Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2008 June 10

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June 10

Subaru Outback Sedan diecast toy

Has there ever been a die cast toy made of the Subaru Outback Sedan? This would include the 1999 Legacy SUS (the name was changed to Outback Sedan the following year)? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.71.223.87 (talk) 00:50, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

It appears that Kyosho made a diecast of the Legacy. One is currently for sale on ebay [1]. Librarians--Ask Us, We Answer!

Find your local Library here [2]

What to say to an unknown girl?

If you meet a girl in the subway/pub/park and she makes eye contact with you, what do you say? GoingOnTracks (talk) 01:11, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Smile and say hello - unless you're looking for a fight in which case "wot you looking at?" serves well  :-)) Astronaut (talk) 01:36, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

"Hi" Chris M. (talk) 01:59, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

This question has been asked before, with the same peculiar wording. Don't have time for a link or a diff right now, but it seems fishy.--24.189.12.121 (talk) 02:06, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Well, it was not asked before by me. And I also don't find the previous question. It shows how important these matters are.

And after that I said "hello" what else? GoingOnTracks (talk) 02:11, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

You could try waving as well 87.102.86.73 (talk) 16:43, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Good evening sir. I would expect you to know what to say after "hello" a nice "how is your day?" or maybe something about the weather. Then after she answers and ask the same questions maybe introduce. Then say "It was nice talking to you." and leave. Or if you are in to her ask her to catch her some time. I hope I have helped. Have a positively wonderful evening.Rem Nightfall (talk) 02:30, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

You might want to ask her name and tell her name, followed maybe by what she does for a living, or what college does she go to (Warning: You probably will have to answer the same questions, so don't ask anything you wouldn't answer yourself) Both questions can open up to wonderful discussions if she's outgoing, which since she appears to have started it, I'm asuming she is. --Ye Olde Luke (talk) 05:21, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Of course, she may also think you're intrusive if you ask too much, too soon. · AndonicO ^Engage. 16:47, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

True, that. Sigh, the guessing game that is relationships! --Ye Olde Luke (talk) 08:33, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

No sense in trying to pretend the situation is anything other than what it is -- an inevitably uncomfortable introduction between strangers in a public space. If you can turn that from a disadvantage into an advantage, or make light in a way that is both poignant and entertaining, I suspect that would go a long way. There's no getting around the fact, though, that you're putting your butt on the line. She may already be with someone, she may hate strangers, she may not be attracted to you... or she might. You can only try. If she doesn't seem responsive, chalk it down as experience and move on. E^robson (T^alk) 19:52, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

See this pick-up line site for some pick-up lines that might be good and for a whole lot that will get your ass kicked. bibliomaniac15 19:53, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

If I were that girl, and we were in England, I would expect anything more than 'hi' at the very most to be intrusive and would feel uncomfortable. A simple nod would be more expected. If you tried to engage me in conversation, I would do my best to brush you off with curt answers or ignoring if possible. If you didn't get the hint, I'd walk away. If you still didn't get the hint I would have to react in a more socially unpleasant manner. This is all assuming we are strangers and there are no other factors (like something interesting or dangerous going on). So, in short, don't assume just because you see someone in a public space that they are fair game, even if they make eye contact. At the bar in a pub is different, but still be prepared to take the hint if she is trying to shrug you off. 79.74.56.70 (talk) 23:51, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Well that's rude, hope you don't have to deal with someone with that mentality GoingOnTracks. And if you get that, don't worry, there are friendly women out there, just keep looking. Chris M. (talk) 03:42, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

Sometimes you have to be rude if you don't want people following you around. The first reactions would be absolutely polite, although going up to a stranger and trying to start a conversation when she's just trying to walk through a park is incredibly rude round here. As I say, the initial reaction would be to try to politely let the person know they have acted in an inappropriate way that is making me uncomfortable. If they don't get the hint, then you have to be rude. And it is hard to be rude, but the alternative is to have someone not leave you alone, potentially every time you pass them in future. I hope GoingOnTracks isn't surrounded by people who think like you Chris, because it will make it hard for him to learn appropriate behaviour around girls and he won't understand why things don't work out for him.

