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0Society & Culture

Is there an English equivalent for the male firstname "Reinhard"?

Whenever I'm visiting Peets and order a speciality coffee, I'm asked for my firstname, for which I do not know the English equivalent (I'm currently using "Ryan". "Reggie" turned out to be a disaster!).\n\nAccording to Wikipedia, the name "Reinhard" is composed of the ancient Germanic words "ragina" ('advice') and "harti" ('hard', 'strong'), meaning: "strong in giving advice" = "the knowledgeable".\n\nOh, so a great name for "Yahoo! Q&A" could also be "Yahoo! Reinhard"?!

According to this page in the French wikipedia, Reinhard comes from Regin + Hard (strong advice as you mention)\n\nhttp://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_de_Renart\n\nInterestingly, the page goes on to say that the word "renard" (French for "fox") comes from Reinhard! Reinhard was the name of the fox (originally "goupil" in French) in a famous story "Reynard the fox", but due to the popularity of the fox character, the French name for fox became "renard" instead of "goupil".\n\n"Reinhard : Voir Renard pour le sens. Le nom est porté en Alsace-Lorraine. Variantes : Reinhardt, Reinhart, Reinharth, Reinard, Reinardt, Reinartz, Reinert, Reinertz."\n\n"Renard, Renart Nom de personne d'origine germanique, Raginhard (ragin = conseil + hard = dur). Faut-il le rappeler, le nom commun renard est au départ un prénom, et c'est la popularité du goupil, nommé Renart dans le célèbre roman médiéval, qui en a fait peu à peu un nom commun."\n\nThe English version has less information regarding the names:\n\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reynard\n\nSo you can just ask people to call you "Fox". :-)

4Computers & Internet

what is the most popular programming laguage in use today?

This is a tough one, and no doubt a potential debate point in most cases. I would really doubt that C# has any real future. \n\nJava, on the other hand, is written in C. Most modern development platforms have a foundation in C. \n\nIf this question is to choose a language path for school, I think either Java or C is fine. Though I would say that you will become a better programmer if you have a more detailed understanding of what is "under the hood". In that case C (and a bit of assembly isn't bad to at least take a look at). The more higher-level you go, the less you can ultimately do.

1Science & Mathematics

What are the odds of life on another planet?

Answers to this question can vary greatly, but a good framework to think about it is the Drake Equation. Developed by Frank Drake and Carl Sagan, it runs through some of the key factors that will effect the viability of life on other planets. As we learn more about extrasolar planets and astrobiology, we are getting better limits on some of the parameters in the equation, but especially when it comes to the terms where we look for intelligent life that can last long enough to contact other species, we have very little data to go on.\n\nSo when it comes down to the last few terms you need to take it all with a grain of salt.\n\nIf you are simply talking about life, I think recent discoveries have made the likelihood very high. The discovery of many extrasolar planets including some that are closer to Earth size means that there are specific places we can point to where life may have formed or be forming. Even in stranger systems that feature planets several times Jupiter's mass, it is possible that a terrestrial satellite of such a large planet could harbor the right conditions for life.\n\nIt's a fun thing to work through the Drake equation yourself. Since the last few terms are more subjective (at least until we get more data), it's fun to play with it and see where you stand.\n\nThe best guess that scientists have put forward right now is:\n\nN = 10 × 0.5 × 2 × 0.33 × 1×10-7 × 0.01 × 67 = 2.211×10-7 = 0.0000002211\n\nwhere N is the number of intelligent extraterrestrial civilizations that might come to communicate with us in a year. \n\nTo get the number of planets that reach a point of harboring life (not intelligent) in a year, we just take the first 4 terms:\n\n10 × 0.5 × 2 × 0.33 = 3.3\n\nSo about 3.3 new planets reach the point where life forms per year.

8Family & Relationships

What is your opinion on online dating?

It works. I met my bf of almost 3 years through online dating. That doesn't mean I didn't meet alot of incompatible people. I used online dating on and off for about a year before I met him. \n\nOnline dating is just another way to meet people, but it shouldn't be the only way you meet people. If you're banking on it working, it probably won't because you've invested too much emotionally and your expectations will colour your experience. It works when you stop hoping each person you meet will be the one and instead, decide to just have fun with the experience, regardless of the outcome. Yes, even a bad date can be fun. Think of the anecdotes you can share with your friends.\n\nI find it takes a few weeks to get a feel for how things work. Then, it's up and down for awhile depending on who you come into contact with. When it doesn't feel fun anymore, TAKE A BREAK. Come back in a few months. Change your profile to reflect how you're feeling. \n\nIt's important that you feel good about yourself or you won't attract the people you want because who wants to be with someone who's down on themselves? Online dating is really a reflection of how you're feeling. When you feel good about yourself, your online experience improves. When you feel bad, it tends to be a not so good experience. \n\nI was about to pull my dating profile because I found I was meeting lots of people through offline methods. However, my friend pointed out that it wasn't costing me anything (financially or emotionally) if I just left my profile up. \n\nI thought she made a good point, so I decided to rewrite my profile one last time and put it out there. When I rewrote it this time, I stopped caring about what other people would think about what I wrote or how they might judge me. Instead, I wrote a profile that reflected exactly how I felt and who I was at that moment.\n\nAnd then, I started to meet interesting people. Shortly thereafter, I met my bf and things have been going well since.

0Society & Culture

Why do shoes have heels? Feet were designed flat...?

Initially it was for practical reasons. Heels were added to shoes around the 1500s to keep horsemen's feet from slipping from the stirrups.\n\nEventually, it became fashionable to wear heels.

0Society & Culture

Should I fly back to Sunnyvale (from WI) for the Year end party? Is it worth it?I'?

I'm working remotely right now and I was wondering if it would be worth it to fly back to check in with all things Y! and attend the Year End Party. For people who've been there before, is it worth it?

