Miscellaneous desk
< March 24	<< Feb \| March \| Apr >>	March 26 >

Welcome to the Wikipedia Miscellaneous Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.

March 25

Basketball

In a game of basketball, will trqaveling be called if i dribble the ball, let it bounce twice without me touching it, and then pick it up again after the second bounce?

No. Traveling (basketball) states you have to be holding the ball to be called for it. Clarityfiend 02:12, 25 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Although in the NBA, it seems as if you can pretty well hold the ball and run down the court, and they won't call it. As the saying goes, "There's no travelling in the NBA." Corvus cornix 20:36, 25 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

What Is

What is Aiki Jiu Jitsu

See Jujutsu and Daito-ryu aiki-jujutsu. Friday (talk) 04:30, 25 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Increasing immunity of the body

I know that medical advice cannot be asked in this desk but I am asking a question on general health-Here goes- How does one increase the immunity of the body system? sumal 04:22, 25 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

General advice is the same old "eat healthy", "excercise", and "wash your hands". --Wirbelwindヴィルヴェルヴィント (talk) 04:26, 25 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

And exposure to many diseases allows you to develop a total or partial immunity to them. However, there is always the risk that you will suffer serious health problems as a result of this exposure. Vaccines offer the chance to develop an immunity with a reduced risk. StuRat 07:18, 25 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Recent medical thinking is that children should be encouraged to play in the dirt, so that their immune systems get a chance to recognize and deal with intruders early on. Later in life, they tend to be healthier than those raised in more pristine circumstances. Clarityfiend 05:49, 26 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

However, parents who raise their kids in pristine environments might also pass a certain tendency toward hypochondria on to their children, so that those so raised interpret a sniffle as the flu, while those raised in the dirt don't report it at all, causing the first group to appear less healthy than the second group, when there is really no diff. StuRat 17:25, 26 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Live inside a totally disease proof bubble, I know it isn't technically immunity, but it works the same way :] HS7 13:56, 25 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Use garlic and HOT SAUCE, Vitamin C. 205.240.144.236 06:23, 26 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Is this a hoax?

Question moved to the Entertainment Desk.

What's new

I recently heard about someone going into a boutique to buy some underwear and being asked for their underwear in exchange in addition to paying the price of the new underwear. They laughed and started looking around for Behaving Badly cameras but were told not it was not a joke but a real honest to goodness policy of the store instead. I thought that all a store could ask for as payment for merchandice was money? How can they ask for your old underwear as well? 71.100.3.92 12:06, 25 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It might be from a foreign country, some of them have different rules :] HS7 13:55, 25 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Beverly Hills? 71.100.3.92 15:51, 25 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

This sounds very much like an urban legend. I can't find it on snopes, though. MrRedact 16:32, 25 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I just now posted a comment to snopes, to report this as a possible new urban legend. They probably won't reply, though. MrRedact 16:53, 25 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

They can ask for whatever they want - bartering isn't illegal. They could request an elephant in exchange, but I doubt they'd get much business. Nobody's twisting your arm to accept. If this is for real, I suspect the shopowner has some unusual tastes. Clarityfiend 17:01, 25 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

There's a local store here that has a sale each year where if you bring in an old pair of boots, you get X amount of money off of a new pair. I'm not sure what happens to the old boots though. I suspect they just throw them away. The store also does the same thing with blue jeans. Are you sure you didn't hear the story wrong? Maybe it was something similar to the situation I just explained. Dismas|^(talk) 17:11, 25 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

They sometimes do things like that here and recycle everything, or give it to charity :) HS7 18:42, 25 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

OT comment- a man once advertised a car using bananas as slang for dollers (!?), and was eventually sued by a woman that offered to pay using bananas, and eventually won, getting a new car in exchange for a pile of fruit :] HS7 18:38, 26 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

^{[citation needed]}. Corvus cornix 19:15, 26 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

That urban legend is actually basically true(!), although it was really stereos, not a car.[1] —The preceding unsigned comment was added by MrRedact (talk • contribs) 21:11, 26 March 2007 (UTC).[reply]

WikiProject

Hi, i want to start a WikiProject. How do i do so? Thenthornthing 13:36, 25 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

A good place to start is the WikiProject Council/Guide. It's not too difficult! It just takes a bit more self-esteem than I've got... V-Man - ^T/_C 13:42, 25 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

After that, you can propose it here--$UIT 17:09, 25 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Assasinated Monarchs

Question moved to Humanities Desk. Clio the Muse 16:33, 25 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Caribbean Demographics

Hello, I'm looking for demographics of caribbean region, specifically amount of spanish speakers and those who speak other languages. I have found some survey of "great caribbean" but honestly I can't tell the difference between "Great Caribbean Space" and "Caribbean Islands". Is there a difference between those two? More importantly where could I find some comprehensive statistics?