On the other hand, GoingOnTracks listed several different places in the hypothetical. In a pub, particularly at the bar, the rules are more relaxed (in England) and it would be appropriate to strike up a conversation with someone you made eye contact with. As always, pay attention to any clues that they want to stop the conversation, but you've got a good chance of getting to know someone, or at least having a nice conversation. Perhaps make a relevant comment about your surroundings, maybe saying "I like your hat/t-shirt/necklace/something else" or "Interesting choice" about their drink, or the decor, or anything you can see that's slightly unusual. These can serve as openers for conversation. 79.66.36.52 (talk) 15:15, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

Good call on the compliments. Those will work wonders for the starting of a relationship. (Not that I would know...) --Ye Olde Luke (talk) 08:33, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

I always ask "what's a girl like you doing in a nice place like this ?" ... then I duck. :-) StuRat (talk) 05:54, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

A few months ago guides to flirting on the subway were distributed on Toronto's TTC. It can be read online here and could offer some useful advice. - SimonP (talk) 16:05, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

"You might want to try talking to them or making eye contact and see if they open up." Hey, that woman must have read your pamphlet! --Ye Olde Luke (talk) 08:37, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

A related RefDesk link from October of last year. 152.16.16.75 (talk) 09:15, 16 June 2008 (UTC)

Hemispheric Heat Wave?

I have seen discussions on this in Heat Wave, related articles. A hypothetical example is that the US has a heat wave going on, so does Europe, Asia, all going on at the same time. Would this qualify? I have read the article "Heat wave" and the different articles about various heat waves. That is why I had placed the 2008 Hemispheric Heat Wave there, since I believe it is possible to have heat waves going on in the US, Europe and Asia going on at the same time, setting up a Northern Hemispheric Heat Wave. Really appreciate the assisstance. 205.240.144.221 (talk) 04:37, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

There's no heat wave in the Pacific Northwest right now. Just the opposite. Pfly (talk) 05:07, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Wasn't there an attempt to write this last year, too? Ah, yes. Here it is. — Lomn 20:21, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

This seems to happen quite often. I did some research on it a while ago, and, if I remember correctly, it's called summer.HS7 (talk) 14:54, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

Carbon Footprint

Some large (and smaller)corporations, in the frame of their environmental policies,have set as a target to become "carbon neutral" by the end of 2008. Others intend to become "Carbon Positive" before 2010.

Could you please explain what this "Carbon Positive" mean, as opposed to carbon negative, because at first, one has the impression that carbon positive is rather bad, suggesting excessive emissions.

Thank you very much

Kyratso (talk) 06:29, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Carbon neutral, Carbon offset, and Carbon footprint should help you out. And this site has a glossary including the term Carbon positive which we don't seem to have an article for. Dismas|^(talk) 07:37, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Logically...Neutral means having no impact on carbon-output, Positive would be (in this context) a process that actually removes carbon-output (so instead of creating none, it uses the carbon and gives back out something that isn't carbon). That'd be my assumption. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 194.221.133.226 (talk) 09:06, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Not to get too technical but you can't use carbon and get something that isn't carbon without nuclear fusion. It probably means taking CO₂ out of the air and putting it into a different form (which is difficult to do without using an amount of energy that would put out more C0₂ than you subtracted. -- Mad031683 (talk) 17:48, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Actually it's easy to do - plant a tree. DJ Clayworth (talk) 21:15, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

In such a case, you need to look at the entire product lifecycle. Papermaking, for example, is at best carbon-neutral: you plant forests that draw carbon out of the air, cut them down and turn them into paper, and the carbon is released back into the air when the paper decomposes or is burned. --Carnildo (talk) 00:29, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

Funnily enough, probably the most efficient way to remove carbon from the carbon cycle, and thus decreasing the amount of carbon dioxide that can be produced, is to make asphalt - i.e. build more roads. (Although a bicycle path might be more "green".) Confusing Manifestation(Say hi!) 03:41, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

Help Me Name This Club Song

This is probably better off on the entertainment desk, but more people frequent here so I'm going to try my luck.

I've been hearing this song or splices of it many times in clubs around Sydney and I have no idea what it's called. It's an electronic song and the line that's stuck in my head is most likely played on a synthesiser. The main line consists of 4 main parts:

1. note twice, then a lower note twice, then a lower note three times
2. same
3. note twice, then a higher note twice, then a higher note three times
4. repeat 1 (I think...)

I'm sort of tone death but I did scrap together an audio file [3] (caution, for some reason it's about 2 mb for a 12 second sample) which gives you some idea of what it sounds like (if nothing more than timing).

