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= March 20 =
= March 20 =

== Metaquestion: Is there a way to look up all answers on Ref Desk? ==

Maybe I'm completely missing a feature, but is there a simple way to find the latest version of a question before it was removed from the page? I usually browse the history of a RD page until I find the version where the question disappeared but that's not the most efficient way is it?

If it's not on WP itself, I hope someone already made a website with all the questions ever together with the full discussion. [[User:Joepnl|Joepnl]] ([[User talk:Joepnl|talk]]) 01:07, 20 March 2019 (UTC)

Revision as of 01:07, 20 March 2019


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March 12

H F Verwoerd

Hi All, I have been trying to find transcripts of the original laws put into place by H F Verwoerd. I would like to read what was actually laid down in law rather than someone's interpretation of these. I would also be curious to read, listen to or watch any full speeches given by the said individual. I have not been able to find these on youtube or anywhere else. Your help would be greatly appreciated. Kind regards — Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.131.40.58 (talk) 10:21, 12 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

What do you mean by "original laws put into place"? There were many laws put into place by the Parliament of South Africa under his premiership, and there's also the South African Constitution of 1961. Which specific legislation do you have in mind? --Jayron32 13:05, 12 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

As the father of Apartheid, I was hoping to read the legislature relating to the Apartheid laws. Thanks. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.131.40.58 (talk) 14:34, 12 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

This website (sahistory.org.za) seems to have all of the original documents. If you type the act into google (I used South Africa Act No. 46 of 1959 to find that one) and then find the link to the sahistory website, it seems to bring up scans of the original legislation. Just change out the text for each act you want, and you should be good. I hope that works for you! --Jayron32 19:22, 12 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]
Are you actually claiming to be the father of Apartheid?? -- Jack of Oz [pleasantries] 20:32, 13 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]
He's talking about Verwoerd. --Viennese Waltz 20:41, 13 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]
I think Jack realizes that. But strictly speaking, that's not what "[A]s the father of Apartheid, I[...]" is supposed to mean. --Trovatore (talk) 22:48, 13 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

PIZZA

Hello, is there any more formal type of pizza besides Napolita? Because all the other types that are about, are just inventions, or just styles by country — Preceding unsigned comment added by 213.8.158.176 (talk) 13:53, 12 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Sorry, I am not sure I follow your question. Napolita is not a type of pizza, but Neapolitan pizza is. There are many different kinds of flatbreads that get called pizza, List of pizza varieties by country covers just about all you want to know about the subject. Otherwise, I can't parse what you're actually asking; I don't know what you mean by "formal" and I don't know what you mean by "just inventions" or "just styles". If you could clarify, we could perhaps direct you to more appropriate reading material. --Jayron32 19:06, 12 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]
Maybe OP is asking if there are other types of pizza that are protected, like pizza napoletana, with similar protections as traditional specialities guaranteed. The style is similar to champagne in a way where it can only be called that if it comes from the Champagne region of France. All others are "sparkling wine". If that's the question, I'd guess the answer to OP's question is "no". †dismas†|(talk) 20:26, 12 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]
To be picky, in some jurisdictions you can sell "champagne" that doesn't come from Champagne. For example, in the United States, if it's a label you were selling as "champagne" before 2006. --Trovatore (talk) 23:49, 13 March 2019 (UTC) [reply]
What jurisdiction do the French have over what American winemakers call their products? ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots00:12, 14 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]
The United States has agreed to the restriction. See Champagne#Use of the word Champagne. If the French did have jurisdiction then they would probably have banned the term completely. PrimeHunter (talk) 01:11, 14 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]
See Tennessee whiskey for a related example protecting an American region. PrimeHunter (talk) 01:30, 14 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]
So it's done via treaty, and while there is no direct jurisdiction by the originating country, there is "influence". ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots03:18, 14 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]
No formal "treaty" AFAICT, just different countries passing similar laws that protect certain interests shared by their domestic producers. In the champagne case, it turns out that West Coast winemakers, or at least an influential set of them, want their own appellations protected in a similar scheme, and are more than willing to renounce calling their wines "champagne" in exchange. See Napa Declaration on Place. I assume Korbel Champagne Cellars was not one of the signatories, though I don't know that — they did get grandfathered in, so it's imaginable they might have accepted it. --Trovatore (talk) 04:48, 14 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

March 13

Has the activity of the reference desk reduced?

