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March 15

Question about missile tracking

I have sort of a "where's the article that..." question; if this isn't the appropriate place to put it, please let me know.

I'm designing a computer game where one of the enemies tries to ram your player. Initially I moved the enemy directly toward your current position at each frame, but that doesn't work so well. The thing is, I remember seeing an article on Wikipedia about the history of anti-aircraft missiles, and they talked about this exact problem. The article said something to the effect of "the earliest air-to-air missiles tried to keep the enemy directly in front of the nose cone, but these performed poorly. Later designs took into account the enemy's motion..." and there was an explanation having something to do with the plane's velocity and an arc around the missile, but I'm afraid I don't remember much of it.

I've been trying to find this article again so that I can adapt that method for my own use, but my Google-fu has turned up nothing. I've been in Missile, Air-to-air missile, Guidance system, History of rockets, and some other usual suspects, but have been unable to find the article I was looking for. Does anyone know where this segment might be? Has it been deleted?

Again, I realize this is different from the usual format of these questions, so please tell me if this is not the appropriate place. Sloverlord (talk) 03:40, 15 March 2011 (UTC)

Have you tried following any threads from Trajectory optimization which shows some promise, though does not answer your question directly... --Jayron32 04:35, 15 March 2011 (UTC)

Or, perhaps Mathematical discussion of rangekeeping which is actually a kinda crappy article (by Wikipedia standards for naming and organization), but it does discuss the concept of "rangekeeping" which appears to be the idea of aiming a projectile where an object is going to be, rather than where it is; this seems to what you are looking for. Rangekeeper also discusses this as well. --Jayron32 04:38, 15 March 2011 (UTC)

Current location of missile--------A-----------B-----------C---->

A = position after 1 hour

B = position after 2 hours

C = position after 3 hours

You form a predicted trajectory of the missile, and then tell the intercepting missile to strike at the nearest point on that trajectory that it can make it to on time.

This is a really basic explanation. You may want to tell your enemies to head towards a few spaces in front of your player.AerobicFox (talk) 05:00, 15 March 2011 (UTC)

The simplest tracking method is to assume that the target will continue at the current speed and direction, ignoring any acceleration. Here's a rough method:

1) Find the difference in the target's X, Y, and (if 3D) Z coords in the minimum time interval over which movement can be detected. Let's say that's a tenth of a second, and we will call the target's movements in that time (ΔX,ΔY,ΔZ), and it's current position (X,Y,Z).

2) Calculate how long it would take to reach the target, if it remained stationary, where it is now, and your "missile" went straight toward it. This is simply the distance to the target divided by the speed of the "missile". Let's say that's 10 seconds.

3) Now calculate where the target will be in 10 seconds. Since that's 100 times the interval used in step 1, that would be (X+100ΔX,Y+100ΔY,Z+100ΔZ).

4) Repeat the calculate in step 2, but now use the location where the target will be in 10 seconds, instead of it's current location. This will give you a new time-to-target.

5) Now calculate where the target will be in that time-to-target. Continue to repeat these 2 steps until the intersection location rounds to the same coords in 2 consecutive steps.

6) Now you have your target intersection location. Head straight towards that.

7) Redo the calcs at each step of movement of the target, so your "missile" will adjust it's trajectory as the target changes speed and direction.

A more sophisticated model would take acceleration into account directly, rather than correcting for it, as we do here, but hopefully this is sufficient for your needs. To decrease the skill level, have the "missile" recalculate the trajectory less often. StuRat (talk) 05:43, 15 March 2011 (UTC)

I recall reading that a very simple geometric algorithmn was used during the air battles of WW2 (see Battle_of_Britain#The_Dowding_System - scroll down) to "vector" the fighter pilots to the enenmy. Cannot remember details, sorry. 92.15.5.217 (talk) 14:27, 15 March 2011 (UTC)

The mathematical name for this type of problem is pursuit-evasion problems. Our article mentions applications to missile guidance. Also see a specific example for discrete space, the Homicidal_chauffeur_problem. Here is a nice paper on the classic continuous dog-and-rabbit problem. [1]. SemanticMantis (talk) 17:41, 15 March 2011 (UTC)

I would ask this question on the Mathematics board - they should be able to solve it. You have two vectors and have to solve the triangle to find out where they cross, with the complication of different speeds being involved. The angle and speed of the target are known. The speed of the missile is known, but the angle is unknown. Its too late at night for me to have a stab at it. This http://www.gamedev.net/topic/451184-enemy-path-prediction-and-sieging/ may be of interest. Was the article you were looking for Pursuit guidance or Proportional navigation? 92.29.118.158 (talk) 00:35, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

A lot of good suggestions all around. Proportional navigation was in fact the one I had been looking for, although many of the other things mentioned seem like they would be helpful too. SemanticMantis' papers might be a little overkill for a chintzy computer game, but they look fascinating nonetheless and I'm going to read them anyway when I have a free moment. Thanks for your help, everyone! Sloverlord (talk) 01:35, 17 March 2011 (UTC)

Chinese Mahjong Rules

I was playing Chinese Mahjong with friends, and we encountered an odd occurrence. I had a concealed kong (4 identical) and I revealed it to interrupt an opponent's turn. I drew make up tile and had to discard, but I was placed in an unusual situation where I seemed unable to complete my hand. I had the kong on the table, plus two other revealed sets. That makes 10 tiles, plus I had 4 in my hand, for a total of 14. The issue was that I had two pairs/eyes in my hand and I had to discard a tile to have 13 again. However, I would have had two matching tiles in my hand plus one that didn't, and I can't have a winning hand with two pairs. What rules did we miss so that someone can have three tiles in hand and successfully complete the hand without having two pairs?130.127.108.23 (talk) 06:11, 15 March 2011 (UTC)

By the the "rules" I know, you put the kong up as soon as you get it (with one tile turned down) so this would be at the start of the game or in your own turn. You then pick up an extra tile. Hence you keep the right number of tiles in your hand. However, if your rules allow you to interrupt an opponent you would have to pick up the extra tile and, since it is now your turn, pick up yet another tile as the normal part of your turn. However, I do not see why you should be able to interrupt the flow of play simply to declare a concealed kong. I can see though that you may be allowed to keep a concealed kong undisclosed though then you'd only be able to disclose it in your turn. But I am not a lawyer! Thincat (talk) 17:30, 15 March 2011 (UTC)

I now see Mahjong says "At any point during a players turn, if they have all four matching tiles in their hand, they may declare the Kong". Thincat (talk) 17:34, 15 March 2011 (UTC)

With any kong you lay out, get the extra tile from the other end of the stack. Graeme Bartlett (talk) 23:16, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

The subject of questions is mass communication

What is umbrella lead? What is dictation speed bulletin? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 117.211.76.2 (talk) 07:19, 15 March 2011 (UTC)

An 'umbrella lead' is a style of opening an article in a newspaper or magazine report. It may be characterised by inclusion of a number of different factors relating to a single story. See here, page 10. 12, section 5, the relevant section starts on page ten. Thanks 92. I can only guess at the second part of your question so I will leave it. Richard Avery (talk) 08:34, 15 March 2011 (UTC)

I've just downloaded that paper for future study and reference - thought I'd mention it to underline that answers here can be of interest to others besides the OP. Thanks, Richard! {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.201.110.135 (talk) 16:31, 15 March 2011 (UTC)

I make it page 12 or page 19. 92.15.5.217 (talk) 14:31, 15 March 2011 (UTC)

When I trained as a secretary, the BBC World Service would broadcast certain of its news bulletins at "dictation speed" of about 120 words per minute, about half the speed of normal news bulletins. This was so the bulletins could be taken down verbatim in shorthand by journalists (and budding shorthand-typists such as myself!). In the days before recorders, of course. I can only presume that this is what the OP is referring to. --TammyMoet (talk) 10:00, 15 March 2011 (UTC)

Identify this anime

I've been searching high and low in an effort to identify which anime (it looks like both have been taken from the same series) these pictures are from. Tineye didn't help one bit, and googling random phrases yielded nothing either. Can anyone help me please? Here is the url: http://copytaste.com/y293 Thanks in advance!! 223.177.244.236 (talk) 09:44, 15 March 2011 (UTC)

Might be La Clef: Meikyuu No Kagi. Googling this it appears to be cover art from a song from about 2007 (the cover art of the CD is spot on) by Kotoko. It might be a manga that was never produced? See: http://www.pireze.org/blog/?p=366 (I'm not affiliated with link). --Quartermaster (talk) 13:25, 15 March 2011 (UTC)

Added notes: Alternate transcriptions include La Clef: Meikyu No Kagi (only one "u"). The anime/manga itself is most likely just Meikyu No Kagi. Might also be Zettai Meikyuu Grimm. My google fu is strong. My Nihongo Fu is not. --Quartermaster (talk) 13:40, 15 March 2011 (UTC)

Final answer is: Ikoku Meiro no Kurowaaze --Quartermaster (talk) 15:16, 15 March 2011 (UTC)

This is the official site. The anime will be on air in this summer in Japan Oda Mari (talk) 19:10, 15 March 2011 (UTC)

I wonder why Wikipedia doesn't have an article on it. Isn't it noticeable enough? 223.177.247.82 (talk) 09:19, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

British Gas ad place names

There's an ad on UK radio for British Gas just now in which people read out a bunch of place names like Rochester, Yaddlethorpe, Abergavenny, Clenchwarton, and so on. However, try as I might, I can't seem to catch them all and it's driving me nuts. Can anyone tell me the full list? Cheers TheRetroGuy (talk) 17:58, 15 March 2011 (UTC)

I've not heard the ad, but could it be a UK version of "I've Been Everywhere"? Rolf Harris did a version with UK placenames in 1963 (youtube has it). -- Finlay McWalter ☻ Talk 18:09, 15 March 2011 (UTC)

Interesting song. I don't think the ad is based on it as they're just random place names said (I think) in regional accents with no particular structure to them. However, having just listened to this song, I do recall a series of television ads for a building society during the early 1990s based around it. I thinmk that was for Abbey National or something like that. TheRetroGuy (talk) 18:42, 15 March 2011 (UTC)

Actually, I stand corrected, the building society ad was for Nationwide (see here) TheRetroGuy (talk) 18:47, 15 March 2011 (UTC)

Yes, that's fundamentally the same song, with what must be their own, rather twee, lyrics (not the Rolf Harris ones). All the versions of "I've Been Everywhere" are just random recitations of places in their respective countries that rhyme (but in an order with no reason). Note, by way of trivia, that there's only one Letsby Avenue in Britain - it's a road in the former Sheffield City Airport & Heliport (where the police station was) map. -- Finlay McWalter ☻ Talk 20:37, 15 March 2011 (UTC)

