Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2006 November 27

Welcome to the Wikipedia Miscellaneous Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.

November 27

Turducken

I believe the first paragraph of the "Turducken" article has been edited in a vulgar way. I am not sure what it should say, only that I assume it is incorrect. Please see for yourself and tell me if I am wrong.

Looked at it; don't see anything wrong. What is it you object to? Cavities being stuffed? --Justanother 02:17, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Likewise. Perhaps the wording is just too fowl? Clio the Muse 02:21, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

I think it's all the talk of 'de-boning' and 'stuffing'. --Kurt Shaped Box 02:40, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

You know what I think? I think there should be a new "how to ask a question" tip up there saying "Do not report article vandalism here" and then explaining why not. Vitriol 14:02, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Sounds good; you should be able to edit the template. Don't know how much of it gets read though. --Justanother 15:40, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

I don't know how. Heheheh... hurr. Vitriol 18:37, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

I've Seen Pencils.......

I've seen pencils that say that they have a clutch action device or clutch-action device, for example,

[1]

. What does that mean? Do those pencils work like a clutch pencil? But these pencils can use leads smaller than, say, 2mm? Like, for example, 0.3? Thanks.100110100 03:57, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

I think these look like regular mechanical pencils. In Australia we commonly call them a pacer but as stated in the article, that is a Genericized trademark. They generally only work with the size insert they are designed for, but 2mm sounds very large, I think 0.5mm is the most common but the article says 0.7mm and 0.3mm are available. Vespine 04:18, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

I would imagine "clutch" refers to grapping and letting go of the lead. The clutch is only designed to hold lead of one specific diameter; usually 0.7 or 0.5 mm. --Justanother 04:44, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

I am using a 2mm leadholder of clutch pencil right now. The link that I posted, if you look to the box on the right:

...Clutch-action...

. So that is one of my questions: what does it mean? Does it WORK the same way as a clutch pencil?100110100 07:04, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Yes, in South Africa "clutch pencil" is Standard English, but most persons would know what a pacer is. The sizes vary from 0.3 to 0.7mm for standard leads, the fine ones being made of a hightech composite to reduce breaking. Thicker leads (up to a few mm) are becoming popular for art. Colured leads are available, but do not seem to be popular. Seejyb 05:04, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

I think that "clutch pencil" is the pencil used by architects and draftsman that hold a thickish piece of lead that you have to put a point on using a sandpaper pad or a sharpener. The mechanical pencils such as your link hold a thin piece of lead that you don't have to "point" and the term "clutch action" simply refers to the mechanism inside to hold and feed the lead. But they are mechanical pencils, not clutch pencils. --Justanother 14:25, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Help!?

Where did the saying, "Here's pie in your eye," come from? And what does it mean?

It doesn't seem to be that popular a saying. --Proficient 05:22, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

If I were to hazard a guess, here would not be an innapropriate time to say "Here's pie in your eye." ;) Vespine 05:38, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

You're probably thinking of "Here's mud in your eye", which is used as a toast. Don't know the origin of it, though. You might get a better response over at the language reference desk. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 08:55, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

I guess it could be because it's easier to say than, "Here's 3.142857142 recurring in your eye"??

That's 22/7. Pi is 3.1415926... StuRat 07:35, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

Sounds like a mixture of "pie in the sky" (an empty promise or wish) and "Here's mud in your eye". You could always combine the two: "Here's mud pie in your eye". Clarityfiend 11:38, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Mmmmm, mud pie --Justanother 14:16, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

I think there are three different expressions being confused here: 1. "Pie in the sky", 2. "Here's mud in your eye", and 3. "Pie-eyed" - the latter meaning "besotted, blind drunk, blotto, pissed, plastered, sloshed, smashed, etc". Both "Here's mud in your eye" and "Pie-eyed" are associated with drinking alcohol. "Pie in the sky" is entirely different. There is no such standard expression, afaik, as "Here's pie in your eye". JackofOz 23:38, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Snow at nighttime

