MJQ

In my neighbourhood, about half a block away, there is a neighbour that shouts obscenities and drinks beer, and bangs or taps beer bottles, typically from about midnight till maybe 4 am. This neighbour does this whenever it is warm enough for him to sit outside. I have called Toronto Police Service on many occasions to complain, but there seems to be two problems: 1) noisy neighbours are at the bottom of the police list of incidents to respond to; 2) even though this neighbour repeatedly does this behaviour, there seems to be no kind of punishment/fine/etc that the law can exact on this idiot. A police dispatcher told me all the police can do is ask this guy to go inside/be quiet. He cannot be hauled off unless he "acts violent". Aside from anything illegal, is there something that can be done to get this idiot to shut the f**** up? It is no mystery that several houses near his house are up for sale. I do think this guy is mentally ill; unfortunately such people are no longer institutionalised.

Is Toronto Police Service the right people, even, to contact about this sort of problem? Is there some other code enforcement body that enforces sound levels/noise violations at night?

Thanks.

What is the best software/platform for developing 3D applications that will be deployed via a web-based platform? Here are the desired features:

1. True 3D rendering capabilities.

2. Can run on Mozilla and IE. Bonus points if it can run on Linux as well as Windows.

3. Any required plug-in should only need to be installed once.

4. Can communicate with external web-based applications (ie, can communicate with external applications running on a web server). For example, it would be nice if it could consume web services.

5. Preferably free, but a good product that costs $ would be considered.

I've noticed products/technologies like JNLP, JavaFX, Adobe AIR, Adobe Flex, Adobe Shockwave, Adobe Flash, Curl, Silverlight (I think this is only 2D), and a few others--the selection is bewildering.

If you have advice or feedback on experiences regarding a selection of 3D software for web deployment, please do share.

Many thanks.

For example, if a VHF radio were transmitting signals, how would enemy locate the source of the signals such that the enemy could then lay an artillery shell at that source? Did the enemy use some sort of triangulation to locate the radio signal source? I'm guessing perhaps two receivers could be used to intercept the signal, then calculate the distance. What would this form of locating a signal be referred to as (so I can read more about it)? Thanks.

In Canada or USA, where is northernmost (ie, farthest North) Tim Horton's?

I live in Ontario. There is a difficult neighbour doing something "mildly" illegal (low-grade but annoying misdemeanour); ie, if a cop (constable, sheriff, officer, etc) were present, the cop might issue a ticket. But this misbehaviour is probably something that no law enforcement person would bother answering a complaint call to, and the activity happens in a rather brief, but somewhat predictable time schedule, daily.

So, to get this neighbour to stop this behaviour, I'd like a law enforcement officer to catch him in the act. In order to facilitate this, I'd be willing to offer a cash reward to such an officer. Would this be bribery, or somehow illegal to do (ie, offer a reward to an officer to do his job)?

If this neighbour were indeed a decent person, I would kindly and politely ask him to stop doing this misbehaviour; but my past experience has told me that these sort of individuals are too selfish, arrogant, and inconsiderate to even consider humouring such a request.

I have a Le Creuset French Oven (enamel-coated iron cookware pot with lid). It works extremely well; I use it for cooking in an oven. After I've removed the cookware from the oven, I place the burning hot lid on two round silicone trivets that are side-by-side (the lid is wider than the diameter of each trivet) so as to serve the food. Is there some kind of product that could hold the hot lid, vertically, without scratching the enamel coating of the lid? It would be nice to not have to take up so much counter space in this small kitchen. I don't want to place the lid on the stove, for safety and practicality reasons. Thanks.

when did this start to become common, particularly with people of European descent? Somehow, I don't picture this commonly having been practised among people of European descent prior to the 20th century...but perhaps I'm wrong. Did the era of wall-to-wall carpets have something to do with this etiquette, or was it something acquired from cultures where shoe removal is common? Did the 60s era have something to do with it? Thanks.

These are books published from 1960s to 1980s. I'd like to scan them to PDF format, then publish on the web for free use. The copyright on some of the books is less than 50 years old. What if the publisher no longer exists? Any advice on quickly and easily obtaining permission from publishers, if necessary? I don't want to have to write letters and wait several months or longer. Thanks.

