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May 23

e-books for samsung tablets

Is there a website which allows you to download an e-book for your Samsung Tablet and you don't have to pay for it? Donmust90 (talk) 01:48, 23 May 2016 (UTC)Donmust90Donmust90 (talk) 01:48, 23 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Probably not, if you mean entire, legal, current books. But old public domain books might be possible. Or maybe you can get portions of a current book, like a chapter, for free, to whet your interest. StuRat (talk) 02:00, 23 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Some books are under copyright but available under free content licenses. See Category:Copyleft media. Project Gutenberg and the Internet Archive are good places to find both public domain and freely-licensed works. Outside of freely-licensed stuff, many libraries these days are lending e-books. --71.110.8.102 (talk) 03:45, 23 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Also, many public libraries will loan out e-books for a week or two. --Jayron 32 15:10, 23 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

stupidy since Nokia 3210.

I would like to know, why does a mobile phone, which has for example only 10% power or 5% power uses his last power, to notify every 20 seconds, that the Accu is low. I don't understand the logic behind this. If I am sitting in a bus / train or are out of home I am not able to load it and it would be enough for me, to inform me once about the accu, not every 20 seconds. And the most cellphone have even their own tune for the the accu alarm, so if you make your cellphone quiet - but forget to disabled the accu stand alarm, you will have a nice weak-up sound in the night. --Ip80.123 (talk) 14:44, 23 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

This is not a forum for discussing the wisdom of a company's programming choices. You'd do much better to contact Nokia or whomever your manufacturer is and ask them if the setting can be changed. Also, presumably the word you want is stupidity. μηδείς (talk) 21:53, 23 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Common sense tells you that you need to be informed about the battery being low. If it beeps once, turn the bloody thing off until you can get to a recharging station. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 02:07, 24 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

for me it is to discuss why no one of the produce could never got wiser. A mobile phone shouln't use his last power to inform the user every 20 seconds that battery is low, which makes the battery much lower, than it is. --Ip80.123 (talk) 22:04, 24 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

You're perhaps incorrectly assuming that the power consumed by this notification is somehow significantly more than the power consumed by the "phone" or "wifi" functions of the phone. --jpgordon^{𝄢𝄆 𝄐𝄇} 03:23, 25 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

What people do with the Tusks of Elephants? What is their usage?

I sometimes hear that people kill Elephants because of their Tusks. The number of Elephants seems to be decreased much in both Asia and Africa. Tusks seems to be very high-priced and the trading of Tusks seems to be illegal in most places. I want to ask why one should need a Tusk? Why they are so valuable that people kill Elephants just because of their Tusks? Thanks. 46.225.38.36 (talk) 20:36, 23 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Elephant tusks are made of ivory, which is very valuable. It has been an artistic medium since prehistoric days, and is especially highly valued in traditional Chinese culture, and China is the most populous country on Earth. Cullen³²⁸ Let's discuss it 20:50, 23 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

According to this article, the black market value of the tusks of one large male elephant may be as much as US$375,000. That is a powerful incentive for poaching. Cullen³²⁸ Let's discuss it 20:57, 23 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Unfortunately, the game wardens may make things even worse when they destroy tusks captured from poachers. This limits supply, which, according to the laws of supply and demand, must increase price, to make poaching more profitable. It would be better to arrest the poachers, then sell the tusks, legally, at the market price, and use that money to fund more enforcement actions. (If there's no way to do this legally, then the laws need to be changed.) StuRat (talk) 21:44, 23 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

I don't think that makes sense. That keeps the market alive. I am reading "The ivory is so valuable because all across Asia — particularly in China — ivory figurines are given as traditional gifts, and ivory chopsticks, hair ornaments, and jewelry are highly prized luxuries." As long as the substance is in demand, even at lower prices, some degree of incentive continues to exist. It is the demand that has to be reduced. That would be through education. I am reading "Many Chinese consumers don't realize that elephants must be killed for their ivory; in one survey, more than two thirds of Chinese respondents said they thought tusks grew back like fingernails." Bus stop (talk) 00:55, 24 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, it's a ridiculous suggestion. It effectively creates another tier in the supply chain and gives wardens a conflict of interest, potentially encouraging them to turn a blind eye or accept a bribe. Akld guy (talk) 03:02, 24 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Just the opposite. It's the current low pay for game wardens and high value of tusks (due to their scarcity) that makes the game wardens bribable. You address both those issues if they sold the tusks they take from poachers. StuRat (talk) 03:45, 24 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

No you don't. Don't you understand that there is no limit to greed? The wardens will not be satisfied with what they get and will simply hold out for more. That's what free market philosophy does. Akld guy (talk) 04:54, 24 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

