Wikipedia:Reference desk/Miscellaneous

Welcome to the miscellaneous section
of the Wikipedia reference desk.

skip to bottom

Select a section:

• Computing
• Entertainment
• Humanities
• Language
• Mathematics
• Science
• Miscellaneous
• Archives

Want a faster answer?

Main page: Help searching Wikipedia

   

How can I get my question answered?

• Select the section of the desk that best fits the general topic of your question (see the navigation column to the right).
• Post your question to only one section, providing a short header that gives the topic of your question.
• Type '~~~~' (that is, four tilde characters) at the end – this signs and dates your contribution so we know who wrote what and when.
• Don't post personal contact information – it will be removed. Any answers will be provided here.
• Please be as specific as possible, and include all relevant context – the usefulness of answers may depend on the context.
• Note:
  • We don't answer (and may remove) questions that require medical diagnosis or legal advice.
  • We don't answer requests for opinions, predictions or debate.
  • We don't do your homework for you, though we'll help you past the stuck point.
  • We don't conduct original research or provide a free source of ideas, but we'll help you find information you need.

Ready? Ask a new question!

How do I answer a question?

Main page: Wikipedia:Reference desk/Guidelines

• The best answers address the question directly, and back up facts with wikilinks and links to sources. Do not edit others' comments and do not give any medical or legal advice.

See also:

• Teahouse
• Help desk
• Village pump
• Help manual

August 9

What Island is the book Swiss Family Robinson set in and was inspired by a true castaway event?

What Island is the book Swiss Family Robinson set in and was inspired by a true castaway event? Venustar84 (talk) 02:40, 9 August 2013 (UTC)

Read the article you yourself have linked to. You have promised before not to ask such questions. Google "swiss family robinson island" or just read our article. μηδείς (talk) 02:53, 9 August 2013 (UTC)

Resolved

(ec) No particular island AFAIK, but the book is based on Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, which in turn is probably based on the real-life castaway Alexander Selkirk. Clarityfiend (talk) 02:54, 9 August 2013 (UTC)

Robinson Crusoe Island is the modern name of the Más a Tierra island that Alexander Selkirk was marooned upon - so it's probably the closest you'll get to what Defoe had in mind when he wrote is story. It's off the coast of Chile. SteveBaker (talk) 16:28, 9 August 2013 (UTC)

But bear in mind that the novel "presents a geographically impossible array of mammals, birds, reptiles, and plants (including the Bamboos, Cassavas, Cinnamon Trees, Coconut Palm Trees, Fir Trees, Flax, Myrica cerifera, Rice, Rubber Plant Potatoes, Sago Palms, and an entirely fictitious kind of Sugarcane) that probably could never have existed together on a single island for the children's edification, nourishment, clothing and convenience." -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 22:30, 9 August 2013 (UTC)

In other words, a Gilliganesque locale. Clarityfiend (talk) 23:18, 9 August 2013 (UTC)

That show was unrealistic. For one thing, they never seemed to notice the film crew. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 23:20, 9 August 2013 (UTC)

It was a damn sight more realistic than the mystic shenanigans that went on on the island of the Lost. I watched it for a couple of seasons, until it became the classic case of a show that lost its own plot. I'd watch unrealistic Gilligan any day of the week, though. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 01:16, 10 August 2013 (UTC)

friend

You should talk to an adult about it - immediately. A parent or teacher - anyone in authority. SteveBaker (talk) 16:24, 9 August 2013 (UTC)

(EC) Please seek help elsewhere, I strongly urge you to discuss the problem with the appropriate authorities in your location or with an adult you trust as we cannot offer assistance in this matter. Nil Einne (talk) 16:31, 9 August 2013 (UTC)

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

buying a car - dealership fee

We are looking at buying a car. They add a $598 "dealership fee" onto the price you agree on (plus the usual tax, tag, title). I asked what the fee is for and they said some things that are part of the cost of doing business (lot maintenance, inspection, ect). They said that the fee is required by state law. Is that right? Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 19:04, 9 August 2013 (UTC)

What state are you in? Dismas|^(talk) 19:18, 9 August 2013 (UTC)

I'm in Georgia but the dealer I was talking to a few minutes ago is in Florida. In Georgia they add such a fee too. Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 19:23, 9 August 2013 (UTC)

According to [1], it says that if the Floirida dealer charges one customer a "dealer fee", all customers must be charged the fee. So there is no law requiring the fee, only that if there is a fee it must be charged to all customers. RudolfRed (talk) 19:53, 9 August 2013 (UTC)

Thank you. I googled and found this and this and some blogs. Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 20:42, 9 August 2013 (UTC)

Even if they are indeed required by law to charge the fee, you can of course try to get them to take the amount of the dealership fee off of the price of the car. -Elmer Clark (talk) 05:51, 10 August 2013 (UTC)

I concur. If we had agreed on a price and they then slapped on a $598 "dealership fee", I'd insist that they take exactly $598 off the price of the car, handshake or not, or I would go elsewhere. I also insist on knowing the exact final price of the car, including tax, title, destination, fees, etc., before I agree to buy, or you can be sure such fees will magically appear. A good argument to make when buying a car outright is "I'm going to bring you a certified check, but I need to know exactly how much to have the bank make it out for". It's quite a bit harder to get them to admit to the final price when you are buying on installments.

