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December 14

Falkland Islands

If I wanted to emigrate to the Falkland Islands, how would I go about that? I am a British citizen, so I doubt I would need a residence visa or anything, or do I? Do I just go there and rent a flat? What about internet connection (necessary for my freelance work)? KägeTorä - (影虎) (TALK) 08:40, 14 December 2013 (UTC)

You'll need to apply to the Falkland Islands Customs and Immigration Department for a residence visa and work permit. The Department doesn't have a website, but this is the information page for the Falkland Islands Government office in London, this is the relevant page from the Tourist Board website, and this is the official (UK) Foreign Office information for tourists. The islands have internet access, but I don't know how good it is. Tevildo (talk) 09:23, 14 December 2013 (UTC)

For internet, see Telecommunications in the Falkland Islands. This page has the technical details. Alansplodge (talk) 10:10, 14 December 2013 (UTC)

Thanks, Telvido. It says there are no ATM machines. So I would need to open a local bank account, diverting payments from my UK account to the Falkands account, and get money out while the bank is open. That's a pain in the backside. What about getting a flat? Do they have them, or does everyone just have houses? Alan, cheers for that. Not much different from Blighty, then. Also, what mobile phone networks do they use? I know I would need a new SIM for whatever mobile I have when I eventually get there. KägeTorä - (影虎) (TALK) 10:50, 14 December 2013 (UTC)

We have an article (which I think may be a bit out of date) on Telecommunications in the Falkland Islands. The particular branch of C&W which serves the Falklands is Sure South Atlantic. Tevildo (talk) 16:00, 14 December 2013 (UTC)

Sorry for duplicating Alansplodge's information above... Tevildo (talk) 16:04, 14 December 2013 (UTC)

Off-topic discussion

Why in the world would you want to emigrate to the Falklands? That's one of the most unpleasant places on earth. Looie496 (talk) 16:52, 14 December 2013 (UTC) I would refer Honourable Members to the Falkland Tourist Board's answer - "Surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, pounding waves and billowing spray sculpt the shores of the Falkland Islands with an artistic flourish. The Falklands archipelago is teeming with wonders of nature and wildlife; an unpolluted environment with fantastically clear blue skies, seamless horizons, vast open spaces and stunning white sand beaches." cf Hilbre Island. Tevildo (talk) 19:55, 14 December 2013 (UTC) KägeTorä is one of the most unpleasant people on earth. A natural fit, really.  :)  :) -- Jack of Oz [pleasantries] 19:14, 14 December 2013 (UTC) Not to mention the threat of war and harassment constantly from the Argentine government should be enough to put a lot of tourists or migrants off. Good luck if you do move though! Thanks ツ Jenova20 (email) 19:21, 14 December 2013 (UTC) Whom are you thanking, and for what? -- Jack of Oz [pleasantries] 19:28, 14 December 2013 (UTC) I've always wrote "Thanks" at the end of my posts because it suits more situations than "regards". If someone pisses me off then the last thing i want to end my message with is regards (unless i'm being sarcastic). Thanks (See, i did it again =P) ツ Jenova20 (email) 19:51, 14 December 2013 (UTC) I see. Thanks for your thanks. -- Jack of Oz [pleasantries] 20:15, 14 December 2013 (UTC) I always end my correspondence with 'regards'. That way, if someone pisses me off, I can pretend it's a typo, because 'g' is close to 't' on the keyboard. Anyway, I would just like some peace and quiet, and I thought maybe I'd get it there. Australia has just recently made it more difficult for us 'foreigners' to enter (the prisoners have barricaded the prison block), so I need to think of somewhere else. It won't be for another 20 years or so after I've toured Asia, but I still need somewhere to settle. KägeTorä - (影虎) (TALK) 20:48, 14 December 2013 (UTC) Please don't use (or imply you will use) "retards" as an insult. It's grossly unfair to people with learning difficulties to compare them with annoying WP editors. Itsmejudith (talk) 20:55, 14 December 2013 (UTC) I never use the word 'retard' to refer to people with learning difficulties, nor do I associate that word with them. I consider it to be a simple insult. Just like if I said, "F**k you" to someone, it would not mean I had visions of myself and that person engaging in sexual intercourse. KägeTorä - (影虎) (TALK) 20:59, 14 December 2013 (UTC) I always took "F.U." to be a short way of saying "Go F. yourself". Not that that's a pretty picture either. Following an earlier line of discussion, "retard" sounds like something that was done with a macadam road that was showing wear. Or, a primitive form of punishment, coupled with "featherd". ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 22:28, 14 December 2013 (UTC) A road with nuts on it? Is this common in America? KägeTorä - (影虎) (TALK) 00:11, 15 December 2013 (UTC) Only the industrial strength varieties. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 00:55, 15 December 2013 (UTC) See Macadam and John Loudon McAdam; a prophet is without honour in his own country. Alansplodge (talk) 01:37, 15 December 2013 (UTC) Ah, tarmac! KägeTorä - (影虎) (TALK) 02:12, 15 December 2013 (UTC) And you won't find much of that in the Falklands either.--Shantavira|feed me 10:08, 15 December 2013 (UTC) Tarmac sounds similar to chili-mac, but not quite as tasty. StuRat (talk) Isn't that a Scotsman with a kilt in the Highlands during winter? KägeTorä - (影虎) (TALK) 13:41, 15 December 2013 (UTC)

December 15

Hot dog buns

(OK, this is a really dumb question, but I got to wondering about it while eating lunch, so here goes.) How does a hot dog bun know how to split open on one side only? How does it know to split open at all? When I take them out of the package, the eight buns seem to be made from a single piece of bread-material.    → Michael J Ⓣ Ⓒ Ⓜ 18:35, 15 December 2013 (UTC)

The buns are either sliced or punctured during the baking process to make splitting them easier. YouTube is your friend. I found http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nh6eaKkTNcc this 3 min video] by searching for "making hot dog buns" and it answers your question directly. μηδείς (talk) 20:19, 15 December 2013 (UTC)

The ones I buy are already split. One frequent problem, though, is that the two halves want to separate at the seam. I've always thought it would make more sense if they were U-shaped to begin with. (It might be a bit more trouble in packaging, though, as you would want rigid packing that maintains the U-shape, or perhaps you could alternate every other one upside-down, so the tops of the two adjacent buns would fit in the bottom of the U.) StuRat (talk) 15:12, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

Making u-shaped buns would be very expensive, and they would either have a crust on the inside surface or go stale, and produce tremendous waste from the excised portion. I suggest you simply buy some sliced white, Italian white, or Potato bread, and wrap the bread around the hotdog. μηδείς (talk) 18:12, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

Bending doesn't always work, as brittle bread (like whole wheat) will tend to break rather than bend 180 degrees.

