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July 29

Boat identification

Yesterday I was at a local craft fair. There was a woman there who had, among other things, some pictures of boats. I don't know where she took them and I realize that I should have asked to narrow the search. The boats had long thin beams on both the bow and stern that were nearly 2/3 the length of the boats themselves. They seemed to be a type of fishing boat but I can't be certain since the picture was taken from a ways away. On one of the boats, I could see that there were lines strung through a pulley that was at the end of one of the beams and the lines came back to the main portion of the boat. This made me think that maybe lines with hooks or some type of net could be attached to the lines on the pulleys. The boats themselves looked fairly simplistic, hardly more than canoes. So does anyone have any idea what type of boats these were? And what the beams are used for? Dismas| 07:11, 29 July 2012 (UTC)

Like this? The overhead beams are for stringing, pulling, and hoisting nets and lines. It's an inexpensive fishing boat typical of the Indian Ocean. 207.224.43.139 (talk) 07:36, 29 July 2012 (UTC)

Not like the picture the IP mentioned. The beams pointed straight out the bow and stern. They were parallel with the long axis of the boat. Dismas| 09:11, 29 July 2012 (UTC)

I would guess they are doing a type of drift netting, where instead of using the boat at one end of the net and a buoy at the other, they use the two ends of the extensions of the boat to hold both ends of the net, which then runs under the boat. This would prevent other boats from hitting their net. StuRat (talk) 07:42, 29 July 2012 (UTC)

? Bowsprit and boomkin?—eric 14:51, 29 July 2012 (UTC)

David Miscavige's wife

Is there anyone investigating the "disappearance" of David Miscavige's wife? Has there ever been an official investigation? 69.62.243.48 (talk) 18:16, 29 July 2012 (UTC)

Is she actually missing? The article has "disappeared" in quotes which I read as meaning she didn't really disappear. RudolfRed (talk) 20:54, 29 July 2012 (UTC)

She has been missing for years. No one outside of the Church knows where she is, or even if she's still alive. Those within the Church just say she's fine, but she hasn't appeared in public for years. 69.62.243.48 (talk) 21:25, 29 July 2012 (UTC)

Unless there is actually some evidence that they are lying and she isn't really just in seclusion, then there isn't likely to be a police investigation. The police generally expect someone to report a crime before they investigate it, rather than starting investigations based on vague rumours. The press might investigate it, though - internal disputes with the Church of Scientology are quite a popular topic for investigative journalists. --Tango (talk) 00:32, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

Hmm, he's a gun enthusiasts and a control freak. I'd be suspicious, too. I would expect her family to file a missing persons report, if she is really missing, unless they are also controlled by Scientology. StuRat (talk) 04:58, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

This thread is problematic and the comment directly above is a clear BLP violation.

Hatting performed by User:Medeis, who failed to sign. StuRat (talk) 21:54, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

For the love of God, Medeis, read the article. It's a fact that Michelle Miscavige publicly disappeared. If you have issue with a particular comment, hat or delete the comment. The OP's question is fine. Someguy1221 (talk) 23:46, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

That was not the reason for the closure. If we closed a discussion about the sexual orientation of a dictator we can certainly close unattributed speculation about an unconvicted and uncharged private individual. μηδείς (talk) 02:46, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

The fact that he's a gun enthusiast is in one of the sources for the article "Miscavige, a firearms enthusiast, introduced Cruise to skeet shooting at the compound..." , as is his need to control those around him: "Miscavige’s official title is chairman of the board of the Religious Technology Center, but he dominates the entire organization. His word is absolute, and he imposes his will even on some of the people closest to him." . StuRat (talk) 23:58, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

I didn't dispute he's a gun enthusiast. You're calling him a "control freak" is a bit of synthesis on your part. I have attributed it to you, so it should not be a problem. Let's stay away from giving legal advice to his wife's relatives as well. μηδείς (talk) 02:46, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

It's difficult to tell what you dispute, since your hatting reasons are always so vague, if listed at all. Saying that I would expect her relatives to file a missing person report if she was actually missing does not constitute legal advice. And "control freak" isn't synthesis, it's paraphrasing the quotation above. StuRat (talk) 02:49, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

My question was not a BLP violation, unless you think the article itself violates BLP. 69.62.243.48 (talk) 23:40, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

No, I did not think the question itself was a BLP violation or I would have acted sooner. StuRat's unattributed and unsupported implications were. That seems to have been taken care of. μηδείς (talk) 02:46, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

If you are unable to find the sources linked to in our article, just ask for help doing so, don't hat the Q. StuRat (talk) 02:56, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

Here are some recent news stories. There are various rumors about her whereabouts, and journalists have certainly investigated, but nobody mentions a police investigation. --Colapeninsula (talk) 11:40, 1 August 2012 (UTC)

Thanks, Cola, those links are great. 69.62.243.48 (talk) 23:49, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

July 30

Olympic opening ceremony

Since they always do Greece first and the host country last, what do they do when Greece is the host country? --108.206.7.65 (talk) 00:20, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

During the 2004 Summer Olympics opening ceremony in Athens, Greece, only the Greek flag led the parade. The Greek team then marched in last after all the other nations. Zzyzx11 (talk) 00:26, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

(ec) From Olympic Games ceremony: Traditionally (starting at the 1928 Summer Olympics), Greece enters first, due to its historical status as the progenitor of the Olympics, while the host nation marches last. In the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, the Greek flag led the parade, while the Greek team marched in last, as the host nation. -- ♬ Jack of Oz ♬ 00:28, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

Parabolic TV speakers for the hearing impaired?

Five or ten years ago I saw brief but infomercial type advertisements for the mail order purchase of parabolic speakers for the TV for people who are hard of hearing. They were described as "directional speakers" to overcome background noise. A friend of mine could benefit from these; watching TV with him is painful due to the volume he needs. I have searched and searched, but the best I can find is either a $1499.00 speaker system at Amazon, or a plastic shell that is supposed to reflect cell phone speakers without electronic amplification. Can anyone help me find affordable (i.e., $100.00 or less) electronic parabolic loudspeakers meant for home use? Thanks. μηδείς (talk) 02:44, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

I don't think those would do much good. Even if the sound were focused on him, it would still bounce off him and all around the room. The more obvious solution is headphones (or earplugs for anyone else in the room). I'm wearing headphones to watch TV right now. You could also position external speakers right by his ears. They do make directional hearing aides, too, but those are either very expensive, or junk. StuRat (talk) 02:50, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

I don't think that would be a problem, since if directed at him he should hear it louder than those who hear it reflected off him. I brought a documentary for him to watch, and while I would have been comfortable listening to it with the tv volume at 10-12, he wanted it at 16, which was just the wrong side of too loud. Hearing aids and moving the speakers closer to him are not reasonable prospects. I am quite sure of what I am looking for here. There was a product advertised in the US, but not recently to my knowledge. I am just frustrated at the results garnered for "parabolic/directional TV speaker hard/impaired hearing". μηδείς (talk) 18:07, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

This is product I saw recently advertised on TV: . However, based on the price and reviews I read, it seems to be total junk. (It's a cheap hearing aide, not parabolic speakers.) StuRat (talk) 20:22, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

Here's something that might actually work, in your price range: . This is a parabolic microphone, not speakers, but has one advantage. With parabolic speakers, he would find it impossible to hear anyone else in the room, but, with this, he only needs to point it at the people to hear them. StuRat (talk) 20:35, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

Hehe, no the Teptronics thing is not it. Thanks for the attempts. There's no way he'll be convinced to wear earphones, since it's his TV, and he has the right to play it as loud as he likes. But he would probably accept the gift of simply a speaker that made it easier for him to hear the TV, especially if other people are visiting him. μηδείς (talk) 02:50, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

Paint Jobs of NYC-area Bridges

My question is about the paint jobs of the car and rail bridges in the NYC area. Why are so many of the bridges in New Jersey (specifically Hudson and Essex counties) painted black, while the bridges in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx are a rainbow of different colors? I feel that black is very aesthetically displeasing for a bridge, and I'm wondering if there's a reason why the state of NJ would make that choice--perhaps black paint is cheaper, more durable, better for melting ice, etc.