Whether any party would be worthy flying cross-country for is definitely up to you, but as far as company parties go, I think Yahoo's are tops.\n\nThey go all out in so many ways. The bands are impressively big (for a party) like this year's Earth, Wind, and Fire (http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:aq6jtr59klox), there is a huge variety of food and alcohol (including ice sculpture martini luges), and lots of other activities (gambling, full-body video games). \n\nBut despite all that, your enjoyment will probably be determined more by how much you enjoy being around your co-workers (if they're going), your date, and/or how long you can enjoy gambling/dancing.\n\nThe last two parties really really impressed me, but I enjoyed the second one much more because my date and I shared a great enthusiasm for the party and dancing.\n\nIt doesn't look like last year's photos links work anymore :(

2Health

If your co-worker has a white head thats ready to pop should you be able to go over there and pop it for him?

Yes, but you have to clean up the mess.

1Science & Mathematics

How can I tell if the moon is waxing or waning?

For those who live in the Northern Hemisphere:\nThe Moon is waxing or waning based on whether the right side of the Moon is dark or light. \n\nThe Moon's lighted area increases over time from right to left. \n\nA good diagram of this can be found at: http://www.astro.umd.edu/education/astro/moon/waxing.gif\n\nFor those who live in the Southern Hemisphere the effect is the opposite.\n\nMore details can be found at: http://www.astro.umd.edu/education/astro/moon/phases.html

3Education & Reference

What do you call the 4-stringed Hawaiian instrument which looks like a little guitar?

The ukulele, or uke, is a fretted string instrument. It's a smaller, four-stringed version of the guitar. In the early 20th century, the instrument's name was often rendered as "ukelele", a spelling still used in Great Britain. The Hawai'ian spelling 'ukulele is also sometimes seen.

3Education & Reference

What are the Seven Sisters schools? Are they considered as good colleges?

The seven sister schools are Smith, Vassar, Wellesley, Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke, Radcliffe and Barnard. Indeed, they are considered excellent colleges, I attended two of them myself!

2Health

why does the bird flu considered to be such a frightening disease?

I seem that the entire world is dealing with it- what makes it different then other epidemic diseases?

The 1918, 1957 and and 1968 flu pandemics can be traced back to bird flu mutating with human virus. These pandemics killed scores of people. The panic also stems from the fact that there is no vaccine for H5N1 virus, the bird flu that is currently affecting Asia. Like last year, vaccines for "regular" human flu are in short supply as well.\nUnder normal circumstances, when the flu hits you're just feverish, achey and fatigued for a few days. When the flu strikes more vulnerable people, like the elderly and very young babies, it can cause respiratory problems and even kill them.

3Education & Reference

What can be done to lower the dropout rate in High Schools?

To curb the dropout rate, the National Dropout Prevention Center advocates the "implementation of alternative strategies based on the principle of continuous improvement, in place of policies supporting student grade retention".\n\nIn other words, the organization believes that the qualifier of a meaningful education shouldn't solely be based on grades, but on individual performance. \n\nEach learner begins at a different level emotionally, socially, and cognitively, and behaviorally. And because all of these factors play a role in learning, the same standard shouldn't apply to every student. \n\nThe NDPC thinks that more dropouts could be prevented if each child was assessed as an invidividual and their progress was weighed on their individual needs, not based against every other student.\n\nOne of the best educational strategies they recommend is service-learning. This is a theory based on the connection of hands-on experience and academic learning that also incorporates service to the community. Many learners have shown they can grasp concepts better and have greater success through experiential learning instead of the traditional textbook/lecture/text based learning.\n\nhope this helps!

3Education & Reference

What is paraphrasing?

Paraphrasing is when you put someone else's ideas in your own words. It's not just rewriting a paragraph or changing a few words. From the webs ite below:\nParaphrasing is:\n*your own rendition of essential information and ideas expressed by someone else, presented in a new form. \n*one legitimate way (when accompanied by accurate documentation) to borrow from a source. \n*a more detailed restatement than a summary, which focuses concisely on a single main idea. \n\nBe careful about taking a sentence and only changing a few words in it--some plagarism detecting software will catch that and call it plagarism.

5Sports

how can i watch soccer on tv in California?

would love to be able to watch games from Europe...

Your best bet is to look at soccertv.com which has the schedule. The channels you want are: Fox Soccer channel (Premiership, bundesliga and Italian Serie A) Setanta (Chelsea TV and Champions League) Gol (SPanish and Latam Soccer) These are all available via Directv If you want to go to a pub the best is Mad dog in the fog in San Francisco, Fibbar Magees in Sunnyvale is good for lunch time champions league games.

5Sports

what is the system for ranking foosball players and how does it work?

Too complicated to summarize here, please read article linked below.

0Society & Culture

Why do filipinos eat with their bare hands?

Filipinos aren't the only cluture group who do so,\nand it makes historic sense: homo sapiens had hands long before tools and spoons were "invented".

4Computers & Internet

Wireless router setup?

I tried configuring and setting up my wirelesss router which I bought from CompUSA but it won't let me get online even though it detects my IP address and shows a strong wireless connection. What could be the problem?

Few things to look for:\n\n1. Do you have cable or dsl or dial connection?\n2. Earlier when you did not have the router, were you entering the login/password to connect to internet? If so, you have to configure your cable/dsl modem to host the login/password. For SBC DSL modem you can do it by http://192.168.1.0/ and there is a option available in "advanced configuration" to do that.\n3. Did you connect the ethernet cable from the cable/dsl modem to the \n WAN port of the router?\n4. Are you getting the Dynamic IP assigned by the router? Check it by Start->Run->Cmd->ipconfig. It should show you some IP address like 192.168.1.x.\n5. Run the following command in the command window (start->Run->cmd)\n ping www.yahoo.com\n\nHope this helps.

7Entertainment & Music

How many albums does an artist have to sell to get a gold or platinum record?

In the US, the threshold for gold is half a million, the threshold for platinum is one million.\n\nSo an album that goes "triple platinum" has sold 3 million+ copies.

1Science & Mathematics

Who sailed from Spain around the tip of S. America & across the Pacific Ocean to the Phils.?

Ferdinand Magellan was dubbed the "discoverer" of the Philippines after he landed on the island of Homonhon, near Samar, on March 17, 1521. He claimed the islands in the name of King Philip II of Spain and named them Felipinas, the Philippines. He was later killed in Mactan Island of Cebu in a clash with native warriors led by a chieftain named Lapu-lapu.

7Entertainment & Music

When was Archie comics published?

It was first published in November of 1939 by MLJ Magazines.

