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December 22

Stefan Bekowsky's surname in L.A. Noire

So, I have a friend from Poland that goes by the surname of Byszkowski (I won't go into detail about him, obviously). I was wondering if the detective's surname in the game was an alternate spelling of it, or something like that. Blake Gripling (talk) 01:26, 22 December 2011 (UTC)

My knowledge of Polish is limited to its similarities with Russian, but I don't think so.

Byszkowski is probably an alternate spelling of Byczkowski. In Russian, the root "by[cz]k" means "calf" or "bull". As far as I can tell, the Polish meaning is similar. "Bekowsky" is an unusual last name, it could be a corruption of "Bukowski" (Google gives 47,800 hits for Bekowsky and 14,600,000 hits for Bukowski), the root "buk" means "beech".--Itinerant1 (talk) 02:45, 22 December 2011 (UTC)

So, it's a different one, right? Blake Gripling (talk) 03:42, 22 December 2011 (UTC)

It is definitely a different spelling (i. e. a different last name), but there are two possibilities as to why. One: it could have been a different last name all along (i. e. the origins of the two last names, Bekowsky and Byszkowski) are not directly related to each other. Last names in Poland in many cases relate to locations where a family or a person was from, and there are (and were even more) many similarly-named localities in Poland. Another version is what Itinerant1 said - it used to be very very common in the Russian zone (during the partitions of Poland) for last names to be misspelled (as at one point they were transcribed from the Latin alphabet to the cyrillic, and at a later point they might have been transcribed back to the Latin alphabet - and for certain Polish letters there is more than one way to do it, i. e. consider ę which can become both ę again, but also em or even en, or the sounds ż and rz which sound the same but are used in different places - I have relatives whose last names are spelled distinctly from one another, but the origins are the same). It would also be very easy to mistake a handwritten lowercase u with a handwritten lowercase e if you have elegant and lavish handwriting. Such cases still hold many mysteries even for us Poles.

There is a third option of course. The name could be completely made-up without knowledge of how Polish last names actually do originate. Oh, and WHAAilE we're at it - Polish name. Hope I helped. --Ouro (blah blah) 06:14, 22 December 2011 (UTC)

See transliteration, and, if you are not satisfied with the answer here after a few more days, ask again at the Language RefDesk. BrainyBabe (talk) 16:51, 22 December 2011 (UTC)

Why would transliteration matter? The Polish language uses the Latin alphabet, same as English, albeit with more diacritical markings. It isn't normal to transliterate Polish into English because they use the same script. Some people may deliberately alter the spelling and/or pronounciation of there names so that English speakers can work it out better, but that's not what Transliteration is. --Jayron32 00:52, 23 December 2011 (UTC)

I guess she (right?) was referring to what I wrote - transliteration between the Latin and cyrillic script. --Ouro (blah blah) 05:57, 23 December 2011 (UTC)

moon conspiracy

is the arrival of moon by Neil Armstrong a hoax? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Anandorup Sanyal (talk • contribs) 03:51, 22 December 2011 (UTC)

No. Have you read Moon landing conspiracy theories? Edison (talk) 04:02, 22 December 2011 (UTC)

The claim, that we didn't land, is the actual hoax. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 05:30, 22 December 2011 (UTC)

Well, he may have mooned someone in his younger days and then covered it up. Clarityfiend (talk) 07:23, 22 December 2011 (UTC)

Unless you're playing Majora's Mask, no, the moon hasn't arrived yet.--WaltCip (talk) 15:11, 22 December 2011 (UTC)

• There are of course people who believe the fact that, out of the many thousands who worked on the moon program, not one whistle-blower has come forward to expose it as a hoax simply proves how massive and all-pervading the cover-up is. --Shirt58 (talk) 02:03, 23 December 2011 (UTC)
  • Which only goes to prove the aphorism "You cannot reason a person out of a conclusion they did not arrive at via reason." --Jayron32 02:08, 23 December 2011 (UTC)
    • Belief in conspiracy theories often resembles religion, minus the thousands of years of precedence. Conspiracy theories are to conventional explanations what The Great Pumpkin is to conventional religions. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 07:38, 23 December 2011 (UTC)
      • The theorists seem to focus mainly on denying the Moon landing in July 1969. I've never heard anyone denying that the Apollo 8 mission in December 1968 actually took place, or that it orbited the Moon ten times, or that the pictures they took of the far side of the Moon were real. So, the theorists seem to accept we have the capacity and technology to leave Earth orbit and reach the environs of the Moon, but not to actually land on it. Weird. -- Jack of Oz ^{[your turn]} 19:09, 23 December 2011 (UTC)
        • As I learned during a lengthy battle on that article, there are many different, and contradictory, theories about what "really" happened. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 23:52, 23 December 2011 (UTC)
          • ...and why. HiLo48 (talk) 00:48, 24 December 2011 (UTC)
            • The Apollo conspiracy theories tell us nothing about the reality of the Apollo program, but they tell us a lot about conspiracy theorists. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 02:12, 24 December 2011 (UTC)
              • Yes, a detailed analysis of why people want to believe the conspiracy theories would be interesting. I put it down at least partly to bad science teaching. (Now I run and hide) HiLo48 (talk) 03:16, 24 December 2011 (UTC)
                • I would put it at least as much on the students. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 04:47, 24 December 2011 (UTC)
                  • Yes, there's truth in that. But I have another perspective. When I became a teacher 6 years ago I was qualified to teach Science, but the rules have changed from when I was a kid. While those NASA adventures were happening, we could virtually make rocket fuel in the school lab, and do all sorts of other spectacular things. Lots of fun! Now, you can hardly turn on a gas tap without filling in five pro formas. BORING! (I teach other stuff.) HiLo48 (talk) 05:21, 24 December 2011 (UTC)

Pathological lying and chilldhood trauma

Has a link ever been found between people who are deemed to be pathological liars and childhood abuse? Also, is pathological lying also commonly linked with bipolar disorder? 76.64.255.81 (talk) 10:11, 22 December 2011 (UTC)

Dissociative identity disorder often follows childhood trauma per PMID 7949411. Selery (talk) 10:56, 22 December 2011 (UTC)

Well yes, I know that, but I'm curious in knowing if childhood trauma is linked to pathological lying and bipolar disorder. Your answer isn't quite what I'm looking for. 76.64.255.81 (talk) 10:13, 23 December 2011 (UTC)

Trying to identify or label a principle of motion or work

I have observed a principle about accomplishing some kind of work, but I don't know what to call it. It might be something similar to the principle of "diminishing returns." The easiest way to describe is by example:

Raking leaves - It takes just as long to rake up the last 10% of leaves in a yard as it does to rake the first 90%.

