Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2008 April 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.

April 9

The Good ol' Days of PEACE and QUIET!

My neighbors recently got a dog from the SPCA and for some reason whenever they leave the house their dog begins to bark immediately and constantly. I have complained to them and tried to ask for a solution. It has become such a problem where I have even taken my time to record the animal barking and had them listen to it. They still have done NOTHING about it. I have even talked to my apartment complex manager about and he has yet to sit down with them and talk to them about. I'm starting to wonder if I should just contact the Animal Control officers about it. What do you think would be the best course of action from here?--SlaveofBetrayal (talk)

Maybe they are trying to do something about it. Have you ever realized it takes a pretty damn hard time to train animal? Especially when the dog came from the SPCA and may have an attachment problem. I remember when I had a dog who came from the SPCA he got really lonely and he would bark like crazy. Its very difficult to train him that when I'm gone I'm gone. (That's why my neighbor ran him over.)

Always

Cardinal Raven

71.142.208.226 (talk) 02:35, 9 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

Maybe it would have been more appropriate to tell how long this has been going on. Its been a 2 months since I last complained and I'm getting FED UP with it. What I asked for was a suggestion on how to handle it not a statement telling me about what YOU went through. I want ADVICE not childish banter.-- by SlaveofBetrayal (Talk) —Preceding comment was added at 03:08, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Well maybe you should have been more specific you only gave us information as if its only been happening for a couple of weeks or one week, I'm sorry if it you saw my comment as childish banter, but it isn't. It was my advice for someone who had been experience this for a couple weeks. But in this case 2 months you should have called the animal control a long time. You should call the animal control.

Always

Cardinal Raven

71.142.208.226 (talk) 03:17, 9 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

You might investigate what the laws are in your area. I have heard (but have never bothered to confirm) that in my local jurisdiction, the police can take action if a dog barks for more than 30 minutes continuously. Perhaps a visit from the police will help your neighbors understand why they need to take action, and soon?

Atlant (talk) 12:35, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Why YouTube Doesn't Get Sued By Record Companies (cont.)

I hope it's okay that I added another comment down here (so people can see it and answer)along with the original comment that I'm responding to.

I am not a lawyer but, Apparently as a service provider they're (somewhat) immune to that sort of thing. Just as the phone company is not responsible for crimes committed over it's lines, and AOL isn't responsible for all crimes committed over AOL, YouTube is not necessarily responsible for the files on their servers, since they didn't put them there. (And they do make some small effort to get rid of copyright infringing files.) Whether or not this is true at all, or whether it applies to YouTube, and what countries it applies in are currently one giant, confusing mess. The Criticism of YouTube of article covers this a little, and points out that they have been sued for this sort of thing in the past. Also, remember that YouTube is now wholly owned by Google. APL (talk) 02:14, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

I remember the lawsuit by Viacom, but that was over television content. "We're losing money" was the argument they made with Napster, yet the same record companies look the other way when people upload any song they want to. Even stranger is that many record companies have accounts and upload thier own content, with no profit to be made there either. I bet that sometime soon YouTube will have every song ever released. That means you'll be able to hear any song you want any time you want (making me very happy!). What will happen then?...Sam Science (talk) 03:51, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Another factor may be that Youtube works as free advertising for the recording artists in question. Although the files can be downloaded, these programs aren't a part of Youtube, and the sound quality of the files is normally awful. So although it works as a way for people to get the video, they are unlikely to replace record sales, and so pursuing the matter over Youtube may actually be harmful to the record companies. Why endanger such global free press and hype if the real impact on sales is being made through p2p and torrent networks? 81.96.161.104 (talk) 13:36, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Ponzi scheme