3Education & Reference

How can we improve the quality of the teachers in high schools?

hi,\n\nThis question is of particular interest to me because I have been interested in education reform for some time. I'm a believer that the quality of education has a lot to do with the quality of the teachers. To have quality teachers, many different initiatives should be put into place. \n\nThere are several areas to focus on improving teachers:\n\n1) preparation and credentialing- some states have focused on improving teacher education programs and raising the passing score on qualifying exams like the PRAXIS.\n\n2) induction and retention- it's well known that the teaching profession has a high burnout rate. it's not suprising. they're essentially expected to raise our society's children and many times spend more time when them than the parents do. that's why some states have instituted better support programs for new teachers. assigning each new teacher a teacher-mentor and having a supportive adminstration that encourages teacher autonomy and professional development are a few ways to help retain new teachers.\n\n3) professional development- states should encourage the professional development of their teachers. this doesn't just mean that they raise the expectations for the classes they take, it means that they tie these developments to compensation as well. one way in which states have given teachers incentives to grow professionally is by instituting national board certification programs. a teacher who passes this test gets a raise as well as the privelege of teaching in any other state w/o additional requirements.\n\n4) accountability- it's a problem when non-performing teachers are allowed to stay because of tenure. while it's important to ensure teacher accountability, it seems that some states see this area as a panacea for generating good teachers. it's not. the other factors are equally important, if not more so. to weed out deadbeats, you just have to nurture a better teaching staff.\n\n5) fair compensation- obviously, this is very important.\n\nhope this helps?

7Entertainment & Music

what was Hitchcock best movie?

in which movie he had introduced more new techniques the any of his movies?

Generally, film geeks tend to come down in favor of Vertigo or Notorious, but the previously mentioned North By Northwest gets a lot of votes, too.\n\nNotorious is usually cited by European critics because of the amazing work by both Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman, plus it is the film that introduced the concept of the McGuffin. Essentially, this is the plot device that everything seems to be hinging upon while the story is doing something else (much sneakier) in the background. In Notorious, the McGuffin is (are) the wine bottles full of uranium.\n\nI tend to think that Vertigo is his best because it's just so damn unbelievable and over-the-top but he still pulls it off. Jimmy Stewart was never better in his whole career and the cinematography, music and mood is just amazing.\n\nOther (not yet mentioned) great Hitchcock films that you must see would be:\n\n1. Early Period: The Thirty-Nine Steps (1939), The Lady Vanishes, Strangers on a Train\n2. Middle-Period: The Trouble with Harry (very funny), Suspicion, Rebecca\n3. Later: Rear Window, and Psycho (of course)

3Education & Reference

How are animals classified?

Below is the taxonomy used by zoologists to classify animals. Hope that helps.

2Health

When to start / have mammograms?

The National Cancer Institute recommends that women in their 40s and older should have mammograms every 1 to 2 years. Women who are at higher than average risk of breast cancer should talk with their health care providers about whether to have mammograms before age 40 and how often to have them. For more infomation about screening mammogram and diagnostic mammogram, pls check the source.

5Sports

who was the first man to climb all the 8.000 m mountains in the world?

I mean 8k meters (26k feet)or plus, of course.

Reinhold Messner

4Computers & Internet

How can i run a regression in Excel?

The Microsoft Help section is pitiful!

First load the add-in:\nTools > Add-Ins > Analysis Tool Pack\nthen find it:\nTools > Data Analysis & Choose Regression\nIf you need any more help mail me.

8Family & Relationships

If you were asked to plan the "perfect weekend" for a guy, what would you include?

Sporting event\nGolf\nGambling\nBeer\nCheeseburgers\nAny and all of the above with his buddies.

1Science & Mathematics

How is it that different countries have come up with different styles of electrical socket pins?

Practical: As there are multiple very-incompatible voltages in use (110v, 220v), it's a good idea to not have the same plugs. Somebody will inevitably plug in the wrong device, and putting a 110v device on 220v can be pretty nasty. Dual voltage devices which are popular today (largely due to power semiconductors which make them inexpensive), didn't exist when plugs were designed!\n\nPolitical: Many ex-colonies of Britain were trying to shake off British influence as far as possible, which probably was a factor in picking different system for power device standards, among others.

6Business & Finance

Should I rent or buy?

I live in an area with very high real estate prices. I can afford to buy, but I'm wondering if I should just rent and save a bunch of money.

It depends on what you mean by "save a lot of money". If you are trying to save money over a period of time, it depends. Over the long haul you might save money by buying, since you'll end up owning the property and could sell it and recover your investment. You might even make money by buying if you live in an area where the property value is likely to go up over the period of time you might live there.\n\nIf you're trying to save money on a monthly basis, renting is usually cheaper, unless a) you might rent out one or more rooms, thus off-setting your out-of-pocket monthly expenses, or b) you can afford to put down a large down-payment.\n\nLiving in a high-cost area myself, I say "buy" if you can afford it. If nothing else you can go to town on decorating or remodeling, something you can't usually do when you rent.

6Business & Finance

how many zip codes in the us ?

According to the USPS: \n"The United States Postal Service® does not keep a firm record of how many ZIP Codes are currently in use, but the number is greater than 42,000."

5Sports

What did Nate "Tiny" Archibald do in the 1972-73 NBA season that no one had done before or since?

He lead the league in both scoring and assists in a single season.

5Sports

Are there good surf spots on India's coast?

You can surf in the beaches of Goa. \n\nhttp://www.indianbeachesportal.com/goa%2Dbeaches/

2Health

What can you say to someone on their deathbed to help put their mind at ease?

It really depends on the beliefs of the individual. If they are religious, talk to them about their beliefs about the afterlife. If they are worried about how their actions in life may affect their disposition after death, recall for them (if possible) their good works and deeds. If they believe in God, remind them of the principles of divine forgiveness. If they're not religious, ask them about their beliefs. Reassure them of their impact on your life. If you're there at their bedside, I assume they've touched you somewhat, somehow.\n\nThis is not a time to hold a grudge. If you have a disagreement with them, try to forgive. Remember you will have to live with yourself after the other person is gone. Let them know you will remember them fondly. Recall good times with them to help ease their pain.

1Science & Mathematics

Why is the sky blue?

