Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2007 January 17

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January 17

Views on everything - say Boo to a goose

Why is it that some people seem to have views on every subject after a few drinks? whereas normally they might not even say Boo to a goose--Light current 00:37, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

See the article on drunkenness. -THB 01:12, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

Although, to be honest, the article only mentions how alcohol impairs a person, not actually how it affects a person, which could be quite interesting to read about, actually. 惑乱 分からん 01:41, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

effects of alcohol on the body gives details about the different aspects of this. V-Man737 02:22, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

That's an interesting observation. I wonder if there is any correlation between drunks and Wikipedians having a view on everything, the only difference being that drunks are more amusing? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 81.145.241.104 (talk) 15:39, 18 January 2007 (UTC).

People always have views on everything. They just don't realise it until they're drunk.±Bumblefart 08:04, 23 January 2007 (UTC)

Make a user

How do you make a user on wikipedia?

If you aren't already signed in, on the upper-right hand corner of almost every page there is the option "Sign in / create account." If you click on that, you are given options and instructions to create a new account. V-Man737 01:23, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

Different types of mail

Hi, I am trying to find out about different types of mail. What is 1st class mail, 2nd class mail, and so on. thank you —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 67.101.51.190 (talk) 01:42, 17 January 2007 (UTC).

The Postal Service The USPS article is very in-depth and useful (assuming you are referring to the US postal service); apparently second, third, fourth-class mail is redefined in these days. Definitely worth a look. V-Man737 01:54, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

• The questioners use of 1st class makes me suspect they're talking about British postal services. - Mgm|^(talk) 09:00, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

The IP address seems to be from the United States, and "1st class" mail is a common term in the USPS as well as Britain; it implies the existence of 2nd and 3rd class mail, too. V-Man737 10:00, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

The postal service has a very good web site9 http://www.usps.com/all/welcome.htm?from=homedoorwaybar&page=0019allproducts).129.112.109.251 18:58, 17 January 2007 (UTC) The postal service has a very good web site9 http://www.usps.com/all/welcome.htm?from=homedoorwaybar&page=0019allproducts).129.112.109.251 19:00, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

Wow, that must be a very good website. V-Man737 08:34, 19 January 2007 (UTC)

Your face is gonna freeze like that if you keep making that silly face!

We've all heard that from our moms at one time, and I'm wondering if that saying has any truth to it. A couple years ago, my eyesight got pretty bad, and I was without contacts or glasses for about a year to a year and a half. During that time, being a student, I needed to see things on the board that the teacher was demonstrating, so I compensated by pulling on the sides of my eyes to make my vision better. From what I understand, doing that manipulates the lens and makes things clearer. But, I'm wondering if doing that a lot over a long period of time (a year to a year and a half) would possibly make my eyes appear more "squinty", if you will, or to appear as if I was of Asian descent. Thanks for any input. P.S. If I didn't explain anything well enough, i.e. how I pulled on my eyes to make my vision better, just ask and I'll try to clarify. --71.117.43.124 03:04, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

It is conceivably possible to get cramps in your face; I've not ever heard of it happening outside of old wives' tales, though (That article mentions it and links to Bell's palsy as well as providing a link to a website explaining the tale). Squinting doesn't squash your eyeball; rather, it limits the amount of light that enters the eye, making it easier to distinguish lines. Focusing on near or far objects will, however, cause the eye to stretch or compress the lens. V-Man737 03:15, 17 January 2007 (UTC) (edit: I can see why squinting might be frowned upon, however, since it might lead to unwanted wrinkles later in life. V-Man737 03:22, 17 January 2007 (UTC))

No, squinting is like reducing the size of your pupil, or having a smaller aperture on a camera: less light will arrive but depth of field is increased so you see out of focus things clearer. --antilived^{T | C | G} 03:25, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

...A more accurate way of describing it... V-Man737 03:41, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

Beard with no moustache?

File:Facial Hair Types.png

Barber's guide to men's facial hair styles, circa 1900.

Is there a name for it? Every time I see a man wearing a neat trimmed beard but no moustache, I think of the Amish, but I've never heard a name for that practice. The article on the Amish has an explanation of why they trim their moustaches, but does not give a name for it. 192.168.1.1 7:50pm, 16 January 2006 (PST) —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 71.112.144.196 (talk) 03:50, 17 January 2007 (UTC).

