Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2008 March 11

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March 11

Can you tell me if this picture has a name?

I recently came across a picture that I remembered seeing before. It is graphic depicting a young woman with green eyes, looking upwards. She has long black hair and is wearing a black shirt. She is on the left side of the picture, the rest being just a gray background. I have seen this picture many times before and I was just wondering where it is from originally and if it has a name.

link. [[1]]

Thanks 129.100.207.140 (talk) 01:35, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

It looks like it's a photoshopped variation on an image submitted by DeviantArt member "vaoni-stock". I found some variations on a similar one in her gallery, such as "Dreaming girl" or "beautiful creature 2" but didn't have the nerve to search the entire gallery for the one you supplied. I did find the original photo of the similar one, which is titled vaoni stock. Hope that helps you find it. ---Sluzzelin talk 12:04, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

Torque: speed vs towing

I may have asked this before, but a consensual answer was not reached. Suppose if one takes two cars: a pick-up truck, who is trying to tow a trailer, and a sports car, who is doing laps around a track. It is in both their interests to maximize the output torque in order to optimally achieve their goals. The pick-up truck is able to tow a heavy weight, but is unable to accelerate very quickly and the sports car is vice-versa. How does the torque determine this? Is it just because the truck has most of its torque available to it in the low-RPM ranges while the sports car has the torque available in the high-RPM ranges? Thanks Acceptable (talk) 02:33, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

The correct reasoning would be

"The pick-up truck is able to tow a heavy weight but because of the increased load/inertia is unable to accelerate very quickly"

"The sports car is able to accelerate quickly because of its high torque to load/inertia ratio"

87.102.14.194 (talk) 09:01, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

Or to put another way "a sports car towing a caravan accelerates like a truck" isn't this obvious?87.102.14.194 (talk) 09:43, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

Doesn't it have more to do with the gear ratio? AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 10:42, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

Not really -obviously you can change the torque with gears , and the highest possible speed can be limited if you don't have a sufficiently high ratio available .. But the max acceleration is limited by power/weight ratio or similar quantity.87.102.14.194 (talk) 10:51, 11 March 2008 (UTC) (Unless you have a special low speed gear that gives splendid acceleration at very low speeds) - think about it - you won't make a sports car just by adding a special gearbox - you need high power ie a big engine. In what way is that not obvious?87.102.14.194 (talk) 10:53, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

In the way that you're not necessarily comparing a big engine with a small engine, but two big engines built for different purposes. Also, please stop making comments to the effect of "Well, duh". AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 13:54, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

Ok, well what would I have to do to convert a 500hp 500lbft super fast engine into a 500hp 500lbft super-towing tow-truck engine? Acceptable (talk) 17:07, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

get a new gearbox? designed for lower speed, higer torque output?87.102.74.53 (talk) 19:14, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

If I increase the output torque on, say a sports car, its acceleration should also go up. What governs whether its the towing capacity or the acceleration that increases given an increase in output torque? Acceptable (talk) 19:37, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

Both increase together.87.102.74.53 (talk) 19:51, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

This might help

F (force due to output torque) = (m_{mass car}+m_{mass towed object})a

(a is the acceleration.)

Provided there is no wheel spin the force is linearly proportional to output torque. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 87.102.74.53 (talk) 20:12, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

To be more correct you should reduce Force by the frictional and wind resistance.

The relationship between torque and force is given at Torque esp. Torque#Moment_arm_formula the case when the force is perpendicular. You might get better and more varied answers on the science or even maths desk.87.102.74.53 (talk) 20:17, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

In such a case, why cant a Ferrari F430, or other high-performance sport cars, be used to tow a heavy trailer-that can be towed by a similarly spec'd tow truck or pickup truck? Acceptable (talk) 03:24, 12 March 2008 (UTC)

Because it doesn't have a strong enough frame? Or perhaps because it lacks adhesive weight - the wheels will spin but it won't go anywhere. Tow trucks tend to be a lot heavier and have more powered wheels than sports cars. FiggyBee (talk) 04:32, 12 March 2008 (UTC)

