The best answers address the question directly, and back up facts with wikilinks and links to sources. Do not edit others' comments and do not give any medical or legal advice.
What is it called when you double snap your fingers (snap once with the fingers in each hand in succession), then "clap" an open fist into the palm of the hand? I always do this and I'd love to know if it ever had a name. – Kerαunoςcopia◁galaxies 01:12, 21 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
No... it's hard to explain. Snap your left fingers once, then snap your right fingers once, then, with your right hand balled into a fist (after snapping), slap the right hand fist into the left hand's open palm. Do this is rapid succession. snapsnap-pop, at a rate much higher than Queen's boom-boom-clap. – Kerαunoςcopia◁galaxies 01:37, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
If I'm correctly reading what the OP is saying: It's not that you're just putting your fist into your palm. The balled up fist (which is actually open just a bit, more of a finger curl than a tight fist) is hit against the palm so that the index finger and thumb are what is hitting the palm. The hollow of the curled fingers makes a sort of hollow pop noise when it's hit against the palm. And to answer the question, I don't know what it's called but I think I remember the Three Stooges doing it. That's the only pop culture reference that I can think of where this is performed. Dismas|(talk) 04:37, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Interesting, you're not the first one to mention the Three Stooges, but seeing it mentioned here (wiser people), I'm going to have to look into that further. – Kerαunoςcopia◁galaxies 11:26, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
If I'm interpreting this correctly, it's what Christopher Walken does, followed by a double-handed pistol gesture, in Blast from the Past (film). Not sure it has an official (or even widely recognized) name. Kingsfold (talk) 14:32, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
That may be it! No access to the film, but you can see him doing it here, in the trailer. Really quick example, but definitely a good visual. – Kerαunoςcopia◁galaxies 17:58, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
English Names
MilitaryOld
What are the english words (CA/US/UK/AU) for these frames/mounts/cradles carried on the tail to strip on bigger things, with no basket or container?
Carried on the tail of what? Are they holsters? --TammyMoet (talk) 10:01, 21 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Wikipedia (not a reliable source) calls this a back frame but that's not in the OED. No doubt there are local terms, such as the reff mentioned on that page. The search continues.....--Shantavira|feed me 10:28, 21 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Line break added --antilivedT | C | G 11:05, 21 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I would call them carrying frames. 78.146.74.227 (talk) 12:35, 21 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I would call them pack frames, as does my old Scout Handbook, fifth edition, published by the Scout Association in 1980. DuncanHill (talk) 19:17, 21 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I called them "pack frames" back in the 60s, and I could find a reference if I could find one of my old Colin Fletcher books. I would call the German gadget in the first reference a "model-airplane carrier". PhGustaf (talk) 19:34, 21 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Wikipedia (a favourite source) refers to backpack, knapsack, rucksack Haversack, pack frame, back frame, and bodypack. I like back rack. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 00:59, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Well, carried by a backpacker, I would call it a pack frame. Pulled by a person, I would call it something else... a sled lol. – Kerαunoςcopia◁galaxies 01:40, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I would call it a papoose but apparently that is just for carrying children. Adam Bishop (talk) 18:19, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Thank you. pack frame, back rack are wonderful. Backpack, knapsack, rucksack, haversack ar not so clear, beceause they schould or could have a "sack". --Franz (Fg68at) de:Talk 14:49, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Effectiveness of a Bomb Suit
After watching The Hurt Locker, I started wondering about the effectiveness of the bomb suits worn by EOD technicians in the US military. How effective are they at protecting the wearer against blasts? Are they bullet proof too? Can they, for example, protect the wearer against a claymore mine from 5 m away? Acceptable (talk) 09:36, 21 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
They are highly effective against most effects of an explosion. They will protect the wearer from a large amount of heat, overpressure and fragments, and obviously their reistance to fragments includes bullets. Modern bomb suits will also protect the wearer from any chemical or biolical effects of bombs. However they have limits. I'm sure pretty much any cartridge above the standard full-power rifle cartridges would penetrate them (.50 BMG, .55 Kynoch, 14.5 mm etc would tear them to shreds). I'm sure some large, very high velocity fragments might well penetrate as well, along with shaped charges. Certainly you would still need to ttry to take cover--92.251.162.146 (talk) 22:11, 21 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
The related Bombsuit article or external links there may help. For example PersonalProtectiveEquipment/UXODemining. As for the claymore question, quoting the Website link above "designed to balance mobility and comfort with protection from anti-personnel (AP) blast mines." (my italics). Likely necessary because many IEDs would have anti-deactivation devices or another bomb nearby specifically to 'dissuade' any attempts to disarm them. You will probably find that the exact effectiveness of the suits would only be revealed to customers with need to know.--220.101.28.25 (talk) 13:39, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I think a claymore would probably penetrate a bomb suit. Its fragments are specifically designed to deform into a pointed bullet shape on detonation, and they travel at about 1.3 km a second.--92.251.223.13 (talk) 17:20, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I think the common sense answer to this is that bomb suits are generally good things, but anyone who depends on then exclusively and takes no other precautions is likely not long for this world. --Ludwigs2 19:10, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
The web address of the manufacturer is on the picture: Sellier & Bellot. There is info in there (in English) about all the different types of ammunition they sell. --KageTora - (影虎) (A word...?) 15:38, 21 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
The pictures are too perfect to be real. They are computer rendered images for advertising and not simple photographs. The artist made the bullets resemble shiny phallic Lipsticks of an unlikely colour. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 00:39, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Despite being computer graphics, though, they are quite accurate in the proportions and general look of the real thing. So basically imagine those with less shiny, and you'll know what a real bullet/slug looks like. 24.247.163.175 (talk) 02:53, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Yes...The fading, ghostly sections of the bullet made me realise they weren't real. ;) Comparing to the picture found on our article, a shotgun slug is supposed to have more to it than that one Sellier & Bellot are showing... Vimescarrot (talk) 08:44, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Not necessarily. The one in the photo is a solid slug with traditionally-constructed wadding, while the Sellier & Bellot one is hollow with a plastic (or "polymer", as the firearms industry likes to call it) wad/sabot. (edit: this one [1]) FiggyBee (talk) 10:55, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Snoring dogs
animals:Is it normal for a dog to snore like a human? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.64.46.140 (talk) 12:59, 21 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
It's possible. My Great Pyrenees snores occasionally If you're concerned about it, you should see a vet. Dismas|(talk) 14:27, 21 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Many dogs snore, especially the larger breeds. Probably other animals too. Perhaps this should be mentioned in our article on snoring (lest it be considered speciesist).--Shantavira|feed me 16:01, 21 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I was most disappointed by their website.It was not quite what I was expecting when I received a link to a site with lots of cute young pussies on. *gets coat,leaves rampaging mob chasing him out of RefDesk Lemon martini (talk) 09:51, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Both my cats snore. --TammyMoet (talk) 10:28, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
It might be possible to train a dog to accept a C-PAP. With a cat, I think it would be pretty much hopeless. Hang on, the phone's ringing. Uh-oh, it's the OAC's lawyer. Wow, they work fast. ←Baseball BugsWhat's up, Doc?carrots→ 13:24, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
satphones
What is the net worth of the satellite phone market in India, approximately?
What does the sales come up to including government and civilian subscribers? Who are the current providers of network and handsets and what is the future of the demand?
What are the new technologies in that field that will make the product more user friendly and popular? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 59.183.13.91 (talk) 15:40, 21 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
When is your homework due? —Tamfang (talk) 17:39, 21 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
The same unsigned IP posted the same questions on 19:46, 14 February 2010. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 00:30, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Mouse breeding
I and my friend Sammy are trying to breed mice to sell but, we don't know if our mice are pregnant or not.
So far it's the day after we think they mated. not much is different with the female. Then comes the question: How long does it take for them to mate? We think it doesn't take long. So we thought they mated for about a minute or two but, we aren't sure. So we want to know how you can tell if mice are pregnant and, how long it take for them to mate. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Skittywolf (talk • contribs) 15:53, 21 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
It only takes them a few seconds (as with most animals). .--Shantavira|feed me
And yet their women never complain Lemon martini (talk) 09:59, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Don't worry; if you're sure you've got a male and female you'll soon have lots of baby mice.--Shantavira|feed me 16:04, 21 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Unless you happen to have a couple of fruity little mice... Lemon martini (talk) 09:59, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I wonder if mice feel any heartache if you split up couples or families? 89.243.197.22 (talk) 17:26, 21 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Considering that the mothers eat the babies if they get stressed out, probably not. Species that reproduce frequently and in large litters generally invest less in the individual young. --Mr.98 (talk) 19:01, 21 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Experienced laboratory technicians who work with mice can tell exactly which of the female mice have been mated with.Medical geneticist (talk)
It's the knowing wink in their eye that says I remember you big boy Lemon martini (talk) 09:59, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Here are a few references to get you going: Mouse#Reproduction and Mating_plug. Incidentally, you may want to familiarize yourself with the local regulations on commercial rodent breeding. --- Medical geneticist (talk) 17:48, 21 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
(Medical geneticist, I removed a space from the beginning of your entry since the resulting formatting was messing up the page layout. – Kerαunoςcopia◁galaxies 11:29, 22 February 2010 (UTC))[reply]
Are you sure you can make money selling these baby mice? When I was a kid, my sister and I were given pet mice - my parents thought they would avoid the problem of vast numbers of baby mice by carefully getting us two females. Sadly, both were (evidently) pregnant when they bought them from the pet store - so we soon had TWO litters of teeny-tiny mice to deal with. As soon as they were weaned, we tried to sell them to the pet store - but they wouldn't take them - not even for $0.00 because (they said) they couldn't be sure that they'd be disease-free and all of that stuff. In the end, we had to find homes for all of them with friends and such like. So be 100% sure you have someplace that'll buy these mice before you do this! Remember, if a pet store needs baby mice to sell, they have a REALLY cheap way to make them! SteveBaker (talk) 18:44, 21 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Perhaps the original posters are grimmer than it appears, and they merely have friends who own carnivorous reptiles of various sorts. Comet Tuttle (talk) 01:12, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
In which case, they definitely need to check the local legal situation. --Tango (talk) 01:54, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I think the only way to make significant money breeding mice is if you have mice with particularly desirable (and rare) characteristics. --Tango (talk) 01:54, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Or there are a lot of people with pet snakes living around you. Googlemeister (talk) 17:38, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
No joke. Pet stores around here have both pretty, long-haired, pedigreed pet mice and plain dingy herp-food mice. The latter are perhaps a quarter of the price. I suppose they don't come with a long-term warranty.. PhGustaf (talk) 22:41, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Those who have tried to support themselves selling mice in economic hard times have barely eeked out a living. Edison (talk) 04:27, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
The old expression "Cheese it!" (usually followed by "The cops!") was a euphemistic pop-media way of saying "Jesus!" This was carried a step further in some bit where Ed Wynn was a waiter and someone ordered a cut of meat au gratin, and Wynn yelled to the kitchen, "Cheese it! The chops!" ←Baseball BugsWhat's up, Doc?carrots→ 10:22, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I left two of these in the same box together, and you don't want to know what happened. ←Baseball BugsWhat's up, Doc?carrots→ 10:16, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
So...a few weeks later, you ran out of USB ports? SteveBaker (talk) 02:50, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
do we not have a link? alterboy, priest, bishop, cardinal, pope, any missing? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.172.58.82 (talk) 16:17, 21 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
AlterAltar boys are pretty much the bus boys of the Catholic church. They don't fit into the hierarchy at all. They have no powers and are simply there to carry things around. Dismas|(talk) 11:28, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I think you'll find it's spelt "altarboy". --TammyMoet (talk) 12:37, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
no, he means the other one... FiggyBee (talk) 12:47, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
No, no, no! That's the top job - you know altering water into wine, that kind of thing. :-) SteveBaker (talk) 14:28, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, yes, I got it wrong. It was the middle of the night here... Yeah, that's it. I was tired! Dismas|(talk) 15:11, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Gravy powder - can you get it salt free?
Gravy powder that I've bought here in the UK has lots of salt in it. Is it possible to buy a low-salt or salt-free vegetarian version please? Vegetarian gravy powder is easy to buy in supermarkets such as Sainsbury's, even though its not promoted as being vegetarian.
