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January 23

Visible ink, invisible when photocopied

I remember, many years ago, using a pen that enabled us to write openly on a master document (e.g. MASTER) and photocopy from it without that writing showing up on the copies. Googling for "invisible photocopy pen" and the like doesn't work: I get sites about ink that is invisible under normal circumstances but shows up in photocopies, which is the opposite of what I want. Any ideas what this sort of pen or ink is called, and where they are for sale? Thanks. BrainyBabe (talk) 09:14, 23 January 2010 (UTC)

Many years ago, ordinary light blue ink often did not show up on photocopies, but the technology has been much improved since then. Ghmyrtle (talk) 09:37, 23 January 2010 (UTC)

Non-photo blue? 80.219.8.3 (talk) 09:46, 23 January 2010 (UTC)

You can always write "Master if [colour x] " with a [colour x] pen, then black and white photocopies will not be confused for the master... Aaadddaaammm (talk) 10:59, 23 January 2010 (UTC)

Standards Australia used to do something like that (I don't know if they still do). When you bought a printed copy of a standard from them, it was stamped with "Offical copy from Standards Australia. Red seal". Mitch Ames (talk) 03:49, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

I spent many hours of my youth playing music that said If this writing is not in red, this is an illegal photocopy. It was always black. 86.179.150.105 (talk) 19:34, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Highlighter pens (the yellow colour) usually don't show up in photo-copies. Also this yahoo-answers suggests a 'non-repro' blue pens (http://www.shoplet.com/office/db/PIL16002.html) (source: http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081205040756AAJ2yQ3). ny156uk (talk) 15:58, 23 January 2010 (UTC)

My office use Yellow Highlighters too - doesn't show when photocopied... Gazhiley (talk) 13:34, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

The older black and white only copiers usually had one colour they couldn't detect very well (often red, but sometimes blue). I occasionally found my hand-written notes would have disappeared. Like Mitch hints at above, you could also get a coloured ink-stamp that said "Original" in the colour the copier couldn't see; that way any copies were not marked original and could in theory have been altered without authorisation (very important in security-consious industries like defence). Astronaut (talk) 05:11, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Unless the person doing the altering had the same stamp... Nil Einne (talk) 10:57, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

Thanks all, appreciated. BrainyBabe (talk) 22:46, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

Tivo To VHS

I'm trying to get something from a friend's Tivo--specifically, an episode of YRU-Up that I hosted--to a VHS tape. My friend says that we need something called an SV cable, but Google talks of many different kinds. So for those who are Tivo savvy: how can I get a program into a tape and what sort of SV cable would I need? Thank you. Tuesday42 (talk) 20:07, 23 January 2010 (UTC)

Does your friend mean an S-Video cable? If you have a composite video cable lying around you can use that, as well. All you need is something to connect one of the secondary (i.e. not used for TV) outputs to a VCR recording on its input channel - usually 3 or 4. This is assuming the Tivo has two tuners - i.e. the capability to output a live program to the TV and the recorded program to the VCR. In a worst-case scenario, if the Tivo has a coaxial cable output and both your VCR and your TV have the same input, you can rig them together with two lengths of coaxial cable, play the recording as if you were watching it, and record. Xenon54 / talk / 20:49, 23 January 2010 (UTC)

So would a generic S-Video cable work or is there a specific kind I would need? Tuesday42 (talk) 23:55, 23 January 2010 (UTC)

Any cable will provide an adequate recording - just make sure it's long enough. (I once had the misfortune of buying a $35 HDMI cable that was six inches too short! Fortunately, I think S-Video cables are only that expensive when you get to 20 feet or so.) Xenon54 / talk / 00:01, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

My Tivo (in the UK) uses SCART cables. To write to VHS, you connect a SCART to the Tivo's VHS out connector and connect the other end to the recorder. Then start the recorder and select "Save to VHS". --Phil Holmes (talk) 22:20, 23 January 2010 (UTC)

Thanks for the info, but I live in the U.S., so SCART cables are out. Tuesday42 (talk) 23:55, 23 January 2010 (UTC)

Aparantly, SCART cables are called EIA Multiports in the US. 89.242.94.72 (talk) 23:42, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

If the back of your friend's Tivo looks like this image from the Tivo article, you would need either the above mentioned S-video cable (if your VCR has an S-video input) or a set of video copying cables with 3 RCA connectors at one end (red, white and yellow - just like in this image) and probably the same at the other end for your VCR. Once you have connected the Tivo output to the VCR input and got the VCR on the correct input source, it is a simple matter to hit record on the VCR when you hit play on the Tivo. Astronaut (talk) 04:57, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

School day start time

This article got me thinking about why school days start at the time they do. The article is about children suffering through lack of sleep, and mentions that, in the USA, children who start school later tend to perform better. It goes on to say that "obstacles against later start times are numerous", but doesn't say what these obstacles might be. So my question is, what debates are there around what time the school day should begin? I'm not interested in when the school day starts in any particular country, just in what the pros and cons are to starting earlier vs. starting later. I was surprised to read that 85% of public high schools in America start their day before 8.15am. That seems far too early to me, and I can't imagine why anyone would argue in favour of such an early start time. The only arguments I can think of in favour are (a) more daylight after school in the winter months and (b) more time to do after-school activities, but these seem heavily outweighed by the arguments put forward in the article in favour of a later start time. Thanks. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 20:16, 23 January 2010 (UTC)

Early starts are convenient for working parents. I'm not in the least surprised that later starts appear to be associated with better performance. DuncanHill (talk) 20:25, 23 January 2010 (UTC)

A few years ago, there was some talk here locally about changing start times for schools. Roughly speaking, schools here start with a schedule something like this:

• High Schools run from 7:15-2:15
• Middle Schools run from 7:45-2:45
• Elementary Schools run from 8:15-3:15

I've made those numbers up, but they capture the general idea of the schedule here in Raleigh, North Carolina. From my memory of the discussion, the idea was to "flip-flop" the schedule, so that Elementary schools would run from 7:15-2:15 and High Schools would run from 8:15-3:15. The reasons cited in support of the move were pedagogical/psychological. Apparently several studies had been done that found that older children reached "peak performance" later in the day than younger children; that is from a pedeagogical perspective it made more sense to have younger kids in school earlier and older kids in school later, since it better matched their own diurnal schedules. The opposition to this plan was based around non-educational factors, such as 1) after school activities (for example, a sports team playing an "away" game would miss more class time, since they would still need to leave to travel) 2) families depend on having the older children home FIRST to watch after the younger children, and the proposed changes would have left lots of elementary-aged children home without supervision for some time. 3) High school students often have after-school jobs, and such a change in schedule would affect that. I distinctly remember #2 being the biggest factor in deciding NOT to enact a later start time for HS students. --Jayron32 21:28, 23 January 2010 (UTC)

Hmm ... an interesting article. I was surprised to read about how early some schools start in the US. Around 8:45 a.m. would be the average starting time for UK schools. Of course, an earlier start doesn't have to mean less sleep, but late bedtimes are becoming a cultural norm everywhere. As the article says: Overscheduling of activities, homework, lax bedtimes, television sets and mobile phones in the bedroom all contribute [to lack of sleep]. So does guilt; home from work after dark, ­parents want time with the children and are ­reluctant to order them to bed. Dbfirs 21:34, 23 January 2010 (UTC)

(E/C, not a biggy) I don't think the Grauniad article mentioned the UK example. In short, they started school an hour later. given the average teaching in a day is about 5 hours, this cut teaching time by a fifth. There are plenty of reasons why they didn't extend the day, eg. abov. This lead many people to question whether the gain in "productivity" (undisputed in itself) was worth it. Also, people here are mindful of the continent, and French and German schools start earlier, in most cases. I believe German schools start at least an hour earlier, if not more. (An appeal to popularity, as it were.) - Jarry1250 ^{[Humorous? Discuss.]} 21:40, 23 January 2010 (UTC)

School in Germany, at least for younger children, begins between 7:30 and 8:15 (the majority are closer to the later end of that range) and can end as early as 12:00, though it's usually closer to 12:30 - 13:00 and definitely no later than 13:30. For higher grades, there are usually "afternoon lessons" that extend past 13:30, sometimes well in the afternoon. This depends on the school; if that is the case then an in-school lunch break, a foreign concept to German students who are used to going home for lunch, may be provided.Xenon54 / talk / 21:53, 23 January 2010 (UTC)

My high school (early-mid '90s) began at 7:30, with the middle school having a later start and the elementary school the latest start. The idea was to ensure the oldest kids got home first so they would already be there when the youngest kids got home. I had the misfortune of having math class first period one year and fell asleep in class just about every day. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 23:01, 23 January 2010 (UTC)

Wow looking at all these times make me feel glad that in New Zealand schools (at least for me, but I'm not aware of much variation) start at around 8:30 for both primary and secondary schools. --antilived^{T | C | G} 23:46, 23 January 2010 (UTC)

Many American students use school buses, so they have to stagger the start times unless it's a really tiny school district. If everyone came to school at the same time, they'd have to buy three times as many buses and hire three times as many drivers. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 00:35, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

A later start would be better in almost every way. Unfortunately you can't get it to happen, because of football. Schools start early to allow football practice after school — slightly oversimplified, maybe, but not much.

I would like to see competitive sport very much de-emphasized in secondary school. This is very different from the question of physical fitness, which if anything needs more emphasis. But physical fitness is best attained through individual activity, not team sport. --Trovatore (talk) 04:04, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

Two comments. (1) Someone above mentioned convenience for the parents, but what's convenient for the parents will vary depending on typical working hours in the particular city (and perhaps on how far the parents typically have to commute). And (2) In the 5 different schools I attended in two different provinces of Canada, the start time was invariably 9 am or within 10 minutes of that. When I got to university, the earliest lectures were 8:30, but that time slot was relatively little used and it was often possible to start the day at 9:30 or later. --Anonymous, 05:02 UTC, January 24, 2010.

The school I attended typically started at 9am and finished around 3:30 or 4 pm. That still left me with a couple of hours after school with no parental supervision. It leaves me wondering how an 8am or earlier start is more convenient for parents if the kids are kicking around town most of the afternoon til their parents return from work at 5 or 6pm? Astronaut (talk) 04:38, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Well I guess it goes back to the typical start time of a working day. As the anon said above these will vary, but in general working days start between 8am and 9am. The later the school day starts, the harder it becomes for the parent to get to work on time. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 06:21, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

That's why they send the high-school kids home so early -- so there's more likely to be an older sibling at home when the younger kids get there. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 00:48, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

January 24

Scam Jobs

A friend of mine sent her resume to a bunch of Craigslist job opening. The result is that she’s gotten three scam job offers in three days. The scams usually ask her to fill out a standard looking application. However the “companies” don’t list any address or phone number, and they usually offer high paying administrative jobs sight unseen. Some even have mock websites: This for instance: [1]

My question: How do these companies scam their unwary victim? At what point do they ask for the credit card number? Do they deal in identity theft? Kidnapping? --S.dedalus (talk) 00:11, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

Some want your friend to be a money mule; others just want your friend's details so they can, as you thought, steal her identity (in particular, so they can obtain credit in her name). -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 00:14, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

As the money mule article isn't clear enough, many (most, perhaps) money mules are unwitting dupes, and they're the ones (not their internet gangster employers) who end up getting arrested. See http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs25a-JobSeekerPriv2.htm -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 00:16, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

More here and here. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 00:18, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

Indeed I knew someone back in 2004 who got a 'job' offer via a reputable NZ job website which was as a money mule. I believe they claimed the job was to accept payments for their business. They called the police so obviously didn't get arrested. Nil Einne (talk) 05:46, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

A standard technique for scam jobs is to require payment for training. You are promised that you will more than get your money back afterwards and then don't (either they just run away or they claim your work is sub-standard and refuse to pay you). --Tango (talk) 03:11, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

"Flash" in Australia?

Flash Gordon says: In Australia, the character and strip were retitled "Speed Gordon" to avoid the negative connotation of the word "Flash". What does "flash" connote in Australia? Staecker (talk) 00:55, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

I'm no Australian - but in British-English and New Zealand-English slang, "Flash" can mean "Flashy" - someone who shows off their wealth in an extravagant or inappropriate way. A "flasher" is someone who exposes themselves in public. Neither are particularly appropriate for that nice Mr Gordon...but he's well known as "Flash Gordon" in the UK - so that's not it. Maybe there is a worse connotation in Australia but there is no mention of that in Wiktionary. But I'm pretty sure Australians have already heard him called "Flash" from the 1936, 1954, 1979, 1980 and 2007 versions - not to mention comic books, etc, etc. SteveBaker (talk) 02:44, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

I've certainly heard of Flash Gordon. But I can also attest to having heard him referred to as "Speed Gordon" here, by my father. -- Jack of Oz ... speak! ... 03:41, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

[2] says it's because of the flashy connotation. You may be able to find some more useful stuff by searching for '"speed gordon" -Pfeufer', which I used to find this. The -Pfeufer is to try and exclude the ubiqitious wikipedia mirrors, including those GFDL er CC I mean, violators. Of course the book/source may also provide clues, you may want to consider asking whoever added that if they still have the source. Nil Einne (talk) 05:42, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

I googled [flash slang australia negative] and one of the sites that came up had an explanation [3] that reinforces what others are saying here. Even though "flashy" in the U.S. means someone who's a bit of a show-off, "Flash" by itself in the U.S. refers more to "speed", as in "quick as a flash [of lightning or a flashbulb or whatever]". So it wouldn't have been seen as a negative in the U.S. (which also produced a Hall-of-Fame ballplayer, Joe Gordon, who was nicknamed "Flash", and there was also a comic book hero called "The Flash".) But it seems like Australia uses "flash" as an adjective, as in "flash as a rat with a gold tooth". That description is apparently not considered complimentary. In the U.S. it would have been "flashy" rather than "flash", if that were a well-known saying. In Australia "Flash Gordon" would imply, or would have implied in those days at least, someone who's a little bit full of himself, rather than being a selfless hero. It seems that "Speed Gordon" would capture the idea better for the Aussie audience. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 06:10, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

Um, an australian here, "to flash" is to expose oneself. The stereotypical scene being a man in an overcoat and nothing else "flashing" an unsuspecting woman. In contrast when one runs naked across a sporting field (usually at a major sporting event) it's a "streak". --121.127.208.196 (talk) 11:10, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

Steve Baker already covered that. Seems all the un-Australians know more about us than we do ourselves. -- Jack of Oz ... speak! ... 11:27, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

Thanks! Staecker (talk) 13:33, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

"To flash" means the same thing in the U.S. That's understood in the specific context of a "flasher". But the root term "flash" is not considered extraordinary in the U.S. For example, there's a "Flashlight", which Brits (at least) call a "torch". There's "Flashing (weatherproofing)" which is used in construction. The word is used in many diverse ways in the U.S. but is apparently largely a negative in Australia. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 14:41, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

Now, that's where you assume wrong. I'd never have said that "flash" has a primarily negative meaning here. We have flashlights too; and all the other non-exhibitionistic varieties of flashing. I think there's more to this Speed Gordon thing than the answers so far elicited. -- Jack of Oz ... speak! ... 19:52, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

You didn't say it, the Flash Gordon article did, or so the OP stated. Also, that was the 1930s. Maybe the term had a different connotation then. That can happen. Terms like "jerk" and "sucks" were considered fairly much obscene at that time, but they've become mainstream. Groucho Marx once told about a Broadway play in the early 1900s that was forced to close because it contained the line "You're a nice-looking broad." That term is now out of fashion because it's considered condescending, but it's no longer considered vulgar. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 20:00, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

The article did not say that the word "flash" was "largely a negative in Australia". It said that the word was changed "to avoid the negative connotation", which is not the same thing at all. You're the one who assumed the word "largely", and Jack (who is not only Australian but a student of language, so I believe him) was correcting you in that assumption. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 14:32, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Presumably Speed Gordon predated amphetamines. O what a fickle thing is slang. DJ Clayworth (talk) 00:51, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