As an example, I think that the Pulaski Skyway is a quite beautiful structure, but its black paintjob makes it look old and foreboding. I think a nicer color could really bring out its beauty, in the same way that the Golden Gate Bridge looks much nicer in red than it would in black.

Here's a brief sampling of the bridges to show the predominance of black in NJ.

New York:

Manhattan Bridge -- Blue

Verrazano Bridge -- Blue

Henry Hudson Bridge -- Blue

Williamsburg Bridge -- Gray

Spuyten Duyvil Bridge -- Gray

Whitestone Bridge -- Gray

Park Avenue Bridge -- Gray

Queensboro Bridge -- Beige

Willis Avenue Bridge -- Beige

Hell Gate Bridge -- Red

Roosevelt Island Bridge -- Red

Macombs Dam Bridge -- White

New Jersey:

Newark Bay Bridge -- Blue

Upper Hack Lift -- Blue

Lower Hack Lift -- Black

Arthur Kill Bridge -- Black

Wittpenn Bridge -- Black

Portal Bridge -- Black

Pulaski Skyway -- Black

PATH Lift Bridge -- Black

Lincoln Highway Bridge -- Black

Harsimus Branch Lift -- Black

Lehigh Valley Railroad Bridge -- Black

Dock Bridge -- Black

I have always felt that this inclination toward black bridges in New Jersey does nothing but add to outsiders' negative opinions of New Jersey. Why would the state of NJ choose to mar what could be beautiful looking bridges? There must be a reason--does anyone know? 138.16.42.247 (talk) 03:13, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

Although I don't have a source, it was common practice to paint rail bridges black in steam locomotive days because the coal soot would foul any other color quickly and unevenly, making it look even worse. Many of the Jersey bridges are rail bridges, while few of the Manhattan bridges are, since most rail access to Manhattan is by tunnel. I can't say why road bridges were painted black, though precedent and general inertia may have a role. Acroterion (talk) 13:37, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

No idea, but the Forth Bridge near Edinburgh is painted red and has been that colour for over 100 years. Presumably soot from steam trains wasn't much of a problem for the majority of the bridge's life, though for a while the permanent maintenence crew supposedly started repainting again immediately they had finished the previous repaint. Astronaut (talk) 17:24, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

First off, you are making a very NY-centric judgment of NJ based on a specific type of bridge in an extremely small portion of the state. It would be like calling Manhattan a third-world slum based on the bodegas lining Broadway as you enter Washington Heights from the George Washington Bridge. The rest of the state has no such bridges that I am aware of, although I can't speak for the Vineland, New Jersey area. The bridges crossing the Delaware, the Raritan, and the Rancocas to name a few are hardly in this class. Second, you can write Chris Cristie a letter. He seems quite the bold type to get the painting policy changed if it makes sense and he agrees with your opinion. μηδείς (talk) 18:19, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

Dear μηδείς, I am a lifelong Edison NJ resident and I feel that you've missed that I clearly prefaced the discussion with " NYC Area," and even specifically named Hudson and Essex counties. Indeed, most of the bridges in the entire state do not follow this trend. I don't know what you mean by "a specific type of bridge," since I included all types of notable bridges that do not cross state boundaries in the NYC area. I think this particular area of NJ is proportionately much more influential on the opinions of non-NJ residents than elsewhere, since it is extremely well-travelled due to the Turnpike, interstates 80, 280, 78, and the numerous railroads. So I feel that my opinion is more "superficial" (in terms of just what one sees from the major transit lines) than NYC centric. Also, Acroterion, I appreciate your insightful response. Perhaps it is a relic of 100+ years ago. 138.16.113.5 (talk) 21:18, 30 July 2012 (UTC) (op)

My perspective is from West Virginia/Virginia/Maryland, and most of the old rail bridges are black in that area, particularly if they were a through-truss design that was directly exposed to soot. The Forth Bridge is offered as a counter-example, but given that painting the Forth Bridge is (axiomatically, but apparently erroneously) a never-ceasing task, keeping it red was not a problem. Most of the rail bridges I've seen have been lucky to see a coat of paint in two or three decades. Acroterion (talk) 21:35, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

Is the Olympics fixed? (I.e. do people/the Mob bet on it?)

I've just been watching some fine young female gymnasts perform, and I'm struck by the way that so many of them seem very surprised by the amazing springiness of the floor mats, which sometimes visibly rise up beneath them before they take those extra steps that decide the outcome. Girl after girl seems to be doing amazingly, unprecedentedly poorly. But every once in a while one of them totally nails the performance like she's been practicing on those kind of mats for months. It occurs to me that if the officials had planned to install an extra-springy flooring, and let the right people know about it in advance, then the smart money would really have done well in any betting. But, I know nothing about gymnastics! ;) Am I completely off-base here? Wnt (talk) 03:40, 30 July 2012 (UTC).

I think you are, yes. The number of people who would need to be complicit in the scheme you suggest must surely be prohibitive. At a minimum, you'd need the venue manager, the builders, the judges, the gymnast and the coach all to be on side. That's just too many people who would need to be trusted to keep this a secret - even if you could bribe someone to keep their mouth shut, the number of people you'd need to pay would probably mean that the profit made on the bets would not be enough to ensure a profit after paying out on backhanders.

The 'big noise' at the moment in underhand betting is Spot-fixing, as seen in football and particularly in cricket. This is where 'spot bets' are taken on certain events happening - in cricket they might bet on the number of no-balls bowled by a particular bowler in a certain over. Obviously these things can be pre-arranged, and have the benefit of only involving the player himself and possibly his captain. It might be possible for something similar to be arranged in gymnastics - maybe a certain number of mistakes or taking a tumble at a pre-determined point. I don't think there's any evidence for that happening, but there is enough concern about spot-fixing at the Olympics as a whole for the UK to set up a dedicated task force to investigate any unconventional betting patterns. - Cucumber Mike (talk) 09:51, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

Of course, there are certain badminton matches that would have been good to bet on.    → Michael J Ⓣ Ⓒ Ⓜ 04:01, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

Medical education

In India, students above the age of 25 are not permitted to join medical courses like MBBS whereas other professions like law permit new entrants to join the profession at any age. Why is there a dichotomy here? Is there any age restriction for entry into the medical profession in other countries?