I'd also be interested in finding out how to make it myself, since it would be just cornflour and some other ingredient. 89.243.197.22 (talk) 17:24, 21 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Tesco's do one for meat-eaters, but I don't know about a veggie one. Making gravy is easier if you eat meat, as you stir cornflour into the fat left from roasting a joint or bird, add the stock from cooking the vegetables and cook for a minute. I suppose vegetarian gravy is basically a white sauce made with vegetable stock. --TammyMoet (talk) 18:15, 21 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I would presume you could use a conventional vegetarian gravy recipe: [2],[3]or[4] for example (Our Gravy article offers some other suggestions) - and then maybe you could very gently dry it to make a powder that you could reconstitute. I suspect that real gravy granules are made by freeze-drying or vacuum dried or something fancy and industrial like that which would be hard to replicate at home. But if you're going to make the stuff yourself, why not just make a larger batch and freeze it in an ice-cube tray to make a bunch of handy "gravy-cubes" that you could keep in the freezer and zap with a microwave when you need them? That would keep the flavor and vitamins and stuff much better than drying it out and reconstituting it - and with a reduced salt load, it should freeze pretty good. I guess though, looking at those three vegetarian recipes I linked to, all three use large amounts of soy sauce - which is pretty salty stuff already. But you could at least avoid adding more. SteveBaker (talk) 18:36, 21 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
According to[5], there's a low-salt version of their Bisto brand. This is consistent with most US products. We also have decent low-salt stocks and broths, including vegetarion ones, in boxes, which taste much better than powders. Try some if they have them over there. You also might try a health-food store, or one specializing in specialized dietary needs. Warning: the Bisto site is horribly flashturbated. PhGustaf (talk) 03:33, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
The low salt version is still the equivalent of around 10% salt unfortunately. Surprised to see that they do not have any meat-products in them. They use E150c, caramel, for colouring. 84.13.16.216 (talk) 12:21, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I believe that many UK stock products such as Bovril stopped using extracts from carcasses following the BSE scare. Alansplodge (talk) 15:08, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
By routine I mean fairly stable working hours, eg 9-5, no getting up in the middle of the night
and explain how a someone leaving secondary school could get into that profession. Thanks!--92.251.162.146 (talk) 21:24, 21 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Please refrain from telling us what to do. There are more courteous ways of asking questions than your method. -- 202.142.129.66 (talk) 21:53, 21 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I don't think they were that rude... they said thanks... ╟─TreasuryTag►secretariat─╢ 22:11, 21 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I don't know about rude, but while the OP did provide some basic clarifications to their question, there are still many missing details. For example the IP provided no details on where they live but the IP looks up to the UK and they're quoting Euro figures. Does this mean theythey're willing to work anywhere in the EU? Even so while the EU has some degree of a single market for labour, I believe it's far from complete so the OP's citizenship and residency may come in to it, and the OP provided no details on whether they have any language skills besides English (even with a common market, getting a job when you can't speak the local language is difficult).
Also 'leaving secondary school' is very broad. I think it's clear someone leaving with no A or AS level qualifications and perhaps even no O level qualifications (if that's possible) because they failed everything has quite different options from someone leaving with 6 A* A levels.
And on a related note, even if the OP doesn't care at all about enjoyment of their job, the areas theirthey're skilled in will likely come in to it, for example it's no use telling the OP you can get a stable well paid job as a mathematician (completely made up example) if they hate maths and barely passed their O-level maths.
Similarly telling the OP, if you get into MIT and come out with a degree and GPA of 4.0 you should be able to get a job that meets your requirements if the OP has little chance of getting into MIT even if they had rich well connected parents and in fact his/her parent's can't afford to financial support him/her anymore.
Given the complexities here, I don't think it's surprising careers advice is the sort of thing usual deltusually dealt with in a conversational manner but if the OP really wants help here, IMHO we'd need far more info.
Nil Einne do you mean "they ARE willing", "the areas THEY'RE skilled in" and "thing USUALLY DEALT with"? Cuddlyable3 (talk) 00:16, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Bickering that is irrelevant to the OP
Cuddlyable3, please stop the grammar nagging. It is a net negative for the Reference Desk. It doesn't help answer the original posters' questions, which is why we are here. If you find the nagging irresistible, please nag on the posters' Talk pages so it doesn't lard up the Refdesk. Comet Tuttle (talk) 01:09, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
"If you do not want your writing to be edited, used, and redistributed at will, then do not submit it here." is stated on every Edit page. Nil Einne may choose to correct their own errors or ignore them. The former course seems the more respectful to the OP and all. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 01:58, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
"Nil Einne may choose to correct HIS OR HER own" 71.161.59.15 (talk) 02:08, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
@71.161.59.15 the Wikipedia article Singular they may reassure you if you worry that "THEIR" cannot serve in place of the 3 words that you post in capitals. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 03:46, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Complaining about grammar errors here is counterproductive. It has no place on here, particularly when you nagged that person the other day whose first language was obviously not English. Comet Tuttle (talk) 05:29, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Yes I rarely proofread my responses much and often make mistakes I don't notice (usually they're the kind I am capable of noticing if I take the time). Indeed sometimes I even type the completely wrong word particularly if I'm distracted or thinking of something else but usually notice these. I don't care either way if people point them out when they're unlikely to affect the understanding (as I consider this case). In cases when they may be confusing I'd welcome it if they are pointed out, even to my talk page Nil Einne (talk) 20:33, 28 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
It would also be useful to know if that salary expectation is supposed to be starting salary or eventual salary. If it is starting salary, then there are only a few jobs in that range, mostly in finance (investment banker, actuary, etc.) and they usually involve long hours (at least occasionally). --Tango (talk) 01:32, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Be a doctor and open your own practice and set your hours to 9-5. Of course the training and residency parts won't satisfy your hours requirements.71.161.59.15 (talk) 01:45, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
In the United States, master plumbers make pay within your range without attending university. Someone would have to confirm that plumbers' pay in the EU is similar. To become a plumber in the United States, you need to arrange an apprenticeship, typically through the plumbers' labor union. You need several years practice after completing an apprenticeship to become a master plumber. In the United States there is hardly any routine job (by your definition) that pays more than €25,000 or so right out of secondary school. Marco polo (talk) 02:55, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
You could try going into IT. If you're into computer games, why not try writing them? Where I live (Warwickshire, UK) the computer games industry is the largest private employer now we've lost the car industry. The pay is worthwhile and life is generally fun. I can't vouch for the hours, though, but you may find that they become less important as your experience changes. --TammyMoet (talk) 10:24, 22 February 2010 (UTC)How to get into it? At a guess you need programming knowledge, and knowledge of gaming and playing games would help. At 16 you might get a job making the tea there! You'd be better off approaching one of the companies involved and enquiring with them. Can't see you having many opportunities without a computer science degree, or BTEC at least. --TammyMoet (talk) 10:27, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Games programmers (of which I happen to be one) do not often have regular hours. There is an evil afoot in the industry called "Crunch Time" which (essentially) means mandatory unpaid overtime (or if not mandatory, at least accompanied by a sufficiently large guilt-trip and "team spirit" thing that you need to do it if you want to get ahead in the company). Some games companies (like the one I happen to work for) workd very hard to avoid "crunch" - but others positively exploit it to get the job done with fewer staff. Also, there are ways to get into the game industry that, whilst paying less, require less formal training. One possibility is to come in via the 'Art' path - becoming a 3D artist. That's something you could teach yourself - download packages like blender (software) and GIMP for free and just start making 3D models of stuff - or (if you have money to spend) get a copy of Maya (software) and Photoshop. A third route (that pays very little indeed) is to come in as a game tester. This sounds like a lot of fun ("woohoo! I get paid to play video games all day!") - but is in fact a very boring job indeed. You get to play the same game for maybe 3 years solid. You have to play the exact same bits of it over and over again for months looking for the weirdest issues - and for probably two out of those three years, it's gonna be crashing on you a lot. So I don't recommend a long term career as "Game Tester". However for those with minimal skills & education, it is a way into the industry that might eventually (after many years) lead to story design, level/mission design, etc. In my experience, only a very tiny percentage of game testers make that leap before they give up and find something more meaningful to do with their lives. But programming isn't the only route into the games biz (although it's certainly by far the most lucrative - and it pretty much requires either a strong track record of game development or a degree in software engineering or similar).
I don't know about the UK - but here in the US, games companies get utterly snowed under with kids calling up to see if there are ways to get into the industry - most simply hang up on those kinds of calls. When I worked at Midway, we had a large, imposing "biker guy" who sat in the front lobby and fended off enquiries from kids who came to the front door asking this stuff! One place here in Austin has camoflaged their entire operation so fans of their games can't find their offices!
If you're going to be a programmer - get a degree - look online for games programming jobs - apply for them with a resume/CV. Write some OpenSourced games for practice!
If you're planning to be an artist - some qualifications wouldn't hurt - but a really solid portfolio, with LOTS of games-related art in it would be the thing to send in on a job application. Don't just make monsters and spaceships - build mundane things too: Trash cans, furniture, houses, etc. Make them grungy and interesting. If you know how to make 3D models, you might find a summer internship (possibly for $0.00/hour - but with a way to get some experience and some real "game art" for your portfolio).
If you're planning to become a game tester - think about finding another occupation because you won't make anything like the money you're asking for above. If you really want to do it - then just apply for some of the jobs out there and hope you get lucky. Here in Texas, we probably get 200 applications for every job - which is why it's paid so poorly.
There are a few other specialist jobs in the games business - story writer, audio engineer, voice talent, motion-capture actor, AI scripter...but those are about 1% of the total workforce on most projects - and generally the people who get those jobs are already in the games business in one of the three main roles.
Then of course we have all of the usual office support roles - IT, HR, etc. Those mainly come from experienced people outside of the games industry.