This site actually refers to it as "the Amish style;" these forumists(eh?) refer to it as a "jaw beard;" List of types of facial hair lists numerous variations. V-Man737 04:01, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

I always think of it as a "Thomas Keneally beard", but I know that's not it's proper name. Curiously, there's a reference to the Amish in his article. JackofOz 04:06, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

It is probably something to the effect of "Any Amish man would be proud to have a beard like Keneally's." (My first reaction to that link was "wow.") V-Man737 04:13, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

Tom thanks you.  :) JackofOz 03:16, 18 January 2007 (UTC)

I always knew it (For as long as I had known about them) as a C. Everett Koop beard. 68.39.174.238 23:24, 27 January 2007 (UTC)

Banking

Could anyone please tell me what study I need to do, under which program should I study in order to work in a bank. I want to work in Bank. And what are the types of Jobs in Banking. I am from Ontario, and which college could offer better education? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 70.52.4.64 (talk) 05:22, 17 January 2007 (UTC).

(edit conflict) The banks I've dealt with require a "bottom up" approach — entry-level working as a teller for a while, and working your way up through the ranks. As far as programs or education, they usually require a high school diploma for entry-level, and taking accounting and business-oriented classes in college is not a bad idea for the promotion part. V-Man737 05:57, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

The above is one path to working in a bank branch. Another path to working in a branch, and especially at headquarters, is to first get a degree in accounting and finance. This would likely allow you to skip working as a teller. Also, since banking is computer intense, a computer science degree, especially with an emphasis in database administration, could also be helpful. StuRat 14:39, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

I recommend that you seriously ask yourself why do you want to work in a Bank. I have worked for one in South Africa for the past 10 years and have found the work to be exceptionally stressful (customer issues, budgets, deadlines, compliance issues) and the compensation just isn't worth it. As mentioned above you have to start out at the bottom of the ranks and work your way up. Only reason I am still here is that it pays the bills and alternatives in the job market are not too plenty. Obviously conditions might be different in Ontario, but do yourself the favour - check it out first (possibly they will be in need of temporary staff at times which will be a good time to see what it is like, without the full commitment. Best regards.--196.208.63.111 18:26, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

Yes, but at least if you work at a bank you're not expected to bring your work home with you. In fact, they actually frown on their employees bringing home large bags of cash. :-) StuRat 09:42, 22 January 2007 (UTC)

I think you just described every job: sucks and pays the bills! In fact, I have always found that the more the latter, the more the former. :) --Zeizmic 21:29, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

I work for a bank, working in a Bank is not a career path, banks hire: tellers, managers, office administrators, personal assistants, receptionists, administrators, human resources, technical analysts, business analysts, financial analysts, operations, dealers, lawyers, accountants, marketing and about as many in analogous IT related roles, and that's just off the top of my head. You need to decide WHAT you want to do for a bank.. Vespine 22:56, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

Out here in the desert, we refer to all those titles simply as "secretary". ;-) V-Man737 03:50, 18 January 2007 (UTC)

W. Butcher woodworking tools

I have a very old woodworking plane. It has the name W. Butcher which I understand was a company located in Sheffield, England in the 19th century.

I am interested in verifying the information above and learning more about this company.

Thank you. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 68.77.148.128 (talk) 05:59, 17 January 2007 (UTC).

OSV says about a chisel with the same name on it: "William Butcher is listed in Sheffield, England as an edge-tool manufacturer from." Tilthammer here enumerates the life adventures of Butcher. Unfortunately, Wikipedia's article on William Butcher is not about the man you speak of; this would be a good time to encourage someone to start that article! V-Man737 06:36, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

Yes, such an article may prevent some tool from chiseling or reaming a person who thinks they just have a plane old tool to sell. StuRat 15:11, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

Awl right, that was between plane silliness and plumb dingbatty. V-Man737 15:24, 17 January 2007 (UTC)*

• The Sheffield Cutlers Guild have complete records of blademakers and may be able to help.There are several archives about this you can access on the net.Hope this helps.(hotclaws**== 19:57, 18 January 2007 (UTC))

Thank you very much. The Tilthammer article is what I was looking for. (Robert)

