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6Business & Finance

Is this the end of the housing boom? For October, existing home sales was down while new home sales surged.?

With consumer confidence and new home sales up, it is almost 100% sure that the Feds will raise short term interest rate again in December and likely in January. Will long term rate move up more? With current mortage rate, buyer are still willing to pay premium for houses. Clearly, easy money are still out there.

I think there is a lag in new home sales and the closings in October really were under contract in Aug and September, thus November numbers should be down dramatically even after seasonal adjustment. Rates will undoubtedly go up again at the next meeting, but with the advent of so many new mortgage products (interest only, reverse mortgage, etc.) money is still relatively easy but definitly more risky. I expect volume levels to slow, prices to flatten across most of the US but do not see a big drop in prices unless rates get above 8%.

5Sports

What is the best Tennis club in or near Sunnyvale, CA?

I'd like to find a tennis club that has indoor courts and a variety of events that help you find other players to play with.

the Sunnyvale Municipal Tennis Center (right next to the Cherry Orchard plaza) has great facilities. it's near the sunnyvale/saratoga and el camino real intersection.

3Education & Reference

Parttime MBA or Certification in Management, which one is better. Where can I do the Mgmt. certification from.

As as working professional I dont have time to goto college. I want to do either the Part Time MBA or Certification in Mgmt. Which one has more value and what would you recommend for me?

You see, one of the biggest value an MBA will bring is the "networking" opportunity. Hence, a part-time MBA with no classroom-based activities will miss this important piece.\n\nIf you want to go for a fully remote-based degree, the Open university is a good option.\n\nColumbia also has a good option for a certificate: you keep taking several courses and after some time you can apply for a certificate in business excellence.\n\nI think both the part-time mba or the certificate are good options if you pick a good school.\n\nIf you can afford going to the campus about twice a month, an executive mba is the best option in my opinion. Chech NYU, Kellog or Columbia.

6Business & Finance

Would Amazon sell as much stuff if they required California residents to pay tax?

Their lower sales rate in Washington state would suggest that no, they wouldn't. I knew quite a few people (even Amazonians) who didn't buy from Amazon due to that factor. Given a high state sales tax (>8% in both WA and CA), it's the simple economics of a higher price. Also, WA no longer has a shipping facility, so the convenience of buying online is occasionally outweighed by the delay of obtaining the goods.

6Business & Finance

I am being harassed by a telemarketing company even though i requested to be not called. Help?

The federal DNC is your best bet but there will still be a lag between when you register and the telemarketers check the list (4 to 8 weeks at least) \n\nIn the meantime, you're doing the right thing by telling them to put you on their list. If they call again use your caller ID and pass that info on to the site below.\n\nIt only works if you haven't done any biz with them though. One transaction with them means they have the right to keep calling you for up to 18 months.

3Education & Reference

Are there excellent Catholic schools in Las Vegas?

If you are referring to High Schools, there's Bishop Gorman, a well established private Catholic school.

1Science & Mathematics

What animal species are monogamous?

Depends on what your view on monogamy is? In birds that many are monogamous for a single nesting (House Wrens), an entire breeding season (most bird species, including most passerines), several successive breeding seasons (observed in some pairs of American Robins, Tree Swallows, Mourning Doves, etc.), or life (albatrosses, petrels, swans, geese, eagles, and some owls and parrots).\n\nThat said many scientist believe that "In avoiding extinction, it pays to be promiscuous".

1Science & Mathematics

What is the role of music in evolution?

There's also an interesting section on how birdsong matches some very intellectual Music Theory in the book Animals in Translation. The conclusion seems to be that music might be a precursor to language in brain formation.\n\n(Check around page 278 on Look Inside at the Amazon link below, or search for "birdsong")

9Politics & Government

why "liberal" in the US is considered as "left", while in europe is used to define a conservative?

Sorry, here in Europe, liberal is not conservative...Is not left (actually, is center-right), but here in Europe, in the Center right has three families: Conservatives, Christian-Democrats and Liberals; and they are pretty differents.

2Health

Which is better for back pain-- ice or heat?

Looks like for the first 72 hours after an back injury or strain, you should use ice to reduce inflammation and pain. After that, heat can be applied or used alternately with ice. If you apply heat too early you could worsen the inflammation. Link from webMD below:

4Computers & Internet

Where can I buy a copy of Hypercard 2.4 for Mac?

Hypercard came with the old mac OS, and it looks like you can download 2.4.1 at http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macos/338 . That said, Hypercard is an old, obsolete technology that hasn't been updated in 7 years. I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't even run right under Classic mode in OS X. For you to need this, you must have a really old computer.

5Sports

What is Michael Jordan doing now? Is he working?

michael jordan is something like VP of the Jordan Brand for Nike. he's got final approval over the entire line - shoes, shirts, pants, etc. he's also spending a lot of time with his family. his son jeffrey is a sophomore in high school and he's going to his basketball games.\n\nthis was all that i remember from when he was on oprah.

1Science & Mathematics

What is the other nickname of Georgia besides Peach State?

Empire State of the South

7Entertainment & Music

What Warner Bros. cartoon character turned 50 yrs old on September 16, 1999?

Wile E. Coyote

6Business & Finance

why some companies have survived for more then 50 years while others have failed only after 5? why is that ?

a while ago I've red a very good book about this phenomena. \nit called- "Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies" by James C. Collins, Jerry I. Porras \n\nthey picked only companies that have lasted more then 50 years and tried to point out the reason for succeeding such a long time. I recommend it there is a lot to learn in it

4Computers & Internet

What is the difference between AGP and PCI graphics cards?

