Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2009 February 10

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February 10

Campanas de Belén

There's this version of Campanas de Belén I've heard - searching the internet reveals the fact that there are many different versions. But this one I've heard has a sort of '80s vibe to it. Would anyone have any idea as to what version it is? 75.169.198.169 (talk) 05:33, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

Where have you heard it? Did any commentary accompany it? You are probably much better off asking this question over at the Entertainment desk. Cheers, Ouro (blah blah) 08:00, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

When you say 'versions' do you mean the words are different or the tune is different? It is the equivalent of an English speaking Christmas carol, very widely known, and issued in uncountable arrangements. Richard Avery (talk) 14:50, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

Interview

I have an interview scheduled for in few days, it says " functional interview" what does this mean?

It might mean an interview related to the functions of the job for which you are applying. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 12:42, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

You might consider ringing the company or person and asking what a functional interview entails. You have every right to be informed about the conditions of your interview to properly prepare yourself. I have never heard the term in my life and nor has Richard above and googling is not helpful either, so it's not a common term. Suppose they ask you as the first question "What do you understand by a functional interview?". Good luck. Richard Avery (talk) 14:33, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

Ah, Ha! Had a further look and here [1] is a link to an interview process tree that gets to the 'Functional Interview' in round 2 with some headings to help you. Go to it! Richard Avery (talk) 14:43, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

Policing for the sake of Internet 'safety'

Honestly, what are people such as these thinking? No, it seems so normal for them to monitor every single thing someone does just because they're not 'old enough'. If they did this on a national basis then everyone would be in a furor and the system will be probably overwhelmed. But why do we crave power so much? Are we used as workers for far too long in our lives that we turn on our children to feel powerful? Do they blatantly hate freedom itself? This is the kind of thinking that the IWF used to block this site. Absolutely rustic and useless, besides counterproductive. Come on, teaching them how to stay safe online as if they lack the common sense to do that? I'm sure that in most cases children know about the Internet more than their parents nowadays so who are we kidding? 212.219.0.20 (talk) 09:48, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

They are thinking that there are many vulnerable teenagers out there who may get themselves in harm's way. Who are the 'we' that crave power, count me out. 'Turn on our children to feel powerful'? unanswerable rhetorical question. No, I think your freedom is a pathway to someone else's danger. I think you've ranted enough for one day. 86.4.190.210 (talk) 11:07, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

'Freedom without limits is just a word.'

and 'You say to people "Throw off your chains" and they make new chains for themselves.'

148.197.114.165 (talk) 12:58, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

There has been a longstanding charge to shift responsibility for raising children from parents to government; this would seem to be a logical continuation of that trend. (We probably have an article on this somewhere...) The abdication of parental responsibility has also inspired "sex ed" in schools, youth curfews, graduated licensing, etc. – 74  14:59, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

Teenagers are children - although they hate to admit it. Even at age 18, our brains have not finished developing. Hormone production has not yet stabilised and the consequences of that are seldom ideal. It is the role of parents to help their kids through this process - and when they fail to do that adequately, the results are not pretty! Sadly, teens see things differently - but that's precisely because their brains have not yet finished developing. Monitoring Internet activity is a useful tool for parents to see when things are going wrong. It is also the case that in many places around the world, parents are responsible for the activities of their children up to the age of 18. If your teenager is downloading copyrighted music illegally - you can be held liable. So from a purely legal perspective, it makes sense to do this. Personally, I preferred a 'light touch' - we just kept all of the family computers in the 'media room' with the TV and other gadgets, so surfing the web was a family activity and not a private one. SteveBaker (talk) 15:17, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

Is there an actual question here, or just a rant filled with rhetorical questions? --Tango (talk) 15:41, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

Is there an actual response here, or just a snarky rhetorical question? ;-)   74  16:09, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