Does Questnet Marketing chain come under Ponzi scheme?

```` —Preceding unsigned comment added by Aditya1986 (talk • contribs) 06:21, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

In my opinion, and in the opinion of several major governments (who have banned it), yes. See for example this set of reviews. (I could have sworn we had an article on it, but I can't find it.) —Steve Summit (talk) 13:01, 9 April 2008 (UTC) [P.S. it's four tildes, not four backtics. Use the Shift key. :-) ]

Addendum: if it's not a Ponzi scheme, it's a pyramid scheme. —scs 13:09, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

can we sell my accounts?

I had a "blurtit" account & later on my sister also got a blurtit account. Now we have fully scored successfully running blurtit accounts..now we want to sell them in ebay or any other site. will anyone buy those accounts? 202.141.98.204 (talk) 06:56, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

When registration to blurtit is free, why on earth would anyone pay you guys for your accounts? That's just my opinion, but you might find some sucker out there so give it a go. Astronaut (talk) 13:55, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

No! U didn't got my sense fully...I'm in a hope that anyone would buy these accounts only b'coz registration on blurtit might be free for them but getting points in that won't be so easy. That too not just one or hundred or even thousand...now I had "3344" points to my credit & my sister has some 1500+ points...for getting these points it may take some 5-6 months for them...that's why i'm optimistic about the sale of both these accounts...now what do u say? 202.141.98.204 (talk) 06:00, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

Nice idea so, I googled Blurtit accounts for sale on... eBay, and Craig's list for examples but nothing. What I get is you get points for joining, sign up, log in, and being rated and other things. (And not sure, but do people sell on blurtit? ) Looking for a catch, I don't get if you get blocked for trying to sell them. Since you can ask on Blurtit, try asking another user if it's legit? Julia Rossi (talk) 06:12, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

Haley Williams haircut (cont.)

Ok, thanks for all the advice above. But what if I want to cut my own hair? How should I go about that without buchering myself or becming infamous as "that guy with the crap hair". Any good guides online I could download for cutting my own hair? Thanks all. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 212.159.16.175 (talk) 08:20, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

When I was a student with no money, I used to cut my own hair. After a wash, I would bend over the bath and cut it to roughly the same length all over. I never heard any comments, so I suppose if anyone thought I was "that guy with the crap hair", they were too polite to say. That said, if you want anything fancy, like Ms Williams' style, you are probably better off going to a professional salon (ie. not the local army barber :-). Astronaut (talk) 13:49, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

British telephone sockets... ARGGHHH!!

I'm trying to rewire the mess of wires in my basement after I moved to VoIP, and I am really confused at the colour coding there. Is there any difference between the British one and the New Zealand one? I have wires with 2 different schemes, one that has orange, blue and 2 identical white wires, while another with red, green, yellow, and black. Which ones are A&B lines? Is there some way I can test it to find out? --antilived<sup>T | C | G</sup> 08:57, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Can someone move this to technology please, it'll get a better answer! 86.139.92.22 (talk) 10:41, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

If you look carefully, you'll find that one of the white wires is twisted in a pair with the blue wire, the other with the orange wire. These form the first two pairs of the 25-pair color code (WHAAOE!). Pretend that one white wire has a blue stripe on it, the other an orange stripe (and indeed the paired wires are often striped that way, to make them easier to keep track of).

I believe the correspondence with the older green/red/black/yellow scheme is:

line 1	tip	white/blue	green
	ring	blue	red
line 2	tip	white/orange	black
	ring	orange	yellow

—Steve Summit (talk) 12:50, 9 April 2008 (UTC) [edited 02:30, 10 April 2008 (UTC)]

Of course, the colours of the insulation make absolutely no difference in practice - a straight wired cable is a straight wired cable... FiggyBee (talk) 21:19, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Not sure what you mean by "in practice"! The colors can make quite a bit of difference:

1. If the wiring will ever be worked on by other people, they will be very badly confused, and hate your guts (or worse) if you gratuitously use a non-standard color scheme. In electric power systems (if not telephony), using the standard colors for the hot, neutral, and ground wires isn't just a good idea, it's usually the law.
2. In telephony and many other signal-transmission applications, the pairing truly matters. If you were to use (say) the blue and orange wires for one pair of a transmission circuit, and the two white wires for the other, it might not work well, or at all. (I still remember the first time I tried to wire up some RJ45 ethernet cables, and got the pairing wrong, and wondered why I was only getting 10mbps even though it was electrically a "straight wired cable".)

—Steve Summit (talk) 02:30, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

