Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2006 December 22

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December 22

Size of Category:Dungeons & Dragons

How many articles are in Category:Dungeons & Dragons and its subcategories, excluding duplicates, redirects (if any) and non-main-namespace pages? Of these, how many are stubs? And how does this compare to Category:Chess? NeonMerlin 01:09, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

I don't know if we have an easier way to answer than just counting them, and you could do that as well as us. StuRat 01:24, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

A SubUser Page

Hi there,

I wanted to ask could you open more than one user page for only one account? Also, how is talk archive created?

-- The Geography Expert--Glad to serve you • Chat or discuss something with me • What I give *This signature prooves that this discussion/article/section is official! 01:23, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

Are you asking about subpages? If you are, then yes. Also see WP:UP. Tennis DyNamiTe ^{(sign here)} 01:38, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

For archiving, WP:Archive explains it pretty well. Tennis DyNamiTe ^{(sign here)} 03:36, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

Any websites for serious political thinkers

—The preceding unsigned comment was added but froth was too lazy to look up whodunnit.

Well wikipedia for one of course :) --froth^{T C} 08:06, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

How serious do you mean? If you mean academics, I don't know. If you mean interested amateurs, depending on your country and stripe, Canadian, left-wing (their bulletin board), Canadian, right-wing, [www.freerepublic.com USian, right-wing], USian, left-wing. Speaking from personal experience, rabble.ca operates at a very high level of discourse, and a lot of the content is international. Anchoress 10:59, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

Wikimedia Stocks

Is Wikimedia ever going to go public? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 75.84.57.89 (talk • contribs).

Highly doubtful. Wikimedia is a non-profit organization, see Wikimedia Foundation. -- Rick Block (talk) 06:14, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

Though its impossible to know for sure, it would appear unlikely. The Wikimedia Foundation, the parent organization of the Wikipedia, is a not-for-profit corporation. A not-for-profit is always organized as a non-stock corporation. Therefore unless there is a dramatic change in the philosophy of the project, it cannot go public. Rockpocket 06:09, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

Well wikipedia's probably going to become self-aware at some point, and then launch battle robots and stuff and probably be the last thing in existence before heat death so I'd say that's pretty public. </offtopic>. --froth^{T C} 08:05, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

Wikia is a for-profit company founded by Jimbo Wales, although it has no connection to Wikimedia. User:Zoe|(talk) 23:53, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

David Jenkins

I am writing from Australia, and need to contact David Jenkins a friend of my late brother. Last known area was he lived in or near Windsor. He would be about 64 years of age and possibly now retired. Would you have access to Electoral Rolls in that area so that I could contact him. Many thanks, Hazel Astley

192.com might be what you are looking for. There is a DAVID J JENKINS (cohabiting with a BARBARA A JENKINS) on the current electoral rolls for Windsor. [1] However, you will need to register and buy credits to see the details. Rockpocket 05:54, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

I should point out that there are many places named Windsor (some 36 in our list). To me, that means Windsor, Ontario, but probably not to you. StuRat 10:57, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

of which 4 are in Australia and OP said he's from Australia. And of those 2 are suburbs (so he's probably not thinking of them) and 4th is redlinked (so probably small) which leaves Windsor, New South Wales. Shinhan 17:56, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

Ah yes, good point. The Windsor I was referring to was, of course, the original one. Perhaps the questioner could alaborate. Rockpocket 19:45, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

Price of Petrol in middle east

Hi,
I've heard that the price of petrol (stuff you put in the cars not oil) in the Middle East is so cheap that all the arab sheiks and stuff just leave their cars running all day with the air conditioner on - is there any truth in this and what is the approx price of petrol per litre? --Fir0002 05:54, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

Many Middle Eastern states limit the price of petrol for consumers [2] (as a benefit of being a citizen of a producing country). Here is a list of petrol prices per country (in $US per gallon), it seems to confirm petrol is remarkably cheap in the Gulf States (at least compared to in Europe, where petrol is heavily taxed). Rockpocket 06:03, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