I once had a case where a dealership had advertised a price for a certain model, I went in and they didn't have one in stock, but they said it was no problem and they could ship one in from another dealership. I agreed, then it arrived, and when I went to pick it up they informed me that the price they had advertised no longer applied since it had to be delivered from another dealership. I walked away immediately, and they were out the cost of the delivery of the car from the other dealer. If enough people did that instead of agreeing to pay extra, then they wouldn't try to pull such crap on customers. StuRat (talk) 06:13, 10 August 2013 (UTC)

Thank you. Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 17:47, 11 August 2013 (UTC)

THE Midway Atoll

GOING BY ACCORDING TO THIS URL http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Minor_Outlying_Islands THE Midway Atoll IS PART OF THE United States Minor Outlying Islands BUT GOING BY ACCORDING TO THIS URL Thttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Hawaiianislandchain_USGS.png THE Midway Atoll IS PART OF THE Hawaiian Islands SO WHICH ONE IS IT? IS THE Midway Atoll PART OF THE United States Minor Outlying Islands OR IS THE Midway Atoll PART OF THE Hawaiian Islands? SO WHICH ONE IS IT? OR IS THE Midway Atoll PART OF BOTH? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.230.187.31 (talk) 23:10, 9 August 2013 (UTC)

Can you please speak up a little? I'm getting on in years and am hard of hearing. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 23:12, 9 August 2013 (UTC)

There is no reason it cannot be both. The image at United_States_Minor_Outlying_Islands shows that the outlying islands include islands from several chains. Midway is an outlying island that is part of the Hawaiian chain. RudolfRed (talk) 00:55, 10 August 2013 (UTC)

Yes, the first is a political designation, the second geographical. μηδείς (talk) 01:21, 10 August 2013 (UTC)

Yes, and to address a possible source of confusion behind the question: Midway Atoll is part of the geographical designation Hawaiian Islands, but not part of the state of Hawaii. So if you discuss political subdivision of USA then Midway is not Hawaiian. None of the United States Minor Outlying Islands are part of a state. If they were then I assume they wouldn't be classified as Outlying Islands. PrimeHunter (talk) 02:14, 10 August 2013 (UTC)

As Medeis' legal representative I advise you to pay $10 for using his answer without attribution or face suit for real and compensatory damages. μηδείς (talk) 02:26, 10 August 2013 (UTC)

Who is Medeis? Lawyer speak is Greek to me. As a WP:MOP I only know wikispeak like WP:ROLE, WP:NLT. PrimeHunter (talk) 03:28, 10 August 2013 (UTC)

Take no notice: μηδείς = Medeis. Alansplodge (talk) 12:56, 11 August 2013 (UTC)

PrimeHunter would have seen my signature when he editted his response, and his response that it was Greek to him makes it clear he knew my lawyer was kidding. μηδείς (talk) 16:28, 11 August 2013 (UTC)

WP:NLS? SteveBaker (talk) 16:42, 11 August 2013 (UTC)

WP:TLDR? μηδείς (talk) 21:25, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

August 10

where do they put the nuclear waste from the reactor in saint Andrews, new Brunswick? In Moncton, New Brunswick?

where does that nuclear waste go? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.252.41.225 (talk) 01:48, 10 August 2013 (UTC)

"Low and intermediate waste from the nuclear power plants in New Brunswick and Quebec is stored on-site in special structures of concrete and other materials"[2], according to the Canadian Nuclear Association. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reports that "sitting in seven locations across Eastern and Central Canada are more than two million fire-log-sized used nuclear fuel-rod bundles"[3] they haven't quite figured out how to dispose of. Got a big storage facility you want to rent out for 200,000 years? Clarityfiend (talk) 08:43, 10 August 2013 (UTC)

August 11

where do i refill the windshield wiper fluid on my 2001 bmw 740i? coolant and wipers

also what sort of windshield wipers should i get? how do i drain the coolant? like what tool do i need to use and where is the drain to drain the coolant? my first attempt resulted in a geyser of green because i didn't know you had to wait for the engine to cool down i just though if i had only driven it a couple miles id be fine. i have a picture here of my engine. how much coolant should i use? i have two bottles. should i do 50/50 with a mix of distilled water or should i do all coolant in order to keep the engine extra cold? or would that be cold as i can make it? also how do i use a jack and two atriles to jack the car up? i'm so confused. how much would it be to pay someone to do this? i already spent 36 bucks on coolant, 12 bucks on an adjustable wrench and the jack and two stands will be another 50.108.212.70.237 (talk) 01:51, 11 August 2013 (UTC)

This sort of thing is very easy to google, the relevant manuals are downloadable here Some of it might require common sense, like waiting for the engine to cool before doing repairs, but even that is likely to be mentioned if you read the manually carefully. I'd also be quite surprised if you couldn't find someone locally willing to help with a bit of advice on working on a nice car, from a club, a dealer, a repair-shop, or a parts and equipment dealer where you would actually buy wipers (they usually have a help desk, believe it or not) assuming you have no family or friends who can help. μηδείς (talk) 01:56, 11 August 2013 (UTC)

I live in Richmond, California and people here are very unfriendly and unwilling to help. I don't have a father, my mother is my only nearby relative and she has epilepsy so she has never owned a car nor does she know what to do. Most of my friends are poor or moved away years ago due to the rampant crime in the area and since my car needs to worked on here that's why I ask here. When I went to the help desk at several car shops they just ignored me or insulted me for being gay and white. =(108.212.70.237 (talk) 08:11, 11 August 2013 (UTC)

1. Get a manual. Many of your fluid level questions can be answered there.
2. Some coolants need to be mixed 50/50 with water. It should say on the bottle if so.
3. For draining it, there is normally a petcock on the bottom of the radiator but some cars may be different. Why do you think it needs to be done? It doesn't need to be done often.
4. For wipers, go to the auto parts store and go to the wiper blade aisle. There will be a book which lists every make of car and give sizes.
5. The car should come with a jack. It's normally in the trunk under the carpet.
6. If you insist on doing your own maintenance, get a Chilton or Haynes manual. Again, available at any auto parts store. They explain all minor repairs and such.

