Can someone suggest resources for flexible jobs that mostly or totally work at home? I trying to help a friend with ideas on how to create a second income while balancing childcare and other obligations. My friend has a graduate school science education, but the hard-earned laboratory skills unfortunately don't led themselves to working remotely. Maybe some of the technical knowledge and basic computer skills are transferable but there isn't an immediately obvious at-home career option, so it is time to think broadly about options. There are obviously a lot of work-at-home scams out there, but what good options are there? I know about oDesk and Freelancer, for example. Are there other good platforms to support at home work? What about less obvious options, like opening a small internet business or other forms of part-time self-employment? Can anyone suggest good resources with tips about how to get started and make a transition to earning income at home? Dragons flight (talk) 04:29, 14 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

I work at home, or wherever I happen to be, entirely over the internet, as a translator and proofreader. If your friend has scientific education, (s)he can work as a proofreader. Proofreading is not extremely well-paid (I charge £15 GBP per hour), but it's more than twice the minimum wage of the UK). KägeTorä - (^影_虎) (Chin Wag) 05:28, 14 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

How do you go about finding people to hire you? Dragons flight (talk) 07:05, 14 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

There are multiple websites where you can register. www.translatorscafe.com is one, www.traduguide.com is another. You can register for free, or pay a fee every three months to become a 'master member', which gives you early access. You then put in your details, including resume, and you will get notifications of translation/proofreading jobs by email. You can choose to do them, or choose not to do them. It's a bit difficult at first, but once you have built up a network (by doing jobs), you get more and more, and translation companies will start to recommend you to other translation companies. KägeTorä - (^影_虎) (Chin Wag) 15:59, 14 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

If you're good with stats (and also lucky), you can be a professional gambler. InedibleHulk (talk) 20:09, March 14, 2015 (UTC)

You can choose from Category:Agriculture and Category:Crafts, and sell to your neighbors within walking distance. See http://smallbusiness.chron.com/grow-fruits-vegetables-profit-19233.html.

—Wavelength (talk) 23:40, 14 March 2015 (UTC) and 14:50, 15 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Why are so many different unrelated newspapers around the world called "The Guardian"? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Jackleandhide (talk • contribs) 18:30, 14 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

I assume its a abbreviation of "The Guardian of Truth". There are also many newsapapers called The Times and The Sentinel LongHairedFop (talk) 18:39, 14 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Or guardian of the people's rights, or some such. —Tamfang (talk) 02:59, 15 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

According to Wikipedia, the most famous Guardian started to "zealously enforce the principles of civil and religious Liberty… warmly advocate the cause of Reform… endeavour to assist in the diffusion of just principles of Political Economy and… support, without reference to the party from which they emanate, all serviceable measures." That's a wordier "some such". InedibleHulk (talk) 06:00, March 15, 2015 (UTC)

Hark, another Herald. InedibleHulk (talk) 20:06, March 14, 2015 (UTC)

Conversely, see 50 of the strangest newspaper names. Alansplodge (talk) 21:42, 14 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Granma is either losing her memory, or keeping her prejudices. Seriously though, good find. InedibleHulk (talk) 21:55, March 14, 2015 (UTC)

They missed The Plain Dealer (an unattractive casino worker ?). Also, the Detroit Free Press is another with "Free Press" in the name. Then there's the The Straits Times, which sounds like a biography of a heterosexual, although the spelling is clue to it's real meaning. StuRat (talk) 17:57, 15 March 2015 (UTC) [reply]

• List of common newspaper names was deleted. It only consisted of the below list with no sources, examples, numbers or links. I wikilinked the entries here for convenience without checking where the links go.

PrimeHunter (talk) 03:31, 19 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

What is Mission and what is Vision? There are conflicting explanations by various people. I will be thankful to you if you explain in a simple way with some examples. Thank you.175.157.38.59 (talk) 14:26, 15 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

• "I have a vision for the future, where all mobile phones will have the same battery charger".
• "I have a mission to ensure that all mobile phones will have the same battery charger".

Hope this helps. KägeTorä - (^影_虎) (Chin Wag) 15:17, 15 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

A vision is perhaps at a higher or more general level than a mission. Compare Vision statement and Mission statement. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 16:23, 15 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

So, in the OP's Kaga's example, we might change the Mission Statement to:

• "Our company will provide a common cell phone charger to all manufacturers and consumers." StuRat (talk) 17:45, 15 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Stu, those were my examples. In fact, I chose the wording because this has been proposed as a law in the EU. KägeTorä - (^影_虎) (もしもし！) 15:10, 16 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks, I changed my credit accordingly. StuRat (talk) 19:11, 17 March 2015 (UTC) [reply]

No worries, but you spelt my name wrong. :) KägeTorä - (^影_虎) (もしもし！) 23:40, 17 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

As Bugs notes, vision is more abstract, mission more concrete (and with a greater sense of urgency). In addition, the former doesn't imply that you're necessarily going to put any effort into achieving it, while the latter does have that nuance. Clarityfiend (talk) 00:16, 16 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Outwardly, the vision precedes the mission, but Innermission beat "Innervision" by twenty years. You need to plan ahead to see inside. The rest is readily apparent. InedibleHulk (talk) 02:52, March 16, 2015 (UTC)

I just had a lucid dream while having a nap. I realised I was only dreaming and what I perceived as happening was not true, but it still kept on going. But then I wanted to intentionally control my real-life body and keep on dreaming at the same time. I found it impossible. As soon as the dream continued, I lost connection with my real-life body. My arms and legs felt to be where I dreamed them to be, not where I had last remembered them really being. As soon as I woke up, I regained connection with my body and was able to control it. Has anyone ever been able to dream and control their real-life body at the same time? JIP | Talk 18:16, 15 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

