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June 24

Al Capone

Why did Al Capone decide to become a gangster? Were there any conditions during his childhood that led to this decision? 71.31.149.11 02:39, 24 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I recommend reading the article Al Capone. --Tλε Rαnδom Eδιτor (ταlκ) 02:43, 24 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
I did, and the only information it gives is about his expulsion from school. I was looking more for something like his family environment or economic status. 71.31.149.11 03:06, 24 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
What about the other people treating him like shit - because he was a Jew. SEEN THAT in one of the Al Capone movies and documentaries. Just being truthful, no more, no less. 65.163.112.56 04:03, 24 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Care to point out a reference for him being Jewish? The article seems to say that he was Catholic. Dismas|(talk) 05:17, 24 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
With a name like 'Capone' and being a Mafia-style mobster, we'd expect him to be of Italian or Sicilian descent - and that would make it overwhelmingly likely that he was a Catholic. It's not impossible that he was Jewish - but I kinda doubt it. SteveBaker 12:41, 24 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
He was married in a Catholic church by a priest; in 1924 that would have been impossible had he and his wife not been baptized and confirmed Catholics. Our article on Al Capone states that his father was from the Naples area and his mother from the Salerno area. --Charlene 17:22, 24 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Visiting Ellis Island

I'm going to be in New York next week and would like to visit Ellis Island. I've got a few questions for people who live in NYC or are familiar with the trip:

  • The Circle Line website encourages people to go by way of Liberty State Park in Jersey City if possible. Is that really smarter than boarding at Battery Park?
  • Is there a faster way to get to the Liberty State Park ferry terminal from Manhattan than taking the PATH train to Pavonia or Exchange Place, then the light rail to Liberty State Park, then the shuttle bus to the ferry?
  • Does the ferry from New York usually sell out ahead of time? What about the one from New Jersey?

Thanks -- Mwalcoff 03:58, 24 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I grew up in the area and am familiar with the geography. It is no doubt quicker to take the ferry from Liberty State Park if you are arriving by car from the suburbs or from outside the New York area. However, if you are already in Manhattan, I think that it would take much, much longer to travel by PATH and the connecting light rail and bus to the ferry terminal in Liberty State Park than it would to take the ferry directly from Manhattan. As for whether either ferry sells out, I don't know. I can't think of a reason to expect that the Manhattan ferry would be more likely to sell out than the New Jersey ferry. Marco polo 02:07, 25 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Probably a lot more tourists in Manhattan than in Jersey. The other thing to keep in mind is that the Battery Park ferry goes to Liberty Island first, stops there for 10 minutes, then goes to Ellis Island -- it's 40 minutes from Manhattan to Ellis Island. The Liberty Park ferry stops at Ellis Island first, so it's only a 10 minute ride. So although it might take an hour or more to get to the Jersey ferry terminal, it's a shorter ride to the island. -- Mwalcoff 04:36, 25 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
When I went there in 2004 or so, there were boats going in each direction around the triangle. I went from Battery Park directly to Ellis Island and from Ellis Island directly back to Battery Park. --Anon, June 26, 07:42 (UTC).

An update: I did go the long way, via New Jersey, and it turned out to be a better idea. The line from Battery Park wound halfway around Castle Clinton! -- Mwalcoff 04:32, 6 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Indian temple question

A long time ago, when I was a young boy, I read an illustrated story about the building of a certain temple in India. This temple was to be built so that it would cast no shadow on the ground, I believe. I have tried to find the name of this place, but have failed to do so. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Rishi

I think it might be this-the Brihadeeswara Temple. http://www.fascinatingholiday.com/heritage-holidays-in-india/south-india-temple-tours.html

That would be the Brihadeeswarar Temple in Thanjavur, India. It's not that it never casts a shadow onto the ground - that would be impossible (unless it were buried underground or something silly). No, it's that the main tower of the temple doesn't cast a shadow at noon on any day of the year. Our article does not explain how this remarkable feat is managed - and there is an 'attribution required' tag on that statement. This web page seems to suggest that it is only the dome and finial that do not cast shadows (or rather that they don't cast them onto the ground). That's more plausible - if the sides of the tower slope outwards at greater than the largest angle the sun makes with the centerline of the tower - that would work. Since the tower is built only 10 degrees from the equator - this is quite plausible - and actually rather unremarkable. SteveBaker 12:39, 24 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
I suppose you could make a temple that never casts a shadow, but it would need to be in a deep valley and the temple would need to move to track the Sun. I'd name it the Sunflower Temple. StuRat 02:52, 25 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

homemade wine

I have made some red wine from grapes grown in my garden but it has turned out far too sweet for my liking. Is there any way I can reduce the sweetness, or should I wait for this years crop and then add to a drier variety ? Any suggestions ? I am not sure of the grape variety but it was planted about 9 years ago and last year was the first real major crop produced of any significance.