It would help narrow things down if you said if you prefer a sitting-down job in a warm office (can be unbearably boring I can tell you) or a physically active often outdoors one (cold in winter, less prestige, usually much longer hours). For a sitting down job then try accountancy, or failing that bookkeeping. For an active job being a gas fitter may do. Pay attention to how much you get paid an hour: the manual jobs usually have long hours. The answer as others have said depends on how much you are prepared to study, and what qualifications you have already. 84.13.16.216 (talk) 12:40, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Norwegian Air Traffic Controllers of 1-2 years' experience can produce these figures with ease. Your education does not matter much (your ATC education of around 6-8 months is sponsored), but there are some demands for understanding three-dimensional space, and having good and sound reflexes. The standard is perceived to be quite high, and so there's some difficulty in getting through the hole. There might be similar figures for other EU countries' ATCs. 77.18.5.107 (talk) 14:20, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
If you are in the UK try being a Chartered surveyor, has a mixture of office work and getting out and about, but requires a degree. I suggest contacting the professional body involved (in this case the RICS) and asking how you can become one, and do the same thing for any other professions you may be interested in. 89.243.215.80 (talk) 12:15, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Unless you have an exceptional talent (as a footballer for example) you are very unlikely to leave school with a few GCSEs and walk straight into a £30,000+ job. Of course, some jobs can develop into a high paying career after some years toil on the lower rungs of the career ladder. Graduating from university, will often let you start a few rungs higher up. Astronaut (talk) 15:00, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Depending on where you live, police dispatchers and 911 (emergency) operators are often well-paid non-specialists. 63.17.65.39 (talk) 02:00, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
February 22
Traffic signals flashing yellow/red at night
In the US, many traffic signals are programmed to flash yellow continuously for traffic on the main road (and flash red continuously for traffic on the side road) during the overnight hours when traffic volume is very low. This allows the majority of traffic to continue through an intersection without stopping when it is unlikely there would be any cross traffic. Why can't more signals be set to do this? I recently had to arrive at work at 4am, which is not my usual time to be commuting, and was surprised by how many red lights I had to stop at along the way. In most cases, there was no cross traffic at these intersections, so it seemed pointless to make me stop when no one was trying to cross the main road on which I was driving. --Thomprod (talk) 02:18, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
No doubt more signals could be set to change their pattern depending on the time of day, but there is almost certainly an expense involved in programming signals in that way, and officials are unlikely to allocate scarce public resources to such reprogramming unless there is a strong public demand for it. Since, by definition, few people travel when traffic is light, there are few who would press their local government to make this change. Marco polo (talk) 02:47, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
There could also be some judgment by the planners as to the relative safety of doing that, as per the recnet "(no) right on red" discussion. ←Baseball BugsWhat's up, Doc?carrots→ 03:05, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Of course, if there's little traffic, there may be no real incentive to programming the lights in that way. APL (talk) 04:22, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Right. I don't see much cost issue in retiming the lights — in many places this can even be done from a central location. Around here, though, after a certain hour many lights will always show green on the main street and only change when they detect a car on the crossroad. Another issue is that many drivers totally ignore flashing yellow lights. Or speed up to avoid an anticipated upcoming red. PhGustaf (talk) 04:28, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
An alternative programming algorithm used in the UK is to have both sets of lights defaulting to red when traffic is light. On the approach of a vehicle, the lights on that particular route can quickly change to green by the time the vehicle reaches the intersection. From my experience, this seems to be the optimum for very light traffic. Dbfirs 13:04, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Or you could have a mini-roundabout - basicly just a small white disc painted in the middle of the crossing, no need for traffic lights. 89.243.87.3 (talk) 20:13, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I've seen that tried in the USA, where roundabouts are not used nearly as much as in Europe, and typically drivers drive right over that painted-on disc. ←Baseball BugsWhat's up, Doc?carrots→ 06:46, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Put something raised-up in the middle then. 89.243.215.80 (talk) 12:22, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Low-speed roundabouts are pretty out of fashion in the US. (The crazy higher speed varieties can be found in Massachusetts if nowhere else. )
You occasionally see them in town centers where they need a convenient place to put a statue to their favorite revolutionary war hero, but besides that they're almost unheard of. APL (talk) 15:45, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I have seen both standard roundabouts (with or without statues) and the useless painted-on type in various parts of the USA, recently-constructed. I would agree they are not common, but they are slowly catching on. ←Baseball BugsWhat's up, Doc?carrots→ 18:46, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Right. There are several in my neighborhood, all installed within the last ten years or so. They're on residential streets, and are largely to slow down drivers using the streets as short cuts. There are 20-foot brick planters in them, so ignoring them is not an option. PhGustaf (talk) 19:59, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Hotel ceiling lights
Why don't most hotel rooms have lights in the ceiling, but instead floor or table lamps? Nadando (talk) 02:27, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Lamps probably cost less than it would cost to have fixtures installed in the ceilings of each room.71.161.59.15 (talk) 02:32, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
This is completely OR, but I wonder if it's because lamps would be easier to change the bulbs in, as well? The maid (or whatever you call the person who cleans a hotel room these days) would be able to easily change burnt-out bulbs in lamps without using a stepstool or ladder, but it would be more difficult to change them in a ceiling light. 24.247.163.175 (talk) 02:46, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Unlike in residential low-rise construction, there isn't necessarily a gap between the ceiling of one hotel room and the floor of the room above; it's often a solid concrete slab. Installing wiring for an overhead light would be costly and needlessly complex: [6]. (In some hotel rooms there is a drop ceiling by the entranceway and/or in the bathroom; this provides space for utility conduits and plumbing, and there may be ceiling lamps (or recessed pot lights) in these areas, at cost of a lower ceiling.) TenOfAllTrades(talk) 05:58, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
They seem to be able to get fire alarms and sprinklers in the overhead. ---— Gadget850 (Ed)talk 14:59, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Every US hotel room that I can recall, and I've stayed in many, has had the sprinklers in the walls near the ceiling but not in the ceiling itself. Dismas|(talk) 15:09, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I'm guessing this is a country-thing because here in the Uk I cannot ever recall staying in a hotel that didn't have ceiling-lights as well as table lamps. 194.221.133.226 (talk) 15:01, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
It's surprisingly common, even in the UK. It's one of the things I hate about staying in hotel rooms. --Phil Holmes (talk) 15:03, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I think most of the houses in my subdivision (>20 years old, located in Virginia, US) have overhead lights in all the rooms except the living room. I added sconce lights on the wall, then later a ceiling fan with a light that I don't often use. ---— Gadget850 (Ed)talk 15:11, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I think it's fair to say that ceiling lights have somewhat gone out of fashion, at least in bedrooms. Wall lights and table lamps give a more intimate lighting effect and most people don't need high lighting levels in a hotel room.--Shantavira|feed me 15:12, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
(outdent) I've just thought of something. It may be rubbish but it's something... The ceilings in hotel rooms all seem a bit low to me. Not the standard ~8' of a home. So by having a light on the ceiling, it's easier to be a bother blinding your guests with lower lighting. And that's to say nothing of having the taller guests crack their noggin or smack their hand while dressing on a shade. Also, if anyone is laying in bed, there's the potential to upset guests further by having a light right in their field of vision. Dismas|(talk) 15:22, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Many hotel rooms have one or more outlets that are "on" or "off" based on a switch just inside the door, so that it is still possible to turn at least one floor/table lamp on upon entering and off upon leaving. ←Baseball BugsWhat's up, Doc?carrots→ 06:45, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
True but what does that have to do with the discussion? Dismas|(talk) 08:29, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
In many buildings, overhead lights are controllable by a wall switch near a door, and lamps are controlled by switches on the lamps, the lamps being plugged into outlets that are always "on". The approach mentioned by the OP includes having selected wall outlets controllable by a switch near the door, enabling you to switch at least some lights on or off as you leave or enter, rather than having to either leave them burning while you're away, or grope through the darkness to turn a switch as you leave or return. That approach theoretically replaces the need for a hard-wired overhead light. ←Baseball BugsWhat's up, Doc?carrots→ 09:56, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
It's not just hotels that do that. The house we purchased recently has no ceiling light in the main living area - but instead the two light switches control what appear to be normal outlets. This messes us up all the time when my wife unplugs something when she's vacuuming and plugs them back into the wrong outlet. Twice already I've been typing on my computer when my wife decided to turn off the ligh<LOST CARRIER !@#$%^ SteveBaker (talk) 14:40, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Some houses in the UK have something similar (tends to be more upmarket ones), but the sockets used are the old 5-amp round-pin ones precisely to stop people mixing up lighting and power supplies. 93.97.184.230 (talk) 08:34, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Where to read Michigan law?
Is there a site (preferably an official one) where I could read the full text of all Michigan (US) law? I tried Googling for it, but I wasn't quite sure if what came up was actually what I was looking for or not. Thanks in advance for the help! 24.247.163.175 (talk) 02:44, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
What is the average pulling power and carry load of Shetland Pony? And is there any way to work out how much it can carry and/or pull according to it's size or weight? Also, are they known for being a generally easy to train animal? Thanks for any help 87.111.102.76 (talk) 13:06, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I don't know about an average, or a formula, but they are intelligent and hard working. See the pit pony article.--Shantavira|feed me 15:17, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Shepherds used to ride them in the Shetland Isles, but I think that people were probably smaller and more lightweight than nowadays. My experience with them is that, as with all ponies, they are cleverer than horses and can take advantage unless trained correctly. They certainly have a lot of character, and also can be suprisingly solid - like miniature tanks! I am assuming that the OP is referring to Shetland ponies as found in the UK. American Shetland ponies tend to be more refined, a little taller and able to carry less weight as they have been crossed with some Welsh pony blood.[I notice that this is all mentioned in the linked article which I should have read before replying, so my comment doesn't really add anything except agreement through personal exeprience! Also, I forgot to mention miniature Shetlands which are a smaller version of the standard Shetland and aren't able to carry/pull as much weight.]
American Indians (Native)
I am 50% Native American,(mother is full blood) and I noticed that a lot of my classmates are eager to tell me how much Native American they are even if its 1/9. I remember my grandfather telling me that when he was younger, there was a stigma to be identified as such, which I understand. Is there a name to this phenomena that is happening now?
Also my second question, is there a slang term for people who pretend to be/to act like a Native American. Not to offend anyone, but similar to the term wigger? --Reticuli88 (talk) 14:55, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I think "Wannabes" is perfectly usable general term. APL (talk) 15:54, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Incidentally, If I was 1/9th native American, I'd probably tell people about it too. Not because I want to claim any special connection with the land, but because it'd be an interesting mathematical oddity. APL (talk) 15:54, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Is there any power of 2 that's divisible by 9? Maybe it would work if some cousins married somewhere along the way. ←Baseball BugsWhat's up, Doc?carrots→ 18:53, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
It seems to me that having a little native ancestry is more honourable than having a lot; one-ninth (or something minuscule) is better than one half. If you have just a little, it means that sometime in the noble past a the noble natives interbred with the noble early pioneers of North America. If if was your parents or your grandparents, that's boring, and since people tend to look down on the natives today it's not as impressive. An example that springs to mind is Jessica Simpson, who recently claimed to be 1/16th native. Adam Bishop (talk) 18:16, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
The reversal of an earlier social stigma could be called heritage pride, comparable to the pride expressed on Australia Day by descendents of emancipated convicts. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 18:42, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I am at least 1/128th Native American. I think it is really cool that I know enough of my family tree to be able to be able to say that, but I don't feel any special pride because of the ancestry. Dragons flight (talk) 09:49, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
(after edit conflicts and intervening edits) More than just oddity! 1/9 cannot be expressed as a finite sum of fractions of the form 1/2^n, and there has not been the time for infinite interbreeding! You could achieve just over 1/9 if one great great grandparent, plus a 3xgreat grandparent on a different line, plus a 4xgreat grandparent, plus an 8xgreat, plus a 9xgreat, plus a 10xgreat, plus a 13xgreat grandparent were all native American, and all were on different ancestral lines. The total exceeds 1/9 by just 0.003%Perhaps you are popular and your classmates just want to identify with you. Dbfirs 18:47, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
If seven of your great-great-great-great grandparents were of the same ethnic group (and the others weren't), you'd be one-ninth that ethnic group, conversationally. (One-ninth.point.one.four ... people round things like that off.) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 63.17.79.127 (talk) 03:02, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, that's another approximation but it falls short on one-ninth by 1.5625%Dbfirs 09:50, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Perhaps blood or organ donation is the way to make up the difference. AlmostReadytoFly (talk) 14:49, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
no, I'm not popular like that. thanks tho --Reticuli88 (talk) 20:26, 22 February 2010 (UTC)
... (At least it proves that you are not unpopular, otherwise others would keep quiet about ancestry in common.) Dbfirs 09:50, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Psychologically speaking, you're talking about some kind of group identification process. The mental mechanisms behind such can be very subtle. belonging to group X may have social advantages and disadvantages from the perspectives of both the ingroup and the outgroup: the novelty of the group identification may increase social status in the outgroup, but may create pressure to conform to ingroup norms; the stereotypes associated with the identification might be pleasant or unpleasant. for example, claiming to be Native American might increase your chances of getting a date in non-NA groups, but you're likely to be viewed as a fake by other Native Americans if you don't participate in NA interests or activities; The common stereotype of Native Americans as spiritual and wise is a good thing, but there are an assortment of equally common prejudices that are not things you'd want to claim as your own. --Ludwigs2 19:05, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I agree with the first part of Ludwigs2's statement — this is certainly pretty common (the film For Your Consideration (2006) mocked a wannabe of this type) — and I don't think it's specific to Native Americans. If some American mentions they are half Dutch, then I think it's pretty automatic for any classmate in hearing range who happens to be one-eighth Dutch to mention this fact. People like to belong in groups. Our articles Social identity, Collective identity and Identity (social science) may be of interest. (The first two are unfortunately short so far.) I don't know if there's a name for a social stigma turning into a social asset over the decades. Comet Tuttle (talk) 19:21, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
According to the Criteria section of our Indigenous peoples article, self-identification is a (sufficient?) criterion for being indigenous, which means anyone could claim to be indigenous (native American, Australian Aborigine, etc) regardless of any percentage of the appropriate native blood! The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (PDF), Article 33, it's a little more complicated: Indigenous peoples have the right to determine their own identity or membership in accordance with their customs and traditions, so presumably at least some other indigenous people would also have to accept you as indigenous. Mitch Ames (talk) 12:13, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
A Google search on "Cherokee princess", like this, gets you all kinds of pages on the general topic--especially in the form of people making the claim without proof. In my own very-extended family there is an old tale about one or more marriages to a "Cherokee princess". There's no proof, although the possibility is reasonable (apart from the "princess" bit). Some of the greater family genealogists are quite attached to the idea. My impression is that a (rather distant) blood relation to Native Americans somehow makes you more truly "American"--not recently immigrated from some foreign un-American place. The farther back in time the supposed relationship is the better--because it only reinforces the idea that your family has been in America for a very long time. It might also evoke images of brave pioneers on the now-romanticized frontier. It's cool to think your ancestors were akin to Sam Houston, who really did marry a Cherokee, um, princess. Pfly (talk) 10:47, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
RE: Dragons Flight and his/her assertion of being at least 1/128th Native America. How far back does one have to go to determine 1/128th? I'm lousy at math and can't figure this one out . . .
