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September 11

ALL CAPS

Not sure if this is a computing, humamities, language or other question. As a regular here on the reference desks I see my fair share of posts all in caps, and have on occasion reminded them that shouting is not necessary. I'm curious though: on every keyboard I've ever used lower case is the normal situation and I have either has to hold down the shift key or press caps lock to get the all caps effect. So why do some posters press extra keys to type in all caps even though it makes their post look different from everyone elses, more difficult to read, and having seen other all caps posts attracting criticism for shouting? Astronaut (talk) 00:35, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

Several reasons that I've seen/deduced:

• The user is an asshole who believes what they have to say is a lot more important, profound, urgent, and thought-provoking than any of the other mindless crap that's in the way.
• The user is an attention whore.
• The user is not an asshole, but still thinks their question is urgent and needs to be answered straightaway. (This may be accompanied by capitalizing only part of the question.)
• The user forgets that their capslock is on and somehow doesn't notice, OR the user is too lazy to turn capslock off.
• (The only legitimate excuse:) The user is a senior citizen who has trouble seeing what they are typing. These people should probably be congratulated for embracing technology!
• Along with the lack of punctuation that normally comes with shouting, some shout to hide their embarrassing lack of grammar skills.

Xenon54 (talk) 00:46, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

SOME PEOPLE JUST WANT TO WIND YOU UP, Astronaut. IT'S PERSONAL ;) --Tagishsimon (talk) 00:52, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

I doubt the posters who do so have "seen other all caps posts attracting criticism for shouting". My experience is that all-caps writing is something that inexperienced web-users do, or people parodying inexperienced web-users. Presumably they think it makes their writing stand out more, and attracts attention (which it does): they haven't learnt that the attention will be negative, and they do not know netiquette. Young users, especially, tend to the CAPS LOCK IS CRUISE CONTROL FOR COOL view, whereas older users seem to genuinely think it makes their message more understood :/ They are swiftly disabused of this when they contribute to something like this page, but I would hardly ever attribute malice. 86.164.78.91 (talk) 00:56, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

(edit conflict)One that wasn't mentioned, which I've run into in my few years of running a message board... The user is ignorant to the fact that there's anything wrong with it to begin with and doesn't know that there's anyone who is bothered by it. Dismas|^(talk) 00:58, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

Or perhaps the user is a Kanye West fan. 24.189.87.160 (talk) 01:03, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

A looooooong time ago, when laptops first came out, they had badly designed keyboards that made it difficult to type with normal capitalization. Consequently (on early internet forums), some users took to typing in all caps because it looked better than typing in all lowercase in simplistic computer terminal fonts. It rapidly proved itself annoying, and so the reasonable people stopped doing it, while the people who wanted to be annoying took it up. whaddayagonnado. --Ludwigs2 01:15, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

We actually have an article about this: All caps. As it explains, "It was once an inevitable byproduct of using machines with limited support for lowercase text (such as certain early Apple II models)". It tends to be the old folks like me who do it, because they think it is what they are supposed to do on a computer. Looie496 (talk) 01:21, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

To explain a bit further, before ASCII was developed in 1960, the majority of teletypes and terminals only supported capital letters. As our ASCII article says, "Before ASCII was developed, the encodings in use included 26 alphabetic characters, 10 numerical digits, and from 11 to 25 special graphic symbols.". Looie496 (talk) 01:28, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

...And one other factor that's worth mentioning. (Sorry to keep adding things here.) To people with very weak keyboard skills, pressing two keys at the same time can be seriously difficult. Looie496 (talk) 03:18, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

I honestly doubt this has much to do with it. I would guess that hardly anyone has chosen to use such a restricted character set since the mid-70s and the last time I saw a teletype machine in use was in 1978. The modern internet generation has had computers that support far more characters for a long time now and I doubt they are even aware that such restrictions ever existed. Astronaut (talk) 03:47, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

Yes, but it isn't the modern internet generation who are doing this. It's the clueless. Looie496 (talk) 04:01, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

I know someone of my age (mid-40s) who does it. He does it because he's a rather laborious typist anyway, and finds it easier just to whack the caps lock on and type the whole lot in upper case rather than do the hold-the-shift-key-down-press-the-key-to-insert-capital-release-the-shift-key thing at the beginning of each new sentence. (He also hand-writes in block caps for the most part, as his longhand script can be quite scruffy). He's intelligent, literate and not at all personally aggressive; he just doesn't seem to have effortless motor skills where writing and typing are concerned. If the subject comes up and I point out that what he does is considered "shouting", he replies that the content of what he writes speaks for itself, people need to get over their misperceptions and prejudices, he's been writing notes to people in block capitals since he left school in 1983 and he's not going to change that just because someone invented the concept of online shouting. Me, I wouldn't dream of posting online in block caps; however, my pet hate is people who respond with abbreviations, textspeak, Lolcat and similar in response to a message written in standard English. I find it exhibitionist and rude, react particularly badly when the mis-spelling is utterly unnecessary, such as "boi" for "boy", and (fairly or not) tend to categorise such people, who are mainly from the "modern internet generation" Looie refers to, as the clueless ones, and quite likely to be illiterate into the bargain. We tend to regard our own preferences as the norm, and anyone who deviates from them as incorrect. "Shouting" in caps is just another example of such an assumption. Karenjc 09:19, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

Maybe they're trying to deal with Space Invaders. Vimescarrot (talk) 10:00, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

Consider this, then, Karenjc: There are various ways of emphasising text, of making it stand out. There's bolding, underlining, italicising, making it small or large, using ALL CAPS, and some other ways. The norm is not to use any of these things. When they're used, they're used sparingly, for a particular effect. People are meant to sit up and take notice of them. So, WHEN SOMEONE TYPES THEIR ENTIRE TEXT IN ALL CAPS, IT REALLY HITS THE READER IN THE EYE. The writer might not be intending to come across like that, but they do anyway. I met my partner online, and when we first got chatting, he used all caps all the time. I had to ask him to stop doing it because it really put me off, and I knew enough about him to know that being put off was definitely not where I wanted to be. He quickly obliged once I explained to him that I felt like he was shouting at me every time he opened his virtual mouth. Why did he do it to begin with? When he writes with a pen, he always writes in block caps, except for his signature; it's just a preference he adopted as a child. So, when he started using computers, all caps felt completely natural to him. And he encountered enough like-minded users in the online forums he frequented to make it an acceptable practice there. So along comes Jack and says "Sorry, pal, I'm here to upset your little apple cart. You have to do as I ask, or there's no relationship". Well, anyone in their right mind would obviously immediately comply, wouldn't they.  :) -- Jack of Oz ... speak! ... 10:23, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

*Bizarre flaming of Jack for saying people are 'meant' to do what he does.* How dare you suggest there are conventions! Who are you to quash my freedom to use italics and caps as I please? I'll do what I want. Rah rah rah! 86.164.78.91 (talk) 11:43, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

Well, some (most?) of the 8-bit machines of the 80s produce capital letters by default, and lower case when you press caps lock. My ones did, anyway (the BBC B and the Vic-20). I admit it's tenuous since these could barely go online (telnet, perhaps?), but it's a theory. They also refused to understand commands issued in lower case - for instance, on the BBC, the command print "hello world" would get the response Mistake (in lower case, ironically enough). 213.122.17.213 (talk) 12:43, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

I noticed a recent question in ALL CAPS - I think it was about bodybuilding - which gave me the impression that the querent (who started off writing that way, then remembered we don't like it, excused himself and continued in lower case) not only normally wrote in caps, but participated in a forum where everybody else did too. I expect there are people who routinely exchange emails in capital letters. I think it's a cultural thing, like a dialect. 213.122.17.213 (talk) 12:47, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

I absolutely agree. And for the record, Jack, the person in question is my husband of 21 years. If some bizarre plague robs us of speech and reduces us to communicating only by notes or email, I hope I can be as persuasive on the caps issue as you obviously were with your partner, otherwise I may find end up a lonely cat-lady in purple in my old age (or an expert on semaphore). Karenjc 12:58, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

I'd also add that yes, caps are indeed used for emphasis just like italics, underlining and so on, but they also have an additional function - they are sometimes specified for clarity, as with handwritten job applications or other official forms. It would obviously be silly to stop completing such applications in block caps now that an internet convention has arisen that it's a "shouty" thing to do, but while the perception exists that caps can legitimately be used to make your meaning crystal clear, I expect we'll still get people who prefer to use them for everything. Karenjc 13:05, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

Some of the questions typed in all caps come from people in countries where other scripts (alphabets) are used. On someone using a keyboard designed for another language, it might be relatively easy to type in Latin capitals but more laborious to type in lower case. Also, the person might not be used to communicating in written English and may be unaware that using all capitals on an Internet forum is considered impolite. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 01:58, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

I have a friend (and I don't know if this is relevant) who is dyslexic. He gets told off for always writing emails, text messages, etc in all caps, but after years of hounding he still does it. I'd think a dyslexic would actually find it easier to type in lower case but whatever the reason he can't seem to avoid uppercase! Spoonfulsofsheep (talk) 20:59, 16 September 2010 (UTC)

Photo upload

I am trying to upload a photo of the Salem, Ohio Cry Baby Bridge. I uploaded the photo to Wikimedia Commons, but would like to upload it to Wikipedia to show the photo of Cry Baby Bridge on Egypt Road in Salem. How can I accomplish this? All attempts have failed. Thank you. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Dalemccartney (talk • contribs) 03:31, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

Why not take a look at how commons images are added to other articles - it is a good way to learn how to do things in Wikipedia's markup. An example can be seen in the lead section of the river article. Astronaut (talk) 03:36, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

see help:File and help:Image. images on commons can be used in wikipedia without any extra effort. --Ludwigs2 03:57, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

You upload to commons then link from wikipedia, using the same name. Quadrupedaldiprotodont (talk) 14:07, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

Photograph of Indian Actress

Long ago I saw a photo of Indian actress Kajol. She, wearing a skirt, is sitting on a studio chair in a lawn, reading a paperback. I am dying to see that pic again. Can someone please be kind enough to tell where I can see it. Thanks.  Jon Ascton  (talk) 03:54, 10 September 2010 (UTC)

I searched and found lots of images of Kajol, but none were as you describe. Astronaut (talk) 08:58, 10 September 2010 (UTC)

