you were looking for but if you ignore them and don't say anything, people will stop talking to you and thus your problem will be eliminated. You say "I prefer not to talk to others", so why encourage them to talk to you by responding to their greetings? Dismas|^(talk) 07:00, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

If they start it with "what's up", it's generally a greeting. If they give a different salutation and then the "what's up?", it's a question. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 07:06, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

When someone says “what’s up” it’s a slangy equivalent of “how are you?” Not to sound harsh or anything but usually when people use greeting like this they’re not actually interested in the well being of the person they are addressing. It is simply a polite gesture that acknowledges the existence of another human being. Usually a “nu’in much” or if you prefer “nothing much” is sufficient to leave all concerned with the pleasant feeling that they have made the world a little happier. Even if this is not the case. As to your second question: when passing some one you know custom usually dictates that you at least make eye contact with the person and perhaps give your head a slight nod (up-down) to show that you remember seeing that person before at some time in your life. S.dedalus 07:09, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

"What's up?" (in a greeting or passing-in-the-hall context) isn't a question. It's a piece of stereotyped dialogue: one of those phrases people exchange as a constant reminder that we're part of the same culture. It's like saying "thanks" when the cashier hands you change - it has nothing to do with gratitude; it's just what's said. The easiest response to "what's up?" is "not much", or "not much, you?", or just a grunt of acknowledgement. Sometimes, since the content really doesn't matter, I'll respond to a "what's up?" with a "how ya doin'?", to which I don't expect a response. It's just noise we make, like ducks quacking at each other. If you don't respond at all, you'll come across as unsocial, which may be just what you want, as Dismas suggested above.

As far as greeting teachers in the hallway, I don't think it's expected. Doing it wouldn't be bad either. Some people just aren't bubbling forth with "hello"s for everybody in the world; teachers know that. -GTBacchus^(talk) 07:14, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

It can be an actual question, especially if preceded by another salutation (i.e. "Hey, what's up?"). The response to such a question is usually brief though ("I just got fired, you?"). It does depend on where you are and who you're talking to, like anything else. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 07:21, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, a lot depends on tone. Sometimes, "what's up?" is a challenge. Sometimes, it's a sincere question about how you're feeling. I guess it has to be clear from context whether the person is trying to pass you in the hall, start a conversation, or assault you. -GTBacchus^(talk) 07:25, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

And now for a more general comment: I think it would be wise for you to "pretend" to like to talk with people. Once you get into the work world, being known as somebody who doesn't care to talk will likely hurt your career, in the form of lost opportunities for promotions, loss of income, etc. I know it sounds "fake", but a certain "social mask" is sometimes required for us all to get along with each other. So, I think high school would be a good time to practice such social niceties, by not only responding with a cheerful "hi !" but also greeting others first. There certainly could be worse things in life than being forced to talk with people, don't you think ? StuRat 07:30, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Definitely. I was like you in Grade 9, and that definitely made me a couple enemies. Even opening up to a few friends helps, cuz then people realize that they have be known by you rather well for you to be comfortable talking with them. As for StuRat's advice, without a doubt. To add another example to GTBacchus's, when you are speaking with your girlfriend/boyfriend's snobbish best friend, or an unliked relative, it's best to be social, simply because its expected. Most of the good catch-alls have been posted above, but you can also just have some harmless remark such as "Nothing much, but it's a great day out today." Just add a little something to the end and help make people feel special... "One kind word warms three winter months" - Proverb Crisco 1492 09:37, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

If this helps: I'm in Grade 12 (or the nearest equivalent in my country, and I've always been a complete "loaner" we say here - ie. no friends. Sometimes I take that literally. I say "Whatever's not down!" I remember, someone asked me, "How are you squire?" I replied, "Not bad, how are you triangle?" He laughed, and credited me for the sheer speed of my response! Come out of your shell. Try and make friends. Doesn't matter how short a conversation is, it will take a long time to develop social skills properly - but it will come. Try to talk to other people about things they like. Make them feel important. On the flip side, even if you spend you remaining school years without friends, you may learn to cope with that. I frequently would wander the school corridors, lost for friends. Over 800 people at it - 100 of my age - would always have their friends. If I was ever in the Senior Pupil's Common room (rare for me), I would never have the "privilege" of sitting up at the bar desk, where the popular pupils all sit. The gift of the gab is a huge skill to learn, but it will come some day.St. Louis du Ha ha 12:36, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Well, you are in the right place. A whole Wikipedia full of people who were once loners. When someone asks "what's up" they are usually just trying to establish contact with you. Of course the best thing to do when you don't know what to say is to start asking questions about something else. (doesn't everyone like to talk about themselves?) Ask them what's going on with them, if they like their classes, if they have a GF/BF, what they are doing after school, how they did on that last test, and things like that. Sit down and think a list of three questions, and then three follow up questions for each of those questions so that you are prepared. If you use one that makes people feel awkward, then toss the question and replace it with another one. Another thing you can do is to memorize some of the trivia here on Wikipedia. When someone asks "What's up", you can say "Not much. Hey, I saw on Wikipedia that..." For instance, the Wikipedia Main Page has a list of "Did you know..." type things. ( If you could memorize on of those every day, in a week you'd have a few things to talk about. After a few weeks, some of those will slip, but others will stick in your mind. If you don't like those, then look things up on Wikpedia that are more interesting for your group of friends and schoolmates, maybe about popular music. Atom 13:00, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