AGP or Accelerated Graphics Port succeeded PCI or Peripheral Component Interconnect as a technology to connect graphics cards to a computer's motherboard. PCI is still used to connect other devices like ethernet and sound cards.\n\nAGP slots provide a dedicated link between the card and the CPU and thus providing faster communication between them. There are other enhancements as well. See the source for more. But the bottom line is that AGP cards perform much better.\n\nBut now AGP is getting phased in favor of PCIe or PCI Express which is even faster and can be used as the bus for all the devices in a machine.

5Sports

Who Will be the League MVP this Year?

Who Will be the League MVP this Year?\n\nIverson ???\nLebron??\nKobe??

The only correct answer from anybody is that they do not know. The league awards tend to shape up after the All-Star break. Later on in the season would be a better time to ask.

5Sports

What is the best slope in Tahoe for snowboarders?

North Star and Heavenly are my personal favorites. Both seem well groomed and Heavenly top-of-the-slope offers a breathtaking view of Lake Tahoe.\n\nTry the second source link for a picture of Lake Tahoe from the top of Heavenly.\n\nHope this helps!

6Business & Finance

What is the difference between networking and pyramiding?

Networking is interconnecting with other people and talk to them about the business or the product. People use the product and recommend it to other people. The product or business gets recognized by word of mouth.\n\nPyramiding is scam. Pyramiding is when a group asks you for money having the chance to profit from other people's payment who would be joining later.\n\nPyramiding is very common in the Philippines.

3Education & Reference

What does the term playing hooky mean?

To play hooky is to skip school, to be truant.

4Computers & Internet

Who invented the mouse?

According to the bible, it was God.\nAccording to Darwin, it was natural evolution.\nMany others will convince you that it was Steve Jobs and Apple.\n\nThe answer, according to http://www.superkids.com/aweb/pages/features/mouse/mouse.html, is Doug Engelbart.\n\n(which I found via this Yahoo! Search http://myweb2.search.yahoo.com/search?p=who+invented+the+mouse.)

1Science & Mathematics

How Much Wood Can A Wood Chuck Chuck?

I just love Wood Chucks....

well...it depends if a wood chuck could chuck wood

7Entertainment & Music

What was Alfred Hitchcock's contribution to the movie industry?

Hitchcock directed, produced and wrote some of the greatest suspense films of all time. His career spanned from the 1920's to the 1970's. His classic films include "Psycho", "Rear Window", "Vertigo", "North by Northwest", and "The Birds". He also hosted two groundbreaking suspense anthology series on television. \n\nIt would be difficult to overstate the influence Hitchcock had on the industry. His showmanship, his cinematography and his approach to suspense are felt to this day, recently in Gus Van Sant's shot-by-shot recreation of "Psycho".

3Education & Reference

Where did the term "I'll be there with bells on" originate?

I seem to remember reading somewhere that in the old sled/carriage days that if a fellow teamster had to bail you out of trouble, you traditionally gave them your sleighbells as a thank you (or mark of shame?). Can't find that reference any more.

Direct quote from http://www.rootsweb.com/~genepool/meanings.htm: "To be somewhere with "bells on" refers to a practice peddlers had when they roamed the area west of the Appalachians selling wares. To avoid Indians, they traveled as silently as possible until they reached a settled area. Then they unmuffled bells hung around their horses necks to announce their arrival to outlying cabins. Hence, "I'll be there with bells on." The peddlers' arrival was a much anticipated major event in the mostly tedious and hard lives of settlers, not only for the goods they sold, but also for the news, letters, and messages they carried from the outside world."

6Business & Finance

Why are we here?

To ask and answer questions. Duh!

4Computers & Internet

Which is better a Linux operating system over a Windows operating system?

Your question is the probably wrong question to ask.\n\nWhat you should ask yourself, what applications do I want to run and find a machine that runs it.\n\nBut, if you don't care about what applications you run, Linux is currently more robust and secure than Windows which is very vunerable to Spyware, Trojans, Viruses, etc.\n\nYou have to be a bit of a Geek to be able to manage a Linux system. On the other hand, you have to be a bit of a wizard to manage a Windows machine...\n\nThe Macintosh runs an OS similar to Linux, but has a nicer frontend on top of it, so I think the Macintosh is a better choice.\n\nBest thing to do is try them out if you can.

7Entertainment & Music

What is the size of Paris Hilton's feet?

She has size 11 feet.

6Business & Finance

How does this site make money?

I guess advertisements will be added eventually when it has certain traffic.

I think you answered your own question.\n\nBesides, at orientation weren't we told to make cool stuff, then worry about how to make money? Perhaps this is a cool thing that simply hasn't had a money-making idea created from it yet. However, advertisement is, I think, the most probable means.

8Family & Relationships

how can you cause a toddler to do something that they don't want to do?

It typically works really well to give them a choice about part of the afair. For example, if they need to take a gross medicine, that's not an option. But it will go down a lot better if they can choose to take it with the blue or the red spoon, or to get a kiss or a hug afterwards. I also try to leave room for "rewards". For example, at dinner, the kids can take seconds of whatever they like best after they finish eating. However, I make sure to serve them at least a little bit of everything and make them eat that first, and save some of the stuff they really like for seconds.

1Science & Mathematics

What triangle shaped island is the largest in the Mediterranean?

It's Sicily.

4Computers & Internet

What is a router?

A router is a network device which is connected between network subnets and knows where to send a packet it received.\nWhen you use your browser to look at Yahoo!, for example, HTTP data packets from your PC travels to Yahoo by going from router to router until they reach Yahoo! server. Each router is a "hop" on the way and each knows where to send your packet next.\nA response from Yahoo goes back through the network in similar way (not necessarily through same networks).\n\nYou may have a router box at home, which usually knows about your home subnet and your ISP subnet.\nCisco builds "big iron" routers which are the backbone of the internet.