And for completeness, I imagine that the arab sheiks / air conditioning allegation is nothing more than a caricature. --Tagishsimon (talk)

Gasoline (petrol) smuggling ?

template added for demonstration purposes only. StuRat 18:37, 23 December 2006 (UTC)

The above question and chart makes me wonder if gasoline smuggling is a problem. After all, if it's $0.12 in Venezuela, and substantially more in adjacent countries, this represents quite a profit margin for smugglers. The simplest method, and very difficult to detect, would just be to fill up the tank in Venezuela and siphon the gas back out when you cross the border, then repeat the process. StuRat 10:51, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

You'd have to be going back and forth a lot to make it worthwhile though...I would imagine that petrol is smuggled from country to country. In the UK a thing called red diesel is used 'illegally' because it is much much cheaper than the equivilent. I remember watching a show where they tried to track a person using it. It was also possible for people to run their car's on chip-fat and when the petrol-blockade happened a few years back it made the tv. I think mostly these only work with diesel engine cars but either way the policy was all about not paying the VAT/Tax on the petrol because in the UK that is what makes up the vast majority of the floorcourt price. ny156uk 15:02, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

Red diesel is identical to normal diesel except the red dye indicates that road-usage taxes have not been assessed on that fuel and it is only legal for use in off-road or stationary applications. --Justanother 21:05, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

While Serbia and Montenegro was under sanctions there was a lot of smuggling from neighbouring countries. I think smugglers used to add a container below the car for additional gasoline. Others went across border on smaller roads where it was easier to bribe customs officials. At the time gasoline was very scarce (due to above mentioned sanctions) and with rising demand, ways of fullfiling that demand opened up (namely smugglers). Shinhan 18:00, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

I just swallowed some Listerine

I just swallowed some Listerine, like half a mouthful. Am I going to die? The bottle says to contact the Poison Control Center. How do I do that? --131.215.159.11 09:25, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

From the top of the page: If requesting medical or legal advice ask a doctor or lawyer instead. I think you're likely fine, but as a random internet person you shouldn't take my word for it.

As for the Poison Control Center, if in the U.S. (guessing so by the label / IP address), the website says to call 1-800-222-1222. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 09:35, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

You probably will be fine, from seeing others in the same situation as you. --Proficient 10:01, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

I believe most phone books have an "emergency numbers" section, look for that. If you can't find that, call the emergency services number (911 in the US). StuRat 10:42, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

The worst thing for you in Listerine is the alcohol (methanol). How much did you swallow? --Filll 12:19, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

Listerine contains ethanol - not methanol which would be very dangerous at those levels (26%). Rmhermen 14:46, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

Google of "Listerine + MSDS" gives us the MSDS [3] which says

Ingestion of large quantities may cause may cause (sic) headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, and symptoms of drunkenness. See 'Statements of hazard' and/or 'Other potential health effects' in this section.

We cannot say whether you ingested "large quantities" or whether you should call poison control. That would be inappropriate to advise on. Feel free to review the MSDS and make your own informed decision. --Justanother 16:34, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