I guess you have to look up the Carribean page and leaf through all the island names for information -- Meister 06:58, 26 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

human heat transfer

hi, if a person weighing 100 Kg. his body temp. 37 c and body surface area 2 sq/m goes into water of 16 c for 1 hour. how many Kcal will his body have to produce in order to keep his constant temp. of 37c thanks ≈

I think this question is better off on the Science Reference Desk. A.Z. 19:15, 25 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Regardless of where you ask the question, however, couching it like a homework question may result in a lack of answers. Jfarber 20:40, 25 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Note that this question can't be answered strictly by thermodynamics because of the biological response to conserve heat in the head and abdomen and allow the arms and legs to cool. If this is a homework question, though, they may want you to ignore such inconvenient facts. StuRat 21:27, 25 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

One week's vacation in the UK

I am a swede studying in the UK, and for the upcoming easter break, I have planned to do a bit of traveling. The problem is I don't really know where to go! I am currently living in Stirling, and I have been thinking about some island off the coast of Scotland or the Lake District, but would really like to go somewhere with a combination of beautiful scenery and decent nightlife. I understand this might not be the right place for a question like this, but has anyone got any ideas? /Marxmax 21:39, 25 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I think they may be mutually exclusive (I certainly hope so, as I am not a "nightlife" person!) but the Peak District and the Lake District are both within travelling distance (by train or car) of major cities. Personally, I prefer Snowdonia or the Highlands, but they are quite far from civilisation. Adrian M. H. 21:43, 25 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Inverness is quite nice, and it's very near to Loch Ness, but the nightlife is about as exciting as that in Stirling. To be honest, you may be looking for an impossible combination. But for sheer dramatic beauty you should maybe consider Glen Coe. I have done a lot of mountaineering and hill-walking here, and I consider it to be the most breathtaking area in all of Scotland. As for nighlife, well, there are a couple of hotels in the valley and Glencoe village! Clio the Muse 23:02, 25 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Personally I liked the Isle of Man more than the lake district (although that was nice too), and I loved Glasgow. So I'd swing west, spend a day or three in Glasgow, a couple of days on the Isle, and if you are in the mood hit Edinburgh on your way back. If it's any use to you, Glasgow reminded me a lot of Montreal - I found Edinburgh more like Ottawa (I'm Canadian). Anchoress 23:08, 25 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

To avoid any chance of misunderstanding, however remote - Anchoress of course means Edinburgh, capital of Scotland. Edinborough is in Minnesota (apparently). Gandalf61 23:27, 25 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

LOLZ oops! I was going to check my link but I forgot. Beoung Canoudian, I'm ouverly-in-louve wouth ous. ;-))) Anchoress 23:34, 25 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Ullapool may be worth a look - it's got a thriving arts centre and plenty of other things to do. --Richardrj ^talk ^email 05:34, 26 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Manchester,great nightlife,great daytime cafe culture,countryside,rugged to the north and rustic to the south , 1 hour away by train or bike,less by car.Extensive canal network worth exploring and many good buildings and museums/art galleries worth looking at.hotclaws**== 07:22, 26 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Manchester is great, and quite close to the Peak District. Or you could go all the way down to Cornwall. Newquay is supposedly good for nightlife, albeit a certain sort of nightlife, and is quite close to some lovely cliffs and beaches such as Bedruthan Steps.[2] Skittle 18:34, 26 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you for all your ideas! I'm quite into the Isle of Man for the moment.... A related question which I haven't quite figured out: Does the fact that you are a student entitle you to cheaper rail travel in the UK, or do I have to buy some kind of discount card?/Marxmax 22:08, 27 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

You could try it; in the past I've managed to get student discounts on many things all over the UK by producing my student dinner swipe card or my university library card (which both had a photo and the name of the institution on). Some places insist on an NUS card. It depends really. I suspect that neither of these will work on rail travel. You might need to invest in a Young Persons' Railcard Richard B 12:08, 28 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

A top-notch shortwave radio

I want to buy a shortwave radio that can locate as many global channels as possible. Is there one that's universally praised? Thanks. Xiner (talk, email) 21:51, 25 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It really isn't about the radio so much as the antenna. As you would guess, the larger the antenna the better. However, the placement, orientation, and configuration of the antenna are also critical. If you haven't already used a shortwave, I'd buy a cheap set and antenna to see if you really enjoy it before investing in a premium set-up. StuRat 03:04, 26 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Oh. I guess I've got more reading to do then. Thanks. Xiner (talk, email) 03:06, 26 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I was assuming you want to transmit as well as receive. If you only want a receiver, then that isn't nearly as involved or expensive. StuRat 03:12, 26 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Oh no, no transmission for me. I'm on the East Coast in the U.S., if that matters, since I've read that reception further west can be dismal. Xiner (talk, email) 03:23, 26 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Reverse graphology

If personality can be guessed based on handwriting style, have there been any studies on whether the process can be reversed and handwriting style can be guessed based on personality? This would have obvious applications to forgery -- a specialist could copy handwriting without a sample! Neon Merlin 22:35, 25 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I would expect any handwriting sample would need to be an "honest sample" for it to reveal the personality of the author. So, if someone is trying to imitate another person's signature or disguise their own, it wouldn't be all that useful. StuRat 02:58, 26 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

That's an interesting point, though. Graphology should be deducible from a personality - I imagine that could be one way to verify whether it's pseudoscience. Xiner (talk, email) 03:29, 26 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Can't be done. Personality can (some say) be guessed by looking for certain markers IN handwriting -- stroke formations, mostly, like how people dot the letter i, or how they slant certain letters. But this isn't a read of the handwriting itself; it's a read of "which markers are present, and how do they present". And "holistic" Graphology does allow for analysis of the handwriting overall, but even there, the context of those markers within the overall writing are what make meaning -- and you can't guess at or project context. EVEN if one could possibly predict which markers a persona might exhibit IN their handwriting, this would not make it possible to guess accurately at the overall look and feel of a given person's handwriting itself, which is affected by all sorts of non-personality-related factors...any more than, if one knew Picasso's personality profile, but had never seen a Picasso, one could guess at and accurately produce a Picasso. Jfarber 12:36, 26 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

this guy apparently can, but as it is from a fictional book, it still might not be true :) HS7 18:33, 26 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2007 March 25

Contents