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== Unemployment and humanism == |
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If everyone has value to society, how can there be so many people whom society isn't willing to pay for? [[Special:Contributions/99.225.250.31|99.225.250.31]] ([[User talk:99.225.250.31|talk]]) 07:18, 2 August 2009 (UTC) |
Revision as of 07:18, 2 August 2009
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July 27
What are some business awards?
What are some major business awards for individuals, such as lifetime achievement awards or prestigious honors? Is there a list somewhere for this? Thank you. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.223.76.123 (talk) 03:51, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- Capital accumulation :) --Dr Dima (talk) 04:35, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- IBM Fellow? Dismas|(talk) 05:14, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- The Deming Prize? —— Shakescene (talk) 06:20, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- The Better Business Bureau has a couple: Torch, Eclipse and Integrity. 71.236.26.74 (talk) 07:13, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- In the UK, I believe you can get an OBE for services to making yourself filthy rich. ;-) AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 08:12, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- Category:Business and industry awards --Boris straight (talk) 14:33, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- Would this one qualify X Prize Foundation (The prizes not the foundation.) Never heard about this one before, but here it is: [1] -- 71.236.26.74 (talk) 21:40, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- Category:Business and industry awards --Boris straight (talk) 14:33, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- In the UK, I believe you can get an OBE for services to making yourself filthy rich. ;-) AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 08:12, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- The Better Business Bureau has a couple: Torch, Eclipse and Integrity. 71.236.26.74 (talk) 07:13, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
Protests listed
Is there any site online which lists protests, demonstrations, marches, lie-ins, etc. around the world categorized by location and cause? Thanks, --S.dedalus (talk) 03:57, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- http://protest.net/ ? Nanonic (talk) 08:01, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- How about Wikipedia? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, OH WAIT! I just found Category: Protests. 152.16.16.75 (talk) 09:21, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- From the reply, I think the OP might be wanting info on protests that haven't happened yet and shouldn't be in wikipedia. AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 11:34, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
questions
1. is it ever ok for a teacher to call you a "dickwad" becuase I got an email from my teacher and he starts the email "hi dickwad" - TBH he's a good guy and we have a laughs a laugh and a joke's a joke but that might be a step too far, and if I reply saying "hi cocksmoker" he might just slap me in detention?
2. also what is louder a whale or a field full of crickets?
3. also is it possible that a piece of fruit could be put in the ass after death?? because in the case of michael barrymore and the man in the pool they say that the apple was put there in the mortuary and that barrymore is not guilty but WHY WOULD TYHEY PUT IT THERE THEN?? doesnt make any sense —Preceding unsigned comment added by Questionabout"theman" adolf (talk • contribs) 12:50, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- The Blue Whale is the loudest animal in the world[2], with a volume underwater of over 180 dB. As to your other questions, I don't think the reference desk can give a definite answer. It's certainly possible to put a piece of fruit in somebody's ass after death; morticians often stick a cotton wool plug up there[3]. --Boris straight (talk) 14:44, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- If I were the student in question and got an e-mail like that from a teacher (I'm assuming were talking high school here), I would first take it to my parents and say, "Is this appropriate?" Because a complaint from a parent is going to carry a lot more weight than a complaint from a student. Regarding the Barrymore case, there's nothing in the article about it, so even bringing up such a rumor here might be a BLP violation. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 15:05, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- It's not appropriate (and quite stupid) for a teacher to call you a name like that. If you were so inclined you could easily get him in a lot of trouble. It's very dumb on his part (says a fellow teacher), showing very poor judgment. --98.217.14.211 (talk) 15:26, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- Actually, in my opinion the teacher should be fired for a comment like that, unless that's the normal way that teacher and that student communicate - which it sounds like it's not, or he wouldn't have raised the question. And even if it were, it shouldn't be, as it's unprofessional. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 15:30, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
I think the Reference Desk needs some kind of training session to recognize trolls. Adam Bishop (talk) 16:58, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- I disagree. Some questions, no matter who asks them, have legitimate value.--WaltCip (talk) 18:28, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- On part 1. Your teacher is not keeping an appropriate level of professional detachment - and would surely get into horribly deep trouble if the school (or worse still, the local press) were to catch wind of it. Familiarity and friendliness with pupils is OK - but this is WAY overstepping the mark. IMHO - if the teacher is otherwise a good one - you should ignore it and continue to speak and email to him in a suitable deferential manner. If the guy is useless - then maybe you just found some ammunition - let your parents know and let them deal with it.
- On part 2. Whales are indeed pretty amazingly loud - but there is a question of distance. Because the whale's vocal chords are effectively a point source - but the field full of crickets covers a few dozen acres - might it not be the case that when you are standing at one corner of the field, you're really comparing just a few crickets that are extremely close to you - to a whale that's hundreds of feet away. Given that the volume of the sound drops off as the square of the distance - might not a cricket that's (say) 5 feet away be louder than the whale at a few hundred feet? If the whale can produce 150db at a distance of (say) 5 feet - then at 500 feet, it's 10,000 times quieter. How loud is a handful or crickets at 5 feet?
- On part 3. Well, of course it's possible. Is it likely? No.
- SteveBaker (talk) 18:51, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- Where in Barrymore's ass was the apple found? Edison (talk) 20:15, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- Not Barrymore, the guy who died at his house. As to where, I dunno, but I'm guessing it was put there in order to feed the gerbil. Or am I getting my urban legends mixed up? Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 08:56, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- Why not just e-mail your teacher back and start off "A bit over the limit weren't you?" or "Hi inappropriate." It would serve as a warning shot, probably cool down the relationship somewhat without totally sending things up the creek. The "official" view of "the teacher should be fired" ignores the fragile social situation of school life. If the teacher actually does get laid off (very likely once parents get involved) and gets replaced by a more distant applicant, not only is there a chance that student motivation and teaching effects are going to suffer (thus hurting all fellow students) it's also very likely that OP will be handed the "dork of the year award" and enjoying school from an underdog position tends to be an unpleasant experience. 71.236.26.74 (talk) 21:55, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- Just how likely is it that this teacher would call you "dickwad"? Perhaps their email account has been compromised or the mail headers are faked and it is in fact from someone else. I would check the mail out very carefully before making a complete fool of yourself and destroying the good professional realtionship you seem to have with this teacher. Astronaut (talk) 23:13, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
Growing Mushrooms
Of late im really into mushrooms, How hard does the reference desk suppose it would be to grow them or should i just stick to the sore brought kind (ive looked through instructables but it all seems either expensive or dangerous..) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 124.180.244.92 (talk) 13:47, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- Have you done a google search for "Mushroom Logs"? They are not expensive (about 40 euro) and will keep producing mushrooms with very little work on your part. Fribbler (talk) 14:47, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- Sometimes the Garden departments of large supermarkets or hardware stores sell "mushroom farms" - a plastic lined cardboard box containing all you need, including instructions. If you let them go to full open cup size, you can get 10 or 12 lbs from one box, in several flushes. I used to cut the box in half and only use half at a time, to keep the crop to a manageable level for 2 people.
- They need a coolish dark place. The closet under the stairs is fine, or a corner of laundry, in an apartment. Once you get the hang of it, next season you can prepare your own bed for them, and send away for little vials of more exotic varieties. - KoolerStill (talk) 15:54, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- Horse manure is very good for edible mushrooms if you can get it. As for 'seeds' I think they are called spores - so search the web for 'edible mushroom spores' if you can't get them at the supermarket. If you are lucky and you can get the manure, you maybe lucky enough for the mushrooms to already be in it. see http://www.nifg.org.uk/edible_fungi.htm Agaricus arvensis - it's like the standard white mushrooms in the shops but it grows massive (12"). They are as good as the articles say.83.100.250.79 (talk) 20:52, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
Origins of the brand name 'Dr Pepper'
Does anyone know if Dr Pepper was actually someone's name? He could have been the guy who invented it... Chevymontecarlo (talk) 16:46, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- Our article Dr Pepper has some rather speculative information. Algebraist 16:49, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- Related question: Their ad jingle for a long time said "Be a Pepper". Did this have any meaning whatsoever in the broader culture when it was introduced? Was it a play on words of some kind? I never understood the appeal of the phrase. The article only says, tersely and matter-of-factly, that the jingle referred to consumers of the beverage as "Peppers". Tempshill (talk) 16:54, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- I assumed it had something to do with "pep". Adam Bishop (talk) 16:56, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- I believe so - 'pep' is a shortening of 'pepper' - and according to Wiktionary it's meaning is: "To inject with energy and enthusiasm."...pretty much what a caffienated sugary drink is supposed to do. Where the heck the "Dr" part comes from? Well, perhaps they wanted to imply that this "pepping up" effect had some kind of medicinal basis? It's hard to know over such a long separation in time and culture. SteveBaker (talk) 18:36, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- There are sources saying it was named after an historical person, Dr. Charles T. Pepper [6] [7] [8] and other revisionist sources casting doubts on that story [9]. It's just like Henry Ford said in 1916, "History is bunk." (Some sources deny that Ford actually said that:[10]). Edison (talk) 20:08, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- I believe so - 'pep' is a shortening of 'pepper' - and according to Wiktionary it's meaning is: "To inject with energy and enthusiasm."...pretty much what a caffienated sugary drink is supposed to do. Where the heck the "Dr" part comes from? Well, perhaps they wanted to imply that this "pepping up" effect had some kind of medicinal basis? It's hard to know over such a long separation in time and culture. SteveBaker (talk) 18:36, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- I assumed it had something to do with "pep". Adam Bishop (talk) 16:56, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- Related question: Their ad jingle for a long time said "Be a Pepper". Did this have any meaning whatsoever in the broader culture when it was introduced? Was it a play on words of some kind? I never understood the appeal of the phrase. The article only says, tersely and matter-of-factly, that the jingle referred to consumers of the beverage as "Peppers". Tempshill (talk) 16:54, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- Many of the early soft drinks were produced at pharmacies, so it's natural that someone might attach "Dr." to one of them, although if you get real desperate, their official site might have an explanation. "Pep" was and is a popular term, as noted above; considered to be something good. It indicates being lively, full of energy, "vim and vigor", that sort of thing - and, by extension, something that will give you pep. Hence "Pepsi Cola", for example. And a now-defunct Kellogg's cereal called "Pep". And the smallish bands they have at college games, "pep bands", intended to "liven things up". Getting high on drugs was considered bad, but getting high on sugar and caffeine was and is considered OK, or at least it's common practice. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 00:14, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- And of course there's Pepper (baseball). All of these usages presumably connected with the spiciness of pepper plants, which "liven" your food. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 00:21, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- Speaking of baseball, the Dr. Pepper slogan, 10-2-4, is the scorecard notation for a very rare sort of double play in softball. I bet that's where it came from. PhGustaf (talk) 00:30, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- That definitely sounds definitive. Could even be a triple play: 10th fielder catches fly ball; throws to catcher to get the runner from third; catcher throws to second base to get the runner from first. A little more Pepper, and the runners would have been safe. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 00:55, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- Don't drink too much of it, though. Keep in mind that it turned the "Be a Pepper" guy into a werewolf. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 00:57, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- That definitely sounds definitive. Could even be a triple play: 10th fielder catches fly ball; throws to catcher to get the runner from third; catcher throws to second base to get the runner from first. A little more Pepper, and the runners would have been safe. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 00:55, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- Speaking of baseball, the Dr. Pepper slogan, 10-2-4, is the scorecard notation for a very rare sort of double play in softball. I bet that's where it came from. PhGustaf (talk) 00:30, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- And of course there's Pepper (baseball). All of these usages presumably connected with the spiciness of pepper plants, which "liven" your food. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 00:21, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- Many of the early soft drinks were produced at pharmacies, so it's natural that someone might attach "Dr." to one of them, although if you get real desperate, their official site might have an explanation. "Pep" was and is a popular term, as noted above; considered to be something good. It indicates being lively, full of energy, "vim and vigor", that sort of thing - and, by extension, something that will give you pep. Hence "Pepsi Cola", for example. And a now-defunct Kellogg's cereal called "Pep". And the smallish bands they have at college games, "pep bands", intended to "liven things up". Getting high on drugs was considered bad, but getting high on sugar and caffeine was and is considered OK, or at least it's common practice. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 00:14, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- I was in the Dr. Pepper museum in Waco, TX about a decade ago. My recollection (which could be entirely faulty) was that they said the name Dr. Pepper was not based on any real person. Take that for what it is worth. Dragons flight (talk) 01:04, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
Clarification that may or may not be relevant: I think that the "Pep" in Pepsi-Cola may refer not only to peppermint or "pep", but also to [eu]peptic, i.e. as an aid to digestion (as in Pepto-Bismol, not recommended as an ingredient for soft drinks or mixers.). I don't know if this has any relevance to the "Pep" in Dr. Pepper. Cf. the English soft-drink Tizer, "the appetizer". —— Shakescene (talk) 08:00, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
Statistics and discrimination
It is clear that some companies members of some group overrepresented. For example, much younger as the average or much more men than woman in power positions. Is it enough to accuse a company of discriminating against members of the underrepresented groups? Or must the company have an explicit rule against members of a group (like no woman need to apply) to be considered discriminating?--Quest09 (talk) 17:01, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- The question of equal opportunity versus equality of outcome is very difficult to answer. Ricci v. DeStefano was a case recently decided by the US Supreme Court regarding Title VII hiring discrimination guidelines. A mere accusation of discrimination is not sufficient grounds for finding fault; however, fault is found well before an explicit rule is codified. Even your use of "overrepresented" is contentious: a group may have disproportionate representation without being overrepresented (or underrepresented), as equality of outcome is rarely a requirement. — Lomn 17:41, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- It's tough to prove - you'd need to show that (for example) the ratio of suitably-qualified women to suitably-qualified men who applied for a particular set of jobs resulted in a lower ratio of women to men actually being recruited. You can't only look at the ratio of people in jobs right now because women in their 20's and early 30's leave the workplace to bring up children disproportionately more often than men do. That's a societal matter that the company has no control over. Men generally retire at a higher age than women. Possible descrimination long ago - before it was illegal - may also result in a bias amongst older workers. Not only that - but the bias has to be statistically significant - five or even ten more men than women in a workforce of 100 people isn't going to be convincing evidence of bias because that kind of ratio could easily come about just by chance when the employer is being 100% gender-neutral in hiring and firing.
