Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2007 June 28

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June 28

Passion flower

Title changed by Mayfare 02:18, 29 June 2007 (UTC)

In content it states the "ten petals and sepals represent the ten faithful apostles". Why did they consider only ten apostles faithful? 208.191.23.154 03:49, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Well Judas is pretty much unfaithful, and most of the websites found in a Google search for ten faithful apostles choose Peter as the other unfaithful one, for denying three times that he knew Jesus. A few make Thomas unfaithful for his doubting. Edison 04:34, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Paranormal Radio and the Fairness Doctrine

Will this political mess affect radio shows dedicated to paranormal matters ? I listen to Coast to Coast AM and/or to Jeff Rense's radio show from time to time. 205.240.144.225 04:15, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

The Fairness Doctrine was struck down 20 years ago and was questioned on its constitutional basis prior to that. Even if it's reinstated, though (a prospect I find unlikely), it's highly improbable that any sort of "fairness" will be imposed on non-political matters. — Lomn 13:33, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

The only politician that I know of, who was specifically called for the fairness doctrine to be revived is, ironically, Trent Lott, complaining about right-wing talk radio opposing the Republican leadership's plans for immigration reform. I don't know of any other politician, right or left, who has called for it. So far as I know, it's just a right wing talk radio red herring. Corvus cornix 17:05, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

when men wear underpants (briefs, boxer,...),should penis be up or down (it means: should it be in 12 o'clock position or 6 o'clock)

please answer me this question. my english is not good so..

Depends if you got a boner or not. Joneleth 06:56, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Giving the benefit of the doubt that this is a legit question, surely it is simply a matter of personal preference and comfort. I can see no medical reason to say that one is better than the other. I believe that the '12 o'clock' position would make for a more prominent bulge, but I also very much doubt that the said organ would remain in this position in boxer shorts, unless tucked into the elastic and therefore surely making this rather uncomfortable. --jjron 08:26, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

The more pertinent question is whether one dresses to the left or the right. This question is always asked by tailors, who will tailor the fit of your trousers accordingly. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 08:37, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

It's many years since I wore trousers tight enough that I could tell whether I was "right or left". —Tamfang 22:56, 1 July 2007 (UTC)

Don't know about the asker, but mine has a mind of its own. If I place it up (in briefs), it flops down; if I place it to the right (in boxers), it goes left - and vice versa; if I shake it till it's as dry as a bone (not boner), it still dribbles through my underwear onto my (invariably light coloured) trousers; if I ensure that it is not entangled in pubic hair before I put it away, it nevertheless needs re-arranged shortly thereafter as though I was doing an impersonation of an Italian waiter in full public view whilst balancing 3 plates of spaghetti with the spare hand; if I want a boner when the opporchancity presents, it keeps its head below the parapet; and if I am walking across a stage, restaurant, train corridor, or office typing pool, it rises to the (embarrasing) occasion. I give up, or down, or sideways - whatever. I don't think the OP need worry.

• And Freud thought women envied men's penises!hotclaws 02:26, 29 June 2007 (UTC)

Oh good heavens no; there are some advantages to being male, but having to deal with this particular organ in polite comapny is not one of them. Eran of Arcadia 19:47, 29 June 2007 (UTC)

Consider wearing dark-coloured trousers, I suppose. Does it make a difference whether you retract your foreskin before you urinate (assuming you have one)? Also, your office still has a typing pool?! Marnanel 02:28, 1 July 2007 (UTC)

Yes, that is truly amazing. I recently referred to typing pools in a conversation with a friend of mine, aged in his early 30s, and he asked "What's a typing pool?". I explained what they were for and he said "What a ridiculous concept". He found it very hard to believe they ever existed. Amazing how quickly the advent of PCs has erased our collective memories of some things. -- JackofOz 02:44, 1 July 2007 (UTC)

You try getting a Benchload of Appeal Court Judges to type up their 80 page Opinions by themselves - most of them were born before the advent of the typewriter - and they still ask for pen-knives to sharpen their quills - seriously - yes - typing pools still exist.

can dogs look up?