The future is us

There's a saying that goes something like this - "We've seen the future, and it is us." There may originally have been another word instead of future... Does anyone know where the saying originally came from? A Google search turns up a lot of people playing on the saying - "We've seen the future, and it is _____," with the blank something humorous, or whatever... but does anyone know where it initially comes from? zafiroblue05 | Talk 06:18, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

Everything I am digging up is either directly or indirectly leading me to Lincoln Steffens, whose original statement "I have been over into the future, and it works" is often misquoted "I have seen the future, and it works." Somewhere along the line (nowhere is very clear to this) the quote seems to have been adopted as a boast - replacing "works" with "is us." In the most serious articles using the quote, it is usually in reference to the progression of human evolution and related topics, leading one to wonder whether Charles Darwin may actually have something to do with it...? V-Man737 06:46, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

(edit) also, this website says that Cesar Chavez said "...We have seen the future, and the future is ours.” This may have been a part of the adaptation of Steffens' quote. V-Man737 06:57, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

(edit) on third thought, some sites attribute the quote in its fullness to Walt Kelly, in his creation Pogo, although mostly these sites seem to have less WP:V and WP:N than the first references I posted. V-Man737 06:59, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

The Walt Kelly quote is actually "We've seen the enemy, and he is us!" 惑乱 分からん 12:02, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

I'm pretty sure it's a variation on the Pogo quote, but it might have come from ABC's 1985 song "How to Be a Millionaire": I’ve seen the future, I can’t afford it. --Diderot 18:41, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

Oliver Hazard Perry in the War of 1812 is quoted as saying "We have met the enemy, and they are ours." The Pogo quote is a takeoff on that. Edison 07:07, 19 January 2007 (UTC)

American Footage

Why is it that whenever American footage (such as imported news reports and ads, but not newer TV shows) is shown on TV, they appear different (here in Australia at least)? The pictures seem more greyed out and less colourful. Is this to do with converting NTSC to PAL? 203.208.88.170 07:04, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

I've not a clue; however, I actually think of American news as being too colourful, if you get my drift ;-) V-Man737 07:10, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

See Refresh rate#Televisions - European and American TVs run on different frequencies, and Australia uses the European model. To me, American shows always look grainy on a regular TV. Natgoo 07:45, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

Hmmm, are TV shows converted to European standard, or are they just aired from better copies? 惑乱 分からん 12:04, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

Maybe American news footage is compressed for transmission? Vespine 22:48, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

Maybe it's not your TV. Maybe America is just grayer and less colorful than Australia :) -- Mwalcoff 00:08, 18 January 2007 (UTC)

Thanks for the answers guys :) --203.208.88.170 11:27, 19 January 2007 (UTC)

365 years

Two questions on one concept:

1. Is there a special term for an amount of time equal to 365 years?
2. Does this amount of time have significance other than religiously?

V-Man737 12:33, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

See Common year. Isn't the significance that of everyday usage and common sense approximation, rather than a specifically religious one? ---Sluzzelin 13:24, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

In ancient Egypt there was a period called a Sothic cycle which was comprised of four periods of 365 years each. This was essentially a mechanism for handling the fact that a solar year has an actual length of about 365.25 days... much as we now use 'leap days'. Also, the biblical figure Enoch was said to have lived for 365 years and this has subsequently been taken to have various possible significances. You might also be interested in the Great year concept, which is the period required for procession of the equinoxes (~25750 years). --CBD 13:31, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

So (summing up my recent learnings), for the Sothic cycle, the significance is that the Egyptians ignored the extra quarter day per sidereal year, leading to lagging behind more and more until, 1460 of their years later, a full 1460 quarter days (365) had accumulated (thus actually being 1461 years later), landing them right back on-cycle with an otherwise 365.25-day year system... So, if there were exactly 365 days in a year, they wouldn't have needed the Sothic system of coping with fractions of a day. Considering this, is there any other significance to "365 years"? — BTW, thanks for the link to the Great year, it was fascinating! (although it was a tangent from my original intent... Now, if the precession took 365 years, that would be extremely interesting. My focus is on whether 365 years has any kind of real significance, and to my consternation I am finding dubious website after dubious website encouraging me to worship Enoch or some other religious concept.) V-Man737 13:58, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

