Miscellaneous desk
< September 7	<< Aug \| September \| Oct >>	September 9 >

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.

September 8

password

I accidentally enter my password in the search box at Uncyclopedia and search it. What should I do? Jet (talk) 01:12, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

If you think your password might be compromised (someone might be able to obtain it) then change your password to a new one (and keep a record of what the new one is). Edison 01:18, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

(ec) Exactly. You could change your password pronto, or ask at the Village Dump. They, at least, will have a funnier answer than this one. Rockpocket 01:22, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It's on a Wikia server. Should I contact the server admin at Wikia? Jet (talk) 01:26, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Why? If you change your password, the old one will no longer be useful to anyone. Rockpocket 01:38, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Realistically - I very much doubt that anyone is intercepting and investigating what people type into search boxes - that would be a mindlessly stupid way of searching for passwords. I honestly wouldn't give it a second thought. If you are really serious panic-stricken, change your password - but I wouldn't bother. SteveBaker 02:51, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Why would it be a stupid way to search for passwords? I often type my password into boxes other than the correct boxes. A.Z. 05:36, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Because the signal-to-noise ratio would be very poor. Out of 10 million random searches you'd find 1 password, which was presumably not a random search? How would you tell the difference? It wouldn't be worth your time. Plus, you'd have to then be able to match it up with the user name — probably not easy, especially if the user wasn't logged in to begin with (why else would they be typing in their password?). --24.147.86.187 12:41, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I agree with Steve, there is no way of telling if a word typed into a search box is a password, I have never typed any of my passwords into search boxes - I think I am in the huge majority. Richard Avery 07:40, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Sometimes I fail to connect with the Tab key in between username and password and I end up typing part of my password after my username in plaintext.. it doesn't happen often and the only risk is from my roommate behind me --⁪froth^t 23:12, 9 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

How is the United States Army organized?

500k active manpower but spread among active 10 divisions? Seems strange. Or are there other structures that personel belong to than combat divisions?

67.170.241.199 10:10, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Here is a nice breakdown of how it is compartmentalized. The Field Army is made up of 2-5 Corps, the Corps are made up of 2-5 Divisions, the Divisions are made up of 3 Brigades, the Brigades are made up of 3+ Battalions, the Batallions are made up of 3-5 Companies, the Companies are made up of 3-5 Platoons, the Platoons are made up of 3-4 Squads, and the Squads are made up of 4-10 Soldiers. And there is even more complexity beyond that structure—there are additional, special organizational units as well (e.g. Armored Calvary Regiment, Quartermaster Group, etc.). --24.147.86.187 12:37, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

female celebs with 'guys/unisex' names?

Can anyone give me some?

I've got Glenn Close and Leighton Meester so far. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 125.238.30.147 (talk) 13:05, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Michael Learned. -- JackofOz 13:51, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Also, our article Given name tells us that "Most names are specifically masculine or feminine, but there are many unisex names as well, such as Jordan, Jesse, Alex, Ashley, Chris, Hillary, Lesley, Rene, Joe/Jo, Jackie, Pat, Sam." That should provide some material for research. -- JackofOz 13:54, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Then there are those where it's hard to tell: Moon Unit Zappa is one such. Bielle 15:08, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Reese Witherspoon, Drew Barrymore? And I suppose Nigella Lawson and her sister Thomasina are honourable mentions... Skittle 15:36, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Jaime King used to call herself James King, but I guess she got tired of being confused for a guy. Corvus cornix 18:03, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Rene Russo (the feminine form is traditionally Renée). Cameron Diaz is a marginal case: Cameron is a surname (as are Leighton and Glenn, from placenames), and such names are much more often given to boys, but there's no logical necessity for it and there are counterexamples going way back (just yesterday I saw a mention of a duchess, centuries ago, whose given name was Douglas). —Tamfang 18:51, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I thought of one more - Anne Rice's given name is Howard. Corvus cornix 23:06, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Add to the list of unisex names Kelly and Carrie/Cary. I also once knew a man named Bernice. Also, Spencer Scott is a woman though the name Spencer is often a male name. Dismas|^(talk) 00:15, 9 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The current Governor of Queensland is a woman named Quentin Bryce. Also, what about these newfangled given names that were originally surnames, like Madison, McKenzie, Taylor, etc. I can't understand why anyone would name their daughter with a word that ends in -son. -- JackofOz 13:16, 9 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Thank heaven! I'm not alone. Though I'd allow Alison, since -son is not a morpheme there. —Tamfang 04:53, 10 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Lionel Shriver, author of We Need to Talk About Kevin. Telsa (talk) 10:44, 10 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Dar Williams, depending on what you think 'Dar' is short for. --Masamage ♫ 18:41, 11 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Hayden Panettiere, who plays Claire Bennet on Heroes and also voiced Kairi in the Kingdom Hearts video games. --Lumina83 03:35, 12 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

