Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2006 October 1

Humanities Science Mathematics Computing/IT Language Miscellaneous Archives

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earrings

I have two earrings that are gold dolphins. I'm trying to find out more about them. Two dolphins are swirling around each other on each earring. They have the hallmark MMA on the back they are clip ons. If anyone knows anything about the history I would appreciate it.71.33.195.160 02:20, 1 October 2006 (UTC)Wendy

I don't think the MMA is a hallmark. If they are hallmarked you (or a jeweller) will be able to determine when and where they were made. Take a look at the hallmark article and the links at the bottom of that page.--Shantavira 09:06, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Museum reproduction? MMA is a common designation for the Museum of Modern Art in NY. alteripse 17:52, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

steel threaded rods for finding soil depth, name of apparatus? (repeat,repeat question)

I had a response to this question yesterday but I think that answer was wrong. I followed jpgordon's reference which stated a rod penetrometer was a fixed length, 4' long and 3/8" dia. What I after is an apparatus with a 'T' handle and multiple rods with threaded ends so they can be screwed together to determine the depth of soil down to rock foundations. Again, what is it called.210.50.143.20 03:49, 1 October 2006 (UTC)alan.....

Perhaps "extendible auger"?  --Lambiam^Talk 10:55, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

I found "rugged, heavy duty soil probe" and "soil compaction rod"---Sluzzelin 11:13, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Wrong again for the third time. Read the question, 'threaded rods'. The three answers so far all refer to fixed length rods, either 4' or 5' or 6'. What good is this when the rock strata is down 15' or 20' or 30'. Useless. None of these can determine the soil depth. This apparatus has been around for donkeys years. You screw the rods together like you join pipes on an oil rig and you drive them down until you hit the rock. What on earth is it called?...alan...

I'm sure an extendible auger does NOT have a fixed length for any meaning of fixed.  --Lambiam^Talk 19:57, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Also, this devise does not have a drill bit or auger on the end of it, it has a bulb slightly wider than the rod and a pointed end...alan...

You'll get more flies with honey than with vinegar, alan. Having said that, are you sure you aren't looking for this: soil penetrometer? It's composed of several threaded segments, up to 15 feet long, and has a bulb at the end. But not a T-handle... it appears to be a form of slide hammer. Which makes sense... what you describe, with just a T-handle and no auger on the end, how would you drive it 15 feet deep into the soil?

There's a natural limit on how far you can go down in the soil. Using a hand tool, I'm surprised you can go down more than a few feet, at least I can't in former-glacier land. Beyond that you need a geotechnical soil auger, which is usually truck-mounted. I've spent a lot of my life staring at a soil auger... --Zeizmic 19:58, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

The Penguin 'Dictonary of Civil Engineering', defines a rod penetrometer is a cone shaped instrument which is jetted into the ground to the required level and then forced in at a measured pressure. It is thus a static penetration test...ie.. It measures the bearing capacity of the soil...What I am after is a device that measues the depth of the soil.

Also, as mentioned earlier, the primary rod has a bulb at the end slightly larger than the rod dia. so there is no friction on the follow on rods. It can be twisted into the ground or hammered in.

This device has been used for over a hundred years to determine the depth of rock. What is it called???...alan

Just an observation: I have many times had to drive ground rods to obtain a ground of less than 2 ohms resistance for utility connections. These were several foot long stainless steel rods, 1/2 inch diameter as I recall. The initial one was pointed at the bottom and the following ones were threaded to connect in sequence. A pneumatic or electric driver pounded them into the ground, slowly and noisily. If it hit concrete or rock it would generally not go any farther. We would sometimes go 30 feet in sandy soil, or a few feet if rock was hit. It would sometimes be deflected and go off at an angle. This is effectively what you were asking for. But once the rods were in, they were not pulled out. In contrast, at a construction site the civil engineers would do test borings at various sites in a grid around where the building foundation was going. A device like a well drilling rig was used which could penetrate soil or rock, and samples of the soil and rock were brought up for analysis through the bore which was a couple of inches across. Probably in the drilling process the force required for penetration was used to determine the bearing strength of the soil, sand, clay or rock. One reason was to detect buried hazardous waste, such as coal tar at former manufactured illuminating gas plants. This method could also detect if there was a natural spring which would be a problem. In poor soil, pilings might be required to support the building. I don't think just driving a steel rod down to see where the rock started would have given them the answers they needed to plan the building foundation system. Not all buildings have their foundations supported by rock. Edison 15:12, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

I am well aware of the equipment used to take core samples in soil and rock, however, this isn't one of them. The steel rods are 3/8" dia. and about 4' long with threaded ends. It is a manual device driven down by twisting or hammering. What is it called???210.50.143.21 22:59, 2 October 2006 (UTC)alan

It would be identical to the ground rods I just described, so call it a ground rod. Jeez. Edison 05:00, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

stingrays

Could you please tell me if after a stingray has discharged the barb, if it grows another one in its place , thank you. R M hubbard.