No, there is no real significance. StuRat 15:06, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

Late 1800's Supernaturalism

The discovery consists," he says, "in subjecting the vapors of volatile liquids to the action of concentrated sun-light, or to the concentrated beam of the electric light." The vapors of certain nitrites, iodides, and acids are subjected to the action of the light in an experimental tube, lying horizontally, and so arranged that the axis of the tube and that of the parallel beams issuing from the lamp are coincident. The vapors form clouds of gorgeous tints, and arrange themselves into the shapes of vases, of bottles and cones, in nests of six or more; of shells, of tulips, roses, sunflowers, leaves, and of involved scrolls. "In one case," he tells us, "the cloud-bud grew rapidly into a serpent's head; a mouth was formed, and from the cloud, a cord of cloud resembling a tongue was discharged." Finally, to cap the climax of marvels, "once it positively assumed the form of a fish, with eyes, gills, and feelers. The twoness of the animal form was displayed throughout, and no disk, coil, or speck existed on one side that did not exist on the other." Professor Tyndall

Is this possible, and what if any would be the practical application thereof? Thank you

Shining light through vapour: possible. Application: trippy lighting for a chill-out room. Nothing to do with supernaturalism that I can see. --Tagishsimon (talk)

This sounds like the pseudo-Victorian paper on generating lasers. (Read it, you'll be glad you did!) V-Man737 01:35, 18 January 2007 (UTC)

BTW, perhaps our poster should read the rules of the reference desk - especially the bit which says Do not double post. Please post your question on only one reference desk. Please use the most appropriate desk; use "miscellaneous" if none of the others fit, given that this is the third or fourth time I've seen this question today... Grutness...wha? 07:40, 18 January 2007 (UTC)

As I said on the other Ref Desks, I can't find where Tyndall said that, so for the moment it sounds like Blavatsky made it up, which is kind of surprising, with Tyndall around then to dispute it. Edison 07:11, 19 January 2007 (UTC)

Yeah, but i cant get a satisfactory answer.

• You mean you didn't get an answer you like.The question is very vague.What sort of answer do you want?Do you want it to prove/disprove Spiritualism?.If you asked it more precisly I may be able to help as I know a fair bit about the Victorian occult.(hotclaws**== 20:04, 18 January 2007 (UTC))

Anniversary of Tragic Events

This is quite a sensitive issue but I figure people here are adult enough to deal with it without being reactionary...I am interested in whether anybody has evidence of mosques holding memorial services for those killed in the attacks of, say, 9/11 or other such attacks attributed to muslim-extremists. I expect there will be many examples of this, and if this is the case I am interested as to whether it received any publicity/media coverage. I think where they exist they should be given greater media coverage as it will help to highlight the otherwise negative-light that the muslim faith is often portrayed in across national (Uk here, but probably beyond) press. I'm not suggesting that these things didn't happen, I am just surprised that I haven't heard any through my (admittedly small) reading of this issue. ny156uk 18:29, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

It seems that there have been a few,see

[1] and [2] Serena 20:44, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

Excellent. Thank you very much Serena. I'd been threatening to ask/find out about this for some time. ny156uk 20:57, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

alcoholic drink

Has anyone ever heard of a drink called aviator? It's from the world war two era..

                 Thanks, Bill phillips

I haven't heard of it myself,but I found several Google results:[3]

[4] Serena 20:50, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

origin of Kammas living in Coimbatore - South India

I'm a kamma born and brought up in Coimbatore. For long I have been trying to locate the origin of Kammas living in Coimbatore. After going thru various articles listed in Wikipedia I now feel there is a connection between Vijayanagar Empire and the Kammas living in Coimbatore. But inspite of repeated attempts I'm really not able to find out anything concrete on when & How it all began. A deeper study of the Nayak system shows details of Madurai Nayaks without any specific information on any Nayak system in Coimbatore. But even today we can see plenty of Paalayams in Coimbatore like Pappanaickenpalayam, perianickenpalayam,Chinniampalayam,Kannampalayam,Maddampalayam ... to name a few. There should be definite beginning for all these. My quest is in finding out when it all started and how it progressed over the centuried/decades or years.

Can someone throw a light on this subject?