- But consider the company where I work - we make computer games. We have 50 employees in the offices where I work - only three are women - and not one of those is a programmer (one is our HR person - the other two are graphic artists). Is this clear and damning evidence of bias? Well, no - it's not. We had 20 resume's for a particular programming job that recently opened up, not one single one of them was from a woman! In fact, over the past year we've recruited 35 people (yes, we're a booming company!) - and I have yet to see ANY resume's from women for computer programming positions. In fact, over my entire 30 year career in computer graphics - I've only known 3 female graphics programmers! All three were very good at their jobs - it's certainly not that women somehow can't do this work. How on earth can we hope to maintain a 50/50 ratio under those circumstances? If anything, we might be accused of reverse gender bias because if we ever did get a resume from a woman, we'd clearly be super-careful not to reject her illegally. That alone would ensure that her resume would be at least carefully examined - which is half the battle in a crowded job market. All I can guess is that any discrimination happens much earlier - in the education system perhaps - or maybe for some reason women simply don't generally find that kind of job compelling. It's hard to say - but as we like to say here: "Correlation does not imply Causation". Just because there are few women in the workplace doesn't necessarily imply that we're discriminating...and that's another reason why genuine discrimination is so hard to prove. (Incidentally - if you are a graphics programmer - either male or female and you are able to work in the Austin, Texas area - email me! We need to talk!) SteveBaker (talk) 14:17, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
Any group that is not perfectly representative of the entire universe of possibilities can be accused of discrimination. It is an entirely different matter (and, one defined by law, which we don’t do here at the reference desk) as to whether that alleged discrimination is significant, illegal or just happenchance. DOR (HK) (talk) 02:19, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- I suggest reading the book Race and Culture by Thomas Sowell - disproportionate representation may not be discrimination, or it might be for vastly different reasons one might think (his book focus more on race rather than age and/or sex). I personally found his argument convincing, but your opinion may differ (a quick Google search turn up this. Either way the book is certainly an interesting read. Royor (talk) 10:31, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
Cleaning a model railway
I have a Hornby model railway which I store under my bed. When not in use I cover it with a dust sheet. I was just wondering what the best ways of cleaning the layout are. Chevymontecarlo (talk) 18:36, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
Try using a sable / synthetic fibre paintbrush (widely available from art material stores) to dislodge heavy coatings of dust. After that a standard museum cleaning practice is to use a vacuum cleaner with an upholstery attachment covered with a large piece of muslin. It should be large enough and heavy enough to not actually get sucked up by the vacuum. Do not get the nozzle close enough to touch the item, or it may be sucked up and ruined! If the dust covering is very heavy u could try cleaning with those damp tissues you would use for cleaning a baby's bottom - they are designed to be very sensitive to skin and thus should be gentle enough to be used. This should not be used if there are chips or cracks, as the water based moisturiser could cause internal parts made of iron to rust. You could always contact the manufacturer directly to ask for their advice —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.167.246.122 (talk) 20:40, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- The brush is a good idea. Whether a vacuum cleaner is, depends on what your setup looks like an how far you can power it down. If you have landscape with "fake grass" and "fake moss trees" even a light suction action may dislodge things to end up in a bigger mess than you started with (OR). It also depends on how much work you are willing to invest. A box of cotton swabs moistened with very little water works, but takes ages. You should also not use them on the rails or electrical parts. For storing your set under your bed try using a plastic cover made for outdoor furniture to keep dust out. e.g. [11] --71.236.26.74 (talk) 22:59, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- If the actual rails are getting corroded, you might want to wipe them down with an alcohol pad of some kind to make better contact with the wheels. Use 3in1 oil for lubricating wheels and motors - but try not to get it onto electrical contacts. Aside from that - you need to be careful with a vacuum cleaner not to suck up small, carefully modelled details - at least keep the airflow to a minimum - use one of the softer brush attachments and keep the vacuum cleaner on it's lowest setting. If you have one of those little 'dust-buster' hand vacuum cleaners - then that's even better. Gentle is good! I'd also recommend getting a bottle of "canned air" from a store that sells computers or electronics...it's an aerosol spray that's great for blowing dust and fluff out of small crevices. SteveBaker (talk) 13:48, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
Thanks for all your tips, I will try them out. Chevymontecarlo (talk) 10:36, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
Incidents that need multiple emergency services
When you dial 999 in the UK, you are asked which services you require (i.e. police, ambulance, fire or lifeguard). I have never had to call when the situation obviously required more than one service, and I just wondered how that was managed. I imagine that you would ask for one service and then somebody would decide that another service had to be contacted, but who would do that? For example, if you saw somebody stabbed in the street, called and asked for the ambulance service, who decides to call the police (likewise if you asked for the police, who would decide to call the ambulance service)? I have been told that in other countries, for example Canada, you just call and tell the operator what the situation is, and then the operator decides who to route it to. How does that work and why is the UK different? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks Squashed Star (talk) 19:38, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- The presumption in the United States is that the caller is not trained, nor are they likely in a calm, rational state of mind. The job of the dispatcher is to interpret the situation and route the appropriate services, which may include police, ambulance, etc. Also note that in most US jurisdictions, almost all ambulances are private services, while police and firefighters are usually local government employees. Nimur (talk) 20:04, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- Yes, that makes perfect sense to me, so it sounds like the dispatcher is the one who makes the decision. I wonder why the UK is different, and who makes the decision? My experience is that once you select a service you are routed to that service and then deal with its operators. I would imagine that they make the decision to call other services, but I would if there is some other system of coorination. Thanks Squashed Star (talk) 20:11, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
You are responsible for the initial decision, daunting as that might sound. Once you're connected to the actual service's call handler they will take into account everything you tell them and request assistance from the other services as required. I haven't been able to find official guidance but I would suggest calling the following first under the circumstances:-
- Ambulance - Any kind of serious injury or life threatening condition - minutes are critical here. Inform them if there are people trapped in vehicles, they will then request fire service assistance. Also inform them if the injuries are due to crime, they will inform the police.
- Fire - call first when there is an actual fire - smoke/flames or a chemical spillage - call Ambulance first if serious casualties are evident and allow them to call fire service.
- Police - Crime in progress/offenders on scene but call Ambulance first if someone has been injured as a crime consequence and allow them to inform police
- Coastguard - Priority if incident at sea and immediate response required to prevent loss of life, they will request ambulance assistance if required
- Mountain/Cave Rescue - Priority in appropiate environments - they will request assistance from the other services as required.
As you can see your number one priority is the preservation of life. If you're not sure request ambulance assistance FIRST and liase with the call handler about any backup services required. E.g. if someone throws a petrol bomb at someone who gets badly burned, the first thing you need is an ambulance to save their life, followed by the fire brigade to bring the flames under control and the police to apprehend the bomber. Exxolon (talk) 22:04, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- I agree, I remember being told that you generally prioritise the ambulance. However, if I was in (or witnessed) a big car crash, say, I'd just dial 999 and when they asked "What service do you require?" I'd saying "all of them" and let them worry about it. --Tango (talk) 22:55, 27 July 2009 (UTC)
- If U.S. paramedics/EMTs arrive at a scene and someone is lying not moving, maybe in a pool of blood, rather than rush to their aid many departments encourage the initial determination of "cop sign," if there is a cop on scene: 1) If the cop is crouching behind his car on the side opposite the injured, wait before proceeding to the patient; 2)If the cop is fighting with someone or exchanging gunfire with someone, wait before proceeding to the patient; 3) If the cop is lying in a pool of blood next to the patient, wait before proceeding to the patient. 4)If the cop says it is safe to treat the patient, proceed to the patient.Edison (talk) 00:30, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- In Canada, at least in my thankfully limited 911 experience which involved only medical emergencies, the police didn't come at all, but both a fire truck and ambulance came, since firefighters always have paramedics with them and might arrive faster than the ambulance. Adam Bishop (talk) 02:01, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- Our boss took us to the fire and rescue call centre (UK) and we were informed that all calls are put through to the police regardless of which service you require. The police then call the other services they think are necessary. I'm not sure if this is common practise throughout call centres but it would account for the fact that not all the services seem to be fully informed until they arrive no the scene.--195.49.180.87 (talk) 10:38, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- Why do firefighters in Canada always have paramedics with them? They don't in the UK. --Tango (talk) 00:00, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- I don't know, pretty convenient though isn't it? (It might not be all of Canada...maybe just Ontario. Or maybe even just Toronto.) Adam Bishop (talk) 08:00, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- Two side-comments (for what they're worth):
- Where people have a feud with or fear of the police, directing all emergency calls through the police might have undesirable effects, e.g. discouraging people from reporting fire or medical emergencies, when residents' attitudes towards ambulances and firefighters might be more benign and less-fearful than towards the police who might arrest some of them for something like drug possession or immigration status;
- In the United States, USA Today reported a few years ago, there's a strong competition for business between hospital-based ambulances and firehouse-based rescue trucks. The firefighters having become victims of a great though unsung success — the halving of fires through better prevention and suppression — now qualify themselves as paramedics or Emergency Medical Technicians and find themselves competing for a growing but limited medical field. —— Shakescene (talk) 08:12, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- Two side-comments (for what they're worth):
- I don't know, pretty convenient though isn't it? (It might not be all of Canada...maybe just Ontario. Or maybe even just Toronto.) Adam Bishop (talk) 08:00, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- At least around here (Eastern Washington), if you've got a medical emergency, they'll dispatch both a fire truck and an ambulance. This is because the fire truck will get there faster than the ambulance (unless you're injured in front of the ambulance garage), and is capable of handling a wider range of physical situations (confined-space rescue, cutting people out of cars, etc.), while the ambulance can handle a wider range of medical situations. --Carnildo (talk) 01:17, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
July 28
How does Facebook find all these suggested friends?
I hardly ever use Facebook, and I only have a few "friends," all people I knew from a particular past workplace. But somehow, under "Suggestions," Facebook knows the names of all of these real-life friends, relatives and former work colleagues, none of whom has anything to do with the few Facebook friends I have. How in the world does Facebook know that I am connected to all of these people? Some of them I haven't heard from for years! Even my stepfather's ex-wife is a "suggestion!" -- Mwalcoff (talk) 01:35, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- It looks through your e-mail contact list, for one. You can set it so it doesn't do that anymore, though. It also looks through all your friends, and gives you people that at least two of your friends know, even if you don't know them that well, or at all. Adam Bishop (talk) 01:52, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- My e-mail contact list only has relatives and a few friends on it. It certainly doesn't have people I went to college with, and none of my existing Facebook friends are even in this country. Yet somehow, those former classmates are among my "suggestions." Really weird. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 01:56, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- Have you joined any Facebook groups, like "Such-and-such College Class of 2000" or whatever? Adam Bishop (talk) 02:07, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- At a guess, I'd say it looked at your email account's contact list, found your stepfather had a facebook account and from his contacts/friends it suggested his ex-wife to you. The same would apply if one of your email contacts knew some people at your college. Astronaut (talk) 04:27, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- College friends is easily explained if you've listed your college in your profile, or joined a related network when you signed up. --PalaceGuard008 (Talk) 05:41, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- At a guess, I'd say it looked at your email account's contact list, found your stepfather had a facebook account and from his contacts/friends it suggested his ex-wife to you. The same would apply if one of your email contacts knew some people at your college. Astronaut (talk) 04:27, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
Do these people have your email address? Possibly that could explain it. Exploding Boy (talk) 06:13, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- Facebook has never asked me whether I want it to look at my e-mail contacts and if it does that I regard it as an invasion. Judging by the friends that Facebook has suggested to me, I think it harvests names from Yahoo groups. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 08:21, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- Facebook asks for member's e-mail log-in info and then harvests the address books. It does so in a way that looks friendly and fun even though it is a bit invasive for everyone involved and VERY bad security practices. Anyway, the odds are, if you didn't let them do that, somebody else you know did. --98.217.14.211 (talk) 14:06, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- I thought they looked first at your friends' list of friends, and then at the groups you have joined, and the address books if they're uploaded. I've worked through the people I sorta know and now Fb recommends people I haven't heard of. Of course, it could just be a coincidence that your stepfather's ex-wife has been recommended... —Preceding unsigned comment added by TammyMoet (talk • contribs) 15:32, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- Hmm on mine it occasionally comes up with a random one from my school/program/year, but more often I think it is doing it through email. My best guess would be that your friends have you in their address book and it searched through that and found you, displaying "suggested friend" to both you and them. TastyCakes (talk) 15:40, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- From facebook's own help section -
- "Facebook calculates Suggestions based on the networks you are a part of, mutual friends, work and education information, contacts imported using the Friend Finder, and many other factors." Nanonic (talk) 15:43, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- While that's definitely possible, are you sure that there was no connection to your American life at all? I emphasised the 'at all' part for a reason, as it may not need much. For example, even an invitation from one of your American college friends, particularly if they put you as a college friend may be enough for it go guess other college friends could also be your friends. Similarly if one of your siblings, parents or whatever invited you, it's probably easy for it to guess that you may know your stepfathers's ex-wife if it can guess that relationship from the relationships of those around you. Or even if it's not an invitation but a suggestion from another friend or if one of your overseas friends did somehow establish that relationship via their friends page. Location info may help too as may age if you put that. In your case, since you had few Facebook friends, its 'guesses' rely on less info then is ideal but it can still be easily right depending on the info (and if it wasn't right, you probably wouldn't be asking). Nil Einne (talk) 00:23, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
Questions
- Please do not put unrelated questions under a single heading. Headings added below --ColinFine (talk) 07:38, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
Copyright in UK
1. How close to a copyrighted name can another name be before it is a breach of copyright laws (In the UK)? Chevymontecarlo (talk) 07:24, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- Have you looked at copyright? See also trademark, which might be more relevant. --ColinFine (talk) 07:38, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- To expand on the above, note that you cannot copyright a name[12]; you can infringe a trademark by using someone else's business name or brand name, which is why trademark is relevant. How close your name can be to an existing trademark generally depends on whether the two are in similar lines of business, or are likely to confuse customers, but if you have a specific legal question you should consult a lawyer. --Maltelauridsbrigge (talk) 09:52, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- If you write a computer operating system and call it "Chevymontecarlo Windows" - you'll get sued by Microsoft for sure. If you start a business assembling glass into wood and aluminium frames and call your business "Chevymontecarlo Windows" you'll be just fine. SteveBaker (talk) 13:33, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- Steve is right about his latter point in almost all cases, but I wouldn't bet that you wouldn't be sued over "Chevymontecarlo Windows" as a window maker business. Some companies have successfully claimed that their very-recognized, cultural-institution-level trademark is so unique that it's universal. McDonalds has sued many companies that have inserted "Mc" in front of another noun, claiming that doing so is "McLanguage" and is protected. They successfully used (or abused) trademark law to prevent Quality Inn from creating a chain called McSleep, for example, though that business has little to do with fast food. Tempshill (talk) 17:25, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- The motel you go to when you just want to think you're sleeping> -KoolerStill (talk) 13:08, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- And depending on the exact wording and the original trademark, you could even be sued for using your own name! --Zerozal (talk) 16:52, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
General Motors
2. Does anyone know about the future of General Motors? Chevymontecarlo (talk) 07:24, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- Wikipedia is not a crystal ball, and the reference desks are for factual questions, not speculation. --ColinFine (talk) 07:38, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
Sorry......Chevymontecarlo (talk) 08:12, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- No one can predict the future about anything. GM has a plan to revitalize itself. I'm sure there are endless sources discussing it. As to their actual future, only this much is certain: Their future is ahead of them. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 08:58, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
Creosote
3. Why is creosote, the stuff you put on wood to protect it, so dangerous? Chevymontecarlo (talk) 07:24, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
I'm looking for a picture of the world's greatest gunsmiths.
I'm looking for a picture taken, at some kind of convention, of Uziel Gal, Mikhail Kalashnikov, and Eugene Stoner. It was the only time the three were ever together. I had figured that this pic would be famous, but it's more of a challenge to find then I thought. I'm looking for the picture but I appreciate information as well (date, name, location ect.). —Preceding unsigned comment added by HitmanNumber86 (talk • contribs) 13:43, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- I wasn't able to find all three together, but this site has a photo of Gal and Kalashnikov together, and another photo of Kalashnikov and Stoner together. --Zerozal (talk) 16:56, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- "World's greatest?" What about Mr. Smith and Mr. Wesson? Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 17:26, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- Samuel Colt might beg to differ had he been asked, but like Messrs Smith and Wesson, he wasn't in a position to be photographed with Messrs Gal, Kalashnikov and Stoner. —— Shakescene (talk) 20:44, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- Was John Browning there?Edison (talk) 01:37, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- I heard John T. Thompson was (I don't think this is old yet). By the way, anyone else catch the OP's name's very subtle reference? Shadowjams (talk) 07:20, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- Was John Browning there?Edison (talk) 01:37, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- Samuel Colt might beg to differ had he been asked, but like Messrs Smith and Wesson, he wasn't in a position to be photographed with Messrs Gal, Kalashnikov and Stoner. —— Shakescene (talk) 20:44, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- "World's greatest?" What about Mr. Smith and Mr. Wesson? Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 17:26, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
human resource
hi! i've been given an assignment to write a letter to the head of a human resource department for a job. so ,please could anyone tell me what should be my qualifications and job experience? i've totally NIL idea about job qualifications and educational degrees. puleez help me!!
NOTE: as i'm an indian, the job qualifications must be indian too! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 122.50.130.82 (talk) 13:50, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- Suggest that you do not try to pretend to be qualified or experienced. Better to write from your own experience. Why should this not be your first job on leaving school? Then you can apply for a trainee's post and show how eager you are to make a career from helping people. Make up voluntary work with youth, and/or elderly. Where you can show a tangible interest in people (HR is all about people!). Indicate your preferred route, i.e. into training, selection, whatever. And show why you think that route is best for you. Above all show clearly what benefits you will bring to him - not what you expect to gain.86.219.167.229 (talk)DT —Preceding undated comment added 14:04, 28 July 2009 (UTC).
- As 86 said, when students (at least in the US) are taught in the 11th or 12th year of school to write a résumé, the usual advice for the "job experience" section is to try to list "extracurricular activities" that involved some kind of work under the direction of a teacher. Volunteer work counts, like "Helped create a 2 km walking path near the Main Street Marsh, working for 1 month with a team of 10 other volunteer students". Any kind of self-taught skills may do, if you can point to a project you completed, like "Designed, planned, and built a 3-square-meter tree house in my back yard, complete with roof, shingles, door, and a balcony," or "Designed and programmed the game 'Cliff Jumper' over 4 months along with another programmer and artist." Tempshill (talk) 17:10, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- Is your assignment to write an application for a fictional job-seeker to a fictional company? —Tamfang (talk) 08:33, 2 August 2009 (UTC)
Book release date:
I bought a non-fiction book off the shelf at a major bookstore. After I got home, I checked online to see book reviews for it. However, all sources say that this book is to be released on a date in August still a few weeks away. There are no reviews even posted yet. So I'm wondering, am I allowed to have this book? Will I get in trouble for owning it before the release date? Will the bookstore get in trouble? Please help as I am worried sick over it. Torkmann (talk) 16:01, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- For highly anticipated books like Harry Potter and the like, books are supposed to be released to the public on coordinated "release dates" for the express purpose of generating buzz. Book sellers are under contract to NOT release the book early, less they lose the right to sell the book at all. However, for most average books, they probably go on the shelves as soon as they arrive at the bookstore. While they may have "official" or "anticipated" release dates, most of the time there is little fanfare or notice when they come out; and no reason for the store to "hold them back" so they just put them out. --Jayron32 16:30, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- Check also if it is a "review copy". They generally say so somewhere. They are not supposed to be resold, but they often are. In any case, you wouldn't get in trouble for owning it, though technically a store could get in trouble for selling it, if reported. --98.217.14.211 (talk) 17:04, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- You have done nothing wrong and broken no laws, as far as I know. One possibility is that the publisher reported the for-sale date to everyone as being in August but then shipped the book early and the reviewers were caught by surprise? Tempshill (talk) 17:12, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- If a store sells you something, it's their problem, not yours, unless it's something obviously illegal to sell under any circumstances - although it might be wise to be discrete, at least until it's "officially" for sale. Unless you want to go to someplace anonymously (oh, say, wikipedia, for example) and give away the plot. >:) No, better not. 0:) Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 07:38, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- Really better not. AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 12:05, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- If a store sells you something, it's their problem, not yours, unless it's something obviously illegal to sell under any circumstances - although it might be wise to be discrete, at least until it's "officially" for sale. Unless you want to go to someplace anonymously (oh, say, wikipedia, for example) and give away the plot. >:) No, better not. 0:) Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 07:38, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- As others have indicated, a new book usually has a specified publication date, and the contract of sale by which the publisher supplies the bookshop will normally specify that the book is "embargoed" from sale before that date; the main purpose of this is to enable marketing efforts such as media adverts, author interviews, etc to be co-ordinated for maximum effect. Publishers routinely supply books to bookshops up to several weeks before publication date, simply because of the logistics involved in doing so on a national or international scale, and because the bookshops need advance supply to enable them to cope with the hundreds if not thousands of such titles every month, plan their displays, and so on. They should be well practiced in avoiding mistakes, though inevitably mistakes sometimes occur.