In the film shaun of the dead ed says dogs cant look up is this true?

Have you ever met a dog? They can indeed look up - but in my experience only tend to in response to a stimulus (owner's voice, the sound of food etc). Most of the time they keep their heads down to follow all the interesting smells. DuncanHill 12:31, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

In general, unless they have some kind of handicap or whatever, dogs can look up. I don't know where the film got that. ^^ ZOUAVMAN LE ZOUAVE 12:33, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

In general, one should not take anything - anything - presented in a movie at face value. Even a movie based on real life will contain many distortions and falsehoods in order to streamline the story. See Titanic for a good example. --Charlene 19:50, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

They must have been thinking of pigs. --58.168.197.134 11:22, 30 June 2007 (UTC)

should i?

i recently watched clerks 2 and the concept of going ass to mouth intrigues me so im wondering is it ok 2 go ass to mouth?

This is entirely a matter of personal choice, but you may find the article Anal-oral contact helpful in reaching a decision. DuncanHill 12:38, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

serious question

is it possible to become addicted to masturbation? If so could i get help

Wikipedia does not give medical advice. You should consult your doctor, ar another qualified medical proffessional. DuncanHill 12:44, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

I would think that there could be some sort of psychological addiction though not a physiological addiction. In order to get help, one would most likely have to see a psychiatrist. Dismas|^(talk) 18:07, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

As a general rule, it's possible to develop a psychological addiction to any pleasurable stimulus. --Carnildo 22:25, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

This has been asked before. My view is this: anything (from stamp-collecting to crack) that you find it difficult to avoid doing, to the point it interferes with your life, is an addiction. Eran of Arcadia 19:48, 29 June 2007 (UTC)

robocop vs terminator

this question is really aimed at sci fi geeks but me and a mate have been arguin for weeks about this who would win in a fight between robocop and terminater (t-800 model)

This is not a question suitable for the Reference Desk, sorry. — Lomn 13:26, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

thats like the stupidest question ever robocop could easily beat terminator, this is not based on bias but fact 1.)terminator (arnie's version)is nothing more than a robotic skeleton who has a fair amount of strength but really only has advantage over humans not to mention he has to find his own weapons 2.)robocop's only organic component is in his head the rest hes pure machine his hand is designed to have a crushing power of 400 pounds.His outer armour is titanium which is lamenated in kevlar. Not to mention robocop has a gun holstered in his leg so there you go to think that terminator could beat robocop is like saying ricky gervais is funny, it ain't happening in a million years- hobo jack

On another note, Robocop is a cop, and can give out tickets. Since obviously, the world revolves around money, Robocop would win. Even though cops (apparently) recieve only an average salary, and I believe Terminator gets money by contract. Robocop can impose hefty fines on Terminator, as much as he wants to, and force Terminator into bankruptcy and lower his credit rating. I wouldn't sign a contract with a bankrupt person and assuming the rest of the world believes in that, Terminator wouldn't be able to gain any money and will have to rely on welfare. So in essence, Robocop > Terminator.--GTPoompt(talk) 15:42, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Robocop. The question was resolved in the Dark Horse comic book 'Robocop vs Terminator'; script by Frank Miller, art by Walt Simonson. Rhinoracer 14:31, 29 June 2007 (UTC)

deus ex machina

what is a deus ex machina?

The article Deus ex machina should answer your question. DuncanHill 13:01, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

jamie lee curtis

i have been told that jamie lee curtis is an hermaphrodite is this true?

See Jamie Lee Curtis. --Maelwys 13:26, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Which doesn't address the matter - claims of this nature are frequently added to the article and (citing WP:BLP and the lack of any worthwhile source) are just as regularly removed. Snopes.com says "we don't know". -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 13:35, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

This rumour has cropped up numerous times about many stars, always female, always without natural children. It's been given added impetus by the fact that Jamie Lee Curtis has an androgynous name (apparently picked out before birth, at a time when intersex couldn't be diagnosed before birth and often wasn't even afterwards). --Charlene 19:48, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

It is widely rumoured that she has androgen insensitivity syndrome. In addition to the factors driving these rumours described above, she is a strong advocate in support of medical research for a number of childhood diseases and syndromes. When individuals promote charitable causes, people tend to assume there is a personal reason for it. Rockpocket 18:42, 29 June 2007 (UTC)

unbeliveable laws

Im just wondering if anybody knows of any unbeliveble and stupid laws an example being a place in britain where virgins are not permitted in butcher shops.

