Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2006 August 19

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Title / Artist of electronica song

Anyone know what the artist of this song is? http://www4.upload2.net/download/A5mIzfrDCr9Ff3h/tune.mp3 It is only a 10-second clip, thanks! --User:Bonusbox 2:20, 19 August 2006 (UTC)

Cubase.... Instruments out of sync!

Cubase users... how do you access a midi event list? My tracks are out of sync with each other. It's because im using various sound sources... vst guitars , midi connected drum machine and general midi keyboards. Any help appretiated!

openCanvas Networking

I have openCanvas (the free version) and I've been trying to network with a friend, but we can't figure out how it works. Can anybody help us? Thanks :)

This question may be more properly posed at the Computing/IT reference desk. --Lambiam ^Talk 09:32, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Free Clips

Are there any sites that allow me to download free pornographic movies and videos? 64.230.5.110 02:13, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'm sure you can easily find a BitTorrent site with them --Kiltman67 03:00, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Limewire/Frostwire, http://thepiratebay.org, http://torrentreactor.to. The first two are easiest if you aren't that computer-savvy. — [Mac Davis] (talk)

E-Corps: Part of the Marines???

Dear Reader, Is the E-Corps an eliete group of Marines or something??? I am wondering because our acedemic group at our school is called the E-Corps, and no one seems to know what the E-Corps is. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

I did a little search on Yahoo and most references to E-Corp either seem to be related to Klingons or online communities. --Kiltman67 03:05, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Jesse Martin page?

Hi, was looking for information on Jesse Martin, the Australian teenager who became the youngest person to circumnavigate the world. Couldn't find a page for him...can anyone else find it? I really did try hard--Jacintah 03:51, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You appear to know more about him than any of us, so why not start one? A few sentences will do - just explain why he's notable (in this case, being the youngest person to circumnavigate the world) and find a reputable source (this page looks good) to back up what you say, and others will take it from there. --Howard Train 03:57, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

And while you're doing that, you could also correct Single-handed sailing, which gives the "youngest" title to someone else (who started younger but finished older.) --jpgordon^∇∆∇∆ 03:59, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Cue warm, fuzzy glow. I see people have expanded our new article already. --Howard Train 11:55, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Sleeping Tiger

Someone once said "China is like a sleeping tiger, take care when it wakes up". This may not be completely accurate but you get the gist of it. I would like to know who said it and about when. Joe Blow

Napoléon, 200 years ago: "Quand la Chine s'éveillera, le monde tremblera." (When China awakens, the world will shake.) Mao on the other hand, 50 years ago said he believed the USA was nothing more than a paper tiger (unable to withstand the wind and rain). No clue whether this helps or is what you were looking for. Sluzzelin 05:36, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If you Google "China is like a sleeping" and "China is a sleeping" you'll get at least seven variations (bear, giant, dog, dragon, lion, tiger, even elephant!), all attributed to Napoleon. The most popular wording by far is as a giant. The different wording of the quote in different sources makes it sound like one of these phantom quotes that sounds cool, especially since it comes from someone important (and powerful), but may not ever have actually been said, at least not in the way it is here formulated. I have found a very similar formulation in JSTOR from 1925 (not attributed to Napoleon, but it doesn't mean it wasn't derived from him): "But China is a sleeping giant. The four hundred millions of its population, tireless, patient, uncomplaining, are a force that some day must be reckonded with." (Austin F. MacDonald, "Foreword to a Special Issue on The Far East" Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science Vol. 122 (Nov., 1925), p. v.) All this means is that wherever the quote is from, it is not necessarily of recent vintage. --Fastfission 12:52, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Apocryphal is the word for quotes like that. Anchoress 12:59, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Movie credits at the bottom of poster

How can I make movie credits like those you see on the bottom of movie posters etc?

gelo 05:02, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Do you mean the font? Or do you mean software to make a poster? Rockpocket 05:41, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

the font

gelo 08:33, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

According to this discussion [1] finding the exact font is not easy. But for a close approximation try Raleigh Gothic RR Condensed, Empire or Univers 39 Thin Ultra Condensed. Rockpocket 08:43, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Corn pops

Okay, why are corn pops the only type of cereal that comes in a silver paper bag thats inside the box? Corn pops are the only cereal i have seen come in this silver bag.