- This embargo system was generally complied with in the UK (where I used to be a bookseller and later a publisher's editor) for all books at least up until the 1980s, and some shops which religiously abided by publication dates would actually monitor rivals and report any that broke embargos (whether through ignorance, incompetence, or deliberately in order to gain an unfair trading advantage) to the relevant publishers, who might threaten egregious offenders with lower trade discounts or refusal of supply - sanctions which became less enforcible with the rise of the wholesale suppliers from around the early '80s. Outlets such as supermarkets and the likes of W. H. Smith have been known to ignore publication embargoes with relative impunity because their centralised buying structures and large share of total sales give them disproportionate clout.
- When a vendor sells an embargoed book to a customer, only the vendor is committing any offence (a breach of its contract with the publisher). The buyer has not made any such contractual agreement, is entirely innocent of any offence, and is still the legal owner of the book. Though in the wrong, the vendor is unlikely to suffer any consequences (in the case of a one-off error, how does anyone but themselves and the buyer know of the transaction?) except in very exceptional circumstances.
- What circumstances? Occasionally a book is withdrawn from publication after copies have reached the bookshops, but before its publication date has been reached, and the bookshops are supposed to return (for credit) all such copies. Withdrawal might be due to the discovery of a previously overlooked serious printing or binding error, in which case no-one but the unfortunate buyer will mind very much if a copy has already been sold (and he/she will be able to exchange it for a corrected copy or for credit). However, it might be for legal reasons: an example I personally experienced concerned the novel The Girl in a Swing by Richard Adams (best known for Watership Down), which was withdrawn only a few days before its (first) publication date because of a libel action - it portrayed unsympathetically a character based on and identifiable with an actual person, and was later republished with textual alterations. A few copies of the original version had been naughtily sold "under the counter" before publication (one, possibly, from the shop I worked in) and there could have been legal ramifications. In some regimes, withdrawal of a book due to official State disapproval (on grounds of obscenity, blasphemy, being rude about the President-for-Life, etc) could presumably also rebound on any premature retailing; hopefully this does not apply to OP Torkmann's case.
- Mention was made of review copies. Potential reviewers are sent free copies of books well in advance, in order of course that they have time to read and review them and get the review into print at or around publication date: such review copies might be advance proofs in non-commercial bindings, or might be the ordinary commercial editions. Reviewing being mostly poorly paid, they are expected and usually explicitly permitted to sell on their ordinary editions to supplement their incomes, but of course such copies should not be sold on to the general public before the publication date. 87.81.230.195 (talk) 01:52, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- Sounds like the best bet, if you buy a book under those circumstances, is to just keep quiet about it. Then, years later, when likely no one will care, it could become a souvenir, maybe even a valuable one. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 06:26, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
I don't you could get in trouble just for buying something. If anyone, I think the issue would be with the bookstore. Hence, you might want to keep your receipt to show you got it from them and didn't steal it or anything sketchy. ZS 06:50, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
Facebook friend requests
I regularly get facebook friend requests even though I do not have a facebook account. What is going on? Torkmann (talk) 16:33, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- If they are from people who you actually know, it's because your friends have either actually typed your e-mail address into Facebook in order to ask Facebook to send you these e-mails. More likely, they used an option where they type their e-mail account name and password into Facebook, and gave Facebook permission to scour their entire Contacts list; Facebook sends an invite to each person in the Contacts list. Alternatively, these e-mails may be phishing attempts, so, as with all e-mails inviting you to visit a website, you should just type the correct URL into your browser instead of clicking on the link. (See Facebook#Phishing for one particular stunt, though that one was aimed at current users.) Tempshill (talk) 17:01, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
How can you disable this option on Facebook?--Reticuli88 (talk) 16:06, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- If you want to stop getting Facebook e-mails, I would create a Facebook account under your actual e-mail address, then click "Settings" at the top of the screen, then "Account Settings" on the dropdown menu, then click the "Notifications" tab. There will be a long list of actions and you can set whether or not Facebook will e-mail you when each action is taken. (Examples: Someone adds me as a friend, someone sends me a message, someone invites me to join a group.) You can turn them all "Off". Alternatively, of course, you could just set up a filter in your e-mail program to delete any e-mail coming from "facebook.com". Tempshill (talk) 19:14, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- It's a sad day of spammer-victory when the best way to make the spam stop is to register with the spammer... I strongly recommend the OP sets up an email filter. Your computer or network administrator can help you do that if you don't know how your site filters spam (or if you use a free email service like Yahoo Mail, there is an email and spam filter option in the standard interface). This is a better way to eliminate unwanted mail. The way I learned about spam, (Spam Theory), the worst thing you can do is click an "unsubscribe" link or write a response. Acknowledging the spam puts you on the white-list of "known email addresses used by real humans" - this encourages the spammer to send more. (Eventually, if no response or acknowledgement ever comes through, a spammer will assume that your email address is dead, and may stop trying it). Facebook probably has a different policy than the usual total-junk-spammer, but I stand by my original idea here - your best bet is a block or mail filter on your end of the system (without registering). Nimur (talk) 05:49, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- One of your friends may also have created you a facebook account with your email. Googlemeister (talk) 16:36, 3 August 2009 (UTC)
- It's a sad day of spammer-victory when the best way to make the spam stop is to register with the spammer... I strongly recommend the OP sets up an email filter. Your computer or network administrator can help you do that if you don't know how your site filters spam (or if you use a free email service like Yahoo Mail, there is an email and spam filter option in the standard interface). This is a better way to eliminate unwanted mail. The way I learned about spam, (Spam Theory), the worst thing you can do is click an "unsubscribe" link or write a response. Acknowledging the spam puts you on the white-list of "known email addresses used by real humans" - this encourages the spammer to send more. (Eventually, if no response or acknowledgement ever comes through, a spammer will assume that your email address is dead, and may stop trying it). Facebook probably has a different policy than the usual total-junk-spammer, but I stand by my original idea here - your best bet is a block or mail filter on your end of the system (without registering). Nimur (talk) 05:49, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
Detective stories
Many traditional detective stories end with the detective gathering the possible suspects together, and then dramatically revealing who did the deed and how the mystery has been solved.
Does/did this ever happen in real life? --rossb (talk) 16:38, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- It's known as the Final Dénouement, I believe. I don't know if any real-life cases of this; I'd be surprised if there were any, it's not a very practical approach (as is often revealed in fiction where the criminal tries to escape or kill someone or take a hostage or what have you). --98.217.14.211 (talk) 16:54, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- "Final Dénouement" is surprisingly generic; I'm accustomed to calling it the "parlor scene". (It's not only Poirot; Nero Wolfe usually tells Inspector Cramer, "If you want to know who done it, bring everyone concerned to my office," straining my suspension of disbelief.) —Tamfang (talk) 08:40, 2 August 2009 (UTC)
- Yeah - I doubt it happens. In the England and Wales, New Zealand, Australia, India, Pakistan and Canada, it could possibly even be construed to be illegal. Once someone is charged with a crime, it becomes Sub judice and the police aren't supposed to discuss it with the public. SteveBaker (talk) 17:34, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- In the quintessential drawing room mystery, the detective is very rarely a policeman, so that wouldn't come into play. --LarryMac | Talk 17:45, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- The sub judice restrictions apply to all public discussion, so amateur detectives, journalists and little old ladies can't comment. Gwinva (talk) 00:47, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- Also quintessentially, nobody has been charged at that point. They're all invited into the same room, and Poirot or whoever reveals who did it and why, then the cops arrive, arrest the person and charge them. -- JackofOz (talk) 20:55, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- You missed out the confession just after the reveal. [13] AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 22:36, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- "I suppose you're wondering why I've called you all together here." Edison (talk) 01:33, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- "I think that Mrs Soames has something very important to tell us, don't you, Mrs Soames?" —— Shakescene (talk) 09:58, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- I have on occasion given in to the urge to say this in a crowded elevator. In my imagination, at least, it would be wonderful to have the elevator get stuck between the floors instantly after that. -- Captain Disdain (talk) 13:09, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- The typical detective mystery is about as realistic as Perry Mason convincing the murderer to confess in court. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 00:19, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- In the quintessential drawing room mystery, the detective is very rarely a policeman, so that wouldn't come into play. --LarryMac | Talk 17:45, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
Amazon.com shirt sizes
What's the difference between "Men's large" and just "large", etc? Is it just because some sellers have unisex sizes and others don't? 24.6.46.177 (talk) 17:06, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- Men's shirts are traditionally not the same as women's shirts. I was reminded of this a few year ago when I picked out a nice shirt at Banana Republic and grabbed a shirt I thought similar but of a different color. The "similar" shirt buttoned the wrong way and had girly pearl buttons. (Well, not exactly pearl, but pearloid, the faux pearl commonly known as "mother of toilet seat".) Current mores are more supportive of women wearing men's clothes than the other way around, and BR took this into account when I exchanged the shirt. PhGustaf (talk) 20:28, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- Also women's shirts may be "fitted", i.e. designed to fit around breasts. I can't link to anything on WP about this, I'm afraid. AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 22:32, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
- Amazon's sizing chart only mentions men and women sizes... —Akrabbimtalk 13:13, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
What board game is this?
It was a sort of war game, based on a square grid. The pieces had ranks 1-9 which determined what pieces they could beat, and the ranks were kept hidden from the other player until you attacked or got attacked. There was also a scout which could move more spaces than the other pieces, but it had to be revealed if you moved like that, and a spy which could take down the highest rank. 24.6.46.177 (talk) 19:28, 28 July 2009 (UTC)
July 29
Who pays for giveaways at ball games?
Giveaways at baseball games, if I understand the article right, are a great example of Below the line marketing. I have a question about how his is done in general; obviously, every way is different, but as a general rule, who pays for the middleman products.
By "middleman products" - and I suppose there's a better name - I mean a product that might not relate to the advertiser directly. For instance, say Geico decides to give away stuffed toy lizards. (And it would surprise me if they havne't done this. :-) yes, it relates in terms of the ad image, but they dont' sell stuffed animals, so it's not a direct relation. Would they buy the stuffed animals, they put little shirts with their logo on it? Would they pay the stuffed toy maker to do this and split the clost - after all, the toy manufacturer gets a bit of BTW promotion out of this, too. Most giveaways at ball games are, say, key chains that you can buy with no words on yet, I imagine. But, even there, does purchasing the products go into the marketing budget for the one giving them away?
Thanks.Somebody or his brother (talk) 00:36, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- I imagine the company being advertised via the giva-away is responsible for all costs. In your Geico example, they would source the give-away and arrange for the freebie to be printed with their company message... the toy company would not part fund the escapade ... the baseball owners would, of course, change Geico for the privilege, and may in addition offer logistical support, having been there & done that. --Tagishsimon (talk) 00:41, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- I don't know that the ball club would charge Geico anything, because the whole point of allowing the giveaway is to bring people into the ballpark, so it's totally to the club's benefit. That's something Bill Veeck discovered 50-60 years ago, and which other clubs slowly caught on to: Get someone else to give away something, they get free advertising, more people come to the park - everybody wins! Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 01:12, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- You may be right. IN the case of something like this - ING sponsoring the giveaway of 10000 baseballs, I suspect the club may well have organised the whole thing and then sought a sponsor ... whether all the costs are covered by the sponsor or not must remain a moot point. --Tagishsimon (talk) 01:17, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- I notice from the writeup that the baseballs were to be given away after the game ended. Good idea. Except I wonder how they decide who gets them? First 10,000 to leave? Could cause a stampede. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 10:24, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- You may be right. IN the case of something like this - ING sponsoring the giveaway of 10000 baseballs, I suspect the club may well have organised the whole thing and then sought a sponsor ... whether all the costs are covered by the sponsor or not must remain a moot point. --Tagishsimon (talk) 01:17, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- I may be wrong, but I was under the impression that there are sometimes give-aways even at parks that are permanently sold-out, like Fenway. There's no point attracting more people to Fenway Park without putting in more chairs. APL (talk) 04:35, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- I'm sure there are. It's even possible the clubs do charge something for it, being the money-grubbers they are. But they have to be careful. Speaking of which, giving away baseballs, or anything else that can be thrown, has long been considered a very risky kind of promotion. That's why they are more apt to give away Beanie Babies than hard objects. There was a baseball giveaway in Milwaukee a few years back that resulted in several thousand of them being thrown on the field when an ump made a controversial call. Bad idea. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 07:34, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- Ah yes. I sorta remembered one remarkable incident in the past involving thrown records (those vinyl things we had before CDs). Wikipedia, of course, has a List of violent spectator incidents in sports, and there it was: Disco Demolition Night, July 12, 1979. In this promotion, fans could get into a White Sox double-header for $0.98 if they brought a disco record to be destroyed in a tween-games ceremony. The stadium sold out.