And to get more, and still keep their jobs (which is important to keep the gravy train rolling), they would need to arrest more poachers, and confiscate more tusks. This is a good thing. It's rather similar to drug forfeiture laws, where cops take items from drug dealers, sell them, and use the money to continue the fight. That does have the problem that the cops are then tempted to plant drugs so they can seize valuables, but this wouldn't work for elephant poachers. (What would be the point in planting tusks so they could seize the same tusks ?) StuRat (talk) 05:57, 24 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Education could help, too, but you will never eliminate demand entirely. Also, sedating elephants and cutting off their tusks, then selling them, might be necessary. It's a shame to do that to them, but they seem able to survive without tusks, and if that would prevent extinction, it's worth it, I should think. StuRat (talk) 01:25, 24 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

The suggestion has even been made to allow limited hunting of endangered species, with the justification that the money charged could protect more animals than are hunted. I wouldn't go quite that far, but if our current methods aren't working, we do need to look at other possibilities. StuRat (talk) 03:49, 24 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

I heard years ago that in one country, where elephants are "ranched" and limited killing is legal, the elephant population was increasing while it fell in neighboring countries; but of course the ivory could not be exported. —Tamfang (talk) 08:51, 24 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Too bad, had they sold the ivory they might have reduced the killings of other elephants, too. StuRat (talk) 17:09, 24 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Ivory is perfectly replaceable by modern products such as plastics. Replacing ivory with other products is the only realistic variable in the equation leading to the pointless killing of elephants. The market price of ivory is irrelevant if there is no demand for ivory. Nowadays people care about related concerns. Nobody favors global warming. Nobody advocates for the destruction of pristine natural environments. No one favors the extinction of species of flora and fauna unless they are particularly dangerous to humans. As soon as people become aware of the price paid for the ivory in the loss of elephants and as soon as they become aware that ivory is perfectly replaceable by other products, that is how soon they will give up demanding products carved of ivory. Bus stop (talk) 18:47, 24 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Thermoset plastics like Bakelite ? I should think ceramics would be a better replacement, although they can't be carved, as ivory can. But you need to attack the problem from all sides at once, by increasing supply and reducing demand. Thinking 100% of people will put the interest of elephants in front of their own desires isn't realistic. StuRat (talk) 19:08, 24 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

What is special about ivory? Does it have any properties that are at all desirable and not replaceable by myriad new materials? Bus stop (talk) 19:19, 24 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Well, it's carveable, rather resistant to most common types of degradation, like from the UV in sunlight (which does in a lot of plastics), slightly translucent, and yellows with age. And even if you managed to match all these characteristics, you would still have people who wouldn't want the substitute because it's "not real". Consider the case of artificial diamonds, which can be better than natural diamonds, in that they have fewer inclusions and impurities, and they are cheaper, but people still don't want them as much as natural diamonds, even if that means blood diamonds. StuRat (talk) 21:09, 24 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

I am surprised no one has mentioned the rather obvious fact that elephants are evolving smaller tusks in response to the fact that poachers cull the ones with the largest tusks first. It's the same phenomenon as catch-size limits driving fisheries to ever smaller fish. μηδείς (talk) 16:43, 24 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

And don't forget Japanese fishermen throwing back crabs that look like samurai leading to the Heike crab being a dead ringer. StuRat (talk) 17:07, 24 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

In case the OP didn't already see it, Ivory#Alternative sources talks about alternatives for aesthetic (rather than practical) uses, such as mammoth ivory. --PalaceGuard008 (Talk) 10:05, 25 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

comment: Just a little aside and going off at a tangent a bit. In the 1930's Fox stoles once became popular amongst aristocratic women. It showed that they belonged to the land owning gentry that owned fox hunts. They became so popular that farms were set up to breed the very rare silver fox. Thus, by the 1950's the price came down to the point that any lower middle class woman could purchase one or two. Result - no longer fashionable. scrumptious-and-luxurious-vintage fox stoles Same with ivory and very 'rare' coloured diamonds etc. The film The Freshman (1990 film) parodied the gluttony of the stupidly rich who paid stupid prices to eat exotic and endangered animals as specialty food items. We have the technology to invisibly hallmark ivory and thus trace its provenance., rather than destroy what very little can be intercepted on route to markets overseas. Legitimizing the trade has the potential to make ivory as unfashionable as fox stoles and make the trade uneconomic for the ivory poachers and middlemen.--Aspro (talk) 12:53, 25 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

What is accomplished by invisibly marking illegally-gotten ivory? You say we can trace its provenance. So what? What is accomplished by tracing the provenance of illegally-gained ivory? Bus stop (talk) 13:49, 25 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

It could be used by customs agents to determine if ivory being imported was obtained legally (such as collected from elephants that died of natural causes) or illegally (by poachers). Thus they could make it impossible to import poached ivory and reduce the profit motive for poaching. At the same time, allowing the legal imports would satisfy any demand. StuRat (talk) 14:49, 25 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

No, allowing the legal imports would not satisfy demand. In the absence of a change of the heart or of the mind of the ultimate end-consumer, demand remains and price remains high. Demand and price are presumably low in the country of origin. I fail to see the distinction between burning/burying the ivory and invisibly marking the ivory for tracing as to provenance. Bus stop (talk) 15:05, 25 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