You are paralyzed while asleep, to prevent you from injuring yourself or others. However, this mechanism fails in sleepwalking, suggesting it is possible. StuRat (talk) 18:23, 15 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Your body essentially has two main nerve centres. One is the brain, and the other is located around the area of the solar plexus. I have epilepsy, and after a seizure, my brain may be still unconscious, but the other nerve centre takes over, and I can continue doing my daily things with no problem, except that I have no memory of doing them (and do occasionally get injured). I don't know how long this lasts (maybe only five or ten minutes or something). It's weird when you have a seizure and wake up in a different room with a meal in front of you and you don't know who made it because you live on your own. After a seizure, you are completely unconscious - no dreaming, nothing. The brain has switched off. Still, you can act normally, even though your brain is not working. When you come round, you end up completely confused. "Who the bloody hell made a bowl of Rice Krispies for me???" KägeTorä - (^影_虎) (Chin Wag) 19:09, 15 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

The solar plexus is a nerve plexus that serves your internal organs, thus it certainly cannot take over the many functions of your brain, like processing your vision within the visual cortex, that are necessary to unknowingly serve yourself cereal. In other words, your brain is still functioning even if you are doing tasks unconsciously like a sleepwalker and, IFIRCC, sleepwalkers will be confused with what happened to them if awakened, yet they were still using their brain. -Modocc (talk) 19:47, 15 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Sleep paralysis is the normal thing that doesn't happen when one sleepwalks. I take a medicine for other reasons, one of the side-effects of which (my physician explained after I reported the symptoms) is to divorce the act of waking from the end of the dream state. This means I sometimes wake up, but am still paralyzed, yet know I am dreaming. The other is that I will wake, be able to move and be conscious of my surroundings, but still feel the dream is continuing with a break, and if I go back to sleep the same dream pretty much picks up, like coming back from a commercial. I imagine there may be all sorts of medical conditions that cause this, so I would speak to a specialist, rather than blithely assume its not a tumor or hormonal condition that can or should be treated. μηδείς (talk) 19:55, 15 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

From what I remember, I had a lucid dream, and thought "This is a dream. This isn't really happening." But I wanted to go with the dream anyway, and move my real-life body at the same time. This proved impossible. Throughout the whole dream, I could only perceive and move my dream body, not my real one. I distinctly remember this because although I was really lying down on my back the whole time, I dreamed I was standing up. I could wave my dream-hands around but not my real ones. The article sleep paralysis sounds like I would have had a sense of alarm about not being able to move at all. No such thing happened. I could move my dream body about as I pleased, but I felt a sense of disappointment about not being able to even feel my real body, let alone move it. As soon as I woke up, I reconnected with my real body, but all sense of the dream was lost. JIP | Talk 20:09, 15 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Sleep paralysis is normal while you are dreaming, since it prevents you from falling out of the tree you are nesting in for the night. It's only problematic if you are actually awake, but still paralyzed, in which case it can be horrifying. I had that happen to me maybe 12-20 times from 5-7 years of age. I would awaken from a nightmare, try to move or scream, knew I was in bed, but couldn't do anything for the time it would take to make a few full-breath screams to summon my parents. Slowly I would get my breath back under voluntary control, and by that time I would get up, knock on their door, tell them I had a nightmare, and go back to sleep in their bed. Being an adult, you should probably mention this to your physician if it recurs, or you are on any medications. There's always the chance of a neurological disorder. My friend died of brain cancer. She had been inexplicably walking into the left wall of a doorway on occasion for about a year. Finally she lost all balance. At that point it was diagnosed, but inoperable. μηδείς (talk) 22:27, 15 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

I started getting sleep paralysis (the awake type) at about age 16. It felt like someone was lying on top of me, and it only happened when I had been asleep on my back, which I stopped doing. But then, about 9 years later, when I was living in Japan, I started getting it again, and this felt like I was lying on my side (which I was), and that there was someone in the room, behind me. This became so frequent that my Japanese wife started to recognize when I was in that state, because I would be trying to call her name, but was unable to. She'd wake me up after a while. I asked her if she could hear me calling her name, and she said no, it was just high pitched squeaks. After coming back from Japan, it hasn't happened since. KägeTorä - (^影_虎) (Chin Wag) 23:43, 15 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

The imaginary person on top of you was a succubus. Maybe Jorōgumo, since it didn't follow you back. InedibleHulk (talk) 02:56, March 16, 2015 (UTC)

Kanashibari is the word in Japanese. It occurs across many cultures, and most of them have the explanation that it is a succubus. The Japanese word, however, literally means something like 'being locked in chains'. KägeTorä - (^影_虎) (もしもし！) 04:10, 16 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

That's the wonderful thing about wonderful beings; they only visit briefly enough to ring an alarm, then it's up to you to figure out what the hell happened. Same goes with regular dreams. They make more sense in hindsight, as we pick out the memorable bits, ignore the rest and draw a common thread through them. What's common varies (was that a strange whale, or a normal manatee?), but getting stuck universally sucks. InedibleHulk (talk) 04:36, March 16, 2015 (UTC)

Allegedly a bit more common in Japan than in America. That's a great name for a newspaper. I hope it's real. InedibleHulk (talk) 04:42, March 16, 2015 (UTC)

Seems legit. InedibleHulk (talk) 04:43, March 16, 2015 (UTC)

Yes, The Japan Times is the best English Language newspaper in Japan, and in fact, I used to write for it. KägeTorä - (^影_虎) (もしもし！) 15:01, 16 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

• StuRat and Medeis have both described sleep paralysis as a normal state. Yet our article classifies it as a sleep disorder and discusses treatments etc. I am not aware of ever having experienced it. If this paralysis is normal, and necessary "to prevent you from injuring yourself or others" (StuRat), what explains the perfectly normal turning over from left to right or v-v that happens to most people most nights? That certainly can't occur if the sleeper is paralysed. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 04:46, 16 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