There doesn't have to be an excised portion, if you use a baking pan with a "hot dog form" on it, and cook the buns in those trays, upside-down. Or, if you do make round buns and cut away that portion, it can be reused as bread crumbs, etc. StuRat (talk) 09:32, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

Yes, but then you get a crust on the inside, when people are used to that being freshly exposed bread. Perhaps something like a loaf of bread, but with the slices being in vees instead of flat, so you get slices shaped like the roof of a house. In any case, the use of plain bread slices as mentioned above works just fine. μηδείς (talk) 20:21, 18 December 2013 (UTC)

sister version of boobpedia.com

Is there a sister website of boobpedia.com? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.92.153.197 (talk) 20:22, 15 December 2013 (UTC)

Do you mean a bosom buddy?--Aspro (talk) 21:12, 15 December 2013 (UTC)

Not sure what you have in mind for a sister site. There is a website, "dickpedia" (which I shall not link to), but it is about metaphorical dicks, rather than actual dicks. Someguy1221 (talk) 22:38, 15 December 2013 (UTC)

"Some men are born dicks, some work hard to become dicks, and still others have dicks thrust upon them." StuRat (talk) 12:20, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

I haven't found signs it's part of a wiki family if that's what you mean. PrimeHunter (talk) 15:07, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

You might enjoy these books. 93.95.251.162 (talk) 15:43, 17 December 2013 (UTC) Martin.

IBPS Officer exam

What are the technical topic for professional knowledge of IBPS SO IL officer scale I exam?and any particular book suggestion will be a kind — Preceding unsigned comment added by 183.82.137.109 (talk) 23:27, 15 December 2013 (UTC)

See Institute of Banking Personnel Selection for our article on the institution. Tevildo (talk) 23:42, 15 December 2013 (UTC)

December 16

Buying gold

As I understand it, when investors buy/invest in gold, they do not actually physically receive the gold. Rather, the gold, which is kept in a bank vault, merely switches in ownership. However, if an individual is so inclined, can they in fact contact, say the bank, and obtain the physical bullions of gold? Acceptable (talk) 04:38, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

What you refer to is paper gold, i.e., a sale that does not involve physical transfer. Depending on your location, a bank, pawn shop, coin dealer, etc., might well sell you whatever quantity of gold coins they have on hand (and, order more for you if you’re interested).DOR (HK) (talk) 05:52, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

But that paper traces back to a physical bar of gold, doesn't it? So what I think OP is asking is if they can take that paper and go to the vault that it's held in to "redeem" it for their bar of gold. I don't know why you wouldn't be able to. It's your bar of gold. Though if you were to want to re-deposit it, you'd likely run into a lot of paperwork in trying to prove that it's the same purity as what you removed. Dismas|^(talk) 11:33, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

Well, the physical gold may be quite distant from you, and it's not advisable to just mail you a gold bar, plus it may not be exactly 1 bar, but some fraction. So, you'd need to make special security arrangements to have it delivered by armored car, etc., and, unless you want millions of dollars in gold delivered, these arrangements are likely to cost more than the value of the gold. StuRat (talk) 12:17, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

Acceptable -- A lot of national governments don't have physical possession of the gold they own, but have it stored in a central gold vault under Manhattan (see Federal Reserve Bank of New York)... -- AnonMoos (talk) 14:15, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

It varies by investment method whether you actually own gold or somebody owes you gold. See for example Gold as an investment, London bullion market, http://www.financialsense.com/contributors/erik-townsend/so-you-think-you-own-gold. When you invest in gold without taking physical possession, you agree to a contract specifying the terms. It may be impossible or expensive to take physical possession later (of course you could sell the gold and buy other gold instead). PrimeHunter (talk) 15:48, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

Merging into middle lane accident

In US and specifically, New York State, traffic laws, suppose I am driving on a 3-lane highway. The middle lane is empty and I am on the left lane. There is another car on the right lane. We both merge into the middle lane at the same time. Neither one of us is ahead of the other. We collide in the middle lane. Who is at fault? Acceptable (talk) 04:39, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

Per the notice at the top of this page "We don't answer (and may remove) questions that require medical diagnosis or legal advice". AndyTheGrump (talk) 05:12, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

Legally I have no idea, and can't comment on that aspect, but common sense says both are at fault. If you don't know what other cars around are doing, even when you're about to collide with one, you're not driving well at all. HiLo48 (talk) 05:21, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

Same legal disclaimer here, but if you're in the left lane, presumably you're going faster, so I would non-bindingly venture to say theoretically that you'd be slightly more at fault, but the other driver wouldn't be blameless. Clarityfiend (talk) 07:36, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

You would be best off consulting your state's Rules of the Road, and see what they have to say about how those for-turning-only middle lanes are supposed to be used. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 06:30, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

Bugs, I think you're reading this incorrectly. OP is not referring to roads with a middle turn lane. The fact that they said "Neither one of us is ahead of the other." leads me to believe that they are actually referring to a road where all three lanes are traveling in the same direction. And, presumably, there is another set of three lanes on the left going in the opposite direction as the OP. Dismas|^(talk) 11:27, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

Oh, I see. That's actually a six-lane highway. The answer is still the same: check the rules of the road and see who's supposed to yield to who. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 16:05, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

