Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2009 June 12

Welcome to the Wikipedia Miscellaneous Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.

June 12

Actor who was born in 1908 and died in 1955

What was the cause of death for the actor known as Robert Kent or also known as Douglas Blackley Jr.? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Icemerang (talk • contribs) 07:14, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

Found via Ancestry.com Social security death index entry for Douglas Wellwood Blackley, born 3 Dec 1908, Connecticut (other sources add Hartford), died 4 May 1955, Los Angeles, Ca. These data agree with other sources such as IMDB. I did not find an obituary at Ancestry.com or Google news archive, but you should be able to get a copy of the death certificate for $12 from the California vital records department at [1]. If they can't find it, they still keep the $12. Death certificates from other states I have seen do include a cause of death, but I don't know what California includes. Edison (talk) 15:46, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

Saving other researchers time: Our article Robert Kent (actor) is a stub. His bio at IMDB notes he died May 4, 1955 in Los Angeles but doesn't say why. (Interesting I found it that we have one "Robert Kent (actor)" article, but the IMDB search results for Robert Kent yields three actors.) Tempshill (talk) 15:35, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

No obits in the main LA papers of the period (via ProQuest). --98.217.14.211 (talk) 13:01, 13 June 2009 (UTC)

Hmm, does anyone here have a copy of his death certificate, perhaps?Icemerang (talk) 01:27, 14 June 2009 (UTC)

Climate change / renewable energy orgs

Of all the ones out there, which ones have probably been the most effective at advocating for green energy and reducing carbon emissions?

Mooselogic (talk) 07:40, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

Pont del Anglesos Mallorca

Who designed the Pont del Anglesos in Mallorca. It is at the entrance to the Parc Natural de S'Albufera and spans over the Canal Gran on the main road along the coast at Port d'Alcudia Cairlinn (talk) 09:39, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

In a quick search neither the Spanish nor the Catalan wikipedias turned up anything. (Mallorquí is considered part of the Catalan language family.) With the Catalan version there might be something under a different name. It is not the most expansive wikipedia though. Will try again when I have more time. 71.236.26.74 (talk) 00:28, 13 June 2009 (UTC)

It's "Pont dels Anglesos" in Català71.236.26.74 (talk) 04:51, 13 June 2009 (UTC)

It was named in honor of John Frederick Bateman and his team for drying up a swamp. It doesn't look as though he had anything to do with designing the bridge though. This site has a lot of info on the bridge, but no designer from what I could see [2]. There's a bridge with the same name in Barcelona (Built in 1955) That's about what I can find for now. You might find someone here [3] [4] or here [5] who can help you further. 71.236.26.74 (talk) 06:26, 13 June 2009 (UTC)

Why people select a product - psychology of preference

We have recently been selecting a major software product, and to do this we extracted requirements added general requirements like "ease of use" and produced a scoring matrix. We got everyone to fill in scores in areas they understood, asked everyone which product was best and to score each product area by area. The scores and preferences from the technical areas were as expected: the preferred choices were marked higher. This was not the case with some of the business users. About half of these rated the product they liked best lower than one of the others. Our immediate thought was that we had omitted some factors from the scoring matrix, so we asked the business users if there were any factors that should be included. A few additional items came in, such as provider's culture, understanding of business needs, and so on. We added these scores, and we still had a discrepancy - and a couple of business users scores were even further out of line with the preference. We asked them why, and they said "well I know product X does everything better but I just think I would be happier with Y", or "I just have a gut feeling we'd do better with it". Exasperated we added another very woolly factor "preference" with quite a high rating, and eventually had scores which made sense - in that people's scores reflected their preference.

Now it is tempting to see this as the illogic of the business users, but after some honest thought about how we (the technical users) scored I am not sure. I think it could be that we saw a greater importance in "justifying" our preferences with scores that reflected and a greater ability to do so. looking at people's scores it is quite clear that they marked their favoured products highly in most areas and lower in others. Both business and technical users were able to change opinions when given good reasons, one product would not meet expected future requirements and when that was pointed out everyone was happy that it could not continue.