To answer your question--yes, you are going to die, but probably not from Listerine ingestion. You will probably die from heart disease or cancer, but even if these are the basic, underlying cause of death, it will be something else that actually snuffs you out. Congestive Heart Failure will cause your lungs to fill with fluid, for example, and you will drown in your own fluids. Cancer often causes the breakdown in cells in a particular place, resulting in mixtures of fatal humours in your body (the intestines will leak feces into your body cavity, for example, resulting in general peritonitis). So the cancer isn't actually killing you, but you are, in a sense, dying of cancer. Some life insurance companies are talking people into dropping life insurance in favor of cancer insurance. Naive people figure that the statistics on death from cancer suggest that they will probably die from cancer, not realizing that cancer itself is rarely fatal--it only causes weaknesses that lead to fatality from some other cause, and in that case, of course, the insurance doesn't pay off. If you drink listerine to get high (or other sources of alcohol--Everclear, Sterno, shoe polish, for example) your risk of cancer of the esophagus skyrockets. You can also develop varicose veins of the esophagus. These can rupture, resulting in massive internal bleeding. Because of its location at the top of the digestive system, the blood will head south and be digested by the gut as if you were eating raw meat. You could easily bleed to death before anyone even knows you are sick. And treating this kind of bleeding situation is very difficult. You'd almost have to experience it on the operating table in order to survive. So try not to drink Listerine for pleasure. The active ingredients include menthol, thymol, methyl salicylate, and eucalyptol (Listerine). Menthol, thymol, and eucalyptol are mainly flavorants. They are used to flavor cigarette tobacco. Methyl salicylate, also known as oil of wintergreen (because it's found in certain plants called wintergreens) is the main ingredient in Ben Gay and other muscle liniments. It's a little bit toxic to the liver. But if it's liver toxicity you want, you can hardly do better than alcohol, which (with water) constitutes most of Listerine. Gabbyhayes 18:18, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

I seriously doubt that Johnson and Johnson would leave itself open to lawsuits marketing a product that could be so easily ingested if it was that dangerous. Don't winos drink this stuff if they can't afford anything better? Clarityfiend 18:43, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

In the poorer parts of this city, you can often see listerine bottles scattered about, and it's certainly well known that the poor/homeless abuse it. -- Consumed Crustacean (talk) 01:56, 23 December 2006 (UTC)

We've gotten at least 2 questions like yours, 131.215.159.11, a short while back. Those two people swallowed something that wasn't meant to be put in the mouth, and neither of them died. --Bowlhover 16:42, 23 December 2006 (UTC)

Dogs barking

When dogs bark, do they ever get sore throats? --Filll 12:15, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

Apparently yes[4][5]. Weregerbil 14:30, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

Possibly so, because their voice sounds rough after a while. Edison 08:27, 23 December 2006 (UTC)

Why are skis no longer made from wood?

Why are skis no longer made from wood?I was wondering what are all the adventages that modern carbon fibre skis hold over their wooden counterparts? (Also it would be greatly appreciated if you could explain the physics behind an answer) Thanks

• Carbon fibre is much stronger than wood. I'm sure it has more advantages, but I don't ski, so I don't know the specifics. - Mgm|^(talk) 13:53, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

Please don't post a given question in one more than one Reference Desk. I've answered you over on the Science desk.

Atlant 15:02, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

about indian cricket history

Which Indian cricketer played a test match without shoes

"Which Indian Cricketer got his nick name since he used to wear Langoti and not underwears?"

Try asking at the cricket Wikiproject's talk page. --Dweller 20:58, 28 December 2006 (UTC)

External Link Deletion

Why does my link (shown below)keep getting removed from the external link category?

• Integrated Close Combat Forum...an informative exchange forum that covers all aspects of personal combat.

You have other, similar sites and forums that remain, is it something I am doing?

Thank you for the assist,

Ken Day

Administrator Integrated Close Combat Forum http://kilogulf59.proboards80.com/index.cgi

(Kilogulf59)

It would be helpful to know what article you're trying to add the link to. But in general, links are only added if they contain reliable information that for some reason can't be added into the article itself. Forum's are notoriously unreliable (since anybody can post anything) so are generally avoided. --Maelwys 15:19, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

Because it is linkspam. You've put this same link on tens of pages. We support links only to sites which have a narrow relevance to the article. A forum for combat nuts is not a welcome addition to every page we have on combat related subjects. Bottom line is you're trying to use wikipedia to promote your site, and wikipedia will tend to reject that sort of thing. I tend to hope that each and every one of your links (except perhaps a link on a page dedicated to combat nut fora) is removed from the site. Feel free to point to examples of other fora, and we'll look at removing them too. --Tagishsimon (talk)

Perhaps you should investigate the "linkspam" prior to labeling it thus. The reason for my linking under those particular topics is because ICCF is relevant to them

BTW...under several, there are "other" forums listed openly.