Four Wheel Drive

I am her today to try to gain some knowledge on the four wheel drive systems used on today’s modern atvs. I personally own a 2005 Cam-Am Outlander 400 4x4 and recently have gotten the message that it's getting close to needing to be replaced after I had to weld the frame back together. But long story made short I want to try to understand exactly how the four wheel drive know as all wheel drive by Polaris works on all of their atvs and cuvs. I have done much research on narrowing down two atvs that would fit my needs, and have come up with these two choices, Polaris Sportsman 500 4x4 and the new Yamaha Grizzly 700 4x4. Myself being a Can-Am guy, I don’t know too much about the four wheel drive of either one, experience wise, I have read absolutely everything I could find on both of these atvs, but haven’t been able to acutely ride them and put them to the test. I completely understand how the Visco-Lok four wheel drive system works on my Can-Am but not so much on the other two. I know that Yamaha has a 2 wheel drive position, four wheel, and then theirs its differential lock position that boast "it is impossible to spin one wheel without all the others turing", which I have my doubts about but then again thats why I’m here. The most experience I have ever had with Yamaha was been with there slightly older model, the Grizzly 660 which even being slightly older still has the same four wheel drive, but with this said all I did was drive it around on flat land while the differential lock was engaged, right off the bat I noticed that it was very hard to steer while in differential lock, even though the four wheel drive itself felt like it would be very hard to bet in the most changeling terrain, and for that, I considered it. On the other hand with Polaris, I have had about the same experience, and it to performed extremely well, but without the difficult steering, which really caught my eye, and because of this, I am discussing it at this moment. But more so back to the main question, if anyone knows more about the four wheel drive system on a Polaris than stated please enlighten me I would greatly appreciate it. Besides what I said earlier about the Polaris, all I know is that from what I understand even while engaged in awd the front tires will not spin until the back tires lose traction and start to spin while in challenging terrain, thats about all I know. My goal by asking this question is to not end up with a atv that will spin only 3 tires when I need all four to spin kind of like the those damn Hondas lol, if there was ever acutely an atv that was supposed to be 3 wheel drive, Honda would have already beat um to it! And I don’t mean to put Honda down or anything but over the years Honda has really grown apart from what they used to be, definitely not "best on earth" anymore, sorry to say but it’s true, I have a friend who drives a Honda Rincon 650 and my 400 dose a better job on everything we throw at um, by a long shot. If Honda would only add a few more gears the Rincon would be a fairly descent machine but until then... I don’t know. Once again thank you, if you know anything else about Polaris's "true" all wheel drive and why it is commonly referred to as the only "real" four wheel drive out there today, which would help me with my desion, please let me know, thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.150.14.3 (talk) 04:18, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

Re Polaris as only "true" 4WD, there's a discussion thread on that very thing here[2]. Julia Rossi (talk) 23:04, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

Library fine

This is a bit embarrassing but. . . a few months ago I misplaced several library DVDs and ran up a $12 fine. I found and returned the materials but neglected to pay the fine in full so the library sent me a letter asking me to please pay the fine. Unfortunately this letter got caught up with a bunch of low priority mail on my desk and I didn’t see it. Per library policy they eventually forwarded the fine to a collection agency, a fact I became aware of when I got a letter from them today. Naturally I’m going to go settle the bill with the library first thing tomorrow and apologies for the hassle I caused them. The letter the agency sent me informed me of course that if I ignore them they will report me to the Credit bureau, but will just the fact that a debt was forwarded to a collection agency reflect on my credit score? Thanks, I know this is a bit trifling, but as a person who has never received any collection letter before it distressed me quite a bit. B.Boylan (talk) 06:04, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

What country are you in? If in Canada, which province? --NellieBly (talk) 07:33, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

It happens. Ring the agency as well, and tell them what's going on. They're usually understanding and sort it for you. But don't put it off till later, ok? Communication is everything with these people. Julia Rossi (talk) 09:50, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

what is the difference between common stock and preferred stock

separated question into new section AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 09:32, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

what is the difference between common stock and preffered stock? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 121.247.146.76 (talk) 09:20, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

If profit is going to stocks, its goes to preferred stock first, then common stock (if any is left).--58.111.132.29 (talk) 10:03, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

Not profit per se but dividends. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 22:54, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

It depends on your jurisdiction and on the specific preferred share. Have you looked at our article on preferred shares? TenOfAllTrades(talk) 12:24, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

what comes first?