8Family & Relationships

What is a family?

It's the society. It's the people we love. It could be our mother, father, siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, friends, etc. Family is not only those who are related to us by blood.

8Family & Relationships

What's the best age gap between siblings?

The New England Journal of Medicine recently published a study suggesting that parents should wait 18 to 23 months after a full-term birth before conceiving again. Interestingly enough, the average age gap between siblings in America is about two and a half years -- which means we must be following this advice! I personally have two sisters, one 6 years older and the other 11 years older, and we get along famously. You have to worry about competition between siblings when the age gap is too small; but with families with wide gaps in age between the siblings, you have to worry that they'll be raised almost like one "only child" after another. Best,\n`k.

3Education & Reference

What is the world's largest island?

At 840,000 square miles (2,175,590 km2), Greenland is the world's largest island. Although Australia also meets the definition of an island (a piece of land surrounded by water), it is large enough to be considered its own continent.

7Entertainment & Music

what does "The Forgotten Arm," in the title of Aimee's new album mean?

The Forgotten Arm of Aimee Mann's newest album refers to a boxing technique where, "a fighter in close quarters uses one arm to punch and lets the other arm hide, waiting to land a surprise blow".\n\nThis conceptual album follows the story of a boxer and his sweetheart through their tumultous love. The idea of the suprise blow is an apt metaphor for when things in a love relationship suddenly go wrong. She could have been using the idea to this end.

7Entertainment & Music

what's the best Sirius satellite radio to get?

the majority of the listening would be in the car (howard stern!), but would love to be able to listen at home/work. would prefer something that could plug into an open aux input on both car stereo or home receiver as opposed to using FM.

You want one of the dockable tuners, all of them have some sort of line out capability. After that the prime factor is form factor and UI. I prefer the look of the Clarion but the JVC and Audiovox are also good. Also, if you have broadband at home, you don't need a tuner, all sirius subscribers can stream Sirius channels via the internet for free.

4Computers & Internet

What's the best search engine?

well.. http://www.scroogle.org/ is the best coz.. it doesnt keep logs like google. (Its basically Yahoo and Google scraper.. Ad free and free of access logs)\n\nI also recommend http://www.clusty.com, which has better results than Google and doesn't track you.

7Entertainment & Music

How do you set-up a personal video recorder without monthly fees?

I figure why pay TiVo or a cable company or a satellite company to use a personal video recorder, after all, it's just a piece of timer software that records data to a hard drive. Just a matter of getting the tv listings, hooking up a home computer and finding the right software for one-time up front cost (something cheap, like $50 and not 300-500 like TiVo/ReplayTV charge you).

Easy, SnapStream, or I think it's now called BeyondTV, there was an article written on it in 2002 on tomsnetworking.com, great article: http://www.tomsnetworking.com/network/20020423/\n\nA little more than $50, but $69.99 ain't bad. If you don't already have a tv tuner card for your PC then get the bundle that comes with it.\n\nI'm not sure but I think the XP Media Edition PCs have similar software already built-in as well.

7Entertainment & Music

What's the name of Paris Hilton's pet dog?

Tinkerbell is the name of her chihuahua, who famously went missing last year but was soon after found hiding in Paris's closet!

5Sports

What are the advantages of a compact crankset over a triple on a bicycle?

I'm considering switching out my triple crankset for a compact. I tried a rental bike with a compact (Cannondale R2000, nice bike) and liked it quite a bit. Right now I'm riding a Specialized Roubaix with Shimano 105 components.\n\nI'm something of a beginner, having just started about three months ago. I have a climber's build and tend to like moderately hilly routes.

The main advantage is that the compact crankset gearing is much closer to the high cadence riding that is the current trend in modern cycling. With a standard triple crank you have 30/42/52 chainrings, from which most people use the 42 and 30 rings. The 30 is a little too short for most hilly rides, and basically you're spinning super fast to get up a hill. The 42 is a bit too small for barrelling down a hill, and the 52 is so steep that it's rarely being used.\n\nThe compact crankset has 50 and 34 tooth gears which are theoretically better for the way most cyclists ride today. The 34 gives you short enough gearing to get up big hills but is not quite as short as the granny gear on the triple, and the 50 gives you the speed in a manageable dose.\n\nA couple things to consider, though. In order to switch to a double compact, you need to replace a fair number of components, including the bottom bracket, cranks, rear derailleur (optional but highly recommended), front derailleur and possibly your left shifter. You might be able to get what you want from switching out the cassette on your bike, which is of course a lot cheaper.

3Education & Reference

Can someone direct to me to a good site about volcanoes?

I need to know the top 10 deadliest volcano in the world.

This site has the answer you are looking for: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0197833.html Many more resources below...

3Education & Reference

How much wood could a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood?

According to a Wall Street Journal article referenced here, Richard Thomas, a wildlife expert from New York, estimated that a woodchuck moves about 700 pounds of dirt in building its burrow...so, he estimated that over that same time and effort, a woodchuck could chuck 700 pounds of wood if a woodchuck could chuck wood.

5Sports

Who is the best formula 1 driver to ever live?

Aryton Senna, Michael Schumacher, Giuseppe Farina, Mike Hawhtorn, Phil Hill, John Surtees, Denis Hulme, Jochen Ridnt, James Hunt , Mario Andretti, Jodie Scheckter, Alan Jones, Keke Rosberg,Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill, Jacques Villenueve?