If they put medical interns through the same hellish hours they do in the US, they might want them to be young and healthy just to keep them from dropping dead. StuRat (talk) 05:00, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

In the UK there were formerly age limits at some medical schools but this is no longer the case (I suspect it's illegal) and there are now significant numbers of mature medical students. It's still rare - it's a longer course than most degrees, it costs a lot of money, and it's hard to get a loan if you're older or have a previous degree. And the career structure involves many years of training even after you graduate, unlike being e.g. a lawyer where you may be qualified after 3 years' study and training. In certain countries the government may fund training for doctors in the expectation that people will work for many years in state medical facilities, so it would make sense to pick young people who're going to work for longer. --Colapeninsula (talk) 09:07, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

1940 picture packard contest

In 1940 the Packard car company had a world wide photo contest. first prize was a new car, other prizes were cash and 100 bronze medals and 50 silver medals. I have been unable to get any information about the medals in this contest. I have come across one of the silver medals and am trying to find out what these medals were made of (silver content) and who manufactured these medals. I have contacted several medal dealers and even Packard itself and no one seems to have any information about this contest or the medals. There are several advertisements available (via e-bay and the internet) showing the ad flyers and mentioning the prizes, but that is about all I have been able to locate. Any information about this medal would be appreciated. Since it was one of 50 and I have not been able to find another anywhere else, I am curious if this is the only one left?

Thanks for any assistance, Jeff — Preceding unsigned comment added by Goodoldboy911 (talk • contribs) 08:22, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

You contacted Packard ? It must have been a long time back, since they haven't existed since the 1960's. StuRat (talk) 08:39, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

Here is a link to some of Jeff's previous research on the subject. I hope it's ok to post this, Jeff, since it lets the volunteers here know what information you already have. Honestly, from reading the answers on that link, my feeling would be that the information isn't going to be found online and that a certain amount of offline legwork will be needed to get anything else, but maybe another volunteer will have a bright idea. - Cucumber Mike (talk) 08:58, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

Quotes

"Learn from others' mistakes because you will not live long enough to make them all yourself" - Anonymous

Here "because you will not live long enough to make them all yourself" - what does it actually mean? Thanks--180.234.24.99 (talk) 17:47, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

If you learn by 2 people's mistakes, you have 2 people's lifetimes of experience rather than just one (yours). It's along the lines of "two heads are better than one". --TammyMoet (talk) 18:02, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

It could also be taken to mean "If you don't learn from the mistakes of others, you may not survive making those mistakes on your own". That is, some mistakes you can only make once, since they result in your death. StuRat (talk) 20:04, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

There have been countless trillions of mistakes made by human beings, and there are countless zillions more to come (not all unique, of course). No individual could possibly hope to repeat every mistake made by other people, because their lifespan is not long enough. So, rather than even trying to do that, better to observe what mistakes others make and learn from them, leaving you free to make an entire lifetime's worth of your own mistakes that nobody else has ever made before, or you're not aware they've done so. Remember, the more mistakes you make, the more you learn, so get cracking, there isn't a moment to lose. To delay doing this would be a mistake, so make that your first mistake and your first learning. Then, when you're sufficiently rested from all that procrastination, you can roll your sleeves up and get seriously stuck in to mistake making. Maybe I'll publish "A Creed for the Risk-Averse": To spend your life avoiding mistakes would be the greatest mistake of all (almost certainly not original).-- ♬ Jack of Oz ♬ 20:35, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

Possibly apocryphal quote from possibly apocryphal public figure: "If I could live life over again, I'd make the same mistakes, only I'd start sooner." ←Baseball Bugs carrots→ 02:00, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

Nose cards?

I remember that in the middle to late 1980s, there were "nose cards". These were collectable playing card -sized cards with a hole in them. On one side was a picture of a human or an animal, with the hole in the place of its nose, on the other side was a textual explanation. The idea was to wear these cards on your own nose, so it would form a three-dimensional nose on the two-dimensional figure. Does anyone remember what these cards were actually called, and where did they come from? JIP | Talk 19:22, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

IIRC you are Finnish; google for nenäkortti. 88.114.124.228 (talk) 10:42, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

According to this page they were called "Snoots". This page has a picture of several such cards (the last picture on the page). Now could anyone tell me more information about them, which country they were from, and who published them? JIP | Talk 16:01, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

July 31

Race and LGBT

Why are most LGBT people white? --108.206.7.65 (talk) 02:15, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

Most straight people are white too (in the USA, anyway). ←Baseball Bugs carrots→ 04:10, 1 August 2012 (UTC)

First prove that they are. (Note that they may appear to be, since many non-white cultures punish those who admit to being LGBT, resulting in more "in the closet" behavior.) StuRat (talk) 02:17, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

It's an interesting question. There might be no difference, but there also might be a difference based on differences in the level of exposure to endocrine disruptors or even epigenetic effects from this or other environmental circumstances in the past. Wnt (talk) 03:00, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

In the United States, the largest individual race is "white." (I'm going by census definitions here and ignoring ethnicity. This complicates things considerably when thinking about "lay" racial categories, but whatever, live with it.) Assuming a more or less even distribution of probability of homosexuality, there would lend to a large raw number of white LGBTs in the United States. Still, the number of non-white LGBT would be quite substantial. I haven't seen anything which suggested that the base rates of homosexuality varied by racial groups. Observed rates surely varies by cultural context so comparing internationally is not going to tell you very much. --Mr.98 (talk) 03:49, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

Most LGBT people in the world are not white. As for the U.S., I totally agree with what Mr.98 said. Futurist110 (talk) 05:56, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

The IP locates to Missouri, so I assume you're talking about the US. I agree with the above two points: A) Most LGBT people are not white, and B) Most US residents are white. So you have a strong sampling bias, but there is also a strong cultural effect. Most of the non-Whites in the United States are either non-Black Hispanic or African American. Predominantly, they belong to Catholicism and Black churches, respectively (especially in the South with regard to the latter, and not so much in other places). Both of these religious groups tend to be extremely culturally conservative. So while it would not influence the rate of LGBTism, which is probably an acultural trait, I assume this conservative culture would have a profound impact on the rate of self-outing. Someguy1221 (talk) 07:40, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

I'm not from Missouri, but am from the USA. Futurist110 (talk) 07:55, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

Someguy said "the IP" which was in reference to the IP address of the original poster, not you. If you do not indent your comments correctly, all subsequent comments will look like they are in response to you, even when they are not. This is why you should always indent your comments to make it clear who you are responding to. --Mr.98 (talk) 16:39, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

* See Down-low (sexual slang). 69.62.243.48 (talk) 18:43, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

Dracula 4 PC Game

I read on this site that the last game in the Dracula series, Dracula 4, will be for the Playstation & Xbox systems. Will it ever be available for PC? Vicky Wiley — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.243.131.5 (talk) 03:35, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

Which Foods Contain Zero or Virtually Zero Calories?