Dismas|^(talk) 08:28, 11 August 2013 (UTC)

Over many, many previous questions about this car, we've repeatedly told you to go and download the manual (it's easily available online) - that's where all of your questions will be answered. You obviously have an internet connection, or else you couldn't be asking these questions. I would also recommend the BMW Car Club of America - which has chapters throughout California - and probably has local people whom you could meet to discuss these things. Car club members tend to be extremely knowledgeable about their cars and can often offer far better advice than even the owner's manual! SteveBaker (talk) 16:13, 11 August 2013 (UTC)

Follow the directions on the coolant - if it says to dilute it, dilute it. Pre-mixed coolant is available as well, but it costs about the same per gallon as the concentrated stuff even though it is half water. A stronger concentration doesn't change the cooling properties - plain water works fine for getting the heat out of the engine. The reason you don't use plain water is that the antifreeze in the coolant expands the safe temperature range of the water. It raises the boiling point and lowers the freezing point because either freezing or boiling can be disastrous for your engine. It also provides anti-corrosion benefits. See Antifreeze if you're interested. For a coolant flush you should pick up a service manual like Dismas mentioned - it will explain how to drain it, how to flush the coolant system, and how to purge air bubbles if the system isn't self-purging. It will help walk you through lots of other maintenance and service tasks as well. 209.131.76.183 (talk) 15:41, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

As for jacking the car, the manual or the service manual will cover the proper lift and support points. Don't guess - lifting in the wrong spots can damage the car. You may be able to do the job without lifting the car, but not having any experience will probably make it hard for you to figure out what you're doing without being able to easily look under the car. I've changed my coolant without raising my car, but it's because I knew what I was feeling around for underneath. You definitely need jack stands if you're going under the car - you don't want to risk it falling. Simple ones are pretty cheap. You should already have a screw jack with your spare tire, and if not you should get one anyways so you don't get stuck when a tire goes. A hydraulic floor jack is much nicer to use, but you don't need to go out and buy one. 209.131.76.183 (talk) 15:48, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

Ease of New Account Registration

I've spent a little time searching the archives of the VPPR concerning account registration. Most of today's websites require clicking several "yes" boxes, an email, and confirmation when registering a new account. I see that Wikipedia just requires one to pick a username and password and type a simple captcha code (and I surmise the captcha is a recent addition). So what have been some historical discussions concerning the ease of registering? Where can I find them? Have people in the past tried to add extra steps to registering? Herzlicheboy (talk) 16:07, 11 August 2013 (UTC)

That's where you would find the discussions. --jpgordon^{::==( o )} 17:39, 11 August 2013 (UTC)

I didn't find any. Can you please give me some links? Or summarize the historical discussions? Herzlicheboy (talk) 17:52, 11 August 2013 (UTC)

See Wikipedia:Delete unused username after 90 days.

—Wavelength (talk) 18:07, 11 August 2013 (UTC)

You might find this interesting. --.Yellow1996.^(ЬMИED¡) 18:22, 11 August 2013 (UTC)

I actually signed up for a restaurant customer loyalty plan where they insisted on calling the phone number I gave and having me enter a code, to verify the phone number. That seemed rather extreme to me. I've seen such things previously for credit card accounts, but not for something as trivial as this. StuRat (talk) 03:15, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

Yeah, just get a fake phone, like a disposable cell phone. Anyway, thanks for the links guys but they are from 2004 and 2006, back in Wikipedia's early days. Got anything more recent? Herzlicheboy (talk) 03:25, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

Travel Insurance.

Before I start, this is NOT a question seeking either Medical or Legal advice. I am somewhat baffled by the apparent unwillingness of UK travel operators to provide their own travel insurance to would-be travellers. Instead, they seem overly willing to farm out that potential income-stream to so-called specialist insurers who, quite strangely, seem unnecessarily risk-averse when doing their risk-assessments, especially so when those travellers have pre-existing medical conditions, as do I. OK, I accept that no sensible person would underwrite the risk of insuring someone with say, imminent death from advanced cancer; or perhaps, a long standing history of heart problems; but in my experience, other, less threatening risks such as arthritis or joint replacement or asthma (all properly controlled by the way), seem to be averted with no convincing justification. Oh, I know that some 'specialist' underwriters will add ludicrously expensive additional premiums when faced with such conditions, but in my opinion, these add-ons are so unaffordable that the applicant merely shuns them and either travels anyway, without adequate insurance, or else they decline to travel - as do I (long term well-managed raised blood-pressure and cholesterol). My question? Oh, yes. Does anyone know what sums of insurance premiums are lost to the travel/insurance market resulting from the foregoing attitudes; and if so, what would be the consequential costs of them taking such risks by issuing such insurance cover and paying out on what I suspect would be a minimalistic proportion of those pre-existing medical conditions wherever warranted? Big question I know but worth the asking nonetheless methinks. Thanks 80.6.13.178 (talk) 19:05, 11 August 2013 (UTC)

Hi Steve, isn't the tone of your response exactly what THEY said to Andrew Carnegie - a poor weaver's son from Dunfermline in Fife (Scotland), when he went to the USA and at one time became the wealthiest industrialist in the World? "It cannae be done ye ken". But he did it because he had that vision and determination. And, as I understand it, he did it without the "foresight" and applied wisdom of acturies and their ilk. He saw a window of opportunity and went for it. Risk averse?????? "If you're not fast - you're last". But thanks anyway. BTW. I bet you never sit on the toilet before checking the paper supply. 80.6.13.178 (talk) 22:33, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

Businesses have to draw a line somewhere. You might ask why travel operators don't own hotels? And if they did, why shouldn't they manufacture beer to sell at those hotels? Why not mine the ore to make the steel to make the tractors used to till the soil to grow the hops that go into the beer that they could sell at hotel they could own to house their customers?