I can't believe there is actually a Letsby Avenue, and with a police station on it as well. :) It puts me in mind of a joke I heard years ago about the policeman who lives at 999 Letsby Avenue, though I can't remember the details of it now. TheRetroGuy (talk) 21:57, 15 March 2011 (UTC)

The street (which is really a private service road) was clearly named (in a fit of bureaucratic whimsy) after the joke. -- Finlay McWalter ☻ Talk 23:02, 15 March 2011 (UTC)

Howeever, the song "I've been Everywhere" is nothing to do with said advert. I wonder if contacting the company will bear fruition? I might be unemployed, but even I draw the line at sitting next to the radio all day trying to catch the town names to answer a Wikipedia question! --TammyMoet (talk) 10:57, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

Might do that. I wouldn't want anyone to spend hours listening to the radio just on the off chance the ad might come on, more if someone happened to hear it and could catch the names. :) TheRetroGuy (talk) 21:07, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

I've been looking into this just now, but their contact us page appears to want me to become a customer and limits enquiries to those concerning their services, paying bills, etc. As I've no desire to switch from my current provider then I think the above option could be out. The main problem with the ad is that each place name is spoken in the regional accent corresponding to the location, and I find many of them are difficult to understand. A little more information on the ad. The music played in the background is from The Universal by Blur. TheRetroGuy (talk) 22:49, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

Lykke Li

HEEEEEEEELP!
Lykke Li is 25 years old. How do I change the age? B-Machine (talk) 19:41, 15 March 2011 (UTC)

Usually use the Help Desk for editing related questions, or perhaps the Entertainment Reference Desk for this kind of thing... but our article indicates her birthday is on the 18th. It's not yet the 18th. Do you have a citation for the different birthdate? If so we can use it update, but you should provide that citation as there's a lot of shenanigans related to date changes of celebrities. Shadowjams (talk) 20:05, 15 March 2011 (UTC)

"...her birthday is on the 18th. It's not yet the 18th." Oops. B-Machine (talk) 00:54, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

The infobox uses a "birth date and age" template within it, so the age should update automatically on the 18th. DuncanHill (talk) 01:17, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

I added the section title for easier reference. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 09:59, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

An adversion to "affecting" others

Hi. Why do some people seem to be very cautious to prevent themselves from affecting other people in some way? This is not strictly an opinion-based question as many people state at least implicitly that they keep from influencing or affecting other individuals either in a negative or positive way. Is this same tendency linked to one shying away from helping others? Thanks. ~AH1^(TCU) 23:25, 15 March 2011 (UTC)

Noninterference directive ? :-) StuRat (talk) 01:15, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

Please could you give some specific examples of what you mean? 92.29.117.90 (talk) 12:56, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

I'm not certain that there are any specifics, as this is mostly a general description. For example when something is not done for the reason that it would "affect" somebody especially in the case when you know that other person. ~AH1^(TCU) 17:12, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

Sounds like good old-fashioned consideration for other people for me. Ah the days when we weren't quite as selfish and thought of other people before ourselves! --TammyMoet (talk) 18:39, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

I agree with TammyMoet, it sounds like not being a maniac; having some consideration for other's feelings; not being a self-centred ogre. 92.24.180.239 (talk) 14:51, 17 March 2011 (UTC)

That would be altruism, however, I think the OP means any sort of interference, good or bad. A sort of personal isolationism? Grandiose (me, talk, contribs) 18:55, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

A more specific example would help. You could change peoples names. 92.24.186.176 (talk) 00:04, 17 March 2011 (UTC)

March 16

nascar

why are nascar venues not included in largest sports arenas. it is a sport —Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.236.160.209 (talk) 02:28, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

Do you mean why are they not held in the same stadiums? If that is the question, the awnser is: Because it would be too costly to transform a stadium for an automobile race. Sumsum2010·T·C 02:31, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

I read the question to mean that the OP was wondering why NASCAR tracks are not included in some sort of list of the largest sports arenas that we have here at Wikipedia. And the two articles that I find that relate to that are List of stadiums by capacity and List of indoor arenas in the United States. But NASCAR tracks don't match either qualification. They are neither stadiums nor indoor arenas. Dismas|^(talk) 02:40, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

(EC) ::To me it is obvious the OP is referring to one of our articles, perhaps specifically List of North American stadiums by capacity,I hope this helps: List of NASCAR race tracks. 10draftsdeep (talk) 02:43, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

(edit conflict)x3... No, he's refering to the fact that when people quote stadium sizes, they often note that the largest stadium in the U.S. is Michigan Stadium at 109,000 and change. That stat often ignores the fact that there are a dozen or more racetracks that seat more people; Indianapolis Motor Speedway can seat more than that in its main grandstand, and overall has seating for over a quarter of a million people. However, he didn't get his question from Wikipedia; the Wikipedia article List of sports venues by capacity includes racetracks; Indianapolis is second in the world to LeMans, which seats over 350,000 people. Indeed, the largest non-racetrack on the list is Rungrado May Day Stadium in North Korea at #12 on the list; though like many "official" stats from North Korea should be taken with a grain of salt... The next largest which isn't a racetrack is Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, India at a capacity of 120,000 and which is somewhere down in the deep 20's on the list (I'm not counting that far). In other words, to answer the OP, as far as Wikipedia is concerned racetracks DO count, and they account for nearly all of the largest 25 or so sporting venues in the world. --Jayron32 02:48, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

I've never heard race tracks referred to as "stadiums", and that bit of semantics might explain why Michigan's is considered the largest "stadium" in the US, whereas Indy is a "sports venue" as you note. Ironically, the word "stadium" originally pertained to a running track rather than to its surroundings.[2] ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 09:08, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

You could also include racecourses in this: I was once hiring Doncaster Racecourse for an event and was told that the fire safety limit was "250,000". --TammyMoet (talk) 10:55, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

That's probably the maximum capacity of the venue, including employees and other non-spectators, AND would be for events with added seating capacity; i.e. a concert on the infield where they fill the grass with folding chairs, or something like that. Many sporting venues have a higher capacity for total occupancy than for seating for events because a) standard seating is much below maximal safe capacity, given than the configuration can change based on the event and b) the maximum safe occupancy includes all persons, not just paying patrons, and so will necessarily be larger than the maximum seating capacity. You'll notice the list I include does have racecourses (horse racing venues), seventh on the list is Nakayama Racecourse and there are several others in the top several venues... --Jayron32 12:44, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

They may have gotten it from wikipedia. As another answer mentioned (perhaps not seen because of the EC) our List of stadiums by capacity does indeed exclude race tracks as it should, since racetracks are not usually considered stadiums, as BB and others have mentioned. The inclusion of race tracks on List of sports venues by capacity seems appropriate since most would agree a racetrack is a sports venue. The OP's specific comment was 'sports arenas'. This would generally refer to yet something else and if you're referring specifically to indoor arenas we have yet another List of indoor arenas by capacity. We don't have something for arenas in general perhaps because the term is fairly inprecise but I don't know if I'd include many things called stadiums. Nil Einne (talk) 13:40, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

The term "arena" originally referred to the sand on which combats were staged, the sand being good at absorbing blood.[3] The term "arena" now implies an indoor venue that's big enough for basketball and maybe hockey, but typically not big enough for football or baseball. Meanwhile, Duke's basketball arena is called Cameron Indoor Stadium. Looking at wikipedia's Stadium article, there doesn't seem to be any particular reason why a racing oval couldn't be called a "stadium", but for whatever reason, it's not generally done that way. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 14:40, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

The terms are all confused, and while people generally think of stadiums as being outdoors and arenas as being indoors, there are enough counterexamples to confuse the issue. Besides all of the various domed stadiums (which while indoors, are as large as outdoor stadiums) and the aforementioned Cameron Indoor Stadium, which despite being a rather small basketball arena is at least qualified with the adjective "Indoor", there is also the former Chicago Stadium which was never so qualified, but was also a basketball and hockey facility. There are also other terms, such as "field" or "grounds" or other similar terms for baseball facilities (c.f. Ebbets Field, Polo Grounds, Fenway Park, Camden Yards) the term "bowl" is common enough for American football venues, especially those which were "bowl shaped", see Yale Bowl, Rose Bowl and Orange Bowl, though there is also the curious Baker Bowl, which was a retangular-shaped baseball stadium. Add to the mix the term "Gardens" which is used for several current and former basketball/hockey arenas (Rose Garden, Madison Square Garden, Boston Garden, TD Garden, Maple Leaf Gardens) and the rather bland "center" or "place", (Bell Centre, Scotiabank Place) and a whole slew of other names, some kinda cool and unique (The Palestra, The Palace of the Fans). --Jayron32 15:04, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

I think it's safe to say the OP's question has been addressed, and this is almost more of a language discussion now. Chicago Stadium was an odd one, in that it was the only major professional sports venue in Chicago that was named "Stadium"... and was the only one that was indoors! (Dyche Stadium was Northwestern's college football venue.) Baker Bowl apparently got that name in connection with a banked bicycle track that looped around the field during the 1890s, a time when bicycle racing was probably more popular than baseball. The "Garden" items are mystifying, but there must be some obscure explanation. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 15:12, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

An Exultation of Larks

I am hoping to find an electronic copy of this book An Exultation OF Larks by James Lipton availal on the internet for payment or not. It is about collective nouns. Does anyone know? 117.241.120.50 (talk) 06:58, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

May I just correct that to "An Exaltation of Larks". This book was published in 1993. Richard Avery (talk) 08:39, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

The OP also asked this question at another ref desk. I asked whether he has tried to contact Bravo or Penguin Books. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 08:59, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

Response removed by poster. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 15:27, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

Off-topic
The following discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.
Could you possibly think for a minute before posting responses like that? That search does not lead to any e-book editions of this book. It leads to pages that mention the book and the word "ebook" on the same page. No help to the OP at all. And by the way, since you're so keen on correcting others' spelling, it's "ecstasy". --Viennese Waltz 13:20, 16 March 2011 (UTC) Hey! A bonus! He gets to yell at both of us at the same time! ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 14:27, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

(EC) Most of which relate to sites that sell ebooks and sites which sell 'An Exaltation of Larks' both not sites I've seen which are an intersection of those two sets. By the way according to the article on the author it was first published in 1968 but has been revised since then. The 1993 edition appears to be the latest revision also called the ultimate edition. Given the results, while I wouldn't commit myself to this answer, I have doubts the book is available in ebook form with the authors or publisher's permission. (We won't of course help you find any copyright violating form here.) Not particularly relevant but I looked in to this before I checked which book the OP was interested in but it seems the An Exaltation of Larks by Megan Hart published in 2002 was once in ebook form [4] mentions it was available [5] but a search doesn't find any sign of it or the author. [6] shows the book was once available there by a different publisher but not anymore. They still sell others books by the author [7] so I guess the rights on that one just ran out. Perhaps it's with a different publisher now, I gave up on looking once it was clear it was irrelevant.Nil Einne (talk) 13:32, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