I know that in Texas, the driver on the left has the right of way, and this is a logical principle on a multilane road in a jurisdiction where driving is on the right. However, I could not find any evidence of such a rule in New York. According to the only relevant New York law I could find, both parties would be at fault, because neither ascertained that it was safe to change lanes before doing so. (In the situation the OP described, there is always the possibility that the driver two lanes over could move into the middle lane, and that driver's actions must be monitored almost continuously when moving into that lane.) I am assuming that this is merely a request for information about the law, and not a request for legal advice, which I am not qualified to give. I am not a lawyer and not versed in New York's law code, and there may have been something I missed. Marco polo (talk) 16:51, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

• Both parties may be 100% liable for any civil damages, see Joint and several liability. μηδείς (talk) 17:09, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

That would be appropriate if a third party had a claim against the two negligent drivers. One would hope that observant drivers would notice the other vehicle indicating and beginning to change lane, and abort the manoeuvre before a collision occurs. (This has happened to me on the M6 in England, but no collision occurred. I just put my foot down and pulled ahead, then changed lanes.) I don't know of any rule about right of way for either driver here in the UK. Dbfirs 18:21, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

Sometimes these people get their comeuppances. I was on the NJ Turnpike during a blizzard, going about 20mph in the left lane. The road was almost void of cars, but a "gentleman" I was about to pass moved for no reason from the center lane to the left, without a signal, cutting me off. I went into a spin when I braked the car, doing about three and a half revolutions while still sliding forward at 20mph. I assumed I was going to be rear ended or hit the median barrier and die, but I just ended up in a stop facing backwards against traffic. The closest headlights lights were in the distance. I turned around and went on my way. About an hour later, not too much further down the road, I saw the car that had cut me off on its roof, overturned in the ditch along the side of the road, with its passengers standing in the snow. I kept going. μηδείς (talk) 21:05, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

Karma can be a real bitch some days. Thanks ツ Jenova20 ^(email) 16:41, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

• An important point missed here. If both parties had their turn signals on, both parties are at fault, as both parties ignored the other's signal. Otherwise, the fault belongs to whoever did not signal. --jpgordon^{::==( o )} 05:18, 19 December 2013 (UTC)

Why blue?

Why is the liquid used in sanitary pad/tampon/nappy commercials usually blue? 114.75.186.44 (talk) 05:23, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

What color would you use? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 06:27, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

Blue has an antiseptic vibe to it, presumably why it's often used for mouthwashes and toilet bowl cleaners as well. You certainly wouldn't want to use red or yellow. Clarityfiend (talk) 07:40, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

(ec) They never have any problem with using (what looks like) rich red blood in scenes of murder and violence. And they'd be laughed out of existence if they used any other colour in those contexts. But menstruation is apparently off-limits to this paradigm. It's not that they're hiding the fact that there's some liquid present. Admittedly, they never actually acknowledge that the liquid is blood, so I guess they think that means they're allowed to pretend it's not. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 07:41, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

In scenes of murder and violence, they are not trying to sell you something you're going to wear - just something you're going to watch. You may want to watch something visceral, but you'll probably want to wear something clean. Although it does seem kind of silly - not wanting people to associate with blood a product for soaking up blood. Someguy1221 (talk) 09:43, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

Well, advertising of tampons and the like was itself off limits just a few decades ago. So we've progressed to advertising them, and showing liquid. It may be just a matter of time before we see red. HiLo48 (talk) 07:54, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

In the early 80's in the U.S., as far as I remember, such commercials never showed the actual product, but instead showed women in pure white clothing playing tennis, riding horses, etc., while an announcer orated vaguely uplifting-sounding text; if it wasn't for the product name being shown at the end of the commercial, you might have had a hard time figuring out what was being advertised... AnonMoos (talk) 14:09, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

As it is now in the UK, you can't get through a meal without a tampon, panty pad, or vagiclean, etc advert, since they run all day. The last thing i'd like to picture is period stained underwear at that time or a bleeding flesh wound from one of those murder porn dramas at that exact time.

The strange thing is that condom adverts are non-existent before 9pm (the watershed) even though i'm sure they're not banned before that time. Thanks ツ Jenova20 ^(email) 09:41, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

On TV, at least, shootings and stabbings are likewise not realistic. Not nearly enough blood, and they die too quickly and "cleanly". To do it realistically would be too gross for the audience. And regarding "intimate" products, the audience knows what they're for, you don't need to draw them a picture. The blue is nice and neutral and its purpose is to demonstrate absorbancy. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 16:04, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

Why stop at blue? Why not green? Or red, white and blue for the Americans? Green at least, is a "sterile" looking colour. And i'm sure toilet duck is or was green. Thanks ツ Jenova20 ^(email) 16:31, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

Green liquid looks slimy. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 16:48, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

• About the above comment on condom advertisements, there's no time cut off on cable TV in the US. I learned this when I had to stop my nephews from watching a Star Wars marathon one early afternoon on Spike network whose sole advertisers seemed to be for Trojan condoms designed for her pleasure and yours. μηδείς (talk) 18:08, 16 December 2013 (UTC)
  • Certain to raise some questions. You could just tell the young'uns that those are a special type of party balloon (which isn't far from the truth). ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 18:50, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

And how would I explain when their grandmother said the boys were asking for Trojan party balloons for Christmas? I am a libertarian, but I pretty much freaked out when I saw this advertising in a kid's show during the day. μηδείς (talk) 19:29, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

Oh, that's a trans-Pacific phenomenon, if in reverse sometimes. I've lost count of how many times I've watched a movie or TV show preceded by prominent warnings about strong violence, sex scenes etc, and viewers are advised they are not suitable for children, but in the middle of which are ads for kiddies' toys, little girls' pretty pink tea sets, ponies, fairy god mothers, magic wands, Barbie dolls, party dresses and so on. Sure, I know it's the parents who buy these things for the kiddies, but it just seems so incongruous to be advertising them in high-violence and sex-charged presentations.

