How can I trace a foreign phone number that I don't recognize?

Start by dissecting the phone number to figure out what country and city the call came from.  The initial digits of the number is a country code followed by a city code. There are a number of international phone call code lookups you can use.  Then Google the local number with the country name or the city name as part of the search, and with a bit of luck, you'll have the identification you're looking for.

===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.

Who regulates nuclear power?

Here in the U.S., the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is the watchdog for nuclear power plants and other uses of nuclear materials (mostly in medicine and research). Other countries have their own nuclear regulatory agencies, and the International Atomic Energy Agency keeps an eye on things as materials move between countries.

===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.

What does u/a mean in a trust?

U/A is an abbreviation for a trust under agreement and refers to a trust where the grantor (giving the money) and the trustee (managing the money) are two different people. In contrast, in an arrangement under declaration of trust, or U/D/T, the grantor and trustee are the same person.

===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.

How many women CEO's are there?

I don't know how many women chief executives there are in the whole world, but among the Fortune 500...not many. In 2008, there were 12 female CEOs in the Fortune 500 and exactly twice that number -- 24 -- in the Fortune 1000. Angela Bray, CEO at Wellpoint (number 33 on the Fortune list) runs the largest company on the list with a woman CEO.

===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.

What is an ICD 10 code, and where can I look them up?

ICD stands for the International Classification of Diseases (or, if you must know the full name, the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems ).  It's published by the World Health Organization.  WHO has an online code lookup for ICD 10 -- the 10th version of the ICD published so far.

===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.

Does steel really get red hot when heated, or is it another color?

Turns out hot steel has a veritable palette of colors which can be nicely laid out in a color chart or table for heated metals. Steel begins to glow a faint red at 750 °F, turns red hot at 1,550 °F, gets a nice lemony yellow at 1,825 °F and glows a 'dazzling' white hot at  2,350 °F.

===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.

How many patents have been issued since 1970?

There's a bit of an odd question for you, but the answer is easy enough by checking out the U.S. Patent Office's historical statistics. Turns out they issue about 100,000 or more patents a year these day, not quite so much in past years. Total from 1970-2009: 4,553,317 patents!

===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.

How old do I have to be to sign up for Medicare?

65 will do it!

Medicare is available to most Americans at age 65, provided they worked at least ten years in a Medicare-eligible job (in other words, that you paid taxes!). There are some types of Medicare coverage available to younger folks if they have particular disabilities or suffer from certain diseases.

===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.

How much does a cubic yard of soil cost?

If you're not picky, soil can often be had for free from construction sites that need to get rid of their diggings. You can buy good grade top soil, though it will cost you...about $12-18 per cubic yard is typical.

===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.

How Can I Find the Call History of a Cell Phone?

Cell phones keep a history of calls in two key places...in the phone and at the phone company. In your phone, access the main menu, and look for a feature like Call Records, or something similar. In your online phone account, pull up a full copy of your bill (not just a bill summary) and you'll usually find all phone calls listed. Some mobile phone service providers even let you download a record of incoming, outgoing and missed calls.

===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.

Does the IRS accept tax payments electronically?

Yes indeed. The IRS accepts electronic payments three different ways: electronic transfer of funds directly from your checking or savings account; payment via credit or debit card; or through an online account with the Treasury Department's Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS).



===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.

Which states are separate property states, and which are common property states?

Let's get a few terms straight, first. Common property states are those that have laws that treat income during marriage as, well, common property, that is, belonging to both spouses (I was going to say belonging to both husband and wife but that's getting a bit out-dated these days).  Separate property states are the ones that treat income as owned by one spouse or the other, but not automatically to both. The distinctions are important during taxes, inheritance and divorce proceedings.

Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin are common property states. All other states treat income as separate property.



===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.

What is the chemical reaction for fermentation of sugar to alcohol?

Fermentation is a biological process involving yeast that converts sugars into alcohol. The overall chemical reaction for fermentation is the conversion of a single molecule of glucose (sugar) into two molecules of ethyl alcohol, and two molecules of carbon dioxide. Chemically, the formula for this reaction is written as: C6H12O6 ===> 2(CH3CH2OH) + 2(CO2). Fermentation can also transform other sugars, usually by first converting them into glucose.



===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.

Can you purchase secure credit cards online from PayPal?

