Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2008 April 4

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April 4

Bank repossessions / recreational vehicle

living in canada,looking for a site that will direct me to canadian bank repossestions?specifically,r.v.'s —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.65.112.10 (talk) 00:12, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

There is this site. Marco polo (talk) 01:35, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

What exactly are you looking for? RVs that have been repossessed (see Marco polo's post above)? Rules about when a bank can repossess an RV? How repossessions are conducted in Canada? What the rights of a person whose item has been repossessed are? --NellieBly (talk) 02:51, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

Also (and relatively importantly), where in Canada? You won't find much being repossessed in Alberta, for instance, and some rules about repossession can vary from province to province. --NellieBly (talk) 03:12, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

If I may, what's so special about Alberta that makes repossessions an oddity? Dismas|^(talk) 04:04, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

Part of it is an extremely strong economy at the moment, including a remarkably low unemployment rate and very high wages compared to the rest of Canada. Convenience store workers in Calgary make on average more per hour than provincial legislators in Newfoundland, according to CFCN News. Unlike housing and groceries, big-ticket items are often priced nationally or regionally, so a smaller percentage of the family's monthly income goes toward such things. That may be why there's a lower rate of default here. Another factor is that repossession and garnishment are both somewhat more expensive and time-consuming in Alberta than elsewhere. Not only does the lender have to jump through more hoops in order to get a judgment or order, there are so many exceptions and regulations as to who can be garnished and for how much (and what can be repossessed) that early repossession like you see in the US may not be financially beneficial to the lender. The rules would, you'd think, make it less viable to lend in Alberta, but the lower rate of repossession makes up for it. --NellieBly (talk) 05:04, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

Oh, my reference is my partner, who handles vehicle repossessions for a financial institution! --NellieBly (talk) 05:05, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

Burj Dubai

Why does this article keep saying back and forth its current height? One minute it says 1,985 ft., the next it's 2,133 ft. like geese! does it keep collapsing or something?Jwking (talk) 04:14, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

No, there's always an edit war going on there changing the height. While the actual height may be different from what Wikipedia has, Wikipedia is about verifiability, not truth. Those height-changers are not providing reliable sources. Useight (talk) 07:38, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

The 'height changers' keep getting their information from the Burj Dubai website. I'm sure they are following along.Jwking (talk) 15:59, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

Wikipedia: Hell of a site

How do I endorse wikipedia? This is a hell of a website. Who gets the accolades? The boss or the workers? 205.240.144.198 (talk) 04:33, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

I say give your standing ovation or accolades to all the active editors. Useight (talk) 07:39, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

Blink blink. Blushes. Thank you thank you. Our leader wouldn't be here without us and vice versa. Verbum sat. Har. Julia Rossi (talk) 08:03, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

He's our leader? I voted for Our leader Lemon martini (talk) 13:31, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

I voted for this guy, but somehow we ended up with that guy. Twice.

Atlant (talk) 16:50, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos. Adam Bishop (talk) 05:33, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

You can donate to the project if you like it. — Kieff | Talk 05:35, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

Nighttime Hard-On and ....

...penile fractures: a man gets these at night. What would happen if he got a penile fracture while asleep?205.240.144.198 (talk) 04:36, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

He would be in quite a bit of pain. Was there something more specific that you were looking for? Maybe the penile fracture article would help? Dismas|^(talk) 04:40, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

The guy is asleep, has a "hard on" while asleep, then SNAP!!!! then a "What the F***!" as he sees a bloody mess and he's in pain. A LOT OF PAIN. Does that happen in real life to people?205.240.144.198 (talk) 06:27, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

"Honey, why am I in such pain and why are you holding that pair of Vise-Grips?"

Atlant (talk) 11:57, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

Complete guess here, but I doubt that it just ever "happens". The guy would probably feel some discomfort before a fracture actually occurred and he would adjust his body while still asleep in order to avoid the discomfort. Dismas|^(talk) 15:20, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

Could such an injury result in a Frankenpenis and a movie career?? Edison (talk) 01:19, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

BTW just as a matter of interest, what is the plural of Hard-on? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.68.238.153 (talk) 01:52, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

I expect that the "s" should follow "on" rather than "hard." It's not like "attorneys general."