I am interested in the psychology of selection, it seems to me that most people do not evaluate things logically point by point. Is this a known phenomena? Is the marking to justify preference also a known phenomena? -- Q Chris (talk) 10:10, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

I don't quite get the jist of what you are asking, but in this area you'll be interested in reading up more about the following... Confirmation bias (only believing that which proves what you believe to be true and discounting that which disproves your thoughts), Collective behaviour (if others are being influenced by what others have said). Infact what am I do, just read throguh List of cognitive biases you could spend all day in that little section, it's a beauty. 194.221.133.226 (talk) 14:02, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

There has been some interesting research around free will and choices that suggests we actually make most choices very quickly, before we are even aware that we have made them, and then justify them to ourselves. Choice blindness is an interesting example of this. 80.41.126.158 (talk) 16:37, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

tennis

What is a "winner" in a tennis game?utkarsh (talk) 11:02, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

It's a shot that cannot be returned. Some commentators may also use "clean winner" for a shot that cannot even be reached. --Dweller (talk) 11:06, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

so it depends on the commentator (or umpire) to decide wether a shot is a winner or not?Shraktu (talk) 11:25, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

See Glossary of tennis#W. Deor (talk) 11:26, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

No, it's practically determined: in other words, if the opposing player hasn't returned the ball so it falls within the bounds of the court on the other side of the net, then it's a winner. No decision required - unless the ball is called wrongly by a line judge, in which case the umpire will need to either consult Hawkeye or see the mark on a clay court for him/herself. --TammyMoet (talk) 14:48, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

A shot that can't be returned within the bounds of the court is just a shot that wins the point. A winner is a technical term used to describe points that the opponent can't touch. You can think of it as the point being won by that shot as opposed to being lost by the opponent's return shot being out. --Tango (talk) 18:27, 16 June 2009 (UTC)

questions

• Is it illegal to kill a horse? What punishment can you expect?
• Is it possible to have your arms longer than your legs?
• Does anyone have any more information about Sirkka Sari? She is not much documented apart from beif mention of her death?

Sorry for cumping these all together Robbie Record (talk) 11:56, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

1. It depends on your jurisdiction and on the manner and context of the horse's death. If you starve a horse, or kill it "just because", in many places you may be charged with Animal cruelty and it will, of course, depend entirely on where you live as to what punishment you can expect. However, it is perfectly legal to kill a horse to "Put it out of its misery" in most places, see Animal euthanasia.
2. Like in humans, or in general? Cuz this guy certainly qualifies. In humans, you could have your legs amputated, which would of course make them shorter than your arms. And there may be some birth defects which also cause that.
3. We do not, as yet, have an article on Sirkka Sari, but she does appear in the article List of unusual deaths, and there are articles on her at other language Wikipedias; if you read Finnish, perhaps you could translate this: [6] for us...

Does that help? --Jayron32.talk.contribs 12:25, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

If you've already had breakfast or lunch or whatever there's Horse slaughter Note to self, don't do ref desk soon after breakfast to allow for squeamish stomach. Among the various birth defects caused by Thalidomide extremely shortened limbs occurred. 71.236.26.74 (talk) 13:30, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

Our article on horsemeat quotes a US report based on UN data, giving a worldwide estimate of 4.7m horses used for food in 2005. As with most "is it illegal?" questions, it depends on where you are. BrainyBabe (talk) 22:09, 14 June 2009 (UTC)

Overseas Retail Sales Shipping Consolidator

Living outside the U.S.A. I've experienced some problems in ordering from U.S.A. based companies on the internet (who won't ship abroad) & have had issues with multiple customs charges for multiple different items ordered from different companies. I want to ask if there exists such a thing as a service in the U.S.A. which will receive any items you order from U.S.A. companies (which you pay for only giving their U.S.A. address) consolidate them into one shipment and send them out to you on a specific date or when all your items have been included? If this doesn't exist could someone please invent it as it'd be really useful. AllanHainey (talk) 13:46, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

I once ordered two books from the USA, but did it as two separate orders so as to avoid paying import duty. However, if you have a friend or relative in the USA couldn't they do it for you? - and they might be more willing to lie about the value of the package so you can avoid customs charges and import duty/tax. Astronaut (talk) 16:13, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