That confirms my hypothesis: whoever that was wiring it in the first place didn't follow the standard. In the original mess I have one extension with blue/orange wired together and the 2 whites together, while in another one it's wired blue/white and red/white, and all of them only carry 1 phone line. Thanks anyway, now I need to make a loop circuit with a spare plug to see the wiring. --antilived<sup>T | C | G</sup> 04:15, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

outdoor activities

what are dynamic activities? i've looked it up and cant seem to understand what they mean i can only get a rough idea like it means rock climbing ect. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.92.82.180 (talk) 10:10, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

What's the context it's being used in? Dismas|<sup>(talk)</sup> 14:08, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

I was about to ask the same thing. Generally and from a physiological angle, you could distinguish static activities, such as standing, sitting, and lying, from dynamic activities, such as walking, running, and swimming. If we're talking sports/leisure activities to begin with, maybe a static exercise machine could be compared to cycling, jogging, or rowing outdoors, where the environment changes and is dynamic. Then again, if it's from some sort of advertisement, dynamic could simply be a marketing word to make it sound more exciting and special. ---Sluzzelin talk 14:23, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

fake? (part 2)

Just a warning for those who may be at work or in the company of small children, the image is most likely NOT safe for work/children. I am not the OP but thought I should warn you. Dismas|<sup>(talk)</sup> 14:10, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Please for the love of god tell me this image has been faked [1]— Preceding unsigned comment added by 212.159.16.175 (talk) 13:50, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

? Neal (talk) 13:58, 9 April 2008 (UTC).

Either a photoshop special, or a nasty accident in the sausage factory!! Astronaut (talk) 13:59, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

STUPID! Ignore the user who asked this question, he is a troll. Ericthebrainiac (talk) 14:25, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Yes, definitely a fake, it's obvious that face and head have been pasted in. Richard Avery (talk) 14:41, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Since the troll failed to amuse, here's a PBF comic that might. --Sean 19:47, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

education

can i do graduation after completing engineering.how can i take admission in IIT for graduation? by IIT-JEE or any other enterance test? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 117.198.80.137 (talk) 14:52, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Did you google IIT-JEE[2]? it's all there. Julia Rossi (talk) 13:55, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

Body painting pictures

There has been talk at Talk:Body painting about a presentable top image that does not contain nudity. I remembered that at the 2007 World Bodypainting Festival, there was a female model who was painted in three different designs, all promoting Canon digital cameras, with both her genitals and breasts covered. But there is one thing keeping me from uploading the photographs I took of her, even if I get permission from the festival - Canon is a commercial, for-profit company, and by uploading these pictures I would be giving them free advertising. Is there any way I could get some sort of compensation from Canon? JIP | Talk 18:22, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

I doubt that Canon would be prepared to pay anyone, and I'm *certain* that Wikipedia wouldn't want to accept any money for advertising. That's a massive shit-storm that you don't want to start :-). If you can get the image under a free license then by all means use it, but don't try to have money change hands. 81.187.153.189 (talk) 18:36, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

I could get the image under a free licence just by asking the festival for permission, and if they give it, uploading the picture. But I feel that it would lose me the opportunity of earning money by advertising Canon. That's why I try not to take pictures where a commercial brand name is featured as the main subject. But this case was an exception because of the medium where the brand name was displayed. JIP | Talk 05:38, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

Have you thought of approaching Canon first? It seems like a process of elimination, Julia Rossi (talk) 22:52, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

Suzuki Wagon R+ (out of production)

Please don't scold - my wife has severe arthritis and when we bought this car we did so mainly because it was so easy for her to get into and out of - apart from it being so TALL with loads of headroom - and not forgetting it was so cheap - and has proved SO reliable during the past 4 years. But read any Car Review magazine and it rates lower than Noddy's car - no accounting for taste I suppose. But sadly, Suzuki have discontinued it and it has been re-badged as a Vauxhall Agila (UK). Any suggestions for a cheap town car with similar ease of entry, 5 doors, reliable, with air-conditioning, that is available in the UK, would be greatly appreciated. Thanks 92.8.31.214 (talk) 18:23, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

My mum is quite pleased with her Ford C-Max. Or you could take a look at Category:Compact MPVs. Astronaut (talk) 22:50, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Weird question