It's been snowing here all day, and around six in the evening the power went out for about a 25-square mile area. This time of year the sun goes down and it gets dark right quick around five pm. So why is it so light outside after a snowfall, when it should be pitch black? The nearest city is at least ten miles away. This area is very rural, even with the power on there wouldn't be much light. But right now (9pm) it's brighter outside than it is during a full moon, and the sky is overcast, but clearly lit from somewhere. On a typical winter night it's utterly pitch black out here if I don't turn on any outside lights. I guess having snow covering a large area reflects light from cities or towns and makes the night seem brighter but- how far away can the cities or towns be and still contribute? 192.168.1.1 9:15pm, 27 November 2006 (PST)

I don't know where you live exactly, but lights from cities can refract for quite a distance through the atmosphere (it's one of the reasons light pollution is such a problem, you don't need to be particularly near to a city to feel its effects. I don't have any hard numbers to give you, but I know I could see the entire southern horizon lit up when I was a good fifty miles north of London, for instance. Snow on the ground is a spectacularly good reflector, so any stray light around will seem to be strongly amplified to you. — QuantumEleven 05:52, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Snow is the most reflective stuff around. It has an albedo of 90%. And there is always light, even when it is pitchblack. Pitchblack just means the available light falls below your perception threshold, even after your eyes have adapted to the light. If almost all the light gets reflected the incoming light is doubled, and it may only just fall above the threshold. With adapted eyes that will make all the difference. You say it is comparable to moonlight, which is a point in case. Moonlight is extremely faint compared to sunlight. According to the article 500 000 times fainter. DirkvdM 06:25, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Cool, thanks for the answers. After thinking about it more, I'm also going to guess that the solid overcast sky also contributes. Is it possible that light can be reflected between the clouds and the snow, and so illuminate a large area? If the storm passes tonight and the skies are clear I'll get some empirical observations! 192.168.1.1 10:10am, 27 November 2006 (PST)

According to the albedo article, cloud albedo's vary wildly (for obvious reasons). Do your empirical observations with a camera, though. Don't rely on your eyes, because they adapt. Take photos with with different skies with the camera settings (aperture, exposure, ASA and white balance) fixed. Keep us posted. DirkvdM 04:06, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

Unfortunately, except for the crappy camera in my cell phone, I don't own any other working camera. Empirically, last night was indeed clear, many stars were visible and to my eyes it did not have the same glow as the first night. Which made me remember an old question I heard a long time ago, asked by a very young person: "When snow melts, where does the white go?" 192.168.1.1 3:15pm, 28 November 2006 (PST)

help im stuck

is it possible to proform sexual acts to yourself with mouth actions??

from andy

Well did you read Oral sex or Autofellatio? CambridgeBayWeather (Talk) 11:58, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Of course. Why do you have to ask? Are you incapable? -THB 12:40, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Of course, sucking your thumb is always possible.--Light current 12:42, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Soaking in vinegar can soften up the bones sufficiently. Or does that just work with eggs?? --Zeizmic 13:29, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

I feel a thread deletion coming on! 8-)--Light current 13:31, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Yes, it is -- at least for men. It's easier if you lie on your back, push your legs out straight and then flip them back over your body while curving your back. --Anon.

And for women, autocunnilingus. Hope you're not stuck! –mysid☎ 16:59, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Here's a question... if you tried to perform autofellatio, and now you're stuck, then how did you manage to type anything here? That must be quite an uncomfortable position to be stuck in! --Maelwys 15:28, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

You could always talk dirty to yourself............

Only oral sex. -THB 16:25, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Actually there is a pic on the net somewhere of a young guy giving himself a blow in front of his computer. Cant remember the website just ATM....--Light current 21:56, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Actually there are many, many porn videos/DVDs available of guys performing autofellatio, and I'm sure there would be much more than just one website. They all seem to have extremely nimble bodies and are better than averagely endowed. It would seem to be beyond the physical capacity of most men to achieve this (but not for want of trying in many cases). JackofOz 23:46, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Hence the pop tune of the early sixties: Bend it--Light current 02:52, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

That's a redirect to Bend it like Beckham... (actually, I like that image... @_@ ) 惑乱 分からん 12:47, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

I am a camera n00b

The camera (oups, blurry)

Objective (see also the un-labeled version)

Top (see also the un-labeled version)