Back to condoms: what about ones designed for his pleasure and yours? To omit a major part of the condom-buying audience, and an audience to whom safe-sex messages have been particularly targeted since the arrival of the AIDS era, seems rather discriminatory. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 21:27, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

"His"? Why, whatever do you mean? μηδείς (talk) 01:17, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

Well, someone had to say it. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 22:20, 20 December 2013 (UTC)

I believe there's a common myth that turning ribbed condoms inside out works well for the wearer. No idea if it's true or not, but there are condoms designed for this purpose anyway. Surely all the adverts for crap toys do more harm to a kid than seeing a condom advert...Not to mention the harm to the wallet of the parent... Thanks ツ Jenova20 ^(email) 00:54, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

Wish the OP had not asked this, as a full explanation could get very gross. Short answer: Blue is used for medical wast of all types (think bio-hazard). The the waiter, bring you your Lobster Thermidor will more quickly spot a blue plasters that has fallen off the cordon bleu chef's finger and into the source than a brown plaster. Hospitals place bio-hazzard in blue sacks. If you spot a large lump of blue ice on your lawn -then bets are- that it fell from a passenger aircraft- the loo water is blue, et cetera. Blue makes it stand out from other types of stuff, all to disgusting to talk about.[1]--Aspro (talk) 18:52, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

TV Tropes has an entry about this phenomenon with a short explanation.--Pacostein (talk) 20:01, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

About a year ago the sanpro manufacturer Bodyform produced a video "coming clean" about its use of metaphorical imagery. The CEO, played by an actress, starts out with a glass of blue water and switches it to some blood-red juice. This piece of YouTube viral marketing was allegedly in response to a facetious Facebook post by a man, complaining about the tropes identified above; some suspect that this post was a plant. Be that as it may, the video went viral and generated discussion, including in the trade press here. The company would not have been able to screen this on British television. (Also, re a previous reference in passing to aviation-sewage "blue ice" - WHAAOE.) BrainyBabe (talk) 20:09, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

Are Guantanamo Bay Detainees allowed to receive "food parcels" from the outside world?

User:Primo Sindone as an indefinitely blocked sock puppet, surprise, surprise. μηδείς (talk) 17:16, 18 December 2013 (UTC)

Federal prison

I would like to expand the article over at Federal prison but it's extremely difficult to find any sort of credible sources that specify the differences between state and federal prison. Without these sources this article will forever remain stagnant (like it is). Skarz (talk) 17:47, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

What else do you think needs to be said? A federal prison is #1) A prison that #2) is managed by a federal government. Knowing that not all countries are federations, and that every country (even those that are federations) runs their prisons differently, there isn't anything else to be said beyond directing people to individual countries that have federal prison systems. --Jayron32 18:28, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

Please see my edit here. It was reverted for "original research' yet the lead in its current state still constitutes OR. Skarz (talk) 18:56, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

Have you asked the person who reverted you for a clarification? Work together with him to arrive at a better version of the article. Only that person can tell you why they did what they did. --Jayron32 19:06, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

There has already been a pretty intense discussion that isn't really getting anywhere. I thought this was a reference desk where I could get assistance with finding information / sources? Skarz (talk) 19:24, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

Well, it isn't getting anywhere because some people are stonewalling with a misunderstanding of what notability is, and has an odd sense that the article should be deleted, which seems like a bad idea; since people may be searching for the concept rather readily. I think the article is just fine the way it is, as it serves its purpose well, directing people to federal prison systems in countries that have them. But I'm also not getting involved in that particular debate because my tolerance for stonewalling is low. I'd recommend using WP:DR to bring outside opinions in. There are people who are good at resolving conflicts like you are having. It simply isn't a notability issue, the concept of a "federal prison" is self-evidently something people would be looking for, and the article serves a great purpose in directing people to the correct place. It's ridiculous people would want to delete it. --Jayron32 05:35, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

1971 indo pak war

it is just shameful to read your article about the fact that the war started on 3 December 1971 once PAF attacked Indian air bases. everyone knows that in east Pakistan, the war has started on 22 November 1971 when Indian army crossed over all across east Pakistan. Indian field marshal manekshaw has accepted it. sharmila bose says the same thing. Wikipedia is supposed to be impartial but it is a real shame to be reading a pro India article on wiki. tipooawan@yahoo.com — Preceding unsigned comment added by 39.54.238.84 (talk) 19:52, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

Not my specialist subject, but the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 article does seem to be a bit selective with the facts; there is no mention of the Battle of Garibpur on 20-21 November which seems to have been fought by Indian troops inside Pakistan (the latter article is written from an Indian perspective and seems to ignore the Wikipedia:Neutral point of view rules). Ditto the Battle of Boyra which was fought on 22 November 1971 by the Indian Air Force in East Pakistan's airspace. Perhaps somebody with a better understanding of this conflict could comment? Also, might it not be better to conduct this discussion on the article's Talk Page? Alansplodge (talk) 20:53, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

I think the answer (partially) is that the eastern events are covered in the Bangladesh Liberation War article. Rmhermen (talk) 21:24, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

Thanks Rmhermen. I have posted a query at Talk:Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 and asked for assistance at Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Military history. Now we wait and see. Alansplodge (talk) 14:07, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

Damion Scott soccer

Here is a credible link to games played http://hlsz.hu/index.php?tid=7&Jatekos=hPLf_da06d07 , how does the page get restored after deletion? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Soccer2323 (talk • contribs) 21:53, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

As this page states, you need to contact the person who deleted it, in this case User:GiantSnowman. --Viennese Waltz 22:35, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

December 17

Wikipedia copyrights?

What is the best place to report a site that might be mirroring Wikipedia articles without attribution? (This arose from a question on my talk page.) ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 03:00, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

Everyone is free to contact the violator directly to ask for them to either stop reusing or provide attribution. The authors can also sue them. You might get help from the Creative Commons Affiliate Network. Creative Commons also maintains a list of lawyers who have expressed willingness to work for such cases here. If any WMF logos are being copied as well, then you can contact the Foundation's legal department. Someguy1221 (talk) 03:05, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

This is unfortunately common. They can be listed at Wikipedia:Mirrors and forks. PrimeHunter (talk) 03:11, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

LOOP 610 IN HOUSTON

WHY NAME IS 610 AND NOT 910 ,810 OR 510? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 108.254.156.169 (talk) 07:00, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

Most likely it was named sequentially, and there was already a 110, 210, 310, 410, and 510 assigned, somewhere in the US, when it was named. StuRat (talk) 09:16, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