Shipping packages - It takes as much production time and energy to manage the 3% of package exceptions as it does to process the rest of the lot (exceptions = anything that prevents successful shipping, i.e., wrong address, label improperly located for scanning, package misloaded, etc.)

So many more examples, but you get the idea. I'd like to be able to articulate the principle involved and to find ways to focus on spending time/energy/money on that part which is most productive.164.116.160.128 (talk) 17:11, 22 December 2011 (UTC)

This seems to be pretty much the Pareto principle (aka the 80-20 rule). AndrewWTaylor (talk) 17:16, 22 December 2011 (UTC)

See also the ninety-ninety rule. --Carnildo (talk) 00:31, 23 December 2011 (UTC)

I've also heard the expression "low hanging fruit", as in, "we should only go after the low hanging fruit and leave the rest alone". Or sometimes the reverse, "the low hanging fruit has already been plucked, so it's going to be quite a stretch from now on". StuRat (talk) 05:35, 24 December 2011 (UTC)

savings rates

I've noticed in savings accounts and cds, banks will usually show projected amounts after 5yrs, 10 yrs, etc. but at 8% interest or so. Isn't the actual interest less than 1% typically? Heck froze over (talk) 17:44, 22 December 2011 (UTC)

I don't know about most accounts, but in my savings account I get ~.18% interest per annum. Reaper Eternal (talk) 18:05, 22 December 2011 (UTC)

Was that 0.18% or 18%? -- Jack of Oz ^{[your turn]} 18:22, 22 December 2011 (UTC)

If it really IS 18%, can you tell me where you save please?? Gurumaister (talk) 19:55, 22 December 2011 (UTC)

Give a call to Bernie Madoff.--Itinerant1 (talk) 21:11, 22 December 2011 (UTC)

There was a time when interest rates of 8% would have been normal. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 23:36, 22 December 2011 (UTC)

... and those of us who are a bit older and on this side of the pond can remember Building Society interest rates peaking at around 17% (not quite 18%), but inflation in the UK was running at about 26% at that time, so we were still losing! A growth rate of 8% was once standard expectation for some investments, but anyone who advertises such a rate in the present economic climate is probably a fraudster. Dbfirs 08:07, 23 December 2011 (UTC)

As far as I know, there is some kind of theorem in quantitative finance that says that, in a world with enough arbitrage, all instruments are equal. In other words, it does not matter where you park your money - in the long run, you should get roughly the same return, which is equal to the return on "riskless" bonds (in the U.S., federal treasury bonds). If someone offers you a higher rate, it comes with nonzero risk of default that exactly offsets the higher return. At the present time, market forecasts that your investments will average 2%/year over the next 10 years.--Itinerant1 (talk) 09:49, 23 December 2011 (UTC)

That can't be right. The arbitrageurs would have to know the risk and return of alternatives in advance to actually even them out. Nobody knows where the S&P 500 will be tomorrow or in 10 years, so people who believe such a theorem will go towards the lower risk, taking demand out of equities and less certain bonds. So technically it's a self fulfilling prophecy to the extent people believe it, but it is not necessarily true. 67.6.163.68 (talk) 11:40, 23 December 2011 (UTC)

Arbitrage works by exploiting pricing errors, to extract money for the arbitrageur. In a modern, fully liquid financial system, a security is priced and the future value of a security is priced, and the risk of default of a security is priced. Any and all pricing errors in there can be exploited by artbitrageurs, so given sufficient (competent) arbitrage, they have already taken the money and you personally can't get better returns than the lowest-risk investment available - because the pricing of risk will be perfect. Unless you are willing to take on some risk of your own, like where the S&P 500 or price-inflation or commodity index will be in 5 years, or whether you trust your visitor and their brochure, or go to the same church or workplace. It is actually the variable willingness to tolerate risk that drives markets - the correct guessers win, and arbitrage feeds off the mistakes. So the theory is correct: if you want the lowest-risk investment, you will get the same returns as a well-known low-risk investment. Anything else is risky. Franamax (talk) 01:59, 24 December 2011 (UTC)

Getting back to the question, stated returns are generally based on the long-term trend figures, and exactly what the long-term trend is could well be up to the business in question to decide for themselves (so they're probably picking whatever of period of time gives them the best looking figure). Of course a projected 8% return over the next 5 or 10 years looks far more appealing to a customer or potential customer than the rate the institution in question may really be expecting to pay out. Generally (although I can't say for sure in your country) they would be required to spell out their assumptions on investment returns in some type of fine print though. Again I can't speak for your country (not knowing where you are), but in Australia you can currently get safe, government guaranteed savings accounts paying between 4 and 6% (here for one example), with term deposits paying marginally higher (here), while standard transaction accounts from the major banks usually pay well under 1%, with many paying zero. I'd say you wouldn't get those savings accounts returns in countries with far lower official interest rates though, such as the US. --jjron (talk) 15:16, 23 December 2011 (UTC)

That's interesting. How can the same company offer a higher rate in Australia than in the UK or America? According to the theorem postulated above, this would suggest that the Australian dollar is likely to depreciate against the US dollar and British pound, but I don't see any other indicators that this is a possibility. Are the Australian banks competing to attract savings and offering an unrealistic rate for a short time? Dbfirs 17:15, 23 December 2011 (UTC)

See Interest rate parity. I've only skimmed the article, so I'm not sure how well it will answer your question, but it should get you started. --Tango (talk) 13:54, 24 December 2011 (UTC)

Re Dbfirs, not really unrealistic. Well, yes, they are competing to attract savings (especially as global funds have become tighter), but these rates have been up there for years. They are simply a reflection of the official interest rates as set by the Reserve Bank of Australia; currently the official cash rate is 4.25%, but individual banks may offer slightly more to attract local funds, so you wouldn't really say they're unrealistic at between 4 and 6% (though note that those nearer 6% are generally just honeymoon rates). They dipped significantly during the GFC 1, but quite quickly went up again. And in fact they have again dropped about 0.5% in the last three months or so. The point is that Australia was relatively unscathed by the GFC and has avoided much of current problems striking throughout Europe and also in North America. This is significantly due to trade staying strong within the Asian region, esp. with China. Thus the official rate has not been dropped massively in order to stimulate spending, as has happened elsewhere such as the US and Japan (where I believe the official rate has been close to zero for a significant period?). Re the dollar, yes it does fluctuate significantly, but it is currently at or around parity with the US$, and has been for probably six months now, if not more. This is a level not seen for over 20 yrs (in fact not that long ago, probably within the last 5yrs, it dropped below US 50c). There are no strong indicators that it will depreciate significantly at any time in the near future though. --jjron (talk) 14:09, 24 December 2011 (UTC)