The OP indicated he was willing to pay for the book, so if it's still in print it shouldn't be that hard to find. I'll check and see if it's on Barnes & Noble's website. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 14:29, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

Looks like it is.[8] So that's at least a starting point. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 14:31, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

Take arguments elsewhere

Look, he asked for the e-book, not the book. So that link is not "a starting point", but completely useless. I could easily have linked to Amazon when this question first came up, but didn't. But then again, I'm not concerned about my post count or the number of "references" I provide. --Viennese Waltz 14:35, 16 March 2011 (UTC) Peace. Be still. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 14:41, 16 March 2011 (UTC) Or, in other words, "I know I'm wrong, but I'm not going to admit it." --Viennese Waltz 14:54, 16 March 2011 (UTC) I see you taking 2 or 3 shots at other users who are at least trying to help, and I see you providing ZERO useful information to the OP. So either offer some useful info to the OP, or go find someone else to hassle. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 14:56, 16 March 2011 (UTC) My posts point out that those well-meaning attempts to help are in fact useless and as such have no place on this desk. The idea would be to try and improve the signal-to-noise ratio. --Viennese Waltz 15:06, 16 March 2011 (UTC) Now you've made FOUR comments, all of which are ZERO help to the OP. Way to go. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 15:07, 16 March 2011 (UTC) Um, as you well know, they're not aimed at the OP, they're aimed at you and at C3. I could take it to your respective talk pages if you like, but it makes sense to keep the discussion in one place. --Viennese Waltz 15:11, 16 March 2011 (UTC) That's FIVE now. Do you intend to try to help the OP at all, or is it your plan to be strictly a nanny here? ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 15:13, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

Use talk pages to argue, not ref desks. Vimescarrot (talk) 15:20, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

The bottom line is that the only legal electronic copies you're likely to find would have to originate from the publisher. If someone else transcribed it, it is likely a copyright violation. The ref desk will not aid and abet copyright violations. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 17:32, 17 March 2011 (UTC)

I used to enjoy driving

I used to enjoy driving until a couple of days ago. Most of the way to work is a major divided highway, with two lanes in each direction and grade-separated intersections which limit access to just four places along its 25 km length. At the time I travel, the road is not heavily congested. The other day on this highway, I got pulled over by the police for going considerably faster then the speed limit and was quite rightly fined a large sum; in fact the police officer said I was lucky to keep my driving licence. Since then, I have stuck to the speed limit and quite frankly I find it boring as hell. The countryside seems to crawl past at a snails pace and I find my attention wandering to the fields rather then the road ahead. Passing slower vehicles, usually trucks since they are the only ones going slower than me, has become a tedious ordeal and made me afraid of being rear-ended by a faster moving car. What can I do to put the enjoyment back into my drive to work while still keeping to the speed limit, or at least how can I avoid falling asleep from the tedium of it? 212.123.243.220 (talk) 12:25, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

Listen to the radio and/or music. Sing? 92.29.117.90 (talk) 12:57, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

Or, audio-books and audio-dramas. I'm not a huge fan of audio-books, but when read by someone with a decent voice they can be quite engrossing. Your local library will likely have a lot of them on CD.

Personally I've been enjoying the audio-dramas from Big Finish Productions. They're surprisingly well done. Not many places still make audio dramas for whatever reason. APL (talk) 14:36, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

BBC radio makes lots and lots - particularly on BBC Radio 4. They are available to download as "podcasts" in the UK from here http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/genre/factual , although the selection of drama shown there is only a tiny fraction of what I thought was available. I do not know if you can download them abroad. The BBC World Service has quite a lot of material to download including drama and documentaries http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/docarchive/all , and it is probably downloadable worldwide. As a UK license payer I would not mind the material being made available to download for free worldwide, for its prestige/propaganda/educational benefits. 92.15.26.91 (talk) 21:18, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

If you're willing to put money into it, You could get a car where you sit much closer to the ground to increase the sensation of speed. Double points if it's also a convertible. Or you could get a vehicle that's intrinsically more interesting to drive, like a motorcycle.

If you're looking for a challenge 25km is beyond what I would consider a comfortable bicycle commute, bit it's not outside the realm of possibility. APL (talk) 14:36, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

50 km sounds like an ideal long-distance bike ride. ~AH1^(TCU) 15:28, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

Become more honest to yourself, and change the first sentence to "I used to enjoy driving faster than the speed limit, and felt no respect for the authorities who set that limit". If you truly enjoy driving, it shouldn't matter what speed. HiLo48 (talk) 16:19, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

Or perhaps if said authorities would set the speed limits based on what was necessary for public safety exclusively, instead of often setting them based on how much ticket fine revenue can be generated ... a/k/a speed traps. --McDoobAU93 16:26, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

I specifically didn't want this to become a discussion about different speed limits and the associated legal issues. @APL, I already have the radio on, but maybe I could switch to a talk radio station rather then music; I've never really enjoyed audio books though. Yes, it is a bit too far to bicycle, but a motorcycle is an idea (though I would have to take lessons and pass a test first). 212.123.243.220 (talk) 16:45, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

But you made it all about speed limits and legal issues when you made it clear that you openly flouted the law by breaking a limit set by authorities who probably know a lot more about setting such limits than you do. And to McDoobAU93, I have never seen any solid evidence (which is what we like here) that road authorities set limits in order to raise revenue. It's an optional tax. Though I guess I should thank you folks for paying it. I don't. HiLo48 (talk) 19:25, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

Avoid Motorway/Highway driving and stick to what in the UK would be termed A Roads or B Roads. I find driving on motorways intensely dull (but efficient) whereas most of the A-roads where I live are quite 'challenging'. That is to say they go up/down, tight corners, long corners, open bends, closed bends etc. All the while you can be going below the speed limit of the road and still feel like you're going quite fast. ny156uk (talk) 17:45, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

At the very minimum, such roads are at least more visually stimulating. A good example: I was returning home from a family event when a series of wildfires closed down the interstates/motorways I had planned on using to get home. Instead, I took the state routes and other local roads (I'm presuming similar to A- and B-roads in this case), thanks to my GPS' directions. Fortunately, the trip took almost exactly the same amount of time as the all-motorway trip would have, and I saw a section of the state I'd never visited before. --McDoobAU93 17:55, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

How bored can you get in a 15-minute trip? 25km is not a long commute. 75.41.110.200 (talk) 17:57, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

Travel a different route each time. This also has the benefit of helping you avoid being assassinated. Also, install hydraulics, roll down the windows and play the song "Low Rider" while nodding slowly. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 22:56, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

You could also play Slow Ride, but I wouldn't recommend I Can't Drive 55. Googlemeister (talk) 21:14, 17 March 2011 (UTC)

How about Shut Up and Drive? :-) ~AH1^(TCU) 15:28, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

Prithviraj chauhan's tomb

I would like to confirm whether Prithviraj chauhan's tomb is still in afghanistan and is treated very badly by the locals there? I have not seen an image of his tomb. so, i am not sure whether this is really true.

I've searched a lot about this topic on net but the responses i got are old i.e., aroun 4-5 years old. Here are some links :-

http://midhun.allubrothers.com/blog/2006/04/prithviraj-chauhan-new-insight.html
http://forum.startv.in/showthread.php?t=63234
http://www.zeenews.com/news232105.html
http://www.jatland.com/forums/showthread.php?22009-prithviraj-chauhan-s-grave

Please help me. — Preceding unsigned comment added by AishwaryaPandey (talk • contribs) 13:29, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

When you posted this question you succeeded in removing the rest of the reference desk [9]. This was quickly reverted. I have readded your question and added a section header as the instructions at the top say. Do note that other than annoying other contributors, there is a fair chance no one will bother to add questions posted in that fashion back. In future I suggest you use the new section tab at the top right Nil Einne (talk) 13:37, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

I assume you already know we do have this article: Prithviraj Chauhan, but it doesn't mention the tomb, unfortunately. Bus stop (talk) 16:33, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

Q who?

The letter Q has long fascinated me, because this letter is not used at all in native Finnish, and quite (pun intended) seldom used in English or any other language I understand. So naturally I've been also fascinated with two fictional characters named Q: Q (James Bond) and Q (Star Trek). The origin of the name of the first character is quite (pun again intended) easily explained as being short for "Quartermaster". But where does the name of the second character come from? JIP | Talk 20:41, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

From the intro to the latter article: Gene Roddenberry chose the letter "Q" in honor of his friend, Janet Quarton. Comet Tuttle (talk) 20:48, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

Don't forget Q clearance! I would be happy to discourse on why the top-level Department of Energy clearance is named "Q" should anybody care... --Mr.98 (talk) 21:47, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

Also Q-ship. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.197.66.165 (talk) 22:06, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

Excellent question! --Quartermaster (talk) 22:45, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

I don't know what other languages JIP understands, but Q is used frequently in French (and Latin). The A and Q are even switched on French keyboards. Adam Bishop (talk) 07:49, 17 March 2011 (UTC)

What, the top row is AWERTY? Quelle horreur! -- Jack of Oz [your turn] 07:54, 17 March 2011 (UTC)

AZERTY actually, since the W and Z are also switched. It's not that bad, really, but what I can't get used to is that the M and the semicolon are switched. (Well, and the punctuation is all in different spots, and you have to use shift to get a period...I could change the settings to English, but I enjoy the ease of typing accented letters, so I guess I will live with it.) Adam Bishop (talk) 07:59, 17 March 2011 (UTC)

I understand basic Latin and French, but not nearly as well as I understand the four languages I consider myself really capable in: my native Finnish, and the three Germanic languages English, Swedish and German. The letter Q is nearly non-existent in Swedish, and quite rare in both English and German. JIP | Talk 19:36, 17 March 2011 (UTC)

We have a Letter frequency article which coversd several European languages. 75.41.110.200 (talk) 22:37, 17 March 2011 (UTC)

JIP may be amused to read in this table, that the frequency of the letter Q in Swedish is 0.007 %. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 11:43, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

What's the name?

What's the name of the professional who administers a business, employed to provide social services,especially to the disadvantaged,authorized to teach,practice law; conducts lawsuits or gives legal advice for them. Thank you very much —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.79.129.82 (talk) 22:57, 16 March 2011 (UTC)

As to the law portions, lawyer. A lawyer could, I suppose, do the other functions too; but under most laws, only a lawyer can do the law functions you describe. Shadowjams (talk) 07:20, 17 March 2011 (UTC)

Note that in some countries, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers. Comet Tuttle (talk) 17:16, 17 March 2011 (UTC)

Not so much a split as a conspiracy or collusion.  :) -- Jack of Oz [your turn] 19:08, 17 March 2011 (UTC)

Are you thinking of legal aid? Not that that's a person.—msh210℠ 22:15, 17 March 2011 (UTC)

You may be referring to the functions of an ombudsman. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 11:39, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

I'm struggling to see a single job here. A person "who administers a business, employed to provide social services,especially to the disadvantaged" is one thing. A person who is "authorized to teach,practice law; conducts lawsuits or gives legal advice for them" is quite another. I've never heard of the same person doing all these things in the same occupation. -- Jack of Oz [your turn] 18:54, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

March 17

Where can I buy potassium iodide pills?