My friend, who watches pornography way too much, told me that in German xxx movies there are almost no mammary intercourse scenes, meanwhile in American ones anal sex is rare (i.e. German, maybe whole European porn culture is built around anal-penetration-topics, but American porn industry interested in breast fetishism). Is it so? 89.146.66.238 (talk) 18:48, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

No idea. But German porn is WAY fucked up. On a side note, here is a pic (not work safe) you might find amusing = Image:Mamintb.PNG

That pic was not amusing. I am now traumatized for life. Thank you.71.142.208.226 (talk) 19:16, 9 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

Seriously, that picture was creepy. Whoever drew that has waaaaay too much time on their hands. 81.96.161.104 (talk) 21:03, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Uhm, back to the topic, please :) 89.146.66.238 (talk) 22:18, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Back to the topic...anal sex is overwhelmingly common in recent American porn. I would suspect there were a hundred if not more anal sex scenes to every breast scene. Real breasts seem to have gone out of style in porn, replaced by fake boobs and very defined ribcages. --NellieBly (talk) 23:15, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Europe

Could Europe be described as a "growth of peninsulas and islands sticking out of the west end of Asia"? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 212.159.16.175 (talk) 18:59, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

The language you have cited is a bit misleading. The word "growth", in particular, is really not right. Europe did not grow. It accreted. I would refer to it as a "region" a "continent" or "subcontinent" (depending on whether you consider Europe a continent unto itself or a part of Eurasia). It lies to the west of Asia, but the border between Europe and Asia is more of a side than a pointy end to my eyes. Marco polo (talk) 19:18, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Fernand Braudel, in his two volume work "The Mediterranean", writes quite a bit of Europe as being a collection of peninsulas and isthmuses. He devotes quite a bit of text to the isthmuses, which he says are: the Russian isthmus (Baltic Sea to Black & Capsian Seas), the Polish isthmus ("Balkans to Danzig"), the German isthmus (North & Baltic Seas to Adriatic & Tyrrhenian Seas), and the French isthmus ("Rouen to Marseilles"). I've seen descriptions of Europe being a sort of peninsula elsewhere too. However, "growth" is an odd term to use. Pfly (talk) 17:33, 13 April 2008 (UTC)

Is it true?

Is it true that Serge Voronoff grafted monkey testicles onto human males. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 212.159.16.175 (talk) 19:06, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

If it's on Wikipedia, it must be true: Serge Voronoff. --Sean 19:59, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Why ask when you can read the Serge Voronoff article? Is it because you're lazy? Or just trolling? By the way, the 1st sentence on the article, mentions monkey testicles. So there you have it. Neal (talk) 20:11, 9 April 2008 (UTC).

"Thin slices ... were implanted inside the patient's scrotum". Not quite the image that the question conjurs up. William Avery (talk) 21:17, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Controversial answer for the hell of it: Yes, yes it's completely true, it's a fact based on years of reputable research and absolutely not involving slander, rumour or anything of the sort. But who hasn't grafted animal testes onto ahuman in this day and age? 81.96.161.104 (talk) 21:32, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Wow it's actually true. I kind of assumed it wasn't. that's my learning for the day I guess. Crazy. 81.96.161.104 (talk) 21:33, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

I compliment you Serge Voronoff for doing something that I don't think any of us would do. I also thank you for being a nut house. You don't get your undies in a bunch. Maybe the person had read the article. They asked "is it true". If I read that article I probably would have been a little skeptical myself if I didn't know for a fact that it was true. Sometimes we can't trust absurd information like that.

Always

Cardinal Raven

71.142.208.226 (talk) 22:53, 9 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

Tequila Slammers

Why does one have salt with a Tequila Slammer? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Quidom (talk • contribs) 20:49, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

According to our Tequila article, salt lessens the tequila's "burn." bibliomaniac15 Hey you! Stop lazing around and help fix this article instead! 20:52, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Hand sign

While driving through Los Angeles, California, USA several months ago, I came across a group of young African-American teenagers. As I drove past them, they flashed this hand sign at me; I am unsure whether if it was merely a sign of acknowledgment or whether it's a gang-related sign or whether it was vulgar. The sign was done with the right hand and consisted of an upside-down "V" (like an upside-down peace sign) with the thumb through at the base of the index and middle finger.

Just by doing some brainstorming, I realized that it sort of looks like a vagina with the thumb for a clitoris. Can someone help me out? Thanks. Acceptable (talk) 22:11, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

More brainstorming, looks like a guy with a penis. Maybe a vulgar way of saying "you're a cock". Julia Rossi (talk) 22:34, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