The sky is blue due to atmospheric scattering of blue light. Blue photons are the most energetic of the visible light photos, and interact more with the atmosphere as a result. To be clear, all colors get scattered, it s just that blue is affected the most because of it is more energetic. A related effect happens around sunset. At this time of day, sunlight needs to travel through significantly more air to reach your eyes. The length of air is so long that nearly all the blue and green is scattered away before it reaches you. All that is left is yellows, oranges and reds, some of which reaches your eyes, and the rest scattered in the sky within your view.

8Family & Relationships

best place to meet guys in the bay area?

yah, for a sampling of tech guys, visit the northbound mountain view caltrain stop at about 5:20 one afternoon. you'll be giddy when you see you're completely surrounded by cute, intelligent, mostly available men.\n\n(disclaimer: this party accepts no liability for the accuracy of above statements if customer isn't completely satisfied with her experience) \n\n1015 Folsom danceclub is where i met mine. I'm not sure it could work twice though. :)

8Family & Relationships

How do I end a date with a girl I'm not interested in?

I went on a date with a girl I met online but there's no chemistry between us.

It's best to be honest. She'll appreciate you not wasting her time.

7Entertainment & Music

Who is Helena in the song Helena by My Chemical Romance?

Lead singer and bassist, Gerard and Mikey Way's grandmother.

0Society & Culture

Is Thanksgiving only celebrated in the United States?

No, Canadians have Thanksgiving too.

9Politics & Government

How to fight graft and corruption?

If it is in a corporation, there are special laws to grant you whistleblower status, and you can move into this role under a degree of legal protection from retribution.\n\nIf it is in a government, then it can be very difficult depending on the nature of the government. Dictatorships are notorious for systemic corruption, and there is little that can be done without coup or significant intervention (or perhaps populist uprising, although you'd be risking your life). In a democracy, the corruption is of a softer sort, and you may be able to counter-act it via a public interest campaign, or story presented to the news media.\n\nNow if the graft and corruption is within your own heart... that's a real toughie. It requires a degree of personal strength and conviction to ideals which extend beyond your person. I think all human beings have the capacity for such strength and compassion, but it requires a willingness to make the hard choices both for yourself and your community.

3Education & Reference

What company built a brewery in a major league baseball stadium?

Coors\n\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coors_Field

6Business & Finance

Do you have a recommendation for a quiet and decent apartment complex around Houston?

A apartment complex with gym, swimming pool, recreation room, etc.

Take a look on Barker Cypress Rd. there are a few places that looks like a place you would call home.\nthe rent would you from $750.00 to $1,100

4Computers & Internet

How can I tell if my software includes spyware or adware?

You can't be sure if you dont read the source code or disassemble the software, so you basically have to trust the vendor. For additional security its recommended to scan your PC with scanners like AdAware ( http://www.lavasoft.com/software/adaware/ ). \nThis still wont give 100% security, because this program can only find most Spyware, but not all.

4Computers & Internet

What are the most popular blogging tools?

What are the market shares of the top 10 blogging packages / ASPs?

I have a lot of friends that use Xanga, and they have tons of features that make them very popular. I know that Yahoo 360 has a new service avaliable but I haven't use it yet. I have, however, read the Yahoo Answers Team 360 Blog and it seems to be alright.

6Business & Finance

What is the best checking account balancing interest and service?

It depends on the level of service you are looking for. For example, is internet access good enough for you, or do you prefer a bank with local branches? For me, Etrade offers the ease of online access but reasonable interest. On the other hand, Citi bank has many local branches but low or no interet in checking.\n\nThe best site that helps you to compare interest offers is www.bankrate.com. It also rates the reputation of the bank. Once you select the interest level and reputation level that you like, come back here and ask if people have good/bad experiences with that bank. Hope this helps.

3Education & Reference

What site can I go to to find out how many seconds are in a year?

1 day = 24 hours x 60 mins x 60 secs = 86,400 secs\n1 year = 365 days = 365 x 86,400 = 31,536,000 secs

7Entertainment & Music

What was the last Hanna-Barbera prime-time cartoon series? And what year did it air?

Actually, my guess is that it would be "Wait Till Your Father Gets Home" which was a kind of cross between "All in the Family" and "The Flintstones." I still remember the catchy theme song. It aired in 1972.

1Science & Mathematics

Explanation for correlated wave function collapse at a distance (Quantum Mechanics)?

I remember from physics class in college that two correlated wavefunctions (e.g., sum of wavefunction spins = 0) can exhibit strange behavior at a distance. left alone (e.g., without measurement of wavefunctions), each wavefunction (called A & B) has a probability of 50% spin up and 50% spin down. WavefunctionA (WF_A) is IN NEITHER state until it is ACTUALLY measured. the moment WF_A it is measured, WF_B assumes the opposite spin with DEFINITE probability. i understand that no information is transferred at a distance between WF_A and WF_B, but HOW does this happen. WHAT is the mechanism that collapes WF_B into a definite spin state at a distance? I am not looking for explanations like "satisfies laws of conservation" ... instead i am looking for physical mechanism that allow this seemingly incredible phenomena to work. If the "weirdness" i am describing is an artifact of the way i am asking the question (which is what i suspect), explainations there would be appreciated as well.

An equally valid question would be "what is the mechanism that causes WF_A to collapse when it is measured?" The schroedinger equation does not predict collapse as a result of any interaction, so it is outside the theory taught in undergraduate classes. There is no accepted theory (or in my opinion, any reasonable theory at all) as to why measurement causes a selection of a single eigenvalue out some non-eigenstate. The idea that measurement on one object has ramifications on another object seems more mysterious, but it's not fundamentally different than the idea that measurement causes collapse in the first place. You won't find a satisfying answer.

1Science & Mathematics

If you were on the world's biggest island, where would you be?

You'd be on Greenland in the North Atlantic. Its area is 839,999 sq. mi. or 2,175,597 sq. km.

1Science & Mathematics

how many mountains in the world are 8.000 m (26k feet) or more?