You're going against centuries of economics theory that says price drops as supply goes up. Also see the fox fur example above. If you destroy ivory, then whoever was going to buy that ivory still wants to buy it, so another elephant is killed to meet that demand. If you supply that demand, then no additional elephant will be killed. StuRat (talk) 15:22, 25 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Any illegal ivory that has been invisibly marked, fails to get into the consumer-country, therefore it does not increase supply, therefore it does not serve to decrease price. Bus stop (talk) 15:33, 25 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

LOL, they don't mark the illegal ivory, they only mark the legal ivory. Thus, if it has the serial number, it's legal. Of course, under my plan, seized illegal ivory becomes legal, and is then marked, but the poachers make no money from it, taking away their incentive (and even better if they are tossed into jail, as this becomes a disincentive). StuRat (talk) 15:43, 25 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

So, they don't mark the illegal ivory, they only mark the legal ivory, until the illegal ivory becomes legal, and then it is marked too—as being legal. OK, why bother marking any ivory as legal? Why not just let it all into the consuming country unmarked? What is accomplished in the marking process? Bus stop (talk) 16:32, 25 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Because poachers make no money for shooting elephants, because their unmarked ivory can't be exported to any nation with money, so they stop poaching and the elephants survive. StuRat (talk) 16:44, 25 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

What do people do with elephant tusks? Some gain pleasure from hunting the animals, see for example Elephant hunting in Kenya. In certain other African countries, it is still (or was until very recently) possible for foreigners to purchase hunting licences to kill troublesome animals. The uses of the tusks are covered at Ivory trade. We also have an article on the Destruction of ivory, all with references. Carbon Caryatid (talk) 23:50, 27 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

May 24

Steve_Irwin question

Are there any famous Crocodile experts similar to Steve Irwin? 50.68.118.24 (talk) 04:54, 24 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Similar in what way(s)? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 05:38, 24 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

The most obvious distinguishing feature of Steve Irwin was his total disregard for safety, whether his daughter's, when dangling her in front of crocs, or his own, when swimming with stingrays. StuRat (talk) 05:54, 24 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

It was his little son, actually, but the basic point is the same. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 06:09, 24 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

The fictional character "Crocodile" Dundee was somewhat similar. StuRat (talk) 06:11, 24 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

If the question is simply "Are there any famous Crocodile experts?", a starting point might be List of herpetologists. Ghmyrtle (talk) 07:54, 24 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

There are the Kratt Brothers, and there is Jeremy Wade of River Monsters. Basically down-in-the-dirt eco entertainers, if not crocodile wrasslers. μηδείς (talk) 16:40, 24 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Then Skinner has a message for them. InedibleHulk (talk) 05:54, May 26, 2016 (UTC)

Outback Jack wasn't so focused on crocs, but was a little too Australian. InedibleHulk (talk) 05:57, May 26, 2016 (UTC)

Microsoft Office Reminder Sound

Does anyone have a clip of this sound as it was in Microsoft Office 2003 or earlier? Collegiate199861 (talk) 09:42, 24 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Could someone answer this question, please? 31.50.49.188 (talk) 10:34, 25 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

First you need to deposit 25 cents in your PC's coin slot. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 10:46, 25 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

In answer to the actual question, I believe you need reminder.wav, a quick Google search reveals a few download sites that may host it. -- The Rambling Man (talk · contribs) 11:00, 25 May 2016‎ (UTC)[reply]

I'm not finding any occurrences of reminder.wav in Google. Is it a little two-tone sound, the first note being higher pitched than the second? I've got one on my PC dated 1997, but I wouldn't know where to upload it for you. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 13:26, 25 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Microsoft themselves offer a download which may well contain the file. The Rambling Man (talk) 13:29, 25 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

How much does it cost to be alive per hour

Is there any way to quantify how much it costs to be alive say per hour, as an average american (because wikipedia is USA centric) with the average wage, at and average age in an average house with average spending. I mean, literally how much does this person cost to be kept alive.

Perhaps an easier example would be how much would an average US soldier cost to be kept alive. Let's use pvt skin headed grunt infantry man as an example of this. Cannon fodder material.

To clarify, I define 'alive' as being able to walk, talk and behave normally. Being kept in a coma on an IV for the sake of cheapness doesn't really count.

WAG estimates of major expenses:

1) Food. Can probably can be kept down to about $1.20 a day, or 5 cents an hour, on average. We could go lower, if you eat nothing but potatoes, but that won't keep a person healthy for long.

2) Water. Assuming you want treated water, maybe 24 cents a day might be enough. So 1 cent an hour.

3) Shelter. This depends greatly on location. In a place where the weather is nice, like Hawaii, all you really need is something to keep the rain off, like a lava tube cave. So, this could be zero. If you live in the Alaskan interior, you would need substantial shelter and heat, if you want to survive winter.