What kind of yeast did you use? Do you know what the percentage of alcohol is or the percentage of sugar that was in the original must? Did you take a specific gravity reading before fermentation, and if so what is the reading now? I ask because oversweetness of wine can be caused by not using the right type of yeast. If you have enough sugar in the wine to produce, say, a 14% alcohol wine, but you use a yeast that conks out at 9% or 10%, you will get a sweet wine. In those circumstances you probably want to use a yeast that can handle a higher alcohol content, such as Lalvin's EC 1118.
To fix this now will take more than adding another yeast (unless you used bread yeast, in which case your alcohol level's likely so low that you could just add a proper wine yeast and go on - never use bread yeast to make wine, it conks out too early). Basically you have to give the yeast a head start by beginning a fermentation with some grape juice (either must from the next crop of grapes or just a gallon of store-bought grape juice that doesn't contain sorbates), then once that fermentation is going strong you add your wine bit by bit (say, half a gallon at a time) to the culture. --Charlene 18:27, 24 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Let's explain why - it always helps to understand! The sugar that starts off in your grape juice (or whatever) is gradually turned into alcohol by the yeast - but alcohol is poisonous to yeast - so at some certain alcohol level, the yeast dies and 'conks out'. If you want to get rid of the sugar to make a wine with a dry taste then you need yeast that can tolerate the alcohol at greater concentrations. In this case (perhaps) there was so much sugar in the initial mix that the yeast killed themselves off before they could turn it all into alcohol. However there might have been other causes - if the wine was allowed to get too cold for example. SteveBaker 03:21, 25 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Good point! --Charlene 15:11, 27 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Toronto middle schools

How many Toronto middle schools are there that have students graduate at grade 9?

There are apparently no Toronto public "middle" schools. There are primary schools that go 1-8 and secondary schools that go 9-12. I don't see any Catholic schools either that go to 9 either, although some have unusual ranges (6-12 or 3-12).
The common term in much of the rest of Canada for such schools, by the way, is "junior high", not "middle". --Charlene 18:30, 24 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Actually, I went to a middle school in Toronto. A middle school is one that offers grades 6-8; a junior high offers grades 6-9. Many elementary schools (including the one I went to) only go up to grade 5 or 7. But a given grade has the same format and curriculum no matter what school you take it at: from K-8, you have fixed timetables with the homeroom (core) teacher delivering math, English and social sciences. You get credit for the year as a whole. (IIRC, you can't be held back without your parents' consent until Grade 6, and even then only if you're failing every single subject.) From 9-12, you have modular timetables and get credit for individual courses. NeonMerlin 05:30, 25 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Essay about policies

Hi! I once read an essay about NPOV, verifiability and notability, I guess. I did try to find it, but I couldn't. I don't quite remember how it was, but it had an image, or maybe two images, something like that:

NPOV -> VERIFIABILITY -> NOTABILITY

The image was about the way that the author interpreted the criteria for an article to exist, I think. Does anyone here know what essay is that? Here is the category with all the essays. A.Z. 17:00, 24 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

wii game copying

I was wondering how to copy a wii game. I know the wii optical discs aren't sold to the public, but out of curiousity I was wondering how someone would do it. I don't plan to actually copy a wii game but I just want to know how for the sake of knowing.

Anyone planning to answer that query, could you please also tell me how to rob banks without getting caught? I don't plan to actually rob any bank, I just want to know how for the sake of knowing.
Well, you'd hack your wii so the image of the game could be copied onto a CD, then you'd get a wii-cd writer and copy it back. And "smart ass editor who forgot to sign", you get a gun, walk up to the tellers and say "give me 100,000 in 10s, NOW" and see what happens. JoshHolloway 22:39, 24 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
The best way to rob a bank is probably to dig a tunnel. You will also need an explosives expert to blow the safe. A fast car for getaway is optional.203.41.139.85 23:31, 24 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
And ask for non-consecutive bills too, of course! --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 23:35, 24 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
It probably makes more sense to own the bank, and rob the customers. DuncanHill 00:07, 25 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
How does a fast car help your getaway if you're a dozen feet underground? --frotht 13:49, 25 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Park the car in the underground tunnel you dug. Duh. Better yet, park an airplane there so you can just fly out.--GTPoompt(talk) 14:17, 25 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Oh, yeah, the plane is a perfect idea. I mean, everybody parks their planes in parking lots, so it wont be suspicious at all. Polarwolf 18:00, 25 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
The plane is underground though, not in the parking lot. Now, you'd have to maintain the structural integrity of the land the bank is on if you're going to have enough room to park a plane in the tunnel below it. Also, if you have the funds for this, the bank is probably chump change. This is turning into a fabulous plan :) Leebo T/C 18:14, 25 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Don't forget to stock some stolen Wii games in the plane so you can toss them out and avoid people from trying to copy them! --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 18:54, 25 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Just lay down some concrete on the floor of the tunnel.. a few inches should do --frotht 14:17, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Seriously though, (Both copy protection cracking, and bank robbing are interesting topics, worthy of discussion), I think a "Wii Optical Disk" is just a DVD with a special barcode-type encoding near the spindle where standard drives can't read. With a proper Wii mod-chip you could probably skip the copy-protection barcode use a standard DVD. The exact method for burning the disk may be a bit tricky though. A More interesting question is when will we start seeing Wii_homebrew? 69.95.50.15 20:57, 25 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Military Brat Template