14:\n\nEverest / 8850m / Tibet/Nepal\nK2 / 8611m / China/Kashmir\nKanchenjunga / 8586m / India/Nepal\nLhotse / 8516m / China/Nepal\nMakalu / 8463m / Tibet/Nepal\nCho Oyu / 8201m / Tibet/Nepal\nDhaulagiri / 8167m / Nepal\nManaslu / 8156m / Nepal\nNanga Parbat / 8125m / Kashmir\nAnnapurna / 8091m / Nepal\nGasherbrum I / 8068m / China/Kashmir\nBroad Peak / 8047m / China/Kashmir\nGasherbrum II / 8035m / China/Kashmir\nShishapangma / 8027m / Tibet

8Family & Relationships

What does being loyal to a friend mean?

A loyal friend is someone who can keep secrets and promises. Someone who will not hurt your feelings but will be honest with you.

5Sports

In the six nations, why is 'prize' for the team that does not win a single game called "wooden spoon"?

It possibly came from the Cambridge University tradition of giving a large wooden spoon to the student who scored lowest on final exams. No wooden spoons were given after 1909 at Cambridge, when the scores for exams started being read in alphabetical rather than score order. One theory is that early on in the Six Nations, many of the players were from Cambridge and carried on the wooden spoon tradition after it no longer was a part of university life.

1Science & Mathematics

Where do babies come from?

I'm really looking for ways to answer this when my son asks in a few years :)

I guess it's because I'm not a parent, but I don't understand why you can't tell your son where babies actually come from? Don't you know?

3Education & Reference

Can you recommend a good preschool with childcare around Philly?

I 100% recommend Summit Children's Progam. They are at 6757 Greene Street Philadelphia 19119. (It's Mount Airy, one block off Lincoln Drive) Their number is 215-848-4451. They have a well-structured instructional program. My three-year has been with them for a year and she already knows how to write her name and count to 15 in spanish. Every morning she is excited about going to school and seeing her friends. \n\nWe found Summit through our pediatrician. You can also visit Child Care Aware's website. They have good information about locating quality child care in your community.\n\nGood luck.\n\nSharmil McKee\nwww.mckeelegal.com

3Education & Reference

What do you think is the single most important event of a High Schooler's life?

I think it's receiving your college acceptance letters. It's a reflection of the fruits of your labor.

6Business & Finance

What ever happened to Ask Jeeves??? Was those questions answered by real people also?

Ask Jeeves is still around. They recently renamed it as ask.com. It has been recently bought by InterActiveCorp which also owns match.com.\nAFAIK Ask Jeeves questions are not answered by real people. There are sure some editotial stuff on its database.

8Family & Relationships

Do women expect a kiss on the first date?

It depends on the girl, the date, and how much you like each other. Just go with the flow and do what feels right. And don't think about it too much.

1Science & Mathematics

Why is the voltage ratinging always a multiple of 11 ?

For household we have 110 V, 220 V.\nFor high voltage lines: 11 KV, 22 KV , 33 KV etc.

110 Volts is nominal and may vary when measured by a voltmeter. That said, power is supplied using sets of three separate parallel wires that you can see up on most power poles. The very high voltage there is stepped down using a transformer to supply most houses and businesses with a usable lower voltage. The voltage between any one of the three wires to ground in a house is 110 Volts for example to light a light bulb. The voltage between any two wires is 220 Volts and is used for example to power a clothes dryer or kitchen range. Houses do not use all three wires. A machine shop may power a large motor by connecting all three wires (in a delta or Y configuration) to obtain 440 Volts. Therefore the progression of 110, 220, and 440 Volts stems from the use of single, two and three-phase wiring circuits. Electrical power is conducted cross-country at very high voltages using high tension lines strung in sets of three wires or phases which produces the multiple of 11 you mention. Incidentally there may be an additional single wire above all the rest to arrest lightning strikes.

4Computers & Internet

What's the best prog. language to learn? What's the easiest to get into?

If you want to make a career on computer science or engineering, take C++/C and nothing else at first. Other languages -- like Java -- will hide several key concepts that are very important to have an understanding. Later you should also learn at least half a dozen other languages, including some assembly , lisp (or other functional language, like haske?), prolog and a scripting language.\n\nIf you are just casually learning a programming language, the best will depend on what you want to do: \n\nFor web pages, you should learn a little bit of HTML, javascript and then PHP. Don't try to learn all of them at first, just enough to get you first pages going, and then learn as you need.\n\nIf you want to do some data manipulation, or simple calculations, or windows in the unix (linux) world, learn python.\n\nFinally, if you want to play with windows in MS Windows, learn VisualBasic.\n\nMost important: after you choose a language to learn, be curious, try out stuff, and you'll learn in no time at all ;)

5Sports

How do bowlers get reverse swing in cricket?

Reverse swing is an art invented by former Pakistani fast bowler Sarfaraz Nawaz, followed by Imran Khan, Waseem Akram and Waqar Younis.\n\nA new cricket ball has shine on both sides. When the ball gets older the shine disappears and the amount of swing is decreased. In reverse swing the bowler keeps one side of the ball shining and one rough.\nDue to air friction the rough side resists the air and the ball moves towards the shining side having less friction on that side.\nSo it will allways move towards the direction of the shine.\nWaqar younis had the habbit of hiding the ball from batsman before its delivery. So that the batsman keeps guessing the direction of the swing.

2Health

What's the Hacker's Diet?

Has anyone tried it?

I have not tried it, but from what I have read, it emphasizes that weight loss/control is a simple measure of burning more calories than you take in. \n\nIt's available online for reading (http://www.fourmilab.to/hackdiet/www/hackdietf.html). I also found a blog of someone who tried it (http://www.metagrrrl.com/metagrrrl/2004/08/progress_on_the.html). \n\nGood luck!

1Science & Mathematics

if a plane was on some type of treadmill that detects speed, will it ever take off?

This has been addressesd on a few different places I frequent.\n\nthe question: if an airplane is on a treadmill or some type of conveyer belt that senses speed and accelerates accordingly. Will the plane ever gain enough windspeed to actually take off?

If the plane is on a treadmill like the ones we run on at the gym, then it won't really be 'going' anywhere and will not take off because no air is passing by the wings to generate lift. \n\nI think you might have to clarify this one further...

6Business & Finance

Is it a good time to buy a house in Los Altos CA?

the market for homes over $1m is definitely softening and will continue to soften as rates increase. the active part of the market is in the $600k-$900k range, which in los altos would be a condo. therefore if you are looking to buy you should take your time and be picky and you should be able to negotiate.