All of the pharmacies in my town are sold out, and I need it within a week. --70.244.234.128 (talk) 00:22, 17 March 2011 (UTC)

I assume you want these for protection against radionuclides from the Japanese nuclear power plant accidents? We cannot give advice on whether or not you should take these, and without knowing where you are located, are unlikely to be able to help with sourcing. You would probably do better to seek proper local medical advice. AndyTheGrump (talk) 00:32, 17 March 2011 (UTC)

Although it's worth noting that public-health officials in California are saying that potassium iodide only works after you have been exposed to radiation and is intended for people who are in close proximity to a radiation source, not thousands of miles away. And it has possible side effects. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 01:05, 17 March 2011 (UTC)

Potassium iodide is not intended to remedy exposure to radiation per se. You take KI to prevent radio-iodine from accumulating in your thyroid. So the only time it's useful is if radio-iodine is present in your air, water, food, or anything else you're actually taking into your body. It doesn't do anything about radiation from outside your body, nor about any other radionuclide that you might ingest. --Trovatore (talk) 01:17, 17 March 2011 (UTC)

(Oh, it seems that radioiodine redirects to the article on I-131. To clarify, by "radio-iodine", I meant in principle any radioactive isotope of iodine, though I think it practice I-131 is indeed the main worry.) --Trovatore (talk) 01:27, 17 March 2011 (UTC)

Try online, many places sell it. But first you should read this article where the surgeon general is recommending not taking them. They can be extremely harmful to people with shellfish allergies or thyroid conditions, on top of other side effects. In general, people are being recommended in California and elsewhere not to buy these unless they are directly near the source.AerobicFox (talk) 01:36, 17 March 2011 (UTC)

Be extremely wary of buying any pills from an unknown source on the internet unless you can be absolutely certain you are getting the genuine article.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 09:35, 17 March 2011 (UTC)

In the US, the FDA shut down some online vendors of potassium iodate because they broke the US rule in which you can't advertise health claims about a product unless you've proved the claims with testing ... though it seems to me that via this rule, this type of product could never be offered for sale in the US. (While making any health claims, I suppose.) Comet Tuttle (talk) 17:12, 17 March 2011 (UTC)

MSNBC posted a story about 90 minutes ago about this: "Popping potassium iodide already? Really bad idea". Comet Tuttle (talk) 21:35, 17 March 2011 (UTC)

Some people have really gone into panic mode about this. The WHO is now reporting iodine overdoses all around the world - [10] - what colossal overkill. -- Jack of Oz [your turn] 21:33, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

How to identify my Independant Gas Transporter, UK?

I live on a new estate with gas coming via an Independant Gas Transporter. How can I find out who they are? Is there something I could decode from my gas bill?

The Ofgem website mentions "Independent Gas Transporter Network Codes" and "Uniform Network Code" but I cannot find any further details.

Note that I am trying to identify the gas transporter, not the gas supplier. Thanks 2.97.215.199 (talk) 20:39, 17 March 2011 (UTC)

I would think if you phone the gas bill supplier with the gas meter number or account number they can tell you the answer. Sussexonian (talk) 22:29, 17 March 2011 (UTC)

Maybe, but would I hate to have any contact with them as they've already paid me a three figure sum in compensation for various bad/stupid/incompentent/delusional/dishonest/macho behaviours of their staff. Eeeh, its not on. 92.15.2.23 (talk) 15:27, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

The first google result for "Independent Gas Transporter" [11] says it's something to do with an "M number (MPRN)" (Meter Point Reference Number, apparently) shown on your bill, and has a list of (all?) the IGTs, and a request form for if the number isn't shown on your bill. 81.131.53.219 (talk) 00:44, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

Already seen that, thanks. It's four years out of date and does not cover the range of my 76... MPRN. 92.15.2.23 (talk) 15:23, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

This PDF lists the number rangers for IGTs: www.igt-unc.co.uk/ewcommon/tools/download.ashx?docId=941 The MPRN can be found hidden in the small print of your gas bill. More information here: http://www.which.co.uk/switch/faqs/preparing-to-switch-faqs/how-do-i-find-my-gas-mprn-number . 92.15.2.23 (talk) 15:53, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

Autocad etc

is autocadd (software) important for architectural engineers ? An architectural engineer can be as site engineer ? if he would not interested in designing the projects .... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 121.52.158.245 (talk) 22:52, 17 March 2011 (UTC)

Yes, I believe that AutoCAD is used in the architecture industry, along with other competitors. StuRat (talk) 00:44, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

CAD programs in general are certainly very important, though each company has its own preference as to which it uses. There are a very few that still work mostly by hand, but they are particularly rare now. Computer programs can be even more important for engineers, who use them to measure precice details of the forces acting on the structure. Architects and engineers are usually two very different things, the architect makes the building look nice, the engineer makes it stand up, leading to some heated discussion between them at times, though there are a few that have made a point of taking both qualifications. To be either requres passing a long university course in one area or the other first. 148.197.121.205 (talk) 10:15, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

I changed the title. "Hy" didn't seem to mean much. -- Jack of Oz [your turn] 19:00, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

March 18

Dilemma

Somewhere I had read the story of creature that would die of starvation if fed in two pots at equal distance from it; it will starve while trying to make a choice as to which one is the nearest. I believe it could be fictional and that is why I did not go to RD(Science). Can anyone help me with it name? 14.139.128.14 (talk) 05:28, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

I believe there are multiple examples in the folklore of different cultures, but the example most people probably think of is Buridan's ass. Does that help?  – OhioStandard (talk) 05:54, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

Yes; that was it. Thank you. 14.139.128.14 (talk) 13:31, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

The story is indeed fictional. Living creatures do not monitor everything in all directions continuously, instead they scan their environment taking samples of sensations at different times. The starving creature will choose the first pot that it notices. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 14:18, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

Yes, most creatures would head for the upwind pot because scent is a stronger motivation than vision, especially in rodents. Mammals will often rush from one to the other to see which is best. Sorry, this is "OR" from observation. Can anyone find any research? Dbfirs 08:27, 19 March 2011 (UTC)

Turning the Sahara Desert into arable farmland, is it possible?

I have recently been thinking of this question and I haven't got a logical answer,would a great ammount of water do it or would it just dry out? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Mickey 63 (talk • contribs) 14:15, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

Probably not. Without a constant source of water, the same forces that made it dry in the first place will make it dry again. Chief among these is, of course, the lack of rain. Filling a desert full of water would increase the rain down-wind of the desert, but not much in the desert itself.

You may find the Rain follows the plow article interesting. APL (talk) 14:27, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

Apparently the CIA once planned to flood the Qattara Depression, which would have somehow brought about peace in the Middle East. Adam Bishop (talk) 14:30, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

There is also the issue of soil quality. Deserts typically don't have a lot of nutrients in the soil (because there's no biological matter to provide nitrates, phosphates, etc, and poor soil quality often leads to desertification). This can be solved with fertilizer. Deserts also tend to have alkaline soils (I'm not sure about the Sahara), although using fertilizers will tend to increase acidity. --Colapeninsula (talk) 14:59, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

This discussion reminds me of Norman Borlaug, who saved millions of people from starvation with his innovations in agriculture in the Indian subcontinent. The article says, "Those elements that allowed Borlaug's projects to succeed in India and Pakistan, such as well-organized economies and transportation and irrigation systems, are severely lacking throughout Africa, posing additional obstacles to increasing yields." There is also the issue of whether the introduction of fertilizer would be good for the environment in Africa. The 5th and 6th paragraphs of this article discuss this debate. Unfortunately, as this article notes, the debate "is currently phrased mostly in environmental terms, not in terms of saving lives." --Viennese Waltz 15:11, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

Some deserts tend to bloom after a minor rainfall. However the Sahara was once wet and this climate was dependant on the North African Monsoon. You may be interested in Oasis, Sahel drought, Canary Current, Nile Valley, Reforestation, Aoukar Depression, Cave of Swimmers and Climate change and agriculture. ~AH1^(TCU) 15:20, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

If I recall, the humans in Battlefield Earth do exactly this (probaby with the aformentioned Qattara Depression. In the book it worked, though I can't recall if there was any science in there to back up why (and any science presented by L. Ron Hubbard should probably be taken with a large grain of salt). i.m.canadian (talk) 18:00, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

This discussion reminds me of an article I saw several years ago in The Wall Street Journal entitled, as I recall, "Africa can feed itself: Should it?". I observe that performing a web search for the phrase "Africa can feed itself" yields some very interesting results.  – OhioStandard (talk) 18:20, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

Ah, yes, arable land. "That is land that is actually tilled ... by Arabs". (Peter Cook).  :) -- Jack of Oz [your turn] 18:51, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

Nah, that's just Arab bull. :-) StuRat (talk) 19:08, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

There is also the Sahara Forest Project, seeking to use solar power to de-salinate seawater to use for growing stuff in the desert. A short Wikipedia article is at Seawater Greenhouse. Jørgen (talk) 19:48, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

To answer the OP. You cannot add water to sand and make it farmable. You need soil, specifically with a lot of top soil and nutrients. Sand will always just be sand, and will never grow anything, so certain parts of the Sahara will never really be arable.(until the continental plates shift of course, and it is no longer a desert)AerobicFox (talk) 21:38, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

I disagree. If water was present, then plants, insects, and birds would soon appear, poop, and then die, steadily building up the soil. In a few years you would have land suitable for at least some crops, particularly if you were willing to add fertilizer to fix any deficiencies. However, since most crops can't tolerate much salt, you would need to flood the desert with fresh water, not salt-water from the Mediterranean. StuRat (talk) 22:03, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

Here's a National Geographic article from a couple of years ago which suggests it is already happening: [12] ... but they weren't sure whether it was genuinely a trend or not. 81.131.22.230 (talk) 23:03, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

"Just add water" is a tried and true technique for turning desert into farmland. DOR (HK) (talk) 05:38, 21 March 2011 (UTC)

NBC color logo notch in blue feather

What is the significance of the open notch in the "Blue" feather? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 96.225.136.206 (talk) 15:18, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

It's supposed to be a peacock's head and tail. The "notch" is its beak Rojomoke (talk) 15:50, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

Soggy pizza

I like to make Hawaiian pizza at home, as follows:

1) First I cook a frozen cheese pizza in a portable convection oven until the cheese melts (about 5 minutes).