It sounds like there are some 4ths or augmented chords in it, but it's been a long time since I've done music so I really wouldn't know. This has been on my mind all day, so it would be great if someone could help me out. Thanks Guycalledryan (talk) 07:05, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

The file's that big because it's uncompressed. Algebraist 07:28, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

wood grain

How do I get rid of wood grain when i paint an oak door that has already been painted —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.66.62.130 (talk) 11:06, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Strip the door down, sand it and repaint it. Painting on top of paint tends to produce a not-so-nice finish at the best of times. 194.221.133.226 (talk) 11:09, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

You might want to see our article about "Sanding sealer" (varnish). But merely sanding your door may achieve a "good enough" result.

Atlant (talk) 12:42, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Headlights-on audible alarm on door sensor

When i open the drivers door, the audible alarm that lets me know i left my headlights on does not work. Does anyone have a reason why this is happening and any possible solutions? Car is a 2003 Audi A6. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Johnbg999 (talk • contribs) 12:13, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

First question: Does the dome light operate for this door switch? If not, then the fault is almost certainly the door switch. Meanwhile, Audis sometimes use a funny three-terminal door switch where one terminal (with a brown wire) is (say) grounded, one terminal goes to the dome light, and one terminal goes to the electronic logic that operates the alarm, headlight beeper, and so forth. Because the current flow in the logc terminal is low, the contact gets cruddy over time. If you remove the door switch (but leave it wired in), you may be able to test this theory using clip leads to simulate the operation of the switch contacts. If the beeper now works, you've confirmed it's a defective door switch. If you're lucky and skilled, you can take the door switch out, take it apart, clean the contacts and reassemble it. If you're not so lucky or not so skilled, you can replace the door switch. (My 1991 Audi 200TQ suffered exactly this failure and I was lucky-enough to fix the switch.)

Atlant (talk) 12:37, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

If the dome light does not come on either, it may be a fuse. Dismas|^(talk) 12:55, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

thanks for the input. much appreciated. will try it out. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 193.120.148.36 (talk) 11:41, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

Society that eats lots of different animals

I've heard of a society whose members get together to eat meals consisting of animals that people do not normally eat (badgers, puffins, etc). I think the name has some reference to Carolus Linnaeus, but I'm not certain. Thryduulf (talk) 17:04, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

There was a group like this on the David Letterman show a while back, wasn't there? DJ Clayworth (talk) 17:28, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

At Annual Ducks Unlimited functions I went to with my father as a youth there was always a variety of meats (various bears, snakes, etc, etc) available. I don't know if this typical for that organization or whether the local group my father was a member of was an outlier.--droptone (talk) 17:35, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

The Roman Empire did. Cooked chicken in a cooked duck/goose, in a cooked sheep/goat, in a cooked cow. Seen this on the History Channel recently. It had a documentary on that incl. Roman dietary habits. They also consumed exotic animals as well. 205.240.144.221 (talk) 18:47, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

I seem to recall John McPhee doing something like this—someone who has tried to eat all sorts of eclectic animals, knows others who do as well. I seem to recall him writing something in the New Yorker about this not too long ago. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 19:28, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Ah, here's what I was thinking about. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 19:30, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Apparently when Charles Darwin was at Cambridge there was an outfit called the "Glutton Club", which existed in order to eat rare and unusual creatures. Owls, hawks and, according to rumour, even a puma. 81.187.153.189 (talk) 23:10, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

There was a fictional movie based on this promising premise, called The Freshman (1990 film). StuRat (talk) 05:47, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

Discover magazine mentions a New York group called the Gastronauts it describes as "a club for adventurous eaters". Clarityfiend (talk) 20:40, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

William Buckland was notorious for eating pretty much every kind of animal he could get his hands on, and allegedly, the preserved heart of Louis XIV. -Karenjc 21:33, 12 June 2008 (UTC)

Free Editing Software

Helllo,

If I was looking for some free, good video and photo editing software what would be my best options? I know how to use photoshop and premiere but they are far too expensive, and I am not risking my new computer downloading some virus ridden torrent.

Thanks.

84.13.41.179 (talk) 17:27, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Free photo editing: GIMP or Paint.NET. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 17:46, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

As for video editing, in my experience, the free video editors are mostly not up to par, almost all having extremely difficult interfaces, and many of the more "simple" ones being too feature poor for real use. But you can take a look for yourself here: List of open source software packages#Video_editing. --98.217.8.46 (talk) 17:54, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

IrfanView is another good choice. Corvus cornix_talk 18:02, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

An intermediate choice is Adobe's "Elements" line, $~100 each. — Lomn 20:23, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Thanks a lot, I may try some of these out, or if I can't find anything I like; gain the adobe software through less... *honorable* routes.84.13.41.179 (talk) 21:12, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Home Sales % Ranking by State

I'm looking for a list of which states are doing best/worst in the real estate market. Preferably one that includes all of the states, but basically I just want to know the percentages of home sales (relative to the population) each state had in 2007 or as current of a list you have.