Every one of those businesses are profitable...just like insurance companies.

No company can do everything - so just as they don't brew the beer for the hotels (even though that's a profitable operation) - they don't feel the need to provide insurance. SteveBaker (talk) 04:24, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

I think the essential question is, why are the companies that do sell insurance so unnecessarily risk averse? -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 05:25, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

I question that premise. Without knowing the actuarial data that the companies are using, we can't know if they are too risk adverse or not. RudolfRed (talk) 05:35, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

Travel insurance is an open market - there is plenty of competition out there - so you'd expect the prices to reduce to a somewhat reasonable level. The problem with travel insurance is the spectacularly high cost of emergency repatriation...which presumably explains the charges. If you're bed-ridden for some reason, the hospital costs will be significant - but if they have to fly you across the Atlantic in a bed - with nursing care, etc - and at short notice...then that's a SPECTACULAR cost.

That said, we had a question like this a while back [4] - our OP was upset at a $1300 charge for two people (with pre-existing conditions) for a month in the USA. My HMO charges the company I work for $600/month for one person...which is about the same - despite the fact that our OP was going to be on a cruise ship and the insurance would cover repatriation and other special benefits that a regular HMO wouldn't include. So unless the facts are significantly different here, I don't think the premise holds. SteveBaker (talk) 14:02, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

Insurance is a highly regulated area. If the travel operators were to get into the business of underwriting insurance, they would face expensive registration and compliance requirements. It makes more sense for the travel operator to stick to its core business and let someone else deal with these regulatory requirements; the amount it could make by selling its own insurance just isn't that great or that core to its business.

Travel insurance suffers greatly from adverse selection, because mostly people get travel insurance only if they feel they are at fairly high risk of needing it. In addition, people usually don't have the option to shop around for travel insurance, but simply take or reject the insurance offered. As a result, insurance costs are much greater than would be the case if everyone purchased travel insurance in a competitive market. John M Baker (talk) 14:49, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

That's true - but the company who selects that particular insurer and offers you the right to decline has a vested interest in finding cheaper insurers...and you can reject their plan and go find one of your own instead. So I think the market is still open. SteveBaker (talk) 17:53, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

I don't exactly get what is meant by 'people usually don't have the option to shop around for travel insurance, but simply take or reject the insurance offered'. Is this some US thing related to the fact most insurance comes through people's employment and or the fact most people who can afford to travel have health insurance so travel insurance is generally an extension of someone's health insurance? If so, I didn't realise it extends to travel insurance for non work related travel (I presume work normally covers work related travel and does shop around in so much as possible, sometimes to the detriment of their employees if the provider is a bit crap). Here in NZ what with universal healthcare (so many people who can afford to travel don't have health insurance) and with the OE and the popularity of traveling overseas, plenty of different companies would generally be willing to provide travel insurance and some even advertise on national TV. It's true the options within the insurance are limited (there may be different rates for different countries with the US generally being the most expensive place as well as the option whether or not to insure specific expensive pieces of luggage and stuff like multi-trips), but it doesn't sound like that's what's being referred to and I think there is some variance. Travel agents will often have their preferred travel insurance provider and may allegedly provide a slightly better rate than if you shopped direct with that provider, but there's nothing stopping you going elsewhere if another provider has an even better rate and of course plenty of people aren't really using agents any more for simple travel. As far as I know, Australia and the UK are similar. However I do have some sympathy for the OPs problems, I know someone with a wheelchair who doesn't insure it because they demand 10% of the replacement cost (and since he will normally be on his wheelchair barring someone breaking in and stealing it at night, the most likely loss or theft would be during flights). Nil Einne (talk) 22:33, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

I am the Op and want to thank everyone above for their responses to my Q. However, I do take umbrage at Steve Baker's comment about Travel agents brewing their own beer. How patronising is that? Anyway, I do know that should I be fortunate enough to win the National or Euromillions lottery, the first thing I would do would be to launch a non-risk-averse travel insurance company and watch the money come rolling in. Sure, I would pay out the odd million-dollar claim but hey, repatriation would not be a problem because I would own my own plane and medical staff. Simples. Thanks again, James 80.6.13.178 (talk) 14:14, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

I'm sorry you took umbrage at my comment - I don't think I understand how you'd interpret it as patronising - that was certainly not my intent. I merely try to point out that in order for your hypothetical travel insurance company to be possible, it would have to limit the scope of what it does. For example - you say that you'd own your own plane...but suppose you have to fly two people from widely distant places on the same day...you only have one plane. So now you'll need to own enough planes to cover the worst day when the most people need repatriation...but for most days you won't need anything like that many. Suppose you go for an entire week without needing to send anyone home - now your planes (and their pilots, maintenance people, fuel storage depots, etc) are collecting dust someplace racking up interest charges on the payments. The most efficient thing to do is to find someone who has LOTS of planes and rent what you need from them when you need it. They can afford to fly planes with an economy of scale vastly better than you can. Businesses simply can't do everything - and an insurance company can't efficiently run an airline without actually becoming a fully fledged airline. That's exactly the message I intended to impart to you with my example. SteveBaker (talk) 16:51, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

term for navel licking

Is there a Latin‐derived word for licking navels? --66.190.69.246 (talk) 19:42, 11 August 2013 (UTC)

You'd have to ask the Naval Inspector General. :-) StuRat (talk) 03:11, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

Umbilingus gets a few Google hits - Wikipedia doesn't have an article about everything! Alansplodge (talk) 14:46, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

August 12

Nation which doesn't value economy...