commemorative plaques
There is an explanation of the blue plaque scheme run by English Heritagehere. (The scheme allows a notable person to be commemorated on the outside of a building they lived in.) I have searched the EH list and cannot find Mary Wollstonecraft, but there is a news article showing her commemorative plaque being unveiled here. What gives? Is the EH site just not up to date (odd, because the unveiling was in 2004), or is it a (semi-)spurious non-EH scheme? Who sponsored it, in that case? There are other schemes, I know, e.g. the pink (gay) plaques. BrainyBabe (talk) 15:18, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
According to the pictures in the news article you linked to, the plaque was sponsored by Southwark Borough Council, not English Heritage. To my knowledge, many councils in England will have similar schemes to commemorate local worthies. DuncanHill (talk) 16:07, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Ha! How could I have missed that! Well done. So a follow-up question is, is there a comprehensive database somewhere, of all the blue-ish plaques in the country? I'd like to be able to look up someone as famous as Charles Darwin or as obscure as Mary Toft and see what plaques commemorate them. BrainyBabe (talk) 18:01, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I'm almost certain there is no comprehensive database. Most local authorities have some list - for example, OxfordshireorTameside, but some areas (such as Sheffield) don't have any official scheme. There are also some unofficial plaques around. This website is a partially-implemented proposal to use Google Maps to display all the blue plaque locations in London. Oh, and although I've no reference, I'm sure that there is no plaque commemorating Mary Toft in Godalming. Warofdreamstalk 12:03, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks all. The GMap overlay is interesting, but very partial. BrainyBabe (talk) 14:51, 28 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
cost-efficient way of dialling an 0845 number
Hi, I need to ring an 0845 number, and will potentially be spending a long period on the line (bureaucracy, blah). I don't have access to a landline: what's the cheapest way of doing this? The cheapest method I can find is 30p/min 20p/min (the tables of pricing are confusing!) from a BT phonebox: can I do better? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Bletcherous park (talk • contribs) 20:56, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Googling the phrase "no 0845" yields several money-saving websites. I haven't checked any of them myself, but two are pages within reputable sites: [7], [8], [9]. BrainyBabe (talk) 21:05, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I guess you could install Skype on your PC. They charge a monthly subscription - with unlimited calls within the area you choose for that time. It looks like they charge maybe 4 euro's a month. SteveBaker (talk) 21:40, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
http://www.saynoto0870.co.uk lists various alternative numbers for some businnesses. Some companies think they're doing the public a favour with so-called local rate numbers, but forget that most calling plans only include 01, 02 & 03 numbers in the inclusive calls - ie. you pay a more for 0845 (and a lot more for 0870) than if they just listed the normal area code. However, some companies, notably Sky TV, see 08 numbers as a source of revenue and actively disable alternative numbers. Astronaut (talk) 13:14, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Call them on a normal landline, state that you are calling from overseas and need an international number for them before you enter any form of conversation, and then call tham on that international number number from your landline or mobile which is a lot cheaper... Yes you do have an initial call to 0845 but if you don't enter into any conversation other than to find out their overseas number, then you will be on the phone for a very short time... Gazhiley (talk) 15:23, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Salvaging an aircraft-carrier overshot submerged plane.
An ex-navy friend just sent me a video of a military plane approaching and landing on the deck of a carrier - the video was recorded by the co-pilot. And it got me wondering what happens after an arrest wire snaps and the plane goes over the edge into the drink. I know that pilot error can cause that to happen too, and I also know that when landing, the pilot increses his engine speed in case he has to go about again (if he misses the wire for instance). But in such ditching events, is any attempt made to recover the plane from the bottom of the sea, even when the pilot manages to escape? Thanks. 92.30.7.197 (talk) 22:59, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
It would very likely be hugely un-economical to do so, cost of recovery vs worth of recovered plane. The plane would very likely be so damaged by fall & immersion that it would be a total write-off. One exception would be if the plane was nuclear armed. In which case recovery of the warhead would be prriority.
One incident where nuclear recovery occured was the 1966 Palomares B-52 crash after a B—52 & USAF KC-135 tanker collided during in-flight refueling, one nuke landed 12 miles (19 km) off the coast in the Mediterranean sea. "The US Navy conducted a three month search involving 12,000 men and successfully recovered the fourth bomb. The U.S. Navy employed the use of the deep-diving research submarine DSV Alvin to aid in the recovery efforts" (from List of military nuclear accidents) I have some doubts so much effort would be expended to recover a pilots remains in a similar situation. --220.101.28.25 (talk) 01:10, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Sometimes they wait 65 years until the plane is extremely rare and valuable, and then raise it from the bottom, This was recently done with a plane which sank to the bottom of Lake Michigan on a training flight off a sidewheeler steam powered carrier in WW2. The pilot, in his 80's surmised that they might have forgotten to refuel it between flights. [10]. The planes come up with paint still pretty, even if not flyable. The airframes are likely quite strong, because they are found to be covered with mussels. Edison (talk) 04:21, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Note that that's freshwater. Saltwater will severely damage an aluminum aircraft very quickly. Falconusptc 12:44, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I vaguely remember something like this happening, on video. IIRC, a F-14 rolling over the edge of an aircraft carrier landing deck and ending up in the sea, then judged uneconomic to attempt recovery/salvage due to the depth of the water (many thousands of feet deep). I'll try to find a reference. Astronaut (talk) 13:07, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
They might even prefer to drop a few depth charges on it to prevent another Project Azorian type incident. Rmhermen (talk) 14:19, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Remember that planes are pretty aerodynamic - which actually makes them pretty hydrodynamic too. Once they fill up with water, if the ocean is fairly deep, they are going to head to the bottom at a fairly high speed and a nose-down attitude. When they hit the bottom, they are going to be smashed rather severely. Also, you have to consider which parts of the plane are considered valuable for recovery purposes. The engines and electronics would be useless after even a fairly brief submersion - and the airframe will have taken a severe beating from the initial impact with the water and whatever happens to it when it reaches the ocean floor. There isn't going to be much left that's of any use. The most likely reason they'd consider recovering anything would be if the pilot didn't get out and they wanted to recover his body - or if there were sensitive information or equipment on board that might need to be kept from some enemy or other. SteveBaker (talk) 14:32, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Quote: "Even now, decades later, WWII aircraft wrecks continue to be found and recovered."[11].Cuddlyable3 (talk) 14:25, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
AnA-4 Skyhawk from the USS Ticonderoga (CV-14), armed with a B43 nuclear bomb rolled off the carrier's deck (pilot aboard) in 1965 off the coast of Japan and was never found. (Referenced in the Ticonderoga article). An F-14 Tomcat from the John F. Kennedy was recovered shortly after the type was introduced to keep it and its AIM-54 Phoenix from being recovered by the Soviets; the Navy used the NR-1 submersible. This [12] Navy link summarizes salvage operations for aircraft and ships, usually in shallower waters. Acroterion(talk)
Thanks for that Navy link, Acroterion. Best link of the week. I just improved the USS Alvin article with some material from the 1969 salvage summary. Tempshill (talk) 20:11, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Ah yes. That is the one I was remembering. I thought they had decided to leave it, despite concerns about the Soviet Union recovering it, due to the depth of the water; obviously I was mistaken. Astronaut (talk) 00:37, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Soft drink with the lowest sugar content?
So I like to drink pop, as it's known colloquially here in the midwest, but most have ridiculous sugar content (46 grams in a can of Mountain Dew???) and my recent dental record says I should reconsider. Without having to go through the nutrition facts of every item in the beverages aisle, which currently available soft drinks have the least amount of sugar? 174.20.69.69 (talk) 23:59, 22 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
All of which will be better for the wasteline, but many still have a lot of the acid to attack the teeth. I've heard that drinking with a straw can help in reducing tooth decay. Buddy431 (talk) 01:50, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
My dentist told me that, in general, drinking a soft drink quickly is better for the teeth than sipping it. Don't know about the straw theory. I'll ask next time. ←Baseball BugsWhat's up, Doc?carrots→ 10:13, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
You can make your own soda where you can control the sugar content. Or you can forgo soda for awhile and just drink homemade juice. 24.189.90.68 (talk) 02:12, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
(Err, juice is not sugar-free, at all. And some juices—orange in particular—are acidic enough to cause enamel erosion.) --Mr.98 (talk) 04:16, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
If you want fizz with no sugar, there's always Perrier water or club soda, or other waters with or without flavorings. PhGustaf (talk) 06:51, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
If you want a sugar-free soft drink that doesn't taste diet, may I suggest Fresca, the grapefruit soda beloved by LBJ? It didn't used to be widely available in the Midwest but it might be more widespread now. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 08:02, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
As others have mentioned, if you want sugar-free soda pop, look for ones labeled "diet" or "sugar free". If you're concerned about acid, there's been a few studies about that, e.g. [13]. (found with the Google search "acid content soda")-- 174.31.197.90 (talk) 16:05, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
If you don't want a diet/sugar-free (soda) pop, consider ginger ale. A 355 ml (12 US fl. oz) can has 120 Cal, vs 150-160 for colas and more for some other drinks (your Mountain Dew has 186 Cal). Since the calories in a can of pop (always clearly listed on the side of the can) will all come from sugar, you can figure out the amount of sugar (in grams) by dividing (kilo)calories by 4. Like Buddy431, I've also heard that drinking pop with a straw is better for your teeth as the drink essentially bypasses your teeth. A-ha! A study says this may be true!. -- Flyguy649talk 16:40, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
February 23
fitness
Hi, I'm an indian 22 years old , height 5 feet 5 , weight 68 kg . I want six pac abs ,
what should me my exercise chat and eating chart ?pls suggest me .Supriyochowdhury (talk) 06:10, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
We have no way of knowing your present state of health so cannot give specific fitness advice. That said, these articles should be of help.
Abdominal exercise, which also has a large collection of links at the bottom of the page, and
And we recommend asking your Doctor about it all as well. A specialist such as a dietician would be even better. Steewi (talk) 05:08, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Mentor concerns
I'm partaking in a mentorship program at college. The program assigned me a mentee at the beginning of January. The minimum requirement as a mentor is to send the mentee at least one email every week to keep in touch and meet face-to-face at least twice every month. I haven't done any of these, except that I only sent a canned, welcome email to the mentee after being matched with him in the beginning of January. The mentee replied to that email, saying he is looking forward to meeting me soon. Since then, I've not sent him a single email, nor have we met face-to-face. I don't even know what he looks like. In three weeks, I need to submit a mid-term report as a mentor, reporting my interaction with the mentee so far. We're already going into 6th week of the semester, but before it's even more late, I want to initiate contact with and meet my mentee and start fulfilling my role as a mentor. But how should I do that? What should I say to my mentee about leaving him unattended for this long and suddenly starting to fulfill my role as a mentor? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.68.120.162 (talk) 06:43, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I think that since you failed to fulfill your side of the program, you need to notify the people who run the program of exactly what happened. Your intended mentee hopefully already has. Maybe you can try again next semester. Comet Tuttle (talk) 07:04, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
The IP posed the same question at the Humanities desk, and rubbed out another editor's response[14] which presumably hit a little too close to home. ←Baseball BugsWhat's up, Doc?carrots→ 11:19, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
...and I left a reply on the OP's talk page after the previous effort was deleted causing me an edit conflict. Astronaut (talk) 12:02, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
...I also replied at OP's talk page that is now the place for this thread, not here.
Comet's original answer here is nicely worded and is the best the ref desk can likely do with this. ←Baseball BugsWhat's up, Doc?carrots→ 14:50, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Candy in 1880s
For a story, I need to know what kind of candy was available in 1886 in Wisconsin.
I'm particularly interested in candy that has wrappers (if that was even done back then).