  Technically, "sleep paralysis" is what happens when you become aware of the fact that your body can't move; that is you become consciously aware before you body is capabale of movement. Technically speaking, the normal state of being unable to move during sleep is called "atonia", and you can read about it here; I couldn't find a separate article on it. The two terms are often used interchangably; atonia is the normal state that occurs during REM sleep when your body does not respond to stimuli, including imagined stimuli during dream states. Sleep paralysis is simply when this normal state persists into wakefulness for a short time. It can be disturbing for some people. --Jayron32 05:00, 16 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

REM atonia screws with your motor cortex's ability to talk to your upper motor neurons. You're basically just denied voluntary movement. You don't choose to toss and turn, keep breathing or wake up. Which is good, because you'd probably get wrapped up in your dream and forget. InedibleHulk (talk) 05:03, March 16, 2015 (UTC)

As an aside, when I first heard of lucid dreams, I read hints about how to get to experience them. I tried to, but it didn't work. But several years afterwards, after I stopped trying, I've had them frequently. It's kind of nice. I know I'm only dreaming and none of this is really happening. I often want the dream to go on anyway. The only thing that bothers me is that I often dream of getting a nice opportunity to photograph something, and then remember that I'm only dreaming, neither the photograph or its subject will ever really exist, so I don't bother even trying. And then there's the downside that I want to wake up in the morning, but sometimes I only dream of waking up. I've once even dreamed of waking up, getting dressed, making a cup of coffee and going outside my apartment to the corridor, when I was really lying down in bed asleep for the whole time. JIP | Talk 20:31, 16 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

More OR here. Sleep paralysis has happened to me only once (that I recall). I woke from a dream very quickly. It lasted for only a minute, maybe less, but it was very terrifying, because the inability to move has made me think I'd injured my spine. – b_jonas 18:03, 17 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

How do postal service companies detect and prevent people from forging machine readable franks with domestic computer printers? My Little Question Can't be This Interesting (talk) 20:20, 15 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

"Badly" is probably the most generic answer - see Meter stamp#forgeries and Philatelic fakes and forgeries. Unlike cash (and actual postage stamps), a franked letter is not fungible, so can't be used to finance other criminal activities. As there are few crimes that depend on free postage, there's not a lot of profit to be made in forging them. Today, the USPS uses Information-Based Indicia to verify franking. Tevildo (talk) 21:41, 15 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

How many people around the world die while skydiving per year? My Little Question Can't be This Interesting (talk) 20:23, 15 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

According to this site, the rate has been fairly constant at around 60 for the past decade, with the exception of last year, when only 36 occurred. Tevildo (talk) 20:46, 15 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Very few people die while skydiving. It's usually the landing that kills them. StuRat (talk) 05:20, 16 March 2015 (UTC) [reply]

Seriously though, some land fine, but dead. Others start potentially dying midway, but it's hard to say what was more deadly post-crash.

So, literally, maybe at least three, over five years. InedibleHulk (talk) 06:34, March 16, 2015 (UTC)

Some people hit the ground without a parachute and survive. 209.149.114.176 (talk) 13:40, 17 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Most notably Vesna Vulović. InedibleHulk (talk) 21:36, March 18, 2015 (UTC)

Funny you should mention this, because only a couple of days ago I watched a video of a guy skydiving, and his partner had a helmet camera. On the way down, the guy had an epileptic seizure, but the guy with the helmet cam managed to steer himself towards him and open his rip-cord for him. The parachute opened, and at about 1,000 feet he regained consciousness and was able to land safely. KägeTorä - (^影_虎) (もしもし！) 14:53, 16 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

I want to get some photos printed in a large size, in good quality. I went to a local store that has a good reputation. I asked if they printed on photographic paper and they said "no". From what I understand, chromogenic color printing is better than inkjet - or at least it was some years ago. What about today - is there much difference in the quality? Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 02:12, 17 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

I can't speak to the difference between them. If you don't mind a little WP:OR, my wife is a professional photographer. She uses an Epson 3880, which is an ink jet printer, for her client work. And she does rather well at both the local and international level in print competitions with work that she has printed herself. She also prints for a few other competitors and they are happy with the quality of the prints. The paper that she uses comes from LexJet and Hahnemühle. Dismas|^(talk) 03:41, 17 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you for that reply. I asked "do you use photographic paper like Kodak or Fuji?" They said no, they used different papers. That's when I deduced that they weren't using a "wet" process. But maybe it doesn't make much difference these days. It used to, but I'm not up to date. Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 03:53, 17 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Again, more OR. In the local competitions, and from what I recall in higher levels as well, there are awards for makers who print on either Kodak or Fuji papers. (Kodak still provides a trophy while Fuji's "award" is basically just some words of recognition printed on company letterhead.) In the competitions that I've helped at, only about half of the makers are eligible for those awards. The rest, like my wife, are printing on paper from other companies. So yes, the market has expanded past just Kodak and Fuji. Dismas|^(talk) 04:11, 17 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

(edit conflict)I can't speak from experience, but you can order digital-to-chromogenic prints online for a not-outrageous price (it's still not cheap though). There's a place in New York that'll do an 8×10 for about $7 (in comparison, my local Wal-Mart charges about $2 for the same thing run over the inkjet). Also, with any store you're going to have to specifically ask for digital-to-chromogenic process: Otherwise they'll just print you up on their standard printer. Anyway, my take on digital-to-chromogenic printing is that it's a specialty service that most places don't have the equipment for. Even places that still have the gear for processing roll film aren't likely to offer it. Your best bet, if you've just got to have it, is to order one from some website. —/Mendaliv/^2¢/_Δ's/ 05:12, 17 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

There are commercial labs used by professional photographers for printing. Try doing a web search on "professional photo lab" in your area. They should not be hard to find. --173.49.16.112 (talk) 09:14, 17 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

As far as I can tell, there are two - the one I talked to and another one. Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 05:53, 18 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

The other one does the photographic process for prints up to 10 inches wide and inkjet for bigger prints. Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 00:36, 19 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

The capabilities of the two labs you mentioned seem too limited to be used by pros. Here's a lab that I randomly picked while searching the web. I'm not endorsing it--I've never used it, but take a look at the range of options they offer, for an example of what more capable labs offer. Maybe you should expand your search beyond the local area. --173.49.16.112 (talk) 00:54, 20 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for the link - they do what I'm looking for (e.g. "Photographic prints are printed on Fuji Professional Crystal Archive Super Type silver halide papers and processed in Fuji Professional Digital RA-4 Chemistry"). The second local place is a photography company that prints their own stuff, but the prices are high. I found AdoramaPix online and I ordered seven prints from them a day or two ago. (My local area is limited.) Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 03:06, 20 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Just wondering. Venustar84 (talk) 05:10, 17 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Considering that Amazon is selling it, I would say yes. ―Mandruss ☎ 05:14, 17 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Also "Over 10 Never-Before-Seen Featurettes!"