Statistically Michael Schumacher is the best, though it's not an apples to apples comparison as the car is a much larger factor in driver success than it has been in the past. My vote's with Ayrton, he had a razor sharp focus that I haven't seen since, and F1 in the early 1990's was much more competitive than it is today.

9Politics & Government

What is the name of Ariel Sharon's new party?

“Kadima,” or “forward,”

3Education & Reference

How many colleges require you to have a foreign language credit?

It actually depends on the degree you are seeking and not necessarily on the college or university you choose. Most programs for Bachelor of Arts require four semesters of a foreign language while often Bachelor of Science degrees do not require any foreign language at all.

4Computers & Internet

Why do videos run slow on my computer?

i think you need to upgrade your memory card and graphic card.concult any hardware specialist...you will find your way outt but ofcourse you need to spend some cash heeeee bye.hav a nice dayyy..

5Sports

who won the world series?

2005

The Chicago White Sox won the 2005 World Series.

6Business & Finance

What exactly is the difference between stock options and stock grants?

Stock option grants and stock grants are two forms of compensation often offered as incentives in addition to base salary offered to a newly hired employee. This practice is especially common in the high tech industry. \n\nStock options are contracts that allow you to buy or sell specific amount of a particular stock at a certain price within a set period of time. The set price is called the strike price. When you (the stock option holder) make use of your right to buy/sell stock according to the terms of the option, you are exercising the option. Call options are options giving you the right to buy stock. Put options are options giving you the right to sell stock. Employers grant call options to employees. Let's take an example: Let's say you are hired by Google and they offer you options to buy 100 shares of Google stock at $400 within the next 5 years. This stock option gives you the right to buy 100 shares of Google stock at exactly $400 any time within the next 5 years. Let's say it's after four years now. Suppose Google stock is at $300 now, now your options are worthless, because you could buy Google stock in the market for $300, much less than the $400 price offered by your stock option. Now suppose Google stock is at $500 now, then if you exercise your option, you could buy 100 shares at $400. Then you can turn around and sell it on the stock market for the current price of $500, making a $100*100=$10000 profit. So the stock option is basically not worth anything if currently the stock price is lower than your option strike price. But as long as your option has not expired, it's possible that the stock price could go above your strike price and make your stock options worth something.\n\nStock grants are simpler to understand. The employer gives you some shares of stock for free. So let's use the Google example again. Suppose Google hired you and gave you 100 shares in a stock grant. Now you own 100 shares of Google stock. At anytime, you could sell that stock for whatever price it is trading at on the stock market.\n\nStock option and stock grants are usually offered on terms called vesting. That means that you are not given the full amount of options or stock right away, but rather the employer gives it to you over time. A common vesting schedule is vesting over four years, so that you get 1/4 of the stock or options offered after the first, second, third, and fourth year you have been at the company. This is done to give employees an incentive to stay at the company.

7Entertainment & Music

Is the song, "Puff the Magic Dragon" really about drugs?

Snopes.com says NO, it's about the loss of childhood innocence.

3Education & Reference

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

Evolutionary theory seems to point toward the egg being first. All animals on earth mutated and evolved from the first life forms. It's likely that the first chicken as we know it today hatched after eons of genetic mutations and changes.

5Sports

who holds the nba record for most consecutive 3 point field goals made?

According to basketball.com's listing of NBA records, Brent Price (Washington) hit 13 in a row from 1/15/96 to 1/19/96; Terry Mills (Detroit) also hit 13 in a row from 12/4/96 to 12/7/96. Don't see anything about most consecutive 3 pointers hit in one single game.

4Computers & Internet

For $1000 or less, what's the best 1600x1200 LCD monitor for digital photography? I.e., most accurate color?

I recently purchased a new DSLR camera and a new photo printer, and I'm ready to replace an older (smaller) monitor.\n\nHow much better are the monitors above $1000?

The problem with most current LCD technology is that the chrominance isn't as good as with traditional CRT-based monitors. There are some LCD ones just coming out that have full-color backlight which should make them actually _better_ than CRTs (according to some Wired article I read, anyhow.)\n\nPersonally, I've been pretty happy with the Dell 24xx monitors - they're under $1k, they have a multitude of inputs, and I think I've only got one stuck pixel (and no dead ones.) You're still going to have to color-correct anyway, but you'd have to do that on _any_ monitor you get. (A good gamma correction curve will solve a multitude of ills.)

7Entertainment & Music

In what year did Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day get married?

he got married on July 2, 1994.

1Science & Mathematics

how come our eyes are located in the front and not on the side of the head?

The predatory mammals (which includes us humans) -- flesh-eating hunters such as the cats the dogs, wolves and foxes; the bears; and the weasel family -- have binocular vision: eyes in the front of their heads, with powerful eye muscles that enable them to focus very rapidly and to contract or dilate the pupils according to whether the light is bright or dim. An animal that is preyed upon by many enemies has its eyes out on the sides of its head: each eye with its own field of vision. For example, a cottontail rabbit can see what is above, behind, on either side, and in front of it except what is right before its nose. He probably does not see the clover leaf he eats. Species which are hunted by other animals but which are predators themselves at times, commonly have eyes that are a compromise. A possum's eyes are located at an angle of about 30 degrees with the axis of the body.

4Computers & Internet

What is SAP?