Toilet seats - open fronted

I've racked my brain for a reason for this and just can't figure one out...Why do some toilet seats (and i've only seen this in public toilets) have the 'front' part missing? What is the purpose? So normally a toilet seat is kinda like a elipse/letter 'o', but some toilet seats are like a letter 'c'...Anybody? 194.221.133.226 (talk) 14:10, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

They allow you to wipe whatever needs wiping without having to stand up in a half-squat like position. This is usually for the benefit of elderly or infirm persons. You will see these in hospitals regularly. Ref (bottom toilet on the page):[2]. Fribbler (talk) 14:30, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

Or, per our rather quirky toilet seat article, "They are usually made with a gap in the front-center, which reduces the amount of spatter and eases the job of cleaning for janitorial staff." (Quite how they reduce spatter we are not told.)--Shantavira|^{feed me} 14:45, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

For a male peeing while standing, that makes the hole a bit larger, and any misses are more likely to be on the front of the toilet body, rather than on the seat, which poses less of a problem to a subsequent user who sits on the seat. StuRat (talk) 14:55, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

That's what I've always understood the reason to be - it prevents careless pee-ers making as much of a mess. --Tango (talk) 15:36, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

Also, an adult male may have his penis touch this piece of the seat, when sitting, if he isn't careful, and that's a good way to spread diseases. StuRat (talk) 14:55, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

Here's the answer. B00P (talk) 19:59, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

Uncle Cecil comes through again! --Jayron32.talk.contribs 20:14, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

The Straight Dope is usually reliable, but I don't believe it this time. Cecil seems to be just guessing (unless his source is Shabbir Rawalpindiwala, but that's not clear, and anyway, why would he know?). Also, he doesn't seem to have noticed (otherwise he would have mentioned) the obvious objection to his theory: public toilets are usually sex-segregated, but I think the open-front seats are as common in women's restrooms as in men's. -- BenRG (talk) 01:14, 11 February 2009 (UTC)

Would cost be a factor. It might be cheaper to produce open fronts as they use less material. The use in both mens and womens could also be a cost factor. If you are buying toilet seats then although you will require more womens than mens but a discount may be offered if purchasing a certain number. This makes it likly that you are going to buy one kind rather than two. Is it also possible that the open front is due to the possibilty of an injury to a young male. Some young males have been injured by falling seats, urinals set to high is one reason but there are others, and the open front would avoid that. CambridgeBayWeather Have a gorilla 02:10, 11 February 2009 (UTC)

The use in both male and female toilets is only puzzling if, as Cecil, you assume that men are the ones causing the mess on the fronts of seats. In my experience, women are pretty likely to leave a mess there. Nice people, of cause, wipe (if there's paper). But plenty of people leave a mess. Incidentally, why are these men standing to pee in a public loo, rather than using the urinal or sitting to do something else? Is that common? 79.66.56.21 (talk) 22:49, 14 February 2009 (UTC)

According to this site (and independently confirmed here), the open front toilet seats are mandated by the Uniform Plumbing Code for use in public venues. This, of course, doesn't explain why that particular rule was written (the underlying cause), but it conveniently explains their widespread use ("Because IAPMO said so."). – 74  03:45, 11 February 2009 (UTC)

Thiness

I want to drop weight and fast. How can i do so with the help of a tapeworm? Where can i get a tapeworm legally? --74.59.108.27 (talk) 16:54, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

Talk to your doctor. You really do not want a tapeworm!86.211.236.180 (talk) 17:25, 10 February 2009 (UTC)DT

Infesting yourself with a tapeworm is a very bad idea. Instead, go and see your doctor or a local weight loss clinic. Astronaut (talk) 17:27, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

(after edit conflicts)

Tapeworms have serious side effects. People using them for weightloss is more or less a myth. See Cecil Adam's column on the subject.