Thanks, man. But I already did that, on google and all. Do you know some source else, it will be worth it. That's one of the most beautiful pics ever. Jon Ascton  (talk) 05:39, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

toys

Do MacDonald make the toys in happy meals, or do they contract another company? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Coaosusr4545 (talk • contribs) 13:21, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

They will buy them in. --Rojomoke (talk) 16:22, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

I amended the above response after finding that Rojomoke is a user, not a place ;) --Tagishsimon (talk) 16:54, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

Help identifying a model

I'm trying to identify the model in several photoshoots. The first March Maxim 2008 by Naomi Kaltman, the second a June 2007 issue of Blender. Anyone know who she is? Lirva84 (talk) 14:03, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

If it was a fashion shoot, then it should say who the models were. Otherwise, Naomi's web site is here http://www.naomikaltman.com/contact.php?pageSelect=contact (macromedia flash based website). You could ask her agent for the model's name and agency. CS Miller (talk) 14:57, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

Does she look anything like Avril Lavigne --Aspro (talk) 15:53, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

Taking photos facing the sun

Facing north

Same camera, same photographer, looking south

Are there any basic tips for taking photos when facing towards the sun? I take a number of photos of buildings, and sometimes it can't be helped when they are facing north (I'm in the northern hemisphere). As you can see from the two examples, one looks fine and the other looks kind of crappy (originally, the second one featured an extremely bright sky and really dark building, so I had to mess around with the contrast/brightness levels a bit to make it presentable, which is why it looks a bit blurry, I think). The camera I use is decent and I can manipulate basic stuff, like I said, like brightness or contrast levels, but are there any tips, either when actually taking the photo, or when doing post-photo adjustments, that would help when I have no choice but to face south? AlexiusHoratius 17:23, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

Set it to spot or center metering mode and expose for the main subject. Also a Gray card would help.--Aspro (talk) 17:47, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

I try to shade the lens (and if it's got a separate sensor, the light meter), either with my hand or by hiding behind something like a telephone pole (which works okay for shots like this, where the sun wouldn't be in the scene anyway, but is screwing with the meter). If it's something close (good for a person, not really for a large, more distant object like a building) fill flash or a fill card can illuminate the shadowed subject, bringing the scene more into the dynamic range of the camera's sensor. At various times I've tried setting the camera to spot meter (as opposed to multi-point metering) and putting the spot right on the interface between the dark building and the light sky; I'm not sure whether that really helps, but give it a try. Some folks use a short exposure (and a consequently a larger aperture) with film, but I'm not sure that this matters for a CCD - if your camera has a "sport mode" or "action mode", try that. Lastly there's high dynamic range imaging which (if done with taste and moderation) might be just what you need. -- Finlay McWalter ☻ Talk 17:54, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

Well, the basic tip for taking photos facing the sun is to not do it. You can minimize the damage but you're never going to get quality results that way, unless you're looking for a silhouette effect. Looie496 (talk) 17:57, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

Also, you have it on auto exposer - this is too hit and miss . Put it on “manual” (between S and SCN on the knob on the top), use the instruction manual to set it to 'spot' and experiment by metering off different parts of the landscape. SCN on the knob stands for “scene” modes or landscape shots. Try that as well as it will give the aperture and adjust other things like colour and sharpness. Play around with 'P' as well. This will automatical choose speed and aperture but it is not always right for what you want. And browse thought this tutorial. [1]. Enjoy!--Aspro (talk) 18:31, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

Oh! competently forgot ....SCN also has Backlight setting for just this sort of problem. It'll be in the instruction manual.--Aspro (talk) 19:13, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

You could try out HDR photography. Some people like it; some people don't. I don't like the extreme versions, but used delicately it can be effective. Probably my most successful effort at it was not all that delicate, and I didn't like it at first, but an ex-girlfriend did, and I decided it wasn't as bad as I'd thought. You can see it here if you're interested. --Trovatore (talk) 08:36, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

Thanks for the comments, everyone. I'll look into this stuff. I had started taking photos for Wikipedia with essentially no photographic experience whatsoever, so these tips will be good for some on-the-"job" training. AlexiusHoratius 15:31, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

Salary scales for different graduate careers

Anyone know where I could find average salaries for different stages in various careers? Such as a year after graduation, then 5 years after, then ten and so on. In the UK if possible, but anything would be interesting to read. Thx :) 144.32.126.11 (talk) 18:45, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

Income in the United Kingdom may be of interest. schyler (talk) 02:28, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

How did they film it?

In the film Inception, how did they film the scene where they're in the hotel corridor and there is no gravity, and everyone just floats? Was that all computer generated? JIP | Talk 19:18, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

JIP, for someone that's been around the RefDesks long enough you surely don't need to be told to RTFA and WHAAOE? Inception (film)#Filming. Note that the scene in the corridor doesn't have anyone floating, they just keeping walking on the floor/walls/ceiling. Zunaid 20:43, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

See http://www.wired.co.uk/wired-magazine/archive/2010/08/play/behind-the-special-effects-of-inception Everard Proudfoot (talk) 21:57, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

A blend of CGI and real footage. Most special effects are CGI based nowadays Quadrupedaldiprotodont (talk) 13:48, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

But with Inception the amount of CGI was minimised in favour of filming real looking stuff, such as this rotating corridor and blowing up models. Graeme Bartlett (talk) 21:36, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

Is there a website that alerts intelligent people to nutters?

Today, at my local UK supermarket, I drove very carefully between rows of parked cars looking for a suitable space for my disabled wife at about 5 MPH when suddenly a 10-12 year old boy ran out from the parked cars directly into my front end. I slammed on the brakes and narrrowly avoided hitting him before he looked up in alarm from his mobile phone which obviously was commanding his low IQ attention. He ran to an adjacently parked car where a man, presumably his parent, was also playing with his mobile phone. I opened my door and called to the man (father) that he should spend some time teaching his son how to avoid being killed by oncoming traffic by keeping his attention on the road. Result? I was afforded a mouthful of expletives that recommended that I should pay more attention to my driving. When I retorted that I had been driving at less than 5mph at which speed I had probably saved his son's life when he ran blindly in front of my car the father's response was that I should pay more attention to my driving?

My wife told me to let it go as both the father and son were probably the local "Asshole and Son".Co. Uk.

I have tried to put that episode behind me but I am still astounded that a father, who witnessed his son's stupid behaviour in moving traffic, would immediately spring to his stupid son's defence, against a non-agressive driver who had nearly killed said stupid son.

Have I been on the planet too long? And should I volunteer myself for voluntary Euthanasia????

92.30.181.122 (talk) 23:00, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

Among my teaching colleagues, an old saying we share, after finding that the parent of one of our dopier students shows equivalent dopiness, is The apple does not fall far from the tree. It's a statement about Genetics. HiLo48 (talk) 23:15, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

On the other hand, a modern social phenomenon that I have noted is that modern shopping centre car parks are designed exclusively for cars, with no real provision at all made for pedestrians to to move around them safely. (Although I suspect that such provision may have made little difference for the above-mentioned 10-12 year old boy.) HiLo48 (talk) 23:20, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

OP, you threatened the father's sense of parenthood. If you had just yelled out first to the son something like, "Hey, kid, 'look both ways', huh? I damn near just hit you!" (or some other good advice, in context) the whole thing might have gone differently. And I think your question about voluntary euthanasia may be impermissible per Kainaw's criterion. WikiDao (talk) 23:49, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

OP, first let me congratulate you on slamming the brakes on hard at 5mph - must be pretty hard to do. I find that hard enough on a bicycle. Anyway, just let it go. It'll happen again, no doubt, and no doubt with someone else. No point in worrying about it. If the father had a go at you, it was because he was defending his kid and also himself against your accusations of bad parenting. Doesn't matter whether you were right or not - he won't see it that way - never will. Just let it go, and drive carefully. --KägeTorä - (影虎) (TALK) 00:22, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

Darwin is constantly at work, improving the gene pool. Edison (talk) 03:44, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

Didn't really want to say that, though, considering we are talking about kids here. Idiotic parents, yes. But they are not the ones whose skulls would be popping under the wheels of the car in the OP's scenario. --KägeTorä - (影虎) (TALK) 04:01, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

Parents who neglect their young are less likely to pass along their genes to future generations. Foolish/careless youngsters are less likely to pass along their genes as well. It works either way. Edison (talk) 04:07, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

And people like the OP, Ed? What of them? (Note that the question does specifically ask for advice as to whether the OP should seek some means of discontinuing his life for the "good" of all. Should he? Or should the pedestrians he may happen to run over in his scorn for their idiocy be better culled for the good of all, as you appear to endorse in your response?) WikiDao (talk) 04:46, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

OK, that's two references too many to genetics in this thread; see nature versus nurture. I'm not at all sure that genetics could turn somebody into an asshole (have there been any twin studies on the matter?) ... but it seems entirely plausible that upbringing could transmit bad ideas about human interaction from father to son. Then again, it seems pure subjective opinion that either one was an asshole, just because the son was careless and the father got ruffled when challenged. It's worth pointing out that you don't know what's going on in other people's lives. You assume they were preoccupied and "playing" with their phones because they're idle and anti-social and uneducated; but maybe it was because, for instance, some kind of family emergency was taking place which necessitated that they both keep in touch with others as the situation develops; or perhaps the father was in fact on the phone to the son, who is, say, chronically insecure, and he was right at the point of taking his first steps away from the parent (supported by phone communication) when you spoilt it all by frightening him with your car. Who knows? 81.131.46.171 (talk) 13:08, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

So you're saying they could have been Replicants from a UFO for example? 92.15.25.239 (talk) 19:23, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

I'm saying that reasonably unlikely things are likely to be happening to at least a few of the people you encounter on any given day that you encounter a lot of people. If perfectly ordinary and predictable things happened to everybody all the time, that would be really weird, and I would demand to know what was causing it. If human experiences aren't typically awkward and complex, there's something going on. 81.131.66.179 (talk) 22:06, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

The father saw your criticism as threat against his dominance. For him the merit or truthfulness of the criticism was irrelevant - only issues relating to loyalty or not are important. A lot of people are unconditionally machismo and can only think of us against them. They probably both had an IQ of 70. Wonder if either of them are reading this, lol. 92.15.25.239 (talk) 19:06, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