It's the only thing the summary puts an exclamation point on, so you know they're good. Not sure how many, though. Eleven, I'd guess. InedibleHulk (talk) 06:49, March 17, 2015 (UTC)

Obligatory link when someone says "Eleven".--Dweller (talk) 13:47, 17 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Why and how did wang and dong become slang for a penis. Is it part of some sort of xenophobia?

Etymonline says that "wang" is probably from "whangdoodle", meaning a gadget. It doesn't know where "dong" comes from (but says it was used in 1891). ("Wang" or "wang-tooth" is also an old term for a molar.) AndrewWTaylor (talk) 13:54, 17 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

From the obsolete word "wang" meaning "cheek". Compare German "Wange. --ColinFine (talk) 17:10, 17 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Also OP et al. should note: Wang_(surname) is not pronounced the same as the slang word for penis. SemanticMantis (talk) 18:40, 17 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

It is to most Americans. If you want it pronounced as Wong, you better spell it Wong. —Nelson Ricardo (talk) 23:38, 17 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Someone here [1] claims that "dong" comes from "dangle", as in a pendulum. If true, that would also help explain dongle, though various dictionaries say that was an arbitrary coinage. SemanticMantis (talk) 18:44, 17 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

The Oxford English Dictionary thinks that "wang," also spelled "whang," is a variant of "thong" (a narrow strip of hide or leather, for use as a lace, cord, band, strap, or the like). There is reason to believe this might be true: "Whang" does mean "thong," and has for centuries, and it has also been extended to mean a large or thick slice, esp. of cheese, bread, etc. And the OED's earliest use of "wang" in the penis sense, from 1935, uses the spelling "whang." However, "whang" in the thong sense is a Scottish and dialectic term, while "wang," penis, is American, although that is hardly an insuperable obstacle, considering the extent of Scottish immigration to the U.S. The OED does not know the origin of "dong," although it speculates that it might be from the 1877 Lear poem, ‘The Dong with a luminous nose’. There does not appear to be any relationship between these words and foreign languages such as Chinese, so there is no reason to think that xenophobia is involved. John M Baker (talk) 19:27, 17 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Even if there were a clear link to Chinese or other origin, that would not be evidence of xenophobia. We borrow words from every other language on Earth without it being said we're xenophobic. Linguistically, we're very much in the xenophile camp. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 20:15, 18 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

I'm considering visiting the UK in late August. However, the UK uses a completely different electrical system than pretty much the entire rest of Europe (possibly excluding Russia and Turkey, but I'm not interested in visiting them in the first place.) I would need to use the UK electrical system to charge my phone and my camera. What sort of equipment would I need to make my charging equipment fit into the UK electrical system? The chargers already have detachable power cords. Is it enough to buy UK-style power cords or do I need some sort of voltage converter as well, because the voltage in the UK is slightly different from that in the entire rest of Europe? JIP | Talk 19:47, 17 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Mains electricity by country might start you off. At first glance, our 230V appears to be the same as many countries in Europe. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 212.95.237.92 (talk) 20:04, 17 March 2015z (UTC)

The voltage is within the same tolerances throughout the EU - the British standard used to be 240V while much of the rest of the EU was 220V; the supply was redefined so that 230V fell within all countries' permitted range of supply, without actually changing the supplied voltage. The difference is not significant. You will just need a lead with a British-style plug. -- Arwel Parry (talk) 20:47, 17 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Our mains sockets look very strange to anyone from overseas but, because our plugs are big, a suitable device can make a good travel adapter. Something like this can be cheaply bought at many supermarkets in the UK (or at airports, petrol stations) if you find one difficult to get in Finland(?). I suggest you take one of your own multi-way extension cables so you can plug several low power things in at once and only use a single travel adapter. Thincat (talk) 20:55, 17 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

First: It is main land Europe that insists on using different electrical system us. Second: Your modern devises have been designed to the 230v EU standard that encompasses our 240V mains delivery system. So no voltage converter needed. The only deference you may notice is that our electricity supply is very stable and reliable. Buy your adapter (on say Amazon) before you leave - it will be cheaper. Or bring along a pair of wire strippers and insulting tape then just twist the conductors together. --Aspro (talk) 21:05, 17 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

You should be able to buy a UK adapter at your supermarket (cheaper), or, failing that, at the airport (more expensive). That's all you will need. We have three-pin plugs. We are taught at school to dismantle them and replace the wiring and fuse if there is a problem, which is impossible with European plugs or Asian plugs. And I'm interested in what 'insulting tape' is. Does it constantly remind you that your suit is dirty, doesn't like your tie, or keeps telling you to get a better phone? :) KägeTorä - (^影_虎) (もしもし！) 21:40, 17 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

"First: It is main land Europe that insists on using different electrical system us." How do you know that? How can anyone, either British or mainland European, claim their electricity system is the right one and the other is the wrong one? All that I've got going for the mainland system is that the entire mainland (possibly excluding Russia and Turkey) has the same system, whereas the UK (and possibly Ireland, I've never visited there) have another. Although the UK is a very populous country by European standards, the entirety of the mainland outnumbers it by a large margin. JIP | Talk 21:45, 17 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