When I workout, what should I do first: weightlifting or running? Or is there no right answer?--AtTheAbyss (talk) 12:09, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

Are you separating your upper-body and lower-body weightlifting? If so then running for a significant amount of time (so not just a warm-up) would not be a good idea. If you're running before you do upper-body lifting then you should be fine, but maybe a little tired.--droptone (talk) 14:44, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

I only run 1.5 miles, and I do upperbody and lowerbody in the same workout routine. I don't seperate them. --66.213.36.2 (talk) 15:23, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

The person you need to be asking your question is yourself. Ask your subconscious, your intuition. If it doesn't give an answer, then do neither. Vranak (talk) 15:56, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

I always run first (5 to 10kms) and then do an hour of weights. If I do weights and then run I find it a struggle to stay the distance, and generally quit. However, what works for me may not work for you.--TrogWoolley (talk) 20:38, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

I'd recommend separating your upper and lower body workouts. Really concentrate on your arms and chest one day, then take a day off. The day after that concentrate on your back, abs, etc., then take a day off. The day after that concentrate on your legs. --71.117.42.119 (talk) 17:59, 12 March 2008 (UTC)

Pronounce name

How do you pronounce "Glau" from Summer Glau's name? xxx User:Hyper Girl 13:41, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

It looks like a German spelling to me (and she's of German descent, the article indicates), which would mean, to an American, "GLA-OW" where the OW is pronounced like the sound you make to indicate pain ("Ow!") and not the sound you make to indicate surprise ("Oh!"). --98.217.18.109 (talk) 15:11, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

I don't know (as, to be honest, I hadn't heard of her). However, I would guess it rhymes with "vow" - ie like the German word "Blau" if you know how that's pronounced (I notice she has some German ancestry). You could trawl through some YouTube interviews here. The Fox interview pronounces Glau to rhyme with "vow".--217.44.171.224 (talk) 15:14, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

Or "wow", as in SUMMER WOW! --98.217.18.109 (talk) 17:02, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

Uraguay moment

Please tell me where this new expression originated. I do know what it means.Thanks.86.219.36.125 (talk) 14:55, 11 March 2008 (UTC)DT

Er, could you provide some context? A Google search on the exact phrase doesn't turn up anything likely. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 16:06, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

Like having a blond moment (as in briefly stupid), it could be from when Homer Simpson misread Uruguay as "you are gay" -- getting it wrong unintentionally -- or a Homer moment? oops, Julia Rossi (talk) 07:08, 12 March 2008 (UTC) (a bot-free moment)

Very subtle, Julia, I only just now noticed the blond. Q: Why are blonde jokes so simple? A: So men can get them. I once asked one of my wife's Girl Scouts, a natural cornsilk blonde, why she didn't act like one, and she let me know that it only applies to bleached blondes. --Milkbreath (talk) 18:12, 12 March 2008 (UTC)

Ah Milkbreath, you've raised another question about bleach and blondes that can go on the refdesk! Interestingly, the smart people in Homer's family are blonde. Q. Why do blonde jokes make us laugh? A. Because blondes have all the fun. (as told by a blonde). : ) Julia Rossi (talk) 23:38, 12 March 2008 (UTC)

Body Odor

I have noticed that several individuals, with whom I work, have a strong body odor. All these individuals are female and all over the age of 50. The odor in all of them is similial. This is not an odor one would associate with physical exercise. Wonder why this isn't present on males of the same age and what causes it.129.112.109.251 (talk) 16:48, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

Well presumably it's either stale perfume or the smell of bacteria growing on the body. See body odour. Both men and women have this, but a lot of people reduce it by washing themselves and their clothes regularly. Unfortunately, some people don't bother quite so much. Bodily smells are also influenced by diet and smoking.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 17:04, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