Can a "Military Brat" template be placed on the USAF, US Army, USMC, US Navy articles, so that Military Brats who are now Wikipedians could use them ? After all, soldiers do have kids. 65.163.112.56 23:51, 24 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Are you talking about an existing template, or a new one to be devised? What does/would it do? What does "use them" mean?
Anybody (military brat or no) can read and edit any article (military-related or no). But I'm sure you know that, so I must be missing something... —Steve Summit (talk) 00:50, 25 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Afterthought: are you talking about userbox templates? —scs
YES - For Wikipedians who are military brats. 65.163.112.56 04:31, 25 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Can't help you there, sorry; I don't know much about userboxes. (You didn't ask, but my opinion is that it's much cooler to not have a bunch of them on your user page...) —Steve Summit (talk) 12:37, 25 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
You can certainly do this for yourself. The simplest way is to find another template that you like and copy it into a sub-file under your own user account - then edit the text, change the picture and perhaps the colour. SteveBaker 02:36, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]


June 25

"Small of your back"

What part of your back is the "small" of your back?

Where your back is the smallest ;) Typically just above your hips. --Haemo 02:04, 25 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, basically the region of your lumbar spine. --jjron 08:47, 25 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Maybe we should better say "ideally" instead of "typically". :D --Taraborn 08:44, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

edits per minute?

How many edits per minute are in the recent changes (includes all actions of Wikipedia such as account creatons, blocks, good/bad edits etc.) in ALL of the languages of Wikipedia?--PrestonH 03:54, 25 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I was about to be cute and say something like, "one point five metric fuckloads", but that's not too helpful.
I did a quick test just now, and over the past half hour, the English Wikipedia has averaged 180 edits per minute (yes, three per second). That's ordinary edits only, not account creations or blocks or anything like that. (I don't know of a simple way to count the others.)
I took a baseline for the 14 largest Wikipedias, so tomorrow at this time I can give you better numbers (smoothing out differing edit rates based on time of day). If you're still interested, I can do the same thing after a week, too. --Steve Summit (talk) 14:58, 25 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
OK, I'm intrested.--PrestonH 19:49, 25 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Sorry, forgot to get back to this yesterday.
Here are wikipedia edit counts, in edits/minute, for some popular wikipedias:
edits/min code lang
150.8 en English
31.0 de German
20.8 fr French
13.8 es Spanish
13.6 it Italian
11.8 ja Japanese
9.6 pl Polish
8.2 nl Dutch
7.4 ru Russian
6.4 pt Portuguese
5.5 zh Chinese
3.8 fi Finnish
3.8 sv Swedish
3.5 he Hebrew
3.2 tr Turkish
2.9 hu Hungarian
2.5 lmo Lombard
2.5 no Norwegian (Bokmål)
1.8 cs Czech
1.6 ca Catalan
1.5 da Danish
1.3 ro Romanian
1.3 sk Slovakian
1.3 uk Ukrainian
1.0 id Indonesian
0.9 eo Esperanto
311.8 TOTAL
If you're curious, the methodology here is to visit Special:Recentchanges, and look at the first "diff" link, which is always something like http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=blort&curid=2883132&diff=141081446&oldid=139397446. The diff= number increments by one for each edit made. So by checking the recentchanges page twice, separated by a time interval, you get an immediate indication of how many edits were made over that interval. —Steve Summit (talk) 01:37, 28 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Table presentation improved (I say) --Anonymous, June 28, 2007, 07:21 (UTC).

AAA Club (the Red Logo One)

For anyone that uses AAA as their insurance or benefits provider do you have to pay for membership monthly or yearly.--logger 05:03, 25 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Membership dues are paid yearly, but insurance premiums can be paid either monthly or in one sum. Rockpocket 03:12, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

APA citation where reference work was downloaded from file-sharing network

Are the following citations correct and valid examples of how to cite file-sharing downloads in APA style?