SAP is the biggest European software company headquartered in Walldorf, Germany. SAP was founded in 1972 as Systemanalyse und Programmentwicklung by five former IBM employees in Mannheim, Germany. The acronym was later changed to mean Systeme, Anwendungen und Produkte in der Datenverarbeitung ("Systems, Applications And Products in Data Processing") but since the Annual General Meeting of 2005, the company's official name is just SAP AG.\n\nAlthough not exactly a household name, SAP is the fourth-largest software company in the world. It ranks after Microsoft, IBM and Oracle in terms of market capitalization. SAP is the largest company in terms of revenue as per latest data, and the largest ERP solution software provider (also in terms of revenue).\n\nSAP's products are in the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) business sector. The company's main product is SAP R/3, where the "R" stands for real-time data processing, the number 3 relates to the three tier application architecture: database, application server and client - SAPgui is the desktop software for using SAP R/3. The predecessor to R/3 was R/2. Other major offerings include Advanced Planner and Optimizer (APO), Business Information Warehouse (BW), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Supplier Relationship Management (SRM), Human Resource Management Systems (HRMS), Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and Knowledge Warehouse (KW). The company also offers a new technology platform, named SAP NetWeaver. While its original products are mostly used by larger companies, SAP is now also offering products for small and medium sized enterprises (SME) with SAP Business One and mySAP All-in-One.\n\nMore than 28,000 companies run SAP, at over 91,500 locations. SAP users number over 12 million people in more than 120 countries.

4Computers & Internet

How do you clean a computer monitor's screen?

I suggest using cleaning wipes made for monitors such as Fellowes Screen Cleaning Wipes. It's made specifically for CRT & LCD monitors. It's alcohol and streak free and has anti-static properties. Just make sure never to push down on the LCD when you're cleaning/wiping or you could give your monitor a dead pixel or two.\n\nHere's more info on the product: http://www.officeworks.com.au/shop/catalog/sku.asp?ID=FE99702&LEVEL=SK&PR=Q71&SID=68EACB0PKQDR9HPDWW5MU2WPRDJ1BK58\n\nIt's for a local stationery supply place in Sydney, but I'm sure you can find the equivalent where ever you are.

5Sports

What's better Snowboarding or Skiing?

Thinking of picking up either Snowboarding or Skiing as a hobby. Which one better? Which one is easier to learn?\n\nThanks,\n\nSam

i found myself picking up snowboarding faster than skiing. by picking up, i mean i felt ready to take on the more intermmediate/advanced runs after a day or two of the bunny slopes. one board and 2 turns (backside and frontside) was a lot less to deal with than 2 poles and 2 skis and limbs flailing around in different directions. moguls are harder on a snowboard and more fun on skis. flatter runs are more frustrating on a snowboard. getting off the ski lift seems easier on skis

7Entertainment & Music

Where is the best place to park when going to a San Jose Sharks Game?

Don't park, take the new light rail station and enjoy a short walk to the stadium. You could park at the new "Bascom" stop and be to the stadium in under 15 minutes once you're on the light rail.

3Education & Reference

Why do we call the initial test "alpha test" and the next test "beta test"?

"Historical note: More formally, to beta-test is to test a pre-release (potentially unreliable) version of a piece of software by making it available to selected (or self-selected) customers and users. This term derives from early 1960s terminology for product cycle checkpoints, first used at IBM but later standard throughout the industry. Alpha Test was the unit, module, or component test phase; Beta Test was initial system test. These themselves came from earlier A- and B-tests for hardware. The A-test was a feasibility and manufacturability evaluation done before any commitment to design and development. The B-test was a demonstration that the engineering model functioned as specified. The C-test (corresponding to today's beta) was the B-test performed on early samples of the production design, and the D test was the C test repeated after the model had been in production a while."

7Entertainment & Music

Why did the Replacements break up?

Defeated from the lackluster performance of Don't Tell a Soul, Paul Westerberg planned on recording a solo album, but Sire rejected the idea. Consequently, the next Replacements album, All Shook Down, was a solo Westerberg record in all but name. Recorded with a cast of session musicians as well as the band, All Shook Down was a stripped-down, largely acoustic affair that hinted at the turmoil within the band. Chris Mars left shortly after its fall 1990 release, claiming that Westerberg had assumed control of the band; he would launch a solo career two years later. The Replacements toured in support of All Shook Down, with Steve Foley, formerly of the Minneapolis-based Things Fall Down, as their new drummer. Neither the tour nor the album were successful, and the Replacements quietly disbanded in the summer of 1991.

3Education & Reference

Where can I find out the history of a holiday?

Here are the sites where you could find information about holidays.

5Sports

What is Bill Russell's single game career high for total rebounds?

51. "Grabbed a career-high 51 rebounds vs. Syracuse (Feb. 5, 1960), making him one of two players ever (Wilt Chamberlain) to grab more than 50 boards in a game."

6Business & Finance

What is the difference between a tigon and a liger?

Offspring between a lion and tiger:\n\nmale tiger + female lion = tigon\nmale lion + female tiger = liger

6Business & Finance

Can anyone recommend a reliable and cost effective person to do our personal Trust and will?

FYI, most attorneys will charge you the same amount so you don't need to worry about shopping around too much. Also, most of the stuff is boilerplate anyhow.\n\nMy wife and I used:\n\nRon Westphal\nWestphal and Patrick\n408.280.0660\n\nWe found him to be very thorough.

5Sports

Who was Pele's best companion at the Santos attack?

Coutinho was his best partner and they played together for many years in Santos.\nPele also had Edu as a good partner

3Education & Reference

How do you feel about sex education for 4th and 5th graders? Is it too soon?

I have mixed feelings about this. My son is in the 5th grade, and he's quite innocent, so it seems a little early to expose him to the topic (this year). On the other hand, he makes some random comments that he has heard from other classmates, who probably have older siblings, and seems to be at the threshold of being exposed to facts and half-truths. So doing it in a formal fashion is probably better. \n\n4th grade is too early, in my opinion.