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding you here however, I feel if you investigate the forum you'd welcome the link.

It's your call though and thanks for the rapid reply.

Ken

Incase you didn't see it, Tag has also added to your talk page a much more detailed reasoning why this link is inappropriate. --Maelwys 16:18, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

Ok, I can see that this is pointless.

You resort to name calling (combat nut), favoritism, and censorship but that's acceptable in your eyes.

I'm out....

—The preceding unsigned comment was added by Kilogulf59 (talk • contribs).

If you think your forum is relevant to every concievable article that has to do with war, weapons or combat then theres not much to discuss with you. Joneleth 04:58, 24 December 2006 (UTC)

1960's play on words fad called "Oliver Twisties"

In the 1960's (I think the mid 60's) there was a word fad, much like the Sudoku fad today, called "Oliver Twisties." It had to do with clever twists on words. I am trying to locate the rules of Oliver Twisties, and perhaps some examples. I think the papers may have had a daily or weekly twistie, but am not sure. Thank you. Carol --128.231.88.4 15:24, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

Are you thinking of Tom Swifties? They were puns made between the subject of a quotation and the adverb that would modify the verb. "When did you realize you were gay?" asked Tom querilously. The writers who generated the Tom Swift books must have been under instruction to fit an adverb into the "he said" or "he asked" part of a line of dialog, because it happened very frequently. These are discussed briefly in the "Modern influence and references" section in the Tom Swift wikipedia article. And, wouldn't you know it, there is an article about Tom Swifties as well.

You're right! Thank you so much; it's been driving me batty!

Strangely, I have never seen one in a Tom Swift book. In the Tom Swifties article none are cited to one of the books. I think they may have been invented in the 1960's when I first read about them, and thus may be a total hoax. "Tom Swift and his Wireless Message" is on Project Gutenberg, and has nothing remotely like '"Is he buried near here?" Tom asked gravely.' Edison 08:26, 23 December 2006 (UTC)

But it does cite "Appleton's" tendency to adverbize every instance of "said", from which the idea of the punny adverbs grew.

Atlant 16:14, 26 December 2006 (UTC)

FIFA World Player of the Year award.

I heard that in the 90's(if i am not wrong in 1994) one coach had given his vote for "FIFA's World Player or Coach of the Year award" to the player/coach who was not active in football at that time.If this is true who was the coach who did this and to whom was his vote given?

You seem to be stuck here. I suggest:

1. Post your question on the FIFA World Player of the Year discussion page.
2. Go to the FIFA World Player of the Year, click on the History tab at the top, and then look through the names of editors to find those that appear to be regular contributors - unfortunately, the list seems to be dominated by unknown IP addresses...
   1. Asking those identifiable editors at their talk pages (click on the name and open the discussion tab) is probably your best bet of finding an answer on Wikipedia.
   2. It would make a difference if you had a user name and signed your posts. That way you would be notified when someone has information for you. Else you would have to check all the places you asked at, every day.

--Seejyb 07:19, 23 December 2006 (UTC)

Alcohol and oral bacteria

Since the main component of mouthwash seems to be ethyl alcohol, is it fair to assume that it is the alcohol that kills any dental bacteria? If so, are heavy drinkers likely to have less plaque, cavities etc?--Light current 16:41, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

If you swish with vodka and spit, yes. Most alcoholic beverages contain sugar, however, where mouthwash does not. So if you swish with creme de menthe and swallow or spit, once the saliva washes the alcohol from your mouth, the bacteria that survived will quickly replace the dead ones and they'll have a nice feast on the sugar clinging to your teeth.

The Listerine article says no, but that seems to want a reference. One would have to research all the ingredients noted at the NLM-NIH database entry on Listerine Fresh Burst Antiseptic Mouthwash. The amounts, except for ethanol, are exceedingly small, so they are probably concentrated in plaque (if it works), and at bacteriostatic levels. --Seejyb 17:56, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

how do you create a disambiguation page?

how do you create a disambiguation page?