Thanks for both replies. ... so should we all be investing in the Australian economy? According to the above theory, the whole world should be doing this! May I send you some funds to invest? Dbfirs 08:23, 25 December 2011 (UTC)

Ha, maybe if you want to invest in fixed funds (if it's possible to do so), but I wouldn't recommend our sharemarket. This pretty closely follows the fluctuations on global markets no matter what the local economy seems to be doing, and has made most of us significant losses in the last few years! I will note however that since the government scaled back protections on foreign investment in the property market a few years back, there has been a huge inflow of investment in both residential and commercial markets, largely from the Asia region, so there certainly is a lot of investment in that sense. Also not sure what happens elsewhere, but here bank interest returns are taxed as straight income, while returns from shares and property often attract lower tax rates (there's a number of complexities to this and I'll spare the boring and lengthy details). Anyway, considering fixed interest, if you factor out inflation (around 2 - 3%), and take into account the marginal income tax rate at let's say typically 30%, then in real terms you're still losing money, even if it is pulling in around 5% return. Not sure how this would impact a foreign depositor though. --jjron (talk) 14:20, 26 December 2011 (UTC)

Feeding squirrels

What is the best way to start wild squirrels feeding so you can watch them feed? What is the best way to begin squirrels feeding up close? From your hand? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.200.187.252 (talk) 17:44, 22 December 2011 (UTC)

First, determine if this is legal in your location. Rmhermen (talk) 18:27, 22 December 2011 (UTC)

There are lots of different species of Squirrel, so it would depend where in the world you are and what species you want to feed. My comments here are about red and grey squirrels found in the UK and other parts of northwestern Europe. If you want to feed other species of the squirrel family, like chipmunks, flying squirrels, or prairie dogs, then this won't apply. If you want to feed them up close, find a place where squirrels are used to being fed. If it's a park where they're commonly fed, they will be much more fearless and willing. Wild squirrels living away from people will be much more afraid: they are quite likely to come out for food you leave out for them (or leave out for birds) but not if anyone is around. The BBC recommends "Squirrels love unsalted peanuts (but don’t put out whole ones during the breeding season as baby birds can choke on whole peanuts), walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts and apples."[1]. --Colapeninsula (talk) 20:12, 22 December 2011 (UTC)

It's not difficult to feed squirrels, what is difficult is to feed anything else without the squirrels stealing the food. Just leave a pile of nuts out and they will come and take it (I once had one come down the chimney and take a loaf of bread, which he then formed into little nut-sized spheres). I recommend you place them where you can view, photograph, or videotape them through a window (preferably one without a window screen and which has been recently cleaned). This will allow you to sit in comfort while you await your "prey". Also, they will be far less afraid of you behind a window, if they even notice you at all, allowing you to view or take pictures from much closer. Make sure your flash is turned off though, since it won't do much good from inside and might be enough to scare them off. I wouldn't try to hand-feed squirrels, as you might get a nasty gash for your trouble. StuRat (talk) 21:06, 23 December 2011 (UTC)

The OP is in Florida. So one must ask the question: Why feed squirrels when they can feed you? Gosh, I'm feeling hungry again--Aspro (talk) 21:28, 23 December 2011 (UTC)

Maybe that's what he's got in mind. He just wants to fatten them up first. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 15:05, 24 December 2011 (UTC)

Personally, I put out a bird feeder and then try to keep the squirrels away from it. RJFJR (talk) 15:15, 24 December 2011 (UTC)

in the dark

the ultimate theory of particle transport if dark matter is centrifugally located originally as a photon which HASNT lost the primary electron in nucleus, are the gargantuan number of microwave black holes the most ultimate witnessed phenomena in the universe?? and if localised recapture of electrons is witnessed by those who by monocle see the sun, would we all be blinded by the vastt amount of electtrons we could recapture??

yours questioningly mikkyo — Preceding unsigned comment added by Mikkyo (talk • contribs) 23:35, 22 December 2011 (UTC)

Um, what? The words are english; the sentences not so much. I'm afraid I cannot parse your question to answer it. --Jayron32 00:48, 23 December 2011 (UTC)

Let us consult our monocular astronomy expert and get back to you. Clarityfiend (talk) 03:52, 23 December 2011 (UTC)

Ha, and I was expecting this monoculared astronomy expert Richard Avery (talk) 07:46, 23 December 2011 (UTC)

I suspect a poor translation, with "centrifugally located" = "centrally located" and "monocle" = "monopole". However, it's so bad that I can't quite figure out what is meant by it all. StuRat (talk) 20:57, 23 December 2011 (UTC)

Are microwaved black holes as tasty as oven-baked ones? --Elen of the Roads (talk) 21:50, 23 December 2011 (UTC)

Joking aside, I don't think 'monocle' is a mistranslation for 'monopole' (not even a monopole antenna). I think the user is referring to looking at the sun through a smoked glass, and asking if we can see dark matter when we look at the sun - are we looking at loads of dark matter being created. I think. Elen of the Roads (talk) 21:54, 23 December 2011 (UTC)

'Monocular' - perhaps what is intended by "monacle" - is a lesser-known synonym and/or a particular type of what we more usually call a telescope ("binoculars" are more properly 'binocular telescopes'). I can't make any sense of the rest of it, however. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.197.66.126 (talk) 01:53, 24 December 2011 (UTC)

December 23

FeSi Production

Dear Sir. i would like to know about processes in fixing raw materials required for FeSi Production. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 119.2.96.106 (talk) 05:00, 23 December 2011 (UTC)

Wikipedia's article Ferrosilicon might be a start. (Why is it always "dear sir"?) --Shirt58 (talk) 05:53, 23 December 2011 (UTC)

They probably never learned "dear Sir/Madam" --203.22.236.14 (talk) 01:41, 24 December 2011 (UTC)

can view the list of x meical students of state medical university moscow

respected sir

i jus want to know that can able to see the list of x medical students name studied in state medical university moscow115.240.198.77 (talk) 06:05, 23 December 2011 (UTC)

Trey Burke - Basketball Player - Deleted Question - not good PR for Wiki????????