As usual, I don't know whether to place technology topics in the Science or Miscellaneous desk. I have two old cameras that were my grandfather's. One of them lets you do a bunch of settings, and since I don't know much about cameras, I could use some help interpreting them. (The other one is a bit automatic so, without a battery, it's even more difficult to know what it will do when you push the…er…trigger(?).) In the attached images, I have labeled some of the moving parts and here are my thoughts on what they might be for:

1. Focus. One scale is labeled from "1 m" to "≈" and that's fine, but what is the other one (on black background)? Some kind of measure of how blurry things will be on different distances?
2. Shutter speed. If it says $x$, it means $(1/x)\,\mathrm {s}$, right? And "B" is for "as long as you hold the…um…GO button(?) pressed".
3. Aperture size. The numbers on the scale is apparently the focal length ($45\,\mathrm {mm}$) divided by the aperture diameter. Why is this relation of interest?
4. Something with the flash. (And the connector next to it I guess is for the flash as well.)
5. Something with light sensitivity (it says "ASA" and "DIN").
6. Seems related to E.

Oh, and the light sensor is a cool thing. The needle on the top is driven by the light energy! :-)

Do you think you can help me fill in the gaps? Thanks in advance. —Bromskloss 14:22, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Sounds like you need a basic tutorial first. Then check out f number (f-stop) and film speed (for E). Oh, and shutter speed is probably the other wheel on top, not on the lens. BTW, very nice work on the pics! --Justanother 14:38, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Nice to hear you like the images! :-) I had some trouble with sharp highlights that made the numbers hard to read. I ended up moving the light source (a table lamp) during exposure (mabye about a second, automatic camera, so I don't know). Once on the computer screen, I realised that the bulb must have been brown or something, the result was rather dull. :-( But after correcting the colours, it got better! OK, I might have overdone it and exaggerated the shininess of reality a little. ;-) Thanks for you links. Actually, I am familiar with the principles of photography, I just don't know the traditions and conventions of cameras, as I tend to approach a subject from a theoretical viewpoint. I have read the f number article. :-/ Those notations make me wanna cry! —Bromskloss 15:42, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

(after edit conflict)Oooh, nice camera. Let's fill in the gaps (let me state first that I'm native German and that while I know quite well how cameras work, I am not sure I am using the correct English technical terms...I hope you can understand everything I am trying to explain):

• The numbers on the black scale next to the focus indicate the depth of field, depending on the aperture. A wide-open aperture will let in a lot of light, allowing for a shorter exposure time, but it will have a smaller depth which basically means that whatever you focus on will be sharp but objects behind and in front will be blurry (which is an effect often used in portrait photography). A smaller aperture will require a longer exposure time but will give you a larger depth. The numbers on the scale give you a rough approximation of how far away from your focus the image will be sharp.
• You are correct about exposure times being measured in 1/x and B being "as long as you keep the trigger pressed".
• The aperture size influences the depth of field, as outlined above. Smaller numbers mean a larger aperture opening, and vice versa.
• I am not sure about the flash symbols, haven't seen those on any camera I own.
• On the top dial, E is for setting the camera for the type of film you have installed. As a rule of thumb (although there are lots of subtle variations), films with a larger ASA number are more sensitive to light but also more grainy. For indoor portrait photos, 800 or even 1600ASA films are a good choice because they are sensitive enough for indoor photography without a flash (and flashes are evil, especially when doing portraits) and the grainy effect may be just what you want with a black-and-white portrait. For outdoor photography, you will usually use a film with 50 or even 25ASA to get your photos a sharp as possible (200ASA is a common compromise between sharpness and sensitivity). The camera has to know how sensitive a film you are using so that the light meter works correctly.
• Dial F is where you set the exposure time.

Hope you have fun with the camera, Ferkelparade π 14:48, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Good job above. It is also very possible that the light meter does not "interact" with the camera, i.e. you use the meter reading to set the shutter speed and aperture manually. The film speed dial (ASA/DIN) is more so you remember what you put in the camera and does not control the camera in any way. --Justanother 14:58, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

I think you might be correct, and would like to extend it. I think that E and F are acting as a nomogram (aren't those cool?!) for doing calculations rather than really doing anything.