• See Wikipedia:Disambiguation. - Mgm|^(talk) 17:55, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

The way I normally create pages is to follow a link and, if there is no such page, there is a link on the 404 page that says "click here to create an article." I assume that I would begin disambuating by creating a page. But the only way I know of creating a page is by following a deadend link to the 404 page. So I should probably wait until I follow a deadend link and hope I remember the rules for creating an disambiguation page when I find it.

But all kidding aside, there's probably a way to just start creating a page, right? Like a command or a button or a link or something?Gabbyhayes 19:07, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

Questions about how to use/edit Wikipedia should be posted at Wikipedia:Help desk. Please read Wikipedia:Contributing to Wikipedia and Help:Starting a new page. I usually type the name in the search box and hit Go. Then I click the red link "create this page".  --Lambiam^Talk 20:14, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

Iceberg lettuce - a titanic mistake?

How did this particular type of lettuce become so popular? Isn't it one of the least nutritious, least tasty varieties? Was it just convenient for big food companies? Clarityfiend 18:00, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

Not everything we eat is loaded with nutrition, and food serves many purposes. While I can't speak to the specific vitamins in Crisphead as compared to other lettuces, it _is_ roughage that folks might otherwise not have in their diets. The popularity is probably because it is the least bitter member of the lettuce family. - CHAIRBOY (☎) 18:14, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

Tastes in food have changed over the generations. While we now value nutrition and earthy, rich flavors, our grandparents and great grandparents often valued delicacy and refinement, which the pale and crispy iceberg leaves may have embodied for them. Marco polo 18:56, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

The crunchiness also helps for popularity. Chewiness and crunchiness is valued now in Western food appreciation, unlike just two generations ago.  --Lambiam^Talk 20:41, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

Iceberg lettuce has been around before branded fresh foods. A nice slice of iceberg with dressing is a classic salad. -THB 21:22, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

Thousand island dressing is the classic version. User:Zoe|(talk) 23:59, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

I lke it for its crunchiness and mild flavor . (try and twist that!)--Light current 21:41, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

... he said blandly. --Zeizmic 23:35, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

I say everything blandly. Ideorts Editors add their own condiments 8-)--Light current 00:16, 23 December 2006 (UTC)

Taste matters aside, a popular feature of iceberg lettuce among cooks is the ease with which it can be cored. With no tool other than your own two hands, grasp the lettuce head on either side, core oriented downward, and smash it decisively onto the countertop. The cone-shaped core then twists neatly out. -- Deborahjay 04:18, 23 December 2006 (UTC)

According to this [6], iceberg lettuce is a relative newcomer, first rearing its blandly demonic head around 1922. But this [7] claims it is "somewhat difficult to grow". So I'm really interested (ok, maybe slightly interested) in knowing who was responsible for popularizing it. Clarityfiend 06:35, 23 December 2006 (UTC)

Font

Ayone care to help identify this font? I'd really appreciate it. --Daniel Olsen 21:49, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

That abomination is known as Jokerman. --24.147.86.187 22:07, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

Is this enough weed?

Hi, I am a 16 year old student with a weight of 170 lbs. I am healthy and have no previous history of drug, alcohol or tobacco use. If I smoke the weed (via pipe) in the attached pictures, by your best estimation, is it enough for me to get "high"? Note: all 3 pictures display te same weed. The multiple pictures are to give better angle.