(ec) Have a look at Interstate Highway System#Numbering system for general information on how numbers are attributed. Being a loop off Interstate 10, that particular beltway had to be assigned a three-digit number ending with 10 and starting with an even number (210, 410, 610 or 810). 410 is used in San Antonio. As numbers generally increase from west to east, Houston's beltway would need a higher number, thus 610. Why not 810, then ? At this point, it becomes a random choice between the two available three-digit numbers. --Xuxl (talk) 09:21, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

The west-to-east part applies to two-digit numbers, not so much to three-digit. It's fine to repeat numbers in another state (in fact Interstate 610 (Louisiana) is right next door). But I suppose it might be true enough within a single state. --Trovatore (talk) 09:25, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

They may permit a repeat, but, I'd expect, given the choice, they would prefer to avoid it. StuRat (talk) 09:28, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

Ah, I thought of a within-state counterexample. Interstate 680 (California) is east of Interstate 880 (California). --Trovatore (talk) 09:39, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

As the above link explains, interstate loops are given three-digit numbers beginning with even numbers. Piecing this together, I-610 was one of the originally designated interstate highways in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It looks as though the original interstate plan avoided repeating interstate numbers in different states. I-210 was assigned to a highway in California, and from the early days, the I-410 designation was planned for a San Antonio loop, so it made sense to assign I-610 to the Houston loop. As the need for connectors, loops, and spurs outran the available numbers, it seems that a decision was made during the late 1960s to repeat interstate highways' numbers on different highways in different states, such as I-610 in Louisiana, which was built later than the Houston highway. So I think the numbering reflects an odd mix of west-to-east and chronological sequence. Marco polo (talk) 20:38, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

As to the "why not 910 or 510", that's because the odd prefixes indicate "spurs". To find out exactly why particular numbers were chosen, you might have to go back to contemporary newspapers and see if an explanation was given. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 03:09, 18 December 2013 (UTC)

Harold Camping dead ?

− − Is he dead today? I heard rumors. Ref: Jill Diringer on Facebook "Goodbye Harold Camping" (was 21 minutes ago @ ca. 20:15 GMT+1). Time will tell.

− EDIT: HE IS DEAD, at least WP says so

− --78.156.109.166 (talk) 19:54, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

EDIT2: I thought it was a vandal who edited the Harold Camping article so I removed this section/question (only heard it from 2 people on 16 December and nothing in the news yesterday 16 December (at least WP, my TV, YouTube (i have no real access to news websites))), but I was right after all, so restoring my (self-)undone revision(which is THIS section)--78.156.109.166 (talk) 09:33, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

For what it's worth, a quick search on google news turns up a number of sources that appear reliable and announce he passed away on December 15th, eg [2], [3] [4] --Xuxl (talk) 10:04, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

Don't worry too much. It's not the end of the world. HiLo48 (talk) 10:31, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

Exactly. 2 days is nothing. Better we get it right, than rush to get it wrong. And if every death announced on Facebook was true then we'd have lost Kanye West, Will Smith, and Bill Cosby too recently. Personally i hope Bill Cosby outlives us all. Thanks ツ Jenova20 ^(email) 10:40, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

I got your joke, HiLo. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 12:01, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

Thanks Jack. HiLo48 (talk) 00:07, 18 December 2013 (UTC)

That rumor was already attempted to be posted here a couple of days ago. There's still nothing about it in standard sources. And since their own website says nothing about it, we had best be careful or Wikipedia will look stupid. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 10:42, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

The alleged "press release" has the wrong URL, so it's likely a hoax. I have reverted all the updates back to Nov 23, and reported the situation at ANI. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 14:02, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

Reported in several mainstream sources now. Rmhermen (talk) 18:55, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

• Breaking news, Harold Camping is still dead. μηδείς (talk) 21:55, 17 December 2013 (UTC)
  • They waited a couple of days before announcing it. Maybe they wanted to be sure. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 03:05, 18 December 2013 (UTC)

I'd like to think they were waiting for us to get it right before putting their own reputation on the line. Thanks ツ Jenova20 ^(email) 09:18, 18 December 2013 (UTC)

In-pipe heat tape

I have a drainage line from the roof which is underground, but above the frost line (yes, bad idea). As a result, it freezes up in winter and with spring rains we get flooding until it thaws. I'd like to install heat tape in the 60 foot long plastic corrugated tube to keep ice from forming. When I found the "proper" equipment, it seems to run around US$530 (I had to call for a quote), which seems extreme: [5]. So, I'd like to use heat tape for preventing ice dams on gutters, and snake that into the tube, instead. It seems to cost about 1/10th the price: [6]. So:

1) Why the huge price difference ?

2) What does the more expensive stuff give me ? (As near as I can figure, it's self-regulating, so it can't overheat. Is that the only diff ?)

3) What problems will I have with the cheap solution ?

Thanks for any hints. StuRat (talk) 16:55, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

I don't know about heat tape, but there are other solutions as well. I can't think of the name, and am having no luck finding them on Menard's website, but there are big plastic drums with lots of drainage holes that can be buried below the frost line. If you're worried that it won't drain fast enough for heavy rains then you can use the existing line as an overflow. It won't have to handle nearly as much water and hopefully won't end up freezing shut at all. Katie R (talk) 18:29, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

French drain and dry well are two ways this is done. Rmhermen (talk) 18:49, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

Nope, it's a condo and we aren't allowed to do major excavations like that. StuRat (talk) 18:35, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

“1) Why the huge price difference ?” Looking at the web site I would say its because they do the installation for you and wrap the element around the out-side of the pipe (requiring them to dig it up and rebury it) and then give you a warranty. Seems fair to me, for that amount of labour. An expensive solution though, for your problem. Addendum: “it's a condo” You did not build the condo – they did and they have provided a drainage system which is not fit for purposes. In the small print of your title, deeds, lease, contract or whatever you signed, it should have something about drainage. - Sue them! (whoops sorry... we can not give legal advice – see your attorney and tell him Wikipedia sent you)--Aspro (talk) 19:21, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