2) Then I add cubed ham and pineapple chunks, and cook for another 5 minutes.

3) Finally, I garnish with flat leaf spinach and serve.

The problem is that both the ham and pineapple drip water onto the pizza when cooked, leaving it soggy. A microwave makes it even soggier. My convection oven recycles the air, and one that vents it might help, but probably not much. I don't think dehydrated ham and/or pineapple would taste the same, so that's not a solution. I am considering getting a dehydrater, not to dehydrate the ham and pineapple first, but to cook the pizza in there with the toppings, to hopefully dry it out a bit. Any thoughts on this or any other approach ? StuRat (talk) 20:41, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

My first thought is that that is just another clear sign that pineapple does not belong on a pizza. But leaving my personal pet peeves aside, have you tried adding the pineapple to the pizza during the first stage of your cooking cycle? Perhaps the longer cooking time will vaporise some of the excess juices of the pineapple? --Saddhiyama (talk) 20:47, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

Then I'd have frozen cheese under it. StuRat (talk) 20:58, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

Perhaps you should try a conventional oven then? You have obviously cut a lot of corners already, it seems very optimistic to expect a flawless result under those conditions. --Saddhiyama (talk) 21:01, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

My convection oven is electric, while my conventional oven burns gas, so that introduces additional water vapor as a combustion product. I don't see how that would help. StuRat (talk) 21:05, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

That will be horrible. You'll have much better luck sauteing the ham and pineapple in a frying pan for a couple of minutes before adding them, and compensating by giving them less time in the oven. Looie496 (talk) 20:56, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

Cook the dough until it forms a slight crust on top - then add the wet ingredients (which are room temperature or so). If you use olive oil on top of the bread, that will also prevent water from making the bread soggy (oil and water do not mix). Collect (talk) 21:31, 18 March 2011 (UTC) (Yes - buy pizza dough instead of a frozen pizza) Collect (talk) 21:32, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

Have you patted the pineapple and ham quite dry? It should be extremely dry (not dehydrated) before being put on the pizza — pat them down with paper towels first. (Same with any "wet" pizza ingredients.) (Incidentally, if you have a food processor, making amazing pizza dough is dead easy and a lot cheaper than buying the pre-made crusts, even if you use wonderful flour. I'm quite partial to King Arthur flour for pizzas.) --Mr.98 (talk) 21:46, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

Why not buy a frozen Hawaiian pizza - one with the ham and pinapple dry and already there? Astronaut (talk) 11:34, 19 March 2011 (UTC)

The main reasons are cost and health. Any frozen pizza beyond cheese, pepperoni, and "combo" (pepperoni, sausage, and an "angel dusting" of green pepper) costs many times as much. I can get a 9-10 ounce frozen cheese pizza, without any added trans-fats, for $1. Also, if I add my own toppings I can control the fat, sodium, etc., better. StuRat (talk) 18:08, 19 March 2011 (UTC)

It actually isn't any more expensive to make your own pizza truly from scratch; the problem you are having is that you are starting from non-ideal conditions by working with a cheap frozen pizza. If you want a proper Hawaiian pizza, where you get a good, crispy crust and properly cooked ingredients, than my suggestion is:

1. Make your own dough. Its a pretty simple recipe, and while it does take some time, you can make it ahead of time and refigerate it for a day or two.
2. Buy a pizza stone. One of the problems with a home oven vis-a-vis commercial pizza ovens is that they aren't hot enough. Good pizza requires very fast cooking times, with the pizza cooked either via conduction by cooking directly on the metal (or ideally brick) floor of the oven, OR via radiation by cooking directly over an open flame. You really need a blistering hot surface to cook a pizza on, something that can hold the heat and transfer it quickly to the crust. Pizza stones allow you to do this at home; you preheat the oven with the stone in it, and the heavy mass of the stone means that it will hold enough heat energy so it can replicate the effect of commercial ovens.
3. Time is the key. There's a reason why cheap, frozen pizzas taste vastly inferior to those prepared in pizza restaurants, and its that you can't get something for nothing, temporally speaking. Proper pizza (indeed, all superior cooking) requires the proper time to be taken, and if shortcuts are taken, the result is obvious in the end product. If good pizza could be made quickly and cheaply and be of indistinguishable quality from the more carefully made pizza, everyone would be doing it. What you make up for in time you always get back in quality. Its just that the shortcuts you are taking (putting your own toppings on frozen pizza) literally cannot be optimized to produce a product of reasonably good quality. --Jayron32 00:23, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

It doesn't take very long if you use the right recipe. We use "fast rising yeast" (check the baking section of the supermarket) and the whole thing takes, I don't know, 25 minutes total, if you have a food processor (which saves you having to knead it by hand). (Google "fast rising pizza dough" for lots of recipes.) OK, that's more than it takes to microwave something. But it's on part with what it takes to use a convection oven. And the product is much, much better. Way better than you'll get at your standard greasy cheese restaurant, too. (Though this has to do with buying good flour and fresh cheese, which make pretty much all the difference.) --Mr.98 (talk) 02:18, 21 March 2011 (UTC)

Fully homemade pizza just wouldn't fit into my lifestyle. I typically might make a pizza during an online Scrabble game. During an opponent's turn, I put the frozen pizza in the convection oven. A few minutes later, I return and add toppings. A few minutes later, I grab the finished pizza and eat it in front of the computer while considering my next move. Each of these 3 breaks only takes about a minute. If instead I took a 25 minute break, then my timer would run out and I would lose. Also, I wouldn't want to have a dirty food processor that needs washing later on (my method generates zero dishes, as I use the cardboard box as the plate for the pizza). So, yes, I realize that given my constraints I won't have the best pizza in the world. I don't expect that, just something edible, and hopefully not soggy. StuRat (talk) 06:02, 21 March 2011 (UTC)

You can do all of the prep work ahead of time, and the actual down time during your scabble game can be quite minimal. You could literally do the crust one day when you have the 25 minutes, put it in the fridge, come back the next day, spread it out and add the sauce and cheese. Start playing scrabble, when you get hungry, throw on the pinapple and ham, toss it in the preheated oven. Your missing time from your scrabble game will be identical as the frozen pizza, if you only take the time to plan ahead knowing you are going to want pizza when you play scabble. That 25 minutes prep time doesn't have to take place during the scrabble game; after all, pizza restaurants don't start mixing the dough from first principles, they have everything ready to go, and toss the ingredients on and put it in the oven when you order it. You can do this too. This only takes some preparation ahead of time (what cooks call mise en place) and you will be ready to go. --Jayron32 22:33, 21 March 2011 (UTC)

Weird TV colour problem

Over the past month or so, my TV has developed a strange condition where a large part of the left side of the screen is "paler" and in a different colour than the right. It's most noticeable when the colour is supposed to be red - it shows as bright yellow or brick-orange, depending on the shade of red. Blue comes out as a sort of sickly light purple. Dark green is just a paler green. Other colours seem unaffected. My sense is that the area has increased in size; it started as a small strip over near the left side, and even when I pointed it out to my partner, he couldn't see any problem. But now it takes up most of the left side of the screen, and I fear it's inexorably spreading. The TV is at least 10 years old, but that's not ancient in TV years. Needless to say, but I'm saying it anyway, it's just a TV, not an LCD/plasma. Is this a common problem (I've never heard of it before) and can it be fixed or will the screen or the whole apparatus need to be replaced? -- Jack of Oz [your turn] 22:21, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

By "just a TV", I assume you mean a CRT. I had a similar problem and noticed that a magnet can affect the color. Try placing it on the affected side and moving it around a bit, to see if you can't improve the picture somewhat. However, I don't think there's a perfect cure, so it might be time to replace the old set. StuRat (talk) 22:32, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

I expect the CRT shadow mask may be magnetised[13] though I think this normally gives a coloured area in the middle of the screen. TVs should demagnetise the mask when they are switched on.[14]. Maybe the degaussing has gone wrong. This says you may be able to degauss using a CRT computer monitor but I have my doubts (the site I wanted to link to is spam blacklisted so I am trying disguise: www.ehow.com/how_2041471_degauss-tv.html ). My CRT TV developed this fault many years ago but after a couple of days the colour problem faded away and the set was perfect again. No idea why but there is hope yet! Thincat (talk) 23:01, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

Thanks to both. Could it have anything to do with sinister emanations from the set-top box, which is close by? (It's also on the left of the screen, which I how I know it's sinister.) I know that when I want to watch a DVD, I have to switch the set-top box off because it interferes with the picture. Although, even when I do that, the screen colour issue still seems to be there, so maybe I'm talking out of my own set-top box.  :) -- Jack of Oz [your turn] 23:14, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

Yes, interference is a possibility. I had a TV and computer monitor too close, and they messed with each other. Try moving them farther apart and see if that has an effect. You might also want to unplug the set-top box, as a test, since it still has some power to it, even when switched off. StuRat (talk) 23:20, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

We might be on to something there. I just tested a DVD and it showed no sign of the colour problem at all. Funny, last time I put one on, I could have sworn .... So, it's looking like an external interference problem rather than something internal to the TV set itself. The set-top box is on a fairly short lead at the moment, but I'll put it on an extension lead and get it away from the TV and see what happens. -- Jack of Oz [your turn] 23:32, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

Here is our relevant article on degaussing TVs. It's sounds like that might be the issue. I'm sure a Google search for that phrase will yield many more unofficial remedies. When this has happened to me in the past it's been solved by removing (or increasing the distance to) the nearby device which was putting out the offending EM interference (usually a speaker or subwoofer). The TV/monitor will then usually degauss itself after a short while. i.m.canadian (talk) 12:36, 19 March 2011 (UTC)

Thanks for that info. -- Jack of Oz [your turn] 09:23, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

Lead and church roovs

We hear a lot in the news about lead being stolen from church roovs and sold for scrap, and I've always wondered why lead is used in their construction. Roovs on other buildings don't have it, or do they? TheRetroGuy (talk) 23:16, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

It is used because lead is very resistant to corrosion, and therefore helps in making a roof that won't leak. It is avoided nowadays in many places because where you have lead, you have a risk of lead poisoning. (The spelling is "roofs", by the way.) Looie496 (talk) 23:54, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

Rooves is also accepted. But not roovs. -- Jack of Oz [your turn] 01:25, 19 March 2011 (UTC)

I would have said that rooves was rather more acceptable than roofs. Anyway, sheets of lead make a good waterproof casing on a shallow-pitched roof. This page shows some examples including the modern substitution of stainless steel (harder to work, but harder to remove). The dome of St Paul's Cathedral in London is covered with lead too - there isn't much else you could use. Alansplodge (talk) 02:39, 19 March 2011 (UTC)