Can anyone point me to a good source of information? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 131.211.211.202 (talk) 13:44, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Taffy was around in the early 1800s so it could have been available. Probably wrapped in something like wax paper since plastics would be unavailable. Candy canes were around then, so one would assume that other hard candies would also be available. I would be surprised if they were individually wrapped though. Googlemeister (talk) 14:02, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Chocolate would possibly have been wrapped - especially expensive ones. Rmhermen (talk) 14:12, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Not sure about Wisconsin, but in the UK, most candy came from the factory in large glass jars and would be weighed out at the counter[15]. This continued until quite recently, and can still be found in a few specialist stores here. The shopkeeper would weigh out the sweets (a "quarter" eg 4oz was the usual order) and wrap them in a sheet of paper, making a sort of cone closed with a twist called a "poke". Larger sweets like gobstoppers were sold and priced individually, but often came in jars too[16]. I have seen decorative tin boxes from the 19th century which originally contained toffee, but I think these were bought as presents rather than for day-to-day consumption. Alansplodge (talk) 15:30, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Here is an 1888 article on candy manufacture. There was "stick" candy, lemon drops, and "musk lozenges(!)." There was what sounds like peanut brittle:"peanut or molasses candy." There were gumdrops. Thre was clear candy, colored candy, and striped candy sticks or canes. There were cough drops, cream bonbons, drops filled with wine or liquor,and sugar coated nuts. Some French confectioners sold candy colored with poisonous coatings including red lead, umber, and sienna, but reputable confectioners used vegetable dyes. An 1886 Harper's article focuses on sugar production and U.S. candy making. Page 94 and following discusses similar issues. It also noted the dangers of mineral colors, and counseled avoiding the green and blue candies. An 1890 article notes the dangers of vermilion pigment, made from mercury, in red candy, and yellow and orage coloring made form chromate of lead, and green coloring based on copper compounds. White candy might be adulterated with clay or plaster. Authors in the 1880s thought that glucose or "corn sugar" in candy was dangerous, just like clay or arsenical compounds. A U.S. government analysis of adulterants in candy conveniently provides a long listing of candy types available for purchase in 1889. In addition to canmdies listed above, there were jelly beans, candy eggs, candy marbles, limejuice bonbons, marshmallows, jaw breakers, taffy, horehound sticks, "motto hearts (Valentine candy?)," strawberry creams,, cinnamon sticks, and marshmallow banana candy. Edison (talk) 18:33, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
The Confectionery article has a link at the bottom of the page to a textbook written in 1865, which may give a few clues about what could in theory have been available. Didnt people eat maple syrup and snow, or was that just Canada? 00:26, 24 February 2010 (UTC)92.29.57.43 (talk)
Thanks for the tips. If anyone has more information, please do share. I can't have too much. :) - 131.211.211.202 (talk) 10:25, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Here is a history of a Milwaukee candy company founded in 1861. Also, the Jelly Belly company was originally Goelitz Candy Company, founded in 1869; they'd be fun to mention. --jpgordon::==(o) 16:40, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
What are some not astoundingly difficult yet very un-copyable routes to financial success?
Making something new doesn't seem sufficiently un-copyable despite the existence of patents, because people can find workarounds or litigate you into the ground. Any job for which there is a very limited pool of qualified applicants, while good for those applicants, is bound to be so because the obtaining of those qualifications itself is only possible with great ability and/or resources. And sadly just winning the lottery is outside anyone's locus of control. What then? 20.137.18.50 (talk) 16:23, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
If we knew an easy to way to get rich that only one person could use, don't you think we would use it ourselves rather than tell you? --Tango (talk) 16:28, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Is the OP the same one who asked how he could get a nice and easy yet high-paying job? In any case, you're right, if we were wealthy, we wouldn't be writing on wikipedia, we could be owning it. There are many books out there about how to get rich just like the author did. Before buying any of them, though, keep in mind a couple of Dogbert principles. One is that people who get others to buy books typically get lots of money; and also, "Beware the advice of successful people - they do not seek company." ←Baseball BugsWhat's up, Doc?carrots→ 16:33, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I disagree that wealthy people wouldn't volunteer on Wikipedia, there are plenty of wealthy people around (they don't make a big deal out of the fact, since it is irrelevant, of course). The issue is the "un-copyable" bit. If I knew a get-rich-quick scheme that actually worked, I might well share it, but if sharing it would stop it working for me, I almost certainly wouldn't. --Tango (talk) 16:36, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Yah. One thing about wealthy people is that they get to retire, often quite early. Retired people get to indulge themselves in hobbies, and Wikipedia is a more useful hobby than many. --jpgordon::==(o) 16:46, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I see this question is right down the same alley as the one just a little further up the page. I consent to the deletion of my question.20.137.18.50 (talk) 16:37, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Too bad; questions don't really get deleted because they're dupes. By the way, I contest the claim that patents are somehow not enforceable because of "workarounds". Can you cite an example of what you're talking about? Patents are litigated all the time and many individuals and companies owe their fortunes to patents. If they were so limp and ineffectual of a protection mechanism, I don't think you'd see companies abusing the system as much as they do. Comet Tuttle (talk) 17:56, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
If it's up to the inventor to sue infringers and a non-rich person comes up with an invention and scrapes together the funds to get a patent, what's really to stop a huge corporation from essentially infringing on it while putting forth a tsunami of words from an army of lawyers saying they're not, knowing that the small inventor's resources will be exhausted long before any judgment and umpteen appeals by the megacorp were heard?20.137.18.50 (talk) 18:27, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
This is indeed a concern, and it is the reason that there are law firms in the United States that work on contingency, meaning the poor inventor and the law firm agree that the inventor pays the law firm little or nothing up front, and then the law firm gets paid a percentage of the judgment if successful. This link claims it's usually 20% to 50%, which is quite a range. The law firm takes care of the bewildering tsunami of motions for summary judgment and the umpteen appeals. The large percentage guarantees the law firm will do their very best to try to win. I'd love to see any data out there, if anyone has a link, discussing the success rate of patent cases taken on contingency. Comet Tuttle (talk) 20:20, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
The more common criticism of patents is that they are too strong and too easy to get, and thus larger firms are encouraged to carpet-bomb a field with patent applications, enter into patent trusts, and things of this nature, which greatly benefit the larger corporations and existing players. (See, e.g., Jaffe and Lerner, Innovation and its Discontents.) Personally I think one should focus on coming up with a good idea, first, before worrying about the possibility of how one will turn it into a good business model. If you can do the first, your chances of doing the second are not too bad. If you can't do the first then there is no point worrying about it. --Mr.98 (talk) 23:17, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
My career advice to one with the OP's mindset is to become a corporate lawyer. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 18:57, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
The inventor of the pet rock comes to mind. Googlemeister (talk) 19:22, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I suggest that you win the Powerball. It will require very little investment and almost no effort. Afterward many people will try to copy you, but only a minuscule percentage of them will succeed. APL (talk) 19:23, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Businesses or people that make big profits over many years all have some barrier to entry that stops others imitating them and diluting their profits. So consider what you can do more easily than others. 89.241.153.57 (talk) 20:12, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I have a good one I'm using now. But unfortunately it's uncopyable, so it won't be any use to you. DJ Clayworth (talk) 21:12, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
The 'easy' way to make money is to have a very long time-frame. For example buy a house(s) with a mortgage - twenty or thirty years later the mortgage will have been paid off and you will fully own it. 92.29.57.43 (talk) 00:31, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Of course, if you take 20-30 years to pay it off, you would have paid at least 2x what the original price was in interest. Googlemeister (talk) 14:24, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I've made a lot of money out of that attitude. 92.27.144.212 (talk) 23:32, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Perhaps he hasn't watched the news for two years thinks real estate prices are just going to keep going up forever! This bubble will never burst! APL (talk) 17:47, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Well, then, buy my house for 2x what I paid for it to prove to me that your method works :) Googlemeister (talk) 16:11, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
If you bought it long enough ago, then yes please! One house I owned for a few years long ago was recently sold for more than ten times what I had paid for it. 78.147.93.182 (talk) 20:44, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Is that real value or nominal value? --Tango (talk) 21:21, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
The price would have been nominal value, but the deposit money I had invested in it would, if I'd kept it, have grown by more than that in real value. Cannot be bothered to do the exact calculations. 84.13.26.33 (talk) 00:10, 27 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Marrying a rich person...hotclaws 18:01, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Preparing for an eating contest.
Hey everyone. I just challenged another guy in my office to a pancake-eating contest to be held one week from today. How can I best prepare myself and my stomach to ensure the best chance at consuming the largest amount of pancakes? I'm in relatively good shape; six feet and one-sixty. However, my eating-contest experience is limited to late nights at Del Taco, back in high school, and I was looking for some advice. Should I fast beforehand, or eat to expand my stomach? Will lactase or other supplements help? Should I eat them with or without syrup? I'm not above laxatives or purging— office bragging rights are on the line here. Thanks! AlexHOUSE (talk) 17:02, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Wikipedia of course has some handy hints for you. See also Sonya Thomas; being big isn't necessarily an advantage. PhGustaf (talk) 17:19, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
That section was actually the first place I looked before posting this question. The part about drinking water to stretch the stomach, I somehow missed. On that note, I've also searched the archives a little more and the only help I've found is to eat empty carbs the day before— a little trick we used to do back in water polo (which, you know, has everything to do with competitive eating).AlexHOUSE (talk) 17:42, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Actually, butter and syrup might lubricate the flapjacks enough to make them easier to swallow. As suggested above, be sure that someone in attendance is capable of handling emergencies. PhGustaf (talk) 21:44, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I understand that the Guinness Book of Records refuses to include eating contests because of the health danger. I've advise competing at an athletic task instead. 92.29.57.43 (talk) 00:18, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Knife throwing is not an athletic sport, using the definition of "athletic" used by normal British people. 89.242.101.23 (talk) 12:38, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
health
Question removed because, predictably, some people can't help themselves FiggyBee (talk) 23:28, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Hey, here's an idea: when a first-time poster with a medical concern asks a question, let's tell them "not to worry about it" and make fun of their english... FiggyBee (talk) 23:28, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
We have a medical disclaimer for good reasons, one of which is to discourage so-called advice from non-experts like "don't worry about it". Astronaut (talk) 05:23, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Training your biceps without doing pull-ups or chin-ups
Is it possible to train your biceps with your body-weight and without using a bar? Specially for people who sometimes don't have access to a bar, what are the alternatives?Non Zero-sum Ed (talk) 17:41, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Lots of possibilities, for example, a door-frame for pull-ups, press-ups need no equipment, containers full of water can replace dumb bells, etc. You don't need expensive equipment or a gymnasium. Dbfirs 19:26, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
The usual biceps-specific exercise is the curl. It can be done with dumbbells (hush, Bugs) or any handy heavy objects. Pushups do little for the biceps. PhGustaf (talk) 19:41, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
jumping inside a plane
If i was flying inside a plane and i decided to jump up would i land on the same spot? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Starwars31 (talk • contribs) 17:56, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Assuming the plane was travelling in a straight line and constant speed and constant altitude, yes. Galilean relativity is enough to ensure that. The one exception would be if you were standing on the wing, or something, where the air would push you backwards (the air inside the place is moving with the plane). --Tango (talk) 17:59, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Provided the plane is flying at a constant velocity (not accelerating, not banking, not yawing) you will land on the same spot in the plane. If the plane happens to be accelerating like this then don't expect to come down in the plane at all...for a while. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 18:42, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Jumping in a moving boat
Why do I land in the same spot when i land if the boat is moving?Accdude92 (talk to me!) 18:04, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Why do you land in the same spot on the moving Earth if you jump on land? —Tamfang (talk) 18:15, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
These are two slightly different situations. If you are on the deck of a boat, the air is not necessarily moving at the same speed as you, so in this case you won't. Non Zero-sum Ed (talk) 18:33, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
(ec) Actually, if you are standing on an open deck of the boat when you jump, you are likely to land very slightly farther aft and perhaps to the side on the boat than you were when you jumped up from the deck. The reason for that is air resistance and the uneven motion of the boat due to swells, waves, and wind gusts. If you are in an enclosed cabin on the boat, the boat's uneven motion is also likely to make you land in a slightly different spot, but not as much so as on an open deck, because the air in the cabin will be moving along with the boat, whereas the air on an open deck offers resistance to the boat's movement. The reason why you don't land much farther aft on the boat, or in the water behind the boat, is, as Tamfang suggests, the same reason why you land in the same spot on Earth if you jump: Earth's movement gives you momentum when you jump, and the air offers little or no resistance that would slow you down, since the atmosphere moves with Earth's surface and is not displaced by Earth's movement through space. That said, even when you jump on Earth, you are likely to land in a slightly different spot because it is difficult to jump perfectly vertically, and you are likely to have a small horizontal momentum when you jump. Even if you could jump perfectly vertically, air movement would offer enough resistance that you would move horizontally an infinitesimal distance. Also, microseism would result in infinitesimal uneven movement that would shift the Earth's surface such that you would not land in precisely the same position as you were when you jumped. Marco polo (talk) 18:37, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
(ec)The boat could also be rocking in the waves, so if you jump up you would land at a different spot. In fact, if you jump from a spot on the earth, if there's a sufficient strong wind you could end up in a different spot. In either case, if you're inside with the windows closed, that should take away the wind factor. Then you should land in the same spot, assuming you actually jumped vertically relative to the floor, and assuming the boat is not rocking and that an earthquake doesn't happen at that very moment. ←Baseball BugsWhat's up, Doc?carrots→ 18:38, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
If the boat is accelerating, you will also not land in the same location as one moving at constant velocity. Googlemeister (talk) 19:18, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
More importantly, you will only land in approximately the same spot if the boat is moving at constant speed in a straight line. If it is accelerating, you will land further aft. If it is slowing down, you will land further forard. If the boat is turning, you will go off at a tangent, and will land to the outer side of the curve (or even off the side of the boat for a tight turn). Dbfirs 19:19, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, just like with the airplane question. The more traditional version of this question had to do with riding on a train traveling a constant speed, and dropping a ball. To the rider, it appears to drop straight down. To the observer, it describes a parabolic arc respective to the earth. ←Baseball BugsWhat's up, Doc?carrots→ 19:23, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Here's one for you, Accdude92. If you were asleep in an silent elevator and woke up while it was in the middle of a free fall, how would you know (before it landed) that it wasn't standing still? Or: If you were in a windowless spaceship traveling at constant speed toward the sun, but its diabolical pilot would steer clear only if you could prove the ship wasn't standing still ... how could you avoid a fiery death?