Try http://www.dumblaws.com --Maelwys 13:21, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

In Chester, citizens are allowed to shoot with a longbow any Welshman who loiters within the city walls after sunset... Laïka 16:37, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Do you feel like doing some original research, Laika? I've often wondered what would happen if someone actually tried that! DuncanHill 16:45, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Wikipedia cannot dispense getting shot by a longbow advice. Friday (talk) 16:51, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Firstly, this reference desk does not give out legal advice. Secondly, none of these "dumb laws" people mention are ever backed up with anything. I have never actually seen a citation of case law, any sort of statute, a reference to a scholarly work, anything which substantiates the shooting Welshmen story (and I suspect the same is true of the virgins/butchers story and a thousand others). I think you should think twice before spreading such stories without citations, Laïka. Marnanel 18:01, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Very well - here's a citation from Chester City Council itself (actually, it seems the law requires a decapitation rather than a longbowing, but the result is the same; the Chester Chronicle mentions longbows (If Elected I Will Make It Illegal To Shoot Welshmen), but it appear that this is a slight embellishment which has occurred over the years); note specifically that "There is no record that Henry V's order was ever repealed". Laïka 18:29, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

That is pretty interesting, because it shows where the idea that people now have might have developed from. The Chester Chronicle article is a WP:RS for the fact that people have this idea, or at least that the Tory candidate for Chester MP does, but not that the laws actually exist ("...admitted that he was not 100% on the detail"). The chester.gov.uk one is more interesting; it seems to verify that such a rule existed in the 1400s (although it was not made by Henry V: he was not king at the time, only Earl of Chester, and I think we need a lawyer to tell us whether a rule made by a local earl (rather than by the king) in the 1400s can possibly still be said to be "on the books" in a given town today, and if so whether an ancient law can be said to be "on the books" if it contravenes English and European law, as this clearly does. Marnanel 21:05, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

The Chester City Council seems to think that the law is still on the books. Corvus cornix 01:55, 29 June 2007 (UTC)

good grief, Laïka cited that in the comment I was responding to, and I specifically talked about it; do you think I didn't see it? Marnanel 11:30, 29 June 2007 (UTC)

See this. -- JackofOz 00:46, 30 June 2007 (UTC)

size

What is the size of the largest penis recorded

See Human penis size. Yes, Wikipedia really does have an article on everything. --Maelwys 13:22, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

The largest penis belongs to the blue whale, estimated at over 2 m. Accurate measurements are tricky because the whale's erect length can be observed only during mating, and they really don't appreciate people getting in the way.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 20:31, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Maybe it was just a fluke. Edison 19:37, 29 June 2007 (UTC)

Who cares about largest when you can have the coolest? --TotoBaggins 14:06, 29 June 2007 (UTC)

henchpeople

I have recently formulated a plan for world domination and am wondering where i could find loyal henchpeople to serve my cause. i doubt anybody would take my ad in a paper seriously and am trying to find other means to spread the word. i would like men or woman ( i excersise a equal rights policy) with scientific knowledge and a keen eye for intruders. my headquarters within mt versuvious is almost complete so i would need them asap.