1. Set E to the light sensitivity of the film.
2. Take the reading from the light meter, either with the lid closed (brigth conditions, light still coming in through small holes) or with the lid open.
3. Turn F to point at the reading you got. It has a scale that first reads "1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8" (on black background) and then continues with "2 3 4 5 6 7 8" (on green background). Probably, black is for lid open and green for lid closed (there is actually a green mark showing when you close the lid).
4. On E and F are printed scales we haven't used so far. On E, it reads "2,8 4 5,6 6 11 16 22" so it's probably aperture sizes (or rather focal length divided by aperture diameter). On F, we have "300 100 50 25 10 1/5 1/2 1 2 4 8 15", which I guess i shutter speed. (They probably mean "1/300 1/100 1/50 1/25 1/10 1/5 1/2 1 2 4 8 15".) These two scales line up against eachother and provide combinations of aperture size and shutter speed that give the same exposure (I think). We are free to choose which combination we want and we dial it in with B and C. (Btw, B is heavy to turn in both directions and you can hear it crunch inside the camera when you do. Why is that?)

Even if this is correct, there is still a question. In the cut-out of F, there is a black arrow (in the image, it's pointing at the "8" with black background), but there is also a red "2" (pointing approximately at the "2" with green background) and a red "4" (pointing even more approximately at the "3" with green background). What's that? —Bromskloss 16:21, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for the info. As far as I could tell, there was never any problems with English terms. Actually, I'm Swedish, so I would probably have understood you anyway. :-) —Bromskloss 15:50, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Just in case you don't already know. The camera seems to be a model of the Zeiss-Ikon Contina. There are a couple of similar on ebay here (though perhaps not so nice condition as yours). You could probably locate a manual for it on ebay or elsewhere. Have fun! --Justanother 16:08, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Ah, I never thought anyone would know about this camera, but I was wrong. I found a manual for a similar model. (username: "free", password: "manuals") —Bromskloss 16:52, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Very cool! That's going to help a lot. --Justanother 17:25, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

There's still the problem of what the "2" and the "4" is doing next to the arrow on the computor ring, as the manual calls what we call F. —Bromskloss 17:34, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Left. Does it relate to f2.8 being a "snapshot setting"? No, that is f8. --Justanother 17:37, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

By the way, the reason the symbol for an "as long as you keep the shutter button pressed" time-exposure is B is that it stands for "bulb". Not a light bulb, but a rubber squeeze-bulb, which you could operate without shaking the camera. This stopped being an essential attachment for ordinary exposures as films got faster, but some cameras continued to be made with a fitting for it, and the B symbol stuck even when there was only a button. --Anonymous, 18:45 UTC, November 27.

My little compact camera lacks such a connector, but it has a mode where there is a two second delay between the moment when you press…er…fire(?) and the shot, so you have time to take your hand off the camera and the camera can stop shaking. At least that's what I use it for. —Bromskloss 18:52, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Oh, and regarding that "crunch"; the camera may need to be serviced (cleaned and oiled). You can probably find out how to disassemble it and clean/oil it or take it (or send it) to a pro. But you probably want to do that before using it much. --Justanother 19:15, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Really? I thought it was perhaps supposed to do that. Apparently, it was for setting the exposure time. I don't know how the timer for that works, so I don't really know what needs to be moved around inside to change the time. Do you? —Bromskloss 19:25, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

OK, but you set exposure time on top. I thought it was the focus or aperture ring that made noise? BTW, those links I gave above are stinky - you can do better; this one, for instance, shows some photos taken with "your" camera. --Justanother 19:28, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Ah, nice! Thanks. It's actually not exactly the same camera, but really close. A is focus, B is exposure time, C is aperture size and E and F is for computing suitable combinations of exposure time and aperture size (which are then dialled in with B and C). —Bromskloss 19:49, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Oh, that's different. My dad was a camera buff and had some nice old cameras. Do you think that protrusion near "B" is for the bulb mentioned above? It looks like a hollow tube so it could have a pressure/vacuum trip to trip the shutter. --Justanother 19:55, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Yes, "B" is for "as long as the button is pressed". Even if a remote trigger would comprise an air-filled bulb, on the camera side, I'd say it's purely mechanical – a little pin extending into the hollow thing you saw. —Bromskloss 20:14, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Indeed, the remote release doesn't have to be a bulb; I've used one that was just a length of flexible tube with a wire sliding inside it, and a mechanical pushbotton on the end. The kind with a bulb would just have a little piston at the camera end. --Anonymous, 23:35 UTC, November 28.