I posted a question earlier today asking how the article posted by Wikipedia on its Main Page 'Did You Know' could refer twice to Trey Burke's Height and Weight giving 2 different answers. His height had INCREASED by 2 inches whilst his weight had DROPPED by 10 pounds - all in the space of 2minutes reading time. I also said how I wished I could achieve the same results as quickly. BUT when I came to check for any responses, I discovered my question had been deleted by person or persons unknown. And yet, on opening Wikipedia, I am constantly confronted by an appeal from Jimmy Wales or others, asking me to subscribe to Wikipedia's survival fund. My question this time? Why should I, when my questions that are clearly embarrassing and offensive (about the accuracy of Wiki articles) to its self appointed editors can be summarily deleted? By the way, I will not be surprised to later discover that this current question has also been deleted. And if it is, do not be surprised to note that my intended subscription to the Jimmy Wales survival fund has also been deleted. 62.30.176.76 (talk) 20:42, 23 December 2011 (UTC)

Your question was removed by LarryMac, here: [2]. You do have a rather nasty way of putting things. Obviously his height didn't change, although a 10 pound weight change could happen (I expect as much over the holidays). The height figures likely come from different sources. Since people often lie about their height, that could explain the incorrect figure. In any case, comments on the accuracy of an article belong on that article's talk page, not here. Would you complain to a librarian that one of the books contained inaccurate info ? (Perhaps you would, but I doubt if they could get it corrected.) StuRat (talk) 20:51, 23 December 2011 (UTC)

Hi Stu. Original Poster here. Clearly I have rattled your cage. No apologies are forthcoming. You accuse me of being nasty. I accuse you of being supercilious and presumptious. It is no wonder that British Universities have forbidden students and undergraduates from using Wikipedia articles as source materials in their research projects when any criticism of said articles are resoundingly attacked by such as yourself - even when such attacks are unfounded, personally vindictive, and plainly wrong. Oh, and by the way, I recently purchased a very expensive world tour from an otherwise highly reputable travel operator whose brochure, confirmation letter, and itinerary description were totally in conflict with each other. When I challenged them over this, they carefully reviewed their publications, wrote to me apologising for their misinformation, issued me with revised details, and have undertaken to, at significant expense to themselves, reprint their brochure so as not to mislead other potential customers. I am so happy that you do not work for or represent that company. Have a nice Christmas. Signed Mr. Nasty. 62.30.176.76 (talk) 00:41, 24 December 2011 (UTC)

It is no wonder universities don't allow Wikipedia as a source. We are an encyclopedia. That's all. By university you should be using primary sources, not tertiary ones. And politicians should stop "quoting" our articles too. Rmhermen (talk) 01:19, 24 December 2011 (UTC)

To expand on what Rmhermen says: Wikipedia has no expectations for University students to use it as a research source. It never would, and that is not what Wikipedia is supposed to be used for. Indeed, I'm not sure any university which regularly accepted Wikipedia as a source for serious research wouldn't have degrees worth the paper they were printed on. Saying so is not particularly insulting to Wikipedia, so you don't hurt anyone's feelings here by noting that. It isn't an expectation for this encyclopedia for it to ever be that sort of work. --Jayron32 01:47, 24 December 2011 (UTC)

I doubt any credible university would allow the Britannica to be cited either. An encyclopedia provides a guideline or ideas for detailed research. Wikipedia serves that function quite well. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 02:09, 24 December 2011 (UTC)

That's kinda the point. --Jayron32 02:16, 24 December 2011 (UTC)

Yes, and the OP disparaged wikipedia as if it were somehow different from Britannica. I wonder if the OP got the point? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 04:46, 24 December 2011 (UTC)

There are often differences in sources about such things. http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/burke_trey00.html says "Height / Weight: 5-11 / 180" as in the infobox at the top right of Trey Burke. http://rivals.yahoo.com/basketballrecruiting/basketball/recruiting/commitments/2011/alabama-29 says 6'1" 170 as in the later box. Both are linked in the article. It's unfortunate if an article has internal inconsistencies but all the numbers have sources I think are usually considered reliable. Do you have a way to determine which (if any) is right? PrimeHunter (talk) 02:19, 24 December 2011 (UTC)

Recruit box template measurments are from high school (usually before the senior season, sometimes before the sophomore season). For short players like Burke, they may at times be inflated to increase his desirability for scholarship offers. The height in the infobox is from the school he chose to attend (after starting college and generally from the most recent season). The one in the infobox will change over the course of his career. The one in the recruit box will remain constant.--TonyTheTiger (T/C/BIO/WP:CHICAGO/WP:FOUR) 02:50, 24 December 2011 (UTC)

LarryMac's edit summary says he deleted a "non-question". That is, he deleted your (rhetorical) question because it couldn't be answered with a reference, not because it was embarrassing. I don't think this was a great decision, but the motivation wasn't the one you suspect.  Card Zero  (talk) 05:31, 24 December 2011 (UTC)

Hi Card Zero. OP here again. When I was studying English at school, a question mark at the end of a question indicated that the sentence was a question. Having just re-examined my deleted original question as removed by LarryMac, I was stunned to discover that I had, in fact, placed a question mark ie ? at the end of the opening sentence. So according to you and LarryMac, it seems that Wikipedia have changed the rules of English punctuation. Or have I missed something along the way? By the way, the previous sentence as suffixed by a question mark, is a question. Signed Mr. Nasty. 62.30.176.76 (talk) 10:55, 24 December 2011 (UTC)

Just because something has a question mark in it, doesn't make it a genuine question. What was posted seemed to be a rhetorical question, which is a question that does not require an answer. And even if a sentence is a genuine question it may not belong in the reference desk: questions about how Wikipedia operates do not belong here. They go on Wikipedia:Help Desk. Are you going to argue that your question wasn't really about Wikipedia? (Although that last sentence ended with a question mark I don't expect an answer.) --Colapeninsula (talk) 11:56, 24 December 2011 (UTC)

OK, so let's clarify. Your question was titled "Trey Burke - Mr. Basketball", but your actual question was "How does Wikipedia do it?" (for simplicity here's a permalink to the diff). It must be noted that the topic and question seem somewhat unrelated, but anyway, we help where we can. So to answer what you in fact asked can I direct you to start by reading the article called Wikipedia. If you have any more specific questions about 'how Wikipedia does it' after reading that, then let us know. You're welcome! --jjron (talk) 14:25, 24 December 2011 (UTC)

• Comment from Trey Burke page creator My attention was called to this discussion. The discussion is now a dick-swinging contest about understanding of semantics, grammar and wikipedia protocol. My input as the page creator seems irrelevant. I am unwatching this page. If you need me to come back and clarify anything about the content of the page, you know where to find me.--TonyTheTiger (T/C/BIO/WP:CHICAGO/WP:FOUR) 20:30, 24 December 2011 (UTC)

December 24

Which references to use?

Recently authored an article on a magazine, the Shanghai Business Review, and would like to add references but I'm unsure which to select. My first instinct is to reference articles printed in the magazine, but I think that it would be a conflict of interest. Any suggestions?