A lot of words have some degree of negative connotation. I don't see why they would change it unless it was primarily a negative connotation in Australia, vs. in the U.S. where its negative connotation was rather small. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 17:06, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Yeah well like I said that's your assumption – one which Jack, who ought to know, has debunked. They could have changed it for any number of reasons which neither you nor I can possibly be aware of. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 17:56, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Well, if you doubt the veracity of the article's theory on the matter, feel free to correct it. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 00:27, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Interesting discussion. I wonder where Flash Jack from Gundagai fits in? The ballad describes him as a wanderer ("I've been whalin' up the Lachlan"), which I suppose has some negative connotations. He is also boasts he is a crack shearer ("I can do a respectable tally meself whenever I like to try"), so the "Flash" could mean quick. I'm an ex-pat Aussie and I use flash to mean quick, a show-off, to expose one's self and as the thingo on a camera that you use to take photos in the dark, depending on context. --80.195.117.33 (talk) 17:01, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Show-off? Hmm, I don't really get that. If an Australian appears dressed noticeably better than they normally do, they're likely to be told something like, "Wow, you're looking rather flash today". That's not any sort of criticism for showing off; rather, it's a compliment. Someone who is always sartorially resplendent, whose dress always stands out, might be said to be "a flashy dresser"; but again, it's not usually said as a pejorative. I suppose it could be in some contexts, but that wouldn't be its default interpretation. -- Jack of Oz ... speak! ... 22:52, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

"Speed,Speed, I love you, but we only have fourteen hours to save the earth!" doesn't quite cut it. DuncanHill (talk) 01:23, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Googling [flash gordon speed gordon] I get endless references, many of which parrot the wikipedia wording. It might be interesting to track down whoever noted that and find out what his source was. However, I did run across this Aussie site[4] that states that "Flash" had negative connotations in the 1930s and 1940s. I'd like for Jack to read that entry and see if it has the ring of truth to it. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 05:36, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Actually, that page is already linked in the article, along with a reference to a hard-copy book. I'm not seeing where Jack has directly commented on it, though. But it's written by Australians, so it might have more veracity. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 05:40, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Let me give you the exact quote, as someone griped about my extrapolation that it was "largely" negative: "In the 1930s and 40s the predominant meaning of flash in Australian English was 'lairy', 'showy', and so Flash Gordon had to be renamed, otherwise it'd sound like he was a mug lair." ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 05:42, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

I can only assume that was the way it was back then. (It's certainly not the case anymore, but I guess that's irrelevant ....) Australia was rather and sometimes excessively prim and proper in those days, at least in public. Not that we were alone there. -- Jack of Oz ... speak! ... 10:24, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

For clarification, the OP added the ref here [5] I presume since he/she read my post above (that you replied to) where I linked to the same page, and also explained how to find it and cut out a lot of the chaff of copyright violating (and non copyright violating) wikipedia mirrors. (Incidentally, I did also suggest looking at the print and at that time only source may be useful, perhaps asking whoever added it if they still had it.) Nil Einne (talk)

Combined Statistical Areas by County

Thank you for our work in describing individual Combined Statistical Areas. I am attempting to match counties to CSAs and need a complete single list of all counties matched to CSAs. Otherwise, I must open and examine each of the over 100 CSAs. Can you show me where such a list might exist?

Thank you.

You could try the U.S. Census Bureau's own website, www.census.gov. If you take some time to get to know the site, they have a wealth of information and if you get familiar with their database management on the site, you may be able to find what you are looking for. --Jayron32 04:34, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

I don't remember how I found it (I downloaded it in 2008), but some time ago I discovered http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/bulletins/fy2008/b08-01.pdf, which provides a complete list of all Core Based Statistical Areas (metropolitan and micropolitan areas) and a complete list of all CSAs as well. Be aware that it's somewhat more than two years old, so it's quite possible that some CSAs may have had counties added or subtracted since then. Nyttend (talk) 02:09, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

computer chairs and butt skin conditons

In humid climates people who do sedentary jobs develop some sort of sore on their buttocks. What do you call it? Prickly heat? Chairs that allow aeration reduces the risk of having those sores. But the computer chairs with soft paddings don't allow aeration. What steps could reduce the risk of sores for those who sit on such chairs? Are these chairs suited to un-airconditioned office conditions in humid climates?--117.204.85.212 (talk) 08:28, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

I don't know what the sore's called, but it could be prevented by showering every morning, use of medicated talcum powder on the nether regions and - if you've got a sore bit, nappy cream (in the UK it's called Sudocrem) clears it up. (which all sounds like medical advice which we're not allowed to give. Never mind eh.)Chairs with fabric covers are better at preventing sweaty bits in general. --TammyMoet (talk) 15:29, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

I have a sedentary job, and my hind parts seem fine, apart from the fact that I sweat a bit more over there. And I love, love Sudocrem, because it oh-so-much reminds me of sudo (nerdy, I know). --Ouro (blah blah) 20:45, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

I'd think it was a pressure sore of some kind,..hotclaws 03:57, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

An Aeron chair is strongly recommended. It has a very loose weave allowing air to flow through - they are also adjustable in every conceivable way which is good ergonomics. We have them where I work - and I wouldn't go back to the old kind. They aren't cheap though $650 versus less than $100 for a regular office chair. SteveBaker (talk) 05:51, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

So THOSE are the chairs I keep hearing about on NPR!! I keep forgetting to look them up and now I see what they are! Thanks, Steve. By the way, I hate those chairs! Dismas|^(talk) 09:09, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Who says that people in humid climates get this condition? Where is the evidence? Some sweaty discomfort maybe - but sores? come on guys (generic use). Richard Avery (talk) 08:43, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Even just a soft towel folded over a few times, as a cushion and moisture absorbant, might help. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 17:57, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Thank all of you for your help, have hired a lawyer & now the roofer is going to pay for all the replacement work of the drywall, insulation, painting, run cleaning, etc. even paying for the repair of the painting that fell off the wet drywall. Thank you, little old lady

wet drywall

Had a new roof installed... Roof leaked........... Walls & ceiling in living room, bed room are wet Big driers were brought in to dry walls, ceiling & insulation. Most of walls, ceiling are now dry. Was told that sheetrock is now stronger because it was wet. Is this the truth??? I thought that the wet sheetrock should be taken down along with the insulation so no mold could form. After drying wood reinstall insulation and put up new sheetrock. Please I need to know what should be done. I am 76 yrs old. Do not know if they are running a scam on me.

Thank you —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.176.188.231 (talk) 08:53, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

I'm not familiar with the word 'Sheetrock', but if it has any wood content, even if impregnated with a resin, I would get rid of it. Anyway it's essential to get a second opinion from another contractor, and even a third contractor to confirm the facts and get competative quotations. Good luck.--85.210.90.232 (talk) 12:25, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

"Sheetrock" is a commonly-used synonym for "Drywall". I wouldn't think that getting it wet is a good thing, but I'm not a house-builder. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 14:24, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

As is mentioned in the Drywall article, Sheetrock is a trademark of USG Corporation. --LarryMac | Talk 16:05, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

I googled "replace wet drywall" and got a variety of hits. The consensus seems to be that drywall is damaged by water; minor staining can be repaired but seriously soaked drywall should be replaced because the plaster has been weakened and softened. I tried various search combinations to find confirmation that water strengthens drywall, but nothing came up. Like Bugs I am not a builder, but if it was my roof and walls, those search results would send me looking for more information. In the UK I might approach the local Trading Standards department, Citizens' Advice Bureau or, at the age of 76, I could probably get assistance from advisors at my local Age Concern branch. Depending on where you live, you may have a local equivalent of one of these that could help determine whether you are getting the right remedy for your problem. Karenjc 16:52, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

I would be a bit concerned about mold if drywall or any insulation above it got wet. I cannot see any way that having been wet would make it stronger. Edison (talk) 02:34, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Somebody might have it confused with concrete, which supposedly strengthens as it absorbs water (and I could be totally wrong about that). But drywall is basically plaster between sheets of cardboard. Hard to figure how water could help it in any way. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 03:38, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

I'm 100% certain that drywall/sheetrock (it's the same stuff) is virtually useless once it gets wet. Google for "wet drywall" and you'll find dozens and dozens of pages like this: www.ehow.com/how_5557299_fix-wet-drywall.html - it says to cut out all of the drywall from within 2' of the wet parts and replace it. Also make sure that whatever is behind the sheetrock is wiped down with a strong anti-fungal preparation before the new stuff is put up. Wet sheetrock certainly doesn't get stronger - it gets dramatically weaker. In some cases, the plaster layer balloons up and contaminates the grey paper on either side - which creates pressure that eventually cracks any plaster/skim layer on top. Mold starts growing on it very soon after it gets wet. I think the roof installers are trying very hard to avoid the horrific cost of replacing all of the sheetrock - but it needs to be done because it'll become a health hazard within just a few weeks. If it's their fault then you must stand up for your rights because it'll cost a fortune to get it done yourself and your health will most definitely suffer if it doesn't get fixed ASAP. Tell them that their explanation is B.S - they know it, you know it, who the heck do they think they are kidding? Demand that they make good by replacing every square inch of wet sheetrock (and for 2' around those wet areas) and making good afterwards - and 100% at their expense. Please don't stand for this kind of nonsense. SteveBaker (talk) 05:43, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Concur with Steve, wet will irreversibly ruin sheetrock (or 'plaster board' in the UK). The problems will be splitting and warping of the sheets and mould growth. Looks like some cowboys got on the patch! Richard Avery (talk) 15:39, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Methinks you need a professional advocate on your side ASAP - a civil engineer or chartered surveyor, or whatever the USian terms for those professions are. Clearly you cannot trust the company which stands to pick up the bill for the bodged work, since they will seek to minimise the requirements. Good luck. --Tagishsimon (talk) 15:53, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

In the US, this is called a lawyer, and because the contractor has already tried to defraud you (by lying about the sheetrock getting stronger), you need a lawyer now, and the lawyer needs to send them a formal letter demanding that they repair all the damage as SteveBaker said, at their expense. Actually they need to pay some reputable contractor to repair all the damage. I'll stop now and say: Your lawyer is the one who will provide you with legal advice. Comet Tuttle (talk) 23:51, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Yes, indeed. Here on the Wikipedia ref desk, we can give you advice about sheetrock - but we're not allowed to dispense legal advice. If you don't get immediate satisfaction from the aforementioned cowboys - you should seek legal advice from a qualified professional. SteveBaker (talk) 02:30, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Comic strip

Hello. Do you know the author of this image (unreadable signature)? Thanks. Michael Laurent (talk) 11:51, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

Note — assless-spandex-clad cartoon character. May not be suitable for all workplaces. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 14:51, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

The user, 85.169.247.106 (talk · contribs), has already asked this question on the Humanities page[6] and they're not certain either. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 15:12, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

Yes, I was not sure of what was the good place to post (and I wrote it). No good answer for now. Michael Laurent (talk) 15:51, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

I fed the image into tineye.com, and came up with a Polish fantasy art site. Apparently the author is a guy called Joseph Linsner. --TomorrowTime (talk) 16:00, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

I didn't know this website: great! But it is not Linsner. Michael Laurent —Preceding unsigned comment added by Michael Laurent (talk) 16:13, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

The website claims it is. Why do you think otherwise? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 16:25, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

The circled part on the original post is not a signature. It's the copyright symbol ("c" in a circle) with a "19" under it and a "97" under that. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 16:28, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

Actually, it's a good guess that the glyph beside the copyright notification is a signature. Just not one one can read without knowing what it is already. PhGustaf (talk) 17:02, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

Which doesn't square with the artist's usual signature, which I suppose is why the OP is questioning it. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 17:18, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

I think that it is not Linsner because the signature of Linsner is "LINSNER" (see the others pictures of the website) and his favorite babe is redhead. Maybe the circled part on the original post is not a signature. Maybe it is. I think so. Michael Laurent (talk) 18:08, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

Since Linsner has his own website, it might make sense to ask him directly. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 18:13, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

Good idea. Thanks. Michael Laurent (talk) 18:31, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

And of course you'll report your findings here, right? 0:) ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 19:36, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

Of course. You can rely on me. I've posted a message on a specialized forum about comics and I was told that it is NOT Linsner (but nobody knows the author for now...). I also asked the french Wikipedia and there is several answers but not the good one. :( Michael Laurent (talk) 20:26, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

The plot thickens. Things that make you go "HMMMM..." ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 20:37, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

The eye makeup marks her as Linsner's chacter Dawn, but the art is frankly not as good as his. Looks like fan art to me. PhGustaf (talk) 20:41, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

Agreed... it is fairly sub-par by comparison. I don't go for this kind of stuff, but the real Linsner stuff (as made apparent by the gallery) is lightyears beyond in terms of coloring, anatomy (however ridiculous), staging, etc. The fan-fic one is amateur-hour (the pose itself is anatomically somewhat impossible). --Mr.98 (talk) 20:44, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

Given that chest, her standing erect without falling on her face is physically somewhat impossible. PhGustaf (talk) 21:50, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

Much less on one leg that somehow also manages to point its butt crack at the viewer. Somebody could use a little more time studying the basic human form... --Mr.98 (talk) 22:13, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

Amazing! An answer of the comics forum is "it is very inspired of Linsner but less well". And I think I was right about the signature: look at this small last image from a CS Michael Laurent (talk) 20:50, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

I just wonder how the artist himself feels about a website presenting that picture as his when apparently it is not? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 22:01, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

Eh, such are the perils of fan fiction... --Mr.98 (talk) 22:13, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

Or the perils of the electronic age in general. E-piracy is so rampant that it's almost like what W.C. Fields said about drunkenness in the Middle Ages: "So common, it's unnoticed." Not quite, but close. Still, it would be interesting to hear the painter's reaction, and maybe he even has a clue who did the painting. The concern I have (albeit a small one on the cosmic scale) is that that one website has that illustration posted as if it were the artist's. But being based in Germany or whatever, it's probably a little hard to make a legal claim against them. Or is it? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 23:39, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

It's pretty hard to mistake that cartoon for a real Linsner. Never heard of him before, but I do like his work (NSFW) at [7] -- check out the symbols on the bookshelf. Cartoonists in general don't mind fan art. They figure the fan artists are good customers. How the fan art got mixed up with his own is anybody's guess. PhGustaf (talk) 01:01, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

It's pretty well been established here that it's a knockoff. Unfortunately, the name of the actual artist, which was the OP's question, remains unknown. :( ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 03:35, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

No new answers from WP and no e-mail from Linsner. But I know now. The author is...

no idea?

really?

hmmm...

The author is Kevin J. Taylor (find by a member of a french comix forum). Thanks for your tries. Michael Laurent (talk) 19:07, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Once again, the ref desk zooms to the rescue and goads the questioner into doing most of the work. :) I googled [Kevin J. Taylor] and a number of sites and illustrations come up. The illustration in question looks like his style, and that unique signature with the elongated "J" is the same. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 03:54, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

I have received an e-mail from Joe Linsner a few minuts ago: That is my character Dawn. The drawing is by my friend Kevin J. Taylor. Michael Lauren (talk) 19:25, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

And now we know the rrrrrrest of the story. All's swell. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 01:13, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

Causes of Error

Is the Opus Majus by Roger Bacon available translated anywhere online, specifically "Causes of Error"? 149.169.59.94 (talk) 18:55, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

Its translation by Robert Belle Burke is available on Google Books. Although it is a "limited preview" the entirety of the "Causes of Error" section is there to read. The full Latin text is public domain and available elsewhere on the Internet. Xenon54 / talk / 19:05, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

Question for dog/cat lovers who don't like to look like muppets

I have just one dog (and one cat). He's a border terrier and my clothing is just covered in fur. It's very difficult to get off. All my clothing is affected. It's driving me a bit nuts. I vacuum all the furniture and all the rugs, and I also groom the dog and brush out the cat but all my clothing is still covered mostly in dog fur, and a small amount of cat fur as well. I use the lint rollers and it's such a pain, and I swear it's like the dog fur migrates inside my clothing and comes out later. I leave for work, fur free, and then later in the day I notice some fur again. It's almost spooky. I though that it might be my car, but it's not, I've checked. Does anyone have any suggestions, any tips? Any better lint rollers? better methods of having the fur come out in the wash and in the dryer? Anything else you can think of. I will be monitoring for responses. Thank you.--70.23.81.136 (talk) 19:25, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

Some people claim fabric conditioner helps loosen the fur from clothes, so more ends up in the dryer basket. For entrenched fur on clothing you might find that wrapping packing tape around your hand (sticky side outwards) and dabbing at the furred area may be more effective than the roller (but really still lots of work). -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 19:30, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

The tape on hand is exactly the same mechanism as the roller thing, I think. Anyway, about the fur everywhere - you've got furry animals, live with it. I have always, always had a pet at home, either a cat or a dog; right now my parents have two dogs and a kitten, so the issue of pet hair was and is always present. To top that, I mostly wear black, which is somehow more appealing to all kinds of hair and fur. Actually, about ten years ago, when their currently-older dog was our only dog we used to have so much of his hair everywhere that we actually needed to wash the carpet every week (wet rags and things) because the vacuum cleaner would just overload quickly (the dog is a crossover between a German Shepherd and a Caucasian Shepherd Dog). It's a question of wanting to have the little guys around on the one hand, and being patient enough to clean up and just get over it on the other hand. Something for something.