Too bad we don't have the father and son's perspective on this. From their side it looks like some asshole was screaming at them for no reason. The OP probably has rage issues, maybe road rage specifically. Maybe he should pay more attention to his driving. Maybe he's too old and his reactions are not as quick as they used to be. Maybe he is frustrated with the way his life turned out, and resents having to drive his disabled wife around, but understands that it is not her fault and doesn't want to take out his frustrations on her. Maybe he doesn't make enough money to support his family in these circumstances. Yelling at random people on the street could be his way of releasing his anger. Perhaps the kid was just walking normally and had to get out of the way of the OP whose driving skills are not as sharp as they once were, and the kid's father saw the whole thing and rightfully pointed this out. How can we say? All we have is the clearly biased and subjective observations of the driver. We have only been told what he wants us to know; is any of it true? I would suggest that the solution for the OP is "don't be an asshole", or if he insists on believing that everyone else is an idiot, he should just get used to it, because obviously with this worldview he will run into "idiots" numerous times everyday. But don't be surprised if other people have taken the same view and treat you as an idiot too. Adam Bishop (talk) 19:55, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

Any time you comment negatively on someone's parenting skills, they are going to react negatively, no matter how right you may be. The reaction may be especially strong if you are actually right, since no-one wants to face the fact they may have failed as a parent. That doesn't mean the father didn't spend the rest of the day yelling at his kid for being such a moron. It does mean the father felt it was none of your business. Franamax (talk) 20:10, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

I think the two comments above are being unfair to the OP. The OP was alert and avoided crashing into the kid, and was going at a responsible speed. It unreasonable to dream up fantasies that justify the parent's behaviour or to imagine things about the OP and then criticise them for that. That is like arguing "if he was a vampire then he would be a very bad person, therefore he's a very bad person". 92.15.30.158 (talk) 21:00, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

I didn't rule out the possibility that they might both have been genuine assholes. For that matter they might have been murderers. The point is that the OP doesn't know, and any snap impression of their moral values based on the fact that some stuff happened and he got yelled at is almost certainly wrong, so the best attitude to take is to shrug it off due to lack of available data. 81.131.66.179 (talk) 22:24, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

I worked in an area that was 'deprived' in the UK and in the 3 months I was there I had 2 close calls. (I have never had an accident in 15 years btw.) Once I had to swerve to avoid an adult who walked in front of me in a 40mph zone and on another occasion I had to brake hard to avoid going into the back of another car on a 60mph road when a kid ran out in front of him (the car in front braked so hard he had smoke coming off his tyres). That's on top of the countless times I had to slow down without panicking. Certain areas have people who are unable to cope with their own life let alone teaching their kids to look out for cars. How we fix that problem is beyond me! Spoonfulsofsheep (talk) 21:30, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

I've noticed that a lot of less able people seem to live in a small personal bubble where they are seemingly unaware that there are other people in the world or that they require any consideration. 92.15.30.158 (talk) 23:38, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

If a driver says he was going 5mph, he was probably doing 20. At least that is the conventional wisdom of law enforcement. Googlemeister (talk) 14:12, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

September 12

Batik Care

I have this interesting textile thing that I was given by my grandmother. It's a blue-white-black depiction of two birdlike things facing each other. It looks to me a bit like a batik---the outer borders, at least---but I can't tell. It's from the Malay peninsula, either Malaysia or Singapore. It's got some creasse in it from storage, and I'd like to get those out before I frame it and display it, but I don't want to use an iron for fear of what the heat and steam may do to it. any suggestions of a gentler method of crease removal? I was thinking put it between a table and some weighted books...67.180.150.78 (talk) 00:27, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

Heat would probably melt the wax if it was batik, and cause further damage. Table + weighted books seems a good idea to me - I don't think there would be any damage, at least not as much as if you were to heat it. Chevymontecarlo 18:19, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

Well, if it is a batik and has been properly dyed and finished, careful ironing should not damage it. The wax is applied to the cloth before the dye, but once the dye has taken onto the non-waxed areas, the wax is removed in a hot wash (or, where the dye is not colourfast, a hot iron over a sheet of absorbent paper may be used). I would suggest covering the fabric with a sheet of undyed, unprinted, reasonably absorbent paper (such as cartridge paper or brown parcel paper) and ironing with a cool to medium iron, without any steam. Start on an unobtrusive edge, and check regularly to see whether any wax or dye is being absorbed into the paper, and whether the pattern on the fabric is being affected. Ironing through a clean, white cotton cloth in the same way may also be successful. I have made batiks myself with cold-water dye, removing the wax afterwards with a hot iron and blotting paper, and have ironed them successfully afterwards in this way for framing. Karenjc 19:09, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

interior dimensions of Forum of Julius Caesar

I have read the exterior dimensions of the Forum, 160m x 75; but have not been able to find the interior dimensions of the Forum. What were the dimensions of the open space plaza, and the dimensions of the two side columnades; as well as the entrance columnade and the area behind the temple. I would appreciate it if anyone could answer this. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.137.83.175 (talk) 00:44, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

If you look at the book I pointed you to for your previous question, it contains a floor plan of the forum on page 98. You can view that page online using Google Books, with the link I gave you before. Looie496 (talk) 05:07, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

Sorry, I didn't mean to be repetitive. The preview link you sent me ended on page 97. Pages 98-100 were omitted. Thanks for your help. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.90.129.74 (talk) 19:17, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

Hmm, maybe Google Books shows different sets of pages to different visitors. I've never really checked. Looie496 (talk) 21:44, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

They do, sometimes. I've gotten different sets of pages on different computers within hours, and just today I was looking at a book that let me see far fewer pages than I could look at a few weeks ago. It's kind of maddening really. Adam Bishop (talk) 22:41, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

Federated Department Stores, Macy's

I wanted to check background info of Federated Dept. Stores for some translation work, and entered Federal Dept. Stores in Wikipedia. This instantly led me to Macy's. According to the info, it said Macy was established as Federal Dept. Stores in 1929. However, when I checked Macy's, it went ot R.H. Macy's with much older history. Two information does not match and I am confused. How can I obtain correct info. re: Federal Dept. Stores? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.161.152.42 (talk) 01:39, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

Macy's website agrees that it was called Federated Department Stores, Inc. at its inception. There seems to be some confusion on the web of the Federal versus Federated variety - and indeed you make the same error in your question, skipping from one form to the other. As it turns out, the history is convoluted. What is now Macy's inc was first formed as Federated Department Stores in 1929 - see the article Macy's, Inc.. However, the first Macy's store was, as you allude, founded in 1858 by Rowland Hussey Macy - see Macy's. That Macy's store was eventually merged with Federated Department Stores to form Macy's inc. The Macy's article provides a fairly full history of events leading to the grand unified Macy's inc. --Tagishsimon (talk) 01:54, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

It;s not unusual for a newer company to purchase an older one, and then to take the (usually more respected) name of the older firm as the merged company's name. It happens a lot. Look at things like AT&T, which has little connection with Ma Bell but is instead what happened when SBC Communications purchased the older company in order to rebrand it's Cingular Wireless division. There's the new MINI, which is a BMW nameplate that has little connection, except the styling, to the British Motor Corporation car of the same name. The original Indian (motorcycle) company went belly up in the 1950's, but a number of other companies have kept the nameplate alive; none of these have any connection to the original company, except that they purchased the assets for the right to use the name. --Jayron32 04:28, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

Forgot another one, look at the history of Atari/Infogrames. That brand has gone through a very convoluted and complicated history as well. --Jayron32 04:32, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

Need help identifying a city

Hi, would any of you know what city this is? Thanks.

http://www.thewindypixel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/DSC_6038.jpg

AlmostCrimes (talk) 07:55, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

That's New York City. The tall building on the right-hand side is the Empire State Building. 83.81.60.233 (talk) 08:39, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

Almost certainly taken from the upper level observation deck at the GE Building. --JGGardiner (talk) 18:03, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

Excellent! That article has the same view (in panorama and by night) for comparison: Top of the Rock (featured picture!) ---Sluzzelin talk 18:12, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

Source, perhaps. --Sean 16:21, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

Government benefits for British World War I widows

I would like to know if any government benefits were paid to British World War I widows. I have heard they were just given a sewing machine and expected to take in sewing to keep their families going. Is there any truth to that?Eileenmary145 (talk) 07:56, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

No, there was a War Widows' Pension[2]. I suspect it was not terribly generous though. Alansplodge (talk) 08:36, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

I've had a quick Google for war widows' sewing machines - there were many results but all the ones I could see related to India[3], Sri Lanka or Afghanistan. Alansplodge (talk) 16:24, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

• At the end of the First World War the standard pension for war widows was 13s 9d (68¾ new pence) a week. See these Parliamentary questions from 1976. DuncanHill (talk) 16:39, 12 September 2010 (UTC)
  • The statutory weekly minimum wage for a UK agricultural labourer in 1918 was 30 shillings and sixpence (or £1.52½ in decimal money)[4]; so the pension was less than half what one of the poorest workers would earn. Alansplodge (talk) 12:24, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

Remember, though, that in that era and cultural milieu, a (male) agricultural labourer might be expected to support a wife and possibly children, as well as himself, on his wage, so around half of that is not necessarily unreasonable for a single adult. 87.82.229.195 (talk) 13:29, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

That's a splendid link, thanks Alan. DuncanHill (talk) 12:39, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

Good searching Alansplodge.Thank you so much for this info. My grandmother kept herself and 7 children on that pension. Don't know how. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Eileenmary145 (talk • contribs) 00:27, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

Film

What is the famous scifi movie from the 20th century that combines concept-of-love discussions, humanist philosophy, man's place in the cosmos, and the directors famous ability to use film as a way to echo being? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Showw44535 (talk • contribs) 13:05, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

I'm guessing Blade Runner, but I'm not sure Ridley Scott is noted for coming over all existential. David Lynch is, but Dune (film) (which I've never seen) doesn't exhibit much philosophy as far as I know. Terry Gilliam often gets pretty philosophical, but I don't think Brazil (film) has anything much to say about the cosmos. 2001: A Space Odyssey (film) is very famous and serious, and people have read all kinds of things into it, but I don't think it features any romance (unless you count Hal's intense relationship with Dave). Humanists Carl Sagan and Joss Whedon both wrote sci-fi films, which touch on man's place in the cosmos and the concept of love, respectively, but not both at once in the same film. (Firefly/Serenity discusses the concept of love to some extent, anyway - Inara is a kind of walking discussion of the concept of love, and Kaylee has a refreshingly futuristic attitude.) 81.131.46.171 (talk) 13:50, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