By the way (see free fall) "the gravitational and the inertial mass of any object are the same."—Preceding unsigned comment added by 63.17.89.64 (talk) 01:31, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
On my planet an elevator looks like one of these and Accdude92 would notice whether it was in free fall. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 22:15, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I recommend trying this experiment. Next time you are in the car, try to flip and catch a coin. Its pretty easy, right? Just like when your at home standing still. Even relatively minor accelerations, you tend to instinctively compensate for so that you easily catch the coin; unless the acceleration/deceleration occurs while the coin is in the air. So, try flipping a coin while on the open road, and compare the results to two other situations: flipping while the car is decelerating or accelerating and flipping a split second before the car is about to accelerate or decelerate. You'll find that, in the third situation, the coin appears to "take off" in the opposite direction from which the car is changing speeds. That;s because, when you aren't in contact with the coin, it retains the same relative velocity that it had when you flipped it. If the car changes its velocity while the coin is in the air, the coin keeps going at the old speed, but the car isn't going at that speed anymore. --Jayron32 06:59, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I recommend only trying Jayron's experiments while someone else (who isn't easily distracted by being hit on the nose by errant coins) is doing the driving! FiggyBee (talk) 07:09, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Can you disable the 2006 Toyota Scion ignition key security chip?
Is there anyway to disable or get around the so called security feature on the Scion cars that have a chip in the key itself which must match the programed chip in the vehicle in order for it to start? A new key will cost about $250 and then another $150 to "program" it...ridiculous! Thanks! —Preceding unsigned comment added by Ajax69 (talk • contribs) 18:53, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Almost certainly not. The whole point is to prevent thieves from "getting around" or "disabling" this feature so they can steal the car. One solution I've heard of that worked (but it wasn't a Scion) was to go to a junkyard, find a wrecked car of the exact same type and to buy both the key(s) AND the on-board computer and replace both in your car. The car's computer is what keeps track of the key information - so swapping both should allow you to continue to drive your car. This would certainly cause "interesting" questions to be asked the next time you visit your Scion dealership though - they typically use key codes to track service histories and such and would be surprised to find the VIN not matching. The donor car would have to be pretty much identical though - especially, it would need the same engine type and might even require matching accessories if they are electronic things like Sat Nav. Doing that might also throw up some "issues" if your car is still under warranty or something. $400 to replace a key is daylight robbery though...especially on a budget car like a Scion. You could also ask the dealership whether you could buy a used key from the scrapyard and have the dealership charge you just the $150 reprogramming fee. Again, it may be that this isn't possible on Scions - but I don't know either way. Have you tried calling around other Scion dealerships to see if they'll do it for less? SteveBaker (talk) 02:18, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
And I thought €95 to replace a key of a Renault was daylight robbery! Astronaut (talk) 05:11, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Do you have the master key? There are sometimes arcane procedures that allow a new key to be programmed by the owner. See this thread for example.--Frumpo (talk) 18:29, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
That thread also says that a locksmith may be able to make you a duplicate key from a master key. However, none of these things will help if you don't have a working the master key. The entire point of car security is to make the car impossible to steal without the key - and only the dealership will be able to fix that (which is how they can get away with charging such a crazy amount of money for such a quick and easy service). Incidentally - if you bought this car used with just one key - you might have a careful look around underneath the car and inside the wheel wells just in case the previous owner put a spare key in one of those "Hide A Key" things...you might get lucky. SteveBaker (talk) 04:53, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
"No part of this publication may be reproduced" - question about quoting and paraphrasing
If a book says "No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the written permission of [publisher]" does this mean I'm not allowed to quote or paraphrase at all in a university essay?
I've wondered this before but since I am in my third year, I should probably ask - I really wouldn't want to have any plagiarism offences. If it's not allowed, I imagine this happens a lot as not every student or even tutors would "pay attention" to this sort of thing...plus they've never mentioned anything about it; only how to reference properly and how to avoid plagiarising. Staceytalk to me
We can't give legal advice. You may find out article on fair use interesting, though. --Tango (talk) 19:49, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
You may also want to have a look at our article on copyfraud. decltype (talk) 19:58, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Sigh — we really aren't supposed to give legal advice, for the ethical reasons: suppose we say "It's fine, do it" and then you get sued for US$200 million? But I, too, recommend the topics recommended by Tango, Algebraist, and Decltype. Comet Tuttle (talk) 20:24, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
It's not uncommon for copyright holders to make claims about what a third party "can't do" that in fact have no basis in law. If you are American, familiarize yourself with fair use. If not American, then fair dealing is probably more relevant, but you should look up your local statutes. As far as I know, every jurisdiction provides for limited exceptions to copyright in the case of teaching and academic scholarship. Also, as Algebraist notes, plagiarism is different from copyright infringement. In order to avoid plagiarism you also need to identify when you are using other people's thoughts and ideas even if you aren't copying their words directly. Dragons flight (talk) 20:27, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Your university library probably has a handout on fair use if you ask them about it. The general rule of thumb in the U.S. is that short quotes are perfectly fine for the purpose of papers written for university assignments. If you are going to publish it more widely, then sometimes more detailed legal advice is necessary, but even then, if it is just for academic use, and the length of material used is small relative to the total body of the work, is not really a problem. The problem here is not plagiarism, but copyright infringement. (You can easily avoid plagiarism by just citing whatever you are using. Copyright infringement is the more problematic area, because good citation doesn't get you out of it.) I say this as someone who works in a university context, but not as a lawyer. The warnings put inside the front jackets are usually far more expansive than copyright law actually permits them to be (they claim more rights than they have). --Mr.98 (talk) 21:41, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
It's only plagiarism if you make it seem like you wrote it. If you put it in quotation marks - perhaps indent it, maybe put it italics - and give a clear attribution as to who wrote or said this - then that's definitely not plagiarism. However, depending on the (complicated, vague, ikky) "fair use" law, this might (or might not) still be a copyright violation. We aren't allowed to give legal advice - so check the fair use laws, and if possible get guidance on this point from your tutor or some other authority at the university. SteveBaker (talk) 02:05, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
It's of note that if you are in the U.S., the only country that has "fair use" per se, there are not clear "fair use laws," just a very vague law and a contradictory set of case law. Nevertheless there is a lot written about good guidelines for academics and copyright law. Most university libraries these days seem to have tried to communicate what they think are "safe" guidelines—which are necessarily conservative. E.g. [17][18][19]. The general gist of all of these is, "don't copy too much (as measured by a used percentage of a total work) and you'll be OK as long as you aren't trying to make money off of it. If you are trying to make money off of it, then you probably need to consult someone who knows more about this. Even if you aren't trying to make money off of it there are specific situations in which you might run into trouble, but if you are just writing a term paper that nobody but you and the professor will see, then it is unlikely to be a problem." --Mr.98 (talk) 02:50, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
You can show that you are paraphrasing and not just copying by breaking text with elipses like this example:
"Nevertheless...university libraries...tried to communicate...guidelines." from Wikipedia Mr.98.
that I hope won't bring me a complaint from Mr.98's copyright lawyer. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 21:57, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Sorry, but I'm going to sue you for a billion trillion dollars. But you can make it a lot easier on yourself and we can settle for $20, under the table. Sound good? Consider how much you'll save in time and legal fees this way. It's win-win, really. --Mr.98 (talk) 05:28, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
reliable source
Can someone point to me where it says a reliable source has to be neutral and not biased? 199.8.158.111 (talk) 21:19, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I don't believe that's true. A Wikipedia article should be neutral and not biased, but often times that requires presenting multiple points of view, each of which may be (or more likely have to be) sourced individually. In any event, it sounds like you may be bringing us into the middle of a content disagreement, and this really isn't the place for that. --LarryMac | Talk 21:47, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I agree with LarryMac. (If the original poster's posited rule were correct, we couldn't use any US government sources for our articles on, say, the Vietnam War.) That said, WP:RELIABLE is the guideline page on how to identify reliable sources. Comet Tuttle (talk) 23:07, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
And note as well that neutral and objective are not the same thing. You can be perfectly objective and come to a definite conclusion on something. For many topics, the most reliable sources are not going to be neutral in their conclusions. --Mr.98 (talk) 01:49, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Indeed - we should maintain a neutral stance - but that doesn't mean that we can't refer to reliable-but-biassed sources from all sides of an issue. I'm not sure why this question is being asked - but I can't help noticing that the IP account being used by our OP has twice been used to vandalize articles - and the IP address that was used by this user to post an earlier question (199.8.158.109) has also been used for putting garbage into an article. In all three cases, on the same day as questions were asked here. Perhaps our questioner would like to explain this extremely antisocial behavior? SteveBaker (talk) 01:57, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
He's either bipolar or the IP address is shared. 24.189.90.68 (talk) 04:21, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Any suggestions? Looking for websites without a lot of color or flashing things so I won't attract attention from those around me (that's why i love Wiki so much). --Reticuli88 (talk) 14:34, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
HotJobs.com isn't too flashy. Maybe try finding something you'd rather do? –Kerαunoςcopia◁galaxies 14:38, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
This site [20] has news stories with the option to place comments. Some of the discussions get quite funny. cheers, 10draftsdeep (talk) 16:29, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Try wikipedia and use the random article link. -- SGBailey (talk) 16:31, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Might not be a great idea to go with the random article at work, because some wikipedia articles are not work safe. Googlemeister (talk) 17:19, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Gabbe, yours was the best suggestion. new obession! --Reticuli88 (talk) 14:36, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I often enjoy reading The Onion if I get bored at work. Astronaut (talk) 17:38, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Category:Webcomics - although some might be a bit too garish with regards to their colour scheme. Fmylife is pretty plain, but it won't last you long. Vimescarrot (talk) 18:10, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Please open me, especially Reticuli88! (unless you're epiletic)
haha! I opened it from home but funny! --Reticuli88 (talk) 14:35, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I personally like the SomethingAwful forums, as they have modestly-interesting content streaming in minute-to-minute. But if you are not in the 25-40 range, and male, it will probably not appeal to you in the slightest. Vranak (talk) 04:12, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I check out easter eggs from video games, movies and books on sites like eeggs.com when I'm bored. Chevymontecarlo. 16:49, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Pronunciation of 'Ketel' in Ketel One vodka
What is the correct pronunciation of 'Ketel' in Ketel One vodka? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Seedy1919 (talk • contribs) 18:59, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
The way I've heard it (US English) is like the word kettle and rhyming with 'metal'. Dismas|(talk) 21:25, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Enriched high gluten flour
What is the difference between whole grain wheat flour (as used in bagels and breads) and enriched high gluten flour. I am a weight watcher and interested in this information for dietary purposes.99.188.206.184 (talk) 19:39, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Whole grain wheat flour is flour made from all parts of a wheat kernel, including the bran and germ. The bran and germ contain many nutrients absent from the endosperm, the main body of the wheat kernel. Whole grain flour contains more fiber, vitamins, and fatty acids than white or refined flour. The added nutrients could be helpful if you are watching your weight, because eating them will nourish you better and leave you feeling fuller than the relatively starchier refined flours, so that you won't get hungry as quickly. High-gluten flour is flour enriched with gluten, the main protein component of the endosperm. It has a higher ratio of protein to starch than ordinary refined flours, but it is a refined flour (unless it is a gluten-enriched whole-grain flour), so it is lacking the fiber, vitamins, and fatty acids of whole-grain flour. Since it has a higher ratio of protein to starch than ordinary refined flour, enriched high-gluten flour will also leave you feeling fuller and more nourished and less hungry than ordinary refined flour. However, it is missing the vitamins and fiber of whole-rain flour. Most people in developed countries such as the United States get more protein in their diet than they need, so you may not really need the added protein of gluten-enriched flour. However, if you don't care for whole-grain flour, gluten-enriched flour is a better weight-loss option than plain refined (white) flour. Otherwise, I would aim for whole-grain flours, as they are more nutritious all-round. Marco polo (talk) 21:40, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Given that whole-grain can be difficult to make into a nice loaf by itself, I'd recommend a flour that has the germ but not all the bran, if you can get it. Failing that, a mix of whole-grain and white flours, both strong (bread) flours of course, will be easier to make into a tasty loaf - I'd probably go for 50/50, but experiment! (Disclaimer: I've recently started baking bread, having read Elizabeth David's excellent book, English Bread and Yeast Cookery. I've been blown away by how easy it is to make tasty bread for very little money or effort) 86.177.121.239 (talk) 22:09, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Wholemeal bread is if anything more popular than white bread in supermarkets, and my bread-machine has a wholemeal setting and recipes, so I find your first sentance difficult to believe. If you are on a diet then adding wheat bran to things helps you feel full. Wheat germ is something different. "Enriched high gluten flour" sounds like an advertising gimmick. 78.151.155.128 (talk) 01:44, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
oldest olympic medal winner
Who is the oldest olympic medal winner in the modern games, summer, winter, men and women? Googlemeister (talk) 20:07, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Quick googlemeistering (for "oldest olympic medal winner", as it happens) finds this:
It is generally believed to be Swedish shooter Oscar Swahn, who won the last of his 6 Olympic medal (a Silver in the Running Deer, Double Shot Team event) on 26 July 1920 at Antwerp. He was 72 years and 280 days old. Swahn died seven years later.