Yes, it regrows. See our stingray article.--Shantavira 09:08, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Children's television laws

In Australia, are there any laws saying that broadcasters MUST give over a certain percentage of airtime to children's programs?

Not laws, but all stations have signed up to the Australian Broadcasting Authority standards. The ABA's Children's Television Standards dictate 390 hours of children's programming (C and P classifications) must be broadcast each year, and the Code of Practice outlines the 'G classification zones' (when stations must broadcast G rated material) as 6-8.30am and 4-7pm weekdays,and 6-10am weekends. Penalties are inflicted after a complaint and subsequent investigation. Natgoo 12:50, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Thanks, that's very helpful.

Missing posts

Has anyone else noticed posts going missing on these pages? Like you click on an item in your watch list by UserXXXX, and it aint there? Im posting this msg on all ref desks.--Light current 11:28, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Now restored. See Wikipedia_talk:Reference_desk#Archive_dump. --hydnjo talk 14:16, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

I'm in the process of doing a formal archive of those pages now, so you can just re-add transcluded pages as you see fit, but 9 days is far too long, and 15 days worth is just insane (: VectorPotential^{RD NEEDS A BOT (-:} 14:27, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Ah, so that's why I came to the end so quickly all of a sudden. Indeed, I used to skip the first half or even more, so it makes sense. DirkvdM 19:09, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

I always read from the end. Doesn't everybody? --G N Frykman 20:21, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

One reason I start at the top is that scrolling down is easier (with the space bar). DirkvdM 06:22, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

UK Special Representative for Trade and Investment

Could someone please advise me how the above position is filled as I would be very interested in applying for it. I understand it involves lots of first class air travel and attending banquets hosted by overseas governments and trade associations. I also understand there are lots of golf tournaments and matches that the postholder is required to partake in. I am particularly interested to know what qualifications and experience are considered pre-requisites for intending applicants for the post; also what the job specifications are and what performance criteria might apply. And it would also be useful to know how long the postion is held for, and how and when it is advertised. Oh, of course, I would need to know what the salary, pension and other benefits might be for the successful applicant. Many thanks in anticipation.

Do you mean "UK Special Representative for Trade and Investment"? It is a voluntary and unpaid position. Maybe that makes it even more attractive to you.  --Lambiam^Talk 12:10, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Thanks Lambian for the correction - and yes, the investment element is much more appealing than the industry bit. Would I need to have been a helicopter pilot in order to qualify do you think? And what support services, staff, official cars and residences abroad could I look forward to. It really does look an exciting prospect.

It does, doesn't it! How about a palanquin instead of an official car? Then your flunkies could carry you straight from the trough to the golf course! And you wouldn't even have to get out once you got there - they could hand the clubs up to you! Just think about it! Rentwa 19:32, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Vegetarian sausages/burgers

Answered

I can't find the wikipedia article on these. Are these alternatives to be considered actually healthy, as opposed to their meaty cousins? What are they MADE of? Not tofu, I hope? I've never tasted one. Thanks in advance - third question in three days now. :) 81.93.102.3 12:46, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

The vegetarian burgers I know of don't consist of tofu, but instead various chopped vegetables mixed together. Carrots, onions, maybe cabbage too, that sort of thing. JIP | Talk 13:04, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

See veggie burger and meat analogue – which fail to mention mycoprotein, as used in the Quorn line of products. Tofu is also used. Personally I like the taste of Quorn. I don't know if it is sold in Norway, but they have a Swedish website. I can't vouch generically for the health of any of these, but in the prevailing Western food consumption pattern it is generally healthy to eat more veggie stuff and less meat.  --Lambiam^Talk 13:08, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Other than the "veggie medley" ones JIP describes, many (most?) vegitarian meat-replacement things are made from textured vegetable protein, which is made from soy beans (the same source as tofu, but really quite different in taste and consistency). Other meat analogs are also available; in some markets you can also buy Quorn based products. TVP and Quorn are generally low in fat and high in dietary fiber. That said, prepared products (for the mass-market) made from both tend (like other packaged foods) to be pretty high in salt and flavourings. The TVP and quorn articles discuss (or link to) some of the issues people have with claims of healthiness for these meat replacements - the Quorn article in particular gives you an insight into the complex agribusiness politics that surround this growing market (see its "controversy" section). -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 13:15, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