Long ago, I read an account of a country (modern-day, recognized state) which did not care much about its economy, and rejected economic statistics such as the HDI and related grading systems, and focused on the happiness of its people. I seem to recall that it was an island nation. This also sounds like something I might make up to ridicule someone, so I'm trying to figure out whether I just invented it to prove a point. Thanks. 71.41.39.2 (talk) 02:46, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

See Gross national happiness#Origins and meaning (version of 14:06, 6 August 2013).

—Wavelength (talk) 02:56, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

The country is Bhutan, which is not an island nation. My guess is that you've confused it with Bahrain or Brunei. Howicus (talk) 03:03, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

Not the exact country the OP is thinking of, but the question reminded me of the economic and social policies of Julius Nyerere as leader of Tanzania. It is widely regarded as not going well. --Jayron32 11:16, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

See also our article on the Bhutanese measure of Gross national happiness. To be fair, their economy is based on subsistence agriculture and selling hydro-electricity to India, to whose currency theirs is directly pegged; therefore limiting the action their government can take to change things even if they wanted to. However, theirs is the second fastest growing economy in the world, so maybe there's something to be said for it. See Economy of Bhutan. Alansplodge (talk) 14:43, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

Restaurant in san Francisco

Does anyone knows about a low profile restaurant in SF, with good food and good service, where one can enjoy a peaceful lunch time with no one disturbing even if you are Madonna or Beyoncé or Jay-Z? Miss Bono ^[zootalk] 12:46, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

It's called "Home" if you live there. ☯ Bonkers The Clown \(^_^)/ Nonsensical Babble ☯ 13:18, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

Good joke. But, I mean a real restaurant. Seriously, there is no restaurant with such characteristics? Miss Bono ^[zootalk] 13:21, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

Well seriously if you were a celebrity like Jay-Z the media would be impossible to shake off. This makes a good find. ☯ Bonkers The Clown \(^_^)/ Nonsensical Babble ☯ 13:30, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

Sorry Bonkers, but I cannot follow the link. Do you think you can tell me at least one name? Miss Bono ^[zootalk] 13:48, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

You can ask a local at http://sanfrancisco.askalo.com/Dining-Out/506/.

—Wavelength (talk) 14:50, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

As Miss Bono has often explained, she has access to almost none of the Internet, except from Wikipedia, so giving her external links is almost always useless. --ColinFine (talk) 17:20, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

Thanks Colin Miss Bono ^[zootalk] 17:26, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

any name? *cricket singing "Beautiful Day'* Miss Bono ^[zootalk] 20:54, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

Oh I see. Why the access limit? I know, ask Jay-Z. ☯ Bonkers The Clown \(^_^)/ Nonsensical Babble ☯ 08:15, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

hi, Bonkers. Everything is blocked din my work except for Wikipedia. Miss Bono ^[zootalk] 12:46, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

Unless you work for the WMF or something, isn't that a bit unusual for a computer scientist? ☯ Bonkers The Clown \(^_^)/ Nonsensical Babble ☯ 10:40, 14 August 2013 (UTC)

Fixing Ornaments

My mother has a prized set of ornaments depicting ballerinas, and I inadvertently broke the leg off one of them. She has tried to fix it using super glue, but to no avail. They are made by Lladro in Spain, and I am told they are porcelain. What is the best way to reaffix the leg? They are hollow, by the way. KägeTorä - (影虎) (TALK) 14:59, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

Superglue may not be quite right for this. These people [5] recommend a two-part clear epoxy. SemanticMantis (talk) 16:39, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

My #1 "go-to" site for glue questions is http://www.thistothat.com - and that holy bible of adhesives says that ceramic-to-ceramic is definitely a job for super-glue. I agree. The very last thing you want is a glue that has lots of bulk. The two broken edges of a broken ceramic fit together with superb exactness - you want a glue that doesn't upset that perfect lock - so something very runny. That's what cyanoacrylate ("super-glue") does best. With epoxy, the volume of the epoxy itself is likely to force the two parts apart and make a much more noticable line than cyanoacrylate. I don't know why it didn't work when your mom tried it - but I recommend reading the instructions for the glue carefully and trying again.

If you must use epoxy, you might want to put it in a microwave oven for a few seconds before applying it. Hot epoxy has a much lower viscosity than when it's cold - and that's good for this kind of job.

SteveBaker (talk) 17:50, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

Yes, a good quality Cyanoacrylate is normally best for ceramics, as Steve says above, unless the broken surfaces are very smooth and glassy. Sometimes it helps to dampen the surfaces with clean water first. If there is old dried super-glue on the surfaces from a previous attempt, this should be very carefully removed before retrying. Dbfirs 20:43, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

Maybe your superglue needs a little help... as the leg is hollow, could you glue a support inside (I'm thinking something similar to a medical stent)? It probably wouldn't need to be too big Astronaut (talk) 20:57, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

I had a similar thought, but was thinking of a pipe cleaner. StuRat (talk) 09:42, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

This specialist restorer gives a step-by-step description of repairing a badly damaged Lladro figure - he names Fynebond epoxy as the adhesive he uses. He does mention using an insert in one part of the repair for added strength. - Karenjc 21:01, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

Squier Strat by Fender

I heard that some electric guitars have the distortion effect incorporated inside of them or something like that, and you don't have to buy a guitar effect pedal. I was wondering if this model has the effect incorporated. Miss Bono ^[zootalk] 15:21, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

I have a Squier Strat, and there is no distortion effect built into it. But it came with a Fender Frontman amplifier, which does have a distortion button. It's not very convenient if you want to switch to distortion in the middle of a song! I don't think the distortion can come from the guitar itself, can it? It needs to be distorted at the output I suppose, at the amp (or at a pedal connected to the amp). (I have no idea actually, now that I think of it.) Adam Bishop (talk) 21:24, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