Looked like a planet, but I am not sure. Also, is there a website where I can easily get this sort of information? It would be especially helpful if I can find a planet by more than just a constellation (knowing what direction to look in the sky would help me more at this point). Thank you.

I'm a dog owner, too...I might start a civil war with this one:

Why do some dog owners walk their dogs in a suburban (or urban) neighbourhood (not a park) off a leash? My guess is that most of these owners think:

1) "my dog is expertly trained; he would NEVER do any other dog or person any harm; he NEVER has".

2) "to hell with the city bylaws and the apartment lease requirements; I know more than everyone else, including other dog owners; I am an amazing expert with my dog...he NEVER misbehaves or chases after something he shouldn't; I'm like Cesar the Dog Whisperer...doesn't everyone watch that programme".

3) "it's not my problem that others can't see what a genius I am with my dog; screw them if they can't handle it".

4) "every dog should be capable of being walked off a leash in public. doesn't every breed always intently listen to and watch its master? those other owners must not be 'spanking' their dogs enough".

So, am I missing some other point?

Sure, communism and socialism are evil, but do you ever miss the excitement and intrigue of the Cold War? How about the propaganda via shortwave broadcasts? Checkpoint Charlie? Spetsnaz? Spy stories? I'm not trying to belittle the sufferings and evil; just marvelling at how interesting it all was. The Warsaw Pact militaries had reached an amazing level of power and skill; they would have been a formidable opponent to the West if WWIII had broken out.

Why do some people do this? Why not put down a layer of toilet paper on the seat? Also, don't these people want to avoid contact with other people's racing stripes and other bio/waste remnants? These are probably the same people that would normally walk without shoes into a public washroom/restroom. It's like they are oblivious to human grime. Sorry, but I think such behaviour is weird. Perhaps someone can explain?

A concrete example: would you rather be in a setting where you can speak a language very well so that others clearly understand you (but you have difficulty understanding them), or would you rather be in a setting where you understand everyone else very well (but have great difficulty speaking to them)? This question is for fun, and any interesting answers.

That is, when a sniper has to spend days creeping up to where he will eventually be using his rifle, how does he relieve himself (as in use the toilet) when he cannot get up or move in any normal way because it would reveal his position? Does a sniper use diapers or some other technique? Does he fast or change his diet prior to such a mission requiring days of creeping along the ground on his belly? This sort of information never seems to be mentioned in stories about military snipers. Thank you.

Would I have to pay income tax for the state I work in, even though I would be living across the border in the state with no income tax? This hypothetical question is based on the idea of living in Nevada (no income tax), but working in neighbouring California (high income tax).

Is it dog-friendly (do most people like dogs there)?

Is the skiing/snowboarding as good as Colorado?

Is it cheaper to live in nearby Nevada (but work, not live, in Truckee)?

Would there be fewer taxes in Nevada?

Are people generally friendly? Would the people in nearby Nevada be friendlier?

Is the region mostly liberal, conservative, or somewhere in between in terms of social values, politics, etc?

Is there much violent crime anywhere around there?

Thank you.

1) The one with the automobile-style idiot lights on the infants?

or,

2) The one with the boot camp for young mothers?

For those of you who don't know what I'm referring to, both television advertisements appear in the USA, for Women Infants Children programme. Their commercials irritate me with the ding-dong car alert sounds and the bitchy boot camp instructor shouting. I guess these are supposed to be amusing, but they are not.

In the USA: have a look at any package of candy canes, and you are almost guaranteed to see "made in Mexico". Why is this? Is there some economic benefit? Or is most of the sort of equipment used for making candy canes in Mexico? Thank you.

I wear medium-weight ski socks, but when the temperatures drop to below about -20 C / -4 F, the cold affects the feet (especially the toes). I know there are air-activated heat pads for the toe area, and I've seen battery-operated electrically heated socks (but these are usually designed for hunting or wading). What's the best solution for keeping feet warm whilst skiing in very cold temperatures? Thank you.

How big of a knife? Can it have serrations? Interested in giving a pocket knife as a Christmas gift; would like this to be something that the recipient can carry in a pocket without trouble from the authorities.