- Unfortunately, the fans soon discovered that the records made good, if sharp, Frisbee equivalents. The destruction of the batting cage and the (literal) stealing of the bases soon gfollowed. The promotion was not repeated. Neither was the Ten Cent Beer Night at Cleveland five years earlier. Baseball is less fun these days. PhGustaf (talk) 20:15, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- Oh, man, you had to bring that up - one of the worst promotions ever (on the same order as "Ten Cent Beer Night" in Cleveland, on June 4, 1974); the absolute low point of Bill Veeck's career; and nearly the death-knell for the career path of his son, Mike Veeck, who was the brains, so to speak, behind this promotion. I recall watching it at a safe distance, on TV, and wondering, along with most everyone else, "What were they thinking?" In the middle of this past month, there were occasional little retrospectives on the 30-year anniversary of this disaster. Arrrgh! Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 05:01, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- This is a whole new tangent, and I hadn't realized there was effectively a "Curse of Rusty Torres", who was on the roster for both the 1974 and 1979 games, and also the last Washington Senator home game in 1971, also a forfeit. I wonder if he was in the stands for that 1995 game in L.A.? I'm also pretty sure there was a similar incident with the baseballs in Milwaukee, but the fans were told to stop or the game would be forfeited, and they stopped. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 05:10, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- Oh, man, you had to bring that up - one of the worst promotions ever (on the same order as "Ten Cent Beer Night" in Cleveland, on June 4, 1974); the absolute low point of Bill Veeck's career; and nearly the death-knell for the career path of his son, Mike Veeck, who was the brains, so to speak, behind this promotion. I recall watching it at a safe distance, on TV, and wondering, along with most everyone else, "What were they thinking?" In the middle of this past month, there were occasional little retrospectives on the 30-year anniversary of this disaster. Arrrgh! Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 05:01, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- I'm sure there are. It's even possible the clubs do charge something for it, being the money-grubbers they are. But they have to be careful. Speaking of which, giving away baseballs, or anything else that can be thrown, has long been considered a very risky kind of promotion. That's why they are more apt to give away Beanie Babies than hard objects. There was a baseball giveaway in Milwaukee a few years back that resulted in several thousand of them being thrown on the field when an ump made a controversial call. Bad idea. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 07:34, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- I may be wrong, but I was under the impression that there are sometimes give-aways even at parks that are permanently sold-out, like Fenway. There's no point attracting more people to Fenway Park without putting in more chairs. APL (talk) 04:35, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- In your example, Geico likely wouldn't do anything more than buy the stuffed geckos. There are companies that cater to this sort of thing. They have a wide selection of different little promotional items, e.g. key chains, stuffed animals, pens, notepads, etc. Each item has some place on it to print a logo. Again, in your example, the front of the gecko's shirt. So, they order 5000 of them and have them sent to the ball park. For a company as large as Geico, they can probably go to the promotions company and say, "You guys just have bears and raccoons but we want a gecko. Can you get geckos?" At which point the promotions company rings up their manufacturer in China, Hong Kong, or wherever and asks them to have 5000 geckos made including form fitting t-shirts. Geico may have someone at the park to give people rate quotes but the geckos are generally passed out by park employees. Dismas|(talk) 09:54, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- Neat; I hadn't thought about there being actual promotions companies that make all those little products, but it makes a lot of sense. Thanks, all.Somebody or his brother (talk) 13:33, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- In your example, Geico likely wouldn't do anything more than buy the stuffed geckos. There are companies that cater to this sort of thing. They have a wide selection of different little promotional items, e.g. key chains, stuffed animals, pens, notepads, etc. Each item has some place on it to print a logo. Again, in your example, the front of the gecko's shirt. So, they order 5000 of them and have them sent to the ball park. For a company as large as Geico, they can probably go to the promotions company and say, "You guys just have bears and raccoons but we want a gecko. Can you get geckos?" At which point the promotions company rings up their manufacturer in China, Hong Kong, or wherever and asks them to have 5000 geckos made including form fitting t-shirts. Geico may have someone at the park to give people rate quotes but the geckos are generally passed out by park employees. Dismas|(talk) 09:54, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- To get back to one of the issues raised earlier in the thread, in the case of a limited-supply but highly-desirable item being given away, the ball club will often give every spectator entering the park a little card. When opened, a certain number of these cards are vouchers for the coveted give-away item, and the others will offer something of lesser value (for example, discount on future tickets, or on concession items). The holders of the lucky tickets can then turn them in to receive their items. In the case of items likely to be thrown, such as a ball, the kiosks handing over the prizes can remain closed until the end of the game, and be located near the exits so that the items are not taken back into the stadium. Finally, the case of the balls being thrown en masse on the field was on August 10, 1995, in Los Angeles. The Dodgers had to forfeit the game as a result of being unable to stop the actions of their fans. See here. --Xuxl (talk) 15:36, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- Aha, that would make sense. Of course. This is why I'm not in the marketing field. :) It was in L.A.? I recall they used to throw seat cushions onto the field, but that was usually after the games were over. Now, don't tell me - they threw the balls in the field in the sixth inning, because everybody leaves by the seventh, right? :) Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 05:03, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- The game I was thinking of at Milwaukee was opening day, April 7, 1997. There's a reference to it in this blog, under "author": [15] They did not forfeit, so it didn't much matter, but I think that spelled the end of pre-game baseball giveaways. You'd think they'd have learned after the 1995 incident, but no. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 06:30, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- There's a story I heard which must be either apocryphal, speculative or said in jest that claimed all-too-predictable consequences ensued when Little League-sized bats were distributed to the first X thousand kids to enter a game, perhaps a minor-league one. ¶ And there was a notorious weekend evening playoff game at Fenway Park in 1999 or 2000 where Boston Red Sox fans upset with calls rained an enormous amount of soft-drink bottles and other hard or semi-hard débris onto both officials and the visiting team, prompting delays and swift police action but not a forfeit. The team and the city issued a very quick and full apology the next day, unlike a rowdy hockey game at about the same time in another city where the mayor all-but-condoned his citizens' misbehavior. —— Shakescene (talk) 07:09, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- "I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out." Yep. I still have a little league sized bat from a "bat day" giveaway many years ago. People were a little less rowdy then (maybe). In more recent years, bat giveaways have tended to be about the size of drumsticks. But the common sense rule still is, "Don't give away something they can throw and hurt somebody." Hence Beanie Babies, which probably wouldn't hurt even if fired from a cannon; and things like bobbleheads, which would probably be hard to get a good throwing grip on or wouldn't go very far, unlike a baseball. The practice at Wrigley Field, since adopted elsewhere, of throwing a visiting team home run ball back, is dangerous enough - but at least the fielders know it's coming. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 07:30, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- Some things are hard to avoid. Consider the (in)famous "Hail Mary (famous play)" play from December of 1975, when official Armen Terzian has conked in the head with a (presumably empty) bottle of booze. At least the ballparks don't have a "Thunderbird Day" or something. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 07:34, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- "I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out." Yep. I still have a little league sized bat from a "bat day" giveaway many years ago. People were a little less rowdy then (maybe). In more recent years, bat giveaways have tended to be about the size of drumsticks. But the common sense rule still is, "Don't give away something they can throw and hurt somebody." Hence Beanie Babies, which probably wouldn't hurt even if fired from a cannon; and things like bobbleheads, which would probably be hard to get a good throwing grip on or wouldn't go very far, unlike a baseball. The practice at Wrigley Field, since adopted elsewhere, of throwing a visiting team home run ball back, is dangerous enough - but at least the fielders know it's coming. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 07:30, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- There's a story I heard which must be either apocryphal, speculative or said in jest that claimed all-too-predictable consequences ensued when Little League-sized bats were distributed to the first X thousand kids to enter a game, perhaps a minor-league one. ¶ And there was a notorious weekend evening playoff game at Fenway Park in 1999 or 2000 where Boston Red Sox fans upset with calls rained an enormous amount of soft-drink bottles and other hard or semi-hard débris onto both officials and the visiting team, prompting delays and swift police action but not a forfeit. The team and the city issued a very quick and full apology the next day, unlike a rowdy hockey game at about the same time in another city where the mayor all-but-condoned his citizens' misbehavior. —— Shakescene (talk) 07:09, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- The game I was thinking of at Milwaukee was opening day, April 7, 1997. There's a reference to it in this blog, under "author": [15] They did not forfeit, so it didn't much matter, but I think that spelled the end of pre-game baseball giveaways. You'd think they'd have learned after the 1995 incident, but no. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 06:30, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- Aha, that would make sense. Of course. This is why I'm not in the marketing field. :) It was in L.A.? I recall they used to throw seat cushions onto the field, but that was usually after the games were over. Now, don't tell me - they threw the balls in the field in the sixth inning, because everybody leaves by the seventh, right? :) Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 05:03, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- To get back to one of the issues raised earlier in the thread, in the case of a limited-supply but highly-desirable item being given away, the ball club will often give every spectator entering the park a little card. When opened, a certain number of these cards are vouchers for the coveted give-away item, and the others will offer something of lesser value (for example, discount on future tickets, or on concession items). The holders of the lucky tickets can then turn them in to receive their items. In the case of items likely to be thrown, such as a ball, the kiosks handing over the prizes can remain closed until the end of the game, and be located near the exits so that the items are not taken back into the stadium. Finally, the case of the balls being thrown en masse on the field was on August 10, 1995, in Los Angeles. The Dodgers had to forfeit the game as a result of being unable to stop the actions of their fans. See here. --Xuxl (talk) 15:36, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
Secular Humanism and World Government
If secular humanists don't want to establish world government, then how can you explain this statement in World Community, Twelfth, Humanist Manifesto II: "Thus we look to the development of a system of world law and a world order based upon transnational federal government.".
You should look carefully to see what secular humanists support.
There is also this article called Humanism that you should look at.
Bowei Huang (talk) 05:34, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- I can explain it: Some people who self-identify as secular humanists want, apparently, to abolish nations and have a world government. That doesn't mean that secular humanists in general want to establish world government. I've seen that organization's logo around, but it doesn't mean they somehow represent all secular humanists.
- In a similar vein, some Muslims want a world government running sharia law, and some Christians want to convert everyone in the world to their religion; but it doesn't mean you can tar all these people with the same brush. I'd add — though this is OR and I have no source to cite — that if you polled all the secular humanists on this political question, the answers would probably be more diverse than the results you'd get if you polled the Muslims and the Christians on their respective questions I just cited. Tempshill (talk) 06:57, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- Let me add something, as I just skimmed the creation wiki article that Bowie Huang linked to. The lie that's underlying the allegations in that article is the idea that the secular humanists are part of one big movement, like the Catholic Church, in which a large number of people have an (ostensibly) unified set of beliefs, and they follow marching orders given by their leaders. (Which allows them to exert undue influence over the United Nations, etc.) In my experience, it's the opposite. These people are not organized, despite the desires, apparently, of the American Humanist Association, the group that wrote those manifestos — their 2008 annual report notes their membership hit an all-time high of 10,000 last year. This is not a lot of people. So, if all 10,000 members were to endorse that document you cited, you could say there are at least 10,000 secular humanists who want a world government. But I don't think that world government is even in the top 10 priorities of most people who self-identify as "secular humanist". Tempshill (talk) 07:18, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- We should oppose any attempt at a world government, because the current approach works so very well. Now, is there a real question in there someplace, or did someone mistake this page for Editorials R Us? Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 07:29, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- The OP does this kind of thing on a pretty regular basis. --98.217.14.211 (talk) 15:01, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- Apart from the trillions and trillions of people who have been killed by war and trade blockades that cause famine and other rivalries since the dawn of mankind of course.--92.251.255.17 (talk) 13:26, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- I'm not sure who you're talking to, but you should be aware that the number of humans who have ever lived is considerably less than a trillion. Algebraist 13:56, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
Bowei Huang, your comment that one (who?) “should look carefully to see what secular humanists support” seems to represent a non-neutral point of view. Perhaps you should reexamine your motive for posting potentially offensive statements here. DOR (HK) (talk) 03:23, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
Causes on Facebook
Have any causes on Facebook ever been known to actually accomplish anything besides some fund raising? I'm thinking of things external to FB, i.e. not the "Tell FB that you don't like..." causes. Most of the time, I don't see the point in joining them except for maybe a warm fuzzy in your heart over clicking a few links to say you support left-handed firefighters or whatever else the cause supports. Dismas|(talk) 09:41, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- Bra Wars. --Richardrj talk email 09:45, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- It's hard to say exactly what causes someone to change their mind, but there are a number of campaigns that have organised using Facebook and achieved results. Fighting changes in Canadian copyright law[16]. Bringing the Wispa chocolate bar into production was partly due to a Facebook campaign[17]. Even less importantly on a global scale, but presumably due to an active Facebook-using student body, changing the branding at Vermont College[18]. --Maltelauridsbrigge (talk) 11:16, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- I've read at least one claim that the Wispa/Facebook thing was deliberate viral marketing. I can't remember the source though. AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 11:38, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- Here's a wispa/viral claim, the first of many given by this google search. --Tagishsimon (talk) 12:07, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- I feel I'm being got at. AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 12:41, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- Here's a wispa/viral claim, the first of many given by this google search. --Tagishsimon (talk) 12:07, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- I've read at least one claim that the Wispa/Facebook thing was deliberate viral marketing. I can't remember the source though. AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 11:38, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- It's hard to say exactly what causes someone to change their mind, but there are a number of campaigns that have organised using Facebook and achieved results. Fighting changes in Canadian copyright law[16]. Bringing the Wispa chocolate bar into production was partly due to a Facebook campaign[17]. Even less importantly on a global scale, but presumably due to an active Facebook-using student body, changing the branding at Vermont College[18]. --Maltelauridsbrigge (talk) 11:16, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
In Ontario, the government dropped proposed new restrictions on driving by teenagers after more than 150,000 people joined a Facebook group opposed to the changes. The media played up the Facebook angle, but it's impossible to know how much influence that had on the decision to withdraw the proposal. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 17:08, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
Looking for reference: Two friends lost, dying in national park; one killed the other out of mercy, later rescued, charged with murder
I saw a true story on TV years ago but cannot find a reference to it. The story goes something like this:
- Two college friends took a road trip after graduation. They stayed in a national park(?) overnight but were unprepared for the desert(?) heat. The next day, they were dehydrated and disoriented, and couldn't find their way back to their vehicle. One of them was in agony and seemed to be dying. The other friend thought they were both going to die and killed the first one, to spare his friend of the pain. The second friend was later rescued and charged with murder. It turned out that the two victims were only several hundred feet from their vehicle the whole time.
Do you have a reference to this story? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.114.98.141 (talk) 11:42, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- We do: Raffi Kodikian. --Tagishsimon (talk) 11:52, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- Wow! That was quick. Thanks. --98.114.98.141 (talk) 12:03, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
Please explain in simple English
Radio-frequency identification and Stock-keeping unit? Thank you, 117.0.15.161 (talk) 17:32, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- You mean Radio-frequency identification and Stock-keeping unit perchance? 62.78.198.48 (talk) 17:37, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- I'm sure that's what the question was about, but in the case of Stock-keeping unit, the article is not a particularly easy read. I'll take a shot - A stock-keeping unit, or SKU, is an identifier primarily used for inventory management. As an example, a grocery store may have different SKUs assigned to milk, eggs, bread, and oranges. These could be as simple as 0001, 0002, 0003, and 0004. They could then track how many of item 0001 they have on hand, how many of 0002 were sold each day, and how many 0004 they should order from their supplier at the end of the week. The SKU can be more complex - if the store sells bread from two different bakeries, then perhaps the identifier could be 0003A or 0003B. --LarryMac | Talk 17:44, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- You might like to know about the Simple English Wikipedia [19]. There is an article about RFID there [20]. Unfortunately, there is no stock-keeping unit article there. Summarizing the regular English Wikipedia article on stock-keeping unit, an SKU is a unique identifier which a business uses to keep track of the items they buy, sell, and store. Each item the business thinks of as a "unit" gets its own SKU. For example, a single item may have one SKU, but a pack of ten items may have a different SKU. Likewise, if a product comes in different colors, each color would have its own SKU. Each business has their own way of giving items an SKU; there is no universal SKU system. -- 128.104.112.87 (talk) 17:49, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- A given SKU, say 123456 might refer to one model model, size, and color of a product from one manufacturer. When the store no longer carries that item, the same sku might be reassigned to a different item. The bar code on the product has to be linked in the stores computer to the bar code on the item, so that when scanned at the checkout, the purchased product rings up as the right item. Edison (talk) 20:47, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
free digital photography online magazines
does anyone know of any free digital photography online magazines (to download in pdf) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.128.100.69 (talk) 19:42, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- [21] Enjoy! This site looks good, actually, must try it myself. Fribbler (talk) 19:51, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
Hydrangea
Hi,
I'm thinking of purchasing some Hydrangea Macrophylia shrubs in all the appropriate colours for my front garden.
I need these shrubs/flowers to be about 4 to 5 foot high when purchased - is that possible?
If not can you point me in the right direction to purchase different coloured plants/flowers/shrubs that colour at 4 to 5 foot on purchase?
Regards
Nick —Preceding unsigned comment added by Nkoufou (talk • contribs) 19:52, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
Gas prices
Is gas price in California jumping again?! In orange county I saw a 3.02 in June 2009, then they went down twenty cents to 2.81, then I saw a 5 cent-jump on few stations. is gas price going to go back to 3.50 anytime soon, or not till few years. Will we have 4 or 5/gallon again? Let's hope not!--69.228.145.50 (talk) 21:14, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- Ah, if only we could predict the prices of commodities! We'd all be much richer. --98.217.14.211 (talk) 21:32, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- At least we don't yet have hyperinflation, where the price of a loaf of bread may double while you wait in the checkout line to buy it. I have seen prices on a gas station change a nickle or so at a time 2-3 times in a day, so such fluctuations are not unusual. --Jayron32 23:13, 29 July 2009 (UTC)
- I don't think it's the commodity that's changing price that rapidly, I think it's the cost at the pump. Who then was a gentleman? (talk) 06:09, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
You should see what it's like in Britain. I used to think fuel prices in America were a lot cheaper, but they go up and down all the time too. Chevymontecarlo (talk) 10:40, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
Between July 21 and July 28, the price of regular gas in Los Angeles rose 3.2%, and No. 2 low-sulfur diesel by 3.1%. See [23]. DOR (HK) (talk) 03:32, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
July 30
Spread betting on 2008 US election
After Las Vegas's bookmakers declared Barack Obama elected and paid out the bets on him, did spread betting still take place? If so, what was the spread on election day? NeonMerlin 00:56, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- Probably there were: people will bet on anything. But the increasing odds in favor of Obama had become a running joke well before the election. At least one Irish bookmaker paid off its bets on Obama two or three weeks before the election, possibly in the hope that the bettors would reinvest in the upcoming World Series. PhGustaf (talk) 02:46, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
An adequate forum on Wikipeida?
I have a few issues I would like to discuss concerning the validity of certain articles and policies on Wikipedia. Does anyone have any suggestions for any internal forums or notice-boards that I could post my queries to? Any help would be certainly appreciated. Torkmann (talk) 02:23, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- Your question is pretty vague. The best places to start, though, would be on the talk pages for the articles and policies you question. Be polite, and bring good sources. Try to find resolution there before entangling yourself in the alphabet soup of mechanisms for filing formal complaints. PhGustaf (talk) 02:40, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- General discussion about policies takes place at Village pump (policies). Gwinva (talk) 02:45, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- A quick glance at your history shows you started a bunch of unanimously opposed AfDs. I don't mean to be rude, but perhaps proposing things for deletion just isn't your thing? Why not do something else? APL (talk) 04:01, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- Yes, seriously. Take it from experience, worrying about whether things should be deleted will only make you irritated and an unpleasant person to deal with. Try creating new content and improving existing articles and you'll have a much better Wikipedia experience on the whole (though you'll probably get irritated anyway—such in the nature of anonymous collaboration). --98.217.14.211 (talk) 14:08, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
prices of medicine
how can a medicine cost US$124 in the US or Canada but only $8 in Australia. I buy 3 medications and they cost me $8, 8 and $11 a packet. In North America thes3 are over $200! In Australia it is impossible to pay more than $1264 a year for medicine (or$318 for senior citizens). After that it is all paid for by the government. Is there a safety net like that in North America or do you pay forever such obscene prices? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Payneham (talk • contribs) 04:11, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- There are some government programs for certain categories of the very poor. (See Medicaid) Also most Americans have health insurance. However, a lot of insurance does not cover prescriptions, or covers them with a very large deductible. So ... yes, Americans sometimes wind up paying huge amounts for prescriptions, and yes, there is a safety net, but you have to be really poor to take advantage.