Serenity isn't from the 20th century though. In any case this sounds like an exam question, so the answer is "whichever one your teacher told you it was, if you were paying attention." Adam Bishop (talk) 17:40, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

Solaris (1972 film) is the best I can think of to fit that particular description, though Blade Runner would be a good choice as well. It would be better if we had some idea of the films (or types of films) you'd been discussing in class. --Ludwigs2 18:28, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

Ha, dammit, good point. 81.131.66.179 (talk) 21:07, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

Well, "to use film as a way to echo being" is nonsensical gibberish, and Google finds no hits for anything resembling it, so I don't think there is any director famous for that. Looie496 (talk) 19:11, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

not nonsensical - you just need to learn to speak pomo. --Ludwigs2 21:28, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

"Barbarella, Queen of the Galaxy"? WikiDao (talk) 22:46, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

Alphaville? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 202.10.90.72 (talk) 20:21, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

Transformational learning

what is the four stges of transformational learning —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.19.242.26 (talk) 13:41, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

I gave your question a section header to stop it colliding with the question before. 81.131.46.171 (talk) 13:50, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

The article Transformative learning doesn't (from a quick skim read) have the four stages listed but this PDF seems to (http://www.mentoringforchange.co.uk/pdf/CtC%20-%20Trans%20Learning.pdf) they are... 'Consolidation', 'dissatisfaction, 'letting go' and 'synthesis' ny156uk (talk) 14:08, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

Price

What was price of 40T flat-bed European truck in 1985? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 213.55.100.62 (talk) 15:51, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

I somewhat doubt the price was consistent thoroughout Europe Nil Einne (talk) 17:54, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

It would depend on exactly what make/model the truck was and what country it was in - it's a bit too general to give an accurate estimate/answer. Chevymontecarlo 18:18, 12 September 2010 (UTC)

Perhaps the questioner means in his or her own locale? --jpgordon^{::==( o )} 06:58, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

Perhaps, but since they didn't even tell us where that is, not sure if there's any point guessing any more Nil Einne (talk) 09:22, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

Whois places the IP address service provider in Little Rock, though the OP isn't necessarily from there. Dbfirs 12:53, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

Er are you sure? I actually did this myself after answering the first time and doing it again, I'm still getting Ethiopia (which also still concurs with their edit history and to some extent explains their English which while perfectly understandable, sounds like it may be from a second language speaker) Nil Einne (talk) 14:20, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

September 13

wheat in a field

Hello. I live in Cambridge and every morning I pass a wheat field, which looks to be about 20 acres. The wheat has not been harvested; I can see weeds growing in the field, and I'm sure I can see it turning black with mould. Why would a farmer plant wheat and then not harvest it? Robinh (talk) 07:15, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

I can speculate: 1) something has befallen the farmer(s) rending them physically unable to harvest the wheat. 2) The price of wheat has fluctuated such that it is not profitable to harvest and take to market. 3) A subsidy has had the same effect as #2. 4) Something not readily observable to your eye happened to the wheat making it unfit for sale/consumption (infection, blight, whatever). That's what I can think of off the top of my head. I'm sure there are other possibilities. Your best bet is to just stop by and ask! Masked Booby (talk) 07:37, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

In many parts of the UK, it has been too wet to harvest. See this news item.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 10:44, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

... and on the few dry days recently, the combine harvesters have probably been fully booked. Not many farmers can afford to have £100,000+ worth of machinery lying idle for most of the year, so the harvesting is often done by contractors who may well give preference to their biggest customers. You could volunteer to offer your services with a scythe and an old-fashioned threshing machine! Dbfirs 12:49, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

Your combines only cost roughly $150,000? They cost about $400,000 here. Googlemeister (talk) 14:05, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

Field sizes in the UK are typically rather smaller than those in the US, due to the differing histories of land settlement and agriculture in the two countries: consequently UK combines and similar machines are also typically smaller, and therefore cheaper. That said, Dbfirs did write "one hundred thousand pounds plus, which suggests a (doubtless very approximate) lower bound but no upper bound :-) . 87.81.230.195 (talk) 15:48, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

(ec) ::::::Yes, the OP mentioned a 20-acre field, so a large American-style combine harvester would hardly be appropriate (though they are used in some areas). Second-hand combines can be purchased for varying prices from £3000 upwards [5], though I wouldn't advise purchase of the cheapest unless you are an expert mechanic. Dbfirs 16:36, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

Yeah I just noticed the field is only 20 acres. It is rare here to see any fields smaller then 40, and most are either 80 or 160 acres. Googlemeister (talk) 16:33, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

The appearance of the feild may not give you the best estimate about the quality of the grain. What you are looking at is the outside parts of the grain, the husks, so to speak, the grain may well be fine tucked inside. Richard Avery (talk) 13:26, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

(OP). Well I spoke too soon! As I cycled home just now, about half of the field had been harvested. Thanks for all your answers. Best wishes, Robinh (talk) 16:25, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

So they probably were waiting for a combine to be available. Dbfirs 16:36, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

Downsides to living in Portland, Oregon?

From reading the article here, one gets the impression that Portland, Oregon is a wonderful place to live. Would someone be willing to provide some potential downsides? My PacNW travel experience is limited to Seattle... Masked Booby (talk) 07:35, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

Like Seattle, it is rainy. It is also right next to Mount Hood considered to be "...the Oregon volcano most likely to erupt". Otherwise, I thought it was one of the nicer US cities. Astronaut (talk) 07:48, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

I love the Pacific Northwest. In the summer. Which is the only time I've been there. Not sure I'd be so happy the rest of the year. --Trovatore (talk) 08:36, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

Portland, Oregon#Climate is revealing to me. Not the place I'd consider ideal particularly during the winter. Auckland is bad enough but this sounds worse. Of course different people may have different perspectives. Semi OT but on the plus side Transportation in Portland, Oregon reveals PT isn't bad and it's cycling friendly Nil Einne (talk) 09:35, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

semi-joke that got out of hand Nil Einne (talk) 09:37, 13 September 2010 (UTC)
The following discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.
You may have missed this part of the article Portland is a city located in the Northwestern United States. Nil Einne (talk) 09:10, 13 September 2010 (UTC) As opposed to, say, a place where they hang you for pot? --Trovatore (talk) 09:13, 13 September 2010 (UTC) Well I don't live there anymore and not sure if I'd recommend Malaysia in general as a great place to live at the current time, but yes, you're right it's better then the US in that area amongst others Nil Einne (talk) 09:16, 13 September 2010 (UTC) It's not better. Seriously. It's a seriously illiberal country. The ideology of its former leader belongs to the ashbin of history. --Trovatore (talk) 09:20, 13 September 2010 (UTC) Actually, to be fair, I was thinking of this jerk. I don't know anything about the current leader. --Trovatore (talk) 09:25, 13 September 2010 (UTC) Thanks for collapsing the discussion, I planned to do it myself. In terms of the general point, I don't particularly think much of Mahathir myself (although would note he hasn't been the leader since 2003), but he's no worse then a number of other leaders, including very recent American ones but this clearly isn't the time or place so I'm ending my involvement in this discussion now Nil Einne (talk) 09:31, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

More seriously, "Portland's crime rate is above the national average in all categories except for murder" doesn't sound like a great positive. Nil Einne (talk) 09:10, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

Personally I find Portland quite pleasant. Yes, it is depressingly gray in the winter ("gray" more than "rainy"--like Seattle the actual rainfall is limited--it's the relentlessness of cloudy overcast winter days that gets old). In contrast the summers in the region are ridiculously nice. Going on the experience of some friends of mine, it might be slightly difficult to get a good job, at least these days. Some friends have complained that it is hard to get "rooted" in Portland--and the Pacific Northwest in general. The people are generally friendly, but somehow "turned inward". I've heard the region compared to Nordic countries--friendly people but somehow hard to assimilate into, to really set down roots. I wouldn't put much emphasis on Mount Hood being likely to erupt. It could happen, sure. But it's not close enough to bury the city in lava or anything. Earthquakes are more likely to cause harm, but they are relatively infrequent and probably more likely in Seattle than Portland. Pfly (talk) 11:40, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

If you're into big-time sports, you're kind of limited to the Portland Trail Blazers or trips to Corvallis or Eugene or Seattle. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 00:53, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

Of course, how bad a winter is depends what kind of winter you're used to. I live on the Canadian prairies, so compared to -40 weather with tons of snow which is warmed by chinooks and turns into tons of mucky slush only to be snowed on again? The winter climate in Portland sounds pretty darn nice to me! But if you currently live in, say, Texas or southern California, a relentless cloudy greyness probably does sound depressing. Cherry Red Toenails (talk) 06:45, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

molecular gastronomy resources

I'm looking for good websites/blogs which focus on the actual nuts and bolts of molecular cooking. I'm familiar with khymos.org of course, but I'm looking more for specific recipes, how-tos, and techniques. Similar to what I will find in the elBulli book that a friend is lending me, or the Fat Duck cookbook (though the latter is less about truly transformative cuisine and more about doing things very, very carefully). → ROUX ₪ 09:32, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

André Gayot has some links and resources, but I have to confess I cannot judge their quality. ---Sluzzelin talk 22:08, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

YouTube

Not sure if this belongs here or on the computing desk, so feel free to move it if deemed necessary. OK, earlier today I was trying to watch Queen's "I Want To Break Free" video on their official channel, only to find that I can't do so if I don't have an account to prove that I'm 18 & older, because it's been flagged for having "inappropriate content". Anyone who has seen the video knows it doesn't come within miles of being "inappropriate", and there are other copies of the video on YouTube that one can watch without having to have an account. I was hoping to email them about their fuckery, but I can't find an address for me to contact them. I thought YouTube personally reviewed videos that are flagged (because they have to know that the "flag" button would be abused to no end by countless people), so how the HELL did IWTBF pass the criteria for inappropriate content? Like seriously, how? 24.189.87.160 (talk) 09:56, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

And for anyone who will ask why can't I watch the other copies that exist instead of bitching & moaning, it's because the one on the official channel has the best quality version of it. OK, I'm off to bed now, will check for replies much later in the day. 24.189.87.160 (talk) 10:00, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

A cross-dressing guy who looks so cute even Brian May had to admit he fancied him/her... and as for the scene where Freddie is rolling over people clad only in painted body stockings, well it turns me on and no doubt it did Freddie! Obviously some people may find this offensive. --TammyMoet (talk) 10:06, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