There was a thread before on the helpdesk about the smell of old people. Lots of interesting comments. Perhaps you can search for it? Sandman30s (talk) 19:03, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

Palmitoleic acid seems to be the culprit for ageing bodies. A scientist in Japan, Shoji Nakamura is onto it – devising products for a cosmetic line to meet the market.[3] "Over time, this fatty acid is broken down by bacteria inhabiting the skin or by lipid peroxides (which are present in larger quantities in older people), producing a substance called nonenal that 'has an unpleasant... smell... closely approximating... that of old books'." On top of that, old people's sense of smell mightn't be what it used to be. Julia Rossi (talk) 23:15, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

See 2-Nonenal. Oda Mari (talk) 09:40, 12 March 2008 (UTC)

E Honda Man Copy Writing Question

I have read the copy writing rules and cannot seem to figure out whether or not E Honda man can be copied and used on merchandise we are making. Could you let me know. It says there is supposed to be a tag from the provider that states the rules and I cannot see it. Want to be safe.

Thanks,

Four Tildes —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.19.232.107 (talk) 16:57, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

The text on E. Honda can be copied under the terms of the GFDL, the requirements associated with which seem to be summarized here --Tagishsimon (talk) 17:32, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

Good Day, Four Tildes. You wouldn´t be related to Waltzing Ma Tilde and her sisters, one, two, three (aka Benedicta, Perpetua and Vaticana) who perform as the Four Tildes in the Down Under Choir of the Leaping Nuns ? --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 23:56, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

I saw that. How irreverent! -- JackofOz (talk) 05:42, 12 March 2008 (UTC)

I commented on that, but somebody removed it because he considered it "mocking", and yet this comment stays just because the poster uses an account. I see a double standard here. 206.252.74.48 (talk) 12:44, 12 March 2008 (UTC)

The diff is here. I'm in sympathy with you, 206. I couldn't see anything remotely mocking about it. It was apt, drawing attention to a humorous appelation. There is no such user as User:Four Tildes, but this anon called themselves that here, presumably to avoid being known as simply "76.19.232.107" - and it is funny. It seems to be a momentary loss of sense of humour on Tagishsimon's part, and maybe he might explain where the offence is. (However, I don't think it had anything to do with the fact that you're an unregistered user.) -- JackofOz (talk) 00:55, 16 March 2008 (UTC)

If you're talking about putting images of E. Honda onto merchandise you're creating and selling then no, it would not be legal without the permission of the copyright holder (presumably Capcom). -Elmer Clark (talk) 00:34, 12 March 2008 (UTC)

Natamycin

Does the use of natamycin as a food additive (natural mold inhibitor) cause an increase in the "superbug" phenomenom? it is mostly passed through the system in your bodily waste, so does it contribute to the ever increasing resistance to antibiotics that is happening with some bacteria? I have researched it and while it seems to have no side effects for humans, I still think it seems odd to treat our food with antibiotic. can this effect us in the peripheral? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 63.3.13.131 (talk) 17:24, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

There is concern about the general area of adaptive resistance to preservatives and sanitizers. Natamycin appears to be in the clear, for the most part - "Natamycin, usually referred to a pimaricin in this country, is effective against yeasts and moulds but has little or no effect on bacteria and is used primarily as an antifungal agent on cheese. Studies to investigate the potential for development of resistance to natamycin amongst fungi have concluded that such development is both rare and of a minor nature only. This is attributed to the lethal, as opposed to static, activity of the compound together with its instability over time." From Resistance and Adaptation to Preservatives and Sanitizers. Google searches for +Natamycin +resistance or +Natamycin +superbug provide more detail. --Tagishsimon (talk) 17:37, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

cosmetology license

what are th requirements for getting a cosmetology license in Finland/ I've looked all over the web and cant find anything. Maybe you guys can.Hairgrrrl (talk) 17:50, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

"Flesh" removal

I have a totally serious, not tongue-in-cheek question. I once heard about a guy who had his wife remove his penis because he had apparently raped her (I believe it happened about a decade ago in Erie). When police found it several hours later (on the side of the road), it was reattached, and he actually went on to do a few pornos.