The cheap stuff gets good reviews (I looked at the 100' version too and only one person didn't like it), so it is worth trying. I doubt it will overheat - something for this sort of application doesn't need to get hot, just stay above freezing. If your exterior outlets aren't GFCI (they should be in any somewhat-recent construction), then I would highly recommend upgrading them running a power cord through a drain pipe and plugging it in. :-) I would also try talking to someone in maintenance at the condo about the issue as well if you haven't already. Even if you know they won't fix it for you, they may have useful suggestions or know how other residents have dealt with it. Katie R (talk) 19:31, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

The fact remains, that SR has bought a condo, which (unless it is very old) should conform to the local building codes. There should be something that states the minimum depth that these pipes should be buried to match the local frost line depth. It look like -to me- that the construction company may have cut corners. I would think that the contractor's building issuance covers the first ten years for these fault to surface.--Aspro (talk) 21:10, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

Yes, they seriously cut corners. Originally the downspouts just dumped water right at the side of the house, which then flooded the basement. This drainage system was added later, by the previous owner, in an attempt to redirect the water away from the house. The condo was built in 1977. StuRat (talk) 05:37, 18 December 2013 (UTC)

As it its build dates 1977 then I guess it up to you to sort out. From the practical point of view I think there are only two options. The heat tape (snaking it down 60 ft wont be easy – you may have to tie a fishing line to the tail of a pet rat to pull it through). Alternatively, the old adage goes many hands make light work. So, get a lot of your mates to come around with spades and dig the pipe out and rebury it a the recommended depth. You will probably need a new bend and some insulation at the point were it enters the ground and perhaps knock a new lower entrants into the soak away if it has a concrete lining. If you use the heat tape solution, then remember, it takes about the same amount of heat to melt ice as it does to boil water. That could be expensive on a 60 ft run with just a thermo switch (where the ground could be below zero, even when there is no water run off to drain away). So perhaps a 'capacitive' water level sensor switch in the down pipe is the answer, It will only power up the cable, when water fills the lower end of the down pipe and switches off as soon as the water has gone. All my other ideas are not really practical but I was taken by the novelty of buying some Strontium-90 granules on eBay and flushing them evenly along the pipe. --Aspro (talk) 19:15, 19 December 2013 (UTC)

article on syberjet SJ30 -- possible spec error

I believe the rate of climb in the specifications is incorrect by a large amount -- it is listed as 1000 feet per minute, a rate of climb associated with small single-engine propeller aircraft, not a twin jet-engine private plane like the syberjet SJ30 -- I believe it should by more like 3000 to 4000 feet per minute -- thanks for your attention warfd — Preceding unsigned comment added by Warfd (talk • contribs) 18:59, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

I agree that 1000 fpm is low and it could have been a typo even though there is a reference to a Jane's. The unreliable sources that I can find online right now vary from 3,600 to 4,000 fpm though. Dismas|^(talk) 22:17, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

How to get enough food in hotels/restaurants?

I eat a lot, so I guess athletes must have the same problem as I have. There must be a simple solution to the problem of getting a low fat high carb 4000 Kcal per day diet when on vacation, but I haven't figured out exactly how (although I have made some progress compared in recent years). The problem starts at breakfast when I get extra bread for myself. Sometimes the hotel staff patrolling breakfast will tell me that this is not allowed, but then they don't serve lunch until 12 which is way too late for me. Usually this isn't a problem, and I will eat ok. until dinner (I prepare lunch and my second lunch myself from food I buy at some local supermarket). At dinner things typically are not ideal. E.g. a typical dinner for me would be 300 grams of rice or pasta or 1 kg of potatoes, 500 grams of vegetables and some meat. But there must be enough fat in the food. I try to deal with that by ordering fried vegetables but usually they bake the vegetables in too little fat. Now I could, of course, add some fatty sauce but then the problem is that I don't know how much fat I'm getting in total and if it is too much and I become sick, I won't be able to eat anything at all for a while, which would be a big problem.

Typically what happens after several days is that I will start to feel hungry for most of the day. After returning home it takes about a week before this goes away completely. Count Iblis (talk) 21:22, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

• Restaurant, or is there some other question hiding in there? μηδείς (talk) 21:53, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

Uhmm. Know the feeling – half way through the night and I'm suddenly wide awake and hungry again and I can't speak the local language. What I found useful, was discovering the 'real' food triangle.[7] Some foods release their calories too quickly (like potatoes, pasta white rice etc) leaving one hungry soon after. Not much good though in a hotel with a limited menu. The paleolithic diet has less energy density but leaves one feeling sated for longer. Is staying at home an option?--Aspro (talk) 22:15, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

Oh, if the issue is eating at a strange hour, pack something dense like peanut butter, chocolate and cheese. I do it whenever on a trip when I am unsure of my meal schedule. μηδείς (talk) 23:56, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

• It seems like the basic problem is wanting to eat more than usual without having to pay more than usual. Otherwise the obvious solution is to eat an extra meal. Looie496 (talk) 23:42, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

You don't need 4000Kcal a day however much exercise you're getting. Itsmejudith (talk) 23:48, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

That's not true, a large person doing hard physical labor all day can easily need that much. So can a person with a metabolic problem such as an overactive thyroid. Looie496 (talk) 00:06, 18 December 2013 (UTC)

Cyclists in the Tour de France need about 6000 kcal per day, on some days (mountain stages) they can burn more than 9000 kcal. Ssscienccce (talk) 00:58, 18 December 2013 (UTC)

Back when I was seriously hiking, 3500 kcal per day was enough to keep me from losing weight. --Carnildo (talk) 03:25, 18 December 2013 (UTC)

Thanks for the info. The OP did say it was when he was on vacation. Unless his vacation is an intensive cycling tour? He distinguishes himself from athletes. Itsmejudith (talk) 10:03, 18 December 2013 (UTC)

All-you-can eat restaurants/buffets are the obvious choice. They are a good deal for big eaters. Or, even at normal restaurants, they sometimes have an all-you-can-eat item. For example, I think IHOP has an all-you-can-eat pancake special. As for eating at hotels, look for one with all-you-can-eat breakfast bar.