US companies sometimes don't even ship to within the US e.g. to Alaska or Hawaii. Some boast "international shipping" and are thinking no farther than Canada and/or Mexico. The thing becomes that you are probably cheaper off paying extra customs than hiring a shipping agent, negotiating something with an office service or Mailboxes etc. outlet. (OR All those work but cost a bundle.) Asking a friend or relative to lend a hand might work better. The whole thing looks easy until the third party considers their exposure to liability (lost packages, broken items, repo for unpaid bills etc. etc.) Professional companies don't want to be left holding the bag and their insurance agents are happy to charge them a pretty penny, which they in turn slap onto your bill. (OR my last Mailboxes etc. bill was $170 for sending a small parcel, just to give you an idea.) Contacting one of those places that offer "we sell your stuff on e-bay for you" might work, haven't tried that. AFAIK all this has to be negotiated on an individual basis. I don't know of any company that offers such a service as part of their standard package. Also shop around, it's time consuming, but I've managed to locate lots of items I used to get shipped at local sources after some digging. If you consider the extra charges then any US price advantage usually fizzles away fast. Re. customs you might want to have a look at the local regulations on declaring goods as part of your move. (No legal advice, just a friendly pointer. May not even apply to your particular situation.)71.236.26.74 (talk) 16:22, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

Even if they say on their website/eBay/ad they won't ship abroad, it might be worth contacting them. If you offer them a certain amount of money for their inconvenience. This is is particularly the case with a smaller dealer for whom every sale matters. Apologies if you've already tried this. --Maltelauridsbrigge (talk) 16:29, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

I've been thinking of asking the same thing. There are companies specializing in this, one example is JetCarrier that specializes in shipping to Scandinavia from the US. I know there are more general companies available but I don't remember the names, if anyone knows I would be grateful. Jørgen (talk) 18:48, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

Great find that one, wish they had been around when I was in Sweden. --71.236.26.74 (talk) 21:59, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

I googled us mailbox forwarding overseas, seems to give some options, have no idea how good they are. Jørgen (talk) 00:55, 13 June 2009 (UTC)

Thanks for the links & the advice, really useful & I'll check them out. I don't have any friends & family in the states to use though & I've already tried contacting the retailers - for some reason noone wants to vary their 'no overseas sales' policies, even for countries like the UK. AllanHainey (talk) 12:38, 16 June 2009 (UTC)

Price of a Laptop in S.Korea

I'm wondering how much a laptop would cost in Korea. I'm looking for a Korean one with the Korean version of Windows on it. It doesn't need to be top-of-the-range, but I'd like one that plays games fairly well enough. However, to be honest, I'll be using it mostly for practising Korean (I could use my British laptop or my Japanese ones, but I'd prefer a Korean operating system as it'll force me to try and read), plus, of course, I would be able to use it for work, as I am going to Korea to work (I leave next week! Hooray!). Anyone have any ideas? --KageTora - (영호 (影虎)) (talk) 18:14, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

Lots of laptops here. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 21:29, 14 June 2009 (UTC)

Sovereign credit ratings

Hello, I was wondering if anyone knew where to find a list of countries by their sovereign credit ratings? S&P or Moody's will do. I'm hoping to make a map like this one for the credit rating article, but my Google searches so far have not come up with a good list. TastyCakes (talk) 20:01, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

Something like this useful? [7] You might also be able to dig something up at the world bank [8] or the UN [9]. 71.236.26.74 (talk) 22:15, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

This looks perfect, or it would be if it were one of the more well known credit rating agencies... Thanks a lot though, I'll have a look through the UN and World Bank sites. TastyCakes (talk) 22:35, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

The people at Fitch would be rather miffed I guess. They are the lesser known of the "big three" rating agencies, but they're in there. 71.236.26.74 (talk) 23:54, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

Fitch, S&P and Moody's all release their ratings list (not research) free of charge to the public. Moody's requires (free) registration, but here's S&P. --PalaceGuard008 (Talk) 00:00, 15 June 2009 (UTC)

Ah, perfect. Thanks a lot guys. TastyCakes (talk) 19:06, 18 June 2009 (UTC)

Waistband

My question yesterday got me thinking about another aspect of clothing and body size that has me puzzled, namely: where do people wear the waistband on their trousers? For me, the waistband sits directly around my navel and even if I position it lower, it works it way back up to there even unless I actively adjust it or wear my belt much looser. Within my own experience, this seems to be a bit higher than the average (so much so that a few people have commented on it), although my experience is rather limited to those of ages between 13 and 20. Is there any other evidence that backs up this conclusion that it is higher than most people? If it is not designed to be worn in this position, why is it called a waistband? Is it left over from earlier times when trousers were longer and worn with braces? --80.229.152.246 (talk) 20:57, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