Maybe there is a way to check with wikidata, but while looking through the reference desk, I have felt that the activity has reduced compared with other years, is this more than a gut feeling? --2A02:8109:B5C0:3400:11BD:B210:4A6C:956A (talk) 01:33, 13 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

This is really a question for the RD talk page, so I was going to move it there, but you're an IP user and for some reason IPs are currently blocked from posting there. Anyway, my gut feeling, as a long-term RD editor, is that you're correct. As for the reasons, I have no idea. Despite what others may say, the RD still has no competitition for authoritative, well-sourced answers to general knowledge questions. Maybe everyone is just on social media these days. There's a lot of discussion on the RD talk page at the moment about how the RD may be "improved", but little if any clarity on what it is that actually needs improving. One thing's for sure: whatever it is that people like Guy Macon are complaining about, it isn't what's causing the decline in activity here. --Viennese Waltz 07:57, 13 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]
Is there an automated way to count the number of questions asked per month across some number of years? Or would it require a totally manual effort? ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots09:26, 13 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]
There was a vandal who spent a lot of time recently causing trouble on the reference desks and access was limited. That didn't help with participation. Dmcq (talk) 20:16, 13 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Faded red scale

An analog Multimeter that still works after many years has red scale markings that have gradually faded to invisible. Is there a chemical treatment to restore them? DroneB (talk) 11:30, 13 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

That seems unlikely, as the red pigment has been destroyed, most likely by UV light. However, if the paint remains, but without pigment, you may be able to rub a red pencil on it and get it to stick, or maybe a red marker would stick better. If that doesn't work, you would need to draw new lines or replace the scale. SinisterLefty (talk) 12:34, 13 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

March 14

Q & A

Question calls for debate
The following discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.

What is in your opinion the most interesting and/or most humorous question asked on the reference desk and article on wikipedia. Thanks — Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.131.40.58 (talk) 17:31, 14 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

The one you just asked. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots17:37, 14 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

The OP may be interested in Wikipedia:Unusual requests or Wikipedia:Unusual articles, though that's about as far as I can go in answering this question. The former includes some examples of odd questions asked, some of them possibly on the refdesk (I can't tell for sure). Eliyohub (talk) 08:54, 17 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

A New York Company Details

Who are Dekker Securities LLC? Address: 39 W 31st St. New York. NY 10001 USAIvegotsand (talk) 22:54, 14 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

A law firm http://www.dekkersecurities.com/ Rojomoke (talk) 00:44, 15 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Company Information

Who are Morgan & Berkeley Associates? Address: 14th Floor 8 West 40th Street, New York. NY 10018 USAIvegotsand (talk) 22:59, 14 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

A business and investments consulting firm http://www.morganandberkeley.com/index.html. Really, couldn't you have googled these yourself? Rojomoke (talk) 00:47, 15 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

March 15

Is there a higher quality equivalent to the "Magic Ear" ?

See https://tvstuffreviews.com/magic-ear

I like the concept of a directional microphone placed in the shirt pocket with ear buds that looks like a radio. The larger size than a conventional hearing aid should allow it to be made less expensively, not get gunked up with wax, allow larger batteries that last longer, and not make it obvious to everyone that I have a hearing problem. However, this actual version seems like it's low quality crap. From the reviews, it seems to both cause and pick up interference from nearby electronic devices, and the volume settings are inadequate or often nonfunctional, and the device fails after a short period, and the ear buds don't fit in the ears, it sounds like you are in a tunnel, and they take months to deliver it. So, I like the form factor, and concept, but would like to find a higher quality version, with electromagnetically shielded wires, and better quality control. Now for my questions:

  • Is there a name for this specific type of device I could search for ?
  • What kind of microphone does it use ?
  • Is there any inherent reason why such a form factor can't work well ? One limitation I can think of is that stereo sound would require 2 microphones, pointed in different directions. Covering the pocket with a coat would also be expected to cause problems.
  • Does anyone find any specific products like this ? Ideally the batteries would be be replaceable and rechargeable, but non-rechargeable batteries are next best.