However, unless you are in some strange circumstance, 4000 kcal/day sounds quite unhealthy. I'd suggest eating lots of things which are filling, but have few calories, like rice cakes and popcorn with without butter. You also might be hungry because you aren't getting enough nutrients, so be sure to eat your veggies and maybe take vitamin pills. StuRat (talk) 05:48, 18 December 2013 (UTC)

You also seem overanxious about the amount of fat you are getting or not getting. Potatoes, vegetables and meat in sauce is a balanced dinner, and it's probably better to have the veg steamed rather than fried. You don't say where you're travelling but if it's in Europe then you could have a starter and cheese and/or a dessert, which would add carbs and fats, possibly also some fruit and veg content. I don't think it is Europe though, or you would be able to get enough bread at breakfast time. Itsmejudith (talk) 10:11, 18 December 2013 (UTC)

Judith... your metabolism/preferences are not [quite apparently] like everyone else's. Quit trying to dictate to the OP that he/she's consuming enough calories as is, and/or that instead they need to effectively just carb load. As for sources of cheap, unperishable protein... canned tuna/fish, energy bars and shakes (gotta be careful about what's in them), nuts. These diets aren't really pleasurable but they'll satiate you. You should go read some athletically-minded forums for ideas. Your question is a bit more opinion/hunch than ref-desk. Shadowjams (talk) 06:27, 19 December 2013 (UTC)

December 18

where can i find the article that documents purchase and killing of a real pony to serve as a model for the my little pony toys

I read this article in 2013 the artist was in new york. they bought a living pony at an auction, and killed it, and stuffed it to serve as a model to the toy designer. the article contains images of the taxidermied pony, an interview with the artist, drawings created from the model pony and other information.— Preceding unsigned comment added by 166.182.3.36 (talk • contribs)

Strikes me as unlikely. As in, unlikely.Looie496 (talk) 02:25, 18 December 2013 (UTC)

...especially since they look nothing like real ponies.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 15:31, 18 December 2013 (UTC)

Here's something about a piece by Tinkebell. It wasn't created for the toy designer, but as a provocative art piece. Staecker (talk) 02:28, 18 December 2013 (UTC)

Those search terms ('"tinkebell" cupcake') find more results like [8] [9]. However the only video I found is [10] which only shows getting the pony into a truck for transport and without its head. Looking around the links like [11], it seems there may have been a video now private. If you follow the link to Huffington Post [12] in the Blouinartinfo.com blurb, there's a video but it only seems to be of her cat she stuffed (inside a dog?). Incidentally besides the other obvious errors in the question compared to this case, I find no evidence the horse was killed especially for this artwork and it's also another detail which seems unlikely anyway. Nil Einne (talk) 21:41, 18 December 2013 (UTC)

East Islip NY

The article contains the following statement "Some estate and early farmlands were donated to the Roman Catholic church and make up the current grounds of St Mary's of East Islip, which includes a private elementary and middle school, in addition to church and other parish buildings."

I am trying to research some of these donations including a building known as "the Annex and/or the Mansion". Accordingly, can you supply any supporting documentation for the above statement? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.151.32.92 (talk) 20:04, 18 December 2013 (UTC)

Hi, for starters, I have left a message for the editor who inserted that information to see if they can provide their source. 184.147.136.249 (talk) 20:39, 18 December 2013 (UTC)

Pyongyang morning music

Hello,

Somehow I didn't feel like putting this question into the "entertainment" section, though it is where the music questions belong. I put the same question on the German refrence desk, with no success so far, but maybe some of you guys now. What is the melody played in some videos of Pyongyang morning (and apparently played at 6 AM in Pyongyang each day but Sunday)? Before some confusion arises, this is the melody I meant: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVXSgKYBoE8 (here a fuller version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i82PBpw2Vg0). Anybody got an idea? Thank you in advance!--85.177.244.186 (talk) 20:35, 18 December 2013 (UTC)

I can't speak to the name of the song but recognise the distinctive twang of the gayageum (kayagum), a traditional Korean instrument. You can find plenty of examples on YouTube, e.g. [13], [14],[15]. North Korea is fond of mixing this kind of traditional music with the odes to Kim Il-sung we get a glimpse of at the end of the second link you posted, as a way of legitimating their regime as the sole inheritors of Korean identity. I hope that helps! Sai Weng (talk) 04:50, 19 December 2013 (UTC)

December 19

The top speed of a cave spider, and a silverfish.

This is a very strange question but i am looking up the speed of some various creatures, and i have two that are missing. I need to know the top speed of some form of common poisonous cave spider, and the top speed of a silverfish. If this data or any data relating to speeds of these creatures is known, please share!

Thank you! 216.173.145.47 (talk) 02:06, 19 December 2013 (UTC)

Insert obligatory Monty Python reference before the Brits wake up. Sai Weng (talk) 05:00, 19 December 2013 (UTC)

African or European silverfish? --Jayron32 07:56, 19 December 2013 (UTC)

This paper covers silverfish (Lepisma saccharina) locomotion in great detail, and gives a running speed of 0.4 m/s. Tevildo (talk) 10:40, 19 December 2013 (UTC)

The cave spider (Meta menardi) is generally described as "slow-moving" - I've not been able to find any numbers as yet, but this and this are videos of the spider, showing it moving at a couple of inches a second. Tevildo (talk) 11:08, 19 December 2013 (UTC)

Doing a Desmond

Hello, thank you for your help in understanding what seems to be a British expression I found in the comments page of The Guardian : "He did a Desmond at university". What does this mean? And where does this expression come from? May I add another question? In the same comments pages, commentators mentionned people getting a 2.1 or a 2.2 at university. What does it mean? Cheers. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.232.63.116 (talk) 06:53, 19 December 2013 (UTC)

The Desmond part is sort of explained here. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 07:39, 19 December 2013 (UTC)

It's rhyming slang for a certain degree classification, a 2:2 (as in Desmond Tutu). Not sure how much that is actually used though, I've never heard it in real life. Might be a London thing, or maybe it's just not used that much these days. Fgf10 (talk) 07:56, 19 December 2013 (UTC)

In the 1990s, I heard it used frequently by students from all over the country. Its use seems to have died away, perhaps in parallel with Tutu's lower public profile, or maybe it's because I have much less occasion to speak with students now than I did then, given that I was, but am no longer, a student. --Dweller (talk) 11:09, 19 December 2013 (UTC)

Better a Desmond than a Douglas. Itsmejudith (talk) 16:55, 19 December 2013 (UTC)

Blackboards in US universities?