Cheers Jonathan M MacDonald (talk) 06:46, 24 December 2011 (UTC)

The best thing to do is to leave information about the article you authored at the discussion pages of the Wikipedia articles you think it contains pertinent information for. That would let other users vet it and decide how, or even if, it should be used. --Jayron32 06:54, 24 December 2011 (UTC)

The article Shanghai Business Review badly needs more references to external sources (whether that's other business news, or books, or academic journals). You should aim to have references from multiple sources. A small proportion of references can be to the Review for uncontroversial facts, but you also need other references offering impartial information. Third-party references additionally serve to establish the notability of an article, and if an article isn't notable, it can be deleted. --Colapeninsula (talk) 12:03, 24 December 2011 (UTC)

Inventor

who invented microphone? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 89.211.249.53 (talk) 16:32, 24 December 2011 (UTC)

Both Thomas Alva Edison and Emile Berliner filed patent applications for the carbon microphone; Edison won in court. This wasn't mentioned in microphone, but is now. Clarityfiend (talk) 19:27, 24 December 2011 (UTC)

The term "microphone" for a telephone transmitter based on imperfect, variable resistance contact between carbon pieces or even metallic contacts, is credited to David E. Hughes. It was claimed to be more sensitive than the carbon button telephone transmitter earlier invented by Thomas Edison,or the imperfect metallic contact transmitter of Berliner, both patented and demonstrated and widely written up in 1877. The Bell Company based their patent claims on Berliner's variable resistance, metallic contact transmitter, which was ok as a demonstration , but which required frequent adjustment to maintain intelligible transmission of speech. Hughes "microphone", invented and demonstrated in 1878, but seemingly derived from the Berliner and Edison patents, was claimed to be so sensitive that listeners could hear a fly walking around near the microphone, but the noise level was so high that similar "fly walking" sounds could be heard even after the fly flew, based on my own experimentation with the Hughes microphone and on historical accounts of its operation. Hughes device was not really much of a a step forward in telephone transmitter technology. He does or should get some credit for explaining the microphone effect as being due the the variable resistance of an imperfect contact, rather than earlier explanations of it being due to variable resistance in the bulk carbon. Like many flawed 19th century inventions, it played its part in patent controversies, as patent infringers and even major telephone companies claimed their devices were based on the free, unpatented Hughes invention rather than the Edison or Berliner patents. Some books on telephone history (typically from the early 20th century) state that transmitters as they evolved in the early 20th century were based on Hughes' microphone rather than the Edison or Berliner patents. A recent history of telephones states that the carbon transmitter used in early 20th century telephones was based on Edison's carbon transmitter, as modified by Bell system engineer AC White in 1890. Edison (talk) 16:24, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

Alvin and the Chipmunks: the squeakquel

can anyone tell me the name of the bullies who dunked Toby in the toilet? This is a serious request. My grandson really wants to know.

The website for the movie doesn't give names for the bullies.

Thnak you — Preceding unsigned comment added by Grandpaob (talk • contribs) 17:22, 24 December 2011 (UTC)

This was answered already on the Entertainment desk. Dismas|^(talk) 20:54, 24 December 2011 (UTC)

peppermint oil

how do i use peppermint oil as a massage oil? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.80.125.223 (talk) 18:35, 24 December 2011 (UTC)

Essential oils by themselves don't make good massage oils, if only because essential oils are a) very expensive and b) very strongly scented. A little dab'll do ya, so generally if you added a small amount of the essential peppermint oil to an unscented massage oil you'll get pepperment scented massage oil. If you're going to do this as a homebrew method, you may need to experiment with the specific recipe; but if you have a partner to experiment with, that seems like it would be all the more entertaining... --Jayron32 20:23, 24 December 2011 (UTC)

You need to dilute it in a carrier oil first. The carrier oil should be something like almond or grapeseed oil, and as peppermint is so powerful you only need about 3 drops in 10 ml (2 teaspoons worth). This is plenty for a back massage. I really wouldn't recommend using it as a full body massage oil, however, as the more sensitive areas may respond adversely to it. --TammyMoet (talk) 20:55, 24 December 2011 (UTC)

Chinese snake oil (much derided by the pattern medicine men of the US) is high in omega 3 etc., and can be good for achy joints. To be safe though, make sure the masseuse keeps her hands away from those more sensitive areas; especially your bunions and any other knobbly bits.. --Aspro (talk) 21:36, 24 December 2011 (UTC)

Do you mean patent medicine ? StuRat (talk) 06:22, 25 December 2011 (UTC)

Grounds on which Jerry Falwell could have sued Boston

I was reading Christmas controversy and Jerry Falwell threatened to sue Boston for not calling a Christmas tree a "Christmas tree". I have heard of many lawsuits against governments for having religious displays or whatever and they use the Establishment Clause as the grounds for doing so, but on what grounds could Jerry Faolwell possibly sued on? --Melab±1 ☎ 22:54, 24 December 2011 (UTC)

If they allowed a Hanukkah menorah and other religious paraphernalia but not a Christmas tree, they could be accused of religious discrimination. But other than that I don't see what his case would be. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 23:57, 24 December 2011 (UTC)

If they prohibit their employees from calling it a Christmas tree, this could be a violation of free speech and/or religious discrimination aimed at those individuals. StuRat (talk) 06:18, 25 December 2011 (UTC)

Who is "they" in your example? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 07:02, 25 December 2011 (UTC)

The government of the city of Boston. More specifically, each employees' supervisor, boss, etc. Also note that while this might be the basis for a lawsuit, there's no guarantee they would win. The courts might very well decide that not offending non-Chistians is the more important principle. StuRat (talk) 17:19, 26 December 2011 (UTC)

i don't see how Falwell could possibly have standing to sue. The Mark of the Beast (talk) 07:04, 25 December 2011 (UTC)

That never stopped anyone from suing. Especially someone who was a publicity-seeker. They might know full well that they have no constitutional basis for suing. They're merely using it as fodder to "energize their base", by whipping up "persecution of Christians" frenzy. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 19:41, 25 December 2011 (UTC)

Anyone can sue anyone for any reason. It doesn't mean they'll win. Mingmingla (talk) 18:14, 26 December 2011 (UTC)

Not quite. You can't sue somebody because they don't glow in the dark, for example. There has to be some legal basis for a lawsuit. Furthermore, frivolous lawsuits are likely to be dismissed immediately, and in some jurisdictions, the parties who brought the suit are then responsible to pay the legal bills of the defendant, and may also be fined for clogging the courts with such a suit. StuRat (talk) 18:51, 26 December 2011 (UTC)

Sure you can. It won't get very far, but there's no pre-emption. In the US, you can sue over literally anything. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 21:14, 26 December 2011 (UTC)

Do multinational corporations alter/add to their logo in any way for different countries?