I think that you will have to resort to historical texts in print (on paper). The Madurai Kamaraj University and Madras University have history departments teaching Indian history. You might try contacting one of the historians or a reference librarian at a university library for historical works dealing with Coimbatore. Marco polo 19:43, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

Thanks for the suggestion. But not so easy to trace from the Printed collections. Do you have any idea on the availability of News Paper Archieves on the NET for the period between 1350 & 1660?

From where? I know I've seen copies of the "Gentleman's Magazine" that might be that old... However, you'll probably find Court Records, acts of Legislation and various shipping details more useful as I think newsprint only showed up very late in that time period. 68.39.174.238 23:29, 27 January 2007 (UTC)

WW2 Aviation History

Why are many of the WW2 fighting planes called/refered to as GHOSTS?66.161.93.10 19:26, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

It's first important to point out that World War II is not specific to this question, as "old" warplanes from many conflicts are termed "ghosts". That's the definite part of the answer. As for the rest... presumably for the romantic/emotional sense that is conjured by the term. Ghosts are things that have passed away and aren't firmly tied to the ground, generally speaking. — Lomn 23:15, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

Copyright and Family Picture

I wish to include a family picture in a Wikipedia entry. What should it's copyright status be?

-Roger Taft

The copyright is owned by whoever took the photo, or if deceased, his/her heirs. So strictly speaking, you need to have the permission of the copyright owner. As to license, the copyright owner can, for instance, choose to a) put it in the public domain (e.g. use tags such as {{PD-release}}, {{PD-self}} or other shown at Wikipedia:Image copyright tags/Public domain or b) make it GFDL (the tag would be {{GFDL}} or one of the others listed at Wikipedia:Image copyright tags/Free licenses.--Tagishsimon (talk)

Unless it has been 100 years since the photographer's death, or, if you live in the United States, (most of the time) if the photograph was taken before January 1st, 1923. Depending on its country of origin there can be different rules. Now isn't copyright silly? X [Mac Davis] (DESK|How's my driving?) 00:34, 18 January 2007 (UTC)

Professional Photos

I don't have an answer to that, but I do have a similar question... My understanding is that if a professional takes a picture of a public domain work, that picture will automatically be considered public domain itself. The Professional may argue that it is his own copyright, but this argument has lost in court.

So... If a professional takes a picture of me, can he claim a copyright on the image? --Measure 19:34, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

See Bridgeman Art Library v. Corel Corp. in regard to public domain issues. As to a photo of you ... you are not in the public domain and the photographer could indeed claim copyright. --Tagishsimon (talk)

How would papparazzi keep publishing embarassing photos of celebrities if they just got sued for it every time? They can claim (C) for the PHOTO, not for the image it self. As in, if they copyright their photo of you doesn't mean you can't show your face in public any more. Vespine 21:48, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

It's more correct to say that a photograph of a two-dimensional work of art that is already in the public domain will itself be in the public domain. The reason is insufficient originality; the photograph will not differ from the original in any way that could allow it to be copyrighted.

A photograph of a three-dimensional work of art can be copyrighted because the photographer chooses the lighting, angle, and background, so there's originality.

As to a picture of you: unless you are a two-dimensional work of art, the photographer also has to choose lighting, angle, and background, so there's originality. --Charlene 03:24, 18 January 2007 (UTC)

Charlene, your answer actually makes sense to me. Thanks. --Measure 19:54, 18 January 2007 (UTC)

Original prom transport

Hi, This isn't an academic question, but can you think of original ways (so that rules out limousines) to get to a prom? I'm looking into hiring a VW Camper, but we'd like 7 seats. Please help! Thanks, My Username is... 19:55, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

How about a boat or a helicopter. Rya Min 22:12, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

Walking is original! I mean, who does that? You could build a hovercraft that ran on gas, or you could go on Segway PTs :) I also recommend entering the duck tape scholarship competition for prom couples if you're feeling extra extra creative. X [Mac Davis] (DESK|How's my driving?) 00:30, 18 January 2007 (UTC)

Why? Spend the money on a better restaurant. t h b 03:58, 18 January 2007 (UTC)