Rachfeinberg (talk) 19:21, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

You can find the 2007 sales volume by state in this list. (I am linking Google's html cache because the source page would not display for me.) You can paste the numbers into Word if you want and then edit them to show only the 2007 totals. Insert an extra carriage return after each state's number, then perform a search and replace turning carriage returns into tabs. Perform a second search and replace turning double tabs into carriage returns. Save as a .txt file and then import this file into Excel. Download the Excel file from [http://www.census.gov/popest/states/NST-ann-est.html this Census page) and then cut and paste a column containing population estimates for each state into your file with sales volumes. (First check to make sure that both columns have the District of Columbia in the same place so that you can adjust as needed.) Then you can create a formula in the third column expressing the sales volume as a percentage of each state's 2007 estimated population.

I'm not sure how much this number will tell you. State A might have a higher per capita sales volume than State B but still have a more depressed real estate market if that sales volume is substantially lower than in previous years while State A's sales volume is similar to those of previous years. Different states have different rates of mobility and home ownership, which would make a comparison of these raw numbers difficult. Marco polo (talk) 20:41, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Coal to Oil

Does it take a special gas tank if you used the coal to oil? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.126.243.106 (talk) 21:45, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Are you asking "what modifications would be needed to an automobile designed to run on oil derived from coal (versus traditional gasoline) ?". StuRat (talk) 05:39, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

I can't figure out this question either. However, you definitely should not put either coal or oil into a gas tank.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 07:02, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

Article Location

I'm looking for an article I found a while back that listed a whole bunch of English words derived from Germanic languages and their Latin-derived counterparts. I can't find it anymore. Any help? --Russoc4 (talk) 22:39, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

List of Germanic and Latinate equivalents in English? Adam Bishop (talk) 23:50, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

That's it! Thank you! --Russoc4 (talk) 02:38, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

was cap anson jewish?

I think that cap anson a famous baseball player from long ago was jewish. i want to clarify. can anyone help? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Cocoster (talk • contribs) 23:01, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

The article Cap Anson doesn't mention it. A google search for "Cap Anson Jewish" gave me nothing, and Anson, the article about the surname, doesn't seem to list any Jewish people. Are you sure you aren't thinking of someone else? Fribbler (talk) 23:13, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

If he were Jewish, wouldn't he have been called "Skullcap" Anson? Clarityfiend (talk) 15:59, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

How much sugar in a day?

I am just wondering; Does anyone know what the normal amount of sugar that should be consumed in a day is? When you look at the Nutrition Facts on food, it tells you the amount of carbohydrates, fat, sodium, etc. and the percentage that amount is out of how much you should have in a day. However, there is no percentage for sugar. Diabeties runs in my family, so I am somewhat concerned. Thank You! Grango242 (talk) 23:36, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

According to this, simple sugars should be 10% of your diet. With a 2000 Calorie diet, that's 200 C, or 50 grams (can someone confirm that?). If diabetes runs in your family, it never hurts to go lower. Paragon12321 (talk) 23:53, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

That sounds like a reasonable maximum. I don't see any need for a minimum amount of sugar, however, as our bodies can easily convert complex carbs (starches), as well as other calorie sources, into simple carbs (sugars). StuRat (talk) 05:33, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

The number I've seen most often, on the sides of food packets, is 90 grams per day, rather than 50. I usually eat even more than this, partly because I seem to find it difficult to convert stuff into sugars. I can't be sure whether this is any different to average though, since I can't remember ever being anyone other than myself, but because of this a high sugar diet seems to work best for me, so that is what I eat. My theory is that people should learn how their bodies work and what is best for them, rather than for the average person. Although with your chance at diabetis and a risk of my being blamed for anything that goes wrong, I would advise caution if you do decide to experiment.HS7 (talk) 19:16, 15 June 2008 (UTC)

Actually that might have been 90 grams of sugar and starch combined.HS7 (talk) 19:20, 15 June 2008 (UTC)

Metacafe earnings

Metacafe pays you after your videos reach the mark of 20.000. How difficult is to reach this amount? GoingOnTracks (talk) 23:40, 10 June 2008 (UTC)