Read our article on Corn Pops; it gives the answer. --Lambiam ^Talk 08:52, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Gives me the shivers when wikipedia has the answer. --Bmk 19:09, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Fishing boats

Old fishing boats (centuries ago) used wind power if im not mistaken. Am i correct in assuming that a)these boats would have been stopped by an anchor b) and they could have 'started up' (begun sailing) immedeatley with suffiencet (realstic) wind speeds?Cuban Cigar 06:46, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It's not completely clear what you mean by "would have been stopped". The normal way to "stop" a sailing vessel is by turning against the wind, thereby reducing the speed to zero. Then you must quickly lower the sails, or you will be blown away again. The anchor is for keeping you in the same spot once you have brought your speed to (close to) zero; it is more like a parking brake. You don't want to use it to halt a boat while it is sailing; you might seriously damage the boat or break the chain. To sail away you hoist the sails and then raise the anchor. (You could also do this in the opposite order, but only if you have a lot of free space behind you.) It depends on the type of boat (and the strength of the wind) how quickly the boat reacts and starts picking up speed, but think seconds. --Lambiam ^Talk 09:07, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yes when i said stop i meant come to a rest (stop moving). The 'boats' were small ones, maybe three crew or something like that. Anyway thanks!

Also note that it isn't always necessary to stop to fish. Trawling, and the related trolling method, actually require continuous movement. StuRat 19:18, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

hybrid

According to my friend, fruits such as orange and mandrine are not original fruits, rather they are hybrid of other fruits.If this is true, what are the fruits which makes orange and mandrine?

Read our article on Orange (fruit), it gives the answer for oranges. Our article Mandarine does not resolve the issue for mandarines, but given that oranges are hybrids, it seems at least plausible that mandarines are also hybrids. However, a side box in our article on Citrus, the genus containing both, lists mandarins under species, and oranges (and lemons!) under hybrids. But then the main text states that "there is genetic evidence that even the wild, true-breeding species are of hybrid origin." So for mandarines the best we can say is: probably a hybrid, but the origins may be lost in the mists of history. --Lambiam ^Talk 08:45, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

(edit conflict) Your friend is correct. As our article Orange (fruit) says:

The orange is a hybrid of ancient cultivated origin, possibly between pomelo (Citrus maxima) and tangerine (Citrus reticulata).

The tangerine itself is a type of mandarin orange and a tangor is a sub-hybrid of a tangerine and orange. Since citrus bearing plants can hybridize so easily, its very difficult to distinguish between true ancient species and hybrid species. Rockpocket 08:54, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

1st producer from africa

which countries from Africa are the first 3 countries which produce more Gum Arabic(Gum Acacia)?

Although our article Gum Arabic does not directly answer this question, it nails it down to the Sahel, which is comprised of Senegal, Cape Verde, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, and Sudan. According to this link (PDF), the main exporters of gum arabic are Sudan, Chad and Nigeria. --Lambiam ^Talk 08:30, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Bending over in the wind

Is there any truth to the rumour that if you bend over and the wind changes you stay like that forever? Where did it originate? --Adam 13:57, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I always thought it was making a weird or stupid face and the wind changing... Benbread 15:17, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Here is some background: old wives' tale. Weregerbil 15:52, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Doesnt the wind cause you to ben dover?--Light current 17:00, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

ONLINE JOB

Does anyone know of a good online part time job one could do that is legal and not telemarketing ,real estate or porn related?70.227.9.195 15:04, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Gold farming in World of Warcraft Ironfrost 15:47, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You could edit wikipedia. (You didnt say you wanted paying 8-))--Light current 16:33, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yep, and I ain't sharing :) --Howard Train 19:27, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

What is it you do Howard?--Light current 20:34, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Salsa Music