Monster. Or if you're on the poorer side, CL --_ʇuǝɯɯoɔɐqǝɟ 14:16, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Don't forget to peruse the Evil Overlord List for helpful hints. PeteVerdon 18:27, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Find out where Dick Cheney gets his staff. Gzuckier 18:28, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

And whatever you do - when they screw up and let the good guy get away - DO NOT drag them out in front of their co-workers and humiliate them terribly before tossing them into the shark tank. This is very bad for morale. No, call them into your office after work, have a convivial chat with them about how they are getting on within the organisation - then humiliate them terribly and toss them into the shark tank. Trust me - been there, done that. SteveBaker 19:07, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Yes, but has Dick Cheney? --Charlene 19:42, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

• What's the pay like?If it's any good,I'm in.hotclaws 02:29, 29 June 2007 (UTC)
  • Be careful. If your employer gets overthrown, you could go down with him. If he wins, he'll always be suspicious of those around him. Very little room for promotion, unless you want to help assassinate those above you. And then you have to look out for those on the rungs below you. Corvus cornix 03:20, 29 June 2007 (UTC)

The worst part is that the worker safety standards in your average lair are lamentably poor. The hero throws a chair at the computer on the desk in the detention block - and it explodes(!) - not only releasing potentially dangerous criminals (we presume) but also starting a chain reaction that typically vaporizes the entire island within about 5 minutes. For some reason Evil Overlords prefer to skimp on providing adequate circuit breakers in favor of having a bigger death ray. <shrug> SteveBaker 16:24, 29 June 2007 (UTC)

I'm very interested in your (original poster) proposal. How can I contact you? --Taraborn 19:44, 29 June 2007 (UTC)

I was once called a "henchman" of a certain evil professor. It neither paid well nor provided job satisfaction, nor did it lead to opportunities for world domination. Edison 06:07, 30 June 2007 (UTC)

Has anyone said the opposite? --Taraborn 06:41, 30 June 2007 (UTC)

I think you spelled "versuvious" wrong.

I am very curious to find an answer to the following question:

I am very curious to find an answer to the following question:

Months of the year that begin on a Sunday,(other than February in non-leap-years) always have five Sundays. What other notable feature do they (including all Februarys) contain?

"Notable", in this case, is entirely subjective. — Lomn 14:35, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Months of the year always have more than 27 and less than 32 days? If every single month has this feature, then it's hardly notable; it just becomes a necessary condition of any "month". Laïka 16:14, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Friday the 13th. Corvus cornix 17:07, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Darn - you beat me to it! The statistics of Friday the 13th are neat! SteveBaker 19:08, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Friday the 13th, and therefore Thursday the 12th, Saturday the 14th, Sunday the 15th, Monday the 16th... Um, is this notable? Isn't it just a logical sequence? --jjron 10:15, 29 June 2007 (UTC)

Yes - of course you are right - but some people are superstitious about Friday the 13th - they think it's bad luck - and the news that the 13th of the month is more likely to be a Friday than any of the other days tends to freak them out a bit...and at first sight it doesn't seem like there should be a bias. SteveBaker 16:18, 29 June 2007 (UTC)

That was a really good one by our comrade Corvus cornix! --Taraborn 06:43, 30 June 2007 (UTC)

just wondering

do diffrent colour m+ms taste diffrent?

Nope. The colour is just food dye. Adam Bishop 15:47, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Smarties, however, which M&Ms are a rip-off of, are different flavours. The orange ones have orange-flavoured chocolate, and previously there was a coffee one. (I have some dim and unsubstantiated memory that the dark brown Smarties are plain chocolate, although that article doesn't agree with me; I haven't eaten Smarties for quite a few years now.) Marnanel 18:06, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

That is only true for British Smarties. Canadian Smarties are all the same flavour. --Charlene 19:21, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Oooh! I actually KNOW the answer to this one! There is a lot of phychology to it. My son was convinced that he could tell the difference (with M&M's that is) - so one time I was at his school doing my bit for education by demonstrating some statistics to the math class, I demonstrated the following to a class of maybe 25 10 year-olds to explain why double-blind testing is important:

• Gave each kid one red M&M and one green one and asked them to taste them and tell me if they could tell the difference in the flavor. On a scale of 0 (couldn't tell) to 10 (a strong difference in taste), I think we averaged about an 8 across the entire class with not one single zero being reported.
• Using some black 35mm film canisters, put a red M&M or a green M&M into each one and labelled the underside with a '*' or an 'o' depending on which it was. I handed these out to the kids and asked them to close their eyes, open the film canister they'd been given, taste the M&M inside and write down what colour it was. We did this a few times with several different colours - and guess what - they only ever got it right about 50% of the time - which is no better than chance.