My neighbour (dog owner) once said: with time, you reach a point when you just don't bother to pick their hair out of your meals any more ;) cheers, Ouro (blah blah) 20:41, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

The Border Terrier has a double coat consisting of a short, dense, soft undercoat and harsh, wiry weather and dirt resistant, close-lying outer coat with no curl or wave. This coat usually requires hand stripping twice a year to remove dead hair. It then takes about eight weeks for the top coat to come back in. For some dogs, weekly brushing will suffice. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 21:59, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

A month ago I went to the local pet superstore and found several ways to spend my money in the pursuit of dog hair removal. One device looked like a wide rubber squeegee or ice scraper, with a rubber blade, and it works great at getting the fur off the car's carpets — but it scrapes the hell out of the surface, so I don't think it's appropriate for couches or clothes. There were a couple of gloves you could put on with a couple of types of surfaces that purported to get the fur off. There was a device from 3M looking like a miniature iron with a "refillable" Velcro sheet that covers the flat part. You scrape it over your clothing or furniture, hair tends to stick to it, and it gets less useful, hence the need for the refills (to the joy of the marketing guys at 3M). It seemed to work OK. Comet Tuttle (talk) 00:25, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Oh, and I don't know whether it is suitable for terriers, but the Furminator is a gourmet expensive dog brush with a single row of closely set metal spikes for the brush. It is supposed to get more fur out of the dog's hide than any other brush. It certainly seems to, based on my experience, but it's hard to discern whether the amount of hair around our house has actually decreased. I think it has. Comet Tuttle (talk) 00:27, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

We have a heavy-shedding dog and regular use of the Furminator does help. There is of course still hair to clean up but it does not accumulate nearly as much as quickly. It is a very noticeable effect with our dog. (And she doesn't mind it, either.) --Mr.98 (talk) 01:28, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

I've got 4 long-haired cats, all white. No matter how much my wife and I brush them, they still find ways to deposit hair all about the house. I can vacuum the entire house in the morning and we'll have cathair tumbleweeds hiding in corners in the evening. Having realized that we cannot eliminate the hair, we altered our own behavior: nice clothes that are to be kept hair-free are in a special closet which is always kept closed. When going out, one says goodbye to the kitties, then changes into the hair-free clothes and heads directly out (do not sit on or touch anything!). When coming home, one proceeds directly to that closet, returns the clothes, and changes into comfortable (and hairy) at-home clothing, then greets the 4 abominable snowkitties. It works for us. I'm wearing a very nice suit today without a hair on it. 218.25.32.210 (talk) 01:49, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Sphynx (cat)

Do we have an article on "The Remington Fuzzaway! Safely removes pils [? Always wondered what that was] and fuzz". Seen on my telly about every 10 minutes for much of the 70s, as I recall it. Although that might not be an exactly accurate recollection. --Dweller (talk) 16:24, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

My goodness. It still exists --Dweller (talk) 16:28, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

See Pill (textile) — Wikipedia has an article about everything. Comet Tuttle (talk) 18:07, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

How are Hong Kong and Switzerland so good at not polluting?

List of countries by carbon dioxide emissions

Hong Kong and Switzerland stand out. They have 1/4 of the emissions per capita of the US. And 1/2 of even Japan and Germany.

Why are they the stand outs of the developed world?

Shoresand (talk) 23:43, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

Energy in Switzerland indicates that there are virtually no combustion-based power generation in Switzerland. Its almost all Hydroelectric and Nuclear. That could be a huge reason. However, I am not sure what to say about Hong Kong, since the article Air pollution in Hong Kong would seem to disagree with the assessment in that list... --Jayron32 23:58, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

(ec) Energy in Switzerland says 56% of their electricity comes from hydroelectric power plants (and most of the rest is nuclear) - it helps to have lots of mountains. I can't find anything about Hong Kong, though... chances are they have some non-fossil fuel way of generating most of their electricity as well. --Tango (talk) 23:59, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

For Hong Kong, I imagine a big factor is their scarcity of cars[8] (and places to drive them). Clarityfiend (talk) 00:00, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Hong Kong has the advantage that it is very densely populated, which makes walking and public transport viable options for travel; that should lower the carbon emissions from travel quite a bit. Secondly a lot of the manufacturing capacity of Hong Kong has moved over the border to Guangdong, so the carbon emissions count on China's number. If you counted the per-capita emissions of the greater Hong Kong/Guangzhou area, I don't think you'd get a rosy number at all. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 00:09, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Also Hong Kong has only one power station, Lamma Power Station (well, plus windfarm). According to the CIA world factbook uses 44.6 billion kWh of power, of which it imports 11 billion kWh (again from Guangdong). So a quarter of HK's carbon emissions due to electricity generation goes onto China's totals, which again makes HK look much more efficient than it really is. This is a major problem in general when trying to compare carbon-emissions for different countries- onto whose total should such things go? There are many cases where carbon is emitted in one place to do work elsewhere. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 00:27, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Oh, but the power import thing is huge for Switzerland. It uses 58.77 billion kW of which a massive 48.4 billion kWh (82%) is imported (mostly from French nuclear production). Again that makes them look much more efficient than they really are. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 00:36, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

On looking at the numbers for Switzerland more closely, they're a bit more complicated. The country imports 48.4 billion kWh from France and exports 32 billion kWh to Italy (mostly they buy cheap French nuclear energy at night and use it to backfill pumped storage systems in alpine lakes; then they resell it at a nice premium to Italy during the day). So that's a net import of 16 billion kWh, which means about a quarter of their electricity is imported. This PDF has a lot about the swiss power market. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 00:56, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Perhaps the fact that both regions feature great natural beauty would inspire the people to keep things clean. Or perhaps they lack the raw materials for heavy manufacturing that so often creates significant pollution. Vranak (talk) 00:33, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. HK's emissions may be low, but their harbor is a cesspool so abysmally dirty that a planned scene in the Batman movie had to be scrapped because they didn't want their stuntman to even stick a toe in the water after they tested it. Also, the air quality (particulates, NOx, SOx) is so bad that many companies with HQs there are seriously considering moving elsewhere, and other companies are no longer so eager to setup shop. HK is an environmental disaster by any meaningful index. 218.25.32.210 (talk) 01:53, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

With only one power station (according to Hongkong Electric, the other three were closed in 1989), I suspect much of the electricity consumed by Hong Kong is not actually generated in Hong Kong. The emissions per capita would therfore be lower than you might expect. Astronaut (talk) 04:10, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

In Hong Kong, less than 3% of the economy is in manufacturing, which greatly reduces pollution. Mass transit is among the best in the world (and, petrol is the equivalent of US$8/gal.). Electric power (about 20% nuclear, the only part not produced in HK itself) and vehicles are the key polluters, including ships (but, all taxis and some buses are LPG-powered). What has become the key point of contention in recent years is pollution generated by (often, HK-owned) factories across the boundary, in the Pearl River Delta. Particularly in the winter, the smog comes rolling south and just sits on Hong Kong. While Finlay McWalter got many things right, above, the statement that Hong Kong only has one power station is not correct. Castle Peak, Black Point, Penny Bay and Tsing Yi are also in Hong Kong SAR. 218.25.32.210 also overstates the case, while ignoring the fact that Hong Kong is the cleanest city of any significant size in China. DOR (HK) (talk) 06:50, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

I ignored nothing. The OP asked about the developed world. With such criteria, you cannot compare HK to Mainland China. I assure you, my rant would have been even longer. But let's stick to the question at hand. I was alarmed at the characterization of HK as being so good at not polluting when it clearly is a fantastic polluter! 218.25.32.210 (talk) 08:29, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Very good sir! I took the OPs question at face value and assumed HK was relatively clean, but I did not know. And I would say that in pictures it does look quite clean. But then the water is a different story of course. Vranak (talk) 12:35, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

It looks to me then, that HK has a good emission rate because it externalized most of its emissions "costs" to mainland China. Googlemeister (talk) 15:15, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

That's a fair assessment. 218.25.32.210 (talk) 05:17, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

To Anyone who Knows about the French ship: Escorteur d'Escadre; ``DUPETIT THOUARS``

Found an seal or emblem of the French Navy Ship, Escorteur d' Escadre DUPETIT-THOUARS in San Diego California, USA don't know how to put a picture of the mentioned item. I'll describe it, the best I can.

is rounded made out of coper; weights about 2 pounds; 3 inches diameter; 1/4 of un inch wide. In the back says: Escorteur d'Escadra and DUPETIT THOUARS. On front has a a coat of arms and behind crossed by two "roman" hatches? and inside the coat of arms above left and below right two iron coats. Also below the left iron coat there is two swords (sarracene,[arab} kind) crossed each other.and top of the right iron coat, there is same two arab swords crossing each other. On top and bottom of the arab swords there is like a bunch of straws. I have read part of the story of this famous DUPETIT THOUARS Ship. Have no Idea on which part of the ship this emblem belongs to I don't Know how this item ended in San Diego California. I found it in a swapmeet.... an open market)! —Preceding unsigned comment added by Vascodeama (talk • contribs) 23:59, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

It may be one of the emblems you can see here and here. — Xavier, 01:07, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

It may well be a tampion - a plug that stops sea water going into the end of a gun barrel. They are often decorated with the ship's crest - the linked page shows some French Navy examples. The man the ship is named after; Aristide Aubert Du Petit Thouars died at the Battle of the Nile which may explain the Arab swords. Could the "Roman hatches" be Fasces? - if so, they are symbols of republicanism. Rather a gruesome story about him continuing the battle despite his arm and both legs being blown off, by being propped up in a bucket of grain. This may relate to the bundles of straw? Alternatively, this could be his family's Coat of Arms. As he was born in a castle, he probably came from the nobility. Alansplodge (talk) 18:49, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Well done! Here is a tampion of the Dupetit-Thouars. The wooden part was not mentioned by Vascodeama but the metal part matches his/her description. It is similar to this one found on one of the sites I had previously cited. The bundles of straw may very well be an allusion to the bran that was in the bucket, that makes sense to me. As for the hatches, those actually look more like the Tartar missiles which were added to this destroyer in 1963. — Xavier, 00:01, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

And 3 inches is about 75mm - a common anti-aircraft calibre in the French fleet I believe. Alansplodge (talk) 16:32, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

January 25

Don't understand ombudsman

Hello, I am confused what an ombudsman is or does. I am American, which may be part of the problem, but from the Wikipedia page it sounds like a lobbyist. Could someone explain in layman's terms what an ombudsman does, maybe with a hypothetical scenario? --Ye Olde Luke (talk) 01:04, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

An ombudsman is an official whose job is to resolve disputes; often that's disputes individuals have in dealings with large organisations like insurance companies or power suppliers. The UK is big on ombudsmen; if I think my insurer has ripped me off, I can complain to the ombudsman, who will investigate my complaint and talk to the insurer. He'll make a determination, and if he thinks the company didn't do what it was supposed to, he'll issue a ruling that says what they have to pay. They don't have to; they can always ask a court to overturn his ruling (and so can I). But mostly parties stick with the ombudsman's ruling, as the alternative is litigation, which is expensive for everyone. In this sense it's a form of non-judicial dispute resolution, akin to arbitration. Usually the ombudsman's services aren't available to the large organisation. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 01:12, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

The only place I've seen them regularly in the U.S. is newspapers. They often have an ombudsman who comes in whenever there is a dispute about reporting (e.g. a scandal over plagiarism or bias) and writes a little column that says "the Times could have done a better job" or "the critics are wrong" or whatever. This person works for the newspaper but has a position that implies some independence. --Mr.98 (talk) 01:24, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Someone I know was in the Cleveland Clinic for a while some time ago, and I remember seeing a sign for an ombudsman's office while visiting at the hospital; I'm guessing that you would go to the ombudsman's office if you believed that your rights as a patient (a statement of which is posted in many places throughout the Clinic) haven't been respected. Nyttend (talk) 02:04, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

One college I attended had an ombudsman. He was a tenured faculty member, who students could approach about problems when they encountered the stonewall of bureaucracy. It could be something as simple as a professor who faced the blackboard and mumbled unintelligibly in a lecture class with hundreds of students, and who refused to use the wireless microphone which was available. He also interceded when there were problems of racial discrimination or sexual harrassment of students by faculty or grad students. Edison (talk) 02:32, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Several years ago, my father was in the ER at a hospital (in the US). I was trying to get information about his condition, but the ER nurse refused to explain anything to me, even though I got my father to tell her specifically that I had his permission to get the information. The hospital had an ombudsman, whose services I *would* have used, except it was a Friday evening and they were not open till Monday morning. The ombusdman at a hospital is supposedly there to serve the patients, serving as the patient's representative when dealing with the hospital bureaucracy. Woogee (talk) 04:17, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Have a look at the UK Financial Ombudsman's site[9], which explains what he does; you can even complain in Welsh! Alansplodge (talk) 13:37, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

In my part of Australia two ombudsman (men?) that provide satisfaction are the telecomunications one www.tio.com.au/ and the energy and water one www.ewov.com.au/ Without going through legal action they can direct the naughty companies to behave properly to you. The tio one is funded by the telcos, and each "proper" complaint costs the telco vaguely AU $1000, so they jump pretty quick. Polypipe Wrangler (talk) 10:57, 30 January 2010 (UTC)

English monarch vs. Swedish monarch

I've always heard that the crowns of England and Sweden hold some political power: that is, they can influence policy somehow. I tried reading the Wikipedia pages, and every power they have seems to be nullified somehow. The British Monarch appoints the Prime Minister but they can only appoint whoever holds the support of the House of Commons. The Swedish King leads the Privy council in a session that establishes new government, but the Privy Council no longer exists. What I want to know is:

1) What powers does each monarch have, and 2) How are those powers actually effective in influencing politics?

169.231.8.128 (talk) 08:31, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

I tweaked the formatting of the question. We don't use UBB code here for italics. You could use HTML if you liked but that too is not used in deference to Wiki style markup. Dismas|^(talk) 09:06, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

It is possible the British (note British not English) monarch could withhold Royal Assent from a bill which has passed through the Parliamentary process. According to the linked article, there are such things called Reserve Powers which are used in emergencies. --TammyMoet (talk) 09:38, 25 January 2010 (UTC) (help I can't get the Reserve Power link to work...) --TammyMoet (talk) 09:40, 25 January 2010 (UTC)a

(e/c)The role of the British (not "English") monarch is set out at Monarchy of the United Kingdom. Parliament in the UK is effectively sovereign - the last time a monarch vetoed legislation passed by Parliament was in 1708 - but the fact that an unelected monarch holds any residual powers at all is the basis for Republicanism in the United Kingdom. Ghmyrtle (talk) 09:42, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

The Queen has the power to prorogue Parliament. In Australia in 1975, the Governor-General used this power to effectively dismiss the sitting government as it was a good bet that they would loose a General election. He didn't consult the Queen as perhaps he should have done, and it's quite probable that she would have told him not to do it. However, as I understand it, there's nothing to stop her from doing the same thing in the UK (except for the horrid example of Charles I). Alansplodge Alansplodge (talk) 13:02, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

After a little more research, in 1834, William IV dismissed the sitting Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne and replaced him with Sir Robert Peel even though Peel's party was a minority. Of course it didn't work and William had to swallow his pride and take Melbourne back again. Alansplodge (talk) 13:31, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Alan, a couple of points: Kerr, the Governor-General, dismissed Whitlam's Labor Government, period. (No need to qualify it with "effectively"; he handed him a letter saying "I hereby terminate your commission as Prime Minister ...".) Then, he swore in a new Prime Minister, Fraser (Liberal), after first obtaining an assurance he (Fraser) would recommend a dissolution of the parliament and the calling of a general election. Fraser's first act as PM was to make such recommendations, and, of course, Kerr agreed. The future electoral fate of the parties was not a matter of any great moment in Kerr's thinking, but - and not to defend him in any way - he is on record as saying he believed the government he had just sacked would be re-elected. However, it turned out to be the greatest electoral defeat in the Labor party's history. In constitutional matters, the Governor-General has powers in his own right, not merely as the representative of the sovereign. The Queen made it very clear shortly afterwards that the whole episode was a matter for Australians to sort out themselves, and she would not be intervening, so prior consultation with the Queen would not have been appropriate. Debate on the question of how Kerr should have acted, vs. what he did in fact do, has raged ever since. -- Jack of Oz ... speak! ... 14:33, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

So in exchange for appointing Fraser, the GG extracted an assurance that Fraser would advise the GG to dissolve Parliament, an action for which the power resided in — the GG. I have to say that sounds a little convoluted. Why not just dissolve Parliament? What value is "advice" that you've directed someone else to give you? The Westminster system just seems a little too affectedly nuanced to me at times. --Trovatore (talk) 18:34, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Yes, it is a little convoluted. The Queen (or GG) is supposed to appoint the person they think most likely to have the support of parliament as PM. Apart from that one power (which is usually completely uncontroversial since they just have to appoint the leader of the majority party), the monarch doesn't really have any power at all. Certain powers legally rest with them, but they only act on the advice of ministers. The problem is, none of these rules are written down anywhere, so sometimes it is a little unclear how they apply in a special case. That leaves the Queen (or GG) in a bit of a difficult position and they have to just make things fit. In this case, the GG decided it was better to dismiss the PM and appoint a replacement without ministerial advice than to dissolve parliament without ministerial advice. Either way, it was going to be unpopular with a lot of people. Somewhere like the US there is a constitution and a Supreme Court that can sort out this kind of mess, in the Westminster system we improvise - it's more fun that way! --Tango (talk) 21:17, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

For some weeks, Whitlam's budget had been stalled in the Senate (where the Opposition had the numbers). Fraser, the Opposition Leader, said he would let the budget bills pass the moment Whitlam called an election. Kerr and Whitlam had also been in private discussions on the issue. But Whitlam refused to advise an election; on the grounds that he and he alone had the power to advise the GG to prorogue parliaments and decide the timing of elections, and he was not going to have his hand forced in that unprecedented way. Kerr was impartial, politically speaking; his overriding concern was to ensure the government had enough money to run the country properly. If the only way for that to happen was to have an early election called (and that was a condition of Fraser's making, not of Kerr's making; the previous election had been held only the previous year), so be it. The last time a monarch shut down a parliament on his own volition, he lost his head - so Kerr would never have done that. But he could still take action to achieve the same outcome.