In so far as your question purports to be about why IWTBF passed criteria for inappropriate content, but your title is something else indeed, I'm tending to doubt that you are actually old enough to watch that video. --Tagishsimon (talk) 10:21, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

I'm actually 19, but thanks for jumping to conclusions about my age/maturity because I'm ticked off at how deeply flawed YouTube's way of doing things are. But I'm not gonna register an account for the sole purpose of watching one video. 24.189.87.160 (talk) 22:20, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

The OP is obviously frustrated (in my opinion rightly so) and using curse words to express that frustration. While it's perhaps not the best way to go about things, it hardly evidence of the OP being under 18 or whatever age you consider to be "not old enough to watch that video", and only serves to further antagonize them. To the OP; I feel your pain. I wanted to look up the kiss between Willow and Tara from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but that was apparently "inappropriate" and required logging in to see it, despite the fact that there are entire videos of just Buffy and Angel / Spike / Riley kissing and doing far more than Willow and Tara ever did. Obviously someone at youtube decided they didn't like lesbians and censored it. There's nothing you can do except the person who posted the video deletes it and reuploads it, and this time hopefully the bigot who censored it will be away and it will pass. 81.149.165.228 (talk) 11:38, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

You can bypass the restriction by formatting the url as such: youtube.com/v/f4Mc-NYPHaQ. There are also some scripts over at userscripts.org which do this automatically for you. 82.44.55.25 (talk) 11:23, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

If you're asking, how did it get flagged as "inappropriate"... on every video there is a "flag as inappropriate" button. If enough people flag it, presumably it gets quickly reviewed by a staff member who then hits the little "inappropriate" switch on their end. (Does the 18 thing really keep anyone from seeing it? All it requires is an e-mail account and you claiming you were born whenever you want, right?) The bar is probably pretty low, if a lot of people "flag" it. --Mr.98 (talk) 11:51, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

Are you sure there's a staff member involved at all? My impression is that as with most things Youtube, they just rely on users Nil Einne (talk) 12:38, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

This link led me to think that it was "reviewed by our staff", though obviously that doesn't give a lot of information, and was specifically for content tagged as spam. --Mr.98 (talk) 13:29, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

Looking more closely I found [6] which suggests you're right Nil Einne (talk) 09:09, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

I am mystified as to why users are discussing this, what article is it related to? Off2riorob (talk) 13:37, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

Welcome to the Reference Desk. We answer peoples questions here. Improving articles is not our goal. 59.20.127.241 (talk) 13:53, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

I seem to be mistaken, like a library desk, fair enough. Off2riorob (talk) 14:20, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

I too was annoyed by YouTube's flagging of I Want to Break Free. Unfortunately, it appears to be impossible to contact YouTube to complain about this sort of thing. If anyone knows a working email address for customers to make complaints to YouTube, I would be glad to know it. DuncanHill (talk) 15:09, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

Since Youtube is owned by Google, perhaps complaining to Google would be an option. 82.44.55.25 (talk) 15:11, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

Have you tried contacting Brian May's people? His e-mail address (don't know how often he reads fan e-mails, but you never know), as well as that of his PR person, Phil Symes, can be found at [7] under "Contact." I'm guessing Brian wouldn't be pleased to learn that the video is censored. You're more likely to get through to them than you are to get through to a human being at Google/Youtube. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 23:07, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

He actually would care. I'll do just that, hope he manages to read it though, since gets hundreds of thousands of emails everyday, and obviously cannot read all of them. 24.189.87.160 (talk) 23:39, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

Has nobody mentioned this video was banned by MTV when it came out due to the depiction of transvestism? FreeMorpheme (talk) 11:15, 19 September 2010 (UTC)

addresses

I have been trying to establish a telephone connection for a company with a www.com address. I cannot find either a land address other than they are based in London, U.K. How can I access their land address and landline telephone number? telephone —Preceding unsigned comment added by 89.242.141.117 (talk) 13:06, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

You could try putting the IP address into Nominet and see if there is a contact address and telephone number listed.--Aspro (talk) 13:11, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

More directly, you could use Whois on the domain name. (One such online service is [8]. Nominet's whois service only seems to work on addresses ending in .uk.) Note that Whois information could well be out-of-date, or be the contact information for some private person affiliated with the company, who doesn't want to field questions from the public. If the company doesn't have a "contact us" link on their website, they might just not want to be contacted. What is the company? Paul (Stansifer) 13:21, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

You could email them and ask. Marnanel (talk) 13:11, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

You could see if they are listed in the London Telephone Directory - if they are, their address will be given. 87.82.229.195 (talk) 13:20, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

Possibly using an on-line directory such as this[9] (one of many). Alansplodge (talk) 13:54, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

It would help if you told us the name of the company. But they should publish their mailing address and contact number in the "contact" section of their website. If they don't I would be cautious about having any dealings with them.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 13:55, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

If they are an incorporated company, they should be registered at Companies House. Astronaut (talk) 18:09, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

can cancer return??

I am not asking for medical advice. I wanted to know that, just like many diseases, can a person get affected by cancer once again if dose was not completed. Well most probably yes, by my point of view. but can cancer return if the dose was completed?? thank you for response....--Myownid420 (talk) 14:00, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

Yes, cancers can recur. Many cancers aren't "cured" as such; rather, treatment aims to put the cancer in remission, which is not a permanent state. 199.209.144.218 (talk) 14:21, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

It's also worth noting that many many people who die in old age will die with cancer, even if they don't die of it. Looking at males, the rate of prostate cancer approaches 100% as men age. It is part of the controversy with some cancer screening methods, such as Prostate cancer screening, which may cause men to have unnecessary treatments to "cure" a cancer that wouldn't have killed them anyways. Some forms of cancer can be mostly benign, and may not spread or cause additional health problems, other times it is very deadly. The big issue is that often, we cannot tell which cancers kill us, and which cancers we can live with. The science for learning the difference is improving all the time, so it's better than it has been, but it is still not perfect. --Jayron32 15:38, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

Home

Why is the average age of home-buyers increasing? Thehazardsuit (talk) 15:02, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

Assuming you are talking about the U.S. Perhaps its because the average price of a home, as a function of personal income, is getting higher. In other words, it now costs a larger proportion of a person's income to purchase a house than it used to. Since older workers are paid at a higher rate than younger workers, it seems logical that younger workers are being priced out of the home buying market. I have heard similar reports myself, and this seemed to be the analysts conclusions. Its part of the justification of the U.S. first-time home buyer tax credits, (see First time home buyer grant) administered by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The Federal Housing Administration also backs FHA insured loans for young home buyers. --Jayron32 15:30, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

The situation is very similar in the UK except that I don't think there is equivalent help from the UK government. It is often necessary for parents or grandparents to assist with the high deposits currently required. Dbfirs 16:22, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

Also, the average age in the US is increasing. Googlemeister (talk) 16:31, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

... and the average age of marriage is increasing in several countries. Dbfirs 07:45, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

The first 2010 UK Budget increased the Stamp Duty threshold for first-time buyers to £250,000 (£125,000 for others), giving a notional saving of up to £1250. The definition of first-time buyer is quite strict - see here. There was a second budget after the General Election, but the rule still applies. AndrewWTaylor (talk) 07:38, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

Oh yes, I'd forgotten about that. I'd call it a removal of hindrance rather than direct help, but that's just playing with words. Dbfirs 07:45, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

Married centenarians in the UK

My aunt and uncle both lived to the grand old age of 101 and I would like to know how common this is in the UK. Are there any figures available on the number of married couples in the UK where both spouses are currently alive and are both centenarians? And following on from that, couples where both spouses were centenarians and one or both of them died in, say, the last five years? Many thanks, --Viennese Waltz 15:31, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

Not that I have any stats but are you referring to all marriages? For example are you only referring to first marriages? In either event, are you including marriages where they only married when they were already centenarians or otherwise relatively recently? Nil Einne (talk) 16:15, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

Colors

Is there a reason why red is associated with danger, and green is safe? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 200tribblesonDS9 (talk • contribs) 16:06, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

There have been a few evolutionary explanations offered along the lines that red is associated with 'high salience' objects (certain poisonous fruits are red, blood is red, in certain primates sexual organs take on a red hue during estrous), while green goes with more common, 'safe' conditions (grass and leaves are green, indicating comfortable environments). However, it's not the kind of thing that can be tested and confirmed, so they are mostly just loose assertions. --Ludwigs2 16:15, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

As with all questions of this sort, the first question IMHO we should ask is, is there even sufficient evidence these associations are universal and have been for a long time? If not how can we be sure they aren't just cultural connections that arose for whatever reason? (I recognise the OP didn't specifically ask for an evolutionary reason hence why I'm responding to Ludwigs2.) For example plenty of people have theories on why pink is 'feminine' and blue is 'masculine' but as we've discussed before when this has came up, while these associations seem extremely wide spread nowadays, it's not clear how long these associations have existed. In this example, Red#Eastern and African traditions for example has cases which I would say aren't clearly an association with 'danger'. Similarly Green#Death, decay, and evil aren't clearly an association with 'safe' IMHO Nil Einne (talk) 16:21, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

We do have all kinds of genetically-encoded behavioral/emotional responses to a wide variety of visual information, though, including color. For example, the Evolution of color vision in primates article, discussing New World monkeys, says: "Trichromacy is observed in nearly all New World primates, and can offer a selective advantage in the discrimination for the most nutritive, colorful items; behavioral studies have shown that trichromats are 50% more likely to detect fruits compared to dichromats." So if the color red really were associated with danger, that would be due to natural selection pressures with most likely some phenotypical plasticity thrown in (for the same reason) for adjustment to local/"cultural" conditions. But see also Red#Sin, guilt, pain, passion, blood, and anger. WikiDao ☯ (talk) 17:27, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

"Several studies have indicated that red carries the strongest reaction of all the colors, with the level of reaction decreasing gradually with orange, yellow, and white, respectively". WikiDao ☯ (talk) 17:38, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

"...Because of this, red is often used to catch people's attention..." that's not correct. Red isn't used to catch people's attention because of those studies. Those studies exist to justify the use of red to catch people's attention. I wonder how the studies were designed to filter out the influence of culture on the amount of attention we pay to the color red. 213.122.29.136 (talk) 22:25, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

You can read about the reversal of gender stereotypes of pink and blue at Pink#In gender (permanent link here).