• "A bore is someone who, when asked 'how are you,' tells you." --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 15:56, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Regarding high school as social practice? Why not use the internet? The internet is a great way to talk to people, especially since you're indistiguishable from other users, especially in things like online games where you don't see the same people often. short, shallow conversations in counter-strike in between rounds could do wonders for your confidence when you realize that everyone thinks you're just a normal, social guy. Wikipedia could also be a good way to learn to work with others, but there's that darned encyclopedic focus so it's not really a social thing. Or you could find a web forum. Traditional forum software like Lithium, IPB and vBulletin could power the forum you're looking for- stay away from a GameFAQs type forum since it encourages one-word answers and discourages friend-making. Email or IM could also be a good thing, though it might be awkward seeing those same people the next day in school. Usually I discourage turtling up under the internet, but if you're already an "outcast" type, it could give you valuable social skills --froth^{T C} 19:03, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

I disagree completely with that, the internet is a poor place to learn social skills, as it is a very narrow picture of what social skills are, real life is far more imposing, and there is far more to deal with, body language is a major factor in all converstaions, its not only what people say but how they say it, and how they react to what you say, or do, all things which are completely irellavent on web messaging serivces. Social skills can only be gained through practice. Though it is true that you are most likely just a normal guy completely lacking in self confidence and it seems that you have a terribley hostile outlook on the world. Having people to turn to, or just enjoy a moment with can do so much for you. People are great things, dont ignore them. Social skills is possibly the hardest thing to master in the world, and they lead to the most fulfilling (and in general the best paid) lives ahead of you. Philc _T^E_C^I 19:43, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

See Greetings for discussion of how to respond to the casual social greetings of others. If someone makes eye contact in a friendly way, a slight smile and nod is appropriate. To withhold any acknowledgement is to "Cut him dead" and is an insult and disrespect. This is not in any way to imply you might have the condition, but at Asperger's syndrome there is discussion of people who find it difficult to analyze and respond appropriatly to the social gestures of others. See alsoSocial skills. Edison 19:17, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

There is little else to say other than "although high school is not actually hell, it can certainly be hell-ish at times". Mathiemood 16:51, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

Just say "a direction" and people will stop asking you. Trust me. Coolsnak3 18:28, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

School is sweet, its so great, the school itslef not that great, but the socual interations are, its great to have so many people to talk to and who like dilike the same things, and just to enjoy time with them. School is what you make it, if you hide away from social interaction, and work all the time, then school will be shit, and its your fault, because you wasted it. Philc _T^E_C^I 18:32, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

I second Philc. 7% of communication is verbal (there's another fact you can talk about!) and 60% is by body language. Alan and Barbara Pease give a good introduction to body language, in "The definitive guide to Body Language". I found that book handy - it sets out, in black and white terms, how to use, and read, body language (and even the 5 Stages to flirting!) which might help, since it's in a way "Socialising for Dummies", nearly.St. Louis du Ha ha 18:54, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

Alright; personally, i find that you just need to choose between one or the two methods of social interaction. Be a hermit or try to get out there. simple as that. you seem to enjoy being a hermit but something tells me you may like going out to a party or two. i used to be in your shoes about two years ago. i realized that dumbing myself down (if only for an hour or two) to go to a party and just enjoying someone else's company actually brightened my general mood.