Photo #1 Photo #2 Photo #3

Thanks. Hustle 23:52, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

First, are you kidding? Reference Desk, not Drug Chat Forum. Second -- if you 'got high', you wouldn't have to ask people if you did in fact, get high. It's a matter of personal experience. Some people can drink beer like water and not feel particularly light-headed, others get woozy off a few sips. Same goes for marijuana, I'm sure. →Vranak←

In any case that is not very much marijuana. I doubt it would have much effect on you. --24.147.86.187 00:30, 23 December 2006 (UTC)

I am not sure. If you had no previous history, you will probably throw-up or get sick no matter what you smoked/drank for the first time. --Proficient 01:54, 23 December 2006 (UTC)

Looks like a bit of pocket lint. Is that a penny bag, as compared to a dime bag? Edison

Most people who smoke pot for the first time do not really get very high (probably because they don't inhale correctly). That would not be enough pot to have almost any effect on your system -- it is barely enough to sustain a flame, much less give off enough smoke. It would have to be some pretty powerful stuff, which I doubt it is, to effect anyone much. You'd have to really know what you were doing to get the maximum amount of sensation out of that, and even then I doubt it would be much of anything. Smoking pot is more than just injecting THC into your system. --24.147.86.187 16:26, 23 December 2006 (UTC)

<drug-chat>Depend on how strong it is - but probably you'll get high/a bit dizzy for a bit - but then be left with a pussy mouth wanting more..</drug-chat> Seriously look at the article on hashish - a few flower heads - no matter how badly genetically modified (eg skunk) isn't going to get anyone high - you will be smoking - but not much more - a large cigar will make you feel as high (but different) and twice as sick - why not try that at least it's probably legal.87.102.4.34 11:01, 23 December 2006 (UTC) We also have articles cannabis and cannabis smoking - if you haven't smoked (cigarettes) before you'll feel really really dizzy.87.102.4.34 11:22, 23 December 2006 (UTC)

Tsk. Tsk. Drugs are bad for you and stunt your growth. That looks like what is commonly know in the drug sub-culture as "pretty good shit" and it looks to be a nice little bud. Does it actually have crystals on it? It would get a casual user quite intoxicated. -THB 19:00, 23 December 2006 (UTC)

That's a small quantity of very high quality product. Yes, it should be enough. But as for getting you high, there are other significant factors. Many users don't report getting high their first time at all. For some, it takes a few times. Nonsmokers may find it difficult to inhale and hold the smoke. But, we're really an encyclopedia here, so our resourced may be of limited usefulness at best. If you really want opinion, there are forums better suited to giving it to you. If you want to trade pictures of weed, I bet there are places for that too. Ned Wilbury 19:05, 23 December 2006 (UTC)

Try rec.drugs.cannabis. And when specifying an amount of a drug, a mass measurement (e.g. from your kitchen scale) is usually more useful than a photo. NeonMerlin 01:01, 25 December 2006 (UTC)

Definitions

Are definitions for names and other things from a book that is still in the making allowed since it does not technically exist yet? Or does it count as advertising? Thank you very much in advance!

Ich liebe Wiki 23:52, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

They would not be appropriate unless they have already come into common usage and you can provide verifiable evidence (and not just places where people are using the word, but places where people - reliable people such as journalists - are dicsussing the use of the word). User:Zoe|(talk) 00:03, 23 December 2006 (UTC)

Picture puzzles

These picture are meant to represent a UK number one single, but I can't work it out. Any idea? AnonHelp 00:39, 23 December 2006 (UTC) PICTURE LINK

Is it Working 9 to 3, a UK version of Working 9 To 5, by Dolly Parton ? (Lazy Brits !) :-) StuRat 18:12, 23 December 2006 (UTC)

Could be 3am Eternal for the KLF or Rock Around the Clock.Do the woman and crowds have anything to do with the pic? Lemon martini 13:12, 24 December 2006 (UTC)

Finding an Old Naval buddy to wish him a merry CHRISTMAS

trying to find Richard Studt.E4 year 1971,Rota.SPAIN my nAME IS HARLAN e BROWN jr.E3 we met in Spain My address is <remove personal> if you can fid him please forward our information Sincerly Mr.Harlan Broen Jr

Is this the guy? [8]. I mean, does it look like the same guy except now he's older? -THB 19:54, 23 December 2006 (UTC)

That fellow is British and studied classical music in Britain. Doubt he would have been in the US armed forces. --Justanother 20:02, 23 December 2006 (UTC)