Do multinational corporations alter or add to their logo in any way for different countries? (e.g. would an American company add "UK" to it's logo for usages throughout England - or add the word "Germany" to it's logo for usages in Germany? - or not?) Or does a company's logo stay exactly the same, with no additions or alterations, regardless of what country it's used in?98.154.59.68 (talk) 23:27, 24 December 2011 (UTC)

Some restaurant chains like McDonald's and Wendy's add a maple leaf to their logos for their Canadian stores. Esso is known as Exxon in the United States because "Esso" stands for Standard Oil, and the predecessor of ExxonMobil didn't have the legal right to use the trademark outside of certain states due to the 1911 antitrust case against Standard Oil. Mwalcoff (talk) 23:56, 24 December 2011 (UTC)

Not normally in the UK, though of course each company will have a separate legal existence in each country e.g. company number 1002769, McDonald's Restaurants Limited, registered on 18th February 1971, though until 28th February 1989 known as McDonald's Hamburgers Limited; strangely enough, on the same day an off-the-peg company, no. 2321900, was renamed McDonald's Hamburgers Limited, with the same registered office address. Quite why they did that, rather than just use the off-the-peg company for the restaurant business looks a bit obscure. Some companies, like Amazon, do have separate national identities with related but different logos. -- Arwel Parry (talk) 01:21, 25 December 2011 (UTC)

In Thailand, a number of western brands translate their name into a similar sounding word, but write it in a stylized Thai alphabet such that it resembles the original English logo. Lay's is the one that immediately comes to mind. I am told that while being highly stylized, the script is still readily readable in Thai, and that it is pronounced nearly the same as the English word it is imitating. -- ToE 02:42, 25 December 2011 (UTC)

It happens in many cases. Burger King (most of the world) is known as Hungry Jack's in Australia. Hardee's(southeastern U.S.) are known as Carl's Jr. on the west coast of the U.S. The aforementioned Lay's potato chips are known as Walkers in the U.K. The Ford Sierra in Europe was the Merkur XR4Ti in the U.S. The reasoning for changing a brand name and/or logo are to numerous to consider all of. In some cases, the company may not be able to secure the trademark in a new country (as is the case with BK/Hungry Jack's), or two seperate companies may merge (Hardee's/Carl's Jr.), etc. etc. --Jayron32 23:53, 25 December 2011 (UTC)

PLEASE NOTE: WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET AN ANSWER TO, SPECIFICALLY, IS WHETHER THERE ARE CASES OF MULTINATIONAL COMPANIES ADDING A COUNTRY NAME TO THEIR EXISTING LOGOS FOR USE IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES (e.g. NIKE, UK - or - NIKE, GERMANY - or - NIKE, PAKISTAN) ... AS OPPOSED TO CHANGING THE NAME OF THEIR COMPANY PER COUNTRY, OR CHANGING THEIR EXISTING LOGO. OR DO THESE COMPANYS SIMPLY USE THE SAME LOGO EVERYWHERE IN THE WORLD WITHOUT HAVING TO ADD ANYTHING TO DESIGNATE A DIFFERENT COUNTRY?

. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.154.59.68 (talk) 01:08, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

Why are you shouting at us? --Jayron32 03:30, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

* ears ringing * I am not aware of any company that modifies its logo on a per-nation basis in the manner you are asking about, though perhaps some other editor can provide an example. From what I have seen traveling, while some logos are changed, as with the examples given above, most are kept the same, and none I have seen are marked differently on a country-by-country basis. Right now I have in front of me a can of Coca-Cola, a can of Tiger Beer, and a package of Kraft Oreo cookies, all purchased in Malaysia, and all labeled in Bahasa Malaysia (though the Oreos are labeled in several other languages as well), but the logos on all three are the same as in their home countries. -- 203.82.91.130 (talk) 12:17, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

December 25

Buy 10$ get 10$ free

domo in brookside, i had a customer come in tonite with a buy 10$ get 10$ free, i did not sign up for any specials with your company. whats up respond immediately roger [phone number redacted] — Preceding unsigned comment added by Rogergeisler (talk • contribs) 01:32, 25 December 2011 (UTC)

I've reemoved the phone number. Mitch Ames (talk) 02:46, 25 December 2011 (UTC)

I suspect, based on your question, that you found one of our over 3.8 million articles and thought we were affiliated in some way with that subject. Please note that you are at Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia that anyone can edit. PrimeHunter (talk) 05:25, 25 December 2011 (UTC)

types of sandals

How many types of sandals are there today worn by women? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.29.32.31 (talk) 05:14, 25 December 2011 (UTC)

It would depend on factors like when something is considered a distinct type, how many women must wear it, and perhaps you are mainly interested in one country. You could start at Sandal#Variants. PrimeHunter (talk) 05:20, 25 December 2011 (UTC)

I mean flip-flops, birkenstock, and chappals. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.31.22.61 (talk) 01:44, 26 December 2011 (UTC)

mountain range dublin county dublin ireland

It took me 10 minuite to reach this page.. I am trying to find the name of the mountain range where White Church sits at the bottom of my e mail address is xxxxx — Preceding unsigned comment added by 42.241.128.137 (talk) 07:37, 25 December 2011 (UTC)

See Whitechurch, Dublin. The Mark of the Beast (talk) 07:47, 25 December 2011 (UTC)

Your question's a bit obscure. Do you mean Whitechurch, Dublin 16? In which case you're probably thinking of the Wicklow Mountains. -- Arwel Parry (talk) 07:51, 25 December 2011 (UTC)

And when you found this page after ten minutes, did you read the advice at the top which said "Is there any way I can get a faster answer"? --ColinFine (talk) 19:00, 25 December 2011 (UTC)

Kieppusarvivuohi

I have the Finnish translation of Don Rosa's comic Mythological Menagerie but not the original English one. I can figure out the names for all the creatures the Junior Woodchucks encounter except for one: the kieppusarvivuohi, or "goat with spinning horns". According to Don Rosa, every single animal the Junior Woodchucks encounter (except for the hideous monstrosity at the very end) is a real mythological animal. So what is this goat with a spinning fan stuck on top of it supposed to be? JIP | Talk 20:12, 25 December 2011 (UTC)

It is called "eale" or Yale. "The Eale lives in India, has the body of a horse and the tail of an elephant. His color is black and he has the head of a goat, with horns more than a cubit long which are not fixed but movable according to the exigency of battle. And when he fights with one he bends the other back."[3] --Itinerant1 (talk) 21:59, 25 December 2011 (UTC)

Doe this dish exist?