I don't think that 'right' or 'wrong' was implied, just 'different'. Like they use a different currency. They use different languages. None of them is either right nor wrong, just different. Maybe the word 'insist' may have led to the misunderstanding here. Probably the word 'prefer' would have been better. KägeTorä - (^影_虎) (もしもし！) 21:49, 17 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

I'm hoping that Aspro's contribution was intended as a joke, containing as it does an offensive bit of xenophobia and some highly dangerous practical advice. --ColinFine (talk) 21:55, 17 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

An adapter is also needed for the British sense of humour. Thincat (talk) 21:59, 17 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Actually that's incorrect. It is possible with Asian plugs. Malaysia uses the same sockets, and the same plugs as the UK (sort of, either there's no proper legal requirement or it isn't enforced, so many appliances come with or came with Europlug which people insert without proper adapters) except for high powered devices like air conditioners. As of course does Singapore, HK (although given the influence of stuff from mainland China, I think possibly with even more caveats than Malaysia) and I believe a few other Asian countries to some extent (there are various sources which mention some but I don't really trust them). I can't comment on the other countries but in Malaysia it is or was part of the Living Skills curriculum how to change the plugs or just the fuses, although IIRC in my case was only theoretical (although I'd seen and possibly done it long before it came up, and the teaching of Living Skills wasn't very good during my years). BTW, as I understand it, molded plugs are acceptable even under modern BS1363 regulations in the UK although I don't know how common they are. (I suspect though they're often used for IEC 60320 cables, since I can't imagine the ones you get are solely intended for Malaysia, Singapore, HK or places besides the UK.) In that case it's basically impossible to inspect or otherwise fiddle the wiring without either cutting of the plug, or breaking it open (which even if you manage, is unlikely to leave it in a state you can repair it), although they're still required to have user serviceable fuses. See e.g. [2] [3] (the person there seems to be from the UK [4]). Nil Einne (talk) 05:43, 18 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

(EC) Sorry, I was talking about the flat two-pin or round two-pin plugs used in both Europe and Asia (South Korea actually uses both). I am aware that three-pin plugs can be used in some countries in Asia, but they are not very common. When I was in Nepal, I wanted to use my hair clippers (Japanese plug) and the tour guide put about four or five adapters together, because they were all different and as soon as I plugged the clippers in and switched them on, I got an electric shock and the entire hotel was without elecricity for a whole day. KägeTorä - (^影_虎) (もしもし！) 05:57, 18 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Only the sockets are different, a very simple and dirt cheap physical adapter will indeed do. At the prices they go for, I wouldn't bother with dragging extension cords along, just get a couple of adapters, can't imagine you'd need more than two or three at the same time? The UK sockets are of course the better ones, as the have a switch to switch them on and off. Clearly superior! 82.21.7.184 (talk) 23:06, 17 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

That last point is actually valuable. When people from overseas come over here, they generally don't know or remember to switch the socket itself on. In fact, I myself, a native UK-er, after living in Japan for ten years came back, and one day I was waiting for ages for the kettle to boil, until my mum reminded me to press the button to switch the socket on. KägeTorä - (^影_虎) (もしもし！) 23:37, 17 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

As far as I know, the UK lowered its voltage from 240 to 230 to bring it inline with other EU countries, which raised theirs from 220 to 230. Whether this change occurred in European countries outside the EU I do not know so I suggest you check the voltage on your appliances. I don't know if it was being suggested but you cannot jam a two-pin europlug into a three-pin UK socket because there are plastic shutters which are released by the longer, earth pin on UK plugs. Be aware that not all countries use the same polarity, in other words the position of the live and neutral are reversed, and this may have been the reason for KageTora's experience in Nepal. Although I don't think this is the case in Europe, for this reason I recommend using a proper travel adaptor. UK sockets can be switched or unswitched and both are acceptable even in new buildings. Watch out for sockets in bathrooms which are round two-pin. They are not euro-sockets but for use with an electric shaver and are low-voltage. Lastly, most phones come with a USB adapter which will fit USB ports in the UK. You can also buy a 3-pin plug with a USB port.--Ykraps (talk) 10:44, 18 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

The UK did not lower its supply voltage. A stroke of the pen on a document can not over- night cause all the sub-stations to reconfigure their winding taps at the will of some of Brussels bureaucrats. Instead, what the UK did was 'declare' that our 'nominal' voltage was now 230V, so that Europe-wide, we could all use the same technical charts and tables. That I think is why the OP is asking. The UK has a higher supply voltage as measured on a voltage-meter. Yet, if he's chargers etc have a current CE markings they should perform faultlessly and safely as the manufacturer declares that they should work faultlessly and safely. Our prospective visitor has more to fear from the fact that we all drive on the right side of the road and not on the wrong side, which can make crossing the street hazardous to the unwary (err.. xenophobia or the practical fact that if one finds oneself in an altercation, ones sword hand (right arm) can better protect any female next to you - a stance that still had advantages the last time I had an altercation with not a policeman in sight).--Aspro (talk) 11:44, 18 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

This is totaly off-topic, but still a valid point. JIP, when you cross the road, look RIGHT first, then LEFT. The joke above is that we actually drive on the left side of the road, which is the right side (i.e. the correct side). This is actually important to know. KägeTorä - (^影_虎) (もしもし！) 14:36, 18 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

By the way, chargers for many electronic devices are equipped to handle a wide range of voltages. For example, chargers for Apple devices work equally well in Europe and the United States, even though the standard voltage in the United States is only 120V. All you will need is a simple plug adaptor, which you can get in most UK supermarkets for £2-3, if I remember correctly. Marco polo (talk) 15:29, 18 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

What causes the noises that you hear in the stomach, like gurgling noises (I wouldn't really say 'rumbling', but that is the usual term) when you are hungry, or even when you are not hungry. I get them probably about as much as anyone else, so this is not a request for medical advice, merely a request for information on this out of interest. KägeTorä - (^影_虎) (もしもし！) 21:31, 17 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Chemical reactions producing gas bubbles which then rise to the top and escape, producing a little burble? Think Yellowstone mudpots. This is your stomach on food. ―Mandruss ☎ 21:40, 17 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

So where do these gas bubbles go? Is this what causes burping, and possibly hiccups? KägeTorä - (^影_虎) (もしもし！) 21:46, 17 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

The gas comes out as burps or farts, depending on how far along the track it is located. Hiccups are a spasm of the abdominal diaphragm which cause a gasp, not a burp. μηδείς (talk) 22:01, 17 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

• Hunger causes hunger pangs (also, "hunger pains") which are contractions of the stomach, which can themselves be painful. The rumbling sound will be caused by the movement of (often partially obstructed) gas or fluids, usually in the intestines, either caused by peristalsis in the intestines themselves or by their motion caused by the stomach contractions. I.e., the stomach moves, releasing pressure, and allowing the trapped gas and fluids to move.