8Family & Relationships

How can one stop thinking constantly about an ex?

Time & distractions.

4Computers & Internet

What does Adobe Reader do?

Adobe Reader, reads PDF files which are created by Adobe Acrobat.\n\nThe beauty of this, is that Adobe Acrobat can convert almost file type from the popular Operating Systems. That means a document can be created by almost any program and then given to another person to read, even though the receiver of the document doesn't have the program that created the document.\n\nFor example, a writer can create a Microsoft Word document on a Windows machine, convert it into a PDF file and give it to a person using a Linux machine and they can use Adobe Reader to read it. The Linux user doesn't have to have Microsoft Word to read the document.\n\nThe Reader is free, but Acrobat costs money.

7Entertainment & Music

Am I (Arnold) stronger then Rambo?

In the movie The Last Action Hero (http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hv&id=1800193490&cf=info&intl=us) Arnold gets into the world that existed without Arnold, and sees the Terminator movie poster with Sylvester Stallone playing the Terminator. Arnold measures his biceps size against portrayed Stallone's biceps, and arrives at the conclusion that Sylvester Stallone has got to do a lot more training to reach Arnold's level.

3Education & Reference

Who said "I am not bound to please thee with my answers"?

Shakespeare quoted "I am not bound to please thee with my answers."

1Science & Mathematics

What New England state contains the Penobscot River?

Maine

4Computers & Internet

What's the difference between online chat and instant messaging?

Both are ways to communicate instantly on the web, by typing on your keyboard. In online chat, you communicate with a community of people with similar interests. With instant messaging, you communicate one-to-one, usually with someone you know.

6Business & Finance

what is the average cost of an engineer in India comparing to the US?

In guess in india, an avg. software engr wud get paid like USD 300-500 pm and an avg engr(not software) wud be paid half of it.\nThis is for college grads(not exp ppl). Exp ppl wud get paid much more ofcourse. In india the salary increases each yr by a much more rate than in US.

6Business & Finance

how much does ebay charge for selling stuff?

what percentage? how much is transaction fee?

There are two basic fees:\n1. Insertion fee\n2. Final value fee\n\nThe lower your set the opening price, the lower the insertion fee. Low opening prices help drive more bids.\n\nYou can also add feature fees (galley, bold, etc...) or add a reserve price or Buy It Now price. \n\nWhatever you sell, make sure you accept PayPal. It protects both you and buyer and it's listed on more than 85% of listings.

2Health

Where is the gum?

I was told that my gum is healthy if I can see less than 4mm of it. But I thought the gum is the flesh connecting the teeth to the jaw, and I can see the entire pink flesh covering my teeth. There must be at least 1.5cm. How can it be less than 4mm? Am I missing something?

The 4 mm probably refers to the depth of your gum pockets (the space betwen the top of your gums to the alveolar bone that holds your teeth. Your dentist would measure this with a probe.\n\nIf your pockets are deeper than 4 mm then it means that you have had bone loss which is usually caused by periodontal disease (an infection in the gums). The best way to prevent periodontal problems is to brush and FLOSS your teeth regularly (brush at least twice a day for two minutes). \n\nI emphasize flossing, because often people don't realize just how important it is. The contact between the two teeth are where food are most likely to get stuck, and therefore where bacteria sticks most often, too. The purpose of flossing is to really clean that surface where two teeth touch. So instead of focusing on just making the floss go down between the teeth, you want to follow the sides of your teeth to make sure you remove the plaque. So you should be going up and down two to three times along the tooth on both sides of the contact.\n\nHope this helps!

3Education & Reference

Does anyone know what "piggy back" means?

It means to ride on the back of something else. The term itself is just a derivation of the phrase "pick back", which meant to throw something on your back for the purpose of carrying it.

5Sports

who was the second leading scorer on philadelphia the night wilt chamberlain scored 100 points in a game?

Warriors guard Al Attles with 17 points.

4Computers & Internet

How do I change the nickname I chose when I first logged in to qa.yahoo.com?

I'd like to have multiple personalities in this community but I don't know if it's possible.

You can change the nickname in your 360 profile. Then select that nickname in Q&A by clicking on your current nickname (it's a link). However, you can only have one nickname at a time in Q&A using the same yahoo ID.

0Society & Culture

Why are the colors of Christmas red and green? What do these colors symbolize?

The origin of the popular Christmas colors red and green is speculated to be Italy, since the Italian flag's colors are red, green, and white and most of the Christmas traditions we have were usurped from early Pagan people of the 3rd Century.\n\nIn AD 274, Emperor Aurelian decreed December 25 as natalis solis invicti ("birth of the invincible sun"), a festival honoring the sun god Mithras known as Saturnalia. It had been celebrated by Pagans for centuries, but the emperor moved it to this later date.\n\nShortly thereafter, the Church Fathers likewise set the official date for celebrating the birth of Jesus as being December the 25th.\n\nThe Italians today commemorate Christmas for an entire month. Just as in the days of Pagan Rome with Saturnalia, the period between mid-December and early January is one constant celebration.\n\nRich Nativity scenes and the playing of bagpipes by the zampognari (shepards) are very important to the look and feel of Christmas in Italy.

4Computers & Internet

What is a good platform for writing complex web apps in php?

looking for a platform for handling business objects as well as application flow so people would not have to hard code each page transition and each business logic step in php.\n\nWhat do people recommend?

You can use of of the many php MVC Framework. One of the most used one is phpMVC. \n\nQuoted from their website "php.MVC implements the Model-View-Controller (MVC) design pattern, and encourages application design based on the Model 2 paradigm. This design model allows the Web page or other contents (View) to be mostly separated from the internal application code (Controller/Model), making it easier for designers and programmers to focus on their respective areas of expertise.\n\nThe framework provides a single entry point Controller. The Controller is responsible for allocating HTTP requests to the appropriate Action handler (Model) based on configuration mappings.\n\nThe Model contains the business logic for the application. The Controller then forwards the request to the appropriate View component, which is usually implemented using a combination of HTML with PHP tags in the form of templates. The resulting contents are returned to the client browser, or via another protocol such as SMTP.\n\nphp.MVC is a PHP port of Jakarta Struts. It currently supports many features of Struts, including declarative application configuration via the XML digester. For example, mappings from the various Action business logic components to appropriate results pages can be specified declaratively in the XML configuration file. "

3Education & Reference

Should teachers be required to renew their credentials every 5 years?