PayPal does indeed offer credit cards to its clients, known as the PayPal Plus MasterCard. PayPal also offers debit cards, and provides a way for online merchants to accept credit card payments from their customers for e-commerce transactions. At one time, PayPal offered a plug-in that provided a "secure card" which generated a unique "disposable" credit card number for each transaction. However, this feature is no longer provided by PayPal.



===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.

How much can I earn and still collect Social Security benefits?

Lucky for you, there is no upper limit to the amount of money you can earn and still collect Social Security benefits. Anyone who pays into the Social Security system during his working years and meets minimum requirements based on years worked and amounts paid can receive Social Security benefits when he retires.



===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.

How to Access Police Reports?

Police departments create a variety of reports to document their activities, including accident reports, incident reports, crime statistics, internal disciplinary reports and personnel records. Most police departments will make some report information available to the public, either as a matter of department policy, or in response to applicable freedom of information laws, or other information-access requirements. However, the types of police reports available, the procedures for accessing information, and the fees involved (if any) vary widely from one police department to the next.


Step 1

Identify the right jurisdiction. Many communities have overlapping police departments. In addition to local town or city police, there may be a police presence from state troopers, highway patrols, county sheriffs, park police, federal agents and so on.

The best source of information would be someone directly involved with the incident in question, who can tell you which police departments were involved. Newspaper accounts of the incident are also helpful in this respect.

Step 2

Find out information policies. Most police departments of any substantial size have a website that includes information on departmental information access policies. Look for headings like Information Access, Freedom of Information, Police Reports, Public Requests, or similar topics, in order to find policies and procedures for accessing police reports.

Alternatively, you can call or visit the department directly to ask about the procedure for getting a copy of a police report.

Information access varies greatly from one jurisdiction to the next. For instance, the Los Angeles Police Department restricts access to crime reports to the victim or the victim's official representative. Copies of arrest records require submission of fingerprints. Requests for records from the New York City Police, on the other hand, can be made online, with very little restrictions.

Step 3

Follow procedures. Requests for police reports or other information from police departments generally require specific procedures, such as making a request in writing, filling out a form, filing a Freedom of Information document. You may be required to include a specific report or document number, which is generally available directly from the officers who responded to the incident.

It's sometimes necessary to include identifying information, such as a copy of a driver's license, so be sure to be aware of these requirements as well. Procedures may also require payment of a fee, although this can sometimes be waived if the fee is not affordable, or if the request is in the public interest.

Step 4

Be professional. Even when police departments are required to provide information, the individual officers and staff that you deal with can make the process easy or difficult. Keep a professional demeanor, as this will help smooth the process along.




===

Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.

What is a Forstner drill bit and what's it used for?

Forstner did for drill bits what Phillips did for screws...invented a new and useful one, and gave it his name. A Forstner drill bit is a wide bit without a center nib (or with a really weenie one). It's the outer edges of the drill bit that grip the wood. Forstners are great for drilling a flat-bottomed hole or for entering the wood at an angle.

===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.

Where can I find out historical Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAs)?

This one's easy.  Just check the Social Security Administration's historical Cost of Living Adjustments page. For instance, it will tell you that the COLA for 2007 was 2.3%...exactly what you wanted to know, right!

===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.

My boss asked me to design a preventive maintenance program. What's that?

A preventive maintenance program (or preventative maintenance program, if you prefer) is a systematic process for caring for equipment and processes on a scheduled basis, identifying any problems early on and nipping them in the bud before they become major breakdowns. For example, checking the pressure in your tires and topping off engine oil are preventive maintenance steps for your car.

===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.

My parents offered to buy us a French Top Gas Stove. What is that?

Sounds like a pretty good gift to me. A French Top Gas Stove has a circular solid steel plate in the center of the stovetop which is heated by a gas flame underneath. The steel plate gets hot enough for cooking in the center, but stays warm on the edges, which is ideal for sauces, melting butter or just keeping foods warm. A lot of cooks really like the French Top option.

===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.

Will 1 yard of mulch cover my front yard?

Well, that depends on the size of your yard now, doesn't it. One cubic yd of mulch will cover a little more than 300 square feet to a depth of one inch. It will cover 108 sq. ft -- about a 10' x 10' yard -- to a depth of three inches. Happy mulching!

===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.

When did they stop using asbestos?

Asbestos has a long history, and not a very pretty one. It's a deadly material that causes a particularly terrible form of lung cancer. Although the dangers of asbestos were well documented in the early part of the 20th century, it wasn't until the 1970's that the material was phased out of most commercial uses like car brake pads and home insulation.



===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.