What about the other way round-any famous males with female names? John Wayne I know was Marion Morrison,and then there's Holly Johnson,Jade Jones,Kerry Packer, Kelly Petillo and Lora L. Corum(sometimes spelt Laura)... In NZ we have lots of unisex names-Kerries and Kellies and Kims galore Lemon martini 14:09, 12 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

medical education in cuba

dears, i want an answer of a question related to the medical education in cuba. Does medical education in cuba is up to world level of medical education? how much importance is given to student who has a medical degree from cuban medical institutes in europe, america and in other parts of world if he wants to studies there or wants to job there? what about its curriculum? Is it cmpatible with other courses that are taught in other world universities? Level of practical work ? What about surgery ? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 201.220.222.140 (talk) 14:35, 8 September 2007 (UTC) (Repaired question format to eliminate box.) Bielle 15:02, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Cuba takes great pride in its health care and with little foreign aid, that'll be mostly home-grown, so the education should be good. Oddly, they're especially good at plastic surgery, I assume for financial reasons, because a lot of rich people go to Cuba to get 'beautified'. Last year or so, Cuba started sending out eye-doctors to cure poor people with eye-diseases, first to its friendly neighbours in South America, and then to other parts of the world as well, but mostly poor countries, I believe, where they are very welcome. How highly regarded a Cuban medical degree is elsewhere (or vise versa, for that matter) I don't know, and I'm also curious. DirkvdM 18:43, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Canoe terms

What is the term for attaching canoes together in the middle of a body of water? The canoes are not attached together by ropes but by people holding on to the canoes so that they do not drift apart. It serves as more of a meeting place while on canoe trips. Thank you, Joanna and Dave —Preceding unsigned comment added by 121.216.220.208 (talk) 14:38, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Rafting?

Atlant 22:48, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Canoedling, (if the male occupant of one canoes has jumped into the other canoe to join the female occupant and.....um.... you know what I mean.) Moriori 02:18, 12 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Recycling envelopes?

I was just round at my local recycling point, and being a bit of a sporadic recycler, I had to read through the check list of what could and could not be recycled in each bin. On the paper bin, it said that I couldn't put in my used envelopes - a bit disgruntled, I sorted through my paper bag and pulled out the envelopes. What I'm wondering is, why wasn't I able to? Are they not recyclable, full stop, or do they need to be separated from normal paper (if so, why?), and my council just hasn't provided a bin for this? Thanking you greenily, Icthyos 15:05, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

When I've encountered this at recycling points, they've usually specified envelopes with windows as being unsuitable, because the windows are plastic. I used to tear the window bit out, leaving only paper and glue. However, there might be a different reason in your area. Possibly people commonly use envelopes that have a plastic layer, without realising? Skittle 15:33, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Usually it would be for the plastic windows. Less likely reasons would be due to the glues in them, and due to the pretty low risk of some type of treated or waxed paper. If it's just because of the plastic windows, I guess they think it's easier to just tell people 'no envelopes', rather than confuse them with different options for different types of envelopes. Many recyclers say they can easily remove the windows during treatment, and therefore accept all envelopes. --jjron 16:31, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Here's another one: why do the containers here (in the Netherlands) specify 'no cardboard'? And what types of cardboard? Does that include the very thin 'papery' type? DirkvdM 18:48, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Many even apparently-all-paper envelopes have a thin layer of plastic for some reason. If you lick your thumb and finger and rub it, you can make the paper go away leaving only the plastic. There's no economical way for recyclers to separate the layers. --Sean 19:49, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

My local council (Brighton & Hove City) will recycle envelopes, so long as windows are removed first. AFAIK, this is widespread in the UK> DuncanHill 23:41, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Here in the U.S., the problem with envelopes is generally the plastic window. What I don't understand is the non-acceptance of pizza boxes as well as plastic grocery bags. Grocery stores will often have recycling bins for their (and other store's) bags but for some reason my local recycling center will not take them. Dismas|^(talk) 00:12, 9 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Well, pizza boxes are made from cardboard and plastic grocery bags are made from, ehm, plastic. :) If you mean putting them in the plastic container, there are two main types of plastic; thermoplastics and thermosetting plastics. From the latter article: "They do not lend themselves to recycling like thermoplastics, which can be melted and re-molded." Maybe bags can't be made from thermoplastics because they're too soft and would sag. There are many variations of plastic, though, and this might again be a policy to simplify things for people. DirkvdM 05:36, 9 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Pretty exotic animals