Im trying to start a band playing Salsa music. Does anyone know any sources of arrangemnets for this style of music?--Light current 16:08, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Personally, I prefer to arrange my salsa on nachos with jalepenos. :-) StuRat 19:10, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Saucy!--Light current 19:11, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Rider to my question: Can anyone think of an appropriate original name for a Salsa band. Clever ones get more points!--Light current 22:02, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Pico de gallo? User:Zoe|(talk) 23:27, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I thought of 'Red hot chilli peppers' but I think someones got that already. What about jalepenos--Light current 00:33, 20 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I like "Ring of Fire" for a particularly hot salsa. :-) StuRat 01:21, 20 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hey.. not bad!--Light current 01:29, 20 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

"I fell into that burning ring of fire,
 and it burns, burns, burns, 
 that ring of fire." StuRat 02:27, 20 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Johnny Cash?--Light current 02:40, 20 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

No, Prep-H. --hydnjo talk 02:58, 20 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Isnt that for piles? (Dont click on this, there may be a picture! 8-( ).Ahh I think I see what StuRat is alluding to now! 8-)--Light current 03:03, 20 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Good, I was afraid I might have to ask you to eat some extremely hot salsa and see if the answer comes to you in, say, 24 hours or so. :-) StuRat 04:46, 20 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

More like 12hrs knowing my tract!--Light current 20:23, 20 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Well, check this. --hydnjo talk 03:11, 20 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

On a related note, I remember a lawsuit (thrown out of court IIRC) filed against a bar by a patron who'd managed to successfully consume a plate of 'hot wings' per a promotional giveaway, only to end up in the emergency room. Turns out the bar (like many, many others apparently) drenched its 'promotional' super-hot wings with pepper spray, rendering them virtually unconsumable. But apparently it isn't a crime, because pepper spray is considered safe for human consumption (lol). Anchoress 04:59, 20 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Gives a completely new meaning to the term 'hot pants or you could say its a tale that had a string in the tail (ouch!)--Light current 20:21, 20 August 2006 (UTC)'[reply]

Anyway getting back to the subject, would I get awy with a name like 'Ring of fire' or not in the UK?--Light current 20:32, 20 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'm not sure. The song by that name is still under copyright, but a ring of volcanoes around the Pacific rim also has that name, so you could argue you were naming it after the volcanoes, not the song. StuRat 23:27, 20 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Pacific rim Are you yanking my chain? Anyway I dont think anyone can be prevented from using a song title. No, what I was concerned with was whether people would associate it with, well, you know.. effects of too much salsa! 8-)--Light current 23:30, 20 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Pacific Ring of Fire, but to answer your q., I think you may get some jokes on that name. I'd go with it, but when they joke say that it was deliberate :) Ziggurat 23:46, 20 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Call yourselves "Los Colones" (which, I think, means "The Colonists"). Of course, any similarity to Cojones is entirely a coincidence :) Middenface 23:43, 20 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Of course. It would be even better if I knew what it meant but 'Colones' souds pretty rectal to me anyway 8-)--Light current 23:52, 20 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

There is a TV ad out now that goes something like this:

"Hebrew National brand Kosher hot dogs are only made
 from the finest cuts of beef...no ifs, ands, or butts."

(Note the spelling of butts.) A diagram of a cow with a red X over the butt is also shown. If this is considered acceptable, I think "Ring of Fire" salsa would be fine. After all, it's only a suggested meaning, and you have plausible deniability with the Pacific Volcano ring as a cover. I'd even put an erupting volcano on the label to help with the cover story (and because if might increase sales over a pic of an inflamed anus). :-) StuRat 06:44, 21 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

LOL. StuRat UR amusing! Anyway I like butts in my dogs- theyre the best part--Light current 14:02, 21 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I quite like 'Ring of fire' I must say. It has (ahem) a certain 'ring' to it!--Light current 14:04, 21 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

OK now where can I get the music from?--Light current 16:40, 21 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Well, if you know Salsa music, it does tend to get easier to write. However this is a good website to order sheet music. Either one usually works out good. Viva La V i e Boheme!