Left. Actually, I looked again at the manual. You attach the remote cable to the threaded hole on top of the shutter button. My guess is the peg on the ring is just to make it easy to turn or to distinquish which ring is which without looking? --Justanother 20:29, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Not yet addressed are the letters V,X,M, presumed to be "Something with the flash". I suggest that this controls the flash synchronization. The shutter is only open for a small fraction of a second, and you need the flash to be brightest during that time, but some older types of flash would need a bit of time to reach full brightness, so the camera has to correct for it. I don't know what the letters actually mean, but I have seen things like "Synchronization: X" in the specs for modern electronic flash units (I think it's always X now). --Anonymous, 23:28 UTC, November 28.

In the manual liked to above, I read that "X" means "start the flash when the shutter is wide open". This is for fast flashes, like modern ones, as you say. "M" starts the flash a little in advance, as you also mentioned. "V" creates a delay of eight seconds between pressing of button to taking the picture, then behaives as with "X". I don't know what this has to do with the flash and why it is on the same control. What if you want the eight seconds delay and then use "M"? Apparently impossible. —Bromskloss 13:28, 29 November 2006 (UTC)

German language DVD purchase

I want to buy some German language DVDs. I live in the UK. Any good websites? --iamajpeg 18:12, 27 November 2006 (UTC) Oh and they need to accept UK payments (so Amazon is out 'cos they won't accept Solo cards in the German version) --iamajpeg 18:20, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Plenty of German language films (like Das Boot, Good Bye, Lenin, and countless others I'm sure) will be available on amazon.co.uk. You can just turn off the English subtitles. -Elmer Clark 03:54, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

eBay (particularly ebay.de) is another good bet, and you can pay through PayPal which is international. Just make sure that the seller is willing to ship to the UK, and that the DVD you're interested in has a German soundtrack. — QuantumEleven 12:22, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

You should be able to buy via cheque or postal order everywhere in the EU from Amazon. As an austrian I have no problems ordering DVDs from amazon.co.uk, so it should also be possible to buy from amazon.de via postal order from england. Aetherfukz 17:40, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

Government relations

how do the state the county and the city interact with eachother?

Where? In Bosnia? Please sign your name using four tildes. -THB 21:20, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

sick dreams

hi. im generally a good person. for some reason, i've recently been having dreems of sexually assaulting my sister. when i realize later on what i dreamt it makes my stomache churn. what can i do to stop them.—Preceding unsigned comment added by 209.53.181.63 (talk • contribs)

Try taking 100-200 mg of B1 daily, preferably early in the day (right after breakfast) as it may keep you awake (wikipedia not for medical advice, etc. - so consult a nutritionist.) Here you see that one symptom of B1 deficiency is sleep disorders - follow that link for general advice. B1 deficiency can be caused by drinking alcohol, fasting, or any activity that burns a lot of "mental energy" (editing on wikipedia, for example). --Justanother 18:41, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

I wouldn't concern yourself with the strange things you dream about, they are not a reflection of your personality or character and have no basis in reality. There are many, i'm sure, who will give you indepth meanings and so on, but I would be weary of believing them, they are quite an unexplainable working of the mind. Read the dream article for more indepth information. ny156uk

Interesting. How does B1 work in this case? —Bromskloss 18:54, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

I added a bit more above. --Justanother 18:57, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

And remember; thoughts are thoughts and deeds are deeds. You do not have control over what you dream and we all have dark impulses. I would tell you where those impulses live but a few here seem to think I proselytize (laff). --Justanother 19:05, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

I can find little literature on such links. It's more likely that what you're suffering from are just dreams, such as everyone has. They're always fairly random, and rarely under our control. You can gain some control over dreams by mentally applying yourself to it (i.e. lucid dreams), but you might just have to ride the dreams out. If they're really persistent and disturbing, something more may be at play, in which case you should likely see a sleep specialist. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 19:20, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Everyone has strange dreams from time to time. You may be reassured by reading some of the classic studies of dreams, such as Freud's The Interpretation of Dreams. If your dreams are persistent and start disturbing your sleep patterns or causing you anxiety in your waking life, then you should consult your doctor. Do not worry about shocking them - they will have heard much stranger things. Gandalf61 09:39, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