My question: which part of his penis was removed, and how many hours can one's "issue" be removed before doctors cannot reattach it? And is it different for different parts (e.g., the testicles)? And who paid to put it back on, and how much did it cost?

PS. Please don't remove this thread as "medical advice" - I don't think that will be necessary here. Please forgive the morbid fascination as well. The Evil Spartan (talk) 18:52, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

You might be thinking of John and Lorena Bobbitt. Someoneinmyheadbutit'snotme (talk) 19:10, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

I certainly might. Could anyone answer the other questions posed here? The Evil Spartan (talk) 20:21, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

Many of the questions are answered in the article, others may be answers in the numerous links provided. Once you've done that are there any remaining questions? Some may be unanswerable.87.102.74.53 (talk) 21:04, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

A fascinating use of the causative have. "He had his wife remove his penis." Is that like having her scratch that place between his shoulderblades he can't quite reach? I had my hair cut, you had it coming, he had her bobbit him. BrainyBabe (talk) 23:15, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

Loss of steering

What are some things one can do to attempt to partially regain steering abilities should the steering column of one's car be damaged? Acceptable (talk) 19:34, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

is the steering column partially or fully broken? I can't see much hope in the fully broken case. If it's partially broken - do you mean that only one wheel steers or something else.

In either case the answer would be to slow down totally - to a dead stop.87.102.74.53 (talk) 19:53, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

It depends on the nature of the damage, but in general, the best way to regain steering is to call a tow truck. --Carnildo (talk) 21:30, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

If you're driving along and lose the ability to steer, I recommend using your ability to stop (vice versa is also true). If the car is parked in your driveway and you know it won't be able to steer, I think a call to a mechanic is in order. Useight (talk) 23:23, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

Did we get you the answer in time? Did you regain control? :D\=< (talk) 15:49, 12 March 2008 (UTC)

Editing Wikipedia while driving should be added to the Wikipediholism Test. 206.252.74.48 (talk) 17:21, 12 March 2008 (UTC)

Doesn't this count as asking for medical advice? HS7 (talk) 21:35, 14 March 2008 (UTC)

medley

What does this word meanJwking (talk) 19:36, 11 March 2008 (UTC)?

In musical terms, "a musical composition consisting of a series of songs or other musical pieces from various sources ". You can find this and other definitions here. SaundersW (talk) 19:39, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

In Track & Field, a medley relay is a relay where each leg or runner of the team runs a different distance than each other. For example, a 1600m medley may consist of 200m, 200m, 400m, 800m legs. Acceptable (talk) 22:52, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/medley

1. a mixture, esp. of heterogeneous elements; hodgepodge; jumble. 2. a piece of music combining tunes or passages from various sources: a medley of hit songs from Broadway shows. –adjective 3. Archaic. mixed; mingled. An often jumbled assortment; a mixture: "That night he dreamed he was traveling in a foreign country, only it seemed to be a medley of all the countries he'd ever been to and even some he hadn't" (Anne Tyler). Music An arrangement made from a series of melodies, often from various sources. Sports An event in competitive swimming in which backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, and freestyle are swum in equal distances by an individual or as divisions of a relay race. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 193.115.175.247 (talk) 14:19, 12 March 2008 (UTC)

647 Area Code

Hello. Is the 647 area code mostly used for cell phones? I have seen fax and home phone numbers starting with 647. Thanks in advance. --Mayfare (talk) 20:13, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

Oddly enough, we have an article on this. Basically, most new numbers will probably get 647, and most new numbers also happen to be assigned to cell phones. The same thing happens in the Chicagoland area - all my friend's cell phone numbers have the new overlay code (the 4th one), while their home phones have numbers from assigned a long time ago to the 3rd area code (they've added 3 of them that I can remember, probably more created before I was born). So 647 can belong to fax machines and home phone numbers if they have been registered recently. 206.252.74.48 (talk) 20:34, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