—Wavelength (talk) 18:28, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

Reap the goodness of red fruit: sure, they look pretty and taste great. But did you know red fruit also protect you against serious health problems? - Natural Health Articles | Find Articles at CBS MoneyWatch.com.

—Wavelength (talk) 18:18, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

See Color Wheel of Fruits and Vegetables. -- Wavelength (talk) 18:21, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

The Rainbow Herbicides include Agent Blue (herbicide), Agent Green ("powerful herbicide and defoliant"), Agent Orange ("powerful herbicide and defoliant"), Agent Pink ("powerful herbicide and defoliant"), Agent Purple ("powerful herbicide and defoliant"), and Agent White ("powerful herbicide and defoliant").

—Wavelength (talk) 22:52, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

Psychological Properties of Colors attempted to explain the effect of different color to the human mind by their respective wavelength. Personally I think traffic light play a huge part in "teaching" us red = danger, green = go: mention very briefly here (color knowledge interact with color representation). Royor (talk) 09:46, 15 September 2010 (UTC)

charity work

Has football player Tim Cahill every done any charity work? I'm interested in learning about which charities he may have supported, and the amounts raised / donated. Thanks MadZzzzz (talk) 16:27, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

You can contact him through his website and ask. Quote: I actively try to work with as many charities that are close to my heart as possible--Aspro (talk) 16:51, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

Hurricane statistics

I got to thinking about hurricanes when the news said that Igor wouldn't be making landfall. And this got me thinking about the most powerful Atlantic hurricane to never make landfall. This could be according to category or in the case that there were two or more in the same category then wind speed or pressure. I've been searching about and can't find a list of the hurricanes with the least amount of impact to dry land. Can anyone find such a storm? Dismas|^(talk) 17:42, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

Based on List of Category 5 Pacific hurricanes, Hurricane Linda was as intense as Katrina was at peak intensity, at least according to minimum central atmospheric pressure (and was stronger by 10 mph when compared with maximum sustained winds), and never made landfall anywhere populated. All the non-landfalling Category 5 hurricanes in the Atlantic were weaker than Linda according to central pressure (but Hurricane Dog was as strong as Linda based on maximum sustained winds). Titoxd^{(?!? - cool stuff)} 17:53, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

You may also with to ask Juliancolton, as he is something of an amateur expert when it comes to tropical storms of all varieties. → ROUX ₪ 20:06, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

For the sake of completeness, the other two recorded category 5 Atlantic hurricanes not to make landfall were Hurricane Easy (1951) and Hurricane Cleo (1958). Though apparently less powerful than Dog, these caused less damage, as they stayed farther away even from small Carribbean islands. Deor (talk) 22:00, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

size of political signs as an expression of speech

I have searched the web and seem to get conflicting answers. Has there ever been a case where the size of political signs has been considered an expression of speech? Federal government, first amendment gives the right to freedom of speech and political signs seem to be considered a form of freedom of speech. Can you tell me if the Federal government or state government (Kentucky) has any such requirements on political sign size regulations? Thanks! Barbara Weber —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.140.69.225 (talk) 22:26, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

See this page. Also, in this very recent case from Maryland, a federal judge ruled that a local government can limit the size of political signs so long as the limit is "content-neutral." As to whether any size limits apply where you live, that would almost surely be under the purview of your municipal or county government rather than the state or federal government. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 22:53, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

honda

does honda sell any "green" or LEED certified cars that dont have MDF ? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Tomjohnson357 (talk • contribs) 22:53, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

It seems, judging from our article, that LEED is only applied to buildings. Dismas|^(talk) 00:24, 15 September 2010 (UTC)

Galloping Horses and Praire Dogs' Burrows.

So whenever I see a Cowboy or other Western Movie showng a rider galloping across the plains, how am I supposed to ignore the fact that the Western Prairie was criss-crossed with acres and acres of (Prairie) dog towns that could bring down a full-grown bison (buffalo); yet I never see a movie where the resultant fall actually happens? Are horses so intelligent?? 92.30.87.55 (talk) 23:41, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

You're watching a movie. Movies are fiction. → ROUX ₪ 23:44, 13 September 2010 (UTC)

OK. But what actually happens/happened in reality??? 23:48, 13 September 2010 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.30.87.55 (talk)

Horses and their riders galloping across the countryside are delightful images for action movies but they don't reflect reality. Riders used their horses for traveling long distances and this was only possible at a walking pace. At this slow, realistic pace horses are well-capable of avoiding all manner of burrows, rocks and branches. Dolphin (t) 02:00, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

See Man versus Horse Marathon. Usually a horse wins, but not always. Paul (Stansifer) 14:24, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

September 14

Marina Rzhannikova

What detailes of this woman who is one of the most famous living ballerinas can be found?174.126.221.197 (talk) 00:01, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

I am afraid that the English Wikipedia does not have an article about Marina Rzhannikova. Have you tried searching in Google? The other option is that the Wikipedia in another language, like her native language (Russian?) may have more information if you are fluent in that language. --Jayron32 01:46, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

There seems to be very little information about her in English, but I have found this. If you want to search in Russian, use "Марина Ржанникова". Ghmyrtle (talk) 07:19, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

Contacting writers of a wikipedia article

How do I contact the writer or writers of the entry on Wordsworth’s Immortality ode, (at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ode:_Intimations_of_Immortality). Would it be possible to put a question to the person or persons who wrote the article on Wordsworth’s Immortality ode, (at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ode:_Intimations_of_Immortality). In the section on the Victorian response to this Ode there is an important paragraph concerning Ruskin’s evaluation of the Ode, in which there is a reference to a series of essays on Nature and Literature and Nature by John Ruskin, collected in “Art and Life, a Ruskin anthology”, (compiled by William Sloane Kennedy, New York, John Alden, 1886 I have failed to come across this work in the Library Edition of Ruskin’s Works, (the reference edition for Ruskin Scholars and serious amateurs and students of) Did I not look carefully enough or is this a work that escaped the notice of the editors of the Library Edition, Cook and Wedderburn? Many thanks Yours truly Alan Benbow Or Alanbenbow (talk) 08:11, 14 September 2010 (UTC)?

Access the History tag on the article (here); see who created the article or made the major contributions; and then either click through to their User talk page and leave a message, or see if there is an "Email this user" entry in the Toolbox in the left hand column of their User page, and email them. Ghmyrtle (talk) 08:21, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

The original 1886 anthology can be purchased relatively cheaply at abebooks.com. --Saddhiyama (talk) 08:56, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

The article's wording, "in his 'Nature and Literature' essays collected in Art and Life: A Ruskin Anthology" (emphasis mine), is rather confusing. Art and Life is a collection of snippets on various topics gathered by the editor from Ruskin's writings, one section in which is called "Nature and Literature". A look at the relevant snippet shows that it's an extract from Ruskin's "Fiction, Fair and Foul", under which title you should be able to locate the passage in the "On the Old Road" section of volume 34 of the Library Edition. Deor (talk) 14:06, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

In fact you can find the whole thing online here. Looie496 (talk) 23:28, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

Laziness

How does one overcome laziness and procrastination?Please help me find answers? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 117.206.14.133 (talk) 12:46, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

One suggestion would be to write down a list of things that you'd like to get done. Then cross them off. Create a new list for each week. The reason for crossing them off is so that you can see the progress you've made. If it is electronic, don't simply delete the completed items because it gives a bit less of a sense of accomplishment. Dismas|^(talk) 15:29, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

The answer might not be simple and may involve a searching look at your motivations, fears, life-long habits, etc. You might also be helped by such practical tips as: if it takes less than 5 minutes, do it right away; choose the hardest thing on the list first; set yourself to work for 20 minutes and take a 5 minute break (repeat); identify and remove sources of distractions; eat well, get some sunshine, and exercise, develop healthy relationships; do what works for you and not just because someone else does it; etc. 198.161.238.19 (talk) 17:49, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

My Google search for overcoming laziness and procrastination reported 121,000 results, with the first one listed being

http://simple-fix.blogspot.com/2008/10/overcoming-laziness-and-procrastination.html.

—Wavelength (talk) 17:55, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

[Like many web pages, that one contains many grammatical errors, so please do not rely on it as an example for correct grammar.

—Wavelength (talk) 18:28, 14 September 2010 (UTC)]

Laziness and productivity are not necessarily at cross-purposes. Sleep, as an obvious example, is necessary for productivity. The important thing is how you waste your time. Do you waste your time productively? Or do you merely fritter away your precious hours on the multitude of diversions available in a consumer society? In my own personal assessment, if I break new ground, I am being "productive." If I have never milked a cow and I have located someone with cows, and they agree to let me experience the milking of a cow, have I used my time productively? I may never milk a cow again. I think it matters if you take initiative, not so much whether you are productive or not. It can be considered procrastination. But a person is allowed to procrastinate if they are procrastinating from doing more important things by breaking new ground and not partaking of the multitude of ways of wasting time that a consumer society offers. Bus stop (talk) 19:05, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

Bus stop, your message reminded me of a story about Carl Friedrich Gauss.

• Gauss's Day of Reckoning » American Scientist

—Wavelength (talk) 19:19, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

Yes, as a high school teacher of Mathematics I tell my students that mathematicians are lazy. They are always looking for easier ways to do things. I guess the key is that they at least want to do things. HiLo48 (talk) 21:59, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

Ha! I tell mine exactly the same thing! Truly the universal language :P 86.164.78.91 (talk) 11:52, 16 September 2010 (UTC)

I have intended to write a definitive book on this subject for decades, but somehow there is always some obstacle to completion or other duties which have higher priority. Never fear; I will get around to it very soon. Edison (talk) 04:50, 15 September 2010 (UTC)

HiLo48, when you say that "mathematicians are lazy", do you mean that "some mathematicians are lazy", or do you mean that "all mathematicians are lazy"? (Incidentally, my Google search for lazy mathematicians reported 1,440,000 results.)

—Wavelength (talk) 14:38, 15 September 2010 (UTC)

Thanks a lot! That was most illuminating! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 117.206.8.3 (talk) 10:47, 15 September 2010 (UTC)

National Building Trades - Council of America

I have a plaque that was removed from the AOH Hall 26 Trumbull St. Worcester, Ma. when the building was torn down in the late 1960s. The plaque states that the building was Union Built in 1901 and is registered as Number 1.