SinisterLefty (talk) 17:33, 15 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

  • I have a couple of those which came from China via eBay for about $.99 each. They're kids toys. But even then, no reason to not be reliable.
If you want a hearing aid, there are plenty around these days. Investment in engineering to give reliability and better battery life have obvious advantages. If you have time with an audiologist to set one up, then a modern digital one (or an old analogue one, with far greater complexity) can adjust its particular frequency response to match what you're missing, so that you get a much more realistic, 'flatter' (that's a good thing) overall result.
If you have perfectly good typical human hearing, but you want Superman hearing, then that's a different game. It's also likely to need a physically larger microphone (or sound collector). The sort of thing with a parabolic reflector, often used to record wildlife. For reasons of robust physics, hearing quieter sounds will benefit from a greater "ear" to catch them with, even if the "eardrum" itself is still small. Hearing different frequencies may require different sizes of "eardrum" as well - you might want to listen to bats, you might want to listen to trees in wind, or to elephants.
I also have a Zoom H1 digital recording microphone [1]. This was bought as a recorder for the output from a mixing desk, but it also includes two stereo microphones, as a Blumlein pair, and an earphone socket. It has proven an extremely useful bit of kit for several years now, both with its microphone and without, and even as a bare microphone into a PA system. Adding a small 'dead cat' windshield helps though. It would do the job you're after (I think the newer models fit a shirt pocket better, with the mics pointing forwards) and is certainly worth a look. Andy Dingley (talk) 19:44, 15 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks for the info. Am I correct that it would be aimed either up or down if placed in a shirt pocket ? Is there a version which would be aimed forward ? SinisterLefty (talk) 02:03, 16 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]
That one would point upwards, yes. It's the H1 though, the first model, and there are several since. I think some of the later ones have a hinge. Andy Dingley (talk) 10:27, 17 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]
OK, thanks. SinisterLefty (talk) 19:57, 17 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Wikipedia's Unique Userboxes

So I am making my user page more interesting by planning to add more Userboxes to it.

What I am confused on is if I need permission to use a Userbox made by someone else... (Not like the ones made by the website or the WikiProjects.) James-the-Charizard (talk) 18:58, 15 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

If they posted it to Wikipedia, it's here under their implicit agreement to licence content freely, same as anything else they post. So you're OK. Andy Dingley (talk) 19:46, 15 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]
The important thing to remember is to attribute the content to the author. For example, Template:The 12 Days of Wikipedia was lifted from an editor's userpage [2] and no attribution was given. 86.136.237.254 (talk) 20:31, 15 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]
You only need attribution per Wikipedia:Copying within Wikipedia if you copy the wikitext of the userbox like Template:The 12 Days of Wikipedia. No attribution is required if you only transclude a userbox. PrimeHunter (talk) 23:46, 15 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]
Agreed. Transclusion, like linking images, would be seen under established WP practice to itself be adequate attribution. Unlike copying, these two preserve the linkage to the source. Andy Dingley (talk) 00:12, 16 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]
I assume that the word "transclude" means putting the target page inside curly brackets. The point is, that since the template itself does not provide attribution your transclusion of it won't either. 86.136.237.254 (talk) 08:42, 16 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, transclusion means that. If you transclude a page then it's not considered your burden to examine whether the transcluded page was copied from somewhere without giving attribution. Cameron11598 posted the old version of User:Cameron11598/Christmas Greeting to many users with substitution. Template:The 12 Days of Wikipedia was copied from User talk:Bsadowski1#Happy Holidays.[3] L293D should still have given credit, even if it was only with a link to User talk:Bsadowski1#Happy Holidays where Cameron11598 can be found. I have now credited the original page in a dummy edit.[4] PrimeHunter (talk) 11:24, 16 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks @PrimeHunter:!--Cameron11598 (Talk) 16:59, 18 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

March 16

Game Boy Nintendo World Cup

In this (https :// you tu.be/ -SQAaZYlWzM) video there is intro music of Nintendo World Cup matches of Game Boy. From which famous songs they comes (Mexico intro should be La cucaracha)? --151.49.65.92 (talk) 13:24, 16 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

March 18

How does the FAA communicate orders?