Anyone else answering this question go, "Mm, this sounds like me in high school?" *ahem* Anyway. Were I you, if you're not in a talkative mood, rattle off things that are indeed "up," such as the atmosphere, clouds, your grades, your temper, etc. etc. As for teachers...no, you're not expected to do anything; they're not your friends and you're not theirs, so there really is no point in trying to socialize with them. Cernen Xanthine Katrena 15:59, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

I had a friend new to the US who once responded to that question by, in all seriousness, saying, "Well presently the ceiling, but above that would be another floor and then the sky." If you want to get a rise out of the people you are determined to avoid talking to, you could give that one a try. Or just keep being emo. Or rather, dont. Sashafklein 06:08, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Also, you've got to find it funny that, as much as you adamantly refuse to enter the social scene, you give a crap about what's socially acceptable. Just let go of personal image and become a troglodyte or say hi. Sashafklein 06:10, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Years from now you will either look back at this point in your life with intense regret and a sense of loss or detached amusement. I hope it's clear what type of social stance will lead to which outcome. Calling such basic elements of social conduct as "what's up" -the modern day "hello" - "social awkwardnesses", is not a step in the more intelligent of the two directions. I'll stop lecturing now. Sashafklein 07:29, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Also, they don't intend it to be funny. All they mean is "hello", but a literal interpretation helps make it funny.St. Louis du Ha ha 17:18, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Reporting a pedophile.

Long story short, male keeps requesting sex from an underage male. I have his phone number, address, etc. But, plain and simple, I can't afford to get involved, as they'd need my computer as evidence (would they?), and I don't want certain documents of mine being scrutinized by law enforcement. Anyway to nail this guy anonymously?

-- Anonymous —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 69.247.88.142 (talk) 06:59, 9 December 2006 (UTC).

I'm really confused as to who's talking to whom and what it has to do with your computer but you may be able to get something done just by making an anonymous phone call to the local police. Dismas|^(talk) 07:01, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

You need to speak to local law enforcement, which you can do anonymously. They will advise you. Try the sex crimes or child exploitation or internet luring divisions (depending on which your local law enforcement has). Or call an anonymous tip line, and get advice from them. Anchoress 07:02, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

They should have an anonymous tips line. Use a pay phone or something if you're really paranoid, or nuke the computer. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 07:04, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

CC, I disagree with your last piece of advice. IMO this poster is looking for legal advice, and we are not authorised to advise someone to destroy evidence. On a more personal note, if the contents of the OP's computer could put a child predator away and s/he decides to take your advice then changes her or his mind, people could actually get hurt. IMO we should not be telling this person anything other than to talk anonymously to law enforcement. Anchoress 07:06, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, or to a lawyer, who is qualified to give legal advice. -GTBacchus^(talk) 07:16, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

You have no idea what sort of things I have on this computer. It would hurt a LOT more people if some of this stuff got out. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 69.247.88.142 (talk) 07:11, 9 December 2006 (UTC).

Clarification: A pedophile is contacting someone with intent to have sex with a minor, and the evidence is on my computer. Also on my computer are things that I simply can't let out into the public realm, so I can't report him, lest they take my computer as evidence, You see?

Okay, Anchoress is right, disregard what I said. You nuke anything on the computer, and it will be easily detectable that you did such. You'd be placed under intense scrutiny and have charges laid against you. Find a way to talk to them anonymously. It's damned immoral to hold back information like this. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 07:16, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

I'd suggest sending the relevant materials to police, but that may be tricky to do anonymously if you're not a power user. Hm, try burning a CD with all of the files on it and mailing it to the police office, then calling ahead from a payphone and telling them to expect it and that it has information related to a child predator. Wipe off fingerprints from the CD if you've ever been printed (though I doubt they'd try to track down the tipper) --froth^{T C} 18:52, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

If a child is in imminent danger that must take precedence over any possible problems you might have because of, say, kiddie porn on your computer. Why don't you talk to a lawyer for advice on how best to proceed? The faster you take care of this, the less likely something will actually happen. -THB 19:16, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

If it is that important to the questioner, why couldn't he buy a "clean" cheap second-hand computer, and use it for communicating with the bad guy and getting enough illegal emails on it that when it was turned over to the police it could furnish proof for conviction. And why would anyone hold tenaciously to a computer which has documents on it which incriminate him? When is freedom worth less than the cost of a replacement computer? It seems like a real dilemma if the questioner is so attached to the incriminating info he cannot stand to get rid of the tainted computer. How does one really get rid of the info on a hard drive, anyway? Edison 20:39, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Well for one it would take money and time to buy another computer and get all that incriminating data on the other computer. To get rid of info on a hard drive you just delete it. Of course this only marks it as "usuable space" - the data is still written to the disk. To get rid of this data you'd have to zero those blocks (replace all of the binary data that was there with a long series of 0s). Some filesystems do this automatically when you delete. Macs do this, and they call delete "secure delete". Which is frankly a stupid idea, since it's faster and more efficient to just mark those blocks as available. --froth^{T C} 23:48, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

call 1-800 222-tips. they do not record calls or have call display. you could print the pages of concern and have someone send them to police. we aren't concerned with whats on your computer unless you are also a pedophile. your first priorty should be protecting ANY and ALL children.