4) Clothing/shoes. This can also be zero, since you can wear clothes others throw out, because they are ripped, stained, etc. You can wash them in the nearest river. Bunched up clothes can be used as a pillow. A blanket and towel would be nice. If donations aren't allowed, you can buy used clothes on sale for $1 each at Goodwill (even some new clothes at Dollar Tree for $1). So then for another cent an hour you could buy 2 items of clothing every day.

5) Air. Still free.

6) Transportation. Normally a major expense, but not strictly necessary.

So, I come up with about 6-7 cents an hour. Of course, that would be a rather miserable existence. Some very minor additional expenses for things like toilet paper, toothbrush, toothpaste, a razor and shaving cream, nail clippers, Q-tips, and deodorant (and feminine hygiene products, for women) would make a huge difference in quality of life and willingness of others to be around them.

But the examples you gave, of somebody with a job/in the military, would cost far more, because those people need to be "presentable". Also, unless the job is in walking distance, there is a substantial transportation cost. And there would be income tax. And they need a phone, etc. StuRat (talk) 18:50, 24 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

"Being kept in a coma on an IV"[1] would more likely increase the cost of existence rather than decrease the cost of existence. Bus stop (talk) 19:10, 24 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

For a period between jobs in the mid 90's (I had been promised a position then the new employer held off 6 weeks before actually scheduling me to work) I paid $400 rent for a one bedroom apartment, $60 for an unlimited NYC-wide bus and train ticket, ordered phone and electric, with no bill due, and with the remaining $20 lived off milk, oil, eggs, spaghetti, tomato paste, rice, and chicken thighs for a month. Salt and pepper thanks to McDonalds, and the NY Times & Post for free, which people leave behind in the subways when they are done, rather than throw them out. This was Jan-Feb, but steam heat was also free. Had I known the churches gave out grocery bags of food to all comers daily, I could have lived like royalty. μηδείς (talk) 20:30, 24 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

God what I'd give to pay 400 1995 dollars in this town. Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 21:55, 24 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

It was near the Brook Avenue station of the 6 Train in the South Bronx, User:Sagittarian Milky Way, the largest open-air heroin market in North America at the time, with about 750 murders a year within a mile. I did once find a dead body in my stairwell. The thing was, it was all turf wars, and if you weren't buying, they left you alone, rather than attract police attention. If you speak Spanish, you can still get great deals by approaching the super directly in the Bronx or upper Manhattan. Don't go through a broker. I'm not very familiar with the other boroughs. There are also illegal sublets, if you find signs that say "se rentan cuartos" you can say you want a studio or a one bedroom, but you may have to wait. You can get a furnished room the next day. This was all back before bedbugs, though. μηδείς (talk) 01:46, 25 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

I have to ask - is that $400 per week, or per month? I (obviously) know nothing about housing costs in New York. Tevildo (talk) 21:22, 25 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Unclear add to whether you are indicating the cheapest method of renting accommodation... Or buying H. 😉 _Fortuna ^{Imperatrix Mundi} 06:05, 26 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Per month. But for only $425/month you can get this nice 32 square foot micro-office in an industrial area. Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 22:32, 25 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Hey I like professional advice on how to secure illegal sublets as much as anyone, though it is a bit curious to see it coming from our resident rules stickler ;) SemanticMantis (talk) 15:24, 26 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

I gave no legal advice, but the problem in NYC is with rent controlled apartments, of which people may have only one, in which they must themselves reside. The lawbreaker in such instances is the one offering sublet, and it is a civil matter. Oh, and there used to be $10/night flop houses in the Bowery. And yes, it was $400 a month, but I suspect they want $700/mo now. Rent control in New York has its own article. μηδείς (talk) 04:46, 27 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Perhaps the unemployment payment for a single person might be applicable, since this is widely regarded as the very minimum on which a person can live without luxuries. In New Zealand, this is called Jobseeker Support, and payment (NZ$140.08 per week for a single 18-19 year old living at home) is not enough to cover public transport rides to job interviews, so expenditure on that item doesn't enter the picture. Akld guy (talk) 20:51, 24 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

There are different ways to quantify what it costs to maintain any certain standard of living. The U.S. Census Bureau has defined (since you asked about the U.S. specifically) the Poverty thresholds (which is a pretty terrible article... instead look at Poverty in the United States which has pictures and numbers and all sorts of good stuff). The Feds define poverty as about $11,000 per year for a person living alone, and about $4000 per year for each additional person living in a household. --Jayron 32 03:52, 25 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

It seems that something can be done with stale bread. This article begins "A bakery near my house sells large bags of day-old bread for approximately $2." Here are "17 Uses for Stale Bread". Bus stop (talk) 13:30, 25 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Britain has food banks for which the less well - off can get vouchers. Some supermarkets pass their about - to - expire food to these, although one woman who raided a supermarket's bins for the food they had discarded was prosecuted. When I was little we were very poor. My mother sometimes sent me to the butcher for "stewing beef" which was discarded cuts which he kindly sold us for a discount. She also sent me to a factory for "trimmings". That wasn't a dress factory but a bread factory. The trimmings were nice bits of cake sometimes, but generally swiss roll that had gone wrong in the manufacture. 86.151.48.25 (talk) 22:53, 27 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

May 25

What are some good websites that have book recommendations and book lists?