μηδείς (talk) 21:55, 17 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

WHAAOI. --ColinFine (talk) 21:57, 17 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Well there ya go, hiding in plain sight. Don't we feel silly. I noticed you used the redirect, borborygmi, apparently named for the sound that it describes. ;) ―Mandruss ☎ 22:58, 17 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Err... Is this the right forum to ask why does my head hurt when I keep bashing it against a brick wall? --Aspro (talk) 00:51, 19 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

No. That's a question you should ask of a relevant health care practitioner. We don't give free medical advice here. But if you send me a large amount of money privately, I'll happily answer your question. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 01:19, 19 March 2015 (UTC) [reply]

And, in this case, the "relevant healthcare practitioner" would be a psychiatrist. :-) StuRat (talk) 05:27, 19 March 2015 (UTC) [reply]

Not an expert in these topics, but I recall answers to this question involving noise as the result of the movement of air through curved cavities. I've heard the analogy of similarities between stomach rumblings and wind instruments. In both cases you have air moving through bends and turns. Sounds result. If such is the case, minimizing stomach rumblings can be achieved through putting something into the cavity to reduce the amount of empty space available for air to fill. Water is a good choice to use when not particularly hungry.128.229.4.2 (talk) 17:56, 19 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

As in the case of wind instruments, there has to be pressure and a constriction. μηδείς (talk) 21:47, 19 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Hanging a flag upside-down is a sign of distress (like say if a ship had plague aboard). So how would they handle it if the flag is up-down symmetrical, like the Japanese flag ? StuRat (talk) 05:26, 18 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Distress_signal#Flags indicates what is done in cases of symmetrical flags. --Jayron32 05:28, 18 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks !

Resolved

Hi.

I'm wondering why this article was deleted and why whoever on Wikipedia decided it was a hoax. It is a verifiable punishment for gishers who fail to follow the relevant commandment of gishwhes. You can find it here http://www.gishwhes.com/g_blog/commandments/ .

Quote:

3. Nomenclature - From this exact point forward you shall scribe the word “GISHWHES” as “gishwhes.” We are henceforth banning caps-lock. If we see you infracting this rule online (or in sky-writing) you will be publicly called-out, and forced to perform the “Cutstata” dance (1867 version) without the usual aid of high heel shoes and the royal entourage. The sole exception to this rule is the Dinomite, who is (still) figuring out how to type in lower-case.

Many of the gishers have been looking for information on the "1867 Cutstata Dance". By you deleting the article that says it was made up for gishwhes, you are denying those gishers a resource. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 184.16.215.190 (talk) 14:34, 18 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

The article at GISHWHES still exists; if you wish to discuss moving it to a non-capitalized title, such as gishwes, you should discuss it on the talk page here. Matt Deres (talk) 14:45, 18 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

When I was a primary school kid, I belonged to a chess team organized by the school. Now, I have just joined a chess club to basically have some fun on my day off. Does anyone know of any websites that teach chess strategy? I can remember all the opening moves we were taught, and can win (mostly), but I'd like to learn a little bit more, because now it's not a primary school game, this is for adults, and some of the people are chess experts. KägeTorä - (^影_虎) (もしもし！) 15:55, 18 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

If you want an easy way to practice against a computer try here [5], which lets you play gnu chess on the web without installing anything. SemanticMantis (talk) 17:54, 18 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Here's a review of some free sites that teach chess tactics/strategy [6]. SemanticMantis (talk) 19:34, 18 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks. Chess already comes with the Mac, so I can play on that, but I will check out those sites. KägeTorä - (^影_虎) (もしもし！) 03:12, 19 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

There are plenty of websites that you can find with a search. Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 03:15, 19 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

I have asked a question about this previously at Commons. Last July, when I visited Bratislava, I encountered a newly-wed couple having their wedding pictures taken. This was at the technical museum, not at a private place like their home or a church. So I decided to also photograph them. Neither the couple or the official photographer seemed to mind, but I never asked for their permission.

How can I find out whether I can publish the photographs or not? I have no way of contacting the couple or the professional photographer, because I don't know who they even are. I wrote a question about this at the Slovak Wikipedia at what I assume is their Reference Desk, but looking at the history, it can go almost half a year without any edits, so I don't think I'll get a reply.