It depends on the guitar. With digital effects modding, it is quite possible to build such effects directly into the guitar itself. Having played around with a Variax a bit, there really is no limit to where you put the switches to activate any particular effect, as the effect itself exists as a bit of programming on a computer chip. Stomp boxes are convenient as they can be activated with the feet, but many players have forgone the complex (though purists insist better) combinations of analogue effects pedals for digital stomp boxes with a near infinite combination of effects; many impossible or impractical to achieve the old fashioned way. But again, these effects can be built into the amp, the effects pedal, or the guitar with no practical difference except to how the effect is activated. I don't mean to promote one company over any other, but Line 6 is somewhat of an industry leader in digital effects equipment; they offer guitars, amps, and pedals that do all of these and more. --Jayron32 22:26, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

The Line6 boxes go even further - modifying the audio to make it sound like it's going through various antique amps and mixers - setting the "sound" to be just like the setups used by various notable guitarists. SteveBaker (talk) 22:41, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

Does that mean that if I have the amp and the guitar I can play this song and it is going to sound like the original? Miss Bono ^[zootalk] 12:44, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

That would obviously depend strongly on your skill with the guitar - and presumably there are a lot more sounds than just the guitar in that song...but if the particular amp and effects setup is in the library that the Line6 box has, then it would certainly sound very much like the guitar part. My son uses a Line6 box and he played a beach-boys song for me that sounded right on the money. SteveBaker (talk) 16:43, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

@StevenBaker: What I was trying to ask is that I just need the amp (pretty much like the one on this pic File:Gibson_sg_Custom_1963.jpg) to have certain effects, or I need a pedal. For instance, I have the guitar and the amp, does the guitar will be still sounding like an acoustic one if I don't have an effect pedal? (I've never had an electric guitar, too expensive here and now I got a new one with and amp, that's why all my questions) Miss Bono ^[zootalk] 18:43, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

OK, hold on a minute. You're talking about using an acoustic guitar, with some kind of electric pickup jacked into an effects pedal and then into a modern amp - and wanting it to sound like an older electric guitar plugged into an antique amp? Do I have that right?

If so, then I think it all depends on the kind of pickup you use on the acoustic guitar...I'd be more happy to say that this would work with an electric guitar...but it might maybe be OK with steel strings and an electric pickup.

Maybe you could spell out EXACTLY what you want to do...I'm confused!

Either way, a good music store will let you try out various combinations of guitar, effects and amp before you buy - and I 'STRONGLY recommend that you do that. Here in the USA, the "Guitar Center" stores are pretty good - they are generally happy to spend an hour fritzing around with stuff like that if you go there when they aren't too busy and if you're clearly a serious buyer.

IMHO, even if you can get an amp (or a guitar, for that matter) with all the right effects built into it - I wouldn't do it. The reason is that these effects boxes are getting better and better every year - and they aren't all that expensive compared to a fancy guitar or an up-market amp. But if you have it built into your amp or your guitar - then you can't upgrade the effects gadget when you feel like it in a year or three. So buying the effects separately as a "pedal" or an "effects box" makes much more sense.

The "pedal" (well, more like an "effects box") that I know and liked is the Line6 Pod: [6]...but there are many more like it at different price points and capabilities.

SteveBaker (talk) 20:25, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

SteveBaker No. I have an electric guitar now. A Squier Strat. In Cuba we don't have that sort of stores.

This is exactly what I want to do: I want my electric guitar sounds as an electric guitar. My boss -who knows a bit about music- told me that I won't be able to get an electric sound from an electric guitar if I don't get an effect pedal, not even if I have the amp. I want to know if that's right or not. Miss Bono ^[zootalk] 20:33, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

(unindent)

OH! OK - that's much clearer. So forget everything we said so far.

Your boss is wrong. Plug an electric guitar into an amp and it sounds like an electric guitar. Play an electric guitar WITHOUT an amp - and it sounds very quiet and kinda annoyingly twangy...nothing like as good as an acoustic guitar.

BUT: Electric guitars are often played by rock musicians through who-knows-what kinds of electronics. So if you want to get some of the rich effects that you hear those guys play - then you need some special effects. The most basic of all is a "Fuzz box". You plug your guitar into the fuzz box and the fuzz box into the amp - turn it on - and the sound from the guitar changes dramatically. Our Fuzz box article has some sound samples for you to listen to that will show you exactly what I mean.

So - to sound like a typical rock guitarist, you'll want at least one or two effects pedals. To play classical music or blues or country on an electric guitar - you just need the amp.

Now - the confusion earlier. We thought you wanted to sound like a very specific musician in a very specific piece of music. Now it gets more complicated. With older music, a lot of the sound "effects" were unintentional - they came about because the amplifier electronics were pretty awful. Even the "Fuzz box" sound is really about what happens when you try to drive an old-fashioned "tube" amplifier at louder volume than it was designed to cope with...it distorted...badly! However, musicians of that era learned to like that distortion - to make music that actually relied on the faults in their systems! So nowadays, if you want to make something that sounds like that - then you need to bring in special effects in the form of fuzz boxes and so forth.

Worse still - some musicians from "way back then" had amps with particular sounds - due to their design and construction. If you want to truly, really, sound like a 1950's musician - to the degree that his/her fans will be unable to tell - then you need effects boxes that can recreate all of the little nuances of that ancient piece of junk. That's what the "Line6" box does. (It can actually do much more than that).