So - quite conclusively - the colour of an M&M doesn't affect its taste at all unless you happen to look at it first! SteveBaker 18:57, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

• Well, either that or being stored in a film canister affects the flavor of at least one color of M&Ms! --Anonymous, June 30, 2007, 01:45 (UTC).

Of course I knew that was a possibility and pre-stored the M&M's handed out in stage 1 of the experiment in film canisters overnight alongside those used in stage 2 - such that any effect the canister might have on the flavor would be present in both stages of the experiment. OK - No, I didn't think to do that - feel free to mock my poor scientific method. SteveBaker 14:54, 30 June 2007 (UTC)

Nice! (I wonder if you could have successfully demonstrated the difference between double-blind and merely blind studies, in that same context.) —Steve Summit (talk) 02:42, 29 June 2007 (UTC)

Naturally I thought very hard about that at the time. It would have required me to figure out some way for me to fairly obviously be influencing the results by not being blinded myself. I considered handing out the red ones (which I knew had an 'X' on them) and saying things like "I sure hope you got a tasty red one...<wink>!" to those people. That would kinda rely on one of the kids to say "Hey! That's not fair - you know the answers!" - but firstly I wasn't sure this would have a measurable effect on the results - and secondly, I didn't have much time to do the whole presentation in and to show both blind and double-blind would have taken much longer. But with 10 year olds, it's enough to get the basic message across - I wouldn't want to have confused them if the single-blinded experiment had worked just as well as the double-blinded one.

Doing these kinds of things with kids is great - it leaves really indelible memories of important principles with them. A friend of mine once did a dice-rolling experiment with some groups of younger kids - where you roll a dice a bazillion times and record the results...only he carefully drilled out the '1' spot on each dice, filled it with lead shot then carefully filled the hole with wood putty and repainted it - it took him forever (and several sets of failed rigged dice) to get it convincingly right. The resulting weighted dice came up with a six only about 30% more than they should have so the effect was subtle enough that you would't notice it without doing some proper statistics - but enough that it was really evident in the results the kids got...this was why he had to work so carefully to make the dice! But he'd explained what results they "should" get (for an unweighted dice) before the experiment started and didn't tell them that the dice had been tampered with. The kids could see from their results that the dice must be weighted - and it turned what would have been a really 'blah' kind of an experiment into something that really got them excited because they actually discovered something. SteveBaker 16:14, 29 June 2007 (UTC)

Would it be physically possible to drink lava?

Or would your face just burn away before you touched it? Let's say it's kind of a lava waterfall, so it has gravity and momentum on its side, and can get inside your mouth before it's even touched you. 58.7.205.67 17:02, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

I suspect there won't be many references addressing this burning question, so here's speculation. Even if you got it in your mouth successfully, I doubt you could do anything with it that could reasonably be called "drinking". I expect it would be cooling down and solidifying while burning you horribly the whole time. Friday (talk) 17:09, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

If you define drinking as it going down your throat, sure. I know where you're coming from, I have weird questions like this all the time. My recommendations, don't talk about them too much, people start to think you're insane, which we aren't --_ʇuǝɯɯoɔɐqǝɟ 17:40, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Nah, I think the radiant heat would evaporate your carbon-based portions as soon as it got close.Gzuckier 18:27, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Opposite end of the scale, but this guy might be able to give you some tips. PeteVerdon 18:34, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Reminds me of my science teacher who ate a couple blocks of dry ice --_ʇuǝɯɯoɔɐqǝɟ 19:38, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

There's a way to do it, although I won't vouch for its safety. Let the lava harden into rock, powder the rock, add a pinch to a glass of water, drink. --Charlene 19:20, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