Is their a food stuff called "marzipan potatoes"? I suspect it was a mistake in the video game I was playing? 86.178.202.171 (talk) 21:10, 25 December 2011 (UTC)

yes, it's German/Austrian. >> de:Marzipankartoffel (recipe in English) Choyoołʼįįhí:Seb az86556 ^{> haneʼ} 21:15, 25 December 2011 (UTC)

December 26

Macro lens for Nikon D5100?

Could someone please recommend me a sub-$1000 macro lens for a Nikon D5100? Primary uses would be insect and wildflower photography. This is a gift for a shutterbug relative, I know nothing about photography. Thank you! The Masked Booby (talk) 03:46, 26 December 2011 (UTC)

How macro are you looking, how sub-$1000 are you looking, and does it need to be a lens? The cheapest option is a reversing ring that combines a pair of ordinary lenses into a single macro lens, but the result is limited in capability and awkward to use. Going up a bit in price, an extension tube will let a regular lens focus closer than normal, giving a macro effect, but they're really only good for wider-angle lenses (and there's no way a bug will let you get that close to it). The step up from that is a set of close-up filters: they act like a set of magnifying glasses that attach to the front thread of a regular lens. You need to pick a set with the correct thread diameter for the lens they'll be attached to, and you'll want to look for the more expensive achromatic doublet variety (they're constructed in a way that minimizes chromatic aberration).

Stepping up to dedicated macro lenses, wildflower and insect photography have different requirements.

For flowers, I use a 135mm 1:5 macro (that is, the image formed on the sensor is 1/5 the size of the actual object): it gives a reasonably wide field of view and good control of depth of field, but it wouldn't be considered a macro lens by purists, since it's not 1:1. Anything in the 75mm-150mm focal length range will give good results, with the major difference being a matter of taste: the higher focal lengths will give a more orthogonal projection, while wider lenses will emphasize the subject relative to more distant objects.

For bugs, I use a 750mm 1:2 telephoto lens: it lets me stand a good six feet away while still getting high magnification. Most people don't go to that extreme, but you still need a sufficiently high focal length to avoid disturbing the insect you're trying to photograph. Typical focal lengths are in the 150mm to 200mm range, and lenses with 1:1 capability aren't cheap.

If money isn't a major concern, pick your focal length and buy a Nikon-branded 1:1 macro in that length. If it is, you'll want to do some research and either buy a third-party lens or go with one of the other options for macrophotography. --Carnildo (talk) 10:53, 26 December 2011 (UTC)

Walkman MP3 sync

I'm not sure if this question would be better off on the Computing desk, but:

On the model NWZ-E353 Walkman MP3 player by Sony (natch), if you put a song on the Sync list on Windows Media Player that the player already has on it and sync the song, will it duplicate, or will updated information appear, or both? 75.73.226.36 (talk) 16:29, 26 December 2011 (UTC)

I can't directly answer (I don't own a Walkman), but in my opinion the best thing to do would be to experiment: try syncing and see what happens. -- Erik Siers (talk) 21:30, 26 December 2011 (UTC)

I very seriously doubt it will save the same song file twice. Dismas|^(talk) 04:18, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

I tried it, and despite very serious doubts, it did duplicate them! It did, however, update the information. Should I reset the player and re-download all my songs again? (There are only about 70). 75.73.226.36 (talk) 16:33, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

December 27

exercise at home

So, for some reason I have yet to understand, a few weeks ago I took a sudden interest in my appearance, to the extent that I started working out, trying to build up some nice big muscles, as you do. Anyway, it seemed to me I was better off exercising in my room whenever I wanted rather than paying rather a lot to go all the way to the gym and back. Trouble is, though, I have little experience with anything like this, no idea what I should be doing. So, I am wondering if anyone on this site can suggest exercises that I could try out just using stuff around the room. I have managed so far on push-ups, sit-ups and picking up heavy boxes, but I am sure there are other things I could be doing, and likely whole areas of my body I am neglecting. So, what else could I try doing?

Also, while I'm on the subject, I've noticed that most of the exercises get easier as I go, and I can do them for a lot longer with less dificulty now, other than the push-ups, which I still find very hard and can only manage a few at a time. Is this normal, or am I doing something wrong?

79.66.105.117 (talk) 00:07, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

I have no source for this but I think progress with push-ups is generally slow. There are various types of push-ups that you could try. For instance, setting your hands wider apart, shoulder width, or right next to one another so that your thumb and index finger form a diamond/triangle. In addition to standard sit-ups, you could try crunches. Dismas|^(talk) 04:15, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

It's complicated. First up, kudoz for exercising at home - exactly what I'm starting again these days.

First ask yourself this - do you want to generally improve your appearance and well-being or do you want to work on specific parts of the body or muscles? If the first - use a good mix of exercise, push-ups, sit-ups, crunches (good call, Dismas, had to look it up first though), riding a bike, running, walking (yes!) and a healthy diet will do it. For the second - focus more intensely on the specific body part, but do not omit exercises that generally improve health and endurance (like walking/biking). I am definitely missing biking or walking from your list (depending on your fancy - i. e. a lot of people like running, I don't, hence biking). Long walks (long walks - one to two hours daily) are very beneficial and are the simplest form of exercise one can do (so i. e. consider not driving to work but walking, or walking to your store instead of taking the bus, at least one way).

As for the exercises, it's normal to be able to do more or last longer with exercise. See the difference between aerobic exercise, which is low-intensity exercise over a long period, giving endurance, and anaerobic exercise, yielding the ability to perform very much better but over a very limited (on the order of a few minutes) timespan. --Ouro (blah blah) 07:40, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

You might want to look up bodyweight exercise as a starting point, as the exercises require little to no equipment. If you're trying for a muscular build (as opposed to simply increasing your strength and endurance), you'll need to get dedicated exercise equipment eventually, as there's a limit to how much resistance your body's weight can provide. --Carnildo (talk) 08:34, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

Refer to extended responses in a similar question a couple of weeks ago here: Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2011 December 18#dumbells. --jjron (talk) 10:47, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

There isn't much that you can do at home without dedicated equipment. Push-ups and sit-ups are about all I can think of (and, with push-ups, you will soon find yourself in the zone where additional exercising does not result in muscle gain.) The general rule is that you maximize muscle gain doing exercises that fully exhaust the muscle, to the point of not being able to move, after about 10 repetitions. That's why it is important to tune your loads to this precise point.