Fraser and Kerr's accounts of the matter differ sharply at this point. Fraser maintains that Kerr asked him before the dismissal whether, if he were commissioned as PM, he would ensure supply and call an election. Kerr adamantly denied doing this; and it would have been grossly improper for him to have done so. Kerr said that, before sacking Whitlam, he had already approached Fraser for an assurance that, were he commissioned as PM, he would ensure supply and call an election, an assurance that Fraser gave. These conditions were restipulated by Kerr after Whitlam was sacked, and again accepted by Fraser. For his part, Fraser said that the first and only time he was ever asked for such an assurance was after Whitlam was sacked. Kerr's gone to his grave now, and Fraser is sticking to his story. It would have been fantastic to think that an Opposition Leader who'd for weeks been holding a government to ransom and publicly calling for an election, and who was suddenly offered the Prime Ministership on a silver platter even though his party did not control the House of Representatives, would himself refuse to call an election; but under Fraser's Kerr's version of events, that was a possible outcome. Fraser could have declined Kerr's offer, under the same principle as Whitlam was citing - a Prime Minister is not told by anyone, not even a Governor-General, when an election is to be held. Kerr's version of events has Kerr acting in a grossly improper way, something he would be unlikely to be acknowledging unless it actually happened that way. Who to believe? I still don't know. In the event, Fraser was more than happy to accept Kerr's conditions, the parliament was prorogued that afternoon, the election was held, Fraser was elected PM in his own right, and went on to be the second-longest serving Australian PM (a record since overtaken by Bob Hawke, then by John Howard). -- Jack of Oz ... speak! ... 22:35, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

OK, so here's an example of what I mean by excessive nuance. Both you, and the authors of the article on the '75 crisis, seem to consider it a question of great moment whether Kerr proposed these conditions to Fraser before or after Kerr dismissed Whitlam. I'm afraid I just can't work out why that makes any difference at all. --Trovatore (talk) 08:14, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Firstly, I got an important detail confused above; now corrected. It was Fraser who maintains that Kerr consulted him before sacking Whitlam, and it was Kerr who denied this to his dying breath.

You have to understand that these were extremely unusual circumstances. Normally, a new PM is commissioned after beating the incumbent at a general election; or, if the incumbent dies or resigns. In any of those scenarios, the question of a new election is not relevant. In the 1975 case, there was more at stake than just an orderly transition between prime ministers: the government was fast running out of money. The principal players, Whitlam and Fraser, refused to change their positions. Kerr felt it was up to him to act. But what could he do? He couldn't just unilaterally dissolve the parliament and call an election. If you don't understand why that was utterly out of the question, maybe do some reading around Westminster system. And even if he had somehow done that, the budget bills would still not have been passed, and the financial situation would have been prolonged till after the election and the calling of the new parliament, a minimum of 6-8 weeks away. The only thing he could was to commission a prime minister who could secure the passage of the budget bills and also advise an election to let the people have a say. The only person who fitted the bill was Fraser. The fact that he was the leader of the minority party in the House of Reps and could not possibly have survived the first no-confidence vote was constitutionally immaterial. He was in a position to resolve the impasse and get the money flowing again, before the parliament had a chance to vote against him. But Kerr could not risk the plan going wrong. Just imagine if he sacked Whitlam, only to discover that Fraser was not prepared to play it his way. Kerr would have had no option but to reinstall Whitlam, and then immediately resign himself. Unthinkable. Failure was not an option. So that is why, in Fraser's account, Kerr got Fraser on side before he sacked Whitlam. And it makes a lot of sense that Kerr would have taken such precautions. It also makes sense that he would have denied it, as such a discussion with the Leader of the Opposition was highly irregular and improper, even if extraordinary circumstances call for extraordinary solutions. One thing Kerr didn't deny was his consulting with the Chief Justice of the High Court, Sir Garfield Barwick, about his constitutional powers, despite being specifically told by PM Whitlam that he was NOT to do that. So, these things all show how his thinking was developing in the days leading up to the dismissal. In the end, all that really matters is that Fraser did agree to Kerr's conditions and the stalemate was over. -- Jack of Oz ... speak! ... 09:35, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

A fascinating story. I have to say, after looking through the various articles, despite being a staunch anti-monarchist, I have a lot of sympathy for John Kerr, perhaps mainly because I have almost none for Gough Whitlam. But not only because of that; also because Kerr seems to have acted as he thought proper under very difficult circumstances, and then suffered dearly for it. --Trovatore (talk) 11:06, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

You'll find a certain section of the Australian community in agreement with you. Whitlam was hated by the right, and anything was considered fair game to get rid of him. Fraser's ploy of using his majority in the Senate to deny a properly constituted government the werewithal to govern unless it did what the opposition wanted, was previously considered unthinkable. 1975 wasn't the first time a government did not have the numbers in the upper house, but there was an unwritten understanding that, no matter what else an opposition might have done, blocking a government's budget was just not on. All that precedent went by the board in 1975. Consequently, Fraser was hated by the left. But that hatred was mild compared with the passion caused by Kerr's action. Whitlam's party was in government, having been elected in December 1972 and re-elected in May 1974. He had an absolute majority in the House of Reps. By his reckoning, he had the right to implement government policy in accordance with his electoral platform, and should have had access to the funds to get on with the job he was elected to do. Every PM chooses an election at a time that is most advantageous to their own party; that is completely accepted across the board, being one of the perks of office, I guess. Why should Whitlam alone have been denied this? Why should he have been dictated to by a minority opposition? Fraser's answer to that was the "reprehensible circumstances" that Whitlam and his people created. (Politicians can be terribly hypocritical when it suits them, can't they.) Yes, Kerr was placed in an invidious position, nobody denies that. But was his solution the only one available? To reward the creator of the immediate problem (Fraser) with the prime ministership (albeit in a caretaker capacity), and to punish the innocent victim (Whitlam) with dismissal as if for crimes he did not commit - these have always been the source of immense rage among the left. But it was 35 years ago now. Time moves on, and a lot of younger people know only the bare bones of the story, if they know of it at all. But for those with longer memories, 11 November 1975 will go down as one of the most shocking days of their lives. -- Jack of Oz ... speak! ... 12:09, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

I guess it's hard for me to see Whitlam as "innocent". According to these unwritten rules you speak of, in which I have no investment, maybe he was. But I don't like autocrats, and I don't like populists, and Whitlam seems to have been that most virulent hybrid, the populist autocrat. People like that make my blood pressure spike, even when I agree with them on certain individual issues, as it sounds like I would have with Whitlam on, say, the death penalty and conscription. Similarly with our own version, Andrew Jackson, my personal most despised US president, even though I probably would have agreed with him on stuff like the Bank of the United States. --Trovatore (talk) 21:58, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

for the claim Whitlam was a populist autocrat. N.B. The only point I want to add to Jack's story is that as mentioned in Australian constitutional crisis of 1975, one of the reasons why Kerr consulting Sir Garfield Barwick was controversial was because he was a former Liberal AG (and also because issueing advisory opinions was outside his mandate) Nil Einne (talk) 09:39, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

If I'm understanding it correctly, it basically boils down to Whitlam losing a confidence vote and refusing to resign. It was complicated by the fact that it wasn't an explicit confidence vote, just a supply vote, which is usually considered a de facto confidence vote, and it took place in the Senate, not his own house, but those points don't really matter. He didn't have the confidence of parliament and should have either resigned or advised the GG to dissolve parliament. Unfortunately, it is only convention, and not law, that requires a PM to do that, so there is no way a judge could force him. That only leaves the GG, and he did what needed to be done. --Tango (talk) 12:17, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

It wasn't quite like that. Until that time, there had never been an actual vote in the Senate. The Senate merely deferred consideration of the budget bills. There's been a lot of talk about whether this deferral constituted a "failure to pass" the bills. The only actual vote concerning confidence in the government was the vote of lack of confidence in Fraser's newly installed government; Fraser came in to the House to announce he'd been appointed PM, then didn't even wait around to participate in a vote he knew he could only lose. In the meantime, he was busy organising his Senate colleagues to get Whitlam's budget bills passed, and getting the paperwork ready to advise Kerr to dissolve the parliament. The Speaker of the House went to Kerr to tell him the PM, Fraser, had lost a confidence vote and to recommend he re-commission Whitlam. But Kerr was busy organising the dissolution of parliament and refused to see the Speaker until he was good and ready. By the time they met, the parliament had been dissolved, and Fraser remained the incumbent PM throughout the election campaign, despite having lost the confidence of the House. And Whitlam was out on his ear, having never lost any confidence vote, and despite having had his budget passed by the Senate and given Royal Assent by Kerr that afternoon. -- Jack of Oz ... speak! ... 21:04, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

I think vote of no confidence says it best, in that there's normally no requirement or expectation that a government needs the confidence of the upper house and in fact it's not that uncommon that they won't. The nature of such houses usually means even with an election, there's no guarantee you'll get a better result. Of course in Australia after two failed votes followed by a double dissolution and another failed vote, the government can have a joint session and I presume this applies for supply bills as well but it seems a bit extreme that you'll have to go thorough that every year or so... Nil Einne (talk) 10:28, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

Yes, a double dissolution applies to "any proposed bill" that is twice rejected. One of the reasons, perhaps, that there have been only 6 double dissolutions in 109 years is that, except for 1975, budget bills have been considered sacrosanct by all sides of politics. There's plenty of opportunity to criticise and scrutinise them, and question the government on the details, but at the end of the day, when it comes to a vote, they will always be allowed to pass. 1975 was the only time this convention was ever broken. As I said above, the Liberals in the Senate were tricky enough not to actually vote the bills down; all they did was defer consideration of them, and defer, and defer. But the result was as good as if they'd been voted down, because the government did not have the money it needed to do the job it was elected to do. The actual content of the budget bills themselves was never seriously in question; the bills were merely being used as a bargaining ploy. It made about as much sense as: "If you don't give me that promotion I richly deserve, I'm going to hold your children to ransom". That's the sense in which I referred to Whitlam as the "innocent party". And the repercussions of Fraser's tactic are still going on to this day. -- Jack of Oz ... speak! ... 11:28, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

You're quite right Jack; I was talking off the top of my head as usual.Alansplodge (talk) 18:15, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Was the Governor-General of Canada involved in any capacity in the current prorogation of the Parliament of Canada? Or did the Prime Minister do it on his own? 67.51.38.51 (talk) 16:22, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

The PM requested (by telephone!) that the GG prorogue parliament, which she did. The GG must generally follow the advice of the ministers; it would have been highly unusual for her not to grant the request. Indeed, there was much more concern for the prorogation last year. -- Flyguy649 ^talk 17:04, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Parliament is prorogued again? I hadn't heard about that. What happened this time? --Trovatore (talk) 21:47, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

The PM wants to avoid criticism over abuse of Taliban prisoners in Afghanistan, would like to stack the Senate with Conservatives while the other parties aren't able to do anything about it, and, for some reason, wants to start all over with various bills that his own government considered very very important. He also doesn't want to do any work while the Olympics are on. (There must be better, real, reasons, right? But are there really?) Adam Bishop (talk) 21:57, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

When Harper asked the GG to prorogue Parliament the first time, in December 2008, some people speculated she might refuse his request, but in the end she did what Harper wanted. Interestingly enough, today's featured article is about an Alberta bill to which the king's representative reserved assent until the Supreme Court ruled on its constitutionality. The Supreme Court rejected the legislation. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 01:10, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Of course the first time the proroguing appears to have been successful since the rumoured no confidence vote never came so some might argue it was a legitimate thing for the government to do, to enable each side to think more carefully about what they were doing. (As opposed to a pointless delaying tactic it may have seemed if he'd lost confidence after coming back.) Nil Einne (talk) 10:34, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

As for Sweden, the monarch has absolutely no influence what-so-ever on anything in the political realm or regarding the governing of the country. All that power is vested in the elected government and parliament. He has some very symbolic positions (like heading the Council of Foreign Affairs) and he is the Head of State, but he has no actual constitutional power. No one needs his Royal Assent, he doesn't command the military, he couldn't prorouge a dinner party, etc. He doesn't even vote (well, if he really wanted to, I suppose he could, but the royal family doesn't vote by tradition), and he never speaks on political matters. The Swedish King is the definition of a powerless figure-head. It couldn't be any other way, because many Swedes are in general very uncomfortable with the idea of a monarch, and if there's even a hint that he tried to influence policy in any way, the Riksdag (i.e. the Swedish parliament) would immediately modify the constitution and kick his sorry ass out (well, not immediately, to change the constitution you two votes from the Riksdag with an election in between, but pretty quickly). For all intents and purposes, Sweden is a parlimentary democracy. Belisarius (talk) 21:27, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

I believe I'm right in saying that the Swedish Instrument of Government contains a line which translate something like "All public power in Sweden arises from the people". I don't have a copy to hand, if anyone does they could check. DuncanHill (talk) 22:07, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Yes, "All public power in Sweden proceeds from the people" is the opening sentence, according to Riksdagens website. [10]. DuncanHill (talk) 22:13, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Speaking of the prorogation of Parliament in Canada, there were protests in 64 different cities and towns in Canada against it on Saturday, and also in four other countries around the world. I'm currently trying to get this onto the main page, but a separate article may be needed. ~AH1^(TCU) 01:43, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Regarding Sweden: Couldn't it be that even though the Swedish monarch de facto has no power, he may still de jure have some according to the constitution? The reason for this question is that in Denmark following the 1849 constitution he king had the power to appoint ministers and if necessary overrule the parlamentary elections. This eventually resulted in him abusing this power by appointing a Conservative government despite the election results, which basically meant we had a dictatorial rule for a number of years. When the opposition finally came to power the constitution was changed in 1901 to prevent this from happening again, and thus effectively making the monarch a figure head. Could it be that these pre-1901 circumstances could be inherent in the Swedish constitution, but that they were never changed because they were never abused in the same way? --Saddhiyama (talk) 12:18, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

No. That was the case during the first three quarters of the last century, but since 1974 the Swedish monarchy no longer has any de jure power. Please see Monarchy of Sweden#Head of state and Instrument of Government_(1974). As noted in the latter article, this is quite unusual compared to other constitutional monarchies. /Coffeeshivers (talk) 19:49, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Anti terrorist and drug certificate