I'm curious when the FAA grounds certain aircraft, how is that communicated to the aircraft operators? Although the recent Boeing issue triggered this question, I'm also thinking of when the DC-10 lost its type certificate in 1979 following Flight 191 crash. That is, how were all the operators of the DC-10 notified that it was no longer allowed to fly in the U.S.? RudolfRed (talk) 01:02, 18 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

@Nimur:, you mentioned in the past that you hold a private pilot's license - do you possibly have an answer to this question? Eliyohub (talk) 13:32, 18 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]
Short answer: in cases like this, an official piece of paperwork called an Emergency Airworthiness Directive will be sent to "all known operators" through postal mail, ..."fax, letter, or other methods".
There are many official channels through which the FAA communicates to aircraft owners and operators; pilots, owners, and operators are required to know about these channels. These days, it is easy to get ADs via the internet: there is an easy-to-use Airworthiness Directives database you can find via FAA.gov. Pilots can also call or visit their nearest FAA Flight Standards District Office to talk to a real Government agent in person. Some pilots still use telephones, because we sometimes fly to places beyond the reach of the internet - in the United States and elsewhere.
For an event that has been reported in the mass-media, like the recent developments that pertain to Boeing 737 Max, FAA issued an official statement via their website, and they also issued a legal document - something called an Emergency Order. This is similar, but more urgent, than the more common paperwork called a regular Airworthiness Directive or even an "Emergency" Airworthiness Directive. Regular ADs are frequently issued for all sorts of reasons, and because they are Government paperwork, ordinary citizens and elected officials (including actual subject-matter experts) will normally get to participate in the process (!) via public inspection and comment periods, long before any rule-changes actually take legal force; but because this one is an "emergency," and because it's been so widely publicized, the FAA reached out to the operators with minimal delay.
We could quibble a lot about the definition of "emergency" as it pertains to aviation and aviation-safety. Hint: in aviation, the word "emergency" is a term with incredible legal force and important consequences that are extraordinarily clearly defined in American law, and also in aviation training textbooks like the AIM Chapter 6-1-1).... but ... the present chief officers of the executive branch of the Government believe we are in a whole bunch of emergencies, and therefore, they're exercising their authority and applying the emergency-rules.
Sometimes, an Airworthiness Directive is very simple and is not related to any emergency. In those cases, the FAA has determined that the timeframe for compliance can wait until the next scheduled maintenance cycle, where an approved maintenance-person will verify that all the paperwork is in order.
The mix gets a little more tricky when the operator is international or is an American operator outside of the United States, but you can generally get the impression that the FAA knows how to track us. In fact, per 14 CFR 61.60, individual pilots have to tell the Government where they live. Big corporate operators have similar requirements to make sure that the FAA can find them - anywhere they are - if the need actually comes up.
Nimur (talk) 19:16, 18 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]
@Nimur: Thanks! RudolfRed (talk) 19:37, 18 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Is Boris Johnson, in the United Kingdom, more popular with men or women?Rich (talk) 01:16, 18 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

The very first result for 'boris johnson popularity uk' for me in Google is this which has one answer [5] Nil Einne (talk) 03:48, 18 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

March 19

March 20

Metaquestion: Is there a way to look up all answers on Ref Desk?

Maybe I'm completely missing a feature, but is there a simple way to find the latest version of a question before it was removed from the page? I usually browse the history of a RD page until I find the version where the question disappeared but that's not the most efficient way is it?

If it's not on WP itself, I hope someone already made a website with all the questions ever together with the full discussion. Joepnl (talk) 01:07, 20 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]