"Hoof/hooves, Calf/calves, Roof/rooves, Dwarf/dwarves, Thief/thieves, Sheaf/sheaves, Leaf/leaves, Wolf/wolves, knife/knives, Half/halves. Life/lives. Wife/wives, Shelf/shelves" Or just be trendy and add an "s" rather than the older "ves." Be that as it may, U S Grant's house in Galena, IL supposedly still has the original lead covered roof from when he lived there circa 1860. The lead probably forms an oxide and remains stable for a long time. The copper has greater tensile strength. (Or maybe it was "terne," a tin-lead mixture over steel; it has been many years since I was there). Edison (talk) 02:51, 19 March 2011 (UTC)

Roofs is standard American. Meriam-Webster doesn't include rooves.[15] (And Tolkien made up dwarves, instead of the standard dwarfs. "a piece of private bad grammar") Rmhermen (talk) 03:55, 19 March 2011 (UTC)

Roofs is also the usual plural in modern British English (ever since Milton & Dryden), but rooves is an acceptable alternative here (I was taught it but don't use it). I can't compete with Ulysses Grant, but I am sitting under a roof with lead that is 120 years old and still mainly in excellent condition (most of it will last another few hundred years) except where grit washed down with rainwater has eroded it. Dbfirs 08:11, 19 March 2011 (UTC)

At the risk of spoiling the show by getting back on topic. UK church roofs (Collins Dict.) have the original lead replaced because it is legally required. This is to maintain the integrity and historical accuracy of the building under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, which applies in the UK. The risk of lead poisoning to users of the church or casual passers by is vanishingly small. Modern buildings, by and large, don't use much lead because there are better materials now available that weren't available when the majority of churches were built and these buildings are not subject to the strict retrospective planning and conservation laws that prevail in the UK. Richard Avery (talk) 08:06, 19 March 2011 (UTC)

Agreed, but it depends on the Listed building status of the church in question. Obviously some are allowed to replace lead with other materials - see the whowlettandsonsltd.co.uk link above. Alansplodge (talk) 20:59, 19 March 2011 (UTC)

In the UK, if the roof has something sticking out such as a dormer window or chimney, lead flashing is used to provide a waterproof seal at the junction of the roof and the protrusion. There are more modern materials around, but they tend to be used on more modern buildings. However, I know of lead flashing being used round new-build dormer windows. --TammyMoet (talk) 09:59, 19 March 2011 (UTC)

Lead ore is widely found[16] and its softness and low melting temperature 600°C have made it easy to work with since ancient times. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 11:33, 19 March 2011 (UTC)

Thanks everybody. TheRetroGuy (talk) 14:10, 19 March 2011 (UTC)

Many rooves use copper, which turns green from verdigris. 92.24.178.214 (talk) 23:29, 19 March 2011 (UTC)

Which is often considered a design plus. And copper is frequently stolen as well, in the US, can't speak of other countries. Corvus cornix_talk 18:30, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

March 19

bread making machine

I have a welbilt bread machine and want to know if I can use Baking Powder in recipies instead of yeast? Thanks,Leo —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.212.218.12 (talk) 03:20, 19 March 2011 (UTC)

No. Bread. Shadowjams (talk) 07:58, 19 March 2011 (UTC)

You'd probably end up with cake in your bread machine. Dbfirs 08:14, 19 March 2011 (UTC)

Soda bread. Itsmejudith (talk) 08:54, 19 March 2011 (UTC)

Try googling for bread machine baking powder or bread machine yeastless to find recipes. 88.112.59.31 (talk) 10:46, 19 March 2011 (UTC)

Japan - Face masks.

I have been watching the unfolding Japanese earthquake/tsunami/nuclear horror stories with great sadness these past few days and my heart goes out to those folk who have been so savagely affected. But as an aside, I am left completely in the dark as to why so many people there are seen wearing clinical facemasks. It's common knowledge that they only prevent the inhalation of airborne diseases for a matter of minutes before being rendered useless. And their only other function is to prevent the exhalation of microscopic particles of mucus etc. My wife used to be particularly susceptible to airborne viruses on aeroplanes and took to wearing those masks as a barrier whenever we flew anywhere. But we were advised by our family doctor she was wasting her time - and her money. So what is it that those poor Japanese folk are trying to prevent by wearing them? 92.4.42.67 (talk) 10:43, 19 March 2011 (UTC)

Hay fever. No, I'm not joking. Apparently the masks are worn outside routinely by Japanese hay fever sufferers. HiLo48 (talk) 10:50, 19 March 2011 (UTC)

(ec) (ec) @HiLo48: 110.225.161.141 (talk) 11:14, 19 March 2011 (UTC)

For allergy season, Japan turns to surgical masks. (ec) usually means "edit conflict". Why post (ec) (ec) ? Cuddlyable3 (talk) 11:22, 19 March 2011 (UTC)

Wikipedia has an article section about protective masks. Japan has its samurai tradition of mask wearing which is probably irrelevant, but the masks may give them a slight comfort in the present cold weather. There are also reasons for wearing a mask when rescuing or treating wounded survivors under crumbled masonry. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 11:16, 19 March 2011 (UTC)

The Asian surgical mask 'phenomenon' is bewildering when westerners first see it. I remember the practice is heightened during pandemics like SARS, though it's been around for years. Here's a blog from 2009 that comments on it and the supposed rationale.[17] i.m.canadian (talk) 12:48, 19 March 2011 (UTC)

See Surgical mask#In popular culture. Astronaut (talk) 14:51, 19 March 2011 (UTC)

I think it's almost a fad there. Elsewhere people wouldn't want to wear a surgical mask in public (unless it really was necessary), because it "looks so stupid". But, in Japan, so many people wear them that you don't need to worry about looking stupid. StuRat (talk) 17:47, 19 March 2011 (UTC)

Yes, mask wearing, and western attitudes to it, are all part of the logic of fashion. HiLo48 (talk) 19:59, 19 March 2011 (UTC)

Out of curiosity, how does their society handle the masks in security situations? Around here (USA) If I go into a bank with sunglasses on, they'll ask me to take them off, at least for a moment so they (and presumably the cameras) can see my entire face. If I also walked in with a surgical-mask on, I imagine they'd be hovering their finger over the panic button. APL (talk) 20:21, 19 March 2011 (UTC)

I imagine security is more lax there. Similarly, if somebody walks into a US bank wearing a ski mask, guns might be drawn, but presumably not in Point Barrow, Alaska, on the coldest day of the year. StuRat (talk) 20:42, 19 March 2011 (UTC)

Inhaling traffic pollution, and now also nuclear pollution. 92.24.178.214 (talk) 23:32, 19 March 2011 (UTC)

Pick up a building and drop it a few inches (mm).

Take note of the amount of dust generated.

Do this with all the buildings in a very large area.

Attempt to clean up the mess.

Take note of the amount of dust generated.

DOR (HK) (talk) 05:45, 21 March 2011 (UTC)

Chuck Norris

Everytime I listen to some epic music on youtube I'm bound to see some comment along the lines of "this is Chuck Norris' morning alarm, this music played while Chuck Norris sent his pet monkey to destroy a civilization". Can someone explain this? Sorry I'm not very familiar with pop culture. Money is tight (talk) 23:33, 19 March 2011 (UTC)

A read of Chuck Norris facts will probably help. HiLo48 (talk) 23:37, 19 March 2011 (UTC)

Following on from the perfect answer HiLo48 gave... if your interest is stirred by the Chuck Norris based comments have a read of Internet memes, you'll no doubt start finding answers to more of these nagging questions. This website (http://knowyourmeme.com) is good if you're trying to find a bit of background to a meme. ny156uk (talk) 10:51, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

March 20

proposal of time in metric system

i propose to change time in sextant system to metric system. how and where i can publish my proposal. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 115.241.92.158 (talk) 00:02, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

There are many free services which will allow you to publish a blog or other free website. Blogger and Blogspot are good free blog sites that many people use. You could publish your information there. Be aware, however, that your idea may not be original or unique. See the Wikipedia article metric time and more relevently decimal time (which is probably what you mean by "metric time") for examples of such systems which have been implemented, to varying degrees of success, in the past. --Jayron32 00:07, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

As a practical matter, what would be the motivation to change? Doesn't most everyone use the current system? The point of the metric system was to dispense with countless local systems and come up with a single standard. Since there's already a single standard for time (isn't there?) then I don't see what reason there would be to change it. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 16:12, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

The reason decimal time never caught on is that for a lot of standard "in your head" or "on paper" sorts of equations, it turns out not to be very useful when compared with our standard base-60 time. Computers somewhat get rid of that, but they also get rid of any real need for decimal time (whose main benefit seems to be the ability to convert between minutes, seconds, etc. much faster... which of course a computer can do without breaking a sweat). --Mr.98 (talk) 22:10, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

Many moons ago I worked for a local authority here in the UK, and my time was kept using metric time. This was in the days before computers were widely available and it did my head in just trying to work out whether I was due any overtime or time in lieu! --TammyMoet (talk) 16:55, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

There are exceptions. I used to use a scientific instrument that used decimal seconds. Typing in 90 gave you 9/10 of a minute, not 90 seconds like my microwave would do. 75.41.110.200 (talk) 17:13, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

I expect it took you only 0.03333333333333333333333333333333333... hours to learn the system. Dbfirs 20:18, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

Decimal time is still fairly widely used, so far as I'm aware, in punch-clocks and other devices that end up dealing with wages. My understanding is that it's used to facilitate easier summing for paychecks (8.25 hours x $12.62 is easier than 8 hours, 15 minutes times $12.62). Matt Deres (talk) 13:21, 21 March 2011 (UTC)

Internet song generators

Does there exist any program on the internet, which can be used for free without having to be downloaded, into which one can input a set of lyrics and/or a melody and have it automatically generate a song?--99.251.211.17 (talk) 00:35, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

[18] comes to mind, but its definitely not what you're looking for. Schyler (one language) 02:58, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

What do you mean by "generate a song"? If you have already written the the lyrics and melody, then you already have a song. If you mean you want it to generate a synthetic performance of the song, then it could be done, but speech synthesis isn't really up to the job (although it have improved enormously over the last few years, so it may be up to the job in a few more years). You can get a computer to play the melody for you, though, with any suitable MIDI software (I don't know anything in particular to recommend, but there must of loads of suitable software available to download that will do the job). --Tango (talk) 03:15, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

If Tango has it right, then I would recommend Finale (software) or any of its cheaper counterparts. Schyler (one language) 13:29, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

Tango is correct, I did indeed mean to ask for a program that could generate a synthetic performance.--99.251.211.17 (talk) 14:51, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

There might be useful references in : Algorithmic composition 83.134.138.77 (talk) 17:29, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

I have used Finale for years; they make a good product. Schyler (one language) 20:03, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

Speech/singing synthesis is getting better and better, see, for example, Vocaloid. However, this software is not free nor on the web. Also, it does not fully synthesize the singing voice "from scratch", rather uses a large database of recordings of humans singing. As for the original question, there are things like Microsoft Songsmith, which I had not heard of before. From the description, it sounds fairly close to what you're asking for (except of course not free nor on the web, and it doesn't do the singing part). Pfly (talk) 16:07, 21 March 2011 (UTC)

Topic: Mythology / Symbology

Does anyone know the relevance of the images printed on this coin?