"Do I need an anti-terrorist and drug certificate to transfer a very large amount of my funds from Belgium overseas?", —Preceding unsigned comment added by 212.183.140.2 (talk) 13:14, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Wikipedia is unable to answer legal questions. If you have a "large amount of funds" then I strongly recommend spending a small fraction of them on getting good legal advice. You should probably also tell that legal advisor where you intend to transfer the funds to. DJ Clayworth (talk) 14:07, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

or you could just send them to me and I'll handle it. let me send you my address in Nigeria... --Ludwigs2 09:22, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

minor league baseball salaries

I have a question on how payment for minor league baseball players is handled. Say that the KC Royals signs on a new prospect to a $200,000 2 year contract, and then sends him to their AAA club in Omaha. Who pays his salary, the KC club, or the Omaha club, because they probably do not have the same owners, and Omaha was not the organization that offered the contract? What about when halfway through his contract, he gets moved to the big leagues and start playing for KC? Googlemeister (talk) 15:28, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

From Minor league baseball#Affiliation_system: Major league Rule 56 governs the standard terms of a PDC. Generally, the parent major league club pays the salaries and benefits of uniformed personnel (players and coaches) and bats and balls, while the minor league club pays for in-season travel and other operational expenses. -- Coneslayer (talk) 17:12, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

So the answer is that the minor league teams do not have to pay salaries, but do have to pay travel. Not a bad deal for the MLT then as I was wondering how they could be profitable with their payroll. Thanks for the response. Googlemeister (talk) 17:21, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Well, there's a few things. BaseballBugs will have to chime in with the details, but I am pretty sure that only the salaries of the team's 40 man roster is covered by the Major League Player's contract; that is that only players on the 40-man roster have to be paid at the league minimum, and only those players count towards baseball's soft salary cap. While only 25 players will actually suit up for a game, that leaves 15 players, some of whom are on "injured reserve" and the rest who will actually play in the minor leagues. So, if I am correct here, that means that 40 players are paid a minimum of $400,000, and the average major league salary was $2,996,106, according to MLB.com: [11]. That means that, on average, a major league team is paying roughly $120 million dollars for its 40-man roster. However, given that there is no minimum salary for minor league players, one could envision that most of them are making, say, $30,000 per year, or 1% of the average major league salary. So, lets say that a club employs, along with its 40 major leaguers, another 150 or so more players (most teams have about 5-6 minor league franchises), at even a generous $50,000 per year that would leave a modest $ 7,500,000 for its minor league players. If we bump that up to $100000 for a minor league player, that would still only be $15,000,000, still not anywhere near the $120 mil paid to the major leaguers. So yes, it is an expense, but its not the sort of thing that "breaks the bank" compared to major league salaries. --Jayron32 22:10, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

A minor league team does not have as robust a revenue stream as a major league team though (very limited if any TV revenue, lower priced tickets etc), so while $8 million might be a drop in the bucket for the KC Royals, that would probably be a very significant expense for the Omaha Royals. Googlemeister (talk) 17:40, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

name for style of woman's shirt

What do you call a woman's shirt that has a deep v in the front, so that there are two "bracups" formed in the fabric ? thanks, cinnamon colbert —Preceding unsigned comment added by 146.115.3.195 (talk) 15:45, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

A v-neck? Gabbe (talk) 17:00, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Camisole? Useight (talk) 00:26, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Camisole is a garment (sleeveless undershirt that may be worn as outerwear), not a style. -- Deborahjay (talk) 10:15, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

A v-neck alone is only the shape of the neckline/opening and doesn't produce the bra-cup effect. That would require shaping of the fabric at or under the bust, possibly by gathering, pleats, darts, or seaming. See, for example: the "empire waist top" - though note that the empire waistline traditionally goes with classic neckline treatments (scoop, boat, etc.) other than the V-neck. Can you describe the other features of the shirt besides the "deep v"? -- Deborahjay (talk) 10:15, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Peripherally, is the word "blouse" no longer current for such female garments (if buttoned)? 87.81.230.195 (talk) 16:07, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Blouse is a more generic term, and I don't think they typically have built-in cups, in general. The description reminds me of that green thing that J-Lo wore on some awards show several years ago, although I'm not sure it had cups either (much to the chagrin of the network). ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 17:07, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Some Bustiers are v-cut in the front as you describe. Edison (talk) 00:44, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

Travelling to the US via Canada

I'm a British citizen and I'm going to stay in Toronto in summer with a friend at her relative's house. Because of the proximity of Toronto the US border, and New York, we were interested in going across for a week or less for the sake of tourism only. Ordinarily, if I was traveling to the US directly, I'd be eligible under the Visa Waiver program, thus not requiring to get a visa assuming I have a valid passport from the UK government. However, because I'm not traveling direct, and we want to go across the border, does this mean we'd have to apply for the B-2 tourism visa at additional cost? Regards, --—Cyclonenim | Chat  19:35, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

I am from the US and was able to use the program to travel to New Zealand direct from Australia, so it appears to work in the reverse direction, as both NZ and Aus are part of the program. Googlemeister (talk) 19:46, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

No, providing you meet the requirements of the Visa Waiver Program. The prevailing document is an I94W (non-immigrant visa waiver) which is issued by the carrier (for air or land) or is available in the customs post (for land crossings) and is inspected at the crossing. For land crossings CBP says you'll have it inspected at "secondary" (ref) for a small fee. Make sure you meet all the requirements for it, and expect a nontrivial queue. Taking your return airline ticket (Toronto->LHR or whatever) should satisfy them that you have every intention of leaving the US. Note that Toronto has "proximity" to NYC in the same way London has proximity to Dundee. And Buffalo isn't worth visiting. If you fly you'll pass through US immigration at United States border preclearance at the Canadian airport. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 19:53, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Thanks, that pretty much solves my problem. Do I fill out the I94W at the preclearance area in the Canadian airport, or do I need to have it processed before I leave the UK? Regards, --—Cyclonenim | Chat  20:19, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Depending on the airport, you will be required to fill out your I94W either in the Canadian airport, or on landing in the US. You do not need to fill it before you leave the UK. Rockpocket 20:28, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

That's great. Thanks for your help. Regards, --—Cyclonenim | Chat  20:36, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Aw, poor Buffalo. Doesn't it still have outlet malls? And you can go to Detroit or Port Huron, about four hours to the west. Adam Bishop (talk) 21:48, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

"Buffalo isn't worth visiting"? Ouch. Reminds me of the old railroad line, the Toronto Hamilton & Buffalo, the TH&B, the "To Hell and Back" line. On the other hand, choosing Detroit over Buffalo is questionable. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 22:05, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Port Huron is quite nice, though. I spent a night there when I moved from Toronto. Not much to do there, maybe, but the lake is pretty. --Trovatore (talk) 22:09, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

You can also cross over the St. Lawrence a couple of hours east of Toronto. There are some nice towns in New York there (although I forget what they are called). Adam Bishop (talk) 22:23, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Be aware that although you don't need a visa there are additional security measures you will have to take as a non-US non-Canadian citizen. The main one is you will probably need to be fingerprinted. This will take a little longer, which won't make much difference if you fly, but if you decide to drive you'll need to stop the car and go into the building rather than just drive through. You'll also need six dollars in US currency (no Canadian, no Sterling, no credit cards). None of that applies if you fly. DJ Clayworth (talk) 22:38, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

I'll definitely be flying, I'm not 21 so I can't get a rental car over there. Also, the prospect of a 6/7 hour drive doesn't really do it for me. Definitely flying. Thanks. Regards, --—Cyclonenim | Chat  23:27, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

For what it's worth, although it's true that only a few of the major American rental car companies rent to anyone under 25, and none of them rent to anyone under 21, some small rental car companies will rent to 18-year-olds and older; google rental car 18 years old. This article touches on the subject and mentions the possibility of renting a moving van (!) instead. Comet Tuttle (talk) 23:44, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

I'm sure there are companies that will rent to 18 year olds, but is it legal to? And would I still be covered by insurance? I doubt it! Regards, --—Cyclonenim | Chat  00:10, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Legal: Yes. Why would the rental companies do this openly if it were illegal? Insurance: Great question and you will have to read your insurance contract to find out. All the major car companies (and probably all the small ones too) also offer alternative insurance. It's pretty expensive (or may seem cheap to you depending on how much peace of mind it offers you). I'd call and find out first, though it sounds like you've ruled this path out already. The article I linked to above does mention you'll pay more as a person under 25, possibly substantially more. Comet Tuttle (talk) 00:18, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

There are no fees travelling from Fort Erie to Buffalo, but the way back there is a small fee if I remember correctly. ~AH1^(TCU) 01:37, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

I'd agree that Buffalo isn't worth visiting, but there are certainly places worth going in New York State that are closer to Canada than New York City. The Finger Lakes have some of the prettiest landscapes in the Northeastern U.S. and are less than 4 hours by car from Toronto. At the far end of the Finger Lakes, maybe 5 hours from Toronto including time at the border crossing, is the small city of Ithaca, New York, which is very pretty and is culturally rich for its size because it is a university town. Of course, the closest border crossing to Toronto is at Niagara Falls, which is well worth a look. The American side is a little less spoiled by tacky tourism than the Canadian side. Going around Lake Ontario the other way, you pass by the picturesque Thousand Islands. Continuing into New York State, you come to the rugged Adirondack Mountains, including the resort towns of Lake George, Lake Placid, and Saratoga Springs. There is also historic Fort Ticonderoga. Marco polo (talk) 02:24, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

• Don't you have to register online for the Visa Waiver Programme now? I'd advise Cyclonenim to check with the US Embassy in London before travelling. DuncanHill (talk) 02:33, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

It appears so. Sheesh. TomorrowTime (talk) 07:08, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

I'm from Buffalo and must agree that there isn't a lot to do there. BUT, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery is quite nice, especially if you are into modern art. A couple hours farther is Letchworth State Park, which is quite scenic. Niagara Falls was mentioned above. It's sadly surrounded by tacky tourist traps but the falls itself is rather impressive. The Journey Behind the Falls and Cave of the Winds (New York) might be worth doing. Niagara Falls is quite close to Buffalo--part of the metro area. So people like me tend to consider it all part of the general region. Still, having grown up in Buffalo, the place to go to have fun and see cool stuff was Toronto. On the other hand, if you can manage a visit to New York City--quite a ways from Buffalo mind you--that would be worth doing. Pfly (talk) 10:07, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

There are other ideas near the Buffalo area, if one must avoid Buffalo. Remember that New York State is quite large and oddly shaped, such that Buffalo is really much closer to large cities in other states than New York. For example, Cleveland, Ohio is only 3 hours drive away, so you have the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to visit there. If you are an American football fan, the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio is not far. Cooperstown, New York, also not far, houses the Baseball Hall of Fame. If you like wine, there are lots of little family vinyards that give tours in the area around Jamestown, New York. Likewise, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is only about 1.5 3.5 hours away. So even if Buffalo doesn't have enough to keep your attention for more than a day or so, you could use it as a base of operations to go see the sights in other area cities. --Jayron32 17:27, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

It's about 219 miles (350 km) from Buffalo to Pittsburgh, according to Google Maps. If you can do that in 1.5 hours, I'm impressed. -- Coneslayer (talk) 17:50, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

What, you don't ride around in a helicopter? Googlemeister (talk) 18:00, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Fixed my typo. Then again, you don't know how I drive... --Jayron32 21:56, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

One fun thing to do in the U.S. that you can't do in southern Ontario anymore is to go to a minor league baseball game. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 23:59, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

There's still the Intercounty Baseball League! Adam Bishop (talk) 09:26, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

If you've never been to New York city, then don't detour - go right there. Other cities are nice, but New York is New York and if you're at all limited in time, spend it there - if you can afford the hotel prices. Of course I wouldn't want to live there... DJ Clayworth (talk) 14:58, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

January 26

International mail fraud

Today I received a letter claiming to be from a barrister representing an unclaimed estate which suggests that I might be a long lost relative and hier. You know the drill – an obvious scam. Normally, I'd turn the letter over to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to add to their files for investigation and possible prosecution. However, this letter has a Lisbon metered postmark and Madrid contact information (including an apparent premium rate fax number +34 911 xxx xxx), so it appears to be of questionable jurisdiction. I'm looking for suggestions as to where to file a complaint that has any chance of triggering an investigation. (Of course the claimed estate is fairly sizable – maybe I should send them my bank account and credit card numbers, just in case. They say the transaction is 100% risk-free.) -- Tom N (tcncv) talk/contrib 00:35, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Don't forget to give them the deed to your house while you're at it. Oh, and I have a slightly used bridge to sell you. Some assembly required. If it were me, I would start with the post office and see if they have any recommendations. Another possibility could be the U.S. Department of Justice? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 00:55, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

As a general rule, people that direct things into another country, even if they are without it, are within the jurisdiction of that country. For the legal theory see personal jurisdiction and minimum contacts. Now, whether that means anything in your case I can't say. Shadowjams (talk) 05:58, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Interpol or Europol, depending where you reside? Or perhaps it should just be 'filed' away in the round 'filing cabinet' or if you prefer a square one. 220.101.28.25 (talk) 06:22, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

As long as it's fed through a shredder first. You can't be too careful about the risk of identity theft. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 07:29, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Absolutely, gold star for Bugs. Here however the 'barrister' already has the OPs address, hopefully nothing more! But yes, any identifying paperwork should be shredded ('crosscut' shredder preferred) before 'filing'. --220.101.28.25 (talk) 13:19, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Wow, I'm a hero of the Soviet Union. That's kind of like being a hero of the St. Louis Browns. d:) ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 17:04, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

You deserve it, you made a very good point. (Typed "Gold Star" in the Search box and bingo. At least its shiny!) --220.101.28.25 (talk) 09:49, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

Well the Browns still kinda exist. It would be more like being a hero of the Cleveland Spiders. --Jayron32 17:09, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Now I see what put you on to updating the Browns page. :) The scary part about the Cleveland Spiders is that League Park is in better shape than they are. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 19:20, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Spain is an absolutely notorious base for advance-fee type scams (especially the Spanish Lottery scam). This, from the US Department of State, suggests that victims contact the Spanish Embassy, but I'm not sure how far they would go to investigate a letter if you haven't fallen victim to it. It's also commonly suggested that you contact the FBI, Secret Service or US Postal Inspectorate. See here for how to report. This includes international scams. --Kateshortforbob _talk 19:05, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

Magic in Wikipedia

I am sure that I edited someone's user talk page, then when I visited again to see if he had responded, my post wasn't there. I checked his history, and I had never posted. Then I checked my posting history, and it also indicated that I had never posted. Then I find out (via external means) that he magically deleted my post -- but it was as though I had never done it in the first place, rather than allowing it to appear as an unposted-post. How is that possible within the framework of Wikipedia? DRosenbach ^{(Talk | Contribs)} 03:25, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Were they an admin? Dismas|^(talk) 03:26, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

What is an "unposted-post"? If an edit is hard deleted, then there is no trace of it left in a page history nor in a user's contribution history. Think about all those Speedy tags you've left on pages ... none of them show up in your edit history because the entire article has been deleted. However it is possible, AFAIK, to delete a single edit from a history, if you have a mop, rather than deleting the whole page. Meanwhile http://xkcd.com/693/ refers. --Tagishsimon (talk) 03:28, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Are you sure you didn't punch the "Show Preview" button rather than the "Save Page" button. 99 times out of 100, when someone reports the problem you are having, it generally comes from that problem. Actually, probably vanishingly close to 100 out of 100 times. --Jayron32 03:36, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Yes -- apparently, they are an admin. And at first I thought that I had merely previewed...until I found out externally that I had in fact posted and that it was deleted. DRosenbach ^{(Talk | Contribs)} 03:42, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

I can confirm that your talk page post was deleted by the editor in question. This may be because it contained personal information; the editor you mention would probably be far better placed to explain their reasoning than anyone here. Warofdreams talk 03:44, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

[after edit conflict] Exactly, if it shouldn't be a preview issue (I agree that that's often the reason), only admins have the necessary wand power for hard deletes. As far as I understand, though, they should not use it unless there's a good reason for doing so--usually a legally relevant post, such as copyright violations or disclosures of personal information, or very strong verbal offenses/vandalism (unless the last are relevant for police investigations). --Ibn Battuta (talk) 03:46, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Yeh, it seems like the admin could have at least said something to DRosenbach about why he clobbered it. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 03:49, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

It should be visible with the admin tools unless the edits were oversighted. I do not see the deleted material, so perhaps oversight was used to remove them. (Oversight is like double secret probation in Animal House). I've always felt it is better to explain why something was deleted rather than trying to do it stealthily, which can result in unwanted discussion. Edison (talk) 05:01, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