What real, exotic animals are generally considered attractive? For example, rare species of butterflies, etc... Thanks. Acceptable 17:50, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

"Exotic" literally means foreign, so without knowing where you live, we don't know what you would consider exotic. And "attractiveness" is, of course, highly subjective. I consider the vast majority of animals attractive, and the vast majority are also exotic. And I'm sure there are rare butterflies that are unattractive, like plain brown or something....--Shantavira|^{feed me} 18:22, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Exotic as in uncommon to North America. Acceptable 18:26, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

That's confusing. Your user page specifies you spent just 'months to days' in Canada and the US, so I assume you don't live there. Or are you Mexican? That is usually not mean6t when people say 'North America' in this context. DirkvdM 19:00, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Personally I find a sublime beauty in the platypus, but that's me. 38.112.225.84 18:39, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The most beautiful bird I can see from my window (Netherlands) is the Great Crested Grebe. Especially the mating ritual is fascinating - it goes on for hours. Only once did I see the actual mating, which lasted just about a second; up and over and that was it. And hours of preparation for that. Poison dart frogs can also be impressive. And then there is of course the aptly named bird of paradise. DirkvdM 19:00, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Many people feel that parrotts, cockatiels, and other assorted birds are quite beautiful. Dismas|^(talk) 23:57, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Wild cats are popular too. The Siberian Tiger, Snow Leopard, or panther for instance. Some of the most exotic, fascinating, and beautiful creatures can be found in the sea. My favorites are the cephalopods, the poisonous Blue-ringed octopus or Pfeffer's Flamboyant Cuttlefish for instance. See also Claire Nouvian's The Deep - The Extraordinary Creatures of the Abyss. ---Sluzzelin talk 00:30, 9 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The Panda of course! --Candy-Panda 07:31, 9 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

or what better than a small herd of yak grazing the front lawn. Richard Avery 07:42, 9 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Mongooses are delightful. DuncanHill 08:46, 9 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Oh yes, mongooses. By delightful do you mean in the sense that velociraptors are peaceful? --⁪froth^t 23:04, 9 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Mm, wildcats. Get a puma and impress the interwebs. --⁪froth^t 23:04, 9 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Enjoy the Polar bears while you still can - your grandkids probably won't be able to. SteveBaker 15:37, 9 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Wait, what about the Polar Bear? Would you explain, SteveBaker? --PolarWolf 18:49, 9 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Polar Bear#Conservation Status Skittle 22:43, 9 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Polar Bears are only mildly endangered now - there are still lots of them out there. But as the polar ice retreats, there will come a season when the distance between ice floes grows to greater than the distance a bear can swim. At that point, quite suddenly, pretty much all of the polar bears will either drown or die of starvation. Our usual conservation rules (no shooting or trapping, keeping people out of their terratory, that kind of thing) won't help them in the least. There is nothing we can do that will slow (let alone reverse) the global warming trend within the next 20 years - so the Polar Bears are going to become sad creatures continually pacing up and down in zoos until they become too inbred and finally disappear. SteveBaker 13:31, 10 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Are you kidding? Our grandchildren will have it made! Two of them'll have polar ice caps of their very own around the house- a luxury certainly not available to today's generation. (And maybe when humanity is driven underground I won't get so much flak for never going outside. Keep spraying those CFCs people!) -⁪froth^t 23:08, 9 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Country music and rap music put together

What do you get when you fuse country music and rap music together? Ericthebrainiac 01:06 September 8, 2007 —Preceding unsigned comment added by Ericthebrainiac (talk • contribs) 18:06, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

You might get country-rap Algebraist 18:13, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

~~Ear ache?~~ Bielle 00:38, 9 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Earache My Eye! —Tamfang 18:55, 14 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Crap, for short. --Nricardo 05:13, 9 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Grey noise? Stevie Ray Robinson 10:39, 9 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It would certainly be hard to bear - but the consequent inevitable fusion of Line dancing and Break dancing might be enough to send me over the edge! SteveBaker 15:35, 9 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

WWE wrestlers' Suspensions

Who are the WWE wrestlers that are being suspended due to a WWE-related investigation about steroid use? Ericthebrainiac 02:55 September 8 2007

I did not know anyone was suspended. Try the WWE article or Google News. If you want me to search Google News and come up with a link, let me know. --69.150.163.1 15:12, 9 September 2007 (UTC) User:Kushal_one[reply]

Because WWE's events are entirely scripted and all of that juicy on-screen uproar is rehearsed (at their facility in Fort Worth, Texas), it's not at all clear whether these are true cases of abuse or simply a way to add more interest to what might otherwise be a boring retirement or a transfer to another organisation. Competitors are not under any pressure to take steroids in order to win games - because winners and losers are determined by script writers. Furthermore, not all sporting bodies ban steroids - although Anabolic steroids are controlled substances in the US, if the people involved had a legal right to take them, then it's not clear whether that would even have been illegal under WWE rules. Wrestlers in these ridiculous events are allowed to break all of the other rules and get away with it. An Olympic wrestler who hit another with a chair during a match would be out of competition fairly soon I think! In WWE that becomes a 'signature move'. Sheesh! SteveBaker 15:30, 9 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

What is the name of a porch post-top decoration?