Wikiholics

I distinctly remember a nice gag test called "Are you a wikiholic?" but I can't find it for the life of me. Any Ideas? Crisco 1492 09:25, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Did you check out WP:Wikiholic? --Shantavira 10:04, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Thanks. Its found here. Hehe wonder how my friend will do. Termia kasih, shantavira. Crisco 1492 00:04, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

Undervalued stocks

What is under valued stocks?

This article isn't in great shape yet, but see Undervalued_stock. Friday (talk) 15:53, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Undervalued stock is shares of ownership (stock) in a company that are selling for less than some calculated worth. See List of finance topics#valuation, especially stock valuation and fundamental analysis. Note that there are many methods of valuing stock. See also efficient market hypothesis. -THB 15:53, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

But note, however, that if you received an email telling you that some stock was undervalued, that's just some fraudster trying to trick you into buying a stock he owns, so he can sell it and take your money. See Pump and dump -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 16:15, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Fiji coup

Okay. So the government of Fiji has been overthrown - as we were expecting for quite a while - and even before the coup, Australia had warships in the area, for the purpose of extracting Australian civilians if things turned ugly.

Why stop there? If we have a military presence there, why didn't we take action and prevent the coup from happening? Fiji is in our backyard; isn't it our repsonsibility to protect it and maintain its status as a democracy? Battle Ape 14:30, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

The PM has already addressed these questions in an interview. Fiji's armed forces while small is well-trained and bloodshed would have been certain, Australia has already deployed troops to a number of other nations. See [1]. Rmhermen 15:24, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Hmmm, okay. The way he said "we would be effectviely invading Fiji" just sounded to me like he thought ivnading a country was unthinkable unless the USA was right alongside us. But if it was a logistics matter, I suppose that's reasonable. Battle Ape 17:21, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

I don't think invading countries to paternalistically determine what their governments ought to be like is exactly considered in vogue right now. --24.147.86.187 18:21, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

When did Fijis business become Australias business. They way he said "we would be effectviely invading Fiji" suggests invading other countries on domestic affairs is unthinkable wether or not the US is on your side. Philc _T^E_C^I 19:46, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

Not a likely military threat to Australia.martianlostinspace 22:30, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

Yeeeeeah...if I recall, Australia's PM said something to the effect of, "Sad day, we're not going to do anything, thank you for stopping by." Of course, it's not like Fiji's PM tried to do anything; in an interview with the BBC, he sounded rather lackadaisical about the whole thing, going, "Oh well..." and that. Getting back to the original question, it probably has something to do with the fact that Australia's PM isn't George Bush. Cernen Xanthine Katrena 16:02, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

Who the heck is this?!?!

Does this person look alot like Naruto?http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o71/Baku-Aoki/ME0000484000_1.jpg. It's been all over the internet on forums and with stuff like forums and message boards;whats true and whats not?His nickname is Nazoto(a combination of "Nazo" meaning "mystery" and "Naruto".I've heard that they're brothers or something,cant be true can it?And who is this "Nazoto"?I wanna know the truth behind this mystery!Please and thanks —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 63.215.27.205 (talk) 16:01, 9 December 2006 (UTC).

I'll give it to you in one word: No. Cernen Xanthine Katrena 16:02, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

Typeface identification

Hi, could someone help me identify this typeface, please?

Sample: Parallax Software logo

The capital letters are a bit like Palatino but a, r, x, f, t, and e are different if you look closer. The a is open at the bottom, the r uses a much smoother right "arm," the x is made of two thick lines, f and t are smoother too, w uses thick lines as well, and e is a bit rounder.