Snakes on a Plane

This is an elaborate hoax, right? --Kurt Shaped Box 16:17, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Where have you been? It opened yesterday, to pretty much rave reviews (for a cheesy B movie, that is). Anchoress 16:20, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I only just saw the trailer today. I nearly spit coffee. --Kurt Shaped Box 16:26, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yea, sounds like the concept was invented by a 4 year old boy doesn't it ? "So there's like all these snakes, you know, and they're like on this really big plane, and with lots of people too, and they're like biting people and hissing and stuff, and the plane's flying like really fast and it's like really cool, you know ?" Perhaps all Hollywood execs should be replaced by 4 year old boys, they couldn't do any worse, now could they ? StuRat 19:08, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

There's a great Uncyclopedia article on it. I'm eagerly awaiting the sequel: Pirahnas on an Escalator. :) —D a niel (‽) 19:16, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It's real. o_o --Proficient 22:37, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Snakes on a Plane is hysterical! I just got back from seeing it. This is one of the funniest movies I've seen in a long time. User:Zoe|(talk) 23:28, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Why would you read anything Unyclopedia says?--Chili14 23:20, 20 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Personally, I think, just like Wikipedia, Unyclopedia is clever (sometimes not though). Anywho, wouldn't many other animals be even deadlier than snakes? Killer bees? Ants? Hippopotami? Skunks? Linebackers? And talking about sequels, I'm heavily looking foward to Tarantulas on a Hyrofoil, Sharks on a Tractor, and Bees on a Sub.--Porsche997SBS 01:03, 23 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Can snakes really be on a plane?

Just wondering??

Since the US Department of Homeland Security does a really poor job of checking cargo that goes on planes, it's certainly very possible. User:Zoe|(talk) 23:28, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

They must sneak on I suppose!--Light current 23:53, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Check this out: Supposing you actually want to take snakes on a plane--Pyroclastic 18:44, 22 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Financial investment liquidation options in the UK

In a potentially falling stock market,an investor in the UK may wish to rapidly sell many of his/her investments and hold the proceeds in cash. This is quite easy with PEPs and ISAs. For other investments there appears to be an unavoidable penalty arising from Capital Gains Tax incurred during the tax year when the sales are made. This applies especially to investments made some years ago which have gained considerably in value, and are now vulnerable to a possible recession.

Apart from taper relief, is there any solution to this problem where an investor is "locked in" to investments by the considerable penalty of CGT being levied at up to 40% on capital gains in excess of the investors UK CGT tax free allowance?

hatari

The EMH or Efficient markets hypothesis, which has been backed up by a lot of academic research, suggests that it is practically impossible to forecast the stock market to any worthwhile extent (although there are some minor market inefficiencies like small companies, low p/e ratios, possibly high yields, January effects, Monday effects, and so on). This implies in turn that there is no such thing as a trend in the market (apart from perhaps a very long term gradual up trend over the decades) as if there was a trend, you'd be able to forecast the market.

Thus it is wrong to suggest that there is a "falling market" trend that gives people time to sell out before things get worse. From the theory, and from what I remember of actually drops in the market, they happen suddenly and often reverse rapidly, so if you do sell out, prices rise afterwards and you're worse off. The stock market moves at random - if there seems to be a trend, then this is just the chance shape of a random line.

Having a lot of GCT building up is a good thing - a simple simulation on a spreadsheet will show you that you are far better off accumulating CGT to pay in one go after many years than you would be if you sold and re-bought every year paying CGT tax every year.

I'm always surprised that people will invest in the stock market yet know nothing about the EMH. I suppose there are lots of stockbrokers and so-called technical analysisists who make money out of ignorant suckers. 62.253.44.146 10:09, 20 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

That's all fine and good in theory. But in reality there are trends in the markets which may range from days to decades, depending on the time frame used. If you don't believe it, talk to someone in the oil industry. —Mike 01:32, 23 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Diet

Hi. I heard that people lost a moderate amount of weight just by not eating anything after around 18 hours. How is this possible?--Captain ginyu 16:50, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The beginning of a fast may very well show a large weight drop (several pounds), while, if you continue to fast, the weight loss will slow down. You take in a few pounds of food each day, and expel the same amount as waste each day. The first day you fast, you will likely defecate yesterday's food. After that, you will have nothing more to expel. In other words, you are lighter by the weight of the contents of your digestive tract, which is now empty. StuRat 18:58, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Plus: your body will have got rid of a lot of fluid. For instance, in the mornig you are a couple pounds lighter that when you go to bed due to expiration of moisture. A pint of water weighs a pound and a quarter: so weigh that up!--Light current 19:09, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hmmm, Sturat, I'm not sure if your answer is supposed to be off-beat, sarcastic, or indicate that you misunderstood the question?