My question is; Was this the 1st. building built by all union workers in the United States or just in Worcester, Ma.? Gerald V. Degnan —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.104.10.237 (talk) 13:26, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

I have reformatted your question slightly and redacted your personal contact information. Matt Deres (talk) 13:38, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

A solid ground dwelling plant that is the size and shape of an adult human heart

I was in the woods next to a small stream in Garrett County Md. and discovered a plant I have never seen. It is as described above and grew right out of the ground on a very short stem the size of a little finger and seemed to taper down into the ground as it became the root. The plant is completely covered in small florets (100+) that are a dark green (Olive?) and is strikingly beautiful. I am 62 yrs old and have roamed these mountains all my life and was surprised to find something new like this. Needless to say, I'd love to find out waht it is. Thanks, Rick —Preceding unsigned comment added by 208.103.135.52 (talk) 14:17, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

Not liverwort, by any chance? --Tagishsimon (talk) 16:57, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

Greco-Roman architecture

Why were ancient Greek and Roman buildings always white/gray? Didn't that get extremely boring? --J4\/4 <talk> 15:40, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

From what I've heard, they might have been various colours, but the paint has long since worn off. JIP | Talk 15:45, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

Thats right. See for example this and this. --Saddhiyama (talk) 16:06, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

(Edit Conflict) Marble and other building stone such as you are thinking of does not necessarily need paint (etc), but it does come naturally in many subtle colours and textures, providing plenty of variety. Until recent centuries, the primary purpose of exterior paint (or similar treatments) on buildings was to protect their materials from the weather, etc; decoration for its own sake was usually secondary. Indeed most of the bright colours seen today in clothes and manufactured items have only been achievable since round 1800 or later - people from earlier times, such as the Ancient Romans and Greeks, would probably find the modern world frighteningly garish.

That said, and as JIP suggests, colour was used to paint specific decorative items like statues and friezes. Many Greek and Roman statues were originally painted in lifelike colours which over the centuries has disappeared (not realising this, more modern artists imitating classical styles leave their stone bare) and the Parthenon Marbles still have a few very faint traces of colour (despite 20th-century cleaning efforts by curators not realising this). 87.81.230.195 (talk) 16:08, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

As the links above shows, it was not just friezes and sculptures that were often brightly coloured (suggesting a more widespread use of bright colouring of clothes than your post suggests), but also most of the architectural surfaces and details. Marble surfaces also shows signs of having been painted. --Saddhiyama (talk) 16:12, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

Slightly off-topic: The same is also true of Ancient Egyptian architecture which was "...covered with hieroglyphic and pictorial frescoes and carvings painted in brilliant colors". In my experience, the colours have often worn away, but where they have survived the colours on walls and ceilings can be quite vivid. Astronaut (talk) 23:23, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

Payout of envy

If the payout of envy is practically null, or even negative, why do people do things to provoke envy?--Quest09 (talk) 16:45, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

Who says the payout of envy is null or negative? Perhaps it is for the person feeling envy (though arguments can be made against this), but surely there's a class of people who "do things to provoke envy" who get a kick out of the perception that other people envy them? And then there's the besides the point external locus of control question about whether people can do things that provoke envy; is not envy mostly in the eye of the beholder? --Tagishsimon (talk) 16:55, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

You may want to take a look at Positional good, Quest09. Deor (talk) 17:39, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

Holiday rooms

i'm going on a holiday before booking the hotel rooms is it possible to view the rooms online?59.95.24.28 (talk) 17:01, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

It depends - some do, some don't. If you indicate where you are going or thinking of going, it might help. Ghmyrtle (talk) 17:03, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

Better still, try http://www.tripadvisor.com for unbiased reviews.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 17:25, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

... though take the odd bad review with a pinch of salt because some tripadvisor "reviewers" have been sued for libel. Dbfirs 17:56, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

Take the good reviews with a pinch of salt too. I have no citation, but having formerly worked in an industry where I dealt with a lot of hotels worldwide... their marketing departments are extremely active on sites like tripadvisor. → ROUX ₪ 06:11, 16 September 2010 (UTC)

Some hotel websites have 'virtual tours' or at least photos. I'd be very surprised if they didn't have photos of the room. Chevymontecarlo 17:47, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

Beware though. Many hotel websites only carry photos of their best rooms and taken from advantageous angle. The reality can be different when they stuff you in a room which seems tiny compared to the photos, overlooks the restaurant roof and is right next to the elevator shaft. Astronaut (talk) 23:09, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

Astronaut's point is very true. Chevymontecarlo 14:56, 15 September 2010 (UTC)

I have nothing original to add to the above responses - merely ratification that some Holiday Reviews have been "inspired" by the competition. We travelled to San Diego a couple of years ago and more recently to Havana, and in both cases, our designated hotels were rubbished on Trip Advisor - but not by Trip Advisor itself I must emphasise. But when we arrived, both hotels, their rooms, services, food, location, and staff, etc., etc., were far above our best expectations. So as someone else noted above, read as many reviews as you can find, and a pattern will very quickly emerge. I will never forget meeting a fellow Englishman in Spain who complained to me, as though I was interested, that he didn't like the way the Spanish drove on the "wrong" side of the road; he didn't like the heat, he didn't like the food, and most particularly he didn't like the way they all spoke in a "foreign language". And he was emphatic that he was never going to return to Spain; he was most definitely going to complain to his Travel Agency, and he was going to post the most damning review possible on a Holidays Uncovered type of online site as soon as he got home. We just laughed at him and walked away. And that is what you should do when you read some of the most unreasonable and hyper-critical reviews on these sites. If you do book a hotel or whatever, and it turns out to be rubbish, deal with it there and then and don't leave it until you get home. 92.30.155.86 (talk) 19:58, 15 September 2010 (UTC)

I feel I should balance my previous comment by saying I have also stayed in hotels that have far exceed my expectations and been vastly better then the reviews on Trip Advisor or elsewhere would suggest. There are people who will never be happy with the best of 5-star service and there are those who will write glowing reviews of the crappiest shit-hole you will ever stay in. While it is telling to read the very best and very worst reviews, please take all reviews, good or bad, with a huge pinch of salt. Astronaut (talk) 23:05, 15 September 2010 (UTC)

Finding out who called me

I was called today by someone who didn't give me their number, and there have been a few calls afterwards, so I can't do callback. I'm in the UK - does anyone know how I can find out their number? Skinny87 (talk) 17:23, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

If it's a mobile phone, the number should be stored in the call log. If it's a landline, probably not.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 17:27, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

Calling 1471 in the UK will usually report the number of the last caller only unfortunately Think you will have to wait for them to call again and get yourself a recording device for the future.--85.211.239.64 (talk) 19:16, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

If the calls are a nuisance or malicious, call your phone company. However a lot of calls these days are automated - a machine dials out and if you pick up, it tries to connect you to an available agent. If no agent is available, the machine just hangs up giving the appearance of a nuisance call. Joining the telephone preference service will help. Exxolon (talk) 19:24, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

BT provide a service that records the numbers of all calls, answered or not, but a cheaper alternative is to buy an answering machine that automatically dials 1471 after every call, whether a message is left or not. If the caller's number is withheld, then there is no way to find out the number, and some calls from abroad do not have a caller's number attached. On payment of a fee, BT will allow you to block such calls. Dbfirs 20:45, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

And do not be fooled into thinking that the above mentioned telephone preference service will be completely helpful. It was when it was first launched, but since then, and taking account of the recent financial crises that have made business survival so much more perilous, many of these cold callers that used to respect the callers' registered preference NOT to be cold-called, are ignoring the warning that shoots up on their screens, and are calling anyway. What do I do? Hang up if I catch the call in time. And if not, forget it. If you lose a call that might have been important, the caller will surely call you back. If not, it wasn't important. 92.30.155.86 (talk) 19:36, 15 September 2010 (UTC)

I agree that the telephone preference service is not as effective as it used to be, because many foreign call centres ignore the requirement to check the list. BT claim that they cannot do anything about this! I usually give the caller a lecture (politely if they are polite and more forcibly if they are less so). It probably doesn't make any difference. I've always wanted to link my phone to a computer with number recognition, and respond to these calls with a recorded announcement, but BT will charge me for telling my computer the calling number. Dbfirs 21:36, 15 September 2010 (UTC)

If you've a BT line (not LLU'ed), then caller display is free as part of "BT Privacy at Home". See [10], click on "Home phone security features" and then "BT Privacy at Home". Of course you need to buy a callerID compatible phone or display unit, but they are fairly cheap now. CS Miller (talk) 08:55, 16 September 2010 (UTC)

Linking

I have read a lot of really great articles from this site that contain wonderful information that I would love to share with the world on my favorite socialnetworking site, Facebook. So many other sites contain a "share" button for fast, easy sharing. It would be nice to see the same here. x♥x♥x —Preceding unsigned comment added by Audrey.B.XXX7 (talk • contribs) 19:30, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

While there isn't a 'share' button, you can easily share a link on your wall using the Attach-->Link dialog option there. Exxolon (talk) 19:57, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

You're not the only one; see here. Matt Deres (talk) 21:53, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

So how would a "share" button on every Wikipedia page be faster/easier then simply copying the URL from your browser into Facebook? I just don't see the point of the OP's request, unless they want Wikipedia top start carrying subtle adverts for Facebook. Astronaut (talk) 23:03, 14 September 2010 (UTC)

One of Us! Gooble Gobble! schyler (talk) 01:46, 15 September 2010 (UTC)

Well, clearly at least one person didn't know how to do it that way until just now. (Still a bad idea, though.) APL (talk) 07:02, 15 September 2010 (UTC)

September 15

Miss-use of the name "bachelor" for venezuelan engineers

Hello,

I was reading an article regarding the Bachelor Degrees. Venezuela is listed in the article under 5 year Bachelor.

I obtained my degree in Venezuela, and it is a Engineering Degree. This degree includes 2,5years of basic engineering subject followed by specialization topics (let's say specialization in Mechanics or in Chemistry) and with ending with a Thesis project.

I would like to know if there is a way to prove that this degree is equivalent to a MSc. program in Europe.

An example would be that Simon Bolivar University (USB) has an agreement with some universities in Europe and USA to have an exchange program. This exchange program will take place during the last year of education (5th year) and students from USB are accepted as students of the MSc subjects.

Second of all, people with Engineering degrees from Venezuela are accepted in PHD programs in Europe.

And finally, when a engineering degree is obtained the person is qualified to work as an engineer. No specialization is necessary because the Engineering degree already complies with that.