  1. Cook, David (1989). Player's Handbook, p. 15. From Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition (The Complete Set by Dorian-X). Retrieved May 15, 2007 from urn:sha1:4CSH3LQT7CSVKOLP4NJZ6NJCBH4FZJYP.
  2. Davis, Jonathan, lyricist (1999). "Falling Away From Me." Retrieved April 8, 2007 from urn:sha1:QEMYOTQJT4NEPQRDFFX3YCLVUUGZILRY.
I would think that admitting to illegal activities in any cited work is a bad thing, regardless of the citation. In any case, unless you actually read that material online, you shouldn't be citing it like that; APA style, if you have a document you don't need to state it's provenance, unless it was accessed online. If was citing a book, I don't say "Retrieved April 8, 2007 from my high school library". --Haemo 09:20, 25 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Just because it came from a file sharing network, that doesn't necessarily make it illegal - so this is perhaps a valid question. However, using an illegal source as a reference is not acceptable to Wikipedia since the whole point of references is so that people can go and look them up for themselves. We most certainly do not allow you to encourage people to do something illegal - so for sure an illegal file sharing reference (such as you gave for the AD&D player's handbook) would not be acceptable. I guess I don't understand why you can't simply reference the actual book - I mean, even if you stole your copy - you can still find the ISBN, etc from (say) Amazon.com. SteveBaker 02:33, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
The original book and the electronic version aren't necessarily the same; a song can be mislabeled or misattributed, a book can have OCR errors, combination of multiple books into one file can affect page numbering, etc. As I understand it, official electronic versions have to be cited differently from the print originals, so why wouldn't unofficial electronic versions? NeonMerlin 21:47, 28 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Choosing chemistry as a subject

Do you need mathematical skills to be good at high school chemistry? --124.180.103.210 10:12, 25 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Basic arithmetic and some algebra are generally enough. --TotoBaggins 13:31, 25 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Seconded. It's not as mathmatically-demanding as it's sister subject, physics. Vranak

In more advanced chem classes you might get into some geometry and trig in calculating the density of various crystal lattices. StuRat 23:07, 25 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Stoichiometry is much easier using linear algebra, but can be done without it. -anonymous6494 03:23, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Modding a FM radio to listen to ATC chatter?

I want to listen to ATC chatter of the airport close to my house but I don't want to shell out around $200 for a cheap scanner. As ATC is basically FM at a few Mhz higher than the FM broadcast range, can I modify a FM receiver to tune into that range? Is it legal (I think it is as I'm not transmitting anything, just receiving, but I ain't no lawyer)? --antilivedT | C | G 10:38, 25 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Well, if it were illegal, nobody would find out... There's no way to tell someone is listening to a radio signal as far as I know, unless they talk about it, or you hear it coming out of their house. I don't know about the radio modification, but if you google, you might find a streaming internet radio for this. I know I used to listen to police radio and such over streaming audio. It's more boring than you'd think -- Phoeba WrightOBJECTION! 10:52, 25 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
It is possible to detect a radio reciever -- the Allies used this during WWII to find German submarines by searching for their radar detectors -- but I'm not aware of anyone who goes out searching for illegal radios. --Carnildo 21:14, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
I'm sure it'd probably be illegal, but like phoeba said it's unlikely anyone would care --frotht 13:51, 25 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
The NZART is the body for amateur radio in New Zealand. They may be able to give advice on the legality or otherwise of receiving ATC transmissions. DuncanHill 14:14, 25 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
There's LiveATC, but you should inquire about the regulations in your jurisdiction. Splintercellguy 15:34, 25 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Actually, it is possible to detect an FM radio that is merely passively tuned into a particular channel. This is the principle behind the British TV detector vans. They work by picking up emissions from the IF generator inside the radio or TV. The British TV detector vans can detect whether a TV is turned on - and if so, which channel it's tuned to - from the street outside the building where the TV is situated. Whilst I'm not aware of anyone routinely monitoring that kind of thing for FM radio - it's certainly possible for authorities to do so if there were some kind of specialised security need. SteveBaker 16:23, 25 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
But if the normal radio scanners are freely available, I don't see why would modding a FM receiver (or building one from scratch with the tuning coils slightly modified?) be illegal. --antilivedT | C | G 04:14, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
The LiveATC site linked above says that while possession of scanners or other receivers capable of picking up ATC transmissions is not illegal in the UK, the actual reception of transmissions not intended for the general public is. I believe that a similar situation used to apply to transmission equipment in the UK - anyone could own radio tramsmission equipment, but its use without the proper licence was illegal. DuncanHill 14:57, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
So it's like "You can freely sell pot on streets, the buyer just can't smoke them."? --antilivedT | C | G 05:51, 27 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
No: the possession, supply, and use, of cannabis are all offences under UK law. But I must state WikiPedia does not give legal advice'. DuncanHill 22:18, 27 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Before you go mucking about with radios, check this website, that carries ATC feeds from many airports around the world: Live ATC --Charlene 13:10, 27 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I was just substituting pot into the radio regulations to show how absurd that is... not that I'm going to sell it or smoke it or posess it or anything. Also, LiveATC doesn't provide NZAA feeds so that's no use. Thanks for the advice though. --antilivedT | C | G 05:41, 28 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
There have been lots of situations in UK law where it was legal to sell something and to own it but not to use it...even in the realms of radio equipment. When the first Citizen Band radios appeared, there were a gazillion cheap American ones on the market that operated in the 27MHz band - but it was illegal to operate them in the UK because the 27MHz band was reserved for (of all things) radio controlled model planes! The 'approved' UK band was elsewhere but CB radios that could work in the approved slot were expensive. Because it wasn't illegal to sell or own the 27MHz sets - practically everyone bought the freely advertised, cheap, 27MHz systems and used them illegally. In the end, the UK government caved in - allowed 27MHz for both radio controlled models and CB radios. However, for FLYING radio controlled models (which can be kinda dangerous if they get 'shot down' by an idiot with an illegal 27MHz CB), the government opened up the 35MHz band - so all of the model plane nuts had to buy new (and expensive) radio gear so that the CB nuts could legally do what they'd been doing illegally for some time already using cheap equipment. SteveBaker 14:52, 28 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