Just watched a recent episode of Bones (TV series). A nerdy professor was seen working at his blackboard several times during the show. Most tertiary institutions I'm aware of in Australia use whiteboards almost exclusively, and often the electronic forms of those. But I've seen similar scenes in other American TV and movie coverage of academia. Is this reality, or just a cliché? HiLo48 (talk) 10:57, 19 December 2013 (UTC)

Sure, most of them have blackboards, in my experience. They have several advantages over whiteboards. They're easier to erase. They don't have that awful smell. And they're already there. --Trovatore (talk) 11:00, 19 December 2013 (UTC)

Oh, forgot one — a piece of chalk never "goes dry". --Trovatore (talk) 11:01, 19 December 2013 (UTC)

And both blackboards and whiteboards can make horrible screeching sounds. I'd rather see electronic boards, where students can download a copy, instead of having to decide whether to read and copy or listen to the lecture. StuRat (talk) 11:12, 19 December 2013 (UTC)

Blackboards have no advantages over whiteboards. And is as obsolete as the abacus.

• Whiteboard markers will last longer than chalk, which can snap and will dry out only if the lid is left off.
• Whiteboards can be cleaned with any fabric, dry or wet, while a blackboard needs a wet rag to avoid scrubbing.
• Chalk is harder to come by than markers in most shops.
• Whiteboards are clearer and allow for easier readability, especially in a dimly lit room.
• Whiteboards work well with projectors to run windows programs on the board, blackboards do not, and i don't believe many would even attempt for a multitude of reasons.

Whiteboards win =P ツ Jenova20 ^(email) 12:23, 19 December 2013 (UTC)

The abacus is by no means obsolete - see Soroban. Tevildo (talk) 13:50, 19 December 2013 (UTC)

Obviously some people prefer blackboards. I'm a university professor, and I much prefer chalk dust on my hands over marker residue. It also annoys me that I can't tell when my markers are about to run dry. It's pretty easy to tell by looking how much life remains in a piece of chalk. Staecker (talk) 13:05, 19 December 2013 (UTC)

No idea where to find a reference on how common one is over the other, but when I started college in 2003 there were no whiteboards in any of my classes. I don't recall seeing them in any other school I've been in since then. I would guess that it's mainly cliche at this point. Katie R (talk) 13:06, 19 December 2013 (UTC)

Yeah, but when the chalk gets really small and is difficult to use, and you're about to need a new stick. Ever used it anyway and scratched your nail down a chalk board? Noise aside, the feeling is horrendous and makes me cringe just to think about. Thanks ツ Jenova20 ^(email) 13:24, 19 December 2013 (UTC)

Haven't seen a blackboard used on a British campus since the mid 1970s. All rooms now equipped with electronic whiteboards. Next thing is supposed to be that we all have iPads. Itsmejudith (talk) 16:54, 19 December 2013 (UTC)

• The question is like asking why does England have architecture by Christopher Wren while Chicago had the first skyscrapers. Timing. British settlement in North America dates back 400 years, while Australia was only discovered by Darwin's transport, the Beagle, and only officially chartered by royal decree in 1971 as part of the celebration of Olivia Newton-John's first solo album.

Unfortunately, world slate reserves were increasingly depleted during the 20th century, with the extinction of the slate-tusked Irish Elephant in 1950 ending the supply of new slate. After Ireland, the US has the largest stock of remaining slate ivory. Forced to use an inferior synthetic product, the Australians nevertheless sing the praises of whiteboards, doubtless out of a wounded sense of national pride.

See also the story of the land-grant colleges Cornell and Rutgers, and how the former, but not, to its shame, the latter, managed to become a Ivy League college after the Ivy-League Ivy Blight of the 1890's. μηδείς (talk) 17:16, 19 December 2013 (UTC)

You need to teach a course in creative writing. If you don't already. :) ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 18:23, 19 December 2013 (UTC)

I finished school in the 2000s and both my first and secondary school had blackboards, with the secondary school having blackboards and whiteboards about 50/50. Maybe it's up to personal preference of the teacher which they have to work on? Thanks ツ Jenova20 ^(email) 17:26, 19 December 2013 (UTC)

Probably a function of what they can afford and/or what they feel like spending. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 18:23, 19 December 2013 (UTC)

Non-profit corps

Why can't a CEO who also owns 51% of the company pay all the would-be profits to himself as salary, declare that there was no profit, and thus avoid any corporate taxes ? StuRat (talk) 11:15, 19 December 2013 (UTC)

Most developed countries have some of system for protecting minority shareholders. In particular, see our article on Shareholder oppression and, for example, this article on UK [16]. In a lot of countries, even with no explicit regulations, minority shareholders can take the management of the company to court since the management should act in the best interests of all shareholders (and some other stakeholders, depending on local practice) and not just the majority holders.129.178.88.84 (talk) 11:43, 19 December 2013 (UTC)

Thanks, but I'm more interested in the "cheating the government" aspect rather than the "cheating the minority shareholders" aspect. So, for the case of my example, let's say the minority shareholders are all the CEO's kids, and are fine with him taking the huge salary, or maybe we could say that the would-be profits are evenly divided among all the shareholders, who are made officers of the company and paid it as a salary, versus a dividend. So, are there laws to prevent this ? StuRat (talk) 12:56, 19 December 2013 (UTC)

Since I missed the part about taxes, even if one owns 100% of the company, it rarely makes sense (certainly in Europe, maybe not in the US) to pay out the profits as a salary, since salaries are often taxed (including social charges) higher than coporate profits + dividends. 129.178.88.84 (talk) 13:05, 19 December 2013 (UTC)

Longest article on a person

I have noticed that the wikipedia articles on Sachin Tendulkar and Michael Schumacher are really long. Which the longest wikipedia article on a person. Also which article contains the maximum number of ciitations? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 176.203.40.216 (talk) 19:55, 19 December 2013 (UTC)

For the first question, have a look at Special:LongPages. Currently, it looks like your person is René Vilatte. 184.147.136.249 (talk) 20:00, 19 December 2013 (UTC)