Why not a Tuk-tuk or a Rickshaw? Or, if you've got several friends who'll also want transport, you could hire a Routemaster bus; since they were replaced in London, quite a few have ended up in the hands of hire firms across the world. I'm not what country you're from, but there's quite a few in the US, Canada and Western Europe (and of course the UK). Laïka 07:45, 18 January 2007 (UTC)

Segways would be great, but they're banned on public paths in the UK right now (where I live!) A boat would be great, but there's no water around! And we would walk, but some of the...erm...locals aren't very, shall we say friendly. Helicopters would be amazing to arrive in, but that would cost loads. Does anyone know if tractors are available for hire for one day? A google search gets hires for weeks or months. A routemaster sounds good though! But if that fails, then maybe a limo after all. Thanks for all your help so far!My Username is... 07:50, 18 January 2007 (UTC)

No water? Then dig a canal! That would certainly be special. :–) --Anonymous, January 18, 2007, 09:08 (UTC).

Buy a huge (and I really mean huge) bunch of helium balloons and fly there. As tested by Mythbusters it is possible but you would need ridiculously large amount of balloons for that... Maybe some weather balloons tied to an arm chair will do... --antilived^{T | C | G} 12:28, 18 January 2007 (UTC)

That looks dangerous! I'd like to arrive on time, in one piece, and without the need of helicopter assistance! Neat idea though!My Username is... 19:18, 18 January 2007 (UTC)

Build your own flying machine, very few people have done that:) Or dig a tunnel :] You could just not go, that would be original :]Hidden secret 7 19:41, 18 January 2007 (UTC)

• Horse and carraige?(hotclaws**== 20:08, 18 January 2007 (UTC))

Does anyone know whether you can get 8 seater VW Campers?My Username is... 20:34, 18 January 2007 (UTC)

England to Sri Lanka

Can anyone advise me as to the best source of information to plan a route between England and Sri Lanka, noting all the respective Country formalities en route. I am considering a road trip but not adverse to ferries.

Pethag

For how to do it right, consult Dervla Murphy's Full Tilt. mglg_(talk) 20:28, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

There is no easy way to get there by land except by passing through Afghanistan and Pakistan. The parts of Pakistan bordering on Afghanistan are extremely dangerous for foreigners, particularly non-Muslim foreigners. Unless you are a Muslim and can feign sympathy for the Taliban, you run a risk of kidnapping or worse by Taliban partisans. On the other hand, if you are Muslim and look like a possible Taliban sympathizer, you risk detention or worse by the Afghanistan government or the western military contingents supporting it.

The only alternative would be to go through Russia and Kazakhstan, and optionally through Kyrgyzstan, into China. Petrol stations in central Asia and western China may be very far apart, such that you might need a reserve supply. You would need to travel across western China on roads that may or may not be open to civilians, into Tibet, where travel is somewhat restricted. From Tibet, you would cross the Himalaya into Nepal (currently peaceful but tense) or possibly Sikkim, and thence into India proper. I am not sure whether it is presently possible to travel by ship from India to Sri Lanka. The ferry from Rameswaram has been out of operation for over a decade due to the Tamil insurgency in northern Sri Lanka. However, there may be a boat from Kochi to Colombo, though whether it carries passengers' cars I don't know. You might end up having to ship the car separately. (To get to Russia from England, the obvious route would be the either the Chunnel or a car ferry from Kent to France. There are also ferries from northern ports such as Hull and Newcastle to Belgium or Holland. From France, you'd continue to Belgium. From Belgium or Holland, you'd travel across Germany, Poland, and Belarus into Russia).

I would recommend the Lonely Planet guides for each country you will pass through for this kind of travel. They tend to cover the details of travel by car. In any case, I would also contact the embassy or consulate in Britain of each country you plan to enter for information about which border crossings and roads are open and what formalities are required. These details change, and a published guide may already be out of date. You should probably also expect to "tip" border guards at some of the borders east of Poland and at military and police checkpoints within those countries. Marco polo 21:00, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

I forgot to address the possibility of entering Pakistan directly from Iran. This would involve passing through the Pakistani region of Baluchistan, where there is a guerrilla insurgency underway against the government. Here too, you risk being detained or fired upon by either of the warring parties. Marco polo 21:07, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