When I wear jeans, I personally wear the waistband pretty low, but it is never noticed because I will wear a t-shirt or shirt outside my kecks and covering the waistband. At work, I generally have my waistband either on or just below my hip-bones. Any higher than that and it just looks far too high (and causes discomfort in my crotch). I would assume it's called a waistband, because your hips are part of your waist. If you didn't have hips, your waist would go all the way down to your thighs, after all. --KageTora - (영호 (影虎)) (talk) 21:03, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

Personally, mine sits above my hip bones and just covers my belly-button. This has been commented on dozens of times. Prokhorovka (talk) 21:19, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

It depends on the type and style of trousers/pants you buy. Some are Low-rise jeans, some are Hip-huggers and there are other styles too. The waistband height will vary depending on the style, though as noted some wearers will wear them at a specified height themselves. ny156uk (talk) 22:19, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

I suspect it also has something to do with body shape. People might prefer a tighter fit around the narrowest part of their body. ie. a thin person with a clearly defined waist might prefer the waistband to be tight around their navel area; but a fat person might find the waistband naturally sits lower. Astronaut (talk) 08:58, 13 June 2009 (UTC)

I realize that this is original research but I'm pretty thin and wear my pants around my hips. If I pulled them up to my waist, I'd look like Ed Grimley. Dismas|^(talk) 12:57, 13 June 2009 (UTC)

I've seen older men (50s and 60s +) in Japan wearing their suit trousers so high up, the waistband is somewhere between the bottom of the ribcage and the nipples. --KageTora - (영호 (影虎)) (talk) 13:51, 13 June 2009 (UTC)

Be thankful they didn't display unsightly bulges, just like the doughy overspill on a freshly baked muffin - only not so appetising. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 21:23, 14 June 2009 (UTC)

My best friend always said it should be at least 3 finger-widths below your bellybutton or you look like Steve Urkel. I have always generally agreed. However, we're teenage girls, so YMMV with that rule! And judging from most guys I know, their rule of thumb is that the waistband should be halfway down their rear ends, so you can clearly see their snazzy boxers. (Just a personal opinion, but I don't recommend following that one.) Cherry Red Toenails (talk) 01:53, 15 June 2009 (UTC)

Where you wear pants is a matter of fashion, and that changes. In the early 70s pants were worn very low. By the 80s waistlines were very high (not quite Steve Urkel, but pretty bad sometimes). In the 90s they became lower and lower.

As for older men - if you're male, as you get older you shrink, your butt disappears and your waist expands. Unlike younger men with a big belly, you can't wear your pants below your belly, because there's nothing to support them in the back. So you pull them up over your belly. At the same time, since you aren't as tall as you used to be, your pants get too long. Another reason to pull them up. Guettarda (talk) 03:27, 17 June 2009 (UTC)

My User Box

This is my first Userbox and I need to know what section to put it under. (Religion Maybe?) Programmer13^Talk_{What I do} 21:32, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

This user believes that 42 is the meaning of life

It's your userpage, put it wherever you want... --Jayron32.talk.contribs 23:21, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

If you mean what category in WP:UBX, you'd want to put it here. ~EdGl ★ 03:17, 13 June 2009 (UTC)

Hypoallergenic Defense Dog

What breed of hypoallergenic dogs are best for home defense? Are there hypoallergenic German shepherds? Acceptable (talk) 23:40, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

See Hypoallergenic dog breed, which has a list. Pick something with a mean-sounding name, or possibly a taste for human testicles... --Jayron32.talk.contribs 03:36, 13 June 2009 (UTC)

But what if Tonya Harding comes a-calling? Clarityfiend (talk) 06:51, 13 June 2009 (UTC)

What does Harding have to do with dogs or testicles? Did you mean Lorena Bobbitt? Dismas|^(talk) 12:53, 13 June 2009 (UTC)

Dogs with a taste for testicles aren't likely to deter her or any other female intruders (or eunuchs either, come to think of it). Clarityfiend (talk) 07:52, 14 June 2009 (UTC)

Keep in mind the best things about dogs for home defense is the fact that they are alert and make a lot of noise, alerting you and others to the intrusion. A dog that actually attacks intruders can be problematic for all involved (humans are pretty good about knowing which "intruders" are allowed ones, like the guy who reads your electric meter, but dogs aren't), and against determined intruders will just leave you with a dead dog. --98.217.14.211 (talk) 14:27, 14 June 2009 (UTC)