Other than that though, Wikipedia cannot give medical advice. So we can't really advise you on how to lose weight. Sorry. APL (talk) 17:44, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

Also, even if you do lose weight safely then when you get rid of the tapeworm (as, presumably, you'll want to do sooner or later), you'll almost certainly put the weight back on. Rapid weight loss is generally only possible as part of a yo-yo diet. --Tango (talk) 17:54, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

Tapeworms are very good for trolls, in fact two or three can do an enormously good job. 86.4.190.210 (talk) 19:08, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

Tapeworm isn't necessary, you could just not eat - drink only water with vitamins like the man mentioned in this [3] program who lost about 200 pounds. AllanHainey (talk) 21:45, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

If you want to die, sure, starve yourself completely. There's more to food than vitamins and calories. Also, as I say above, such an extreme diet will just result in you putting the weight back on once you come off it. You need a diet you can stay on for life if you want to actually remain a healthy weight. --Tango (talk) 00:51, 11 February 2009 (UTC)

Bottom line - consult a qualified professional. In the exceedingly unlikely case that they recommend tape-worms they'll be able to answer all your questions about them - and doubtless provide ways to obtain and administer them. In the much more likely case that they tell you to follow a diet that they recommend and a stringent exercise regimen - do that instead. Of course if you ARE the same troll who has been asking about tape worms and dieting over and over again for the past few weeks: then a good source of tape worms is dog poop - which I'm sure you can find in your local park. SteveBaker (talk) 04:42, 11 February 2009 (UTC)

Increase your metabolism. We can't offer you medical advice. ~AH1^(TCU) 17:13, 14 February 2009 (UTC)

What major should I study to be employed by the Big 4 auditors?

Must I have a degree in Accounting? What about Finance? Or other fields related to Business? Wikipedia help please! 117.0.61.20 (talk) 17:31, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

If you want to be employed by one of them as an accountant, then you will need a professional designation, or to be only your final exams away from such designation. In Canada, you would need to be a Chartered Accountant, for example (C.A.). (The names will vary with the country.) Other backgrounds in business and finance are always useful if they help to separate you from the herd. The main qualification you will need is really high marks, yet another way of separating the applicants. Having a relative or mentor already in one of the firms is useful as it may help you get a placement for your articling period. Most of those who go to the big firms have also articled there. If you want to be employed there is some other capacity, a knowledge of business and especially business finance is always useful. I suspect it is possible to get a job as something other than an accountant or auditor, and then to earn your professional designation while you are thus employed. You might then be favoured over an unknown candidate. A further option, if you cannot get into the firm you want right out of school, is to do good work for some other reputable firm and to apply for a job when you have more experience. (At that time, the grades are less important than the quality and quantity of your experience.) ៛ BL ៛ (talk) 17:46, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

In the UK chartered accountancy exams are taken while working, you don't need to be chartered before you can get employed. --Tango (talk) 17:53, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

They'll teach you all the accounting you need. You just need a degree to prove you're capable of learning, really. It probably helps if it's in something quantitative (ie. that involves numbers) - accounting, finance, business, maths, physics, chemistry, engineering, anything like that. --Tango (talk) 17:53, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

I second this. I'm currently training as a chartered accountant in the UK (though not at a Big 4 firm) after getting a degree in Chemistry, of all things. In general, from talking to people in the profession, university degrees in accounting are something of a waste of time and are not particularly applicable to the real world: I would agree with the suggestion of majoring in something quantitative that demonstrates your analytical skills (sciences, engineering, economics) and then looking for graduate trainee positions. Alternatively, bear in mind that you can get into accountancy without a university degree: in the UK at least, it's quite possible to enter any of the main qualification routes with just some good A-level results. Training in this way with a smaller firm and then moving into the larger ones after you qualify is another common route. ~ mazca ^t|c 23:26, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

The whois for the OP resolves to Vietnam. The rules do seem to vary greatly from country to country. In Canada, you do require a university degree, including some very specific courses, in order to be eligilble for the C.A. training [4]. There is more than one type of accountancy, of course, and more than one type of job with the Big 4 firms. Some of them have nothing to do with accounting at all. We might be able to be more helpful if we knew where the OP will be looking for the job. It is also clear that we are all making different assumptions about what "to be employed by the Big 4 auditors" actually means. (I don't think of a job with a training firm as being "employed by" unless you also get a job when your training is completed, but that is just the basis on which I replied.) Auditing of public companies is still another level of qualification. ៛ BL ៛ (talk) 23:58, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