Anyways, there are two issues: one is that if stop eating after dinner and you're usually a late-night eater, you might just eat less, resulting in probable weight loss. Two is that there are conflicting studies on the topic of 'eating late at night is more likely to cause weight gain than eating the same number of calories earlier in the day'. Or, to put it another way, some studies have shown that late-night calories are somehow 'fatter' than those taken earlier, either because of metabolism, enzymes, etc. But other studies say that's rubbish, it just depends on how much you eat overall. Like I said, there are conflicting studies.

There's also the issue of 'fasting'. When you don't eat for a certain amount of time, your body goes into 'fasting' mode which can cause your metabolism to lower, which would result in fewer calories burned. And, to add to that there's the issue of people with high/low blood sugar, who are supposed to eat small, regular meals and not to go too long without eating. Anchoress 19:13, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It sounds like you read it as "not eating after 1800 hours", which is military time meaning 6 PM. That's not how I read it. I read "not eating for a period of 18 hours", or a short-term fast. StuRat 01:02, 20 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

~~Yeah, I thought that might have been it. But since s/he said '18 hundred hours' I am pretty sure s/he means eating after 6pm. Anchoress 01:45, 20 August 2006 (UTC)~~[reply]

It doesn't say "hundred" on my screen, are you sure it does on yours ? StuRat 01:48, 20 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Oh weird lol. When I read your previous reply, I thought, 'Hmm, I thought it said 18 hundred hours, better check', and I checked, and I seriously thought it said that. LOL. Sorry. Anchoress 01:58, 20 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I think there's a lesson here about how our preconceptions shape our perceptions. I hope the questioner will tell us which of us read it correctly. :-) StuRat 02:19, 20 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I, the almighty questioner, will now speak: When I wrote 18, I meant 18:00, as in 6 PM. Behold my mighty signature. --Captain ginyu 12:39, 20 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for clarifying that. Do you always use military time ? If so, you need to write it as 18:00 hours instead of 18 hours, to avoid this confusion. StuRat 14:56, 20 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I wasn't confused. ;-)) Anchoress 20:52, 20 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Of course not, you just imagined the missing part right in. For those of us who only see what's actually there, though, there was some confusion. :-) StuRat 23:21, 20 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

When I went to the dietician a couple of years ago, I asked the very question about late night eating. She said it didnt matter when you eat. What was important was the actual number of calories consumed within any 24 hr period. But perhaps shes wrong? --Light current 19:29, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I really don't know how anybody is supposed to believe any dietician or any other source of nutritional advice these days. They'll all tell you something different, based on their own studies and "the latest research". Add that to all the conflicting "information" we're swamped with about what's good, what's bad, food combining, when to eat, when not to eat, etc, and what we now have is a casserole of theories, facts, and bunkum, except we don't know which is which because all the experts disagree with each other. We have far more information about nutrition now than at any time in history, yet the western world is more bloated and obese than ever. Is there something wrong here? JackofOz 04:58, 20 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah. Whats wrong is: people in the western world eat too much!--Light current 20:46, 20 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If you ignore people selling diet books, and go with neutral scientists, you do get a consensus. It's rather boring, however, so doesn't tend to sell books:

1) Keep your total calories low.

2) Get a balance of calories from protein, carbs, and fats. Some calories from alcohol are also allowed.

3) Get "good fats" from fish, nuts, avocados, vegetable oils, etc., and keep "bad fats", from meat and poultry, to a minimum. Avoid trans fats completely.

4) Eat plenty of "good cholesterol" and keep "bad cholesterol" to a minimum. Try to limit egg consumption, since they are high in bad cholesterol.

5) Get lots of fiber, particularly from a variety of whole grains.

6) Eat lots of fruits and veggies.

7) Stick with low fat dairy products.

8) Get lots of exercise, especially aerobic exercise.

Some particularly good foods to eat are blueberries, grapefruit, broccoli, and oatmeal.