If someone recognizes the typeface used, please tell me. I'll be very grateful. Thank you. :) --Kjoonlee 19:14, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

The letter a in the second line differs from those in the first line: the upper part is flatter and extends farther to the left. Could this be an ad-hoc creation?  --Lambiam^Talk 20:29, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

The second line is shorter than the first line, so it might be a simple difference in size. About it being ad-hoc: I've wondered about that myself, but I don't have any real idea... --Kjoonlee 20:33, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Itz Fritz. None of the online examples I've found look exactly like it, but your example looks exactly like the Fritz font I've been using on my computer for about 12 years. Anchoress 20:34, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Fritz is superficially similar, but the letters seem quite different on closer inspection. --Kjoonlee 20:39, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

As I said, online examples are different, but your example is exactly like the font called Fritz that I use on my computer. Anchoress 20:40, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Oh I didn't read your response closely enough. :( Anyway, thank you. :) :D --Kjoonlee 14:31, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

Ms A may be right. The group Fritz-Quad, FritzQuadrata, FrizQuadrata BT, and FrizQuadrata-Thin (note spellings!) is the closest I have on my machine - take a look at the last one, in bold. I do not know the origin of the font. --Seejyb 21:00, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

I've tried looking at some "Fritz Quadrata" fonts, and surely enough, they look good enough for my use. Thank you. :) --Kjoonlee 14:31, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

Moving Pages

i am a user who would like the ability to move pages if you are an adminstrator who can allow to move them i would like it if you could if you could please give that ability if you can if you want to know what the mistakes are i would love to point them out i wish to help in whatever way i can. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Starwars10 (talk • contribs) 21:52, 9 December 2006 (UTC).

Hello. All logged in users, with a certain level of experience, can move pages (though there are some circumstances in which administrator tools are required. See WP:MOVE for advice. But you first step should be to get some editing experience. Rockpocket 22:19, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

To clarify, by experience I really mean time, not number of edits. Newly created accounts can't move pages. Rockpocket 22:24, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

If'n you don't know why, here's a bit of Wikipedia history for you. Once upon a time, there was a guy named Willy on Wheels. Willy, the crazy sod, used to take pages like, oh...for example, Cake and move them to Cake on Wheels! just to be a huge prick. We banned him, and banned him, and baaaaaaaannnnnnned him, and eventually, he died. Some time ago (I guess) he was removed from the Long-Term Abuse list. The end. Cernen Xanthine Katrena on Wheels! 16:09, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

There can be some tricky issues dealing with links to the page. Also, it's a good idea to discuss a move on the Talk Page for that article first, as other editors may not agree with the move. StuRat 23:08, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Why don't you list the pages here and tell why you think they need to be moved? Some articles don't even have any links to them and can easily be moved if the title doesn't follow WP:NC. -THB 20:15, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

Retail Fabric Store

I am doing a research project for a business class. I have been looking on line with google, for the type of fabric cutting table that is commonly used in most retail fabric stores. I need prices and dimensions as well as what companies sell them to retail fabric stores. These tables are for commercial use, not industrial and not domestic. Whenever a customer buys fabric off of a bolt in a retail fabric store, they must take it to one of these tables so that an employee can measure the requested number of yardage and then use a pair of scissors to accurately cut the fabric from the bolt. I could not find any information about this type of table from my own research, however, I have found many sources to obtain domestic crafting tables, which is not what I am trying to find. Thank you for your help. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 192.135.227.163 (talk) 22:42, 9 December 2006 (UTC).

I followed you until you mentioned scissors. The fabric cutting tables I've seen have a blade on a handle, much like a giant paper cutter, so you get a smooth cut, unlike what you get using hand scissors. StuRat 22:58, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Fabric store, both large and small, with which I am familiar just have a long table or counter, with the top perhaps covered with hardboard, with a yardstick nailed to the edge. The fabric is spread out along the table and cut with scissors. The table is nothing special. It would likely be built to order by a carpenter. There is not goal of making a precise smooth cut, since the fabric will be measured and cut according to a pattern. Pieces of fabric are not generally cut to exact size in the store and then sewn together along the store's cut line. They do not use a plastic cutting guide and rotary cutter such as is used in making things of fabric. Edison 00:24, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

But isn't there a problem that a rough, hand-cut edge is likely to cause the fabric to unravel ? StuRat 13:07, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

If you do a Google image search for "fabric cutting table" you can quickly identify which websites have them. www.modernstorefixtures.com carries cutting tables and other fixtures like bolt racks. It might be cheaper and better to have someone make you one like in these plans. -THB 00:46, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