Pray. -THB 21:19, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

[2] has a little info. IANOP but I imagine it upsetting you so much in the way it does increases the chances you'll dream it again, because you're worrying about it. What you think and what you do are very different things, and the automatic, unconscious thoughts we have can be unrelated to what we would choose to think about. What you choose is what matters. After all, if someone thought to themselves that slavery was wrong, but still owned slaves, you would judge them by their actions and not their thoughts. Equally, judge yourself by your actions and not your thoughts. Know that you choose not to do anything like your dreams, and never will, then try to relax :-) After all, you can imagine yourself smashing the computer screen. Does that mean you're going to? Does it even mean you want to? Skittle 01:19, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

I think it would be doubtful that the Wikipedia Reference Desk has the capability of addressing your concerns satsifactorily. You might find talking to a real person more meaningful than getting responses from people on Wikipedia. Wikipedians are humans all right, but this question is the sort that extends beyond the capbilities of the Wiki to help adequately. --HappyCamper 18:04, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

Changing rooms at school

About 15 years ago,when I was at primary school the boys and girls got changed together for PE even in the last year.

Even at secondary school every now and then one changing room would be unavailable and so we'd all pile in together or they'd just open one changing room for the lunchtime swim.That was still going on to about 10 years ago when they stuck a roof on the pool and changed the changing rooms around.

Nowadays I never hear of any other schools that do this-and with girls developing earlier and worries about sexual harassment and that kind of thing I would imagine they would not be able to.

So was ours the last school to do this or are there any other schools that still allow mixed changing? Lemon martini 19:32, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

I went to primary school about twenty years ago in Australia and we definitely had separate change rooms, mind you I did go to a catholic primary school so maybe that has something to do with it. You don't live in France by any chance do you? They have unisex bathrooms in some places. Vespine 21:34, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Is that why the French are more sexually liberated?--Light current 21:53, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

I go to Oberlin College. We have all gender bathrooms and showers in our dorms. This extends to showers as well.—WAvegetarian•(talk) 03:19, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

I hope you count yourself lucky, it sounds like an amazing place: Oberlin students have a reputation for being radically liberal and/or progressive. Oberlin has a thriving LGBT community, and most students are well informed as to the intricacies of gender politics. Vespine 04:11, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

We had mixed bathrooms and toilets in Durham - it was originally a women's college, and I assume they just never bothered splitting up the facilities. (There was a seperate mens and womens toilet near the entrance, and near the bar - both presumably installed way back when - but all the accomodation-area ones were intended for single-sex use and so never got seperated). Shimgray | talk | 19:52, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

Sorry should have said,our school was in England and wasn't a particularly liberal one-just a regular independent public school. I can't imagine any of the state schools doing it still. Lemon martini 10:48, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

You probably need to mention that public schools in England are the ones you have to pay to attend. :) Marnanel 14:35, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

Beatlemania the trivia

I am looking for the rules to "The Trivia Game Beatlemania the Illustrated Treasury." It was produced in Canada in 1984, by P & R Enterprises. I have a copy of the game, but no rules. Thank you.

Check this out [3]. Looks like the scoresheet and instructions are one page. Maybe if you ask nicely they will scan it for you. --Justanother 21:21, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Where can I buy a University of Southampton academic scarf?

I want to buy an academic scarf for an expatriate friend who is a member of the University of Southampton. Where should I ask? The university? SUSU? Some third party robemaker as you do in Cambridge? Google finds me nothing. Thanks in advance. Marnanel 19:21, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Soton themselves sell various bits of clothing here, but it doesn't seem to encompass scarves. SUSU claim they sell a selection of clothing, and they may be your best bet. Shimgray | talk | 19:26, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

help me please

I would like to start by saying that this is an incredible web site and I find it most helpfull, My question to you is, how can I get further information on getting peoples contact email. I have done some searches on key persons, art collectors and you have alot of information on them, however I would like to know how I can access their emails so that I can contact them.