The edit in question has in fact not only been deleted, but also oversighted. This means that the contents of the edit met one or more of the criteria in the Oversight policy, such as libel, non-public personal information or gross vandalism. As such, is it not visible even to administrators. decltype (talk) 11:37, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

This matter should probably be discussed at WP:ANI. It certainly shouldn't be discussed here. --Tango (talk) 12:20, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Tango -- I bemoan your comment; not only did I not know ANI exists, but it would certainly not be at the top of my mind, as I'm not an admin and don't have familiarity with admin powers. Miscellaneous ref desk is certainly a place to discuss miscellaneous topics. I'm not seeking a resolution to an incident -- I'm merely trying to understand how Wikipedia works and certainly think your words are too harsh for my query. DRosenbach ^{(Talk | Contribs)} 13:40, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

DRosenbach, if I were you, I'd rather use Special:EmailUser/Oversight or contact the user whose talk page you edited privately. Since this does not require immediate administrative action (in fact, administrators can't help you with this), I do not think it is appropriate for WP:ANI. decltype (talk) 13:47, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Indeed. This desk is for general knowledge questions, not questions about how Wikipedia works. The right place to start with a query of this nature is the help desk. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 13:49, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Actually I think the Village Pump might be a better location. 67.51.38.51 (talk) 16:52, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Hmmm, not sure about that – the Pump is kind of a pointy-headed hangout for discussing policies, proposals, technical issues and whatnot. This kind of query might have ended up there, but I would always recommend going to the help desk first. It's staffed by knowledgeable people and you normally get a quick response. --Richardrj ^{talk email} 16:58, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

ANI is a good place to start, as it is frequented by admins and they could advise him where to go - although the Oversite page is probably where they would send him. But as WarofDreams said, the best bet is to go directly to the one who deleted it and ask why. Because for others it could be guesswork, but there's a good chance the deleting admin will know why he deleted it. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 19:34, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

I don't know why I need to go anywhere -- all I wanted to know was what happened and how it happened, not figure out why and seek moderation. Thanks for everyone's comments that were directed at solving my query. DRosenbach ^{(Talk | Contribs)} 03:04, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

I that case help desk would indeed be the best place for future reference. Note that as people have explained, the RD Misc is intended for seeking references for miscellaneous factual questions or as explained in the main RD page "The Wikipedia reference desk works like a library reference desk. Users leave questions on the reference desk and Wikipedia volunteers work to help you find the information you need." It is not for random miscellaneous questions on anything in the world. And the RD is not for general help on using wikipedia (which includes editing, policies and what, why or how things happened on wikipedia). You clearly didn't know this, and that's okay, but now people have told you you should seek help in a better place in the future. The same way if you went to a library reference desk and ask them what happened to a book they once had or what happened to your account or what happened to a sign you left in the community notice board, they would direct you to the help desk or a similar place Nil Einne (talk) 13:20, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

Incidentally with regards to the original question, I see a deleted contrib in DRosenbach's history, that was made about 20 mins before this post. Is that what's being referred to? If so, what am I missing since it is showing up in the history. It seems Wikipedia:Revision deletion was used and from what I understand the information available can be changed so perhaps it was? Looking at the page history in question, it's possible there were ongoing problems and DRosenbach's edit was simply caught up in the mess Nil Einne (talk) 14:07, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

Incidentally :), after seeing that the post I had made didn't exist, I again posted. Only then was I contacted externally that my post had been deleted in a magical vanishing sort of way -- and so I deleted by second posting. DRosenbach ^{(Talk | Contribs)} 14:35, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

Powers model

What is a "Powers model"? Mary Sue Miller has been described in the NYTimes as "an early Powers model". Hiram Powers (1805-1873) and Preston Powers (1842-1904) are too early. Given that she died before her husband, who died in 1982 at age 76, I have my doubts if Ed Powers (* 1954) is what's meant (plus I'd expect her to be called an "actress", not a "model" then). Or did she model to advertise something called "Powers"? Powers Accounting Machine Company again seems rather early (unless she was much older than her husband) and I don't see how it would be shortened to just "Powers". There's also Powers (whiskey), but why would she be an "early" model for them if the Whiskey has existed since 1791?

So... what's a "Powers model"?? Thanks, Ibn Battuta (talk) 03:46, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

I'm guessing the John Robert Powers Agency. --Tagishsimon (talk) 03:50, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Thanks, I actually just found them! We even have an article: John Robert Powers! I'm adding it on the Powers page... --Ibn Battuta (talk) 04:43, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Bad Credit and Car Dealerships

I live in the US east coast. Are there any car dealerships that would finance someone with horrible credit if they put down 50%? --Reticuli88 (talk) 17:08, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Almost certainly. Some make a point of advertising the fact. But I'm afraid I don't know which ones. And they'll make you pay for it. May I suggest instead taking your 50% down payment and using it to pay cash for a car worth half as much? DJ Clayworth (talk) 18:25, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

If you can get the seller to allow you to have the car inspected by an independent mechanic before purchase (and you check the VIN online to make sure the car is not a lemon), in my opinion you virtually always get better value for money buying a used car for cash. A new car loses something like 20% of its value the minute you drive it out of the dealer's lot, but you are still stuck paying for that 20% with interest if you need a loan to buy it. Not so with a used car you can pay for with cash. However, if you are determined to buy from a dealer on credit, you can try this locator. Tips on how to go about it are offered at www dot ehow dot com /creditcenter/wizard.jsp. Marco polo (talk) 18:33, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

I was also interested in improving my credit score by taking on some payments for a used car at a dealership. I figured this will be a good way to do that. I thought about buying a better car through a private seller but that won't help improve my atrocious credit score. --Reticuli88 (talk) 18:34, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

I would think that making payments on your existing debt on time, and gradually paying off that debt, would be a better way to improve a credit score than to take on more debt. That's assuming that you have not just gone through bankruptcy and no longer have debt. In the latter case (but I think only in that case), your idea might make sense. Even in that case, though, I would think the best thing would be to buy a car you can afford to buy with cash, take out a loan for the car, and then pay off the loan in a few big payments, ahead of schedule. That way you can improve your credit score while minimizing your expense in interest and principal. Marco polo (talk) 18:39, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

(after e/c) I agree with Marco polo that current debt, if you still have any, takes priority. If you are now debt-free, and if you are employed and have a good employment history, I would recommend talking to a bank, and starting with small, easily repaid amounts. That's if the quality of the car is not as important as fixing your credit rating. (To the dealership, whether some or all of the money comes from a bank, this would be the same as offering cash, so your purchase price would still benefit.) I am in Canada, where banking and credit rules are materially different from the US, so YMMV. Bielle (talk) 18:46, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

If you are looking to improve your credit score you are better off getting a very small loan - such as a credit card with a very low limit - and paying that off regularly. However far better than listening to my advice is getting a professional to advise you. You can get free independent advice on this, but make sure you are getting it from someone truly independent, not someone looking to replace your current loans with one of theirs. DJ Clayworth (talk) 19:46, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

I still owe over 5 grand to a loan that I haven't paid back in over 3 years. So, you are saying that it would be better that I pay back that instead of getting another loan? (sorry if that question sounds stupid) but I want to make sure that if I start paying back that old loan, does that institution have to, by law, report this to the credit agencies immediately? If so, does that prove favorable on my score or do I have to wait until it's completely paid off before I see any improvement? --Reticuli88 (talk) 18:50, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

We cannot offer legal advice on the Reference Desk, for which you would need to consult an attorney. However, you are entitled to one free credit report per year from each major credit reporting agency, and I believe that those agencies are legally required to correct your report if you can provide evidence that it is in error. So you can ensure that your credit report is corrected even if your creditor fails to report your resumption of payment. Now, if you have defaulted on your $5,000 debt, it may be that, because you have violated the terms of the loan, you cannot restore your credit simply by resuming monthly payments. Instead, the legal position of the creditor may be that you have to pay off the loan in order to be in "good standing". That said, creditors will often negotiate repayment plans on delinquent loans, and part of your negotiation could be to ask that the loan be reported as in "good standing" after a certain amount of payments if you stick to your schedule. Of course, the best thing would be to pay off the entire $5,000 if you can. If this would wipe out your car downpayment, figure out how much you would actually need for a car downpayment on the cheapest car that would meet your needs, set that aside (plus a couple thousand dollars as a cushion for yourself so that you won't need to go further into debt if an unforeseen expense came on), and then arrange a repayment plan on your old debt that you will be able to afford along with car payments. You will do much more to restore your credit by paying off your defaulted loan than you will by just taking on another loan and making payments on it. Incidentally, figure out which of the two loans will have the higher interest rate. If the car loan will have the higher interest rate, prioritize paying it off by planning the largest monthly payments you can afford, and try to minimize the monthly payments you negotiate on the defaulted debt, using car payments as your justification. (They don't have to know if you haven't yet arranged the car loan.) If the defaulted loan will have the higher interest rate, try to pay it off faster by getting low monthly payments on the car loan. The principle is to throw as much as possible at the higher interest rate loan, which actually minimizes your interest payments by reducing the principal at the fastest possible rate. (I am speaking, by the way, as someone who once had $23,000 in debt, including a defaulted loan, and paid it off in 5 years without a big income.) Marco polo (talk) 19:43, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

If you are in default on a loan then your first priority should be to get back into good standing with that loan. What that requires will depend on the details. You should probably contact whoever that loan is with and find out what they require from you - if you haven't made any payments in three years, you probably will need to pay off the whole loan if you can. You may want to consult a financial advisor - they may be able to advise you of ways to get the lender to let you off with paying less. You certainly should not take on more debt before you have dealt with the debt you already have. I suggest you buy a small, second-hand car for a few hundred dollars - they exist if you look for them. They aren't very good, but they'll get you from A to B while you are getting your finances in order. --Tango (talk) 19:59, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

If you contact the creditor on your defaulted loan, it may be willing to agree to a repayment plan on favorable terms, possibly including a reduction in the total amount owed. Getting a new repayment plan on any defaulted debts, and sticking to the terms of that plan, is the most important thing you can do to restore your credit. The next most important thing is to get a copy of your free credit report and review it, contacting the credit reporting agency to correct any errors. Instructions for getting your free credit report are here. John M Baker (talk) 22:49, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

I would agree with Tango on everything except getting a used car for a few hundred dollars. In my opinion, that is likely to be penny-wise and pound-foolish, and a few hundred dollars down the drain. Cars are that cheap for a reason, mostly that they aren't much good except as a source of used parts. I think that you need to expect to pay at least $3000 to get a car that has much chance of lasting long enough for you to pay off several thousand dollars worth of debt, assuming your income is below about $40K. Marco polo (talk) 01:37, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

When you buy a really cheap car you do so knowing that it will only last a year or so (make sure the car is roadworthy with no serious problems when you buy it, of course - in the UK you can just check it has a recent MOT, I don't know if the US has anything similar - oh, and test drive it, too!). If we assume the OP is paying about 20% interest on loans, due to a really bad credit rating (it could easily be much higher), spending $3000 now, rather than in a year's time, will cost $600 in interest. If you can find a car for less than $600 that will last a year (not an easy task, but not impossible - my step-dad once bought a car for £50. Admittedly, that was 10 years ago and it cost £100 in parts and several day's work to get it roadworthy, but still...), you'll be better off. --Tango (talk) 02:07, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

I'd just say that it's a real gamble to spend $600 and hope that it will last a year. If the transmission fails 4 months later, you are faced with having to shell out for another car (in the United States where cars are necessary for employment in most areas). If you get a solid $3000 car, it can easily last 5-10 years. If you buy $600 cars, I think you will have to buy them more often than once a year. Even at 20% interest, the $3000 car is the better investment, especially if it frees you to focus your disposable income on debt repayment rather than repeated transportation replacement. That's without taking into account the time required to find and test cheap cars before you find one that is more than a heap of scrap metal. The OP would have to make that an ongoing pastime if he or she decides to pursue a series of beaters. Marco polo (talk) 03:28, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

L.a. is a great big freeway

Put a hundred down and buy a car.

In a week, maybe two, they'll make you a star.

from Do You Know the Way to San José. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 22:52, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

Need Direction

I am interested in contributing content to Wikipedia, mainly with business and other financial references. However, I am programming illiterate and can not find a good resource to learn the fundamentals of the MediaWiki software Wikipedia is based on. Could you point me to a source? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Erik Le Mesurier (talk • contribs) 18:48, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

You should start with Wikipedia:Welcome, newcomers, Wikipedia:Help and Wikipedia:Editing. If you have questions go to Wikipedia:Help desk You don't need to be programming literate to contribute. In fact you just did so. DJ Clayworth (talk) 18:50, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

there is little actual programing that needs to be done to edit wikipedia. check the cheatsheet for a quick guide to the necessary basics. --Ludwigs2 09:20, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

transsexual lesbian

I'm a lesbian, and I've been seeing this transsexual girl (who used to be a man and still a penis, but has taken hormones so has breasts etc and she is so hot) and it's sort of getting to the point where, em, things would progress further than just kissing and cuddling. The thing is, I'm deathly scared to the point of being phobic about penetration, especially by a penis. I've never been in this situation before and I have no idea how a transsexual girl has sex with another girl. I don't know what to do. I'm sort of okay with giving hand jobs if that's what she wanted. What should I do? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.56.141.252 (talk • contribs)

I'm afraid we can't really give advice on personal matters. We find references for people and there aren't likely to be any of help to you. I suggest you find a local LGBT association, they will probably be able to tell you where to go to get this kind of advice. If you tell us where you live, we should be able to help you find such an association. --Tango (talk) 20:02, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

The IP address seems to be in Germany. Your English is outstanding, 84. Hopefully one of our contributors will help with some advice, along the lines Tango suggested. --Dweller (talk) 20:13, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

I've never dated a transsexual of any kind, but my guess is that they're as likely as anybody else to tell you what they're looking for if you ask them. Asking person B what person A might like to do sexually seems needlessly complicated when you could just ask person A. Who else would know better? Different, um, strokes for different folks and all that. Matt Deres (talk) 21:04, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

GirlsAskGuys [12] specializes in topics of this nature. Vranak (talk) 23:39, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Regardless of who you contact, I think it's safe to say the only advice you'll be given is "talk to her about it." There's an infinite range of feelings a transsexual woman may have toward her own penis. On the one hand, she might hate it, wish it were gone, and prefer you didn't go anywhere near it. On the flip side, she might happily embrace her identity as "a woman with a penis" and enjoy engaging in all the activities penis-having people are capable of. Regardless, it's wrong to assume that, just because she's got the plumbing for it, she's into penetrating other people. So ask what she likes, tell her what you like, and I'm sure you'll find some activity that's acceptable to both of you. If you're uncomfortable talking about it, well, you probably shouldn't be doing it. -Fullobeans (talk) 01:16, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

Continued support for the "ask her" advice. Transsexualism is not common, or commonly understood, so many people are used to having these sorts of questions, and it shows that you care about her feelings and satisfaction, as well as your own. (Well done to you for being open to it, by the way - not many people are). You already know about a lot of non-penetrative techniques as a lesbian (if you'll allow me to assume so), so it might be fun to consider which of those are still practical in your current situation. Steewi (talk) 01:49, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

You say that she has been taking hormones; this means that there is a high chance that she will not be able to get an erection. Warofdreams talk 20:05, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

I would note that this IP is from the same ISP as a user known to ask silly things at the RD/L and other places, and was banned recently Special:Contributions/84.61.165.65 after going on a crusased about some Australian flag defaced with an Aboriginal Australian flag Special:Contributions/84.62.205.233 Wikipedia talk:Reference desk/Archive 67#Why can't X be a Y word: Proposed response. It's a wide range, so this may not be the same person but thought people may appreciate knowing. Nil Einne (talk) 12:49, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

It most likely isn't the same person, and since the OP of this question has shown no indication whatsoever of being the banned user you mention, this is unnecessary rumor-mongering without purpose. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.43.91.83 (talk) 15:24, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

I disagree, this sort of question fits the users profile of questions that are questionable, but could be serious until you consider the users history. Normally people may be willing to WP:AGF but when the user has a pattern of the same thing, people are entitled to know of this pattern and consider the possibility when deciding whether to offer any help. And if this is the same user, knowing they've been caught may be enough to make them reconsider their silly behavious. (Or it may make them try harder.) Nil Einne (talk) 08:30, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