As a qualified Tailor's Cutter, I used a "board" throughout my career - not a cutting-table! It had to be wide enough to allow me to unroll enough material 60" wide folded across its width so that it became 30" wide when doubled over; and long enough to take a piece of cloth long enough to cut a gentleman's 3 piece suit and an extra pair of trousers, say between 12 and 15 feet. It had 6 stout legs and a shelf below for temporarily storing card patterns etc., and very smooth edges so as not to send painful and dangerous splinters into your pubic area! And the surface had to be super smooth to allow the garment sections to be easily spun around when cutting them. And along the nearside edge there was an inlaid measuring stick (wood or metal) whose terminii co-incided with the extreme left and right edges of the board. And there would be a smaller portable box on the top for storing measuring tapes, chalks, sharpeners, and weights for holding the patterns and garment sections steady when doing minor modification cuts, darts, pleats, deformity adjustments etc. But I am afraid that StuRat's point about the handcut edge unravelling is invalid. Whether on knitted or woven fabrics the cutter would never place his patterns right up to the edges for that very reason. And he would always ensure enough allowance at each end to allow him to adjust any "twists" in the cloth for check and stripe alignments. It was amazing how many such twists were evident in some cloths. Next time you see a man's suit, compare the pattern across the buttoned front, and also check where the sleeves have been stitched into the "foreparts". I will almost guarantee that on all but the more expensive quality-made "bespoke" suits, you will find striking examples of non-symmetry. And you ever feel the need to deflate someone's ego in public, just ask whether the mismatching checks on his jacket pocket flaps are a new fashion feature, or even better, studiously admire his suit and then casually and audibly "wonder" if that style will ever come back into fashion!

—The preceding unsigned comment was added by 81.145.241.241 (talk) 20:29, 10 December 2006 (UTC).

some instructions

how do you do a laveyan ritual curse. not that i want to do one, but im curious. thanks. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 75.23.66.106 (talk) 23:21, 9 December 2006 (UTC).

That is probably detailed in The Satanic Rituals. If you don't have a copy, some of the external links from the article on Anton LaVey might help. Rockpocket 00:18, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

Plea Bargaining

On law drama TV show's like Law and Order, the ADAs and the defense attorneys often discuss plea bargains "off-the-record" where neither party agrees to the offer till after the "criminal" tells the ADA what he/she knows. Does this really happen? To what extent are off-the-record comments protected? Are the protected by here-say rules or are there specific laws on the books protecting them? (note: I'm not asking for legal advice and pretty much only interested in general answers pertaining to the US). Thanks. --Cody.Pope 23:49, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

I imagine that there would be absolutely no protection for the accused (seeing how he has been read his Miranda warning) other than the credibility of the ADA but that should count for a lot! If the ADA or the office of the DA gets a reputation in the legal community for breaking deals like that it would do more harm than cheating would do good, IMO. --Justanother 04:58, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

I realise the questionner specifically refers to US Law, but here in Scotland, plea-bargaining is officially unrecognised, but a judge, whether in the High Court or Sheriff Court below, will award a discounted sentence for an early admission of guilt accompanied by a guilty plea. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 81.145.241.241 (talk) 20:37, 10 December 2006 (UTC).

outselling the bible

lets say i wrote a book that outsold the bible would that increase it`s chance of being made into a movie and how significant wouldit be. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Starwars10 (talk • contribs) 23:50, 9 December 2006 (UTC).

I'd say there is a good chance a fiction book that outsold the Bible would be made into a movie. If you compare a list of bestsellers with movies that an average cinema goer might be aware of, you see a pretty strong correlation, especially in the last 30 years. Infact, it seems that least 3 or 4 of the top 10 best selling books for every year in the 1990s has been made into a movie (mainly because there are books written by Steven King, Tom Clancy, Michael Crichton and John Grisham featured pretty much every year). If you consider the best selling books of all time, every single fictional book the he top 20 has been made into a movie.

As for how significant it would be. Well, if it was the best selling book in history, I'd say that would make it very significant. Better start writing.... Rockpocket 00:34, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

Considering the Bible's sales/distribution has been around 6 billion, and that the next nearest single book (the Quran) has sold less than 2% of this figure - do I need to complete the sentence? BenC7 02:13, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

Please realize that many best-sellers get bought by motion picture companies, then enter Development hell for perhaps decades. Edison 04:17, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

I thought there was some book that outsold the Bible by a bit. It made sense at the time as an extremely widely-distributed book, but I can't put my finger on it anymore --froth^{T C} 04:30, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

In the 20th and 21st centuries, books regularly outsell the Bible in given years (for example, The Da Vinci Code and most Harry Potter books sold many more copies than the Bible on the year of their release and the Little red book outsold the Bible during the 1960s). However, given the Bible has a couple of millennia of sales time on these books, nothing comes near it in terms of accumulative sales. Rockpocket 21:21, 10 December 2006 (UTC)