On one side I say yes and on the other I say no. It depends really. Some teachers I do not think should be teachers, and I think this will help remove them, yet the good teachers also may be removed because of that too.

4Computers & Internet

How should I encrypt/pw protect my backup files on an external harddrive for easy recovery on any machine?

I share my external drive with my brother (we swap dries with files every month or so to keep backups off-site), and we wanted to know if there was a simlpe solution for password protection that would alow recovery of the files to any computer (assuming the original computer dies and you don't want encryption tied to one machine).

I recently backed up and restored a bunch of files using Roxio's Backup MyPC Deluxe, which was bundled with my copy of Easy Media Creator 7.5. I don't know how secure the encryption is, but it definitely lets you recover files to any computer. I would assume that any of the more recognized packages (i.e. Norton/Dantz Retrospect/Ghost) would let you restore files to a different machine as this seems to be a core feature of a backup program.

9Politics & Government

What is the difference between a state and a nation?

In political science, a "nation" refers to a group of people who feel bound into a single body by shared culture, values, folkways, religion and/or language. A "state" just refers to a patch of land with a sovereign government. States often coincide with nations (and are called "nation-states," but not always. States that overlap multiple nations tend to have civil wars; states that exclude parts of a nation tend to have wars with the neighboring state(s) that contain the rest of the nation.

4Computers & Internet

What is the difference between Notepad and WordPad?

Wordpad allows to save in RTF format, which allows such enhancements to the document as bold/italic text and bulleted lists.

4Computers & Internet

What is the best microphone or headset for recording a podcast?

The platform probably doesn't matter, but just in case, this will be on a Mac. Some possibility of having remote/phone participation on the recording. Prefer answers citing personal experience.

OK - I podcast, just wrapped my 160th show. I use a Plantronics Computer headset. Key is to position microphone 3 fingers away from your mouth, not under your nose. I think it was $14 from Fry's\n\nFor calls, I use a Radio Shack call recorder, plugs in between your phone and headset (phone must have headset jack). Was $24.\n\nProcessing your voice afterwards helps: normalize, use a little reverb, and compress. It makes a big difference, and you dont really need to use hardware to do it. \n\nThats the cheap method. You can spend a lot more and there are huge differences and situations. It depends on where you will be using it, who you will be talking to. Big difference between say a portable , interview show, and/or studio.

1Science & Mathematics

I've heard of a "Green flash" when the Sun sets. Does this happen? Only over the ocean? Why?

The green flash is real... here are resources to read about it:\nhttp://mintaka.sdsu.edu/GF/reading.html\n\nAlso, below is a link to go see some pictures of the flash.

2Health

Can eyesight be trained or improved? How?

How to restore 20/20 vision.\n\nExercise 1: \nhold your index finger six inches from your nose. look at it for 2 seconds then look at an object 20 feet away, and then look at your index finger again. keep doing this for a few minutes.\n\nExercise 2:\nimagine you are looking at a giant clock. raise your eyes to the ceiling to look at the 12 as far as they will go. hold them there for a few seconds then bring them back to the centre. then look at the 1 for a few seconds as far as your eyes will go and then back to the centre. keep doing this until you look at all the numbers.\n\nExercise 3:\nlook at the imaginary giant clock again but this time instead of bringing your eyes back to the centre, move your eyes to the next digit on the clock and hold them at each number for a few seconds.\n\nRepeat exercises 2 and 3 but going counter-clockwise.\n\nWithin a few days you should 'see' a vast improvement (no pun intended).

1Science & Mathematics

What is the 4th largest city in the U.S.?

Assuming that "largest" refers to the greatest population, the 4th largest city in the U.S. is Houston Texas.

8Family & Relationships

Do best friends always have to do and share everything together?

I don't think best friends always have to do and share everything together. This is a tall order that even couples don't always fulfill.\n\nBest friends should appreciate each other's presence, but sometimes people just have different plans/tastes/preferences so that they can't or don't always want to do things together. Best friends should be able to care for each other even though they don't do everything together. The same goes for sharing things.

0Society & Culture

When is Thanksgiving celebrated in Canada?

In October.

8Family & Relationships

What is a legal separation?

Legal separation means that the husband and wife live apart and both are not free to marry since their status has not been changed to unmarried or single person. From Wikipedia: "Legal separation is a possible step towards divorce under United States law. A couple are legally separated if they have successfully petitioned a court to recognize their separation; simply living apart does not constitute separation for these purposes. A period of legal separation constitutes grounds for divorce; the length of that period varies from state to state. Legal separation does not automatically lead to divorce. The couple may reconcile, in which case they need do nothing in order to remain married. If they do not reconcile, and wish to divorce after the statutory time period, they must file for divorce explicitly."

3Education & Reference

What do you mean by "The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence"?

"You use this proverb to say that the things other people have or their situations always look better than your own, even when they are not really so."

1Science & Mathematics

Where is the hottest place on earth?

On September 13, 1922, El Azizia in Libya recorded a temperature of 136 degrees Fahrenheit (57.8 Celsius)! Death Valley in California makes for a close second, though. On July 10, 1913, it got up to 134 Fahrenheit. Whew. That is HOT. Best,\n\n`k.

3Education & Reference

What color do you paint the town when you go partying around the it?

red

7Entertainment & Music

Why did the 80's rock group Husker Dü breakup?

Drugs, it seemed like to me. I saw one of their shows right towards the end, and Grant seemed pretty f*ckd up... not sure about Bob. The rumor certainly was around drugs. Also, Grant supposedly chafed under Bob's control, so wanted to get out on his own.\n\nHeard from someone who talked with Bob for a while couple summers ago that Husker Du could reunite and make a lot of money on the reunion concert circuit, but they can't stand each other *still* so they won't do it.

4Computers & Internet

Can someone explain to me what Ruby on Rails is all about?

Rails is a full-stack, open-source web framework in Ruby for writing real-world applications with joy and less code than most frameworks spend doing XML sit-ups Look at the site in the Source.