I know Goodreads is one. 2001:569:766D:AB00:34C5:294:243:D237 (talk) 06:10, 25 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Goodreads#See also lists some. Category:Book websites may also help. --Jayron 32 11:01, 25 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

People who flunked in elementary and high school but later turned out to be geniuses

Are there any people that flunked every single subject in elementary school and high school but turned out to be geniuses later in life? There's a myth about Albert Einstein doing poorly in school but what about true cases? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.207.71.235 (talk) 07:28, 25 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

This may help you in your research. --Jayron 32 10:57, 25 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

That linked article is about people who dropped out, not those who flunked out. There's a considerable difference. Clarityfiend (talk) 01:38, 26 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Scholastic achievement does not automatically equate with genii ;-) So the OP is wrongly mixing premises. Performing poorly at school even indicates that they already could not, mindlessly accept, and without question, everything that was being taught to them. So that displays above average abilities even in their younger years.--Aspro (talk) 13:27, 25 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

The OP did not equate school performance with genius. They are asking for proof of just the opposite. Also, it's possible to do well in school without actually accepting what is taught. You just parrot back whatever garbage they claim to be the truth, while continuing to figure the world out on your own. StuRat (talk) 20:54, 25 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Winston Churchill of course never made it into upper school. DuncanHill (talk) 21:02, 25 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Edison Edison (talk) 05:16, 26 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Wacom share holding stock

Would you buy a piece of the company? Is it worth - or did they stopped to built interesting things and the company was years ago more interesting for investment? --Ip80.123 (talk) 17:34, 25 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

I'm afraid we can't give financial advice here. Tevildo (talk) 19:56, 25 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Police / Military Tactics

Where is the best place to find a comprehensive overview of front line police and military tactics? I'm looking for things such as how to assess where the best entry point to a building is, how to conduct surveillance / countersurveillance etc. Mainly looking for individual rather than organisational tactics but won't turn down any organisational tactics that come along, eg how best to quell a riot. Thanks. 82.132.244.174 (talk) 19:07, 25 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

A good example of the two combined is the RUC in the north of Ireland. The government's strategy of Ulsterisation transferred responsibility for military 'operations' into the until-then civilian police force, thus giving the RUC responsibility for both. _Fortuna ^{Imperatrix Mundi} 06:13, 26 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Note that police and military strategies are often quite different, because the goals are different. The military may want to kill everyone inside a building, then search for documents, etc., while the police aren't supposed to do things like that. StuRat (talk) 20:51, 25 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Regarding Stu's statement (which I will note contains no useful references to help you research anything, as per usual), Militarization of police may help. Regarding specific police strategies, Police#Strategies is a Wikipedia article and section which mentions several specific kinds of police strategies, such as Problem-oriented policing, Community policing, Intelligence-led policing, etc. Wikipedia also has articles on military tactics (a very large set of them) as well as surveillance and Countersurveillance. --Jayron 32 22:41, 25 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

I tried Googling around for an instance of a military killing everyone for documents. Found militaries killing everyone, and militaries searching for documents. Perhaps he's half right again. InedibleHulk (talk) 23:14, May 25, 2016 (UTC)

I don't care if he's right or not. I've also never once accused him of not being right. Never once. This is not the "be right" desk. This is the reference desk. No one needs him to be right. We need him to provide references. He's not useful if he doesn't provide references. --Jayron 32 23:16, 25 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Right. And no sudden movements, either. InedibleHulk (talk) 23:51, May 25, 2016 (UTC)

The Scars Of Heroes DVD contains about 1500 military manuals. The Quixotic Potato (talk) 02:21, 27 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

What exactly do you mean by "front line", and are you looking only for modern militaries, or mediaeval and ancient as well? My first thought was a shield wall, which is irrelevant for military use nowadays and useful for police only when fighting off rioters. Nyttend (talk) 03:44, 27 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

I think "front line", in this context, means that they are on the streets, not behind a desk at HQ. The Quixotic Potato (talk) 04:00, 27 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Shield walls are used to box passersby in as well as fight rioters off. InedibleHulk (talk) 17:14, May 27, 2016 (UTC)

Kettling, they call it. InedibleHulk (talk) 17:19, May 27, 2016 (UTC)

May 26

Have trees in the Garden of Gethsemane been dated?