I think that is a miss-conception of what is an Engineering Degree in Venezuela. I think we are wrongly named bachelors.

I also found another article in Wikipedia stating: "the engineer degree is ranked at the same academic level as a master's degree"

Is there a way to confirm/validate this information? It is very important that Venezuelan engineers are recognized as such, especially now that there are so many working abroad.

Regards, Maria —Preceding unsigned comment added by Marianto6 (talk • contribs) 07:18, 15 September 2010 (UTC)

The way to confirm information in Wikipedia is to check the references. If there are no references, the material is not reliable. A bachelor degree is the lowest (no judgement) level of degree in a particular educational system. In most countries that I am aware of, a B.Eng is perfectly acceptable for beginning professional work as an engineer. It is also possible to move directly from a bachelor degree to PhD study; to become a PhD candidate one must only show ability, aptitude, and original research. It is incredibly rare, but not unheard of (as far as I know), to become a PhD candidate without any formal qualifications; a PhD is a matter of process and not achieved degrees, in theory. However... there is no absolute worldwide assessment of "X knowledge and learning leads to a B degree, Y is an M degree, Z is a PhD degree. So qualifications will vary. → ROUX ₪ 08:11, 15 September 2010 (UTC)

Another consideration is whether the first years are equivalent to high school in other countries. Or wheter half the course is learning English rather than Engineering. Roux is correct B.Eng is what counts. In my country a M.Eng does not qualify you to be an engineer at all, you need the B.Eng qual (in case you did a B.A or B.SC and then an M.Eng it does not count). Graeme Bartlett (talk) 10:31, 15 September 2010 (UTC)

Not sure what the situation in Europe is, but in the U.S. most people cannot start working as a professional engineer (regardless of whether they have a Bachelors, Masters, or PhD) if they have not taken and passed the Principles and Practice of Engineering Exam, or PE exam. It's roughly the engineering equivalent of the Bar exam for lawyers, and is mega important. Does something similar exist in Europe? --Jayron32 03:52, 16 September 2010 (UTC)

Picture

What computers are these children holding in this picture? Chevymontecarlo - alt 17:56, 15 September 2010 (UTC)

They appear to be OLPC XO-1 laptops (or similar) from the One Laptop per Child program. --Onorem♠Dil 18:02, 15 September 2010 (UTC)

Excellent! Thanks :) Chevymontecarlo - alt 18:30, 15 September 2010 (UTC)

George Michael.

Poor guy, he certainly has his demons. And such a talented performer too. Shame - really - I feel for him and hope his sojourn at Her Majesty's Pleasure helps him come to terms with his past "indiscretions". Question? Will his recent UK conviction and imprisonment for driving his car into a shop window whilst under the influence of, and whilst in possession of, cannabis, together with his previous encounters with the law, both in the USA and the UK, prevent him from travelling to the USA, whether as a private citizen or as a performer? 92.30.155.86 (talk) 19:27, 15 September 2010 (UTC)

This probably remains to be seen. I feel this is a question which seeks speculation rather than facts. In short, we cannot tell for sure. --Ouro (blah blah) 20:02, 15 September 2010 (UTC)

I take it your talking about moral turpitude. Yes. Just saying that you a subject in drug research enough to get barred from entry if that drug is on the prohibited list. Depends a bit though on if your rich or poor. --Aspro (talk) 21:51, 15 September 2010 (UTC)

• Often, performers at GM's level are given a pass on entry conditions when they are travelling for work as opposed to pleasure. Lesser performers (like a DJ friend of mine who was turned back at the Canadian border over a misdemeanour-level cannabis possession charge) don't get such breaks. → ROUX ₪ 06:14, 16 September 2010 (UTC)

September 16

hurricanes

any hurricanes to hit ontario canada —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.49.48.25 (talk) 00:53, 16 September 2010 (UTC)

Are you asking if any hurricanes are about to hit Ontario (no) or if they have in the past (yes)? A search for "hurricanes in ontario" returns the relevant results for the latter, including our article on Hurricane Hazel. The Ontario Weather Page includes a section on hurricanes. — Lomn 00:59, 16 September 2010 (UTC)

Yes, in the past. See Hurricane Hazel and List of Canada hurricanes for further information. Battleaxe9872 ^Talk 01:01, 16 September 2010 (UTC)

Even when we don't get them directly, we often get leftover rain and wind, like last week. Adam Bishop (talk) 04:14, 16 September 2010 (UTC)

Winchester gun

I have a Winchester Repeating arms Weapon Sereal # 17062 I've been told it is a rifle but it use to shoot 12 gage shotgun shells in its day. It belongs to my Husband and we would like some information on the gun. It has a plate under the handle that reads Manufactured by the Winchester Repeating Arms co. New Haven Conn. U.S.A. Pat Feb 16 & July 20 1886. We would like to know how old it is, was it used to feed the family, etc. Any information you can give us would be greatly appreciated Thank you so much Butch and Diane Kindig E-Mail= <email removed> —Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.13.121.117 (talk) 03:43, 16 September 2010 (UTC)

I have removed your email address for your own safety; as mentioned above your question will be answered here. May I recommend that you try to find an antique arms dealer or appraiser. There are people who specialize in identifying and appraising weapons, and a google search of the phrase "antique arms dealer" turns up some leads. You may try to find one (or maybe more, for a second opinion) in your local area to help you research the origins of your gun. --Jayron32 03:48, 16 September 2010 (UTC)

We do have an article Winchester rifle with quite a bit of information, including links to articles on some specific models. You might look at the pictures to see if you recognize yours. Looie496 (talk) 05:06, 16 September 2010 (UTC)

Three questions

The first two questions concern this picture. http://quizilla.teennick.com/user_images/B/BA/BAB/BabyBoo108/1143999033_pprabbit.jpg

What is the font used for the wird 'rabbit' and we want to know if there are any similar pictures to this as the quiz on Quizilla has been deleted for some reason.

The third question is this: What is the value of other world currencies compared to the U.S dollar? Like Dollars to Euros, Yen to Dollars, etcetera? 64.75.158.196 (talk) 04:32, 16 September 2010 (UTC)

For the third question, you can go to Google and type in '1 dollar in euros' and it will give you the current exchange rate. Dismas|^(talk) 04:44, 16 September 2010 (UTC)

Chinese food

I was watching Mr. Mom tonight and was reminded of something that I had wondered the first time I saw the film. In it, Michael Keaton's character pulls a chunk of what appear to be dry white thin noodles off of a larger brick of the same stuff. He throws this chunk into a wok and they almost instantly expand to a couple times their size. The stuff doesn't look heavy at all and it reminds me of a white tumbleweed. What is this stuff? And why do I never see it in Chinese restaurants? Dismas|^(talk) 05:02, 16 September 2010 (UTC)

I haven't seen the movie since God was a small child, but that sounds like dried rice noodles. They puff when deep fried, similar to maltodextrin-based prawn chips. → ROUX ₪ 06:15, 16 September 2010 (UTC)

Ramen? WikiDao ☯ (talk) 06:59, 16 September 2010 (UTC)

It's possible, but I doubt it. Ramen is generally a wheat-based product, which would require significant use of maltodextrin and at least two more steps in its cooking process to arrive at an end product which would puff in boiling oil. → ROUX ₪ 10:03, 16 September 2010 (UTC)

See [11] which is somewhat dark and [12] (much better quality but found it second) examples of deep frying thin rice noodles/vermicelli Nil Einne (talk) 10:53, 16 September 2010 (UTC)

Population

If the one child policy was never created, what would the population of China be today?--72.123.255.96 (talk) 08:18, 16 September 2010 (UTC)

Kinda hard to give an exact answer on that one, since we have no way of knowing the amount of children the average Chinese couple would have. And it always varies with each generation, you can't look at the statistics of families pre-one child policy and decide that if, for example, it was normal for the average couple to have 4 kids that it would be the same way today. 24.189.87.160 (talk) 09:10, 16 September 2010 (UTC)

However, it is worth noting that due to the policy and the cultural preference for males, a lot of female babies have been aborted or killed. Maybe were it not for that policy, those (well maybe most, you can't account for accidental miscarriages or life-saving abortions) female children would have lived, so if there's any reliable statistics on how many female babies were aborted or killed in China since the one child policy was implemented, that would be the closest you could come to getting an approximate number on what the Chinese population would be like today without the policy. By the way, haven't they relaxed the policy to two children now? 24.189.87.160 (talk) 09:30, 16 September 2010 (UTC)

Witches

Greetings Some time ago I read, but can no longer remember the source that there is an incorrect translation regarding "thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" it was stated that in the old if not ancient, Hebrew the writing "witch" is minutely different from "Poison Murderer" and could quite easily be translated to witch instead of Poison murderer. I also understood the in the old bad Roman Catholic times they in fact because of this translation demonized witches and references to Germanic countries should actually be replaced with "old Roman Catholic dogmas relative to the times/dark ages." who started the so called witch hunts in their misplaced fervor to rid the world of evil, they only added more evil if you regard it in the light of the commandment "thou shalt not kill" because many innocents were falsely accused and most horribly burned at the stake or stoned. Apparently Christianity abhors such actions but nevertheless it was perpetrated.

I am not affiliated to any religious group and would really like to know about the translation.

I find for instance many words have the same spelling but used in a different context those same words can actually have totally different meanings. In Hawaii I read that only a mother understands her toddler. Facial expressions, body language and the way a word is spokenor expressed gave it a total different meaning. Their Kahunas although they were healers would have been declared to be witches. This is merely an aside regarding the use of words, and not the main question regarding the translation "Poison Murderer" vs "Witch".

I do not know how you reply but if required my E-mail address is:- redacted

If nothing can be found may I request that you E-mail me and just say "sorry we can't help you"

Peace be with you. Daniel

41.240.209.62 (talk) 10:53, 16 September 2010 (UTC)

I removed your e-mail address. You'll get answers to your question here (and I don't doubt there will be plenty), and leaving your e-mail address in a public place like this quickly results in your inbox being filled with spam. TomorrowTime (talk) 11:05, 16 September 2010 (UTC)

To get you started, "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" is a quote from the King James Version of the Bible, translated under James VI & I, who was vocally Protestant and anti-Catholic (arguably as a direct result of the Gunpowder Plot). He was at the forefront of much of the witch-hunting in Britain. 86.164.78.91 (talk) 11:47, 16 September 2010 (UTC)