You could try to get a good set of dumbbells, but you'll quickly outgrow any set that does not go at least to 30 lbs per hand, and those sets that do go that high will probably cost you more than a 1-year subscription to a gym.--Itinerant1 (talk) 11:25, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

The Lifehacker site runs a series of articles called the Lifehacker Workout. I haven't tried it myself, but there seems to be a number of equipment-free workouts you can try, a different one each day for a week. This page will give you a start, and searching the site will reveal more. - Cucumber Mike (talk) 15:27, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

I believe that it is a lot easier to make progress by going to the gym. Two reasons: first, once you have made the effort of going all the way to the gym and changing clothes, etc, you are more likely to do a thorough workout rather than cutting it short when you get bored. Second, you can exercise your muscles a lot more effectively using free weights and weight machines than by jury-rigged exercises at home. Once you have tried it, the advantages will be obvious to you. Looie496 (talk) 16:20, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

2011 Chevy Impala trunk

I bought a Chevy Impala this year. On every other car I've had, the trunk pops up when it is released. Not on this one, it goes up an inch or two, then you have to lift it. I took it to the dealer and they said that was the way it is supposed to be. Is that correct? Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 02:55, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

I dunno, but my car works like your Impala. It's a 1999 Ford Escort, and I've never had the trunk pop more than a centimeter or so. --Jayron32 03:29, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

Even when it was new? I had an 81 Grand Prix whose trunk popped up when it was new, but then got where it wouldn't pop up. They replaced the pistons in the trunk and it started popping up again. Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 03:46, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

My '07 Mustang works the same as your Impala. Only pops up a centimeter or so. Dismas|^(talk) 04:09, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

Most cars I've had or travelled in only pop open a few centimetres, but there could be different preferences or standards on this in different countries. Now, as far as I'm concerned, I'd prefer it not pop up. After all, who wants the trunk popping fully open when they release it, e.g., in the pouring rain, in a dodgy neighbourhood, etc? I'd rather control that myself thank you very much. --jjron (talk) 10:52, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

translation scandinavian to english

does the 'nickname' piera balto have any meaning in english? 2.139.36.192 (talk) 13:47, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

Where is the term used? It doesn't appear to be Danish, Norwegian or Swedish. Mikenorton (talk) 13:57, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

It appears to be a proper name - "balto" means "white" in Latvian and Lithuanian AFAICT. See [4] for example. The journalist in that cite appears to be Norwegian. Collect (talk) 14:43, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

Piera is generally an Italian name, but there are a few Norwegians that have the name Piera Balto, including the Karasjok based NRK journalist mentioned by Collect above. Mikenorton (talk) 16:22, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

Extremely rich people who admit luck played a necessary, if not sufficient, part

Are there any hundred-millionaires or more that have publicly said anything to the effect of "lucky events (events completely outside of my locus of control) that, though not sufficient, were necessary to my being as financially successful as I am, are why I am where I am"? 20.137.18.53 (talk) 14:56, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

Your premise suggests that we have rigid definitions for what constitutes luck. Is meeting my wife in dental school "luck," because I could have just as easily ended up at a different dental school? So if some multi-millionaire struck a deal because he went out with a prospective buyer and the buyer warmed to him because he noticed that the soon-to-be multi-millionaire likes to drink the same bourbon as he does, and that taste developed because he happened to randomly choose the Knob Creek when he was in college and has since developed a taste for it -- is that luck? It's certainly not skill. DRosenbach ^{(Talk | Contribs)} 16:08, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

The premise suggests nothing of the sort. The premise says do any rich people attribute part of their success to luck, however they define luck. All that is required is a quote from a multimillionaire saying "I was lucky." --Colapeninsula (talk) 16:20, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

My point was that it was irrelevant. I supposed, perhaps erroneously, that you were interested in something other than just acquiring a quote to win a bet or something. I supposed you were interested in whether or not anyone would admit to such a thing, in which case, what would be the point, seeing how luck, chance and probability have much to do with how everything turn out. Alright then. DRosenbach ^{(Talk | Contribs)} 18:26, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

I found this interview with Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen in which he mentions the luck he had:

http://www.goodreads.com/interviews/show/586.Paul_Allen

I remember Bill Gates once saying something similar, but can't find the quote. 93.95.251.162 (talk) 16:22, 27 December 2011 (UTC) Martin.

internet film download

If downloading films off the internet is illegal, how can websites that encourage/facilitate this activity exist? It's not exactly like some guy selling marijuana in his basement and asking how come he can get away with it, right? Aren't the servers and whatever else necessary to host a website able to be found by law enforcement and dismantled? Or is it that the servers (or whatever) are housed in the Amazon rainforest or on some boat somewhere where law enforcement has no jurisdiction? DRosenbach ^{(Talk | Contribs)} 16:04, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

In The Pirate Bay trial, Swedish law enforcement tried to do exactly that, but the website is still up and running even though their servers were confiscated. Obviously it's harder to close down a website than it might appear. It's a cat-and-mouse game. --Viennese Waltz 16:20, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

Not all film downloads are illegal, there are some legal ones (although you have to pay for those, obviously). It's not always easy to track down where the servers are and it's often very easy to move to a new server, particularly with something like bittorrent where you only have to host a small file with information about the main file and the the main file is hosted by loads of individuals on their own PCs. There are also difficulties with cross-border law enforcement. The server could be in one country, the person running it in another, the people downloading it in another and the copyright owner in another. There are international law enforcement systems set up to try and unravel such things, but it can be very difficult. --Tango (talk) 16:21, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

As well as technical issues (mentioned by Viennese Waltz) which mean it's hard to shut down a site and easy to set a new one up, there are legal issues. The law in most countries says that you can't just ban something because it may facilitate crime - tape decks and CD burners facilitate copying music but they're not illegal (in the USA even guns which allow far more serious crime are accepted as also having legitimate uses). Sites such as Megaupload, bittorrent, and peer-to-peer services likewise have legitimate uses, including sharing free software, sharing material you have the copyright on, etc.

For the US law on this, there are various Wikipedia articles including Sony Corp. of America v. Universal City Studios, Inc. (which established there's a balance between infringing and non-infringing uses of technology, a decision which meant video recorders remained legal) and MGM Studios, Inc. v. Grokster, Ltd. (which found some services could be closed down, after a lot of litigation). --Colapeninsula (talk) 16:34, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

Cabbage Patch Kids

can I eat a cabbage patch kid? Because I accidentally ate my kid's head thinking it was real cabbage when I was 4 years old. Will the head still be in my stomach? Or is that a myth like the one about swallowing gum or Santa Claus Fairy? H8kct (talk) 18:50, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

No, you didn't eat a whole head. They aren't edible. --Jayron32 18:53, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

um yea i did when i was four. I thouugt cabbage was supposed to taste gross (and was right) but mama said "eat a head of cabbage it's good for yo darling" so I did. H8kct (talk) 19:18, 27 December 2011 (UTC)