Thank You

Doron Arie

In many cases, we don't have contact information for the individuals about whom we've written articles. You may be able to find contact information through corporate or personal web sites listed in a given article's External links section. In general, even if we did have a given person's email address, we wouldn't add it to a Wikipedia article. This is because having an email address on a publicly-accessible site would expose those individuals to a great deal of spam and potentially other sorts of harrassment. If you would like contact information for a few specific individuals, there may be editors at the Ref Desk here who can help you with your search—particularly if you can explain why you're hoping to contact those people. Best of luck, TenOfAllTrades(talk) 21:12, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Hmmmm (why do we shake hands with the right hand, not the left?)

Very quick question, and this is just a thought. Why do we shake hands using our right hand and not the left. hmmmmmm.

Isn't the classic reason that the right hand would normally hold the weapon and by offering your right hand bare you are signifying friendship (or at least non-aggression)? See here. --Justanother 19:34, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Must have been great for left-handed backstabbers. Clarityfiend 20:05, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Indeed, we have an article about at least one such! Marnanel 20:11, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Besides the whole weapon thing, people used to wipe their bottoms with the left hand. -THB 21:17, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Yeah but that was in the days before toilet paper 8-)--Light current 21:51, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

There are many places in the world where toilet paper is not available (or unknown) and the left hand is still used for that purpose. Also, many cultures (eg. India, Sri Lanka) do not generally use eating utensils but eat with their hands. The right hand is always used, even where toilet paper has replaced the left hand in the toilet. Even though their left hands are probably just as clean as their rights, to eat with their left hand is a serious social disaster in those places. For the rest of the world, hand shaking with the right hand has become the accepted tradition, if for no other reason than because for 90% of people the right hand is the dominant hand and this is the most "natural" hand to proffer. But the Boy Scouts shake with their left hand (or they did back in the Dark Ages when I was a boy scout - but our articles seem to make no mention of this, so I wonder if that is still the case). JackofOz 00:07, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

Yeah - when I was a Cub Scout ten years ago, we were told that we shook hands with the left because in order to do that you had to put down any shield you were holding. Putting down a weapon signified friendship, but lowering your shield whilst allowing the other person to retain their weapon signified trust. --Mnemeson 00:25, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

First, holding out the right hand indicates you aren\'t holding a weapon (the probable origin of handshaking), and second, the left is the sinister hand, the hand associated with the devil, Judas, sin and evil. Not the hand you want to put forward. :-) Anchoress 00:16, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

Sinister is Latin for left.--Light current 00:19, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, but according to Merriam Webster, the English word is derived from the Latin one. Clarityfiend 00:45, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

Yeah thats what I was pointing out.8-)--Light current 01:20, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

Most people are right-handed. 72.232.136.202 01:17, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

But the more intelligent are left handed 8-))--Light current 01:19, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

Do they wipe their backsides with their right hand? JackofOz 01:49, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

I couldnt say what the majority of the intelligent people do. THey probably have a machine to do it. (I dont have one)--Light current 01:54, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

AHHH! Revelation. Ive just realised where the term 'cack handed' for LH people comes from!!--Light current 01:59, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

Your folk etymology turns out to be spot on. But I could have told you this years ago, if only you'd asked. JackofOz 02:11, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

Heres a LH link [4]--Light current 02:28, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

Damn, that means I am a sinister backstabber, because I am left-handed and wipe with the right? Well at least a good excuse for my world domination plans :D Aetherfukz 17:32, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

Air in the bloodstream

Is air in the bloodstream lethal? I mean, what would happen if a person accidently got 1cc of air into their artery via an I.V. (if the IV was running low and a few air bubbles got into the blood). How would the body get rid of the extra air? I'm asking because I once ALMOST got some air bubbles into my bloodstream when I had an IV in a hospital, and the IV had almost ended and I just noticed at the last minute that there was air in the tube going into my IV site along with the last drops of IV fluid above it.--172.150.151.23 23:20, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

As I have understood it, it's not particularly dangerous in small quantities... 惑乱 分からん 23:27, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

See Air embolism --Trieste 23:50, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Okay, thankyou for the link to "air embolism". I didn't know what it was called. I found a link on that page to the answer, which is on this website: www.dplylemd.com/Questions/archive/airbubble.htm --172.150.151.23 23:57, 27 November 2006 (UTC)