Edison (talk) 02:29, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Agreed. Even though I would write hard-on as two words and a hyphen, it's a single word in my head. Steewi (talk) 01:10, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

Inspired by Frankl

<sorry, wrong desk>

gaybashing

This question has been removed. Per the reference desk guidelines, the reference desk is not an appropriate place to request medical, legal or other professional advice. If you want a legal opinion, ask a lawyer. --FiggyBee (talk) 10:54, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

This question has been restored. It asks for help regarding a gay-bashing incident, and only incidentally asks a question for a lawyer. The correct means of dealing with the question is to answer it without offering legal advice, not to treat it as an imposition.

me and my son and his boyfriend were at a restaurant tonight and the manager began to bother us and called my son's boyfriend a fagot and rushed us out threatening to call the police. Is this illegal? It happened in Tara Hills, California a bay area suburb. What can i do. Where can i file a complaint with the authorities? Do I have grounds for a lawsuit? What civil rights organizations do I have? This man mocked us for several minutes.Ninapoetiza (talk) 09:50, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

I'm sorry you were treated in such an disrespectful, offensive, and hostile manner. The refusal of a public accommodation to serve someone because he's gay is clearly inappropriate, though finding out what organizations to contact for help is hard. You might want to try asking the Human Rights Campaign to refer you to the appropriate government agency in Contra Costa County to contact. Alternatively, you could visit The Contra Costa County website and try to find someone there who will be more sympathetic than we have been at the Reference Desk. I've stricken out your question about a lawsuit, which we can't answer here - though the answer is clear, and can be provided by the appropriate agency. Perhaps your best bet would be PFLAG - Parents, Families and Firends of Lesbians and Gays - which has several chapters near Tara Hills, including PFLAG Walnut Creek/Diablo Valley at 10 Rancho Diablo Road, Lafayette, California 94549-2722, Phone: (925) 283-8928); and PFLAG Oakland/East Bay at Oakland, California whose email is <support@pflag-eastbay.org> and which has a help line at 510-562-7692. - Outerlimits (talk) 20:49, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

Sometimes the manager is just a guy paid to keep the staff under control who is acting like a petty tyrant on his own, and not in a way representing company policy. If it was a chain restaurant, you might get some satisfaction from finding out (via Google) who the head of the company is and sending him a personal letter of complaint, including the location and date and the manager's name if possible. A copy of that letter to your U.S. Senator and Representative will likely result in their offices also contacting the head of the company. (Actually it would likely go to someone whose job it is to keep the CEO from finding out what is actually going on, and who has an amazing amount of power to offer compensation. Just saying)Edison (talk) 01:11, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

Deoderant

Is an anti-persperend different from a deoderant? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.119.61.7 (talk) 09:51, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

Deodorants kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria. Antiperspirants clog up sweat pores to prevent sweating. FiggyBee (talk) 10:49, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

"Clog up" isn't the right term. "Use certain salts to change the osmotic balance so you don't sweat" is more like it. Aluminum chlorhydrate is a commonly-used ingredient.

Atlant (talk) 11:53, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

In my experience, deodorants try to cover up the smell from your sweat, antiperspirants keep you from sweating to begin with. People like to claim that one is better for you in some sort of cosmic way than the other, but frankly I just use what works for me. There are no substantiated links to any real health problems caused by using one or the other. --Captain Ref Desk (talk) 15:02, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Military aircraft defensive weapons, and laser gadgets

As I live close to an airbase, the thought has humored me: Can I use a laser pointer (or 50+) to somehow get a reaction from the passing military aircraft's laser detecting equipment? I assume most fighting jets are equipped with these? Thanks in advance for your answers. 81.93.102.185 (talk) 14:27, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

You'd get a reaction all right, but perhaps not the one you are looking for. I don't imagine the relevant authorities in Norway would be any more amused. --LarryMac | Talk 14:32, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

We have an article on Lasers and aviation safety. Attempting to harass aircraft is not likely to be appreciated. Friday (talk) 14:34, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

These mention visual impairing, but say nothing about military warning systems. I'm intruiged to learn more about that particular field. 81.93.102.185 (talk) 15:18, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

I suppose it is possible that modern RWRs can detect lasers. If so, they can almost certainly tell the difference between a military LADAR and an idiot with a penlight, and will ignore the latter. FiggyBee (talk) 15:35, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

The History of the Game of Fetch

I am looking for references in literature and art to humans playing fetch with dogs. Since dogs have been around for more than 15,000 years, it would seem logical that fetch is an activity that would have developed fairly early in that relationship. I would like to find the earliest representations of this activity possible. I am also interested in behavioral observations of wolves, wild canines and primates that would seem to foreshadow playing fetch.