The oldest ones are from about the time of Jesus. Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 22:18, 26 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

According to the wikipedia article Gethsemane, the trees have been dated and the oldest are from the 11th century. CodeTalker (talk) 00:27, 27 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Though they come from the same parent plant and the dates given for each tree are within a few years of Crusades. I can imagine pilgrims taking relics/souvenirs from the parent plant and someone having to replant it. But yeah, the trees that are there now do not date back to the time of Jesus. Ian.thomson (talk) 01:08, 27 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

So beliefs like this might be BS then. Or maybe they didn't date the oldest tree. That might be the case if you could confuse a 2 millennia old olive tree for a 900 year old one by sight. Supposedly, the oldest olive trees in the world are 4-5 and 3 millennia old. Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 16:48, 27 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

There's a ship of theseus problem here too. You can date a given ramet of an aspen, but aging the clonal colony is truckier. See e.g. Pando_(tree) for a very very old organism. It is estimated to be at least 80k years old, but some experts think it's closer to one million years old! But probably no part of which is older than a few thousand years. Olives are a little different of course but it's entirely plausible that the 11th century trees were continually cloned from Jesus' time. SemanticMantis (talk) 17:15, 27 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

May 27

Green Bay soldiers' memorial

According to Green Bay Packers, Inc., the club's incorporation documents originally stipulated that profits from a hypothetical sale of the team must be given to the Sullivan-Wallen Post of the American Legion so that the club could build a memorial to local soldiers (the date being 1923, I expect that this is a memorial to the World War, although perhaps the Civil War or all wars), but since the team has never been sold, the post never got any money from this source. Did such a memorial ever get built from other monies? It's easy to find mentions of this clause online, but not easy to find anything about the memorial's existence or non-existence. Nyttend (talk) 03:50, 27 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

dobsonville stadium

i want to know about the negative and positive impacts the dobsonville stadium caused to the community of dobsonville — Preceding unsigned comment added by 41.154.127.58 (talk) 08:09, 27 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Wikipedia has articles about Dobsonville Stadium and Dobsonville which is a township in greater Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa. The stadium is mostly used for football matches, being the home ground of the Moroka Swallows soccer club, and is also equipped with an athletics track. Here are many images [2] AllBestFaith (talk) 11:58, 27 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Strongest whisky/whiskey and tequila

I've found on the web that the strongest whisky/whiskey available is the Bruichladdich X4 Quadrupled Whisky at 184 U.S. proof but the pictures show it is "only" 63.5% ABV. Same for Sierra Tequila Silver, rated 150 U.S. proof but the label say only 38% ABV. Notice that U.S. proof is defined "two times ABV".--Carnby (talk) 10:29, 27 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

This comment (about the Bruichladdich) may explain the discrepancy - "Having come off the stills at around 90%, this much-discussed distillate has now reached three years of age and can be called whisky. Bottled at an eye-watering 63.5%." 86.191.126.192 (talk) 11:24, 27 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

63.5% ABV is pretty normal for a cask strength ("barrel proof" to Americans) whisky. It is usually then diluted to around 40% prior to bottling but most distilleries also sell their whiskies at the original strength.--Ykraps (talk) 11:55, 27 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

The discrepancy between the off-still and 3yo strengths is likely to be be at least in part due to the Angel's share: 90% ABV ethanol evaporates quite aggressively (ObPersonal: particularly in the mouth). {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 185.74.232.130 (talk)

Does rectified spirit count? It's 95 or 95.6% ABV straight out of the bottle, the latter of which is the highest physically possible percentage of alcohol to drink as stronger alcohol would immediately suck water vapor out of the air. It is not intended for drinking undiluted (even 75.5% makes mouth drool for 20 minutes and a cup of 95.6% would kill the average person. I don't know if lesser amounts could swell the throat shut as a response to getting its water sucked out of it and cause death by asphyxiation). Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 16:13, 27 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

^{[citation needed]} on pretty much all of those claims. Matt Deres (talk) 16:27, 27 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Some of them are supported by refs given at this Straight Dope thread [3]. I don't know of any ref for how much SMW drools after drinking. ;) SemanticMantis (talk) 17:11, 27 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

The third red warning label of this bottle says "CAUTION: DO NOT APPLY TO OPEN FLAME. KEEP AWAY FROM FIRE, HEAT AND OPEN FLAME - CONTENTS MAY IGNITE OR EXPLODE. DO NOT CONSUME IN EXCESSIVE QUANTITIES. NOT INTENDED FOR CONSUMPTION UNLESS MIXED WITH A NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE" (emphasis theirs).

Ethanol LD50. Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 20:49, 27 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Do Europeans really wear scarves in the summer?