I enjoy eating a lot but want to avoid gaining extra weight, since I'm already overweight as it is. Futurist110 (talk) 06:05, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

Celery. Water. Maybe cucumber. It's an urban legend that celery takes more calories to digest than it gives you by eating, but it's still pretty healthy. 81.159.248.53 (talk) 06:16, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

Shirataki noodles: . StuRat (talk) 06:21, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

I don't think it's a good strategy to try to eat much of these zero calorie foods, though. Your body will rebel and you will then binge. A more realistic diet is more likely to work, with perhaps a bit of these thrown in. StuRat (talk) 06:25, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

My parents don't let me binge except when I go to all you can eat places. Futurist110 (talk) 07:02, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

You should definitely avoid those, then. Of course, your parents can't always be around to stop you from binging. StuRat (talk) 07:06, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

I live with my parents and I plan to do so until marriage, which is probably another 10-15 years. Futurist110 (talk) 07:29, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

While I think Stu has the right idea, for myself in the think the zero and near-zero calorie foods do have a place in a diet, that being to replace any snacks you normally eat between meals. In addition to celery, I would throw in iceberg lettuce and sugar-free jello. Someguy1221 (talk) 07:43, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

I'd skip the sugar-free jello, if that means artificial sugar, which seems to increase the appetite. StuRat (talk) 07:45, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

Of course, any suggestion will only work if what you enjoy about eating is the physical act of putting food in your mouth, chewing and swallowing. If what you actually enjoy about eating is the taste, how it feels in your mouth or the texture of the food, you will not enjoy eating celery or cucumber and make it up by snacking on the stuff you actually like. --TammyMoet (talk) 09:41, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

To be honest, cucumber tastes pretty good together with tomatoes and olive oil. Futurist110 (talk) 20:05, 1 August 2012 (UTC)

The most livable diet I've yet seen suggested is from Mark Bittman, who basically says, eat more or less vegetarian or vegan for breakfast and lunch (but don't be stupid — don't eat entire loaves of bread or anything like that), then eat whatever you want for dinner (as long as it is "real food" — skip the grease pits). Focusing on only eating a handful of foods is unlikely to work in the long run and will make you miserable. A reasonable diet paired with some regular exercise is a pretty livable approach to the issue. Just my two cents; to each their own. --Mr.98 (talk) 15:16, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

I lost 20 lbs one summer by eating only mozzarella sticks and Froot Loops. But instead I recommend eating as much iceberg lettuce, eggs and tuna salad as you like. That is anecdotal, but it is supported by calorie counting and glycemic websites. Using a stair master burns the most calories, second to a rowing machine. Both are low impact. The increased sexual drive you get with exercise and sexual intercourse is self-reinforcing but it seems that may be a little advanced for you. μηδείς (talk) 19:54, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

Too much of any one thing can be bad. For example, too many eggs makes your cholesterol go up, and too much tuna can cause mercury poisoning. StuRat (talk) 20:17, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

How is this not a medical question? --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 20:10, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

Because a medical license is not required to give dietary advice. StuRat (talk) 20:16, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

Is there a serious, clear-cut warning on mercury in tuna? Is there a set expected dose per gram (or whatever), or is it the case that certain tuna might be much worse than other? BTW, I meant the eggs tuna and iceberg lettuce commment to be tempered with other things, of course. The good thing with tuna and lettuce especially, and eggs when you get sick of them, is that you can pretty much eat your fill without exceeding your calories, and, most important, your glycemic index. I'll have to post the url of the website I use to check protein versus fat versus carbohydrates when I'm on my other computer. μηδείς (talk) 21:28, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

The FDA recommends a limit of 12 ounces of tuna a week for young children and expecting mothers, who are the most vulnerable to mercury poisoning. How much mercury your tuna actually contains can vary wildly based on where it is caught, what species it came from, and how much of the 5 oz can is actually tuna. The mercury content can vary anywhere from "harmless in any quantity you could consume" to "dangerous to eat more than one small can a week". Someguy1221 (talk) 20:33, 1 August 2012 (UTC)

You must just not like tuna as much as me. I could very easily (and expensively) eat many cans of tuna a day, if I let myself. Following the recommended maximum weekly intake of tuna (for avoiding mercury), as a woman of child-bearing age, is genuinely difficult for me, if I buy it. Yes, there is a serious, clear-cut warning on tuna, and eating "as much as you like" would violate that, if you like the stuff ;) 86.161.208.94 (talk) 22:01, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

Healthy ethnic cuisine

Which ethnic cuisines are the healthiest and have the lowest number of calories? Futurist110 (talk) 20:05, 1 August 2012 (UTC)

I made this a subsection. StuRat (talk) 21:12, 1 August 2012 (UTC)

(Asian) Indian food can be healthy, especially curries and vegetarian fare. However, in general, any ethnic food can be healthy or unhealthy, depending on the dish you choose. Take soul food. There's some extremely unhealthy food there, like fatbacks, deep fried foods, chitlins, etc. However, if you stick to things like collard greens and sweet potato pie, you can have a healthy soul food meal. StuRat (talk) 21:12, 1 August 2012 (UTC)

See The 10 healthiest ethnic cuisines - CNN.com.

—Wavelength (talk) 21:40, 1 August 2012 (UTC)

One problem is that, as far as the UK is concerned (and most likely the USA and also those parts of India heavily influenced by the British interpretations of Indian food), even curries that don't contain lots of cream or coconut etc., regularly contain large amounts of ghee and/or vegetable oil, making them far from a healthy choice. Our article on ghee says that it's also heavily used in Punjabi cuisine generally. --Demiurge1000 (talk) 23:01, 1 August 2012 (UTC)

Depending on the vegetable oil used, some are quite healthy, like fresh olive oil. StuRat (talk) 23:29, 1 August 2012 (UTC)

Even olive oil is unhealthy if used in excess. Anyway, it tends not to figure heavily in Indian cuisine (unlike in, say, Greek cuisine). Rapeseed is often the cheapest vegetable oil, and is only moderately healthy. --Demiurge1000 (talk) 23:31, 1 August 2012 (UTC)

Not in the case of Jeanne Calment, who doused her food in Olive Oil for 120 or so years. μηδείς (talk) 02:42, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

Calment also smoked for 96 years or so. Calment's genes were extremely unique. The odds of me and/or any of you having those genes is probably about 1% or even less. Futurist110 (talk) 07:23, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

Mud Volcano

It sayst eh largest Mud Volcano is in Indonesia since 2006, can you please check this, because according to a few websites, the largest mud volcano is in Baluchistan, Pakistan, this is a bit confusing.

Best regards

Sophia Khawar — Preceding unsigned comment added by Szaraar (talk • contribs) 06:11, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

Our articles includes that both of these mud volcanoes have been claimed as the largest, but we don't have a citation for the Baluchistan volcano. Could you point to the websites that call it the largest? If they are reliable, they can be added to the article. Someguy1221 (talk) 07:56, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

If you like mud volcanoes, you'll love Ol Doinyo Lengai, the "Mountain of God" in the Maasai language. Search for it on youtube too. Quite amazing. μηδείς (talk) 21:57, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

Ticket to Ride

In the song Ticket to Ride, what "ticket" are they talking about? How does the song have anything to do with tickets and rides? 117.227.61.76 (talk) 07:31, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

It's a metaphor meaning that she is the singer's girlfriend/partner/whatever. The singer loves her and she is welcome to join the singer on the "ride" that is their life together. The lyrics go on to say that she doesn't care, or in other words that she is leaving him because she feels that things would be better without the singer. Dismas| 07:47, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

I always thought they meant that his "baby" has a ticket to ride a train away from him, but she changed her mind and now doesn't care that the ticket is wasted. 203.27.72.5 (talk) 08:23, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

That doesn't jibe with the lyrics as far as my interpretation goes.