Front: (http://img291.imageshack.us/i/coinfront.png/)

Back: (http://img641.imageshack.us/i/coinback.png/)

Thank you kindly, -- 221.98.87.23 (talk) 07:55, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

The front side picture is really bad, do you have a better one ? StuRat (talk) 09:01, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

The back of the coin could look like Charon inviting dead souls into his ferry so they can cross the river Styx and enter the Netherworld. As far as I can see the front looks like a skull? In ancient Greece coins were placed on the eyes or in the mouth of the dead so they could pay Charon the fare of crossing the river. I am not sure whether that is a genuine coin though, as as far as I understand it, regular coins were used, not custom made "Charon"-coins, but I am no specialist on this, so I could be wrong. --Saddhiyama (talk) 11:04, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

That's definitely Charon, we even have the exact same image in the danake article. The danake was one of the coins typically used as "Charon's obol" - which is a surprisingly enormous article itself. Here is the image. Adam Bishop (talk) 14:30, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

Having seen the remake of Clash of the Titans, it revived a question I've had when the subject comes up: What could Charon possibly do with those coins? Is there a monetary system in the Underworld? Would he sometimes go topside and hang out at the local Greek pub? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 15:59, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

It may have to do with one of the ways in which the practitioners of this rite perceived the nature of sacrifice. The special coins cost the sacrificer (the family or friend of the dead person, or the dead person themself if he/she had obtained them in anticipation) some significant value and effort to obtain. Symbolically offering them to the relevant psychopomp or other power - who presumably had no actual physical need or use for them - may have denoted the sacrificer's depth of commitment to the belief system involved, and such effort and commitment itself can further shape the sacrificer's attitudes. In more general sacrificial contexts, this works whether the sacrificed item is of purely monetary value, which has had to be committed to the purpose, something of more personal value, like a treasured possession, or something the sacrificer would themselves like to enjoy, like a glass of wine used as a libation. Put simply: it isn't the receiving that's important, it's the giving.

I can't say for sure that this is the way that payers of the Ferryman's Fee always perceived the matter, but this interpretation of sacrifice was taught to me by a (present-day) devotee of Minerva, so seemingly has classical foundations, and (ObPersonal) is also predominant in non-Classical forms of neo-Paganism such as Wicca. Note that it is quite distinct from the notion, deriving from ancient Judaic theology and elsewhere, that the blood - symbolising the life - of some living thing is in itself of value or desire to a sacrificed-to deity or power. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.201.110.155 (talk) 21:25, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

Before Bugs suggests it: Perhaps he takes them to a Penny Arcadia. --Mr.98 (talk) 22:55, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

This is evidently a pair of stills from a movie (one of the Batman movies, maybe? - I say that because two-face is usually depicted tossing a coin like this). we don't need to worry about it being real. the second image is Charon, and the first image (I'm fairly certain) is a representation of Janus. --Ludwigs2 22:16, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

Can someone with a peanut/tree nut allergy eat foods that "may contain traces of nuts or peanuts"?

It seems like every food in existence has this on the label or words to that effect so what is safe for people with these allergies to eat? --112.213.142.13 (talk) 15:56, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

That is a personal medical matter and thus a question for a doctor who knows the person with the allergy. It is not a question for the Ref Desk. Bielle (talk) 16:03, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

I agree fully. I'm sure there's general information here on wikipedia about allergies, but allergic reactions to anything can vary from mild to life-threatening. If there is genuine concern, consult a doctor. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 16:10, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

It's not a personal question, I am speaking generally do these foods usually get nuts in them or is the legal disclaimer just to cover the tiniest possibility that a fragment of nut could fall in one of the products? --112.213.142.13 (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 16:11, 20 March 2011 (UTC).

It's possible it's an FDA regulation. Have you searched Google on this subject? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 16:13, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

In many cases those foods, although they don't intentionally contain nuts, may have been processed using machines that previously were used to process foods that contain nuts. Basically any food that is processed in a plant where nuts are used is likely to contain this warning, which is necessary because some people have nut allergies so severe that even tiny traces can cause them serious problems. Looie496 (talk) 17:52, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

This doesn't sound to me like a request for advice, but Bielle is right that you should ask a doctor if you are wondering about any particular person's safety. See Peanut allergy for some descriptions of what can cause reactions. Apparently there is controversy about whether trace exposures can cause reactions. Staecker (talk) 16:14, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

Check out the links from the FSA (Food Standards Agency) for the UK perspective on labelling (http://www.food.gov.uk/foodindustry/guidancenotes/labelregsguidance/maycontainguide). There is guidance for small business (here's the PDF link... http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/publication/allergyjamjar0109.pdf) which may be an interesting read. In terms of what peanut-sufferers can eat...well to be honest it shows up on a lot of things but there's a huge amount that it doesn't (hard to say what without going into my cupboards but most fresh/unprocessed food for example). ny156uk (talk) 17:39, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

Worse is the food label that opaquely says, "This product was manufactured using equipment that also handles tree nuts". Here's an excuse from one company saying they can't clean the equipment afterwards. This doesn't help nut allergy sufferers much. Another offender is retailers like Starbucks which have an unhelpful notice on their food case saying "Some of the stuff in this food case contains nuts, but we're not going tell you which items", which smacks of an attempt to avoid legal liability rather than an attempt to, you know, help their customers not die. Comet Tuttle (talk) 17:44, 21 March 2011 (UTC)

Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust

Does the trustee of an ILIT have any annual reporting requirements to the IRS? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.142.163.28 (talk) 16:43, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

Omar Bradley

How did the white American Omar Bradley come to have an Arabic prénom? 83.70.250.202 (talk) 17:25, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

Perhaps from Omar (Bible)? DuncanHill (talk) 17:32, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

According to his autobiography, A General's Life, he was named after Omar D. Gray, a local newspaper editor at the place he was born. Looie496 (talk) 17:58, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

Still begs the question. Why was Omar D. Gray (1869-1935) of Sturgeon, Missouri given that name? Nothing in his bio provides and answer. Edison (talk) 18:45, 21 March 2011 (UTC)

1989-1991 Belgian Motocross Grand Prix Race Results

Looking for the full race results. I'm trying to identify riders in photos I took at one of these races. I'm fairly confident I was at the 1991 race but it could have been any of the years above. I arrived in Germany late 1987 and left in Feb 1992. If at all possible, name, plate number, and make of motorcycle would be great. But I may be able to determine all that with just the name of the finishers.

Thanks, David — Preceding unsigned comment added by Flintlock42003 (talk • contribs) 20:53, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

Space shuttle launch; any discarded stuff left?

Hello! I was wondering... when NASA's space shuttle is launched, there's... well, a lot of flames. What equipment on the ground (there's always some technical-looking stuff very close by) has to be thrown away as a result of these vast amounts of flame and heat? Thank you in advance! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 80.213.11.105 (talk) 22:29, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

I'm going to ask my resident expert on the subject to comment, but one thing worth noting is that there is a large trench underneath the launch pad, whose purpose is dissipate the exhaust from the initial launch. That trench actually splits the halves of an artificially-built hill, which they had to do due to the high water table in that area. Or so they told us on the shuttle tour some years ago. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 23:07, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

I'm not really sure. I think they do have to repair the pad after each launch. I would think that anything that is close enough to be damaged would not be that close unless it had to be. One thing though, most photos of the Shuttle launch are taken with a telephoto lens from a long way away, which "compresses" the images along the line of sight, so objects along the line of sight are not as close together as they appear. You might get a better answer in the Science area. Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 23:15, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

Veteran space photographer Ralph Morse destroyed about half a dozen cameras capturing the first space shuttle launch in 1981...the violent launch sent them flying, and the cameras returned in pieces,.. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 10:24, 21 March 2011 (UTC)

Launch Plan for a Human Services Organization

Define a launch plan for a human services organization.

Is this a homework question? If so, we can't help you: it's against our policy. --Tango (talk) 23:56, 20 March 2011 (UTC)

I don't even understand the question!--85.211.227.56 (talk) 07:16, 21 March 2011 (UTC)

Well there is no question, only an instruction, which is what makes it smell of homework.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 08:44, 21 March 2011 (UTC)

March 21

Way too many models

Why do so many companies release way too many models in there lineup. I'm not even talking about a specific industry, everything from car companies to electronics companies often release so many models in the same class/category. Wouldn't it cost much less to focus on exceptionally well designed models that are very widely distributed? I imagine this would also vastly improve customer support, resalebability, fame/popularity/recognisibility, and so on. Despite all the alleged shorcomings of their devices, Apple Computer seems to have nailed this strategy down perfectly. They don't really have any competing products or redundancies. Other highly successfull companies like Sony, HP, and HTC seem to always have a massive ambiguous list of models that serve more or less the same niche, never become iconic, and aren't known well known or supported for very long. What's the advantage of this? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Roberto75780 (talk • contribs) 05:58, 21 March 2011 (UTC)

Halo effect implies that not all of, say, Apple's products are exceptional, but the great trick is to achieve one or two exceptional, famous, widely-loved products so that the other products can bask in the glow. This sounds like a hopelessly optimistic thing to declare as a goal, and I expect that all major companies are hoping to do it with whatever their flagship product is, but they can't. You might also ask "why do so many bands release so many stodgy, similar-sounding tracks instead of concentrating on creating a hit?" 81.131.35.68 (talk) 06:25, 21 March 2011 (UTC)

I can think two ways this can happen:

1) Due to merging companies. For example, General Motors was created by merging several different car and truck companies together, each of which had their own product line. This led to redundancy in models, but eliminating any of them might lose customers who remained loyal to that model.

2) For short-term benefits. While having too many models is bad in the long run, leading to higher costs and decreased brand recognition, in the short term it may increase sales, as people want to try out something "new". General Motors's Saturn division is an example of this.