I don't know anyone in Slovakia, I don't understand Slovak, and I don't know of any Slovakian websites. How can I find out whether publishing the images is allowed or not? JIP | Talk 20:38, 18 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

According to freedom of panorama Slovakia does not have freedom of panorama inside public buildings. So you might get deleted for not having a license if you post the picture. There appear to be no Slovak language articles linked to the relevant English articles. The standard advice to contact a lawyer is relevant. μηδείς (talk) 21:06, 18 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

How do I contact a lawyer in Slovakia? As I said, I don't know of any lawyers in Slovakia, and I don't understand any Slovak. JIP | Talk 21:14, 18 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

You'd actually just contact a local lawyer who deals with EU law, regardless of whether the lawyer spoke Finnish, German or English. Unless you intend to use this commercially or publicly it might not be worth your while. If you intend to use the image at wikipedia, you should probably read Wikipedia:Copyright problems and contact and administrator. Someone else might have more direct advice, since I am not an admin, and don't much deal with uploads. Diannaa helped me with an issue deleted over fair use, she may be a good person to approach if this is wikipedia-related. μηδείς (talk) 21:34, 18 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

I'm not sure how copyright problems would be of concern. I took the pictures I want to upload, not the professional photographer. The only possible issue here is privacy. JIP | Talk 21:38, 18 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

What's at issue here is personality rights, the right of private individuals to not have their image exploited commercially without their knowledge or consent. According to this article, personality rights are protected under Slovak law. -- Diannaa (talk) 21:50, 18 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Copyright would be at issue under freedom of panorama. It's why in the US many museums forbid the use of cameras. The right to any image belongs as a derivative work to the owner of the object or location, not to the person taking the picture. Under Slovak law you can (apparently, according to our article) take a picture of the outside of a building yourself and use it commercially. There's a recent ruling that taking photos of the Eiffel Tower at night is illegal for the same reason. μηδείς (talk) 00:16, 19 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

See Commons:Commons:Freedom of panorama for this issue when it comes to commons. Note that AFAIK the copyright doesn't necessarily belong to the owner of the object or location. It may belong to the architect, sculpturer, artist or whatever. Depending on what you were actually photographing, it's possible Commons:Commons:De minimis may apply. It's also possible some of the things you are photographing are in the public domain due to age. Ultimately I think someone can only say for sure if there are problems by checking the photograph. Nil Einne (talk) 01:09, 20 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Excus me, where can I find some condemns?Awesomeguy369 (talk) 01:12, 19 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Condoms, presumably? Anywhere that sells OTC medications (aspirin, indigestion tablets, etc) should have them, they're available from vending machines at many public conveniences, and, of course, via mail-order. Historically, barbers used to sell them, but I'm not sure that's still the case. If you let us know what country you're in, we can suggest some specific shops you can use. Tevildo (talk) 01:57, 19 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

You can usually find them in the alley behind a night club, but I wouldn't recommend touching them. StuRat (talk) 05:21, 19 March 2015 (UTC) [reply]

"Condoms" are generally available at any drug store, at least in the US. If you're looking for "condemns", try asking for them in a nation that prohibits contraception. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 08:26, 19 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

That could only lead to condemn-nation... :) KägeTorä - (^影_虎) (もしもし！) 08:30, 19 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Bingo. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 08:36, 19 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Well, somebody had to fall for it :) KägeTorä - (^影_虎) (もしもし！) 09:19, 19 March 2015 (UTC) [reply]

In many countries they are free at state funded Family_planning clinics. We even have a dispenser in the restrooms at the office. Government issue of course. No popular brand names.196.213.35.146 (talk) 13:40, 19 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

It apparently helps with arthritis... http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/elderly-south-africans-rub-condoms-on-their-knees-to-ease-arthritis-pain-9046709.html 196.213.35.146 (talk) 13:47, 19 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

I would like to see the uncensored version to decide for myself. Where can I find them ?

Thanks,

StuRat (talk) 05:18, 19 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

This is what was reported in the Penn State newspaper, and it's bad enough. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 08:30, 19 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

I don't see any lyrics there. RomanSpa (talk) 10:42, 19 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Do you mean 2015 University of Oklahoma Sigma Alpha Epsilon racism incident? The lyrics are in our article. The recent Penn State case seems to be about sexual assault rather than racism. (maybe I'm wrong about that) Staecker (talk) 11:44, 19 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

I think there was an incident at Penn State recently also. Why anyone would expect mature behavior from frats is a puzzlement. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 12:11, 19 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Kappa Delta Rho at Penn State, and you're right, it was mostly about posting salacious photos of drunken women. Here's a summary of various recent incidents.[7] ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 12:16, 19 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Uncensored version of racist song can be found at LiveLeak.com. - Lindert (talk) 12:20, 19 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

• Racist songs, smelly drunken louts with hacky sacks and inferiority complexes, and naked women passed out on the couch. Now that's the stuff of life! μηδείς (talk) 16:41, 19 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, I meant the 2015 University of Oklahoma Sigma Alpha Epsilon racism incident. Where can I find the lyrics ? StuRat (talk) 16:57, 19 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

From CNN: "There will never be a (BLEEP) in SAE, there will be a (BLEEP) in SAE. You can hang from a tree but they'll never sign with me. There will be a (BLEEP) in SAE." with the word nigger being bleeped out. Abecedare (talk) 17:11, 19 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Not Safe for Work! May be offensive. This may be what SAE fears if they miscegenate. μηδείς (talk) 18:06, 19 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Suppose an individual is driving a very powerful rear-wheel drive car - say, something like 700 HP and 600 lb-ft of torque. When accelerating from a standstill, or even if accelerating from a rolling start on a low gear, if the driver floors the gas, often times the rear wheels will break traction. If one were to increase the weight of the car, would the car have better traction and hence break traction less?

In other words, often times we hear that reducing the weight of a car is better for performance. But are there any situations in automotive racing where a heavier car might have some advantages in certain aspects?

Thanks. Acceptable (talk) 14:18, 19 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

This is a complicated question. If you floor the gas pedal (presumably without traction control) on a high-torque engine - then having more weight over the rear wheels will indeed help you to maintain traction. But it's not that simple. The physics equation F=ma says that for a given amount of force (torque), you'll get more acceleration with less mass. But the problem is that you can't get as much torque applied through the tires if there is insufficient weight over the drive wheels. So there is a balance here. Putting more mass over the drive wheels allows you to apply more torque without spinning the wheels - but adding mass to the car reduces acceleration for whatever torque you actually can apply.

The question becomes whether adding X amount of weight over the wheels increases available torque by more or less than the amount needed to overcome that additional mass. There is no way to guess what amount of weight is best - there are just too many variables. Road surface? Tire tread? 2WD versus 4WD?