AT&T 1718 Digital Answering Machine

Hello. I bought an AT&T 1718 Digital Answering Machine from a garage sale. (The actual answering machine does not say the model. I guess that it is an AT&T 1718 Digital Answering Machine according to its look compared to the Internet.) It does not come with a manual. However, I found one on the Web. The Web manual says that if the answering machine's memory is full, some or all messages must be deleted. How I can archive all of my messages and still accept new messages? If parts are needed, where can I get them in Canada? Thanks. --Mayfare 17:36, 25 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

If you mean you want to save all the old messages but still have memory for new messages, there are, in general, two options:
1) Increase the memory of that device. Some devices, like digital cameras, allow you to add memory cards, but that seems less likely on an old answering machine.
2) Move the messages you want to keep off the device. I suggest just playing them and recording them on a portable tape player. There will be some loss of quality, but since these are phone messages, not music, I doubt if this will be noticeable. StuRat 23:02, 25 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Comic grading

What is the highest grade a comic can possibly have on the CGC scale with both a 7mm hole and 11mm tear in the front cover? NeonMerlin 00:00, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

According to Comic Guaranty LLC: "CGC does not reveal their grading standards" - so this is going to be hard to answer. I guess they want you to pay them $$$ for their opinions. SteveBaker 02:27, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

June 26

Way to control air conditioner in different areas of the house?

Is there a way to set up an air conditioner (or heater, for that matter) to provide different amounts of air to different parts of the house? Such as, allowing the temperature to be alternately adjusted for a garage apartment and the main house, without having to have two separate AC units burning cash? -- Phoeba WrightOBJECTION! 02:55, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Surely this is dependant on your system, I would imagine that some systems have this functionality built in? Other than that, I don't know if you could fit some aftermarket attachment to do this - have you enquired at a relevant store? What about just altering the amount the vents are open so that different amounts of air go to each place, rather than individually controlling the actual temperatures, as this would have much the same effect. --jjron 03:04, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
I would have thought you could find a more cost-effective fuel with which to power an AC unit than cash. Rockpocket 03:10, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, you can, is the short answer. You can have thermostats in every room in your house, if you want. I think we have 10, controlling separately several bedrooms, living areas, kitchen, studio, workshop, upper floor of the garage. What happens, though, is that, unless you can shut off the areas entirely from each other physically, the air leaks, as it were, and all the rooms generally move to the highest (in summer) or lowest (in winter) common denominator. The areas we shut off (like a guest bedroom that is not always in use, and the upper floor of the garage) keep their own temperature beautifully. The rest seems to mesh, with extremes where there is direct wind or sun. (The system works by opening and closing dampers in the ductwork.) Whether it is cheaper to have one a/c unit big enough for both the main house and the apartment, and running it on an "as needed" basis, or two smaller ones each entirely independent, is a question for a heating/cooling specialist. Bielle 03:45, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
My answer (above) does assume that you already have a forced air heating/cooling system in place. If you don't, then it will be very unlikely you can find a single air-conditioner with enough capacity to do all the areas you have noted. If you have two separate forced-air systems, and thus, two furnaces (one for the house and another for the apartment), you may also have to stay with two air-conditioners as it is the fan on the furnace that powers the air (cold and hot) around. Bielle 03:52, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Just to be safe, I would ask an HVAC/R technician. --Mayfare 03:56, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Ok, thanks. Sounds like I'll just get a seperate AC unit setup then to avoid wasting energy -- Phoeba WrightOBJECTION! 05:53, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

YES. Edison 04:39, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

See our Zone damper article for a commonly-used method.

Atlant 11:48, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Letters of Recommendation

(Inserted title and section break for clarity) Bielle 07:01, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Hi. Can you please help me? I am going to attend University at the end of the year and for getting my "place" confirmed, I have to bring along three letters of recommendation for further studies. I already got two from my high school teacher and Mayor of my town and I still have one remaining which the priest was supposed to write. Unfortunately he just cannot help me.

Could you please write a draft or give me links to some reference.