1Science & Mathematics

What sea separates Norway from Northern England?

The North Sea.

1Science & Mathematics

why does polar bear's fur turn green?

Algae...

6Business & Finance

do you think that the people who make Evian bottled water meant for it to be spelled Naive backwards?

just wonderin. the stuff is 2 bucks a pop!

Yes, it is all taken care of by the gods in trivial knowledge panthenon of the discworld called Topaxi, God of certain mushrooms, and also of great ideas that you forgot to write down and will never remember again, and of people who tell other people the "dog" is "god" spelled backwards and think this is in some way revelatory (a little red god)

1Science & Mathematics

what is the fibbonacci sequence?

how has the fibbonacci sequence been used by sculptors, architects,and painters

Well, many people answered the question. Fibonacci sequence starts from 0 and Nth Fibonacci Number is sum of (N-1) th and (N-2) th Fibonacci Number.\nSequence goes like 0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34…....\n\nIt is an empirical fact that the ratio of consecutive Fibonacci Numbers converges to an interesting value near to 1.6 called (to be accurate it is (1+SQRT (5))/2) golden ratio or golden mean.\nThere ere are some interesting facts about golden ratio:\n1.\nThe growth of nautilus shell, growth of populations and many other kinds of natural “growing,” are somehow governed by mathematical properties exhibited in the Fibonacci sequence. Not just the rate of growth, but the pattern of growth. Examine the crisscrossing spiral seed pattern in the head of a sunflower, for instance, and you will discover that the number of spirals in each direction is invariably two consecutive Fibonacci numbers.\n2. \nGolden ratio is related to construction of great ancient architectures like Great pyramids in Egypt. \nLink: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~matc/math5.geometry/unit2/unit2.html\n3.\nYou can follow this link for exploring its use in poetry, music, art and now a days it is used for stock market predictions as well. This link will tell you the origin of the word Fibonacci as well.\nLink: http://www2.evansville.edu/studiochalkboard/cm-fibonacci.html

3Education & Reference

How did language start?

Especially the English language.. who define the ABCDE....

Language predates the alphabet. The origins of Language are lost to the mists of time. The alphabet as we know it was developed by the Phonecians about 3000 years ago, and modified first by the Greeks, and then the Romans for their own languages before we adopted it from the Romans.\n\nThe origins of the English language specifically date to sometime after 1066 when Willam the Conqueror became King of England. The commoners spoke something related to the ancestor language of Dutch while the nobility spoke French. We kept the grammar of the native Anglo-Saxon tongue while adding huge amounts of French vocabulary.\nThe result is recognizably English, while still sounding very different from what we speak today. It's not until Shakespear's time that Modern English emerged.

1Science & Mathematics

What is the Capital City of Jamaica?

Kingston

4Computers & Internet

Is there a way to change google earth to night-time images?

yes - close your eyes. see - its night time!

6Business & Finance

are all women capable of having orgasms during sex -even obese people?

sure they can!

9Politics & Government

What is the Knights of Malta Military Roll and Situation In This Century specially after the year 2000 ?

The Knights of Malta have not engaged in actual military activities since Napolean's seizure of Malta in 1798 at least.

1Science & Mathematics

How come when ever you did a hole there is never enough dirt to fill it back in?

I think u mean dig, and the reason is you just loose some of the dirt onto the ground u pile it on.

9Politics & Government

Does the CIA own yahoo?

No, Yahoo is a publically traded company, so Yahoo is owned by its shareholders.\n\nOf course, some people in the CIA might own shares of Yahoo, so there's nothing that says that individuals in the CIA might not own a tiny fraction of Yahoo!

0Society & Culture

help with a spainish to english translation from Colombia- what does this say?

BUENO NEGRAA.\nES QUE ME LLEGO DESDE PALENQUE AL CORREO DE LA WEB DE\nLA GALERIA,INFORMACION DE ANATANAEL ALIAS EL TANO.ALLI\nTE ENVIO PARA QUE TU HAGA LO DEMAS,BUENO MIJA PONTE A\nTRABAJAAAA.\nPONTE A QUITALE LAS ESCAMAS AL PESCAO.PORQUE YO YA NO\nSE A QUE SABE NI COMO LO COCINAN,BUENO NO JODA ES QUE\nESTO HIJUEPUTAS ME ESCRIBEN ES EM INGLES Y YO DE VAINA\nPARLOTEO EL ESPANINGLISH.\nNEGRA MALUCA A NO PERDON,MI PURRUNGUITA,LLAMAME O\nESCRIBEME.\nCHELY.\nBUENO RAY ESTA AFANAO AQUI A MI LAO,QUE TE DIGA NEGRA\nBEMBONA,BUENO YO LE DIJE QUE TU ERAS BEMBIONA CUANDO CHUIQUITICA.

well Black Woman (lovely):\nit`s because i get from Palenque the gallery`s web mail about Anatanael's, A.K.A El Tanò, information, i send to you there so you can do the rest, well "woman" get yourself to work.\ntake off the fish`s grudges because I don`t know how its flavor is, neither how they cook it, well, fuck, is that this motherfuckers write to me in english and I, luckly talk the spanglish\nUgly black woman, ahh forgive me, my "is a strange way to say dear or baby" call me or write to me\nChely\nWell Ray is hurry here, next to me, that i have to say to you black woman with big mouth, well i told him that you have big mputuh when you were little

6Business & Finance

I can't find add contact on Yahoo Msg. Think don't have.?

I'm trying to add a contact to my Yahoo Msg, can't find "Add Contact." Do I need sending invite before able to chat? If so, how do I do?

The very top of Yahoo Msg. there is "contacts" click on that.. the first option is add contact..click on that..follow the instructions.