I'd agree with Julia. The hand sign for a vagina is done by pointing out with the index finger and thumb of each hand while the other fingers are folded in, then touching the tip of the index fingers together and touching the tips of the thumbs together at the same time. You'll have sort of a diamond shape. The closer you move your hands together, mashing your digits together, the more it will resemble a vagina. Dismas|<sup>(talk)</sup> 22:39, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

I found maybe the cousin here[3] (lowest left) of the fig hand when the fingers are curled back it's vaginal, so the "standing man" could be a newer variation about the cock, and saying "f___ you." Provocative.  :-/ Julia Rossi (talk) 00:24, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

It is possible that these young teenagers (the OP does not specify male or female or both) are transmitting these genitalia-representing signs as ways of signalling their own gender identity. They may be in adolescent confusion about whether they are masculine or feminine enough, and metaphorically expose their sex organs to strangers as a way of solidifying their identity. They greet others they do not know by saying "I am male!" or "I am female!" as the case may be, to make it clear to the outsider. (A similar use of semiotics to visually signal gender is in the wrapping of newborn babies in pink or blue blankets, although that of course is done on behalf of the individuals in questions, babies not having much autonomy, understanding of their culture's assignation of random colours to gender, ability to clothe themselves, or interest in much besides breasts and sleeping.) These teenagers may need the psychological validation of repeatedly affirming their gender choice in front of their peers; thus we can hypothesise that although the hand display is presented as if to the passing motorist, it is in fact covertly targeted at the surrounding peer group, thus conflating individual self-determination and group solidarity. It is possible. BrainyBabe (talk) 07:48, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

OR...it was an A. Doing it myself it looks like an A. Perhaps their gang begins with an A, or you were in an area beginning with A. 81.96.161.104 (talk) 17:46, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

Mmm. As in "at ya"? Comparing ORs, the base means near the hand and the thumb goes through. I can only get an A if the thumb doesn't go through and is nearer the finger tips, say across the middle knuckles. Julia Rossi (talk) 22:18, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

Yeah, but if you bring the thumb down slightly it creates a little gap, it wouldn't be visible from a car as you drove past but if you were closer it would clearly be an A. Not to knock the soul-searching and introspective nature of the average gang-member, but it seems far more likely that they were signing a letter than affirming their gender identity. The A serves as a mark of distinction, seperating them from the gang round the corner, making members visible to the trained eye. It could be a vulgar symbol like you said, as in "you're a dick", but it just seems that in the 'gang' context a letter is more likely. Atlanta gangs/Dirty South rappers use a similar sign as an A, just sans the thumb. Although the wikipedia page doesn't have any gangs beginning with A that I could see. But I'd have thought that if it was a 'swear word' gesture then it would be slightly better known. You can't offend someone if they don't know you're being rude. I really want to know what this sign was about now. 81.96.161.104 (talk) 22:30, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

Right, I've got it. The bottom left of this page explains it's the sign for the Hoover Crips, who are redlinked from HGC on wikpedia as the Hoover Gangster Crips. 81.96.161.104 (talk) 22:35, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

You could also consider the possibility that it was totally meaningless. Djk3 (talk) 22:42, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

Ha. The barnstar of superb infra-detection goes to you, 81.96. The Hoover Crips sign seems the most resonating: offensive, ballsy, and brand wise. *am now making the horned handsigns of respect across the chest* Word, Julia Rossi (talk) 23:02, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

Ha ha thank you. In the immortal word of Ali G: Respec'. 81.96.161.104 (talk) 23:44, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

Ha triple ha. The sex-obsessed refdesk editors get trumped by the literacy-signalling youth. Of course, you do realise that the "A" handsign only puports to represent a gang. It is possible that these youngsters are really informing the passing motorist of their latest grades at school. It is a visual boast of academic success. BrainyBabe (talk) 06:14, 11 April 2008 (UTC)

and this means Acceptable that next time it happens, make the peace sign (checking first that it isn't co-opted by another gang) as you jump out of your car, running low in case of drive-bys and asking for their autographs. You've just been signed by legends!!  ; ) Julia Rossi (talk) 09:16, 11 April 2008 (UTC)

Haha, thanks guys for the response! Yeah the link posted by 81.96 shows the correct hand sign that I saw. Any idea where Hoover is? Acceptable (talk) 02:22, 12 April 2008 (UTC)

Our article Crips shows they are 30,000 strong with plenty of infighting all over & LA. Dey impreziv. As for the Hoovers, they found you, brah! Do yo homework an' good luck fo nex' time! (no disrespec') Julia Rossi (talk) 09:21, 12 April 2008 (UTC)