The OP of this question has shown no "pattern of the same thing" whatsoever. Hell, this question was their first and only edit. ISPs typically have thousands to millions of customers, so basing your assumptions on that fact alone is stupid. I'm sure there are many vandals and banned users on your ISP too, are you now a suspect because of that? I'm not saying you should ignore the possibility, but please don't deliberately try to derail threads by bringing up circumstantial "evidence" against the OP with nothing to back it up with. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.43.91.83 (talk) 14:14, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

18th century British division vs 21st century Marine Corps rifle platoon

Lets say there are 8000 British redcoats with the trusty brown bess plus 10 9 pounder guns

The Marines have

• 21 riflemen
• 9 riflemen/underslung grenadiers
• 9 SAW gunners,
• 2 machine gunners, 2 machine gun crew with pistols and 2 more with carbines
• 2 SRAW gunners, 2 SRAW crew with carbines
• 1 60 mm mortar with 2 pistol and 1 carbine armed crew member
• CO, XO, RATELO with carbines and a designated marksman with M21

there's a perfectly symetrical valley and each side starts out at the top of one side. There are plenty of bushes, rocks and walls to use for cover. The British aren't terrified of the machne guns. The marines have unlimited ammunition. Which side would win a battle? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.251.251.10 (talk) 20:53, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Offhand, this looks approximately similar to the Battle of Rorke's Drift. Naturally, the Reference Desk can provide no objective factual answer. — Lomn 21:06, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Without knowing what the objectives of either side are, who can even venture a guess? If the redcoats can stay put and make the marines come to them, they have an advantage and v v. The bigger question would be how did the marines travel back in time, and what is their quarrel with the Brits? Googlemeister (talk) 21:12, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Sounds like a pen and paper role playing battle scenario. I suppose you could make a program, feed it various data and have it calculate the outcome, but that could never emulate a real life battle such as you describe - there are human factors involved that you simply could not predict. Likewise, even the most knowledgeable military buff on this board could not give a definite answer, only an approximation. Of course, if said buff estimated either side to have an overwhelming chance of victory, you'd have a sort of tangible answer. TomorrowTime (talk) 22:32, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

One major factor I suppose would be the width of the valley. If the British could fire directly at the Marines, I'd say they'd have a pretty good chance of winning simply by merit of numbers alone. A Mongolian guy once told me they'd never consider war with China, because if you put the Chinese army at one side of the border and the Mongolian army at the other, the Chinese could beat the Mongolians without even picking up their arms, just by throwing their hats at them. TomorrowTime (talk) 22:49, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

My money's on the Marines -- not because of the better equipment, but because of the huge difference in training. Of those 8000 Redcoats, maybe 80 of them are actually shooting to kill, while the entire Marine platoon is doing so. Read Grossman's book On Killing: you may disagree with his conclusions, but he's got very solid evidence that prior to the 1950s, the vast majority of soldiers weren't willing to kill. --Carnildo (talk) 00:10, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

...and the equipment certainly helps, as well. Can a Brown Bess penetrate kevlar? Probably not. But yeah, the equipment and the training makes the Marines have a really massive advantage. I imagine the Marines would take almost no casualties in such a situation, whereas the Redcoats are sitting ducks. --Mr.98 (talk) 16:38, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

(EC):I agree that the range of engagement is important. If the forces start off at a distance such that the muskets (only effective to 100 meters or so) are out of range of the modern weapons (maybe 600 meters for rifles, over a kilometer for the machineguns and mortar), and the Redcoats come marching in a nice formation toward the enemy, as was the custom in the 18th century, it should be a slaughter favoring the modern troops, because of the high rate of fire of machine guns and the longer deadly range and higher rate of fire of modern rifles compared to muskets. If they are close enough to get within bayonet range pretty quickly the greater numbers should favor the Redcoats, since the numerical ratio stated is about 200:1. If the British officers were taken out by machineguns or mortars early on, and the British cannon crews were taken out by the modern weapons, there might be some morale problems with maintaining an orderly march into the buzzsaw of modern weapon fire. The modern soldiers would use terrain for concealment and by no means would march steadily toward the enemy as was European 18th century practice for mass engagements. Edison (talk) 00:27, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

(Also EC) Remember also that the Brown Bess was a musket, not a rifle. They wouldn't have been able to shoot to kill from a long distance, even if they wanted to. With only 40 Marines to shoot at, they would be extremely lucky to hit anyone at all. Adam Bishop (talk) 00:28, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

Isn't that why they lined up in ranks and fired at each other? They might not hit who they were aiming for, but there was a good chance they would hit somebody. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 01:10, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

From what I understand, musket equipped troops didn't really aim at all. They were trained to point the barrel in the direction of the enemy line and pull the trigger on command. Accuracy didn't really matter, it was all about massed fire. Tobyc75 (talk) 03:09, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

Questions speculating about impossible historical pairings like this always have some element of "What if Spartacus had a Piper Cub at his disposal while fighting the Roman Army, or what if The Man from U.N.C.L.E. went back in a time machine and killed all the dinosaurs (from an early "Saturday Night Live" skit). I note the Redcoats have "10 9 pounder guns." With explosive shells or grapeshot, these cannons could wipe out the two machine guns, the mortar and the other modern automatic weapons pretty quickly. There is one devastatingly powerful cannon effective at quite a long range for every 4 modern soldiers. We also need to know what each side knew about the other side and its capabilities. If the 8000 Brits broke up and encircled the modern forces, things might be different than if they marched in formation toward what they assumed was an equivalent but smaller force. Tactics could vary with conditions. Did each side get some time to dig in? How broad a front do they have to defend? Are the few modern soldiers supposed to merely defend against attack from superior numbers by use of machine guns, or are they supposed to drive out the British and capture their hill? The wider the front is, the more spread out the modern forces would be, conveying an advantage on the Redcoats, who could creep up on them under cover of darkness. What does each side take as the reason for killing their opposite numbers? "We're fighting to defend our native land?" "We're opposing aggression?" "We want to loot and plunder?" "Don't ask me I don't give a damn?" How effective are the officers? That can have an effect, as demonstrated by the repeated success of forces under Nathan Forrest against larger and better equipped opponent forces. Edison (talk) 06:14, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

For historical cases of battle where the sides have big technological differences (and the "oldest" technology has the most soldiers), see for example Battle of Omdurman (apparently not as biased as I somehow remembered from school) and the "use in colonial warfare" section of Maxim gun. Jørgen (talk) 12:22, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

Well, here's my tuppence. As an avid wargamer, I've often thought of scenarios like this and how I would react when in a game like this. Quite simply, though, if I were the British commander, I'd order the artillery to bombard the marines' positions while my men dug in and fortified the area to make a very strong defensive position. With ample places for men to get behind cover it won't matter if the enemy is armed with machine guns or guns that blow strings of bubbles when they have had enough of getting hammered by artillery shells and finally try to pull off a full frontal. Simples! :) --KageTora - (影虎) (A word...?) 21:08, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

A ref about the British 9 pounder of a few years later said its max effective range was1700 yards, its most effective range was 800-900 yards, and its range for canister (multiple small propjectiles, most analogous to a machine gun) was 450 yards. Another ref says inthe 18th century a cannon could be fires 2-3 times in 5 minutes. Edison (talk) 23:26, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm in no doubt that it would take a long time, but when people's lives are at stake you don't want to rush things along. In any case, at that range, they would be relatively safe from enemy rifles, and concentrating the cannon fire on the mortar and the machine guns until they are knocked out would seem a pretty wise thing to do. When the enemy finally comes in for an assault, it would be easy to bring them into close quarters to fight among the fortifications or trenches, much like modern-day urban warfare, and at these ranges a musket is just as effective as an M16, and when the odds are over 200 to one, there is a huge chance the British will win. Don't forget, also, that the British are perfectly able to pick up 'dropped' enemy weapons and use them, albeit without as much accuracy as a soldier who is trained with that specific weapon. --KageTora - (影虎) (A word...?) 00:06, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

"Concentrating cannon fire on the mortar and machine guns": The M2 machine gun has an effective range of at least 2400 yards, and the M224 mortar has an effective range of 3800 yards, while the 9-pounders you're opposing them with have an effective range of only 1700 yards. Further, the mortar is an indirect-fire weapon, while the 9-pounder is direct-fire only.

In close-quarters combat like you're envisioning, the difference in equipment is just as great. The Marines have grenades, automatic and semi-automatic weapons, body armor and helmets, while the Redcoats have what amount to makeshift clubs (people are unbelievably unwilling to stab others with a bayonet -- if you read up on the trench warfare of World War I, you'll find that despite every rifle having a bayonet on it, stab wounds were quite rare). --Carnildo (talk) 01:47, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

The two fundamental facts that make this a slam-dunk is that (a) the Marines out-range the Redcoats and (b) the Marines can move faster than the Redcoats. Those two things make their job easy (albeit bloody). The Marines can stand back out of range of the brown bess and the cannon and pick off the redcoats about as fast as they can pull the trigger. That leaves the only possibility for the Redcoats to try to close the distance as rapidly as possible. But assuming they can't change their traditional tactics overnight, they are going to have to march in a solid block - much more slowly than the Marines can fall back. The only long-ish range weapons that the redcoats have are their cannon - but so long as the marines stay out of grapeshot range (which is only a few hundred feet) - a single solid cannonball won't take out more than one marine per shot...at the very best. But as others have pointed out - even a machine-gun can outrange the cannon - so step one for the marines is simply to machine-gun down the gun crews and dump mortar shells into their artillery line. The idea of advancing cannons on the marines then doesn't work because the time it take to limber up a cannon - move it a few hundred feet, then unlimber and fire again is so slow that they'd all be dead long before they could get off another shot.

Digging in would be unproductive - a mortar can make short work of a mass of people packed into trenches and that alone would force them to move. It would also take far too long. Their numbers would be reduced to the point where they'd break and run for sure. The Marine snipers would pick off colour bearers and officers who were all too visible amongst the ranks. Without a commander - those guys would have no reason to stand there and get massacred with no hope of responding. They'd run.

You could make this a much fairer fight by having the Redcoats use something like the British 95th rifles who fought so well at Waterloo. They had longer, rifled guns - they wore dark green coats and they were trained to disperse, make best use of the cover and to snipe. They would still be horribly outranged by the Marines - but they'd at least have a chance to get around and surround them and to pick them off from cover. With a VAST numerical advantage, they might stand a chance...but it would still be super-tough.

The only other way to change the odds would be to constrain the action to a small amount of space. If the redcoats start off within musket range and the Marine's had their backs against some insurmountable obstacle - then the redcoats could probably win. Regardless of weapons, 8000 guys could lose 1000 men getting up close and still have hundreds to one advantages. With nothing more than bare knuckles they'd win.

SteveBaker (talk) 04:04, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

British redcoats would not be afraid of machine guns because they never heard them before but they weren't so stupid that they couldn't observe their effect once they started firing. The redcoats' position at the top of a hill gives an immediate route to take cover and retreat. When the marine infantry (carrying their unlimited ammunition!) eventually cross the valley they may see nobody waiting, but that doesn't mean there aren't now thousands of angry British guerrillas lurking. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 14:36, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

OK, so the Redcoats loose; we look forward to a replay between a platoon of Royal Marines and a division from the Continental Army. BTW, I don't buy the theory about 80% of the men not shooting to kill. It might apply to wartime conscripts but not to trained professionals. The evidence: the repulse of the Old Guard by the 1st Foot Guards, the stand of the 93rd Highlanders at the Battle of Balaclava ("the thin red line") and the Battle of Mons when the Germans thought British rifle fire was machine guns. Alansplodge (talk) 16:32, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

It's actually between 95% and 99%, and it applies to every single army prior to the US Army in the Korean War. Volume of fire is not the same thing as shooting to kill -- you can maintain a machine-gun level of fire, and still send every bullet over the heads of the oncoming soldiers. Read the book: the apparent unwillingness of soldiers to kill was a well-known problem among military professionals, and is backed by solid evidence. --Carnildo (talk) 00:54, 29 January 2010 (UTC)

I hate to spoil everyone's fun, but this entire debate was largely played out in the American Civil War (where the rapid improvement of machine guns and cannonry forced american generals to drop 18th century battle tactics and adopt the precursors of modern mechanistic warfare). I suggest a couple of good history books would answer all of your questions in this regard. --Ludwigs2 19:29, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

Perhaps Pickett's Charge (a Balaclava-like situation) finally turned the light bulb on for the generals who were using the old methods against new weaponry. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 04:00, 29 January 2010 (UTC)

January 27

Slightly subjective question

I'm a UK student looking to spend this summer working/living in the USA under a J-1 visa. Can you recommend any suitable cities to look at living in/near? Ideally with relatively low crime, workable public transit (I doubt anywhere will rent me a car - I'm 18, albeit with a year's uneventful driving since I passed my test). Bonus points for a university and/or the possibility of skilled summer jobs. For example, I've been looking at Boston. 131.111.248.99 (talk) 15:02, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

When you say "skilled", it'd help if you told us what kind of skill area (media? film? technology? art?) as there are centres of these in different cities. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 15:11, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

Computing/technology. I'm a competent programmer, with a few substantial hobby projects completed. On the other hand, I'm only a first year university student, so I'm not holding my breath and I'll take other work if necessary. 131.111.248.99 (talk) 15:35, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

Boston/Cambridge, NYC, Research Triangle, Miami (porn websites and spam), Las Vegas (gambling websites), Seattle, LA/Orange, SF/Oakland/SanJose (that's greater Silicon Valley). Urban Boston,NYC,SF have public transport (but much business is done in suburbs and research parks which don't); LV,LA,Orange,Oakland,SJ have pretty poor public transport; I don't know about Miami. If the exchange program can get you setup somewhere sensible then these are all nice places, but if you have to do the finding job and accomodation yourself, NYC and Boston/Cambridge. -- Finlay McWalter • Talk 15:53, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

Unemployment continues to be high in the United States, so finding a summer job may be difficult. Your best bet may be seasonal resort work. These jobs, however, tend not to be in large cities, but instead to be areas like Cape Cod, many hotels and motels at which traditionally have used labor from foreign students. John M Baker (talk) 15:59, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

You haven't specified under which of the J-1 categories you're receiving your visa, and how that may limit your eligibility for particular kinds of work. Ditto the above remarks on the U.S. unemployment picture in which you'll be competing with age peers (and the unemployed overall) who have the advantage of being longterm residents/citizens and likely to be preferred by employers (particularly those moved by patriotic considerations). I'd suggest you tout your skills as a successful student with a science/math background, with the cachet of coming from overseas, and if you have interpersonal skills and motivation — you might do well to obtain a position with a tutorial project for disadvantaged schoolchildren. This may offer a modest wage (possibly with room/board plus a stipend for pocket money), and then you can spend your free time getting to know the natives and your surroundings. A similar possibility would be work as an au pair. Otherwise: is there a clearing house for J-1 jobseekers that will streamline your access to prospective employers? Are there "graduates" of the J-1 program who can advise you? Also consider your availability dates: East Coast colleges tend to let out by the end of May, and their students will be available to work in early June. -- Deborahjay (talk) 16:32, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

If your heart is not set on the US, and you don't already have your visa, how about some Canadian cities? Unemployment is lower than the US, crime is low, health insurance will be cheaper. Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa and Calgary all satisfy your criteria (Montreal if you want to sample a little French Canadian culture). I would recommend Waterloo, Ontario for university and tech jobs, but it doesn't really have good transit system.