8Family & Relationships

6th Wedding Anniversary - Any Ideas?

My husband and I will be celebrating our 6th wedding anniversary next Friday. I would love to do something special for him, but we are a little limited on funds. What can I do to make this night special? \n\nI would love to hear some ideas from some of you! \nThank you in advance! :)

My favorite times with my loved one is when we actually have time to sit and reflect about what the other one means to us. Going out to eat is traditionally what is done on an anniversary, but I prefer one on one time where there is nobody else around. No strangers talking loudly, no waiters to interrupt, no time wasted in line or in the car. \n\nIn my opinion, Anniversaries are about each other, and to do that, you've gotta block out the rest of the world. Here's my recipe for a fabulous anniversary. FIRST, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, GET SOME PAPER, PENS, AND AN ENVELOPE. I'll tell you why in a little bit.\n\nNext, plan the environment - Stay home (or rent a hotel if you want to get away from the day-to-day). Turn off the lights, turn on the music, light the candles. Put your favorite (but easy to prepare) foods around you - cheeses, pizza, strawberries, chocolate, wine, etc.\n\nNow here comes the important part - sit directly in front of each other on the floor. Knee to knee, and eye to eye. Be sure to hold hands and feed each other. Talk about 'the time when we...' or 'that one time when we...'. Before you know it, hours will have passed. Don't be afraid to sip a little more wine than what you normally do. You'll soon find yourself maybe getting a little frisky. \n\nBut before you go any further, grab that piece of paper and pen, and write down a few lines about what that other person means to you. How they make you feel, and why you love them. Why you appreciate them. The more specific you get the better. For example, I love my man more everytime I catch him acting like a little kid when he thinks no one is around. Now don't let the other person read it. Seal it in the envelope, and save it for your next anniversary. It's so fun, and gives you something really fantastic to look forward to. \n\nNow would be a good time to finish off the night with a long kiss...and maybe more.\n\nYou've just created a wonderful memory of the two of you together, sincerely enjoying each other.\n\nMuch better than some boring evening at an overpriced restaurant where nobody talked to each other, don't you think?

7Entertainment & Music

What kind of animal were the ANIMANIACS?

well they looked like dogs, but the professor called them monkeys, or monkey face children.\n\n"dont know what to say the monkeys won't do"

6Business & Finance

how about a index or table of contants of all on the web? too convienent??

Well, search engines like Yahoo! and Google try to be something like that but, of course, they can only be approximate. There are a number of problems with indexing EVERYTHING on the web:\n\na) It changes every second! No index or table of contents could keep up.\n\nb) It is de-centralized. New web pages do not have to pass through any central controlling authority. How would an indexer/table-of-contents-compiler know what to add? The best that the search engines can do is something called "crawling" the web, looking for new pages.\n\nc) Some people don't WANT the rest of the world to know about their web pages. They just want a few people -- maybe just friends and family -- to be able to find the pages easily.

3Education & Reference

i need help with using sparknotes.com. please click this q if you can help for more details. thanx?

will sum1 go to www.sparknotes.com and find a chp by chp summary of Summer of the Monkeys and then post it onto the answers.thanyou so much cuz i dont know how. i tried but cant.

Part One\n(revised 2.28.96)\n\n\n[Note: This is a single part of what will be, by my classification, about 240 compact tribal histories (contact to 1900). It is limited to the lower 48 states of the U.S. but also includes those First Nations from Canada and Mexico that had important roles (Huron, Micmac, Assiniboine, etc.).\n\nAlthough this Cherokee history is larger than most, it's content and style are representative. The normal process at this point is to circulate an almost finished product among a peer group for comment and criticism.\n\nUsing the Internet, this can be more inclusive. Feel free to comment or suggest corrections via e-mail. Working together we can end some of the historical misinformation about Native Americans. You will find the ego at this end is standard size. Thanks for stopping by. I look forward to your comments...Lee Sultzman]\n\n\n\n--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n\nLocation\nOriginal: \n\nThe southern Appalachian Mountains: including western North and South Carolina, northern Georgia and Alabama, southwest Virginia, and the Cumberland Basin of Tennessee, Kentucky, and northern Alabama.\nCurrent: \nDistributed across the United States, but concentrated in eastern Oklahoma. The eastern Cherokee still maintain their reservation in western North Carolina. The Northern Cherokee Nation of the Old Louisiana Territory has almost 12,000 members and has been recognized by the State of Missouri. Other groups of Cherokee, like the 2,500 members of the North Alabama Cherokee, are located in Arkansas, Georgia, and Alabama but currently do not have federal recognition.\n\nPopulation\nEuropean epidemics introduced into the southeastern United States in 1540 by the Desoto expedition are estimated to have killed at least 75% of the original native population. How much the Cherokee suffered from this disaster in unknown, but their population in 1674 was about 50,000. A series of smallpox epidemics (1729, 1738, and 1753) cut this in half, and it remained fairly stable at about 25,000 until their removal to Oklahoma during the 1830s. The American Civil War was the next disaster and cost the Cherokee 25% of their population. No other group of Americans, red or white, suffered as severely during this conflict. The 1990 census listed 308,132 persons (15,000 full-blood) who identified themselves as Cherokee. Of these, 95,435 were concentrated in eastern Oklahoma while 10,114 eastern Cherokee lived on or near the North Carolina reservation. Cherokee tribal governments have fairly liberal membership standards, and some estimates exceed 370,000, which would make the Cherokee the largest Native American group in the United States.\n\n\nName\nThe most familiar name, Cherokee, comes from a Creek word "Chelokee" meaning "people of a different speech." In their own language the Cherokee originally called themselves the Aniyunwiya (or Anniyaya) "principal people" or the Keetoowah (or Anikituaghi, Anikituhwagi) "people of Kituhwa." Although they usually accept being called Cherokee, many prefer Tsalagi from their own name for the Cherokee Nation (Tsalagihi Ayili). Other names applied to the Cherokee have been: Allegheny (or Allegewi, Talligewi) (Delaware), Baniatho (Arapaho), Caáxi (or Cayaki) (Osage and Kansa), Chalaque (Spanish), Chilukki (dog people) (Choctaw and Chickasaw), Entarironnen (mountain people) (Huron), Gatohuá (Creek), Kittuwa (or Katowá) (Algonquin), Matera (or Manteran) (coming out of the ground) ( Catawba), Nation du Chien (French), Ochietarironnon (Wyandot), Oyatageronon (or Oyaudah, Uwatayoronon) (cave people) (Iroquois), Shanaki (Caddo), Shannakiak (Fox), Tcaike (Tonkawa), and Tcerokieco (Wichita).\n\n\nLanguage\nIroquian, but Cherokee differs significantly from other Iroquian languages.\n\n\nSub-tribes\n\nThe Cherokee have been divided into three divisions depending on location and dialect (east to west): \nLower