- To learn about the whole inefficient mess, check out Health insurance in the United States APL (talk) 04:19, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- I believe there's a certain plan in Cuba to provide some medicine very cheap/free, and not provide the rest, or expensively. I think there was a story of someone trying to leave with a suitcase of the stuff back to the US. Just to provide a tangental point asbout pricing policy. - Jarry1250 [ In the UK? Sign the petition! ] 07:46, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- In Australia there is a thing called the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, which is a Federal Government scheme that heavily subsidises the price of medicines. As new ones come out, they are assessed and placed on the scheme. About the highest price under the scheme, for income earners, is $35; pensioners and other welfare recipients pay $5.(The unsubsidised price of the drug is written on the label, as a tiny boast of how good the scheme is). Some medications are not on the scheme, but if they were to cost $300 nobody would buy them. In a country where people are used to paying hundreds, they can charge more. - KoolerStill (talk) 09:11, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- It's easy to say you wouldn't pay it. But if you need it to live then you'll pay it. A lot of USA people with good insurance think as you do, but when they lose that insurance, or the coverage suddenly changes, they absolutely pay for their meds if they can possibly afford it without starving. APL (talk) 13:06, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- In Australia there is a thing called the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, which is a Federal Government scheme that heavily subsidises the price of medicines. As new ones come out, they are assessed and placed on the scheme. About the highest price under the scheme, for income earners, is $35; pensioners and other welfare recipients pay $5.(The unsubsidised price of the drug is written on the label, as a tiny boast of how good the scheme is). Some medications are not on the scheme, but if they were to cost $300 nobody would buy them. In a country where people are used to paying hundreds, they can charge more. - KoolerStill (talk) 09:11, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
The question was not whether the government will pay the medicine cost for you or not. The question was actually about its price. If Australia is paying for the patient, that would make it more expensive in Australia than in the US or Canada. Probably, what makes the price higher in the US is simply that these medicines are protected by a patent.--Quest09 (talk) 10:34, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- Why do you assume the government will use its "massive bargaining" power more efficiently than the consumers? Mostly they won't care for what they are paying.--Quest09 (talk) 18:06, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- Well, bureaucracy and all that, but we do have responsible government here in Australia. It's not entirely barbaric. --PalaceGuard008 (Talk) 23:27, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- Why do you assume the government will use its "massive bargaining" power more efficiently than the consumers? Mostly they won't care for what they are paying.--Quest09 (talk) 18:06, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
The question was why the asker has to pay $124 in USA and $8 in Australia. The Government subsidy is the answer on all prescription medicines. Over the counter medications (cold remedies, painkillers etc) would not sell if they looked too overpriced compared with what people are used to paying. Newly released specialised drugs (eg new cancer treatments) may cost $20,000 for a year's supply, until they are shown to be good enough to go onto the PBS. Australian drugs are just as protected by patents as US ones, and are often imported or made under licence from the US patent owner. Of course, there are many generics as well, and pharmacies often offer the generic substitute, if there is one. The saving to the buyer may be only $5, to the Government maybe $20 to $50. The Government has huge bargaining power, as a drug that is on the PBS will sell thousands or millions more units than one that costs the user $3000 for a month's supply (or 3 times the disability pension). This power IS used, as the scheme costs around $7 billion a year (for 20 million people). Consumers have close to zero bargaining power in a situation where they have dire need of an item, which is available from only scarce sources. - KoolerStill (talk) 19:17, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- I guess some in the US would say subsidised drugs are an unfair tax on the healthy :-P Astronaut (talk) 00:39, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- Road taxes are unfair on those who walk or stay at home? state run schools are an unfair tax on the uneducated and those past school age? taxes to build dams are an imposition on those who prefer whiskey? - KoolerStill (talk) 17:17, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- I don't know what things are like in Australia but the NZ government's Pharmac definitely uses it's bargaining power. This is sometimes controversial because of questions about whether the cheapest drugs are necessarily the best [24] but it's clear Pharmac does use their power. As has been mentioned patents aren't the issue here. These generics are produced after the patent has expired, not via compulsory licensing (reading that article I was reminded how the US government partially used threats of doing the same thing to force the price of Ciprofloxacin down despite their usual strong opposition to such things [25]) or ignoring the patents as is done in some developing countries. In the case of Australia I believe, there's great controversy about the changes to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme as a result of the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement and there's also fear here in NZ that we may be forced into similar changes as a result of a planned NZ-US FTA. These changes are widely accepted I believe to be the result of US pharmaceutical company lobbying. This and the great opposition of the large pharmaceutical companies to NZ's Pharmac and similar things like Australia PBS is IMHO ample evidence that they are using their bargaining power quite effectively, whether the outcome is the best may be a different issue, but it's not the issue that was raised. Nil Einne (talk) 08:27, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
shirt sizes in Canada
I was looking at a shirt from a Canadian website and it was labelled size "G". what is that? S. M. L. or Xl.? are there other strange letters used in Canada? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Payneham (talk • contribs) 04:16, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- Most likely "G" is for "Grande", or "Large". There would most likely be a "P", for "Small", too. But it's more important to note that Canadian shirts are all wool or polyester fleece: it's too cold up there for cotton or rayon or silk. PhGustaf (talk) 04:24, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- Eh? Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 04:53, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- Say what? We don't "cotton" to people who imply we (all) live in igloos and dine on pemmican. (Why, I haven't seen a polar bear in weeks.) Clarityfiend (talk) 04:56, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
Just in case the OP is confused, G for Grande and P for Petit are French. Acceptable (talk) 11:05, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
Bands influenced by D&D
What mainstream bands, if any, are known to have been influenced by Dungeons & Dragons? NeonMerlin 05:07, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- Not a musician, but Vin Diesel has publicly admitted to being a big D&D player as a youth. I'm not positive, but I think I remember hearing that Andrew W.K. may have also been a D&D player as well; not sure how it influenced his music. Weezer's song "In the Garage" from the Blue Album contains blatant references to D&D sessions played in the garage. That track is probably the best chance you got of a blatant D&D reference in a major band's song. --Jayron32 05:14, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- Marillion were named after Tolkien's book of jottings The Silmarillion, and there's a clear link between Tolkien's "sword & sorcery" and the origins of D&D, even though the makers of the game deny they were influenced by Tolkien. Progressive rock in general often gets accused of being in hock to dubious Tolkienesque mythologising, although in my experience it's hard to find an actual progressive rock group to whom you can make the Tolkien accusation stick. --Richardrj talk email 06:07, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- Roger McKenzie aka DJ Wildchild? Renegade Master was remixed by Fatboy Slim and contains the line (unless it's a mondegreen), "d4 damage, power to the people". AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 06:35, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- I would think Nerdcore and Nintendocore bands might be influenced by D&D but I can't think of any specific references. Of course, if you extend it to Tolkien, then Led Zeppelin is an obvious choice. Adam Bishop (talk) 08:05, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- The Nerdcore article references a NY Times article called Dungeons, Dragons and Dope Beats; however the article barely mentions D&D. mc chris's fourth release was called Dungeon Master of Ceremonies. --LarryMac | Talk 12:34, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- Some lyrics sites have that as "default damager". My own mondegreen was "d-floor damager", a contraction of "dance-floor" and therefore a cool and hip way for the guy to express that he dances about a lot. Rolling a D4 for damage doesn't sound very impressive. 81.131.64.44 (talk) 09:44, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- I would think Nerdcore and Nintendocore bands might be influenced by D&D but I can't think of any specific references. Of course, if you extend it to Tolkien, then Led Zeppelin is an obvious choice. Adam Bishop (talk) 08:05, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- Roger McKenzie aka DJ Wildchild? Renegade Master was remixed by Fatboy Slim and contains the line (unless it's a mondegreen), "d4 damage, power to the people". AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 06:35, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- Marillion were named after Tolkien's book of jottings The Silmarillion, and there's a clear link between Tolkien's "sword & sorcery" and the origins of D&D, even though the makers of the game deny they were influenced by Tolkien. Progressive rock in general often gets accused of being in hock to dubious Tolkienesque mythologising, although in my experience it's hard to find an actual progressive rock group to whom you can make the Tolkien accusation stick. --Richardrj talk email 06:07, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
There's a little list at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeons_%26_Dragons_in_popular_culture#Music which mentions that one Owen Pallett and an MC Chris released D&D themed albums, while Mindflayer appears to be an entirely D&D focused band. 81.131.64.44 (talk) 10:02, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- Rhapsody are not necessarily directly influenced by D&D, but certainly by high fantasy. Steewi (talk) 02:14, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
Michael Menes's Music
Does anyone recognize the music in the following video clip of juggler Michael Menes: [26]? Thanks. --Think Fast (talk) 06:10, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- Try the Entertainment Desk.71.236.26.74 (talk) 12:25, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
The UN and us
Do Europeans love the UN more than US citizens love it?--Quest09 (talk) 10:37, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- I am bored, so what? Besides that, not all my contributions to the Ref.Desk are questions. Thanks for your answer anyway, even if it was only one word. Quest09 (talk) 10:53, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- I don't know about the general population, but I can at least say that conspiracy theories about the UN appear to be an American thing, as does appointing an (interim) ambassador who's openly hostile to its existence. AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 11:12, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- I am bored, so what? Besides that, not all my contributions to the Ref.Desk are questions. Thanks for your answer anyway, even if it was only one word. Quest09 (talk) 10:53, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- Ask India how well they like the UN. Specifically, why do small countries like France carry so much weight? It's no wonder Europeans like the UN. :) Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 12:46, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- It's because France were one of a small group of nations heavily involved in the creation of United Nations and are one of the permanent members that were granted veto-power 194.221.133.226 (talk) 15:31, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- Don't think France thinks of herself as a small country. Is there some bias creeping in? Remember France was a world power whilst many modern countries did not exist!90.0.2.7 (talk) 15:33, 30 July 2009 (UTC)DT
- Worth noting is that the five permanent members of the Security Council were the major victorious powers in World War II — not exactly an unimportant historical factor, as the Council was established in 1946. Currently, France remains the world's third-largest nuclear power (in terms of number of warheads, their stockpile and active nuclear forces are slightly larger than China's); the five permanent Security Council members are also the only signatories of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty who have nuclear weapons. (India, Pakistan, Israel, and North Korea have not signed the NNPT.) TenOfAllTrades(talk) 15:55, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- [27] here's a survey. Surprisingly the U.N. is MORE popular in the Americas than in western Europe. Colour me surprised. Fribbler (talk) 14:42, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- That may partially depend on the fact that the United States is on the U.N. security council.--WaltCip (talk) 15:48, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- The survey is from 1999. That seems a bit outdated considering the various foreign political events that has occurred since then. --Saddhiyama (talk) 18:10, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- That may partially depend on the fact that the United States is on the U.N. security council.--WaltCip (talk) 15:48, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- [27] here's a survey. Surprisingly the U.N. is MORE popular in the Americas than in western Europe. Colour me surprised. Fribbler (talk) 14:42, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- Only in the USA have I seen grafitti urging the US to leave the UN. Astronaut (talk) 00:30, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
Gross generalizations such as assuming that Europeans or Americans can be more or less categorized as vaguely "loving" a multilateral bureaucracy are difficult to answer, and may well simply spark unhelpful debate. DOR (HK) (talk) 03:38, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
The fact that the UN building is in the USA is probably a plus, from the American standpoint. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 08:10, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
Workload on distance learning degree course
Doing a home study degree course in the UK, with 120 course credits taken every year for 3 years and a notional 36 week year, about how much study time each week would be recommended? There are no lectures or essays, it's all assessed by end of year exams. 86.151.94.245 (talk) 14:32, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
It really depends on the student. I study through the Open University and they say about 16 hours a week. To get 120 points you'd need to do 2 60pt courses a year (not impossible but means no breaks). I would expect that in the above scenario you'd want a good 5-10 hours+ a week even if you think you are quick learner etc. 194.221.133.226 (talk) 14:49, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
You really need to ask your Course Tutor. He or she probably won't know exactly but should be able to give a guide. Is there a forum on-line ? if so ask other students. In any case, as has been said, a lot depends on style of learning and objective. I learn best in an all-out, drop everything, for 6 weeks before an exam. (Then forget it all in a couple of hours after.) But I don't look for a First. Finally, much depends on the subject (practical or theory), your motivation, and your learning style (check that out it will be helpful to discover your preferred way to study http://www.vark-learn.com/english/page.asp?p=questionnaire). Finally, finally, I am very glad to now be setting and not taking exams!! Urgh!!90.0.2.7 (talk) 15:31, 30 July 2009 (UTC)DT
- I don't have a tutor, cause I haven't enrolled yet. The course is with the University of London External System, does anyone already study there? Thanks for the test link btw. 86.151.94.245 (talk) 23:16, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
hereditary deaths
my great grandfather was killed by a clown (off duty, the clown was drinking in a bar and stabbed my geat grandfather to death, this was not quite the wild west but rough and wild times), and my grandfather was a clown (in a circus). Two months ago my father killed a clown (this was a genuine accident, the clown ran into the side of him in his car (it was not a clown car) and crashed through the windscreen), does this mean I will either be killed by a clown become a clown or kill a clown? Score Deal Gun (talk) 17:13, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- Not really - but it does show just how dangerous it is to be a clown.83.100.250.79 (talk) 17:17, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- Wikipedia cannot give medical advice to the OP's problem of Coulrophobia. The ideal murder is the murder that no one believes. An example is to dress up as a clown and beat your victim to death with a rubber chicken. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 21:38, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- Spoiler (especially for coulrophobes): Forget, before I even recall his name to your attention, this sinister amateur clown [1] —— Shakescene (talk) 21:56, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- You beat me to it. I'm not sure he used a rubber chicken, though. I think it was more like piano wire. So, do you recall this one: Why was his house so cold? Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 00:10, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- I changed this to a footnote because otherwise it created this annoying references section at the end of the page, and I think that's only supposed to be for articles. Don't worry, I've messed those two up, too. (I presume this was allowed and didn't requite a moderator's help; if it did, I'm sorry.)Somebody or his brother (talk) 22:28, 30 July 2009 (UTC
- Your solution didn't work. —— Shakescene (talk) 22:44, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
spoiler footnote
- ^ Spoiler (don't look if you fear clowns): John Wayne Gacy.