However, there is one "competitor" who was even older than Swahn. In 1948 the Olympic Arts Contests were held for the last time. British graphic artist John Copley was awarded the Silver medal for his design "Polo Player" just about a month before his 74th birthday. He died two years later.
So, take your pick. — Lomn 20:38, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
(ec) :I'm sure there are people still alive who won medals at the 1936 Games. They'd be in their 90s now. Or did you mean oldest at the time they won their medal? -- Jack of Oz ... speak! ... 20:39, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I mean oldest at time of medal award. Looks like the Swahn guy is the oldest male summer medalwinner. How about female summer, and winter? Googlemeister (talk) 21:25, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Winter Games: Oldest Olympic gold medalist: 48 years 357 days, Jay O'Brien (USA, Four-Man Bobsled, 1932), Oldest Olympic gold medalist (Women): 39 years 354 days, Raisa Smetanina (EUN, 4x5-Kilometer Relay, Nordic Skiing, 1992) Rimush (talk) 22:18, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I'd check your sources for those. In the 2006 Winter Games, I remember that the Canadian curling team had a relatively mature team member. Russ Howard turned 50 a few days before his team took the gold in men's curling. Howard's article goes on to note that even he wasn't the oldest to medal in the sport — Robin Welsh (of Scotland) picked up a gold in curling in the 1924 Games at more than 54 years of age. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 22:40, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
The former medalist who is currently oldest appears to be Joaquim Fiúza. The surviving athlete who won their medal longest ago is Clara Marangoni, who won silver in 1928. User:Canadian Paul/Olympics is a useful list showing other competitors who may still be alive. Warofdreamstalk 23:30, 24 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Not a medalist, but the Walter Walsh article is fascinating. Woogee (talk) 00:43, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Actually, he is a medalist. Dismas|(talk) 04:53, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Not an Olympic medalist. Woogee (talk) 05:11, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
George "Methuselah" Gobelovich, who won the long-in-the-tooth jump at the age of 103. ←Baseball BugsWhat's up, Doc?carrots→ 01:38, 25 February 2010 (UTC) [reply]
Percentage of small, medium and large law firms in the United States
What is the approximate percentage of small law firms (10 or fewer attorneys), medium law firms (11 - 99 attorneys) and large law firms (100+ attorneys) in the United States?
74.215.53.6 (talk) 01:31, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
As in a breakup of where attorneys work? I would guess that the majority of attorneys work at firms of less than 50 lawyers, but that's pure speculation. This might be a place to start. Shadowjams (talk) 05:00, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I don't know, but finding out might be a huge task. When I looked in a US yellow pages, there were nearly 200 pages of listings for lawyers, attorney's at law, law firms, etc.! Astronaut (talk) 02:27, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
What happens when you take a number to the power of i? (i being ). —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.229.232.203 (talk) 03:26, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
What happens is that you get a complex number that is a periodic function of your number. This is because, as the link Anonymous gave explains, the result is evaluated using cosine and sine functions that are both periodic functions of their variable. Viewed as a vector on the complex plane, the result lies within a circle radius=1. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 15:43, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
xkcd has a good take on this[21]. PhGustaf (talk) 17:33, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
what flag is this??
recently i came across a flag.I will describe it here. shield shaped.Blue background. sailing ship with three line of water shown in white on one half(left side) and a shining light house in white on the other half(right side). whose flag or emblem is this??? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 117.193.146.200 (talk) 15:17, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Where were/are you? I don't believe any national flag fits that description, so it may be specific to your locale. - Jarry1250[Humorous?Discuss.] 15:32, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Possibly the flag of a shipping line. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 15:45, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
also it has got something to do with ireland and britain —Preceding unsigned comment added by 117.193.145.17 (talk) 16:09, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
In the same way that Woody Allen is a British/Irish Civil Engineer?--Frumpo (talk) 14:40, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Picking up on Jarry1250's point, a lot of counties or councils in the UK have flags or coats-of-arms, generally styled around something to do with the county. Take for example the Suffolk coat of arms harking back to Ipswich's port days, or similarly that of Essex, whose seaxes represent the fact that it was colonised by Saxons after the Roman withdrawal from Britain. I think this narrows down our search to counties or cities on the coast, near a lighthouse, but I could very easily be wrong since I'm no vexillologist. Brammers (talk) 16:37, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I though it might have been this but there's no lighthouse on it. DJ Clayworth (talk) 16:59, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
"Shield-shaped" sounds like a coat of arms and not a flag. Basically, it's like the base of this on the left, and the right of this on the right? - Jarry1250[Humorous?Discuss.] 21:26, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I've been having a fun time looking for this one, to no avail. --jpgordon::==(o) 03:31, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
It reminds me of Portsmouth FC 's badge.I wonder of it is a football/rugby club?..hotclaws 18:07, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Aloe Vera
Does applying Aloe Vera on the face decrease the blemishes and marks and prevents acne?? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 119.235.54.67 (talk) 18:48, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Perhaps, but if you can find good-quality Aloe Vera juice from a local Chinese grocer, drinking it may have a similar effect, with the added bonus of tasting amazing. Vranak (talk) 18:56, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
:Well I don't know about "tasting amazing"... makes me gag! --TammyMoet (talk) 20:28, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
It may be a freshness issue. Vranak (talk) 22:54, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Vranak, please refrain from wild, misleading, and foolish speculations. There is no evidence that aloe vera is good for acne, much less than drinking the juice would have any such effects on the skin. There is some evidence that aloe vera is good for skin care in general and for burns and maybe for wounds (see Aloe_vera#Medicinal_uses). The juice is used for heartburn and irritable bowel syndrome and that's it. --Mr.98 (talk) 04:20, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
So you are saying that topical application is a wiser treatment than direct incorporation (digestion)? Very well then! But it is a good idea to practice good health from the intestines outwards, not from the skin inward. Vranak (talk) 17:50, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Puerto Rico
How accurate is it that a law was passed in December of 2009 stating that in July of 2010 Puerto Ricans must apply for a new birth certificate? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.10.238.80 (talk) 19:07, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I googled puerto rico new birth certificate and this link, along with many others, seems to say, astonishingly, that it appears to be true. The new certificates are only available after July 1. The government of Puerto Rico apparently passed a law invalidating the old birth certificates, for identity theft reasons. Comet Tuttle (talk) 21:26, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Can you procrastinate procrastinating? If you do so, then you're not actually procrastinating something now, but only later. But that means you're actually procrastinating something now. Does this lead to a contradiction?
If this question is not suitable for the Reference Desk it can be removed. JIP | Talk 20:19, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
This question is completely unsuitable. I'll remove it later. --Tango (talk) 21:22, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I'll start procrastinating when I get around to it. PhGustaf (talk) 21:25, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
No, you can't procrastinate procrastinating, because there would be no way of distinguishing the procrastination from the procrastination of the procrastination. Bus stop (talk) 21:26, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Wouldn't procrastinating (putting off) your procrastination mean that you're doing whatever you intend to do without delay? Clarityfiend (talk) 23:48, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, it would. That is a good point. I hadn't thought of that. Then the answer is that you technically could procrastinate procrastinating. I stand corrected, and as you point out, one would do so by not procrastinating. Bus stop (talk) 23:59, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
well, I think you can, but you have to work very hard at it. --Ludwigs2 00:10, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I disagree - procrastinating means putting off (possibly indefinitely). If you were procrastinating about procrastinating, you couldn't get on and do the thing because then you've done it and thereby find yourself unable to procrastinate about it in the future. By getting on and doing the thing, you wouldn't be putting off the time when you'd be procrastinating - you'd merely not be procrastinating - which is not at all the same thing. I think the correct answer here is "no". SteveBaker (talk) 04:39, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I can think of one way. "Procrastinate" basically means "for tomorrow". If you procrastinate, you've decided to defer some task until tomorrow at the earliest. If you procrastinate about procrasinating, you could be deferring the decision, of whether or not to procrastinate about the task, until tomorrow at the earliest. ←Baseball BugsWhat's up, Doc?carrots→
I tried to do this once. But it wasn't pretty. I ended up looking at my own spleen from the inside. I decided I wouldn't do it again. --Jayron32 06:48, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
No no, I think what you're talking about is division by zero. Avoid that at all costs as well. TomorrowTime (talk) 08:11, 26 February 2010 (UTC) [reply]
Sorry, I just got around to reading this one. Am I too late to comment? DOR (HK) (talk) 08:37, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I think the answer can be found in those who aren't answering, but I would say the answer is yes. I'm going to give you an example later in hopes that someone who isn't answering will do it sooner. – Kerαunoςcopia◁galaxies 13:16, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
The Prime Minster went on holiday there a couple of years ago. He was the first guest they had. Is he the only guest they've had? It costs around £5000 a week, and this http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/avail.asp?home_id=62930 suggests they have zero bookings for 2010, and similarly for (what I assume is) their website which seemed to include odd blank pages on it. You heard it here first. 78.147.93.182 (talk) 21:30, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
This will go on your permanent record!
You know how when you're at school, the teachers are always saying, "This will go on your permanent record!" Well, how permanent are these permanent records? When I was at school (in England, in the nineties), the Special Needs department kept a quite detailed file on me, with my name on the front: I know because I often saw the Head of Special Needs filing things in it. I was never allowed to read it, and I don't think my parents were allowed to either. Thinking back on it, I'm dead curious as to what it might have said. Is it likely that if I contact the school or the county council that they a) might not have thrown it away, and b) would let me have a copy? The Wednesday Island (talk) 22:00, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Under the Data Protection Act 1998, you were/are entitled to look over any material that they held/hold about you. There are detailed instructions available at the UK government site for such matters – though if the school is acting responsibly, they should have destroyed your records if you've been gone more than a few years. ╟─TreasuryTag►draftsman─╢ 22:08, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
(ec) They would probably be obliged to share it with you if they still have it under the Data Protection Act. These kind of things are often disposed of after 10 years, or so, but I think that is up to individual schools. --Tango (talk) 22:08, 25 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
No, it actually does go on your permanent record, and everyone gets to see it anytime they want, except you. Everyone will always know that you blew it. DOR (HK) (talk) 08:39, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
The only reason they put stuff about your behaviour on your permanent record is so that the next school you move up to have an idea of what you are like. I guess a college or university would have access to this data when you move up too. Chevymontecarlo. 17:05, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
On the contrary, revealing any information to any other institution or organisation without the pupil's consent (a confidential reference would be at the pupil's request) would be illegal under the DPA. ╟─TreasuryTag►belonger─╢ 18:34, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
They might get that permission when you join the school - there are often things to sign. (It would be the parent's permission required for a minor, I think.) --Tango (talk) 18:36, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
If you can imagine how preposterous it would be for someone to hold your actions as a child against you past the age of 15, well, that's your answer. Not very permanent. They can record what they will, but if no one cares then they are sad fools. Almost as foolish as those who might care. Vranak (talk) 17:56, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Oh, I don't care whether anyone holds anything in the record against me *now*; I just want to know what it said for my own interest. They spent many hours interviewing me one to one and following me into lessons and so on, far more than they did for any of the other children in the class. I'd like to know what they thought they were looking for, you know? The Wednesday Island (talk) 18:02, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Well, there's no harm in asking them if they still have the records. The DPA allows them to charge a reasonable amount to cover the cost of finding and collating the information (usually about £10). --Tango (talk) 18:38, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Transcipts can be kept at the high school level for a couple decades at least in the Untied States, and another question months ago drew resopnses that some of these might be stored in an old box from 50 years earlier. I guess "permanent record" is somewhat different, from what others are saying (and you are describing).