StuRat 05:21, 20 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

While I agree with pretty much all your 'advice', I have to disagree with you on your assessment of scientists; they are as much in the dark as anyone, IMO. Up until a few months ago they were saying coffee was bad for you, now they've discovered that actually it's good for you. Up until a few years ago any unsaturated fat was better than naturally saturated, now all of a sudden polyunsaturates and hydrogenated fats are bad. Whether or not eggs contribute to serum cholesterol is still under debate, and some very modern 'science' says that low-fat dairy is actually unhealthy. It's furthermore debatable whether or not any of the RDA values are accurate; the ideal fat percentage and required grams of protein have been going up and down like yo-yos over the past 20 years. Not to mention the whole kerfuffel (sp?) about essential amino acids. The problem is that nutrition and the human body combine to make such a complex system that the study methods up til very very recently have been inadequate to properly analyse results. Also the fact that it's not a very lucrative field of study, so a lot of the studies are 'sponsored', and while they are not necessarily biased, they are designed to either prove or disprove a single theory, something that often just doesn't work with nutrition. Anchoress 05:38, 20 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

While there are always slight "tweaks" to the nutritional advice, the core group of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients which humans need have been agreed upon by scientists for decades now. You're not going to all of a sudden hear scientists say vitamin C is bad for you and should be completely avoided, for example. Unfortunately, bizarre "fringe" theories get far more press than the scientific evidence justifies. Thus, this leaves the impression that scientists are all over the map, when it's only a small group of highly vocal paid advocates for some diet plan that deviate from the accepted scientific dietary advice. StuRat 14:52, 20 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Sorry, I have to disagree with that as well. Vitamins F, K, Beta Carotene, lots of phytochemicals etc have not been 'agreed-upon' for decades. And it's not just vitamins and minerals that make a healthy human, and lots of issues, like number of calories (even now, there are doctors and nutritionists who say that the average woman only needs 1400 calories per day), amount and type of fat, which carbs are low and high glycemic index, no. of grams of protein, how much salt is bad for you, etc. are being discussed, argued, conflicting studies showing up, etc. Anchoress 20:52, 20 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I call most of those things "tweaks", but who says beta-carotene is bad ? StuRat 06:36, 21 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I don't know, I'm not saying anyone's calling it bad. But it's an example of a nutrient whose place in human nutrition has only recently been agreed-upon. And as for 'tweaks', that's exactly the problem. Scientists have been 'tweaking' nutritional information constantly for the past 100 years. Every time something new comes out it's like, 'Oh yeah, we've finally figured it out. This is the truth,' then a few months or years later, they're retracting their assertions and saying something else. Anchoress 02:20, 22 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Anchoress has hit the nail on the head. And for every "expert" who claims to have "the truth", there's a horde of other "experts" who say something different. Just who are we supposed to believe any more? JackofOz 06:34, 22 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Again, I fear your "experts" are just people hawking a diet pill in some infomercial. The silent majority of nutritionist don't have any wacky theories, and are in agreement on all but a few fringe areas of nutrition. StuRat 07:01, 23 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you all, you have really provided me with answers. Thanks again.--Captain ginyu 23:08, 28 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Maya (software)?

I read about Maya (software) and I read that is often used in movies and video games. Where can i find a list of popular uses of this software?? or do any of you know some movies or games made with this software?

You can click "What links here" on the side of the article under the words "toolbox". This gives a list of articles on wikipedia that link to this one. There you can look for movies or games. Look at the article to see if they use it. This is not that easy to do since many article are linking to it for other reasons, and there is no reason to think that this list will be complete. Jon513 19:00, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'm surprised Google doesn't find a list, but nothing turned up there in the first few pages. I certainly remember it was used for the rendering in the 'Final Fantasy' movie (Lightwave was used for the modelling), which was entirely computer-generated, and if it's not the most popular 3D software for movies it's certainly one of the most popular. Mark Grant 12:59, 20 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

1917 1dollar bill

who is in the image on the left hand side on the face of a 1917 series 1 dollar bill? it looks like a picture of the pilgrims coming to america. Am I right?

can you point us to a picture? does United States one-dollar bill answer you question? Jon513 19:54, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Magnetic Propulsion

Has anyone ever conducted a fesibility study of "Magnetic Propulsion"? If so, what was the conclusion?