sloe gin liqueur
What causes some sloe gins to have a creamy head and other sloe gins not to have a creamy head? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.13.173.209 (talk) 18:14, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
GCSE core and extended exams
British GCSE qualifications in many subjects have "core" and "extended" tracks, with easier questions in the core exam but the highest possible mark being a C (which is the de facto pass grade nowadays). Taking the extended exam means you can score up to an A* star. But does anyone know if extended candidates have to sit the core exams as well? Can't find that explained anywhere, but I'd rather not phone my brother's school and plead total ignorance! 86.151.94.245 (talk) 18:17, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
No, they don't have to. The 'extended' exam includes material/questions as tough as the 'core' and 'tougher'. ny156uk (talk) 20:25, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- Note that just as core exams only go up to C, extended exams don't go all the way to the lowest grades e.g. AQA Higher Tier Maths only goes to D. If a candidate does less well, my understanding is that they can fail despite being at a pass (e.g. E grade) level. AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 20:59, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
Average GRE and university
Is there a ranking which considers the GRE of its undergraduate as a quality measure of the university?--Quest09 (talk) 18:21, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- It probably doesn't mean much, the GRE's aren't anything close to universal even for students applying to grad schools; I took them but made a last minute career change and it turned out that the masters program I was applying to didn't even ask for them. Also, med students and law students take unrelated exams as well (MCATS and LSATS, IIRC). Unlike the SAT/ACT which are nearly universal for college acceptance, the GRE isn't nearly as important for grad school acceptance, despite the marketing push by the College Board to make it so... --Jayron32 03:07, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- I agree. The GRE is not that important for anything anymore, and getting less so. Torkmann (talk) 03:30, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
Optical vs. electronic viewfinders
Digital cameras these days have both optical and electronic viewfinders. With an optical viewfinder, you see the subject as it is - not as it will be photographed. The only things that an optical viewfinder will tell you about the finished photograph are the cropping and the focus plane. You will only get to see things like the aperture value and the shutter length (which affect the lighting, the sharpness, and the focal depth of the picture), the exposure compensation, and the white balance setting, after you take the photograph. With an electronic viewfinder, you see at least the exposure compensation and the white balance setting straight away. Still, people tend to prefer optical viewfinders. Is the only reason for this that they're instantaneous, and require zero power, or is there something I'm missing here? JIP | Talk 20:56, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- Camera optical viewfinders often show various indicators for exposure, flash, and low battery, but rangefinding viewfinders are fairly rare. Unless the camera is fully automatic you can set and see the aperture and shutter settings before you take a photograph. The user of a reflex camera user with interchangeable lenses has reason to prefer the optical viewfinder. An electronic LCD viewscreen is handy for positioning the camera anywhere away from the face or when using spectacles; it can also show correctly the effect of an electronic (in addition to optical) zoom, and have other uses such as showing menus, instructions, and previously taken photographs in memory. Unlike the optical viewfinder on non-reflex cameras it has no parallax framing error on close-up pictures. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 21:22, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- For the first comment, there's no reason why electronic viewfinders couldn't show them too. For the second comment, of course you can set the aperture and shutter settings beforehand - it's their whole point - but I can't imagine how you'd actually see their effects until after you've taken the photograph. The third comment is actually in favour of electronic viewfinders, and the fourth comment applies equally well to optical and electronic viewfinders. So I have yet to see any advantage to optical viewfinders, other than being instantaneous and requiring zero power. JIP | Talk 21:32, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- With a digital camera with a digital view finder you can see the effects of the aperture etc if the camera refreshes the screen by constant taking photographs - in other words the camera would be constantly taking a photo, but only when you press the button does it save it.83.100.250.79 (talk) 07:09, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- I like an optical viewfinder for really bright or dim environments. When it's bright outside the LCD often gets washed out and is pretty hard to see, but the optical works fine. When I'm in a dim environment and don't/can't use a flash, then the optical lets me pull the camera in close and steady it with my arms and head. If I was using the LCD, I'd have to hold the camera out at a bit of a distance and would have more camera shake. Tobyc75 (talk) 23:22, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- For the first comment, there's no reason why electronic viewfinders couldn't show them too. For the second comment, of course you can set the aperture and shutter settings beforehand - it's their whole point - but I can't imagine how you'd actually see their effects until after you've taken the photograph. The third comment is actually in favour of electronic viewfinders, and the fourth comment applies equally well to optical and electronic viewfinders. So I have yet to see any advantage to optical viewfinders, other than being instantaneous and requiring zero power. JIP | Talk 21:32, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- My 1952 Rollieflex camera has nothing electrical on it but the flash synch. But it's easy to frame a shot with the camera held directly overhead. Bugger to get film for it these days, though. PhGustaf (talk) 23:30, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- I used to use 35mm film SLR setups - I decided not to embrace the digital revolution due to the cost of all the new kit required. One could readily see all the aperture effects by pressing a preview button, which caused the lens iris to contract to the position set manually or by an exposure-priority semi-auto function. These were bottom of the range Zenit-E or Minolta bodies with corresponding or different makes of M42 screw lens fittings, so I'm sure that more expensive equipment could/can do all this and more. I deliberately started with all-manual systems including an in-camera or separate exposure meter, in order to learn how all the basic parameters interrelated, rather than rely on automatic systems that would do all the thinking for me but fail to cope with non-standard conditions, and lessen my understanding of the processes involved.
- I personally greatly enjoyed the challenge of working out beforehand all the correct settings as well as the framing and so on to achieve what I wanted in each shot, and the satisfaction of wasting as few frames as possible (film and development being not trivial in cost) through applied skill. I have watched digital SLRs in use and the philosophy of "bang one out, check it on the viewfinder, if substandard wipe it and try again and again" seems less craftsmanlike. Of course I was mostly a hobby photographer (though I did a little paid work) and I can understand why professionals and specialists might find digital systems (now that they can approach the resolution of film) more cost effective, and digital images more immediately amenable to computer manipulation and transmission (though film images can be readily scanned). 87.81.230.195 (talk) 00:11, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- My reason is that the image quality is no good to look at (especially if you have to focus) - typically they are ~250,000pixels , about 1million pixels would be a minimum for me.83.100.250.79 (talk) 07:05, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
There's a few things here. 1) Optical-viewfinders vs (eye-piece) lcd-viewfinders and 2) vs the-back-lcd-screen-as-the-viewfinder.
- 1 - Optical viewfinders work better in almost all conditions compared to current lcd viewfinders. Lcd viewfinders become slower/more-jerky in bad light. Optical viewfinders are normally brighter and produce a (potentially) sharper image. They also save energy. Doubtlessly at some point in the future lcd viewfinders will replace them but for now i've never used one that's anything like as good as optical in anything but perfect lighting
- 2 - Using an eye-piece vs using the screen on the back. This is a personal preference thing more than anything. I find I 'focus' (my attention) on the image more by excluding everything but that which I see throuh the viewfinder. Also there's good reason to believe for normal shots that using the eye-piece makes it more likely that you will hold the camera more steadily (less camera-shake/blurring). As noted above it also saves power as LCDs take up a fair bit of the camera's power. 194.221.133.226 (talk) 08:23, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
I am British - speak passable Spanish - going to Cuba - would welcome current and currency tips. Ta.
As per subject heading, I am in need of advice. Our 7+7 tour and stay (including 3 days + in Havana) are all-inclusive but there will be times when we may "break-out" and do our own thing,so we may need to use Cuban Pesos CuP and at other times we shall need to use convertible pesos (CuC). But given that we can't use AMEX Travellers Cheques or USD, and also given that Mastercard may not be acceptable, do I really need to take bundles of £Sterling with me? Or what else might apply? All current answers (and links) on currency and culture will be much appreciated. Thanks in anticipation. 92.9.61.186 (talk) 23:33, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- I assume you have had a look at the right section of guide books such as http://www.lonelyplanet.com/cuba/practical-information/money-costs If it was me, I would hedge my bets and take Visa and MasterCard credit cards, my ATM cards, and a bundle of tenners. Personally, I would also avoid "all inclusive" packages - if you have pre-paid for tour food and drinks, you are less likely to spend money in local restaurants and bars or even step outside of the resort. Astronaut (talk) 00:20, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- As a tourist, you won't have access to Cuban pesos, just the convertible pesos. Sterling, Canadian dollars and Euros are freely accepted, though prices are higher than you might be expecting. (I have been to Cuba 4 times in the past 25 years, most recently this past February.) Vendors in the markets don't generally take credit cards, so cards are only really useful if (a) not affiliated with a U.S. bank and (b) you are buying tours or renting cars and the like. VISA seems the best recognized card. There isn't a much of interest available to buy. It is a society that likes cash. (You will need about 2 CuCs per day for your chamber maid, unless you like finding water all over your floor or no clean towels.) Most hotels have in-room safes and I have never had any trouble with them, though everyone knows someone who knows someone whose hotel safe was robbed. You can also "lodge" funds with the hotel and draw against the amount. (There may have been a small fee for this; I can't remember.) If you want more information about my personal experience, come to my talk page. // BL \\ (talk) 01:02, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- If the chamber maid left water all over my floor or no clean towels in my room, I would call housekeeping and get someone round to fix it, and I would be even less likely to leave a tip. Ultimately, the maid could get fired. Astronaut (talk) 01:17, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- In Cuba, my experience is that everything is promised, and then not much happens. Your experience there may be different. // BL \\ (talk) 01:24, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- Cuba sounds like Tijuana, minus the charm. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 02:10, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- With better healthcare. --PalaceGuard008 (Talk) 06:51, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- One thing to note -- You may understand Castillian Spanish, but that doesn't mean you'll understand Cuban Spanish, or, as some would call it, rapid-fire mumbling. Try watching Buena Vista Social Club without looking at the subtitles. Get to know the phrase un poco más lento, por favor -- you'll need it. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 17:34, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- With better healthcare. --PalaceGuard008 (Talk) 06:51, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- Cuba sounds like Tijuana, minus the charm. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 02:10, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- In Cuba, my experience is that everything is promised, and then not much happens. Your experience there may be different. // BL \\ (talk) 01:24, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- If the chamber maid left water all over my floor or no clean towels in my room, I would call housekeeping and get someone round to fix it, and I would be even less likely to leave a tip. Ultimately, the maid could get fired. Astronaut (talk) 01:17, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- As a tourist, you won't have access to Cuban pesos, just the convertible pesos. Sterling, Canadian dollars and Euros are freely accepted, though prices are higher than you might be expecting. (I have been to Cuba 4 times in the past 25 years, most recently this past February.) Vendors in the markets don't generally take credit cards, so cards are only really useful if (a) not affiliated with a U.S. bank and (b) you are buying tours or renting cars and the like. VISA seems the best recognized card. There isn't a much of interest available to buy. It is a society that likes cash. (You will need about 2 CuCs per day for your chamber maid, unless you like finding water all over your floor or no clean towels.) Most hotels have in-room safes and I have never had any trouble with them, though everyone knows someone who knows someone whose hotel safe was robbed. You can also "lodge" funds with the hotel and draw against the amount. (There may have been a small fee for this; I can't remember.) If you want more information about my personal experience, come to my talk page. // BL \\ (talk) 01:02, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
Earthquakes in Portland, Oregon
How much more (or less) likely is it for a major earthquake to hit Portland, Oregon, vs San Francisco or Los Angeles? --69.113.82.135 (talk) 23:47, 30 July 2009 (UTC)
- I don't find any stats on the matter offhand, but this article [28] while largely a self-advertisement, does give some interesting facts about earthquakes in the northwest. Keep in mind the Cascades volcanoes, which are children of the plates that cause the quakes, start well north of San Francisco and stretch clear into BC, so certainly the potential for strong earthquakes is significant, even if there hasn't been a "major" quake to hit what is now Portland in 300 years. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 02:15, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- You can check seismic hazard in the states from maps provided by the USGS [29]. Note that the maps look at the likelihood of exceeding a certain level of ground acceleration within a 50 year period. Mikenorton (talk) 08:53, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
July 31
Please don't take offense
What do modern Germans think about the holocaust? Clearly a lot of relatives fought in WWII and lived and worked in the camps. Is this a really inappropriate question to ask a generation of people who were not involved and who would never even think about persecuting anyone at all. i am asking only out of curiosity, not with any personal predjudices. It's been a very long time now and perhaps we can speak openly and honesly about the past --russ (talk) 00:28, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
I would like to discourage any anti-German comments at all - that is not the point of my question. I am solely concerned with answering my query. Please don't rant --russ (talk) 00:30, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- Germans that I've worked with have told me that the Holocaust makes up a significant portion of their schools' history classes that discuss World War II. There is a tendency to demonize Hitler (which is not much of a stretch). Germany has become a peace-loving nation. That's my two Deutschmarks worth, anyway. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 00:33, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- Almost every country has a few skeletons in the closet - but it always seems particularly harsh to me when you are talking to people who were not even born when the event happened. They had nothing to do with it - they could do nothing to prevent it...it's just an historical accident as far as they are concerned. Even for people who lived through the holocaust - it happened 60 years ago, most of those people were little kids or at most young, impressionable teenagers at the time. You can't hold it against them either. That leaves you with blaming people who are 80 or more years old...which is a really pointless exercise. It's definitely time to let this one drop. SteveBaker (talk) 01:09, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- Asking what they think about it is not holding it against them - any more than asking a current American what he thinks about the Indian wars, or slavery. It's a matter of intellectual curiosity in each case - how do they teach about it, and talk about it? Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 01:27, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- What do Americans think about the "genocide" against the indigenous people in their own country? There's a variety of opinions, and even a variety of knowledge and consensus regarding what actually took place. It's probably the same in Germany. Clearly, there are neo-nazis and other Holocaust deniers who think it never happened (or try to minimize its significance). I've heard that for at least one generation, the children in Germany were not taught much about the history of the period, though that has suposedly changed in more recent decades. One story I've read in the news is of a German jew coming back relatively recently (80's or 90's) with her daughter, to show her daughter the house where she used to live. She went up to the house and knocked on the door, a woman answered and the jewish lady explained why she had come. The woman who answered the door spat out an explitive about jews and said she was sorry Hitler never finished the job. Also, I've read that extreme right wing organizations (though still a minority) have done relatively well in Germany recently, so I'd expect their attitudes towards the Holocaust aren't very sympathetic. Still, overall my impression is that Germany is much more conizant of its past, much less revisionist, and much more eager to make amends and prevent the same from happening again than, say, Japan (or the US). -- noosphere 01:34, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
Deeper into the OP's question, is the matter of raising the subject at all. If you think someone might be offended, but aren't sure, don't raise the subject unless it is necessary. DOR (HK) (talk) 03:44, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- While in Germany last year, I asked my brother this same question. (He lives there and has for years) His response was basically that the Germans don't really have any shame when talking about it. They acknowledge that it happened and will discuss it. They have no shame because the people below a certain age had nothing to do with the war, Hitler, the camps, or anything else. And directly quoting my brother (from what I can recall), if a German were asked how he could talk about the war, he would likely respond with "Why shouldn't we talk about it?" Overall, it's a rather intelligent and mature way to look at the whole situation. Dismas|(talk) 06:43, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- Why not? We wouldn't get anywhere if we didn't ask ourselves inconvenient questions once in a while. --PalaceGuard008 (Talk) 06:46, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- I live in Scotland and when visiting Ibiza a few years ago with my wife, we drifted into a German Bier Keller where we were the only non Germans and we were made extremely welcome by everyone in the bar. The owner politely mentioned to us that we might prefer to visit the "English" bar further along the road but we declined, saying that we preferred the civilised atmosphere in his bar to the rowdy lager loutish behaviour that we had witnessed earlier in the "English" bar, and as long as we weren't imposing on his German hospitality we would prefer to stay, which delighted everyone there. Thereafter, try as we might, no-one would allow us to buy any drinks and they were provided to us conveyor fashion all evening. We made friends with a young couple who spoke to us in perfect English and they have visited us in Scotland several times since. But in response to the OP's question above, it is always THEY who initiate conversations about OUR attitude to the Germans in respect of WWII and the horrendous treatment of Jews, Gypsies, Disabled people, and Homosexuals et al. It seems they are not ashamed on their own behalf but they do judge their parents' and grandparents' generational role in those atrocities as being as unforgiveable as we do in my country.92.21.59.68 (talk) 14:49, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- Looking at the flip side, here's something to think about: My German friends expressed surprise that prostitution is illegal in America. The implication was that with all the sexual imagery America produces, you would think America would be more like France or something. I explained that to understand the American attitude toward sexuality, "think Puritanism", and that will explain everything. Hence you have nude beaches in Europe and nobody makes a big thing of it, but if some American celebrity forgets to wear undies in public it's like an international incident. They understood fully when I explained it that way. Never be hesitant to ask a question of someone from another country, just be sure to ask it in a polite or impersonal way. Most people from other countries like to talk about stuff about their countries, good and bad - provided you don't cop an attitude about it, since we're not perfect either. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 04:44, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- Don't believe that you can ask Germans any question about the war. There are still some tabu topics relating to the rape of woman and prostitution following the war. Don't suppose that you can talk about how these events changed the gene pool in Germany.--Quest09 (talk) 19:11, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
I beg to differ,I have often asked German friends about such things and got into interesting discussions too... .hotclaws 01:10, 2 August 2009 (UTC)
New York City Maps
Im planning a trip to new york city and i need maps (paper) of new york city transit and the streets of new york (5 boroughs) Where can i get these maps online or by phone for free or at a low cost? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.98.64.15 (talk) 01:43, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- Amazon.com has a selection to choose from. The "New Yorker's New York City Five Borough Map" ($4.95) (and perhaps "Streetwise Manhattan Bus Subway Map - Laminated Subway Map of New York City" ($1.95) too) seem OK to me. Astronaut (talk) 01:53, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
those prices dont seem to bad, ill probably go ahead and buy them, but are there any official maps printed by the city of new york or the MTA? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.98.64.15 (talk) 01:58, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- I don't know if the city itself publishes a map. If you are staying in a hotel, try the hotel concierge for a free street map. The MTA presumably publishes a free map just like every other city transport system I've ever seen - they're usually available from stations and ticket agents, but obviously you have to be within the reach of the MTA system. Astronaut (talk) 02:09, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- There are comprehensive on-line maps of the MTA which you might be able to print out. I think one detailed version is broken down by boroughs. See Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York)#External links. —— Shakescene (talk) 04:48, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- You can get nice foldout maps of the whole New York Subway system (with geography slightly distorted, but good enough for trip planning) for free at subway stations (all are manned for most of the day). They also have more detailed maps of all boroughs with all streets (but not all street names) and all bus routes, also available at subway stations (though they are usually out of some of the variants). All of these are available at http://www.mta.info though the detail level is so high that it might be hard to print them in a satisfactory way. If you live in the US it might be an option to get them mailed to you (if you mail them the stamps and an envelope) - I seem to recall having read this on the map. Jørgen (talk) 19:51, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
Newbie question: "!vote"
I notice that without exception, the editors on here type !vote instead of vote. What does this mean and how did this come about? Thanks. Torkmann (talk) 03:21, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- They're being funny. The exclamation point is used in some computer languages to mean "not", and they're trying to say that while some discussion look like voting, they are (theoretically) not a real vote. That is, decisions are made on more than just "(not-)votes", they include the arguments made by the "(not-)voters". Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 03:30, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- It's also used in a doubly-ironic manner. Since discussions at Wikipedia are not supposed to be voting, but lets face it, they really are votes (even if they have some unique rules, they are votes), when someone types !vote, they may be saying "Look, I understand this is not supposed to be a vote, even though I am really voting here, so I am going to signify my non-vote (which I know is really a vote) by calling it a "non-vote". Its basically a silly injoke. We have lots of those around Wikipedia, and you will soon pick them all up. --Jayron32 03:36, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- I say it when I mean "vote" but want to avoid the inevitable (and wrong) "it's not a vote" comments. --Tango (talk) 20:09, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- All explained at Wikipedia:WikiSpeak. ---— Gadget850 (Ed) talk 02:37, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
US gas stations
I'm going on a road trip to the US, and I know in some states it's illegal to pump your own gas, and in some places you have to pay before you get your gas. Where do these rules apply, and how do they work? (I've only ever used self-serve stations where you pay after filling up.) I'll be going through Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and California. Cherry Red Toenails (talk) 04:24, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- The only state that I've ever heard of making it illegal for the driver to pump their own gas is New Jersey. And the stations that require you to pay first will generally have a sign (sometimes just a piece of paper with "Pay first" written in marker) on the pump. If you are paying with a credit card, then you can either pay at the pump (at most places) or you go inside to drop off your card with the cashier and then go fill your tank. Then, once you come back in, they ring it up along with anything else that you may be buying. Dismas|(talk) 04:32, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- After a quick Google search, it seems that pumping your own gas is illegal in Oregon as well. Dismas|(talk) 04:34, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- Thanks. So, how does a full-serve station work? Do I just... sit in my car and wait? Do I get out to pay right away or do I wait until they finish filling the tank? Are you expected to tip the attendant or anything? Apologies if these are dumb questions, but I'd rather sound dumb here than there :) I really have never had anyone else pump my gas, and it just seems awkward and strange to me to just sit there while somebody else does it. Cherry Red Toenails (talk) 04:46, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- You leave your credit card with some dodgy petrol station clerk? That hardly sounds like good security practice Nil Einne (talk) 08:07, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- After a quick Google search, it seems that pumping your own gas is illegal in Oregon as well. Dismas|(talk) 04:34, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
You pull up, sit in the car, the guy comes up to the window, you tell him whats up. He pumps your gas, cleans the windows, checks the oil. You pay. Tipping is nice but not required. If you want a depiction of this procedure i suggest viewing American movies from the 1950s and prior, where all the gas stations were like that. Torkmann (talk) 05:10, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- American movies from the '50s? I don't know if that will give the best impression of what it will be like. In my experience, the attendant fills the tank and may clean your windows but does not check your oil. And really, I'd rather not have just any gas station attendant under the hood. And back to the original question, if you intend on using cash to pay for your gas, you would go inside before pumping. Tell them to put $XX on pump #XX (they'll be numbered) and hand them the cash. Then go pump your gas and come back in for the change if you're due any. Over-estimating your total is better since the pump may have a mechanism for automatically shutting off at a certain value. Dismas|(talk) 06:30, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- A couple of small things to note if you find a self-service station, some US gas pumps have a lever on the pump (on the bit where the nozzle hangs when not in use, IIRC). The lever needs to be moved before the gas can come out of the nozzle. In California (I think), there's some rubber hood around the nozzle (for vapour recovery?). The hood has something inside to shut off the gas until you have attached it properly to the gas tank - you put the nozzle in and shove the nozzle's handle down towards the car.