Yours

Letters of recommendation generally require that the writer know the person or the person's work. Unless you know someone here personally, it isn't the place to be looking for such things. Is there not another teacher, a team coach, a friend's parent who is a professional in the area you want to study, or who just knows you well and thinks highly of you, an employer, the school principal, your doctor who could help you? Bielle 07:01, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Employment Application

On an employment application when it tells you how much salary you are expecting per hour what be the best thing to place if you were flexible with that salary.--logger 05:49, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I would either write a "range", ie $7 - $12 / hour, or simply the word "flexible", though that depends on the company and the job. Charlie-talk to me-what I've done 09:25, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
First, you should already have an idea of the industry average for a person of your skills in that position, but sometimes a company is willing to pay more than you might think. I always put "Negotiable" for two reasons: to indicate flexibility and to keep from selling myself short. This gives an opportunity to impress them during the interview(s) and possibly raise the amount they are willing to pay. 152.16.188.111 09:30, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
The books, experts, etc. always give the same advice; dodge the question. As in most any bargaining, the person who puts out the number first is at the disadvantage. Believe me, the company knows what they intend to pay you, and they also know what they will go as high as. I usually leave it blank on applications which seems to work out OK, or dodge it in person with "Oh, I'm sure the salary you are considering is appropriate for a job of this level, and that's just fine with me" or "Well, the salary's not the primary thing; as long as the job is a good fit for both of us, then the salary will be fine" or some such. I think most people undersell themselves to be "safe" which gives the firm the upper hand. If you oversell yourself a little, I don't think the company is going to write you off, they just will suggest that they can't deal with that, here's our offer. If you oversell by a million miles, they'll probably start to suspect you're not too familiar with the job/industry/anything after all, though. You also get asked this by headhunters, agencies, etc., again just to make sure that you're not expecting something that they shouldn't waste their time on, like a $100,000 salary for mailroom boy.Gzuckier 16:23, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I should beware of any firm that asks such a question. It suggests they are trying to recruit on the cheap, and who wants to work for a cheapskate ? (Unless no choice, of course.) Sad, isn't it!90.0.135.205 15:00, 26 June 2007 (UTC)DWT[reply]

Everybody asks that. And they want to know what you last salary was, which I always thought was none of their business, but apparently it's legal for them to require it. ?? But in the end, the recruitment policy of pretty much every company seems to be 'We are looking for people who are the absolute best in their field, but willing to work at the salary which is average for their field.' Go figure.Gzuckier 16:23, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The American and Canadian goverments, and perhaps others, have websites in which you can look up the average salaries for particular jobs. It may be helpful to check out the appropriate website and base your "request" on the figures. -- Mwalcoff 22:37, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

W@H Jobs

Does anyone know of what types of businesses are most likely to have work at home employees? Our article on telecommuting only mentions freelancing, which I don't think I'd be comfortable with.-- Phoeba WrightOBJECTION! 08:58, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Scams :-) In all seriousness, though, most work at home jobs come after you've been hired by a company the "old-fashioned" way, since there's more of an opportunity for the business to evaluate their "investment" in an employee that way, before entrusting them with company information/software/whatever. That said, some call centers and tech support companies can outsource to anywhere, including your living room, and I happen to tutor for a company that lets you work basically anywhere there's internet: Tutor.com. Drop me a line on my talk page if you'd like more info about that. Charlie-talk to me-what I've done 09:19, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
My dad administrates some mega data farm over at IBM, and he rarely has to go to the office since he can just connect to the IBM network from home. I'd say that's one job (server admin) that's highly likely to be a mostly at-home job, since there's really no reason at all to go to the server physically unless you're installing hardware. --frotht 14:04, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
I work for an insurance company in Connecticut (not really narrowing it down much there) and there are plenty of positions that are WAH, but they're given to employees who have already been working in the company for several years. In 2008-2009, we're undergoing a major office restructuring and about 20% of all employees in our Connecticut offices are moving to WAH positions (crossing my fingers :D) Leebo T/C 14:10, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I know a woman who works at home as a telephone answerer for one of the Shop at Home shows. The company redirects a certain percentage of their calls in to her home phone (she may have a separate line for that, I'm not sure), and she's able to answer the phones and place orders for call-ins from her house. Corvus cornix 15:43, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

accounting

what is the purpose of a suspense account and howis it completed? Anga sadetou 11:44, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

We do have an article Suspense account, but it is not very detailed. In general its purpose is to identify and reconcile unexplained transactions and balances. You can make your trial balance balance by posting to suspense. At the end of the day you explain the transaction and clear the suspense account. --Richardrj talk email 11:48, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Mount Everest

How do you measure the height of Mount Everest

With a very large tape measure -- Phoeba WrightOBJECTION! 13:30, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
The article has a rather detailed section on this. Recury 13:34, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Modern methods use GPS. But the height of the mountain was first measured accurately by the Great Trigonometric Survey of India, using equipment like this and this to produce detailed survey maps like these. Over 150 years ago, working in very difficult conditions and having to make their observations from 150 miles away, the survey team still managed to produce a measured height that is only about 8m different from modern mesaurments - an error of less than 0.1%. John Keay's 2000 book The Great Arc is an excellent account of the Great Trigonometric Survey. Gandalf61 16:18, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Hawkeye technology at Wimbledon