They tend to be much healthier than fatty meats, and somewhat healthier than lean meats. StuRat 14:02, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

The vegetarian burgers in my freezer list their ingredients as Textured vegetable protein, wheat protein, vegetable fat, wheat flour, spices and seasoning, vegetable oil, onion, sea salt, fermented rice. These burgers are similar in taste and looks to a beef hamburger. There are also vege-burgers that are actually made from cut up vegetables, and vege-burgers that are somewhere in between. Sanitarium produce a line of vege-burgers with the taste, texture and aesthetics of crumbed fish. Pesapluvo 16:29, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

I have noticed that some vegetarians seek replacement food which looks and tastes as much like meat as possible, while others want no part of simulated meat. Many of the Veggie burger type products are quite tasty, even to omnivores. Edison 20:44, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

It seems more "naturalised" vegitarians who like the meat replacements. "Natives" don't seem to pine for mechanically-recovered connective tissue with synthetic smokehouse flavouring so much. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 20:50, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

I tried the stuff while I was dating a vegetarian and couldn't stand them: either give me a genuine hot dog or forget it. Durova 16:41, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Juggling Props

I figure I'm going to buy some balls and clubs online. What are good balls and clubs to buy? --216.164.192.186 15:05, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Not an answer, but one thing I found easy to use when learning to juggle was full tubes of toothpaste. They don't hurt your feet if you drop them, and they don't bounce or roll down the street, either. And they don't make much noise, especially if they land on carpet. StuRat 16:42, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Dube is a very good and recognized brand. You may pay a bit more but they'll hold up for a newbie. Dismas|^(talk) 22:01, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

I think someone asked this the other day. --Proficient 02:38, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

There was another juggling question, probably from the same person, but that was about how to juggle. StuRat 11:23, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Where does a total noob start to learn about cars?

Answered

I know close to nothing about so-called automobiles. Is there some friendly and helpful website, FAQ, guide or tut that can tell me the basics (things like "so what's an engine?" and "ignitions vs. you: the road to victory"), so I don't feel like a fool when my car breaks down? Cheers.

If you're interested in how they work, I can recommend Hillier's Fundamentals of Motor Vehicle Technology (ISBN 0748780998). It's very good about explaining why all the parts of the car work the way they do (something largely avoided by the more common Haynes-type repair and maintainance manuals). -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 15:47, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

HowStuffWorks.com is a good starting point for just about anything technical: [1]. StuRat 16:34, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

American Gods quote

I can't remember M. Wednesday's line about Midwestern women; the one that has the bit about "veins running through like a good cheese" (or something to ht effect) on the end. Does anyone know the line? 65.103.7.70 18:14, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Pale-skinned and blue-eyed, hair so fair it's almost white, wine-colored lips, and round, full breasts with the veins running through them like a good cheese.

From amazon search inside page 72. MeltBanana 19:44, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Yay! Thank you so much! 65.103.7.70 19:48, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

Sonic Adventure DX: Action Replay downloads

I read in the article for Sonic Adventure that the Gamecube version features the same stuff that could be downloaded from the internet to the original Dreamcast version. However, this is only available via an Action Replay. When I looked up action replay codes for Sonic Adventure DX, I only found a total of eight codes, not including the code that lets you unlock the aforementioned downloadables. If you aren't the one who included that information, then could you please tell me who posted it, along with that person's email address? If you are responsible for that tidbit, then could you please tell me where you found out about that particular AR code? Thanks.

Sincerely, Eric Ledger

Try GameFAQs. The page on Sonic Adventure DX will be much more useful than an answer here. —Mitaphane _talk 03:12, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

weird

i just found a site called [2] that has articles 100% similar to the wikipedia ones. It even has an article there that is suggesting another article be merged with it, and the same article here suggests that that same article they referenced be merged with it, as well. What is this site? Does it have anything to do with WP or is it just ripping it off? Temp

Take a look at Wikipedia:Mirrors and forks - there are a lot. Some comply with the GFDL licence (which makes their hosting wikipedia content entirely legal and above board) and many (most, really) don't. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 20:31, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

oh, ok. thanks Temp

Indeed. It is probably a mirror. --Proficient 02:38, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Answers.com in particular really steams me. Not only do they mess up the layout of the pages, but they profit off my work! --froth^{T C} 05:11, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

I don't suppose that will last very long. I'm surprised how many people still don't know Wikipedia. But that is actually a good sign. It means that still more people will join in building it. Which means it will in the next decade or so grow into something so big that Wikipedia will even replace search engines (ie Google) as the primary site to start searching info on the Internet. It makes so much more sense. First get the basic story and then maybe follow some of the links at the bottom. But eventually Wikipedia will also absorb the info in those sites and completely take over the Internet. DirkvdM 06:27, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Private Equity Performance

How does private equity performance compare to public market performance ? What the advantages of investing in private equity funds versus investing in public companies ?