6Business & Finance

want to see gross things?

I just returned from Iraq and i've already seen gross things.\nwhy, what you got?

5Sports

will the raiders be a playoff contender next year and who will be thier starting qb?

I hope not Kerry Collins

4Computers & Internet

What is the best free flash arcade on the internet?

http://www.slashplay.com has over 1,000 free games

3Education & Reference

what is the role of a nickname in a chat session?

Its for you to identify which is which and who is who; ANd for people to refer to.

2Health

What is the best disposable razor?

I like the "venus" gillette for women. you keep the stick while you throw away the razors. You can buy for razors for 7-8 dollars. I really like this one because it rounds you legs good and has silkining strips to make you legs silky smooth. I have also tried Schicks "Silk effects" and its not the same.

6Business & Finance

would women that are gay like sex?

I would hope so.\nDon't see the reason for question, but I am sure she could find a partner of the same persuasion that would make it enjoyable.

0Society & Culture

Does north Korean speak the same language with south Korean ?

Does North Korean and South Korean have the same official language and word?

Yes, Koreans in North Korea and South Korea both speak Korean. However, since the countries have been separated for some time and haven't had much contact, you can expect that some new dialectical differences are developing. However, my guess is that probably some different dialects of Korean were present in different regions even before the country got split up.

9Politics & Government

what is your favorite military movie?

War movies, probably one of my favorite genres right next to Sci-Fi. At the top of the list I think has to be Saving Private Ryan and right next to it but not below it is Band of Brothers, an excellent mini-series, if you haven't seen it, I recommend you do. And number two on the list is Kelly's Heroes, slightly old but it's funny and serious at the same time.

3Education & Reference

what books to read and how to study for USMLE part2 medical licensing exam in USA?

I'm trying to start studying to get the USMLE and plan to start with step 2. there's a wealth of books out there and it is hard to choose from. also people don't agree on the best method to study for this exam or the resources to use. I'm interesed in the opinion of people who have done this test to share their insight on how to prepare for this test. thank you in advance

Looks like you're some foreign medical graduate and your medical education system greatly differs from that of USA so you must choose a quick review course which is very easy to understand and not very time consuming. I'll strongly recommend you to check KaplanMedical.com for online education on Step 2 and USMLEWorld.com for a good bunch of QBank. The best book to start with is First Aid for USMLE Step 2 CK. You can find it on Amazon.com.\nHope it helps\nBest of luck

9Politics & Government

Why do the jews need Palestine for themselves?

They are willing to share. But every time you try to share, you get attacked. Most of the Gaza and West Bank were acquired because their neighbors attacked first. It is kind of hard to appreciate a situation where your neighbors attack you and lose territory and hear them complain.

8Family & Relationships

why some married couples watch sexy movies together ?

The sexy movies are like class who teach you how to enjoy your sex relationship with your partner.

5Sports

What is the best sports magazine?

I am contemplating buying either ESPN the Magazine or Sports Illustrated...Which is better and why?

i think sports illustrated is the best because it has more details and less addvertisements

1Science & Mathematics

What is the most abundant triatomic molecule in the Universe?

Without checking astronomical data, I'll try the chemical approach:\n\nThe most abundant elements in the universe are hydrogen (with a big lead) and most of the other light elements, so we have to look for the most probable triatomic molecule we can form from light elements.\n\nThis makes H2O my prime candidate, being the most stable molecule to contain two hydrogen atoms. HCN or CO2 have a much lower probability. SiO2 is pretty abundant, but not as distinct molecules.

3Education & Reference

Date Riddle?

What happened in 1961 that will not happen again for over 4000 years?

The year even read upside down will reamin 1961.

4Computers & Internet

How much does the program Photoshop cost ( the newest version)?

lets say photoshop will put a hole in your wallet....i'll advoid cs2 and cs since their just new versions which arent good..if i was you.. i would get 7 which is aorund 800 bucks

3Education & Reference

How long has Yahoo! answers been out?

Love.

About a week and a half.

6Business & Finance

Why can't I think of any good questions?

Isn't that sad? I can't think of many good questions to ask. Any other time - such as when I'm sitting bored at work - I could think of a mess of them but, when I have the chance to be on here, I can't think of any. Annoying, huh?

So when you're sitting bored at work and thousands of questions jump into your mind, grab a sheet of paper and a pen and write them down. The next time you're on Yahoo!Answers, start asking questions!