The question reminded me of Porcia Catonis who, allegedly, committed suicide by swallowing red hot coals. (According to the article, "modern historians find this tale implausible: it is more likely that Porcia took her life by burning charcoal in an unventilated room, succumbing to carbon monoxide poisoning.") ---Sluzzelin talk 20:52, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Wikipedia cannot give advice on consuming incendiary substances. Consult a professional fire eater instead. That said, the following is presented for information only and we strongly urge that no one try it. Perhaps an insulating tube could be inserted first. Something like that was involved in the end of Edward II of England to allow the insertion of a red hot poker, if legend is true. Edison 19:32, 29 June 2007 (UTC)

Wasn't that the guy who got a red-hot iron rod shoved up his ass? bibliomaniac15 ^{BUY NOW!} 19:33, 29 June 2007 (UTC)

As I said "in the end." Edison 06:03, 30 June 2007 (UTC)

I could be wrong about this, but I think that most lava is so viscous as not to be what we'd ordinarily think of as a "liquid", and you could no more drink it than you could drink warm salt-water taffy. --Trovatore 06:06, 30 June 2007 (UTC)

Song in an advert

I heard a song a day or two ago in an advert with a catchy melody (unfortunately, I can't recall the product right now), and I would like to identify it. The lyrics, as far as I can tell, were:

Won't you bring me water? Won't you bring me light? Won't you bring my saviour, And bring me back to life?

It sounded like a Gospel song, with a lead singer and a backing chorus, with a rhythm created by clapping. I googled the lyrics as I think they are, plus a few close possible variations, but no luck. Any help? 80.44.236.144 19:15, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

how do ther servers handle this?

Please see my previous question to understand this question better.

With more than 5 edits per second in every popular language in Wikipedia combined, how do the Wikimedia servers handle that many edits at one time?--PrestonH 20:31, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

There's a lot of them. I think there's a page on technical architecture somewhere.. see Wikipedia#Software_and_hardware for more info. Friday (talk) 20:39, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Heheh! If you think that handling 5 edits per second is tough - think about the 20,000 pages that are READ every second! Writing 5 short text snippets to disk in one second is a trivial task for even a pretty old, slow PC - but reading 20,000 pages a second is major stuff! SteveBaker 21:22, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

One thing that I think Google use is relatively 'average' PCs but linked up through something like grid networking to make them (combined) an amazingly powerful server/computer. I read this a long long time ago though so perhaps this is no longer true (I'm pretty confident it was something like grid-networking). Either way as noted the edits-per-second is nothing compared to views-per-second. I know servers can easily be overwhelmed because it is not cost-effective to have power to hit your heighest-ever peaks, rather to have server-power that will manage for 99% of the time (or whatever % is viable). Mobile phone networks do this and that's why they often fail at new-years-day etc. due to being overwhelmed by people using them. ny156uk 22:58, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

You think 5 edits per second is bad. At the LHC particle accelerator (coming sometime next year folks), they have to take 40 million events per second, and save only a couple of hundred interesting ones. That's roughly a CD of data every 2 seconds, and that's selected (in real time) from approximately 200,000 times more data! Now that's what I call impressive computing stats. Let's just hope it works. Cyta 07:28, 29 June 2007 (UTC)

WP doesn't take that approach- they've got the normal gigantic xeon servers. And anyway 20k requests per second isn't impossible to deal with.. if you can afford the bandwidth (which wikimedia apparently can) then just squid cache 99% or so of the pages (which wikimedia does) and with 5 or 6 cache servers you can easily serve up that much content. The problem is keeping all of the caches, actual databases, and backups synchronized and up-to-date.. that's probably why wikimedia has to spend like 10% of its budget on paying network engineers/developers to work full time --froth^t 15:26, 29 June 2007 (UTC)

wand with flame

I am looking for a picture of a wand or scepter with a flame, like the olympic torch, but much fancier, like something carried by a king or other royalty.207.118.2.55 20:52, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Hello, I couldn't find an image of that, so I made you one. See the image here: Burning Scepter. I used an image of flame and superimposed a scepter onto it in Fireworks MX. I hope it's satisfactory. --Codell^Talk 22:33, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Cyan liscense plate

In Ontario, Canada, what might a cyan-coloured liscense plate signify? For example: a red one signifies that the car is an embassy car. Thanks. Acceptable 21:06, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

It signifies that the vehicle you are seeing is a motorcycle, according to this [1] site, with a list at the bottom of the page. Bielle 23:23, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

No, that page says motorcycle plates are blue on white, the same as for cars.