In the UK you are most definitely employed by the company doing your training. You get paid and you spend most of your time doing actual work (with day release to a college, or similar). You would also be expected to have a job once you qualify - why would the company spend so much money training you if they didn't intend to put those skills to use? --Tango (talk) 00:45, 11 February 2009 (UTC)

If you are focussing on only four companies, I would really recommend phoning their human resources departments and asking. You may be surprised at what they say. You might also find that they have scholarships or internships and such...it's definitely worth asking. Companies like nothing more than enthusiastic young blood! SteveBaker (talk) 00:40, 11 February 2009 (UTC)

Checking out their websites is another option. --Tango (talk) 00:45, 11 February 2009 (UTC)

In the US, the Big Four accounting firms provide a broad range of business services, some of which are only loosely related to accounting. In particular, they design and implement large custom financial software systems. They hire recent college graduates with very good grades in almost any field that might result in good analytic and writing skills, for example history, English, sociology. They also hire people with degrees in business, computer science, information technology, etc. Warning: some of these firms have reputations for being unpleasent to work for, but since the firms are huge, your job satisfaction will depend on exactly which part of the firm you work for. -Arch dude (talk) 00:49, 11 February 2009 (UTC)

In the UK at least, it doesn't much matter what your degree is in. It might help marginally to have an accountancy/business degree, but not as much as having a good degree from a top university, and a good all-round student CV. Honbicot (talk) 18:23, 12 February 2009 (UTC)

Food

How can i do huge farts and what are the proper foods for it? I want to do huge and smelly farts. --67.68.56.177 (talk) 18:40, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

Flatulence may help you. Tomdobb (talk) 18:46, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

Flatulence#Causes, to be precise. --Tango (talk) 18:48, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

With all due respect, that is the weirdest question I've seen on the RefDesk yet. --Whip it! ^{Now whip it good!} 20:56, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

You obviously haven't been around very long! ;) --Tango (talk) 21:02, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

Yep. This one seemed to want to go at least one step further. 93.97.184.230 (talk) 22:31, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

From my personal experience, nothing beats Jerusalem artichokes for causing massive, sonorous farts. ~ mazca ^t|c 21:22, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

Oranges and licorice - works every time. In some cases, it helps by merely having the right genes. Two people who eat exactly the same food can have very differently smelling farts. -- JackofOz (talk) 21:43, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

[5] says that beans are effective for generating farts, and sulfur containing foods such as "cauliflower, eggs and meat" make farts stinky. Other effective odorants are onions and garlic. Foods such as cabbage, brussels sprouts, and foods high in fiber have the reputation of causing large farts, per[6]. See also [7]. Gas production may cause intestinal discomfort or abnormal bowel movements, and there is always the risk of skidmarks and social ostracism. Edison (talk) 22:40, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

In my experience, soy products are the best for large amounts of very smelly gas. The very best soy product for this is edamame, but tofu is pretty good, too. Whole grains are also good. Here is what I recommend: Cook up a stir-fry with edamame, tofu, cauliflower, chick peas, garlic, and soy sauce. (Soy sauce won't make you fart, but it will help the flavor). Serve it over brown rice, or, better yet, eat it with a thick multigrain bread with seeds (such as sunflower seeds) mixed in with the dough. I should warn you, though, that the bloating might be uncomfortable. 192.251.134.5 (talk) 23:18, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

Oh yes: Be sure to use LOTS of garlic. 192.251.134.5 (talk) 23:20, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

Extra points for blaming it on someone else or on a dog, or for leaving the effluent in an elevator or a revolving door. 24.12.189.23 (talk) 05:34, 11 February 2009 (UTC)