I'm gonna take a guess that this is a homework question or written assignment; I'm afraid that we can't help with homework (see the disclaimer at the top of the page). Cheers, Ziggurat 01:04, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Security; private equity is almost a guaranteed return while of course public investment is not --froth^{T C} 02:24, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

No way is private equity "almost a guaranteed return" ! With any equity investment your whole investment is at risk if the company fails. On average, firms that raise capital by private equity are more risky that public quoted companies (I'll let the OP work out why). Plus you have additional liquidity risk with private equity - you may not be able to sell your shares when you want to. Gandalf61 14:34, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

How to reference this cite..

I used this cite in writing a paper (APA) I am confused on how to cite this with in my paper and on my reference page. Thanks

Go to the article that you want to cite, click on the link on the left that says "Cite this article". Dismas|^(talk) 21:59, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

• You want to reference this "site". site and cite are two different things. -Mgm|^(talk) 09:27, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

A very hard question to ask

Hi, I am in the 9th grade. There is a kid in my class (grade) that is extraordinarily overweight. Now, he's a nice kid, but there is that burining question everyone has: How long does he have?

Now, he's about 6' 2" and almost 400 pounds, 15 years old. The sad thing is he just keeps gaining weight. A half year ago, he was a bit over 350.

Now, I'd like an expert to just estimate if he will live long enough to see his kids go through school; to see his own graduation. Is he morbidly obese? Thank you. 71.250.12.182 22:59, 1 October 2006 (UTC)

We can't answer that, at all. Just becaue he is obese doesn't mean he'll live just for a couple years more. Sure, there may be complications, but only a doctor can tell that, and only after a battery of tests. Anyway, according to your numbers, his body mass index is about ${\frac {181.43}{1.88^{2}}}\approx 51$, so according to our article on morbid obesity, he is indeed on a critical level. ☢ Ҡi∊ff⌇↯ 00:04, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

I would estimate that he will likely die in his 30's, assuming he doesn't lose the weight. StuRat 00:40, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

30 is quite low. --Proficient 02:36, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

That's why I said 30's, not 30. StuRat 12:27, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

That degree of obesity in adolescence greatly the reduces the likelihood he will have children, but it is extremely difficult to provide an precise lifespan prediction. alteripse 02:40, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

I don't know anything about this, but isn't it very relevant what causes his obesity? If he simple overeats, that can be remedied - just stop doing that (sensibly, though). If it is some hormonal disorder, the obesity will probably be just a symptom of an underlying problem. Without knowing what that is it would probably be very difficult to give a good answer. DirkvdM 06:55, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

I'd say it's extremely easy to provide a lifespan prediction, and to any degree of precision you like, but it's impossible to have any confidence in the accuracy of such a prediction. I tend to agree with StuRat's statement that, if the obesity continues, this guy would be lucky to survive their 30s. But who knows, he might go on to live till his 90s and outlast all of us. The point is, the prudent thing to do would be to do whatever he can do to maximise his lifespan, and not spend too much time worrying about predicting how long he's got left, as if it were a foregone conclusion and beyond his capacity to do anything about. JackofOz 08:24, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

If he stays at that weight, I'd say his chances of surviving to the 90's are less than 1%. One exception might be if new medical technology allows the morbidly obese to survive longer than they do now. StuRat 11:13, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Converted to Metrics, that's about 188 cm, 180 kg. Anyway, I guess the first thing to do is to get a thorough medical and psychological check-up. 惑乱 分からん 10:30, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

{Soapbox Warning}I doubt that everyone has the burning question of how long the overweight kid will live. I hope there is no agenda of showing the kid that "Wikipedia says you are going to die!" Rather than worrying about how soon he will die, you might concern yourself with treating him like an ordinary person and inviting him to hang out at social events. Including the overweight, underweight, gay, depressed, handicapped, poor, minority, geeky, goth, dimwitted, misfit, or outcast kids in the social life of the school can enrich their life and that of those who choose not to exclude them, while decreasing the rate of suicide (by overeating, excess alcohol consumption, or Columbine type events). High school does not have to be like Lord of the Flies but often is.Edison 15:31, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

But it's always nice to have a stick sharpened at both ends, just in case. :-) StuRat 19:12, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

But he is going to die. I'll bet that by 2080, he's a corpse. JIP | Talk 15:43, 2 October 2006 (UTC)