Funny cycling race picture

Some years ago I saw a picture, possibly from the Tour de France, with rider standing up with his shorts pulled down and his coach leaning out of a car window apply cream to the riders presumably sore bottom. Can somebody please provide a web link for this as I've been unable to find it. Thankyou! TrogWoolley (talk) 20:46, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

Blu-Ray home theater

Hi i saw this product under audio-hometheaters-speakers section on panasonic.ca. how would i find out how many watts this is if they dont say it on there?Jwking (talk) 20:56, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

was it here http://panasonic.ca/english/audiovideo/hometheatre/index.asp can you provide a link, or the product name, or search for that product on the internet. 87.102.74.53 (talk) 21:07, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

No. You go under audio, home theatre, third category: speakers, and then go to blu-ray surround sound. it doesnt say how many watts it is in total.Jwking (talk) 15:05, 12 March 2008 (UTC)

Press "specifications" http://panasonic.ca/english/audiovideo/audio/receivers/sbtp1000_specs.asp ? 87.102.17.32 (talk) 15:45, 12 March 2008 (UTC)

In the future could you give more details at the beginning eg "Panasonic SB TP1000" In fact if you type that into a search engine you get the answer easily. I'm not pyschic. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 87.102.17.32 (talk) 15:47, 12 March 2008 (UTC)

Police web sites

Sometimes news web sites that post photos of criminal suspects require the viewer to register and login before the pictures can be viewed (Atlanta Journal Constitution, USA in the case of Eve Carson). People are reluctant to register with websites they may only visit once in their life, especially those that require acceptance of their spam as part of their registration agreement. However, if one visits the police department web site (in this case Chapel Hill Police) the site appears to be only for promotion of the police department rather than to display photos and other information regarding suspects. Is this a common trend among American taxpayer supported police and government web sites, to use the web sites for self-promotion rather than to use the web sites to serve the public by providing suspect information to the public? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.100.1.30 (talk) 23:29, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

You are mistaken in presuming (by your use of the phrase "rather than") that providing information on the police department and its activities does not serve the public. In general, I would assert that it is useful for a public body to explain itself, and to the extent that it does so, make itself open to scrutiny. My long experience of watching public sector website develop suggests that the approach taken by Chapel Hill Police is commonplace and does not represent a new trend. --Tagishsimon (talk) 23:35, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

As far as I can tell, the Chapel Hill Police Department does have current news and press releases on their web site. Look on the right side, below the Calendar and above the FAQs; you should see a News box. At the moment, the Eve Carson case is the top story there. Clicking on the Additional info... link there shows all the press releases from the case, photos of the suspect, and mp3s of 911 and radio calls: link. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 02:02, 12 March 2008 (UTC)

...missing the "News" link in the right sidebar could very well be a failure on my part to more carefully scrutinize the web site or perhaps I was distracted by the photo and other information regarding the Chief. If the term "Case news" (versus "News") were displayed in the sidebar perhaps,this would have drawn my attention closer. With the photo of the Chief I was probably thinking news of an upcoming promotion rather than news of a case. Anyway, thanks for your diligent reply. Such replies are what help make the Wikipedia a strong and reliable resource. (talk) 23:42, 12 March 2008 (UTC)

Of course, Tagashsimon is also correct in his observations. Many government organizations lack the time, money, or techincal skills to maintain and update a website full of constantly-updated current events. A department budget may allow a public relations staffer to spend one day a week updating contact info and posting information about new police programs on the website, but not cover a full-time individual to post hourly updates on active cases. Given limited resources and many priorities, police departments are forced to choose the most cost-effective methods to disseminate case information. Sometimes that method is to give press releases to the media, and let their distribution machinery do the heavy lifting. (Until not so many years ago, this was pretty much the only choice that police departments had.) TenOfAllTrades(talk) 02:11, 12 March 2008 (UTC)

I worked with the media for a company and I can tell you that by comparison posting news releases to the department's web site requires far less heavy lifting than dealing directly with the media. If they get it wrong then it is your fault not theirs. (talk) 23:46, 12 March 2008 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.100.173.119 (talk)