Effluent is liquid waste, so, EWWWW ! StuRat (talk) 06:14, 11 February 2009 (UTC)

What is the word for vaporous waste? Effluent might be a failure of the process. Edison (talk) 06:33, 11 February 2009 (UTC)

Effluvium, for the smelly variety anyway. (I know not whether his were smelly or not, but Le Petomane is ze master.) Clarityfiend (talk) 07:20, 11 February 2009 (UTC)

Never wear white jeans or trousers - sooner or later you'll get it wrong and you'll be grateful you're wearing dark trousers. Richard Avery (talk) 09:01, 11 February 2009 (UTC)

Finally a question in my area of expertise! From personal experience, protein powders designed for weight training result in copious amounts of foul-smelling gas. -- Mad031683 (talk) 18:07, 11 February 2009 (UTC)

Certainly for me, the traditional Baked Beans and lentils do their work. As do pork and bacon, due to a slight food intolerance. Eating a lot of a single fruit (like plums or cherries) will give you lots of gas, but it'll probably give you the runs, too. Remember that excessive gas is sometimes a symptom of sickness, so be careful. Steewi (talk) 04:44, 12 February 2009 (UTC)

Simply swallow lots of air. It will come out the other end. Get diarrhea and you will have 300 "farts" a day. ~AH1^(TCU) 17:08, 14 February 2009 (UTC)

"Local History Contact Information"

Hillsboro Public Library

I would like to contact the manager of your local history room with a few questions. Please reply to my email with the name, email address and phone number of the person in charge of your local history room. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.60.106.121 (talk) 19:33, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

Hello! Welcome to Wikipedia. This is the encyclopedia anyone can edit. If you have some basic questions about how Wikipedia works, please see Help:Contents/Getting started. As to your specific question, there is no one "in charge" of any local history desk here. The entire encyclopedia is written and regulated by volunteers who are no different from yourself. No one is "in charge" of anything. If you have a specific question about a specific article, then go ahead and ask it here, and someone may be along to help you! --Jayron32.talk.contribs 20:11, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

I will also note that a good number of cities and towns named Hillsboro are on this site, but not all. So, if you follow that link and yours is not on the list, perhaps you can look at some of the ones which are, and deduce what things belong in an article and what don't. As noted, though, the people here would be willing to answer any questions themselves.209.244.187.155 (talk) 22:23, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

There are at least 45 places listed in the encyclopedia called 'Hillsboro' or 'Hillsborough' - probably most of them have public libraries and looking up all of their addresses and phone numbers would be exceedingly tedious. If you could tell us where in the world is the Hillsboro that you are thinking of - we could probably find out for you. Also, we cannot reply by email. Our replies are posted here and here only...for the world to see! SteveBaker (talk) 00:35, 11 February 2009 (UTC)

engine settings

Does anyone have the cylinder head torque settings for a ferguson te20 standard engine on TVO89.168.197.240 (talk) 20:51, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

This is the sort of question better asked on a specialist forum. Exxolon (talk) 22:06, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

70 to 75 foot-lbs.

I just knew that - right off the top of my head - that's just how good the WP:RD is!

(OK - I'm lying. I'm amazed that it's possible to find that out online at all! Anyway - Google books has a few excerpts from the shop manual here - and by pure luck, the random page it chose to show me included the cylinder head torque settings! Consider yourself very, VERY lucky!)

You're eventually going to need the shop manual for whatever vehicle this came out of. http://www.themotorbookstore.com/19fedeshmate.html has manuals for "1948-1952 Ferguson TE-20, TO-20, TO-30 Tractors" for $40. They say "ships next business day" and if you pay a bit extra for postage you'd probably have it by the weekend.

SteveBaker (talk) 00:17, 11 February 2009 (UTC)

books

I am an aspiring young author, and I am writing a few books, at various stages of completion. I am now at the point where I am considering attempting to get a couple published some time soon, however before then there are still a lot of questions about this i want to ask someone. How might I go about finding the answers to these? Is there somewhere I can go, or maybe someone I could email about this?