Incidentally, you won't be able to turn up and walk into a programming job. You'll need to apply before you get here. Write to a few companies. On the other hand an 'unskilled' job might be more fun for a summer. DJ Clayworth (talk) 16:41, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

As I understand it, J-1 visas are for people on exchange programs. You need to join one of those programs that is offering the kind of work you are interested it and they will tell you what your options are. You may not get much choice about where you go. --Tango (talk) 17:25, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

Burlington, Vermont has low crime, a university and several local colleges, an excellent public transportation system, getting around by bike is also fairly easy and it's a fairly well educated city. Dismas|^(talk) 17:34, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

Skilled summer jobs are in very short supply in this economy, and you will have to compete against U.S. students for them. There will likely be many more applicants than skilled summer jobs in any U.S. city in this economy. If you want a skilled job, you would do better to look in a country other than the United States. If DJ Clayworth is right about the Canadian economy, Canada might be a better bet. I hear that Australia's economy is holding up relatively well. If it is more important to you to work in the United States, you will have to accept the possibility of a less skilled job. Even less skilled summer jobs are in very short supply. Your best chance of getting one would be to try a resort area with a demand for temporary summer workers that is not too close to any concentration of students. Many major U.S. national parks could fit this description, as could resort areas such as the Jersey Shore. (Someone else has mentioned Cape Cod, which might be a possibility, but New England has a high student population, and jobs may be tighter there.) In a resort area, you could get around the town where you work by bicycle, and daily bus service would connect you to larger cities. I live in Boston, and it is probably the worst place to look for a summer job, due to the high density of students who attend university and are well-connected here, who are likely to outcompete you for the few available jobs. Marco polo (talk) 02:54, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

I'm a fellow Brit (and I'm also a programmer). I would recommend Austin, Texas (which happens to be where I live & work). Firstly, it's a technology hot-bed with lots of companies fleeing high taxes and high property prices in Silicon Valley coming here. There is a concentration of over 40 computer games companies and many movie graphics companies here who are often keen on bringing in people for internships - lots of big name tech companies have large offices here (Intel, IBM, Sony, nVidia are all here - and the headquarters and manufacturing centers of Dell are here too). This is a big university town (See: University of Texas at Austin) so there is plenty of public transport (busses) in the city center and student-style accommodation within reasonable travel time. During the summer when the students are on vacation, there should be plenty of empty accommodation to be had for cheap. Austin has been rated one of the top cities in the US for job satisfaction. Austin is the fifth safest city in the USA. It's fairly cheap to live in Texas compared to California, New York and other high tech areas. We have lots of entertainment - Austin calls itself "The Live Music Capital of the World" - and I could actually believe that's true. There is a crazy amount of that stuff going on here. We have a couple of large film festivals each year. A world-class opera. I guess the biggest negative issue is that the weather gets pretty hot here in the summer and you could easily stay here all summer and never see a texan raindrop - but you get used to it. There are even a few bars that sell recognizably British beer!

According to our article: "Austin was selected as the No. 2 Best Big City in "Best Places to Live" by Money magazine in 2006, and No. 3 in 2009, also the "Greenest City in America" by MSN. According to CNN Headline News and Travel & Leisure magazine, Austin ranks No. 2 on the list of cities with the best people, referring to the personalities and attributes of the citizens. Austin was also voted America's #1 College Town by the Travel Channel. Austin was ranked the fifth-safest city in part because there are fewer than five murders per 100,000 people annually. Furthermore, in 2009, Austin was determined to be the least stressful large metro area by Forbes magazine.

As for driving...you might seriously consider needing a car. I agree that you might have trouble renting one because of your age - but if you're planning to be here for a few months, you could consider buying an old clunker and selling it again when you leave. Cars are incredibly cheap in Texas - it might even be cheaper than renting...and because the climate is so dry, old cars are never rusty. Petrol is still under $3 a gallon...and I honestly think that no matter where you go in the US, not having a car would put a serious kink in your ability to get out and really see the place. Sure, there is public transport - but only within the city - and waiting for a bus in 100 degree heat is not amusing! If you want to go and "See Texas" you need a car (better still - do it properly and get a pickup truck!). You'd surely want to go to San Antonio (100 miles away), Galveston (a classic American seaside town), etc. "Hill country" out to the west of Austin is really beautiful - lots of lakes plenty of places to go boating, camp, hike & jog...although that might not be so much fun in the heat of summer.

And if you get homesick for a British accent, you could drop me an email and I'll buy you a decent beer!

SteveBaker (talk) 05:18, 29 January 2010 (UTC)

United Nations Related Attack Incidents RE: Terrorism

I would like to request a specific list of all incidents of terrorism attacks related to the United Nations. In addition, is it possible to have this list sent in MS Excel or PDF format? Thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by Shawncole71 (talk • contribs) 16:14, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

Sorry, we don't answer Reference desk questions via E-mail (assuming this is what you meant) for your protection from spam etc. All answer are posted on the Reference desk page. --220.101.28.25 (talk) 18:05, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

Wikipedia has List of terrorist incidents. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 14:03, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

Assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

I've just heard that the people convicted of the Assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975 have finally been executed, after various appeals. Is this some sort of record - a gap of 34.5 years between the assassination and the execution of those responsible? -- Jack of Oz ... speak! ... 20:11, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

It is similar the case of Jack Alderman, who was executed after 33 years on death row in Georgia [13] - this was 34 and a half years after the crime took place. Amnesty International highlights the case of Hakamada Iwao, who has been on death row in Japan since 1968 as the longest time any current prisoner has spent awaiting execution. Warofdreams talk 20:33, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

Thanks. I should have made it clear: I'm interested in assassinations of public figures, not just common-or-garden murders. -- Jack of Oz ... speak! ... 20:54, 27 January 2010 (UTC)

January 28

Database of world rivers?

Is there a database containing a majority of the named rivers in the world with at least the length and tributaries (preferably ordered and categorized as right or left) for each river? --Michael White^T·C 02:51, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

I don't know about external sources, but Wikipedia has list of rivers by length, list of rivers by average discharge, list of rivers by age, list of rivers by name, list of rivers by continent, list of rivers by drainage area, as well as a whole slew of pages of the general form "list of rivers in <place name>". Entering "list of rivers" in the search box and clicking "Search" (instead of "Go") should give you them all. Good luck. -- 174.21.224.109 (talk) 03:44, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

Thanks. I'm looking for something that could allow me to create a tree of all the tributaries of a major river. The best best may be to use the river's page and manually extract the tributaries from the Infobox.--Michael White^T·C 03:53, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

For example List of rivers of England is already structured as such a tribuatary tree. -- SGBailey (talk) 12:42, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

NRI children to pursue further studies in India

My Son currently studying in Singapore in standard 7, in and Indian International School. We wish to get his university studies done in India. We came to understand through some contacts in India that the student has to complete at least recent 5 years of his studies in India inorder to be able to pursue his university studies in India. We need to know if this true, In which case we will have to wind up with his studies here this year. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 202.95.87.130 (talk) 08:51, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

Have you tried contacting universities in India? They seem the people best placed to advise you. (Bearing in mind of course things could change in 5 years...) Better then being told you don't by some random person and finding out 5 years later they were wrong, or uprooting your son or family for no reason because of something some random person told you Nil Einne (talk) 10:51, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

Maximum height for a midget

At what height is someone considered a midget, if their body is still proportionate? --124.254.77.148 (talk) 09:03, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

According to Dwarfism:

It is sometimes defined as a person with an adult height under 4 feet 10 inches (147 cm).[1] This restriction is problematic since the average height of population groups differs greatly.

Further on it says:

Dwarfism is a medical disorder with the sole requirement being an adult height under 4 feet 10 inches (147 cm) and it is almost always classified as to the underlying condition that is the cause for the short stature.

Zain Ebrahim (talk) 10:53, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

The word "midget" originally meant a small sandfly or midge and is sometimes deemed offensive if applied to a dwarf person. There is no real need to use a word that has been associated with exhibition of dwarfs as freaks of nature.Cuddlyable3 (talk) 14:00, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

The terms "midget" and "dwarf" describe different physical characteristics. "Midget" was probably preferred to "dwarf" for awhile due to fairy tales involving dwarfs that would tend to conjure up a negative or stereotyped image. The preferred term nowadays seems to be "little people", which includes both midgets and dwarfs. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 17:20, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

... and Leprechauns?. I don't think that "little people"[14] would be preferred in Ireland, though our article doesn't mention this synonym. BB seems to be correct that "little people" means those of reduced stature in the USA & Canada, but in the UK it means small children, and fairies and Leprechauns in Ireland.Dbfirs 21:15, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

I knew there was a reason why "Little People" always struck me as an odd term. Seems like what midgets and dwarfs are called in Ireland, would be a good question to research, as it's a case where political correctness clashes with tradition. In the dwarfism article, there's a link to an organization called "Little People of America".[15] Americans might generally know of "Little People" as the Irish synonym for Leprechauns, but it wouldn't be the predominant meaning as it would be in Ireland and the UK. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 03:50, 29 January 2010 (UTC)

I googled [irish midget "little people"] and didn't immediately find anything that indicates what the Irish call them, but it became clear that "midget" is certainly not a banned term. In fact, here's a blog[16] run by a little person who calls it "Midgetopia", albeit with a disclaimer saying he's not trying to demean anyone. (Luckily he avoids the obvious synonym, "belittle".) ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 03:57, 29 January 2010 (UTC)

It may be a case of someone trying to reclaim a word, much like homosexuals have done with "queer". -- 174.21.224.109 (talk) 07:24, 29 January 2010 (UTC)

4'10 makes sense for a man but shouldn't the height be shorter for women because there are plenty that are naturally under 5 feet anyway? --124.254.77.148 (talk) 03:40, 29 January 2010 (UTC)

Fanny by Gaslight

who or what was 'Fanny by Gaslight'. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 78.145.188.172 (talk) 12:12, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

Try Fanny by Gaslight (novel). It is a fictional exploration of prostitution in Victorian London. -- SGBailey (talk) 12:38, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

Note that "fanny" is British slang for "female genitalia". -- 174.21.224.109 (talk) 07:20, 29 January 2010 (UTC)

Blemishes and scars

I am having this problem of blemishes and scars. I use an Ayurvedic product to remove these marks but the ointment seems to produce more acne on my face! Ironically it is contributing to my scars! Is there any way out without any side effects?? Does Ayurvedic ointments also have side effects?? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 124.125.190.14 (talk) 12:40, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

Please see here for the reasons that we cannot give the medical advice that you seek. For skin problems consult your doctor or a qualified dermatologist.Cuddlyable3 (talk) 13:46, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

See also Ayurveda, the section marked "Safety".--Shantavira|^{feed me} 15:45, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

relationship

I have a grandson from a previous marriage. My current wife which was a widow when we married has 9 granddaughters/sons. What would be the relationship (if any)with my grandson & hers. Her three sons/daughters are from the marriage before becoming a widow. Thank you. (e-mail address removed) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 190.34.158.2 (talk) 17:11, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

First of all, I removed your e-mail address for your safety (would get a lot of spam otherwise). --Ouro (blah blah) 18:15, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

Step-cousin, I think. --Tango (talk) 18:36, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

That sounds correct. Grandchildren are either siblings or cousins to each other. Obviously not siblings in this situation, so cousins - specifically, step-cousins, or cousins-by-marriage. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 18:43, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

Yes. No blood link so not a half-cousin. Kittybrewster ☎ 19:25, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

Does laurel have a meaning in british culture?

Some Gymnasien, that are old schools, have little anti-war memorials for their students killed in action; The inscription reads: The laurel to you out of deep thankfulness, may the broken sword be a holy admonition

I included this picture into an article. It is a little anti-war-memorial, which can be found at many German schools, which are old schools and send some of their boys to war. First of all I hope it is non-offensive. It praises the boys killed in action, but because of the context (broken sword) i think one can see this is anti-war. Second I was not sure if the inscription makes sense to you. "The laurel" has a meaning in Germany. A laurel wreath may be given to students who win a sports competition or something like that. Does it have the same meaning in your culture? I have already been told in America ist has. I would also like to know if that kind of picture would be seen as offensive, because of course German caused two world wars... but actually I think this does not glorify war or waht Germans did, does it?-- Greatgreenwhale (talk) 19:06, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

Well the broken sword is symbolic of "no more war", so it's fine by me! If you look up the word "laureate" you should get an idea of the role of laurel wreaths in UK culture. --TammyMoet (talk) 19:30, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

wikt:laurel might help. The only time I've heard the word used is in the phrase wikt:rest on one's laurels. --Tango (talk) 19:33, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

Surely you're familiar with "...it's my privilege to present a laurel. (...) And hearty handshake..." Comet Tuttle (talk) 19:45, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

In "To An Athlete Dying Young", poem number XIX by A.E. Housman in A Shropshire Lad (1896), the winner of a town race is told that "early though the laurel grows, it withers quicker than the rose" and concludes

And round that early-laurelled head
Will flock to gaze the strengthless dead
And find unwithered on its curls
The garland briefer than a girl's.

I think laurels were placed on the heads of Olympic winners (both classical and at least some modern, even today) and Roman Emperors. Olive branches are more commonly associated with peace, as in the Great Seal of the United States and the Flag of the United Nations, I think referring to an olive branch brought by a dove returning to Noah's Ark, indicating the proximity of fertile land and an end to the storm. —— Shakescene (talk) 20:18, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

It is also used in cooking where it is usually just called a "bay leaf" but it is from the same tree Bay Laurel as the laurel wreaths. Bielle (talk) 21:39, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

Upon the instruments of death

The sunlight brightly gleams.

When every man is torn apart

With nightmares and with dreams,

Will no one lay the laurel wreath

When silence drowns the screams.

"Epitaph" by King Crimson. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 22:37, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

Have a look at the "Angel of Peace"[17] waving his laurels on Constitution Arch in London. I (and I hope most other Britons) recognize that Germany ought to remember her war dead as we do. Alansplodge (talk) 22:53, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

Engineering Question -Flipper's Ditch

Henry Flipper, West Point graduate engineer, designed a swamp drainage ditch and supervised its construction at Ft. Sill, OK. The ditch was considered a marvel and has a national historical landmark.

The water runs up hill through the ditch. How was making the water run up hill accomplished? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Stantex (talk • contribs) 20:11, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

I do not believe that Mr. Flipper's ditch could make water run uphill, unless energy were expended via a pump or some process requiring energy. Otherwise he could let it run uphill to a higher point and then power a turbine as it fell back to the origin, which would be perpetual motion. Maybe the terrain just made the destination of the ditch look higher than the origin. References? Edison (talk) 21:00, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

Sounds like an illusion. This page [18] quotes Flipper: One time when the ponds were dry and before the rains set in, GeneralDavidson detailed me to dig a ditch and drain them. He gave me a fullTroop of Cavalry and I went down, made my surveys and estimates and cameback and reported to him. He then ordered a Troop of Cavalry to reportto me every Sunday morning, relieving the one that had worked the weekbefore. I finished the ditch and the Commanding Officer and other officerswent down to look it over. We got down in the ditch and the General toldme I had it running up hill and that the grade was wrong. It certainlylooked that way, but I knew I was right. You stand on a level street andyou look along it and it seems to rise and grow narrower, although youknow it is of uniform width and level. However, I put the instrument onit and convinced him it was all right. When the rains came, the waterflowed away perfectly and there never were any more ponds. The healthof the Post improved wonderfully. I have been told the ditch is stillthere and is known as "Flipper's Ditch." 198.161.238.18 (talk) 21:31, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

Lieutenant Henry Ossian Flipper was America's first Black military officer.[19]. Today a large bronze marker commemorates Flipper's Ditch at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. See the article on Henry Ossian Flipper. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 22:23, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

Rather like "The Water that Flows Uphill", one of the Seven Wonders of Fore in Ireland[20]. And it really does look as though it's flowing uphill - don't ask me how! Alansplodge (talk) 22:29, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

Water flows uphill[21] refers to an underground flow of water which appears to flow uphill. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 22:44, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

There are many places in the world where water appears to flow uphill - it's always an optical illusion in which the horizon gently slopes in the opposite direction to the stream. Local people marvel at how a ball dropped onto a nearby road will roll "uphill" or how they can put their car in neutral and it'll roll up to the top of the hill. Some are even amazed at how a spirit-level can be fooled. Why none of these people realise that there is a blindingly simple explanation - I have no clue. Anyway - we have an article on them: Gravity hill and a List of magnetic hills with an astoundingly long list of places where astoundingly stupid people live magic really works! SteveBaker (talk) 03:51, 29 January 2010 (UTC)

"...the only real magic - the magic of knowledge." (Extra credit for identifying the source of that quote.) ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 05:52, 29 January 2010 (UTC)

January 29

Zipcard in a washing machine and dryer

I have, through idiocy on my part, inadvertently washed my Zipcar access card through both a washing machine (cold water only) and dryer cycle. It looks the same as it ever did, superficially (it is not deformed or anything), but will it work again? Obviously I could try it to find out, but if it didn't work, that would be kind of a huge pain in the neck (I'd have to call them to unlock the car each time I wanted to get in it... not fun. And reserving it just to test costs money.). (And getting a new one ordered up costs $15, which I'd like to pass on, if it's possible.)

The Zipcar article indicates that they are RFID cards. Can they survive such conditions? Note again that the wash cycle was cold only (don't ask), though the dryer was obviously hot. --Mr.98 (talk) 03:32, 29 January 2010 (UTC)

Is there a Customer Service phone number on the card? Your best bet is to call them and find out what to do. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 03:44, 29 January 2010 (UTC)

Average dentist salary in Indonesia?

How can I find out the average (or median) dentist income in Indonesia? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.234.155.128 (talk) 05:48, 29 January 2010 (UTC)