Fast forward to the 1970's and 1980's and these "Fuzz boxes" caught on in a big way - and other special effects were added. The "Wah-wah pedal" for example. It doesn't simulate anything that a real amplifier does - it's pure electronics. But the expression it allows people to add to their music is very valuable...so now people would plug their guitars into a fuzz box, then plug the fuzz box into the wah-wah and then plug THAT into the amp.

Before you know it, you have five or six of these gizmo's plugged into a string of wires from your guitar to the amp - and it soon degenerates into chaos. Too much to go wrong on-stage - batteries going dead, wires pulling out, electrical interference between pedals - it was a total nightmare.

So...in recent years, all of that junk has been swept aside and incorporated into "effects boxes". These use computer software to manipulate the sound - and they are MUCH easier to work with...one box can do stuff like fuzz and wah-wah - as well as making your guitar sound exactly like it's being played through a 1960's Vox amp with the volume cranked up to 11...even though you're using a clean, modern amplifier with near-perfect sound reproduction and you're listening on headphones!

The very latest (like the later revisions of the Line6 Pod) are actually software-programmable. You can download new goodies for them from the Line6 website...if you're a computer programmer, you can even make your own effects.

This is something of a revolution.

But, at the end of it all - an unsophisticated guitar plugged into a basic amplifier still sounds like an electric guitar...unless you're expecting it to sound like some very specific rock musician.

Does that answer all of your questions? SteveBaker (talk) 20:57, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

SteveBaker Wao! Thank you so much! Really. You know a bunch about music.

It does answer all of my question.But a new one came to my mind, have you heard about Fruity Loops? Can I do what you say in this So...in recent years, all of that junk has been swept.... with that program? and...

Do you think that I can use this documentary: "It Might Get Loud" for future references?

That's all I won't bother again :) Thanks so so so so much! You are awesome. Miss Bono ^[zootalk] 12:25, 14 August 2013 (UTC)

August 13

German treatment of Black POW's in WWII -- Is Hogan's Heroes historically accurate?

Please don't double post questions. See the Humanities Desk.
The following discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.
Not that I'm saying that Nazi Germany was a totally racist state, but does anyone know how African American or Afro-French prisoners of war were treated in the POW camps? I don't recall that Nazi Germany then had any anti-Black laws or prejudices (probably because there were very few blacks in Germany so they were not really an issue). Really all I know about this is from the TV show Hogan's Heroes where the Luftwaffe staff at Stalag 13 all treated the black dude (Sgt. Kinch) there just the same as the other white POWS. Is that how it really was? Does anyone here know anything about this from research, or even personal experience in Nazi POW camps (or concentration camps)? Thanks, Herzlicheboy (talk) 00:05, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

Citations for Verification disclaimer

Hi!

On my biography page there's a disclaimer from 2010 that reads as follows:

! This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (March 2010)

Very recently I added numerous citations for verification -- one for each statement of fact -- so can the disclaimer now be removed? If so it would be much appreciated. Here is the link to the page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_Hornaday

Thank you in advance for your help!

jdh3777 — Preceding unsigned comment added by Jdh3777 (talk • contribs) 01:52, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

This question has been answered at the Teahouse. Please don't post the same question in several places. RudolfRed (talk) 05:01, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

Dam Busters

In May 1943, Operation Chastise, subsequently known as the "Dam Busters", took place. I understand that the book "Allied Photo Reconnaissance of World War !!, edited by Chris Staerck (and published by Thunder Bay Press in San Diego, California, in 1998) includes this Operation. Unfortunately I do not have access to this book. I would therefore be grateful if a user could please let me know whether the locations of the following briefings are to be found in this book: 1) the briefing given before the Operation, 2) the briefing of the reconnaissance mission after the Operation. If so, what were the locations for these two briefings. Thank you Simonschaim (talk) 07:27, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

Partial answer: Our article about Operation Chastise says (see the “Preparations” section) that the officer’s briefing beforehand was at Whitworth's house. 184.147.136.32 (talk) 18:45, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

Journalist for the NY Times (Novel Question)

Which would be the requirements to be accepted to work in the New York Times? Miss Bono ^[zootalk] 18:39, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

You need to be more specific about the kind of job; there are currently 121 open postings for everything from accountants to a truck mechanic and none of them are writing jobs (my guess as what you mean by "(journalist"). Here are some of the current descriptions for jobs of people who produce content:

• Experienced video journalist: "Candidates will be writing, shooting and producing news and enterprise segments and must demonstrate strong location production skills. They should be comfortable working in a fast-paced news environment and should have strong news judgment and be comfortable with and conversant in a wide range of subjects — in particular, national politics and public policy. Collaborative team-building skills are essential."
• Staff editor, Op-Ed/Sunday Review: "It's a demanding, exciting job that requires a deep familiarity with foreign affairs and with writers -- not only news makers, but also the activists, journalists, scholars and novelists who are most likely to bring original, well-argued opinion essays to the weekday and Sunday pages."
• Senior content producer (ie online): "The right candidate will know business news inside and out, ranging from consumer news to personal finance to markets. He/she will understand the demands of the online reader and create digital content that meets and exceeds readers’ expectations. The candidate must have solid news judgment and develop traffic-driving features throughout the week. The right candidate must be energetic, passionate about business news, and show a history of creating unique digital content, including special reports, slideshows, and interactive graphics. ... The senior business producer should also have a strong understanding of emerging technologies, basic project management skills, and how to work with programmers, product, advertising, and design teams to develop a new feature from concept to reality." 184.147.136.32 (talk) 18:56, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

I was thinking about this guy's job: Bob Herbert or Clyde Haberman's job or Virginia Heffernan's. This is the right question: How do you get an interview for a job as a columnist (specifically about music) Miss Bono ^[zootalk] 19:12, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