- As for pay first places, avoid them if they are very busy. I've waited 5 minutes to hand over my credit-card and then had to go back in an line up for another 5 mins.
- The good thing though, despite Americans bitching about high gas prices, it is still a lot cheaper than here in Europe. $30 buys a lot of gas. ...And I have visited all the states in your plan. Ask me if you would like some hints on what to see :-) Astronaut (talk) 08:26, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- Yes please! Cherry Red Toenails (talk) 04:05, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- You're correct about the lever. Though it's only on some gas pumps. If I'm not mistaken, they removed it from pumps so that people don't turn the pump off with the lever, then squeeze the handle a few more times to try to use the residual pressure to get out what is left in the line. And yes, the boot is for vapor (vapour) recovery. It's not as hard to use as it may sound. You just have to shove the nozzle into the tank a little harder than you normally would. Gas prices right now are around $2.60 or so near me (Note: I am nowhere near your intended destination but the prices will likely be similar). So with an 18 gallon tank, it takes about $45-50 to fill up from empty. Dismas|(talk) 08:45, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- Most (Self service) pumps have credit card readers now. That's super convenient. Forget pre-paying, or paying after or whatever. Just slide your card through the slot, (If it's an ATM card you'll be asked for your PIN) and pump your gas. Easy. However, some stations charge a few extra pennies for this service. Well worth not having to wait in line at the register, if you ask me. APL (talk) 13:36, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- How pre-historic - having someone physically do what you can do for yourself - and then charging extra if they happen to have a card reader!!!!!!!! Imagine the delay and queues caused by going into the office to pre-authorise the payment and then going to fill up the tank, and then going back to make the payment and then coming back to drive away. Here in Britain there would be countless murders on the forecourt. My favourite petrol station is unstaffed and I insert my credit or debit card in the slot on the side of the pump where it is verified before allowing me to withdraw it. I am then told to take my fuel up to a maximum amount and once I have replaced the nozzle in its holder I am dispensed with a receipt. Easy and fast - but then, this is quaint little ol' Britain. 92.21.59.68 (talk) 15:01, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- What are you talking about? That's exactly what I do here in the USA! I just said that, just above your comment. I insert my card, I pump my gas, and I get a receipt if I want one. Done. Easy. (I usually avoid places that charge for using a credit card, but that's just because I'm stubborn; for a car my size the increase is about fifteen cents per tank.)
- If you live in the stone age and don't have a credit card and want to pay with cash you'll need to go up and talk to the guy in the kiosk. Some stations make you pay first, others let you pump first. (The pay first stations are usually in higher-crime areas with a history of pump&runs, but they're becoming more common in general.) When the station isn't crowded it's not at all the inconvenience you're imagining. It does not take long to walk ten feet, hand the guy a twenty, and declare "Pump Five". APL (talk) 15:58, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- I think the extra few cents to use the card reader has to do more with the station recouping its costs for having the card readers, and also to get you into the store, where hopefully you'll buy something. The profit margin on the gasoline itself is real low; they make much more money selling you chips and sodas and cigarettes and whatever.
- I'm not familiar with the specific states you'll be in, but in the East and South where I have traveled, heavily populated areas will have almost 100% pay-first stations, with readers; only in very rural, remote areas do you find pump-first stations, which are pretty easily spotted by their ancient pumps (analog readouts and nozzles on the sides rather than the fronts of the pumps are a pretty good giveaway). Places like this will usually let you pay first if you want to, though you may get some funny looks.
- An absolute sure-fire way to tell whether you're at a pay-first or pump-first station is to pick up the nozzle and flip the lever, if there is one. If the readout on the pump resets to 0, you can pump. If not, you need to give somebody some money to turn the pump on. Some jerk on the Internet (talk) 16:09, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- Ooohh - feeling a bit liverish today are we ducky? Well alright, you DID say that what I do is what you had already said you did - but it was YOU remember who added the bit about paying a few pennies extra for using an automatic charge card pump wasn't it dearie - something we Brits would boycott in a heartbeat? So stop throwing your toys out of the pram -there's a good boy. I don't claim to have any experience of buying petrol in the USA, but from what I have read here and in other places, the pumps there can be so erratic and corruptly adjusted so as to dispense less fuel than has been paid for, I simply do not believe that Ken in the kiosk, indeed not the customer either, could accurately programme the pump meter to dispense EXACTLY the right volume down to the last red cent. And I suspect it might be possible to pump MORE than had been paid for thus incurring another trip to Ken in the Kiosk?? So let's both of us campaign for British pump technology to be spread throughout my favourite holiday destination - the USA. Cheers. 92.21.59.68 (talk) 16:21, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- Still seems to be some confusion. The few cents extra is for paying with a credit card (as opposed to a debit card), and it's simply the gas station passing on the cost of the credit card transaction directly to the customer. Has nothing to do with recovering the cost of the card reading equipment. --jpgordon::==( o ) 16:37, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- You're right, Jpgordon. That's the idea I was driving at (that it costs a station money to have the readers because they incur a charge for each transaction, not the startup cost of installing the readers), but it was not at all apparent the way I stated it. Thank you for clarifying. this NPR story from 2007 is what I was thinking of when added my comment on the subject. It doesn't mention saving a few cents with cash as a strategy to get folks in the store, but does mention a 4-cent-per transaction credit card fee, and talks about how much higher the profit margin on items in the store is. Some jerk on the Internet (talk) 17:10, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- Don't be ridiculous, the pumps are all computer controlled. "Programming" them to dispense $20 worth of gas involves typing in the digits '2' and '0' into the cash-register. Just about anyone can do that. The computer calculates how much gas you can buy with your $20 and It slows way down when there's about a quarter of a gallon left to go so that it can accurately stop the pump.
- It is not possible to over-pump.
- This is all irrelevant for most people, of course, because most people use a credit or debit card in exactly the manner you are insisting is a uniquely British phenomena.
- The pumps in USA are regularly inspected for accuracy. I've never heard of any sort of scandal involving improperly adjusted pumps. I'd be interested in knowing where you've read that.
- Trust me. Buying and consuming gasoline in shamefully large quantities is practically our national pastime here in USA. We've got the pumping technology under control. (Fuel efficient cars? Not so much so.) APL (talk) 18:20, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- Well, there are accuracy issues, in particular as regards temperature. Warm gasoline expands, so a gallon of gasoline at 90F contains less energy than a gallon of gasoline at 45F, and most pumps and most companies don't adjust for the discrepancy. I don't know if the EU deals with this. And there have been scandals; one example is [30]. --jpgordon::==( o ) 18:34, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- Yeah, but this is overblown, I think. The station's tanks are underground, and quite large; their temp doesn't really change much. There might be a summer/winter difference, but there are other differences between summer and winter driving that are probably more important. --Trovatore (talk) 21:51, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- Well, there are accuracy issues, in particular as regards temperature. Warm gasoline expands, so a gallon of gasoline at 90F contains less energy than a gallon of gasoline at 45F, and most pumps and most companies don't adjust for the discrepancy. I don't know if the EU deals with this. And there have been scandals; one example is [30]. --jpgordon::==( o ) 18:34, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- Still seems to be some confusion. The few cents extra is for paying with a credit card (as opposed to a debit card), and it's simply the gas station passing on the cost of the credit card transaction directly to the customer. Has nothing to do with recovering the cost of the card reading equipment. --jpgordon::==( o ) 16:37, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- Ooohh - feeling a bit liverish today are we ducky? Well alright, you DID say that what I do is what you had already said you did - but it was YOU remember who added the bit about paying a few pennies extra for using an automatic charge card pump wasn't it dearie - something we Brits would boycott in a heartbeat? So stop throwing your toys out of the pram -there's a good boy. I don't claim to have any experience of buying petrol in the USA, but from what I have read here and in other places, the pumps there can be so erratic and corruptly adjusted so as to dispense less fuel than has been paid for, I simply do not believe that Ken in the kiosk, indeed not the customer either, could accurately programme the pump meter to dispense EXACTLY the right volume down to the last red cent. And I suspect it might be possible to pump MORE than had been paid for thus incurring another trip to Ken in the Kiosk?? So let's both of us campaign for British pump technology to be spread throughout my favourite holiday destination - the USA. Cheers. 92.21.59.68 (talk) 16:21, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
Thank you everybody for your answers; what a phenomenal response! I feel much more prepared now. :) Cherry Red Toenails (talk) 21:06, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- I know the question isn't about Canada but I can't help answering anyway - paying at the pump with a credit or debit card seems to be normal here. There are full-service stations, or stations with both self- and full-service pumps, and the price is maybe half a cent higher if you get someone to do it for you. Also, the amount of money you might lose based on the different temperatures of the gas is hardly anything compared to the variation in gas prices from week to week or even day to day. (It's also pretty sad that these days we consider anything less than $1/litre "cheap" - although of course that is still much cheaper than Europe.) Adam Bishop (talk) 01:51, 2 August 2009 (UTC)
- I don't know where everyone else is driving but it's been so many years that I can't remember the last time I saw a gas station that charged a different rate for credit as opposed to cash. My wife claims that there was/is one in Connecticut but we've never stopped there on our travels. So that's one in the many that we pass in our travels. Dismas|(talk) 02:03, 2 August 2009 (UTC)
Weird impliment
I live in shared houseing and I have found this thing in the bathroom, now I dont want to ask anyone what it is incase it is something personal, but maybe you guys can help me, what is this. It is about 10cm long, and looks like a tiny metal toilet brush the bristle end is about 1cm long, a bit like a metal pipe clealer. the other 5cm of it is plastic. The bristle end is enclosed in a cap type plastic tube. Any ideas? What is this? what is it used for? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.172.58.82 (talk) 17:15, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- Could it be a bottle brush? [31], or a Mascara Brush? [32] Fribbler (talk) 17:26, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
It's a belly-button fluff removing brush - seriously. They are usually marketed to women for "the man in your life who has everything" at Christmas or Father's Day. Honest - this is no joke. 92.21.59.68 (talk) 17:42, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- Well, it is a joke, the brush itself. There's a picture here. Another website showing a similar brush said it was custom made in Alabama. If that's the case, the States are apparently far behind the Brits in our Belly Button cleaning technology, because they can brag this beauty. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Some jerk on the Internet (talk • contribs) 17:50, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- Okay we are getting closer, imagine the 1st belly button fluff remover, but without a hoop. and also it is metal, the bristles are metal, you would noy want to clean a body part with it, it would scratch and hurt. also it is smaller than those by anout half, it is a TINY metal brush. Anyone? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.172.58.82 (talk) 18:01, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
A moustache brush? ny156uk (talk) 18:08, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
Just asked my freind and I think she has it!!! It is a brush to remove hair from a sink drain. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.172.58.82 (talk) 18:15, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
Wasn't such a brush once used to clear out penile syphilis? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.21.59.68 (talk) 18:58, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- More likely gonorrhea. As referenced in the Cheech and Chong bit called "Peter Rooter". Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 23:27, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- Surprised you haven't seen these. It's a tiny brush for cleaning between the teeth (known in the "trade" as a interproximal brush). Image of a pack of them, from a well known UK store. Astronaut (talk) 02:21, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- They don't have metal bristles. Theresa Knott | token threats 02:30, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- Surprised you haven't seen these. It's a tiny brush for cleaning between the teeth (known in the "trade" as a interproximal brush). Image of a pack of them, from a well known UK store. Astronaut (talk) 02:21, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
OK, this finally rings a bell. It's a straight piece of (twisted?) wire, containing bristles on one end, right? My dad had one of those, for cleaning his old electric razor. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 04:38, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- check this link [33]to a picture of an interdental brush, as previously mentioned but with a larger image. Richard Avery (talk) 14:18, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- Yeah, we know what those brushes look like - but the OP insists his one is entirely made of metal - hardly something you would use to clean your teeth and gums methinks. Still searching for an answer but running out of ideas. And I am sceptical about using one to clean an electric razor - for the same reason. 92.21.61.17 (talk) 14:27, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- It would really help if he would take a picture of the object and upload it, rather than everyone playing guessing games. Preferably next to a ruler so we know its exact size. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 18:45, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
Trace
How would I go about traceing a freind that I used to know in high school, Liam Fishwick he moved to Johanesburg, and then disapeared, hell of a nice guy, I have trued friends reunited, and face book but to no avail, I dont know what high school he went to after. any ideas? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.172.58.82 (talk) 19:20, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
Do you have any other friends from that time of your life? It may be that one of those people still knows him- or knows a little more of what he did after he was at your high-school. Your best bet is to to use people from the past and try to find the 'route' through to where he'd be now, given that you've tried the main social-network sites - though if you've not looked through your friends' 'friends list' it may be worth trying that as a bit of a deeper look into the business. ny156uk (talk) 19:56, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- The Internet turns up just one Liam Fishwick...it's gotta be a pretty rare name. Anyway - this guy is studying physics at the University or Warwick in the UK...he also dabbles in Linux programming and seems to play a couple of computer games and is a Jujitsu fan. Does this seem likely? SteveBaker (talk) 01:21, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
Finding sample size
Yes it is homework, but I am stuck...
We want to determine the true average number of drinks University of Michigan students have over a weeklong period. Assume the standard deviation is ~6.3. How many students must we sample to be within .5 drink of population mean with 95% probability?
I got 610? True? 70.169.186.78 (talk) 20:35, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- I would direct you to sample size but I, personally, find Wikipedia's math articles to be too technical to be very useful. 75.41.110.200 (talk) 21:35, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- Note - this question has also been posted on the Maths desk. I suggest people answer there. (For future reference, please post questions to only one desk. If it would be better on a different desk, we'll move it and leave a note.) --Tango (talk) 21:56, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
Ontological past-facing indeterminism
So this morning I made an edit to correct one of my worst grammar peeves (the use of may have in a counterfactual), and I was thinking about how may have is for possibility in the past, but that could only be epistemic possibility ("we don't know that it didn't happen") rather than, I guess you'd call it, "ontological possiblity".