Ontario does not produce a "cyan-coloured" plate. However, some people cover their plates with bluish plastic. As I never saw this until after highway 407 opened, I assume they are trying to reduce the legibility of their plates in the hope of being able to drive on the 407 without being billed for the toll, or maybe they have other nefarious purposes in mind. --Anonymous, June 29, 2007, 00:08 (UTC).

Or, any chance THIS is the plate you're referring to?--Codell^Talk 23:27, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

That's a British Columbia plate, --Codell^Talk. The OP wants Ontario. Bielle 23:46, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Code11; nope. The background of the license plate is plain blue and I forgot what colour the text was. It seemed like a normal license plate, but it was blue. I saw it on a fairly new BMW sedan. Acceptable 02:33, 29 June 2007 (UTC)

All the Graphic and Novelty plates in Ontario have a white background. You can have a "Year of Manufacture" specialty plate, and some of the old Ontario ones had coloured backgrounds; however, the car has to have been built prior to 1973, and you said the car you saw was new-ish. The only other blue I can think of is the blue appearance that comes from a shield that goes over than plate and has a shimmery blue effect. I understand they are supposed to fool the cameras on toll roads; I also understand they are illegal. Bielle 03:10, 29 June 2007 (UTC)

And Mythbusters say they don't work. Corvus cornix 16:02, 29 June 2007 (UTC)

"Old" Ontario plates with colored backgrounds are irrelevant; they were only good for one year. They used to be black-on-white and white-on-black in alternate years, then around 1968 the province switched to alternating blue-on-white and white-on-blue. Back then it was common for states and provinces to issue new plates every year, although there were some that had longer-term plates and just required an annual sticker. When Ontario decided to switch to this system and issue 5-year plates, it happened to be a blue-on-white year; before the 5 years were up they decided to make them valid indefinitely instead, so those are the colors we've had ever since. --Anonymous, June 30, 01:52 (UTC).

I am not quite sure why the one-year validity for old Ontario plates makes the coloured backgrounds irrelevant. When they are used now, as "Y.O.M." (Year of Manufacture) vanity plates, I believe they travel with the car, unlike the current plates, which travel with the driver to whichever car he/she owns. The owner gets stickers for the Y.O.M. plates just the way the rest of us do for our ordinary plates. Some of the blues (with white letters) used in the 1960s, for example, were quite "cyan-ish". I am thinking particularly of the 1965 plate shown here [2]. At that same site, you can see a range of yellows and golds used in the 1930s, along with greens in the 1940s. Bielle 02:16, 30 June 2007 (UTC)

When I said old plates I meant old plates, not these Y.O.M.s you speak of. So they would not still be in use; that's all I meant. --Anonymous, June 30, 09:50 (UTC).

37 Roubles 50 Kopecks‽‽‽

What was the purpose of the 37½ rouble coin that Russia minted in 1902? I realize that this is half of 75 roubles, but why have a 37½ rouble coin in the first place? In the same year, Russia also had a 7½ rouble coin. Same question. If you want to see this coin, see the bottom of this page or see it on the Numismaster website. --Codell^Talk 22:11, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

It was worth 100 francs at the time (according to the first interweblink you gave), so possibly used as a bullion coin and to relate Russian currency to the Latin Monetary Union. DuncanHill 23:09, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Just found this link [3] which may be of interest. The coin pictured appears to have as part of the inscription "100 francs" (in Cyrillic script) as well as its value in Roubles. DuncanHill 23:27, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Playing cards as tiles?

Where can I get a set of Anglo-American playing cards as tiles? I mean, mahjong-style tiles labeled as playing cards (Ace of Spades, etc.) intended for use as a substitute for cards so that, for instance, there is no need to shuffle.

No need to answer; I found one online.