This year's Wimbledon tournament is the first one to use Hawk-Eye technology to resolve disputed line calls. I would like to know how the technology is being applied, specifically at this year's Wimbledon (the rules might be different at other tournaments, but I'm only interested in Wimbledon). Who can call for a Hawkeye adjudication - just the umpire, or the players as well? If the latter, I suspect there might be a limitation on the number of times a player can call for it - is this correct? --Richardrj talk email 14:07, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The players can call for Hawkeye three times per set.90.0.135.205 14:58, 26 June 2007 (UTC)DT[reply]
Thanks for this. And the umpire? Can he call for it as well, and if so is there a limit on the number of times? --Richardrj talk email 15:00, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I thought it was three unsuccessful calls. - X201 15:03, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

This article [1] has info, a correct challenge does not count against a player's 3 per set allowance, and in a tie-break an additional challenge is allowed. No mention afaics of the umpire challenging - an umpire can already over-rule a line call. DuncanHill 15:04, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

SCREW TANNING im staying pale

for some reason my skin seems reluctant to tan and this started a few years ago but the main thing is im really young (16) and when i was much younger i tanned in an instant! , ok so my family says you have to be out in the sun all the time to get a tan but even when i was at school and was out at lunch, playing sports or walking to class i only managed to get a very subtle glow, i now officially give up on tanning so i want to know how i can keep my skin very porcelain (my legs, face and the back of my arms are extremely pale), which products are best for my skin when i am out in the sun and what should i eat and drink to keep my skin great on a daily basis? hope to hear from you soon! :D

Firstly - Wikipedia does not offer medical advice, but you and your family should be aware of the risk of skin-cancer from exposure to sunlight. Everyone should use a high SPF suncream for protection. Ask your pharmacist or doctor for advice on skin-protection and diet. DuncanHill 15:08, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
(edit conflict) We're not very big on handing out dermatology advice. Sunscreen, cover up, drink plenty of water and get lots of sleep will probably be about as far as we can go. Move to Iceland, maybe. --Tagishsimon (talk)
[NOTE: the following is to be read as information, not medical advice]: Before you shun the sun entirely, get some advice about how avoiding the sun might negatively affect your body's use of Vitamin D. Some exposure to sunlight—whose radiation varies at different latitudes—promotes the synthesis of Vit. D. (Taking this vitamin in pill form isn't enough for your body to use it effectively.) If that mechanism is weak, you risk developing a Vitamin D deficiency and long-term, serious health threats to your organs and metabolism, such as the functioning of the parathyroid glands, kidney stones, osteoporosis and more. A pharmacist can advise on sunscreen products, but only a medical doctor can explain your total health picture. A good start would be to read about this on public health advisory websites for the country where you live.-- Deborahjay 19:18, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Typical medical costs in California? / Health/repatriation insurance question

Does anyone know of a list of typical medical costs (from little things to major surgery) excluding insurance cover in California? I'm starting university in the US soon as an international student, and while the university insurance offers 90% cover after $300 deductible for medical emergencies and related hospitalization (50% cover for non-emergency), I'm wondering whether I should really also buy repatriation/medevac insurance to return me to my home country (the UK) which has free-at-the-point-of-service national healthcare (it has its problems and is rather geographically uneven in quality but is generally adequate-to-excellent), should I, say, get knocked down by one of those American car chases. 90% sounds nice, but what if fixing a broken leg has, I dont know, a pre-insurance price tag of $500,000 in LA (there is no sample list of prices included with the university insurance documents)? (Yes, this question is somewhat inspired by the Michael Moore movie, though I havent seen it and am not really a fan of his work). Thanks for any advice! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 88.110.47.156 (talk • contribs) 15:26, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Neither I nor Wikipedia are medical insurance experts, but I would strongly suggest getting additional cover, including repatriation and third-party cover. Your university may be able to put you in touvh with existing British students there who may be able to offer the fruits of their personal experiences. Congratulations on getting your place, and best wishes for your studies. DuncanHill 15:37, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
I can't preovid you with a list, but I would note that certain visas (like J1s, for example) require you have medevac insurance, though they usually only demand it covers the repatriation of remains in the event of your death.
My personal opinion, having been in a similar situation to you, would be that the 90% coverage is pretty standard for medical emergency treatment, though should should find out what the maximum payout is per annum. A night in hospital may cost up to $1000. I can give you an example that a friend of mine was recently hospitalised for 5 days, in that time had an emergency operation. That, and all associated medical treatments, cost about $10,000. (So, he had to pay $1000 after insurance). 50% cover for non emergency sounds low (I have 90% coverage for that also). Simply seeing a doctor can cost up to $100 a time in California, so if you are a sickly sort of person, that could stack up. Rockpocket 17:58, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
First, are you sure your UK coverage doesn't cover emergency/urgent treatment here while a student? I know Canadians are covered for a few weeks while visiting the US, don't know about students.
Secondly, for costs, think "huge". Yeah, $1000 a night for hospital stay is not just "up to" it's probably more like average. Bear in mind that that's not including the charges of any actual doctors you may wish to have involved during your stay; or medications, for which hospitals typically charge like ten times the actual cost, since that is one area where US medical insurers are currently not seeking savings and the hospitals are making up for the tight squeeze they're getting elsewhere. As for office visits; well, just got an office visit in CT, probably not that different from CA; just a routine checkup, $250. (Not covered by my insurance, I discovered btw, after they've been bugging me to get one all year). Whereas the last time I went to a doctor in Canada, an office visit with skin biopsy cost me $40. Gzuckier 20:29, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
They will not have any coverage from the NHS in America. Unlike many other countries, especially those in the EEA, the UK has no reciprocal agreement with the US (or with Canada). [2] So they need the most insurance they can get! Skittle 20:53, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Songs with a melody inside