148.197.114.165 (talk) 20:51, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

The advice I've heard is that you should get an agent, sending manuscripts to publishers yourself is apparently much less likely to work. http://www.google.com/search?q=how%20to%20get%20published might help.--Tango (talk) 21:01, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

WritersMarket.com offers guidance to aspiring writers, such as how to find a literary agent. Major publishers certainly are looking for new talent, but a high percentage of manuscripts "do not meet their present needs." It is important not to take too much to heart the possible rejection of your early work. I recently read a bio of Steinbeck, and he had quite a few rejections before he became a well regarded author.Also, there are certainly lots of scams which seek to take your money without a track record of getting authors published other than in vanity (you pay) publications.Edison (talk) 22:21, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

Check out Writers and Artists Yearbook, which is one of the main UK/Commonwealth resource for aspiringa nd published writers: advice, contacts, publishers adn agents lists. Get a copy from your library. DON'T pay any money up front to publishers (Vanity Publishing is generally a scam: see http://www.vanitypublishing.info and self-publishing is fraught unless you know what you're doing. DON'T pay a literary agent up front: reputable ones do not charge reading fees, and earn their living from commission on successful sales. If they're charging, question their success rate. Check out the websites of your favourite authors: some offer essays or FAQs on writing. See also the following essays by reputable agents/writers: Role of Literary Agents ; Holly Lisle's articles; Lisa Gardner. You'll easily find more with a web search, but also confirm two things: 1. Are they an established author? (check WP, for a start) 2. Do they want money? If they do, look elsewhere. You don't need to pay for advice. Gwinva (talk) 01:53, 11 February 2009 (UTC)

• Read articles about publishing from established literary agents and experts: http://www.absolutewrite.com , http://www.writing-world.com , http://www.accrispin.blogspot.com and sites they link come to mind. - Mgm|^(talk) 11:00, 11 February 2009 (UTC)

• There are many "Writer's Market" books at the bookstore and library that list reputable publishers and how to send them your manuscripts or queries, along with notes about the sorts of material that each publisher is, and isn't, looking for. Tempshill (talk) 07:01, 16 February 2009 (UTC)

Berlin murder

Has anyone heard of the murder case about the body found? The police found a torso and two thighs cut of the body. I would like to further this conversation with other users to possibly learn something new. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Owenator1997 (talk • contribs) 17:30, 10 February 2009 (UTC) moved from WP:VPM--Patton^t/c 23:12, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

Some searching in the archives section of Google News reveals that the victim was named Jasmin Stieler and that last year the police arrested a man named Heiko K.; the story said that a trial was expected soon, but I found nothing after that. If you speak German maybe you could try going to German newspaper web sites and searching for the names. --Anonymous, 07:43 UTC, February 11, 2009.

Recent progressivism

What in recent events (last month or so) would be considered progressivism? 76.248.244.232 (talk) 23:18, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

First come up with a definition of progressivism appropriate to your class. Then think back to some of the news of the last month or so. And bam! Homework solved, no problem at all. --98.217.14.211 (talk) 23:48, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

If you mean American progressivism, then an example might be the recent executive order by Barack Obama to shut down Guantanamo Bay detention camp within the year. Lantzy ^talk 00:04, 11 February 2009 (UTC)

Though one should keep in mind that your teacher probably doesn't want a list of things, but an explanation of why said action would fall under this particular political heading. Off-hand I would not consider the shutting down of Guantanamo Bay to be a great example of American progressivism without more discussion (just because it was done by a "progressive" does not make it progressivism—I'd expect a discussion of the motivations of shutting it down correlated with tenets of progressivism). --98.217.14.211 (talk) 02:27, 11 February 2009 (UTC)

The removal of the Global Gag Rule might be a good one to think about though. 81.174.226.229 (talk) 10:09, 12 February 2009 (UTC)