If you are from, or live in, Europe, could you please tell me your gender, where in Europe, and whether or not you wear a scarf in the summer? 173.17.170.8 (talk) 18:29, 27 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

I'm from the netherlands, male, and no, I don't wear a scarf in the summer... But why do you ask? OXYGENE 7-13 (TALKPAGE) 18:32, 27 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

I will be traveling to Europe (various Mediterranean ports of call) this summer, and do not wish to stand out as a tourist. I was told that one way to "dress European" is to wear a scarf, because everyone wears scarves, men and women, winter and summer. 173.17.170.8 (talk) 19:09, 27 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Well, that's a severe case of b*llsh|t... OXYGENE 7-13 (TALKPAGE) 19:13, 27 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, sure. Someone might be trying to have a bit of fun at OP's expense, or is themselves mistaken. It is certainly not true that everyone in Europe wears scarves all the time. On the other hand, it's not so crazy to think that males wearing scarves and anyone wearing scarves in warm weather is more common in Europe than in e.g. USA. Here's [4] and article that discusses a bit of the history and incidence of scarf wearing, mentioning many European fashion houses. (WP:OR: When I lived in northern California, I had a lot of international graduate student friends. And if a male showed up at a party in April wearing a scarf, his conditional probability of being European was about 85% :) SemanticMantis (talk) 19:20, 27 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

And this again confirms the european ideas about americans... OXYGENE 7-13 (TALKPAGE) 19:43, 27 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

A tiny minority of Europeans wear scarves in summer AFAIK. Gender and location inside Europe is irrelevant (although females are probably more likely to wear them than males). Weather conditions and religion are far more relevant. The Quixotic Potato (talk) 19:50, 27 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

There's a fine line between a shawl and a scarf. Try an image search for the city you're going to. I googled "summer scarf barcelona men" and got this, some of which are clearly catwalk pretences, but others are street snaps of what people are actually wearing. Carbon Caryatid (talk) 23:59, 27 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

By including the word "scarf" in the searchquery you are ensuring that the results are not useful, see selection bias. If you google, for example, "barcelona people shopping summer" or "barcelona people street summer" you will see that no one wears scarves. The Quixotic Potato (talk) 00:04, 28 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

For the last year or two wearing a wraparound scarf has been something of a fatuous fashion statement so it is possible to see people wearing a scarf of usually light material on a warm day. These people a a small minority and do not represent European dress style. Wearing or not wearing a scarf will not mark you out as either a tourist or a local resident. I am an old male from the UK and I can definitely smell something bovine. Richard Avery (talk) 07:07, 28 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

My wife and I moved to Switzerland last year. Prior to the move she didn't own any light summer scarves, but she definitely decided that she wanted to own some when we got here. She still doesn't wear them often, nor do most locals, but they are definitely more common here than where we lived in California. For my part, I have no interest in wearing a scarf and I think that is an equally fine choice. Dragons flight (talk) 07:43, 28 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

I was struck in Paris by how many people wear scarves indoors in cafés and restaurants. In the 2010–11 Premier League, players wearing snoods (until they were banned as hazardous) fed into the general effete Continentals — sturdy Britons caricature. jnestorius^(talk) 10:29, 28 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

I think it was a fad a couple of years ago among hipsters. Dan Fletcher wrote: "Hipsters manage to attract a loathing unique in its intensity. Critics have described the loosely defined group as smug, full of contradictions and, ultimately, the dead end of Western civilization." in TIME. Today I walked around for a bit, and the only people here who are wearing scarves are wearing them for religious purposes. The Quixotic Potato (talk) 11:19, 28 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

May 28

Obesity and falls from height

I'm curious to know what happens to the bodies of obese and overweight people during falls from height (usually suicide) Do they explode, sort of melt. Or what. Any medical journals, articles etc? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.32.51.253 (talk) 09:11, 28 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

You wrote "during falls from height", do you mean upon impact? Joe Kittinger and Felix Baumgartner have shown that falling itself is usually not the problem. And the result depends a lot on the circumstances, see for example Vesna Vulović and Category:Fall survivors. In very extreme cases people turn into pink mist, but it is far more common to suffer internal injuries while the outside of the body stays more or less intact. Some people bounce. You can drop a mouse down a thousand-yard mine shaft; and, on arriving at the bottom, it gets a slight shock and walks away, provided that the ground is fairly soft. A rat is killed, a man is broken, a horse splashes. [5] [6] [7]. I don't expect to see a big difference between fat people and skinny people, except maybe in the most extreme cases. The Quixotic Potato (talk) 11:02, 28 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

(E/C) Yeah, it's a little unclear exactly what you mean. After a significant fall from height, human bodies tend to turn into a broken pile of flesh and bones regardless of the amount of fat on them. If you want to research that kind of thing yourself, here's a list from Alexa giving the top sites. If you mean during the fall, again, the amount of fat is probably a minor detail; I can't really think of specific sources to cite, but people of all shapes and sizes parachute from planes recreationally and they seem to survive their time in free fall without, er, melting. Matt Deres (talk) 11:50, 28 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

I expect that really big and fat people encounter more air resistance, which would slow down their fall (but probably by a insignificant amount), and having lots of excess fat may reduce the amount of damage somewhat. The Quixotic Potato (talk) 11:54, 28 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

I jumped over a fence once... I immediatly exploded...