And then that got me to wondering: I think by now most people accept forward-facing indeterminism, at least epistemically ("there is no way even in principle to know whether this atom of Po-210 will have decayed six months from now"), and probably even ontologically ("there is no fact of the matter as to whether this atom will have decayed six months from now"). Past-facing epistemic indeterminism seems as though it would equally follow from quantum mechanics, and is fairly intuitive ("at some sufficiently distant point, it will be impossible even in principle to determine whether Oswald acted alone"). But past-facing ontological indeterminism ("at that time, there will be no fact of the matter as to whether Oswald acted alone"), is very counterintuitive, and also has icky political connotations (the "memory hole" in Nineteen Eighty-Four).
So I was wondering what the range of positions might be on this sort of indeterminism. There's presentism, but that's not quite on point; it says "only the present exists", which is too strong. I'm after more, "there are distinct possible past worlds, without a distinguished such world". --Trovatore (talk) 21:23, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- It doesn't exactly answer your question, but you may find Black hole information paradox interesting. It discusses the subject of knowing the past with certainty based on observations in the present. --Tango (talk) 21:52, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- Well, that seems to be talking about determinism of the evolution of the wavefunction, without any wavefunction collapse. That's a different level of abstraction. I'm taking it for granted that there's a fact of the matter as to which collapsed wavefunction is observed. --Trovatore (talk) 22:00, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- But that doesn't explain why we humans persistently refuse to learn from historical precedent does it, irrespective of the predictable consequence? 92.10.74.204 (talk) 22:51, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- There is a fact of the probability of this atom having decayed six months from now. Likewise I suppose there's a fact of the probability of Oswald having acted alone, if, as you say, it becomes impossible even in principle to determine. You'll have to explain why that should be so, though. I would have thought our ability to determine the truth of the past increases as technology improves. I do sometimes wonder about the possibility of converging timelines, though, in a multiverse. In that case, yes, there would be no single true past. 93.97.21.17 (talk) 00:14, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- Well, the question of whether it's possible to determine whether Oswald acted alone is a different question from whether there's a fact of the matter. You may think they have the same answer, but they are certainly distinct questions — one is about knowledge; the other is simply about truth. --Trovatore (talk) 00:21, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- Fine, but I wondered why it would become impossible to determine? 93.97.21.17 (talk) 00:23, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- Oh, well, as I understand it quantum mechanics works the same way in either time direction. So if a particular state in the present can evolve into many different states in the future (after wavefunction collapse), then it should also be possible for it to arise from many different states in the past. --Trovatore (talk) 00:27, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- Oh yeah, I suppose so, but is there anything that says that the overall structure has to be symmetrical? The way I imagine it, there is a lot less of this convergence going on (over the whole of time) than the divergence (which happens, er, all the time, so to speak). 93.97.21.17 (talk) 00:31, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- There's no question that it's easier to "predict" the past than the future; in that sense things are not symmetrical. However it seems plausible to me that, if information can be lost, then if you run the time out far enough in the future, enough might be lost that more than one answer to the question of whether Oswald acted alone is consistent with all physical states at that time. --Trovatore (talk) 00:35, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- The way I see it, that could happen, but would rely on things lining up perfectly, so to speak, and so for any particular interesting question along the lines of "did Oswald act alone" the truth of the matter could for practical purposes be relied on to still exist and await discovery. This is largely my gut feeling based on a vague conception of the many universes model, but that's what you wanted to hear about, I think. 93.97.21.17 (talk) 00:42, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- As I understand it, for the most part the physical laws are time reversible, but the fact that the universe was in a state of statistically near impossible low entropy distinguishes the two directions. That's behind what makes it easier to predict the past than the future and why we seem to experience time in the direction we do, and why there are situations where wave function components decohere, but non-interacting wave function components are very unlikely to start interfering, although it is possible. I guess that all matches up with what you guys said already. 67.100.146.151 (talk) 05:22, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- The way I see it, that could happen, but would rely on things lining up perfectly, so to speak, and so for any particular interesting question along the lines of "did Oswald act alone" the truth of the matter could for practical purposes be relied on to still exist and await discovery. This is largely my gut feeling based on a vague conception of the many universes model, but that's what you wanted to hear about, I think. 93.97.21.17 (talk) 00:42, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- There's no question that it's easier to "predict" the past than the future; in that sense things are not symmetrical. However it seems plausible to me that, if information can be lost, then if you run the time out far enough in the future, enough might be lost that more than one answer to the question of whether Oswald acted alone is consistent with all physical states at that time. --Trovatore (talk) 00:35, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- Oh yeah, I suppose so, but is there anything that says that the overall structure has to be symmetrical? The way I imagine it, there is a lot less of this convergence going on (over the whole of time) than the divergence (which happens, er, all the time, so to speak). 93.97.21.17 (talk) 00:31, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- Oh, well, as I understand it quantum mechanics works the same way in either time direction. So if a particular state in the present can evolve into many different states in the future (after wavefunction collapse), then it should also be possible for it to arise from many different states in the past. --Trovatore (talk) 00:27, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- Fine, but I wondered why it would become impossible to determine? 93.97.21.17 (talk) 00:23, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- Well, the question of whether it's possible to determine whether Oswald acted alone is a different question from whether there's a fact of the matter. You may think they have the same answer, but they are certainly distinct questions — one is about knowledge; the other is simply about truth. --Trovatore (talk) 00:21, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
headphones in Laptop
The sound in my laptop won't play in my headphones anymore when I plug the headphones in, is this because of a setting? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.143.158.205 (talk) 22:54, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- It could be the sound card is defective or that you've got the volume turned off. But first try the headset somewhere else and see if it works there. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 23:24, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
- When you plug the headphones in does sound stop coming out of the normal speakers like it's supposed to? 67.100.146.151 (talk) 04:58, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- That's the other part of the test - if the headphones work elsewhere, then it's not the headphones. See if you can play sound on your PC, by adjust the various volume controls. If it still doesn't work, take it to your local computer shop. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 05:10, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
When I plug in the headphones the sound continues to come out of the speakers and not through the headsets? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.137.244.184 (talk) 14:53, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
August 1
Double click vs single click
Would someone please advise how I can best explain to my 9 year old grandson and 84 years old mother-in-law; who it is that dictates when and why it is necessary to double-click certain icons and weblinks when at other times a single click will suffice, although there are no apparent guidelines available at the point of action, it being a question of trial and error. And for my own erudition, is there a technical necessity for one procedure against the other?. Or is this just a geek thing that mere mortals such as myself are not permitted to understand? And will it ever transpire that an industry-wide protocol might emerge that standardises single or double clicking as the consistent norm? Thanks. Dinosaur.92.10.74.204 (talk) 00:14, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- Speaking as a non-expert, just an end-user: The purpose of single clicking is to highlight an icon without opening its contents. Single-clicking is used for hyperlinks because you don't need to highlight them. Single-clicks generaly turn the mouse pointer into a pointing hand. It's possible to set icons to open on single click; what's your operating system? Vimescarrot (talk) 00:26, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- Under Windows - that's true. The history of this is rather contorted. The first computer to come with a mouse was the Mac (well - actually, the "Lisa" - which was it's immediate and short-lived predecessor). Apple insisted on shipping it with a single-button mouse (on the grounds that if it only has one button - you can't press the wrong button!) - that meant that if there was more than one reason to point at something and click on it, you had to use single, double - and sometimes triple - clicks to identify which of the things you needed to do. This winds up being pretty stupid - sure, with only one button you can't click the wrong button - but you can certainly click that one button the wrong number of times. Apple later added shift-click, ctrl-click and apple-button-click - and double-clicked versions of that. Now, that decision became kinda 'ingrained' into the psyche of people writing point-n-click user interfaces. Microsoft decided (in their inimitable way) to make matters even worse by having mice with ever increasing numbers of buttons - AND having single and double-clicks AND ctrl/alt/meta clicks. But this is not true of all operating systems - X-window based systems such as Linux and BSD Unix originally made do with only single-clicks and only two button mice. But that too is slipping and ctrl/alt/shift clicks are getting more common in complex software packages. I recall that on the old SunOS operating system, when selecting text, one click selected a letter, two selected a word, three an entire line or sentence and a gargantuan, knuckle-busting quadruple-click would grab an entire paragraph. SteveBaker (talk) 01:03, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- X has used three-button mice and modifier-clicks at least since the early 1990s when I first used it, and probably from the beginning. The Xerox Alto had a three-button mouse in the 1970s (see this gallery). Lots of old X apps expect a third button and won't work without it. X on PC clones had to get by with two buttons because that's all the Microsoft Mouse had. -- BenRG (talk) 10:50, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- Web links are always single-clicked. It annoys me to no end watching people double-click on web pages. --Nricardo (talk) 02:49, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- If you're in a browser, you won't have to double-click. Double-clicking is reserved almost exclusively for windows explorer and other areas that are directly a part of windows. opening icons, files, and folders is double-click.
goin mad
Can you just go completely raving mad overnight, or do you work up to it over some time. i am not mad, just interested if it could happen. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.75.68.48 (talk) 00:57, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
Probably, but there would most likely be a pre-existing condition and a trigger event. A deeply traumatic experience will cause PTSD and other conditions to otherwise perfectly healthy people though. Some conditions related to bi-polar disorders do not manifest until the person is in their twenties, but likely not overnight. But will someone just one day wake up and become a lunatic, no, likely not. Taggart.BBS (talk) 01:28, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- Of course you can to go mad overnight. Just go and do something you would never normally do, buy that round the world ticket, buy those expensive shoes, get drunk and have sex with a complete stranger, or some other "insane" thing. As for the medical condition, Taggart's answer above seems to cover the main points. Astronaut (talk) 02:52, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- I have to disagree with the above and say yes you can. See the above PTSD, Fugue state, Psychosis. 75.41.110.200 (talk) 04:14, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- I would think a brain tumor reaching a threshhold point of some kind, and maybe various other kinds of head trauma, might trigger "madness" or at least significant alteration in behavior. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 05:07, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- I don't think a medical condition is necessary, I guess it depends on the character of a person, the psychological side (I know people will argue that the psychological side is dependent on the physical side). If you are one with a history of excessive emotional responses, rapid mood swings and the like, I suppose one can't rule it out that you could just plain freak out when something breaks, when you reach a tipping point. IMHO. --Ouro (blah blah) 07:55, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- I would think a brain tumor reaching a threshhold point of some kind, and maybe various other kinds of head trauma, might trigger "madness" or at least significant alteration in behavior. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 05:07, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- This is a worthless non-expert impression, but I think that some drugs (e.g. hallucinogens) and some techniques of inquisitors, interrogators and torturers can induce psychosis, hallucinations and other severe mental distortions rather quickly. —— Shakescene (talk) 08:37, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- Excluding drugs and suchlike there normally is some signs that people can point out afterwards, but it is perfectly possible for a person to be considered to be okay one day and to be talking to parking meters the next. Dmcq (talk) 20:16, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
Obtaining worthless currency
I was reading some articles on hyperinflation and wondered a couple things. First of all, what happens to all the worthless money when it's replaced? Is it just thrown away, or is it sitting somewhere? If so, how would I go about obtaining some (I live in the US)? I think having a few million old Zimbabwean dollars would be cool. ZS 00:54, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- The currency quite literally isn't worth the paper it is printed on. Generally, worthless currency usually becomes kindling or asswipe or housing insulation or some other marginally useful product, since you can't actuall spend it. You can buy the stuff on ebay. (I tried to print a link here, but the spam filter kicked it back). Do a search for "Zimbabwe $100 trillion" and there are dozens of sellers of the stuff. The going rate seems to be about one dollar per bill, that is usually sets of ten bills for ten bucks, which seems to me to be MUCH more than the stuff would be worth in spending cash in Zimbabwe. But if you got ten bucks to spend and want to have a unique collectors item, ebay has it for you! --Jayron32 02:28, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- Yep. eBay has a "$100 trillion Zimbabwean dollar note" starting at GBP 3.00. ---— Gadget850 (Ed) talk 02:31, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- (ec) Back in 2001, I was given a 10,000,000 Turkish Lira by a Turkish friend of mine. And the guy I sat next to at work last year, had a friend who worked in the company's Johannesburg office (or maybe the Harare office). He was constantly reminding this friend to send him a promised 10,000,000 Zimbabwean dollars note. By the time the friend eventually got around to it, I think he sent a Z$ 10,000,000,000 note instead! As to getting such large denomination notes, I think you would need a friend who is there. Alternatively try eBay. Astronaut (talk) 02:44, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- Stamps are also interesting from hyperinflationary periods - I've got some from 1924 Germany, which had to be overstamped twice before they made it to people (to up the price/value). They're collectible since they're "special". I'm sure you can find them online. - Jarry1250 [ In the UK? Sign the petition! ] 08:11, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- The point being that such currency might have some value as a collectible, but that's about it. Confederate money would be a good example. So would razzbuckniks, if you can find any. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 04:35, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- In answer to one of the other question, the German government burned (supposedly) all the old currency. Of course, some survived, but the idea was to ensure no-one continued to use the old currency; in order for the new one to work, there had to be no alternative. I don't know exactly how they got hold of the currency, but I'm guessing they were swapped at banks, like with other currency changes. - Jarry1250 [ In the UK? Sign the petition! ] 08:38, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- Note that Jayron isn't being rhetorical with his comments above; see this Freakonomics bit on how far the Zim dollar fell. — Lomn 12:44, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
When my aunt was a girl, in the 1930s, she collected stamps from around the world. She had a couple of German stamps issued by the Weimar government. They had overstamped the value of the stamps, so that old 4 Mark stamps would now read 4,000,000 Marks. Who then was a gentleman? (talk) 01:50, 2 August 2009 (UTC)
Burmese/Large Cat Cross
Hi Guys,
Is it possible for someone to breed a burmese with an other large cat, Something like a Maine Coon or a Norweigan Forest cat? I'm not currently aware of any breeds which combine the Burmese Affection for humans and just the large size.
Any Ideas? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 60.234.138.157 (talk) 06:50, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- All domestic house cats are members of the same species; Felis catus and are fully able to interbreed. Unlike dogs, where physical size difference may prevent successful mating and/or gestation, cats are all roughly the same size; that is the really big ones aren't 20 times the size of the really little ones like dogs. So there is no real barrier to mating a Burmese with a Maine Coon. I am not sure, however, what traits you will get. You may end up with a large, hairy, friendly cat; but you could also end up with one that has all of the Maine Coon's surliness and none of the Burmese's affection. But yeah, there is no actual barrier to mixing those two breeds. --Jayron32 14:12, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
Raw steak on a Black Eye
How did this remedy get started? I can't find any info about it other than it doesn't work. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.195.3.244 (talk) 15:35, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- Raw steak from the fridge is cold and flexible, so it will tend to keep the swelling down like an icepack. Similar home remedies involve using a bag of frozen peas or frozen corn. My understanding anyways. --Jayron32 18:01, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- And given that the current remedy is a cold pack, I don't think a cold, raw steak is really the worst thing you could use in a pre-cold pack era. It maintains its temperature fairly well. --98.217.14.211 (talk) 18:36, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- And once it thaws you can heat-and-it. Not recommended for a modern cold-pack. Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots 18:43, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
Using raw steak started long before fridges,I can remember it being mentioned by Dickens.The blood supposedly "drew" the blood out which sounds like sympathetic magic to me,...hotclaws 01:25, 2 August 2009 (UTC)
Muscovy Ducks
any ideas about the muscovy ducks, my daughter wants one for a pet. do people actually have these types of pets? any info on how to take care of the baby ones? User:Jaimeandjustin
Note - this was entered into article space in error - transferred here Exxolon (talk) 18:38, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
General examinations for wannabe grads
Besides the GRE, what general (not only for law or medicine) examinations are there for graduates? --Quest09 (talk) 19:28, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
Sound and Laptop
When I plug in the headphones the sound continues to come out of the speakers and not through the headsets? Do I have the settings incorrect or is it my soundcard? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.137.244.184 (talk) 19:29, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- You could have a faulty headphone socket or faulty headphones. When the circuit is completed by plugging in your headphones your speakers should cut out and the headphones produce sound. Exxolon (talk) 19:57, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
- Depending on the type of headphones, there might be other reasons. I use USB headphones which have a rather temperamental relationship with some software. Algebraist 20:23, 1 August 2009 (UTC)
August 2
environmental vegetarianism
i read the article about it and i got pretty much confused whether environmental vegetarianism actually contributes to sustainability r not.
can anyone help me about the actual merits and demerits of environmental vegetarianism?
thanx —Preceding unsigned comment added by 122.50.142.233 (talk) 06:22, 2 August 2009 (UTC)
Unemployment and humanism
If everyone has value to society, how can there be so many people whom society isn't willing to pay for? 99.225.250.31 (talk) 07:18, 2 August 2009 (UTC)