What I need are songs with the word melody within the lyrics, genre's entirely up to you, and preferably it's not going to be found in the title. Songs that are actually listenable is an obvious bonus, of course.

GO.

Piano man contains "we're all in the mood for a melody" in the chorus. Friday (talk) 15:38, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
http://www.lyricwiki.org/Main_Page might be a good starting point. 194.168.231.2 15:42, 26 June 2007 (UTC)Wes.[reply]
A little 'off topic' but along a similar lines there's a song by Henry Phillips which says "I just changed the key, so I can have a girlfriend, start having sex for free with my girlfriend". Whilst not mentioning melody it does at least mention a component of song-writing. Also a song by Belle and Sebastianwhich mentions "play me a song to set me free, nobody writes 'em like they used to so it may as well be me" - again on the theme of the process of song writing. Sorry all this is a stall for me racking my brain for songs I know with melody mentioned in them. ny156uk 16:06, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
On that note there is "The Shame" by The Blood Brothers which has the gem: "How many chords till this song vomits out real love?" Recury 17:27, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Try (http://www.getlyrical.com/results.html). You can search by lyric content. ny156uk 16:39, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
How about the oldie: A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody? Google it to find the words and perhaps, even the music. Someone else will likely know who the composer is. Bielle 17:09, 26 June 2007 (UTC) Sorry about that. I just noticed the "not in the title" part of the question. Bielle 17:11, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Then there is I Feel a Song Coming On (music by Jimmy McHugh and lyrics by Dorothy Field), which has the line: It's a melody full of the laughter of children out after the rain. Bielle 17:18, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
How about "in the mood (for a melody)" by Robert Plant? Czmtzc 18:27, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Interesting question. Here's a few:
  • ABBA's last single Thank You for the Music, written and recorded in 1977 but released in 1983: "Who found out that nothing can capture a heart/Like a melody can?/Well, whoever it was, I'm a fan..."
  • Another ABBA song - superb and underrated in my opinion! The Piper from the Super Trouper album, 1980: "We're all following a strange melody/We're all summoned by a tune..."
  • Little Bird by the legendary Annie Lennox: "He sings the clearest melody/It makes me want to cry..."
  • Words by F.R. David, from 1982, contains this: "Well I'm just a music man/Melodies are for my best friend..."
  • Lost in Music by Sister Sledge has the line "Give me the melody/That's all that I ever need/For music is my salvation..." (Oddly enough, I had always thought that song was by the Pointer Sisters; I've learnt something new today!!) Hassocks5489 19:21, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  • IN THE MOOD
Robert Plant
I'm in the mood for a melody
I'm in the mood for a melody I'm in the mood
I'm in the mood for a melody
I'm in the mood for a melody I'm in the mood
I'm in the mood for a melody
I'm in the mood for a melody I'm in the mood
etc. Very listenable. Me likee.Gzuckier 20:18, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It's Still Rock 'N' Roll to Me --Trovatore 20:23, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Whoops, I had that mixed up. The song I'm thinking of is Rock and Roll Music, which is apparently -- I'd never have guessed this -- by the Beatles. --Trovatore 20:30, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Ah, and that's wrong too. It's by Chuck Berry, covered by the Beatles. I hate it when people think Janis Joplin wrote Me and Bobby McGee; the obviously best version is the one sung by Kristofferson. --Trovatore 20:36, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Irving Berlin wrote a song, "A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody" [3] Donald Hosek 22:31, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

AVI Video get smaller size

I have a 3:41 long video that is 152 MB. I want to put it on youtube, so I need to get it to a max of 100 MB. How can I do this? I suppose I need something to reduce the quality to make it a lower size, but is there something like this?--71.185.143.126 21:47, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Belle Terre

What does Belle Terre mean. It is the name of the sub-division that I live in and am currious what it means.

Beautiful Earth or Beautiful Ground, it's French. DuncanHill 23:45, 26 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

June 27

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