So, she's unhappy to be living with the singer ("She said that living with me/Was bringing her down"). She felt trapped OR she always made excuses to be elsewhere when the singer was available ("she would never be free when I was around"). She's "got a ticket to ride" with the singer but "she don't care". Dismas| 08:29, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

No, I understand that the ticket to ride means that she is leaving the singer and their relationship is at an end. She's going to another town (by public transport). All this is evident from the first verse: "The girl that's driving me mad/Is going away". --TammyMoet (talk) 09:38, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

If that were so, wouldn't the lyric be "She's got a ticket to ride cause she don't care" instead of "She's got a ticket to ride but she don't care"? Dismas| 10:51, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

It wouldn't be the only song to use "but" incorrectly - "I would do anything for love, but I won't do that" has confused plenty of people (it should be "and I won't do that", since what he's not doing is the bad things he describes earlier, which reinforces the first clause, rather than contradicts it). --Tango (talk) 11:20, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

I'd dispute that, Tango. It very much contradicts it and certainly doesn't reinforce it. He's making a strong contrast with what he said before, which requires a "but". The "I'd do anything..." suggests at face value there's nothing he wouldn't do for love, with no exceptions. But there is one exception, viz. "that", whatever that is. It's no different from "I love food so much, I'd eat anything - but I refuse to touch tripe". -- ♬ Jack of Oz ♬ 22:22, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

I've never heard anything but "She's got a ticket to ride and she don't care". --TammyMoet (talk) 12:27, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

To me it makes perfect sense, that the woman has a "ticket to ride", i.e. she "has it made" if she stays with the man, but she's leaving anyway. ←Baseball Bugs carrots→ 12:22, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

There is some discussion here of the apparent possible meanings of the song (taken from discussions with the Beatles or people who knew them), but it seems ambiguous. The phrase "a ticket to ride" is apparently one of Lennon's contrivances, apparently, so all bets are off as to what he was thinking. Some further discussion here. --Mr.98 (talk) 15:13, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

I always took it to mean she had a "reserved seat" with the singer. I.e., she was always welcome. I am surprised to learn this is Lennon's coinage. Is there a dictionary of metaphors to look this up in? μηδείς (talk) 19:40, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

Our article on Ryde, a seaside resort on the Isle of Wight, says:

John Lennon and Paul McCartney - the title of the song "Ticket to Ride" was inspired by a trip they took to Ryde in the 1960s supposedly visiting Paul’s cousin who worked in the Bow Bars public house in Union Street. McCartney also mentions the Isle of Wight in the song "When I'm Sixty-Four".

The reference is to a website called Songfacts. BrainyBabe (talk) 16:28, 1 August 2012 (UTC)

Ticket_to_Ride#Meaning_of_.22ticket_to_ride.22 has referenced information about the songwriter's own meanings behind the phrase. --Jayron32 19:16, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

SCUBA diving rules

In the TV series Sea Hunt, the protagonist regularly pilots a boat out to his dive site alone, then dives, leaving the boat untended (presumably anchored). I've got to think that this violates every diving safety rule out there. Did it at the time (the 1960's, in US waters) ? StuRat (talk) 09:55, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

Here's a 1955 issue of Popular Mechanics with basic safety rules including "Never dive alone" (p68). This 1968 article says the same (p119). --Colapeninsula (talk) 14:22, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

Thanks. We have a new candidate for most unrealistic TV show. I'd also like to know about leaving the boat untended with a dive team below. StuRat (talk) 18:50, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

I don't see that "violates safety rules" in any way confers "most unrealistic" status. I regularly see people in cars without seat belts; in addition to violating basic safety, it's generally a legal violation. That doesn't make it (or fictional depictions of the same) unrealistic. — Lomn 04:00, 1 August 2012 (UTC)

The main character (Mike Nelson) is portrayed as a safety expert and often works closely with the US Coast Guard. It's laughable to think that someone who so flagrantly violates basic safety rules would be portrayed in that way, like Homer Simpson as the Safety Engineer of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. StuRat (talk) 04:04, 1 August 2012 (UTC)

It makes for more dramatic TV. You want to talk unrealistic? How about shows where they break down your body into atoms and magically reassemble them elsewhere with no ill effects? ←Baseball Bugs carrots→ 12:35, 1 August 2012 (UTC)

That may actually be possible, at some point in the future. We are close to being able to do this systematically with DNA, for example (breaking down to molecules and reassembling them). StuRat (talk) 21:08, 1 August 2012 (UTC)

We're more than close to it. But there's a huge gulf between dealing with individual DNA strands and dealing with an entire organism. Most anything is theoretically possible. Although how that human body would be reanimated is a significant question. ←Baseball Bugs carrots→ 10:32, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

Can 999 emergency calls be traced?

I have always assumed 999 calls could be traced. However this story is going around today which seems to suggest the police are unable to trace emergency calls. Is this really the case, or are there just certain circumstances (mobile phone calls perhaps?) which means they are unable to do it? --Iae (talk) 15:30, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

Land line calls can be traced but I believe it was made from a mobile phone so I suspect they can only trace it to the cell it was in when they called. The size of the cell can vary from very small to very large depending on the area. MilborneOne (talk) 15:38, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

The story explains that the system does not give them the number of a cell phone that is roaming when it makes a 999 call. That seems like a rather glaring flaw, but there it is. Looie496 (talk) 16:59, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

It's perhaps worth remembering that a mobile doesn't normally need a number to make an emergency call. In most countries and with most networks (and with phones with removable SIMs), removing the SIM from the phone will still allow emergency calls to be made. The phone network which routes the call should I think record the IMEI (i.e. serial number) of the phone (although I'm not entirely sure when this is provided), but that's about all. Tracking a phone by IMEI or linking it to a person may or may not be easy depending on a variety of things like local laws and whether the phone is regularly used (perhaps with a SIM). (Even linking a phone number to a specific person may not always be easy.) And besides, you can generally hack the IMEI. So there is a possible area of abuse, but one that I think is generally considered counterbalanced about ensuring people have access to the emergency services.

I'm a bit confused about the story. I don't know much about how things work in the UK but I was under the impression most networks are nationwide with no concept of domestic roaming. One possibily is, since coverage can vary, if you are in an area with no coverage for whatever network you are using and no domestic roaming, you phone may go in to emergency call mode where it connects to a network which doesn't provide any service besides the ability to make emergency calls. I believe this is not that dissimilar from when no SIM is present although I presume that the network you connect to normally records the IMSI and home network in addition to IMEI. (Although I'm not sure whether the network is identified by the IMSI or some other method. If it's some other method, perhaps your phone first identifies the network it's looking for and if the network you connect to says 'sorry can't help you' because there's no roaming agreement with that network, your phone doesn't bother to provide the IMSI.) This would be the similar to you having an international SIM in your phone but connect to a network your provider doesn't have a roaming agreement with, or when your network doesn't allow roaming for you. (Except with international roaming, it's probably even more difficult for the police, since it may be difficult for them to get the cooperation of the foreign provider to try and identify you. Whereas if it's another domestic provider they may get some help. Of course in the later case when roaming is denied, you must have provided your IMSI.)

Even if you are successfully roaming, I'm not sure the network you connect to actually normally 'knows' your phone number (i.e. MSISDN) since it isn't relevent from the networks perspective, except perhaps for caller ID reasons. (Note that even your phone doesn't necessarily know its own number unless it was set up in some way, as there's no standard requirement to store it. And besides as our article mentions technically it can change at any time e.g. due to number portability without your phone being 'told'. It only matters to the network so it knows what calls to route to you.) Remember when you're roaming, all calls to your mobile number still go to the network you're a subscriber of who then forward it on to the network you're connected to (our article mentions via a temporary number). This is discussed in the roaming article and has also been mentioned on the RD before.