OXYGENE 7-13 (TALKPAGE) 12:41, 28 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

That's teach ya not to mess with a pawnbroker. So, a guy falls from a high building. As he passes each floor, someone on the floor watching him go by says, "So far, you're OK!" ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 13:29, 28 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

It would seem intuitive that those porkies with a lot of blubber are going to be able to dissipate the energy of falling and avoiding broken bones than the rest of us skinny skeletons, but what happens to the internal organs is another matter. I think this is one problem in car crashes. (Organs keep on moving).--178.106.99.31 (talk) 16:38, 28 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Why do I struggle so much with being told what to do with my time?

I've encountered this situation multiple times lately including at work and in academic settings, and I realized when it hit me that this was the issue: I seem to hit some kind of personal barrier when it comes to carrying out tasks based on expectations surrounding what to do with my time.

Now, I've been a pretty active Wikipedia editor for the past several years; it was a more recent decision to edit anonymously due to travel, academic obligations, and infrequency. I've always found that the manner in which work is distributed among Wikipedia editors is that every individual tends to edit based on personal interests, and this is the kind of thing I often look for in the workplace. But, as someone with more experience can tell me, this is not something I should expect to regularly find. Occasionally, in Wikipedia, users may form teams and/or compete to see who can make desired contributions in a restricted amount of time. But this is no hierarchy, and the modern workplace is a hierarchy. In general, experts agreed that Wikipedia would never work, I'm guessing it has something to do with the lack of central authority, but somehow it has become the world's largest encyclopedia. Now, my brain is regularly in a Wikipedia-mode, especially in the workplace when I tend to switch into tasks I find that can keep my attention and yet bring some value, even though it's usually not what's desired by management. I have already spoken to my superiors about this, and so this isn't a request for advice or mediation, or anything like that.

The most pressing part of the problem is that I seem to be looking for something that's not offered by the workplace; or if it is offered, I am not sure how to ask for it; if I can ask, I'm not sure how to frame my request in a way that matters to the organization. I also tend to express my frustrations a bit differently from most of my colleagues, but whatever the case I try to make sure the result is beneficial to both parties. I'm still a little bit fuzzy on what work is in a sociological sense, as this is the kind of wisdom I think about and seek after; my mind is just not content to see something in society and not want to understand why people do it this way.

For some background, I have read the articles on command hierarchy and insubordination to get some historical and sociological reference. I want to drop a quick note on what this post is not:

a request for advise, professional help, or a diagnosis
any kind of diatribe, written about self, superiors, colleagues, Wikipedia, or society
an attempt to soapbox in any way
a solicitation of any kind
a post intended to be used as evidence for any later actions.
an attempt to write a book about my life as a Third Culture Wikipedian.

You're just going to have to trust me and Assume Good Faith in that.

What I am looking for:

Any books you would recommend. For example, I have read about Disciplined Minds (ironically, the author was fired for supposedly writing the book on paid time by Physics Today, which provoked a response from intellectuals which caused his reinstatement. To me that gives me a hint about a sociological phenomenon.)
Any published research done on the subject. As you can see, I've read a few articles but I wouldn't know where to start in figuring out the search terms; also I can't access Google.
Any historical accounts or biographies of notable people who have had analogous experiences. If this crosses a moral quandary for you, you may refrain.
Any relevant experience that may provide insight (not advice!) about my situation.

I notice my question is of a slightly more personal nature than most, however I have noticed quite a few very personal questions on the reference desk over the years, and a lot of those have received good answers. I notice the desks have been quite a bit slower now as compared with before, but I trust that the knowledge of others is greater than my own. Thank you! 116.216.30.51 (talk) 15:18, 28 May 2016 (UTC) (+8UTC2317)[reply]

I would recommend trying a different approach in addition to this one. You seem to be doing research on your own, and although I think that that is a good thing I would recommend talking about this subject with someone you trust as well. The Quixotic Potato (talk) 15:36, 28 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]

@@ Line 284: / Line 284: @@
 :::I jumped over a fence once... I immediatly exploded... {{wink}} {{User:oxygene7-13/Signature}} 12:41, 28 May 2016 (UTC)
 ::::{{small|That's teach ya not to mess with a pawnbroker.}} So, a guy falls from a high building. As he passes each floor, someone on the floor watching him go by says, "So far, you're OK!" ←[[User:Baseball Bugs|Baseball Bugs]] <sup>''[[User talk:Baseball Bugs|What's up, Doc?]]''</sup> [[Special:Contributions/Baseball_Bugs|carrots]]→ 13:29, 28 May 2016 (UTC)
+:It would seem intuitive that those porkies with a lot of blubber are going to be able to dissipate the energy of falling and avoiding broken bones than the rest of us skinny skeletons, but what happens to the internal organs is another matter. I think this is one problem in car crashes. (Organs keep on moving).--[[Special:Contributions/178.106.99.31|178.106.99.31]] ([[User talk:178.106.99.31|talk]]) 16:38, 28 May 2016 (UTC)
 ==Why do I struggle so much with being told what to do with my time?==