Thanks you.Elliottolin (talk) 14:34, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

You could look at Wikipedia's article Fetch (game) which has plenty of behavioral observations, although it doesn't provide much information about the game's origins. Think outside the box 15:13, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

Thanks, I started there and it was useful. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Elliottolin (talk • contribs) 15:16, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

Push-ups ... dangerous for girls

My daughter's aikido class gets boys to do full push-ups but girls to push up from knees only. The instructor says he has been informed that it is not safe for girls to do full push ups. When I was at school everybody did the full push-ups without any consequences. Is the instructor correct? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Q Chris (talk • contribs) 15:41, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

Unless your daughter has a broken ankle or something, then I couldn't see any reason to make her do knee pushups other than that they're easier. Seems more like a socialization thing than a sports medicine thing. 70.79.61.172 (talk) 17:16, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

Try googling 'girl pushups' - it's an interesting social phenomenon that I was previously unaware of! FiggyBee (talk) 17:28, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

I do not believe that they're "dangerous for girls" in the kind of categorical sense — rather, they're better for people who are building upper body strength and don't have the kind of muscle mass needed to properly do full push-ups. Like any exercise, doing push-ups incorrectly (or doing the wrong kind of push-up for your ability-level) can be dangerous, and damage the body. Since many girls, especially young girls, do not have the upper-body muscle mass of boys their same age, full body push-ups can be a problem for them. The instructor is half-correct, but over-generalizes — if your daughter has enough muscle development to do full push-ups properly, without serious strain, then she should not have a problem doing them. --Haemo (talk) 17:49, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

I am not going to give medical advice, but would have to tell that push-ups are not the least bit dangerous for girls. Any claim made to imply that would be utterly unsubstantiated. Girls are frequently allowed push-ups with a knee (or two) touching the ground. This is related to a rather simplified view on female physique; girls will by tradition have weaker muscles in different places, from - traditionally - not participating in the same physical activities as boys or men are often assumed to. There are nuances, but a generalization can be made, and is widely accepted in the west, that says females can perform equally in comparable environments. One should, however, not expect the same output of raw strength based on the same amount of the same type of training. Males have a physique better accommodated for this than females. Sorry for not providing references for anything said so far, but I can only point to original research through many an instructor, many a gym teacher and many a fitness center visit. 81.93.102.185 (talk) 19:36, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

In Wikipedia we should generally refer to them as Press ups because that is the term first used about them when the article was written. Edison (talk) 01:06, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

Edison, that's only in articles written in British English, like press up. In articles written in American English, it should be "push up". On the ref desk, we are each free to use our own vernaculars. --D. Monack | talk 17:01, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

Here’s a video of a girl totally owning a guy at handstand pushups! --S.dedalus (talk) 01:35, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

In a recent ad for health insurers including gym fees etc for cultivating fitness I take no notice of the spokesmodels swanking around in the foreground, my attention goes to the small woman happily doing one-handeds in the background. Julia Rossi (talk) 02:41, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

What is the point of removing questions such as "Gaybashing" above?

Moved metadiscussion to talk page. --Milkbreath (talk) 18:52, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

gps in Africa

I'm going to Africa soon. Cairo to Cape Town. I don't know anything about gps but I figure I need a unit. Can anyone recommend something very cheap? I just need to mark points of interest. Assuming the cheap units don't have maps, can I still mark my hotel and use this cheap unit for bare navigational purposes? Thanks a lot.

Lotsofissues 19:31, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

Just a cheap Garmin will do what you want. Other models will as well but I have a Garmin so that's why I'm using it as an example. You can buy maps for various locations although Africa doesn't have much in the way of maps from what I can see at Garmin's Mapsource page. The best thing they have is this which just gives political boundaries, major cities, and major roadways. You don't need the maps to set waypoints though. All you need is the unit. And then you'll be able to get back to your hotel from wherever you wander to as long as you set a waypoint at the hotel before leaving for the day. Dismas|^(talk) 21:25, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

Check with the State Department, too. Last time I looked, some countries (Russia?) frowned on bringing GPS receivers into the country. I should hope that's changed by now, but you should probably check to make sure. --Mdwyer (talk) 21:35, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

Thank you guys for the quick advice. I really need it bad! So does this cheap unit look like it will do the job for me? [1] Will it mark points? Will it allow me to mark my hotel and help me get back?

I don't know about that one, but this one is still not too expensive, and will definitely mark waypoints and help you get back (in the sense of pointing you in the crow's-flight direction). Very nice unit. I dropped mine in some poison oak last summer and took the opportunity to upgrade to the eTrex Vista HCx, which is even nicer. --Trovatore (talk) 23:12, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

mdwyer, I bet the Sudanese government will object to anything. Hopefully the remedy won't be too expensive! Lotsofissues 22:54, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

The one that you linked to, Issues, doesn't specifically state that you can create waypoints but it does state that it has a maximum of 500 of them. So, logically it would seem to follow that you could make them somehow... Dismas|^(talk) 19:10, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

Vegan Diet (I'm going to die)

I read a question above about a boy looking for a good vegan pizza. It seems we are in the same boat. In the sense we have vegan friends. Sadly, my friend has me being a vegan with her because I kinda of lost a bet with her. Kinda....