P.S. Nimur or someone could probably provide clarification one some of the points I was unsure of like whether the IMEI and IMSI are normally provided to the network you connect to even when ordinary service isn't possible.

Nil Einne (talk) 17:32, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

I'm pretty sure that a UK phone with no signal will connect through another network if it can, I can't immediately find a source, though. I have found this saying Ofcom wanted to make it possible in 2009 - I can't prove that they actually did it, but I think they did. --Tango (talk) 20:29, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

Thanks for the information. I should say that the link I posted was originally completely different, and didn't have any details whatsoever regarding the source of the call. --Iae (talk) 22:04, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

I'm somewhat confused by the link. As I mentioned, as far as I know in most countries, at least with GSM networks, there's nothing stopping the phone connecting to any available network (that they are capable of connecting to) to make emergency calls only. The issue as I mentioned is one of the phone set-up. I think some (/many?) phones don't bother to connect to networks which provide emergency calls only when they have a SIM installed (as I mentioned most should do so without a SIM), possibly because it may take them longer to hand-over in to their proper network. Also AFAIK, roaming usually means when some level of service is provided based on roaming agreements and authentication, not simply providing emergency calls without any authentication so allowing a phone to connect for emergency calls only wouldn't generally be called roaming. It's possible they want or have set up things in the UK differently. Rather then presenting it self as providing emergency calls only, a network may present itself as providing roaming, but if you try to make non emergency calls you get a message saying you can't make such calls. So if you've set up your phone to roam, it will automatically connect to other networks if necessary. (Perhaps this is combined with some degree of cooperation to improve handovers to your desired network, although I think with roaming phones phones are already generally okay at handing over to the desired network.) Alternatively perhaps they just don't or didn't do something most? of the world was already doing and allowed emergency calls from any network without authentication (and having confusingly decided to call it roaming), these non RS seems to suggest this later suggestion may in fact be the case. P.S. I realised earlier my comment above on IMEIs was silly. As I understand it, IMEIs in some way function like a MAC address and are what are supposed to uniquely identify every device connected to a network, so of course they are provided to the network when you connect. Simultaneous dual SIM phones always have 2 IMEIs. Nil Einne (talk) 07:57, 1 August 2012 (UTC)

Josh Groban

I am sorry if I am not asking in the right place. I looked and this seemed the best place. I have seen several articles stating Josh Groban is an atheist. Now where have I seen him quoted that he is an atheist or giving sign of it. Is he an atheist and what is the proof? Froglong (talk) 16:07, 31 July 2012 (UTC)froglongFroglong (talk) 16:07, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

The Entertainment desk would be a better place for this question, but as far as I can see the answer is that Josh Groban has carefully avoided stating in public what his religious beliefs are, beyond saying that he is "spiritual", whatever that means. Looie496 (talk) 16:53, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

public records

Theres a old cabin on my prop. Im wanting to know when & who built it. how do I go about that? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 108.131.92.149 (talk) 16:11, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

Saying that you're from Mississippi rather, than, say, Pudsea, probably has a bearing on whether & how easily the question will be answered. --Tagishsimon (talk) 16:14, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

There's no way of answering that question systematically. Start by asking the old folks, and look for any possible historical records, and follow up any leads you get. Looie496 (talk) 16:56, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

You could also determine the approximate age by the construction. Does it have electricity ? Indoor plumbing ? Is it made out of machine-cut boards, hand-hewn boards, or logs ? StuRat (talk) 18:56, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

Do you have the deeds for the property? If the cabin is shown on the deeds, then you know it is older than the date on the deeds. If you have deeds at various dates, you may be able to narrow down a range of dates between which it was built. --Tango (talk) 20:34, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

This is apropos. --Tagishsimon (talk) 21:43, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

Track Names

I've gotten hold of a bunch of Chopin's Nocturnes and all of them are simply labelled track 001 or track 002 and so on. How do I get the names for those pieces? I remember that Winamp had a built in plugin sort of thing that automatically detected the track playing and showed the names, once connected to the internet, but that has either stopped working on my version, or it's got to be reinstalled separately or something. Can anyone please help me? 117.226.226.249 (talk) 20:03, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

My daughter uses a free phone app called SoundHound, which claims to be able to identify pieces from a recording or even when hummed or sung. There's a more established piece of software called Shazam, although I don't think it does the humming thing. Both apparently have more difficulty with classical pieces, but I googled and found reports of success, including with a Chopin nocturne, oddly enough. I have no personal experience of using such apps, but there's some information at Query by humming and Shazam (service). - Karenjc 21:21, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

IPs not talking about identifying it based off the music itself (although that could work maybe), but rather off of the individual track characteristics. In the simplest version it just looks at all the track lengths on an album and from that it can narrow down which album it is pretty quickly.

The underlying service is usually either Gracenote, Freedb.org, or Gnudb.org. You might check their websites to see if you can find supported programs. Shadowjams (talk) 22:46, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

For further info, see a section in the language desk, about "pirates". ←Baseball Bugs carrots→ 23:00, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

Or you could find someone with perfect pitch and get the keys, which is how they're identified anyway (though some have better known names, i.e., "Raindrops") 24.92.74.238 (talk) 02:47, 1 August 2012 (UTC)

That would get you a part of the way, but the keys are not all unique. There are 2 nocturnes in E♭ major, 2 in F♯ minor, 2 in G minor, and 3 in B major. Better to find someone who plays or is very familiar with them, who can identify each one immediately from the opening bar. I'd happily do it for you if you could somehow give me access to the recordings. Or, if you can read music or know someone who does, you can use the incipits at Nocturnes (Chopin). -- ♬ Jack of Oz ♬ 03:00, 1 August 2012 (UTC)

If you've ... obtained a whole CD, then picard has a fair chance of working. Henry 13:52, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

August 1

Vegetarianism and Bad-Breath

Is it a fact that those practicing vegetarianism are more likely to have bad-breath ? - 124.253.59.227 (talk) 06:50, 1 August 2012 (UTC)

Why would it be more likely for that particular group of people, than people who have rotten teeth? --TammyMoet (talk) 08:48, 1 August 2012 (UTC)

Our article halitosis doesn't mention any specific foods as causing bad breath, and the causes of persistent bad breath are not directly related to diet. Certain conditions that can cause bad breath may be partly due to a meat-heavy diet, e.g. diabetes mellitus which is associated with a western-style diet high in meat, sugar, etc, while trimethylaminuria sufferers are often told to avoid red meat. But most bad breath isn't due to such conditions. Foods which cause temporary bad breath are the obvious ones: garlic, onions, spices, etc, which can be eaten with either meat or vegetarian diets. So there's no evidence that a vegetarian diet causes bad breath, although if you switch from unseasoned chicken to hummous and vegetable curries, then you may notice a difference. --Colapeninsula (talk) 08:56, 1 August 2012 (UTC)