I am fixing up my house to sell and want to improve it's curb appeal. I have a plain porch and want to add a decorative wood at the top of the posts but I don't know what to call it. I tried "cornice" but that was wrong. Please help.67.87.66.125 21:35, 8 September 2007 (UTC) [Email address removed for your protection][reply]

It's a type of finial (see also here). --Anonymous, 21:59 UTC, September 8.

NO It's not a finial. A finial is an end of a pole etc. What I mean is a roughly triangular piece of wood which goes between the post and the bottom of the roof over the porch. They go on both sides of the post and may have curlicues or swirls etc. I realize the ancient Greeks and Romans decorated the tops of their columns with Doric, Ionic and Corrinthian tops but what I'm looking for only goes on either side of the post, not all around it. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.87.66.125 (talk) 08:30, 9 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Decorative bracket? FiggyBee 08:41, 9 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

YES Thank you FiggyBee. The word bracket looks like the best term so far. I will check it out in other encyclopedias and find where they can be purchased. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.87.66.125 (talk) 17:32, 9 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Well I checked them out now and they can be very expensive, but at least now I know that they are called brackets. Thanks again. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.87.66.125 (talk) 21:40, 9 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

If you have (access to) a band saw, you could make them.

Atlant 17:19, 10 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

secret agent actions

Have there ever been illegal actions perpetrated by secret agents that have been exposed by the media, similar to the embassy ordeal at the start of Casino Royale? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.217.199.246 (talk) 22:59, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I recall reading on Wikipedia about a PM's bodyguards assasinating him/her. Acceptable 23:15, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

You might be thinking of Indira Gandhi, but that hardly required exposing. The Watergate scandal is the first example that springs to mind, but the CIA has got up to a lot of dubious activities in its time. Algebraist 23:21, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It made a big splash when French secret agents bombed the Rainbow Warrior, a Greenpeace ship participating in protests against their nuclear weapons tests in the South Pacific. See Sinking of the Rainbow Warrior. --Sean 23:34, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Also, it seems obvious to some observers that the Russian government was behind the killing in London of Alexander Litvinenko. And the Libyan government eventually admitted to a role in the Lockerbie bombing (sort of). --Sean 23:49, 8 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It depends on what you mean by "secret agents." See Watergate, for example. -- Mwalcoff 00:38, 9 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I mean gov't agents on clandestine missions that become not so clandestine by accident. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.217.199.246 (talk) 01:27, 9 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Didn't Israeli agents go to a scandanavian country after the Munich olympics terrorism to assassinate a plotter, kill an innocent Arab and get caught? Then there were the Nixon plumbers and Watergate break in guys who got caught. There were the CIA guys who kidnapped someone in Italy, and the Italian police traced their celphone calls and hotel payment records. It is a risk that clandestine agents take. Remember Mission Impossible:"As usual, if you or any members of your IMF team are caught or killed, the secretary will disavow all knowledge of your existence. Good luck. This message will self-destruct in five seconds." Edison 02:06, 9 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

That would be Operation Wrath of God. There have been lots of books and at least two movies (most recently: Steven Spielberg's Munich. The Israelis set up a covert unit that had a mission to track down the remaining Black September terrorists and kill each of them no matter where they lived. SteveBaker 15:18, 9 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The Alexander Litvinenko poisoning was probably the most notable recent event. Lots of others are listed in Active measures SteveBaker 03:18, 9 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Another example; Mossad agents got busted trying to obtain phony New Zealand passports a couple of years ago. FiggyBee 08:46, 9 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

you might be interested in reading Family Jewels (Central Intelligence Agency). 89.139.31.12 17:53, 9 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Not particularly relevant, but I just have to remind everyone of the extensive and utterly unlawful wiretapping that has been rampant throughout the Bush administration. The FBI has gotten busted soo many times recently- they just pay the fines with taxpayer money and keep doing it. --⁪froth^t 22:08, 9 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

This is in the US by the way for our many international contributors :) (I just know you all love being referred to as "international") --⁪froth^t 22:09, 9 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Don't forget Mossad and the Lillehammer affair. Rmhermen 05:37, 10 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]