Since no one has answered yet, here's the little I know. Full-time jobs such as music, theater, film or book critic at the New York Times are quite prestigious and are not given to newcomers. However, a lot of articles are written by stringers. To get one of the full-time jobs, you either have to start in some other area of the paper, show talent as a writer and an interest in the subject matter you want to cover, and then be assigned to one of the critic positions. You can also prove your mettle by working for smaller publication (college newspaper, cultural weekly newspaper) and obtain an entry-level position at the Times from which you can make your way higher. You can also have held a similar position at another smaller and less prestigious newspaper or magazine, or have written reviews as a stringer for the Times or some other prestige publication. I don't think there is a single career path. What you are unlikely to see is someone hired straight out of university with no experience into a full-time critic position. You can also read the articles on the three writers you linked, since they all describe their career paths prior to joining the Times. Also, note that a columnist usually refers to someone writing about politics and society, not cultural topics. And I know you can't access outside links, but your very question was answered by Times journalist Alan Finder here: [7]. He doesn't say anything markedly different from my answer as an outsider. --Xuxl (talk) 13:48, 14 August 2013 (UTC)

Thank you so much Xuxl :) Miss Bono ^[zootalk] 13:55, 14 August 2013 (UTC)

song in this video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KElQS3VWE0I. --188.176.236.246 (talk) 18:51, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

• Fade Away by 12 Stones. It says it in the description of the video! Tombo7791 (talk) 19:08, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

The only thing i can see in description is I created this video with the YouTube Video Editor (http://www.youtube.com/editor) --188.176.236.246 (talk) 19:16, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

(Tombo7791 seems to mean just to the right of the description, where there are links to buy "Fade Away" from various sources.) --Bavi H (talk) 02:08, 14 August 2013 (UTC)

Excuse me for being picky, but surely the song is Not Fade Away. Richard Avery (talk) 06:27, 14 August 2013 (UTC)

No Signal From Antenna on Projection TV

I just received a hand-me-down projection HDTV. I use a powered indoor antenna with my current TV, and I have great reception of local channels. However, I don't get any reception when I use this antenna on my new TV (it picks up one channel very faintly). I've tried a different antenna to no avail. I'm about ready to bite the bullet and just pay for cable, but it seems odd that my antenna works fine with the old TV and doesn't work at all with the new one: obviously, I'm receiving broadcast signals.

Could this be because the new TV is a projection TV, or is there something else obvious that I'm overlooking here? Thanks! OldTimeNESter (talk) 19:36, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

Does your projection TV have a digital tuner? If yes, be sure to perform a channel scan. If no, then the TV will only get analog channels, and there are likely none or few analog channels remaining in your area. If you tell us the brand and model of the projection TV we can help find out more details. --Bavi H (talk) 00:39, 14 August 2013 (UTC)

Additional: If you are in North America, here are some signs the TV has a digital tuner:

• On the specifications page of the manual, look for "ATSC".
• When you change channels, see if channel numbers end with ".1" or "-1" or so on.
• On the remote, look for a dot (.) or dash (-) button near the zero.

If the TV does indeed have a digital tuner, it might have two methods of channel scanning, one method might only add new channels, and one method might erase everything and start from scratch. Use the complete erase-and-rescan option if you have it.

Also: If the TV has a setting for antenna or cable, be sure it's set to antenna. --Bavi H (talk) 01:08, 14 August 2013 (UTC)

I own a flatscreen HDTV whose tuner is designed to only pick up old analog channels. It picks up no digital channels at all. But it works fine with a cable tuner or a DVD input. Edison (talk) 06:15, 14 August 2013 (UTC)

If your TV doesn't have a digital tuner, then you'll need to pick up a Digital television adapter. During the US switchover cheap ones cost $20-30. I don't know if the price has changed much since then. 209.131.76.183 (talk) 12:03, 14 August 2013 (UTC)

August 14

carbon date testing

I would like to know if a painting can be carbon tested or another type test can be done. Also how close to the day or year, that results from test will yield ? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Colmorewiki (talk • contribs) 01:28, 14 August 2013 (UTC)

A look through Radiocarbon dating tells me that a margin of error of plus or minus 30 years (!) is the very best one could ever expect. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 01:53, 14 August 2013 (UTC)

The difficulty is that forgers are aware of this technology and will buy old, nearly worthless paintings of about the right age, strip the paint off and re-use the canvas for their fakes. Since only organic material can be dated in this manner, the largely inorganic paint doesn't affect the result. SteveBaker (talk) 06:08, 14 August 2013 (UTC)

A number of tests can be performed on paintings (including the canvas and the stretcher) to analyse the time frame. These include microscopic analysis of the craquelure, weave dating of the canvas used, chemical analysis of the pigments / binders / varnishes used, UV- and X-ray scans, IR reflectography, duroflexometry, spectroscopy, dendrochnology (for paintings on wood panels) and radiocarbon dating.

Radiocarbon dating is also destructive as the samples have to be converted, generally to gaseous or liquid form. In simple terms, you would need to cut out a not-so-little square from the Mona Lisa to date the painting:o( Added to that is the problem that many artists used "old" canvases (either an old roll or by simply painting on top of some stuff they were dissatisfied with). Dating the organic bits (including the error margin) is simply too imprecise, as Steve notes above. --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 07:29, 14 August 2013 (UTC)

Longest LRT line

What's the longest LRT line in the work? (Excluding branches, etc.... or put it another way, whatg's the longest ride you can make on an LRT vehicle without having to transfer?) Tompw (talk) (review) 15:21, 14 August 2013 (UTC)

Puckering

What is the cause of puckering of the anus as people get older especially women. Some of them look horrible.86.177.63.179 (talk) 15:41, 14 August 2013 (UTC)