One more note. I have confirmed that there is no passenger ship currently operating between India and Sri Lanka. Passenger service had been under consideration, but I think that the recent upsurge in violence in northern Sri Lanka and the danger of attacks on passenger vessels make it unlikely that service will be established in the near future. That means that your only option to get from India to Sri Lanka would be to fly, unless you could arrange a berth on a cargo ship. For that, you would need to research firms operating cargo ships between the two countries and then contact the firm directly. If you are lucky, perhaps they would agree to ship your car as well. Marco polo 21:37, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

Reading the U.S. State Department's word on road travel in Kazakhstan, you might just want to save your adventuring until a time when traveling through central or south-central Asia is safer. -- Mwalcoff 00:07, 18 January 2007 (UTC)

If you don't mind waiting three hundred years. Bhumiya (said/done) 02:21, 18 January 2007 (UTC)

Well, according to Children of Men Kazakhstan will be a glowing pile of atomic rubble in 20 years. User:Zoe|(talk) 20:48, 18 January 2007 (UTC)

300 years is probably a bit low:( Maybe in a thousand years it might be safe for a little while:( Or it might not:)Hidden secret 7 18:37, 24 January 2007 (UTC)

Central asia is beautiful and very friendly GO! Don't listen to the nay-sayers. I have a friend who flies back and forth to Kazakhstan often to visit family and I myself spent a month in Uzbekistan. Something you may want to consider would be the rally from london to mongolia/beijing using very small cars. 162.83.207.38 21:10, 24 January 2007 (UTC)

Wikipedia Reference Desk Tutorial Video

I am currently preparing a video tutorial on how to properly use the Wikipedia Reference Desk. Can anyone suggest where I should upload it? --80.229.152.246 20:38, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

If it's in ogg format, I'm sure they'd love to have it at the commons. (ogg is needed because not only the content, but the format for such material needs to be free). Otherwise, I recommend YouTube, Ultrashare or Savefile. - Mgm|^(talk) 21:21, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

I would like to see when you're finished or help you if you don't mind. X [Mac Davis] (DESK|How's my driving?) 00:26, 18 January 2007 (UTC)

As would I. I suggest ogg theora/vorbis and uploading to commons --froth^T 02:38, 18 January 2007 (UTC)

Me too. Maybe a wikiproject page on your userpage for it? --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 07:35, 18 January 2007 (UTC)

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. Thanks for all the advice. Just one other question, does anyone know any free video editing programs that support Ogg Theora? Thanks. --80.229.152.246 17:22, 19 January 2007 (UTC)

Youngest sailor across the Atlantic Ocean

I know the current record holder is Michael Perham who was 14 when he crossed and I know he took the record from Seb Clover. I also found a reference to the fact that the previous record holder, the one before Seb was 16 when he/she crossed the big pond. Can anyone with a record book or some other source tell me his/her name? If you can, please let me know on my talk page. - Mgm|^(talk) 21:18, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

• Additional note: If the person I'm looking for is mentioned in the Guiness Book of World Records, they're probably in one of the editions prior to the 2004 edition in which Seb appeared. - Mgm|^(talk) 21:42, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

As far as I can tell from by 1972 edition of Guinees book of records it could be samuel brooks:)Hidden secret 7 19:48, 18 January 2007 (UTC)

Will he be back? (removed!)

Removed to Wikipedia_talk:Reference_desk#Removed_question --froth^T 02:37, 18 January 2007 (UTC)

Pictures

What in Miami, Florida are you Wikipedians doing to every Muchachitas picture? You can't just take every Mundo de Fieras picture away from yourselves and everybody else.

Sorry, that's not a comprehensible question. Please explain what your complaint is. --Tagishsimon (talk)

I assume uploaded copyvio images were deleted.  --Lambiam^Talk 12:01, 18 January 2007 (UTC)

Niger/Nigeria

A person for Canada is called a Canadian. A person from Nigeria is called a Nigerian. What's a person from Niger called? My logic says a Nigerian, but how would you know if Nigerian refers to a person from Niger or Nigeria?

The second paragraph of our Niger article discusses this very question. Consulting the article is often the best way to get an answer. --Tagishsimon (talk)

It invites another question: what is the French adjective for Nigeria? Answer (from the French article): nigérian (vs nigérien). Wacky. —Tamfang 17:29, 27 January 2007 (UTC)