I'm going to die. I need meat I won't last the rest of this week. I'm going to fall over and die. I need bacon, I need beef, and I need chicken. So, what do I tell her? (And presuming I stick with it for the rest of this week and half of next week) How do I survive?

Thank You

Always

Cardinal Raven

Cardinal Raven (talk) 22:57, 4 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

Tell her that you feel like you are starting to lose energy from only eating plants. Meat provides much more protein. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.119.61.7 (talk) 23:34, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

There are lots of non-meat protein sources. Go to a vegan restaurant and pig out, or by frozen vegan meals at a big grocery. I am more familiar with vegetarian than with all the variants. Seitan with the right sauce tastes like barbecue. Tofu is ok. Then there are all sorts of vegan fake sausage, ground beef, and chicken. Yum! There's nothing wrong with beans and rice, and that allows one to get away from pretending to eat the dreaded animal products. Edison (talk) 01:04, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

I’ve known a number of dedicated vegans. You’re not going to “die,” and if you can’t survive without meat for a couple of weeks it’s probably time to examine your diet anyway. Try reading vegan cuisine, vegan substitutions, and vegan recipes for ideas. --S.dedalus (talk) 01:16, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

Eating just non meat is not the way to go in my opinion, get your protein from meat it is much more tastier —Preceding unsigned comment added by Nick910 (talk • contribs) 03:40, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. That way you'll not be deficient on a particular amino acid. You should pig out as Edison says since cellulose (fibers) and water make up most of this type of food. --Lenticel ^(talk) 05:43, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

The human body has developed over hundreds of thousands of years to be omnivorous. It contains a range of digestive processes to breakdown and utilise all forms of foodstuffs (and other things besides)if you have respect for your body you will treat it as it was meant to be treated. A little of everything and something special on your holy day. Richard Avery (talk) 18:19, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

For quick protein, nothing beats nuts. Then wash them down with some milk (if that's permitted on your vegan diet). Fish and eggs are also good sources of protein, if allowed. StuRat (talk) 22:55, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

Soy milk because unlike "vegetarianism", "vegan" means no animal by-products either. I joined a friend in veganism for six months (maybe it just felt like that) out of curiosity and that she looked pretty healthy. It includes reading the contents of every packet you pick up in the supermarket, making pizzas with lebanese flat bread and there was a nice curry recipe for lentils, carrots, roast potatoes. (I still like that one.) A hard-core friend used to sit in a restaurant with a napkin over his face to avoid the smell of meat cooking, and wouldn't eat there at all in case meat was fried in the same oil. He only sat on furniture with synthetic upholstery. I fell off the wagon for chicken and cheese and didn't look back. It's a world. Julia Rossi (talk) 00:35, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

I might have exaggerated a little. I'm a supertaster so I dislike a lot of vegetables. I dislike coffee as well disgusting bitter junk. But I do like some vegetables my list of preferred vegetables:

Peas

Corn

Edamama

Cauliflower

Spinach Vegetables I will NEVER touch are:

Carrots

Onions

Tomatoes (though its a fruit but I will not touch this ever)

Artichoke

Broccoli There are to many to name.

I'm really picky when it comes to food. So I might have exaggerated. My friends vegan diet does not include any meat products fish is no, eggs are a no, and milk is a no unless its soymilk. But i still go on with the vegan diet with her. I'm just picky and I need to get over it. Hey, those dishes look good. Guess I'm going to try me some tofu.

Always

Cardinal Raven

Cardinal Raven (talk) 01:24, 6 April 2008 (UTC)Cardinal Raven

A tomato is a vegetable and a fruit (these are two unrelated categories). There is no problem with including it in your list of disliked vegetables (other than that it's a shame). -- Meni Rosenfeld (talk) 15:37, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

In a large U.S. supermarket there are probably numerous producuts by Bocaburger and Gardenburger which are officialy labelled "vegan" and quite satisfying to a meat lover. Edison (talk) 02:21, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

I'm not afraid to ask dumb questions. Please tell me what is Edamama? And why have I never heard of it in my entire life? Wanderer57 (talk) 22:16, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

I suspect it's edamame, an Asian soybean dish. Confusing Manifestation(Say hi!) 06:57, 8 April 2008 (UTC)