8Family & Relationships

Do love relationships with co-workers work?

Yes they do. My wife and I worked for the same company albeit in different depts. We met when a co-worker we both knew has his leaving party. Since we were in different depts there was no issue, although we did keep it a secret for a while.

1Science & Mathematics

why is the earth round?

The Earth is round because it is a large body, and gravity tends to make large bodies round because that is the gravitational efficient configuration for the matter to be in.\n\nThere are a few reasons you can encounter non-round bodies in space:\n\n1) the object is small (for example asteroids), so it's gravity has less say proportionally on the shape\n\n2) It has experienced a catastrophic collision with a large body\n\n3) It is under very strong rotational or tidal forces\n\n4) It is expelling matter/energy in the form of cosmic jets, nova ejecta, etc.

5Sports

Where is the best place around here (Mountain View) for a novice to go for skydiving ?

I do love my life ... so, are the risks really high while undertaking this thrilling jump?

Check out the link for Skydive Monterey Bay Inc. I haven't done it by my friends have done their first jump there. Their website has a lot of good information on skydiving. As far as I know, your first jumps will always be tandem jumps, where you are strapped to an instructor who will pull the parachute. It seems that the only risk is if the regular parachute and the emergency parachute all fail, which is probably very unlikely.

5Sports

Who will win 2005 heisman trophy? Reggie? Vince? Matt?

Latest polls show:\n Reggie Bush, RB, USC, Jr., 13-1st, 20-2nd, 0-3rd = 73 votes\n Vince Young, QB, Texas, Jr., 2-1st, 13-2nd, 0-3rd = 62 votes\n Matt Leinart, QB, USC, Sr., 0-1st, 0-2nd, 15-3rd = 45 votes\n\nhttp://www.mackbrown-texasfootball.com/pages/bios03/young_vince.html\nhttp://usctrojans.collegesports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/bush_reggie00.html\nhttp://usctrojans.collegesports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/leinart_matt00.html

reggie bush

4Computers & Internet

What is the difference between phishing and pharming?

Both are entirely made-up terms, of course. "Phishing" generally refers to those e-mail messages that say they're from a bank (or eBay or PayPal or your ISP), but the links actually go to some other web site where the phisher (still pretending to be a bank) asks for your information, and will use it to steal your identity, money, etcetera.\n\n"Pharming" is another twist on the same thing, using more devious tricks. In phishing mail you can usually figure out that the site you're about to visit isn't really your bank. So for "pharming," they'll first trick you into running a program (see "trojans," "malware," "spyware," etcetera) that changes the way your computer looks up domain names. Then, the pharmer can tell your computer that bank.com is some web server in Russia, and it's much harder to figure out that something's wrong.\n\nThere's some good info about these kinds of scams at http://antispam.yahoo.com/faqs#a13 .

5Sports

What's a good way to find a pick-up basketball game?

Find local parks, YMCAs, gyms, churches (with courts) etc. There are usually great pick up games at these locations in whatever town you live in.

6Business & Finance

do i need to pay tax before filing tax return if i sell my ISO stock options this year?

As you may know, NQSO (non qualifying stock options) have tax withheld at source as soon as you exercise, so theoretically you don't have to pay any estimated tax on NQSO exercises/sales (although see * below).\n\nWith Incentive Stock Options (ISO) though, the situation is quite different.\n\nIt sounds like you plan to exercise and sell your ISOs on the same day. If so, then this is what's called a "disqualifying disposition". In other words, you will be liable for ordinary income tax on the spread (sale price - exercise price). \n\nIn general, the IRS wants you to pay tax in the quarter in which the related income is earned. So you theoretically should pay the estimated tax at your standard income tax rate in the same quarter you exercise and sell ISOs. You do this by filing an Estimated Tax payment.\n\n\nHowever, there is a way to postpone filing these taxes until your normal April next year tax return. The following information is sourced from See http://www.fool.com/school/taxes/taxes35.htm. \n\n1. The simplest way is just to suck it up and not worry about paying a penalty for underpayment of taxes. Depending on how much you think you can earn on your money, and when you were supposed to pay the tax, this may be a win for you (this used to happen a lot during the dotcom/IPO days of 1999-2000). Be wary though that you probably can't keep doing this year after year without the IRS getting on your case. \n\n2. Alternatively, you can avoid the underpayment penalty *if* any of the following are true\n\na) you owed no tax at all in the prior tax year (and were a US citizen/resident for all of that year)\n\nb) you expect to owe less than $1000 in tax this year (unlikely, since you're exercising ISOs)\n\nc) your ordinary income tax withholding (e.g. from your wages and/or NQSO exercise) will exceed 90% of this year's tax bill. This may happen if your ISO exercise/sale is less than around 10% of your total income for the year.\n\nd) your ordinary income tax withholding (from wages and/or NQSO) is greater than 100% of your last year's tax liability and your previous year's Adjusted Gross Income was < $150,000. If your previous year's AGI was >= $150,000 (lucky you), then you need to pay at least 110% of last year's tax liability in order to avoid a tax underpayment penalty.\n\n\n\nClear? As mud?\nOption d) is usually the easiest one to satisfy if you're making a large ISO exercise in this year only, particularly if you got a raise this year and are hence paying more taxes than last year anyway.\n\nHowever, you may also want to consider whether you should do an exercise and hold (for 1 year) to pay long term capital gains tax (15%) instead of your ordinary W2 income tax rate (probably 25-35%). \n\nIf you do, you will *still* be subject to tax this year, due to the dreaded AMT (Alternative Minimum Tax), but you can use that AMT tax liability as a credit for future years when your AMT is less than your ordinary income tax. However, that's a topic for a whole 'nother question/answer. \n\n\n* Even with NQSOs, if the amount held at source is less than your eventual tax rate for the year, you may be subject to tax penalties unless you meet one of the exceptions listed in a) through d) above.

6Business & Finance

How do I roll my 401(k) over to a traditional IRA?

I have a retirement plan with my former employer and I want to roll it over to a traditional IRA. What are my other options?

Just go to vanguard.com or any of the brokerage firms (Vanguard usually has the lowest fees), sign up for a rollover IRA account, and follow the directions they give you. It usually involves filling out a form and submitting that to whatever company is managing your old 401(k).