But, that being said, another purpose for the record is that the school is not liable themselves. if someone was to come back and claim that you, as a person with special needs (from what I'm understanding in your post) were not helped properly, they can always come back and show that you were. I don't know British law on statutes of limitations, but that means that it's not only likely to be around a while, but they might be more than happy to show you for your own interest. Just to say, "See, we provided you with all the help we felt you needed, based on your situation."209.244.187.155 (talk) 20:39, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
February 26
Hyatt Hotels
What are the differences between a Park Hyatt and a Hyatt Regency? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 114.75.10.157 (talk) 01:13, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Unfortunately, our Hyatt article is not too helpful in that regard. However, two pages on Hyatt's website might clear things up for you: "Our Brands: Park Hyatt" and "Our Brands: Hyatt Regency". Of the two, and although I've not stayed at a Hyatt Regency, I get the impression that Park Hyatt is the more luxurious brand - certainly the Park Hyatt I stayed in was very luxurious. Comparing room rates in Washington DC, rooms at the Park Hyatt seems to cost around twice that of the Hyatt Regency. Astronaut (talk) 02:21, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
True Photo Quality at 72 ppi
Sorry if this is posted in the wrong area, but the mathematics section is a little too advanced for my comfort.
To bring the reader up to speed:
A 10 megapixel image would be 3872 pixels x 2592 pixels. (Multiply the two and you get 10.03)
The image is 300 pixels per inch
How large of a print can you make while retaining "true photo quality" (meaning pixels cannot be seen at a view inches): multiply each dimension by 300
3872/300 = 12.91 and 2592/300 = 8.64. The image can be printed 12.91" x 8.64" and look like a true "film" photograph.
But what if the image were 72 ppi (reduced for web, for example)? 72 divides into each dimension more than 300, obviously. So the result is 53.78" x 36".
This is the information I read on a website. Why on earth would someone print a 72ppi (low resolution) image larger? I understand that it can look "decent" at a greater distance, but my question would be: How large can you print it at 72 ppi and still retain "true photo quality", meaning the image would have to be printed smaller than the 300 ppi image. Is there an inverse equation to use instead? – Kerαunoςcopia◁galaxies 02:41, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
The pixel count does not change. Your output device will only be able to reproduce a certain number of pixels per inch. So we imagine our laser printer can print up to 300 ppi. What if we change the resolution to 72 ppi and print it out super large? Well we'll get an image that has pixels as big as your thumb print or something along those lines. Technically what you get on the output will still have 300 ppi—it'll just scale your pixels up. (So you won't get a few pixels spread out on the page—you'll get fat pixels.)
Substitute "true photo quality" with 300 ppi—that is all it means. (300ppi is not really "true photo quality." 300 ppi looks pretty good. It is not really as much resolution as a true photograph which can be much higher than that depending on the quality of the negative, paper, image itself. You can definitely tell the difference between a 300 ppi image and a good photographic print if you have good vision or slight magnification.) You can't print something at 72 ppi and have it appear like it is 300 ppi—that is a contradiction in the definition. If you make it output smaller but don't reduce the number of pixels then you are just changing the ppi, nothing more. --Mr.98 (talk) 04:04, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Besides, the resolution you need also depends on how close people are going to look at it from. A small glossy photograph is viewed from a few 10's of centimeters - so it needs really tiny pixels to make it look good. But a gigantic roadside advertising signboard could have pixels up to maybe an inch across and would look just as good from a hundred meters away. Of course if you were printing a gigantic poster-sized image - that people would walk right up to and examine carefully - then you'd need just as many dots per inch as you had for the photograph - which would mean that you'd need an insanely high megapixel count. SteveBaker (talk) 04:34, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
If I were to rephrase my question, I think it would be, how small does a 72 ppi image have to be to match the photo quality of the same image at 300 ppi? – Kerαunoςcopia◁galaxies 13:20, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
The question does not make sense—or betrays your misunderstanding of what ppi means. You know that ppi just means pixels per inch. Let us imagine that the target image is 300 pixels by 300 pixels wide. You could reproduce it at 300 ppi by printing it 1"x1". Or you could reproduce it at 100 ppi at 3"x3"—but the pixels would be fat and visible and blurry. You could reproduce it at 10 ppi at 30"x30" but it would be hopelessly ugly and blurry when viewed up close. You could reproduce it at 600 ppi at .5"x.5". We aren't changing the number of pixels here, just how it is being reproduced. So if you take a 72 ppi and "shrink it"—change its size lower—you are just redefining what the ppi is. So if you reduce a 72 ppi image match the quality of a 300 ppi, you are actually making it 300 ppi. So our 300 pixel by 300 pixel image would be 4.16"x4.16" at 72 ppi, but at 300 ppi it is still 1"x1". In the end, the ppi measurement does not tell you much without knowing the number of pixels—the number of pixels tells you whether it will look good or crappy at a given ppi. --Mr.98 (talk) 14:17, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Felling Trees
Whiledriving through Northern Poland recently, the person I was with and I got to discussing the trees in the area, my friend pointed out to me that it is illegal to fell trees willy nilly, one cannot just go into the forest and start cutting down a tree, I do not understand why. Is this true, and if so why. I come from south africa, and if I go into the bush there I can do just about whatever I want to a tree, or is this incorrect too? Thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.172.58.82 (talk) 12:38, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
It's certainly not legal (in general) in the UK: here's a UK booklet from the Forestry Commission (PDF, but in Google's in-browser preview so a bit friendlier). I assume the situation elsewhere to be loosely similar. 131.111.248.99 (talk) 12:49, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
If you go onto somebody else's land and destroy or take away their property, that is against the law. Almost all land belongs to somebody, and even if it's state-owned, you're still not allowed to steal from it any more than you can steal office supplies from a state-owned office. --Normansmithy (talk) 13:36, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Even if you own a forest you often can't just knock it down on a whim. (See the bookles linked above for the laws in UK.) APL (talk) 16:43, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
If the land's owned by someone else, or if it's protected land, or even if you own a forest but it's on protected land, you still can't go round felling trees. Of course it depends on the circumstances and country. Chevymontecarlo. 17:07, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
You don't need to be a member; anyone can edit Wikipedia. Start here: Wikipedia:Introduction. If you want to create a user account, go here. (You don't need one, but it has some advantages and is very quick and easy.) If you have more questions about Wikipedia, try asking here: Wikipedia:Help desk --Normansmithy (talk) 13:41, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
who is this guy???
My friend challenged me to find out who this is.I have been trying for hours together unsuccessful.This guys image is at File:Unknown.JPG please help.clues i got from him is. he is connected to Ireland and britain and has got something to do with civil engineering. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Gd iitm (talk • contribs) 13:19, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
(Edit conflict)It's Steve Carell, from the film Get Smart. Helped myself with tineye.com, you should try it out. TomorrowTime (talk) 13:33, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Yep, Steve Carell. Wikipedia is not your personal image host though. WP:NOT. Dismas|(talk) 13:35, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
i didnt take these photos. my friend challenged me to identify it. so i put it onwiki after trying it for hours —Preceding unsigned comment added by Gd iitm (talk • contribs) 13:35, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
sorry guys if i have violated something.
That's alright, no problem. If you hear a knock on the door in the middle of the night, rest assured it is not the wikipedia police coming to take you away to the Gulag. ←Baseball BugsWhat's up, Doc?carrots→ 13:46, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
It'd be cool if someone were to speedy delete these images, since Gd iitm just admitted they were both in violation. I can't do it because I have CSD curse, no joke. – Kerαunoςcopia◁galaxies 14:19, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I have deleted them both. Useight (talk) 20:23, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Indeed it is. Tineye searched 1,352 million pictures. I have searched Wikipaedia for heraldic symbols with boat/ships and lighthouses etc, etc. Without some information/context about this logo/symbol, our chances of finding more about it seem poor. IMHO. Sorry OP(Original Poster-180.149.48.67). 220.101.28.25 (talk) 16:44, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
It looks more like a modern logo than a coat of arms. Could be a port authority of somekind, or something else completely. It's very corrupt for a coat of arms (and undoubtably not registered).- Jarry1250[Humorous?Discuss.] 18:15, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
I think it might be a football/rugby club badge...hotclaws 18:11, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
A lot of UK schools have shield-shaped emblems like this to wear on their blazers. Alansplodge (talk) 18:18, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Stocks
Is there an age limit to trade stocks? Any website suggestions for people who are completely ignorant to stock buying but are interested in doing so? --Reticuli88 (talk) 16:29, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Brokerage firms generally require you to be of the age of majority in your jurisdiction (typically 18, but sometimes 21, in the United States). If you are buying as a form of investment, I would suggest you start with mutual funds, which will give you the advantage of professional management. If you want to buy stocks for amusement or educational purposes, there are many online discount brokerages and educational websites. Yahoo Finance is a popular starting point. John M Baker (talk) 16:53, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Buying managed funds of any kind is almost always a bad idea. There is almost no fund able to beat the market. And for betting for the market, you could simple bet on the index. --ProteanEd (talk) 18:29, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Something equivalent to large peat pots for gardening?
I have bought some plants I would like to put in large peat pots before planting later on. I can only find quite small peat pots. Does anyone know how to make something equivalent, out of newpaper perhaps? I'm looking for something eight or more inches in diameter, similarly deep. Thanks 78.146.242.196 (talk) 16:32, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Wrap several sheets of wet newspaper around a terracotta or plastic pot of the size desired (or a bucket would do), allow to dry and remove. This will give you newspaper pots. DuncanHill (talk) 16:36, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Into the wilderness
I've just watched the film Into the wild about Christopher McCandless' journey of self discovery in the Alaskan wilderness. It got me wondering, where in the world could you go and be truly alone and furthest away from other evidence of human civilization, yet still survive by living off the land (so that rules out Antarctica and Greenland)? Astronaut (talk) 17:09, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Wow, that's a hard one, although it'd be cool to find out. I'd say they'd probably be more than one place where you could go. Try googling it, maybe someone's written a blog post or article about it. Chevymontecarlo. 17:13, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Well, the Kerguelen Islands are very isolated and one could probably survive there for a long time, and there are no towns but there is a French science station there that usually has people, so that probably would not qualify? Googlemeister (talk) 17:35, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
A more pragmatic approach would be to consider your local environment. I don't know about you, but it takes about an hour's walk to start getting lonely, and even then there's plenty of homes around. And having read Into the Wild, I would call it more a quest of self-annihilation than self-discovery. Vranak (talk) 17:52, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Vranak is on the point. Do not underestimate the psychological impact of being alone in the wild and be realistic about your abilities. The real McCandless - someone different from the McCandless of the film - made both mistakes and paid with his life.--ProteanEd (talk) 18:26, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Historically, a number of hunter-gatherer societies have had a ritual for teenage males that involved spending a period of time (often 2–4 weeks) alone in the bush. Successful completion of that period alone qualified a initiate for recognition as an adult male. Sometimes he would also have to bring back a proof of his hunting skill, such as the skin of a local animal moderately difficult to hunt. In a sense, this was the equivalent of a school-leaving examination, such as the baccalauréatorA level examination in Western societies. A young person would begin learning what we might call "primitive skills" as soon as he was able to walk and talk. Instead of attending school, young people were trained in survival and foraging skills almost every day of their lives until they reached adulthood. These young people had years to study and practice these skills. Only after a male teenager had studied and practiced these skills for 14 years or more would he venture into the bush on his own for an extended period of time. How many of us who post or answer questions on the Wikipedia Reference Desk have studied and practiced wilderness survival and foraging skills for 14 years or more? As McCandless learned, "living off the land" is no easy or simple matter. Marco polo (talk) 18:52, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
In the film, McCandless did appear to be more on a voyage of self discovery; but I appreciate that the real McCandless was probably different from Emile Hirsch's portrayal. Where I live near London, I would have to walk for many hours, if not days, to get more than an a few miles from civilization. Be assured that, while life in the wilderness does have its attractions to me (and I have visited some vast low-population places like the far north of Scotland, Death Valley, outback Australia and the like), I am in truth far to attached to 21st century living to consider it a realistic possibility for anything other than a brief visit. I was just curious if it was possible to get more remote than McCandless did, about 40 km west of Healy, Alaska, and still live off the land. Astronaut (talk) 18:59, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Voice acting
Who is the voice actor in this trailer? [25] --77.126.230.55 (talk) 18:05, 26 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
in the same box together, and you don't want to know what happened. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 10:16, 23 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
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