There are both vegetarian and non-vegetarian foods which cause bad breath. In some cases, the method of preparation makes a difference. For example, raw onion is far smellier than cooked onion. Some vegetarian foods may actually improve the breath, either because they cover bad smells, like mint, or because they tend to remove food stuck between the teeth, etc., like an apple. Of course, brushing the teeth is even more effective, both for vegetarians and non-vegetarians. StuRat (talk) 09:34, 1 August 2012 (UTC)

There's no substitute for regular tooth-brushing. But if halitosis persists, a doctor should be consulted, not some random wikipedians. But this all reminds me of a couple of oldies. (1) A guy is sitting in a library reading a book of trivia. He says to the nearest other guy, "Do you know that every time I breathe, a man dies?" The other guy says, "Try chewing cloves." (2) Cooked onions may not be as smelly as raw onions, but they are plenty smelly nonetheless. There's an old saying: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away. An onion a day keeps everybody away." ←Baseball Bugs carrots→ 01:00, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

Diets that exclude carbohydrates (which are almost exlusively sourced from plants) can cause ketosis which causes bad breath. So, in a way, the opposite of what you asked is true. 203.27.72.5 (talk) 21:04, 1 August 2012 (UTC)

What is a "vegetarian food"? Vegetarians are defined by what they don't eat, not what they do, so the concept doesn't make a lot of sense. It's not like only vegetarians eat mint or apples... --Tango (talk) 22:28, 1 August 2012 (UTC)

The amounts of those foods which they eat are greater, and this can affect the breath (along with not eating meat). There are also some non-vegetarians who eat virtually no fruits or vegetables. StuRat (talk) 08:47, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

80s NBA (basketball) player

I might need a little leeway here. Before the existence of the Dream Team, I had a conversation with someone who was very into NBA basketball about what it would be like if the top professionals could be part of the Olympics. Back then I knew nothing at all about basketball. Now I know nearly nothing about it. He reeled off a list of players who would have been in such a team, none of whom meant anything to me. Somehow, one of the strange names sort of stuck in my head, but clearly not very well. I think he said "Dr John"... but I can't imagine Dr. John having magnificent slam dunking skills. If that's not vague enough, I'd date the conversation as somewhere between 1981 and 1990, lol. Have I given enough clues for someone to work out who the player was? --Dweller (talk) 11:51, 1 August 2012 (UTC)

Possibly Julius Erving, who was known as "Dr. J". ←Baseball Bugs carrots→ 12:32, 1 August 2012 (UTC)

I think we have a winner. Thank you. --Dweller (talk) 12:39, 1 August 2012 (UTC)

I will mark this Q resolved. StuRat (talk) 21:44, 1 August 2012 (UTC)

August 2

Olympic pools heated?

Are the swimming pools in the Olympics heated? Bubba73 03:18, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

FINA regulation 3.14 for Olympic events is the same as 2.11, which states the temperature should be between 25 and 28 degrees. Clarityfiend (talk) 03:44, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

If 78-80 degree Fahrenheit is considered heated, then Yes.

http://www.solarattic.com/files/DictofTe.pdf (page 2 from here). Futurist110 (talk) 03:45, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

That is 77F-82.4F, still a little cool, I think. Bubba73 03:51, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

Compared to what, Bubba? If a pool requires any heating to make it be a certain temperature, then ipso facto it's heated. Whether that's an individual's idea of cool or warm is a different question. -- ♬ Jack of Oz ♬ 05:20, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

Are you saying 77 Fahrenheit is cool? When I was a child, I slept in a soggy shoebox, and had to eat ground glass for dinner, both ways, up hill. μηδείς (talk) 08:54, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

That actually seems too warm, to me. That would be fine for just splashing around, but those athletes are working hard, so cooler water would probably be appreciated, and keep them from overheating. StuRat (talk) 09:06, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

Public baths in Britain often (used to?) have a digital temperature read-out near the entrance (I'm talking about Olympic-style straight-up-and-down swimming-in-lanes pools here, not the 'fun-park' type with flumes and jacuzzis) and my recollection from my childhood is that the 'norm' was somewhere around 21 centigrade (70F), and it'd often be nearer 19 (66F). If it got up to 23 (73.5) you'd be looking forward to a nice warm swim, so 25-28 seems like bloody luxury! - Cucumber Mike (talk) 09:26, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

Apparently performance levels for elite swimmers go up with temperature. See http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8350604 - Cucumber Mike (talk) 09:29, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

To a point. (While swimmers might move pretty fast at 100°C, they would stop moving fairly soon.) StuRat (talk) 09:33, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

26 degrees is the standard for competition pools. HiLo48 (talk) 00:22, 3 August 2012 (UTC)

human potential/development

*Dear Sir or Madam, I am from the uk and I am intrigued by the programmes that you run out in the usa. For instansce, there is a true account of a young man in his teens who wanted to become a basketball player.He was only four foot and a half in height. The coaches, seeing how passionate he was about becoming a basketball player, decided to take him through a training programme. By the end of four months he had become six feet in height: the ideal height to be a basketball player. There was somekind of mindpower technique involved in the programme. Could you please expand more on this,please? I never hear about programmes like this over in the uk. Is it something that is very common in the usa?212.219.231.1 (talk) 11:12, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

Firstly, this is Misplaced Pages, the encyclopaedia anyone can edit. We don't run any sort of sports programmes. You may have come across one of our articles about the subject. Secondly, no "mindpower technique" is going to increase anyone's height by 18 inches, if at all. Can you refer us to where you saw this "true account"? Rojomoke (talk) 12:57, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

:I could be wrong, but I don't think the OP is under the misapprehension that we run sports programmes. I take the 'you run out in the States' to be indicative of an assumption that Misplaced Pages is primarily US-based. 77.97.198.48 (talk) 22:58, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

I'm also rather skeptical of this supposed "true story". From the sound of it it sounds like it's either greatly exaggerated or complete fiction. --Martyk7 (talk) 17:04, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

LOL! and a gold star to boot. μηδείς (talk) 05:37, 3 August 2012 (UTC)

FWIW the OP has an interesting editing history. Richard Avery (talk) 10:15, 3 August 2012 (UTC)

Most useful free sites out there

What are the most useful free sites out there besides Misplaced Pages and its sister projects and YouTube? Futurist110 (talk) 19:53, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

You've been hanging around here long enough to know that we cannot possibly answer that question without knowing your areas of interest, at the very least. What's useful to me might be complete rubbish to you, and vice-versa. -- ♬ Jack of Oz ♬ 20:32, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

Define "useful"? I find www.imdb.com and www.allmusic.com to be useful for pop culture stuff, www.tvtropes.com some people like. Google is fantastically useful, and free. If you like sports, ESPN.com is good, and some historical sites like baseball-reference.com and its sister sites are good for American sports research. I'm an American football nut (the kind with the oblong brown ball) and one of my favorite free sites is The Helmet Project which is a great example of a very narrow and very deep project. It also depends on what you mean by "free". Do you mean free as in speech or free as in beer? --Jayron32 20:38, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

By useful, I meant useful for any area of interest, whether I or someone else is interested in this area. By free, I meant a website that anyone can access at any time without ever paying for it. As for my fields of interest, I am very interested in United States, Israeli, and Jewish demographics. I am also interested in history, politics, current events, and especially current and historical maps (including those pertaining to demographics and demographic data). You can look at my Misplaced Pages profile for a little more details. Futurist110 (talk) 21:34, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