Adding weight to the car in general will be much less effective than selectively adding it over the drive wheels. One reason that front wheel drive cars are easier to drive is that the weight of the engine and gearbox sits entirely over the drive wheels.

But that really only tells you about that initial acceleration - once the car is going fast enough that the wheels aren't going to spin, that extra weight becomes less and less beneficial and more and more of a liability.

Adding extra weight on a 2WD car severely impacts braking and cornering (which depend on the properties of all four wheels) and only helps initial acceleration - so having more raw acceleration from a standing start is highly overrated - unless you're only interested in drag-racing.

Traction control (either by software or by having a halfway-competent driver) is a better solution. If your wheels are spinning then you're accelerating less quickly than you would if you were more gentle with the gas pedal. The goal here is to always be just short of wheel spin.

The science behind that advice is that materials like rubber have a higher coefficient of friction when they are rolling at the same speed as the road than when they are slipping relative to it (stiction versus sliding friction)...so any time your wheels are slipping (wheel spin during acceleration, wheel lock-up during braking or skidding in a turn), your car is not performing as well as it would if you were a little more gentle on the controls. Applying less torque at the engine can result in more torque at the road if by doing so you can stay within the higher coefficient of friction of a tire in stiction than one that's slipping.

Designing cars for incompetent drivers is probably a bad idea - so, in general, light is good.

SteveBaker (talk) 15:15, 19 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

• Friction is calculated by the coefficient of friction times the force normal to the surface (the car's weight) times the area of contact. So yes, the easy answer is the heavier the car, the greater the friction. μηδείς (talk) 16:39, 19 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]
  • Of course, if you provide a downwards force by other means (e.g. aerodynamics), you get the traction advantages of a heavier car without actually increasing the weight (see downforce). However, an aerodynamic approach will only help you once you're moving, not when you're starting from a standstill (since there's little to no air moving over the wings, there's no downforce). MChesterMC (talk) 16:56, 19 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Besides potentially a short drag race, being lighter is better in automotive racing. Though even in a short drag race the solution to tire spin is wider tires, not more weight. 70.50.122.38 (talk) 19:21, 19 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

I was half listening to the radio on the way home the other day and someone mentioned a measure of economic productivity of a country that was based on the surplus or deficit ignoring interest payments. I missed the name for this term, I think it was something like "base" or "basic" deficit. What is the term?

Also I think it said that based on this measure Greece was performing better than the USA or most European countries. Is this true?

Thirdly there was an implication that if Greece were paying interest at the rate of A* countries it wouldn't have the repayment problems that mean that it is charged a high rate - a sort of catch 22 of debt. Is this also true? -- Q Chris (talk) 14:40, 19 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

That may or may not be true - but the reason Greece has to pay higher interest rates is that they are a much riskier bet for investors. Every time they try to renegotiate the loan - or even think about threatening to default on it - the bet gets riskier and the interest rate goes up. It's all a balance between risk and return. The riskier the loan, the more the potential return has to be. I agree that there is a chicken-and-egg problem here. This is why responsible governments are so concerned about NEVER defaulting on a loan - NEVER even hinting that they might. The sad problem for Greece is that the threat is out there - loudly and publicly - and it's hard to convince investors that this is a safe bet. This is one of those ikky problems where the answer is "You shouldn't have done that" - and fixing it after the fact isn't easy. SteveBaker (talk) 15:24, 19 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

The term is primary surplus / primary deficit. 88.112.50.121 (talk) 16:35, 19 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks -- Q Chris (talk) 11:31, 20 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Are the percentages of homosexual men and homosexual women roughly equal? My Little Question Can't be This Interesting (talk) 21:32, 19 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

See Homosexuality#Demographics. The "Polling" subsection contains the statement, overall, women were slightly more likely than men to identify as LGBT, 3.6% to men's 3.3%, +/-1%, a result consistent with other polls. More detailed information at the linked "main article". ―Mandruss ☎ 21:40, 19 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

That's not a significant difference (it's well within the margin of error). The claim that it's "consistent with other polls" comes from this press release, which cites this document, which does not seem to support the claim. In fact it says 3.6% of men in the US identify as gay/bi versus 3.4% of women (Figure 5), but with no error bars so who knows what it means. I'll remove that claim from the article. -- BenRG (talk) 02:31, 20 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

• No sexuality is uniform among individuals, let alone XX's and XY's, and every statistic I have ever heard is belied by the facts. Plus, I kissed a girl and I liked it. μηδείς (talk) 04:31, 20 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

There are two issues that make your question impossible to answer definitively. First, there is a difference between identification and behavior. The percentages of people who reported predominantly homosexual behavior in the Kinsey Reports are higher than the percentages of people who identify as lesbian or gay. Speaking anecdotally as a man who identifies as gay, I have had, and just about every other gay man I know has had sexual encounters with enthusiastic male partners who identified as straight. The problem is that many of these "straight" men will not admit to people administering a survey that they engage in homosexual behavior. So how can they be counted? I have no doubt that a similar issue affects numbers of lesbian/homosexual women. Second, as the Kinsey Reports and other studies have shown, large numbers of people do not fall clearly into "homosexual" or "heterosexual" categories. Instead, some portion of their sexual interest and behavior focuses on members of the opposite sex, some focuses on members of the same sex, and some may focus on people of ambiguous sex. Also, for each individual, these proportions may change over time. Again, anecdotally, I know of many instances of people who spent years of their lives identifying and behaving heterosexually and then later in life shifted to homosexual identification and behavior. I know of a couple of instances of people making the opposite shift. So, where do you draw the line? What if 70% of a person's sexual encounters are heterosexual but 70% of that person's attractions and fantasies are homosexual. To which category do we assign that person? What about a person whose sexual activity is almost exclusively homosexual but who reports on a survey that he or she is heterosexual? These issues mean that it is impossible to come up with an accurate statistic on the percentage of the population (male or female) that is "homosexual". Marco polo (talk) 13:33, 20 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]