So then, how can they get rid of all their redundant models ? One way is to discontinue models which are no longer profitable. (If the name of the model has value, while the product does not, the name can be transferred to a more successful product with a name that's less well-known.) Another approach is to make a single product but sell it as more than one model. In some cases this might involve minor cosmetic changes between them. The worst option seems to be to wait until bankruptcy, then eliminate a large number of models all at once. StuRat (talk) 07:15, 21 March 2011 (UTC)

Offering a wide choice of models is a way of entering a competitive market at multiple price/performance levels, a way of sounding buyers' preferences, and is usually done using many common parts. It allows different product images to be promoted for the same underlying product, so-called "badge engineering", see the article Brand#Branding approaches. Individual models may be restricted to particular sales areas and price structures. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 10:12, 21 March 2011 (UTC)

Nobody is arguing for one single model per company, but the question was about companies which have redundant models. StuRat (talk) 10:38, 21 March 2011 (UTC)

Planned obsolescence may play a part. In my experience, video equipment is one of the worst for that, where the EX690 model doesn't even have dust on it when the EX691 comes out. There's no real difference between them, so retailers can sell both at the same, with the EX691 marked up for the consumers who want the "cutting edge". Our article on product binning is a bit narrow; the process occurs in several industries and also results in multiple models on the same floor. Matt Deres (talk) 13:41, 21 March 2011 (UTC)

It is due to Product differentiation. By making a few cheap superficial changes you can charge different prices and appeal to different sectors of the market. 92.15.25.108 (talk) 14:09, 21 March 2011 (UTC)

You say that Apple has "Nailed" the strategy you suggest, of focusing in on a small number of products. I think that's more branding than anything else. For instance, Apple may be focusing on the "iPod", but actually there are actually a lot of iPods :

2gb iPod Shuffle (In Five colors)
8gb iPod Nano (In Seven Colors)
16GB iPod Nano (In Seven Colors)
8GB iPod Touch
32GB iPod Touch
64GB iPod Touch
160GB iPod Classic (In Two Colors)

And that's just the current models!

You want a laptop computer? Apple has you covered :

MacBook 2.4GHz : 250GB
MacBook Pro 13-inch: 2.3 GHz
MacBook Pro 13-inch: 2.7 GHz
MacBook Pro 15-inch: 2.0 GHz
MacBook Pro 15-inch: 2.2 GHz 
MacBook Pro 17-inch: 2.2 GHz 
MacBook Pro 17-inch: 2.3 GHz 
MacBook Air 11-inch : 64GB
MacBook Air 11-inch : 128GB
MacBook Air 13-Inch : 128GB
MacBook Air 13-Inch : 256GB

Sure, they're all called "MacBook", so you might not think that Apple has "too many products in their lineup", but it's really just a carefully crafted illusion. If Apple had given each one of these products their own name, and a slightly different style of case decorations, you'd think of them as separate products, now you think of them as 'versions' of the same product.

It's all a marketing illusion. Marketing is something that Apple is very good at. (Since Steve Jobs returned to the company.) APL (talk) 15:04, 21 March 2011 (UTC)

Steve Jobs' return is key - to have this discipline you need a strong lead who can over-ride entrenched departmental support for the products that need to be eliminated. Internal lobbying to keep products can be very powerful and prevent weak CEOs from killing products they really should kill. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.189.106.4 (talk) 18:38, 21 March 2011 (UTC)

But what I'm saying is that it's at least as much about intentionally branding your products all the same. They've got eleven different laptops available right now and seven different mp3 players, it would have been easy to give them all different names and different visual styles. That wouldn't cost them anything.

They could have gone with the illusion of a "too many models" portfolio like the question-asker was complaining about without changing the products they sell.

I don't know enough marketing to know why this is a good idea or a bad one, but it sure seems to work for them.APL (talk) 00:41, 22 March 2011 (UTC)

Trivia: colloquialism

What is the source (or inspiration) of the term "milking the clock"? Usmale48 (talk) 15:38, 21 March 2011 (UTC) JTC,JR

The OED doesn't have an entry for milk the clock specifically, but it does give as one definition of milk "a. trans. To deprive or defraud (a person, etc.) (†from, of money, etc.), esp. by taking regular amounts over a period of time; to exploit, turn into a source of (freq. illicit) profit, advantage, information, etc.; to extract all possible advantage from. Also (in extended use): to drain away the contents from (in figurative contexts)," with examples going back to 1531. It also gives "b. intr. to milk dry: to drain completely of resources; to exploit exhaustively," with cited examples back to 1849, and "To elicit (something), to draw out; to extract or extort (money, advantage, information, etc.) from a person, business, situation, etc. Also: to drain away, out of from a person," examples to 1628. So it appears that the idea behind the term is of long standing. Thus far I have not found anything definitive for the actual phrase. --some jerk on the Internet (talk) 16:01, 21 March 2011 (UTC)

The earliest citation I can personally find is from the New York Times Jan. 20, 1985 "KNICKS DEFEAT HAWKS.(Sports Desk)." The quote is: "We wanted to milk the clock down to about eight or nine seconds, said the Knick coach, then bring it to the side and try to get it to Tucker. If not then to Cummings or Orr. But they were playing both of them real tough. It was real big shot for Darrell." 1985 is the outer edge of the database's coverage, however, so I'm quite confident there are older examples out there. The NYT website yields a possible hit for Dec. 22, 1974: "Raiders' Frustration Ended," but it's not freely available and I'm not motivated enough to go load a spool of microfilm right this moment. --some jerk on the Internet (talk) 16:33, 21 March 2011 (UTC)

Posting this question at the Languages ref. desk would be more appropriate. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 21:17, 21 March 2011 (UTC)

Dog safety

Is it safe for my dog to lick up the cum i spill on the carpet. Im worried he could get ill —Preceding unsigned comment added by 89.243.141.57 (talk) 18:16, 21 March 2011 (UTC)

It is safe for your dog. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.189.106.4 (talk) 18:32, 21 March 2011 (UTC)

We are not allowed to give veterinary advice. You should ask your veterinarian. Edison (talk) 18:38, 21 March 2011 (UTC)

I was not aware of that rule, although, to be fair, this is hardly veterinary, more the field of a nutritionalist! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.189.106.4 (talk) 18:41, 21 March 2011 (UTC)

I have a cunning plan my Lord Onan, why not put the dog somewhere else while you spill your seed. This would save you all the 'worry' about your little pooch and you would not need to talk to a vet. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.4.187.76 (talk) 22:39, 21 March 2011 (UTC)

I was wondering why the dog had to be present and then had this horrible thought and - oh no - oh please God no - not that - oh I was just about to go to bed and now I can't stop thinking about why the dog might have been there. Oh there are times when I really regret using Wikipedia. Must go, I think I am going to vomit..Can'tgetenoughinfo (talk) 23:26, 21 March 2011 (UTC)

Future predictions, tested empirically?

Hi there - The business of predicting the future seems to have become somewhat more respectable the last few years, and I am looking for occasions when economists, political scientists, historians etc (not quacks and astrologers) have gone on record with predictions of trends or changes in a 10-20 year timeframe, and what kind of trends there are around accuracy. ie -is there better accuracy about some areas, geopolitics, economics, environmental etc? Does accuracy decline linearly, or does it fall off rapidly past a certain point? I'm really looking for an evaluation of the efficacy of this kind of thing - ideally I'd like to look at people who made predictions in 2000, and follow up ten years later or something like that. Any ideas whether someone has done this already, or on where to start? Thanks! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.189.106.4 (talk) 18:31, 21 March 2011 (UTC)

We have an article about this, futurology. Looie496 (talk) 18:48, 21 March 2011 (UTC)

Thanks - unfortunately it does not address the questions of efficacy that I'm asking. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.189.106.4 (talk) 18:57, 21 March 2011 (UTC)

The problem is that so many people make predictions that some of them will inevitably be right just by random chance. That means you need to be very careful how you select the predictions you include in your sample. You probably want to consider just predictions of people that are good at making predictions (we already know there are lots of people that are terrible at it, we're interested in whether it is possible to be good at it), but you need to make sure they aren't just lucky. That probably means finding someone that is consistently accurate. So, for example, you could look at all the predictions make in 1990 about 2000 and then reject everyone that was inaccurate and then look at the predictions they made in 2000 about 2010 and take an average of the accuracy of those that will give you an idea of the actual level of accuracy that is possible. Unfortunately, that is a lot of work! Also, there aren't many people that make long-term predictions repeatedly over a long period of time. --Tango (talk) 20:09, 21 March 2011 (UTC)

If you're thinking of psychics and whatnot, some of their highest profile predictions are kept secret. Often times in missing persons cases, psychics will offer advice on the condition that their predictions not be released unless it's successful!

That's done intentionally to prevent the sort of hit/miss tally you're trying to find. APL (talk) 00:44, 22 March 2011 (UTC)

Hmm. thanks - that is an issue. I found at least one interesting article looking at the predictions from the Limits to Growth study 30 years ago here:http://www.csiro.au/files/files/plje.pdf - that's exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for, I was imagining that some of the larger futurist consulting houses might have this kind of thing, but the fact that I can't find it easily on their websites makes me think maybe they don't. There are also of course issues around specificity and accuracy when you get into it. Thanks. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.189.106.4 (talk) 20:30, 21 March 2011 (UTC)

The science fiction pioneer Hugo Gernsback in his delightfully tacky novel Ralph 124C 41+ successfully predicted in 1911 television, remote-control power transmission, the video phone, transcontinental air service, solar energy in practical use, sound movies, synthetic milk and foods, artificial cloth, voiceprinting, tape recorders, spaceflight, and gave the first accurate description of radar. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 21:12, 21 March 2011 (UTC)

I'm still waiting for my pair of Platinum-Barium-Arturium Eyeglasses, though. Comet Tuttle (talk) 21:15, 21 March 2011 (UTC)

Somewhere I recently read an account of a study (I'll have to look it up, it is somewhere nearby...) where someone tallied up a number of predictions by scientists, engineers, and futurists over the past 60 years, and the "success" rate (even with rather modest predictions) was something like 30%. Which isn't that great, though you can always pick out a few exceptional ones and say, "my god, what a genius!" and ignoring all of the false ones. --Mr.98 (talk) 00:15, 22 March 2011 (UTC)

Fish on a Friday

What is the origin of eating fish on a friday, I always used to assume that this was because it was a Catholic thing and was done because it was the sabbath and that Jesus was a fisherman. However from reading the wikipedia front page article about the battle of Ohrid, and how they fed on the fish, it states that this was a tradition that was done by Byzantinian Kings. That is to say that the Byzantinin Kings ate fish on a friday. Now they were not Christians and they were not Jews either, so I am curious to gather further information concerning this, please and thank you. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.3.144.75 (talk) 22:55, 21 March 2011 (UTC)

March 22

Fairies

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes, has written a serious treatise about existence of fairies. Other serious writers, Colin Wilson etc. have also written at length about them. I want to know that are there any proofs about existence of these mysterious creatures in West today ? I would like to know if any people reading my words have any firsthand experience ( or any of yours friends or relatives ). Jon Ascton  (talk) 00:05, 22 March 2011 (UTC)