If you like maps, there's a great repository of digitally scanned historical maps through the University of Texas library system. I've used it for years, and it is a great site. See here for the home page. --Jayron32 02:59, 3 August 2012 (UTC)

I mean free as in gratis, meaning for no cost. Futurist110 (talk) 21:36, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

Haaretz(www.haaretz.com) is a free Israeli current events site that I've found to be pretty reliable. --M@rēino 21:54, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

Remember: The reference desk does not answer requests for opinions. I would say this question falls into that bucket. RudolfRed (talk) 23:15, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

He's looking for helpful reference sites. I would say that is exactly what the reference desk is for. --Jayron32 03:01, 3 August 2012 (UTC)

Based on your preferences... I'll comment on your talk page. --Activism1234 23:41, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

I've found Weather Underground's Braille Page to be useful in getting my current local US weather and forecast fast, without ads and animated maps wasting my time (it's not really Braille, it's just easy for screen readers to handle). The Weather Channel purchased Weather Underground recently, so it may have all that crap added soon, but I hope not. StuRat (talk) 04:37, 3 August 2012 (UTC)

Is there a free website similar to Social Explorer. Social Explorer is amazing, but a large part of it is not free. :( Futurist110 (talk) 04:53, 3 August 2012 (UTC)

WormBase is the most useful free website in my utterly objective opinion. Someguy1221 (talk) 05:36, 3 August 2012 (UTC)

Indira Gandhi

Was Indira Gandhi related to Mohandas Gandhi? --108.206.7.65 (talk) 23:22, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

Not that I can tell. Gandhi is a pretty common surname in India. She was the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru. Nehru was not happy his daughter was marrying Feroze Gandhi, and he sought Mohandas Gandhi's help in dissuading them. Just why he went to Mohandas is not clear, but there's no family connection between Feroze and Mohandas mentioned in the article. -- ♬ Jack of Oz ♬ 23:38, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

Nope. They had the same last name, but weren't related. --Activism1234 23:40, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

No, of course not. She was daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, as told above, the first Prime Minister of India. Nehru was a brahmin. She got the surname "Gandhi" after marriage to a man named Feroze Gandhi. But even Feroze was not a born 'Gandhi', which is a Bania caste. He was, I think, a Parsi and was forced to embrace Hinduism on the condition that he wanted to marry the famous Hindu aristocrat's daughter. "Gandhi" was the most dignified and holy surname then ( as it is now ). Many men who had to embrace Hinduism, through Shudhi mostly, used to acquire this particular holy name.124.253.94.87 (talk) 00:15, 3 August 2012 (UTC)

Not sure why you say "No, of course not". Without knowing the story you just gave, it would be quite reasonable to suppose that two Gandhis who knew each other quite well were related. Quite a few of them obviously are. -- ♬ Jack of Oz ♬ 00:24, 3 August 2012 (UTC)

That depends on what exactly you mean when you say "related". In the OP question the terms means "related by blood", which was definitely not the case, as even a kid in India will tell you. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 124.253.92.103 (talk) 00:38, 3 August 2012 (UTC)

How do you know that's what the OP meant? I was hoping to discover some familial relationship between her husband Feroze and Mahatma Gandhi, such as uncle-nephew. That would make her related by marriage to Mahatma, in my book. You've now made it clear that was not the case. I was simply wondering why you came out with "Of course not". The OP asked a reasonable question, and I've known various people who always just assumed that they were in fact direct blood relatives. (Not everyone in the world is lucky enough to be a kid in India.) I was actually very surprised to find no denial of this in our articles. -- ♬ Jack of Oz ♬ 00:58, 3 August 2012 (UTC)

Everyone is related if you go back far enough. Was she a close relative of Mohandas Gandhi? As other users here have already said, No, she wasn't. Futurist110 (talk) 01:08, 3 August 2012 (UTC)

The bite response by 124 was unnecessary and wrong. It's a totally reasonable assumption to have made and the question was appropriate for this page. --Dweller (talk) 10:18, 3 August 2012 (UTC)

August 3

Name for new company

Dear Partners,

can you please suggest me some unique manes for my new training institute in India. this is software training institute. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 183.83.22.1 (talk) 04:10, 3 August 2012 (UTC)

The Sam Houston Institute of Technology. Farmer's University of Central Kansas. --Jayron32 04:18, 3 August 2012 (UTC)

What type of training will it do ? Where in India is it located ? Is there anybody you want to name it after ? (Gandhi is always good, if you're in a Hindu area.) StuRat (talk) 04:28, 3 August 2012 (UTC)

The Robert Clive Centre for Software Excellence. --Demiurge1000 (talk) 04:31, 3 August 2012 (UTC)

"Effect Training". I arrived at this by generating ten random nouns, and ignoring the concrete ones ("Sock Training"), the negative ones ("Shame Training"), and the ones with overtones of operant conditioning ("Reward Training"). There is apparently a "Visual Effect Training" institute, VFX, in Pune, teaching game programming: other than that, the name "Effect Training" appears reasonably unique, and it is suitably vague, and inspirational. It can also be read in the imperative mood, interpreting "Effect" as a verb.  Card Zero  (talk) 09:07, 3 August 2012 (UTC)

I'm very disappointed in you all for not answering the question. The finest manes were of course those of late-eighties German footballers. Henry 14:30, 3 August 2012 (UTC)

The passionate shepherd to his love.

I have been asked to read this Christopher Marlowe poem at a forthcoming wedding and am happy to do so. But given that Marlowe was a contemporary of William Shakespeare the style of "olde" English is 16th century and myself and the congregation will struggle with it. Does anyone know how I can hear it being spoken by a competent speaker more familiar with that style. Any help will be much appreciated. Thanks. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.41.229.241 (talk) 09:21, 3 August 2012 (UTC)

Looking at the poem here it doesn't seem to be written in 16th century English. The words are simple and the rhymes will benefit from some practice read-throughs. My advice would be to read it evenly and slower than you might think comfortable. So many speeches and poem readings are spoiled because the nerves of the speaker or reader force an unnatural pace by which the listeners cannot catch the words and meaning. Listen to this for as good an example as you'd want to hear. Good luck. Richard Avery (talk) 09:56, 3 August 2012 (UTC)

In those days lots of lyric poetry was intended to be sung rather than recited, and that probably applies to that poem. If you have the musical skills, you should think about finding a way to sing it. Even if not, singing it to yourself, with some random melody, will give you a feel for how to recite it effectively. Looie496 (talk) 17:10, 3 August 2012 (UTC)

In fact a whole bunch of people have written music for that poem, including P. D. Q. Bach. Looie496 (talk) 17:14, 3 August 2012 (UTC)

Also you can find literally dozens of versions on Youtube, some recited and some sung. Looie496 (talk) 17:20, 3 August 2012 (UTC)

How to find Committee against Torture decisions

Hi,

I quickly browsed and searched the website of the Committee against Torture, and I also googled a few keywords, but I didn't find anywhere the CAT decision of 17 January 2012 about Azerbaijan mentioned here (I get an error message when I follow the link to un.org given on the Lifos). I found it neither on the decisions page given in the WP article nor on Refworld. Any idea?

Thanks. Apokrif (talk) 16:34, 3 August 2012 (UTC)

Condom

What is difference between regular and dotted condom ? GiantBluePanda (talk) 19:59, 3 August 2012 (UTC)

1. Song information - "Ticket to ride"

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