Linear motors are used in a variety of railway systems, particularly those listed at Bombardier Advanced Rapid Transit. And really all electric motors work by magnetism. -- Middenface 21:04, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yes. See rail gun etc--Light current 21:05, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

And Coilgun Howard Train 04:42, 20 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

This should be on science desk page for max responses!--Light current 18:41, 20 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

F1's vs Le Mans LMP1's

GENERALLY, are Formula One's faster, in terms of acceleration and top speed, than Le Mans prototypes- LMP1's and LMP2's? Jamesino 21:40, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Traditionally, Le Mans prototypes have a higher top speed down the Mulsanne Straight than the highest top speed that Formula One cars reach, up to 400 km/h in the old days before they introduced the chicanes. However, I haven't been able to find any statistics on what they currently do down that straight.

Acceleration, particularly at low speeds; no contest. The Audi R8 puts out about 630 horsepower and weighs about 900 kg; the current F1 cars put out around 750 horsepower (maybe a bit more) and weigh about 600 kg. --Robert Merkel 05:45, 20 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

How to file away stuff quickly and effectively?

Filing is the bane of my life. Without having to do it, I'm sure my life would be richer and more fulfilled.

What are the best ways of filing away things such as bills etc., which keep coming through my letterbox? I also have many other things to file away - things which I think might be useful knowledge to me in the future, and various documents relating to business.

I have always used the heap filing method - I have heaps of unfiled odds and ends on every flat surface. When its time to fill in my tax returns, I go through all the heaps and put them in order.

I am seeking a proven-in-practice method or system that someone actually uses, not just a system someone has just thought up. Highest priorities are speed and least effort (hence the heaps!). Thanks.

I am a former hyper-organised non-filer, and I am now a somewhat organised filer. I like being the latter.

OK, so my advice has two main parts. Part 1:

There's a tried-and-true system for sorting papers that I really like, it's RAFT, I think, Reading, Action, Filing, Trash. I add an S to the end, 'Sentiment', for stuff that has no practical purpose but I'm keeping it anyway (things like business cards, pages out of the Readers' Digest with URLs on them, coupons, restaurant reviews for restaurants I want to visit, lists of 'top 500 gangster movies' to watch, etc.) Getting in the habit of doing 'the basic sort' (however often you do filing - it's once a year for me, not kidding) will help the process a lot.

Keep the reading somewhere convenient, recycle/throw the trash, have a prominent 'action' pile for the stuff that needs attention, and have either a drawer, an accordion file, a binder full of plastic sleeves, or a scrap book you can paste or staple things into for the sentimental bits ('sentimental' does not include old love letters and your High School grades, you should file those).

Part 2:

As for bills etc. After years of letting my paperwork pile up forever, because my 'system' required meticulously filing all my bills etc by type, spending hours and hours making new files, sorting and organising, etc etc etc, I finally figured out that almost all my business correspondence goes to my accountant, and why on earth should I bother filing it in individual folders only to rummage through the drawer at tax time and amalgamate it into one package? My accountant doesn't even like me to sort my tax paperwork lol. Now all I do is create one file for the current year put all my bills and receipts in it, sort them ONCE, at the end of the year (or not), and then stick the whole batch along with my tax return back in the filing cabinet after taxes.

I now have about a dozen folders in my business drawer (and six of them are tax returns; the rest are misc correspondence, letters of reference, and a couple of others) and a dozen or so in my personal drawer (love letters etc.) :-)

I usually let my mail pile up, dealing with the urgent stuff, and then take heaps of bills to open and staple, and do them in front of the TV.

That's my system! Anchoress 22:30, 19 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

There's nothing wrong with sequential, chronological heap storage ! StuRat 05:07, 20 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You mean leave it all in one big ~~heamorroid~~ pile?--Light current 20:36, 20 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

So instead of some lighter fluid and a match to clean off my desk, I can use Preparation H?! That'll save on the water damage! Tony Fox (arf!) 16:25, 21 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]